Check your tail light

[ilikefood]

In the last couple weeks I've seen like 4 or 5 bikes during my evening commute with broken tail lights. And I've been there too - riding around without a tail light for who knows how long until someone told me it was out. So this is a reminder - next time you start your bike, take a peek in the back and make sure all your lights work!

 

[ScottRNelson]

I check the brake light when I can, but only check the tail light when riding at night, which is very rare for me. And I've found one burned out more than once when doing that.

 

[Pushrod]

Habitual for me.

In the sixties I figured out that police use equipment failure as an excuse for traffic stops and citizen contact. My preflight always includes light checks, running, brake, signal and head.

Gotta' get to point B unimpeded.

 

[johnk]

If one of them was a black Moto Guzzi two nights ago, that was me. A kind car driver got my attention about it driving EB80 near Berkeley. I lost both running and brake lights so I'm guessing a ground issue but I haven't checked it out yet.

 

[Junkie]

My KTM started eating them in zero time flat. I had one last under 15 miles :| that's when I swapped in an LED

I've told more than a few people, though.

 

[Abacinator]

I check mine periodically because shitty British electrics. I just recently had to replace the front brake light switch.

 

[SlidingBike]

Good reminder @ilikefood . Also good to know about the car driver helped you @Johnk .. We miss many simple things but they would be major when we really run into them... Good thread

 

[GPzPop]

to the yellow GSXR on 580 - this means you (1 of 2 bulbs out)

(M4M)

 

[ilikefood]

If one of them was a black Moto Guzzi two nights ago, that was me. A kind car driver got my attention about it driving EB80 near Berkeley. I lost both running and brake lights so I'm guessing a ground issue but I haven't checked it out yet.

My commute is on 101 (south in the morning, north in the evening), so if you're in East Bay, then probably wasn't you. I saw a few small commuter bikes (CBR300 or Ninja 300), and a KLR in Bernal (that one was on the street, so I was able to tell him his light was out)

 

[kurth83]

I got a new bike from the dealer once where the front brake sensor wasn't wired up (they moved the bars for me and forget to reconnect it), so I had no brake lights, took me a few days to notice, ouch.

On my main commuter I check all my lights every day.
Per ride would be better.

The main part is I always check before the ride home, when it is dark and the lights are my only form of visibility.

 

[Killroy1999]

I noticed at least one cruiser slitting lanes in the dark with no tail light and I am not sure if the brake light was working either. That is very scary when not wearing any hi-vis or any reflectivity.

I always wondered why motorcycles do not light up the amber turn signals solid for more visibility and redundant lighting.

 

[zixaq]

I haven't had the tail light burn out, but I've gone through several bulbs because the extra filament for the brakes burns out. I'm guessing my brake light modulator has something to do with it.

Time for LEDs once I throw the last bulb from this pack in.

I always wondered why motorcycles do not light up the amber turn signals solid for more visibility and redundant lighting.

Mine runs the front ambers, but not the back.

 

[Junkie]

I need to pick up a module to convert mine to turn signals normally on.

 

[bergmen]

Good reminder OP. I have always wondered why a light status indicator is not part of the instrument panel (both cars and motos). It can even be done with fiber optics.

If cars had these it might help keep people from driving at night with only their DRLs on (if they look at the instrument panel at all).

Dan

 

[davidji]

Good reminder OP. I have always wondered why a light status indicator is not part of the instrument panel (both cars and motos). It can even be done with fiber optics.

BMWs light up an instrument panel warning light when a bulb is out.

 

[ilikefood]

Good reminder OP. I have always wondered why a light status indicator is not part of the instrument panel (both cars and motos). It can even be done with fiber optics.

If cars had these it might help keep people from driving at night with only their DRLs on (if they look at the instrument panel at all).

Dan

Good point. I think most cars these days tell you when a light burns out. But for some reason not if you’re driving on just DRLs at night! It should be illegal for a car dashboard to light up in the dark if your low beams aren’t on.

 

[ScottRNelson]

It should be illegal for a car dashboard to light up in the dark if your low beams aren’t on.

I have two Fords, very different models, and both light up the instruments during the daytime. One does it because the speedometer and tachometer are so far back into the instrument panel that you need light to see them. The other has a bunch of digital stuff which you can only see because the displays are lighted.

Maybe automatic lights?

 

[SFSV650]

Check your license plate light too. That bright white reflective rectangle on the back is probably more useful for cagers determining your relative speed and position than one more red light in a sea of red lights.

 

[ob1ventura]

Driving the truck back from San Diego a couple of weeks ago I came up behind a loaded down KLR somewhere north of King City on 101. Being late at night and with no other vehicles on the road I didn't even see him till my high beams lit him up. Figured his chances of making his destination were decent but far from guaranteed. Pulled up along side, hit my horn, pulled in front then slowed and put on the blinker. He probably figured I wanted to buy his bike or something. On the shoulder we agreed that I would follow him to the next town.

 

[ScottRNelson]

Check your license plate light too. That bright white reflective rectangle on the back is probably more useful for cagers determining your relative speed and position than one more red light in a sea of red lights.

Driving the truck back from San Diego a couple of weeks ago I came up behind a loaded down KLR somewhere north of King City on 101. Being late at night and with no other vehicles on the road I didn't even see him till my high beams lit him up. Figured his chances of making his destination were decent but far from guaranteed. Pulled up along side, hit my horn, pulled in front then slowed and put on the blinker. He probably figured I wanted to buy his bike or something. On the shoulder we agreed that I would follow him to the next town.

This is one reason why I make sure that my bikes have good reflectors on the back. Even the XR, which has a fabricated license plate frame, has an original-style red reflector back there. It makes sure at least something shows up to cars behind me, even if everything else somehow burns out.

Better still would be for the rider to wear something with reflective strips. Those really make a difference when I'm in a car coming up behind a rider.