An Alternative View.....

[pete roper]

Those of you who sometimes visit Wildguzzi, the board for sad old farts like me might of seen my post from a couple of days ago where I extolled the wonders of having parked my truck, (A 3 Tonne, 4.2 litre turbo diesel, Nissan patrol, scarecely the worlds least conspicuous vehicle.) outside the local supermarket to get some milk for work. When I hopped back in and started to pull out from the centre of the road a woman in a sedan whipped out of the centre park a few cars down and almost ploughed into me. I was already moving before she was so it was, theoretically, my 'Right of Way'.

 

We both stopped, luckily without contact, but when I peered over to to examine the mongoloid involved I saw that she actually had her laptop computer between her torso and the steering wheel and was doing her f@cking e-mail as she pulled out of the park!!!!!

 

Guy's it doesn't matter if you dress like a fireworks display, have pulsing lights, ride within the speed limits at all times, have loud pipes or quiet ones the only thing that will save your sorry arses is believing that every other person on the road, no matter how many wheels they're traveling on, is a mentally deficient mouth breather who can only feed themselves accurately if they lie on their backs and use a funnel in their mouths and a really big spoon!!!!

 

You can call it 'Defensive Riding' you can call it 'Anti-Moron Travel' you can call it any damn thing you like but the fact remains it's no good pissing and moaning if you're lying on a porcelain slab with a pathologist tut-tutting over you.

 

Don't worry, I'm no 'Safety First' dropkick. I only ever seem to have three points remaining on my licence at any one time and I loose them all through being caught *Speeding* on deserted country roads I know like the back of my hand. I've also had my fair share of prangs over the years. Most of those have been self inflicted and I've never broken a serious bone but I'm convinced that the reasons for that are simple. I don't speed in town. I treat other road users with respect even if they are checking the form guide on their steering wheel or think that they are proving a point by rounding up the fat old geezer on the Moto Guzzi on their CBR600 or R6, (Like? They're proving what exactly???? ) and most importantly I think you're all a load of brain-dead dropkicks who don't understand the laws of physics, aren't trained to control your vehicles and have a pathological desire to see me dead, (Don't worry, lots of people out of vehicles feel the same way!).

 

Safety is a complete non-issue. If you ride a motorbike believing it's safe? BOY, HAVE I GOT NEWS FOR YOU! Motorbikes are more dangerous than cars, sorry, sad but true. If that worries you f@ck off and buy whatever four wheeled conveyance currently comes out tops in the *safety* surveys and drive around never exceeding 30KPH and wear a bicycle helmet at all times to protect yourself from head injury in the event of an *accident*.

 

If however you chose to ride a motorbike because it's bloody good fun and you think that al the current road rules are basically useless because everybody else drives and rides like shit don't try and blame everything on other people as if it's an *excuse*! You know their blind wombats and c*nts! treat them accordingly! But stop whining that it isn't safe! It's your choice. If you don't like the heat? Get out of the kitchen!!!!!

 

Pete

[g.forrest]

Those of you who sometimes visit Wildguzzi, the board for sad old farts like me   might of seen my post from a couple of days ago where I extolled the wonders of having parked my truck, (A 3 Tonne, 4.2 litre turbo diesel, Nissan patrol, scarecely the worlds least conspicuous vehicle.) outside the local supermarket to get some milk for work. When I hopped back in and started to pull out from the centre of the road a woman in a sedan whipped out of the centre park a few cars down and almost ploughed into me. I was already moving before she was so it was, theoretically, my 'Right of Way'.

 

We both stopped, luckily without contact, but when I peered over to to examine the mongoloid involved I saw that she actually had her laptop computer between her torso and the steering wheel and was doing her f@cking e-mail as she pulled out of the park!!!!!

 

Guy's it doesn't matter if you dress like a fireworks display, have pulsing lights, ride within the speed limits at all times, have loud pipes or quiet ones the only thing that will save your sorry arses is believing that every other person on the road, no matter how many wheels they're traveling on, is a mentally deficient mouth breather who can only feed themselves accurately if they lie on their backs and use a funnel in their mouths and a really big spoon!!!!

 

You can call it 'Defensive Riding' you can call it 'Anti-Moron Travel' you can call it any damn thing you like but the fact remains it's no good pissing and moaning if you're lying on a porcelain slab with a pathologist tut-tutting over you.

 

Don't worry, I'm no 'Safety First' dropkick. I only ever seem to have three points remaining on my licence at any one time and I loose them all through being caught *Speeding* on deserted country roads I know like the back of my hand. I've also had my fair share of prangs over the years. Most of those have been self inflicted and I've never broken a serious bone but I'm convinced that the reasons for that are simple. I don't speed in town. I treat other road users with respect even if they are checking the form guide on their steering wheel or think that they are proving a point by rounding up the fat old geezer on the Moto Guzzi on their CBR600 or R6, (Like? They're proving what exactly???? ) and most importantly I think you're all a load of brain-dead dropkicks who don't understand the laws of physics, aren't trained to control your vehicles and have a pathological desire to see me dead, (Don't worry, lots of people out of vehicles feel the same way!).

