Randy99CL
Member
- Joined
- Jun 8, 2019
- Messages
- 76
- Reaction score
- 23
- Points
- 8
- Location
- turn left at Albuquerque
Couple of decades ago I owned a few all-black cars/trucks in a row. When the last (full size Chevy PU) was stolen I replaced it with a white vehicle and immediately noticed that other drivers gave me more room and didn't pull out in front of me so closely. I was living with the aggressive drivers in Cleveland and the difference was like night and day.
So I made a point of watching the colors of vehicles and how that affected visibility and my findings were eye-opening. Light-colored vehicles looked bigger and closer (as they could be seen clearly) and dark colors blended with the backround and were harder to identify. I lived just outside the city and on the tree-lined rural roads dark vehicles could blend in and become almost invisible while white cars looked huge.
It seems to me that being seen and identified is one of the most important safety factors in our riding.
The "style" now is blacked-out, in bikes and gear. Flat black is the least visible and the most popular. Wasn't like that 20 years ago, the only riders wearing all black were the outlaw wannabees.
It just doesn't make sense to me. The black looks cool and badass but is it worth it??
When I bought my new jacket my choice is mostly white. Wanted a white helmet but the model that fit the best was only in silver. Found some gloves with white fingers and plan to buy them. Planning to upgrade to a helmet in white.
One of the things I've always disliked about Harleys is that they are "style before function". They're much better now but decades ago they were really horrible bikes (remember choppers?) but looked cool.
Is that what this is about? Looking cool and just not worrying about visibility?
And I admit that I'm an old fart who doesn't care what others think about me.
So I made a point of watching the colors of vehicles and how that affected visibility and my findings were eye-opening. Light-colored vehicles looked bigger and closer (as they could be seen clearly) and dark colors blended with the backround and were harder to identify. I lived just outside the city and on the tree-lined rural roads dark vehicles could blend in and become almost invisible while white cars looked huge.
It seems to me that being seen and identified is one of the most important safety factors in our riding.
The "style" now is blacked-out, in bikes and gear. Flat black is the least visible and the most popular. Wasn't like that 20 years ago, the only riders wearing all black were the outlaw wannabees.
It just doesn't make sense to me. The black looks cool and badass but is it worth it??
When I bought my new jacket my choice is mostly white. Wanted a white helmet but the model that fit the best was only in silver. Found some gloves with white fingers and plan to buy them. Planning to upgrade to a helmet in white.
One of the things I've always disliked about Harleys is that they are "style before function". They're much better now but decades ago they were really horrible bikes (remember choppers?) but looked cool.
Is that what this is about? Looking cool and just not worrying about visibility?
And I admit that I'm an old fart who doesn't care what others think about me.