Strange Cager Behaviour

[skelstar]

Its a slow morning so I thought I would chuck this observation up on here.

I have noticed recently that when I am in a line of traffic and I pass the car infront of me and continue on my merry way (still in the traffic), the car behind will drop back a fair bit. It doesnt matter if its 50km/h traffic, or 100km/h traffic they will still drop back.

My passing manouvres arent abrupt, dangerous, or violent...

This has perplexs me a little. The cage was actively in the line of traffic, ie keeping in touch, looks like it would rather be going faster...but still drops back.

It seems to me that there more to it than the cager worrying about hitting a motorcyclist.

Just a thought.

[edit] - Green going to go to best explaination. Good humour rewarded.

[Hitcher]

Behaviour to be encouraged. Good skills!

[flame]

It may be because a few radio announcers have been suggesting that car drivers should try to give motorcyclists more room with the high winds at the moment, I heard it come over the air again this morning on my way to work (in my cage). Maybe cage drivers think we might take off their mirrors or something.

[RantyDave]

I have noticed recently that when I am in a line of traffic and I pass the car infront of me and continue on my merry way (still in the traffic), the car behind will drop back a fair bit.
I suspect that the act of you passing acted as a bit of a wake up call. The car had no idea you were behind (since they never use their mirrors) and once you'd passed along with the 'I better make some room' thought came a small rush of 'y'know, I am following too close'.

It's a theory, anyway.

Dave

[skelstar]

Good theorys.
This has happened for a while. Quite often it happens out on the very open roads. Quite like the 'wake-up call' theory.

Green going to go to best explaination. Good humour rewarded.

[Buster]

Do you have a patch on your jacket? LOL!! That never happens up here. Tailgating is the order of the day. They get so close I can turn around and give them the "what the?" look. Then Im like "sorry for interupting your texting."

I feel bad for being on their road too.. NOT!!

[skelstar]

Ha! I have a Shift leather jacket. On the back, along the bottom is bright white lettering that says "SHIFT". Maybe something in that? :)

[Jonty]

maybe they are scared of taking you from behind:laugh:

[Blairos]

That "give us room" behaviour is to be applauded :2thumbsup

In my limited experience to date, I am quickly learning that the 4WD cagers seem to be the most troublesome - what is it about sitting on a bikes pillion seat at speed that gives them their kicks?

I happen to own a 4WD as well, and always give good amounts of room for the vehicle (bikes included) in front, as these lumbering beasts take a bit more road to slow down, having the handling characteristics of the Titanic doesnt seem to give these people any less respect, particularly at speed...

[Ixion]

The explanation is simple. Many people (by no means all, so extinguish the flames) buy SUVs as a form of passive aggression. They want to intimidate people. Lacking the nerve to try it directly they figure that driving a big SUV they will be able to (literally) throw their weight around.


What better to intimidate than a bike? Easy target. It's little. Bullys like intimidating smaller people.

[Pwalo]

Skelstar, is this on the 250 or the 919? Followed a red 919 down the Gorge today, and it's surprising how much effect the double under set pipes have on drawing your attention.

But I think that it's probably the oil that you pour down the exhaust before you head out each morning.

Seriously though I've noticed that a lot of the cars seem to do this in Wellington. You get the occassional twat who seems to want to keep up with you at all costs, but on the whole most cagers seem pretty reasonble. Mind you there seems to be an awful lot more people riding these days which probably helps.

[skelstar]

I would have to agree Blairos, some of the poorest most inconsiderate driving I have seen on the road have been from 4WD-ers.

[skelstar]

Pwalo - this morning I was on my black 919, but has happened when Im on the 250. Has happened in 50 zones, also on the Himitangi straights, West Coast, you name it.

[XP@]

Well, blow me down!
I noticed it this morning from 2 cars! I looked back and thought ... strange... I'm being given room... kinda unnerving really, but I am not complaining!

If it is due to the radio asking them to back off then what station, I want to applaud them :-)

[Genesismatrix]

I would say that the drivers behind you have just realised that you sitting on you vehicle not secured inside it. I think most drivers are scared shitless about knocking a biker off.

Either way giving us space is defnitally a good thing.

[miSTa]

Gotta be the smell, afterall you are just another big ugly hairy biker who hasn't bathed in a few months? :spudwhat:

[Mental Trousers]

They probably thought something was going to fall off the back of your bike!! :buggerd:

[XP@]

just had a thought... it could be that the last bike they passed was suffering a bit from wind... in which case they were either:
1. ramdomly weaving around the road
2. smelling really bad

[Ixion]

Maybe the last bike they followed was a big two stroke. Nobody hangs close to Petal's arse for long !

[Harry33]

Maybe they don't want to get sucked into the Hornets vortex.:rofl:

[skelstar]

Actually I have just made my own fender eliminator thats a bit dodgy...could be that looks like its falling off...

[Swoop]

You haven't been carrying a rocket launcher strapped across your back or summint???:devil2: :rofl:

[Momentum]

i have founs about 75% of people will hang back if you pass them.

about 25% of people like to site right up your ass :buggerd: mostly young
guys and old people. get the odd 4x4 too

had one guy right up my ass in a 50k zone he was even right there in the corners too.
I was even flashing my brake lights and he still sat there. Turned round with one still on the bars
and looked right at him. He got the point them and backed off

[skelstar]

Momentum - I have just waved my hand backwards a couple of times and thats worked fine (100%). Feel a bit of a wussl doing it. Now if I get a tailgater I can just nail it and be somewhere else before you can say 'better power to weight ratio than you...prick'.

