Why do Motorbikes have no Fog Lights?

Wonda-Boy

Lads was thinking about this the other morning with the very bad fog....why do all bikes not come standard with a rear fog light? After all we are one of the most vulnerable groups on the road.

I think you can buy them on fleabay alright but they should really be standard.

goodlad

Fog is horrible man! I had to do the 60km commute with the visor fully open!
But yeah, fog lights would be handy.

Wonda-Boy

Freezing fog is even worse!
I mean it would be so easy to stick a small high powered red light next to or built into the existing unit.

Cienciano

I have fogs :cool:
Front fogs anyway. It's very rare you actually need them, and if I had a choice between a front or a back fog, I'd go with back

steveone

If i have to put a fog light on my bike i'll torch this forum! Tis not a bad question
U could also ask why cars have them- probably a convenience thing
From back in the day.

Wonda-Boy

steveone wrote: »

If i have to put a fog light on my bike i'll torch this forum! Tis not a bad question
U could also ask why cars have them- probably a convenience thing
From back in the day.

Are you serious?

They are badly badly needed in the dense fog. With the people that drive in this country!!!!

Living in Meath we get some horrid bad fog, I am talking you would not see 6ft in front of you. Rear fog lights on cages are ESSENTIAL....some people struggle with even putting lights on at night time or dark rainy days. :rolleyes:

Any extra lighting on a bike is a good thing IMHO.

steveone

Yea WB i know why theyre needed. But because cars have them and
Bikes dont i was thinking that they may have been a fancy add on from the days before seat belts etc. Just a thought.

BlackWizard

The last few weeks has been very bad for fog. The ood morning I spent most of my journey scraping the ice off my visor. They would be a good idea for the back of the bike.

Wonda-Boy

Do them big fancy Goldwing jobbies have them....?

Del2005

There are no rear fog lights on JDM or American cars, isn't it great that they never get fog.

Any idea on where this extra light could be fitted to bikes? There's a lot more space to spare on cars.

SamAK

I'd be more concerned about the fact that there's no NCT for bikes. Why not?

Wonda-Boy

SamAK wrote: »

I'd be more concerned about the fact that there's no NCT for bikes. Why not?

Why not voice your shock and horror in here?

http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2057166599

Wonda-Boy

Del2005 wrote: »

There are no rear fog lights on JDM or American cars, isn't it great that they never get fog.

Any idea on where this extra light could be fitted to bikes? There's a lot more space to spare on cars.

Easily fit an extra bulb in the existing housing on most bikes without much fuss.

SamAK

Wonda-Boy wrote: »

Why not voice your shock and horror in here?

http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2057166599

Jaysus, i'm not that bothered. :rolleyes:

Wonda-Boy

So you are concerned...but not bothered. I would class concerned as being a step up the panic ladder rather then a rung below it.

SamAK

Ok let's scrap the 'concerned' and go for 'interested to know'..

There's nothing new I could add to that particular debate that hasn't been discussed already.

AgileMyth

I've only been on the roads once when foglights were actually needed. I've been behind a dickhead with foglights on for no reason about a million times.

The man on the radio says theres fog coming and the whole country sticks the lights on for a month.

steveone

SamAK wrote: »

I'd be more concerned about the fact that there's no NCT for bikes. Why not?

Here we go again

Del2005

Wonda-Boy wrote: »

Easily fit an extra bulb in the existing housing on most bikes without much fuss.

When I had a JDM car I found a very good alternative to fog lights was to gently touch my brakes when I saw lights coming up behind me, just touch the back brake when you see lights approaching from behind. Or just stick your hazards on, orange light will cut well through fog.

Don't forget that your supposed to turn your fog lights off when there's a vehicle behind you, not just when there's no fog, as they are to warn other motorists that there is a car ahead not burn the eyes out of following traffic.

There where no fog lights fitted to any of the few HGVs or buses I've driven.

Cienciano

AgileMyth wrote: »

I've only been on the roads once when foglights were actually needed. I've been behind a dickhead with foglights on for no reason about a million times.

The man on the radio says theres fog coming and the whole country sticks the lights on for a month.

Agreed. A light mist last week, you could easily see 4 or 5 km and everyone had their fogs on

Wonda-Boy

In fairness if the fog light is used when needed the fog will stop the light burning the eyes off people. Its getting off topic know lads, original question still stands...?

