Are we TOTALLY invisible?

[Tunahunter]

Try Googling the term "Motion camouflage"

[st00ji]

If you put all your trust in the other motorists on the road...then eventually you will end up on it.

i never said you should put all your trust in other motorists, that would just be foolish. but do you swerve off the road every time you see a car approaching, in case the guy is a homicidal maniac and decides to cross onto your side of the road and take you out? can you see where im coming from?

[DMNTD:Me]

i never said you should put all your trust in other motorists, that would just be foolish. but do you swerve off the road every time you see a car approaching, in case the guy is a homicidal maniac and decides to cross onto your side of the road and take you out? can you see where im coming from?

Of course I can...it ain't my first rodeo, cowboy.
Once I put faith in another motorist...19 breaks to my ribs, punctured lungs and a broken shoulder.
Lesson learnt

[Katman]

but do you swerve off the road every time you see a car approaching, in case the guy is a homicidal maniac and decides to cross onto your side of the road and take you out?

No, but I'm sufficiently aware of them to be able to make some effort of avoidance if they suddenly do turn homicidal.

[DMNTD:Me]

Of course I can...it ain't my first rodeo, cowboy.
Once I put faith in another motorist...19 breaks to my ribs, punctured lungs and a broken shoulder.
Lesson learnt

+ a gorgeous black 1098S

[Genie]

Of course I can...it ain't my first rodeo, cowboy.
Once I put faith in another motorist...19 breaks to my ribs, punctured lungs and a broken shoulder.
Lesson learnt

Bet that hurt! LOTS!

One should only ever have faith in oneself and even then you need to be extra vigiliant. We're not bullet proof, we do break and we also need to remember that we do have people that love us so we owe it to them to take extra care.
When I'm out and about, I remember that first and foremost I am a mother and I owe it to my children to arrive home, safe and happy.

[Old Steve]

My wife has a degree in psychology and physiology. She reckons that it's a matter of "perceived threat". Car drivers are aware of trucks, buses, SUVs and cars that they see as posing a threat to them. But bicyclists, motorcyclists and pedestrians aren't a perceived threat. Car drivers may look, emphasis on "may", but somehow they don't register that they've seen a threat to their vehicle and their own safety.

So I wear a fluoro vest and a white helmet, ride with my light on high beam all the time, my bike is the largest 250 cruiser available and it's coloured red with silver sides. And after a near miss while riding alongside another vehicle in a dual lane situation, I've taken the baffles off the back of my mufflers - the louder exhaust may not make me noticed, but the safety aspect of being heard is my excuse officer. I've also learnt not to ride anywhere near another vehicle if I can't see their face in their rear vision mirrors, I ride on a line behind any vehicle in front of me that is outside the bodywork of the vehicle in front , and I do assume that everyone else on the road is trying to kill me.

Now I know there's a certain discussion as to whether a loud exhaust makes you safer. On this matter I fall on the side of it can't hurt to be loud and maybe heard. I also like what Scorp has said about his Screaming Demon exhausts, it makes it sound as if his bike is chuckling to herself under his bum. There ain't nothing like the sound of a vee-twin with the baffles taken out.

[p.dath]

Now I know there's a certain discussion as to whether a loud exhaust makes you safer. On this matter I fall on the side of it can't hurt to be loud and maybe heard. I also like what Scorp has said about his Screaming Demon exhausts, it makes it sound as if his bike is chuckling to herself under his bum. There ain't nothing like the sound of a vee-twin with the baffles taken out.

I think your right. Every additional sense that you engage of other road users is an increased chance to them noticing you.

But don't forget to wear earplugs - otherwise you'll become a deaf old man.

[golfmade]

Big bikes here in Taiwan get noticed, but I think it's partly because it's only recently that they are allowed. Give 'em a little more time and Taiwanese will completely ignore them and drive like they're the only blokes on the road.

[caseye]

My wife has a degree in psychology and physiology. She reckons that it's a matter of "perceived threat". Car drivers are aware of trucks, buses, SUVs and cars that they see as posing a threat to them. But bicyclists, motorcyclists and pedestrians aren't a perceived threat. Car drivers may look, emphasis on "may", but somehow they don't register that they've seen a threat to their vehicle and their own safety.

So I wear a fluoro vest and a white helmet, ride with my light on high beam all the time, my bike is the largest 250 cruiser available and it's coloured red with silver sides. And after a near miss while riding alongside another vehicle in a dual lane situation, I've taken the baffles off the back of my mufflers - the louder exhaust may not make me noticed, but the safety aspect of being heard is my excuse officer. I've also learnt not to ride anywhere near another vehicle if I can't see their face in their rear vision mirrors, I ride on a line behind any vehicle in front of me that is outside the bodywork of the vehicle in front , and I do assume that everyone else on the road is trying to kill me.

Now I know there's a certain discussion as to whether a loud exhaust makes you safer. On this matter I fall on the side of it can't hurt to be loud and maybe heard. I also like what Scorp has said about his Screaming Demon exhausts, it makes it sound as if his bike is chuckling to herself under his bum. There ain't nothing like the sound of a vee-twin with the baffles taken out.

Good post there OldSteve and oh so accurate.Re the perceived threat part for sure.
Best way, as you already do, treat em all like Homicidal maniacs! cant go wrong.

[GPS MAN]

We are invisible.....to most motoristat our peril

[Katman]

I actually wonder whether this "treat every car driver as though they're trying to kill you" is a concept that is holding us back.

I believe that we should treat every other road user with caution (bordering on suspicion) but feel that anything much more than that is simply perpetuating the 'us versus them' mentality.

We need to take whatever steps we can to engender a sense of harmonic co-existance.

We won't get that by constantly refering to them as "fucking cagers".

[Milts]

So Katman, you are against the perceived majority when they refuse to accept personal responsibility and blame others for every accident.

Now, you are against the perceived majority when they say to treat every other road user as a threat.

Do you just enjoy being argumentative?

[Katman]

Do you just enjoy being argumentative?

How about if you re-read the post and try to understand the words in it, instead of just reading it as an argument?

[Milts]

I can understand what you're saying, and you may have a good point. However it seems that you are in constant opposition to nearly all other users, regardless of which thread you're posting in.