Rear Reflector Or Tail Light

[Harvey]

Well, my bike's legal now.
I went to the local Massachusetts Registry of Motor Vehicles.
After quite a long time and discussions with several people there, they finally gave me a registration. Nobody there had ever heard of someone putting their own motor on a bicycle. Initially they wanted a title or certificate or origin.
I stuck my Massachusetts "Moped" sticker on the motor housing.

I have a BMP friction drive with a Honda GX35.

If you have something similar, where and how did you mount a rear reflector or tail light?

 

[Happy Valley]

Well it's good you got your sticker, long discussions at the RMV often prove fruitless and unnecessary. In addition to a title or CoO, a bill of sale and 17 character VIN will suffice under the state moped regs.

IMO, definitely go with a tail light. What type will depend on how much serious night riding you do and traffic on the routes you use. My night riding is infrequent, more around dusk, and on roads with light traffic so I use the Bell cheapos found at any department store that clamp on the seat post, 2 AAs, 4 or 5 flashing sequences, around 5 or 6 bucks. Batteries last all summer. If I were in the city riding in a lot of traffic I would upgrade to a more serious lighting set-up.

I'd also recommend a front light, LCD or whatever you like, but mostly so you're seen from the front than for lighting the way. I like the little Catseye strobes.

Cheers

 

[motorbikemike45]

Both. When the batteries go dead in the light you will still be at least somewhat visable with a reflector. As to where, I built an aluminum rack on the back of my GEBE equiped bike to mount lights and reflectors on. Any home center carries aluminum stock in a variety of shapes, thicknesses, and sizes. You can also get reflective tape in red and/or white, it will fit on almost any verticle surface.

 

[darwin]

If your riding at night a front and rear light is necessary, if you dont its suicidal. Theres no excuse because a cheap light set will make you visible at least. Use rechargable batteries.

 

[Nuttsy]

Check your state regs for mopeds and bicycles

Where I am, both are necessary for night riding on either of the above. That having been said...do everything you can to err on the side of safety. I use lights, reflectors, flashers/strobes, and a pee yellow/puke green vest with reflective stipes! Yipes! Oh and just in case a motorcycle crash hat. I want to be able to TELL them to remove life support! But there's probably a lot of foks here that would volunteer to pull my plug.

 

[motorbikemike45]

All my lights use AAA batteries and I carry spares.

 

[MikeJ]

I took a test ride at 10 pm the other night on a common pedal bike, dressed up and the bike decked out as Nuttsy described above. I even put an LED "miner's light" on my reflective bicycling helmet.

Cagers moved away from me like I was some kind of circus side show. The ride was great! More reflection tape and lights will soon follow; I want more people to see me, especially law officers!

I may do it again tonight.

 

[motorbikemike45]

Did you look like the UFO in Close Encounters?

 

[MikeJ]

Light up like THAT UFO? Probably not, they weren't concerned about their lighting bill. Now that you mention it, there are several LED provider sites that sell LED strips that are flexible. AND there are light plastic light strands that illuminate any color that you inject into it, and they are flexible. I do have my eye on an LED&reflective safety vest that is available commercially. The 16 LEDs flash on and off, embedded in the reflective strip. Put enough of those on and I would look like the mother ship. Ever see the movie, "Electric Horseman"? There is a suit I would like!

If you ride at night, be it to and from a job or simply because on a whim, ANYTHING that you do to be seen is money well spent. I have yet to see any rider report that their hospital bill justified not getting a helmet, lights, heaps of reflective tape and vest, or anything that might have avoided a collision with a car.

Just yesterday, in Colorado Springs, the sixth Harley fatality of the year, a woman, was killed. Very contributing factor: NOT wearing a helmet. None of the previous five wore helmets, either.

But I digress from your original friendly question. In a way, it brings me great satisfaction to control the behavior of every cager that passes me, as vulnerable as I am to injury if they wanted to inflict it.

Thanks for asking,
MikeJ