Ahh Motorcyclists

[Howard]

If I can , I always drift over to the left a bit to let a bike past.

Most acknowledge it with a small raised hand as thanks.

 

[lxi]

A quick flick of the left indicator (assuming you are not approaching a junction off to the left!) lets them know you have seen them approaching and that you will make whatever allowances appropriate should they care to overtake

 

[Bellow]

Clocking them in two mirrors - the diligent ones will spot the head movements and know they have been seen. Anything beyond just causes confusion. Indicators imply junction or manoeuvre - reasons for a biker to abort his plan.

 

[lxi]

I don't need to move my head to see any of the mirrors.

I did qualify my comment - "quick flick" and not when approaching any junctions

 

[Ted]

Pair of shotguns on the bike and they can hear you coming no problem.

 

[st13phil]

I noted many bikers filtering on French roads recently put their hazard warning lights on, not infallible but surely a sound idea?

If I'm filtering through slow-moving or stationary traffic on a motorway (e.g. M25), depending upon the circumstances I sometimes switch on the hazard warning lights as they attract attention in (most) people's peripheral vision.

As a matter of courtesy I also try to acknowledge when someone has moved to let me through by raising a hand, or at least the fingers, but it's not always possible when you're covering brake and clutch levers in slow-moving traffic.

 

[Bellow]

I don't need to move my head to see any of the mirrors.

I did qualify my comment - "quick flick" and not when approaching any junctions

A flick doesn't let them know they have been seen. My head swivels. So I swivel it so they know I've seen them.

He/she is behind. How can they know there isn't a junction? Signalling just creates confusion.
Let them know they have been seen then just drive as you were is all a biker needs or wants. Nice and predictable, no signals to raise doubts. Keep the signalling for something the biker does need to know about.

 

[lxi]

He/she can see there's not a junction because they can see the road ahead and in the case of my car, over the top of me, but clearly I'm not going to convince you so we'll just have to agree to disagree and I'll have to consider that I (and the riders who have passed me) have been lucky in 40 odd years of driving cars and bikes.

 

[mat8n]

with filtering my parking sensors go off at least 15 times in a 25 mile journey and this is everyday due to motorcyclists being to close.

And this has been going on for how long?

And yet you still don't leave a gap big enough to get a bike through?

15 bikes a day buzz past you, even out of self preservation for your car never mind plain ignorance to bikes i'd have thought you'd have learnt to leave enough space after a day or two:fail

I ride a Honda goldwing and a 125 scooter and I filter on them both, I've had the idiots trying to squash me, but you actually do get a higher percentage of drivers who do try and give you space.

You can get ambulances,police cars and fire engines down the middle in an emergency, if your not leaving a big enough gap in stationary traffic to let a motorcyclist through(even a fat one!) then your road positioning is shockingly bad, as there is no way you would drive at 30+miles an hour that close to the car next to you.
For some reason car drivers merge to the centre the slower they go

 

[John]

If I'm filtering through slow-moving or stationary traffic on a motorway (e.g. M25), depending upon the circumstances I sometimes switch on the hazard warning lights as they attract attention in (most) people's peripheral vision.

As a matter of courtesy I also try to acknowledge when someone has moved to let me through by raising a hand, or at least the fingers, but it's not always possible when you're covering brake and clutch levers in slow-moving traffic.

I often get a "left foot out" when I move over for them.

 

[st13phil]

^ that's the "French Way" to acknowledge courtesy - I use that too, when the driver can see my feet / legs!

 

[Power_n_Glory]

I like the French way in all sorts of circumstances, as it means I can keep a firm grip when it matters. Otherwise a wave or a nod!

 

[esox]

I often get a "left foot out" when I move over for them.

^ that's the "French Way"

The `English` way is a left foot out to kick the wing mirror off offending cars who don`t move over to prevent the biker getting through!

 

[Power_n_Glory]

The `English` way is a left foot out to kick the wing mirror off offending cars who don`t move over to prevent the biker getting through!

Wow! The English must do serious yoga and/or ride a very, very tall cruiser. My handlbars go under most wing mirrors...

And as all bikers know if you kick something then you wobble and come off worse particularly in tight traffic. Most uncool.

However, if you ever see a biker with a heavy chain over his/her(?) shoulders, I strongly advise giving a very wide berth indeed.

 

[Newera]

I've ridden for over 30 years, both in UK & Japan. When I see a bike in my mirrors I always give them as wide a berth as possible. Most people are courteous but occasionally there are idiots in cars.

I once saw a guy (In a Merc 190E 2.5 Turbo diesel of all things!) driving very agressively and almost having accidents at about 180km/h as he swerved through traffic on the highway without leaving any room for escape should someone suddenly pull out in front of him or do something else unexpected...with that much closing speed I saw a few near misses as cars would pull into the outside lane and he wouldn't slow. They'd then swerve back in, but what if someone spun as a result??

