What's the alternative to a coloured headlight cover?

Q. I Don’t want to get nicked for using a coloured headlight cover, but I’ve seen bikes with what looks like a blue-tinged headlight.

• Save money on motorcycle products

When I spoke to a bloke at the Waterman a few weeks ago who had a purple headlight beam he told me you can get round the Construction and Use Regulations by painting the bulb itself. Is this right?
Mick Budden, Warwick

A. For a headlight bulb to be legal it must be type-approved. The ones with the blue tint you’ve seen are legal but they emit high levels of white light that can appear blue-ish to the naked eye.

The moment you paint or lacquer a legal bulb it ceases to be type-approved and the Police will be interested.

Handling bulbs can damage them, so slapping a coat of model paint will probably make them blow anyway.