You Didn't See Me

[RHPF]

Sounds to me as though your deliberately and repeatedly riding through known hazardous areas.

Brett

Well one gets me to campus, but ill concede is a horrible road.. the other... I could be driving an International 18 Wheeler and still be cut off and merged into. The drivers just aren't familiar with the concept of driving. Its a phenomena known only to UCI (at least to this severity).

 

[Flash]

Sounds to me as though your deliberately and repeatedly riding through known hazardous areas.

Brett

Every time I hear a biker complain about how they almost got hit by someone who was not paying attention or who did not see them, I think of all of the bikers that I have almost hit......and to a man they were driving like idiots. Among the bikers that I have almost wrecked are: 1- bikers who have rapidly changed lanes without checking, signals, bothering to look, or over more than one lane of traffic rapidly 2-Bikers goign 20 or more mph faster than the flow of traffic, sometimes more than 50mph over 3- Bikers racing each other or in trail, going very fast 4- Bikers showing off. Ironically, the vast majority of guys who are driving like idiots are not wearing protective gear. The best are ones who shoot past me at 90mph with shorts and a t-shirt, sans helmet.

Simply put, many of the bikers who end up dead or injured have themselves to blame. Blaming other driers is a cop out for many. BTW, anyone know why states originally passed helmet laws? It wasn't to do with being a bunch of nannies.....think money

 

[insanebikerboy]

Simply put, many of the bikers who end up dead or injured have themselves to blame. Blaming other driers is a cop out for many.

I agree, there are idiots who ride their scooters like morons and pretty much bring on their fate, but it's true that people don't look specifically for motorcycles, they'll look through the motorcycle to the car behind it. Plus, it's a lot easier and safer for a car not to signal or look twice and end up with a few dents in sheet metal if hitting another car vice a biker getting thrown if hit.

Either way, I hate to see those idiots on sport bikes flying down the road at over 100. It just perpetuates the cycle of car drivers hating motorcyclists and not giving two sh!ts about letting them have their piece of the road.

 

[Brett327]

I agree, there are idiots who ride their scooters like morons and pretty much bring on their fate, but it's true that people don't look specifically for motorcycles, they'll look through the motorcycle to the car behind it. Plus, it's a lot easier and safer for a car not to signal or look twice and end up with a few dents in sheet metal if hitting another car vice a biker getting thrown if hit.

Either way, I hate to see those idiots on sport bikes flying down the road at over 100. It just perpetuates the cycle of car drivers hating motorcyclists and not giving two sh!ts about letting them have their piece of the road.

Right on. Flash, as a liberal, you should be more empathic and caring about the plight of the underdog.

Brett

 

[HAL Pilot]

but it's true that people don't look specifically for motorcycles, they'll look through the motorcycle to the car behind it.

Did you every think it's not a matter of not looking, but of the size of the object? Motorcycles have a cross section of maybe 18 inches. Cars are about 6 feet. I don't know how many times I've looked in my mirror and didn't really see anything but something said "look again" and there was a motor cycle there. And usually that motorcycle was lane splitting. When they do this, I almost feel as if they deserve to be hit. That has got to be most dangerous thing motorcycles do on a regular (and sometimes legal) basis.

 

[Brett327]

Did you every think it's not a matter of not looking, but of the size of the object? Motorcycles have a cross section of maybe 18 inches. Cars are about 6 feet. I don't know how many times I've looked in my mirror and didn't really see anything but something said "look again" and there was a motor cycle there. And usually that motorcycle was lane splitting. When they do this, I almost feel as if they deserve to be hit. That has got to be most dangerous thing motorcycles do on a regular (and sometimes legal) basis.

It's legal in CA and I do it all the time, but there are those who abuse it. It's good at stoplights and when traffic is stopped/slowed in the freeway, but I don't push it. Most people are cool and try to give you as much room as they can, but there are those who deliberately block you. It's as though I'm getting away with something and they think it's their duty to stop me. I had a buddy who would carry a bunch of BBs (he was an Ordie too ) in his pocket - works wonders on paint jobs.

