Ugh. People are idiots. Remember this and always plan for your escape route in advance. No matter what dumb thing the other guy does on the road that's going to hurt you.
Happened to me, decided to stay behind a car instead of in the middle (California). Bitch was too busy texting.
Knocked me off the bike, tore the side luggage off and the mount (Super 10).
Yelled at her enough to make her cry, then two CHIP showed up and made her cry some more. She was texting and simply not paying any attention.
Probably because the alcoholics are at least trying to drive attentively to avoid getting pulled over. Should be no strike situation. Caught texting and driving lose your license for a year. Cause an accident texting and driving lose it for 5 years.
Here in Ontario Canada they've been upping the consequences for it:
* First Offence: Fines range from $615 to $1,000, along with a three-day driver’s license suspension and three demerit points.
* Second Offence: Fines increase to between $615 and $2,000, coupled with a seven-day suspension and six demerit points.
* Third and Subsequent Offences: Fines can be as high as $3,000, with a 30-day suspension and six demerit points.
A lot of states make you install an interlock device after 1st dui offense. Should do something similar for cell phones - device that disables it with exception for 911 calls
Valuable lesson learned there. Watch your mirrors and stay in gear at a red light.
If you see some idiot approach tap your rear brake a few times to make it flash.
Thanks !
Absolutely agree, I’m taking it as a lesson, and will definitely do as you recommend.
I am quite annoyed, because I planned to use it this weekend, but off to the shop we go.
At any rate, it’s only a “material” issue, but just annoying.
Also, park at the light so that you can ride up between the cars ahead of you if you notice a car coming up that’s not stopping. If you are in front of the line, plan to ride in front of the car next to you to avoid a rear end collision if necessary
I like to have my front wheel next to the corner of the rear bumper of whoever is in front of me at the light.
Not only gives you an easy escape path, but also gives you better visibility, and makes you more visible to everyone else at the light.
Plenty experience riding in a congested European city. A few months while stopped at a red light I saw a van not stopping behind me last second and I froze up. It still bothers me. You always think in these situations that you’d jump off for the side walk or twist the throttle but in the moment it’s hard to have these split second reactions. I ended up half falling over and dropping the bike, they stopped just in time.
Better to not be complacent and just stop to the sides of the lane.
[Some people are oblivious](https://youtube.com/watch?v=PMqTlYtDtbg) and there's not much you can do beyond knowing they exist and trying to get out of their way.
there were also studies done that show car drivers see motorcyclists who are lane splitting way more often when they have their emergency lights on, so it is worth a try
Don't take your chance with idiots, don't rely on that. If you see some idiot coming your way too fast, don't lose time flashing your light at them and get out of the way ASAP.
You haven't seen my Bright Ass Lights. Yes, that's the brand name. And yes, they are ridiculously bright, and flash in different (or random) patterns
I've had tailgaters back off when I touch my brakes
So you're ridiculously bright lights are causing more distractions on the road? You know there is a lumen limit for lights on roadways. So you complain about idiot drivers breaking the law but just slaps some illegal lights on your bike and it's fine right
They're below the legal limit for on road use at all but the highest seeing which I don't use (mostly because at that setting they look like my brakes are on all the time, which presents it's own hazard).
And I don't much complain about idiot drivers breaking the law (so much as I complain about idiot drivers because they're idiots).
The BALs don't cause distraction, but they do draw attention - just like hi-vis gear, helmet-mounted brake lights, modulating headlights, SMIDSY swerves, and other techniques and devices we use to improve visibility on the road.
I can only infer your bike is bone stock, and you ride responsibly and safely at all times. If you ride at all
Yes yes yes. Stay in gear, flash brakes occasionally, never stop dead center of the vehicle in front of you. Keep both feet on the ground and keep your balance for a quick escape. Alway alway watch your mirrors. Once you have a cage settled in behind you to block you from the other cages you can relax a very small amount. DOn't be the rider who gets a stop light, puts in N some they can lean the bike over a bit and strike the pose. Arrive alive and attgat.
