Scary Passing

[SpiralGray]

especially on a single no passing lane solid center lines and the vehicle has made room for your pass.

I agree with the courtesy wave, as long as the other vehicle is being courteous. They don't have to pull completely off the road, but maintaining a steady speed, or even slowing down slightly, on the straights is enough.

The guys that make it almost impossible for me to get around them on the straights and then putt-putt through the corners get a different kind of wave.

[Axel_7]

I dont know why everybody has to make passes at blinding speed, it affords no options to abort should a car appear suddenly where none had been before you started the pass. This happened today trying to pass a semi with a flatbed, its too long and it was going to fast to make it safely I thought and so I aborted and pulled back in behind the truck. Luckily I was not leading so no body behind me, but I was the last guy in this scenerio. I dont like to pass at full speed I dont like haveing to duck in behind a car to get out of the way of oncomming traffic only to grab a handfull of brakes to keep from rear ending the car. I like to pass at a decent speed but let off the gas and safely merge back into the lane easy without having to grab brakes to get back over. The bike is so much faster than the regular traffic its a snap to get around folks without having to bin it wfo!

I get up speed to get around but dont go all out, I like to be able to merge easy so I get up to a good passing speed and stay there instead of red lining the tach. Then I can use less brakes should I need to duck in behind a set of cars much more controled providing for an easier mearge. Guys following me know I am not going to do somthing stupid and I usually say somthing before hand about following too close, I hate that. I dont need to see your damn wheel fella, its just a fun ride, not the last lap of a world superbike race.

Well said HS, those who have ridden with me know i like to ride a nice pace, but i dont need somebody filling my mirrors when i would rather be looking for the next Caged Idiot on the road. I find that if you deside its not right to go you shouldnt have to glance in the mirrors to see if you can slow down and duck back in line. As much as it wasnt a good decision to try a pass underpowered it was a worse thing for your buddy to only be focusing on truck in front and oncoming traffic as he also has another bike he should be thinking is a obsticle he has to avoid. What is in the air this past month.... Please notice the board has more talk about "it was me next" and lets talk about a OIL thread or something.

[Monk]

I always flash a courtesy wave to the vehicle I passed. Seems to have a soothing effect and eliminate any competitive urge they may otherwise get.

Good one... I do that as well..... I also do the same thing to cars waitting to pull out.... THAT WAIT...

While I'm on this one ..... With all the riders that are getting hit by people that pull out at the last sec...... I see one sitting there ... I check my mirrors... Then start slowing down to the point that if they did pull out... I would be able to stop.......

I see to many riders just ride passed them, not slowing, just guessing the cage will wait..... But the reason I bring it up in this thread, is that if you tried putting a little more personnel interaction with these cagers, not only would it help our image, but it will bring the cage out of the haze and into the gaze (couldn't help it).... But when you pay that much attention to the cage it's going to make you more aware.......... We say the cagers need to be more aware... I say we need to do more to not get hit by them.....

[TimC]

...But the reason I bring it up in this thread, is that if you tried putting a little more personnel interaction with these cagers, not only would it help our image, but it will bring the cage out of the haze and into the gaze (couldn't help it).... But when you pay that much attention to the cage it's going to make you more aware.......... We say the cagers need to be more aware... I say we need to do more to not get hit by them.....

Dang, score another great post for Monk! :warranty:

I agree 100%. Not that it's up to us to make cagers drive more responsibly, but a nice gesture once in awhile (waving when they let you pass easily, or when they wait an extra couple seconds - when waiting to turn into your lane or across it - 'til you go by instead of barging into/thru an intersection) can help our image and foster goodwill.

Another thing I do is sometimes give 'the wave' to folks in cages who have motorcycle stickers on their cars/trucks. :fing02:

[Kel]

It's an oxymoron to put "help our image" and "speeding past on the double solid line" in the same sentence. I'm not saying you should or shouldn't, just that those things are completely incongruent. My best estimate is that 1-70,000 cagers will say to themselves "They seem like nice boys."

