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View Full Version : Being seen - how important is it to you?



Spiderman
Tue Oct 28th, 2008, 01:42 PM
In addition to having a Back-Off Brake-Light Modulator (http://www.signaldynamics.com/products/BLSM/blsm.asp), I just ordered these red LED strobes (http://www.autodirectsave.com/86655-Bumper-Window-Strobe-6-LED-P36C33.aspx) (check out the video!). I'm planning on installing them on the top of my license plate.

Speaking of brake lights, how soon do your come on? A while back, I noticed, while driving at night, and gently slowing (almost coasting) for a stop light, that my brake light wasn't coming on! The rear brake wasn't as bad as the front, and the rear brake is adjustable, but I finally adjusted it (it only took me 40,000 miles! :oops: ). I solved the problem with the front brake by using a dremel to grind down the spring-loaded pin a bit so it engages the brake light as soon as the brakes engage.

Though I've never been rear-ended, and I'm not sure statistically how often it actually happens to motorcycles, I'm taking measures to reduce the odds of it happening to me!

I'll see if I can post video of it once they're installed. 8)

64BonnieLass
Tue Oct 28th, 2008, 01:47 PM
Cool Bob. Let us know how it works for you.

My Lil Sunshine can be seen from space on a cloudy night. So yea, being seen is pretty important to me.

Good luck honey. :)

Spiderman
Tue Oct 28th, 2008, 01:57 PM
With my bike being mostly red & white, it's normally not that big of a deal, but commuting in the dark early morning, with cagers putting-on-makeup/shaving/reading-the-newspaper/etc., I figured it can't hurt.

I'm thinking about getting some amber ones to use as turn signals as well (due to size & brightness), and, I'm thinking about linking them to my horn, so if I honk at some idiot trying to cut me off, there will be a visual message too. :dunno:

Devaclis
Tue Oct 28th, 2008, 02:00 PM
Bob, go to www.tripageled.com and check out the sweet LED stuff they have :)

MetaLord 9
Tue Oct 28th, 2008, 02:07 PM
ask Rapparee about being rearended & how often it happens

Gramps
Tue Oct 28th, 2008, 02:49 PM
Bob-

why don't you just buy a Harley. They got big signals on them:)

MetaLord 9
Tue Oct 28th, 2008, 02:50 PM
^^ Well "being heard is as good as being seen"

Captain Obvious
Tue Oct 28th, 2008, 02:52 PM
In FL you are not allowed to have lights on your bike if they are blue or red if said light is visible from the front of you vehicle. Those forward projecting light colors are reserved for emergency vehicles. Colorado doesn't care?

MetaLord 9
Tue Oct 28th, 2008, 02:53 PM
^^emergencies are less important in Colorado, that's all :D

Jim_Vess
Tue Oct 28th, 2008, 06:22 PM
In FL you are not allowed to have lights on your bike if they are blue or red if said light is visible from the front of you vehicle. Those forward projecting light colors are reserved for emergency vehicles. Colorado doesn't care?

Colorado does care. It is also not allowed here.

Spiderman
Wed Oct 29th, 2008, 12:21 AM
In FL you are not allowed to have lights on your bike if they are blue or red if said light is visible from the front of you vehicle. Those forward projecting light colors are reserved for emergency vehicles. Colorado doesn't care?
:think: I said I was mounting them (the red ones) to my license plate... not sure 'bout you, but the license plate on my bike faces rear. 8)

Airreed
Wed Oct 29th, 2008, 02:57 AM
I hear you on being seen! I recently replaced from POS hotbodies LED lights with some larger and more visable lights.
Also, I've put reflective tape on the back of my swing arm that's very reflective when headlights hit it.

I ride up to Blackhawk in the summer month to play poker and i'm always thinking that some drunk or half awake driver is going to run into me, so I wear my Icon Military Spec vest ($50.00) and if I have a backpack on I attach my PT reflective belt to it.

bikernoj
Wed Oct 29th, 2008, 07:27 AM
Maybe it's because I've been an avid bicyclist for 17+ years now, but it feels like I've been hard-wired to avoid all traffic in as many ways as possible. Being on a sub-20lb machine in the middle of traffic teaches a person much about how traffic behaves and how invisible you really are.

Not to say that I'm super-human or anything, but six years ago in my MSF course when the instructor showed us some videos and asked us to pick out potential hazards I popped up with 3-4 more in each section that he had never even considered. All were legitimate dangers to riding on the road, bicycle or not, but I got a strange look from him, kind of a "How the hell do you think of these things?" stare.

I could have my bike lit up like a Christmas tree with a 140dB megaphone blaring Metallica in all directions and a police escort and some jerk-offf in a Hummer would STILL change lanes into me! Cagers are idiots. The most important piece of protection lies between your ears and should always be the first line of defense.

Tipys
Wed Oct 29th, 2008, 07:44 AM
Me I try to be seen to a point. I had a few things beat into my head growing up ride like no one can see you cause most of them dont and ride like everybody else on the road is out to kill you. As for getting rear ended I almost did by some guy in a truck. He came behind me then swered tires scering and then was saying that his truck cant stop as fast as my bike which is true but I didnt even brake fast that day and where he ended up next to me it wouldnt have ended well. He probly was either way to close to me to begin with or he just wasnt looking at what was in front of him.