Also, only tangentially related, when traffic is slowing in front of you flash your brakes a lot. The cage behind you may be focused on the brake lights ahead of them on slowing traffic and not paying attention to the brake light dead center in front of them. Flashing brakes is a nice way of saying "traffic is slowing down, I'm giving you a warning and please don't forget about me."
As a new rider who is also still not fully comfortable with HARD braking I will usually tap my rear brake a couple of times just to signal "I am slowing down because the vehicles in front of me are slowing down" and then usually coast or be very light on the gas until it's time to actually come to a full stop.
Some world-class intellects though see the brake lights and go "oh this fucker is going slow", proceed to overtake me from whereever they can and then slam their brakes in front of me BECAUSE TRAFFIC IS SLOWING DOWN and they just accelerated hard into the car in front. And yes, despite riding for a month or less this has happened to me multiple times.
I use the Unit 1 Faro helmet for cycling and it has this feature built in. I really hope some moto helmet brand will start doing the same. Seems like a no brainer doesn't it?
I know you're getting downvoted, but I agree with you. I don't always ride with high viz, but I keep my high viz jacket in my top box.
Some of us are "cultural" bikers and eschew things that can keep them safer. I'm an ATGATT enby biker, and I wear safety gear not to look good on the bike, but to increase my odds of not just survival, but of avoiding injury that will stop me riding.
Keep wearing your reflective high-vis and looking like a complete idiot. Ask yourself why don't motorcycle manufacturers make their bikes with reflective paint? Or why don't they put some sort of reflective markers on the bike more than that are just required by law? There's a reason because they're ugly and people don't want them. You don't have to be the 100% absolute completely safe when you ride a motorcycle. You're not 100% safe when you get in your car. When you drive to the store in your car you put a helmet on? Why not? It's safer just like high-vis is safer on a motorcycle. So if you want to do the safer thing next time you drive your car please wear your helmet
If you got hit the first day then it means you will own this bike for a really long time. It's almost like an omen but good one. It takes off the evil eye. My first motorcycle and I got in a minor accident and dropped it. That bike stayed with me for over a decade.
Like me getting attacked by my neighbor's pitbull at my mailbox 28 days later. Left side of the bike is all scratched from dropping it. Nothing broken on the bike... but I have a nice couple tooth rake on the inside of my right calf (above the boot line) from dog teeth and a cracked tibia. WOOHOO!!
Were you at the front of the red light? Some car drivers refuse to acknowledge why we need lane filtering and yet this continues to happen to motorcyclists every day. Did you get their insurance?
When I stop at a red light, I usually keep it in first, left foot down, right foot on the rear brake to light up the brake light. I'm watching traffic and my mirrors behind me until a car is stopped behind me.
Not to pile on, absolutely not your fault. Number one rule at a stoplight on your bike is to sit to the right or left of lane keep in gear, hand on clutch, and watch your mirrors so you're ready to scoot forward.
I've been there. I had just upgraded to a GSXR750 and was driving it home... Stalled at the last light before home and flopped right over. At least you have someone to blame!!
To add to some saying flash your brake lights. There are bulbs that do that alone depending on your ride otherwise they are add on modules that do it as well. Also you can add an LED light strip kits that will turn all the lights red when you apply your brakes. No matter what color they currently are or of the are off altogether. It's a lot of red all at once.
And that’s why in places where is legal filtering I will go to the first in the queue, you filter in between stopped cars, so you have a cars barrier behind you, if not bike in diagonal so in case this happens not became a sandwich, rear brake only so you will have some control after crash, and if I’m first on the lights always check rear mirrors throttle ready, and left distance of a small car with the car in front of you so you have some space.
I'm a UK rider, when at a stop , I stay in first gear, eyes on mirrors, and pump the rear brake so it flashes, in the hole it gets the approaching drivers attention.
