Hi Viz Motorcycle Gear Safer or Not?

[Highwayman2013]

Great video with some stats.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k6wHvFWr0k4

[ARtraveler]

Some good points in the video.

Ride Safe.

[BLUEKNIGHT911]

Great video with some stats.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k6wHvFWr0k4

…. more likely Safer yes ….. but remember Fire Trucks with all lights and loud horns and sirens get hit also ….. Defensive driving is your best friend - but still no guarantee ………………...Mike

[UtahPete]

…. more likely Safer yes ….. but remember Fire Trucks with all lights and loud horns and sirens get hit also ….. Defensive driving is your best friend - but still no guarantee ………………...Mike

[cruisinTX]

…. more likely Safer yes ….. but remember Fire Trucks with all lights and loud horns and sirens get hit also ….. Defensive driving is your best friend - but still no guarantee ………………...Mike

This is true due to the phenomenon known as situational blindness. It is caused by distracted driving which has taken over as the leading cause of traffic accidents in the US.

Still; the higher visibility you strive for the higher your odds of being seen.

[johnsimion]

I never understood the idea of wearing all black. It's needlessly hot temperature-wise and it's almost like camouflage on the road. Fashion? I don't see myself when I ride anyway and I don't ride to impress others.

I like the first comment on the video: "Better to be seen than to be remembered." Of course some distracted driver might still hit me, but I'll take every single percentage of life I can get. I don't care if my hi-vis makes me look old ... I AM old ... and I'd like to stay that way.

[LeftCoast]

I never understood the idea of wearing all black. It's needlessly hot temperature-wise and it's almost like camouflage on the road. Fashion? I don't see myself when I ride anyway and I don't ride to impress others.

I like the first comment on the video: "Better to be seen than to be remembered." Of course some distracted driver might still hit me, but I'll take every single percentage of life I can get. I don't care if my hi-vis makes me look old ... I AM old ... and I'd like to stay that way.

I’m with you on this. I don’t look fashion cool at all. Big white RTL black and red jacket, tan overpants, and a big neon yellow hi viz protect the melon helmet. I’m a chaos of color in the hopes that the contrast will stand out more. It’s pretty much 20 minutes to get out of city roads here and invariably every time I go out at least one cage does something stupid.

[Peter Aawen]

Just beware, one of the drawbacks of wearing bright or hi-viz gear on a Spyder, especially on the RT's, is that you'll almost certainly get a lot of reflection in the dash & gauge faces & you probably won't be able to see to read them (clearly? or maybe at all?!?)

Darker clothing doesn't reflect anywhere near as much, so at least you'll know when you're speeding!

[UtahPete]

Just beware, one of the drawbacks of wearing bright or hi-viz gear on a Spyder, especially on the RT's, is that you'll almost certainly get a lot of reflection in the dash & gauge faces & you probably won't be able to see to read them (clearly? or maybe at all?!?)

Darker clothing doesn't reflect anywhere near as much, so at least you'll know when you're speeding!

I agree, but it's hell in the heat of the desert! I just finished 1700 miles in the desert wearing a white fishing shirt; it did a great job keeping the sun's intense rays off me, but did play havoc with reading the gauges for sure.

[Peteoz]

Yeah, so spare a thought for we bigger riders, John, who can only get black gear from most manufacturers once we reach the larger/taller sizes.

Pete

I never understood the idea of wearing all black. It's needlessly hot temperature-wise and it's almost like camouflage on the road. Fashion? I don't see myself when I ride anyway and I don't ride to impress others.

[UtahPete]

Yeah, so spare a thought for we bigger riders, John, who can only get black gear from most manufacturers once we reach the larger/taller sizes.

Pete

Then don't buy motorcycle gear. I don't, for just that reason. My shirt is a Simms fishing shirt (white). I've ordered some white Chinos from Amazon to try out so my legs won't get so hot in the sun. Even my socks are white for desert riding. Every little bit of sun reflectance helps.

[BoilerAnimal]

I may be a weinie, but at least they'll see me! My wife and I have pretty much the same outfits, so it's kind of hard to miss us.IMG_5720.jpg

[UtahPete]

I may be a weinie, but at least they'll see me! My wife and I have pretty much the same outfits, so it's kind of hard to miss us.IMG_5720.jpg

To each his own. I've spent years trying to figure out what works best for me.

[ARtraveler]

With all the MC around our area, and the hot temps in the high 90's, ATGATT seems to go out the door for comfortable riding. The summer "uniform" here for ATGATT seems to be helmet, gloves, short sleeve shirt, jeans or shorts, and boots or less.

We have high vis (white) helmets as part of our arsenal for about four years now. We wear them about half the time. The communicators in the other helmets are better. We now have a set of high viz orange and yellow long and short sleeves that we wear on the hotter days. Its has been mostly short sleeves the last month or so.

It comes down to a personal call as well as a "how safe" judgement. We refer to it as a calculated risk.

[IGETAROUND]

This isn't gear; but head light modulators are worth their weight in gold to increase your visibility to other drivers. IMHO

[Peteoz]

Then don't buy motorcycle gear. I don't, for just that reason. My shirt is a Simms fishing shirt (white). I've ordered some white Chinos from Amazon to try out so my legs won't get so hot in the sun. Even my socks are white for desert riding. Every little bit of sun reflectance helps.

I do indeed do that when I’m riding locally, Pete, but I have to get on the freeway to go almost anywhere, and I don’t like not having armour and Kevlar with the number of numbnuts sharing it with me. Fortunately, MotoPort make custom gear in light colours, but it’s pretty pricey and inconvenient when you have to ship both ways

Pete