Speedy23 wrote:
R1Nut wrote:
As I've said before on another post:
Have your headlight on main beam and "swerve" by rocking the bike side to side while filtering. This ensures that your headlight "flashes" in side mirrors making you more noticeable when some twat decides they are going to change lanes.
Assuming they know what a side mirror is and use them of course.
.....And this is the quickest way to get yourself knocked off that I can think of.
As someone has already pointed out, using main beam will dazzle car drivers so they cannot see where you really are and are thus more liable to swerve or brake heavily causing an unwanted bike/car interface. Also, if you don't get knocked off, having an eyeful of main beam will only irritate then to the extent of causing them to intentionally block you as you try to get past. it's a selfish and inconsiderate thing to do, as well as being dangerous.
As for "rocking" to make the headlight "flash".....words fail me. You CANNOT rock the bike without causing it to turn. You will thus be describing a snaking trajectory and the bike will always be turning. As you may (or may not...but you will soon find out - hopefully not the hard way) know, when the bike is turning, there is less grip on the road surface and the tyres will lose traction (skid) through braking or accellerating at a much lower speed than when the bike is travelling in a straight line. And when are you most likely to brake heavily? Yes, that's right -
when you are filtering - because some (possibly blinded by main beam?) car driver has not seen you and has turned into your path! Doh! Losing control when you're between two lanes of traffic isn't funny - especially when it's LGV type stuff.
It sounds as if you'd be better off with a bloke with a red flag walking in front of you!
And before you ask, yes, I have been riding motorcycles and driving cars for over 30 years and am still an active motorcyclist (and am still alive, for that matter)!
(PS. the best way of learning how to ride a bike is to go out and actually do it, not just read about it on the internet and in the mags!)
I rode a push bike from the age of 7 doing BMX stunts on an old Raleigh something or other that wasn't designed for it and ended up snapping the forks off at the frame many years before a BMX was designed. I've been a pillion on my father's and then step father's motorbikes since before I can remember. I've had my bike license for 12 years and been driving for 22. I racked up over 75k miles on my R1and also high mileages on all my other bikes in all road conditions including snow and ice. I have been involved in three bike accidents.
1) Dual lane traffic coming up to lights, lorry on outside decides to let a car across his front to cross both lanes and she took me out. Poor girl had only passed her test a week.
2) Car in front on a roundabout went to pull away, I checked roundabout and saw it was clear, started accelerating and then saw that the car had stopped. Hit brakes (they are really good on an R1) and went over the handlebars.
3) Filtering up to a roundabout on a dual carriageway, bloke in outside lane changes to inside lane as I come alongside him. I end up on a wet grass verge, those that have tried know there is very little if any traction there, and still manage not to lay down the bike and stop safely. Two witnesses say he didn't indicate, he gets to pay for the repairs to my bike. Both thought that I was going down and are impressed with my handling skills.
As for the comment about about causing the bike to turn, you obviously do not have the requiste skill as it is possible. How do you think trials riders, such as Dougie Lampkin multiple times world champion, manage to get across those slim poles? It's all about balance and counter-steer.
I've come up with something that works for me, others have tried it and found it works too; Sixy if I recall. I now have a new bike which has hazards on, I no longer need to rock as I put these on instead.