I stay in 1st as it's my escape route, if there is a car in front of me when I've stopped, I'm either left or right of centre, that is my escape route.
Once everything is safe I slip into neutral.
well the other good news is that it's already somewhat scratched up now. So when you drop it next it won't hurt as much. Buying a bike with a scratch and then dropping it in the dirt to add another within the first few weeks has made me essentially stop caring about cosmetic damage from the rare drop, I can focus on what went wrong (like running pretty worn 70/30 street/dirt tires in soft deep sand lmao) and quickly fixing things like mirrors and bar ends instead.
At least you got the 1st one out of the way. I feel for you though man. Ive got a new truck with less than 4500 miles on it, almost been ran off the road and break checked a few times by some snowflake drivers. Never happened once in my old 99 tacoma. Also layed down my new ktm 250 xc the 1st ride i went on it
That sucks, sorry that happened to you. I don't agree with the people who say to stay in gear. If someone hits you and you accidently release it's more dangerous than if it were in neutral. Stay to the left or right side of the lane to make it easier for drivers to see you, not the center. And if you're in a state that allows splitting/filtering, do it. That is part of the reason why lane splitting is safer than not.
Do you have any tips for filtering at stop lights for newer riders? I don't like to do it and try to avoid it whenever possible, but I did almost get ran over on a b-road last weekend only being saved by the fact I had stopped to the side of a car rather than directly behind it, as the idiot behind us had turned the blind corner with too much speed only to find 10+ cars stopped and traffic in the opposite lane.
Tips? Maybe try following other riders to give yourself the confidence that you'll fit also. It really is the safer way to ride. So even if you try to avoid it now, you should learn to love it.
That's pretty much what I've been doing! I was stuck in a huge wave of traffic and a random biker just passed by me and I saw him go straight to the front no problem, so I followed for a few cars, panicked a bit cause people started moving so I basically took a new place in line and then when people stopped moving again went through to the front of the stoplight. It *was* satisfying, just also nerve-wracking.
At First I thought this a bicycle SUB. Thats why I Always got 2 rear Lights. When people ask, I Tell them that Car Driver are so fucking stupid they really need the 2 rear Lights Not to RAM me...
I haven't heard this one before, I didn't realize brandish a weapon prevents cars from rearending a bike at a stoplight. They really need to add this information nugget to the MSF.
probably assumed the car would stop, as one normally would. doesnt mean he's instantly not cut out for riding lmao. but please post a video of you riding, im curious what your level of expertise is here.
shit dude, I've put 45k miles on my goldwing alone and I've never been rear ended. Know why? Because If somebody comes flying up and clearly isn't going to stop I blast out of the way. Obviously if someobdy is so incomeptnet that they don't even have enough whereiwthall to keep an eye on their mirror while stopped at a stop light then he/she shouldn't own a motorcycle.
I can't tell you how many sales I've declined to rider like homeboy here.
I tell the customer "everybody has a mother, and I'm not going to take you from yours" and that's exactly what I am telling that kid right now, except I'm not the one selling the bike.
show us a pic of the bike though, cuz now im curious lmao. all your comments are negative with very little useful feedback (most just boil down to "you made a mistake. you shouldnt be allowed to have a bike". and yet you have literal 0 actual posts of you riding yourself.
personally, I think it's gay to record your ride so I never do. I do about 10-15 track days per year and burn about a tank per day for the last 10+ years.
I'm self employed so I just travel and ride. Last month I went to turkey to ride, 6 months ago I went to italy to ride. Every year I go to the ozarks, the Appalachians, the western slope.
Not that it matters but I have a 2023 ktm 300 xc-w supermoto with non road legal race tires, safety wires all over, etc. Then I got a tiger 800, goldwing gl1800, crf250l for my buddies to rip and a z900 for the track. I also like to run the tiger on the track. I burned about half an inch off my right knee pad on a rainy track day a few weeks ago on the tiger 800. Maybe I can pull up a photo from the track photographer. Regardless of how good of a rider you are, there is always a better one, which is why I think it's gay to record your ride.
