From: jef@quark.ansto.gov.au (J. E. Fearon)
Subject: Re: Lights in daytime
Keywords: lights
Organization: Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation
Date: Fri, 14 Aug 1992 19:12:11 GMT

In article <brians.713199551@extro.ucc.su.OZ.AU> brians@extro.ucc.su.OZ.AU (Brian J Smith) writes:
>
>Take this from a non-bikie (yet)
>
>I would recoommend that all motorcycles, all vehicles for that matter, have
>their headlights wired to be turned ON at all times during the opreation of
>the vehicle. It has been PROVEN safer in many overseas tests, especially at

Hmmmm PROVEN, I am sorry to say that the debate on wether it is a PROVEN fact or
not is still being debated world wide .. just take a look at the SDC and Vic
Roads shamozzle in Victoria .. 

>those annoying times when people forget to turn their headlights on. Also
>during the day when the sun is in your eyes etc., 

Again I am sorry but when the sun is in your eyes and there is a bike coming
towards you with it's lights on it infact hides the bike from view as the
dazzle from the headlight blends with the sun.  I myself ride with just my
parkers on but I believe it is the basic right for all riders to choose .. we
could well argue that all cars must have their lights on all of the time .. the
safest thing you can do while riding a motorcycle is to ride defensivley ... I
have been riding for 4-5 years now and have not had one serious accident .. I
do not believe that this is due to luck but due to the fact that I treat EVERY
cage on the road as if they are out to get you and to make no assumptions on
what course of action they will take .. it is a sad fact but true ..

>I come from Canada and Bikes have had to have lights on all the time for many
>years, except for old Harley's of course, but they don't even wear helmets and
>if the cops give them grief, they just wipe out the police car or
>something..., 

A clasic example of the power of numbers ;)

>For bikes, I would recommend that riders use the lights and install brighter
>ones if possible. I know I see a lot of motorbikes with really dim tail lights
>and turn signals too close to the bike to indicate properly to the side. 

Well in australia there are Australian standards for the distance from the
center of the bike that the indicators must be .. for example the ZZR250 had to
be modified for australia because it's indicators in the duck tail were too
close and stalk type indicators had to be attached .. WRT the brighter
headlights I am running a brighter headlight in my ZX-10 I upgrades from a 
55/60W headlight to a 90/130W one .. this is fine and dandy and I see a whole 
lot better at night but I have had to make sure that my headlight aim is 100%
perfect else I get a multitude of ppl flashing me due to the brightness of the
light and not due to the fact that it is in their eyes .. they seem to think it
is in their eyes ?? well a topic for discussion maybe ? :) BTW if you upgrade
to a brighter light you have to uprate your headlight fuse and if the wiring is on the El' Cheapo side of things you also have to rewire or install a relay ..

>Proper wiring can use the (seldom used) high beam element at reduced power so
>the lamp will not expire prematurely. THis has been employed as law on all new
>cars sold in Canada after 1991. It's been law for years in Sweden, too.

hmmm I do not see the advantage in this ?? you may like to elaborate on it ?

Jason

-- 
Sidewindr 		'90 B3 ZX-10 Ninja       DoD #0435  
e-mail: jef@ansto.gov.au
Po Box 24 Engadine      A motorcyclist rides a motorcycle but a motorcycle
N.S.W. Australia 2233   rider is not necessarily a motorcyclist. - jef.