03-06-2024, 11:53 PM
Wear what you're comfortable in. I submit that in during daylight hours most drivers cannot see what most motorcyclists are wearing when approaching the bike from the front because the glare from the headlight (we're all running our high beams during the day, right?). Our CB1100 may be one of the exceptions because we sit taller in relation to the bike's headlight. That is not the case with most cruisers and nearly any bike, even ours with a windshield, particularly a tinted one. ADV bikes are also exceptions to this theory. The helmet is about all a driver can see from head on, IMO and since roughly a third of the front of a helmet is the visor, the color of the helmet from that angle is less relevant. I wear a white helmet because of heat more than visibility, but I'll take whatever advantage I can get in the conspicuity area, too.
As far as GI60's observation that the Darth Vaders seem to pop up suddenly, I wonder if black sportbikes with darkly clad riders may just be riding faster and changing lanes more frequently than a rider who consciously picks higher viz gear and/or is riding a taller/wider/more conspicuous motorcycle? Maybe/Maybe not, but unlike the safety benefits of seat belts or helmets or abrasion resistant mc-wear, it is harder to prove the safety benefits of the color of your gear. So wear what makes you comfortable in the broadest sense of that term.
As far as GI60's observation that the Darth Vaders seem to pop up suddenly, I wonder if black sportbikes with darkly clad riders may just be riding faster and changing lanes more frequently than a rider who consciously picks higher viz gear and/or is riding a taller/wider/more conspicuous motorcycle? Maybe/Maybe not, but unlike the safety benefits of seat belts or helmets or abrasion resistant mc-wear, it is harder to prove the safety benefits of the color of your gear. So wear what makes you comfortable in the broadest sense of that term.