Whether you use your motorcycle as a means of transportation or ride it for recreation, you assume a certain risk every time you get on it. The risk is greater when you ride your motorcycle at night.
Even under daylight conditions, motorists can have difficulty seeing you. Low-light conditions reduce visibility even further, which makes a collision more likely. Ultimate Motorcycling describes some safety tips to protect yourself from nighttime accidents if you cannot confine yourself to riding during daylight hours.
1. Reduce speed
Neither you nor the drivers of cars and trucks can see as well under low-light conditions. You can help reduce your chance of a collision by reducing your speed while driving at night. You may erase the positive effects of other safety steps by attempting to drive at highway speeds after dark, so slowing down at night is crucial.
2. Use proper illumination
A headlight bulb or circuit fuse can blow without warning. If this happens during a night ride, you may have trouble finding replacements, so carry some spares with you when you ride after dark. Check to see that your lights are working before riding and keep them clean. Caked-on bugs and dirt can decrease the light level.
3. Make yourself visible
Fluorescent colors absorb light that is invisible to the human eye and radiate it back as visible long-wavelength light. As a result, they seem to glow in the dark. You can include these colors in piping, stripes and logos on the jacket and other clothing that you wear while riding and make yourself more visible even in fog and other low-light conditions.