High visibility decal/sticker placement

[jackliu239]

So I am thinking of placing some hi vis decal on my bike, I am wondering what is the best place on the motorcycle to place them to be most effective, but won't look too ugly at same time. I am taling about just

Any have any experience with this?

I know for sure I will place some rim stripes, with matching color to my fairing like this

http://www.ebay.com/itm/16-Pcs-Motor...c925b6&vxp=mtr

But I also plan to put just some straight up hi vis decal bars onto other part of the fairing, I want to know where do you guys think is the most effective, for daylight and night riding.

Stickers like this
http://www.ebay.com/itm/High-Visibil...item4166c94286

[DaBlue1]

Instead of Hi Viz stickers on the bike, just wear some Hi-Viz gear. (vests and jackets are becoming popular)

[alex.s]

my helmet has hiviz stickers on the back

[nightrider]

Put some on the undertail

[adouglas]

For good placement, pay attention to other riders out on the road. Which part of the bike grabs your attention first? Put the sticker there.

If you observe what I have, you'll note that the bike itself isn't that noticeable. When it's coming at you the headlight pretty much washes out any details. When it's going away from you the rider presents a much larger profile.

I'm a firm believer in hi-viz gear, but… again based on observation… I found that by far and away the most visible part of the whole bike/rider combination is the helmet. It's the highest point and it's large.

Hi viz jackets are good, but when the rider is coming at you, leaned over, the chest is in shadow. Plus, glare from the light washes out the torso (but not the head, which is much higher).

When the rider is going away, the back is the most visible thing, followed by the helmet.

Don't take my word for all this… go observe yourself and draw your own conclusions.

So what I've settled on is a neon yellow helmet and I don't give a rip about anything else. People WILL see the helmet. They probably won't notice the four square inches of reflective material you put on your bike. I'm familiar with those stickers. I've actually put a couple of the triangular ones on the shoulder plates of my jacket… not because they're going to make any real difference, I just had them lying around.

What prompted my views on bright helmets was a guy I regularly pass on my commute, going the other way on the parkway. He's got a cruiser of some sort, black gear and a yellow helmet. The helmet REALLY popped and I could spot him literally from half a mile away.

PS: I also have been in the habit of putting SOLAS tape on the back of my helmet, to provide more dimension to the bike at night. Just picked up some last weekend for my most recent lid, which reminds me… I need to go apply it.

SOLAS tape is, in my experience, by FAR the brightest, most reflective stuff out there. It's what goes on the helmets of search and rescue crews, firefighters, etc.

I had rectangular stickers just like the ones you're looking at on my old helmet, picked up free at the MSF course, about 1x4 inches each. Two over my eyebrows and one across the back. You tell me… what's more noticeable, the stickers or the helmet itself? Do you really think those tiny little stickers are going to make a difference?

[DaBlue1]

Originally Posted by adouglas

… I found that by far and away the most visible part of the whole bike/rider combination is the helmet. It's the highest point and it's large.

Hi viz jackets are good, but when the rider is coming at you, leaned over, the chest is in shadow. Plus, glare from the light washes out the torso (but not the head, which is much higher).

When the rider is going away, the back is the most visible thing, followed by the helmet.

Don't take my word for all this… go observe yourself and draw your own conclusions.

Totally agree. Here's another perfect example.


http://www.ninjette.org/forums/showp...60&postcount=9

[jackliu239]

Thank you, good point.

Just ordered yellow high vis helmet from Amazon.

[NevadaWolf]

I agree, on the bike itself there doesn't seem to be that many good places for stickers. Front or back they aren't going to be that noticeable compared to the bike's lights at night or general visual noise in the day. On the side they are most effective when seen straight on which means they will only be really visible to the car directly beside you (but too low to be attention grabbing) or to the car waiting at the intersection as you cross right in front of them (too late to be worth while for safety).

IMO you are the biggest and most noticeable thing on a bike. As shown above, from behind your back is a huge target with lots of potential for adding hi-viz anything. Color and reflective tape or panels go a long way. On your side your arms and legs make great places to add something.

If you still want to go for the stickers, add them to you. That'll probably be the most noticeable place for them.

[Panda]

I put them on underneath my bike so people can see them when I wheelie.

[Whiskey]

Originally Posted by jackliu239

Thank you, good point.

Just ordered yellow high vis helmet from Amazon.

So in order to improve your safety you bought the one item whose fit is more important than anything else, without trying it on, just because of the colour

[adouglas]

Originally Posted by Whiskey

So in order to improve your safety you bought the one item whose fit is more important than anything else, without trying it on, just because of the colour

That's what return policies are for. Far more often than not, it is impossible to locate the helmet of your choice locally, especially in a large and spread out country like the US.

[verboten1]

This is just the start, it's orange reflective tape, on my helmet. More is going on my bike.

[jackliu239]

Originally Posted by adouglas

That's what return policies are for. Far more often than not, it is impossible to locate the helmet of your choice locally, especially in a large and spread out country like the US.

Indeed, there is actually a pretty big motorcycle store near where I live, and I'm not kidding when I say this, out of at least 3 dozens of models of helmets they have on the shelf, not ONE is high visibility color.

And to think about it, I don't remember seeing a lot of riders have high visibility helmet on the roads.

[Panda]

http://www.amazon.com/Halo-Brand-Ref.../dp/B0000V3XHG

This works great.

[jackliu239]

I am thinking adding this
http://www.amazon.com/TMS-Waterproof...pr_product_top
or this
http://www.amazon.com/TMS-Motorcycle...xgy_auto_img_y

To the side fairings to increase visibility, I'm just wondering if this is possible to wire it, and is this California legal?

[adouglas]

SOLAS tape on my Schuberth.

The black Schuberth logos that come with the helmet are reflective. Notice that they're not nearly as bright as the SOLAS tape, and that they don't do as well off-axis.

This is shot with an iPhone, with its LED flash. This stuff is BRIGHT!!!!