Be The Bunny! Safe riding and motorcycle survival thread

I have a non mesh Meteor 4 I got cheap off craigslist - I love it for the cooler weather. I have a mesh of another brand for the warmer weather.

The Joe Rocket stuff is pretty good.

 

Re: Be The Bunny! Safe riding and motorcycle survival threa

For better visibility, it would be great to consider a headlight modulator. It increases your being visible by 200%. You should also consider a tail light modulator. Some operate both. You can find a good one on ebay for about $100 plus shipping, sometimes less.

 

Re: Be The Bunny! Safe riding and motorcycle survival threa

HELMETS HELMETS HELMETS! safed my melon after it bounced off the road 15times. oh and DOnt wear shorts even if its a hot day and ur just going down the block got the scares to remind me to wear protective gear at all times!!

 

Re: Be The Bunny! Safe riding and motorcycle survival threa

Had one on my 81(in 81) and have one on my Maxim. The modulators work!

 

Ok more of a rant but the message is guys PLEASE be carful out there...

Just a few minutes ago on the way home (in fact I am still sooo pissed i could ride back up and knock his brains out) I was coming to the round about in town where the left lane ends and is suppose to merge with the right. And what do you think happens some guy pulls up next to me(mind you I saw him in the mirror then out of the corner of my eye so I knew he was there and assumed correctly what he was going to do. Yup pull up next to me and proceed to try and merge into the side of my bike. THe car behind me opbviously seen it to as they slowed up and gave me room to back off. So as he is mergind into me I seen his(I assume wife look over and give me a look like I don't even exist). At this point I just lift my hand is a what the heck gesture. He goes in front of me(because no matter how pissed I am the reality is my 500lb bike isn't going to push an SUV anywhere. we get by the round about and the guy pull into paralell(sp?) park so by this time I am just fuming. I pull up next to him give it a rev and motion for him to roll his window down he does and I ask him why did you cut me off. I got a dumbfounded look like Huh? what am I even driving?? The without waiting for an answer I told him open your eyes and learn how to F'n drive before you kill somebody. Then I drove home. Guys please keep an eye on the vehicles around you as said many times cagers don't see you and you have to assume they are out to get you. Luckily I was paying attention to my mirrors and seen him. But it could have ended much worse. A couple of years younger(and I still thought of it but I had to get home to watch the kids and I am getting older) I would have proceeded to pull him out of the car and give him a lesson. But I am wiser and older now. I still think I could have taken him and he still wouldn't have figured out why for weeks he was that clueless.

Just a side note to new or newer riders these posts are not meant to put you off from riding your bike but are meant to get you into the frame of mind you need to be in. I still enjoy riding and ride my bike daily unless snow or ice is on the road from well this year March (the last three weeks included save for 2 days of snow) until sometime in November. You just need to be very aware of whats happening while you enjoy your ride.

Ok rant off I am still pissed but feel a little better after yelling at the screen while writing LOL!!

 

Re: Be The Bunny! Safe riding and motorcycle survival threa

All it takes is one wreck and you're wearing all the gear all the time even when it's 100 in the shade.

Bill; I was thinking about a modulator, but the blue H4 is damn obnoxious by itself and I'm also wondering if the modulator would "beat up" on a Halogen?

 

Fitz yeha I have been thinking about the modulator as well. I have been meaning to find the thread on here about how to do it. I have the silverstar ultra pretty white white light but I have trouble deciding to use the high or low beam circuit. I also after today think I am for sure going to put in the spinning led's that another user posted up. Now I have to make or find a clear or smoked lens for the bike so the led's are brighter.

 

Re: Be The Bunny! Safe riding and motorcycle survival threa

Yup, Luckly though, that one wreck has changed how i ride and what i wear soo I chaulk it up to a good life lesson now to hope that others do the same!

 

Although most don't do it, you CAN file a police report and charges against the guy for reckless driving on your own. I have never done this but I know it can be done. You can even file a report for a driver littering the roadway as far as that goes.
Again, not a good idea to confront someone, you don't know what kind of a nut case you are dealing with nowadays.

 

Re: Be The Bunny! Safe riding and motorcycle survival threa

One of the things we covered in my MSF Basic Rider course was being conspicuous. This meant doing just about anything reasonable to attract other motorists' attention, since they are much less likely to run into/over you if the actually are aware of your presence. This got me to pay attention to the other riders on the road and how noticeable they were and what was getting me to notice them.

