Watch your six!

Just a friendly reminder to keep an eye on your mirrors and keep it in first when stopped at a light. luckily i was in my truck last night and not on the Seca when I got rear ended waiting at a red light. I'd like to think i wouldve been able to move out of the way if i was on the bike otherwise it couldve been real bad. Just goes to show its everyone else out there you gotta worry about.
ride safe

 

Agreed. The History Channel did a special on motorcycles in which they interviewed a former biker cop. He retired to a desk job after being rear-ended at a stop light FOR THE SECOND TIME.

I leave it in first and flash my brake lights until I see the approaching car/truck/fool give me a little brake dive. If they get close and I don't see it, I turn to look. Sometimes, seeing a person turn around gets the driver's attention.

"Remember this, son. Everyone else on the road is deaf, dumb, blind, and drunk."
-- My father

 

I usually visit the board as a break, to think about the fun of my bike. But Fonz's post is a serious dose of reality.

We know inattentive motorists are bikers' biggest danger. I've had three wrecks in the past ten years (all in my truck, thank God) and like Rhys' cop, every time I was hit from behind while legally stopped.

Rhys makes good sense in his precautions. But is there anything else we can do?
I'm suddenly real interested in the 'brigher tail lights' posts. I love riding my XJ, but not enough to die for it.

What's the best way to beef up our taillights?

 

Pulsating LEDs?

 

Pulsating taillights with a 'phaser' set to stun?

What can we do? According to my local newspaper, most of the MC fatalities in my area in the last three years were preventable. They were people trying to outrun the police, drinking and riding, inexperienced riders riding at a high speed, (stupidly) riding without a helmet, or a combination of these things.

But one of the most recent fatalities was a 54 year-old father sitting at a red light. He was rear-ended by a SUV driver that "Just didn't see" him or the light. They didn't just not see him, they missed the whole freaking intersection!

Bill

 

You've got to watch your 12 as well.

About 13 years ago, while living in Florida, I was driving with my wife beside me (car, not sidecar) when we pulled up behind a pickup truck that was stopped at a traffic light. All of a sudden the pickup drives *backward* into our car!

It turns out that the guy had no license, and was probably drunk at the time. Our little compact car was totaled since his bumper rode up over the car and trashed the radiator and engine. He ended taking off and leaving his two friends standing there with us. By the time the cops showed up his friends had left and, when we gave them the tag number of the truck, it turned out that it didn't even belong to the guy who hit us. They never did find him.

Point is, you've got to watch *everyone* and everything. It's all out to get ya'.

 

Speaking of...

Just last night, about 6 miles from my house, a biker got killed by a 19-year old kid driving a pickup truck who did not yield at a stop sign.

no alcohol or drugs involved (AFAIK), just stupidity and lack of attention. biker died on the scene.

http://www.newson6.com/Global/story.asp?S=8259942&nav=menu682_2

 

I treat Red Lights and Stop Signs as Danger Zones. I make sure the traffic is stopped before flying through an intersection.

You have no defense against the flagrant though. Those are the ones you have to look-out for!

 

In Orange County, Florida, the Police motorcycles run (2) continuous blue lights as part of the running lights. At the tag.
This of course is probably illegal. Anyone else seen cop bikes running blue lights?

I've got plans for additional red LED's

 

Please report back on your added LED project. Hadn't even thought about all this until this thread, now I'm really motivated. Just need to make sure I don't overload stock charging system.

BTW, depends on jurisdiction of course but I'm not sure blue lights at the back are illegal. Almost all statutes I've seen prohibit emergency (red, sometimes blue) lights -facing forward-, but don't know if any taillights are restricted.

thanks

 

One member swapped the LED equivalent - replacement 1157 ' s for the dual tail and brake lights, but didn't like the fact that they were too "directional" (these are also available at PEP boys, and others)
I would try them and supplement with small regular marker bulbs inside the factory tail lens. That saves some wattage/amperage (from the 19 amp budget, max) to run remotely mounted red LED's.

I already bought alot of LED goodies, just haven't hooked them up yet.

For the front, there are amber tiny LED's that are very bright. I was thinking of putting them in the dark "shadow" area under the pegs-engine to make a brilliant contrast to get people's attention.
I'd run blue lights too if I wouldn't get a ticket ! I even have a strobe!

 

I've got a neon green reflective strap from being stationed on a Marine base... I put one on my backpack and I wear one slung over one shoulder

 

We've got a 4 way intersection about 1/4 mile from our house. The two side streets that dump onto the main road have stop signs. The day before I went to get my bike, an SUV ran their stop sign and pinned a motorcycle under the front end. Fortunately, the biker was concious and coherent but his knee and hip were bothering him. But needless to say, my mother-in-law, who lives with us and wasn't keen on me getting a bike before that, was even less so after that. Fortunately, the woman who really counts, my wife, wasn't too concerned.

Maybe if everyone had to ride a motorcycle for a season, at least some of the would be more careful and alert.

mikeg

btw, I do plan to put a higher brake light on the back and see what else I can do to increase visibility in all directions.

