Cager reaction to L-plated rider

[jono035]

Had a scare on Saturday afternoon :

Was sitting behind a car along Mt Eden road at 55km/hr or thereabouts and had a car move up behind me, pull out and overtake then just about merge back over me to avoid a pedestrian island... Looked at the occupants as they went past, 50+ guy driving with 50+ woman in the passenger seat, both staring straight ahead... I sat behind him at the same speed I had been doing for another few hundred metres before he sedately pulled up to a set of lights and then ambled off to the right.

Is this the normal kind of thing to expect or is it more an L-plate thing?

My boss suggested sticking a massive black mohawk on my helmet and wearing a chain as a bandolier... any other suggestions?

[98tls]

Pretty much normal,expect the unexpected and try and leave room for it.

[jono035]

Stoked... ridden a total of 200kms and already going WTF...

[Ixion]

It's "normal". Happens a few times a week to me. Keep your finger on the horn button and always ride in a low enough gear to nip ahead smartish. Remember, they are not of your world. They cannot see you. Like humans cannot see elves.

[mattian]

Par for the course buddy. Get used to it, and don't let it rattle you. Honestly, you could be doing 70 in a 50 zone and the car behind you would still be determined to get in front of an L plate rider.

[slofox]

Put a Stebel horn on your bike. Next time you can scare them to death...just try to avoid the car when the driver dies at the wheel...works for me.

[caseye]

Like the guys have said, watch out for it, avoid IT and carry on, not worth the agro nor the time.
As you get older this becomes the accepted method of coping with dickheads in cars.

[p.dath]

Pretty normal. Next time try and remember to toot the horn once you are safe. It might give them a scare.

Also consider how visible you are in your gear.

[Mom]

Sadly your L plate does not single you out for this kind of car driver blindness to bikes. As others have said, be aware of them all the time, they will try to get you :yes: When you have been riding a little while you tend to develop what is commonly known as spidey sense. A little feeling that something is going to happen, and you will learn to react to it. Good for you staying out of this blind wankers way on Saturday too!

[White Boots]

Yeah dude it sucks but to many cage drivers dont think about anything else other then themselves. This is where i feel an air horn works really well and also the old after market exhaust seems to scar them off.

[YellowDog]

Hey look, this really shouldn't happen to you and you shouldn't allow it to.

If you were not too far over to the left then the car couldn't have made this manouevre.

You need to give yourself more respect on the road and then others will do so also.

You need to OWN your lane on the road and don't let anyone take it from you.

Give yourslf an imaginary safety bubble and don't let anything burst it.

Good luck.

[sunhuntin]

agreed with yellow... own your road, but dont go being a cock about it like another rider mentioned a few weeks ago. the rider in question was riding at 70k on the open road with a truck up his arse and refused to let the truck pass. following the letter of the law aint worth earning yourself a roadside cross.
youll find that such drivers as you encountered are common as muck. seems to be a condition of aquiring a license these days.

[GOONR]

Put a Stebel horn on your bike. Next time you can scare them to death...just try to avoid the car when the driver dies at the wheel...works for me.

I'd never heard of these, I'm gonna get one. Cheers. :done:

[Blackshear]

I'd never heard of these, I'm gonna get one. Cheers. :done:

Make sure to get the Nautilus...
Been hankering for one ever since my musical horns were 10x louder than the stocker, bah ha ha ha.

As someone said before, try to make room for the impossible, but try even harder to eliminate the threat. No killing though, 'tis Natural selections job.


Even though I'm sure it's on a holiday as of late...

[GOONR]

Make sure to get the Nautilus...
Been hankering for one ever since my musical horns were 10x louder than the stocker, bah ha ha ha....

I've seen the Nautilus on bikebits.co.nz, $60. I assume these are OK WOF wise?! :confused:

[varminter]

It's advantageous to mount a .50 BMG on your bike, a little unstable but gets you noticed.

[CookMySock]

That has never happened to me, so I wouldn't say that its normal. However, you really have to watch out for the old cunts, because they just really don't seem to get it.

