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spin off question to MVP ...why are bikes...

cowdoc
my question....now that its bike season....do some ride right on the yellow line with your little bike when i am coming towards you in a 8000lb+ pickup or semi @ 80,000 lbs or a combine that hangs over both the yellow and white line or my air seeder and 4wd tractor...Hmmm you have a death wish or something... you hitting 30'000 lb + farm equipment for me would just be like running over a bug.....I just dont get it.
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Comments

29 comments

Date Votes
  • MVP
    I don't ride the yellow[^]

    There is a certain S curve I travel everyday and we have hundreds of dumptrucks hauling fill for the 3rd runway at SeaTac airport and everytime I go through these S curves I pass oncoming Mack Dump Trucks with trailers and the thought goes through my mind everytime.
    I never really want to find out what a bug thinks as it splatters on the grill.
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  • cowdoc
    " I don't ride the yellow" Thats cool MVP.


    I live within the last 150 miles of Sturgis so at that time of year bike traffic get pretty thick around here....and IMHO there are some major azzholes on bikes...a minority i would say but only takes a few to get real sick of that kinda crap.....
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  • catpealer111
    On the open road, I hug the center line so if a passed me, they're forced to go wide. Most of the time, the motorcyclist is well aware of you and everything else around him.
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  • hk-91
    i ride closer to the inside but not quit the yellow line because most oil spills and leaks from cars are in the center of the lane. i use to think this was just someone yanking my chain until a guy at work lost control of his bike because of a oil or some other fluid leaking out of the back of a truck. he now has a steal plate in his head. i like mine just the way it is. now it was propley a 1 in a million chance of happening but i'm slimming my chances down even more.
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  • MVP
    On the otherhand though a biker has to watch for animals merging from the woods and shoulder riding can be dangerous also.

    Here is a couple pics of my bike after I hit an Elk last year at 55 mpg at 3am
    Notice the elk hair?

    svcrash006.jpg

    And the parts picked off the road

    svcrash003.jpg
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  • cowdoc
    another example of bs i have had with a pair of bikers....
    its during harvest....i have a combine broke down headed back from implement dealer with repairs come up on two bikes going less than speed limit could'nt pass for a bit when i did, they then speed up and passed me then slow down this happens twice with these two twits...last time i passed them i was with in few feet of them and then cut back in close in front of them.....think they got the hint i was in no mood for that kind of crap....i gave them all kinds of room on first trip around them but not second time..Ole Doc aint got time for that kind of crap....trust me.
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  • cowdoc
    Damn MVP that would be the a hell of a deal to hit an Elk on a bike..

    to clarify i am talking about those who ride on inches from yellow or even on it.
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  • 11BravoCrunchie
    quote:Originally posted by MVP
    On the otherhand though a biker has to watch for animals merging from the woods and shoulder riding can be dangerous also.

    Here is a couple pics of my bike after I hit an Elk last year at 55 mpg at 3am
    Notice the elk hair?

    svcrash006.jpg

    And the parts picked off the road

    svcrash003.jpg




    I noticed that it used to be an SV1000. That's the KIND of bike I want. I don't really want a post-elk bike.
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  • MVP
    quote:Originally posted by cowdoc
    Damn MVP that would be the a hell of a deal to hit an Elk on a bike..




    If you look at the tank you can see where my throttle put a dent in it closest to the forks and then the other dent behind it is from the knuckle in my right thumb.
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  • Horse Plains Drifter
    quote:Originally posted by MVP
    I don't ride the yellow[^]

    There is a certain S curve I travel everyday and we have hundreds of dumptrucks hauling fill for the 3rd runway at SeaTac airport and everytime I go through these S curves I pass oncoming Mack Dump Trucks with trailers and the thought goes through my mind everytime.
    I never really want to find out what a bug thinks as it splatters on the grill.
    Those yellow and black Macks?
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  • fugawe
    Riding in the LH third of the lane does three things. It increases your visibility to oncoming vehicles, gives you more maneuvering room in case of an animal squirting out of the brush and makes anyone passing you move completely into the other lane.
    I've done wreck estimates on hundreds of bikes and the most disturbing thing was the dent in the rear of the fuel tank on so many of them.[:0][:0]
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  • MVP
    quote:Originally posted by MT357
    quote:Originally posted by MVP
    I don't ride the yellow[^]

    There is a certain S curve I travel everyday and we have hundreds of dumptrucks hauling fill for the 3rd runway at SeaTac airport and everytime I go through these S curves I pass oncoming Mack Dump Trucks with trailers and the thought goes through my mind everytime.
    I never really want to find out what a bug thinks as it splatters on the grill.
    Those yellow and black Macks?

