Now the sun is upon us, (here in the UK at least).

I have started to ride with my main beam on. Only when the sun is behind me. (So obviously day time only.) I feel the additional illumination with the sun at my back has increased my visibility for drivers coming towards me.

Since I have started this I have not had anyone attempting to overtake vehicles traveling towards me thereby endangering me. No one has flashed me or indicated my side and main beam combination is too bright.

Does anyone else use this technique? I reckon any aid we have to increase our two wheeled road presence a definite advantage.

In the states, daytime lighting for motorcycles is a requirement.

Can you legally run a headlight modulator in the UK?

If so that will increase your road presence by another tenfold over just having the high beam on.

Another option, though not aesthetically pleasing to some, is to wear a high viz yellow helmet in addition to a high viz jacket or vest. You may be misidentified as a police member, but you'll jump out to everyone approaching you.

Better to be seen than injured or dead is my motto.

Can you legally run a headlight modulator in the UK?

Unfortunately, no.
The only flashing lights allowed are indicators unless it's an emergency vehicle.

I usually ride with my main beam on during the daylight hours.
I reserve the dipped beam for nighttime use.

Hi viz gear is a good idea, but here in the UK, Health and Safety regulations mean high viz clothing is compulsory for lots of jobs and has lost a lot of visual impact. Joe Public can also buy hi viz gear cheaply from just about any street market.

It's worn by road construction and repair crews, plant operators, delivery couriers, refuse collectors, truck drivers, building construction workers, just about anyone working down a hole, charity collectors, cyclists, dog walkers, joggers, rail maintenance crews, parking wardens, yobs doing their community service work, the bloke who used to come round to read your gas meter, a hi viz vest is usually de rigeur for any self important saddo wandering round with a clipboard, and of course motorcyclists.

Agree 100% Meldrew, and most motorcycles have dipped beam as standard these days. So a motorcyclist riding down a busy street, Hi-Vis and dipped beam on isn't going to really stand out.

So the addition of Hi-beam in daylight is something I have adapted to stand out that little bit more.

On this board alone we have had several near misses of late and an actual near fatal SMIDSY.

So Be Seen!!!!!!

My understanding is that Hi-Viz yellow is the most visible colour to the human eye.
I don't think that because the gas meter reader and the paper boy are wearing Hi-Viz that its effectiveness at being seen on 2 wheels is reduced.
There must be a very good reason why all of our police forces, when doing traffic work, are wearing it.

Bigbird, it is the amount of folk now wearing Hi-Vis in the UK that neutralises its effectiveness. As Meldrew pointed out, even dog walkers wear the stuff. Delivery drivers wear it - nigh on every one!!!! Kinda nulls out the whole point of it for us riders.

ROSPA, a road safety organisation wrote an article about light blindness, (including Hi Vis,) In that if every one were to adopt lighting/Hi-Vis clothing all the time then it wouldn't be 'highly' visible in that it would simply blend in and the eye wouldn't see it as any out of the ordinary because it wasn't an uncommon sight.

Re your comment about Police forces etc. Here in the UK it is worn because the Health and Safety executive tell us we have to!!! HAve they done any research into it - Nope!

If everyone is wearing it then pity the poor motorcyclist who isn't. He'd be damn near invisible I would think.

I have an Icon Hi Viz Military-Spec vest, all my bike suits, helmets, and even gloves have reflective patches, we've been headlights on here in the UK for many years now, but it still comes down to my own reactions when dealing with the idiots you come across every day.

As for being mistaken for a police officer or vehicle dressed up in hi viz gear, bikers here had the same theory years ago when white fibreglass fairings were common, and you could add to the illusion by wearing a white helmet..

Nowadays from the back, what we initially think is the familiar red and yellow hi viz reflective chevrons of Police, Fire & Rescue, or Ambulance vehicles, could be a Coastguard, Mountain Rescue, Bomb Disposal, Highways Agency, or one of dozens of company vehicles with the same hi viz reflective stripes at the rear. So it's a lot different riding around on our crowded little island, and the attitude of thinking everyone else on the road is a dickhead apart from you will serve you well.

Bill, I like your ideas. I ride with the high beams on and wear bright colors, my Helment is a dard red.

Many things are a lot different in the UK than in N. America.
Attitudes about being seen on 2 wheels now should be added to that list.
I hope the day never comes over here when wearing Hi-Viz gear is deemed as not being beneficial to one's street presence.

The theory says that adding a "triangle of light" to the front of a motorcycle will increase its visibility. Yellow or amber will enhance the pattern and make you stand out from all the other traffic.

I have mounted LED’s with yellow lenses low on the front forks to mimic the Goldwing, this makes the unusual triangle shape which catches cagers’ attention.

I have done the fog light thing since the early 70’s on my vehicles and is a very good attention getter. When I work the graveyard shift the person I relieve knows that it’s me checking in at the guard shack -- he says I look like an alien space ship.

Nice post and nice pic.

Ron, I've done the same thing with lights attached to the fork. I wanted the separation from the headlight; some motorcycles with light bars just look like one big light from a distance. I think three separate lights stand out more.

Bill, great idea on the weave. I've been doing that (when I remember) for the last few months, and it does seem to cause drivers to take notice.

As a general note - I have parked my Silverwing on my street (center stand, engine running, low beam) and walked 100-150 feet away. Even though I have adjusted my light to properly light the road at night, it really did NOT stand out very much in the daytime. My rule is to either run my fork lights (50 watts each), or run the high beam during the day. The high beam stands out much more than the low.

Even with the additional wattage, my battery has never complained or needed trickle charging.

Here's a shot of me in my Joe Rocket summer mesh jacket with Icon Hi-Viz vest and Schuberth C3 Hi-Viz helmet.

OK, points out of 10, I like the Schuberth reading light mounted on your C3 helmet, nice jacket, and vest, decent sized saddlebags, and from a personal view the top case could be a lot bigger maybe Givi E52 or E55. I myself stopped riding in jeans may years ago, and I've read in a couple of recent UK forum posts of paramedics and A&E staff having trouble cutting off Kevlar lined jeans.

So I'll give you an excellent 8, and as you're a Canadian I may need your advice about poutine later on this year.

Ironically even the police sometimes suffer from SMIDSY ('Sorry mate I didn't see ya') as this clip shows:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8yoUaH6wGLs