Is wearing a flouro vest and displaying an L plate asking for it?

[PrincessBandit]

I only had a couple of issues with dickhead drivers while on my L - and I displayed mine all the time. Twice I had idiot young guys (one incident was a car load of youfs) overtaking me dangerously on residential streets yelling abuse at me when I was already riding at 55kph anyway; once I had an older man (middleaged to elderly dickhead) honk and gesticulate at me from behind as I slowed to enter a roundabout FFS. No accounting for jerks like that. Other than that I believe most people were prepared to give me room and not rant at me when they had to sit behind me occasionally while waiting for me to move off from an intersection or slowing down more than perhaps necessary when approaching a corner.

However having said that, twice in the last two days I've had drivers tailgate me on the bandit. A gentle tap tap of the brake light worked miraculously!

[PrincessBandit]

Oh and as for the hi-vis vest the thing I don't like about them is the way even a small one flaps around on me. I'd still wear it at night though. In daylight my two jackets are pretty eyecatching anyway - fire engine red suomy and baby blue M2R - not your easily-fading-into-the-background colours!

[marine0089]

Been riding for a few months now. Never used an 'L' plate. Heck, I don't even own one. I rode a scooter for years when younger, I have my full car license, I know the road rules, I know how to ride my bike, and the 70k/hr speed limit is an utter joke. With this method i've never had any problems with cagers. You act like your on your restricted or full and everyone assumes you are on your restricted or full.

IF I didn't have my full car license however, I would probably be displaying one as you are more likely to do something wrong if you are trying to learn the road rules, gain road experience, and learn the workings of your bike all at the same time. The 'L' plate is really just an apology to the other motorists for when you do something wrong.

[centaurus]

However having said that, twice in the last two days I've had drivers tailgate me on the bandit. A gentle tap tap of the brake light worked miraculously!

I've had big problems with tailgating for a long time and couldn't shake them off in any way. The taps on the brake lever didn't do anything most times.

A few months ago I have found the answer: riding on a very straight road in a 50kph zone in a queue of cars, I got bored so started gently weaving on my lane from left to right, avoiding imaginary potholes and manholes. To my surprise, the car behind immediately increased its following distance.

Since then, every time somebody tailgates me I start weaving gently in my lane. It's absolutely safe and legal, but from behind, to a cage driver that doesn't know anything about bikes, it looks like you're losing control and are about to crash and they don't want to be involved in what they perceive as an immediate accident so they drop back (at least that's my theory as to why, but it works everytime).

[tcpdump]

Ha, I noticed the same thing the other day.
Being a bit bored and wanted to practice how to avoid obstacles I starting avoiding road marks and some invisible obstacles (on my lane, perfectly safe) and I noticed that the car behind me gained considerable distance from me

[Cheshire Cat]

I've had a few cagers try to undertake me on wide roads.fucking wankers.Even with no Lplate. some of them are just wankstains

[mattian]

" hope they wave it."

If they're Harley riders, they won't wave......... oh, do you mean waive it?

[TuonoTom]

Unlike many, I did display my L plate for the whole time I was on my learners. Lots of people told me that it would make me a target for car drivers, but I never had any grief from them in the 10,000ks I did while on my learners. I also never kept to that idiotic/suicidal 70 kmph speed limit, and never got pulled up. As long as you are sensible I'm pretty sure the cops won't do you for exceeding 70 kmph on the open road. I tried sticking to the 70 kmph limit for about two minutes before i realised it was stupid. Car drivers generally aren't aware of the rule, and so won't be very sympathetic towards you.

[Mudfart]

holy crap, Im only allowed to do 70? That makes it awful dangerous on the waikato expressway I commute. People spew if ur doin anything under 120. And cars are only allowed to have one working headlight. Damn this means Im gonna have to get the road code out again after 18yrs of motoring just to pass my bloody R and full class 6.

[avgas]

Yes...........................

[p.dath]

Yes...........................

+1, and if you can't travel safely on the road mentioned - don't go on it.

[Vern]

My Daughter has taken her L plate off and does not get targeted as much as she did with it on. I took her for a ride over to W(H)anganui and I was shocked at how close the cars past beside her or plainly cut her off, It could easily bought on a attack of road rage. Vern