Fluoro Vests

[Motu]

The biggest problem I have with fluro vests,headlights on etc is the mental assumtion of the rider - goody,I've got my headlight and my fluro vest on and now all the cars can see me...wrong!!! Like Slob and Jack I don't care whether I'm wearing fluro or camoflage,my assumption is that they can't see me.

Wear what you like,but DON'T think ''they can see me now''.

[Yokai]

Wear what you like,but DON'T think ''they can see me now''.

Agreed. But they can "see me more".
Anything to be more visible in poor vis conditions is good... But always always always assume that everyone on the road is a) an idiot and b) blind.

-added:
Watched Britain's Worst Driver the other day. I used to laugh at this when all I did was drive a cage... Now it makes me want to scream. It really brings home how even licenced people are a lethal liability... These are the people that hit things whether they can see them or not....

[Cajun]

were you in Rotovagas the other day Neal ?

F/F

was there monday the 27th, all family went for a ride, so a green zx10r, (which i was riding at the time), blue vtr1000f, black bandit, blue/silver bmw k1200rs, gold vn1500 dc:<


Whay ya see me?

[Coyote]

Watched Britain's Worst Driver the other day. I used to laugh at this when all I did was drive a cage... Now it makes me want to scream. It really brings home how even licenced people are a lethal liability... These are the people that hit things whether they can see them or not....

Hell, even I have a cage licence. All I had to do was pass a written test, haven't been behind the wheel of a cage yet

[FROSTY:Me]

I think Light ,color and movement are the key.
I'm more likely to notice a bike coming up behind me if the headlight is flickering/dazzling me in my rear vision mirror.
I like the idea of headlight modulators.
Actually guys why not a KB survey
-whilst out driving in a cage (oh comeon a lot of us get stuck in cages)
note at what point ya notice a biker -and what made ya notice them
My voe is a bright headlight --ohh or a sexy woman on the back --arrgg did I say that.

[Coyote]

I think Light ,color and movement are the key.
I'm more likely to notice a bike coming up behind me if the headlight is flickering/dazzling me in my rear vision mirror.
I like the idea of headlight modulators.
Actually guys why not a KB survey
-whilst out driving in a cage (oh comeon a lot of us get stuck in cages)
note at what point ya notice a biker -and what made ya notice them
My voe is a bright headlight --ohh or a sexy woman on the back --arrgg did I say that.

Do it the Homie way. They are masters at trying to grab peoples attentions. Get Chrome spinner rims, pulsing neons, big bore exhaust, low profile tyres, flashing L.E.Ds, Nitrous Purges, tinted windscreen, carbon fairing with gold paint trim.........etc. etc.

[FROSTY:Me]

Do it the Homie way. They are masters at trying to grab peoples attentions. Get Chrome spinner rims, pulsing neons, big bore exhaust, low profile tyres, flashing L.E.Ds, Nitrous Purges, tinted windscreen, carbon fairing with gold paint trim.........etc. etc.

Ya mean you havent already???

[Coyote]

Ya mean you havent already???

Nah, yo. A ain't got da cash tuh buy dis bling bling.

[Firefight]

was there monday the 27th, all family went for a ride, so a green zx10r, (which i was riding at the time), blue vtr1000f, black bandit, blue/silver bmw k1200rs, gold vn1500 dc:<


Whay ya see me?

Yeah I think I saw your bike leading a group of 3 or 4 bikes heading towards Rotovagas just past the airport, I would have waved but was being after seeing that shitty yellow coloured bike of yours, was the person on it wearing a yellow vest ? can,t be sure of the time.

F/F

[Monsterbishi]

Plus your bike would blind the taste sensitive anyway (Grumble - still annoyed he bought my bike).

I heard there were a few folks eyeing it up :-)

There's a clean '94 FZR600 still in there, doesn't have the exup or suspension extras, but otherwise idetical appearance wise, a quick paint/vinyl job and no-one would be the wiser...

[Motu]

Agreed. But they can "see me more".

No,no,NO! don't even think of it,it's a bonus,but don't think for one second that it's going to save your life....cause it won't.

[Gixxer 4 ever]

Come on Steve now. Play fair for the nice

It will be a lot easier when you get a red bike John. :sly: No sir it was him

[Cajun]

Yeah I think I saw your bike leading a group of 3 or 4 bikes heading towards Rotovagas just past the airport, I would have waved but was being after seeing that shitty yellow coloured bike of yours, was the person on it wearing a yellow vest ? can,t be sure of the time.

F/F

hmmmm by airport, we were heading out of rotovegas when went past air port, came in via mamakus home via te puke, so heading out, not to sure what colour gear brother in law had, but its only boring grey/black sorta stuff, and i was on the zx10r and was leading, so could have been dc:< i got on on the zx10r just by the ludge coming in to rotovegas.

[XP@]

allways have one in my bag.
generally wear it at night, the evening commute can be a warzone in the winter so try to minimise the "i didn't see you" excuse. It would sound pretty silly at the inquest, if I was wearing a fluro vest.
Also If I am doing a long run at night eg 1000 miler then it works too, makes one recognisable.

[El Dopa]

No,no,NO! don't even think of it,it's a bonus,but don't think for one second that it's going to save your life....cause it won't.

Exactly. I ride like everyone else on the road is barely in control of their vehicles when driving at slow speed in a straight line. Some are actively psycho, so assuming they all are means you've got a better chance of living longer.

The vest simply serves to increase the chances that the few of them who might be able to avoid me in case of something unexpected happening (like, ohhhhh, I dunno, someone else being on the road) actually being able to do so.

All it costs me is looking like a dick, which is nothing new, really.

Two stories from personal experience which illustrate both sides of the coin:

1) I was recently driving along an urban road at night, low visibility, lots of streetlight and headlight glare. I was driving very sedately and carefully at 50-55K. At the last minute, I see a guy dressed all in black on a black scoot stationary in the lane in front of me waiting to turn right. His lights were so pathetically dim that I'd almost missed him amongst the background clutter. Thinking about how close I'd come to rear-ending him and smearing him across the tarmac made me feel sick thinking about it afterwards. If he'd been wearing something higher vis, it wouldn't have been an issue.

2) Heading south in the car across the harbour bridge, the lane on the left is coned off over 200-300 metres and merges with my lane because of roadworks. I'm in the lane that keeps going. A car to my left is in the lane that is rapidly disappearing. They are travelling slower than me. As I overtake them, and am almost alongside them, they decide that this is the time to pull out into my lane. No indication. They hadn't left it to the absolute last minute, otherwise I would have stayed behind them to give them room. They are so close when they pull this little stunt that in order to avoid them, I have to immediately swerve into the lane on my right, no time to check mirrors or hit the brakes.

If something had been overtaking me on my right, that would have been all she wrote. Turns out (my wife in the pasenger seat had a full and frank exchange of views with the driver at the next red light), that they had seen me, they just didn't give a shit and assumed I'd move. Bearing in mind I was in a car, not a bike and only avoided an acident through pure dumb luck (nothing on my right when I took evasive action), and that they had seen me, being on a bike with a flouro vest on would have made stuff all difference. Again, when I think about what might have happened, it makes me feel a bit sick.