(RIP) Mark H
Formerly known as Easyrider5258 (Mark)
+1, Yes really
, I hate the things, total bling, you look like a glittering Christmas tree 
unfortuatly more and more vehicles come adorned with the things and you cant get away from them 
LED lights in the daytime.
- Thread starter Sooty09
- Start date
, I hate the things, total bling, you look like a glittering Christmas tree unfortuatly more and more vehicles come adorned with the things and you cant get away from them 
Mmmmmmm sounds like a bit of green eye 
(RIP) Mark H
Formerly known as Easyrider5258 (Mark)
A common response when there's little else to say, but not in the least I can assure you, I would hate to be seen riding around on oneMmmmmmm sounds like a bit of green eye
There lies the problem ...assuming you are safer because you are all blinged up.
There might be some evidence to support that you are more likely to register ....maybe....but I suspect only if you are one of very few highly visible objects on the road at that moment in time. There is so much of this stuff on the road now, that I think it is just fading into noise which drivers are becoming oblivious to.
Thinking about the current fashion for all things bright, I wonder how we survived back in the day of all black leathers on dark bikes with no day lights
Thinking about the current fashion for all things bright, I wonder how we survived back in the day of all black leathers on dark bikes with no day lights
Making that inference requires statistical evidence that there were fewer RTA's (prorate) involving bikes based upon their visibility, than there are today. Does that evidence exist?
If you like riding around with a glow worm in your headlight that's up to you, I know which I like
Ages ago I remember reading somewhere about light 'shapes'
Some professor said that lights that make a 'face' are easier for the human mind to notice, subconsciously.
Dunno if it's true. Bit I kinda get his thinking. That's why I plan on putting some plain led lights on the crash bars in the future.
Some professor said that lights that make a 'face' are easier for the human mind to notice, subconsciously.
Dunno if it's true. Bit I kinda get his thinking. That's why I plan on putting some plain led lights on the crash bars in the future.
Once every vehicle on the road is covered in Hi-VIZ, LEDs, HIDs etc - and we are not far from that position now - then no one will stand out and any advantage, if it ever existed, will be completely negated; the only happy people will be those who sold us this stuff 
I don't think I'll bother.
I don't think I'll bother.andylel
Registered user
Err! The tit for tat approach certainly adds weight the the argument that the whole world is going crazy as well as light crazy.
+1 for leds. I drive for a living and can categorically say that they do make a big difference to the visibility of vehicles, especially bikes.
The two mounted low down on the crash bars greatly improve the appearance of a bike, probably because it is a different pattern/effect to the 2 lights at the same level seen on a car.
There was a few bikes out yesterday, nice day for it, and on 2 occasions the only thing I could see of the bikes was the leds - the rest was just lost in the glare from the sun and silhouettes of other traffic.
A already stated they do need to be adjusted correctly to avoid the oncoming drivers being dazzled and "couldn't see you mate"..
The two mounted low down on the crash bars greatly improve the appearance of a bike, probably because it is a different pattern/effect to the 2 lights at the same level seen on a car.
There was a few bikes out yesterday, nice day for it, and on 2 occasions the only thing I could see of the bikes was the leds - the rest was just lost in the glare from the sun and silhouettes of other traffic.
A already stated they do need to be adjusted correctly to avoid the oncoming drivers being dazzled and "couldn't see you mate"..
gramshep
Registered user
More useful is the ABS allowing you to haul on huge handfuls of brake when the poor old buggers wander out in front of you as you have "disappeared" into the huge "no mans land" created by the A posts of most modern cars. Had a guy in a new Focus do that to me last week, SMIDSY argument so as we were being very civil and friendly despite the large quantity of pooh in my pants, I asked did he really not see me or was it a reaction and said oh no, smelly, its these windscreen pillars, I can't see anything when i pull out of junctions!!! So forget yer lights, hi vis, huge GS, we just disappear at times due to the car design. If it had been on my old Speed Triple i reckon i would have either been on the deck or clipped his arse, so thank you ABS and bit of sixth sense LED that he was going to do it.
Certainly true to some extent however just being noticed or "seen at all" is what's important. The fact your brightly lit motorcycle is similar at glance to a brightly lit car running daytime running lights is not necessarily a bad thing.
