Twice in the past two days I've encountered two separate instances of riders without their headlights on.

That's a citation in my neck of the woods.

Yours?

For the second time in two days, in a car, I attempted with wild gesticulations to a fellow motorcycle rider that his headlight was non-functioning.

Today, in a slow moving little sweeper in the middle of town, where I once did a high speed sweep around slow traffic once mentioned in another thread.

I look in the outside mirror of the Woman Formerly Known as Mrs. Woof's Ford, I noticed my second bike without a headlight shining. I reach out and give him the roll up on me gesture.

Not that one!

The one where you roll your index finger in that, Hey, catch up to me signal way.

Ok

Much to my surprise, Today, it was a Washington State Trooper.

He pulls apace with me and flips up his modular facemask and yells, What?

I yell back, I saw your headlight's out!

He yells, I was just on a stop and I turn it off when I have the beacons lit.


I said, Sorry, I thought you were a civilian biker and wanted to save you a ticket!

His laughter, as he rode off, will always be a great memory of mine.

WA State Troopers can ride. Don't ask me how I know.

I just know.

 

I don't think it's the law here, but it's certainly advisable and riding schools certainly tell you to light-up.

Being visible to other road users is always a good thing.

 

You know, Hawk'. I don't know, like helmets state to state, if headlights is a strict law everywhere in the U.S.

In Washington State, daytime headlights on for motorcycles has been permanent since I can remember. Ride a Honda, where it's automatic on and then borrow your friends 1975 R100S and forget that it's manual and it's $200.00 bucks if caught unawares,

 

Crikey, I thought we lived in a police state, no fines here for that as far as I know, you can't turn the lights off on most bikes here in Aus anyway.

 

It's not that bad, really. It's just looking out for your people. A fine's a fine.

Better to avoid one if you can.

 

I know on my bike I cannot turn the headlight off. It just automatically comes on when the key is in the ON position. I suppose I could add a switch to change that but it's a nice safety feature.

What makes me laugh around here are the riders who try to comply with our state's helmet law by wearing some ridiculous thing on their head that I know is not even close to being DOT compliant. I'm sure they dug up some DOT sticker and slapped on it somewhere, though.

 

mines the same,i8ts a u.s import and the lights are always on, I reckon its a good idea

 

Run all mine on full and it helps to be seen in these parts by all the distracted tourists
this time of the year.

I think bikes (mostly antiques and classics) though with manifacture dates prior to the
law are obviously exempt however.

 

Kind of interesting timing for this thread. This morning I was out on the interstate and there was a bobber scooting down the road in front of me. He was going in and out of lanes like an idiot. It took me about 5 minutes to actually see his turn signal. His tail light was about 3 inches square, and there were little thin strips of lights inside that for turn signals. He was legal I suppose, but they were pointless. I am bike rider and I was looking and still could barely see them. I don't know how he expects somebody in a car, chatting on their phone to see them. Fashion over form I guess.

 

I see that all the time here in Mass (on sport bikes) now that LED signals are so small you can stick them just about anywhere. I've always looked at lights as helping make me more VISIBLE to all the cages who aren't paying attention... not just a law to try and minimize. Just plain stupidity, if you ask me. Then again usually they're kids who are riding in t-shirts and shorts... so obviously they're invincible and don't need to be seen anyway, right? ;/