Quote:
On 2006-06-18 21:41, crashmasterd wrote:
:asb:
I'm going to get up on my soap box here and probably be a little offensive. Feel free to tune out.
Q) What's most visible on the road? A) A 50 ton truck.
There is no such thing as a color, light, sound, or any other thing that you can put on a bike that will make a driver see a motorcycle who refuses to see a motorcycles. Reflective stripes, Roulette Green, loud pipes, and modulated headlights just don't work, and anybody who thinks they do is fooling themselves.
The problem isn't with the motorcycle, it's with car drivers. Most drivers have their minds set in a mode that ignores small vehicles with two wheels. They are always on the lookout for things that are more dangerous than they are. They have "Cager" syndrome and feel they are mostly invulnerable. They have the mindset that unless it's a 50 ton truck it can't hurt them. They just tune it out.
I've seen it happen.
The only, only only defense against this mindset is keeping your own mindset constantly in the assumption mode. The assumption mode is where you assume every car and truck out there is out to get you; to kill you in the most heinous way possible. Riding defensively is a way of life. Riding in ignorance is a way of death.
All these so-called safety devices are lucky charms at best, and delusions at worst. What's the most visible color? Easy- Whatever color the 50 ton truck is painted. Your bike's color is irrelevant to most drivers.
Don't ever let loud pipes, reflective stripes, fireball orange paint, or extra headlights give you any sense of security. The minute you let your guard down for [i]any[i] of these reasons you'll end up wearing an unfashionable tag on your toe.
End of rant.
 "> :brk: :cuss:
edit: Yeah, hairball beat me to it and was much nicer about it.
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Holy-Moly....going by this mindset....were fcuked!!
I understand what you mean though and do agree that the problem primarily lies with the automobile driver (after all this discussion is not about irresponsible or erratic motorcyclist).
In my own case I've had some cagers do some really-really dumb sh*t that I can only percieve as being deliberate attempt to get your a** beaten by a rather large black guy (me :evil: ). And why does it tend to be middle-aged women or young women (late teen to early twenties) that do this junk. One chick drove like hell to in the right-hand (slow) lane just to sharply cut infront of me in the left hand lane then abruptly stop so that she could get in a position to make a left turn across the opposing travel lanes just so she could go to the post office all the while yakking on her cell phone. I had to stop so hard I did an endo with about 3" between my front wheel and her rear bumper and she behaves as if she is utterly unaware of what she just did. I wanted to get off my bike and give her the ultimate bit*h slapping; the kind that you hear about in the pimp fables of the 1970's because how is something like that not deliberate and downright dangerous??
I agree that more than not the cager is at fault and you have to be very situationally aware and alert at all times. When I see cars waiting to make a left turn across my lane of traffic or waiting at a intersection waiting to merge onto my lane of travel, I make it a point to cover my brakes, sit up 'squarely' and focus on making eye contanct with the driver so that I can verify that they see me or let me make my own assessment as to if they have noticed me or not so that I can prepare for some evasive action of some sort.
I can only do what I can do as in the end you cannot control what the other party does. Scary stuff sometimes to imagine that so many dumba*sess have drivers licenses. And now with summers arrival and school out, you are going to have hoards of chuckleheads more interested in posin' and driving around with their girl-crew or homies playing the music loud and living in their self-absorbed bubble let loose on the streets day and night and often times seeing a sportbike tends to trigger the "lets race/ride along with the biker" switch. Kinda like that dog that cant help itself but want to rush into the street and chase the motorcycle.
Did I just add to the feeling of " put your head between you legs and kiss yer-as* goodbye because there is nothing you can do" mentality?? I dont mean to, I as mentioned I ride with my highbeams on during the day now, I have a aftermarket "loud" horn, Loud exhaust, etc. So I'm doing all I can...