Cienciano

Wonda-Boy wrote: »

In fairness if the fog light is used when needed the fog will stop the light burning the eyes off people. Its getting off topic know lads, original question still stands...?

I've no idea why they don't, and I agree, in heavy fog they're needed. You can drop the speed in thick fog on a main road and some people think they can do 120. Wouldn't mind a rear fog in that situation.

My fronts would probably be pretty useless in fog as they're directed at the ground just in front of the bike. But they're designed in a way that you can just stop and tilt them up.
Although some people know for a fact that they're blinding even though they never even seen the bike

Did you ever think the fog is lasting for ages and is really thick, but it's actually pretty much clear, you just never wiped your visor? No? Me neither! :pac:

Del2005

Wonda-Boy wrote: »

In fairness if the fog light is used when needed the fog will stop the light burning the eyes off people. Its getting off topic know lads, original question still stands...?

I've followed plenty of jackasses with fog lights on when they weren't required as the fog wasn't thick enough, they should be removed from cars not added to other vehicles.

You're ignoring the fact that apart from EU cars not many other vehicles have fog lights yet everywhere experiences fog.

Wonda-Boy

Typical Irish mentality right there, a couple of jackasses (as you say) that cannot drive properly and have no idea when or how to use fogs and they should be taken off cars/bikes altogether as they are a hindrance more then a help! We have all experienced very poor drivers at one stage or another....

At this rate get rid of the middle high brake light as they are sooooo confusing and no need for them when the car in front brakes....I never know which one to look at!!!! And airbags....OMG paying such a premium for them bags of air and chances are we will never use them. :pac::pac::pac:

Rather then educating the general public about how and when to use them....we take the easy route and try to ban them all.

Anywho' I was coming at this from a bikers point of view, so much road rage about fogs. Who would have thunk it!

Stay safe peoples.

Cienciano

Wonda-Boy wrote: »

Typical Irish mentality right there, a couple of jackasses (as you say) that cannot drive properly and have no idea when or how to use fogs and they should be taken off cars/bikes altogether as they are a hindrance more then a help! We have all experienced very poor drivers at one stage or another....

At this rate get rid of the middle high brake light as they are sooooo confusing and no need for them when the car in front brakes....I never know which one to look at!!!! And airbags....OMG paying such a premium for them bags of air and chances are we will never use them. :pac::pac::pac:

Rather then educating the general public about how and when to use them....we take the easy route and try to ban them all.

Anywho' I was coming at this from a bikers point of view, so much road rage about fogs. Who would have thunk it!

Stay safe peoples.

I was on the m50 last week and there was no fog (light mist), but the big RSA signs that display messages over the road had "use your fog lights"
I think people are like Father Dougal, the had this button in their cars for years and they weren't allowed to press it, and now they can.

Cuddlesworth

Wonda-Boy wrote: »

Lads was thinking about this the other morning with the very bad fog....why do all bikes not come standard with a rear fog light? After all we are one of the most vulnerable groups on the road.

I think you can buy them on fleabay alright but they should really be standard.

In my mind a couple of reasons but making one thing clear, fog lights are for dense fog impenetrable fog. Something which I have encountered once in Ireland in 10 years.

Fog lights are effective low to the ground. They are supposed to be as close as possible to the ground because that is where the fog is thinnest and the light can spread the furthest. I can' help but notice the rear fogs over the years have risen up high with an attempt at simply getting brighter to compensate for the bad positioning. I'm going to assume that its something to do with bumper tech and crash impact absorption.

Bikes obviously can't place lights that close to the ground, having "fog" lights at the same height as your current lights is pretty pointless on the scheme of things. The only ones I have seen are the BMW adventures on the side bars. I don't think they would really work in proper fog.

Plus on a much more important note, if you're in the position to really need fog lights on the bike you shouldn't be out driving. We are the most vulnerable motorised vehicles and proper fog is really bloody dangerous. Most of the huge car pile ups of the last few years have been fog/visibility related.

Wonda-Boy

Fair point Cuddlesworth, the thread has gone sideways at best.

My original point was how come they dont come pre installed on bikes as alot of people do commute on bikes in all weather and the fog was very dense in my neck of the woods over the last week or so. Its not the worst idea in the world to have them on bikes but the thread got off topic and cage rage was all over the shop.

Wossack

I'd thought front fogs are positioned lower, as normal headlights 'light up' fog, and actually make it harder to see through (in addition to the less dense closer to the road as above)

Prob a good idea to have a rear fog though..

