First Ride in the Dark

[Regnaston]

I have had my beginners MC license here in Ontario since August (well it expired over the winter and I rewrote in March).

One of the restrictions is 'no night riding'

Well, this weekend I passed my road test to get the next stage of the license (M2) and am now allowed to ride at night. So I took the bike out just before dark and went to visit a guy who I know who just bought a scooter. I visited till just after dark then got to ride home for the first time in the dark. The road was about 12 kms of country road (paved) and had a ew twists and turns. I took it easy riding the road and enjoyed the new experience. I am really likeing this bike thing :-)

Dale

[Greg]

Hey pal

Glad you liked riding after dark. One suggestion I would make is if you have not done so already, replace your head light with a halogen unit. I know you bike is older like mine and the OEM light on mine sucked huge. Like a dying flashlight. I replace mine with a standard halogen and then in turn replaced that with a Sylvania Silver Star which is awesome.

Keep the rubber side down.

[Regnaston]

Whoever had it before me already put a Halogen in it so I am good to go.

When you replaed it with the Silver Star was it just the bulb or the whole unit?

Dale

[Bobthearch]

I do like riding at night, but only in town. Too many hazards around here after dark; the balance of risk/reward is too lopsided for my taste.

One night two weeks ago I was driving my truck to work. First, a herd of mule deer decides that my headlights are a signal to cross the road. A few miles later I drive through a small dust cloud caused by a rockslide occuring at that exact moment across the highway - lots of baseball-size rocks rolling across the pavement. I couldn't see them, but I could definitely feel them under the truck tires. A few miles farther, a herd of elk is 'grazing' in the middle of the road.

The wildlife is every day; the rockslide was a new one for me. Throw in bears, drunk drivers, road debris...

Best Wishes,
Bob

[Paduan]

You really get a thrill when one of our 1500 pound bull moose wanders across your path.

Sort of looks like a freight train with fur.....

[Regnaston]

You really get a thrill when one of our 1500 pound bull moose wanders across your path.

Sort of looks like a freight train with fur.....



LOL.. I have come in close encounters with a Moose when I had my 1992 Toyota Tercel.. It was on the Centre Line and started to move towards me when I went past it.

Dale

[Greg]

Whoever had it before me already put a Halogen in it so I am good to go.

When you replaed it with the Silver Star was it just the bulb or the whole unit?

Dale


Just the bulb. Since you already have a halo unit. just swap the bulb in.

Go to sylvania.com and look up the silverstar. It is a very nice light.

[RockyMtnRoadRash]

You really get a thrill when one of our 1500 pound bull moose wanders across your path.

Sort of looks like a freight train with fur.....

Ugh. I hit one of those in New Hampshire with a suburban once (the old tank variety, before they became soccer mom cars.)

The triple beam rollcage was bent, there was moose slime of all kinds all over my windsheild and driver's side.

I stopped almost immediatly, and opened the door to look back. The damned moose was standing up. Leaving fast seemed like a good plan at that point.

Moose: 1 Suburban: 0

I think on my bike I'd aim for the space between a moose's legs and duck. :P

[Regnaston]

Just the bulb. Since you already have a halo unit. just swap the bulb in.

Go to sylvania.com and look up the silverstar. It is a very nice light.

I wil have a look... Where did you buy it?? CDN Tire??

Dale

[Greg]

I wil have a look... Where did you buy it?? CDN Tire??

Dale

Yeah crappy tire has a pretty good selection of them. Check the type you need online.

It should run you about 20-30 bones but well worth it.

[Regnaston]

OK here is a question, how do you get at the bulb?????

[Greg]

OK here is a question, how do you get at the bulb?????


Don't know about your bike, but for mine, there is a rubber boot that covers the back of the light housing. I take that off and there is a spring loaded locking mechanism that holds the bulb in place. I remove that and the bulb pull out (still attached to the wiring harness) simply replace the bulb and presto chango.

Since I replaced the original old sealed unit, I had more work to do. The bulb itself was about 10 minutes to change after the halo unit was in. Remember I changed my whole head light and then about a week later I upgrade the bulb.

Good luck with it.