[Monk]

It's an oxymoron to put "help our image" and "speeding past on the double solid line" in the same sentence. I'm not saying you should or shouldn't, just that those things are completely incongruent. My best estimate is that 1-70,000 cagers will say to themselves "Those seem like nice boys."

Good, Then that's One more...... I look at it as what will they think if I pass on A double yellow. And what will they think if I wave a thx while doing it..... Might at least keep them off their cell phone trying to report it(even if it doesn't do them any good). It's a politically correct world now....

[Zach571]

It's an oxymoron to put "help our image" and "speeding past on the double solid line" in the same sentence. I'm not saying you should or shouldn't, just that those things are completely incongruent. My best estimate is that 1-70,000 cagers will say to themselves "Those seem like nice boys."

Good, Then that's One more...... I look at it as what will they think if I pass on A double yellow. And what will they think if I wave a thx while doing it..... Might at least keep them off their cell phone trying to report it(even if it doesn't do them any good). It's a politically correct world now....

Unless they take the wave as :

That you are passing them. I agree to be courteous on the road, just saying that even a courteous wave could be taken wrong if they are predisposed to not like bikers.

Zach571

[VFR4Lee]

I like to make damn sure I can do the pass,

then blow their doors off. Err, get past quick and safe. :fing02:

Just last weekend on a group trip to Yosemite,

some jackass in a minivan tried to run 1 of our group off the road as he was making a pass,

in a legal dash yellow line section of road.

I was a bit far back to see it, but the minivan purposely swerved left as the pass was underway. :ohmy:

Luckily, for once, there was a cop there, or at the next town, when you need them.

The guys at the point that had the problem with the cage. Pulled up next to the cop, and result was the cage got pulled over.

Nobody's ass got kicked, although it would have been well deserved. :cool:

No ticket, no assault charges. I guess since the cops didn't see it themselves. :warranty:

I hope his wife gave him several earfuls after, at least.

So, ride safe! It's a looney bin out there. Watch out for a white minivan with Wyoming plates. :happy:

[The Phantom]

Fatigue... I had first-hand experience of it after a weekend of riding with OzVFR mates. Literally in the last 20km or so of a 3500km trip. The lead rider (self appointed, which is usually the case with us - whoever goes off first, leads) was definitely going too quickly for the time of day/ride, just trying to get one last fang in. I was second, and worried enough about him to wick it up and tag along, hoping to get past him and slow him down a bit, but I didn't get the chance. He survived the suicidal cage passes, sometimes four or five at a time (as did I although I waited on a few of them to be a BIT safer), and it wasn't until an uphill right decreasing radius corner that he came unstuck and literally drilled his 3rd Gen into a wall of stone at 70km/h. I'd caught him again at that point and was starting to relax as we were nearly out of the national park that this was happening in; another 45 seconds and we'd have been into suburbia.

He was relatively ok - although for a few minutes I though he was going to die in my arms - and it was a very powerful lesson for all of us.

Glad you both came through this with no harm, I can really imagine how frightening the moment was for both of you.

Interesting info from DDO-VFR on the staggered passing technique, have not read of that. Seems like it would work but only with small-ish groups, and then only with strict application.

[enzed_viffer]

Fatigue... I had first-hand experience of it after a weekend of riding with OzVFR mates.

It's not good, fatigue. I haven't done much highway riding for quite a while, and recnetly took a fine, sunny Friday off to work on my bike, then went for a ride. It was only maybe 2 and a half hours, but after a couple of hours, I lost the plot dialing in my suspension, and it went from being pretty good to awful, so I gave up. It was a shame, as I was enjoying the ride, but at least my riding didn't suffer too much, so even though it was a bbit of a bummer, at least I was safe.

Unlike an extreme example that was in the media just today: a tourist here had a car crash after falling asleep due to jetlag, and killed his wife, granddaughter and cousin.

[Knife]

It's an oxymoron to put "help our image" and "speeding past on the double solid line" in the same sentence. I'm not saying you should or shouldn't, just that those things are completely incongruent. My best estimate is that 1-70,000 cagers will say to themselves "Those seem like nice boys."

