Visibility, Are You Being Seen?

[DannoXYZ]

I got hit back in mid-’80s by car pulling out from side street in front me. ONE time, and that’s it. Have gone over 500k-miles of commuting/splitting, mountain twisties/backroads, trackdays/racing since on 35 different bikes without incident. Although that didn’t keep them from trying.

Done everything possible for visibility: clothing, lights, zig-zagging towards junctions. However, those aren’t end-all solutions because there will always be distracted idiot who’s blind (or wildlife or random acts of nature). That’s where final responsibility & power lies, my ability to respond quickly with evasive maneuvers. Lots of parking-lot practice of swerving and max-braking so it’s automatic & 2nd-nature. ABS has saved me quite a few times in bad weather or on gravelly roads around corner when I’ve had to swerve while under max-braking.

 

[Obo]

Is there only one model of light under that name, or is there one best one to get?

We've been buying the Zmoons. They've been around a while (used to be sold on ADVMonster)
You can choose between the yellow or white (lights have 3 wires) and are relatively inexpensive and small.

With the $5 coupon they are $19.99 US right now on Amazon.com. Buy 2 and save an extra 5% it says....



These are what I am running, I think Pop-pop was too and Willsmotorcycle is/was running them. Others are too, but can't recall exactly who. For the price, they are great for conspicuity.

*edit* they come as just the 2 lights with bare leads & the mounting hardware. If you want switches, relays etc you need to buy those separate.

 

[Larry Fine]

Those say white and amber, not white and yellow. Are they actually yellow?

 

[Obo]

I think blasts from my Fiamm Freeway Blaster horns have saved my bacon more than other stuff from drivers.
When they go off they sound like an old Buick so the driver is looking around trying to figure where the old lead sled is.

Agree with the OEM horn upgrades.
I did the dual Fiamms too, tied into the zmoons and a high beam so when the horns blare the lights flash for attention. One button press of the horn does it all.
Horns are the primary way cars notify other cars about a possibly occurring accident. Think that's the best way you can get the cages attention when the excrement's getting real and the visibility things obviously didn't get the preventative job done!

 

[Obo]

Those say white and amber, not white and yellow. Are they actually yellow?

I'd say the zmoons are more yellow, even if they say amber.

 

[Erdoc48]

As UP indicated, and I agree wholeheartedly, ride like you’re invisible and they’re all out to get you (but the extra visibility and louder horns does help).

 

[Pop-Pop]

We've been buying the Zmoons. They've been around a while (used to be sold on ADVMonster)
You can choose between the yellow or white (lights have 3 wires) and are relatively inexpensive and small.

With the $5 coupon they are $19.99 US right now on Amazon.com. Buy 2 and save an extra 5% it says....



These are what I am running, I think Pop-pop was too and Willsmotorcycle is/was running them. Others are too, but can't recall exactly who. For the price, they are great for conspicuity.

*edit* they come as just the 2 lights with bare leads & the mounting hardware. If you want switches, relays etc you need to buy those separate.

Those r the ones larry.

 

[Obo]

Don't expect the zmoons to be excellent distance or sidefill lights like Denali's or Clearwater lights. They are great conspicuity lights at a much lower cost! They are adequate for the other purposes but I got more usable gain out of the F2 led upgrade for the headlight bulbs on my ST1300.

 

[Larry Fine]

Thank you, guys. I just ordered two pairs, $45 total.

I have F2s already, so I'm covered there.

 

[Larry Fine]

With the $5 coupon they are $19.99 US right now on Amazon.com. Buy 2 and save an extra 5% it says....

However, the coupon only applies to one set per order, so mine was $20 + $25.

 

[W0QNX]

Does this mean you changed the lights in your ST?

This means I think the lights are the key to being seen. Nothing more. I know I am invisible to everyone and I try to ride accordingly always.

 

[Larry Fine]

Is there a reason not to simply wire the yellows to low beam and the whites to high beam?

