Thread: Motorcycles

I'm on an 06 Harley Street Bob although there isn't much of the original bike left other than frame and engine block. It's also gone to the dark side rather than bright and shiny

Two big bore kits and it goes like stink (relatively speaking of course)

Originally Posted by PigHog

Oh man, I feel like the most massive dick in the world!

I was filtering down the middle of two lanes of stationary traffic; loads of space, fine. Up ahead, I spot another biker, who's just sitting there looking all casual like. He passes a couple of cars and then decides to wait, and I'm thinking fair play to him, yet there's a clear route, still, right down the middle. So he tucks in to let me past and then follows me out.

This is all good, I'm having whale of a time—I don't always get much opportunity to practice filtering skillz and it's normally pretty clear at the times that I ride. Trouble ahead though—it's getting narrower up towards the lights and I should probably just sit and wait a little way up there, until the lights turn green. Let me just squeeze past this van and car right here, though. Hmm...this is pretty narrow, how am I gonna do this eh? Legs up, legs down, I can't really decide— crack!

Oh shit, I just clipped both of these guys' wing mirrors with mine in some massive lapse of judgement! I stop and turn immediately and raise my hand, nodding to the van driver in apology— clunk! What the...?! Oh, that was my clutch hand! Feeling pretty stupid now, with the other biker waiting behind me but the guy in the van just nods at me...

I give a quick apology to the other dude too, who also doesn't really appear to care that I just whacked his mirror one and by this time the lights are green and my engine's still not running! I get the bike started, but it looks like the guy in the van is letting me go in front (nice guy! He actually looked familiar, I don't know if I know him or not, but if I do, that could be pretty embarrassing!), though I'm just getting my bearings here so I nod and gesture for him just to go ahead— clunk! Using my clutch hand by accident.

Bear in mind, this has all only taken a few seconds but by now I just want the ground to swallow me up! The van is inching but not going, being kind enough to wait for me to go ahead of him, while it takes me a couple of goes to get the engine running, this time. Finally I manage to pull away (with no one hooting me!), and try to wave an apology to the other guy again as he passes me, but he's just oblivious and doesn't give a damn!

Anyway, the other biker just cruises on past me, no doubt thinking what a massive idiot I am, and I go on my way, albeit with mirrors that are now showing my own reflection and nothing behind me.

I don't believe I did any damage whatsoever to either vehicles or my own mirrors, so all is good, but I certainly felt like an enormous tool and have learnt my lesson for the future. a) Know how wide my mirrors are; and b) if in doubt, wait.

Sometimes these things just happen. Put it in the memory banks for future reference, but otherwise don't worry about it.


Mick

Haha, thanks. Thankfully, nothing was broken, so as you say, it wasn't a big deal in the scheme of things, just so embarrassing!

With luck, I won't be making that mistake a second time!

I make plenty of mistakes whilst riding but I never make any of the potentially disastrous ones twice. Mirrors are collapsible for a reason, They are like cats whiskers they're for testing the size of a gap so you don't break anything important like yourself .

Originally Posted by diesel

I make plenty of mistakes whilst riding but I never make any of the potentially disastrous ones twice. Mirrors are collapsible for a reason, They are like cats whiskers they're for testing the size of a gap so you don't break anything important like yourself .

I like your thinking here!

Is this "filtering" legal and normal for you guys?

In Ireland there is no special mention of Filtering in the Road traffic Act, you can be done for dangerous driving and so forth but if you're making progress in a responsible fashion its fair game. Having said that you would have to take your medicine if it went pear shaped

Lane splitting, as we call it here, is only illegal if you get caught by the coppers. If it's being done responsibly most cops turn a blind eye. Situation that often happen near here are major national highways becoming a parking lot on the outskirts of the city as people make there way to or from work. You'll nearly always have a few bike using the shoulder of the road to get past most of the blockage. Saves congestion in my mind. More bikes and less cars, would mean more free flowing traffic.


Mick

Originally Posted by MickR

. Saves congestion in my mind. More bikes and less cars, would mean more free flowing traffic.


Mick

I couldn't agree more,Imagine if even half of the single occupancy vehicles were replaced by bikes.

Absolutely agree with you there mate! See heaps of cars going down the roads here with just the driver on board...Don't seem to see too many with just the passenger...


Mick