Messed up

[Stig / Major Tom]

Was sitting at a light last week and looked down at my black shorty Ermax windscreen.
Always thought of it as a short, abbreviated screen, well below my line of sight --- a massive improvement over the turbulent stock Burgman screen.
Wondered if I'd messed up...
I am huge on wearing hi vis, no matter how goofy it may look.
I had my wife stand in front and snap a picture of me sitting the scoot in my hi vis jacket.
Developed the picture on the Dell, and sure enough -- that "shorty" black screen is blocking a very big area of my hi vis profile from oncoming cars. A very big area....because you sit well 'down' in this type of scooter....rather than perched up on a seat as with the LIKE200i.
The clear Ermax is back in stock, finally, and mine should be delivered tomorrow.
Live and learning, still.
Stig

[ScooterWolf]

I'm the same way, but only from behind. I have an armored riding jacket with a vertical reflective stripe running down the front and back. The problem is the back stripe gets blocked if I'm commuting to work and wearing my computer bag. Fortunately, my helmet has a LED blinking light on the back, and swatches of reflective tape as well.

Adding reflective tape to your bike can also go along way in making you Hi Viz.

- Wolf

[GLV55]

I'm the same way, but only from behind. I have an armored riding jacket with a vertical reflective stripe running down the front and back. The problem is the back stripe gets blocked if I'm commuting to work and wearing my computer bag. Fortunately, my helmet has a LED blinking light on the back, and swatches of reflective tape as well.

Adding reflective tape to your bike can also go a. Long way in making you Hi Viz.

- Wolf

I have the same problem, Wolf. I have to carry my teacher stuff in a backpack , which blocks all the reflective striping on my hi-vis armored jacket, so I also solved it with a blinking light on my helmet. My windscreen is clear, so at least I still have visibility from the front. Never can be too safe.

[klaviator]

I do a lot of group rides.  One thing I have noticed while observing the groups is that the riders wearing Hi Vis helmets really stand out.  Hi vis jackets not nearly as much.  The fact is that much of a rider's jacket is often hidden by the bike.  Here's a few pics that show how a high vis helmet really stands out and how little of rider's jackets you can often see.

 

Of course, a lot depends on the bike.  Some bikes don't cover up as much of the jacket and when off the bike the jackets stands out more.



I have some high vis jackets and some not so hi vis jackets but I'll never buy another dark helmet.  My wife and I are the ones in this next pic with yellow helmets.  Other than the one guy with a silver helmet, you can barely see anyone else.



Of course the best thing to do if you want to be visible is wear as much Hi Vis as possible.  I often do that.  One thing I have noticed however is that women's jackets are seldom offered in Hi Vis colors.....unless you consider pink to be Hi vis.
I'm not sure why that is.  Anyway, one last pic of my wife and I riding through Deal's Gap.  My wife has a black jacket but between the tail trunk behind her and me in front of her you wouldn't see that much of it anyway.

[Stig / Major Tom]

Worked over the w/e to add a bit of visibility to my stealth flat gray & black Burgman. (white went away in 2012 I think)
Kids love these rattle-can flat primer colors I guess.....judging by all the old S-10's and 15 yr old Civics sporting that color. (my 15 yr old daugther said I should have opted for the only other color avail to me - flat black. "So cool!" Geez.)
But I'd wager there are darn few youngsters buying Burgmans!

Anyway....
Added a flective "S" in the footwells and on the rear; black looking 3M reflective areas on the rear rubber fender area.
The 1/8" 3M red reflective pin stripe is doing what I want it to do.
I certainly agree about the black helmets. My son bought his black helmet - I bought him a better one and it is hi viz. He wears it and the hi viz Icons I bought him. Got him some reflective rim tapes as well, and talked him into a white front fender to replace the matte black one Honda put on his white CB500x.






I never ride in heavy traffic in the dark. Most of my dark sunrise rides I hardly see another car.
Love tyour pix!!
My daughter and I did see a "his & hers" pair of red Grand Vistas on the road the other warm/sunny day. Easy to spot that unfortunate looking scooter - but very sharp red color!
Stig

[08087]

As much hi vis as you can wear is always best. Just the other day I'm at a stop sign making a right hand turn onto a main road, I look right cause that's the direction most of the traffic comes from that time of day, look left, then a quick look right again, I begin to pull out and as I'm going to turn my head left one last time I catch this cycle rider out of the corner of my right eye.

We didn't hit and it wasn't all that close (But I did cut him off), but if a person who rides can't spot a cycle imagine an old lady with limited range of vision.

I should add that I roled down my window at the next light and waved to him, he was a good guy and just waved back. I'm glad my car can accelerate as well as it did, or it might have been much closer.

[AMAC1680]

Was sitting at a light last week and looked down at my black shorty Ermax windscreen.
Always thought of it as a short, abbreviated screen, well below my line of sight --- a massive improvement over the turbulent stock Burgman screen.
Wondered if I'd messed up...
I am huge on wearing hi vis, no matter how goofy it may look.
I had my wife stand in front and snap a picture of me sitting the scoot in my hi vis jacket.
Developed the picture on the Dell, and sure enough -- that "shorty" black screen is blocking a very big area of my hi vis profile from oncoming cars. A very big area....because you sit well 'down' in this type of scooter....rather than perched up on a seat as with the LIKE200i.
The clear Ermax is back in stock, finally, and mine should be delivered tomorrow.
Live and learning, still.
Stig

and I'll bet if you have a top box it negates the HiVis from behind.
Another reason I have a love hate with the top box.

AMAC

[klaviator]

As much hi vis as you can wear is always best. Just the other day I'm at a stop sign making a right hand turn onto a main road, I look right cause that's the direction most of the traffic comes from that time of day, look left, then a quick look right again, I begin to pull out and as I'm going to turn my head left one last time I catch this cycle rider out of the corner of my right eye.

We didn't hit and it wasn't all that close (But I did cut him off), but if a person who rides can't spot a cycle imagine an old lady with limited range of vision.

I should add that I roled down my window at the next light and waved to him, he was a good guy and just waved back. I'm glad my car can accelerate as well as it did, or it might have been much closer.

Was this rider wearing Hi Vis or dark colors?

[mverps]

After looking at the pictures of the Hi-Vis helmets my next purchase will be a nice Hi-Viz helmet.

[Stig / Major Tom]

After looking at the pictures of the Hi-Vis helmets my next purchase will be a nice Hi-Viz helmet.

I think that is maybe the BEST piece of kit a rider can purchase.
If you are blessed with a normal size head....there are lots to choose from at modest prices.
My XXXX head limits my choices.
Stig

[2wheelfun]

^^^Bighead!^^^

[Mr. Paul]

Great posts everyone, particularly for a newbie. I bought my helmet to match my scooter, burgundy. I now wear a high viz jacket and have placed reflective checkerboards all over my scooter and some on my helmet. Next helmet I buy will be hi-viz. My theory is that if everyone is pointing at me and commenting at how goofy I look, then they are seeing me!