MNRider
Junior Member
All work and no play makes Jack dull
Posts: 64
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Post by MNRider on May 12, 2009 9:23:38 GMT -5
So, I am pretty sure that we have all experienced the inconsiderate/unobservant automobile driver. This is the fourth year of riding for me and so far, knock on wood, I have been pretty lucky.  Lately, though the idiots have seemed to have come out of the woodwork. I was doing a bit of shopping in WallyWorld  and I saw this lime green safety vest. I thought, "Geez, you should get that." About a week ago some high school girl pulls out in front of me. Not even close to an incident, but nevertheless. But, I am not going to wear a lime green vest  . So, I am coming home and there is a four wheel drive tractor coming down the highway with about four cars behind it. The first car goes around, no problem. The second car comes around, by now I am closer so I start to slow down and move to the right. Good decision, bad decision or just plain wrong, I don't know. As the third car is getting to the tractor I think, "That dumb@$$ is going to pass him." This tractor is taking up about 1/2 of the oncoming lane of traffic so this mini-van, yes I said mini-van, will have to come into my lane.  Yep, sure enough, here they come. I am doing about 30 now, hugging the white line. We meet at the same time, three across, the tractor, the mini-van and me. I am usually not given to letting other drivers know what I think of their skills. But this person, I don't know if it was a man or woman, got the one-fingered salute. I know that most riders will have some sort of similar incident when you have ridden long enough. But I just couldn't believe it. It was a pretty flat section of road, no one behind or in front of me. Somebody just wasn't paying attention. Either that, or maybe they figured that I was being nice by moving over. Not really, just saving my butt ;D. It kind of makes me think about that lime green vest!! |
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Post by xcbullet on May 12, 2009 9:54:02 GMT -5
Ya joe rocket sells orange vested jacket told the sales lady I didn't want to look like a high way worker.I was wanting a yellow in this other type which they had but couldn't get it in the long.The longs only come in black ,I would of got it if could have been had in yellow for better visibility,couldn't see paying $160.00 for something that wasn't what I really wanted.So ended up paying $50.00 off ebay shipped for a Yamaha mesh black just large,but it does have some small reflective piping.
What I hate is when they use the left turn lane to get into line to come into your lane but your not sure if they see you or not.Sometimes I think they don't see ya till the last couple secant's,that usually gets the horn sounded from me just to make sure they do know I'm there
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Post by spyug on May 12, 2009 10:08:20 GMT -5
Glad you made it out alive. The lime green vest would have made no difference.
The problem with a lot of drivers is they have no time/distance judgement skills in addition to looking right through you. They see you but can't tell how far away you are and how fast you're moving. Rather than ere on the side of caution and wait for you to pass they figure lots of time so go for it.
On another board a member riding a white bike, with white helmet and hi-viz yellow vest was hit entering a parking lot and notwithstanding eye contact with the cager. The woman driver admitted to cops she felt she had ample time to pull out but she also said she didn't see him.
The old adage is true, "Ride like you are invisible because you are".
Try the vest, it can't hurt but just don't count on it saving your bacon.
Ride safe,
Spyug
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Post by Six-Five-O on May 12, 2009 10:14:49 GMT -5
Parts Unlimited sells a very nice military spec vest in the safety yellow color. It's made by Icon, and also comes in orange and has plently of storage ..They retail at around 55-60 bucks...Well worth the extra visabilty.
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Post by tomterrific on May 12, 2009 10:31:00 GMT -5
Received a coupon from HF for a lime - yellow safety vest, $2.97. Cheap safety.
I have a habit where I shake the bars to get my headlight beam all over the place. Really wakes up drivers as they come to a stop sign out on a country road. It also gives the impression that an accident is about to happen when they see a bike wobble. Stops 'em cold.
TG
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Post by spyug on May 12, 2009 21:03:06 GMT -5
I was out with my buddy checking out a bike up in Guelph Ontario today. He didn't get the bike but we decided to check out gear at a couple of large retailers. I was amazed to see how much gear is now being produced in high viz yellow, vests ( of course) textile and mesh jackets, helmets, gloves and even pants. You could be high viz from head to toe. They definitely stands out but again I wonder if the cagers will see them. I still think you need to act like you're invisible Ride safe all, spyug |
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Post by grizld1 on Aug 31, 2009 19:36:06 GMT -5
The high-viz stuff is good, but it doesn't warn 'em when they look right at you and haul out anyway, as one grossly obese 20-something in an SUV with a cell phone stuck in her ear did last week. She hauled into the street in front of me from a low-rent discount supermarket parking lot (where else?)--looked me right in the eye while she did it, ignoring my OEM horn. I was anticipating the move so evasion wasn't a problem, just swerved a little and laid hard on the brakes, very glad of the sintered pads and 11 mm. master cylinder.
