Hi Viz Jacket ex Plod

Could anyone who's got one of these let me know how well the sizing relates to real life, I want to get one to go over my regular jacket for night time riding.

I'm guessing going one size up, I'm 38" chest and generally take a medium jacket, I'm currently wearing a HG PSX-T1 jacket which is reasonably thin and snug and trying to decide whether to go up to a large or X-large in the hi-viz.

Cheers,

J.

I am about a 4 chest and 5'7". I got the bomber jacket goretex version in a Large - Long and it goes over my revit off track jacket perfect.
 
Bought one of ex-police patrol jackets and used it over the last few weeks- excellent for being seen but...

I have been stopped twice by police asking where I had got the jacket.For clarification they stated that the blue and white chequered strip should be removed as I will get hassle.They did not clarify "hassle"! I have removed the strip and thejacket is just as effective but without the "hassle"!

Just had a chat with One Stop Cop Shop where i got mine from. Basically there's nothing illegal about the chequers, security services using them long before police. One of their customers did have one confiscated by the police darn sarth( who thought it was stolen!!) who then got sued for it. The jackets are sold by the police back into the general market. So unless you've got police slapped on it dont worry, have a chat with them and explain where you got it from, apparently most coppers dont even know their kit gets sold back to joe public. By all means confiscate mine please, i could do with some cash. Keep your receipt lol. Then again i suppose they chould stop every pedal cyclist in black cycling shorts as they might be stolen police issue....:ymca
policeman.jpg

Or howabout a stolen police horse?
london-police-horse.jpg


Surely they have better things to do... then again... Bikers... Police.... let's not go there..
 
I am a 36 and the medium [which is 36 to 40] easily fits over my outer jacket. However I allow the arms of the hiviz to ride up so that my normal jacket protrudes beneath to allow a smug fit with the gloves.

If you are buying its worth making an offer asI got the medium patrolaman's jacket for £24 which is not bad given it is gore-tex lined and very comfortable.

Thanks I'm about a 36, my chest measurement wearing the jacket is about 42, so it sounds like a medium is what I need. With making an offer how did you do that, it looks like there's just a buy it now button on there, for seller csp-cat. Did you call them and make an offer?

Cheers,

J.
 
Today I ventured out wearing for the first time my ex Police Goretex Hi Viz jacket courtesy of E bay.

All badges removed of course. Still has the reflective front and back chequered pattern tho'

Its windproof and waterproof and only cost around £51 and its nearly new.

What a difference in traffic attitude !!!!

Mobile phones quickly dissapeared, everything around me stuck to the speed limits and nobody pulled out on me. :D

The guilt written on peoples faces approaching me was a sight to see.

Whilst parked in a layby having a ciggie the traffic behaved as per the highway code but only fellow bikers waved to me.;)

All was well with the world as I hurried home to watch Bike Cop on tv. :beerjug:

I wear my Blue Knights Hi-Vis all the time and suprising what a bit of silver writing on a blue background does to car drivers especially when filtering and have the HID lights on too :beerjug:
 
With making an offer how did you do that, it looks like there's just a buy it now button on there, for seller csp-cat. Did you call them and make an offer?

Hi

On the ebay site there was a 'make an offer' button. I will find the site I purchased it from but I am sure it was the onecopshop site.

I have removed the blue / white chequered strip - wish I had kept it on now reading other posts! Still a dam fine buy for the money.

Johnboy

The link is

Sorry not sure how to insert a link!
 
ive just bought a rukka marco jacket with the day glow torso and arms

only been riding with it for a few days and it does make a difference to me with drivers apparently noticing me alot earlier and traffic parting like the red sea when in town

its not going to change the way i ride and im not going to rell on it but it has made a difference and thats what matters

but at 400 notes its not cheap, but a top peice of kit
:thumb2
 
You`ll only be seen by those who look.

Hence it matters not one fecking jot what you wear.Back to this fecking Hi Viz bollox,if you`re not careful,you`ll end up thinking you`re invincible or visible to all.....and still come a cropper courtesy of the feckwit switching lanes or leaving a junction withing looking.

Is spot on.

I don't wear hi-vis in the day but I leave my lights on. At night I stick a hi-vis vest on. It's worked for me.

