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 Recently my wife and
I bought neon-yellow
motorcycle jackets for
better visibility on the
road. We were on the
Blue Ridge this week and
had our jackets on. Two
different people asked
us if we were dressed
like this because we were
going hiking. I was kind
of speechless and could
only think to myself “No,
I want to be seen by
people who don’t have a
clue — like you.” On the
positive side we were noticed
and that is the point
of this article.
Motorcycle season is
about to pick up in the
Carolinas. The fall is a
beautiful time to explore
our beautiful area and
state. Above everything,
safety has to be your
biggest concern when
riding. I have come to
the conclusion that I cannot
compete against the clueless. These are the people on their cell phones,
emailing, texting or updating their MyFace post. When I am on my motorcycle
I am constantly scanning my surroundings for danger, ever changing
road conditions and situations.
When I see someone near me with their head down I know they are
doing anything but looking for me. I want these people as far away from me
as possible. The problem is that I can’t see everyone around me. So I need
to do everything possible to increase my imaginary force field. I want to create
distance around me. I started by adding additional front lights. On my
K1200LT is a light kit that goes on the front forks. For my R1200GS I just
replaced my PIAA lights for the new Denali’s LED lights. They are 2” square
and are like laser beams when looked at directly. On the rear and side of my
bike, I’ve added reflective tape that is visible at night. My neighbor Bob recommended
that I add some blue license-plate holders. He added them to his
Harley and said that when people got too close to him they back off because
they think he is a police officer. I picked up a set at CycleGear and they seem
to work.
I switched my black helmets to white. White helmets are supposed to be
the most noticed color for a motorcyclist. After attending a few bike rallies
I noticed some people with neon jackets. Out of hundreds of motorcyclist
my eyes zoomed in on these people. I don’t really care to be sticking out
like firefly in the daytime but these jackets catch your eyes. At that point I
decided being seen is more important than being cool. I purchased a couple
of Olympia Motor Sports jackets for both summer and winter riding. They
come in both men’s and women’s styles. The jackets have a fair amount of
protective padding for the back, shoulders and arms. I would not use them
on a track or for high speed riding but for the average rider they are sufficient.
They also come with a waterproof insulated jacket liner which can be
worn alone for a rainy day or chilly nights.
No equipment or clothing will replace people’s responsibilities on the
road, but everything you do to increase your visibility and distance from the
clueless is an investment in yourself.
If there is a topic that you would like to discuss, please
send your comments and suggestions to motorcycle4fun@
aol.com. RIDE SAFE!
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