Motorcycle Riders?

[Clay Pigeon]

Thank you.

 

[k12lts]

Snip

Good post about different types of gear. You should also put Aerostich and Rukka in your list of top shelf gear.

Most Aerostich gear is made in the USA of quality materials and a proven design. Not flashy or high tech but proven to work for over 20 years and millions of miles.
I ride in Aerostich Darien jacket and pants and use Rev'it and Rukka for mesh gear.

 

[melensdad]

Good post about different types of gear. You should also put Aerostich and Rukka in your list of top shelf gear.

Most Aerostich gear is made in the USA of quality materials and a proven design. Not flashy or high tech but proven to work for over 20 years and millions of miles.
I ride in Aerostich Darien jacket and pants and use Rev'it and Rukka for mesh gear.

Agreed. There are other top shelf brands. I listed more commonly known brands. But you are very correct.

 

[JCSR]

In a 2 lane highway situation you want to be on the far right side of the roadway so you don't get blown around the road by oncoming trucks.

I can see moving to the right if you're bothered by wind gusts but 99% of the time I'm going to avoid being lost in the trees, brush. mailboxes etc. and stay left. I'm never bothered by truck traffic in that way but some may be.

When a car is entering the roadway from the right side you want to be on the left side of your lane so you can be seen from farther away.

Good practice. Always better to be seen.

When someone is turning across traffic and will cross your path its often better to be on the left side of your lane, or in the left lane if you are on a 4 lane road.

Agree

When on a multi lane road you are safest on the right side of the right lane.

I just don't see this. Right side of the right lane doesn't give you many options for escape. Also too easy to blend in with the scenery. Please share how it is safest.

So its a situational issue, and there are many other situations but you should generally be on the right side of the right lane, or you should be moving from one position to another to adjust for a situation you see that is developing in front of you.

Being visible is most important. Right side of right lane makes you the least visible in most situations. Of course I'm no expert so I'm willing to learn.

 

[melensdad]

Being visible is most important. Right side of right lane makes you the least visible in most situations. Of course I'm no expert so I'm willing to learn.

Visibility is key, true. But look at various scenarios like the sweeping turns and you can easily see how you become bug splatter on the grill of an oncoming vehicle.

Look at the 4 lane highways where you are being overtaken by faster traffic and you are more likely to be cut off if you ride the left side of the right lane.

Look at 2 lane highways where you expose yourself to oncoming hazards like wind blow and lane drift.

Left side of lane, as I noted, is preferred in many situations and is wrong in other situations.

You are better off moving into the high visibilty spot as needed and moving into the safe spot as needed than sticking with one or the other because that is where you normally ride.

Safety also comes from reaction time and sometimes lane placement is less important than following distant or visibility

 

[JCSR]

Visibility is key, true. But look at various scenarios like the sweeping turns and you can easily see how you become bug splatter on the grill of an oncoming vehicle.

Look at the 4 lane highways where you are being overtaken by faster traffic and you are more likely to be cut off if you ride the left side of the right lane.

Look at 2 lane highways where you expose yourself to oncoming hazards like wind blow and lane drift.

Left side of lane, as I noted, is preferred in many situations and is wrong in other situations.

You are better off moving into the high visibilty spot as needed and moving into the safe spot as needed than sticking with one or the other because that is where you normally ride.

Safety also comes from reaction time and sometimes lane placement is less important than following distant or visibility

Thanks for the info. We should never stop learning. I will start to think along these lines in the future. I rarely ride 4 lanes so my ninja skills there are lacking. Thanks again

 

[JettaKnight]

This tells me I should take at least one advanced class. What you posted is not what we were taught 40 years ago. We were taught to ride in the left side of your lane on a single lane and in the left side of the left lane on a multi lane road. For one so the person infront of you sees you in the side and rear view mirror along with those entering the road from the side streets.
And it kept you out of the center of the lane oil slick that used to cover the road surface.

If you haven't, read David Hough's Proficient Motorcycling and More Proficient Motorcycling. Every library probably has a copy in print and/or digital.

 

[melensdad]

Somehow I've become sort of an expert on safety and equipment and honestly I am not. I probably have less legal riding experience than many. It is easy to buy a bike and ride in the US without a motorcycle endorsement. State Farm didn't ask if I had an endorsement when I insured any of my motorcycles.