I'm sure you think it's worked for you. PS - HiVis doesn't work at night.:rolleyes:


Mind you I don't mind wearing HI VIZ at work for one reason and one only, if some k****er does run me over when I'm at an incident at least the insurance will pay out to me if I survive or my wife if I do not. NO HI VIZ NO CLAIM.
Similarly on a bike if you are using your lights and wearing HI VIZ and the worst does happen it means that if it does go to court some judge cann't turn around and half you or your families compensation on a technicality.
Best advice is ride as if everyone else on the road is partially sighted and out to get you !

In my mind, this is possibly the only valid reason to wear/use it.

But it still changes your attitude when you wear it.

The GS` three lights help as they are "not the norm" too. Yesterday tho I took the KTM to work in a yellow jacket and the pipe sounds like the report of a hundred 88mm cannons- Mrs Myopic still managed not to see me.

She 'still' managed not to see me - even though I was wearing all that stuff.

See how wearing it affects the subconscious?

I wear orange hi viz all the time.
It doesn't make me drive faster or more dangerously.
And I don't think it makes me invincible.
And I do still expect people to pull out on me.
And there are times when however defensively you drive, you just HAVE to bite the bullet and go tight past a car who might kill you if he pulls out.


Incidentally, the other day I forgot the hi viz, and I definitely notice the ride seemed scarier before I realised I'd forgotten it. Try it and see !

Bold bits mine. One sentence he says that hivis doesn't affect the way feels about his visibilty, the next thing he's saying he's scared to ride without it, ie, he feels safer with it!!:rolleyes:

Again, it gets us on a subconscious level.

After all, and here's the killer question, if we really really think it will make no difference to our conspicuity and won't affect the way we ride, then why do we put it on?
 
Hi

On the ebay site there was a 'make an offer' button. I will find the site I purchased it from but I am sure it was the onecopshop site.

I have removed the blue / white chequered strip - wish I had kept it on now reading other posts! Still a dam fine buy for the money.

Johnboy

The link is

Sorry not sure how to insert a link!


Ah, I'm after the shorter bomber jacket and that doesn't have the 'make an offer' option. Had toyed with the longer jacket but think the shorter would be more comfortable with my short jacket underneath. May have to ponder that option, notice most of the bike cops have the longer jacket and they must know something about what works when riding.

J.
 
Fact. If you tour in Europe you are required to carry a hi viz waistcoat/jacket.

Fact. Just about anyone whose occupation puts them in harms way, are required by their employer to wear hi viz, from fork truck drivers, to roadside litter pickers, to air side airport workers and of course the emergency services.

By any definition riding a motorbike, puts you in harms way.

My cantankerous Mother is the best possible reason I can think of for wearing hi viz, she has poor hearing, and as been given hearing aids, but will only wear one! she has poor eyesight but will not admit it!, she lives on her own, in a semi rural location, and depends on her car for shopping and her general sense of Independence. At this time of year (dark evenings) I often follow cars on unlit out of town roads at a really frustrating 30-40 MPH in my works van, you arrive in a town and they then drive at 45MPH in a 30MPH controlled area, and I am sure this is because of poor vision and I wager my mother is just the same.

There are many drivers with poor eyesight who just should not be driving, BUT ARE !!! If wearing my Hein Gericke hi viz jacket improves my chances of being seen on my bike by one percent, then thats good enough for me.
 
You`ll only be seen by those who look.

Hence it matters not one fecking jot what you wear.

Wow, what an utter failure of logic. Everyone who looks will see you whatever you are wearing, whether you blend into the background or not, and damn all that stupid scientific research that shows the complete opposite of that, eh?

For those who put the facts ahead of a strongly voiced opinion, here's a piece with some real data,

http://www.bmj.com/cgi/content/full/328/7444/857

To quote the final chapter from the abstract;

"Conclusions: Low conspicuity may increase the risk of motorcycle crash related injury. Increasing the use of reflective or fluorescent clothing, white or light coloured helmets, and daytime headlights are simple, cheap interventions that could considerably reduce motorcycle crash related injury and death."
 
There are many drivers with poor eyesight who just should not be driving, BUT ARE !!! If wearing my Hein Gericke hi viz jacket improves my chances of being seen on my bike by one percent, then thats good enough for me.

According to the research above, it will likely drop your probability of having an accident which causes injuries by over 30%, which is a far from insignificant amount.