Brett

 

[HAL Pilot]

Lane splitting when the cars are stopped or going really slow is okay. It's in moving traffic that it pisses me off.

 

[insanebikerboy]

Did you every think it's not a matter of not looking, but of the size of the object? Motorcycles have a cross section of maybe 18 inches. Cars are about 6 feet. I don't know how many times I've looked in my mirror and didn't really see anything but something said "look again" and there was a motor cycle there. And usually that motorcycle was lane splitting. When they do this, I almost feel as if they deserve to be hit. That has got to be most dangerous thing motorcycles do on a regular (and sometimes legal) basis.

That was my point, people tend to look for the larger object because they know the larger object poses a bigger threat and just bypass the smaller objects.

 

[joboy_2.0]

That was my point, people tend to look for the larger object because they know the larger object poses a bigger threat and just bypass the smaller objects.

yes, but playing devil's advocate (being an engineer and all), a motorcycle has enough mass going through a windshield (at good speed) to turn the occupants into salsa...

 

[Lonestar155]

I find it interesting that some of you guys are having all these near death close call incidents, while I've been riding >15 years and have really only had a couple with zero accidents, and that's with almost daily riding on SOCAL freeways and city streets. Maybe you should reexamine your riding styles.

Edit: Maybe you guys should get louder pipes.

Brett

Very interesting you bring this up. I have been riding high performance street bikes since I was 16. Im 21 now and have had only one close call with what could have been a serious accident. What kind of bike do you ride down in so cal Brett?

 

[Brett327]

Very interesting you bring this up. I have been riding high performance street bikes since I was 16. Im 21 now and have had only one close call with what could have been a serious accident. One kind of bike do you ride down in so cal Brett?

Metric cruiser - Yamaha V-Star 1100.

Brett

 

[Flash]

Right on. Flash, as a liberal, you should be more empathic and caring about the plight of the underdog.

Brett

A lot of those fat boomers or spoiled teenagers riding around on their $20k (or more) bikes are anything but underdogs.....

Plus, when I think of Naval Aviators on motorcycles I think of my fellow World Watcher sitting astride one in a flight suit in People magazine's Most Beautiful People issue in 2001:

That good enough for you there Brett......

 

[Brett327]

A lot of those fat boomers or spoiled teenagers riding around on their $20k (or more) bikes are anything but underdogs.....

Plus, when I think of Naval Aviators on motorcycles I think of my fellow World Watcher sitting astride one in a flight suit in People magazine's Most Beautiful People issue in 2001:

That good enough for you there Brett......

Don't lump me in with that Martian!

Did he ever get elected to that midwestern state treasurer's position he was running for?

Brett

 

[Xtndr50boom]

Agreed with those before: If you have a close call every other day you're definitely riding the wrong way! I ride a CBR600RR and the only close calls I have are folks swerving from the middle lane to get the next freeway exit without actually looking and those who move toward the middle when they see me lane-splitting in rush hour traffic. The only time I lane-split at speed is when the driver obviously goes to one side of the lane for me (usually the fast lane) and stays there. That's my green light to pass between. Smart? Not the brightest of ideas. Stupid? No.

For those whining about the mean, mean LA freeways, try riding up here at Lake Berryessa, terrible roads, hairpins, gravel on alot of the hairpins, and boaters who don't like using the turn-offs. Go longer than 6 months riding that every other day without laying your bike down or becoming a 200 pound hood ornament and you're a better rider for it. So far, I've got about 10 months there since the last time I laid it down (40 MPH, lowside in a hairpin w/mud/gravel)

 

[Flash]

Don't lump me in with that Martian!

Did he ever get elected to that midwestern state treasurer's position he was running for?

Brett

You know how hard it is to find Nebraska election results? A lot harder than I thought......

This looks pretty official, even though it does say unofficial (maybe they haven't been certified yet?): http://www.sos.state.ne.us/elec/ElectNight/general.htm

Party Race Candidate votes Percentage

Republican State Treasurer Shane Osborn 407109 76%
Nebraska State Treasurer John H. Gathings 125570 24%