Black-out headlight goes a bit too far for military look

Faux black-out headlight, a tribute to World War II.

The owner of a Royal Enfield Military for sale on eBay has come up with an interesting way to add to the military appeal of his motorcycle.

Using a strip of tape and a can of spray paint, he created an inexpensive imitation of the black-out hoods of World War II.

The wartime black-out hood helped prevent vehicles traveling at night from being spotted by enemy aircraft. The hood permitted only a tiny ray of light to escape (too little to cast a trace on the road) and even this was hooded to block the view from above.

At best, the beam of light permitted would have allowed the rider to pick out the vehicle ahead.

Of course you wouldn't actually want to ride your motorcycle on the street like this in peacetime. It wouldn't cast much light and police in your jurisdiction might not like it.

In this case, police might also question the rifle scabbard on the motorcycle but, since there is no rifle in it, it might get a pass.

The painted-out headlight is an interesting idea but I don't think it quite works. Anyone familiar enough with the real thing to recognize the reference to a real black-out hood would also realize this isn't genuine.

Black-out hood on a Norton 16H during World War II.