MN 2009 C5
How motorcycles got that way
CA 2014 C5
New models coming from Royal Enfield
OH 1956 Tomahawk
CA 2015 B5
A critical look at the Himalayan 450
Found: 1924 Royal Enfield foot shift
VA 500cc with sidecar
AL 2003
Shotgun 650 on second thought
CO 1960 Apache
IA 1959 Patrol Car
CA 2005
Bullet 350 in U.S. MSRP: $4,499
Distinguished gentlefolk ride
Monday, August 16, 2010
Royal Enfield sidecar lights up for safety
A 2006 Royal Enfield Bullet with sidecar, for sale on CraigsList in Michigan, shows an interesting modification that never occurred to me.
The owner has added a tail light to the sidecar wheel fender, and mounted an extra turn signal to the outside front edge of the sidecar.
The effect, especially at night, would be to visually "widen" the motorcycle to almost automobile width.
It's clever, and I'll bet it really does increase safety, at least marginally.
We know that automobile drivers don't seem to have the same subconscious respect for motorcycles they show for approaching cars. A driver who would not dare pull out in front of an oncoming car will do so in the path of a motorcycle.
I don't think it's a mean streak. I really think it's the experience, repeated hundreds of times daily, of judging how close a car may be by how far apart its lights are. If a motorcycle somehow had widespread lights, it might be more intimidating and thus safer.
Maybe the solution would be to put a headlight in the nose of that sidecar!
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Ural's onto it already,
ReplyDeletehttp://www.imz-ural.com/gearup/
Regards
Jorge