Owls - those of you who look behind with ease...

[Winston001]

In another thread Varminter suggested that some of you guys and gals must be owls :D the way you say you can turn and look behind while riding. Gotta agree.

Look - when I'm on a bike, my right arm is glued to the throttle and looking behind to the right is at best a shallow glimpse. My shoulder and stiff leather jacket don't allow rotation of a bulky full-face helmet.

How do you do it?

[hayd3n]

look to left

[rainman]

How do you do it?

Take your arm off the throttle.... :innocent:

[Owl]

Something you're born with!



:rofl:

[Motu]

Comes with wearing all the protective gear - when we only wore street clothes,no helmet or at best an open face,we didn't even have mirrors...they were not a legal requirement.We were able to twist and turn with ease.My new helmet has such a deep chin piece that I can't turn my head as far as with my old helmet - it just gets worser and worser.

[Anarkist]

Easy really.. Just turn your head..

[scracha]

Main thing is that you can check your blind spot, so you don't have to look around like an owl. If you're manouvering right you check the blind spot to your right. If going left then do the opposite. OBviously you'll have been indicating and have checked your mirrors at least twice prior to manouvering as well.

This isn't for show. It has saved my bacon on at least two occasions where an "invisible" car was cruising in that shitty blind area and I hadn't seen it in the mirrors.

[GrayWolf]

Main thing is that you can check your blind spot, so you don't have to look around like an owl.
This isn't for show. It has saved my bacon on at least two occasions where an "invisible" car was cruising in that shitty blind area and I hadn't seen it in the mirrors.

I think that states the case for rear observation quite sucinctly Winston :done: However as always it is the choice of the individual.

As for the comments (in other posts) re: modern helmets/gear preventing rear observation? I have a Nolan M102 and wear a leather jacket with epulets (patrol style). I have no issues with rear observation. If anyone has a problem due to the chin piece and or the gear they wear? Then I might suggest that you buy a helmet that allows a rear observation, rather than just looks the bizzo (function over fashion statement). If we (riders) dont buy helmets that dont allow a crucial function. The said manufacturer will soon get the message.

[Grizzo]

Something you're born with!



:rofl:
Not even OWL, anyone can do it!:laugh:

[Big Dave]

The appropriate mirrors are for looking behind you - turning your head is for the spots your mirrors can't see.

[The Stranger]

Your head needn't do a 180. Your eyes move in their sockets - well mine do anyway - plus I have peripheral vision too.

[Usarka]

Scientific studies show that a head movement of 70 degrees is maximum required to clear any blind spot.^*


^* scientific study conducted at home while talking shite and drinking beer.

[Dave-]

let go of clutch hand and twist.

I can clear my blindspot with a flick of the head.

[klingon]

Depends on your riding position, too. Obviously sports-bike style you're going to be leaning further forward so you might need to tuck your chin in to glance over your shoulder. On my sit-up-straight bike it's an easy sideways turn. If you're leaning back on a cruiser it might be easier to flip your head backwards. :wacko:

It's amazing how easily you can 'lose' a fairly large vehicle in your blind spot. I'm usually fairly good at keeping track of who's where while I'm riding, but the other day on the motorway I lost a red hatchback somewhere behind me. I would swear one moment it was there and the next moment it was gone! I can only assume it took one of the off-ramps, but I must have looked like a ninny twisting and turning trying to find it in my mirrors before attempting the next lane-change!

[McJim]

In another thread Varminter suggested that some of you guys and gals must be owls :D the way you say you can turn and look behind while riding. Gotta agree.

Look - when I'm on a bike, my right arm is glued to the throttle and looking behind to the right is at best a shallow glimpse. My shoulder and stiff leather jacket don't allow rotation of a bulky full-face helmet.

How do you do it?

If I want to look over my right shoulder I straighten my right arm to look - My grip on the throttle is firm but relaxed and I find it easy enough however I never have a shoulder bag on.... I have my mirrors set up so they look directly behind me and I use the over the shoulder glance to just check the blind spots. On the weekend ride I relied on the mirrors to count the headlights and ensure we were all still together for example.

