Someone mentioned having eye contact with another driver who was waiting to pull out of a side street. I was taught years ago that there is no way to be sure you have eye contact with or the attention of any other driver. They may be looking in your direction, but not at you. Watch the front wheel of their vehicle. If it starts to move, start to slow and be prepared to evade. They never saw you. This technique has saved me more than once.
Perhaps I should have said SOME LED's will upset the Nanny. Refer to a YT by Shawn Smoak who was talking about the subject. All the LED's advertised on SL are compatible that I am aware of. Those purchased at a auto parts store may create problems.
Prayers for the rider and his family!
As far as the l e d's, Don't they all come from China?
Perhaps I should have said SOME LED's will upset the Nanny. Refer to a YT by Shawn Smoak who was talking about the subject. All the LED's advertised on SL are compatible that I am aware of. Those purchased at a auto parts store may create problems.
LED's are no different than any other light......Except in rare cases all LED's have a positive and negative wire or connection.....and as long as you wire correctly they will work and not cause issues with any other things in/on the wire harness/loom. I have dozens of LED's on my RT and they are ALL - DIY from China and I have had no issues because of them........Mike
LED's are no different than any other light......Except in rare cases all LED's have a positive and negative wire or connection.....and as long as you wire correctly they will work and not cause issues with any other things in/on the wire harness/loom. I have dozens of LED's on my RT and they are ALL - DIY from China and I have had no issues because of them........Mike
Well, I dont know what to tell you about the LEDs. I'm no guru in that area or in any other area for that matter. Irregardless, this thread is about protection and safety on the road. It cannot be emphasized enough.
No no new news on the riders condition. Last I heard he has many surgeries in store for him which they will do only one at a time to avoid further shock. It was reported in today's paper that the rider was speeding contrary to witnesses statements.
i would like to read more testimonies on how your lighting work has saved your life and a picture too if you don't mind. One picture is worth a thousand words.
Happy Spyder Owner States visited on the Spyder.
And if we live life without a passion, then we're not living.
I sure hope the rider recovers OK!!!! Prayers go out for him. Could have been a distracted driver!!
Since I have had my Spyder no one has pulled out on me! 2013 ST-S Circuit Yellow. Aside from the yellow I feel the marker LED's on the front fenders and keep headlights set at Bright all the time do help. However I still do not take it for granted that cagers see me, I remain vigilant, I trust no one!!!
Prayers for the rider...
This is why you can NEVER drop your guard...
One of the things that I have found as a Spyder owner (first bike), for only a few months now, is that I am constantly focusing on everything.....what is ahead, what could potentially be on the road, what is the road condition, what's happening behind me, in front of me, beside me; what's going on at the intersection, who is paying attention, who looks like they aren't paying attention, who may be texting or on a cell phone, etc. I stay my distance from the car in front of me and while stopped at lights. I also try to wear vivid colors or a fluorescent vest over my jacket. I didn't realize how intense I have to be focused. I'm sure it will just become nature over time. Karen
The other day, my husband was riding and was at a red light. The light turned green and two cars in front of him went straight and he lagged back just a bit....just enough to let a car come careening through the intersection from the right side through an extremely red light. Geesh, two cars had already gone through in front of him on the green. It's a good thing he's not a speedster or he may not be here today. He is always watching people, especially for those on cell phones or looking at their cell phones. Even if you look catch eye with another driver, they may not see you.
Unfortunately no amount of lighting is going to prevent someone from turning in front of you. The "left turn" accident is the most common motorcycle/vehicle crash. Where a 4 wheeled (or more) vehicle makes a left turn in front of a motorcycle. Additional lighting may help. As does retroreflective or high vis riding gear. IMHO the best protection is defensive driving. You eyes should be constantly scanning ahead, side and the rear view mirrors. Remember that a helmet restricts peripheral vision. And so do the doors, posts and tinted windows of a cage. And making eye contact with the driver doesn't always work.
And it's not just two vs four either. Just a few weeks ago I was in my pickup going to a meeting. Approaching an intersection, right lane is a straight/left turn, left lane is left turn only. I moved to the left lane. Suddenly, a Ford F250 Super Duty that was in the right lane turned left right in front of me. I stood on the brakes and skidded to a halt just inches from the driver door. He kept going and I followed him into a convenience store parking lot. My wife told me to calm down as I got out of my truck to confront the "kid" who was driving the F250. I asked what he thought he was doing. "Did you not see me?" His reply was "well, my boss told me to turn left, and I did. I had my turn signal on". "Yes, I said". But you were in the right lane and made an illegal left turn across another lane of traffic". By the way, his boss bailed. He wouldn't even stay for the "confrontation". And the guys in the back seat didn't have anything to say either.
