Who is giving bikers a bad name?

**huck farley** · 15th February 2008, 09:16

Originally Posted by Mrs Kendog

It's all jealousy. That and the old stereotyped image of motorcycle gangs and criminals riding Harleys.

Most the criminals stole them, and a good few of the rest are poofters, along with Doctors, lawyers, Dentists, and the misinformed.

**MIXONE** · 15th February 2008, 09:26

Originally Posted by huck farley

Most the criminals stole them, and a good few of the rest are poofters, along with Doctors, lawyers, Dentists, and the misinformed.

There's two types of bikers.Those who ride Harleys and those that wish they did

**Swoop** · 15th February 2008, 10:18

Originally Posted by Hitcher

But we've got really good memories and tried and true strategies when it comes to wreaking our rewenge on disrespectful young folks. Did somebody say beer?

No, there hasn't been a mention of beer yet. It must be feedback coming from your hearing aid.

Originally Posted by MIXONE

There's two types of bikers.Those who ride Harleys and those that wish they did

Well, you could not be any more wrong than that statement.

**Weaver** · 15th February 2008, 10:29

Originally Posted by Luckylegs

.... I hit a wing mirror this morning when filtering up to a set of lights...

I did that for my first time yesterday, wasn't very hard though, my mirror came out of it alright. Couldn't care less if the cage wasn't.

**Trudes** · 15th February 2008, 10:35

That's one of my biggest fears of lanesplitting, hitting or damaging someone's car by trying to squeeze through a gap that I shouldn't have tried squeezing through. I figure a little bit of patience goes a long way and I'd be pretty pissed off if someone on a bike scratched my car because they were trying to get a little further ahead. Wonder if this is why you often see cars squeeze up next to other cars at the lights so there's no gap for bikes to lanesplit through?

**James Deuce** · 15th February 2008, 10:39

Originally Posted by Mrs Kendog

Wonder if this is why you often see cars squeeze up next to other cars at the lights so there's no gap for bikes to lanesplit through?

No it isn't. They don't know you're there, nor can they conceive of a conveyance able to halve their commuting time.

**jrandom** · 15th February 2008, 11:11

Originally Posted by Jim2

No it isn't. They don't know you're there, nor can they conceive of a conveyance able to halve their commuting time.

Almost every day while commuting, I have one or two cars use the metre or two of space in front of them to move aside for me in stopped queues of traffic so that I can fit through. Two distinct occurrences thereof this morning on the way to work, f'rinstance.

I always make sure to give them a little wave or a nod of the head as I go past.

Maybe they're nice to me because I'm quite large and visible as I approach in their mirrors, but am neither a toothpaste-tube squid on a sprotbike nor a scary be-tassled Harley rider?

**James Deuce** · 15th February 2008, 11:13

Originally Posted by jrandom

nice to me because I'm quite large and visible as I approach in their mirrors, but am neither a toothpaste-tube squid on a sprotbike nor a scary be-tassled Harley rider?

Almost without exception they will be, a. foreigners and therefore able to be courteous when piloting a vehicle, or b. motorcyclists, either past or present.

**jrandom** · 15th February 2008, 11:16

Originally Posted by Jim2

Almost without exception they will be, a. foreigners and therefore able to be courteous when piloting a vehicle, or b. motorcyclists, either past or present.

One of today's courteous drivers was a middle-aged, coiffeured woman in a Mercedes SUV; the other was a hippy chick in a clapped-out Starlet.

**Luckylegs** · 15th February 2008, 11:16

Originally Posted by Mrs Kendog

That's one of my biggest fears of lanesplitting, hitting or damaging someone's car by trying to squeeze through a gap that I shouldn't have tried squeezing through. I figure a little bit of patience goes a long way and I'd be pretty pissed off if someone on a bike scratched my car because they were trying to get a little further ahead. Wonder if this is why you often see cars squeeze up next to other cars at the lights so there's no gap for bikes to lanesplit through?

Yip, totally agree... I have to say I didnt feel grand (This time or the one other time its happened). I would stop except given the very nature of where you are when splitting, especially if the light then turns green its not a nice place to have a conversation. (Id be stopping somewhere if I actually broke the mirror rather than just clipped it).

Instead I just spend the next few k's repeating the "I hit a mirror" mantra... "Oh Shit, damn, dumbass, sorreeee.... Oh Shit, damn, dumbass, sorreeee.... Oh Shit, damn, dumbass, sorreeee.... Oh Shit, damn, dumbass, sorreeee.... Oh Shit, damn, dumbass, sorreeee...."

I tried justifying it to myself as no different to the millions (A very slight exageration) of dents and chips in my car doors from other peoples doors in parking spaces for which other cage drivers are responsible... Didn't really help as I reminded myself that I am often heard to make like Jim2 and say "Burn them" which is no doubt what the driver this morning was saying.

**Mikkel** · 15th February 2008, 11:23

Originally Posted by jrandom

One of today's courteous drivers was a middle-aged, coiffeured woman in a Mercedes SUV; the other was a hippy chick in a clapped-out Starlet.

Foreigners for sure!

Nah, good to see that there are some people out there who pay attention and are willing to help speed things along. And I must say that I get that much more often than people trying to be assholes.

What is a common occurance and irks me is the amount of incompetent drivers who are struggling just to handle rush hour traffic so they sit at 10 km/h below the speed limit in the right hand lane because they have to turn in 5 kms time. I'm sure they don't do it to piss me off (or anyone else for that matter) - but they still manage to do that quite succesfully though.

**jrandom** · 15th February 2008, 11:27

Originally Posted by Mikkel

... the amount of incompetent drivers who are struggling just to handle rush hour traffic so they sit at 10 km/h below the speed limit in the right hand lane because they have to turn in 5 kms time.

Perhaps there are cars doing that, but I don't even notice; I just blast on past them through a gap. The only vehicles that get in my way are buses and trucks taking up enough space that I don't have a way of getting around them, and that usually only lasts a few seconds, anyway.

Filtering for the win!

**Mikkel** · 15th February 2008, 11:37

Originally Posted by jrandom

Perhaps there are cars doing that, but I don't even notice; I just blast on past them through a gap. The only vehicles that get in my way are buses and trucks taking up enough space that I don't have a way of getting around them, and that usually only lasts a few seconds, anyway.

Filtering for the win!

Sounds like your roads are either wider up in Orcland or that people are better at keeping left. Certainly not often possible to pass a car on the right while staying inside your own lane all the time down here.

But yes, commuting on a bike is much more fun than being in the cage... When the weather is good.