Topic: Why do motorcyclists do the things they do?

[mlin32]

Any of the resident bikers wear fluorescent safety vests?

Go visit Seattle and surroundings. Everyone there wears high vis and rides a R 1200GS.

[5 Wheel Drive]

Any of the resident bikers wear fluorescent safety vests?

Go visit Seattle and surroundings. Everyone there wears high vis and rides a R 1200GS.

I rode my friend's R1200GS-A a few times...awesome machine!

[dkaz]

I have hi-vis graphics on my matte black helmet. I've personally seen that riders wearing all dark are almost invisible when they're behind a dark coloured vehicle and the sun is shining at you during sunrise/sunset. Some hi-vis is good. I am sorta considering wearing a hi-vis vest if I have to ride between an hour before sunset until the hour after sunrise. Daytime hours, I don't think it makes a huge difference.

[rrocket]

Any of the resident bikers wear fluorescent safety vests?

Nope.  I draw the line at flouro gear.

Even fluoro rain gear?  IMO, anyone who wears anything other than fluro rain gear is nuts.

I've worn a vest before....but only at night.  A really good idea for night riding IMO.  Especially since several brands fluro vests are made for night riding with tons of reflective bars.

Since I do so much night riding, I might get the new(ish) Rev' It Connector Vest

http://www.revzilla.com/motorcycle/revit-hi-viz-connector-vest

[rrocket]

I was thinking yesterday.   Do any riders.   Weave around in their lane when approaching an intersection with somenone waiting to turn onto the road or cross it?

I'm thinking a weaving object is much more visible in a quick scan that a driver would do then a bike driving straight and smooth.

Wing...I just flash my headlights from high beam to low several times.  Hopefully it's enough to get their attention.

[wing]

Good idea.   

[rrocket]

Good idea.

You can actually buy such a device...it's called a "headlight modulator".  And they are legal.

Check out this video to see how much the lights "pop" with a modulator in use.

Fast forward to 1:00 minute mark  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IbQcIGUy4CY

[wing]

Every bike should have that.   Amazing difference.

[rrocket]

Every bike should have that.   Amazing difference.

Yep.  The good ones (like KRISS) have a photosensor that automatically shuts them off at dusk.  Plus a switch to shut them off if you're riding in a group for example.

I rode beside a guy who had one...and a few cars pulled over thinking it was police...

[wing]

Even better

[rrocket]

Even better

$150 is cheap IMO. 

I should probably get one for my new scoot...

[wing]

Yeah I'd buy that for $150 for sure.

[dkaz]

Wing...I just flash my headlights from high beam to low several times.  Hopefully it's enough to get their attention.

I did that once and a car who didn't look like he saw me so I wanted to grab his attention, and he still proceeded to turn left right in front of me, I mean I had to grab a fist full a brake. I was super pissed at the guy but I wondered if he thought I was letting him turn. That was before I went to riding school. Ever since, I try to read the driver and err on the side of caution if I have my doubts. Oh one thing I've learned to do is if I see another rider especially on my commute, I join them. Visibility in numbers.

I tend to ride with straight high beams on especially in the couple hours after sunrise and before sunset. When the sun is high, visibility is less of a concern for me. Been thinking of auxiliary lights too.

[X-Traction]

A couple of weeks ago I was cycling on a narrow, very rural road on southern Vancouver Island.  There was no center line and I was within a foot of the right shoulder.  Coming toward me were four motorcyclists.  Two of them were side-by-side, approaching at a rate suggesting they were racing.  Then the third motorcyclist pulled out from behind them, going even faster, to pass the other two.  Because of how narrow the road was, this third motorcyclist was coming at me, at perhaps 140kph, in my lane.  The passed me three abreast, and the idiot had at most a foot of clearance from me.  Had I not maintained my line, it would have been curtains for me and a bad crash for him.

I have never seen a motorcyclists treat a cyclist with such irresponsibility.  It definitely colored my attitude toward all of them, because that close call is what I think of whenever I see them.

(This came a few minutes after a jacked up pickup truck passed me from behind, then did the "rolling coal" thing.  Obviously the intent was to make me go through a cloud of diesel smoke.  I simply stopped and waited until the stuff dissipated, watching other motorists drive through it.)

[Ex-airbalancer]

Why do motorcyclists do the things they do ?
Or Is it a  millennium thing , that  there is more assholes out there
http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/toronto/motorcycle-mob-gardiner-1.3801634

[Triple Bob]

It definitely colored my attitude toward all of them, because that close call is what I think of whenever I see them.

Why do motorcyclists do the things they do ?
Or Is it a  millennium thing , that  there is more assholes out there
http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/toronto/motorcycle-mob-gardiner-1.3801634

 

I see many bad drivers every morning, doesn't mean they are all bad.  It's not a millennial thing, there have always been asshats out there, they know the police won't chase.  Once the police toughen their stance this might change.  Asshats used to do it for fun (not that I would call it that), now they do it for youtube views.

This blogger died just recently:
https://www.youtube.com/user/mede1ros

but hey, he got views...

Tarring a whole group with the same brush is a ridiculous thing to do, any any situation.  Every biker that I know is a far safer rider and driver than anyone else I know.

[mlin32]

I generally try to not generalise; there are many bad drivers out there too.........mostly in Audis. 

I think for us riders, getting over the generalised stereotype on this side of the atlantique is the hardest thing to do. Nothing to do with generational differences.

[wing]

Yeah apparently I rife a crotch rocket.   I just wanted a small naked bike.   It's not powerful,  certainly very far away from a rocket.   

Do not want to be lumped in with those idiots.

[Ex-airbalancer]

It definitely colored my attitude toward all of them, because that close call is what I think of whenever I see them.

Why do motorcyclists do the things they do ?
Or Is it a  millennium thing , that  there is more assholes out there
http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/toronto/motorcycle-mob-gardiner-1.3801634

 

I see many bad drivers every morning, doesn't mean they are all bad.  It's not a millennial thing, there have always been asshats out there, they know the police won't chase.  Once the police toughen their stance this might change.  Asshats used to do it for fun (not that I would call it that), now they do it for youtube views.

This blogger died just recently:
https://www.youtube.com/user/mede1ros

but hey, he got views...

Tarring a whole group with the same brush is a ridiculous thing to do, any any situation.  Every biker that I know is a far safer rider and driver than anyone else I know.

Yes, there as always been out there driving , always  seen large groups of bikers on rides
But I do not remember see large groups of bikers doing what was done in the video
It would also be a group of maybe 4 bikes
Not the large groups you would see now

[mlin32]

I almost always ride alone, but the one time I rode it was just the 4 of us. And around here, usually it's 5-8 people.

The "really big groups" are usually on Harleys.