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Motorcycles are some of the best vehicles on the market for getting around, whether you’re going for long drives or just taking a ride for fun. However, you need to invest in features for your bike to ensure it is as safe as possible, especially when driving at night. Purchasing accent lights and lighting accessories can be a game-changer for your ride. You can use this as a guide to understand primary lighting and accent lighting for your motorcycle.
Main Lighting
First, you need to understand the primary forms of bike lighting and the main purpose of these lights to best understand your vehicle. Understanding the purpose of each lighting type helps you determine the ways you can improve your setup. Learn more about motorcycle lighting so that you know how to best invest in accent lights and other accessories for your ride.
LED Headlights
Possibly the most important lighting on your motorcycle comes from the headlights that sit at the front. These lights are vital for brightening up the road as you drive in dark conditions and revealing your position to other cars. Improving visibility is a must for your safety when driving in the dark, as you and other drivers need to see. Harley LED lights and other lighting upgrades ensure that you maintain maximum visibility and can remain alert and aware on the road.
LED Taillights
Taillights sit on the back of your motorcycle, providing just enough light for others to see you when they drive behind you. These lights aren’t useful for brightening up the road, but they make it easier for other drivers to see you as you drive. This added visibility can help prevent accidents.
LED Turn Signals
Turn signals are lights that help others know where you’re planning to go in the next minute or so. When you want to turn or switch lanes, you should turn on the signal that matches the direction you’re planning on moving in. This indication helps other drivers predict your behavior and encourages them to make room if possible or avoid cutting you off. These lights are a legal necessity and can help you stay safe when driving on the road.
LED Brake Lights
These automatic lights turn on when you’re driving and apply pressure to the brake. As with turn signals, they help others driving behind you know what you’re doing. Brake lights are important, as they tell other drivers when you’re slowing down and allow them to react in time and prevent accidents.
Accent Lights
Accent lights are any lights you can add to your motorcycle outside of the primary lights that come with most bikes. These lights can serve a variety of purposes that help benefit your vehicle. For example, some accent lights make it easier to see you and the area around you, while others provide a purely aesthetic improvement. These accent lights aren’t necessary for your bike, but they can improve your ride in a variety of ways.
Undercarriage Lights
“Undercarriage lights” is a blanket term for lights that you can put underneath your bike in various places. These lights illuminate the ground beneath your bike and can look very cool. These lights mostly serve an aesthetic purpose, providing little in the way of visibility. However, they’re very popular and come in a wide variety of colors that can spice up your bike.
Body Lights or Running Lights
Body lights, also known as running lights, are LED lights you can add to the side of your vehicle to make it easier to see you in the dark. These lights are perfect for driving at night and making your sides more visible. Most bikes don’t have lights on the side, which can make it hard for other drivers to see the full size of your bike. These lights act as an excellent solution to this issue and can further improve the look of your vehicle.
Wheel Lights
Wheel lights are perfect for anyone who wants to improve what their bike looks like while still increasing their visibility at night. These LED lights brighten up the wheels of your bike, giving your motorcycle a futuristic and eye-catching look. However, these lights also make it easier to see you at night, as the lights are bright and attract attention very easily.
Dos and Don’ts
While there are no wrong choices when it comes to choosing which accents you want for your bike, there are some things you need to keep in mind. Take a deeper look at some of the bigger problems that people come across when investing in lighting.
Do: Focus on Visibility
Visibility is the most important function of lighting for any vehicle. You always want to be visible to other drivers so that they can avoid hitting you in the middle of the night. Whenever you’re considering a lighting upgrade or addition, determine if it will help improve how easy it is to see you. Also, focus on lights that make it easier for you to see when driving as well.
Don’t: Install Without Knowledge
Installing lights may seem simple, but there are a lot of cords that can cross, and mistakes are easy to make. Unless you know what you’re doing, it’s best to leave the installation to the professionals. Contact mechanics to see who can help you install the lights on your bike and work with them to make sure you don’t come across any problems.
Don’t: Break Laws
Every state is different, and there are a lot of laws that exist in one city that aren’t present in the next town over. Many local laws restrict the use of accent lights to certain types or colors, and you need to be aware of these regulations. Before you make any purchases, check local ordinances for bike lighting rules and regulations so that you can follow the law.
Motorcycles are best when they look the way you want them to and can help you be as safe as possible. Follow this guide on light accents and accessories for motorcycles so that you can create a bike you’re proud of!
