what are the lights in your motorcycle for? they’re generally used for two things:
1. to aid the rider in seeing things pertinent to his safe riding
2. to communicate his intentions and his presence on the road
headlights…
…are the most effective piece of equipment used when driving at night as poor visibility increases the chances of getting you involved in an accident, moreso starting a
chain of mishaps! choose the best headlights for your type of road conditions, but also check your locality on allowable headlight types. pay close attention to the tilt of the headlight assembly. too much upward tilt and the lights only brighten up the signboards, trees, and stuff instead of the road. too much downward tilt and this lights up only the parts of the road nearest to you.
when do you use bright?
even if you could brightly light up the road, this should not encourage you to go fast…
i guess everyone knows what are (and when to use) normal lights… actually these are called low and high beams. the bright light mode or high beam for me has varied uses. fundamentally it helps establish your presence in poorly visible roads specially for vehicles going the opposite direction. but even if you could brightly light up the road, this should not encourage you to go fast specially when it’s raining or foggy. remember there are other entities with you on the road. the other guys may not see as clearly as you do during these specific situations, and hard-braking on wet roads due to rain or humid roads due to the fog’s mist is next to impossible without you raking a long stretch!
the higher the moving object’s velocity, the shorter time it takes to collide with other objects blocking its path…
in clear nights though, and the more important use i’ve experienced so far is when you’re going fast. it’s simple physics really: the higher the moving object’s velocity is, the shorter time it takes for it to collide with other objects blocking its path. in riders’ terms: when your riding reeaaal fast, dogs, slow-pokes, curve-fences get closer a lot more quickly, and this my friend tends to give you lesser time to react! it’s like, before you even know it’s there, you’re already about to hit it? yeah dude…
seeing things farther away gives you enough time to make good riding decisions…
if you try to see rally car setups, they have these foglamps almost looking like teeth in the car’s face. that’s because the driver has to see clearly what’s way ahead before the car even gets close to these objects. so what does that have to do with the high beam? in the absence of this teeth-like headlight configuration in rally cars, your high beam becomes your best friend because it lets you see things farther than just using your low beam. and seeing things farther away gives you enough time to make good riding decisions specially when going fast.
tail, brake, and turning lights…
ok, the tail light is like a ‘hello’ sign posted at your back. it’s like saying ‘this behind is not for banging!’ 
because being on a mini crotch-rocket when hit from behind by a car doing a hundred gets you into much much, and i say really big trouble!
headlight=taillight, agreed? okay just imagine this chick having a really worked-out chest and a next-to-flat butt!!
ever played billiards? well here the car is the cue ball, and you the helpless object ball! what i’m trying to say is… if the headlight is important, then the tail and brake lights must be equally important! agreed? okay just imagine seeing this really cool chick walking towards you, having a really worked-out pair of front bumpers! and when she passes by you feel she deserves a second look which you do… you turn your head with a magnetized face following her behind and find in clear view a next-to-flat butt! having all front and no back ain’t right! right dude?
tail and brake lights, i’d even suggest to keep the tail light separate from the brake light, because most of the time drivers at your tail could hardly tell the difference when the guy up front’s hitting the brakes or not specially when headlights from opposite-lane vehicles are too bright.
so the main advantage of using separate tail and brake lights is when you squeeze that brake lever the driver behind sees a different light! like there’s normally one red light then became two of ‘em when you brake. just my two-cents though.
about turning/signal lights: it’s like shouting ‘look out hot rod i’m turning this way!’. it’s a warning, it’s like filing a resignation letter, it’s a heads-up telling other riders or drivers to be careful in passing because you’re bailing out.
only one thing i’d say about turning lights: they should be visible enough from the front, sides, and back, and they should blink! regarding colour, that depends on your taste — and what’s allowed in your locality. so always check on the rules of the locality — your town/city rules — before changing lense colours!
IMPORTANT: always check on the rules of the locality — your town/city rules — before changing lense colours!
so to sum it up and i’ll repeat my openner… lights on your bike, first of all, should be the most effective and ready means to making your night-riding safe and even enjoyable.
second – but more importantly – it is your most effective and ready means of communicating intentions while on the road. like when you have an idea, a light goes pop in your head? and man, believe it or not it’s like being an instrument to answering someone’s prayers… a ray of light shines bright upon a fellow’s face! 
