Overview

Riding a motorcycle can be an exhilarating experience, but it also comes with certain risks. One of the biggest challenges for motorcyclists is to be seen and heard by other drivers while on the road.

The Motorcycle Safety Foundation reports that, “over half of all fatal motorcycle crashes involve another vehicle. Most of the time, the motorist, not the motorcyclist, is at fault…. Because of its small size, a motorcycle can be easily hidden in a car’s blind spots (door/roof pillars) or masked by objects or backgrounds outside a car (bushes, fences, bridges, etc). Because of its small size, a motorcycle may look farther away than it is.”1

Therefore, it is essential for motorcyclists to take every possible measure to increase their visibility and audibility to other drivers. This can include using brighter and flashing lights, installing a louder horn, and wearing reflective and bright clothing.

Lights

LED Headlights

One of the easiest ways to improve your motorcycle’s visibility is to upgrade your headlights from the standard halogen bulbs to LED bulbs. The OEM halogen lights on the BMW K1300S are relatively dim. On my 2008 K1200S, we installed an HID lighting kit. In the past seven years, there have been significant advances in LED technology.

On my 2015 K1300S, I decided that the timing was right to install LED lights instead of halogens. LLED headlights are brighter, more energy-efficient, and have a longer lifespan than halogen headlights. They can help motorcyclists see better at night and make themselves more noticeable to oncoming traffic during the day. I detail the testing and installation process in this article.

Visibility Lights

Another effective way to enhance visibility is to add auxiliary lights that flash or flicker in a distinctive pattern. My friend, Jerry Skene, who taught me how to ride, has been a frequent collaborator on this site. His company, Skene Design, invented and distributes Photon Blaster and P3 Lights. Photon Blaster is a front-mounted visibility lighting system that consists of very bright yellow LEDs that flicker at a variable rate. These lights can help you stand out from the background and catch the attention of other drivers, especially at intersections where most collisions occur. You can briefly flash the Photon Blasters to further increase your visibility to oncoming traffic.

Skene Design also makes a rear-mounted visibility lighting system called P3 Lights. These are placed in the rear and incorporate tail light, brake light and turn signal integration. There have been several instances as a rider where I know my visibility lights have averted accidents including a distracted minivan driver and a crazed deer.

 

Horn

In addition to visibility lights, motorcyclists should also make their motorcycles more audible to other drivers by replacing their stock horn with a louder and more powerful one. The OEM horn on the BMW is downright wimpy, reminding me of RoadRunner’s “meep, meep,” but quieter. On my 2008 K1200S, we installed a  Nautilus Stebel air horn. For my 2015 K1300S, I selected a Denali Sound Bomb, which looks similar but is an improved design. The manufacturer states that the Denali Sound Bomb is eight times louder than a standard motorcycle horn, at 120 decibels. It can help motorcyclists alert other drivers of their presence and avoid collisions in situations where they might not be seen.

There are two wrinkles to installing the Sound Bomb. First, on the K12/K13, there is no OEM bracket to affix the horn and none available from third parties. So, we custom fabricated a bracket to attach the horn to the frame on the left side, underneath the faring. Revzilla sells a plug-and-play wiring harness that makes it easy to connect the Denali to the existing K1300S horn cabling. Second, the Denali lacks a hole on the top of the mount, like the Nautilus had, to bolt the bracket on. We had to drill a hole through the Denali mount.

 

Apparel

Finally, motorcyclists should consider their apparel as part of their larger visibility strategy. For example, I wear a bright yellow jacket that is highly reflective.  I also wear a white full-faced helmet that contrasts with the black color of my motorcycle. I go into greater detail about my apparel here.

Conclusion

Riding a motorcycle can be a lot of fun, but it also requires responsibility and awareness. By using brighter and flashing lights, wearing reflective and bright clothing, and installing a louder horn, you can increase your chances of being noticed and avoiding accidents. Stay safe and enjoy the ride!

Updated on December 3rd, 2023