My wife has the new shape VW Golf, and the windscreen and side pillars are HUGE. Dangerously so.
DX407
Registered user
Had a look at these lights as I have been thinking on a set for my GS, ok these are low quality pictures but the quality of the finish on the lights does not inspire confidence.
Sooty09
Registered user
With you on the door pillar thing Nutty. I would add lots of other visual obstructions in the discussion.
I would like to see a total ban on -
Anything dangling from the mirror which restricts vision, ie Old CDs, Cuddly toys, football boots and pendants.
Placing Sat Navs anywhere on the windscreen if they restrict vision.
Any Audio device which has a moving bright display.
Hands free car phone setups, they require you to take your eyes of the road to operate (My Ford one dose)
Scrolling down MP3 player lists on the Audio, adjusting Sat nav settings, watching the car info screen etc etc etc.
My 1 year old Ford car has all sorts of distractions, its not the worst I think that award must go to the Toyota Prius or the Peugot with its massive colour touch screen info centre.
I often travel with work and many drivers are never off the phone, Leeds to London with only a few golden moments when they are not dialling via the dash key pad or scrolling through the Parrot hands free. The only attention to the road around them is looking for speed camera when the Angle alert sounds. Many times I have been glad of the rumble strip or the thumping of cats eyes.
I would like to see a total ban on -
Anything dangling from the mirror which restricts vision, ie Old CDs, Cuddly toys, football boots and pendants.
Placing Sat Navs anywhere on the windscreen if they restrict vision.
Any Audio device which has a moving bright display.
Hands free car phone setups, they require you to take your eyes of the road to operate (My Ford one dose)
Scrolling down MP3 player lists on the Audio, adjusting Sat nav settings, watching the car info screen etc etc etc.
My 1 year old Ford car has all sorts of distractions, its not the worst I think that award must go to the Toyota Prius or the Peugot with its massive colour touch screen info centre.
I often travel with work and many drivers are never off the phone, Leeds to London with only a few golden moments when they are not dialling via the dash key pad or scrolling through the Parrot hands free. The only attention to the road around them is looking for speed camera when the Angle alert sounds. Many times I have been glad of the rumble strip or the thumping of cats eyes.
My wife has the new shape VW Golf, and the windscreen and side pillars are HUGE. Dangerously so.
Order her to sell it at once.
Not fit for purpose, a danger to bikers.
Beat her until she complies.
This of course does not apply to GPS devices fitted to uber-motorcycles like the 1200 GS WC, which of course you never fiddle with as you hang on to the handlebars in white knuckled terror midst the chaos of Britain's roads...
http://www.ukgser.com/forums/showthread.php?364768-GPS-fitted&p=3736429&viewfull=1#post3736429
Feck me, just how many threads and posts are there on UKGSer from biker mates, all about their GPS, their song lists, their Bluetooth or Autocom devices, their phone links, their MP 3 players, their adjustable screens, their assorted things to fiddle with as they ride along....
Dunno ....I just know my friends and I managed to survive racing around like blacked out ninjas in the days before 'elf and safety.
I'm sure that breaking up the background with a bit of colour may make you a bit more obvious to car drivers that are paying 100% attention to what they are supposed to be doing.
However I did read somewhere that it is the change in movement that the brain registers and not the bright colour so much. So if you have the colour somewhere that moves a lot like arms\head, you're more likely to be spotted by the brain.
So all those IAM\Rospa\BMW GS riders
with there yellow bibs are probably not as obvious as they think they are (especially with the growing noise)
Gargy
Registered user
So what we all really need is a set of blue flashing lights then ?
Lets face it, we all notice them !
Lets face it, we all notice them !
From 30 years experience - you arewrong most of the public do not see blue lights , nor do they hear wailers or a see the 2 ton battenberged vehicle that they are attached which is stuck behind them on
an emergency run as they a bimbling along at 50 mph in the outside lane, same as they don't see you when they pull out in front of you from a junctions - just ask any emergency services response driver
an emergency run as they a bimbling along at 50 mph in the outside lane, same as they don't see you when they pull out in front of you from a junctions - just ask any emergency services response driver
