Hi Visibility.

i wear one sometimes if im going into busy riding enviroment

ie - quite often in europe, round paris....
rush hour M3 etc

i find the cheap ones rip to shreds though at higher speeds, you end up wearing a ripped rag

i got a hi viz body warmer from work, thats actually quite comfortable, has pockets, and stops some of the chill, problem has got the company logo on it :-(

 

My problem is not with High Vis per se, but with compulsory High Vis.We shouldent be forced to wear it, why is the onus put on the motorcyclist to be seen as opposed to the motorist to see us. Finally all modern bikes have bright daytime headlights. If they cant see the headlights they certainly wont see the high vis especially on faired bikes where the riders torso can be almost hidden.

 

I wear Hi vis if riding at night, or on a dull day. If its bright sunshine, then I wont. Its all just a case of standing out against your environment. I agree with eyore thou, shouldnt be made compulsory. It would be a very short journey to make people wear white helmets

 

There was a smidsy accident just down the road a few years ago. They "didn't see" and pulled out on an articulated lorry. If you can't see that, I doubt you'll see a hi vis.

 

Yep, when people are distracted or just not looking, it's amazing what they miss. However, I'm sure a hi-vis would and has saves some people.

Not for me though :wink:

 

No doubt, but I agree with others on here that I wouldn't be happy if they were compulsory. Not for me either.

 

To be honest, I am quite astounded as to how poor the driving appears to have become recently. It really makes me think twice about actually owning a motorcycle. Nobody seems to bother indicating anymore and there appears to be a growing percentage out there who obviously do not hold a driving licence. Last saturday we were on the motorway in heavy ish traffic and two pin head cars came steaming up behind us. They could not get past so both flew up the hard shoulder at around 100mph undertaking everyone. I think its down to the lack of traffic police, they are few and far between.
Is it just me or have the driving standards seriously dipped in the past 12 months or so? I flashed a guy out from a side junction the other day, no thank you from him etc. Half a mile down the road he just slammed the brakes on and shot off left, no indicator or anything. I was mega angry, i would have pulled him out through the car air vents if I had got near him. Ignorant arrogant bar steward.

 

I will say, indicating seems to be going out of fashion. When people do bother, half the time they do it during the manouvre instead of signaling the intention beforehand. It isn't difficult, you know.

 

What puts me off is a lack of style. I think that style is important on a bike. What is the point of tarting up your mount with carbon bling, and then sitting on it like a paunchy old git in a hi-vis waistcoat? You have a responsibility to look as good as your bike does (sorry).

I can still see the bloke who showed up at my Ducati dealer's once to take delivery of his brand new 999R or whatever it was. He was wearing suit trousers and office shoes and his leather jacket. He looked like a knob. I don't care if he'd just come straight from the office. There are some things you just don't do.

Look at those fab photos of rockers in the 60s going down to Brighton. Now imagine them all in hi-vis waistcoats..... Right.

It even hugely annoys me that bobbies wander down Oxford St. on foot in hi-vis jackets. They have a pointy hat on for God's sake - do they really need to look like roadsweepers too? No wonder respect for the police is dying out.

I will stick to my flash leathers to be seen. But there is no way I am going hi-viz.
On a bicycle it's a bit different. With no armour at all, you just have to pray you are seen. You probably already look like a knob anyway on it so what's the difference really?

 

For most its all about appearence...what they look like to every one else, Bless.

so when you get to court and they ask what you did to make yourself more visible
you can say......nothing.

and their excuse ..." sorry I just didn't see him" will be an acceptable response

 

I'm sure there are those who don't care what they look like and just opt for their bike because it gives them the best overall riding experience irrespective of what anyone thinks.
I'm also sure that those people are a tiny minority of bike riders. I strongly suspect that choice of bike, mods and riding gear is a subtle mix of internal factors - how it feels to you and external factors - how it makes you look. This is true for almost any brand choice which is seen by others.

There is also a difference between hi-viz and trying to be invisible. Hi-vis vest today - all-over hi-vis suit tomorrow. Why stop at a waistcoat when you could make even more effort to be seen?

 

If I'm particularly concerned about being seen I stick my headlights on. Gotta be at least as good as a hi-viz vest.

 

I wear hi vis vest in the winter, after dark or if it's dark and gloomy. And as far as style goes Icon Mil-Spec vest looks reasonably nice :smile:

Bright red bike, red and white helmet and low beam lights switched on at all times, if this doesn't help during the day then I don't think a hi vis vest would make much of a difference. Oh, and 70mm Termis without baffles... surely if someone is blind AND deaf they shouldn't be driving a car? :wink:

 

I just think that hi-viz vests are the thin end of the wedge.

We all started to put our headlights on more than 3 decades ago.
Then they had to be on - came on with the ignition.
Then some people started on a hi-viz vest craze.
Next step - these will be made compulsory
Then it'll be a hi-viz helmet, because some report will "prove" that they save lives.
Then it'll be a hi-viz suit.
Etc. etc.

I am bored with the health and safety brigade, with hard hats, cycle helmets, hi-viz and everything else. I am bored with the idea of living life in cotton wool and never taking the slightest risk, and trying to insure yourself for every single eventuality. I thought the whole point of motorbiking was to cock a snook at that attitude, but the whole holier than thou, Mr Fucking Reasonable, let's never exceed a speed limit, goody-goody mindset seems to be encroaching on all sides.

 

Hi Viz or Headlights on - Not for me.
If it is 6' long x 6' high x 3' wide and bright red and they can't see it,
then a little bit of yellow cloth or a bit (we are talking Ducati here) of yellow light isn't going to make a "Blind" bit of difference.

Reflective clothing at night is really useful, but hi viz day or night - waste of time on a motorbike.

 

...then bikes will only be available in white or hi vis yellow :wink:

 

Argh! White or yellow - the two slowest colours!