Daytime driving lights on antique motorcycles.

[cube74]

I live in Mass and yesterday I was pulled over for not having my headlight on durring the daytime. I was on my 53 chief. I understand that a lot of states have laws which specify a cutoff date relating to the age of the motorcycle. Anybody have any experience with this?

[BigLakeBob]

http://www.americanmotorcyclist.com/rights/statelaws

[cube74]

Thanks Bob, I was on that page. I guess Mass applies it to all motorcycles.

[gregglewis]

cube,
I checked my state, which is KS, and it said headlight after 1978.

[AFJ]

I live in Mass and yesterday I was pulled over for not having my headlight on durring the daytime. I was on my 53 chief. I understand that a lot of states have laws which specify a cutoff date relating to the age of the motorcycle. Anybody have any experience with this?

You should check and see if the Federal regulations are applied only to motorcycles manufactured after the regulations were made law. Generally, such equipment specification laws are not intended to require retrofit to earlier vehicles.

In Ontario, the provincial government, following the Canadian Federal law which brought lights-on for motorcycles in for all 1975-onward manufactured motorcycles, decided that all motorcycles should operate only with lights-on. This legislation was fought by the Canadian Vintage Motorcycle Group in 1976 and the Ontario Highway Traffic Act was amended to exempt all motorcycles made before Jan. 1, 1970 from having to have the headlight on during the daytime.

AFJ

[23JDCA 808]

I'm in Oregon. Thank you for posting this Link.

[brian_groff]

Advocacy Wins

Nice link on the AMA site.

Here in KY, we fight regulation all the time. http://www.kmakba.com
This organization has been very good at protecting our freedoms, no matter what sort of "patch" you wear. Groups like these, IMHO, are worthy of our support (e.g. membership).

[longhorn]

I am glad that I escaped from Mass, in 1960 and got to Texas as fast as I could. Jus sayin.



Ken Kalustian
AMCA 2065

[bselph]

Looks like TN requires headlight to be illuminated regardless of age of bike.

[45OZ]

I Ride my Chief as a Regular Bike & I always have the headlight ON, Day & Night, the generator is set for it & it DOES make you more visable so I see no reason not to use them during the Day if it is the law or not. Better Safe Than sorry. Plus if some idiot does turn in front of you & you collide ( Which has happened to me) at least thats one less thing they can blame on a the Rider & use as an excuse for Them not being alert.
Just my 2 cents
Oz
Sometimes laws have to be used because some people lack Common Sense

[AFJ]

I Ride my Chief as a Regular Bike & I always have the headlight ON, Day & Night, the generator is set for it & it DOES make you more visable so I see no reason not to use them during the Day if it is the law or not. Better Safe Than sorry. Plus if some idiot does turn in front of you & you collide ( Which has happened to me) at least thats one less thing they can blame on a the Rider & use as an excuse for Them not being alert.
Just my 2 cents
Oz
Sometimes laws have to be used because some people lack Common Sense

But with Carbide (acetylene) lighting, it virtually disappears in sunny daylight conditions. And even conversion of acetylene head and tail-lights with LED lights is not much brighter (I have done this when taking an acetylene lamp-equipped bike to the US for a National Road Run in a state like New York with its motorcycle lights-on-at-all-times law.) I have found that high-visibility vests of the industrial safety, bicycle, or police/emergency services type result in instant recognition by motorists. Also in Canada since all vehicles made in the last 20 years are supposed to have day-time running lights, the headlamps of motorcycles do not stand out in daytime.
But I never rely on lights-on or hi-viz riding gear. Too many idiots on the roads.
AFJ

[bstevens479]

I live in mass & have ridden for years & not been stopped for lights just lucky I guess, with their selective enforcement I would fight the ticket, used to be free to fight but they now charge a $ 25.00 file fee let us know how you make out. Bob

[carlm]

I also live in MA and ride all of the time without my light on. I ride '55 FL and '73 FLH and only use my lights when my wife rides along with me. It is easier to put the light on than listen to her complain about ti.

[cube74]

I was only given a warning. I was out with my 16 yr old daughter, she was on her first ride on a 1975 Indian CB125S, and I was on my 53 Chief. We were on backroads here in the Berkshires in Western Mass and got pulled over by the local cops with nothing better to do. They did not have a clue that we both were on vintage motorcycles. One of the cops is the motorcycle safty class instructor at Barnes AFB for the state of Mass. Loves pulling over motorcycles. But the law is the law and I guess I will make sure our lights are on. I usually turn them on when I am in the city.