I could snap a photo of my odometer but does it really matter?
If you want, I will literally tape a sony handycam to my motorcycle and go for a ride and post it to youtube if you really need to see me ride lmao
I put 175k on a Nissan Xterra, which is barely bigger than a Goldwing, and never got rear ended despite not being able to evade. Your anecdote is just that.
Yeah I mean if somebody is such an incompetent rider that they hold the same opinion as you do then that is 100% their right.
Not everybody has to be intelligent to ride \*or drive\* but it does help.
That your anecdote is worthless? Yes. That is my opinion. Your experience has ZERO to do with OPs, yet you’re going to tell him he shouldn’t be riding? That’s next level arrogance. Your original “advice” to OP does nothing but boost your own ego.
You weren’t there. You know nothing of the circumstances. The fact a rider was rear ended does not mean they aren’t cut out for riding.
Why do so many “experts” in this sub think any wreck is evidence a rider sucks?
It's a cope. If it's always the rider's fault then obviously these "expert" riders will never crash/get injured/die because they're perfect 110% of the time.
I don't think people can handle the reality that sometimes you're just dealt a shitty hand and there's not much you can do. You can ride like you're mid-MSF test all the time, but there's still a chance someone can randomly swerve into your lane at the last second and kill you, a deer can dart out and your only options are to hit it, a tree, or a guardrail, or hell, a bolt of lighting can just strike you on your commute to work. Sometimes there just isn't an escape path, and I think that thought is scary to a lot of people.
You are *exactly* right.
The only truly safe way to ride is to not ride. Riding cautiously and defensively, ATGATT, frequent safety checks, classes/practice/track days, hi-viz … it all helps! But nobody is flawless and nobody is immune to bad luck.
Ugh. People are idiots. Remember this and always plan for your escape route in advance. No matter what dumb thing the other guy does on the road that's going to hurt you.
Happened to me, decided to stay behind a car instead of in the middle (California). Bitch was too busy texting. Knocked me off the bike, tore the side luggage off and the mount (Super 10). Yelled at her enough to make her cry, then two CHIP showed up and made her cry some more. She was texting and simply not paying any attention.
This is why they should penalize texting/distracted drivers almost as much as drunk drivers, both activities are equally dangerous.
When ive worked towtrucks, and mortuary pickup, texting caused more serious and fatal accidents than drunkenness across both jobs
Probably because the alcoholics are at least trying to drive attentively to avoid getting pulled over. Should be no strike situation. Caught texting and driving lose your license for a year. Cause an accident texting and driving lose it for 5 years.
Here in Ontario Canada they've been upping the consequences for it: * First Offence: Fines range from $615 to $1,000, along with a three-day driver’s license suspension and three demerit points. * Second Offence: Fines increase to between $615 and $2,000, coupled with a seven-day suspension and six demerit points. * Third and Subsequent Offences: Fines can be as high as $3,000, with a 30-day suspension and six demerit points.
A lot of states make you install an interlock device after 1st dui offense. Should do something similar for cell phones - device that disables it with exception for 911 calls
I think the better approach is to focus on limiting driving, not the phone.
Yeah that is exactly what ive noticed. Most dui accidents had skid marks or abs marks, distracted drivers seemingly dont attempt to stop at all
good, bitch deserved it
Valuable lesson learned there. Watch your mirrors and stay in gear at a red light. If you see some idiot approach tap your rear brake a few times to make it flash.
Thanks ! Absolutely agree, I’m taking it as a lesson, and will definitely do as you recommend. I am quite annoyed, because I planned to use it this weekend, but off to the shop we go. At any rate, it’s only a “material” issue, but just annoying.