What brought this on?

[sugilite]

I'm tall and ride a sports bike, but I look under my right arm...

[klingon]

I'm tall and ride a sports bike, but I look under my right arm...

Yeah I've seen tall sports bike riders do that.

mmm.... tall sports bike riders... oops! Off topic! :o

[gatch]

im not little but i ride a little bike, with jacket and sometimes even wearing a helmet its easy to turn my head, safe as fuck

[fatzx10r]

try doing a handstand, that way you wont have to turn your head

[Winston001]

If I want to look over my right shoulder I straighten my right arm to look - My grip on the throttle is firm but relaxed and I find it easy enough however I never have a shoulder bag on.... I have my mirrors set up so they look directly behind me and I use the over the shoulder glance to just check the blind spots. On the weekend ride I relied on the mirrors to count the headlights and ensure we were all still together for example.

What brought this on?

No other reason than I find it difficult to turn my head sufficently while holding the throttle. It only pertains on multi-laned roads, mirrors are fine otherwise.


Take your arm off the throttle.... :innocent:

Yep that's my conclusion. Tried it, drop my arm, easy to glance, all good. :2thumbsup:

[The Stranger]

It only pertains on multi-laned roads, mirrors are fine otherwise.


Well, define multi-laned roads.

I always head check as I go past a motorway on ramp, change lanes, over taking or at an exit only lane off a motorway - How many times do you see a dick in an exit only lane suddenly realise they need to actually stay on the motorway and just swerve back on?

[pritch]

The British Police manual refers to a "lifesaver", a quick look over the shoulder. I find though that with the gear I'm wearing the bit of road that I'd really like to see isn't visible other than in the mirror...

[Crisis management]

It only pertains on multi-laned roads.......:

Shouldn't be a problem in the south island then, are you thinking of traveling north?

[90s]

Most experienced riders probably don't realise how much they move their entire body to do blind-sport checks.

For example, I am conscious of dropping my throttle arm a little and bringing the shoulder forward, pushing my left hip forward and then as my torso is already partially swivelled glancing around. The amount I am moving my head is minimal - trying simply to keep the body rigid and turn the neck is a huge turn that is uncomfortable and difficult without a helment - and as you say you are fighting your leathers etc. Let your body mechanics do the work and within a few times your forget your are even doing it, and looking behind you will be simple.

[PrincessBandit]

Once you've passed your Ordinary Wizarding Levels it's just a flick of your wand and you grow snail stalk eyes so one can look behind you/over the shoulder while the other one keeps looking ahead where you're going.

Seriously though:

Depends on your riding position, too. Obviously sports-bike style you're going to be leaning further forward so you might need to tuck your chin in to glance over your shoulder. On my sit-up-straight bike it's an easy sideways turn. If you're leaning back on a cruiser it might be easier to flip your head backwards. :wacko:


Klingon is right, it does very much depend on your position and what you ride. When I'm on the Burgman or the ginny turning to look back over my right shoulder is easy; when on the bandit I have much less head movement due to (as others have said) the helmet chin guard bumping into shoulder armour in my jacket. Tend to use both mirrors A LOT so that I'm theoretically always aware of where things are behind me and what they're doing.....

[vifferman]

I have no problem - the VFR offers a good view to the rear via the mirrors (shock! Horror!), the Shoei has the best visibility of any fullface helmet I've worn, and my jacket doesn't hinder my movement should I wish to turn my head.

[Winston001]

Shouldn't be a problem in the south island then, are you thinking of traveling north?

LOL

I suspect that because I wear glasses, turning to look is more of a problem that with the eagles among you. The glasses get moved a bit when the helmet hits my right shoulder and seeing anything at all becomes problematic.

Might be time for a new helmet too, the current FFM flip-up is a bit loose. Going for a wander along to the bike shop now. :D

[Mikkel]

Not a problem to check my blind spots - not on the zxr250, not on the Husky motard and not on the zx7...

