"Officer, I didn't see the motorcycle!"
An often-used phrase at the scene of an accident between a motorcycle and a car, or truck. You should think twice about removing your stock taillight. Adding another light in-place of your rear reflector below the grab bar or sissy bar is a good idea, many people have done that. Here is some reading about lighting for you:
https://one.nhtsa.gov/people/injury/pedbimot/motorcycle/00-NHT-212-motorcycle/motorcycle49-50.html
https://www.nhtsa.gov/sites/nhtsa.dot.gov/files/811507.pdf
The 2nd one says front high and low mounted lights catches oncoming motorists' view for a longer period of time. Something the stock turn signals do is provide a large area of visual illumination to the front and rear, which you need in this time of distracted driving, with people texting and not watching their path.
Have you ever followed one of those motorcyclists that have a left-side mount for their license plate and taillight, by the rear axle? The ones that you mount the license plate sideways? Unfortunately for the rider, anyone on the right side of the bike cannot see the taillight, making it much more likely that they will change lanes into you when they move from the right to the left lane, where you are!
Another popular mod is the crescent-shaped CBR-style light as used on CBR600 Hondas and other bikes. You can get these which have integrated turn signals, so one luminaire (light fixture) does duty as a running, brake, and both turn signal lights.
You might think this stuff is geeky, but you will be easily seen:
http://www.conspicuity.us/
And studies have shown that the simple act of wearing a white helmet significantly increases your visibility to motorists compared to a dark one, and for a further distance.
Have you ever followed a motorcycle in the rain? Especially a hard rain? The taillight almost disappears, visually. You need all the help you can get to be seen. That large, boxy, 'uncool' light our bikes comes with actually does a decent job of providing visibility to motorists behind you. One of those clear taillight lenses with a red bulb or LED inside is an especially
poor means of illumination. The red taillight lens lighting up on our stock taillight provides a lot more lit surface area than just a colored bulb on some custom 'cool-looking' taillight.
This company has some good products for lighting alternatives.
https://www.customdynamics.com/category/led-taillights-brake-lights
Headlight modulators that rapidly pulse your headlight are very eye-catching, and are designed to be turned-off for normal nighttime riding. They are legal in all 50 states, as a federal regulation superseding any local ordinances. There are also taillight versions that rapidly pulse your taillight for a few seconds when the brakes are applied.
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