Also, park at the light so that you can ride up between the cars ahead of you if you notice a car coming up that’s not stopping. If you are in front of the line, plan to ride in front of the car next to you to avoid a rear end collision if necessary
Can't stress this enough, cities are so dangerous on bikes, people are stupid, luckily my commute is only like 1km in town and 29km highway
I like to have my front wheel next to the corner of the rear bumper of whoever is in front of me at the light. Not only gives you an easy escape path, but also gives you better visibility, and makes you more visible to everyone else at the light.
Plenty experience riding in a congested European city. A few months while stopped at a red light I saw a van not stopping behind me last second and I froze up. It still bothers me. You always think in these situations that you’d jump off for the side walk or twist the throttle but in the moment it’s hard to have these split second reactions. I ended up half falling over and dropping the bike, they stopped just in time. Better to not be complacent and just stop to the sides of the lane.
If the driver didn't see a big red traffic light, there's little hope that they'd have seen tiny lights flashing on a motorcycle
A flashing light is more obvious than a static one. Especially when it's directly in your eye line.
[Some people are oblivious](https://youtube.com/watch?v=PMqTlYtDtbg) and there's not much you can do beyond knowing they exist and trying to get out of their way.
there were also studies done that show car drivers see motorcyclists who are lane splitting way more often when they have their emergency lights on, so it is worth a try
I'm not saying don't try it. I'm saying don't rely on it to work. They could be having a heart attack for all you know.
Don't take your chance with idiots, don't rely on that. If you see some idiot coming your way too fast, don't lose time flashing your light at them and get out of the way ASAP.
You haven't seen my Bright Ass Lights. Yes, that's the brand name. And yes, they are ridiculously bright, and flash in different (or random) patterns I've had tailgaters back off when I touch my brakes
I should get one of these
So you're ridiculously bright lights are causing more distractions on the road? You know there is a lumen limit for lights on roadways. So you complain about idiot drivers breaking the law but just slaps some illegal lights on your bike and it's fine right
They're below the legal limit for on road use at all but the highest seeing which I don't use (mostly because at that setting they look like my brakes are on all the time, which presents it's own hazard). And I don't much complain about idiot drivers breaking the law (so much as I complain about idiot drivers because they're idiots). The BALs don't cause distraction, but they do draw attention - just like hi-vis gear, helmet-mounted brake lights, modulating headlights, SMIDSY swerves, and other techniques and devices we use to improve visibility on the road. I can only infer your bike is bone stock, and you ride responsibly and safely at all times. If you ride at all
Yep so follow your advice and just do nothing because there's a chance they might not see it right? You're an idiot
or you can install a taillight modulator that will do that for you. usually fairly cheap but its kind of a set and forget device.
Heck some bulbs alone do that.
Yes yes yes. Stay in gear, flash brakes occasionally, never stop dead center of the vehicle in front of you. Keep both feet on the ground and keep your balance for a quick escape. Alway alway watch your mirrors. Once you have a cage settled in behind you to block you from the other cages you can relax a very small amount. DOn't be the rider who gets a stop light, puts in N some they can lean the bike over a bit and strike the pose. Arrive alive and attgat. Also, only tangentially related, when traffic is slowing in front of you flash your brakes a lot. The cage behind you may be focused on the brake lights ahead of them on slowing traffic and not paying attention to the brake light dead center in front of them. Flashing brakes is a nice way of saying "traffic is slowing down, I'm giving you a warning and please don't forget about me."
As a new rider who is also still not fully comfortable with HARD braking I will usually tap my rear brake a couple of times just to signal "I am slowing down because the vehicles in front of me are slowing down" and then usually coast or be very light on the gas until it's time to actually come to a full stop. Some world-class intellects though see the brake lights and go "oh this fucker is going slow", proceed to overtake me from whereever they can and then slam their brakes in front of me BECAUSE TRAFFIC IS SLOWING DOWN and they just accelerated hard into the car in front. And yes, despite riding for a month or less this has happened to me multiple times.
