Front light:
This was an easy mod that even I could do. Total cost was about $100.00.
- Halogen 25W Worklight from Home Depot: $25.00,
- 5.2A 12V sealed lead acid battery: $20.00,
- Battery Tender Plus 1.2A Charger: $55.00.
The charger was obviously the largest cost, but it is a fantastic charger; bulletproof, with a trickle circuit so you can leave batteries plugged in (with a trickle charger you can buy 2 batteries and always leave 1 in the charger), and a 1.2 amp draw so it charges even big batteries FAST. I love that charger.
Modding the worklight is trivial. It even has a built-in switch and heavy duty cigarette lighter cord. All you do is disconnect it from the base it comes with, add some simple wiring to connect it to your battery and mount the light on your bike (having a front basket makes this easy).
See:
http://motoredbikes.com/showthread.php?t=5750&page=4
Rear light:
I bought the CatEye 1100D and mounted it to the spark plug cover on the Robin/Subaru 35cc. The CatEye 1100D is massively bright, but could not take the vibration from the engine, so I had to remount it to the rear of my helmet. It looks dorky as he**, but it's a very effective rear light.
Turn signals:
I thought about these but it got too complicated. They have to be bright enough, withstand the shock and vibration of a motored bike, and it's also hard to mount them in a visible location when most of the real estate on the back of your bike is taken up by engine stuff. I think this is better covered by hand signals as you approach an intersection and when you are stopped at an intersection to let drivers around you know your intent. There are special reflectors that you can wear as wrist bands to make your arms more visible at night.
Reflective tape:
Go to an auto parts store, or commercial hardware store. Buy reflective tape and plaster it on all 4 sides of your bike. (See also:
http://www.identi-tape.com/reflective_gateway.htm). It really does make you very visible at night and it uses no electricity. Amber is supposed to be the most visible. My co-workers think I have an unhealthy relationship with reflective tape, but I swear it's based on mutual respect! I mean, it makes you visible on the street; requires no maintenance, no batteries, and costs almost nothing. That's my kind of solution.
Also, if you want to see a dramatic difference in how drivers treat you on the road, go to a local safety store (yes, they exist) and buy the same vest that city workers use. Mine is neon green with massive amounts of 2" wide mylar tape on all sides. Yes, I look like an industrial, glowing dork when I wear it. But you are putting all of that reflective material on your upper body where it is highly visible to drivers. I ride on tight urban streets and routes, with no bike path, at night, with cars going by me at high speeds, and those cars give me a wide berth, probably because they assume I'm either a bicycle cop or a weirdo (FYI - I'm not a bicycle cop), but who cares if it makes you safer?
-Sam