All that to say "situational awareness" kept me from T boning that truck.
USAF '69-'89 E7
Thailand/Vietnam 1972
Member: Royal Order of Rat Bastards
One of the things that I have found as a Spyder owner (first bike), for only a few months now, is that I am constantly focusing on everything.....what is ahead, what could potentially be on the road, what is the road condition, what's happening behind me, in front of me, beside me; what's going on at the intersection, who is paying attention, who looks like they aren't paying attention, who may be texting or on a cell phone, etc. I stay my distance from the car in front of me and while stopped at lights. I also try to wear vivid colors or a fluorescent vest over my jacket. I didn't realize how intense I have to be focused. I'm sure it will just become nature over time. Karen
You're learning how to observe what is going on around you, and improve your "Situational Awareness"!
Originally Posted by bruiser
IMHO the best protection is defensive driving. You eyes should be constantly scanning ahead, side and the rear view mirrors. Remember that a helmet restricts peripheral vision. And so do the doors, posts and tinted windows of a cage. And making eye contact with the driver doesn't always work.
I never trust anyone's turn signal until I see them actually slowing down and turning. Years ago, my brother-in-law pulled onto a street because the oncoming car had its turn signal on as if to turn off and be out of the way. Trouble was, the guy wasn't turning. He broad-sided my BIL's car on the passenger side where his wife was sitting with their baby on her lap. Killed them both.
My closest calls, and there've been many, have been due to today's danged cell phones (I don't have one, so I can legitimately rant). It's as if I'm invisible - in my F250, no less. A couple years ago, a cop stopped me for not wearing my seatbelt (a totally unconstitutional law if there ever was one), and while we talked, a half dozen cars went by (rural road), and EVERY SINGLE DRIVER WAS ON HIS/HER CELL PHONE. He could stop me, but not them. There's something wrong with that picture.
That was the practice on 2-lane roads, where the hazard for a head-on was great with one truck passing another. It said, "OK, you're clear, you can cut in now."
Trucks favor 4-lanes and Interstates now, where there's no urgency to return to the right lane, so I bet younger drivers don't even know about it.
NEW - 2015 RT Limited SE6 Intense Red Pearl - 07/21/15
Retained the old mirrors with TricLed Signals
General Altimax RT43 rear tire (at...17,000 miles) Ran for 36,500 miles
Michelin Defender.......rear tire (at...53,500 miles) Ran for 60,700 miles
Riken Raptor HR.........rear tire (at 114,200 miles)
Vredestein Quatrac 5 front tires (at 70,500 miles, first new fronts!)
Gear Brake Decelerometer Module
OLD - 2012 RT Limited SE5 Pearl White - 01/31/13 - Traded in at 32,600 miles.
BajaRon Anti-sway Bar
Kumho ECSTA AST rear tire (at 14,200 miles)
TricLed Turn Signals in Mirrors
If you think having your bike all lit up and people will notice you , you better think again. Now I'm by no means saying it won't help but some people still won't see you .I was a fireman for 13 years and drove a huge bright red truck lit up with all kinds of lights and people didn't pay attention. I had people pull right out in front of me , idiots pass me and not pull over while coming up behind them . This on top of blaring variable pitched air horns and sirens .
Too many people believe that if you have a green light it's automatically safe to proceed. As mentioned in prior posts , people barrel through traffic lights on a regular basis . Our enforced rule as a fireman was that we look right , left then right again before proceeding at an intersection and this saved our butts more than once. You have to not trust anyone on the road ....no one .You have to ride like YOUR life depends on it because it does. Practice looking at every vehicle as someone out to get you and be ready to encounter stupidity.
If you think having your bike all lit up and people will notice you , you better think again. Now I'm by no means saying it won't help but some people still won't see you .I was a fireman for 13 years and drove a huge bright red truck lit up with all kinds of lights and people didn't pay attention. I had people pull right out in front of me , idiots pass me and not pull over while coming up behind them . This on top of blaring variable pitched air horns and sirens .
Too many people believe that if you have a green light it's automatically safe to proceed. As mentioned in prior posts , people barrel through traffic lights on a regular basis . Our enforced rule as a fireman was that we look right , left then right again before proceeding at an intersection and this saved our butts more than once. You have to not trust anyone on the road ....no one .You have to ride like YOUR life depends on it because it does. Practice looking at every vehicle as someone out to get you and be ready to encounter stupidity.
