I think what you’re missing here is the behavior described in the article is when traffic is stopped.
ETA: [quote=“Ryuthrowsstuff, post:61, topic:82033”]
if I have to swerve around an obstacle, change lanes or what have after (or because of) the stop/slow down,
[/quote]
You swerve around obstacles when stopped? I’m beginning to suspect it may not be the motorcyclists…
No I caught that. Think about stop and go, dense traffic. Or stoppages from lane closures and crowded merges. Or traffic creeping along with near stops. Or stops at turning lanes. The danger isn’t while your stopped. It’s as traffic comes to a stop or begins to move again. I’ve seen a pick up truck clip a bike he didn’t see while taking a left and roll his back tire over the front fork of the bike. And careful as I am I’ve had some close calls with bikes I couldn’t see in merges and when an accident happens ahead we need to get around.
I am acutely aware of drivers’ blind spots. If I’m far enough up your side that you could clip me then you can see me in your mirrors (provided attention is paid). If I’m far enough back to be in your blind spot then you’re not going to clip me. That truck driver didn’t look before changing lanes, or more likely has a mental blind spot to anything smaller than a dually. This all assumes stopped or stop/go traffic. If we’re at speed and you decide to use your blind spot to kill me in the other lane, it’s Angels on Ariels for me.
pass on this to him for advice from a rider, 1. it’s like smoking, don’t start. (seriously 2 wheels is a drug to me even if I am not the sort to do crazy speeds on it)
2. If you are still determined to start find an MSF basic rider course and take that.
3. The only thing you should buy new is your lid and don’t go cheap on it. The bike you will drop so get a used one. The rest of the gear if it hasn’t been in a fall it will be good enough to start out with so if you can find it used go for it.
And start small. You may not feel uber cool on a 250 but it teaches you how to move the bike around without disastrous consequences because you don’t know how to balance it yet/ the throttle got away from you. In six months you can sell it and graduate to something bigger. Save the liter class bikes for a few years later.
Just registered to say that’s a gorgeous R90S. I’ve got one as well, in the same Daytona Orange, but mine has 88k miles or so on it and is much, much scruffier. Runs like a champ, but can be hard to start if not ridden for a couple of week.s
He had a bike before, but sold it when he was going to get married. He recently took a refresher riding course. Since he said I can have his Colt Elite if he dies, I said it was ok if he got one.
Like I said not trying to argue the finer points of it. Just trying to make clear what I’m talking about. And the situations I describe certainly weren’t the fault of the motorcyclists. Though I’ve even seen this sort of thing happen between two bikes, which was funny, so that was clearly the fault of a motorcyclist. Its just one example of where good riding practice seems to have ignored something critical about cars. In this case they often have blind spots. And if we remember high school drivers ed, an awful lot of noise was made about staying away from peoples blind spots. Its a bad place to be whether you’re driving a car, riding a motorcycle, walking, or doing back flips on a unicylce. And whatever vehicle the other guy might be on/in. I expend a fair bit of effort avoid that exact position on other vehicles. Especially for bikes and big rig trucks (huge MURDER blind spots). Doing this properly shouldn’t land you in some ones blind spot, and shouldn’t have you moving in that blind spot long enough to be missed. But the world isn’t perfect and some times you’ll end up there anyway.
Basically I’m just saying a lot of these awareness problems. Even when they are down to oblivious people in cars, though sometimes they can be no fault of anyone. Can be solved proactively by a little added noise and motion. Honk to announce your position before you end up in the bad spot. That’s actually what horns are for. Contrary to popular belief they aren’t an anger button for punishing rubes. They’re there to communicate with other motorists. Your position, a warning, hello, good bye, do you want a sandwich…
So yeah, please honk more. Or wave at me like an idiot. Or rev your damn engine. Be proactive about announcing your presence. I’m looking out for you guys but occasionally its hard to spot you. And I can’t get out of your way if I don’t know you’re there.
