Motorcycle lights are essential to the safety of the driver, so many bikers want to know the best headlight for them. While this answer is different for each individual, there are a few factors that you should consider. For example, how many lumens should a motorcycle headlight have?
Why Is Lighting Important?
Lighting is everything on a dimly lit road in the middle of the night. Not only is it your best chance to spot animals and large potholes on the road, but it also helps other drivers see you. Many drivers don’t think about motorcyclists on the road, and without proper illumination, they may fail to spot you—putting you in a dangerous situation.
What Are Lumens?
Lumens are a way to measure light, like feet are a way to measure distance. Many people remember the days when we measured lights in watts and wonder why the switch to lumens occurred. Watts don’t measure the brightness of a bulb—instead, they measure the energy use of a bulb, not the light output.
How Many Lumens You Need
While there are no definitive rules on the number of lumens your headlight should have, the average low-beam headlight is around 700 lumens. Meanwhile, high-beam lights generally cast 1200 lumens. That said, there’s no need to go with the average. As we previously discussed, more light makes you safer (to a point).
There are local and state regulations you’ll need to look into before installing a headlight, as many municipalities place an upper limit on the lumens you’re allowed to have. For example, you can’t have a headlight with more than 300 candlepower in Arkansas. That equates to about 3,770 lumens. Other states will likely have similar limits, so make sure the lights you’re buying comply.
Our seven-inch round headlights offer a range of lumen outputs, from 1350 on the lower end to 3,315 on the high end. Choose your lumen output based on the light you need—the more you drive on dimly lit roads, the higher you should go.
Now that you know how many lumens a motorcycle headlight should have, pick up an LED headlight today!
