First off, a bit of background� I was knocked of my Tenere at the start of October by some doofus in his �luxury sports sedan� who completely failed to indicate or look before pulling out of standing traffic 6ft in front of me� I didn�t have a chance, hit the brakes and swerved though had no option but to collide. Fortunately I was only going about 15mph at the time and didn�t go down too hard, no major injuries � Good job I wasn�t going any faster! The bike didn�t fare too badly either with the majority of the damage being superficial and/or cosmetic though the insurance company�s repairers have taken their time fixing it� Now it�s 10 weeks later and I�ve just got back my Tenere



In the mean time I�ve been considering a few things to help avoid this type of collision in future � this is two in two years since I�ve been riding in London and I don�t want to make it three from three if I can help it!



I figure I need to make the bike as visible and as loud as legally possible to make sure people pay attention in London traffic � seems like considerate driving has gone out of the window in the big smoke, with the majority of car drivers seemingly not looking past the front of their bonnet or too busy on their mobiles to care about motorcyclists so I think it�s time for some shock treatment... I�ve been looking at running lights and a new exhaust - I reckon the lights will give me more chance of being seen, and with loud pipes, even if they don�t spot me, they�ll hear me coming� I don�t have an abundance of spare cash at the mo, so looking for the maximum effect with minimum financial outlay!


First up, lights� has anyone used these? - http://www.bikevis.com/motorcycle-cr...aux-light.html


They are supposed to be just as good as the Vision X Solstice, but are less than half the price� Also, they are available in wide or spot beam � Any suggestions as to which would be better to make sure the b*ggers see me? Maybe one of each would be good, though I don�t know if they do a mixed set� Also considering setting one up to point into car mirrors, and the other to get the white van drivers�


I�m also gonna swap out the sidelights for these - http://www.bikevis.com/motorcycle-t1...sidelight.html - I had them in my old Varadero and they certainly catch your eye, bright little blighters though they don�t project light very far�


Now for the exhaust� I�m looking at the MTC Single Oval as it looks like a good economical option and many posts state that it�s fairly loud � as long as I don�t attract the boys in blue, the louder the better! Problem is I�ve seen several old posts on here talking about potential melting issues using the MTC�s with Yamaha Panniers� Is this still the case?


For now, my bike is all standard, though having read through most of the forum in the last few months, I know a few tweaks are in order! Kev Mod, O2 and filter upgrades are in the pipeline, though I can�t afford both these and the exhaust at the mo, so will it cause an issue fitting the single pipe for the decibel boost without making the mods straight away or would I be better off waiting till I can get the lot done at once? MTC say that they work well without any fuel mods, can anyone confirm? Performance isn�t the main focus at the moment but I don�t want to knack anything either!


Anyway, that�s probably enough rambling for now� Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.


Cheers


SolitaryDread

Sorry to hear of your troubles - very similar thing happened to me only it was a git of a Kerry old boy without a notion of anyone else using the road, and my Transalp was written off with bent frame. I had lights + aux lights, loudish Arrow can, HiViz vest bla bla bla.... If they don't want to see you doesn't matter what you do, though I do believe the extras do help against the drivers who might notice you on a good day, and for the small amount the extra lights etc cost tis worth it.

I have these lights:

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm//191433012079

They're very good for the price but I use them as spots to help the pitiful main beam rather than as running lights.

I'm with Chris on the visibility thing if they're not going to see you, they're not going to see you - it's up to us to be vigilant - unfortunately.

As to loud pipes, save lives I tend to think that "loud pipes, make people think you're a ****".

Oh, yes whilst I'm having an old man moan - why are a lot of bikes running on main beam? It doesn't make you more visible it just means no-one can accurately judge how fast you're going (and also making them think you're a ****...)

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Simon

Brighton, UK

I would look to adopt the 'triangle' of lights, but you don't want to be overly bright, or, as has been said you just become a bright light that is hard to range by a driver.