So I followed at the same speed where safe and accelerated to catch him if I slowed. I kept a safe distance. Ahead, the road became clear and I came up beside him inside a tunnel, pointing my finger at my brain as if to signal that his driving was crazy & to slow down.
He proceeded to swerve violently towards me, so I braked... then he got in front and did an emergency stop. My back wheel was in the air momentarily as I braked as much as I could, my heart in my mouth...

I continued to follow him (he tried to get away now, but I'd already resolved I was going to stay with him, so there was no chance he was going anywhere), keeping at least 2 cars between us. Eventually when he realised trying to get away from an SP2 was pointless, he stopped in a layby on an exit from the highway and got out of his 190 leaving the door open...

I still had my helmet on. He shouted loud abuse. I gently but firmly pushed his chest and explained he'd put my life in danger when he tried to make me come off the bike.
He immediately said defensively that I'd "assaulted him" and he was calling the police.

At that point, I closed my visor as I said, "I hit you??", no - "now I'm going to hit you!" and headbutted him with said helmet.
He fell to the ground in a daze & I quickly grabbed his keys from the ignition and threw them far into the forest next to the road. Told him not to get up, got back on the bike and left.

Probably wasn't the right thing to do, as he would hate bikers from then on.
Usually I'd just leave it and not let stuff bother me, but I figured with his driving he was likely to do someone some harm. Better that he couldn't drive any more so I don't regret what I did.

 

[Deleted member 6183]

So, in short, you saw someone driving badly and followed him until he stopped. You then nutted him while wearing a bike helmet?

You need help (following a spell inside).

 

[Newera]

I was there to experience what he was up to, you weren't so....not being a bike rider you probably wouldn't understand what it is to have your back wheel in the air at 70 mph or so whilst trying to avoid someone's back bumper as he jams his brakes on & how it might make you feel if you knew the driver made two very aggressive manouvers on purpose to try to make you fall off.

Most riders would panic & lock the front wheel & down they'd go... and the driver would then drive away not being responsible for the accident caused. You think that's an acceptable way to drive?
Even after this occurence he continued to drive like a complete maniac. His car was visibly rolling quite hard as he went around corners at some 190 km/h.

I didn't hurt him significantly nor left any marks, blood, or anything like that. I believe he deserved what he got: A sore head and an opportunity to stop and think of what he was doing putting many people's lives at risk on the road.

It's OK the event described happened a long time ago now. I certainly won't be needing any mental help nor free accommodation.

 

[MancMike]

Who made you the police?

Seriously, being on a bike, pursuing someone who's already driving erratically, then being stupid enough to get close or behind that vehicle that can out-brake you easily, sounds like you've got a death wish.

You're right, I/we weren't there, but enough trouble will come your way in life to start being a vigilante and actively chasing trouble down the bloody motorway...

 

[Newera]

Like I said, usually I don't let stuff like this affect me. Following dangerous drivers isn't something I make a habit of, but on a bike it's not difficult to go at higher speeds safely - but yes I do tend to ride a bike fast when conditions allow... (and have a clean licence too).

I omitted to mention this happened in Japan. A place where speed isn't necessarily frowned upon as in the UK. I remember the days when UK drivers had much better driving standards than today, when speed was not considered a socially unacceptable as it is now - it's that "speed kills" brainwashing, that's got to most UK drivers. Drivers tend to watch their speedometers & phones more nowadays... lane discipline has disappeared compared to 30+ years ago and people are paranoid of getting zapped by speed cameras. Driving very slowly can be so boring for some they don't pay attention and accidents occur as a result too.

The attitude & numb lack of attention of some drivers is one of the reasons I wouldn't ever live in the UK again, TBH. People speed on quiet motorways here, but they usually do it with consideration for other road users when they do and are attentive. Some sportscar fanatics drive very fast at night around Tokyo's empty highway toll roads, but tend to do so with skill and observation and drivers around them are aware and allow them to pass safely. Tokyo's famous for this and the Police have let is go on for decades now. There is also some very fast driving done on country roads. The whole tuning scene for Japanese cars developed because of the way enthusiasts use their cars on roads & track although it's been in decline for years because there is less money for people to spend and manufacturers stopped building such cars about 10 years ago. Typical driver mentality between UK & Japan is very different though. Refreshingly so. You can find many videos of this sort of driving in Japan on youtube. Do you see or hear of terrible accidents? Rarely.

This driver however, clearly had no consideration for other road user's safety. His car was swerving between 3 lanes and narrowly cutting through closing gaps from beginning to end. His car was standard, with brakes, suspension & tyres that were not suited to driving that hard. As I saw it, he was bound to have an accident driving like that, if the car in front of him just touched their brake whilst he tried to nip through.
So I kept up safely without swerving between cars, etc. I suppose some might not be able to understand that a bike can move at a faster pace than a car with much more safety in the same road conditions...