Guess it's just that I took a refresher course and had to study to pass the motorcycle endorsement a few years ago so some of the new safety ideas are in my mind.

We have real rider studies that show how we get injured or die on motorcycles. Intersections are #2.

#1 is we run into stationary objects.

But #2 is a big problem for us as people cross in front of us (or directly into us) without seeing us. We know that Triangle light patterns help catch the eye but very few people install lights on their front forks at the axle. Or the backs of their mirrors. Or on their hand guards (then again most bikes, mine included, don't have hand guards). But those lights are known to help. LED headlights are now easily swapped in for old style bulbs and just that upgrade makes a noticeable difference in visibility. As for visibility from the rear, it is actually pretty amazing how low of a bar the DOT sets for legal lighting. A lot of motorcycles have really crappy minimalist lights.



When TV was hit by a car 2 weeks ago that got this topic going because I had given him CE Level 1 back armor from D3O last year.

I subscribe to the RIDE YOUR OWN RIDE theory and am not going to tell anyone what they MUST do. Do what you want. I prefer the ATGATT (All The Gear, All The Time) theory for my riding but its my choice, others are free to make their own choices about helmets, armor, etc.

If you haven't, read David Hough's Proficient Motorcycling and More Proficient Motorcycling. Every library probably has a copy in print and/or digital.

I have a copy of the first book laying around here somewhere!

 

[Clay Pigeon]

If you haven't, read David Hough's Proficient Motorcycling and More Proficient Motorcycling. Every library probably has a copy in print and/or digital.

I will look into it. Thanks

 

[Clay Pigeon]

Being visible is most important. Right side of right lane makes you the least visible in most situations. Of course I'm no expert so I'm willing to learn.

What really helps if you open carry when riding, I just adjust the sig when someone tries to push me down the road..

 

[bwframe]

What really helps if you open carry when riding, I just adjust the sig when someone tries to push me down the road..

 

[JettaKnight]

Watch out for edge traps.

https://www.wane.com/news/first-news/uneven-pavement-likely-the-cause-of-overnight-crash/

 

[Double T]

LED lights help with visibility, even during the daytime. I've seen many people think about going in front of me during the day, I slow a bit and do the little "tire warm up" swerve to get the light "flashing" to catch their attention. It's worked for me in about 80% of cases this year. Of the other one, that lady got my one finger salute as I stopped in front of her drivers window as she casually froze and stopped in my lane of travel.

Road rage be damned.

 

[melensdad]

LED lights help with visibility, even during the daytime. I've seen many people think about going in front of me during the day . . .

Agreed.

I have an LED headlamp and LED fork lights. It's pretty easy to catch the attention of an oncoming driver by using the lights. LEDs can be amazingly bright during the daytime but still not blinding at night.

 

[JCSR]

I upgraded to LEDS and clear lens for the turn signals. Much brighter for sure!

 

[JettaKnight]

Why clear turn signals? Are they now on all the time?

Are clear turn signals legal?

 

[melensdad]

Why clear turn signals? Are they now on all the time?

Are clear turn signals legal?

I don't think so but the odds of getting a ticket for them are about the same as the odds of me getting a ticket for operating a motorcycle without a moto endorsement on my license . . . and I didn't get a moto endorsement until I was 57 years old!

You can have white or amber running lights.

My guess is that those would qualify as running lights when the turn signal function is not being used. So from that perspective that would be legal.

 

[JCSR]

Why clear turn signals? Are they now on all the time?

Are clear turn signals legal?

Clear is legal in the front only. I think they are brighter and are on all the time.

Here's a before pic. What do you think?

 

[melensdad]

Clear is legal in the front only. I think they are brighter and are on all the time.

Here's a before pic. What do you think?

View attachment 88694

Much more noticeable with WHITE LED lights

 

[JCSR]

As of July 1 2018...........

Specifies that head lamps on motor vehicles, motorcycles, and motor driven cycles may display only white or amber light. Requires that motor vehicles except for motorcycles, motor vehicles manufactured before January 1, 1956, and motor driven cycles must be equipped with two stoplights. Specifies that: (1) stop lamps on the rear of a vehicle must be red; and (2) signal lamps on the rear of a vehicle must display only red or amber light or any shade of color between red and amber. Specifies that signal lamps showing to the front of a vehicle must display only white or amber light or any shade of color between white and amber.