Common sense is enough to show you this, though. There's a subset of drivers who give a brief glance that does not notice someone in drab colours, but who would notice the high-contrast of bright yellow against the background.

Until we start driving past high-viz buildings with high-viz pedestrians, a high-viz jacket is one useful part of what we all do every day to keep ourselves safe out there.
 
Wow, what an utter failure of logic. Everyone who looks will see you whatever you are wearing, whether you blend into the background or not, and damn all that stupid scientific research that shows the complete opposite of that, eh?

For those who put the facts ahead of a strongly voiced opinion, here's a piece with some real data,

http://www.bmj.com/cgi/content/full/328/7444/857

To quote the final chapter from the abstract;

"Conclusions: Low conspicuity may increase the risk of motorcycle crash related injury. Increasing the use of reflective or fluorescent clothing, white or light coloured helmets, and daytime headlights are simple, cheap interventions that could considerably reduce motorcycle crash related injury and death."

Interesting that they choose to use "may" rather than "will". If the figures showed an increase in risk (and this is quantifiable) - they wouldn't use "may". It's a carefully worded statement - so should be read carefully :rob

A bit like "Flora Proactive, may reduce your cholestorol"

Talking to another member of this forum the other week, he postulated on the possibility that dark clothing, worn during daylight - actually made the rider more visible.

The idea being - that the lack of pattern makes the contrast against the background - more pronounced. The best camoflage is "disruptive pattern" (like lots of colours, flash helmet etc).

USS Leviathan (probably just before it was torpedoed :blast)
i03198a.jpg


Al :thumb2
 
wot Tarka said. :thumb2
address the cause NOT the symptoms! :clap

Is that not akin to saying - don't wear a helmet............... you won't need it if you are so feckin' brilliant that you never fall off?:rolleyes:

Or don't bother with condoms - they should tackle aids...........:eek

Al :rolleyes:
 
Fact. If you tour in Europe you are required to carry a hi viz waistcoat/jacket................

True in a car but not required on a bike.
And it's required for the driver only so ignore any high pressure sales person at the port telling you passengers need them as well, and it must be within reach for the the driver so not in the boot.
 
You`re still missing the major underlying causes of 'accidents'/incidents being motorists mostly not being prepared to stop or give way in the first instance.
Witness how most of them approach junctions and roundabouts at full speed and will only ever slow or give way in the most begrudging manner.
Even then they appear to adopt a 'risk calculation' based on how much damage or pain the other vehicle will inflict on them if things go wrong.

This is borne out by fewer cars pulling out on me or buggering about getting too close behind me when I`m on my Goldwing,Guzzi or either of the Ural combos compared to my Enfield or PitBike.
The feckers are all over me on the PitBike because it appears to be totally innocuous and non threatening...it`s 'just a little bike'.

Observe from the above that the vast majority of the twats DO actually SEE you on a bike but they simply don`t give a feck.

Then factor in the mobile phone user,the full on animated conversationalist who is looking everywhere but outside the car,the lunatic trying to do the ten minutes to work in five minutes,the harrassed mum dashing to school while worrying about what to have for tea,the rejected and angry rep,etc etc.
Then add the unqualified drivers,the criminals at large,those who passed their test 40 or 50 years ago and haven`t been re-tested or assessed once since that time,and any other kind of feckless idiot allowed out in a motor vehicle.
Sprinkle that with the common attitude of them feeling that they 'own' the space they`re in and hence 'won`t let that twat out' or need to 'keep that bastard behind'.

Combine all that and you`ll find that the only real reason that your dayglo/hiviz makes any difference is because they aren`t sure if you`re plod and they run a high risk of being done for their actions.

But that`s only if they look in the first place. :augie



Ultimately,if you feel safer in the stuff then wear it.

Beware though,that you run a very great danger of fecking things up for everyone else if you adopt or spout the attitude of 'you should wear it for compensation`s sake' . :rob
 
Ultimately,if you feel safer in the stuff then wear it.

i dont think one can feel 'safe' on a motorbike and if hi vis makes you 'feel' this way it is a false security for all the above reasons you have outlined...which i totally agree with...

i think the attitude of everyone on the road is out to get you is right then adding the hi vis can help but don't rely on it..

my 2p
 


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