 

In a little over 30 years of riding, I've been hit by cars three times, twice from the rear. Once it was a little tap, but the other time I got hit pretty hard. It may be an urban myth, but I've heard that about 75% of traffic accidents involving motorcycles are rear end accidents. In large part, that's the reason lane splitting is legal in California.

 

I've been lucky so far. When I'm at a light, I'm in 1st gear with the front brake applied enough to keep the bike stationary, and to keep the brake light shining. The custom brake light/license frame assembly (see gallery) provides extra illumination. And I always have one eye on the mirrors.

 

When I'm riding in an area that has a good amount of stop signs and traffic lights ... I treat the intersection like someone IS going to run the light or sign.

I approach on Defense and look-out for the lawbreakers and it's payed-off a few times because there are too many people around here that do a "Rolling-Stop" at Stop signs and just keep going.

Lights are just as bad. If the light turns Yellow on me I bring it to a stop rather than get clobbered by a hot rod waiting to jump away from the light when it turns Green.

 

When I stop at a light or intersection I keep the brake on and flash it a couple times if there is someone coming up behind me. Once I have a vehicle stopped behind me is the only time I take my hand off the brake. Attached link to a helmet with LED's in it. Might be a good idea.

http://www.g-max.com/gmax/gm68s.html

 

This Winter I installed the famous "Back-Off" Brake Light Modulator.

It's hooked-up to three 6-LED Strips. When I Step on the Brake or Pull the Brake Lever ... the LED's fire and blink five times before coming-on steady.

Each time you close the Brake Light Switch the sequence restarts and the LED's flash five times again. I really think it helps protect my back-side.

They are nice and bright and provide an early warning that keeps people off your tail.

 

So you upgraded to LED brake lights, then installed the modulator kit?

...which sounds good to me. hope there's a How2 w/tips on what to buy. Looking on whole net I get overwhelmed sorting out the possibilities, like kisantech.

thanks for this advice; it really could protect some XJ riders.

 

No. The LED Lights are a straight add-on.

They are above my tail light.

 

which LED light set did you buy? (cuz what's good enough for you...)

thx again

 

I also installed a Back-off XP on my Hayabusa.
I have yet to do it to the Maxim

http://www.signaldynamics.com/products/Modules/xp.asp

 

Nothing special. Just some 6-LED Strips I found for cheap on eBay.

I should try to do a little video of them. My Digital Camera will take a short video and Post it. The job came-out neat and clean. They fit right on the Plastic riser above the Brake Light on my 750 Maxim.

One at the top and two more a little bit closer to the Brake Light itself.

 

With more and more people using cell phones while driving i see more accidents. most because they are not paying attention to thier speed.

maybe a bright red helmet with a yellow flashing light on top will make them more aware of whos on the road.

 

You mean one of these?
http://www.whitehorsepress.com/product_ ... ts_id=5361

 

i haven't noticed so much about people coming up behind me... the one that scares me is cagers making left turns... killed one of my good friends not more than a year ago... needless to say i'm very cautious about people trying to cross my lane of traffic. its good to hear the heads up for stop lights and intersections... whatever it takes to be safe is what i wanna do.

 

That's real trick, I like it.

 

My experience is that it doesn't matter that much how bright colored you get dressed, when the cagers don't look, they wont see you anyway...

One thing that DOES help are LOUD pipes...

The exhaust of my kawasaki produces over 120 dB, people notice (even when the audio system in cars are set way too loud)

just remember: LOUD pipes saves LIVES

 

I've been in public safety for 20 years now, and just last year had a Harley guy with get rear ended during a high speed chase, besides that all the MC's we've had wacked have been either nut jobs riding to fast, or the poor unfortunate folk that gets wacked at an intersection.

We just had a female killed last week on a beautiful Harley and word has it she was a long time rider, to bad the 17 year old that pulled out in front of her didn't see her front side in a very clear and beautiful day with no obstructions (besides maybe a cell phone, but haven't heard what the investigation has found yet just my theory)

Come on Rick, give us more info. Since I'm new to this, how do they modulate, wire in, etc? Is there an easy way to do this?

 

I'm with Dayo951, Rick: any details appreciated. I'm more eager than ever, because...

Highway riding today had a dump truck lock brakes/smoke tires in front of me; he wasn't paying attn. to somebody turning. But reading "watch your six!" made me double cautious so I had given myself lots of braking room.

Checked my mirrors for the pickup behind me, moved to the side a bit, pumped brake lights repeatedly... pulled every warning trick short of lighting a fart for the flare! (which woulda been difficult because my vinyl cycleseat was puckering up into... well, never mind that.)

It all worked out fine, which I credit in large part to my new woven "WWRRD" cycle riding wristband. (stands for "What would Rick or Robert Do?")

PS. Len, please just ignore that frantic cellphone voicemail asking you to deliver an XJ650 airbag immediately.