I "manage" the traffic heavily when I am riding. I ride all over them like I'm going to bite them, and make a hell of a racket with my exhaust, and scare them with my titanium-flare bright headlight, and THEN I pass the fuckers with a crackle and growl and leave them hoping they never see me again.

Topless cars in the summer are the most fun. I ride right on their bumper and GRRRRROWL thottle on, and CRACKLECRACKLEPOPBANGBOOM! throttle off, and they damn near drive right off the road. :killingme

Steve

[mattian]

I "manage" the traffic heavily when I am riding. I ride all over them like I'm going to bite them, and make a hell of a racket with my exhaust, and scare them with my titanium-flare bright headlight, and THEN I pass the fuckers with a crackle and growl and leave them hoping they never see me again.

Topless cars in the summer are the most fun. I ride right on their bumper and GRRRRROWL thottle on, and CRACKLECRACKLEPOPBANGBOOM! throttle off, and they damn near drive right off the road. :killingme

Steve[/QUOTE]

HAHA... crikey mate. You sound like Katmans worst nightmare.

[varminter]

[QUOTE=mattian;1129261262]I "manage" the traffic heavily when I am riding. I ride all over them like I'm going to bite them, and make a hell of a racket with my exhaust, and scare them with my titanium-flare bright headlight, and THEN I pass the fuckers with a crackle and growl and leave them hoping they never see me again.

Topless cars in the summer are the most fun. I ride right on their bumper and GRRRRROWL thottle on, and CRACKLECRACKLEPOPBANGBOOM! throttle off, and they damn near drive right off the road. :killingme

Small willie ?

[Laxi]

don't those hyos just sound like the gates of hell have opened up:shifty::killingme:killingme:killingme

[Katman]

I ride right on their bumper and GRRRRROWL thottle on, and CRACKLECRACKLEPOPBANGBOOM! throttle off, and they damn near drive right off the road.

You are a retard.

[varminter]

Just when you thought he was ready for long pants.

[jono035]

He definitely had to have seen me, it wasn't a visibility problem. He was behind me following for a minute, then just pulled out and passed like it was nothing out of the ordinary. I was pretty freaked out by how slow and steady the entire thing was... little bit surreal. Thanks for all the replies though, another thing I have to get used to :D

[CookMySock]

HAHA... crikey mate. You sound like Katmans worst nightmare.Well he has his way, and I have mine. I don't mind at all what method he, or anyone, uses. Perhaps if he talked more about his methodology instead of putting down others, we might see and understand his perspective.


You are a retard.I'm just talking shit Steve. I am not a total asshole in traffic, but I do ride offensively. My aim is to stay in command, mainly for fun, but the side effect is the traffic is very cautious around me.


...another thing I have to get used to :DNah it isn't bro. Thats really not a common thing at all. I do suggest you take a more proactive approach though - try swerving around like an axxe-murderer - that makes folks stay way back!

Steve

[jono035]

Well the exhaust noise isn't really an option, a big fuckoff air-horn could be the ticket though...

[davebullet]

I was riding home with a colleague of mine from work. He's a big chap who rides a Yam FJR1300 - pretty noticeable bike. Anyway, dual lanes - both left turning. We are in the righthand one turning left and the guy in the left lane turns wide cutting my mate off. No indicating around the corner either. (Audi driver I might add). We just shake our heads and carry on. I'd like to call attention to these people to educate them on the road code, but I'm afraid all they'll remember is "nutter biker had a go at me"

[CookMySock]

don't those hyos just sound like the gates of hell have opened up:shifty::killingme:killingme:killingmeThe 650 with a noisy pipe does. :shifty::killingme:killingme:killingme

Steve

[jono035]

Hey look, this really shouldn't happen to you and you shouldn't allow it to.

If you were not too far over to the left then the car couldn't have made this manouevre.

You need to give yourself more respect on the road and then others will do so also.

You need to OWN your lane on the road and don't let anyone take it from you.

Give yourslf an imaginary safety bubble and don't let anything burst it.

