Modern Vespa

Coming home I am going through the big city of Palatka, FL and at the intersection of ninth street a lady looks right at me and decides that 50 feet is enough...if she even saw me that is....anyway, she goes, i honk, she slams on her brakes and I swerve around her...same olld story. But this one is slightly different. I pulled into a gas station to refuel and the same lady is in the next pump. She comes over and apologizes. She said she saw me but thought i was further away? I told her thanks for the acknowledgement...didn't know what else to say. Maybe this story can help us all. Further away? Maybe cause of the size of a bike vs a car? Anyway, thought this might be good fodder for though for my friends here.

when I taught MSF I had held a a pencil and expalined that is what cars see for a m/c then I held up a note book and said what is this now most would answer 18 wheeler. People in cars would stop for the note book but the other is just a pencil. You really have to be on your game when riding

AKA "The Lugnut Rule". People don't see anything with less lugnuts than they have - thus cars don't see bikes, 18 wheelers don't see cars - much less bikes.

Could be the Excaliber Grey color we have. I was told at a BMW dealer that grey blends in with the color of the road. That's why high Viz clothing is needed . My orange mesh hunting vest is as important as my Shoei full face. Gotta be as vigilant as a Chihuahua watchin cagers. Glad you steered clear.

I had a near crach incident a couple of weeks ago, I stopped just before a roundabout and was positioned to go forward. Some lady stopped in the lane to the left of me, she was also positioned to go forward.

When I started moving she decided to turn right instead of straight, she cut me off and forced her self in front of me. I had to breake really hard and was only centimeters from crashing in to her right side.

After that I treat all fellow road users as retards, it feels much safer.

They are ALL out to get you.

Fay

Years ago in a defensive driving class the instructor started by drawing a box on the board and saying "This is you on the road.' Then he proceeded to draw four more boxes, one on each side, and said "This is the idiot in front of you, this is the idiot behind you, this is the idiot to your left and this is the idiot to your right. Defensive driving is watching out for all the idiots."

On a motorcycle size / visibility adds to the problem. Anything we can do to be more visible helps. Hi-Visibility clothing, headlight modulators. weaving a bit to widen profile and giving sideways motion against background, blinking break lights, reflective gear ....

There is a thread in the general forum that discusses the helmet is the best place to add high visibility and best visible colors in general. Conversation with a Cager on a Near Miss Accident?postdays=0&postorder=asc&start=0 A neon yellow helmet is higher than most cars and stands out. Also shared that red is not a visible color in many light conditions and not a good choice.

From the thread:

I agree 101%! People see us on the roads more often here in sunny California, but there is always the occasional numbnut that changes lanes regardless of who is there. 90% of my riding is highway and I don't plan on sticking an ipod in my ear at any point in the future. I love riding for the pure sense of focusing on the road ahead.

And I keep a watchful eye out for the cagers who have no idea what to use 's for. Those pull-out Paul's and Polly's who feel we should know they are coming

A happy and safe new years to all!

With left turners I do the swerve thing to draw attention to myself while always covering my brake but this lady was turning right out of a sidestreet. She looked right at me then started turning her wheels which gave me a little warning that she was about to move so I could start knocking off speed sooner. Other than hi vis colors (my next helmet will be hi vis i think) anyone have a strategy for this situation?

Clowns to the left of me,
Jokers to the right....

The telling part of your near miss is in the driver's statement " she thought you were further away". I've had this same situation. I wonder if your bike position or the portion of "your swerve" (which I do too) might've give her a false image. Moving from the inside of the lane to the outside might give the appearance of more distance even though your speed didn't increase. I tend to move in the lane to give me more cushion from a car entering the road, I might be better off just maintaining a center lane position, and preparing to brake and swerve. After years of riding road bicycles, I just assume 'they" don't see me, so I'm "on point" at all times. Also bought the hi vis yellow armor, keep both lights on on the MP3 500, and considering adding "road cannons" to eliminate possible threats. (oops, that last part was just a fantasy).

