Night Riders

[mjgaffney]

Hey,

Curious to hear everyone's impressions of the big strom (or wee) for night riding. I find that my low beams don't cast nearly as far as I'd like them to. Brights are fine but can't use them in traffic. Also, just your general experience riding at night.

I have been riding my big strom a lot this summer... about 1000 miles per month... but as the days get shorter I am finding myself out there at night more often and, to be honest, I don't like it very much at all. Seems like cars follow more closely (and drive faster) and that I can't see as far ahead. Recipe for disaster. Do you grow accustomed to night riding as you do it more? Is it really as dangerous as it seems/feels?

Thanks for any experience you can share.

MG :)

[The Shepherd]

Before the Strom I owned a 1st gen Bandit.....complete with the suckiest headlight ever put on a motorcycle, riding at night on that was scary since you could have had a moose 500ft in front of you and never see it.

The Stroms headlights are better than my cars, I think they are great. I still am a bit nervous at night since I've seen four deer this year standing with their heads poking out of the bush line while I was riding back from work....and I take the run up the 400 at 120 - 130kph so I don't get run over by SUV's.

I really only ride superslab at night, I don't think I'd tempt fate doing two lane backroads after dark due to deer and drunks taking the "road less travelled" homewards. That's just my thinking though.

[Heavy]

I too find my low beams are a little "short", specially when compared to the light thrown out there by the hi-beams. Maybe you should try and soften the preload on your rear suspension. Might allow the rear to squat a little more and make the low beams more effective. Of course, one could always go about it the correct way and adjust the lo-beams themselves.

(man, adjust the suspension to fix the headlights...what am I thinking?? :roll: )

[wfsdno]

I came from a 2nd gen Bandit with the projector style beams. They really lit up the road but nothing for sides or more than a few yards in front.

The first time I rode my Big V-Strom at night I was totally stunned!!! I could see the sides of the roads, edges of fields and further down the road than ever before. Totally happy.

Roger

[water warrior]

Hi-beams are great, low-beams are short, but then I have never found low-beams on anything that worked to my satisfaction. Separate hi/lo headlites could be adjusted individually and solve problem. Some decent driving lites aimed somewhere in between hi/lo would be a benefit.

[V-Tom]

Aren't your headlights ajustable for both height and side to side?

When I raised the front forks of my bike I adjusted the headlights a bit higher. They are still well below the eye-line of oncoming cars and rear windshields but much better for being able to see. The highs end up being a bit higher than I like but totally liveable.

..Tom

[mjgaffney]

I don't know if my headlights are adjustable... Makes sense though... I'll check it out and post what I find out back here. That'd be great if they are.

[water warrior]

I think you will find headlight adjustment in the owners manual.

[Criscokid]

The first time I rode my Big V-Strom at night I was totally stunned!!! I could see the sides of the roads, edges of fields and further down the road than ever before. Totally happy.

Roger

+1 8) The high beams are awsome! I agree that the low beams are a little "short" but they are still better than the lights on my '79 Toyota pickup :D

[STROMETTE]

FWIW, I run Moto Lights (35w) fork-mounted auxillary lights as well as PIAA Extreme White headlight bulbs. The two combined are phenominal and I wouldn't consider riding at night (especially in a high critter area) w/o them.

Stromette