Which brings me to the point of this thread. Bikes are capable of covering distances a lot quicker, so best is to let them go. You won't get there any faster by holding up a bike that will get past anyway. So be courteous and treat others as you'd expect to be treated were the roles reversed.

 

[Giantvanman]

I've ridden for over 30 years, both in UK & Japan. When I see a bike in my mirrors I always give them as wide a berth as possible. Most people are courteous but occasionally there are idiots in cars.

I once saw a guy (In a Merc 190E 2.5 Turbo diesel of all things!) driving very agressively and almost having accidents at about 180km/h as he swerved through traffic on the highway without leaving any room for escape should someone suddenly pull out in front of him or do something else unexpected...with that much closing speed I saw a few near misses as cars would pull into the outside lane and he wouldn't slow. They'd then swerve back in, but what if someone spun as a result??

So I followed at the same speed where safe and accelerated to catch him if I slowed. I kept a safe distance. Ahead, the road became clear and I came up beside him inside a tunnel, pointing my finger at my brain as if to signal that his driving was crazy & to slow down.
He proceeded to swerve violently towards me, so I braked... then he got in front and did an emergency stop. My back wheel was in the air momentarily as I braked as much as I could, my heart in my mouth...

I continued to follow him (he tried to get away now, but I'd already resolved I was going to stay with him, so there was no chance he was going anywhere), keeping at least 2 cars between us. Eventually when he realised trying to get away from an SP2 was pointless, he stopped in a layby on an exit from the highway and got out of his 190 leaving the door open...

I still had my helmet on. He shouted loud abuse. I gently but firmly pushed his chest and explained he'd put my life in danger when he tried to make me come off the bike.
He immediately said defensively that I'd "assaulted him" and he was calling the police.

At that point, I closed my visor as I said, "I hit you??", no - "now I'm going to hit you!" and headbutted him with said helmet.
He fell to the ground in a daze & I quickly grabbed his keys from the ignition and threw them far into the forest next to the road. Told him not to get up, got back on the bike and left.

Probably wasn't the right thing to do, as he would hate bikers from then on.
Usually I'd just leave it and not let stuff bother me, but I figured with his driving he was likely to do someone some harm. Better that he couldn't drive any more so I don't regret what I did.

I was there to experience what he was up to, you weren't so....not being a bike rider you probably wouldn't understand what it is to have your back wheel in the air at 70 mph or so whilst trying to avoid someone's back bumper as he jams his brakes on & how it might make you feel if you knew the driver made two very aggressive manouvers on purpose to try to make you fall off.

Most riders would panic & lock the front wheel & down they'd go... and the driver would then drive away not being responsible for the accident caused. You think that's an acceptable way to drive?
Even after this occurence he continued to drive like a complete maniac. His car was visibly rolling quite hard as he went around corners at some 190 km/h.

I didn't hurt him significantly nor left any marks, blood, or anything like that. I believe he deserved what he got: A sore head and an opportunity to stop and think of what he was doing putting many people's lives at risk on the road.

It's OK the event described happened a long time ago now. I certainly won't be needing any mental help nor free accommodation.

Oh, I omitted to mention this happened in Japan. A place where speed isn't necessarily frowned upon as in the UK. I remember the days when UK drivers had much better driving standards than today, when speed was not considered a socially unacceptable as it is now - it's that "speed kills" brainwashing, that's got to most UK drivers. Drivers tend to watch their speedometers & phones more nowadays... lane discipline has dissapeared and people are paranoid of getting zapped by speed cameras. Driving very slowly can be so boring for some they don't pay attention and accidents occur as a result.

The attitude & lack of attention of some drivers is one of the reasons I wouldn't ever live in the UK again, TBH. People speed on quiet motorways here, but they usually do it with consideration for other road users when they do. People drive very fast at night around Tokyo's roads, but tend to do so with skill and observation and drivers around them are aware and allow them to pass safely. Tokyo's famous for this and the Police have let is go on for decades now. The whole tuning scene for Japanese cars developed because of the way enthusiasts use their cars on roads & track although it's been in decline for years because there is less money for people to spend and manufacturers stopped building such cars about 10 years ago. Typical driver mentality between UK & Japan is very different. Refreshingly so.

This driver had no consideration for other road user's safety. His car was swerving between 3 lanes and narrowly cutting through closing gaps from beginning to end. His car was standard, with brakes, suspension & tyres that were not suited to driving that hard. As I saw it, he was bound to have an accident driving like that, if the car in front of him just touched their brake whilst he tried to nip through.
So I kept up safely without swerving between cars, etc. I suppose some might not be able to understand that a bike can move at a faster pace than a car with much more safety in the same road conditions...

Which brings me to the point of this thread. Bikes are capable of covering distances a lot quicker, so best is to let them go. You won't get there any faster by holding up a bike that will get past anyway. So be courteous and treat others as you'd expect to be treated were the roles reversed.

You had me (sort of) up to that point when I couldn't help but laugh at the irony. Good one. :fail