Good luck.

I was dead square in the right hand wheel marks of the road, I definitely wasn't over on the left hand side of the road. He was 100% in median when he moved out, at which point I saw him in my mirror, looked over, went WTF and dropped back to let him in... I was being more paranoid about someone opening a car door into me from the line of parked cars on the left than someone passing me on the right.

I've read a couple of the other posts around here before about 'owning' your patch of the road and it sounds like damn good advice, so I have had that in my mind from day 1 as well...

[jono035]

I was riding home with a colleague of mine from work. He's a big chap who rides a Yam FJR1300 - pretty noticeable bike. Anyway, dual lanes - both left turning. We are in the righthand one turning left and the guy in the left lane turns wide cutting my mate off. No indicating around the corner either. (Audi driver I might add). We just shake our heads and carry on. I'd like to call attention to these people to educate them on the road code, but I'm afraid all they'll remember is "nutter biker had a go at me"

Yeah, my other question was going to be 'How many people here have actually stopped these guys and calmly asked them what the hell they were doing, and if anyone has, how did it turn out? Aggro from the other driver, apologies, denials?'

[jono035]

Bikebits.co.nz has the nautilus listed at $60 for the black one... Sounds like a pretty worthwhile upgrade... The browning .50cal may have to wait for a bigger bike though :D

[HungusMaximist]

Join a gang and get a patch.

Mogrel Mob, Hell's angel, Black Power, Nomads, Road Knights, Tribesmen, Killerbeez..

Take your pick!

[NDORFN]

Join a gang and get a patch.

Mogrel Mob, Hell's angel, Black Power, Nomads, Road Knights, Tribesmen, Killerbeez..

Take your pick!

If you like sucking cock. Otherwise, I suggest you keep a vigilant eye for that kind of driving and be prepared to boost it or move over. I suggest the latter at this stage of your riding. I also suggest breaking the L-Plate off. You don't have to display an L-Plate at all times, you just have to attach one.

[CookMySock]

I'd like to call attention to these people to educate them on the road code, but I'm afraid all they'll remember is "nutter biker had a go at me"You don't need to take them aside and have a word, just unsettle them so they can't tell what you are going to do next, or else just ditch them and leave with a twist of the wrist.

The other thing with bikes and cars - don't stick around long enough for them to do anything stupid. I slip ahead through the traffic non-stop, so only fast bikers and maniac boy racers pass me, and I won't take them on. Cagers don't have time to get frustrated with you when they don't have a show in hell of catching you, so learn to lane split and overtake where you can.

Steve

[_Shrek_]

Hey look, this really shouldn't happen to you and you shouldn't allow it to.

If you were not too far over to the left then the car couldn't have made this manouevre.

You need to give yourself more respect on the road and then others will do so also.

You need to OWN your lane on the road and don't let anyone take it from you.

Give yourslf an imaginary safety bubble and don't let anything burst it.

Good luck.

what this guy says, & to own your lane you need to be in the right hand wheel track at lest..

[Badjelly]

You are a retard.


I'm just talking shit Steve.

So you are not really a retard, but you play one on Kiwibiker?

Peace, bro. :-)

[Badjelly]

I agree about owning the road, or at least a decent part of it around you, but people will do silly things nonetheless and you should try to anticipate it and give the buggers a wide berth.

I've been getting a bit of tailgating recently. Perhaps it's the weather? Rule no. 1: keep an eye on the road ahead and make sure you don't have to stop in a hurry.

[Pete.Viking]

I vote to increase the cage driving age, keep the biking age as is and subsidise new bikes coming into the country. That should increase the number of bikers and decrease the cars on the road, which should make the roads safer (to survive bikers need to be vigalent and if theres only bikes to crash into its less likely to happen) and make idiots easier to contend with. This would reduce road congestion and, for those stupid greenies, lower national fuel consumption. However some high and mighty tosser has decided that bikes are dangerous, and thats the general public opinion so can't see it happening :no:

Biggest problem is people are stupid, I've had similiar problems driving a dirty great big nissan safari with a trailer on the back. Difference is I just keep the foot down coz I know its them who'l get fucked on when about 4ton hits them; they move suprisingly quickly.

