Driving light question

[KAWoodworth]

I took my 2007 RSV in to be inspected on Friday at a local gas station In Herndon Virginia. The inspector told me that the passing/driving lights and fog lights could only come on at low beam. Both the driving/passing lights on the light bar and the fog lights on the bottom of the forks have seperate switched. The driving/passing lights have a push button switch on the inside of the faring next to the power accessory plug and the fog lights have a switch that is attached to the gas tank. When I bought the bike from the dealer these were already installed by the PO. They inspected the bike with no problems. The inspector said he would let me go this time but does anyone know if this is true that they can only come on with the low beam?

[royalstarjac]

Some states have that regulation. Not sure about Virginia.-Jack

[KeithR]

I would say you are dealing with Local/State laws. The dealer has wired them to work that way but they can be wired differently.....pic below is from my passing light installation instructions.

 

Hope this helps

 

Keith

Edited December 1, 2008 by KeithR

[V7Goose]

I have no idea what your state laws actually require, but many billions of us have ridden through all sorts of states with all the lights on and never had a problem. In actuality, it makes ZERO sense to say that aux lights can only come on with low beam, since you are supposedly never facing another driver if your high beams are on! In other words, what possible difference could it make what other lights are on at the same time as your high beams?

 

But I digress. The simple solution to this problem (of the inspection) is to simply leave all the aux lights off when you have it inspected. If they ask, just tell them they are for decoration only and never come on!

Goose

[gunboat]

hi ka

my 99 rsv is set up like yours except i don't have the fog lights. my driving/passing lights are turned on by switch on the inner faring. the mech at the mom & pop m/c shop were i bought the schoot. he installed the driving lights, had told me the driving lights are suppose to turn off when the high beams come on ( they don't ). i use to keep the driving lights on all the time. but when i go in for the annual inspection i just leave them turned off. the state inspector never ask about them.

i would just take the schoot back to the dealer for the inspection or find another inspection staton.

best reguards

don c.

[KiteSquid]

Where can I get a copy of the Virginia Official Safety Inspection Manual?

You may request a copy by mail or in person from:

 

Mailing address: Department of State Police, Safety Division, P. O. Box 27472, Richmond, VA 23261-7472

 

Office address: Department of State Police, Safety Division, 7700 Midlothian Turnpike, Richmond, VA 23235

 

The cost is $20.00 (no shipping or handling). The purchase of inspection manuals at our office or by mail will be limited to payment by money orders, cash, or company checks (cash can only be used by walk-in customers). Personal checks are not accepted.

 

The Motor Vehicle Safety Inspection Rules and Regulations can be located, in part, at the following Web site: http://leg1.state.va.us/lis.htm

 

Search: The Virginia Administrative Code

Browse: Table of Contents

Scroll to: Title 19, Agency 30

Scroll to: Chapter 70

 

 

 

So I went to the website listed and found this:

 

 

Click HERE to go directly to the motorcycle headlamp section. it also looks like you have too many lamps on your bike... IF they interpret it that way....

 

HERE is the section that covers lamps on all vehicles......

 

You might ask the inspector what part of the law applies and for a copy of it so you can comply with it.

 

I hope this helps

[CrazyHorse]

Thank God Illinois doesnt inspect that stuff.

[Guest tx2sturgis]

The way I read that, the inspector got it backwards. It looks like the regulations says those 'driving' lights can only come on when the HIGH beam is on.

 

 

 

19VAC30-70-530. Section K, 10, h:

 

 

 

(Inspect for and reject if)

h. Driving lamps are not wired so that they will burn only when the high beams of the regular headlamps are activated.

 

 

Every state has different, and sometimes conflicting laws. Thats one reason that on the Harleys that have the two aux lights, such as the touring bikes, the lights are defined as 'passing lights'...meaning, in theory, they only come on when you flash them with the switch, to signal a pass, then shut them off again....yeah right.

 

 

 

Just tell the inspector next time, they are passing lights.

[V7Goose]

There is no doubt that every state is different, and often the inspectors, and sometimes even the police officers, don't actually know what is required or permitted. The nice thing now is that the internet makes it pretty easy to research and actually see for yourself what is required. If you have an inspection problem or a ticket you think is wrong, do the research yourself before you give up on it! And be sure to check the right thing - not only the laws specific to motorcycles, but the inspection requirements are often quite different than the specific law that would govern a ticket.

 

For example, Texas does have laws that detail the types of lights and how they are aimed (including the number of lights), but the inspection guidelines specifically include this:

 

"d. Other lamps: Fog lamps, auxiliary passing lamps, auxiliary driving lamps, backup lamps, and parking lamps are not required to be inspected."

 

This means that your bike inspection cannot be failed for additional lights, but it does not protect you from a ticket if they are set up wrong.

