amorley
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With the Clearwater CANopener I have set the option to strobe the two 6,000 lumens Clearwater Erikas when I hit the horn, which is the 120dB Nautilus. Illegal but it does get other drivers attention!
Advise on High-Viz Clothing, Helmet ect...
- Thread starter Davey1965
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I wasn't clear.
It was hard for me to find fluorescent emergency vehicle/school bus yellow in small quantities. Truck supply stores, of which I have a couple of as customers, don't carry it and referred me to Grainger who wanted nearly $20 a foot. I found 24" x 1" for $10 at REI.
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I went from wearing my First Gear black leather jacket to wearing a Hi-Viz Aerostich Roadcrafter and I wear it from 32 F to 115F. I also can tell that people see me better due to the looks or the look then a double check look as I ride by the car driver that is wanting to pull out.
I have had people ask me if I am a fireman and such things. My wife and kids laughed when I first got it. Now my wife has a Hi-Viz First Gear jacket. I have a Hi-Viz vest for my kids who ride. Had a vendor tell me that white is seen better and faster than Hi-Viz. Aerostich told me that the Hi-Viz color was starting to become a popular choice. I haven't had to wash mine for two riding seasons. May wash it this winter.
Agree that inattentive drivers will not see it but those that are somewhat complacent about looking do see you. It is all about reducing the odds. When my son was flying my drone at Horseshoe Bend of the Colorado river this past summer he commented. "Dad, I am glad you have that Hi-Viz shirt on. It makes it easy to see where we are"
Just don't let your textile materials touch hot mufflers! In the following picture you can see the Hi-Viz color stand out.
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I have had people ask me if I am a fireman and such things. My wife and kids laughed when I first got it. Now my wife has a Hi-Viz First Gear jacket. I have a Hi-Viz vest for my kids who ride. Had a vendor tell me that white is seen better and faster than Hi-Viz. Aerostich told me that the Hi-Viz color was starting to become a popular choice. I haven't had to wash mine for two riding seasons. May wash it this winter.
Agree that inattentive drivers will not see it but those that are somewhat complacent about looking do see you. It is all about reducing the odds. When my son was flying my drone at Horseshoe Bend of the Colorado river this past summer he commented. "Dad, I am glad you have that Hi-Viz shirt on. It makes it easy to see where we are"
Just don't let your textile materials touch hot mufflers! In the following picture you can see the Hi-Viz color stand out.
Sent from my SM-G920V using Tapatalk
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We have Clearwater Erica’s on all our bikes. On the Police ST I fashioned an adjustable flasher relay to an additional Clearwater high/low trigger wire and added a switch allowing the Clearwater’s to flash high/low at a desired rate. I only use them for splitting lanes here in California, which is like parting the Red Sea now. One could also use white Wheelan Linz 6’s or white Sound off ghost lights. I also have white/amber Soundoff ghost lights up front on the P bike for other occasions.
Question for the Ferret, what are those warm looking hand warmers you have and where did you get them. Do you wear gloves underneath that system? They look really neat!
On the visibility question I think it is just another layer of protection you can give yourself as a rider. We will always be invisible to some who just are not looking properly, but good defensive riding strategies, brighter/flashing lights, Hi-Vis Clothing, bright helmets, reflective are all part of any defensive riding system
Bike Rider
On the visibility question I think it is just another layer of protection you can give yourself as a rider. We will always be invisible to some who just are not looking properly, but good defensive riding strategies, brighter/flashing lights, Hi-Vis Clothing, bright helmets, reflective are all part of any defensive riding system
Bike Rider
Yep, people generally have no clue how to drive, which involves paying attention to what you are doing. I find it ironic that this has been augmented by the introduction of "smart" phones. I also firmly believe that the best car/truck drivers out there also ride motorcycles.
DavidR8
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I started wearing a yellow hi-viz vest about four years ago when I bought my Tiger.