 

[Obo]

Is there a reason not to simply wire the yellows to low beam and the whites to high beam?

You could. I'd rather have them on different circuits so a possible short didn't take out a headlight bulb fuse.
My yellows are on all the time unless I activate high beams, which switches them to white.

I did a single 5 pin relay. Use 85/86 as ground and high beam power trigger. 30 is power in from switched source. 87A would be yellow LED on the zmoon, 87 would be white LED on zmoon. This way when the bike was switched on yellow (87A) would be on by default and when high beam was on it would trigger the relay and turn white (87) instead.


I also put a switch in before the 30 power source. This allowed me to turn off the lights completely if needed.

 

[Larry Fine]

I like it! Only one relay, relay only on with high beam, allows adding a simple off switch.

But then, as you said, 30 must be fed from a switched source, or through another relay.

I've been thinking of changing the wiring so the headlights go out with the kill switch.

 

[Andrew Shadow]

I haven't been able to find an LED headlight modulator. If someone knows of one please let me know.

Both Signal Dynamics and Kissan sell them. I didn't check so I don't know about your specific motorcycle/bulbs.

Signal Dynamics states that theirs does not work with every LED bulb- check the compatability list.

 

[JohnK]

https://www.brakefreetech.com/
Got one of these too use it mainly when ridin the VFR or Tiger - deceleration with out brakes it comes on - rear Enders worry me a bunch

 

[Hound]

I was an early-ish adopter of fork lights on my ST. This photo is from 2009.



The VFR now has 6-LED DRLS on the handlebars, plus spotlights mounted on the crash bars.

 

[Oldbikefixr]

If cars hit fire engines with lights blazing and sirens going, we cannot expect an inattentive driver to 'see' us.
At the end of the day, you just have to assume they don't see you - because they ain't looking for you.
I've made eye contact with drivers, they would smile at me, and then pull out in front of me.
I always assume a driver is going to do the worst possible thing at the worst possible time.
That way I am prepared if they do and I am pleasantly surprised if they don't!
Nothing wrong with having all the lights you want but they won't save you anymore than loud pipes will.
I think blasts from my Fiamm Freeway Blaster horns have saved my bacon more than other stuff from drivers.
When they go off they sound like an old Buick so the driver is looking around trying to figure where the old lead sled is.
I've even had a 'latte launch' by an inattentive driver that decided to come over on top of me.
Her passenger window just happened to be open when she came over and she got an earful.
When I hit the horn button she launched her latte up in the air and I just waved to her and smiled.

Over the years I have had three drivers intentionally attempt to hit me. Two, one male one female, were driving in the lane to my right. Both were watching me, pulled even with me, grasped the 12 o'clock position in the wheel and yanked to the left....my only out was to hit the shoulder. Had I not been watching the driver and not the general flow of traffic, I would have made a brief blurb on the evening news. The third close call was even better advertised. I was LAST vehicle in a long line of slow moving traffic, passing a two way stop. The female driving the first vehicle at the stop to my right was obviously hysterical that no one would stop and let her thru the intersection...hopping up and down, banging on the wheel, yelling....then her eyes fixed on me...still last in line. When the car in front of me cleared the intersection, the (*&^ jumped out in front of me and STOPPED completely across my lane. I think it surprised her that I managed to stop about a foot from her door. The suspension compressed, bike rebounded...when the weight shifted forward again, I simply released the brakes, caving in her door (antique Honda 750, period suspension). No tickets, I didn't press charges. I'm still impressed with her hysterical outrage.
Gotta watch the driver, not just the vehicle.

 

[st11ray]

I ride a road bicycle alot. It's way worse than being on the ST. I've had people throw things at me, intentionally try to force me off the road and even had one guy slam on his brakes in front of me and get out with a gun in his hand. Be careful out there, people are crazy.
I'm going to have to start riding like this guy!

 

[the Ferret]

Hi Viz and white will even clear the beach of gulls

Oh we wear it to scare off cars too