I got some high viz. tape that I put on the front and back of my Shoei. Not much, about the size of a band--aid. Gunna add more to the bike. I'm searchin for some 3-m tape called solars or something like that. I got the lid tape at a nice beemer shop.

So....do they make you turn in your guns when you enter Westlaka? Just curious... And how do the local constabulary folks feel about bikers who appear to be weaving erratically...?? Breath test time by chance?

LL75

Don't know about pistola check-in , but saw about 50 Beemers leading a anterage sp. for I believe was a Joe Biden rally awhile back.

Westlaka? Either you or I must be high cause I didn't get that part.

So far have never been stopped doing it.

I need to speak up now, from personal experience.

Don't ride with your high beams on!

Twice now this has happened. On the way to work I see about a half a mile ahead a bunch of headlights stopped at a light. One of the headlights is a highbeam and I know it must be a motorcycle. A quarter mile later I'm ready to make my left turn and take a moment to try and find the Motorcycle again. I can not, he's lost in the glare of the headlights. So I wait a second and sure enough, he flies by, right were I would have been if I had made my left based on the traffic I could see. High beams make you invisible against the background light.


On another note, Hi-Vis gear is most likely a good thing.
On the other hand, in WW1 the US painted their warships in Hi-Vis colors to hide them from the enemy.

You're saying you couldn't see him because he had his high beams on? Man that's hard to figure, but maybe that's why they make headlight modulators, to attract more attention. It's still difficult for me to accept, wouldn't mind hearing from a few others on this one.

LL75

I'm a firm believer in headlight modulators and the signaldynamics DiamondStar system I installed works great. About the only thing that I don't care for - too much - is the occasional cager that pulls over for me thinking I'm a cop. Its not always a bad thing but I don't need po'd cagers behind me.

Anything within legal limits and reason that increases conspicuity while riding is well worth striving for, imho.

And... just in case some LEO is unaware of the nuances of the law regarding headlight moulators, I carry a printed copy of the state statute with my insurance and registration.

I don't know about a high-beam making the bike itself hard to see, per se; it just makes it hard for oncoming drivers to see much of anything.

Aside from flash-to-pass, high-beams are for use when--and only when--there is no oncoming traffic within a tenth of a mile and no one leading you by less than a football field.  Blinding the cager hurtling toward you far outweighs any visibility you might gain.

Exactly. If he had only his headlight on, I would be able to see his silhouette. The high beam obliterated his silhouette and he became an indistinct glare among the other lights. Looking right at him, I could not tell where he was.

The 1st time was weird. The 2nd time I was convinced that it wasn't me.

In Ca, headlight modulators fall under the no flashing lights law. Although they do seem to catch my eye as intended.

YMMV

Really? I remembered seeing something on the signaldynamics site about these being legal in 50 states, by Federal law. I know Oregon has its own law and assumed every state did. I will be heading into "Baja Oregon" (North California, aka, the State od Jefferson) later this year and don't need to hassle with CHiPs...

Check this link:
http://www.signaldynamics.com/Press%20Releases/dotltr.htm

It's well over ten years old but I wonder if it is still valid?

Sorry, to be more accurate, they are Illegal after dark.

25251.2. Any motorcycle may be equipped with a means of modulating the upper beam of the headlamp between a high and a lower brightness at a rate of 200 to 280 flashes per minute. Such headlamps shall not be so modulated during darkness.

Correct - that is the law in all states far as I know...

Yeppers, dems da rules.

The signaldynamics unit has a photosensitive sensor that shuts them off when it gets a bit dark. I have mine mounted low and between the front wheels and the modulation stops if there is heavy cloud cover - almost too sensitive. But very reliable, and they can be turned off (and back on) by just flashing the brights - as long as its not dark out.

Who has ever heard this one- "I didn't see him" ?

I've always firmly believed that what they mean is "I saw him, but I thought he was much farther away", which would place the blame on them, ergo-"I didn't see him."

At least your's fessed up. Glad it worked out ok.

Google 'SMIDSY'

A natural human perception method that doesn't work in the modern world.

Reduce m/c (and car) accidents? Force all hopeful car drivers to take an EU-style bike test first.