Motorcycle awareness

**AelfMorts** · 20th August 2015, 14:26

Being a new rider and recently been made more aware of just how invisible a motorcycle can be; I'm interested in putting together some information and stories from those who have a little more insight to share. So if you have a moment take the time to rack your brains and think of all those things that drive you nuts, make you nervous or bug you every so often when you're out on your bike.
I have come up with a survey to this effect and am highly grateful for any responses provided. My hope is to use this data in the future. Feel free to pass the survey on to people you know or even post some ideas or thoughts on how to improve motorcyclist visibility.

http://goo.gl/forms/J7MBlJrveJ

**Akzle** · 20th August 2015, 14:35

50+ ??!! Thats a bit broad

btw. Tits or gtfo.

**TheDemonLord** · 20th August 2015, 14:54

Done, Enjoy

**OddDuck** · 20th August 2015, 14:58

I was a cyclist for a long time before I was a biker. Long and short of it: deliberate attacks are rare, but stupidity / cutting corners to save 0.2 seconds / just plain not seeing you is stuff you can expect. I learnt to ride so that I wouldn't get taken out by someone being lazy, blind, or stupid. It's served me well.

Basic tips for staying alive:

1) take your time
2) never tailgate
3) keep clear space around you
4) don't do things that car drivers / truckies don't expect
5) don't race in traffic
6) never overtake at more speed than you can scrub off
7) don't punch it through intersections
8) ride within your sightlines
9) expect things to be behind that truck or around that corner

Hi-vis is something I've never worn. I've done head to toe black leather, or synthethics, or jacket + jeans for years and never had a problem.

Shitloads of a biker's risk is themselves. The temptation to cut loose and start tearing things up can be pretty strong sometimes... Car / truck drivers live in a slower paced world. Their lane checks / reactions etc are geared to that world. When they pull out of a driveway in a 50 zone, they certainly don't expect to have to deal with a bike shooting around a corner at 80-plus.

You're worried about the risks and are seeking information, I reckon that's a great place to start.

**James Deuce** · 20th August 2015, 15:12

Originally Posted by Akzle

50+ ??!! Thats a bit broad

btw. Tits or gtfo.

Also, 10+ years riding? How old are you, OP?

I'm just starting to get the hang of it at 30 years.

**Banditbandit** · 20th August 2015, 15:26

Originally Posted by James Deuce

Also, 10+ years riding? How old are you, OP?

I'm just starting to get the hang of it at 30 years.

I'm 40+ riding ...

**R650R** · 20th August 2015, 15:27

There's no visibility issue with motorbikes at all. This is evident by the thousands of tickets issued to them by cops, they have no trouble seeing them at all.
The same people that 'don't see' me on motorbike are the same people that 'don't see' me in my car or truck. They all have one thing in common, they never looked in the first place or made half hearted distracted attempt.
There you go there's your survey result, lots of dumb people on road in all vehicle types who never look properly or pay attention, nothing more complicated or scientific needed....

**Old Steve** · 20th August 2015, 15:46

One thing I've learned from several experiences where car drivers just didn't look and didn't see me, is to keep an eye on their steering wheel or on their front wheels. Car drivers just don't see motorbikes so often.

If they're coming out of a side street or driveway (as in one case where I had to brake to a stop less than 1 metre from the driver's door and still she didn't see me and drove off through her right hand turn and off down the road I was coming from) looking at their front wheel tells you if they are stopped or if they're still rolling.

I was riding towards Bethlehem from the south on Moffat Road in Tauranga, ahead of a line of 3 - 4 cars - when I saw the nose of a beige Mazda 3-ish car poke out of the driveway of the child care centre on the left hand side of the road. There are cars parked all along that strip of road, so I thought the driver might come out a little way to get a better look down the road where I was coming. I kept to the right hand side of the lane, eased off the throttle, covered the front and rear brakes, and kept an eye on her front wheel. Sure enough it kept turning, and kept turning, so I started braking. I came to a halt abreast of her driver's door, about 750 mm from impact, and she just drove off onto the other side of the road and away, not only didn't she see me but she didn't see the cars following me either. I had to stop for a pedestrian crossing about 50 to 100 metres down the road and the driver of the next vehicle behind me pulled up inside me, wound down his window and said, "She just didn't see you, did she." I told him we motorbikers had this ability to read minds, it developed because of the way car drivers didn't look. We had a laugh and went our separate ways.

But I have learned that car drivers don't look, don't see motorbikes, and the price for my safety is eternal vigilance. Hell, bikers even have an acronym for what a car driver says when they've knocked you off your bike - SMIDSY, Sorry Mate I Didn't See You.

**Hawkeye** · 20th August 2015, 15:47

Originally Posted by R650R

There's no visibility issue with motorbikes at all. This is evident by the thousands of tickets issued to them by cops, they have no trouble seeing them at all.
The same people that 'don't see' me on motorbike are the same people that 'don't see' me in my car or truck. They all have one thing in common, they never looked in the first place or made half hearted distracted attempt.
There you go there's your survey result, lots of dumb people on road in all vehicle types who never look properly or pay attention, nothing more complicated or scientific needed....

Totally agree with the half hearted look. They also do not take into consideration speed differences in heavy traffic. A gap in the lane next to them and they presume the other lane is travelling the same speed so can just move. Oh! did I mention the indicator after they have already started the move over the line (if your lucky to get one). That and their inability to actually turn their head. Random look in the miiror (which is set up to see what is behind them), and never check what's at the side of them.

**AelfMorts** · 20th August 2015, 16:34

Clearly not old enough

but that just means I've got a lot of time ahead of me to work things out and I'm starting now.

What I've learnt so far is this:
Motorcyclist must realise that there are stupid people on the roads, including themselves, so be prepared.

What I want to learn is whether or not there are ways to help people wise up. Or alternatively what are areas that can be targeted to reduce risk. Beyond that is this something that will be valued and supported.

My motivation came from when I got told SMIDSY (I'd never heard this term before, cheers) after a guy turned right across traffic into a side street without checking the bus lane. I learnt that it's not just the guy who looked like he was going to merge into you that you've got to worry about but also the guy who might be hiding behind him. While I was lucky accidents like this aren't new or unusual.

Something else he said before the cops corrected him was that I shouldn't have been riding in the bus lane in Auckland. I think a simple solution to at least remind people that we are allowed to be there (and are there) is to include motorcyclist on those bus lane signs in the city. Before I go crusading about just my experience however I wanted to properly understand what the potential dangers were.

**pritch** · 20th August 2015, 17:11

SMIDSY is not the whole problem. Drivers respond best to threats. It's unlikely that you will appear to be a threat so they are likely to carry on as if you are not there. They will look right at you and then just pull out in front of you. So the normal advice to make sure you have eye contact is not a 100% guarantee.

This is not so common on a big bike but it happened virtually every week when I was using a moped. I used to think a 45 pistol in a parcel tray mounted holster might be an effective attitude adjuster. Alas! The Triumph hasn't got a parcel tray.

**AllanB** · 20th August 2015, 19:05

Meh .......

**ellipsis** · 20th August 2015, 19:13

...get your full licence, sit your arse on the bike of your dreams and ride...FTW...or stay and post here and be a real informed, top of the heap, biker...