I definitely noticed the people looked at me. Now that could have been because the Tiger is just so darn good looking ;-)
When we bought the ST we bought white helmets and I still wear the same vest. We will likely purchase a similar vest for my partner.
ST has upgraded headlights and the daylight reflective panels on the back but I'm considering a Evitek or similar for the rear brake light.
One thing that make a difference here is that drivers tend to be used to looking for cyclists and scooters as they are very prevalent. I think that does make a difference.
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I definitely noticed the people looked at me. Now that could have been because the Tiger is just so darn good looking ;-)
When we bought the ST we bought white helmets and I still wear the same vest. We will likely purchase a similar vest for my partner.
ST has upgraded headlights and the daylight reflective panels on the back but I'm considering a Evitek or similar for the rear brake light.
One thing that make a difference here is that drivers tend to be used to looking for cyclists and scooters as they are very prevalent. I think that does make a difference.
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
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I agree about the best drivers being motorcyclists. For the last 4 years if my wife and I go anywhere I drive . This is because of her frustration for years of me saying are you going to get in the left lane before you get trapped, watch out for this car slowing down in front of you. Watch out for this guy over here. She retorts... I'm only half a second behind you why do you bother me. I told her because for the last minute I've been frustrated that you haven't been watching out or you're going to get trapped. So one day she pulls over on the highway gets out without word and I get out without a word and we swap places and we are both very happy since. I had a dealer tell me the reason this happened. Guy you are motorcyclist you ride motorcycles you just don't ride it from bar to bar or on a weekend you are a motorcyclist you've ridden for years. So you are aware of what is around you as you have to be to survive.
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the Ferret
Daily rider since May 1965
Sent you a PM
skipcurt
Skip
Before I switched to my 1 pc Aerostich suit I used (and still have) the See Me vest in black with vertical yellow stripe from Conspicuity. Excellent quality and a very easy piece of gear. I just left in on my jacket and never took it off unless I was switching jackets.
Skip
Skip
I'm also in NJ. What is this patch you're referring to? Is it something required? I've been riding for 45 years and I never heard of it.
More power to you! Hey that's a great manufacturer option. I though about doing that too. Sometimes when in a car you hear a horn and don't know where the warning is coming from and have to do a quick wide scan.
Actually having a driver seeing an 'unseen' threat can keep 3500+ lbs. off of you.
Sometimes it doesn't. It depends on how severe the cranial-rectal inversion. If it didn't actually matter there's be no reason to go to the lengths of increasing conspicuity that most of us do. I suppose we could forgo ATGATT and aftermarket conspicuity lighting and clothing and just say 'Whisky Tango...' let Darwin sort us.Grizzly said:
There are no guarantees. We do the best we can and learn from our and others' mistakes and hope it all works.
On the fashion/conspicuity front I don't like the hi-vis green yellow but am slowly upgrading my wardrobe to bright yellow or yellow/black instead of all black. Had I the disposable income the ST would be painted Arctic White (the color of Honda White of my VF1000 Interceptor).
All good.... but I must poke the bear. You do have disposable income... Otherwise you wouldn't have a MC or two and all the gear.
So if you had more disposable income... your ST would become a Polar bear
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I see what you did there.
please please PLEASE tell me that X-Wing fighter is reflective! That would be AWESOME!
Wow ST-O is giving me numerous 500 Errors!
the Ferret
Daily rider since May 1965
Yes the x wing fighter is reflective. Funny story ... A few years ago I was riding in the UP of Michigan, going thru a small town that was spraying crossbars when unbeknownst to me, my black bike got caught in the overspray /mist. That night when I stopped I saw it was covered head to toe front to rear with little white spots. Tried to clean it off when I got back home to Ohio, but couldn't get it off. Looked like a galaxy (far far away) of stars in the blackness so since I worked for a sign company at the time, I used some reflective sheeting and cut out an X wing fighter to apply to it, and I call my bike "STarship" for it's ability to transport me across the country at warp speed.
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the Ferret
Daily rider since May 1965
Sorry for the thread jack
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