Goose

[royalstarjac]

The way I read that, the inspector got it backwards. It looks like the regulations says those 'driving' lights can only come on when the HIGH beam is on.

 

 

 

 

19VAC30-70-530. Section K, 10, h:

 

 

 

(Inspect for and reject if)

h. Driving lamps are not wired so that they will burn only when the high beams of the regular headlamps are activated.

 

 

Every state has different, and sometimes conflicting laws. Thats one reason that on the Harleys that have the two aux lights, such as the touring bikes, the lights are defined as 'passing lights'...meaning, in theory, they only come on when you flash them with the switch, to signal a pass, then shut them off again....yeah right.

 

 

 

Just tell the inspector next time, they are passing lights.

 

That is why Yamaha calls them "passing lamps" and not "auxillary headlamps" or "driving lights"-Jack

[SilvrT]

Most "driving lamps" aka "passing lamps" I've ever installed state in the instructions that they are to be wired to the High Beams so that they only come on when the high beams are on.

[KiteSquid]

I cant find it but IIRC it is a federal law that "passing lamps" come on with the low beams and turn off with the high beams.

 

 

It might take some relays and extra switches, but you should be able to pass, and have the lights operate the way you want them to.

 

 

BTW if the inspector gives you a copy of the rules, please post them here for the rest of us in VA.

[SilvrT]

I cant find it but IIRC it is a federal law that "passing lamps" come on with the low beams and turn off with the high beams.

.

 

:think: ... I don't "get it".

 

First of all, "passing lamps" produce additional illumination...am I wrong?

 

If the "passing lamps" are on when the low beams are on, wouldn't that additional illumination cause more "mirror blindness" to the driver ahead of you that you're gonna "pass"???

 

"Passing lamps" are really another name for "driving lights" .... am I wrong?

 

Wouldn't a person want additional "driving lights" for additional illumination when there's no vehicles ahead of you ... ie, when you have your high beams on?

 

One of the biggest problems I have is night driving. I find it very eye-straining and hard to see and it's even worse when it's raining or foggy. I've always installed "driving lights" on my vehicles so that I can see better. Passing Lamps...Driving Lights .... seems all the same to me .... should be on when high beam is on if nothing else IMHO.

[SilvrT]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Automotive_lighting

 

Note: the definition of "passing lamps".

 

Therefore, if the additional lights we put on our scoot are called "passing lamps", then they are supposed to be of low intensity and used during low beam situations.

 

Are these lights we buy of "low intensity"? ... if so, that's not what I want. I want lights that shine up the road for a long distance...much farther and wider than standard headlight.

 

Under "Auxilliary lights", there is nothing referred to as "passing lamps". Auxilliary lighting is used for a number of different things but not as additional low beam, low intensity purposes.

[got2mnytoys]

I have 4 trucks that come with factory passing or driving lights (whichever ) and all of them are on when the low beams are on and cut off with the high beam and it says this is right in the owners manual . And my scooter's stay on all the time. Glad Alabama don't do the inspection thing

[MiCarl]

Any auxiliary lamps I've ever used were wired so they only came on with the headlights. This prevents accidentally leaving them on and returning to a dead battery. When I had them on cars/trucks (driving or fog) I always had an auxiliary switch to disable them.

 

In Michigan you can only have two additional headlamps on a motorcycle. I'm going to put on a set of lamps that have both fog and driving lights in the single housing. My plan is to have the fog lamps on with the low beam (to fill in for low speed riding) and the driving lamps will come on with the high beam when I really need to see down the road. I haven't decided yet whether to add switches to disable them, I'm inclined not to.

 

Of course the set I'm using aren't DOT approved:whistling:

[KiteSquid]

MiCarl,

 

can you provide a URL to those lamps????

[MiCarl]

MiCarl,

 

can you provide a URL to those lamps????

 

Disclaimer: I don't have them yet. They're on my Santa list. Hopefully I'll have good things to say about them 12/26

 

http://www.carparts.com/Optilux-Elliptical-Dual-Fog-Driving-Light-Set/GP_2003770_N__10618.car

[dynodon]

Most factory installed aux lamps on vehicles including bikes are officially FOG lights, and in this case, they should only be on with the low beams since high beams cause light scatter in fog/rain/snow and make seeing worse, you should run low beams and FOG lights in that case. They should go OUT when the high beams come on if wired right from the factory.

 

Fog lights should have a specific lens/reflector designed to keep ALL light just a couple feet off the roadway, and they will light up a short ways down the road and to the side.

 

This is different from Driving or passing lights (essentially the same thing). These are designed to have a higher beam that goes much farthur down the road and doesn't light up the sides much. Driving/passing lights should NOT be on when there is oncoming traffic since they will work like bright lights and blind an oncoming driver, or one you are coming up on from behind. To be effective, they should be used with brights for best long distance sight.

