Going visible

I am thinking of putting some kind of high viz graphics or paint on my Swing to make it more visible. Have any of you done this?

You could use self adhesive vinyl. I did my silver underskirt with carbon fiber. All you need is the vinyl in the colour of your choice and a hair dryer and a sharp knife. The results are impressive. It's been applied now for two years on my swing and it still looks good. The nice part is that it can easily be peeled off with no residue if you get tired of the look. I would think the vinyl is available in any imagined colour. I ordered my carbon fiber from eBay. I think there's probably a pic of my project if you search for "carbon fiber" in the search box.

Hi there

I have used bright yellow/black diagonal striped reflective tape on both sides and front/rear surfaces for the past 3 years or so, it does make the bike more visible.
Last year I added suplementary low voltage LED lights at front and back, in colours that comply with UK traffic law - so no issues arise in their use.

All this helps to improve visibility, but does not work if the idiot driver is looking the other way !
Hope this helps...?

PS: Motorcycle Helmet has the addition of RED reflctive V shape markers, which are highly visible all round both both by day and night.

I like the idea of the reflective on the helmet

I have reflective tape on my helmet already, front and back!

I have a few little reflective dots and stripes on my crash helmet but like to think the lights on the bike are sufficient in the dark.

The helmet itself - a Nolan N-44 - is day-glow orange, visible for miles!

MikeO wrote:

The helmet itself - a Nolan N-44 - is day-glow orange, visible for miles!

But invisible across the intersection!

One has to make an assumption or two, one being that it is highly unlikely that the other driver/rider arriving at the intersection will not have spotted the approaching head-light beam of the motorcycle.

If he spots reflective stickers on the side of a motorcycle only as they appear close-up in the beams of his head-lights, it's too late. If he spots them earlier, the bike will have passed before he's reached the intersection, so they are redundant.

Anyway, I thought motorcycles in the US have to have amber reflectors on the sides, front and back. Reflective stripes and so on serve only to break up an already 'busy' outline during daylight hours.

Sorry Mike, I was referring to the drivers who say; "Sorry mate, I never saw you." No amount of lights, paint, or reflective tape will help them. Your choice of helmet is commended.

I am amazed that two year olds strapped in the back seat can see motorcycles blocks away, but the drivers can't.


Be visible and safe out there!

Understood, my friend - my misunderstanding.

Saw a show on TV called "brain games", one episode explained why some people at an intersection sometimes don't see a motorcycle. Sometimes the brain only locks onto what you think your looking for i.e. cars only, and cannot see that motorcycle. The show gave a good example- it said to find a magician in a picture that would be on the screen for ten seconds. After the ten seconds it asked if you found the magician, an easy yes, but then it asked if you saw the elephant standing on its head, or the lion walking a tightrope, or the juggler juggling chainsaws, etc etc. I'm thinking there's no way that was in the picture. Then they re show the pic and wow it's clearly all there. Seems everyone (most everyone) gets so fixated on what they need to see that they miss the obvious. Remember that at your next intersection!!!!

I found out yesterday in York city centre that my hi-vis yellow cycle vest is really a Ferengi cloaking device. Because I was totally invisible to the idiot who drove down the exit ramp of a multi-storey car park and shot out straight in front of me without even a cursory glance in my direction.

Afterwards I noticed he'd registered a 10 on my bikes twatometer!    

Doesn't anyone here use a headlight modulator? I've used one for years. Lots easier than wiring in a bunch of extra lights.  Dave

Not in the UK; they're illegal here.

Luckily for us here modulators are legal in the US and Canada. I've had them on my last seven bikes. They catch the eye. A person is far more likely to notice a light that appears to be moving or blinking than a steady state light. I know it's kept me from a nasty situation a couple times at least over the past six years or so. A lot of people don't know about modulated motorcycle headlights so they often think you might be a cop which doesn't hurt your chances of not being hit by them even more.

One of the problems associated with flashing headlights here is that as far as the Highway Code, the 'Rules of the Road' we have to know (ha ha), is concerned, flashing lights are to warn of the presence of the vehicle.
However, they are usually used as a 'come on' signal - completely the opposite.

Until road-users follow the Rules, headlight modulators will not become acceptable here.

where would one find /buy a headlight modulator? Do they snap on between the light and the stock wiring?

The reason this came up is while I was bopping along on US2, I noticed a vehicle passing, caught out approaching in my lane. I drove onto the shoulder allowing him to continue his pass in my lane. My experience as a cop was that a head on collision at highway speeds tends to be fatal to motorcyclists so I just moved on over. This got me to thinking about ways to make myself more visible. I was wearing my blaze orange vest at the time so the idiot should have seen me.

A headlight modulator would help with a head on situation. Kisan is one of the best, I've installed them on several bikes including two Silverwings I've had.

http://kisantech.com/mag/index.php/pathblazer.html