[v6kgang]

Originally Posted by giri1.8

I have commented about Dominar multiple times on the internet.

Dominar Owner here, didn't think about the ill effect of those LED's before buying the bike..now that's the only grouse i have on this bike now..they should have atleast given an option to switch of the AHO functionality (irony). have consulted multiple mechanics i know to reduce the light output to more acceptable levels for oncoming traffic, but to no avail. Worst part is the throw is very limited, they are not doing any good for the driver or the oncoming traffic. I use the bike only for office commute so not sure if current setup helps during highway rides.

[locusjag]

Originally Posted by farhadtarapore

I don't see why this is such an issue. I mean, just look at the road in front of you rather than the oncoming vehicle's bright LEDs. Why would anyone stare into the LED?
One simple hack I use is I just look at the road below and never directly at the vehicle.

The hack you've mentioned is about all one can do. But that is a sub-optimal hack, one which still leaves you bereft of the use of your peripheral vision in the dark. Allow me to explain.

Our eyes have two types of cells - the rods and the cones. The cones are clustered around the center and help us with viewing objects when they are properly illuminated.

The rods are more in number and bring up the peripheral rings in our eyes. These help in detecting motion (ever realized how you notice objects only when they move, and that too out of the corners of your eyes?) and in seeing objects in low light.

When a dolt uses his high-beams, your rods are drowned out. This means you have already lost the ability to see moving objects in the dark. Only objects that are illuminated by headlights or streetlights can be seen by you. If you rely on your own headlights, depending on your speed, you only have a few seconds of braking distance to respond to a sudden obstacle in your path.

When a dolt uses his high-beams, pedestrians are the first casualty as a direct and immediate consequence. Unless pedestrians were to wear reflective clothing, other motorists with their drowned-out rods would remain blind to the existence of pedestrians on the road.

Try noticing the difference in your dark vision and peripheral vision the next time a vehicle approaches with its low-beam on. I bet you can see a lot more than you would when blinded by high-beams.

[GeeTee TSI]

Very pertinent thread, as I am at my wit's end with scooters' headlights; especially the higher (handle bar) mounted ones like Activa and Access.

While I never thought the average joe even cared about the fact that the headlamp can cause a glare; the AHO feature just compounds the problem along slow residential roads where are these scooters prowl. Not only are the LEDs bright, the high set lamp also falls exactly at the eye level of a car driver to give an irritating glare whether it is head on, or through the IRVM when being trailed by one!

I suspect that, from when the two wheeler left the dealer the high beam switch hasn't been fettled with. Thank God! The DRLs in cars are different from the full beam headlamps.

[giri1.8]

Originally Posted by v6kgang

Worst part is the throw is very limited, they are not doing any good for the driver or the oncoming traffic.

If I am correct, the issue is only when the bike is in highbeam i.e when the LED setup in the extreme ends are at work. Once you switch to lowbeam only the middle portion glows, which doesn't disturb oncoming traffic at all as far as I have seen.

On the highway you have the advantage of visibility when the weather is very clear, in case of low visibility you might need more yellowish light to have comfortable viewing distance.

[palsaumik]

I agree - these are quite distracting / blinding. My experience was with an Activa 5G was when I was driving my car to office in the morning. The white LEDs are so attention grabbing that it lit up my car's RVM big time and the light was extremely prominent. Though they look good on the Activa, it's way too bright for the eyes. I am yet to encounter these lights head-on at night though but I am sure they must be a pain for the oncoming person's eyes if on high beam.

[sumathindra]

I really do not understand the concept of implementing AHO here in India. I do not want to get into the "politics" of this decision, however it is certainly a menace than a boon! I remember till recently we used to indicate the oncoming driver "your lights are on". Well not anymore and you would look foolish in the process!

No adding a switch to control the AHO is a practically a joke! god bless our country.

[Turbohead]

Originally Posted by sumathindra

I really do not understand the concept of implementing AHO here in India. I do not want to get into the "politics" of this decision, however it is certainly a menace than a boon!
.

Barring the latest LED lamps of the Activa 5G, AHO is actually a boon for me and is truly a safety feature. Think about it- a lot of people actually forget to turn on the headlamps in two wheelers because they hardly make a difference as very few two wheelers actually have proper headlamps. With AHO, these 2 wheelers become obvious in the mirrors even during day time!

While most riders can manage without their lights, it becomes dangerous to other road users especially on unlit highways. There must have been some statistics to prove this as I find two wheelers in rural areas cross the road without looking on both sides. That and low visibility at night could cause a disaster which may end up with the driver of the 'bigger vehicle' in jail.

I know it's annoying but with the way 2 wheelers drive, I really don't want to count the bars either.

[fine69]

This may not be directly related but I have a theory that 2 wheeler folks drive on high beam more than 4 wheeler guys.