[WRT]

Nobody hangs close to Petal's arse for long !

Never good to have Klingons around Uranus.

And always beware the driver that backs off just after you over took him, he may be just getting a run up . . .

[madboy]

Since most of my passing maneouvres are abrupt, dangerous, and violent I can't say I really understand what you're on about. I might try following a car on the way home to see.

My theory on why cages would back off from bikes is simple... have you seen what a bike will do to your paintwork when you run the f***ers over? The leather/cordura covered ornaments on them are okay, they deform under your wheels, but the bloody bike itself will put the hell stone chip on the bumper. Don't want that. As for scratching the aluminium bullbars, best avoid that.

[Uncle B]

Perhapse that big, black bad boy of yours sends out a don't mess with me signal, hense they back off and admire you from a distance.

Or your just a crazy passer :nya:

[skelstar]

I am a crazy passer.
I definitely backed off away from you when you were on my bike the other day UB. Noticed that all the kids didnt wave at YOU when YOU went past them on my bike :).

[Uncle B]

I am a crazy passer.
I definitely backed off away from you when you were on my bike the other day UB. Noticed that all the kids didnt wave at YOU when YOU went past them on my bike :).
That's cause I looked all wrong on YOUR bike.

[Keystone19]

Sean, it's obvious, they're scared of you.

[Buster]

I definately think its a bullying mentality from cage drivers. Its amazing how a little eye contact sorts things out. Especially with visor up. It must bring them back to reality. Maybe a reminder on the radio is enough to make drivers think how bloody dodgy it is? Weird human nature. :calm:

[skelstar]

Sean, it's obvious, they're scared of you.
Yep. "I have no idea what that fool is going to do next!".
There you go folks. Want more following distance? Look mentally unstable...;)

[*sic]

Yep. "I have no idea what that fool is going to do next!".
There you go folks. Want more following distance? Look mentally unstable...;)

i dont have to try to hard then..

[Velox]

Woah! I've noticed this for years and never realised other people experience it too! I thought I was going a bit *twitch twitch* It especially happens when you're just cruising along at relatively legal speeds. Really weird.

[cowpoos]

its coz you smell and it wafts into there car and they are over come by the stench....and forced to slow down so as to not loose control of the motovehicle....I noticed this last week on the way to breakers when you passed me while I was in my motorcar

mikey told me you get a rash when you use toilet paper....this could be the underlying cause :spudwhat:

[cowpoos]

Woah! I've noticed this for years and never realised other people experience it too! I thought I was going a bit *twitch twitch* It especially happens when you're just cruising along at relatively legal speeds. Really weird.

when was the last time you washed your hair? :whistle:

[ZeroIndex]

Ever seen a courier van do more than the 2 second rule behind a bike? slide the back out about 35 degrees in the wet, and they'll sure keep their distance :D That's probably the only amusing thing that stopped me from getting shaken up about that today...

[Velox]

when was the last time you washed your hair? :whistle:
:bs: - it doesn't smell!
It got soaked in the sea in January if that counts.

[skelstar]

Yeah, and smokers cant smell the smoke on their clothes eh?...;)

Ha...what the f*ck were you doing in the slow lane poos? You know its only used for undertaking Subarus.

[Mental Trousers]

They're actually aliens and they're sizing you up for an anal probe. They hang that far back because they try not to alert you to what they're doing, but by hanging back they're actually the exception as everybody else tries to climb up your butt.

[mdb]

Interesting because my observation when doing this is that often cars try and get even closer to block me out. Kind of amusing because they can't get very far and it's easy for me to keep going.

[Dafe]

Its obviously coz you look so mean on your machine!
Either that or you're doing a Fatjim - Barging them all out the way!

[Shadows]

I've noticed that as well.
I think in my case its because they are laughing so hard at my bike that they can't see well enough through the tears to do the speed limit any more.

[skelstar]

Irony - I was thinking of resurrecting this thread.

THis morning I was following a boi-racer in his Mazda GTXXXX along a 50km zone. Boosting up to the car infront and then dropping off, boosting up and dropping off again. He was obviously feeling as frustrated as I. Half a metre of passing opportunity (yeah I know, 50km zone blah blah) and I zap past him. He totally dropped back about 50m. No exaduration. It was bizzarre.

Im not willing to accept poo's 'smelling bad' theory either. I had a shower that morning.

[SARGE]

i know why cagers back off me ..my bike aint quiet and the bastards cant hear the #$%^#$ CELLPHONES!!!

[SlowHand]

I was gona suggest that odours are emitting out of your cravace, but when I emit odours I can smell it while on the mway doing the legal tegal limit.

But I think it has more to do with the fact that you look like a gang banger on a cruiser.

now if you'll excuse me, im going to take my naughty pills :lol:

[skelstar]

Its not a friggin cruiser!!! Its a sports-naked. Thank you. ;)

[Madness]

Could be the occasional stone-flicking up from rear tyre as you pass 'em???

I had a cager nearly run me off the road last night. I gave 'em the finger and ranted a bit at them. I bet that driver gives bikes room for the next couple of days.

[SlowHand]

what, thats it? no bike bashing? looks like im going hungry tonight, fish just arent biting...