Is there a "best" way?

[trosco]

There are lots of tools that can aid your effort to be safer (extra lights, light modulators/flashers, 130DB horns, etc.) but the biggest one is your brain. You cannot drive your motorcycle like you drive your car! You have to be aware, You have to be defensive, You have to take responsibility for how others drive. In life no one takes responsibility for you but you. You choose to ride a motorcycle and so you choose to place yourself at risk for things where the consequences are greater for you.
So "anticipate" what can happen and what you should do about it, CONSTANTLY! And "practice" with your current motorcycle the maneuvers that increase your ability to safely respond to those everyday events until your response is habitual.
How many of you have taken your Nomad and a buddy or two to a vacant parking lot and practiced? You need to go with a friend and have him/her point you left/right to practice lane changes. Set up egg crates and do slaloms and do the starting left and right. Do circles and figure eights in a box. Compete with a friend doing panic stops/turns from 20mph. He stands as you pass and shouts pass (you keep going), or shouts left or right (you change lanes and maintain speed) or stop (and you stop using both brakes. What you practice, practice, practice at 20 MPH will become habitual any speed.
Try it! You'll be shocked when you do the right thing without thinking next week when your neighbors 3 year old runs out in front of you from behind a parked car.

[caper]

For sure DON"T flash you're lights! I have a 100 watt headlight with 2 running lights. 170 watts total and believe me they see you better than stock. I also have the stebel air horn which did save me a few times , Like today when a mini van was pulling out of her drive way on a country road. Did you ever have that gut feeling that the van driver doesn't see you. Yep she didn't so when I hit the horn she jerked her head hard to her left (probely thinking it was a truck LOL ) and stopped! Hope that helps!

[fish]

Originally Posted by Yellow Jacket

The one I'm using is a Xenon strobe. Go to this site and scroll down until you see the Weather-Resistant Safety Strobe lights.
# HAA110W CLEAR Strobe is the one I've got. It flashes 50 times per minute.

http://www.action-electronics.com/lights.htm

I did have a problem with it. The first ride I took with it the bracket I mounted it on vibrated too much. I could actually hear it buzzing back there. The vibration caused the main capacitor on the circuit board to detach. I had to cut the unit open, re-solder the capacitor to the board and secure it to the board with some silicone caulk. I modified my bracket to reduce the vibration and it hasn't failed since.

This was a pretty cheap strobe and was just a first attempt. I don't really recommend this particular one due to the vibration. I think one of the LED strobes might be better.

I'll try to get a picture tomorrow.

Here's a photo:

I'm interested in your LED lights and how it mounted?

[fish]

It looks a little funky but at night the reflective tape really shows up

[Yellow Jacket]

Originally Posted by fish

I'm interested in your LED lights and how it mounted?

The LEDs are mounted on a small aluminum angle. These are then mounted behind the nuts which hold the backrest on. At first I had them mounted at both of the bolts but that angled them downward which reduced the brightness when viewed from the rear. I ended up just using the top bolt and setting the LEDs plumb vertically. Now they show up pretty good. They function as running and brake lights.

View from side:



View from rear:

[AlabamaNomadRider]

BD, you stole my line. I was going to say I keep my .45 at the ready and at the first sign of movement from the car tires I start shooting until they stop.

Only kidding of course. I do watch the tires and that is where I keep my eyes focused. Always have an out. Know where you would go in any situation. You have to plan ahead.

[skiman]

According to extensive statistic studies the top causes of motorcycle accidents are

#1 failure to negotiate a left hand bend on a
country road.
#2 failure to negotiate a right hand bend on a
country road.
#3 collision at junctions.
#4 collision while overtaking.
#5 loss of control

[jasperboy]