Del2005

Wossack wrote: »

I'd thought front fogs are positioned lower, as normal headlights 'light up' fog, and actually make it harder to see through (in addition to the less dense closer to the road as above)

Prob a good idea to have a rear fog though..

Most fog lights are 21w, the brake light on most bikes are 21w. Using your mirrors you can show the same amount of light by feathering your back brake when you see lights approaching.

steveone

Wonda-Boy wrote: »

Fair point Cuddlesworth, the thread has gone sideways at best.

My original point was how come they dont come pre installed on bikes as alot of people do commute on bikes in all weather and the fog was very dense in my neck of the woods over the last week or so. Its not the worst idea in the world to have them on bikes but the thread got off topic and cage rage was all over the shop.

Have to disagree there- its a great question- one i never thought about. But i dont see cage rage- the lack of a fog light is in comparison to 4 wheelers and including or commenting on them isnt going off topic. You might just hav got urself an earner-retrofitting fogs!

Hotblack Desiato

Del2005 wrote: »

Most fog lights are 21w, the brake light on most bikes are 21w. Using your mirrors you can show the same amount of light by feathering your back brake when you see lights approaching.

Yeah, that's what I'd do, flash the brake light - though if the fog is really bad your mirrors are probably covered in moisture, and anyway it'd be hard enough to see what's ahead never mind behind.
Sometimes the best decision is not to ride. I won't risk it on a bad frosty morning, they're rare enough where I live so what's the point?

Some 80s Nortons came with fog lights.

galwaytt

You should see the MoFo ones I made up for a bike today. ...

Wonda-Boy

galwaytt wrote: »

You should see the MoFo ones I made up for a bike today. ...

HA...land a jumbo jet with them bad boys!

doctorchopper

Cars have 2 lights and they only put the fog light on 1 side, if you were to put a fog light on a bike it would look like the brake light was on all the time and could be dangerous

Cuddlesworth

doctorchopper wrote: »

Cars have 2 lights and they only put the fog light on 1 side, if you were to put a fog light on a bike it would look like the brake light was on all the time and could be dangerous

What? I think your confusing all those plonkers out there with only one working fog light? Or are you trying to say that rear fog lights in cars are visibly separate from the brake lights. Which would not be the case on a bike.

doctorchopper

Cuddlesworth wrote: »

What? I think your confusing all those plonkers out there with only one working fog light? Or are you trying to say that rear fog lights in cars are visibly separate from the brake lights. Which would not be the case on a bike.

Any jeep/ car i've had only have 1 rear fog light, as well as most cars have a 3rd brake light so you can visibly see when brakes are applied, you wouldn't see when a bike brakes if fog lights were on

Cuddlesworth

doctorchopper wrote: »

Any jeep/ car i've had only have 1 rear fog light, as well as most cars have a 3rd brake light so you can visibly see when brakes are applied, you wouldn't see when a bike brakes if fog lights were on

Interesting, every car I've owned has had two rear fogs.

cruizer101

I see your point doctor, afaik the reason most cars just have one is because in the UK the regulation is to have at least one and we get the same cars.

However I'd argue if a rear fog light is used correctly that shouldn't be an issue.

A rear fog should be on when you can see no-one behind you, when someone comes behind you and you can see them clear enough and they clearly know you are there fog should be switched off in which case brake light will be effective.

Regarding front fogs, not sure if as necessary, and if were to be added should be yellow, which doesn't dazzle as much and cuts through fog better.

edit: re Cuddlesworth: really? I had thought all or at least most cars also only had one

doctorchopper

cruizer101 wrote: »

I see your point doctor, afaik the reason most cars just have one is because in the UK the regulation is to have at least one and we get the same cars.

However I'd argue if a rear fog light is used correctly that shouldn't be an issue.

A rear fog should be on when you can see no-one behind you, when someone comes behind you and you can see them clear enough and they clearly know you are there fog should be switched off in which case brake light will be effective.

Regarding front fogs, not sure if as necessary, and if were to be added should be yellow, which doesn't dazzle as much and cuts through fog better.

re Cuddlesworth: really? I had thought all or at least most cars also only had one

Good point with the turning fog light off, but i'd say 95% of drivers out there never do this.

Cuddlesworth

cruizer101 wrote: »

edit: re Cuddlesworth: really? I had thought all or at least most cars also only had one

Yep, even the Ford Puma which was a English Import had two.