If someone is tailgating *you*

[Grub]

No, don't slam your brakes on ... :) Tailgaters are after you and they'll get you one day when you have to stop for someone stupid in front.

Two Strategies:-
- Double your following distance to 4secs so that you can brake slowly and not wear the wanker (or wankess) behind you

- To get them to back off a bit, this really works. Adjust your position on the road to be directly in front of their eyes. They were looking past you as if you weren't there, now they can't see. They will shift left/right so they can see - get in their line of sight again. I have ever only had to adjust my position in front of them a max of 4 times before seeing them drop back because they're running blind :)

It works, it's non-combative and they don't even know that you're controlling their position on the road. It worked for me again last night.

Report back to the thread when you've tried it :)

Brett

[James Deuce]

Old Sparkplugs. Open Pocket.

That reminds me. Must buy a two stroke.

[Devil]

In the first instance, i'll give a couple of flashes of my brake lights.

If that fails, i'll motion them to move back with my hand. 99% of the time this works for me.

That last 1% can go looking for their wing mirror after I let them past.

[vifferman]

I just slow a bit, and turn and look at them. Works especially well (unknown menace?) when I have the dark visor on.
Other tactic is to gently apply the brakes (I have a brakelight flasher fitted).

[Ixion]

Wobble. Countersteer left. right. left. Like cone weaving. Works every time.

[Blackbird]

I'm with Devil in terms of dabbing brake light (without slowing), then gesturing if they don't get the message:Punk: . I do the same in the car. I don't believe in physically retaliating and have never got involved with any verbals to date, thank goodness.

[The_Dover]

you're just riding too fucking slow.

go faster poof.

[Dai]

you're just riding too fucking slow.

....

Another truism from our very own agony aunt.

which reminds me

"Dear Aunty Dover,

Recently I went to a party. There were lots of stange people there and they gave me a strange cigarette. When I woke the next day my arse hurt. Should I tell anyone?

Confused"

[Karma]

I'll flash the brake light a couple of times, but if that doesn't work then I'll slow right down... if it's a 50 zone, we're talking 10-20kph, then when he's finally got the point and starts to drop back, I'll take off back up to the speed limit.

[Nasty]

I have found flashing the brake light does stuff all except (if they even notice it) make them a little edgier ... getting in their line of sight immendiately forces them to back off ... just moving right (as they are normally middle line dwellers) and aligning to the driver plays hovac with their abiltiy to ignore me.:scooter:

[jimbo600]

Drop down a gear, and then fuck off over the horizon on one wheel.

This always works, unless the tailgater is a cop.

[Nasty]

Drop down a gear, and then fuck off over the horizon on one wheel.

This always works, unless the tailgater is a cop.


And isn't it amazing how often we see cops tailgating people ... well there might be a story in that one .... :innocent:

[N4CR]

drop down a gear, and then **** off over the horizon on one wheel.

this always works, unless the tailgater is a cop.

still works anyway.

tried that novel approach yesterday, worked very well on some ****er that was gatin.g
often the peg scraping tyre warmup works good too, freaks the utter **** outta theem

[elle-f]

I figure if somebody is in that of a hurry to pass me - i make sure there is room in front of me for them to do it

[Alice]

Drop down a gear, and then fuck off over the horizon on one wheel.

This always works, unless the tailgater is a cop.

I like this option, shame I can't do the one wheel thing.

[jade]

One time I cruised up east coast bays road toward silverdale and turned right towards still water, Its a short local set of corners down to the boat ramp, anyways, going at a reasonable pace as I made my descent I came across the only car I had seen, a shitty late 80s civic hatchback doing 40km/h,
Gave it a bit, passed him and ducked into the 35 corner ahead of us and left
The dude was some white trash cunt with long hair no shirt and tattoos and rolling a ciggy, I didnt give it another thought, then a few corners up I realised he was catching and he started sitting about 2m behind me through tight twisties between 50 and 80k, He was sliding around on gravel and giving me the shits and I couldnt lose him, couldnt pull over either cuz he was too close and even when I started pulling over the the left he pulled over to the left as well still tailing me, I was pissing my pants by this point cuz he was really pushing me into these corners - I tried everything to get him to fuck off, indicating, putting my hand out and turning round to look at him, he would not fuck off so I spotted my exit ( a road on the left)
waited till the last minute and swerved down it while he was hot on my tail
I didnt see him again
To that person, that was the most scared Ive been in some time and I dont believe you had control of that piece of shit you were driving

[Fatjim]

Drop down a gear, and then fuck off over the horizon on one wheel.

This always works, unless the tailgater is a cop.

Firstly, with that pipe of yours you don't get tailgaters.

I find on the VTR that flicking the kill switch off and slowing down till they get real close then flicking it back on wakes them up. In the car I just take my foot of the accelerator and slow down until their following distance is appropriate to my speed. If that means doing 40k down the motorway then so be it.

But when i was young I was the worst tailgater out there. Man i used to piss some people off.

[rwh]

I find on the VTR that flicking the kill switch off and slowing down till they get real close then flicking it back on wakes them up.

That causes a backfire, right? Doesn't it destroy mufflers? Or do you not have any baffles to damage anyway?

Richard

[sunhuntin]

havent tried the weave thing yet. hate fugging tail gators. normally i tap the brake a few times, hoping like hell the red light will make em back off. normally give em 3 or 4 warning flashes, and then hit the anchors.
my favourite section of town takes in cobham bridge, which is 80k. it then drops to 50k if heading to town, which is messed with roadworks, so its effectively from 80 to 30k pretty quick.
i get so many people inspecting my exhaust when i slow to 30 it aint funny. seems to be mainly trucks.
i can drop the speed from 80 to 60 from halfway across the bridge, giving trucks plenty of warning, and still they do it.

must try to put myself right in the middle of their eyes...but how do you know if you are in the right spot?

im semi ok with gators on the open road, cos im not the fastest thing out there, and i can move and let them pass, but in town, when im doing 60k already, theres no excuse.

