We intend to run always ON with our current build. We live in Dallas, so any increased visibility is a plus. Even on the Harley, I have gotten in the habit of leaving it on. In this day of "texting, doing makeup, or reading your romance novel" while driving, the more visible the better. It may help if I set my head on fire before riding, but the wind would just blow it out.

I had heard that California was the culprit in requiring a park light. They required some sort of light so the bike could be seen while parked, and they required it to be capable of remaining lit for at least thirty minutes. The only practical technology was a battery and some sort of charging system. Once the weight and expense of a battery was in place, most makers quickly ditched magnetos in favor of electric ignition systems (points at the time, electronics later) which made starting engines much easier even with kick-o-matic starters.

With most motorcycles you won't really save anything by leaving the headlight OFF. The voltage regulator will just dump the current the headlight would have used, which may make the regulator run hotter.

Routy wrote on 03/20/10 at 06:44:45:

California Vehicle Code 25650.5.  Every motorcycle manufactured and first registered on and after January 1, 1978, shall be equipped with at least one and not more than two headlamps which automatically turn on when the engine of the motorcycle is started and which remain lighted as long as the engine is running.

I always use my high beam during the day, drop to low beam only when passing cars at night.

i can turn my headlight off  there's a switch on the right above the engine start and below the kill switch

at the moment I ride on dipped beam all the time except on unlit roads at light  when its main beam time  

2002 savage...i cant run with it off...as far as i know