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I just started riding 6 months ago, fresh out of MSF. I love my bike, bought it used (has a few rashes) runs great (a little intimidated by the 900). So I'm going to have it painted over the next few month to hide all of the past riders mistakes. I want to have it painted a dark color, probably black, but I'm afraid this will make me less visible to cagers at night. Two of my friends died in accidents at night, I was told that the drivers did not realize they were there? Both of them had black bikes. Should I paint my my bike bright orange or yellow? Duplicolor has a paint that glows in the dark, should I paint my bike with this paint? I don't have an after market exhaust so my bike is a little quieter than others, will a louder exhaust help make me more visible? I'm just a little apprehensive about riding in the dark, to date I have yet to ride after 4 pm.

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1999 CBR900rr

yes, def a problem w/ a dark colored bike.  however at night, color doesnt matter nearly as much as having all your signals and running lights working.  a lot of aftermarket front signals disable the running-light feature and this cuts down on side-visibility a ton.  bright colors are good only when your under a street light or when in the cages headlights... and by then its too late.  u could always get some reflective decals... wheel stripes, maybe a honda wing, etc etc.

horrible experience for me, but once i had a headlight blow out on the way home from my grandparents home.  75min ride over a dark mountain pass in the rain.  no running lights, no headlight, black bike, black gear... u get the picture.  i survived but def wish i had more lighting up front and on the side. 

louder exhaust wont do u much.  the saying goes that "loud pipes save lives," but really the cars still only hear u after uve past... esp if their windows are rolled up n they have the radio on...

out of all of this, your best option is still just to never ever ever trust that a car is going to c u.... even in the daytime.  heavy traffic at night is hellish and i usually make a point to ride extra cautious or just stay away from it all. 

oh, and please introduce yourself in the new members section.

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Naked 93' F2...... RIP -- 04/12/07
04' 600RR Black - currently stuck between track and street usage
- Brembo Master, Sato's, & Ohlins out back

My opinion is  going to differ a bit from Stang's.

 

IMHO, a bright-colored bike will only make a slight difference in an urban area. 

For the most part, at night, you can only see a bikes color as you are approaching it from an angle and at slower speeds.  If you approach a bike, at night, from the rear or head-on, you won't see the color until its very close.  At traffic speeds, that distance is closed so fast that it's really insignificant.

Maybe in an urban area where there are more street lights can you, as a driver, notice the bike's color.  But even then, at faster traffic speeds, IMHO, the color of a bike won't stand out.

Oh and... please introduce yourself in the New Members section.

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badfish '05 600RR Purple/Black

abadfish:

My opinion is  going to differ a bit from Stang's.

abad, i disagree w/ the 'quoted' comment.  i swear, we said the same exact thing... u just went into more detail. 

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Naked 93' F2...... RIP -- 04/12/07
04' 600RR Black - currently stuck between track and street usage
- Brembo Master, Sato's, & Ohlins out back

Sorry, Stang.... it was somewhat late and I was very tired.  Apparently, I didn't read your post thoroughly! 

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badfish '05 600RR Purple/Black

I would like to say the same thing only differently ...

I can't say scientifically whether it makes a dramatic difference or not but just from a P.O.V. as another car driver, I notice the refelective stuff on vehciles and signs much more readily than one without'em so I would deduce that they MUST have significant effect.

When buying any gear, equimpent, aftermarket stuff I try to get reflective stuff on it whenever possible .. not the basic stuff but the HIGH VISIBILITY ones the D.O.T. uses on their road signs (there IS a difference). I have it on my jacket, tail bag, rim stripes, etc...

The other stuff like brighter colors, I agree with above posters but I don't think it would hurt since I think it can make some difference during the day if not the bike, at least the gear. I don't think it makes a significant difference though.

p.s. If time permits, I slightly swerve right/left as I'm approaching a car about to turn in front of me so they don't get any bright ideas.

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Mawfaki # .5

02 CBR954rr 2 Bro's; PC3; Zero Grav; Corbin Seat; Throttlemeister; etc...

Kewl Breeze:

p.s. If time permits, I slightly swerve right/left as I'm approaching a car about to turn in front of me so they don't get any bright ideas.

Great tip Kewl Breeze, I was forced to ride tonight (had to wait out the rain) and I was doing a cautious 45 mph when I saw a car getting ready to pull out in front of me! I swerved real quick and the car jerked to a stop like he didn't know I was there.

I think I'm just going to paint my entire bike with the reflective white paint you see on road signs, do you think the DOT sells paint?

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1999 CBR900rr

eagerinsight:

I think I'm just going to paint my entire bike with the reflective white paint you see on road signs, do you think the DOT sells paint?

dude, if u could get that to come out smooth n glossy... it would look HOTT.

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Naked 93' F2...... RIP -- 04/12/07
04' 600RR Black - currently stuck between track and street usage
- Brembo Master, Sato's, & Ohlins out back

All of you make some good points and I can't say that my opinion is that much different than any of the above.  My only experience has to do with the police.  I have been pulled over three times on my yellow F4 and not once on my red 600RR.  I ride them both about the same amount on the same roads at the same times of day/night, so based on my unofficial experience the police notice the yellow more than the red.   

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"Never mistake horsepower for staying power"

So I guess I'll just paint it black (maybe flat black, looks good on my friends gsxr) and stay off the road at night.

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1999 CBR900rr

From years of bicycling around urban areas at night and also a penchant for everything black, I have cultivated a few tricks, which I use on my older ('89) motorbike that I just got.

Go to some hardware/hobby/big box store and find a Rust-o-leum paint that is transparent and reflective. I use that on my fenders and front side of my mirrors and such. It will give whatever surface you apply it to a slight gritty texture and look, which is why I use it on more obscure areas. Also look for 3-M (or other brand) reflective tape. In Canada, the Canadian Tire stores carry it (others do as well), but it is great and comes in black, red, silver, and probably a few other colours. Apply both wherever you can (the helmet is a great spot!)

Also, something that requires a little ingenuity and work, mount extra lights to your bike. I am in the process of adding a strip of red LEDs around my tail to supplement my existing tail light.

Get the brightest bulb you can for your headlamp.

Ride with your high beams on at night. Make sure your headlamp is aimed properly. If you need to 'flash' a driver ahead, you can do a quick throttle off throttle on thing (if it is safe to do so!), that will make the nose dive and rise, and potentially flash an oncoming (or otherwise offending driver) to be more aware of your presence. That is of course if you can't just flash your high beams.

Being on two wheels at night is just more risky. Ride safe and make yourself visible.



This is my bike (with fairings off...), with the reflective paint on rear fender only. Looks flat black during the day. Camera flash lights it right up (same with any car lights, street lamps, etc.)

What it looks like in the day...