Think to yourself - Do I want the vehicle heading towards me to see me or be dazzled ?

As for the loud pipe, I don't subscribe to the 'loud pipes save lives', why? because car drivers are inside a nice little sealed box, with the radio on they are unlikely to hear you until you pass, so whats the point?
However, they do help somewhat with pedestrians I find.
The MTC's do give you some nice torque though

Being seen is as much about road presence, position and how you move as it is about lights and HiVis. I don't ride in heavy traffic, so I can't really give advice, but I'm sure there is a local IAM or RoSPA group who could give some tips on being noticed in traffic?
For example, on the approach to a junction, where a car is waiting I tend to transition from one side of the lane to the other (some might call it a weave) in order to avoid the bike becoming a stationary light, in the drives mind. Clearly this wouldn't work in heavy traffic, and might be very counter productive where other motorcycles are in close proximity.

__________________
>-------<

Never underestimate the power of stupid people in large groups.

Thanks for your quick responses, much appreciated. The rumours are right, this is a friendly forum!

I understand the concept that if they�re not looking, they won�t see you, but for my own peace of mind, I want to make sure I�ve done everything possible to let them know I�m there�

After my first crash, a double somersault with half twist over the bonnet of a german 4x4, I went from being the invisible biker on a black bike, black leathers, and black lid to a combination of fluorescent, day-glo colours wherever possible and covered myself and bike with as much reflective tape as I could get my hands on, though the b*ggers still don�t look! I�m hoping a flash and a grunt might garner at least a little more attention!

Sweller, those lights look good, and at �40 cheaper than the others, they may be the best choice for me � thanks for the link.

My biggest beef at the mo isn�t with oncoming traffic, it�s with those that I�m filtering past� I want give them a quick blast of light direct in the mirror as I�m approaching to pass, just to wake them up a bit as opposed to dazzling the oncoming lane. Due to nigh on constant heavy traffic in London I spend much of my time passing (slowly and carefully I might add) single lanes of predominantly standing traffic, or filtering between two lanes on a dual carriageway and it�s the random lane changers / sudden u-turns / spot a gap and go types that most concern me� It�s a fairly rare occurrence that I get screwed by someone in the oncoming lane, though at least a couple of times a week that someone switches lanes right in front of me! You�d think that given the high number of motorbikes, scooters, cyclists and pizza delivery drivers with death wishes on the roads down here, they�d at least give a cursory glance before making a move� And indicators, well, they�re just those weird flashy orange lights on the side of a vehicle, why would they want to use those?? Hmm, ranting again�

The triangle of lights effect is what I�m after, though I�m trying to decide whether to mount the spots under the headlight as most appear to do on the forum, under the mirrors to give a wider presence, or onto the bash guards?

Loud pipes save lives vs making people think you�re a four star censored wotsit� At least if they have got to the point of thinking that you�re a wotsit, they�ve acknowledged that you�re there! I think a loud pipe is something I�m gonna have to try at least for a while, just to get it out of my system if nothing else!

GULG � I�m looking forward to seeing the odd zombie pedestrian wake up sharpish! And the extra bit of torque wouldn�t go a miss � is that with just the exhaust or is kev mod etc required to really make a difference? Any idea about the melting panniers?

Thanks for the suggestion regarding IAM or RoSPA � I have been looking into both though can�t decide which would be the best to opt for � there doesn�t appear to be much in it in all fairness though IAM appears to gain an insurance discount which would come in real handy about now and as far as I can tell, RoPSA doesn�t. My old man was a Motorbike Cop and I get lots of pointers from him though we rarely ride together as he�s up in Yorkshire. I have also been through the IAM and Police Rider�s handbooks a few times and try to implement as much of that into my riding as possible, though a proper course with someone talking me through the why�s and wherefores inside my lid while it�s happening wouldn�t go a miss!

Thanks again guys

SolitaryDread

i got this steup:
http://www.twistedthrottle.com/denal...s-and-m8-mount
pricey but realy good.