But it got me thinking that a horn on a vulnerable vehicle oughtta be something a little harder to ignore. After some research I bopped down to Advance Auto, picked up a pair of Fiamm HK9 3-3/4" disc horns (dual tone, one high, one low), ran a lead from the battery to a 10A fuse and a 30A relay, and hooked 'em up. They're louder than anything I've heard short of a big rig air horn, real rowdy and mean, louder by far than a herd of Hardlys with straight pipes. One mounts on a reangled OEM horn mount on the frame, the other from a bracket mounted to the lower triple clamp, with the discs at an angle, one above and in front of the other, and parallel. $32 for the pair of horns, $7 for the relay, $4 for the fuse holder, hardware, solder, wire, and spade connectors out of the stash. Satisfaction, priceless. They just bellow "STOP THAT, ya screw-up!"
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Post by pamcopete on Aug 31, 2009 19:52:28 GMT -5
grizld1,
Well, as satisfying as that mega horn may be to relieve the frustrations of dodging idiots in SUV's, there are some down sides:
1. When faced with a near certain collision, you only have a few hundred milliseconds to make a decision. Activating the horn would use up a few of those precious milliseconds that could be better spent doing something evasive.
2. The idiot in the SUV with the windows rolled up, the AC on with the cell phone stuck in her ear probably won't hear the horn.
3. Worse. If she does hear the horn, then she will probably do the right thing and stop right in front of you leaving you no place to go. (God save us from people doing the right thing)
If you think that idiots are dangerous because they are not paying attention, they are even more dangerous when they are paying attention because they make idiotic decisions.
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Post by CaptDan on Aug 31, 2009 20:26:36 GMT -5
The old adage is true, "Ride like you are invisible because you are". Right on, spyug! I even teach that to my bike-riding kids. Still, it's hard to understand how true that statement is until you really are invisible. [fade to flashback...] One night I had to get home on my BSA B50T -- without any working lights. (Thank you, Lucas electrics.) It was only 7-8 miles (mostly short-cutting through subdivisions), and I was being super cautious, but it was crazy how many close calls I had. Close calls with EVERYTHING! Cars, bicyclists, people, even animals. That's when I really learned what it must be like to be invisible, and I believe that experiance made me a better, smarter rider. . |
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Post by grizld1 on Aug 31, 2009 21:36:04 GMT -5
You are evidently uninformed regarding the correct use of the horn, Pete. One does not use the horn to vent aggression. The horn is a warning device. It should be deployed as such, in anticipation, before the driver being warned does something stupid. Its use should be accompanied by the initial steps of evasive action because the warning may not be heeded--not hard, if one has the ability to chew gun and breathe at the same time. During or after said stupid move, deploying the horn is pointless. The OEM horn conveys no warning--useless.
In CDL and other professional driver classes, students are instructed to sound the horn twice--once to alert the potential "conflict," and a second time to establish location. The first blast says "Look!" and the second says "Here!"
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Post by pamcopete on Sept 1, 2009 9:15:20 GMT -5
grizld1,
In your earlier post you said that your new very loud horns would say "They just bellow "STOP THAT, ya screw-up!" which sounds pretty aggressive to me with a whole lot of venting.
In my post, I listed three reasons to not use the horn at all, so, I guess that I am uninformed about the correct use of the horn.
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Post by grizld1 on Sept 1, 2009 9:36:28 GMT -5
Here's another safety tip for ya, Pete--be sure to cut away from yourself while you're splitting those hairs.
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Post by pamcopete on Sept 1, 2009 9:40:33 GMT -5
grizld1,
Well, if anyone knows how to blow a horn, it's you, griz....
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Post by tomterrific on Sept 1, 2009 12:08:53 GMT -5
I rode with a guy when I lived in LA for a summer ('74) who installed dual air horns in his CB750 cafe fairing. He also had an uncorked Kerker. He was concerned people would not know he was coming. That horn would stop cars dead in their tracks, Queen Mary comin' through.
I have had many instances where I needed a horn. Unfortunetly I was busy trying to stop or get out of the way so I could not find the button. Most of the time my horn is good at saying "Hi!", no more.
Driving a small car or a bike with a horn that sounds like a baby rabbit in distress is just asking for troiuble. If ya got to blow a horn it better be hairy. It should be a law that SUV's go "meep-meep" and scooters go "HORNK!" 8^o Too bad cars no longer have radio antennas so we can bend them 90° as a way of showing displeasure.
TG
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Post by xsleo on Sept 5, 2009 4:42:55 GMT -5
Yea , And the way the hook the mirrors on make it hard to kick them off.
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Lately, though the idiots have seemed to have come out of the woodwork.
and I saw this lime green safety vest. I thought, "Geez, you should get that." About a week ago some high school girl pulls out in front of me. Not even close to an incident, but nevertheless. But, I am not going to wear a lime green vest 
. So, I am coming home and there is a four wheel drive tractor coming down the highway with about four cars behind it. The first car goes around, no problem. The second car comes around, by now I am closer so I start to slow down and move to the right. Good decision, bad decision or just plain wrong, I don't know. 
Yep, sure enough, here they come. I am doing about 30 now, hugging the white line. We meet at the same time, three across, the tractor, the mini-van and me. 