I hear ya bro. I ran the same gauntlet in a squad car and ambulance. Nothing is foolproof when you are among fools.
Happy Spyder Owner States visited on the Spyder.
And if we live life without a passion, then we're not living.
........Very visible Bob, however mine was spotted from the Space Station yesterday and Homeland Security paid me a visit .......you will get to see the un-veiling at Spyderfest ....Mike
You Ryders in North America are lucky, your low & main beam lights are all up high in the lenses up at 'normal light height' - here in Oz & NZ, our low beam lights are down where your Fog lights go, & I can tell you that here, having lights down that low means anyone more than about 20 yards away just can't see them, & IMO anything down that low isn't worth squat when it comes to helping make your Spyder more visible to other road users!!
Every time I ride with just the low beams on (& I do mean EVERY BLOODY SINGLE TIME I stick the snout of the Spyder onto the blacktop!!) I hafta avoid more than one other road user who apparently just can't see me despite the size of the Spyder, me, & the lights; it's a guaranteed event!! Buuut, flick my lights onto high so the shiny bit is beaming out of the higher lenses & that 'dodgem cars' game becomes a 'maybe once a week' dodge!!
So for my 2 bob, I'm not bothering with adding any lights down below the main beams, from what I've seen they don't really do much for increasing your visibility to other road users, at least not here Down Under; so I'm looking to fit 'permanently on' Daytime Running Lights up above the mirrors on my 2013 RT, altho I'd prefer fitting big mother LED's or even HID Driving Lights that can burn the idiots outta the way!!
You Ryders in North America are lucky, your low & main beam lights are all up high in the lenses up at 'normal light height' - here in Oz & NZ, our low beam lights are down where your Fog lights go, & I can tell you that here, having lights down that low means anyone more than about 20 yards away just can't see them, & IMO anything down that low isn't worth squat when it comes to helping make your Spyder more visible to other road users!!
Every time I ride with just the low beams on (& I do mean EVERY BLOODY SINGLE TIME I stick the snout of the Spyder onto the blacktop!!) I hafta avoid more than one other road user who apparently just can't see me despite the size of the Spyder, me, & the lights; it's a guaranteed event!! Buuut, flick my lights onto high so the shiny bit is beaming out of the higher lenses & that 'dodgem cars' game becomes a 'maybe once a week' dodge!!
So for my 2 bob, I'm not bothering with adding any lights down below the main beams, from what I've seen they don't really do much for increasing your visibility to other road users, at least not here Down Under; so I'm looking to fit 'permanently on' Daytime Running Lights up above the mirrors on my 2013 RT, altho I'd prefer fitting big mother LED's or even HID Driving Lights that can burn the idiots outta the way!!
Hiya Mate,
For my RS I got a '4-eyes' kit from Pogotronics in Australia (http://www.pogotronics.com/?product=four-eyes-kit) so when I was on high beam both my low and main lights are on. Mainly got this for night time riding as the high beam was too narrow but if I'm out the State Highways on a Sunday (when the idiots tend to be out) then I'll put it on high and with all four on everyone see's you:-)
Yeah Jos, I'll probably be going to go down the same track in due course, but when my hi-beam 'lenses' (well, actually the 'glass' in the front of the lens) started melting after being on Hi during an extended ride on a very hot day over here (I did the Toy Run last year, with lotsa slow travelling while my lights were on during a very hot day!!) I've been waiting for BRP to sort them & the cloudy discolouration on both Lo-beam lights too (already recognised as a problem here) before changing anything in the lights from stock. It's not yet been much more than 4 months since I notified them so far, so I don't know how much longer I'll hafta wait, but I am ringing the Dealer weekly & they say they're waiting on BRP, & I've actually received a message from BRP Australia to tell me they are working with the dealer....
If you look at the pic below, I took it on an angle so you should be able to see the fuzzy distortion in the 'glass' just to the left & in front of the projector lens - that's melted 'glass' (or lexan, or whatever you want to call it!!) and it's getting worse over time, it's now almost completely melted thru as well as slowly growing into a larger spot.... & the other headlight is just as bad - so soon it'll require a complete headlight replacement to fix rather than just replacing the 'glass' bits!!
And of course, everyone who looks at the Spyder sees the melted bits immediately, so what'm I expected to tell them? Yeah mate, it's a Great ride, but their warranty follow-up just drags on & on & on.... and they still haven't sorted it!
Last edited by Peter Aawen; 04-14-2016 at 07:23 AM.
