Riders should be seen and be hyper-vigilant to be seen.
Being heard is okay and can sometimes be helpful in being seen but we should
remember what goes on inside the cage with the stereos thumping, cell phones
beckoning, passengers begging for attention, and vehicle warnings beeping and
all within the snug confines of an enclosure designed to keep sound out and
passengers isolated from the outside world. The only way to be sure cagers know
you are there is if you see their eyes and even then we can’t take it for
granted that they’ll do the right thing.
Good lighting is a step in the right direction. When I
had my Honda Sabre, I added a light bar. When I was looking to move up and
considering the Victory Cross Roads I intended to do the same but I then went with
the Cross Country (VCC) instead with the slick fairing and sleek forged highway bars.
A year after getting the VCC I started adding little things like the chrome
saddlebag rails and new Arlen Ness Tear-drop mirrors and then began considering
ways to add some lights. I wanted to find a way to put running lights in the
upper corners of the highway bars thinking that this would be an ideal position
to keep the overall lines of the bike intact.
With the 25K mile service due I decided to get
serious about lights and called John Pucciarelli at Southern California
Motorcycles (http://www.socalmotorcycles.com
). John sold me the VCC while at Cycle Dragon before the shop closed down and
I’ve found him to be an innovative rider with good design ideas. I used to take
the bike to Bert’s for service after Cycle Dragon closed but then Bert’s wimped
out and stopped offering Victory bikes. John had me call Scott Child, CEO of
Wolf LED Systems, who had put together a system which Mike Cadena helped design, with Mike being from the old Cycle Dragon shop it sounded like a cycle circle
of life. I perused the Wolf LED site but couldn’t find a kit for the VCC and
when I called Scott he took care of it and got Kristoffer Stoll involved. Within
a short time the kit was listed on the site as promised; I placed my order and the
next day it was hand delivered to SoCal Motorcycle for installation the following
day during my 25K service. The kit comes complete with a Victory switch (see photo below), spot
lights, wiring, and mounting hardware with a photo of the installed kit on the
Victory Cross Country Tour.
I knew that the installation would be a little different
with my early model VCC and the forged highway bars but I had every confidence
that Mike would be able to come up with something and he did not disappoint me
while completely meeting my expectations. In fact, the installation looks
factory designed using the cruiser peg holes which can still be used for pegs,
and it kept the lights inside the lines of the bike just as I had envisioned. I
am ecstatic!
There is nothing like having people as passionate about
bikes and service as we are about having and riding them. Kudos to Scot and
Kristopher at Wolf LED and to Mike and John at SoCal Motorcycles.
Thanks for making me even happier with my bike. Keep the
iron side up.
 |
The Switch
|
Inside the lines
< -Lights off
Lights on!
I find it amazing that you let me believe that from time
to time you tell me “Let’s Ride!” Thank you for the sacrifice you made for me,
the forgiveness that you never fail to offer, and the opportunity to live. I
look forward to ride ahead and anticipate more blessings along the bended road,
in traffic, with a group, or going solo though not alone. Thank you for being with
us at every turn and road condition, fit or in disrepair, crowded or wide open.
You are here, thank you.
