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Is headlight protection necessary?

I consider the headlight cover to be insurance. I picked mine up from a club member used for about $40. Cheap insurance considering what a headlight assembly costs.
 
I consider the headlight cover to be insurance. I picked mine up from a club member used for about $40. Cheap insurance considering what a headlight assembly costs.
I know, but this is - verbatim - the standard line for the standard reason for getting them. The protector for my '08 GT is a lot more than $40 and for protecting against something that may have .00001 percent chance of happening makes little economic sense. My comment when I started the thread was that in over 1,000,000 miles I never had a cracked headlamp and was wondering why so many are hawking protection.
 
I know, but this is - verbatim - the standard line for the standard reason for getting them. The protector for my '08 GT is a lot more than $40 and for protecting against something that may have .00001 percent chance of happening makes little economic sense. My comment when I started the thread was that in over 1,000,000 miles I never had a cracked headlamp and was wondering why so many are hawking protection.

This is one of those "Your Mileage May Vary" questions. Where I live they put gravel down on the roads when it gets icy, and vehicles kick up all sorts of crap for the next three months. I took a direct hit on my K75's headlight in the first 5,000 miles (my F650 came with a protector, so I don't know if it's ever been hit). In the course of a few hundred winter and spring commutes, my bikes and I have been hit by lots of rocks in lots of different places. Correct me if I'm wrong, but I think in your neck of the woods they use sand and salt (and snowplows, too--what a novel concept).

You asked another question a while back about car headlights v. bike headlights and their relative susceptibility to rocks. I think, and I should be clear that this is pure conjecture, that bike headlights are in more danger because they are higher. Figure a car going about 50 mph could kick up a rock with enough velocity to do damage. If your car's headlight is 24 inches off the road surface, but your bike's headlight is 36 inches (again, I'm just pulling numbers out of hammerspace here), you'd need to be a lot closer in the car for the rock to hit your headlight. Probably tailgating distance, but I'd have to actually do some math to be sure. When you're in your car, do you find that rocks hit your windshield? That's probably closer to the right height.

The thing about buying a protector is this: unless something really big hits you, you will never know if it's done its job. If the $80 or whatever is going to eat you up inside every time you see the thing on the front of your bike, then it's probably worth living dangerously, at least until you do take a rock. On the other hand, if you wonder if every pebble that comes at you is going to be the one that costs you $500, maybe the $80 is worth it. It's your psychology. Me. I'm cheap: my K75 is patched with clear silicone and seems to be holding steady, but if I ever have to replace the glass I'll probably buy a protector at the same time.
 
This is one of those "Your Mileage May Vary" questions. Where I live they put gravel down on the roads when it gets icy, and vehicles kick up all sorts of crap for the next three months. I took a direct hit on my K75's headlight in the first 5,000 miles (my F650 came with a protector, so I don't know if it's ever been hit). In the course of a few hundred winter and spring commutes, my bikes and I have been hit by lots of rocks in lots of different places. Correct me if I'm wrong, but I think in your neck of the woods they use sand and salt (and snowplows, too--what a novel concept).

You asked another question a while back about car headlights v. bike headlights and their relative susceptibility to rocks. I think, and I should be clear that this is pure conjecture, that bike headlights are in more danger because they are higher. Figure a car going about 50 mph could kick up a rock with enough velocity to do damage. If your car's headlight is 24 inches off the road surface, but your bike's headlight is 36 inches (again, I'm just pulling numbers out of hammerspace here), you'd need to be a lot closer in the car for the rock to hit your headlight. Probably tailgating distance, but I'd have to actually do some math to be sure. When you're in your car, do you find that rocks hit your windshield? That's probably closer to the right height.

The thing about buying a protector is this: unless something really big hits you, you will never know if it's done its job. If the $80 or whatever is going to eat you up inside every time you see the thing on the front of your bike, then it's probably worth living dangerously, at least until you do take a rock. On the other hand, if you wonder if every pebble that comes at you is going to be the one that costs you $500, maybe the $80 is worth it. It's your psychology. Me. I'm cheap: my K75 is patched with clear silicone and seems to be holding steady, but if I ever have to replace the glass I'll probably buy a protector at the same time.
Thank you, Crow, for your well-considered response. I guess I really don't know if my car is less susceptible to headlight damage than a bike because it is lower. Could be. I do pick up a few nicks in my windshield - probably one a year - from thrown stones.

In addition to the cost, as a photographer, I note (since I have had one - on a K1200R) that light from the beam is somewhat scattered by having this piece in front of the light. It's pure, simple, optics.

Well, after reading all the above, I probably will break down and buy one, notwithstanding some of the downside.
 
What are the odds.

"What kind of cars do you guys have?
My Volvo has tempered glass for headlight covers.
I suppose they would break if hit hard enough, but
after 3 cars and 300000 miles, i never even thought
of a problem .
Now you got me wondering."

It was the Volvo with 338,000 miles that has had the headlight rock smacked twice.
Here in Oregon they put gravel on the road in winter not salt. I had a half city, half rural commute for four years and that is when the car became a rock magnet.
Don't remember where I was when the bike got tagged, I think I was behind a log truck on the highway.
 
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