Never really been an advocate of the "loud pipes save lives" philosophy, but I like you're reasoning!

As for additional lighting... Well, it can't do any harm (if non-dazzling). However, like others have mentioned, you can light yourself up like a Christmas tree and wear all the hi-vis you physically fit into, but if a fellow road user ain't seen you, then they ain't seen you.

Biggest problem I've seen crop up recently for bikers is that, since February 2011, all cars submitted for type approval within the EU must be fitted with DRLs. Before long every car on the road will be showing DRLs. This has unfortunately nullified the advantage motorcyclists once had of using dipped headlights during daylight and standing out from the crowd. Also, adding additional LED lights (Bike-Vis Bullets etc.) is not going to have the effect it once had; they'll just blend into the sea of bluey-white DRL lights littering our roads.

__________________

MTC's are a bit hit and miss in regards loudness, mine is very reasonable, my mate has the same pipe and it's much louder - no idea why, we've swapped db killers and it makes not difference.
You don't need any fuel mods (PC-v or KevMod) if it's just the pipe.

You will get more pronounced popping, this can be a blessing and a curse. On the plus side, you can control the popping on the roll off, to the point you can create the pop as you wish. While you could be considered a *$%**"!� it's a little less confrontational than using your horn in some cases. Just because the highway code tells us to use out horns, doesn't mean the other 80% of road users have read it!

Popping can be reduced to almost zero by blocking the AIS, a simple enough job that takes a few minutes. It doesn't stop it fully, but more than enough if it causes you a problem.

Pleiades is quite right, the proliferation of DLR's makes us blend right back in with the other vehicles. Even worse is the widespread use of BiZenon lights which can actually mask our presence. This gives weight to the idea of using your road position to create a laterally moving light to differentiate yourself from other road clutter.

Having come a cropper twice, I don't think you'l do it again. Just be more aware of your experience and trust your instincts. A couple of tips that you've probably already seen or heard:

• At every hazard, ask yourself "what if" (he pulls out, stops, moves left/right etc), make a mental plan what you are going to do, cover your brake and be prepared to use it
• Look for the opening gap, as above plan. If a car pulls out in front, say fron a side street on the left, your natural reaction is to steer right to avoid. Consider going left - the car is leaving that space behind and will in all probability create a bigger space as it moves.
• If you think they've not seen you, slow down, 10 mph difference in speed can be 20 meters in stopping distance.
• Slow, steady and smooth - you'll be surprised how little time you loose over fast and furious

Good luck and stay safe.

__________________
>-------<

Never underestimate the power of stupid people in large groups.

When all the cars have their lights on in the day, just turn yours off. Then you'll stand out from the crowd. Couldn't resist, sorry.

Y2k � They look great, but way out of my price range at the mo� Thanks anyway


Pleiades � V good point about the DRLs fitted to everything nowadays � I hadn�t considered that at all� Maybe one solution could be to revert to some old school yellow lighting � then you�d stand out much more in the sea of white/blue without having to resort to Schnidely's solution and turn off the lights entirely!


GULG � I don�t think I�ll be blocking the AIS, the snap, crackle and pop is part of the character of the bike that I just can�t do without! It never fails to amuse me! Thanks also for the tips, some of them I already do � I spend my life covering the brakes and 90% of the time aim for slow, steady and smooth though I must admit that every now and then it�s nice to open her up a bit! Strange though how both my incidents occurred when riding what I thought to be safely � sometimes the unexpected just comes out and bites you on the ass! You live and learn I suppose! I do quite a lot of �what if�ing and tend to talk myself through everything that�s happening inside my lid� (It�d be interesting to record myself one of these days� maybe I�d learn a lot!) I must admit, going left is something I hardly ever consider, though may cause issue down here in London cos there�s invariably some pizza delivery guy sneaking his way up the inside! I think I�m gonna treat myself to some IAMs training after xmas is out of the way�


Thanks again everyone!


SolitaryDread