Regulation 181 of the National Road Traffic stipulates that it is legal to have yellow- or amber-coloured headlight covers on your bike.

The Think Bike safety awareness campaign suggest that motorcyclists put a coloured headlight protector over their bikes’ headlights, because that would make the bike stand out in a driver’s rear-view mirror – especially in low-light conditions where all vehicles will be driving with headlights switched on.

This advice is to make motorcycles stand out in dense traffic conditions. But keep in mind that such a headlight cover also reduces the efficiency of the motorcycle’s headlight. Therefore, only ride with that on where there is a lot of traffic, but road conditions are lit – such as on highways when commuting.

If you’re riding on the open road with little traffic, and when light conditions are not great, then rather take the cover off. You need properly efficient headlights in those conditions.

The second paragraph of Regulation 181 states that if your bike has two headlights, both must be the same colour. However, it seems as if that only applies to “lamps of the same class”, which would mean that this does not apply to bikes with separate low- and high-beam lights, such as the BMW 1200 and 800 GS.

Colour of lights

• (1) Subject to the provisions of regulation 170(1), 171(1), 172, 175 or 176, no person shall operate on a public road a motor vehicle which is fitted with or carries on it a lamp which–
• except in the case of a brake anti-lock warning light to the front of a trailer, emits a light which is not white, amber or yellow in colour towards the front;
• emits a light which is not yellow or amber in colour towards either side of the motor vehicle; or
• except in the case of a direction indicator or reversing lamp complying with the provisions of these regulations, emits a light which is not red in colour towards the rear.

(2) When two or more lamps of the same class emitting light in the same direction are fitted to a vehicle they shall emit light of the same colour.