[COMMUTER]

The light bar is the sole factor in making the night drives pleasurable and, by God's grace, safer.

Originally Posted by TorqMaster

1. Does this setup affect your fuel efficiency because this would create a lot of drag and weight on the car ahead of the front axle, Especially the square bulbs.

I drive solo, without AC(another perk of night driving) and maintain my speed in the 80-90kmph range. I rarely get below 25 Kmpl T2T.

Originally Posted by TorqMaster

2. I imagine it’s like daylight when you switch on all of those bulbs. Did you need to upgrade the alternator and the wiring?

This concern made me go for the "Base" model. It has no power windows, Remote locking or a music system. I managed to arrive at the alternator as being rated for 60amps(720 watts). After discounting the essential current draws and buffer, the safe usage is at around 500 watts. My amp draw is at 510 watts(two 55w headlights and four 100w ones). By God's grace, I have had no trouble in running this setup for tens of thousands of kms.

The LED cubes are a recent addition and are intended to signal for low beam. This was added after the new trend of led laden lorries had started picking up in the recent years. The LED cubes are linked to high beams and are good as pass lamps.

There had been instances where I have inadvertently left the unnoticeable OEM fog lamps(two 55w bulbs) running for a few hundred kms and have felt no ill-effects.

I sourced the WOLO RC 100 switchesLink (The Hella Experience - 500 FF) to make it easy for me to switch the Hellas on or off without taking my hand off the steering wheel and I never drive with the light bar blazing against someone who is driving with low beams.

I don't compromise on the wiring either. I recently upgraded to Uno Minda relays with all the relays running at less than half the maximum load they have been rated for.

Originally Posted by TorqMaster

3. Any welding was done to the chassis for the bracket to hold the bulbs?

The chassis has been left untouched and the only welding was to the clamps.

This is a detachable setup and is mounted only during the all night long drives which constitute over 95% of the odo reading till date thus reducing the stress on the chassis by quite a margin.

The led cubes weigh 400 grams each.

[Pintz]

I love morning drives. Everything looks clean and fresh and the air fills up my lungs with a good dose of oxygen. I love the crisp chill and the low-hanging mist. Since I'm a naturalist and a bird watcher, I get the pleasure to see many nocturnal birds too, in the wee hours, besides the early birds. I'm an early riser and always carry a flask of ginger tea and sandwiches.
Photography is magical at golden hour. Nothing beats a morning drive, into the countryside.
This was on the way to Dang Forest, South Gujarat.

[TheHelix0202]

Early morning it is, for reasons already mentioned by others.

but which thread does the picture in the thumbnail of this one belong to? I mean the yellow vRS and the white 3 series.

[TheVegabond]

Voted for early morning, but it totally depends on the kind of trip you are on.
If it is a leasurely trip to your favourite dhaba on city outskirts then definitely a late night drive. But if it is a long trip to a remote hill station, then no doubt it has to be an early morning start. The reasons are already mentioned in the pros section.

[jithin23]

Have not voted because the driving time largely depends on my mood and situation.

I prefer driving both at early morning and late night because the charm in either is too good. Morning you can get fresh air as well as less traffic. Night traffic is predominantly trucks and buses and if it's a day or 2 day trip, I start at night so that I can save up some time. Plus for a short spin of 50-100kms night drives are better because for such distances during the day there will be a lot of group rides or car groups.

If the trip is for more than 3 days then it's starting the journey early in the morning!

[mmxylorider]

While I am not a morning person, for me, where I am driving to and purpose has been the main reason to start early or late. For example, long weekend trips to the Konkan coast would have me starting early to catch misal pav type breakfast at some place along the way. Adds to the vacation mindset. Direction is also important, going east would put the sun in your eyes for a good part so I would avoid that.
Long distance drives - I prefer driving through the night due to lesser number of 2/3 wheelers on the roads especially on the NHs. Road quality has improved significantly and long haul truckers are generally good in signaling and giving way.
Weather plays a big role, best to drive during daylight if it is raining.

