Cager reaction to L-plated rider

[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

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.