What irritates you about motorbikers?

[st13phil]

We all hate to be associated with any bad behaviour, by having the same mode of transport or by being the same colour or religion or from a particular country of origin etc etc. So it is equally unfair to tar all of any category with the same brush.

Agreed. However, having survived as a motorcyclist for almost 40 years I make one exception to the above: I learnt long ago to treat with absolute suspicion the intentions of anyone driving a car while wearing any form of hat (unless it's an open top car).

 

[E55BOF]

Especially baseball caps on backwards

And police caps

But for different reasons...

 

[gadget1960]

Like pedestrians, cyclists and car drivers, there are many different types of bikers, some are responsible gentlemen/ladies of the road, some are suicide cases on two wheels.

My pet hate seems to have disappeared with the changes to motorway roadworks - the ones who filter through to the roadworks and then force their way in front of you, effectively delaying everyone else behind them - and then magically expecting you to keep a safe distance behind them when they decided 6" in front of you was fine to pull in. Some do that at traffic lights where filtering is OK if you have somewhere to go, otherwise wait in turn like the rest of us.

Generally, I like to give bikers a wide berth for their own safety, so I get cross when I see bikers not looking after themselves.

I think the last bad tempered reaction I had from a biker was when I drove a couple of miles along a single carriageway road, carefully following the road markings, and sticking to the speed limit, which I personally believe is the right thing in built up areas. There are lots of bollards, cycle lane causing the lane to weave around, but all quite obvious. Got to the High Street, which has a succession of humped zebra crossings, but as soon as the oncoming traffic cleared, a biker shot past, turning around, flicking the V's and generally suggesting I had been driving inappropriately. His only complaints could have been that driving at the speed limit was too slow for him, or I should have driven up the cycle lane (or indeed pavement) to let him past. He didn't seem to think that riding down a High Street not looking where he was going was a problem.

I will also add that a significant number of motorcyclists think that as they are vulnerable that it is legitimate to ride on full beam everywhere, dazzling people.

Got to say ... your case has a mahooosive hole in it, when have you ever been a victim of filtering by bike and then had it hold you up? the very idea / function of filtering is to get in front of you so they can pursue their constant mission of 'headbutting the horizon' and NOT to impede your progress. Everyone knows that bikers have a life expectancy of 40 mins tops so let them get passed, they just don't have the time to waste on queing. and besides... you never know when you may need a lung or a kidney ! you should be grateful to the filtering, noisey, law breaking speed crazed biker trash!.

 

[Pitts Pilot]

I learnt long ago to treat with absolute suspicion the intentions of anyone driving a car while wearing any form of hat (unless it's an open top car).

That is weird, because I have thought the exact same thing since I learnt to drive (ages ago).


Also drivers who are smoking a pipe.

Cheers,
Robert

 

[u brain]

It's all very well when a bike pulls up to the front at lights if they're going to make a clean getaway and not hold anyone up but I think, if they are going to do that, they have a responsibility to be aware who/what they are putting themselves in front of.
Living in London with an SL65, much of my pleasure in life comes in 2 second bursts: when the planets align and I happen to be at the front as the lights go red and the road clears ahead... I sit, intently analysing the the surroundings - is that cyclist going to jump the amber? Will those [insert nationality] tourists step out looking the wrong way, etc. - and if I'm sure we're all clear, as the lights change, there it is: 2 seconds, 0-30 and I'm on clear road with no traffic for 250yds ahead or behind me and never even broken the limit

So when some lad on a 250 plonks himself in front of me, spoiling my getaway, I confess I don't feel exactly generous towards him

Worst though are the pizza bikes. There are times of the day, particularly around the weekend when they swarm like flies, randomly flitting between lanes and vehicles, their L plates fluttering in the breeze, as oblivious to the risks they are talking as the bugs on my radiator grill.
Personally, I don't believe it should be legal to use a vehicle for business while on L plates.

 

[scottydee]

Got to say ... your case has a mahooosive hole in it, when have you ever been a victim of filtering by bike and then had it hold you up? the very idea / function of filtering is to get in front of you so they can pursue their constant mission of 'headbutting the horizon' and NOT to impede your progress. Everyone knows that bikers have a life expectancy of 40 mins tops so let them get passed, they just don't have the time to waste on queing. and besides... you never know when you may need a lung or a kidney ! you should be grateful to the filtering, noisey, law breaking speed crazed biker trash!.