 

Safety is a complete non-issue. If you ride a motorbike believing it's safe? BOY, HAVE I GOT NEWS FOR YOU! Motorbikes are more dangerous than cars, sorry, sad but true. If that worries you f@ck off and buy whatever four wheeled conveyance currently comes out tops in the *safety* surveys and drive around never exceeding 30KPH and wear a bicycle helmet at all times to protect yourself from head injury in the event of an *accident*.

 

If however you chose to ride a motorbike because it's bloody good fun and you think that al the current road rules are basically useless because everybody else drives and rides like shit don't try and blame everything on other people as if it's an *excuse*! You know their blind wombats and c*nts! treat them accordingly! But stop whining that it isn't safe! It's your choice. If you don't like the heat? Get out of the kitchen!!!!!  

 

Pete

77589[/snapback]

[Morris Sod]

As usual Mr Roper hits the nail on the head in his usual succinct and erudite way.

We are targets whether deliberate or subconcious, we don't pose a threat to the cagers so why should they care.

 

From the advanced riding manual that seems to work most times for me. The 3 second rule.

Always allow 3 secs gap between you and any other possible threat. Intersections, roundabouts, following another vehicle, over taking, any situatiion which could turn nasty and you know the reply will be I didn't see you, so don't give them the chance. Delay, evade and accelerate.

 

Always have 2 fingers over brake, set up and remain vigilant. Thats all fine for seeable threats, unseeable, well practice avoidance, serious emergency braking (like smoking it, but with bike planted upright) and if need be putting the bike down first before the shit really hits the fan.

 

Have been riding continuously for 39 years and have had only 1 major stack, car spinning out of control on wet road in front of me, hit him at 130kmh and flew like a bird. As Mr Roper says take it easy in town and put up with the speeding tickets on the "unpatrolled " country roads. Its too much fun to stop riding and join the status quo.

[Martin Barrett]

Someday we'll be required to have a pulse-light for daytime use, similar to what trains and aircraft use. Won't that be fun!!

77568[/snapback]

 

As a lad I remember seeing a Jota with a pulsator. Could see him coming from way off. Only concern is that a flash could be interperated as being flashed out. and that it makes the speed distance calculation even more difficult.

[mdude]

three things work:

1. use your lights, its a proven measure. its not a joke that its mandatory in some countries (like Norway) its because you get noticed. pulsating lights? bring it on! Merchedes 300 SL had those in the fifties for highspeed Autobahn driving. It worked.

2. make your bike sound like a f... Lancaster bomber is landing on the cage drivers ass, if nothing it scares the shit out of him when you thunder past

3. trust no one, not even other bikers – actually: especially not other bikers! most accidents are either single or with other bikes involved, on third place theres the bike/car accident.

4. when in doubt, always reduce speed

 

you may want to use reflective wests in twilight conditions, but that make you look like youre 78 yrs old and demented, so rather use rule no 3 and 4. I do, and I've never had an accident, car nor bike.

 

oh I forgot rule no 5: NO POOFTAHS!!

[Martin Barrett]

On two wheels, it is rarely about speed, or safety, but the finesse needed to navigate the most difficult of roads.

77599[/snapback]

 

In that case why aren't we riding little two strokes with knife edge power bands, and scalpel like handling as we dissect the road.

 

Personally I bludgeon it in to submission with tractability.

[pete roper]

I've never understood this reputation Bimmers have for reliability? Horrible shoddy things built down to a price and engineered by monkeys

 

I'd rather stick red hot pins in me @#$$#! than take one on a long journey. Yeah, yeah, I can hear the howls of outrage from here, fortunately I couldn't give the tiniest little tinker's cuss.

 

(You may also of heard that I don't like alloy timing gears )

 

Pete

[Frenchbob]

There is a fund of good advice contained in the posts on this thread. I would simply add:

 

1. In many European countries, including France, riding with headlight on is compulsory

2. Nothing beats being aware of whether the idiot in front/behind/at the side knows you're there, and even that isn't foolproof, so just assume that everyone else on the road is a total moron. It is strange how seldom you'll be disappointed.

 

4. Pete Roper has it right: you know why you ride, and it isn't because motorcycling is the safest human activity ever. Make a list of all the things you can do to avoid the risks and you'll soon realise that near the top is giving up motorcycling. So, most of us arrive at a compromise. I don't go out if I'm not 100% alert and fit: not if I'm tired, and certainly not if I've had even one drink [neither do I work on my bikes in those circumstances] but when I do ride, I wear black leather/jeans, black helmet and I ride as fast as I consider safe and enjoyable. Above all, I try to make every ride the most skilful I've had. Otherwise, I might as well be in dayglow nappies on a bright orange scooter with a basket on the front..........or find another pastime. As if!

 

Ride well, guys.

 

Edit: I don't know what happened to No. 3!

 

Older BMW twins are great, but you have to ride one for about a month to find out why........bit like Guzzis, really.

[Guest Nogbad]

Edit: I don't know what happened to No. 3!

 

 

77608[/snapback]

 

It's probably a fanatical devotion to the Pope.......

