Why You Should Use Mirrors at Light

[ethics]

Even when stopped...

[Violet1966]

Oh yeah. Damn that car looks like it's moving too. :(

I've been hit from behind a few times while totally stopped and I always use my mirrors in the car when stopped. Don't know why anyone wouldn't do the same on a bike.

[ethics]

Not sure why that gif is not animated. See this post in another forum:

http://www.kawasakimotorcycle.org/forum/off-topic/19022-animated-gif-thread-dial-up-users-beware-7.html#post329731

[Brazbit]

Thanks Leon. The link made all the difference in that one. That is a hell of a hit. The biker never saw it coming.

The original post is not animated because it is a jpg and not a gif btw. The attach file function seems to convert GIF to JPG.

http://home1.gte.net/res0ak9f/1bikestop.gif

[MNeedham73]

How much do you want to bet that the dumbshit driving the pickup was too busy gawking at the police car instead of paying attention to where he was going?

Also, it does look like the rider of the bike saw the pickup...but way too late. You can see him standing up right before he gets hit.

[Violet1966]

Ouch. Yeah now I can see what happened. Man. Yeah the truck was rubbernecking and not paying attention. If he didn't hit the bike, he might have hit a car crossing there.

Also I've learned to be extra alert on the highway off ramps as well, where a stop is required to merge onto the highway. There was one ramp in Lodi, NJ I was getting off of one time. No way to just merge. You had to stop. City like and I'm sure others have these around their areas as well. Too much traffic to just flow and no merge area, so you stop or you hit cars on highway. I was full stop and the cars were going fast and I was in my 69 Mustang at the time. I had found out I was pregnant with my oldest son that day. Was going to get my hair cut and had to be where I was to go the hair salon. I'm stopped and waiting, and because I'd been hit from behind before, I look in mirrors. See a new Corvette in the mirror waiting behind me to get on highway as well. I look back at cars and still no way for me to hop on so I'm just looking for a whole. Out of no where "BAM". Idiot in the vette slams me from behind. He failed to see me in front of him, while he was going to attempt to hop on himself. I get out of my car and this moron gets out too. Younger than me, with some blonde chickie with him. It's summer and a really hot day too. I walked to the back of my car and he put a nice dent in my fender. All metal now mind you on my car and his whole front area on the nose was f'd. He's looking like a total dumb shit at me. I see my damage and just flip. I started to freak out on him. He says to me, it's not my car please don't call the cops on me. Oh great, so I just got hit, in NJ, by some moron who can't drive the damn vette he borrowed to impress some chickie poo??? She gets out and is shaken. I ask her if she's ok. They're both like kids. I'm like 23. LOL I screamed at him, what the frig are you blind??? Do you know how much my car's worth??? You want to drive some fancy car and you can't even freaking drive!!!! You trying to impress this one by killing her??? People are stupid. Any time you're stopped, keep an eye behind you as well. Sometimes there's no a thing you can do fast enough, but knowing it's going to happen and what to do in case it happens can save your life.

My business law teacher asked us one time, this was a test actually as he was cool this way. You're at a light on 9w. You see a semi coming at you and you can not get out of the way. What do you do? Well it would be best to ask other bikers, if in the same situation, what do you do? Do you brace, do you loosen up? Try and get off the bike? Put it in neutral? What would you do if on a bike, this happened? You see it coming, what would you do? What should you do? :(

[cmhbob]

I always kept my left foot on the peg, ready to shift, and kept the clutch in as much as I could.

Vi, I'd be looking for a hole in the cross traffic; failing that, I'd be diving to the curb and letting the bike go.

[MNeedham73]

I've been keeping my bike in gear at lights, just keeping the clutch pulled in. Plus, keeping plenty of room between me and the car in front of me at a light, so I have room to maneuver if necessary.

I've actually already "corrected" my dad about that, as he pulls up too close (IMO) to cars at a light. If he had to make a quick getaway (barring just dumping the bike and getting out of the way) he wouldn't have the space.

[cmhbob]

I should keep it in gear, but the last GW I was riding for work had an issue with the sidestand, clutch lever, and neutral switch. For you non-bikers: Honda added a switch so that if you put the kickstand down with the bike in gear, the engine shuts off. Also, the bike has to be in neutral or have the clutch in to start.

We would get on and off the bikes a lot at interesections sometimes.

On my last work bike, that switch was worn out such that the dash light wouldn't come on, but the bike would be in neutral. But the safety system depended on that light being on (I'm sure it was a voltage thing), so I had to be in neutral, and have the dash indicator on, or else the engine would shut off. Plus the clutch lever bushings were so worn that the safety system didn't know when the clutch lever was in, so the only way to start the bike was with that indicator light on, which occasionally meant 15-20 seconds of fiddling with the gear shift to get the light on.

The boss said it was too much effort/expense to get that fixed. :blank:

There are some things I don't miss about that job.

[MNeedham73]

Yeah, our Yamahas have the kickstand switch also.

[Kluge]

In the BRC class we were drilled to downshift to 1st before stopping then idle with clutch disengaged and right foot on the brake. I'm sure the intent was to be ready to move the bike in a hurry if anything came at it (not that in mattered in a parking lot class, I'm sure).

One thing you can do is stay behind a stopped car if there is one. The inattentive clowns are more likely to see and be impressed by the car's tail lights & outline, plus if you favor one side of the lane and see a clown not stopping, you can pull up alongside the car, truck, or whatever and let the guy hit it first.

[rowd]

How much do you want to bet that the dumbshit driving the pickup was too busy gawking at the police car instead of paying attention to where he was going?

..................Or yackin on the :friggin: cell phone with a girlfriend............

[ethics]

One thing you can do is stay behind a stopped car if there is one. The inattentive clowns are more likely to see and be impressed by the car's tail lights & outline, plus if you favor one side of the lane and see a clown not stopping, you can pull up alongside the car, truck, or whatever and let the guy hit it first.

I usually align myself that way. But the space between your bike and the car in front of you is priceless and CAN save your life.

Mike gives the best advice, what they teach you at MSF is that you never should be in neutral, precious seconds and you are toast, crunched between the front end and a back end of another car. You should always be in first, pressing on the clutch and looking at the guy behind you. Once you see him approach at a speed you think he will stop, AND after he stops, then you can relax on the mirrors.

And Mike, tell your dad that there are more than one reason for you not to be too close to the car behind you... ESPECIALLY on a hill.

[Violet1966]

Same thing in a car. I never let my car get boxed in while stopped. I'm very defensive with that stuff and always think "what if" and drive that way. It's good to hear you think the same way Leon. Has to be a NY thing because I've driven that way my whole life. Thinking what if a carjacking, what if a train, what if an accident and I need to turn around and can't. Those what if's can save your life. :)