(Sorry about the somewhat off-topic rant)

[orange dog]

Accept it as normal but watch how much you 'scare' the driver as they can either: 1. get a fright and end up swerving all over the place, or b. realise they f'd up and drive even more shit to get away from you (and the embarresment), or c. get aggressive (and while I enjoy the odd fair fight, a car and a motobike do not make for a fair fight).

Maybe there should be a post on un-written rules a newbie should just accept as norm, like:
You ride a 250... it has No power. Use good judgement and momentum instead.
Cross-winds are dangerous
Never assume that drivers will see you and follow the rules.
If you are riding past a University, watch the ROAD, not the GIRLS (ow)
Steel plates at road works are like ice in the wet. (as is the top loading ramp on the Interislanders) (ow)
Petrol sation forecourts can be slippery, do not pull wheelies (ow)
etc. etc.

[coffeejunkie]

Yeah, my other question was going to be 'How many people here have actually stopped these guys and calmly asked them what the hell they were doing, and if anyone has, how did it turn out? Aggro from the other driver, apologies, denials?'

Yes agro alot of the time or the plan and simple.....sorry i didn't see you, That one always makes me laugh

[Waxxa]

You absolutely must 'own' your piece of road. I have seen many times with scooters, they keep well left of the lane even though they are doing the speed limit and cars overtake them, quite often with very little room for error. I have on a couple of occasions pulled along side the scooter concerned and have offered this advice to the rider.

As for cagers, if they do an action that puts my life or property at risk, I will get in their face to get the point across to be a damn sight more alert in their driving habits. Fortunately this has only happened a couple of times in the 14 years I've been riding.

[Paulo]

as everyone has said you'll get this sort of thing happening a lot, Just ride as if Nobody has seen you and expect cars to pull out, I slow down to go through green light and always have a look as so many idiots run the orange, also if someone is tailing you too close tap your footbrake a couple of times look over your shoulder and shake your head, they usually get the idea and back off a bit. good luck and don't let it put you off riding just be super aware all the time.

[CookMySock]

as everyone has said you'll get this sort of thing happening a lot, Just ride as if Nobody has seen you and expect cars to pull out, I slow down to go through green light and always have a look as so many idiots run the orange, also if someone is tailing you too close tap your footbrake a couple of times look over your shoulder and shake your head, they usually get the idea and back off a bit. good luck and don't let it put you off riding just be super aware all the time.Actually, "everyone" didn't say that at all, and it has never happened to me in 30 years on the road, and only to ONE person I know (ironically also a learner.)

Maximum levels of caution approaching paranoia are not recommended. You will be spending all your time reviewing and re-reviewing every constant little risk, rather than surveying the overall picture and letting your experience setting off your alarm bells, like you should be. Of course, you DO need some experience for this to work.

I recommend you do NOT engage other drivers who are tailgating in any way whatsoever - this is just begging for trouble. Either get off the road and let them go if you feel unsafe, or pass the car in front of you and get rid of them, but do NOT try to communicate with them - this almost always gets you far more trouble than you have already got.

If you MUST do something to get people off your arse, there are two ways. Either ride directly in their line of view, so they cannot see past you (hard to do on a motorcycle) or randomly increase and decrease your speed without using your brakes (about 10km/hr only!) so they unable to maintain a safe following distance without great levels of concentration.

Steve

[BiK3RChiK]

I often see L-platers in the left hand wheel tracks. This is not the place to ride! Car drivers think you are inviting them to pass you and they will do so. Ride in the right hand wheel tracks in your lane and they'll have to pass you in a much safer fashion than you've just experienced.

All the best and keep safe.

[jono035]

Yeah, thanks for the advice everyone, but as stated before, I definitely wasn't in the left wheel track, not by a long shot. Have had the 'own your road, be in the right wheel track' foremost in my head since I started.