    Some are yellow and black Gary McCann trucks. There are literally hundreds of dump trucks and several different companies every day hauling to the third runway. They haul seven days a week all day long for the last 3 years.
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  • Oklahoma223
    quote:Originally posted by MVP
    quote:Originally posted by cowdoc
    Damn MVP that would be the a hell of a deal to hit an Elk on a bike..




    If you look at the tank you can see where my throttle put a dent in it closest to the forks and then the other dent behind it is from the knuckle in my right thumb.

    It makes me sad to see a beautiful Suzuki crashed like that, but I'm glad you are Ok.[:D]
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  • PC800
    I always ride in the RIGHT hand third of the lane, closer to the berm. I never ride close to the center yellow. If you ride the yellow line, there is just no time to respond to an oncoming car that drifts over the yellow line and is heading right into you. I am way more worried about cars coming at me than an animal jumping out in front of me from my side. And riding the yellow just to try to make a car swing wide while passing you doesn't do anything. If you ride the RH third like I do, they still swing well over the center line to pass, the space between you and them is the same anyway.
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  • sig232
    Over the last ten years there have been several bikers killed out on the country roads. Cars come around those curves fast and if you are riding the center line on your bike you will not be able to get out of the way.

    I always stay closer to the out side of the lane to give myself a chance to get out of the way in the event of an accident. I try to ride defensively and watch the distance to be able to react. I also try to make sure any drivers ahead of me can see me in their mirrors so they will signal their intentions when stopping or turning.

    I stay away from big trucks and any other large equipment that can fip up dirt, rocks or blow tires and wrap rubber around my neck.
    I try to pass the large trucks quickly and not stay beside them for extended periods. They cannot always pick you up in their mirrors and can change lanes quickly and push you off the road.

    Ride safe folks!
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  • MVP
    quote:Originally posted by Oklahoma223
    quote:Originally posted by MVP
    quote:Originally posted by cowdoc
    Damn MVP that would be the a hell of a deal to hit an Elk on a bike..




    If you look at the tank you can see where my throttle put a dent in it closest to the forks and then the other dent behind it is from the knuckle in my right thumb.

    It makes me sad to see a beautiful Suzuki crashed like that, but I'm glad you are Ok.[:D]

    I rebuilt it to a better state then what it was. I get a fairly good discount on parts and even at that and me doing all the work I was only into the repairs for 1800.00
    I still ride the same bike everyday.
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  • select-fire
    How's the Elk ? [:o)][:o)]
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  • MVP
    PC800
    I can't say I ride inside or outside all the time, I adjust to to the situation I am riding in. Day or night, heavy traffic, and travel speed play a part in whether I ride inside or out.
    I too am not afraid of the animals as much in the daylight hours but I ride between 2 am and 4 am and in the summer the animals are alweays running across the street where I live.
    just 2 days ago I came upon a possom in the center of my lane and I steered towards the center line to go around the thing but was not sure which way it would run. It never moved, just stared at me as I went by. Then 30 seconds later a coyote ran across the road in front of me. Then 30 seconds later I see the glowing eyes of animals on the shoulder and when I get closer I see two Doe Deer looking at me and luckily They ran into the woods.
    This all happened within one mile stretch on the same warm spring morning.
    And in the same place I hit the Elk.
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  • MVP
    quote:Originally posted by select-fire
    How's the Elk ? [:o)][:o)]