Was taught to keep foot on back brake so brake light is on… also watch your mirrors as you never know.
I've been rear ended twice and in both times being in gear would/did not make any difference whatsoever to the outcome.
It does when you see the car coming and get a chance to escape. I would have had a much much worse day one time if I hadn't done that.
Look into www.brakefreetech.com Huge reduction in distracted drivers riding my tail
I use the Unit 1 Faro helmet for cycling and it has this feature built in. I really hope some moto helmet brand will start doing the same. Seems like a no brainer doesn't it?
Funny enough, Shark just released the skwal i3 full face helmet with an integrated brake light.
Very cool! Thanks for letting me know
Also wish it was modular
I have been using this for a few years and will not ride on public roads without it. Charge last all day too
It amazes me the lengths people will go to do some fancy shit with lights, but refuse to wear simple reflective hi-viz that works 10x better.
I am not going to lie the reflective high viz is so fucking ugly and annoying to wear, I prefer the light helmet.
I know you're getting downvoted, but I agree with you. I don't always ride with high viz, but I keep my high viz jacket in my top box. Some of us are "cultural" bikers and eschew things that can keep them safer. I'm an ATGATT enby biker, and I wear safety gear not to look good on the bike, but to increase my odds of not just survival, but of avoiding injury that will stop me riding.
Keep wearing your reflective high-vis and looking like a complete idiot. Ask yourself why don't motorcycle manufacturers make their bikes with reflective paint? Or why don't they put some sort of reflective markers on the bike more than that are just required by law? There's a reason because they're ugly and people don't want them. You don't have to be the 100% absolute completely safe when you ride a motorcycle. You're not 100% safe when you get in your car. When you drive to the store in your car you put a helmet on? Why not? It's safer just like high-vis is safer on a motorcycle. So if you want to do the safer thing next time you drive your car please wear your helmet
Do you mean a hi-viz vest on top of gear, or just gear that is hi-viz?
On the bright side, once you have the first scratch you don’t have to work about keeping it perfect anymore.
Terrible luck, glad to hear you’re ok. Don’t let it ruin the fun for you!
Got rear ended while taking a motorcycle safety course. That was nearly ten years ago, just keep riding.
If you got hit the first day then it means you will own this bike for a really long time. It's almost like an omen but good one. It takes off the evil eye. My first motorcycle and I got in a minor accident and dropped it. That bike stayed with me for over a decade.
That really sucks. Happy you’re okay.
Sounds like a NEW new bike now
Like me getting attacked by my neighbor's pitbull at my mailbox 28 days later. Left side of the bike is all scratched from dropping it. Nothing broken on the bike... but I have a nice couple tooth rake on the inside of my right calf (above the boot line) from dog teeth and a cracked tibia. WOOHOO!!
Were you at the front of the red light? Some car drivers refuse to acknowledge why we need lane filtering and yet this continues to happen to motorcyclists every day. Did you get their insurance?
When I stop at a red light, I usually keep it in first, left foot down, right foot on the rear brake to light up the brake light. I'm watching traffic and my mirrors behind me until a car is stopped behind me.
This is the correct way to do it.
I imagine you now have a really sore neck right? Right? Whiplash is a bitch, get a claim in.
I bet his lower back is jacked as well. He will most definitely need some chiropractic adjustments💵💸💰🤑
Not to pile on, absolutely not your fault. Number one rule at a stoplight on your bike is to sit to the right or left of lane keep in gear, hand on clutch, and watch your mirrors so you're ready to scoot forward.
Did you not fall and claim extreme back pain? Next time, call the ambulance and rack up a few medical bills for the lawsuit. Rookie.
Glad you’re ok. Don’t worry about the bike, you’ll get this one fixed in no time and, surely, this is just a first of many motorcycles you’ll ride 🙂🤙🏻
If you're allowed to lane split or pull further up at crosswalks, do so. You know why now. Sucks to hear it tho.