:[quote=“Mister44, post:69, topic:82033”]
he said I can have his Colt Elite if he dies
[/quote]
In that case here’s what he needs
Heck it is more than a few years later for me and I have no desire for more power than my 400cc twist and go. It can get out of the way if I need it to and will happily zoom down the road at 70mph which is just fine for me.
Unfortunately this seems to annoy or anger most drivers.
And what I’m saying is in stop and go traffic if I’m in your blind spot I’m far enough back you’re not going to hit me. Cars don’t move sideways, you need steerage-way, to borrow a term, before that turn happens. The blind spot is a killer when we’re in different lanes and the car comes over to say Hi!
Were I in your position I’d rather have an annoyed driver than get squashed, though unfortunately sometimes the two are connected. From what I understand in Europe its less of an issue. Horns are much more often employed for communicating there (at least among the Irish). Here a quick wave seems to turn “that mother fucker honked at me” into “oh hi!” pretty quick. But unfortunately the situations where a motorcyclist can take their hands off the bars safely are quite limited, and situations where its wise to do so even if you can are rarer still. But I can see your head, I’ve had a lot of people follow the honk with a nod. Not sure how well that works. I do, occasionally, run into riders who do this I’d just like to see it more often. It makes life easier on all of us in my experience.
And I’m with you on the motion being more dangerous part, my request for more honkage applies there as well. My intent was to point out an instance where proper safe riding practice had missed something. And perhaps caused more tension/danger than either the rider or driver expects as a result.
ETA - oops that was supposed to be a reply to @TobinL
Probably something like that. I can’t remember the brand, but pretty sure he was looking at a Japanese bike (he is a weeaboo).
My dad used to ride when I was younger. He seems to lament how powerful all the bikes are now compared to when he was riding in the 60s and 70s. My mom did too, and I know she had a nasty spill at one point.
Right on. Glad there’s drivers like you paying attention.
Thanks, mine tends to start first try if I remember to open the choke in the mornings. Around 46k mi and I’m gonna add some this week. Riding her back up from LA to SF.
There is another trade off and that is fuel efficiency. Once you get into the liter bikes it isn’t any better MPG than a small car except you can GO FAST which of course is going to make the efficiency suck even more.
It is honestly a 50/50 split on the Prius or the Majesty as far as fuel costs go for commuting. Other things eat up your money on a bike like much more frequent maintenance and tire replacement.
I have no interest in riding a motorcycle, but I have friends who do (and one friend who was killed, although partly out of his own stupidity) so try to give motorcyclists as wide a birth as possible. Here in the Bay Area, of course, splitting is legal but I never understand why some people get so agro about it. The only time it bugged me – in hundreds of thousands of miles of driving – was when two guys split on opposite sides of me at the same time. Since I try to yield a few extra inches (in part for the space, in part in hopes it serves to the rider an acknowledgement that I’m paying heed), this could have been very bad indeed.
The “highways” in NYC are so tight any way – sometimes (I’m talking to you, Williamsburg Bridge) you can barely fit two cars side by side. I’ve very careful when around motorcycles – I give them as much room as I can especially if I’m coming up behind them at a light – makes them feel seen and safe, and this way if I get rear ended I’m not going to get pushed forward into them. But … in NYC there’s only so much room, and generally no where to go to make room for illegal lane splitters.
No, but if you appear out of nowhere when the traffic starts I might swerve to the left and hit someone else. There might be no disadvantage to you if I don’t know you’re there, but there is an advantage to me to knowing it.
I think the mid-70s was the inflection point where bikes got to be mechanically reliable/sound enough that we then saw real improvements in suspension and braking. Most bikes from the 1970s, if parts are available, will run as well or better today.
One of the simplest changes you can make, that no one can see but will really really change your reliability experience, is to swap in an electronic ignition. Not having to dicker with points and timing any more makes me very, very happy. Most of what I do, now, is change fluids and adjust valves, which is SUPER SIMPLE on these bikes.
