Why you don't see motorcycles on the road

The late-model Ford Escape and I arrived at the intersection in my neighborhood at about the same time. I recognized the driver, a nice guy whose kids play with mine. I brought my Honda CB1100 to a stop and waited. So did he. Which was unusual, because he didn't have a stop sign. No, wait—he's stopped to talk to another one of our neighbors. I gave him about 30 seconds to change his mind and go forward. When he gave no sign of ending his conversation, I let the clutch out and started crossing the intersection.

Naturally, about half a second later, my neighbor started driving forward, still looking back at the person to whom he'd been speaking. I beeped the horn and twisted the throttle at the same time.
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The other driver was wrong to stop in the middle of the street and wrong to continue rolling without looking. If the rider had a stop sign, the driver had the right of way. The rider's failure was not doing anything to make the driver aware of his presence and that he was about to enter the intersection. The time to honk the horn was before moving.

The first thing my father pounded into my head when he taught me how to drive was "when in doubt, don't." This is one of those situations.

--Mark
 
I have spent hours, yes hours on youtube and such watching motorcycle crash videos trying to pick out whats going to happen before it does. Most of the crashes caused by cages are LEFT turns, then changing lanes, then "T"boning at intersections. Most of the motorcycle related crashes usually involved speeds too fast for conditions or rider ability. I don't watch them for entertainment, I watch them for "Winter training" to keep my mind focused on analyzing ever changing conditions... hoping it pays off in real life.
 
Because I ride 5 days a week, I feel that my reflexes stay pretty focused. I have had numerous encounters where my reaction reacted faster than my brain did. But I still have do things that make me more visible. That's why I have bright driving lights that are on during the day and now these new LED headlights are so much brighter, people really do see me coming.
 
vinny said:
I have spent hours, yes hours on youtube and such watching motorcycle crash videos trying to pick out whats going to happen before it does. Most of the crashes caused by cages are LEFT turns, then changing lanes, then "T"boning at intersections. Most of the motorcycle related crashes usually involved speeds too fast for conditions or rider ability. I don't watch them for entertainment, I watch them for "Winter training" to keep my mind focused on analyzing ever changing conditions... hoping it pays off in real life.
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+1! I do the same thing, for the same reason. An astounding number of single vehicle bike crashes seem to be wheelie related...
 
Stupid: The number one cause of crashes of all types. No such thing as an 'accident' or 'gee, officer...I didn't see him'.
Just getting hard nosed about it...I've seen it all and worked too many crash scenes over the years to believe otherwise.
 
Watched an interesting documentary type show on Nat-Geo last year,,, which was about how the brain works and how it recognizes and reacts to various situations. One example that they happened to use was about how many auto drivers fail to react rationally towards motorcycles. After years of driving,, they stated that it largely becomes a series of automatic responses, where the brain simply makes a practiced and unthinking reaction based on what it is shown. 95 percent of what it sees on the road are cars or trucks (which it just sees as a big car). So when the eyes show the brain that a motorcycle is approaching,,, the brain says "that's not a car" and thus no reaction is required. The cager pulls out,, or turns left in front of oncoming because,, they most often do not recognize that there is any reason not too. The show went on to site other examples of odd brain behaviors,,, but that one stuck with me !! Cat'
 
Catmandu2 said:
Watched an interesting documentary type show on Nat-Geo last year,,, which was about how the brain works and how it recognizes and reacts to various situations. One example that they happened to use was about how many auto drivers fail to react rationally towards motorcycles. After years of driving,, they stated that it largely becomes a series of automatic responses, where the brain simply makes a practiced and unthinking reaction based on what it is shown. 95 percent of what it sees on the road are cars or trucks (which it just sees as a big car). So when the eyes show the brain that a motorcycle is approaching,,, the brain says "that's not a car" and thus no reaction is required. The cager pulls out,, or turns left in front of oncoming because,, they most often do not recognize that there is any reason not too. The show went on to site other examples of odd brain behaviors,,, but that one stuck with me !! Cat'
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'Some people will make great fighter pilots. Many more are destined to become smoking holes in the ground.'

All seriousness aside...this type of behavior is complacency and can be overcome with a bit of alertness....and giving a good dump about other people. I have always driven/ridden so that I would not deprive anyone of life, health, or a ride to work. Yes....I misbehave, especially on my bikes. Got a 127 in a 70 zone because I didn't anticipate a deputy hiding in the shrubbery. Pulled over when I passed him; so he gave me the citation without the jail time that was mandatory at that time in our history. This was on a stretch of interstate that had no exit/entrance ramp for 20 miles. There is a place for most everything.
 
+1. I've also incorporated the weave when approaching a car stopped, or approaching, an intersection. This should also help with the 'design flaws' in the driver's sight system described in the Popular Mechanics article.
 
MajorTom said:
+1. I've also incorporated the weave when approaching a car stopped, or approaching, an intersection. This should also help with the 'design flaws' in the driver's sight system described in the Popular Mechanics article.
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+1 on the weave. When I'm on a highway and in the middle of traffic, I weave slowly...more like a wander. The relative motion keeps drivers aware that I am there...so far anyway.
 
Not that it matters to us... but the cagers are probably focused on you because... "hey look at the drunk on the motorcycle"! Attention is good, at least they are "seeing" you!
 
STumped said:
Nice find, Joe. Kind of reminds me of this:

(Video link removed for reply)

I learned a lot from that video and incorporate what I learned into my daily riding. :)
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Wow, great video. An excellent technique to add to any defensive driving repertoire. Thanks for sharing.
 
I've shown my non riding friends that British commercial about checking before you pull out, it's very graphic, and they all, to a person, were like "Wow, I've never thought about that. Hopefully they now all check properly. The life they save may be mine. I wish I could find the commercial, lost it in the big crash of 2014,,,,
 
The problem with articles like this... it adds to the list of excuses on why a cage can run over a motorcycle and walk away.
 
If I see a car sitting at a junction like that I flick on the heads with the hella ff50s, and keep the brakes covered just in case,and be ready to swerve out into the outside lane just in case, a lot of cars here seem to nose out to far to get a look or approach the junction so quick you wonder if they are going to stop at all, this can happen even when you are approaching in a large jeep, I think a white helmet helps too
 
vinny said:
Not that it matters to us... but the cagers are probably focused on you because... "hey look at the drunk on the motorcycle"! Attention is good, at least they are "seeing" you!
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After I first started riding street bikes, I rode with my headlight on during the day...which was not a common practice in the mid 1960's. Had a car at a T intersection pull out far enough to block traffic both ways...rolled down his window and shouted 'Hey, you got your headlight on'.
I often wonder what is going on in the minds of others. Sometimes...nothing at all.
 
Good video, thanks. I've been weaving for many years and am convinced that it's precluded conflicts many times over. Wasn't taught the technique, just seemed the right, attention-getting, thing to do.

A word of caution - flashing your lights may be interpreted by a cager as a signal to proceed ("go ahead, driver"), IMHO. I only flash mine to signal other riders/say "Hi!." OTOH, a headlight modulator is a proven attention getter; as are running aux lights during daylight, especially in problematic areas and if positioned some distance from the OEM headlight module (e.g. on the fork sliders, think trains' triangle pattern).

FWIW YMMV Yada

John
 
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Besides a white or hi-vis yellow helmet and extra lights (on the bike not the helmet) connecting your high beams to your FIAMMs or Steble (via relay) might help to more quickly direct another driver's attention. I've thought about doing this.
 
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