Rear reflector and the Law ???

[DogBunny]

I never noticed this before, but I guess the 1980 and later XS650s didn't have dedicated rear-facing red reflectors???

I was looking at Jim's SG Restoration thread. He has replaced the above plate with a very nice Missouri Gulf War Veteran plate. But, what I wasn't seeing was a rear-facing red reflector. I am pretty sure that every single state requires one. I checked Missouri law:
https://www.lawserver.com/law/state/missouri/mo-laws/missouri_laws_307-075
Scroll down to item 2, and the first sentence says that it's okay for the reflector to be "part of the rear lamp."
Does anyone definitively know if the reflective area of the later year tail lights that I have circled above in green counts? Is that the only reflector that came on the bike from the factory?

Every bike in Texas that I have ever seen that doesn't have factory rear-facing red reflectors uses the above "license plate mount" reflectors, found in a little bucket next to the cash register of every motorcycle shop for 1$ each. That's why license plates have four mounting holes -- two to hang the tag, a third for the license plate reflector, and a fourth for an extra reflector to be symmetrical. Even if the reflective area in the first picture counts, this is cheap insurance against getting pulled over by a cop looking for an excuse.

 

[Bushyeyed1]

The only reason I put back on the stock taillight and kept it was because it has the red side reflectors. I moved from North Carolina to Hawaii a few months back. Hawaii actually makes you inspect an old bike, and even though North Carolina has inspections they exempt old bikes. To pass Hawaii inspection I am required both the front amber reflectors; which I only put on for the inspection, and the rear red reflectors. The rear taillight built in red reflectors get me by here in the aloha state.

 

[mrtwowheel]

More than 1/2 of the red area on the rear of my '86 GoldWing is reflector, stock, not aftermarket. People that I ride with are always commenting on how visible that bike is at night. As a safety feature......I guess it would come in to play if the tail light wasn't working. I had both bulbs burn out at the same time on my CB750C one time. As I was standing there with my screwdriver and flashlight in hand wondering how I was going to get home without a tail light I had a thought, I stuck the flashlight in the taillight and screwed the lens back on.

 

[xjwmx]

Probably the square area is there to make it qualify. Interesting reflector law I've heard of is WV requires a certain amount of area on the back of the helmet to be a reflector.

 

[Bushyeyed1]

Probably the square area is there to make it qualify. Interesting reflector law I've heard of is WV requires a certain amount of area on the back of the helmet to be a reflector.

Now that you mention it the 25th Infantry Division here in Hawaii requires me to wear a reflective vest and if I have a backpack on then add two reflective belts on to the bag . What a nerd I must look like with my backpack, lol.

 

[xjwmx]

I think all Army bases require a safety vest. Picked that up somewhere...

What kind of reflective belts? Never heard of those and they sound like they could be handy.

 

[Bushyeyed1]

Some military posts don’t require vest such as Fort Bragg, NC; where I was stationed before. However I still put a reflective belt on my backpack when riding to work for my own protection.

 

[XSLeo]

I had to go out and look at my bikes. I even took my battery powered spotlight with me.
On the 80 up bikes the whole rear tail light lense reflects not just the little square. On my 75 the tail light lense does not reflect. It has two round reflectors mounted one each side of tail light. Turn lenses reflect.
On the front just the turns reflect.
On the Harley nothing from the front and just the tail light lense reflects.
I assume that the tail light lense has enough reflective material to cover the laws. At least the newer bikes I have. On the 75 they added the two round reflectors because the tail light lense doesn't reflect.
Leo

 

[XSLeo]

In NY the license plates are reflective too.
Forgot that in the other post.
Leo

 

[mrtwowheel]

Interesting thread with the front and rear reflectors. OK, confession time, I have always used the small round red reflectors with the wing nuts to hold my plates on trailers and bikes. It makes plate swapping easier, if you know what I mean. After loosing my swapped plate on my first ride with the TX650A I realize that is not going to work on that bike. I'll use four or six of those little reflectors before I'll ever wear one of those yellow or green vests. I'll use other reflectors if they come with the gear but I won't intentionally seek them out.

 

[Mailman]

Not reflector related, but when I was still working and commuting in dense city traffic, one leg of my commute was always dark out either in the morning or in the evening. So I outfitted my bike with red LED hyperlights at the rear , that flashed when the brakes were applied and super bright white LED pods , low on my front forks. They really added to my visibility!

 

[mrtwowheel]

We've had a rash of fatal scooter accidents at night around here. There's a big difference when a scooter is tooling around at 20 to 30 mph and the rest of the traffic is traveling at 60mph. Those situations could have been different with reflective gear, more lights, and reflectors.

 

[xjwmx]

On the 80 up bikes the whole rear tail light lense reflects not just the little square.

I thought so but wasn't sure. I park my car behind my bike and I thought I remembered the thing lighting up like Christmas when the headlight hits it.

 

[TwoManyXS1Bs]

This thread dregs up some dreadful memories of researching lighting and reflector requirements for tow-behind trailers in Texas, new laws concerning state inspections. Had to find legalese to street-speak translators.

Seems that equipment laws fall into several groups.
Federal level - Requirements to get something out of the factory, or imported.
State level - Another mess. Remember the famous Illinois "Interstate commerce" laws?
State inspections - At the interpretation, whims, and eagerness of the inspector.
County - Emissions tests? And more.
City/township - Anything for a buck. One notorious place fined me for not putting down both feet at a stop. Anybody remember the music ban in "footloose"?
Trooper checks - Impromptu roadside inspections. Another at the interpretation, whims, and eagerness of the officer. Got wrote-up for headlight being off, even tho' bikes older than '75 are exempt.

I'd like to apply some sort of reflective material to the back of my tail bag.


Hopefully something more decorative than plain blocks or stripes...

 

[Mailman]

I'd like to apply some sort of reflective material to the back of my tail bag.


Hopefully something more decorative than plain blocks or stripes...

Like this? And it twinkles too !

 

[TwoManyXS1Bs]

Haha, great. All last week the stores have been setting up Xmas decorations and products. Even the Salvation Army is out, dinging in full swing.

Some of us are easily confused. I still see Halloween stuff in the stores, folks are telling us to hurry up and order our turkeys.

So, maybe that twinkler *will* get folks' attention.

Happy..., merry...? Hallothanxmas?

 

[XSLeo]

Being visible is a good thing. Even with a bike lit like a 10 Christmas tree doesn't really matter. Bikes still get hit and riders killed. They often get off by saying, "But I didn't see him Officer. "
Read about it all the time. Now with cell p[hones it even worse.
Sorry about the off topic rant. I'll shut up now.
Leo

 

[TwoManyXS1Bs]

So, I'm shopping for tastefully appropriate reflective stickers for my tailbag, thousands of those things out there, another black hole, and I come across this.



Oh good grief.
Reflective Bacon.

The search continues...

 

[Team Junk]

I seem to remember Texas requiring reflective tape on the back of helmets back when. And I got pulled over in Daytona for putting my foot on the white line at a traffic light. I've mentioned before that I think every Houston cop in the 70s had a broomstick to ram up the tailpipe in search of a baffle. Rattled off quite a few of the license plate reflectors.

 

[madmax-im]

I have used those hyper-lites LEDS that Bob describes..i am a fan of more lighting....Had the 3 in 1 combination..Brake... tail(red) and turn signal (amber)..Man those little LEDs were bright! I am also a fan of Lime Yellow Hi-Viz jackets...and white helmets...
This is how the rear reflectors were in 1980...