I have a Rigid LED on my Fortuner and whenever there's an idiot coming towards me on high beam, I just switch it ON. It is like the sun comes up right in front of you so 99% of the car drivers switch to low beam, some rare ones still pass me by with their eyes squinted like crazy. This is usually in residential streets on slow speeds because if I turn Rigid on highways the other guy is either going in the ditch roadside or ram me head on.

However, 2 wheelers mostly don't switch to low beam, they just carry on with their high beams and rarely I find these guys switching to low beam. The ones who dip their lights are mostly bikers only.

Few of the scooter riders love my Rigid's light intensity so much that they stop to be friends. When I counter question them on why they are blinding us with high beam most are surprised that how could their tiny 2 wheeler be a cause of discomfort.

At times I realize that there's no projector setup but people have put white 6000k LEDs and it does nothing but blind others. Obviously, being in Delhi I restrain myself from being over friendly because, you know, who likes to get shot on their way home.

Crux is that most scooterists don't even know they are blinding others with their fancy high beam lights and even when I flash my high beam a few times they are simply clueless that its their turn to switch to low beam. My answer, an eye for an eye! (no pun intended)

[vigsom]

The other issue here is that at delivery, the headlamps don't ever come adjusted for the right beam throw.

So in many cases, the AHO on low beam is worse than even the high beam on a properly adjusted headlamp.

I've personally intimidated such morons by either switching on my double headlamps OR going in their path and telling them how the bad headlamp hurts.

[dkamath]

Thanks, @SCORPION, for brining this topic up! Have encountered few such "examples" and was looking if it's being discussed here in this community, and it indeed is!

Wonder why does it mean by default that LED headlamps have to be of 6000K colour temperature, and not 4300K? The ones on the Activa 5G are quite blinding even for a pedestrian walking on the opposite side of the road, and does cause a momentary irritation to the eyes (which is what i have been facing regularly off late, as I got to walk some distance to and from my work shuttle pick-up/drop point). Added to it is my corrected vision (glasses i mean), making it quite a "starry" experience as the "thing" whizzes by! :-))
Honda Grazia doesn't "offend" as much as it's Activa counterpart, due to the lower positioning of the headlamp i guess, but Honda does need a rethink on the Activa series, which i hope they will take up in future.

[SCORPION]

Just to show the non-believers what the rest of us are harping about. Had this guy behind me for some time several car lengths away on my IRVM. Finally got so annoyed, thought I will take some snaps and pulled over. Don't know if the snaps do enough justice to the annoyance quotient. As you can see, it is broad daylight.

[sujithsidhardha]

Originally Posted by SCORPION

Don't know if the snaps do enough justice to the annoyance quotient. As you can see, it is broad daylight.

This is exactly the situation. Sometimes, even more. It seems whoever made the decision to implement AHO has no experience on driving and real-time scenarios. I still wonder why the R&D departments of the automobile companies didn't care about this serious issue. They haven't considered the incoming traffic at all.

A similar setup like park light, which has a lower intensity would be the best decision here. Instead, they created a menace and would definitely be increasing in the coming days.

I found many of the Activa's headlamps are not aligned properly. Low beam works like high beam and the high beam can be used to blind the incoming traffic. I personally advised two of my friends to get it corrected. After correction both of them told me that they can clearly see the road at night now, whereas it was bit difficult earlier.

[vinya_jag]

I would say that the government should standardize headlamp wattage and reflector design, and reject models that don't adhere. I would even say make auto-dimming headlamps mandatory for every vehicle sold.

[New2Carz]

Dominar Owner here....I made this point in the dominar thread asking if there is way to have the AHO in low beam mode. Now I always ride with the main head light on in low beam mode. But when I see some one riding in the opposite direction with high beam on, I use the PASS switch to give him a taste of his own medicine for a few moments. I have seen on many occasions that he is blinded by the high beam of dominar, then switches to low beam on his own vehicle.

[SnakemanJohny]

AHOs are useful for highways in developed countries, where a powerful bike at high speed may not be instantly visible to a powerful car at high speed.
I think none of the other Asian countries, with countless low power two-wheelers crawling along on city roads, have compulsory AHO.

Some clever 'babu' with no street level knowledge probably won laurels for thinking up this safety feature, from some overenthusiastic transport minister. Justified their junkets abroad on any pretext ! I feel it is as stupid as ruling that all air-con units in future will have a lowest temperature setting of 24 Celsius -- like a speed governor -- as has been proposed by the power ministry to save electricity !

Probably Brazil is the only country to have AHOs for cars as well -- why not do it here too ? Then everyone can merrily glare away at everyone else, and it will be survival of the fittest during daytime too !

I too have a pair of LED floods from AMAZON, which I thought would increase on and off road visibility during the early days of LEDs. But now I use them only as "glare- backs" to teach two -wheelers and any others with high beams on, whether LED or halogen !