BMW R1200RT/R1250RT Forum

Agree with all the above, but re hi-vis, had a motorbike ride into the back of me on my bike, orange and yellow hi-vis worn at time. Car behind had dash cam which showed me, a city link van coming in opposite direction and suddenly I disappeared as colours all merged. In the video I was not visible for a few seconds. Never dawned on me that high-vis could change into camouflage.


Re MAG and BMF and FEMA, they work hard for motorcycles please support them, takes money to keep them going.

That’s just crazy.  The blind twonk.  Hope not much damage to you or your bike. 

Some driver can even see a fully liveried police car  what chance do you have on a bike?


A recent study showed most urban motorists look in each direction for 0.6 seconds. in that time they can only ( and maybe) assess the gap  experience tells them that normally if the vehicle is XX away they have enough time  however if the vehicle is travelling faster than normal  or in the case of a motorcycle has a smaller profile so difficult to discern the distance  they make mistakes.


Many drivers in the UK are  45 mph everywhere  I would expect they think everyone drives like them, so if as a biker you are travelling faster than this they don't have a clue. Always ride anticipating a car emerging,  in urban environments especially consider if one vehicle emerges from a side road, there may be a second frustrated driver who attaches themselves to the back of that car thinking they can get out too.
Best advice ever given to me - ride like you expect every other motorist ( and more recently pedestrian) is out to kill you.  You will be right more often than you are wrong.   
That was nearly 50 years ago  it is more true today than it was then.
If you are not activley looking after your own safety then noone else will

exportman wrote: Best advice ever given to me - ride like you expect every other motorist ( and more recently pedestrian) is out to kill you.  You will be right more often than you are wrong.   
That was nearly 50 years ago  it is more true today than it was then.
If you are not activley looking after your own safety then noone else will

Was told the same, 47 years ago....  I try & pass it on to any new riders I meet.
Some long term riders too!

What really chaps my ass is a new phenomenon over here in the US:  A driver entering from a street or driveway suddenly stops as they see you. I always establish eye-to-eye contact, then come off the brakes since they're looking at me and have stopped their dart-in. THEN they pull right in front of me anyway.  There doesn't seem to be any aggressive or angry intent, just a lack of any form of sense.  Another new trend are driver's who signal their turn seemingly by sweeping the signal stalk as they turn the wheel.  I mean,  why bother?  It's as if they want to comply with the law, but fail to appreciate the whole purpose of signaling is give ADVANCE warning of their action.  I'd almost prefer it if they wouldn't signal at all;  the irony is just too much.  Speaking of signaling, have BMW on their latest models finally provided turn signals which cancel immediately upon having completed the turn?  An angle sensor or some such?  If you neglect to manually cancel before the circa 13 blink auto-cancel takes effect, you may have someone think you're turning and pull right out in front of you from a side street, etc.  This feature has been around for decades, and I was stunned to find it absent when I bought my RT. 

exportman wrote: ...Best advice ever given to me - ride like you expect every other motorist ( and more recently pedestrian) is out to kill you.  You will be right more often than you are wrong.   
That was nearly 50 years ago  it is more true today than it was then.
...

I totally agree with the concept.  One of my friends thinks it is a defeatist idea, and if you think that you would be too scared to ride.  I think it gives us caution enough to know when to hold back and when to charge ahead.


I like Sci-Fi, and I think one of the quotes from the Hitch Hikers Guide to the Galaxy is appropriate: "Expect the Unexpected"  or better still "Don't Panic"


Best regards
Sleuth