MetaLord 9
Wed Oct 29th, 2008, 08:57 AM
Being seen is important to me and doing things so that I'm not in people's blind spots is pretty key as well, but it's only a portion of the equation. Always be ready to use that escape route you're planning and if you're not planning one then you shouldn't be on the streets. I consider myself pretty damn visible when I'm riding directly in front of somebody on a Thursday morning riding away from the sun, but I still almost got run over by a damn school bus that would've rear ended me.

Be'n visible is a good start, but it sure as hell ain't the whole shebang.

= Buckeye Jess =
Wed Oct 29th, 2008, 01:07 PM
Amen to the posts thus far! I got a$$ ended by a drunk driver at a red fooking light when my bike was only 5 days old. I saw it coming and managed to get mostly out of the way..thus only the broken leg to complain about. But come next season, I plan to put the brake light modulator in as well as any other number of visibility things I can. I realize that it won't save you all of the time, but all the help - the better!

asp_125
Wed Oct 29th, 2008, 01:43 PM
I have a brake strobe on the SV and nothing yet on the Gixxer, I do notice cagers stopping further back with the brake strobe. Commutes in the dark of winter has made me more aware of being seen.

MetaLord 9
Wed Oct 29th, 2008, 02:20 PM
^^I'd be more worried about getting lost in the sun glare going east in the mornings & west in the evenings than being seen in the dark

Devaclis
Wed Oct 29th, 2008, 02:22 PM
I worry more about getting lost, in your eyes............

MetaLord 9
Wed Oct 29th, 2008, 02:34 PM
in your eyes
the light, the heat?

Spiderman
Wed Oct 29th, 2008, 02:34 PM
^^I'd be more worried about getting lost in the sun glare going east in the mornings & west in the evenings than being seen in the dark
As soon as I'm heading west just after sunrise (or east just before sunset), the high beams come on (if they weren't already)... I know it's not much, but every little bit helps... thinking about getting a headlight modulator too.

FZRguy
Wed Oct 29th, 2008, 06:37 PM
I think the brake light modulator is a good idea but the headlight mod just annoys other road users. We debated this at length in another thread a while back.

Sortarican
Thu Oct 30th, 2008, 09:15 AM
Being seen - how important is it to you?


I actually worry more about being rear-ended than even infamous left turning car.
That's why I wear Repsol gear. Tests show that you can only be hit by someone else wearing Repsol gear.


In FL you are not allowed... Those forward projecting light colors are reserved for emergency vehicles. Colorado doesn't care?

I believe it's pretty much the same here.
I've even heard that the modulating/strobe brake lights are illegal in Colorado, but have never heard of anyone being ticketed for having them.

Spiderman
Sun Nov 2nd, 2008, 11:28 PM
I'll see if I can post video of it once they're installed. 8)
- Just the strobes (http://videos.cosportbikeclub.org/Spidey/R1_strobe_brakes/MVI_2520.AVI)
- Strobes & brakelight (http://videos.cosportbikeclub.org/Spidey/R1_strobe_brakes/MVI_2521.AVI)

Ceez
Mon Nov 3rd, 2008, 07:45 AM
- Just the strobes (http://videos.cosportbikeclub.org/Spidey/R1_strobe_brakes/MVI_2520.AVI)
- Strobes & brakelight (http://videos.cosportbikeclub.org/Spidey/R1_strobe_brakes/MVI_2521.AVI)


Man, if that doesnt get a drivers attention, I dont know what will....looks good!

RAGrote
Tue Dec 30th, 2008, 04:04 PM
This will sound strange to some of you.

I don't expect others to see me. I don't need others to see me. I don't even care if they see me or not.

It's my job to KNOW what they're going to do. I EXPECT every single one of "them" to turn in front of me without signalling, change lanes without looking, stop suddenly for NO reason other than to make a U-turn NOW, follow to closely, cut me off, hate me for being faster and more maneuverable and TRY to hit me... Yes, I expect a great deal from other drivers and all of it's BAD.... I'm mostly right.
AND (IMHO)
If I'm counting on others to see and avoid killing me (IMHO), I'm doomed already.

It's my job to know what they're going to do before they do it by watching their vehicle movements, their head movements, their body language.... etc.

If you're paying attention you will always know what they're going to do, often before they make up their mind as to what they're going to do.

Then again... I don't believe the old (and incorrect addage) of "there are 2 kinds of riders, those who've crashed and those who're gonna".
To me that's like saying "if you do something (anything) long enough, something bad WILL happen".
I just don't buy it.

However... I wear red jacket and helmet with reflectors, reflective vest (required for Post), and I ride a friggin ROAD CONE ORANGE motorcycle. (no, I don't ride with my hi beams on, I hate that and those "modulators")...

All of this... of course, is COMPLETELY my opinion but it's worked for 40+ years of riding and having never crashed or been crashed (yep, I'm THAT slow) it seems to be working out well.

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!

RAGrote
Tue Dec 30th, 2008, 04:08 PM
Amen to the posts thus far! I got a$$ ended by a drunk driver at a red fooking light when my bike was only 5 days old. I saw it coming and managed to get mostly out of the way..thus only the broken leg to complain about.
I have had to split lanes twice - both in Colorado - to avoid a rear ender at a stop light. Glad you were watching.

I find it interesting when newbs pull up right behind the car in front of them.
I can't help thinking how much it would hurt to get squished.