 

In Illinois, you are NOT supposed to have ANY aux lights on if there is oncoming traffic, in otherwords if you would normally dim your high beams, you should also turn off any Aox lights, even fog lights. But almost nobody knows this or adheres to it, including the police.

 

Most aux lights are mis-aimed from the factory, and almost all aftermarket lights are never aimed properly by owners. Some cheap aux lights have badly designed lens/reflectors that will blind anything in front of them.

 

My pet peeve is people running their "aux" lights 24/7 because they think it makes them look cool.

[Dave77459]

*snip*

Most aux lights are mis-aimed from the factory, and almost all aftermarket lights are never aimed properly by owners. Some cheap aux lights have badly designed lens/reflectors that will blind anything in front of them.

 

My pet peeve is people running their "aux" lights 24/7 because they think it makes them look cool.

 

My Yamaha OEM passing lamps are installed on the sturdy bar for the purpose, to prevent miss-aiming. However, the dealer didn't have the lens rotated correctly (there is a "TOP" embossing, which was rotated on the side). Thanks to V7Goose who noticed this when he helped me change tires.

 

AFA my aux lights being on 24/7, I run them this way because anything that helps me get noticed is a good thing in my book. When we ride in a group, the bikes with the passing lamps on are clearly more visible behind me and that is proof enough for me.

[silvercrew]

I don't know about the USA but the Canadian highway traffic act states 1 set of fog lights to be rated with a sae f rating to be on with the low beam lights only and 1 set of driving lights with a sae y rating to be on with the high beam. Both set of lights have to be below the headlights, if the lights are hooked up wrong or don't have the rating they are to be covered and off at all times while on the road. This is what the Royal Canadian Mounted Police told me when he pulled me over for illegal lighting on the front of my truck. I asked to see where it says it in the highway traffic act, he opened the book and showed it to me and let me read it with my own 2 eyes. I went home and made the changes to make it right with the law to avoid being pulled over again. So far I have never had a problem since. Again this is the canadian highway traffic act but I can't see the USA being much different than that as we go to the USA with our Canadian vehicles.

[Pilot]

:think: ... I don't "get it".

 

First of all, "passing lamps" produce additional illumination...am I wrong?

 

If the "passing lamps" are on when the low beams are on, wouldn't that additional illumination cause more "mirror blindness" to the driver ahead of you that you're gonna "pass"???

 

"Passing lamps" are really another name for "driving lights" .... am I wrong?

 

Wouldn't a person want additional "driving lights" for additional illumination when there's no vehicles ahead of you ... ie, when you have your high beams on?

 

One of the biggest problems I have is night driving. I find it very eye-straining and hard to see and it's even worse when it's raining or foggy. I've always installed "driving lights" on my vehicles so that I can see better. Passing Lamps...Driving Lights .... seems all the same to me .... should be on when high beam is on if nothing else IMHO.

 

Only trouble makers inject REASON into matters such as these. Everyone knows the government (federal, State or Local) only employs the brightest, sharpest minds when it come to making laws….

Pilot

[SilvrT]

Only trouble makers inject REASON into matters such as these.

 

all I have to say to you is .... :rasberry: :rasberry:

 

 

Everyone knows the government (federal, State or Local) only employs the brightest, sharpest minds when it come to making laws….

 

ain't that the truth!

[SilvrT]

I think this is a good clarification of the difference between "driving lights" and "passing lights". Although I still think the name "passing lights" makes no sense at all LOL.

 

Passing lamps have a wide lower intensteny beam when copmaird to the narrow and very bright beam of driving lamps.

 

I would try to mount Driving lamps as high as possiable to cut down the size of the shadows that can be made by low mouned lamps.

 

Look at rally cars, they put lamps on the roof, so the lamps are above the driver's head, so there are no "black holes" made by the shadows of the beams. of cours this is not possiable to mount driveng lamps on the top you your helmet, but that IMHO would be the best place for them from the driver's point of view but bad for other direvers on the road. AND you dont want the mass on your helmet.

 

 

Passing lamps can be mounted low, to make a triangel of light to make your bike more visable to other drivers, they dont help you with the shadows they make, but would help light up the sides of the road.

[BoomerCPO]

In my search for additional front lights I have YET to see any lights labeled as "Passing Lights"...........Everything I have seen indicates either "Fog Lamps" or "Driving Lights" on the box.

 

IMHO "Fog Lamps" are ideal when mounted low (on the Venture crash bars) to project a good 3-point triangle of light for oncoming traffic to see. The "Driving Lights" do a great primary job of lighting up the road when used with the headlight High Beam....and a secondary job to warn a vehicle in front when you are about to pass them......if the vehicle driver is not asleep at the wheel.