there is a reason cars are fitted with MIRRORS!

[philoldsmobile]

as any biker will tell you, observation is not the average drivers strong point..

was hit by a car on the way home tonight (on motorbike, thankfully NOT the GPz), i was filtering past stationary traffic, when he decided to turn right without checking his mirrors, there was no contact between the bike and his car, but a bit of a whack to my knee. (nothing bad, hurt for about 30 secs) when i noticed he couldn't speak English, i waved a one fingerd salute, and carried on..

too close for comfort though..

[55starchief]

I always make sure im hard over when the traffic backs up on the A43/A5 at towcester. I have seen to many people switchlanes and not notice the bike filtering

[philoldsmobile]

thankfully i was only filtering at about 5 mph as the traffic was stationary, or it could have been a lot worse.

[Jo]

Glad your ok.

[Roadkill]

Yeah, to many people are oblivious out there.

[Big Mouse]

bikes filtering through traffic is one of my all time pet hates - the traffic is stopped for a reason yet theres always a bike trying to squeeze through a gap an inch wider than his handlebars

[yorkshirespud]

Quoting: Big Mouse

bikes filtering through traffic is one of my all time pet hates - the traffic is stopped for a reason yet theres always a bike trying to squeeze through a gap an inch wider than his handlebars

As a biker and car driver I'd have to disagreee with that, that's the whole point of riding a bike through traffic!!

[EDGE]

the car vs bike argument is more bitterly fueled than the pc vs mac or even ford vs chevvy......

all i know is, when i did my cbt, admittedly, its only very basic training, they dont teach you to go up the side of traffic...

for thos of you that have taken a full bike test.... did you filter up the traffic in your test ?

[Incursus]

Either way you should check you mirrors before pulling out, just incase some twat does try and over take you.  (not just talking about bikers had a car do it to me before)

Also it would help if people used there fecking indicators as well!!

[Flip Martian]

Quoting: Big Mouse

bikes filtering through traffic is one of my all time pet hates - the traffic is stopped for a reason yet theres always a bike trying to squeeze through a gap an inch wider than his handlebars

With you on this one. Even if you USUALLY check your mirrors, there's always going to be a time when you forget.

I was at a roundabout in south Wales once waiting for a break in the traffic coming from the right - so I was looking right. I was at the FRONT of the queue to get over the roundabout. Still looking to the right, I spotted a break in traffic, put my foot on the gas pedal - and went straight into the back of a biker riding an American Yamaha with his pre teen daughter on the back!! He'd crept up the inside and plonked himself in front of me without me noticing - all this happened in the space of 15 seconds or so.

The best bit was when he admitted his bike had only just come back from the repair shop after a recent shunt... Fortunately, his daughter wasn't hurt - didn't even knock her off, thank God. Made a total mess of my headlight and front wing though.

[yorkshirespud]

Quoting: EDGE

the car vs bike argument is more bitterly fueled than the pc vs mac or even ford vs chevvy......

all i know is, when i did my cbt, admittedly, its only very basic training, they dont teach you to go up the side of traffic...

for thos of you that have taken a full bike test.... did you filter up the traffic in your test ?

Nope, because it is sort of a little naughty, sort of. However, *proper* bikers will very rarely (or never) go on the 'inside' of traffic, and only filter inbetween lanes or on the outside. The nearside is for pedal bikes (though scooters ignore that, but they are all generally incompetent death wishes on wheels ... )

[Rob]

Don't get me started on this one.........!

[art b]

wheeee....

[philoldsmobile]

Quoting: Flip Martian

With you on this one. Even if you USUALLY check your mirrors, there's always going to be a time when you forget.

ride a bike for a month.. i guarantee you'll never forget a mirror check ever again.

i firmly believe you shouldn't be allowed a car license until you've held a bike license for a year, it makes you a far more observant driver.

[nick69]

Yeah and you also think you own the road. I would like to see eveyone I dont like start on a bike as it would save me having to get rid of them!!

[EDGE]

its not so much the mirror check, if you can see the biker in the mirror and you change lane you're gonna piss him off, not hit him, its the over the shoulder check thats important as the fukwit bikers in london tend to hang of your rear door handle to save gas..... there you cant see them in the mirors, they're fully in the blind spot, or as we call it in london, the twat spot !

and please dont anyone say the typical biker respons of " oh, ill just hit your mirror as i go past or punch you though your open window"... let me expalin something to bikers who think like that... Society has degenerated to such an extent that people are being killed, stabbed and shot for NO reason, if you hit the mirror of one of these quite frankly unhinged people you're likely to have a serious for of retaliation.  You may be able to hit his mirror as you go past but he could just as easily slam in to you knock you off your bike and park his cavalier on your head..... its just not worth the grief is it... i mean really.....

[F Body]

Quoting: EDGE

but he could just as easily slam in to you knock you off your bike and park his cavalier on your head..... its just not worth the grief is it... i mean really.....

Wise words Grassshopper

It's a war zone out there

[Roadkill]

Quoting: F Body

Grassshopper

Grass shopper ?

[philoldsmobile]

Quoting: nick69

Yeah and you also think you own the road

actual, having paid my road tax, i DO own the road...

[Rob]

Quoting: philoldsmobile

i DO own the road...

not the bit they paint white lines

[Fieldy]

what part if the car hit you exactly?

[philoldsmobile]

Quoting: Fieldy

what part if the car hit you exactly?

front wing..

it didnt hit me per say,it just drove into me a bit. i was on my side of the road, and doing nothing illegal or dangerous, he was just a plum.

[nick69]

Quoting: philoldsmobile

actual, having paid my road tax, i DO own the road...

Yeah and I pay more than you so I own more road!!!!
It still doesnt allow you to ride all over the place inconvieniencing other road users though does it

This isnt about you per say phil but the FEW bikers that do think like that!!! I almost (read wanted to) hit one this morning pulling out of my drive as he went passed doing stupid speed in a 20mph zone. PRICK

[philoldsmobile]

you can apply that tag to anything though, 4x4's driving on grass, or people in yanks coming out of billing (or worse, driving around billing) laying rubber.....

you never notice the 10,000 doing it properly, just the one thats being a knob.

my bad road users list is..........

1) trucks - just shocking, the standard of driving is so low its unbelievable
2) buses, like trucks but slower
3) mopeds. largely due to lack of age and experience, plus cockiness of youth
4) pensioners. blind stupid and unpredictable
5) cyclists. unpredictable, above the law
6) Cars. very poor, the best most people ever drive is on their test, then its downhill from there
7) motorcycles. some are simply far too fast, many are not smooth, aggressive jerky overtakes, no flow.
8) caravans. too slow typically, but largely due to underpowerd tow vehicles.
9) coaches - generally very good. probably the best road users out there.

its a damned shame about the few pillocks, because a skilled rider can make very fast smooth safe progress without a mega BHP bike, because bikes give you much more freedom of the road, and much much better visibility due to the ability to move around the lane more.  Where a car is always penalised for visibility one way or the other (depending on left or right hand drive) a bike has the best of both worlds.

used properly this advantage allows you to set the bike up to overtake much better, in one fluid move, rather than just screaming past dangerously.

[Roadkill]

Quoting: philoldsmobile

my bad road users list is..........

You missed Taxis.