Remember to turn off your indicator!

**ital916** · 11th February 2008, 10:12

Hey all,

Just a timely reminder to all noobs *and myself* to remember to turn off you indicator. Was telling my mates last friday too. Was pulling out onto a main road in onehunga turning right. Saw a very nice red gpx, with flames coming from my right. Indicating to turn left. I thought she was gonna pull into the road I was pulling out of, so started to inch forward. Saw the L plate though and had an uneasy feeling so stopped the tank aka the wagon without pulling out too much further and sure enough the rider went straight. Gave them a fright I would think, and gave me one too. So please again, remember your indicator. I tooted but they didn't switch it off...thought gpx's came with turn signals lights on the dash?

Ride safe

Drider

**crashe** · 11th February 2008, 10:22

Originally Posted by Drider87

Hey all,

Just a timely reminder to all noobs *and myself* to remember to turn off you indicator. Was telling my mates last friday too. Was pulling out onto a main road in onehunga turning right. Saw a very nice red gpx, with flames coming from my right. Indicating to turn left. I thought she was gonna pull into the road I was pulling out of, so started to inch forward. Saw the L plate though and had an uneasy feeling so stopped the tank aka the wagon without pulling out too much further and sure enough the rider went straight. Gave them a fright I would think, and gave me one too. So please again, remember your indicator. I tooted but they didn't switch it off...thought gpx's came with turn signals lights on the dash?

Ride safe

Drider

Flick your fingers on your thumb at the other rider... and that will remind them that their indicator is still flashing away.

Or if they are behind you..... can you manage to reach back and tap your rear indicator... without swerving all over the road that is.

I have on occassion forgotten to turn mine off as well.....
At night it flashes up in the dark to remind me.....

But some bikes have those tiny wee indicators that you can hardly see flashing at all.

**Kendog** · 11th February 2008, 11:24

It pays to check you have turned them off before going on holiday as well, you know like checking the iron is off

**Lucy** · 11th February 2008, 15:15

Originally Posted by Drider87

Hey all,

. Indicating to turn left. I thought she was gonna pull into the road I was pulling out of, so started to inch forward.
Ride safe

Drider

Bikes, cars, buses, trucks.... personally I NEVER pull out until I see them actually start to turn (they can be slowing just looking for a building and then continue past the intersection). It might piss off the people behind me, not that anyone has tooted, but it's just not safe to assume anyone is turning whether they are indicating or not, I've seen it too many times to take the risk.

Good for you for obeying your gut instinct.

**discotex** · 11th February 2008, 22:31

Originally Posted by Lucy

Bikes, cars, buses, trucks.... personally I NEVER pull out until I see them actually start to turn (they can be slowing just looking for a building and then continue past the intersection). It might piss off the people behind me, not that anyone has tooted, but it's just not safe to assume anyone is turning whether they are indicating or not, I've seen it too many times to take the risk.

Good for you for obeying your gut instinct.

+1

Never trust an indicator. Check all the other body language of the other vehicle before you move.

**Soul.Trader** · 12th February 2008, 06:28

I've been riding for about 2 weeks now (yup, good and green), and the indicators are one thing I'm struggling with. I forget about them probably 50% of the time. It doesn't help that my dash is quite out of my line of sight on this particular bike. I guess it's just a matter of getting used to turning them off, but here's a question - is there a device that will automatically turn them off after, say, 10 seconds? That would be a useful function imo. It would also be nice if they made a ticking sound, like on some scooters.

**Usarka** · 12th February 2008, 06:51

Soul Trader - this is one of the reasons why i rate training as the very first step in mcycling. This is the sort of thing that you need ingrained as a habitual thing, and the only way to do that is via repetition. Unfortunately it is thought of as a bad thing in this country (esp by the government).

Not sure if a cancelling device exists, but if you dont learn the habit and swap bikes you'll be back to square one.

My advice is to make a routine out of corners. I was taught like this:

Check mirror
Indicate
Head check
Move to correct lane position
Slow down, change down
Traffic scan, incl head check
Take corner (giving way where appropriate)
Accelerate
Change up AND cancel indicator

The key in this topic is the last line. If you always cancel indicator on the first gear change after an intersection it will become habit and possibly save your life.

Having said all that I was riding for 5 mins last friday near whangerei after forgetting. Those lapses can be dangerous, all the more reason to make it stick 99/100.

**Grub** · 12th February 2008, 07:00

Originally Posted by crashe

But some bikes have those tiny wee indicators that you can hardly see flashing at all.

Yuppers, got it in one. My '90 CBR600 had orange indicator dash lights and I never left the indicators on. My '00 CBR600 has green indicator dash lights - they're impossible to see. Even looking straight at them in some light you cannot tell if they're on or off. Have been seriously contemplating drilling small hole in the green and melting in some orange but I know it would be messy, not be weatherproof and look like shite.

**ital916** · 12th February 2008, 07:35

They do tick, well mine does anyway but you won't hear it. I make it a habit of doing it when i change gear as said before. I also thumb the indicator switch to cancel it all the time just in case, even when i'm heading down a straight road with no turn off...just in case lol

**Soul.Trader** · 12th February 2008, 16:25

Originally Posted by Drider87

They do tick, well mine does anyway but you won't hear it. I make it a habit of doing it when i change gear as said before. I also thumb the indicator switch to cancel it all the time just in case, even when i'm heading down a straight road with no turn off...just in case lol

Mine definately doesn't tick unfortunately. None the less, I think you're all right - just make it habitual. Turning the indicator off on the first gear change is a good habit I will develop.

**Subike** · 12th February 2008, 16:43

Originally Posted by Usarka

Not sure if a cancelling device exists, but if you dont learn the habit and swap bikes you'll be back to square one..

Arh the luxury of the XSEleven Yamahas, from78 - 84
SELF CANCELING INDICATORS

Yeap the yammy electrickery design gurus designed a device that works via two sensors in the speedo to turn your flasher off

Just another xsessive cool thing

**ElCoyote** · 12th February 2008, 19:26

Originally Posted by discotex

+1

Never trust an indicator. Check all the other body language of the other vehicle before you move.

This is as good as it gets for an answer but:

Let us not forget that the Gubbmint expects us to enter a roundabout and signal left to exit or right to continue. By the time this has registered in the pea brain of most New Zealanders you will have circumnavigated the roundabout six times.

NEVER accept an indicator as to the intention of the driver. Well said Discotex