Wow, what an insulting horrible comment to make! I bet you're Mum is dead proud of you. W****r.

 

[gadget1960]

Wow, what an insulting horrible comment to make! I bet you're Mum is dead proud of you. W****r.

Scottydee, you kinda need to calm down a bit mate, if you have read previous posts/threads you will find that I am indeed a lifelong biker, always have been and hopefully always will be. My comment was valid and said with tongue in cheek, I was kind of taking a light hearted view of the persona bikers tend to emit (ie: the deathwish thing), perhaps I didn't come across as clear as I had thought I had. No insults were ever intended or indeed aimed at anyone, so before you go ahead and call anyone else a Wa**er.... take a little time out and ask yourself this .... 'do I really need to sound like a total bell end right now? uhoh... too late!

 

[scottydee]

Scottydee, you kinda need to calm down a bit mate, if you have read previous posts/threads you will find that I am indeed a lifelong biker, always have been and hopefully always will be. My comment was valid and said with tongue in cheek, I was kind of taking a light hearted view of the persona bikers tend to emit (ie: the deathwish thing), perhaps I didn't come across as clear as I had thought I had. No insults were ever intended or indeed aimed at anyone, so before you go ahead and call anyone else a Wa**er.... take a little time out and ask yourself this .... 'do I really need to sound like a total bell end right now? uhoh... too late!

Not entirely sure that I was perhaps the only one hitting "enter" before engaging my brain!

 

[gadget1960]

Not entirely sure that I was perhaps the only one hitting "enter" before engaging my brain!

?? Does that mean you are having trouble reading your own post?
You called me a W****R publicly on a forum for posting no more than a 'tongue in cheek' comment, so don't be surprised when you get a reaction.
The net is such a safe haven for the gutless, i'll put money on you not calling me a w****r if I were stood in front of you!

 

[keejoonc]

As someone who drives and also rode a motorbike before I can't stand retard motorbike riders who rev their **** bike for no reason whatsoever. Such a pretentious ***** thinking they are the next Valentino Rossi. There is a middle aged ****er who always rides his rubbish bike fast around the block. No wonder car drivers hate motorbikes.

 

[geraldrobins]

Be tolerant people.

 

[E55BOF]

As someone who drives and also rode a motorbike before I can't stand retard motorbike riders who rev their **** bike for no reason whatsoever. Such a pretentious ***** thinking they are the next Valentino Rossi. There is a middle aged ****er who always rides his rubbish bike fast around the block. No wonder SOME car drivers hate motorbikes.

Fixed that for you

I'm a driver, and a biker. I'd have to be a schizophrenic to hate either...

 

[tony gee]

well that was a hell of a read, i was gona ask if their was any bikers on the forum so i wont say ive bin a biker since i was 13 ( 39 years ) and a factory trained motorcycle mechanic, and just sold my Harley to buy the c class

 

[219]

I NEVER ride without a thick layer of dead animal between me and the road; I'd rather be too hot, than cool until it all goes wrong. If it DOES all go wrong it may well be the other driver's fault, but that won't ease six months of skin grafts...

Mind you, on that Gold Wing, any driver that doesn't see you really does not have adequate eyesight to be driving at all.

While I agree that mat8n is free to choose his attire , I know from experience that it can all too easily go wrong .

I count myself lucky that in several years biking ( albeit only on a modest CB125T ) that I only had two very minor incidents .

One was when a young lady in a Mini decided that the right turn lane she was queuing in wasn't for her just as I was passing in the separate lane to her left , and clipped my right exhaust can - fortunately I stayed on the bike and had a couple of fairly restrained and polite words with her ; she was clearly upset so it went no further .