A few thoughts that no has mentioned yet. When on the bike, I am NEVER in a hurry. No matter what the situation I always remind myself that a few extra minutes mean nothing. That means I never "roll" and intersection. Often the desire to not put a foot down means a split second decision to go when it might not be prudent. When pulling away from a stop sign or traffic light, I always wait an extra moment to make certain I'm not the first one into the intersection. I also wait an extra moment to allow the oncoming vehicle the first opportunity to move. This gives me a better idea of where they are going. I prefer to ride on secondary roads, where if I wish to travel at less than posted speed limit I'm not impeding traffic. We do ride "cruisers" and 50 in a 55 zone is cruising to me. I do try to be a visible as I can, and have the light bar up front, and the Kuryakyn running light/brake modulator in back for extra visibility. I assume I'm invisible and ride defensively. I'm always scanning ahead to decide where I would go if I had to stop, swerve or ditch. All together I plan for the worst, and hope for the best. Riding is inherently dangerous, but we can do a lot of things to stack the deck in our favor. Last but not least, I try to be courteous to those around me so as not to appear aggressive, thus not causing or giving them reason to become aggressive. I also believe in the old saying that there are only two types of riders, those who have been down, and those who are going down. I’m in the second group, but doing everything possible to delay it.

[cactusjack]

I replaced my front fork reflectors with amber LEDs and the rear license plate reflectors with red LEDs, I have 2 sets of driving lights - the CWI billet mount lights near the headlight and some bullet lights on my crashbars. I also have side marker LEDs on the sides of my tourpak and LED stop/tail/turn units on the rear of the tourpak (see sig photo). Don't tell me you "didn't see me coming", night or day.

I also have a Stebel horn to get the attention of those who I sense are not paying attention. I am not afraid of using it if I see a motorist who even remotely looks like they are about to do something stupid.

I almost always wear black and all but one of my helmets are all black. I never flash my lights, the only exception is if I'm trying to alert oncoming traffic to the presence of a speed trap.

The majority of my "close calls" are when I'm riding on a main road and some idiot comes rolling out of a residential side street without stopping first. That is a big problem around here and I watch for it. If you expect it, and are prepared for it, it's not a huge surprise when it happens.

[cbutteris]

I'm still running stock lights on my '05 but visibility upgrades are priority this season. I've decided to go with lights inside the crash bars. My thought is to spread the lights our more, and if they light up the front wheel at night that might help visibility from the side at the same time. Comments or suggestions?

[dantama]

Originally Posted by Cal

I'm still running stock lights on my '05 but visibility upgrades are priority this season. I've decided to go with lights inside the crash bars. My thought is to spread the lights our more, and if they light up the front wheel at night that might help visibility from the side at the same time. Comments or suggestions?

I like light bars that put spots next to the headlight. It lets the beam angle down to the road, and gives more light where you need it. But there are disadvantages. I've seen guys with bright spots too near their turn signals and at times you can't tell that they are signaling, it's too bright next to the turn signals for the signals to stand out.

That would favor lights down by the crash bars. I suppose there could be two reasons to have lights, one is to put light on the roadway, and the other is to make more light for cars to see you. I suppose where you put them depends on what your main objective is.

[cbutteris]

Thanks Dan. Mostly I want to be seen so will probably opt for the crash bar setup.

I like the suggestions about the side marker LED strips and might try that too.

Might also go with the brake light modulator. Time to start shopping!

[ffron69]

I wouldn't cover the front brake EVER! In a panic situation your reaction is to squeeze your hands in quickly and that will end very badly but if you have all 4 fingers on the throttle & have to think about applying the front brake you have a much better chance of NOT locking it up in a panic situation. It doesn't take that much longer to apply the brake & you will have a much better stop if it is controllled. Just my .02

[timebandit]

Originally Posted by fish

EYE CONTACT! thats what I do. First I try to make eye contact. From 20+years of driving school bus I learned that people don't like to get behind a bus so they dart out in front. I also cover the brake (you don't hear that to often anymore). I drive defensively with the bus and the bike.

Ditto on the eye contact. If you get eye contact, he's seen you as much as you've seen him!

[glwilson]

Originally Posted by Timebandit

Ditto on the eye contact. If you get eye contact, he's seen you as much as you've seen him!

No offense; but eye-contact isn't the "cure-all" for these situations.

There are plenty of stories where a driver was looking right at what they ran into.

Having said that... if the driver isn't looking at you... then you have a problem... make sure they appear to see you.

But most of all watch their wheels. If the wheels are moving... so is the car -- no matter if they are looking at you or not.

Just my two-cents.