We all know how important our vision is when driving a car on and off road. Investing in quality driving lights is important to keep ourselves and others safe. Riding a motorcycle or an all-terrain vehicle (ATV) shouldn’t be any different.
Visibility is king, especially on a bike or ATV, where being aware of your surroundings is that much more important. Compared to cars and trucks, you’re far more vulnerable to injury from smaller mistakes and accidents that don’t involve other vehicles.
High performance lights can be the difference between a near miss with a small animal or ditch and disaster. Like the factory headlamps on your car, those on your bike or ATV may not be adequate for long-distance or peripheral visibility.
Lightforce can help you light up the track or the road ahead to get you home in one piece.
Why attach additional lights to your bike?
A survey by the Transport Accident Commission of 900 people who had been injured on a motorcycle while off road, found that 49% of crashes were due to trail conditions. 22% were the result of rider error.
With a quarter of those accidents on terrain with “trees and bushes around” and half with “lots of corners”, it’s easy to see how better lighting can help prevent crashes and injuries when out on the track and even on your own property.
For on road riders, the same research estimates that one-in-ten motorcycle accidents in urban areas occur at night.
Which light type is best?
LEDs are the ideal light tech for a motorcycle or ATV. They pack significant power into very small packages, which is ideal for handlebars that have little room for mounting. The other major advantages of LEDs are their individual bulbs (and therefore reflectors) and energy efficiency.
Depending on the reflectors with each LED diode, LEDs can achieve anything from focused and long-range beams, down to extremely short and wide beams.
For off road riding:
You would choose an LED with a high spread beam, rather than a distance beam. This is because, on your own property or in the bush, you’re much more maneuverable and typically travelling at lower speeds. It’s important that your peripheral vision is as clear as possible, to account for your frequent twists, turns and uneven ground.
For on road riding:
You would choose an LED with a narrower beam that projects light further ahead. Similar to a car on the road, being able to spot danger from a longer distance gives you more time to react. Because you’re on a smooth road and less likely to be weaving through your surroundings, your peripheral vision is less crucial than it is for off road riding.
Which LED should I choose?
Lightforce’s ROK20 LED utility light is ideal for bikes and ATVs. Like our larger driving lights, ROK20 is extra tough. Its cast aluminium body and polycarbonate lens are both waterproof (rated IP69K) and impact resistant, meaning they’re well suited for off road use. Weighing only 274 g, it won’t disrupt your ride. It’s Lightforce quality in an ultra-compact package.
We recommend the ‘spot’ variant for on road use and the ‘flood’ variant for off road, to reflect the riding conditions of both environments. The ROK20 spot utility light will allow you to see the dangers ahead on the highway, while the flood utility light will illuminate your sides to help you safely weave through trees and bushes.
See here for more of the ROK utility light range and stay safe while riding.