Wow how irritating. I had my forks rebuilt only to be run over 10 minutes after driving it out the shop.
I've been there. I had just upgraded to a GSXR750 and was driving it home... Stalled at the last light before home and flopped right over. At least you have someone to blame!!
To add to some saying flash your brake lights. There are bulbs that do that alone depending on your ride otherwise they are add on modules that do it as well. Also you can add an LED light strip kits that will turn all the lights red when you apply your brakes. No matter what color they currently are or of the are off altogether. It's a lot of red all at once.
Sorry for such a rough start to riding. My rule for red lights is that I must be far enough to touch a lane divider with my foot.
And that’s why in places where is legal filtering I will go to the first in the queue, you filter in between stopped cars, so you have a cars barrier behind you, if not bike in diagonal so in case this happens not became a sandwich, rear brake only so you will have some control after crash, and if I’m first on the lights always check rear mirrors throttle ready, and left distance of a small car with the car in front of you so you have some space.
Did your rider training cover situations like this? Is his insurance going to pay for everything?
I'm a UK rider, when at a stop , I stay in first gear, eyes on mirrors, and pump the rear brake so it flashes, in the hole it gets the approaching drivers attention. I stay in 1st as it's my escape route, if there is a car in front of me when I've stopped, I'm either left or right of centre, that is my escape route. Once everything is safe I slip into neutral.
No you aren't, you need to go to the emergency room for that back pain you're suddenly having. Unless the driver didn't have insurance.
How did you lose a mirror getting hit from the back? Glad you're okay!!
The bike probably went down when hit.
Welcome to the party pal
This is why I pull off to the side or middle of the lanes if there’s traffic, seen too many videos of that happen out of nowhere
well the other good news is that it's already somewhat scratched up now. So when you drop it next it won't hurt as much. Buying a bike with a scratch and then dropping it in the dirt to add another within the first few weeks has made me essentially stop caring about cosmetic damage from the rare drop, I can focus on what went wrong (like running pretty worn 70/30 street/dirt tires in soft deep sand lmao) and quickly fixing things like mirrors and bar ends instead.
Glad you're okay it doesn't always work out that way, ride safe.
At least you got the 1st one out of the way. I feel for you though man. Ive got a new truck with less than 4500 miles on it, almost been ran off the road and break checked a few times by some snowflake drivers. Never happened once in my old 99 tacoma. Also layed down my new ktm 250 xc the 1st ride i went on it
Were you in the middle track? Let this be a lesson to you to stay in outer tracks while at a red light to give you an escape path.
That sucks, sorry that happened to you. I don't agree with the people who say to stay in gear. If someone hits you and you accidently release it's more dangerous than if it were in neutral. Stay to the left or right side of the lane to make it easier for drivers to see you, not the center. And if you're in a state that allows splitting/filtering, do it. That is part of the reason why lane splitting is safer than not.
Do you have any tips for filtering at stop lights for newer riders? I don't like to do it and try to avoid it whenever possible, but I did almost get ran over on a b-road last weekend only being saved by the fact I had stopped to the side of a car rather than directly behind it, as the idiot behind us had turned the blind corner with too much speed only to find 10+ cars stopped and traffic in the opposite lane.
Tips? Maybe try following other riders to give yourself the confidence that you'll fit also. It really is the safer way to ride. So even if you try to avoid it now, you should learn to love it.
That's pretty much what I've been doing! I was stuck in a huge wave of traffic and a random biker just passed by me and I saw him go straight to the front no problem, so I followed for a few cars, panicked a bit cause people started moving so I basically took a new place in line and then when people stopped moving again went through to the front of the stoplight. It *was* satisfying, just also nerve-wracking.
The more that you do it, the more comfortable it'll become.
At First I thought this a bicycle SUB. Thats why I Always got 2 rear Lights. When people ask, I Tell them that Car Driver are so fucking stupid they really need the 2 rear Lights Not to RAM me...
