I don’t ride at night outside town. That’s one of my rules to stay accident free, because visibility is shit at night, and on a motorcycle, visibility is everything.

But here’s the problem, this OEM headlamp wasn't cutting it even for commutes. 

If it got dark while I was coming back from work, dark countryside roads, I used to get anxious. Shoulders would tense up, knot in the stomach. Whole commute would feel like a task, because I genuinely couldn't see enough with these OEM headlamps, plus the oncoming high beams are absolutely blinding. 

And this isn’t theoretical for me.

The only crash I’ve had in the past 18 years happened because I was blinded by an oncoming high beam on a rain-wet highway. I couldn’t see the fallen log on my side of the road. Slowed down completely, still hit it at 15-20 kmph, went flying in the air. 

That stays with you.

Now here is the thing, I never modify my bikes. Nothing mechanical. Nothing electrical. Not even a sticker.

But I finally installed Maddog Lycans, and the difference was honestly night and day. 

The difference between having just illumination and having pure visibility. 

My shoulders suddenly relaxed, and the anxiety disappeared.

And the high beam on the Lycans? It suddenly reminded oncoming high-beam SUVs that they do, in fact, have a dip switch. Mutually assured destruction for the win. 

Which brings me to yesterday.

Took wife out on a night ride, for the first time, on the same countryside roads. Fields on both sides, empty roads all the way. 

I was showing her the aux lights like a child who just got a new toy.

“This is the stock headlamp.
This is the low beam spread.
This is the high beam spot.
This is both spread and spot."

All separately. Just to show her the difference, and she looked at the stock beam and said:

“Is headlight se zyada light to e-rickshaw ki headlight me hoti hai.”

And I said," Haan baby that's because that e-rickshaw is made by Bajaj and they know how to make headlamps."

The curious case of the Royal Enfield headlamp.