[Matt Bleck]

I just let them pass, problem sorted.

[McJim]

I let them pass then follow them to discuss the subject of this thread with extreme prejudice.

[JimO]

i had a woman in a mitsi legnum tailgating me on my way over the northern motorway on my way to a job yesterday i was in my work vehicle (05 deisel hilux) she was right behind me so i sped up to 115 she stayed with me so i slowed down and so did she, there was a long 30 ks road works with loose gravel at each side of the wheel tracks she was about 2 meters behind me so i casually moved over to the gravel and sprayed her for about 30 seconds until she got the message. dumb bitch was on the phone most of the time

[klingon]

Wobble. Countersteer left. right. left. Like cone weaving. Works every time.

I do that anyway (it's my natural riding style) but they still tailgate me :(

And if it's a truck, how am I meant to block the driver's view? Ooooh I know, I'll stand up on the pegs while weaving uncontrollably!

I had an interesting experience of this when I was a passenger in a car which was tailgating someone at night on a road the driver had never driven before, doing about 120kph.

She said, "look at that stupid person in front of us weaving all over the road and putting their brakes on and off!"

I said, "It might be that they're trying to tell you to back off and leave more space."

She said, "I'm not following too close, anyway the brakes on this car are really good."

Fortunately we never had to find out how good her brakes were. Actually we never would have found out. At the distance we were following if they had stopped we would have hit them before the driver had even reacted to hit the brakes. Scary experience. Will never drive with her again.

[beyond]

Best way to deal with gators on the road is turn them into handbags or shoes.

[James Deuce]

Or you could wear the gators over your boots, preventing damp feet.

[Ixion]

Yes, indeed, and excellent they are. 'Tis a spreading fashion, get in now while they're still cool.

Auckland readers may obtain them from the army surplus stores in K Road, directly opposite the billboard of the tart with the titanic tits (I checked yesterday, they're still there).

Do not try to chat up sleazy old men loitering about, they will direct you to the Army recruiting office , as Ms Crashe discovered.

[Dai]

On my ZZR1100, in the UK, I had a switch wired up and placed on the handlebars.

SOmeone came too close behind me I flicked the switch and the brake lights blazed back at them. Caused more than one cage to lock up their brakes trying to avoid me while still leaving me accelerating away quite merrily.

Motorway in UK was a bitch for tailgaiters.

[Manxman]

[QUOTE=Jim2;917629]Old Sparkplugs. Open Pocket.

Like this one Jim2...LOL

I had a member of the tattooed f*ckwit fraternity 'gate me, then 'under'take me recently (overtaking me on the LEFT of my lane believe it or not!)

So, I follow him into a mini shopping centre, where - surprise, surprise - he is parked on a disabled space, with his feet up on his open window...

We greet each other convivially, like long lost brothers, then proceed to discuss the merits of his driving technique in an open and frank manner, ie me laying heaps of verbal and well-vindictive shit on him. After a short time of slack-jawed bewilderment, he wipes the dribble from the side of his mouth, drags his knuckles off the ground and tries to "start one" with me... I laugh at the silly f*cker and tell him to go procrastinate with himself.

We disengage, I ride off and then he tries to follow me (FFS, he really IS stooopid)....until the penny drops (with an audible clang) and he realises that I'm goin straight to the copshop to sort it out there and then. He effs off back to the swamp and I have to wait til I get home to get onto *555 and Roadwatch.

Outcome:
1) he gets a letter from the cops, warning him about this and future conduct;
2) he presents me with the opportunity to press threatening behaviour charges (I didn't cos he's probably already on probation, or shit);
3) his name goes on police database for future reference; and
4) he is taken down a coupla pegs (if that's possible) in front of a dozen witnesses for illegal parking & f*ckwit driving.
5) Finally (but most importantly), I decide that the next time it happens, I'm gonna save myself all that hassle and just let him go. Life's too short to waste yer time on f*ckwit losers...

Sorted.:Punk:

[Terminated]

Any bike/s that are behind you that may want to pass will have the responsibility for their line/s and overtaking manoeuvres - maintain your own lines on your ride and stay relaxed.

With any traffic behind you, and you feel uncomfortable do not hesitate to identify a safe 'pull over' point. Using your indicators move off the road to the eg. Rest Area or scenic lookout spot and let the traffic past. Ride within your own safety bubble - the bubble is yours and you own it. When you find your riding environment (bubble) is diminishing take a few minutes off the road. Do not feel 'pressured' to up the pace if you are uncomfortable.

Don't get mad, get even - "even" if it means pulling over and letting the hazard go by.

Heads Up and Enjoy

[Grub]

must try to put myself right in the middle of their eyes...but how do you know if you are in the right spot?

They move so they can see past you. It's not a "weave", it's just a shift. Very subtle and very effective.

Thanks for some laffs in the thread, but do be careful. Tapping brakes and all of that just gets some drivers aggro and when they have 4 wheels to your 2, guess who wins :)

[XP@]

If all else fails (scraping the pegs cone style on the motorway at 120 kph usually works)
Stand on your pegs, get as much height as you can. With your left hand reach round to your arse, make like you are scraping something out and flicking it behind you. lodsa room after that.

Or just let them past
Or use your bike and make room by passing a few cages up front (if safe)

[crash harry]

In the dry, lofting the front and getting the fuck out of there usually solves the problem.

In the wet or on gravel, a rolling burnout should put the shits up them!