They are quite different machines - but it's never a problem. Using the mirrors can require me to move my elbows out of the way though.

If we always were focused on our riding and remained observant it would not be necessary to check the blindspots though.

[skidMark]

I backflip lowside to 360 barrel roll tank slapper. during the 360 i get a look behind.

[xwhatsit]

didn't even have mirrors...they were not a legal requirement.
For all intents and purposes I don't have a rear-view mirror -- just got a bar-end mirror on the RHS (all that's required legally). I keep it folded down these days. If I fold it up 180 degrees I can see behind me but I keep it folded down so all I'd see is tarmac.

So I don't have any option but to do complete head checks. I feel safer doing this for some reason. The only issue is running up the arse end of the car in front if you spend too long staring backwards. Funny that I never seem to get heated up about tailgaters these days -- I don't know if I have any :sweatdrop

I wear a heavy leather jacket with armour but don't find it particularly difficult. Might be the geometry of the bar setup and body angle. I drop my shoulders as I do it. For multi-lane roads where the concern is pulling out in front of a faster vehicle, I find I bend my neck so it's laying sideways and backwards, if that makes sense. Like looking under your arm.

Visibility is great on bikes, even with full-face helmets. You don't need mirrors.

[klingon]

...If we always were focused on our riding and remained observant it would not be necessary to check the blindspots though.

I dunno about that. Have you never had someone move from the right lane into the middle lane, just at the same moment you're moving from the left lane into the middle lane? You can check your mirrors as much as you like in advance, but that final head-check is the only way you're going to see them start to move.

I always always do head-checks. Not as a substitute for other observational methods, but in addition to them. I have always done them when driving a car, too, and am pleased when I'm riding and I see car drivers doing a quick check before committing to a lane-change.

[The Stranger]

If we always were focused on our riding and remained observant it would not be necessary to check the blindspots though.

According to the Hurt report -

"more than three-fourths of all accident hazards are within 45deg of either side of straight ahead. "

Think about it.

[Swoop]

mmm.... tall sports bike riders... oops! Off topic! :o
You called?:done:

I have no problem - the VFR offers a good view to the rear via the mirrors (shock! Horror!), the Shoei has the best visibility of any fullface helmet I've worn,
Interesting Sir Viff.
The Raid II has less field of view than the HJC in my opinion. Recent studies in Motomail appear to have confirmed this.
The F-117 has some very good mirrors and has been a pleasant surprise, however a head check over the shoulder is always necessary to prevent "pesky-cager-syndrome"...

[rocketman1]

In another thread Varminter suggested that some of you guys and gals must be owls

How do you do it?

Depends on the amount of traffic, but when I am not following a vehicle I take my left hand or throttle hand off, sit up and put place my free hand on the rear seat, this means you can turn around easily to look behind, But I would only do it with plenty of free room ahead.

Youth is the main OWL factor, if you are young you are more flexible than us WISE old owls with cricky necks.

Bikes should come with permanent rear vision cameras aye. & display up front, just inside the screen, yeah, now theres a way to make a dollar!!
It will happen one day.

[swbarnett]

According to the Hurt report -

"more than three-fourths of all accident hazards are within 45deg of either side of straight ahead. "

Think about it.
That's hazards. I wonder what the proportion is for hazards that actually turn into accidents? It's easier to spot a hazard in front of you than behind you.

[The Stranger]

That's hazards. I wonder what the proportion is for hazards that actually turn into accidents? It's easier to spot a hazard in front of you than behind you.

They only investigated accidents. I believe therefore that hazards in this context are hazards that resulted in accidents.

Yes it is, however I would interpret that to mean that the majority of your focus should be ahead, not behind. Leaving ample time for someone to sneak into your blind spot.

[swbarnett]

They only investigated accidents. I believe therefore that hazards in this context are hazards that resulted in accidents.
Thanks for the clarification.


Yes it is, however I would interpret that to mean that the majority of your focus should be ahead, not behind. Leaving ample time for someone to sneak into your blind spot.
Totally agree.