[Guzzirider]

The sad truth in Yorkshire is that many of the bike accidents and fatalities are the riders' fault and do not involve cars- typically guys in their late 30s or 40s who are new to biking or "born again". They ride out in packs of mainly Jap sportsbikes early on a Sunday morning, try and keep up with their mates and end up in a dry stone wall by taking a bend too fast- unfortunately that is all too common a scenario.

 

Nearly every Sunday evening in the summer sadly there is at least one fatality reported on the local teletext.

 

I fully agree with Pete's comments- we need to take full responsibility for our safety and assume everyone else out there is a muppet.

 

I also agree with what Nigel says about noise- I do a lot of city riding and if I am on Helen's R6 which is as noisy as a sewing machine, I am not noticed as much when filtering. If I am on my throaty Guzzi or the HD the traffic parts in front of me like magic.

 

Guy

[Bill Hagan]

A few moments worth watching. Hope some cagers see it, too. Haven't seen it here before, but apologies if a repeat. Seemed relevant to this thread.

 

http://ruiner.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk/howclose.mpg

 

As for some other posts here, "As usual Mr Roper hits the nail on the head in his usual succinct and erudite way." The Ropester "succinct?" Surely you jest; actually, I am thankful for Pete, as it deflects some criticism I get for using five words when two would do. Unfortunately, Pete's are just more fun to read than mine!

 

I certainly agree with Pete on the conspicuity, i.e., "it doesn't matter if you dress like a fireworks display, have pulsing lights, ride within the speed limits at all times, have loud pipes or quiet ones the only thing that will save your sorry arses is believing that every other person on the road, no matter how many wheels they're traveling on, is a mentally deficient mouth breather who can only feed themselves accurately if they lie on their backs and use a funnel in their mouths and a really big spoon!!!!"

 

Only time I feel that others see me is in rain when I wear a reflective crossbelt that makes me look like a cop (yes, even when on the HDM EV!). Even had one left-lane bandit pull to the shoulder when I pulled in behind him on the slab once and waved him over.

 

Bill

[docc]

As testimony to the bravado of riding motorcycles, it is notable that we all have well developed beliefs and even sets of rules for being noticed by other road users.

 

Like: * You're invisible, not invincible.

* People pull out in front of trains with MARS lights and horns blaring. At marked crossings with flashing lights. Routinely.

* Drivers don't hear sirens, loud pipes or, often, the person talking next to them. They have their mind on other things. Fiamms help but mostly for dogs.

* Most crashes happen in intersections. Here, graphic patterns will tend to break up your silhouette into the urban background. Presenting the shape of a man with an attached head may be one way to keep it that way.

* I 've ridden many miles behind bikes with headlaight modulators. Drivers do seem to get out of the way thinking these are emergency vehicles. Also, it has been common for these riders to be required to explain to Law Enforcement, with documentation, the Federal Statute allowing them to operate the modulator.

* Certainly, we are most correct to accept the true measure of risk and our limits including those limits of the traffic. Still, Pete seems fussier than usual. I think we should take up a collection and send him a dram.

[Martin Barrett]

A few moments worth watching.  Hope some cagers see it, too.  Haven't seen it here before, but apologies if a repeat.  Seemed relevant to this thread.

 

http://ruiner.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk/howclose.mpg

 

77621[/snapback]

 

The only problem with that clip is that you can't see the bike in the first look because he's not there! or if he is he's obscured by the drivers head. But it makes you think " I didn't see him", So if shown at cinemas and on the telly where you can't freeze frame, it works

 

Here the British Government site detailing the current campaign

[mike wilson]

The sad truth in Yorkshire is that many of the bike accidents and fatalities are the riders' fault and do not involve cars- typically guys in their late 30s or 40s who are new to biking or "born again". They ride out in packs of mainly Jap sportsbikes early on a Sunday morning, try and keep up with their mates and end up in a dry stone wall by taking a bend too fast- unfortunately that is all too common a scenario.

 

Nearly every Sunday evening in the summer sadly there is at least one fatality reported on the local teletext.

 

I fully agree with Pete's comments- we need to take full responsibility for our safety and assume everyone else out there is a muppet.

 

I also agree with what Nigel says about noise- I do a lot of city riding and if I am on Helen's R6 which is as noisy as a sewing machine, I am not noticed as much when filtering. If I am on my throaty Guzzi or the HD the traffic parts in front of me like magic.

 

Guy 

77612[/snapback]

 

 

Same here, a little farther north. Even worse, we have one of the busiest roads in the country and riders insist on lane filtering at high speed, even when high density traffic is moving at the national limit. I've seen three fatalities in two years due to this behaviour. More like "Ride to Die" than "Ride to live".

 

mike

[Guzzirider]

I sometimes commute along the M62 to Leeds, and the traffic is normally moving very slowly or at a standstill in the morning for about 17 miles, and I cringe when I see bikes filtering at 60mph- there is so much lane swapping by myopic car drivers they could be splatted in an instant.

 

I tend to filter at slightly more than walking pace and feather the front brake just in case.

 

The weird thing is that some riders just sit at a standstill in the pouring rain with the traffic, when there is plenty of room to filter- they may as well be in a car!

 

Guy