headlights for european travel

[kas]

Any UK owners been on the S10 to europe recently,
I was wondering about the headlight angle. Can't see any adjustment to european beam angle, and no mention in manual.
Manual states not to stick any tape etc on the headlight glass.

Any info appreciated
::021::

 

[Snowedin]

Just had 10 days travelling down to Elba and back. No problems. Dipped beam pattern seems pretty flat i.e doesn't light up the near side of the road. No-one flashed me suggesting they were getting blinded......

Cheers

Mike

 

[Rasher]

::021::

Never bothered with my other bikes when abroad, although I tend not to ride at night, I doubt any bike would cause problems in daylight.

 

[gerry2085]

Ive biked over the water for the last nine or so years, motorcycles are exempt from the need to fit anything to diflect the headlamp beam such as is required for four wheel vehicles. Ive never had a problem with other drivers, I have been stopped by the police in Italy and France a few times , while they checked the documents they never checked anything on the bike.

 

[Monty]

Re: Re: headlights for european travel

Ive biked over the water for the last nine or so years, motorcycles are exempt from the need to fit anything to diflect the headlamp beam such as is required for four wheel vehicles. Ive never had a problem with other drivers, I have been stopped by the police in Italy and France a few times , while they checked the documents they never checked anything on the bike.

Hi,

Can you point me to where this exemption is please? Which country does it apply to? This is not the same as the information I have, and in fact BMW (for example) specify masks for their bikes.

As it happens I think the bean on the S10 is pretty flat, so I just lowered the beam a little due to being fully laden and had no problems.

Regards,

Matt

Sent from my GT-I9100 using Tapatalk 2

 

[Swagger]

I go most years ... never have used any kind of beam deflector. It's never been an issue. It's gonna be bad next year though when you have to wear poxy reflective/hi vis gear. You may even need a breathalyser kit. :

 

[Monty]

You probably won't have to wear hi viz gear. A lot of jackets already have the required total amount of reflexive material built in.

And your headlamps may not have caused YOU a problem over the years, but they may have annoyed the hell out irf others.

And breathe 8)

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[Simon]

Breathalyser is now required in France as of 1st July - off topic slightly but worth a mention.

I've ridden in France and Belgium without any deflector kit and had no flashing from other drivers- as others have said, beam seems pretty flat.

 

[snakebitten]

I'm missing something. (not surprising)

But why would a given headlight on a given bike not irritate on-comers in one country but cause problems for on-comers in another?

Not arguing that one countrie's bureaucrats aren't dumber than anothers, and thus resulting in some stupid rules. But on-comers are just humans. Glare is glare. Right?

 

[Snowedin]

I'm missing something. (not surprising)

But why would a given headlight on a given bike not irritate on-comers in one country but cause problems for on-comers in another?

Not arguing that one countrie's bureaucrats aren't dumber than anothers, and thus resulting in some stupid rules. But on-comers are just humans. Glare is glare. Right?

Because some dipped beam patterns highlight the nearside of the road more than the centre - not an issue in the country that they are designed for, but if you change to the other side of the road (as we in the UK have to do to drive on "the continent") then you end up blinding the oncoming drivers as the nearside becomes the offside....

Mike

 

[snakebitten]

Makes perfect sense now.

Didn't think about a pattern being unsymmetrical........and thus being a problem switching from the queens side to the "normal" side.

Thanks

 

[Rasher]

And your headlamps may not have caused YOU a problem over the years, but they may have annoyed the hell out irf others.

Well that ain't my problem, perhaps Johnny Foreigner should not have decided to drive on the wrong side of the road in the first place

 

[gerry2085]

Matt,

I use the AA web site to check what was is required before going over the water , When I was touring through France Germany Italy Austria Croaita and Slovinia, the site indicates which countries require what to be fitted ,or carried for each country. I can't quote the law for each of the EU countries but use that site as a guide which to date, has not caused me any problems abroad. ( Sorry don't know how to attach the link ) But if you have some information which indicates that convertors are a legal requirement on two wheel vehicles within the EU I will bring it to the attention of the AA.

That site indicates that headlight convertors are not a requirement on two wheel vehicles, it is a requirement not to dazzel other road users, so a lowering of the headlights if you think they are high may be required, but it is not something that I have had to do over the years. I have never been flashed or had any indication that my lights were causing a problem to vehicles ahead or approaching me.

It may be that the BMW headlight lens is unusual in some respect and needs a convertor to avoid dazzel.

Gerry

 

[kas]

http://www.theaa.com/motoring_advice/touring_tips/france-monaco.pdf

Found this AA site does not mention anything as far as changing headlight dierection. So I'm gonna take a copy with me and see what happens ::021::

 

[gerry2085]

KAS

I am sure that you will enjoy your trip, If like me you avoid the toll roads /motorways just watch your speed in the towns and villages they do attract the local police with the radar gun. As others have said it will be a requirment for reflective material to be displayed on the upper part of the body, it is a common mistake to think that it is high viz ( yellow or orange ) that is requred, In June I met many uk riders in France who had purchased yellow high viz jackets for their tour which did not in effect comply with the French requirement. The jackets are not required until January 13th anyway. I know we have strayed off topic a little but recent MCN articles have misled many on this subject.

 

[MIKE R]

In June I took the S10 to Bosnia going through France, Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Italy, Slovenia and Croatia. It was an organised tour with 11 other bikes (Suzuki 650 V Strom and SV 650, 2 BMW 1200GSA's, BMW 1150GS, BMW 800GS, KTM 990 ADV, Triumph Tiger 800 and 1050, Moto Guzzi 1200 Norge an an FJR 1300). No-one had altered their lights for continental travel and no-one had a problem.

Just my experience.

Mike

 

[viewdvb]

This isn't official but I figured out by using parts books when I owned a bike shop that most European bike imports (from Japan or wherever) use the same headlight part. This implies that it is symetrical and flat so no need to worry when changing countries. This makes sense for the manufacturer who is then able to ship bikes to a central distributor in Europe then on to any country without special specifications. In any case, it is easy to check. Just point your bike at a dark wall. You'll soon see if the dip beam pattern [the only one you need worry about as the high beam is almost designed to dazzle] has a higher illumination on one side.