I saw everything from loud pipes (often excessively so), to brightly colored bikes, LED accent lights on the bikes, headlight/taillight modulators, brightly colored riding gear, a couple of those suction-cup mohawks and even one set of floppy dog ears attached to a helmet. What got my attention the fastest was usually the brightly colored bike, helmet and jacket combination. This prompted me to pick up some new riding gear this year.

I recently bought a Yellow/white/black patterned helmet and a Black/Yellow Tourmaster Pivot 2 jacket to dramatically improve my visibility. Now, I am decidedly not nearly as cool looking as someone in all leathers because I'm dressed like a school bus, but I can definitely tell you that my visibility factor has improved dramatically! 8)

 

Let me second the idea of tire pressure. Fired up the bike, did a visual check, everything looked good, went for a ride and almost went down going around a corner. Checked the air pressure and my front tire that looked and felt ok was 20 lbs low. It was at 20lbs instead of 40 lbs. Make sure you check the pressure when the weather changes......

 

There are low pressure indicators available that may help when checking tire pressures.

Here are two links:

http://www.accupressurecaps.com/Low-Pre ... c3mTe3mNe0

http://www.autosportcatalog.com/index.c ... 8/sc/14660

 

VERY GOOD POINT. Even if it's hitting 70 during the day, if it's going below freezing at night, your tire pressures can go from fine to dangerously low in a couple of nights. If you're living in a cold night/warm day area right now, checking daily or every other day is a must.

As you found out, a low tire that LOOKS fine can still be dangerous.

 

Re: Be The Bunny! Safe riding and motorcycle survival threa

It does not matter what you have on, cagers will not see you unless you appear to be a very real danger to them.

While extra conspicuous lighting and/or riding gear helps, if a cager does not wish to acknowledge your existence on a bike, they won't. Always figure they are out to kill you and you may live to ride another day.

I live in college and commute to work smaller city so between those two populations there are enough distracted cager idiots that even when I drive my pickup truck I figure one of them will wipe me out if I am not careful. This is because they are not going to watch out for you or give a care.

 

Always assume that the car will take "right of way" whether it belongs to you or not.

If you are riding off the rear or to the side of anyone, either hang back far enough that if they swoop over you are not in danger or pull up so you are in line with their front quarter panel and try to make eye contact so you are certain that they KNOW you are there.

If you can, beep the horn quickly to get their attention and give a friendly smile and wave.

 

Just a note, I've never thought those caps were a good idea, because when they're installed, the pin valve (which is designed to hold pressurized air in the tire) is always held open, and the job of keeping in the pressure is moved to the threads on the stem (which is not designed for the job). I can't see that being a good thing, especially on a bike where loss of pressure is far more dangerous than in a car.

I did see a different style at Wal-mart today, though, that didn't hold the valve open - when you want to check the pressure, you push a little button that depresses the pin valve. I'd be willing to try that type.

 

Re: Be The Bunny! Safe riding and motorcycle survival threa

Another tip for riding, and for when one is driving a cage, give yourself extra time and leave early for your destination. My work commute is much more relaxed when I leave an extra 10 to 15 minutes early. When I leave almost on the line for the exact travel time I end up with suicidal commuter cagers who try to rear end me and run me off the road.

Thus I recommend that any time, not just on a bike, give yourself extra time to avoid the last minute rushers and give yourself a margin for your own sake.

 

Bump!

 

Freeway riding tips:

DON'T ride next to big trucks (or any trucks for that matter.) If I'm running in the left lane and coming up on a big truck, I hang back a few lengths until I have plenty of room to get past the thing and then GET past it. Do not stay next to the thing any longer than necessary.

I also try to place myself in "holes" or pockets in traffic; even the busiest freeway runs in clumps with gaps in between, I try to stay in one of those gaps.

Zaniest cager behavior I witnessed today: A girl putting on lipstick and talking on her cellphone at about 70mph in tight rush hour traffic. Not putting on makeup, putting on lipstick while talking. Oh, yeah and trying to drive...

 

Something I haven't seen anybody mention is watch where you step at a stop. First week I got my bike, I stepped in gum at a red light and didn't realize it until I tried to move my foot for the rear brake. Slightly stickier and I would've been in BIG trouble.

Second week I stepped in an oil spill with a friend on the back and dropped the whole bike going about 2 mph. A few broken turn signals, but no real damage. Be careful guys, its not always whats around you, but whats under you too.

Thanks to all who have posted here. Gotta do what we can to stay alive out there...