Why are Motorcycle Lights Always On?

Last night my son pointed to the headlight lamp of my Harley and asked why it’s always on even in the daytime. I thought, why shouldn’t I write a post about the same. Here’s the reason why motorcycle lights are always on? 

In the 1970s, Canada held a study where researchers found that motorcycle lights in the daylight made them more visible and reduced the risk of accidents. And that’s why in the US you will find every motorbike after 1979 having lights which remain on even in the daytime. 

Let’s look at what it means and what you can do about it. 

While writing this post, I leave no stone unturned so you can know why your motorcycle lights are always on, even in the daytime. 

Why are Motorcycle Lights Always On? 

Undeniably you know the value of being visible on the road, even in the daytime. Now the question arises, why are motorcycle lights always on? 

According to some industry experts, this rule was brought in 1979 in the United States to make motorbikes more visible even in the daytime, and this is even more necessary when it’s a two-way road, and you want to highlight your presence to the driver riding the truck. 

What Happens If Your Motorbike Headlight Isn’t Always On? 

So far, you understand why motorcycle lights are always on; now the question arises, what happens if your motorbike headlight isn’t always on.

According to some riders, they cannot highlight themselves on the road without a headlight. Fortunately enough, they just miss out on life-threatening accidents. 

So, unfortunately, without a motorbike headlight, you probably meet with a life-threatening accident. 

So it would be best if you always turn your headlight on even in the daytime. 

What Happens if you Crash Because of No Headlight: 

You just read how important a motorbike headlight is. Let’s see what happens if you crash without a motorcycle headlight.

Without a motorcycle headlight, you’ll face life-threatening injuries in an accident that might take your life. It will impact your financial situation too, which is more true if you’re the only earner in your family. Insurance companies will consider you partially faulty; thus, you wouldn’t claim your insurance too. 

Intelligent are those who learn lessons from others’ past experiences, and I think this is even more true if it’s about your precious life. 

Do Motorcycle Lights Always On Help? 

So far, you understand motorcycle lights always on helps you highlight more on the road and prevent you from any potential risk of life-threatening accidents. 

Now the question arises, does the motorcycle light always on help you? According to many riders, headlights always on helped protect them from many life-threatening accidents, but many riders feel unsatisfactory because the light is always on, making their motorbike battery go down.

Do Motorcycle Lights Always On Make Battery Down? 

So far, you understand why it’s necessary to be highlighted on the road. Now the question arises, do motorcycle lights always turn the battery down? 

Although manufacturers use LED bulbs which use the least energy while producing a good amount of luminance on the road. But still, some motorbikes don’t come with those power-saving LEDs making the motorbike battery go down. 

If it’s with your motorbike, I highly recommend changing old lights with new technology power-saving LEDs. 

Also, read my previous post where I’ve discussed how can you recharge your dead motorbike battery CLICK HERE to read.

What to Do If Your Motorcycle Light Makes Your Battery Down? 

So far, you understand that old halogen technology bulbs make your battery run down, now the question arises, what can you do if your motorcycle light turns your battery down? 

If you ever think about making your motorbike lights off, then, believe me, you’re mistaken, instead, you can change your motorbike’s old halogen bulbs to new technology LEDs lights. 

These LED lights come with power-efficient technology and, at the same time, highlights your motorbike more than halogen lights, so it would be best to go with LED lights instead of finding a way to permanently remove your motorbike lights. 

What Are Some Ways to Highlight Yourself on the Road? 

So far, you understand that manufacturers set up motorbike lights to highlight your motorbike on roads. Now the question arises, what are some ways to highlight your motorbike on the road. 

According to industry experts, if you’re using halogen light, it is best to change it with LED lights. It’s because LED lights come with power-saving technology and highlight you more than conventional halogen lights. 

If you still think that LED lights aren’t enough, then you can go with installing LED lights around your motorbike.

Or you can also go with reflective tape or fluorescent lights on your wheel to make sure you’re visible on the road, many riders prefer wearing suits with colors designed to highlight you more on the roads. 

Colors like Red and Yellow mixed with little orange are the prominent colors helping you be visible on highways. 

But unfortunately, most of the riders out there are going with colors such as black or gray. Although these colors look fabulous, it doesn’t make you highly on highways, and thus, it’s better to avoid dull colors such as black or gray. 

Why Always Only One Motorbike Headlight is On? 

So far, you understand some other ways to illuminate your motorbike on the one-way road. Now the question arises, why there’s only one motorbike headlight on. 

According to experts and the motorbike forum, there’s no solid reason behind designing your motorbike headlight to always be on, but some riders believe it’s one of the efficient ways to save battery consumption. 

In this system, one light, which is usually a low light beam, is always on while you can turn on or off a high beam headlight manually. 

Plenty of riders don’t like this system because one light isn’t enough to make their motorbike visible, and high beam light makes other riders blind, ultimately it’s a matter of visibility and showing your presence on the road. 

Frequently Asked Questions:

Final Verdict:

Why are motorcycle lights always on? In the 1970s, Canada held a study where researchers found that motorcycle lights in the daylight made them more visible and reduced the risk of accidents. 

And that’s why in the US you will find every motorbike after 1979 having lights which remain on even in the daytime. 

I’ve also mentioned the importance of motorcycle lights, which you always need to remember when going to the busiest highway in your city. 

Wish you happy and safe riding! 

Here are Some of My Favorite Riding Gears: 

Thank you for reading this article. I hope you found it helpful as you build your riding journey successfully. 

Here are some riding gears I use as a rider that I hope you’ll also find helpful.

These are affiliate links, so I’ll earn a commission if you decide to use any of them. But in all honesty, these are the same riding gears that I use and recommend to everyone, even my own family.

Motorbike Riding Pants:

For getting started, I like Scorpion EXO Covert Jeans for men (check the latest price on Amazon.com) and Indigo Protective Riding Jeans for women (check the latest price on Tobacco Motorwear).

These riding pants are comfortable so you can use these pants in summer, and these pants have a lot of space for using knee guards. 

Motorbike Riding Helmet:

Throughout my riding life, I used several helmets, and almost all helmets protect your head well. Still, I personally prefer YM- 929 Yema helmets as it comes with Bluetooth and aerodynamic ABS shells (check the latest price on Amazon.com).

And suppose you want an eye-appealing and yet effective helmet. In that case, you can go with Icon Airform Sacrosanct Helmet (check the latest price on Revzilla). 

Motorbike Riding Jacket:

Jackets are crucial to protect your upper body. Honestly, every rider has a dream to have an affordable yet best riding jacket. And that’s why I personally recommend the Alpinestars T faster motorbike jacket because of the protection and comfort it offers (check the latest price on Amazon.com). 

Motorbike Riding Gloves:

Almost all riding gloves perform well by protecting your hands from sunburn and cool nights. And if you’re a serious rider, then you should go with Alpinestars SMX-1 Air v2 Glove, which is lightweight and offers you excellent protection. (check the latest price on Revzilla).