Motorcycles have a lot of parts that need proper care to make them safe to drive, especially when driving in suboptimal conditions. You can’t rely on repairing things when they break, as you’ll suffer greatly when something goes wrong. You need to focus on preventative maintenance and regularly solving problems before they become dangerous. A great example of this is cleaning the moisture from your bike’s headlights before you go out for a drive.
The Problems of Moisture
Moisture is a common occurrence in your headlights, but that doesn’t make it any less dangerous or problematic. While the severity of moisture depends on the circumstances and amount, it’s never a good idea to leave it there. Here’s a deeper look at some of the problems that arise from moisture in your headlights.
Compromised Visibility
The most common and dangerous effects of moisture on your headlights is clouding your visibility. Headlights are extremely important as they let you see the road in dark driving conditions, and anything that hinders their performance can greatly affect your visibility. Not only will you have a harder time seeing the road, but others will also have a harder time seeing you, as the moisture dulls the lighting from your headlights.
Warping Structure
Water is capable of a lot of things, including the warping of the internal mechanisms and the shape of your headlights. This is especially true for cold climates in which moisture may freeze and damage the headlights if not removed. However, it’s very unlikely to happen before you notice the other issues that come with moisture for your vehicle.
Damaging Electronics
While manufacturers take great care to build their headlights as durable and weather-resistant as possible, moisture can still cause a lot of issues for the electronics inside. Water seeping into the wires and inner workings of your headlights can damage the electronics and stop them from functioning completely. While this doesn’t happen with a small amount of moisture, it can cause problems if you let it build up.
Indicates Bigger Issues
Moisture is a common occurrence for headlights when there are temperature changes. But if you notice a lot of moisture or continuous moisture problems, it may be indicative of several other issues. Things like cracks in your headlight casing or leaks in the assembly can cause more moisture issues and will need repairs or replacement.
How To Get Rid of Moisture
This next section will focus on the different methods people can commonly utilize to get rid of any moisture they discover in their LED motorcycle lights. There are several different methods, and each one is best for tackling different amounts of moisture.
Normal Evaporation
While you do need to deal with moisture in advance, most moisture will disappear with enough time. While you should clean it off before your drive, you can usually count on evaporation dealing with small amounts of moisture. Storing your bike in a warm location with good airflow will help with moisture evaporation. If that’s not an option, you can put your motorcycle directly in the sun, as it’ll clear away a lot of moisture over time.
Hair Dryer
Heat and airflow are some of the best ways to deal with moisture gathering, which is why a hair dryer is such a useful tool for a motorcycle. Plugging in the hair dryer and lightly blowing it on your headlights will help the moisture go away with little to no effort on your part. You can also blow the hair dryer into the vent to pump in hot and dry air to help get out the moisture from inside the headlights without removing the lights or breaking the seal.
Compressed Air
Sometimes the moisture gathers, and you can’t wait for it to dry out, nor will a hair dryer get the air where you need it. This is especially problematic if the water gathers in crevices or other hard-to-reach places in your headlights. That’s where compressed air can be super useful, as you can blow the water right out of these hard-to-reach places very quickly.
Open It Up
Sometimes you can’t clean out the moisture in your headlights with these methods without opening up the headlights. The water will get too deep in the headlights, and you’ll need to remove them to truly clean it of moisture. You’ll need to follow your manufacturer’s guide when taking off your headlights, so you don’t damage anything while removing the headlights. However, once they’re off, you can use any method you think is best to clean off your moisture, including just using a simple towel to wipe away any moisture.
Continuous Moisture
If you notice that moisture keeps gathering in large amounts even after you clean it, then you may have another issue to deal with. While some moisture is normal, water shouldn’t gather in your headlights, and you’ll want to identify the problem. Things like leaks or cracks in your sealant or casing can let more water in than normal condensation and can cause a whole host of other issues. You may need to replace your headlights to avoid further moisture issues.
Safety Tips
When you do try to use these methods to remove moisture from your motorcycle headlights, you should be careful and follow safety procedures. While it’s unlikely that you’ll hurt yourself, it’s still possible when dealing with something mechanical like this. Be sure that you anchor your motorcycle when you start adjusting and cleaning it, so it won’t fall. Always follow manufacturer instructions before doing anything to your motorcycle in case something is different for your vehicle.
Following all these tips and tricks will help you be as safe as possible when driving on the road. As long as you perform your other preventative maintenance, you’ll be a lot safer on the road and will be able to see more clearly at night. Your safety and the safety of others on the road depend on your continued vigilance, which is why these small things can be so important.
