Enhanced Rider Visibility from Harley-Davidson®

Today is a very rainy day in Ohio, thanks to hurricane Sandy. I thought it would be a good day to tell you about Rider Visibility and how Harley-Davidson® designs riding gear to increase your visibility.

When it is dark, low light or nighttime you want to be very visible. 3M™ makers of high quality reflective material has partnered with Harley-Davidson® MotorClothes® riding apparel to incorporate 3M™ Scotchlite™ Reflective Material into the riding apparel.

Now, Harley-Davidson® offers riders innovative riding apparel in leathers, functional outerwear, rain gear and gloves with greatest level of visibility.

What does that mean to you?

Riders will be more visible at distances that allow motorist to see them on the road with time to respond.

There are three options to the Enhanced Visibility materials to choose from, and the following material comes from technical literature from Harley-Davidson®.

3M™ Scotchlite™ Reflective Materials. Used primarily in piping and graphics, 3M™ Scotchlite™ Reflective Materials are visible from up to 500 feet away in low-light or nighttime riding conditions. This material uses retroreflection technology which reflects more light back to the original source. 3M’s proprietary technology makes the material highly reflective and the rider more visible to other motorists from greater distances. 
360 Degree Enhanced Visibility. Styles with 360 degree Enhanced Visibility take reflective materials to the next level. Designed with safety in mind, these styles feature strategic placement of 3M™ Scotchlite™ Reflective Materials to make the rider recognizable from nearly every viewing angle from up to 500 feet away. Harley-Davidson® is the only brand achieving 3600 Enhanced Visibility standards in the motorcycle industry. 

Hi-Vis Fabrics. The highly fluorescent yellow or orange hi-vis fabrics in the main body of the garment allow the rider to be more easily distinguished from any background. Hi-Vis gear is ideal for daytime and low-light riding conditions as well in places where there is a lot of visual distraction. In addition, these styles also feature 3M™ Scotchlite™ Reflective Materials for even greater visibility.

How Does It Work?
What makes 3M™ Scotchlite™ reflective materials so compelling is its candlepower, which measures the level of light intensity emitted from a light source. 3M™ Scotchlite™ reflective materials return a higher percentage of light to the original light source through a technology called retroreflection. This technology allows riders to be seen from greater distances. For example, Harley-Davidson® MotorClothes® riding apparel with premium 3M™ Scotchlite™ Reflective Material reflects 1,500 times brighter than white at night.
Here is a comparison chart:
                                         Candlepower                       Visibility Distance
                                                                               (in clear riding conditions)
Dark Riding Gear                  
without Reflectivity                     0                                       < 75 feet

White T-Shirt                               1                                         75 feet

Stop Sign                                    50+                                    150+ feet

Riding Apparel with
Generic Reflectivity                   20-50                                   100-150 feet

3M™ Scotchlite™
Reflective Material                      200                                       500 feet

I hope this info was helpful for you to choose the reflective gear that you are looking for. You can find all of the Harley-Davidson® Reflective items on our website: www.adventureharley.com. There are many items to choose from and they are grouped with other like items, so if (for example) you are looking for reflective jackets go to the jacket category and look for the 3M™ Scotchlite in the description.

Have a great day,
Brenda