Top 5 Ways To Make Yourself Noticed On A Motorcycle

One of the most common excuses stated from 'cagers' when they are involved in an accident with a motorcycle is that they "didn't see the bike". This recurring theme does have truth to it. Although the driver may have visually perceived the motorcyclist with their eyes - the registration in their brain that 'that two-wheeled contraption with a helmet bearing person sitting on it is another motor vehicle, and as such, I should treat it as I would any other motor vehicle' - simply did not happen quickly enough.

The motorcycle and it's rider were 'invisible' to the other driver. Keeping this in mind you should try to ride knowing that you appear to not be there.

With this said, how do you make sure other drivers notice you? - The top five answers are on the board...

1. appearance

Wearing and displaying easily visible colors and reflectors is important in ensuring you can been seen. A motorcyclist riding a black bike, wearing a black helmet, black leather jacket, dark blue jeans, and black boots - is going to be much harder to spot than a motorcyclist riding a neon green bike with an orange helmet, bright yellow jacket, red riding pants, and red boots.

Certainly you want to have some color co-ordination and style - after all, motorcycling is a 'cool' sport and you want to look good when you pull up in front of your friends at the local burger joint. However, keep visibility at the forefront of your mind when choosing gear colors. Look for gear that has reflective material embedded in it, this will greatly increase your visibility during night riding, the time when visibility is most important.

The most visible color to the human eye is RGB 255,216,0 - or more commonly referred to as National School Bus Glossy Yellow. Children school buses are painted this color to maximize their visibility (hence the name). Other colors that are easily visible are fluorescent orange, red, and green, as well as white. Black, for obvious reasons, is the worst for visibility (as a side note, it also attracts the most heat - not a good way to keep cool in hot weather).

2. make some noise!

When riding, it is encouraged that you 'toot your own horn' and make yourself heard. Cover your horn when riding through a parking lot or areas with high pedestrian traffic. Make other drivers aware of your presence by making some noise when it is apparent they do not visually notice you.

You can also use your engine noise to make yourself noticed. When down shifting, when you pull in the clutch, give the engine a quick rev of the throttle before letting the clutch out. You only need a half second or so between revving the engine and releasing the clutch. This technique's main purpose is to ensure the bike goes through a smooth transition between gear shifts by 'tricking' the engine into thinking it is going faster than it actually is. The added bonus is that your high engine rev can be heard by those around you. For those people who do not know what you are doing they will probably think you are trying to show off your bike's power, however, what they think will not matter because you will achieve your goal - which is to make yourself noticed.

3. create movement

Humans are apt at noticing quick movement. This keen ability was most likely meant to aid us as a species when hunting other animals. We as riders can take advantage of this trait and make others aware of our presence by moving our bikes and ourselves. When traveling in a straight line, try moving your bike side to side, staying within your lane. This will remind other drivers around you that you are still there.

4. turn your lights on

Keep your headlight on even when riding during the day. It is much easier to see a vehicle, car or motorcycle, when it has it's 'day-time running' lights on during the daytime.

When riding at night, use your high-beam when no on-coming traffic is present to not only provide you with more visibility, but if another vehicle does start to approach you, the switching from high to low light when turning your highbeams off will be noticeable to the other driver.

When conducting maintenance, make sure to check that all of your lights are in working order.

You can also move your own body to bring attention to yourself to ensure you are noticed. When stopped at a light, raise your arm above your head and move it around. Not only will the movement limber you up and keep you loose and relaxed, but drivers around you will see you moving around will be more aware of your presence.

5. increase your perspective

When viewed straight on from either the rear or the front, a motorcycle has a very narrow perspective. When positioned across the lane the motorcycle and rider have approximately the same width as a compact car and will be much more easily perceived.

When making a right hand turn at an intersection, position your bike at a 45 degree angle facing towards the right by approaching the turn from the leftmost side of the lane. Your rear tire should be in the left tire tread of the lane and conversely your front tire should be in the right tire tread of the lane. This makes you more visible to other drivers by widening your perspective. In addition to increasing your perspective, angling your bike towards the right when approaching a right hand turn will decrease the apex of the turn making it easier for you to successfully make it through the turn.

When riding in a group or with a friend, stagger your positions with the lead rider in a blocking position. There are several benefits to riding in this fashion when traveling in a group, but for strictly being noticed, this type of positioning helps by increasing the groups visual perspective. The group has the appearance as a single unit or vehicle from both the front and back. This 'single unit' appears much larger than if the group were to travel in single file, thus making you more easily seen by drivers behind and in front of the group.

tips to remember

By wearing bright colors and reflective gear we can make ourselves more visible. We can use our horns to make us heard by other drivers and pedestrians. Moving our bikes within our lanes and making arm gestures will draw attention to you to make you noticed. Use your lights when appropriate and always have your headlamp on even during the day to make yourself more noticeable. Creating an elongated visual perspective of ourselves by positioning ourselves across the lane when making a turn, or by staggering your position when riding in a group will give you a wider visual perspective for others to see you easier.

Following these tips will help you be noticed by other drivers and pedestrians and help prevent against the 'sorry mate, didn't see you' excuse. Ride safe.