Horseshit ride...

[EvilSteve]

There are definitely people out there who will actually deliberately endanger your life. I've had a guy swerve into my lane on a quiet country road to try to hit me. I saw him coming and got out of the way. I was tempted to follow him but why put yourself in further contact with a crazy person? I also once had a woman try to pass me on the shoulder when I was doing 5 -10 over the speed limit. Needless to say, I sped up, and pulled over. I don't need that shit.

The reality is a little different from this however. Most people are just oblivious. They aren't concentrating sufficiently to see motorcycles most of the time anyway. Add to that the usual distractions we all like to engage in (music, talking to someone in the car, etc.) and then the outright stupid stuff like talking on the phone & texting you really are taking your life in your hands when you ride. The sad reality is that laws saying people can't talk on phones and the like have close to zero effect on people's driving habits. It's illegal in NYS but everyone still does it.

When you ride in traffic, you *have* to be 100% on your game. If anyone messes with you stop, pull over & get away from them ASAP. You can't afford to dawdle around and think that people will do the right thing eventually. I like to use other cars as shields when it comes to people driving dangerously. Don't ride in the slow lane right next to an exit. Don't ride in the kill zone around any other vehicle. Don't antagonize any other driver unless you're prepared to get the hell out of there.

Motorcycling is such a rewarding sport but don't ever imagine that your happy little cruise can't turn into a serious or fatal accident in the blink of an eye.

[He Man]

i think in most places people dont recgonize the left lane as teh fast lane and the right lane as the slow lane. Everyone ive spoke to on the east coast unless they are from big cities are oblivious to that idea.... but regardless of which

+1 to when you are in traffic, you must be at 100% of your game. a Loud horn and loud bike and bright lights help too.

[hypurone]

In Ontario, cell phones and electronic devices will be banned from use in cars come October.  It can't come soon enough.  On Monday I was riding in the left lane of a 3 lane road and a cager in the far right lane with a cell phone in his left hand decided he needed to make the next left.  He made a 3 lane change, I saw him coming and sped up so he could see me in front of him, he got startled and swerved back into the middle lane after just touching mine.  I let him know with some nasty sign language that that was not cool.  And you know, he just kept on looking straight with the cell phone glued to his ear like he did nothing wrong.  Make the beast with two backsing Guy!  I need to install that Stebel Nautilus ASAP!

Well, don't get yer hopes up. It has been a law here for many months and the cell phone usage hasn't dropped at all in my "area" of travel. It actually seems worse! All it is, is a $20 fine the first time and $50 the second and so on. No points on the record so they don't seem to care. Watch yourself out there...

[DLD - Ducati Larry Dude]

NJ has now put a picture of a motorcyclist on the inside side of the vehicle inspection sticker.  The phrase "Watch for Motorcycles" is below.  So the driver sees this everytime they start their vehicle.  The sticker is in the lower left side of the windshield.  Something good finally came out of DMV here in "The Garden State"!

[red baron]

NJ has now put a picture of a motorcyclist on the inside side of the vehicle inspection sticker.  The phrase "Watch for Motorcycles" is below.  So the driver sees this everytime they start their vehicle.  The sticker is in the lower left side of the windshield.  Something good finally came out of DMV here in "The Garden State"!

 

[Jarvicious]

sorry, i've been playing too much halo...

First of all, that's not possible.  It just isn't.

Second of all, acting like people want to harm me has saved my ass countless times.  Take the last time I was in St. Louis for instance (not the worst traffic in the world).  Riding in traffic on the Duc can actually be fun, but riding the BMW is different all together.  I was on the Beemer heading towards an intersection with no center turn lane. There was someone stopped at the interesection at a green light waiting to turn left across traffic and there was a car behind them who was going straight.  I saw the situation 50 or 60 feet back and immediately thought, I would go around if I were that car in the back. Just as I reach about 10 feet behind the rear car, she decides she wants to cut into the right lane to go around the turning car.  So when she did decide to sweve (without looking mind you, i was watching her face in the rearview) I just putzed onto the shoulder and around her, but not without a honk of the horn and a fist shake to let her know to pay attention next time (like that actually worked). 

Always assume the car merging is gonna pull out in front of you.  Always assume the car in front of you is going to slam on their brakes.  Always assume someone's going to try and hit that exit from 4 lanes over.  You'll be better off.

[Jarvicious]

Just remembered a guy from the local forum who got a ticket last week.  He was riding at an average pace in average traffic when the car in front of him slammed on their brakes (I think to avoid an accident or something).  He was admittedly following a tick too close so he went around the car (while braking) into the oncoming traffic lane where he saw that there was no one coming.  He got a ticket for wreckless driving and pretty much all the police on the forum agreed they would have ticketed him too.  I've been guilty of tailgating on the bike before and every time I notice I'm doing it I make sure to slow down.  Despite the fact that most of us have much better braking SKILLS than most cagers do, they still have double the brakes and probably 10 times the contact patch that we do.  Not to mention if you do rear end someone not only is it your fault, but that's a battle no bike is gonna win. 

[mstevens]

ill say this, and probably get 3 PMs tellimg me to shut up, but i really dont care.

there really are people out to get you.

I can't imagine why anyone would disagree - the fact that they're out to kill us is demonstrably true.

[DoubleEagle]

I had a day I'd like to forget.

Yesterday I was really looking forward to a ride since it had been 5 days since my last time on 2 wheels.

The problem stared when I got up and didn't feel real perky.

In fact I felt like I had a fever.

I have Central Air but also have a window Air Conditioner in my bedroom hallway for that extra dose of " cold " I crave now and then.

As I put my leathers on I was standing in front of the Air Conditioner sweating so when I got my bike out to go I was soaked with sweat and over heated.

I felt like shit.

It was only 70 degrees out and overcast but it must of been very humid .

I figured a few miles at highway speeds before I got into the " hills " would cool me down but no dice.

I still felt like shit. I rode a stretch of about 15 miles of tight curvy road and when I came to an intersection with another road I turned around and went to a Park to stop and drink some cold Gatorade and think about the situation .

By then the Sun was popping out every so often and when it did it was just making me that much more miserable.

I finally decided to ride some more but after about 45 minutes headed for home.

I got cooled down, got something to eat, got a different Helmet and changed bikes and by now the temp. was 74 .

I road for about 45 minutes and then came home.

I felt like shit. What a Horse shit ride.

After I put my bike away , I thought , " I must rid myself of this effect this day has had on me or I fear I may never want to ride again ."

Dolph

 

[Popeye the Sailor]

FYI, when you feel like crap.....


Don't ride 

[DoubleEagle]

FYI, when you feel like crap.....


Don't ride 

   Good advice, Dave.

Although, here in Ohio in July , when it's only 70 degrees instead the 90s, it's a real Bonus that very seldom happens.

Dolph