The other , and relevant to this discussion , incident was on a sunny summer day when I was out for a ride in the Kilsyth hills and crossing from Stirling to Kilsyth on the 'Tak me doon' road . A narrow country road , which had just been covered with loose chippings , I was descending a steep hill with a ninety degree bend at the bottom , the banking and stone wall to the offside being of such a height there was no view around the bend . I could see that all the chippings had already been swept to the bottom of the hill and were lying thick , so I slowed right down , but because of limited vision around the bend on the narrow road had to keep well left and ride through the chippings . Despite not much more than walking pace , the back wheel just slid out from under me and I stepped off the bike and let it go ; as I did that , I lost my balance and instinctively put my arm out to save myself . I know putting my arm out was wrong , but I did it . I was wearing a leather jacket , leather gloves which covered the sleeves of the jacket , jeans and boots ( although not bikers boots , substantial leather ones ) . As I landed , the right sleeve of my jacket rode up my arm out of the glove and somehow gravel got inside : I was amazed at how many cuts and grazes I had over a good length of my arm , and this was from falling off at 5 mph or thereabouts !

I know I had only myself to blame for what happened , and had ridden through a couple of winters , coping with ice and snow , but I still shudder to think what would have happened were I only wearing shorts and a T shirt .

 

[219]

.......

Now tell me, really honestly, did you ALWAYS wear a seatbelt before it became compulsory?

ATB - Drive safe.

Actually , I did , and I can say that I owe my life to it after the crash I had back in 1978 in my W115 when a drunk driver in a stolen car overtaking an artic round a blind bend hit me head on .

While I've always worn seat belts where available , I do , perhaps oddly in the light of the above , cherish freedoms and liberties , and therefore never fitted seat belts to my Ponton - because I didn't have to and could legally drive it without them , ditto my Fintail although I never got that car on the road .

 

[pipmk]

Next: "what irritates you about it getting dark at night?", what irritates you about stupid questions about "what irritates you", "why is everyone else in the world wrong and why do they irritate me?"

In the modern idiom "chill, man" Life is too short to get worked up about these things and if they really get to you on the road then you are not in the right frame of mind to be propelling over a ton of metal where there are other people.

 

[renault12ts]

Actually , I did , and I can say that I owe my life to it after the crash I had back in 1978 in my W115 when a drunk driver in a stolen car overtaking an artic round a blind bend hit me head on .

While I've always worn seat belts where available , I do , perhaps oddly in the light of the above , cherish freedoms and liberties , and therefore never fitted seat belts to my Ponton - because I didn't have to and could legally drive it without them , ditto my Fintail although I never got that car on the road .

Indeed, from an early age it was instilled in us by my Dad.

In the 60s he had a Beetle with no seat belts. He had seat belts fitted. So, by the early 70s when I started driving, I wouldn't even reverse the car out of the garage without first putting on the seat belt.

 

[renault12ts]

Next: "what irritates you about it getting dark at night?", what irritates you about stupid questions about "what irritates you", "why is everyone else in the world wrong and why do they irritate me?"

In the modern idiom "chill, man" Life is too short to get worked up about these things and if they really get to you on the road then you are not in the right frame of mind to be propelling over a ton of metal where there are other people.

So irritating.

 

[219]

One thing that irritates me about the dark nights is inappropriate or defective vehicle lighting .

'One eyed monsters' with headlamps out , badly adjusted headlamps which dazzle oncoming drivers and the new scourge : idiots in new cars with DRL's who don't realise the back of their car is completely unit at night - I tried to get the attention of one queuing in an adjacent lane on the M74 the other night , despite sounding my horn , lowering my passenger window to get his attention ( he saw and heard me ) I was just ignored ; perhaps he won't ignore the police when he eventually gets pulled for it .

Oh , and people who think it's appropriate and legal to drive after lighting up time on a motorway with only sidelights ( which it isn't ) .

 

[Deleted96908]

One thing that irritates me about the dark nights is inappropriate or defective vehicle lighting .

When we were younger defective lights was a sure way of being pulled over at night, not so much for the lack of lighting necessarily, but as an excuse for the police to check if the driver had been drinking.

perhaps he won't ignore the police when he eventually gets pulled for it .

After reading recently that in some areas police won't be attending burglary scenes of crime, unless somebody was injured, it makes me wonder how many police are available for this type of work.

But it's not limited to the UK with tales that the whole of Oregon (which is similar in size to the UK) sometimes manages with less than 50 police on duty across the whole state.