Good, Then that's One more...... I look at it as what will they think if I pass on A double yellow. And what will they think if I wave a thx while doing it..... Might at least keep them off their cell phone trying to report it(even if it doesn't do them any good). It's a politically correct world now....

I think the passing on a solid center line post had to do with a cager pulling to the right to let you pass. Still not legal, but you're not upsetting the cager. That's a little different than indiscriminately passing on a DY.

[5thGenJim]

...But the reason I bring it up in this thread, is that if you tried putting a little more personnel interaction with these cagers, not only would it help our image, but it will bring the cage out of the haze and into the gaze (couldn't help it).... But when you pay that much attention to the cage it's going to make you more aware.......... We say the cagers need to be more aware... I say we need to do more to not get hit by them.....

Dang, score another great post for Monk! :fing02:

I agree 100%. Not that it's up to us to make cagers drive more responsibly, but a nice gesture once in awhile (waving when they let you pass easily, or when they wait an extra couple seconds - when waiting to turn into your lane or across it - 'til you go by instead of barging into/thru an intersection) can help our image and foster goodwill.

Another thing I do is sometimes give 'the wave' to folks in cages who have motorcycle stickers on their cars/trucks. :cool:

When changing lanes, merging or generally running through traffic, I try to make eye contact with a cager I'm about to 'interact' with whenever possible... it's that acknowledgement that "he knows I'm there, I know he's there" that matters most (IMO). Cagers that look me in the eye will typically give me a wave or the 'go ahead' sign to jump in front.

Yeah, I'm the Rodney King of the motorcycle world - can't we all just get along?? :blink:

[gradus]

Each of you are responsible for yourselves. It would have been your buddy's fault and he shouldn't be right on your ass. But we also like riding with close friends that we trust because we are comfortable with them and expect them to make predictable moves and clear decisive passes.

Concerning the other posts, I strongly disagree with any approach that says all bikes are supposed to pass at the same time. If they all pass, that's great and I'll consider the riders behind me in my decision to pass. But expectations that there is room for 2 or more bikes when the leader passes is a bad approach.

[Baileyrock]

Each of you are responsible for yourselves. It would have been your buddy's fault and he shouldn't be right on your ass. But we also like riding with close friends that we trust because we are comfortable with them and expect them to make predictable moves and clear decisive passes.

Concerning the other posts, I strongly disagree with any approach that says all bikes are supposed to pass at the same time. If they all pass, that's great and I'll consider the riders behind me in my decision to pass. But expectations that there is room for 2 or more bikes when the leader passes is a bad approach.

Agreed!

I think some of the thought about passing is based where you live & ride too, if your in flatlands where there more straights than turns there are many more opportunities to consider a pass for the entire group, but in mtns and constant twisties there's few chances to pass and they need to be taken when safely possible and it's up to each rider to determine if their safe to pass also.

Also even when riding with my long time buddies I don't want someone on my azz or to be on a buddies azz trying to squeeze a pass in, just like in this threads situation you need distance and room to react to whatever happens. I would have to think I may even get complacent when riding with my buddies because I think I know what they'll do, this can GET you one day! Lets not get complacent out there! :huh:

I also disagree with the thought of not crossing the guys path behind you, it is their job Not to run me over no matter what I do! There too close if it's a possibility!

When riding in the mtns I don't have nor do I want to worry about what's going on behind me when running a quick PACE other than the occasional mirror check to make sure your guys are still with you. My focus should be forward, not backwards! :beer:

Now things do change if your on a rally or Meet and riding with unknowns, but not too much.

[Monk]

Each of you are responsible for yourselves. It would have been your buddy's fault and he shouldn't be right on your ass. But we also like riding with close friends that we trust because we are comfortable with them and expect them to make predictable moves and clear decisive passes.

Concerning the other posts, I strongly disagree with any approach that says all bikes are supposed to pass at the same time. If they all pass, that's great and I'll consider the riders behind me in my decision to pass. But expectations that there is room for 2 or more bikes when the leader passes is a bad approach.

:beer: I agree with you One at a time, and ride at a 2 sec. interval ........