5 Ways to Improve the Visibility of Your Bike at Night
The most commonly uttered phrase by drivers involved in a nighttime accident with a motorcyclist is "I never even saw them!" Here are a few tips to make you and your bike more visible to other drivers during those dark night hours.
1. Run/Turn/Brake Module
For a cost-effective solution to grabbing other motorists attention, a good first step is to convert the standard rear turn signals to allow for full run/turn/brake functionality. By installing a simple plug-and-play module, the rear turn signals will work in tandem with your taillight and brake light but still function as signal indicators when necessary. Although this conversion requires the amber lenses of the signals be replaced with red lenses, the addition of more intense red lighting at the back of the motorcycle has proven to be much more effective at alerting drivers behind you not only during the night but during daylight hours as well. Additionally, most module kits have an option for brake light modulation to allow the brake light to pulse several times as the brakes are applied to further alert motorists that the bike is slowing down.
2. Modern Lighting
Many H-D motorcycles are still rolling out of the factory equipped with incandescent lights, and while they are reliable and inexpensive to replace, they are an aging technology that can be easily upgraded. Replacement LED lights for the turn signals, brake, and tail lights will illuminate approximately 25% faster than the stock incandescent bulbs and can provide a brighter and more focused light output. Leaps and bounds have been made in headlight technology over the past few years with HID and LED headlights allowing them to become an affordable lighting improvement. Both HID and LED headlights will provide a longer service life than a traditional halogen bulb, but more importantly, they both come in at around a 6,000 degree Kelvin rating on the light spectrum scale to allow a light output closer to that of sunlight. See and be seen with improved lighting options!
3. Reflective Tape
Although plenty of lighting can be added to the front and rear of most bikes, the sides of a motorcycle typically have no lights to alert other motorists. By law, manufacturers often place reflectors on the fork legs or along the sides of saddle bags to help improve the profile view of the motorcycles at night, but adding a bit of reflective tape in a few strategic areas can greatly enhance the visibility of your bike. The most popular area for reflective tape is along the lip of the wheels, though some riders will use it similar to pinstripe tape and stripe along the fenders, saddlebags, fuel tank, and even the front fairing. Reflective tape can be had in a wide variety of colors that can blend in with the paint of the motorcycle until a light is shined onto it.
4. Color & Chrome
Unsurprisingly, the most popular paint color for any Harley model is black. Estimates suggest that approximately 60% of Harley-Davidson motorcycles sold are painted either gloss or denim black because, let's face it, Harleys look great in black! That said, motorcycles can be incredibly difficult to see in the dark compared to other vehicles, and a black motorcycle only further reduces this already diminished visibility issue. If you are contemplating the purchase of a new motorcycle and have plans of doing a lot of nighttime riding, it is worth considering one of Harley's brighter color offerings. For those who already own a black bike and are looking for visibility improvements, chrome covers, trims, and accents will reflect light and make your bike much more noticeable to other motorists.
5. -Visibility Riding Gear
Although the rider is not "technically" part of the motorcycle, the motorcycle and rider must operate together as a single unit. As a result, the rider serves as roughly one-half of the total surface area of his or her motorcycle, so their riding attire plays a fairly significant role in the overall visibility of the bike. It is recommended that riders avoid dressing fully in black during a nighttime ride and instead dress in high-visibility gear. Harley-Davidson and a number of other manufacturers offer a full line of jackets, pants, boots, and even helmets that offer an assortment of reflective fabrics and/or integrated colors to help riders stand-out from the sea of moving vehicles on the road. Not only will quality gear provide greater protection in the event of a crash, but it can go a long way in preventing a multi-vehicle crash altogether.
For help resurrecting your old bike, check out the how-to sections of HDForums.com