[rulerofsun]

Should have read before voting. I am an early riser and my day starts around 5 AM and Shuts down latest by 10 pm (except Fridays). Earlier I used to start driving around 1 am after a nap of around 3-4 hours. This is the reason I voted late night. ow a days I start around 4 AM. The only issue is dawn where your headlights loose the war against the rising Sun.

I normally choose destination for a day/night halt maximum after 8 hours of driving with three tea breaks. So starting at 1 am always made sure I was very close to my destination. Starting at 4 means I am half way through.

[landcruiser123]

Prefer early mornings. (wheels roll at around 6:00AM) Reason: Drunk people are off roads and there are lesser stray animals.

My ideal roadtrip is an early start and reach the destination by dinner time.

[nikhilarni]

Originally Posted by blackwasp

We will all agree that driving during regular hours in India isn't really fun. Forget the city, it's no longer fun even on most highways due to rising traffic levels. That leaves us with two options = early morning or late night. Which do you prefer?

Hi Sir,
I Voted for Early Mornings.

For one,while driving in India, I prefer driving in day light rather than under headlights. The risk is all but compounded by drunk and unruly drivers, trucks with no lights and reflectors. Not to mention drivers and truckers driving on high-beam and rash & risky over taking.
Its just so stressful.

I am a morning person.

For all long drives, road trips and visits, I would start as early as 4 or 5 am. Those couple of early morning hours means
1. Less Traffic ( almost zero two wheeler's zigzagging )
2. Early Morning Fresh air
3. It is cooler, quieter and peaceful
4. Far lower eye fatigue
5. Much better visibility of the road and surroundings in day light

As a thumb rule, If its a long drive and I am driving the entire day, then I would drive till sun-set ( 7pm max) , then find a place to rest for the night.

In fact, even after moving to the US (though driving is a lot safer here), I still prefer an early start on the road trips I have done with my wife.

[charanreddy]

Morning drive anytime just due to daylight. I am very conservative at night due to a lot of unknowns like sharp changes in road, idiots driving with their headlights off etc. I can push the car and myself harder when daylight is present and hence prefer morning drives

[Jeep]

Very difficult one to choose. Heart (late night/overnight) vs head (early morning). Head wins as saftey is more important to me.

I used to love overnight drives, until I read the thread on team-bhp which opened my eyes. More drunk drivers, general lawlessness at night and most importantly lesser help (police, medical etc) availability at night.

[stormy]

Voted for Early morning

Used to do a lot of late night drives but now prefer mornings due to :
Better visibility, daylight, no highbeam glare.
Few stray animals & drunk drivers.
Better security too.

All these account for lesser stress and more enjoyable drives !

[vivek95]

Like for many others here, it was a tie between the two, however I chose early mornings. Driving for me is connecting more with the surroundings than just admiring the dynamics of the car and hence I Iike early morning drives where I can assimilate the sheer beauty of nature and roads to my eyes content. There is also a lot of positive vibe everywhere in the mornings, within our minds and in the atmosphere, that all the more makes driving blissful.

However, come Bombay ---- I am a game anyday for night drive around this glittering city. Bombay gets so gorgeous in the night and the roads seem super fun to drive with the right company of friends/ your soulmate/ family.

Other regions where I absolutely love driving in the nights are - thick dense forests and the roads with haunted character and stories attached with them. This is for pure adrenaline rush. That eeriness of nights and discussing all ghostly stories with your friend while driving through such haunted roads is simply wow and a lifetime memory to make !! I am desperately looking for a midnight drive through Aarey colony in Mumbai and check out what the hype is all about.

[avdhesh15]

Prefer the early morning drives, especially the Mumbai Pune or Mumbai Nashik highway runs. Less traffic, no drunks, and excellent visibility.

[Sachin V.W.]

Early morning anytime.

Pune - Mumbai travel is so much fun during early hours. Specially as you descend the ghat on this route. That total section is just lovely. Also less traffic let you experiment with your driving style and car. Whenever I visit Pune for work or otherwise, I prefer to stay for a night and leave early morning.