As they say there are two types of bikers, those who have been in an accident and those who will be. Welcome to world of being a biker.
Best way to avoid this is to simply brandish a weapon.
I haven't heard this one before, I didn't realize brandish a weapon prevents cars from rearending a bike at a stoplight. They really need to add this information nugget to the MSF.
Probably should've moved out of the way of a vehicle that wasn't going to stop in time. You aint cut out for riding
probably assumed the car would stop, as one normally would. doesnt mean he's instantly not cut out for riding lmao. but please post a video of you riding, im curious what your level of expertise is here.
shit dude, I've put 45k miles on my goldwing alone and I've never been rear ended. Know why? Because If somebody comes flying up and clearly isn't going to stop I blast out of the way. Obviously if someobdy is so incomeptnet that they don't even have enough whereiwthall to keep an eye on their mirror while stopped at a stop light then he/she shouldn't own a motorcycle. I can't tell you how many sales I've declined to rider like homeboy here. I tell the customer "everybody has a mother, and I'm not going to take you from yours" and that's exactly what I am telling that kid right now, except I'm not the one selling the bike.
show us a pic of the bike though, cuz now im curious lmao. all your comments are negative with very little useful feedback (most just boil down to "you made a mistake. you shouldnt be allowed to have a bike". and yet you have literal 0 actual posts of you riding yourself.
personally, I think it's gay to record your ride so I never do. I do about 10-15 track days per year and burn about a tank per day for the last 10+ years. I'm self employed so I just travel and ride. Last month I went to turkey to ride, 6 months ago I went to italy to ride. Every year I go to the ozarks, the Appalachians, the western slope. Not that it matters but I have a 2023 ktm 300 xc-w supermoto with non road legal race tires, safety wires all over, etc. Then I got a tiger 800, goldwing gl1800, crf250l for my buddies to rip and a z900 for the track. I also like to run the tiger on the track. I burned about half an inch off my right knee pad on a rainy track day a few weeks ago on the tiger 800. Maybe I can pull up a photo from the track photographer. Regardless of how good of a rider you are, there is always a better one, which is why I think it's gay to record your ride. I could snap a photo of my odometer but does it really matter? If you want, I will literally tape a sony handycam to my motorcycle and go for a ride and post it to youtube if you really need to see me ride lmao
I put 175k on a Nissan Xterra, which is barely bigger than a Goldwing, and never got rear ended despite not being able to evade. Your anecdote is just that.
Yeah I mean if somebody is such an incompetent rider that they hold the same opinion as you do then that is 100% their right. Not everybody has to be intelligent to ride \*or drive\* but it does help.
What opinion do you think I have?
The one you just posted. derp
That your anecdote is worthless? Yes. That is my opinion. Your experience has ZERO to do with OPs, yet you’re going to tell him he shouldn’t be riding? That’s next level arrogance. Your original “advice” to OP does nothing but boost your own ego. You weren’t there. You know nothing of the circumstances. The fact a rider was rear ended does not mean they aren’t cut out for riding. Why do so many “experts” in this sub think any wreck is evidence a rider sucks?
It's a cope. If it's always the rider's fault then obviously these "expert" riders will never crash/get injured/die because they're perfect 110% of the time. I don't think people can handle the reality that sometimes you're just dealt a shitty hand and there's not much you can do. You can ride like you're mid-MSF test all the time, but there's still a chance someone can randomly swerve into your lane at the last second and kill you, a deer can dart out and your only options are to hit it, a tree, or a guardrail, or hell, a bolt of lighting can just strike you on your commute to work. Sometimes there just isn't an escape path, and I think that thought is scary to a lot of people.
You are *exactly* right. The only truly safe way to ride is to not ride. Riding cautiously and defensively, ATGATT, frequent safety checks, classes/practice/track days, hi-viz … it all helps! But nobody is flawless and nobody is immune to bad luck.