Royal Enfield recalls some reflectors

Royal Enfield INT 650 tail light with reflector at center. It may or may not be included in recall.

 Reflectors, those little lenses that glow when the headlights of other vehicles strike them, intrigue me. 

So it was interesting to read that Royal Enfield is recalling motorcycles it made from November 2022 to March 2023 to bring their legally required reflectors up to worldwide standards. 

The recall will be rolled out in India, Brazil, Latin America, Europe, the UK, South Korea, Canada and the U.S. 

Fortunately, for owners of affected motorcycles, they're looking at an easy, free fix that might take only 15 minutes at a dealership. 

What really interests me is not what the reflectors do, but how they look. These little ruby lenses have always struck me as part of the "jewelry" on motorcycles, and I like to see how manufacturers through the ages have found places to position them. 

I've blogged about the different solutions I noticed at a motorcycle show.

Accessory reflector on a vintage Royal Enfield. Nice touch.

It's not necessarily easy to find a spot on a motorcycle to put a reflector.

I know: because my then-new 1999 Royal Enfield Bullet came with its five stick-on reflectors unapplied. I had to experiment for some time to find where they were meant to go. It just didn't seem to have enough flat surfaces!

A small matter, you might say. But ways of providing reflection for safety were the subject of experimentation in the early days of motorcycling.

In Britain the lower part of the rear fender was painted white on the motorcycles of "learners" as the mandatory red "L" must be displayed on a white background.

In 1935, it was Royal Enfield's policy to paint a small white triangle on the rear fender of its bicycles to add reflectance.

Tiny white triangle was a safety measure in 1935.

I'm unsure what U.S. regulations Royal Enfield's modern reflectors may have violated. The Code of Federal Regulations Standard 108 is lengthy and complex on the subject of lamps, reflective devices, and associated equipment.

Motorcycles in the U.S. are required to have three red and two amber "reflex reflectors." One red is to be used facing to the rear, one red on each side at the rear of the motorcycle, and one amber on each side at the front of the motorcycle.

Reflective, adhesive-backed tape may be used, if it meets standards. Here's a sample of those standards:

"Each red reflex reflector shall also provide, at an observation angle of 0.2 degree, not less than 300 millicandelas/lux at any light entrance angle between 30 degrees left and 30 degrees right, including an entrance angle of 0 degree, and not less than 75 millicandelas/lux at any light entrance angle between 45 degrees left and 45 degrees right.

"Each reflex reflector must be designed to conform to the performance requirements of the vibration test, moisture test, dust test, and corrosion test, and the color test and plastic optical material test.

"The exposed surface of each reflex reflector shall be marked with the letters DOT-C which constitutes a certification that the reflector conforms to all applicable requirements... The certification shall be not less than 3mm high, and permanently stamped, etched, molded or printed in indelible ink."

All well and good, but how much good do reflectors really do? Compared to the elaborate lighting systems on motor vehicles today, perhaps not much, practically speaking.

But I think they can be attractive cosmetically. When I speak of reflectors as motorcycle "jewelry," I am thinking of the Lucas style round reflectors, like those available from Hitchcocks Motorcycles.

Hitchcocks listing for vintage rear reflector.