Yeah Jos, I'll probably be going to go down the same track in due course, but when my hi-beam 'lenses' (well, actually the 'glass' in the front of the lens) started melting after being on Hi during an extended ride on a very hot day over here (I did the Toy Run last year, with lotsa slow travelling while my lights were on during a very hot day!!) I've been waiting for BRP to sort them & the cloudy discolouration on both Lo-beam lights too (already recognised as a problem here) before changing anything in the lights from stock. It's not yet been much more than 4 months since I notified them so far, so I don't know how much longer I'll hafta wait, but I am ringing the Dealer weekly & they say they're waiting on BRP, & I've actually received a message from BRP Australia to tell me they are working with the dealer....
If you look at the pic below, I took it on an angle so you should be able to see the fuzzy distortion in the 'glass' just to the left & in front of the projector lens - that's melted 'glass' (or lexan, or whatever you want to call it!!) and it's getting worse over time, it's now almost completely melted thru as well as slowly growing into a larger spot.... & the other headlight is just as bad - so soon it'll require a complete headlight replacement to fix rather than just replacing the 'glass' bits!!
And of course, everyone who looks at the Spyder sees the melted bits immediately, so what'm I expected to tell them? Yeah mate, it's a Great ride, but their warranty follow-up just drags on & on & on.... and they still haven't sorted it!
Hi Peter,
That's useless - I suspect your waiting longer because it's probably getting pushed up the chain and no one want's to take responsibility. The problem is that just swapping the lenses is not going to fix the problem as it will just happen again so they need to change the design or material in some way. It's strange actually because you'd expect that to be a bigger issue in the US as both their beams are where your high beams are - normally when it affects the US market then there's more action:-S
Of course with the RS's we don't have that 'glass' in front of the light so nothing to melt and also the heat can dissipate easier as well. Now you've told me I will start keeping an eye on the bodywork around the highbeam lamp though.
Last edited by PistonBlown; 04-16-2016 at 06:58 PM.
..... It's strange actually because you'd expect that to be a bigger issue in the US as both their beams are where your high beams are - normally when it affects the US market then there's more action:-S ......
The higher Wattage in Hi-beam does mean more heat output than low beam, & my lights are bog stock, so that could be a factor in this. But then most of North America does tend to have a somewhat milder climate (lower ambient temps) than we do here in Aus & particularly in South Aus - and I suspect that few people spend as many daylight (ie hot) hours riding with their lights on hi-beam as I do, or maybe they just don't get so many consecutive 38C/100F plus days when they bother riding.....
But I do like to be seen by other road users, & while additional lights down low might help another road user see you when you're a fair way off, lotsa research & testing by others on this has shown that once you are within about 30 metres of them, any extra lights you may have that are mounted much lower than where our hi-beam is just ain't worth schmick! Which is why I've been looking for Daytime Running Lights to mount at or above the Hi-beam light level.
The higher Wattage in Hi-beam does mean more heat output than low beam, & my lights are bog stock, so that could be a factor in this. But then most of North America does tend to have a somewhat milder climate (lower ambient temps) than we do here in Aus & particularly in South Aus - and I suspect that few people spend as many daylight (ie hot) hours riding with their lights on hi-beam as I do, or maybe they just don't get so many consecutive 38C/100F plus days when they bother riding.....
But I do like to be seen by other road users, & while additional lights down low might help another road user see you when you're a fair way off, lotsa research & testing by others on this has shown that once you are within about 30 metres of them, any extra lights you may have that are mounted much lower than where our hi-beam is just ain't worth schmick! Which is why I've been looking for Daytime Running Lights to mount at or above the Hi-beam light level.
Yep don't have to worry about those sorts of daily temperatures here either:-)
I've noticed that some bikes (mainly dual purpose ones) have started fitting daytime lights mounted up high and wondered what that was about but what you've said makes sense. But of course those sorts of bikes tend to have crash-bars they can mount them to, you don't have anything like that on the RT so it's hard to see where you could put something that would look in keeping. It's not like you can swap out the bulbs either because the other common options will actually run hotter than what you've got fitted.
Originally Posted by xwingnut
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Watch the front wheels, and keep your thumb on a horn button that's got a Stebel backing it up...
Happy Spyder Owner
Prayers for the rider... 
Geesh, two cars had already gone through in front of him on the green. It's a good thing he's not a speedster or he may not be here today. He is always watching people, especially for those on cell phones or looking at their cell phones. Even if you look catch eye with another driver, they may not see you.
You're learning how to observe what is going on around you, and improve your "Situational Awareness"! 
