General heads-up about cars and bikes sharing the road...

[W1GUH]

There's one situation where bikes are next to impossible for a driver to see, and that's at night, stopped at a light in front of another car. Saw this again this week crossing a street on foot. I looked down the street & saw cars waiting for the light. Then something hit me...there was something funny about what I saw. Yep...THREE headlights...there was a bike in front of the car.

I was on foot and stopped, so I had time to digest the view and take another look. Dunno if a driver could have without active awareness that this can happen. Bikes are everywhere...look twice!

THIS situation, IMHO -- YMMV, is why I think "Loud pipes save lives." is a good thing. Wouldn't have happened if that was a big Harley!

[N8YX]

Big Harleys have little taillights.

I'm a strong advocate of quiet exhausts but loud lights. Even then, you'll get the substance abuser who continues to stare right at you as he's running the stop sign and you're rapidly approaching.

[n2ize]

Big Harleys have little taillights.

I'm a strong advocate of quiet exhausts but loud lights. Even then, you'll get the substance abuser who continues to stare right at you as he's running the stop sign and you're rapidly approaching.

Damned lousy potheads !!!

[N8YX]

Damned lousy potheads !!!

Had a guy pull out in front of me a few weeks back while on the way in to work.

My Concours-14 has a pair of focused headlights, pair of running lights and a pair of accessory LED driving lights mounted on the fork legs. When all that stuff is on, it's like looking into the sun - you aren't going to miss it.

Nevertheless, Mr. Asshole started creeping the stop sign as I approached, kept creeping as I laid on the horns (also obnoxious) and was still going when I put the brakes into full anti-lock. Well, almost - I never felt the system turn on! That bike's brakes and tires make for darn quick, controllable deceleration.

I managed to get stopped about two feet from the guy's driver-side door; he was halfway into the lane by now and had been staring at me the whole time this was going on. Of course, he immediately lit 'em up and beat feet when his fogged-up noggin finally processed what was occurring.

He's going to play that game a few too many times and his luck will eventually run out: A short distance from where this happened is a sheriff training facility, and a lot of their mounted officers commute to and from the complex on this road. The next time said motorist plays that game with a motorcycle, its rider may very well have the authority to have the car torn apart looking for drugs. Especially if the driver is noticeably out of it.

[n2ize]

Had a guy pull out in front of me a few weeks back while on the way in to work.

My Concours-14 has a pair of focused headlights, pair of running lights and a pair of accessory LED driving lights mounted on the fork legs. When all that stuff is on, it's like looking into the sun - you aren't going to miss it.

Nevertheless, Mr. Asshole started creeping the stop sign as I approached, kept creeping as I laid on the horns (also obnoxious) and was still going when I put the brakes into full anti-lock. Well, almost - I never felt the system turn on! That bike's brakes and tires make for darn quick, controllable deceleration.

I managed to get stopped about two feet from the guy's driver-side door; he was halfway into the lane by now and had been staring at me the whole time this was going on. Of course, he immediately lit 'em up and beat feet when his fogged-up noggin finally processed what was occurring.

He's going to play that game a few too many times and his luck will eventually run out: A short distance from where this happened is a sheriff training facility, and a lot of their mounted officers commute to and from the complex on this road. The next time said motorist plays that game with a motorcycle, its rider may very well have the authority to have the car torn apart looking for drugs. Especially if the driver is noticeably out of it.

It could be that they are potheads but most of the time I think they are just obnoxious assholes who don't give a crap. I used to fdo a lot of bicycle riding around here and I remember how arrogant and nasty some of these drivers were. I had an old guy and his elderly wife nearly kill me once then he gave me a dirty look and the finger. I had the right of the way and they didn't care. Their attitude was, you are on a bike and you have no right to be there and I don;t have to yield to you. The attitude of a lot of these people is, "my car is bigger, heavier and stronger than your bike and I'll run you off the road". I don;t think they are on pot or drugs. They are just plain ol' nasty arrogant people. Of course , if you can get the law to search them for drugs then all the better. Serves them right for being pricks.

[N8YX]

It could be that they are potheads but most of the time I think they are just obnoxious assholes who don't give a crap.

Potheads typically don't pull this kind of garbage - at least, none I've ever been around. The individual in question was either seriously drunk or on synthetics.

I've witnessed "the look" enough to know when someone is majorly incapacitated. And not from the leaf.

[KB3LAZ]

I have seen a big loud Harley get ass ended at a stop light.

[kb2vxa]

The menace around here are bicycles. Riders think traffic laws don't apply to them and in summer they are legion. Bike cops are worse, they set such a fine example when they should be handing out wolf tickets.

[KC2UGV]

The menace around here are bicycles. Riders think traffic laws don't apply to them and in summer they are legion. Bike cops are worse, they set such a fine example when they should be handing out wolf tickets.

Yeah, a 23 lb bicycle, with a 150 lb rider, traveling at 20mph max is a menace. Much more so than a 3000 lb hunk of steel at 50 mph

[N8YX]

Yeah, a 23 lb bicycle, with a 150 lb rider, traveling at 20mph max is a menace. Much more so than a 3000 lb hunk of steel at 50 mph

It isn't the kinematics in the bicycle world which are dangerous...it's the fashion:

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