    My bike went under its belly and I crashed into the hind quarter and over the top. Her calf ran across first followed by her a split second later.
    I had Elk fur embedded in my riding gloves and jacket and on my bike with Elk Blood but I never saw the Elk again. I hope the bike didn't mess her udders up to bad that the calf had to suffer also[:D]
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  • PC800
    quote:Originally posted by MVP
    PC800
    I can't say I ride inside or outside all the time, I adjust to to the situation I am riding in. Day or night, heavy traffic, and travel speed play a part in whether I ride inside or out.
    I too am not afraid of the animals as much in the daylight hours but I ride between 2 am and 4 am and in the summer the animals are alweays running across the street where I live.
    just 2 days ago I came upon a possom in the center of my lane and I steered towards the center line to go around the thing but was not sure which way it would run. It never moved, just stared at me as I went by. Then 30 seconds later a coyote ran across the road in front of me. Then 30 seconds later I see the glowing eyes of animals on the shoulder and when I get closer I see two Doe Deer looking at me and luckily They ran into the woods.
    This all happened within one mile stretch on the same warm spring morning.
    And in the same place I hit the Elk.



    I hardly ever ride at night. 90% of my riding is commuting here in the terrible D.C. area traffic so I mostly worry about a car killing me :)There was a real bad wreck here a few days ago. PG County cop chasing a bike on the DC beltway at 100 MPH. The cop hit a pickup which then resulted in a major pile up, with 2 dead and 15 more hospitalized. The biker got away.
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  • bobski
    ride to the right of the yellow/left of center, where the person in front can see you in his mirror.[^]
    near the berm is where all the debris is.[xx(]
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  • PC800
    quote:Originally posted by bobski
    ride to the right of the yellow/left of center, where the person in front can see you in his mirror.[^]
    near the berm is where all the debris is.[xx(]


    If you do that the person in front of you can see you in their mirror but the person coming the other way can't see you at all, as the car in front of you blocks you. And if that person coming the other way veers over the center line, you are a hood ornament as you don't have time to get out of the way.
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  • fugawe
    Lots of philosophies on where to ride. Apparently they all work to some extent since we're all still here![8D]
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  • Colt Super
    "I ride to the right of the yellow/left of center, where the person in front can see you in his mirror.
    near the berm is where all the debris is."


    "I can't say I ride inside or outside all the time, I adjust to to the situation I am riding in. Day or night, heavy traffic, and travel speed play a part in whether I ride inside or out."

    These are the methods I use.

    One other consideration is the maneuverability of the bike. Big, slow, hard to maneuver bikes - like Harleys, need to be on the right of the centerline. Smaller, trigger-quick, smaller bikes have more ability to quickly adjust their line of travel, so in general, their best/safest place is just to the right of the centerline

    But, what PC800 said should be true for all bikers, all the time.

    I'm not sure if I won that argument with myself. I think I did.

    Doug
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  • soop
    I now just drive a car.Much safer
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  • MVP
    quote:Originally posted by Doug Wilson




    I'm not sure if I won that argument with myself. I think I did.

    Doug

    I think you won all three arguments[:D][:o)]
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  • Colt Super
    Good for me !!!

    My head hurts.

    Doug
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  • Cubslover
    quote:Originally posted by Doug Wilson
    Good for me !!!

    My head hurts.

    Doug


    Take a couple Tums.
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  • asphalt cowboy
    I ride in the left third, just to the left of the slime line. As said befor the right third tends to collect more sand and gravel. This also puts me directly in front of the driver behind me. Think about it, most cagers drive with tunnel vision, they follow the center line like a beacon.

    As for the car ahead of me, unless they are backing up or I am about to pass they are of little consequence to me, I never ride so close that I can't stop should they need to make a panic stop.

    Now for the morons who swerve left of center, unless he sharply veers completely into my lane I have somewhere to go it's the right third of my lane. Again, I don't ride beyond my safety zone, that and I routinely practice the manouvers required to avoid the hazards that should be expected from all cagers.

    Most hazards, note I didn't say all, can be avoided by situational awareness and practiceing the manouvers needed to avoid them. As an example: If you never practice hard, and I mean HARD breaking to the verge of locking up, you will, at any reasonable speed, never have the skill required to avoid a rear end collission.
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