Filtering on dual carriageways

judging by last tog tours, there won't be enough traffic to filter in
once you get out of the ferry terminal.

 

I tend to whack the main beam on and keep a steady 20mph ish differential
with the obligatory loft and accelerate as you clear the queuing traffic )

 

That's generally my observation on the Felling bypass every morning. I
have often found myself standing on my nose as some twat decides to
manoever/indicate/look all in one go, and usually in just about that
order.

 

I've been filtering for 10 years, but even so the odd one catches you
out.

 

Can't agree with the main beam there. I find when I'm driving the car
that my attention becomes distracted by bright lights, and they make it
harder to keep an eye out for what's going on. If most people are like
this then it'll cause more harm than good.

 

Using the patented Mavis Beacon "Hunt&Peck" Technique, Christofire

*Ding*

There's little more annoying than some inconsiderate fuckwit[1] who
thinks it's OK to blind everyone else in the mistaken belief that this
makes them safer. A quick flash of main beam may help if someone's not
paying attention, but constant main beam is a no-no.


[1] Are you listening Nidge?

--
Wicked Uncle Nigel - Manufacturer of the "Champion-105" range of rearsets

WS* GHPOTHUF#24 APOSTLE#14 DLC#1 COFF#20 BOTAFOT#150 HYPO#0(KoTL) IbW#41
ZZR1100, Enfield 500 Curry House Racer "The Basmati Rice Burner",
Honda GL1000K2 (On its hols) Kawasaki ZN1300 Voyager "Oh, Oh, It's so big"

 

This seems to be the general concensus anyway but here's my 2p

I spend on average about 40 to 50 hours a week actually driving on the roads
every week and quite a lot of that time is spent in queues of traffic and
although I consider myself to be fairly observant and tend to leave room for
bikes between my truck and the next lane of traffic there are times when you
are concentrating on other stuff and if a rider comes down lane 1a with the
high beam on I find it grabs my attention as well as most of the car drivers
and I don't have a problem with that.

When all said and done I think I would rather be a living "bit of a ****"
than a dead "wasn't he a jolly considerate rider". As an aside I also think
that bikes pitch to such a degree under acceleration and braking that dipped
beam can also glare, so the main beam just ensures you are noticed.

 

I don't like getting spots in my eyes from main beam abusers. Flashing
headlights onto main beam is the same as sounding the horn. Does it also
follow that you'd be really safe if you went round with your thumb on
the horn button... or would you just get your face pounded for being an
annoying twat.

 

I'll generally notice when a gap is moving faster and make allowance
for Captain Fiesta. Usually the body language gives a hint, but as you
say, there will always be one who gives no warning, so I will back off
and tuck back into one of the lanes if I'm not sure.

 

Furry muff

 

Pip Luscher expressed the following:

I'm usually too busy watching the traffic to notice speed. I can
honestly say that the only time I have noticed what speed I'm filtering
at, is when I once hit the rev limiter.

 

<VBG>

Completely agree on the gaps bit too.

For similar reasons, I find filtering is at its most dangerous when the
cars are all doing somewhere between 25 and 40 - slower than that and
you'll be past them before they've made significant lateral movement;
faster and they probably won't be bothering (except with a huge gap in
one lane, in which case we're back to your point above).

I guess I generally filter no more than 25mph faster than the traffic,
with some exceptions (as per your down to Brizzle comment somewhere up
^^^^ there).

Cheers,

 

Well I don't sit staring at the clocks. I do snatch the odd glance if
I'm not seeing a "situation" developing, though.

 

Well, I know you're not a ****, but I still don't agree. The dipped
may dazzle for a second or two, but it stops. Main beam doesn't.
Since going over to being a car driver I've experienced the reverse of
"every car driver should ride a bike". I don't think riders are always
perceptive of what a car driver would like or expect them to do[0].

I used to ride too close to the car in front, pass too close and
generally ride in a way that would probably make most average car
drivers think I'm a knob. Now, I try to restrict my hooning to times
when there's few other vehicles about. Obviously, I'm not saying I do
this all the time[1], but that is my aim. I try to be considerate, and
not inflict myself on others.

The main principle is "if I'm to have an off, don't involve others".
But, if I'm messing around, should my antics affect/involve others?
They've not asked to have the noise of an open-pipe triple invade on
them, but they'll get it if IDGAF. As wonderous as I think my bike
sounds, I'm aware that not everyone thinks the same way.

So, for the most part I try to be a quiet and normal as possible when
in town or village, or around other traffic - it's what they expect, so
they can understand and deal with it. Then, when the chance presents,
have some fun. Not strict rules, but more like guidelines I try (and
fail) to follow.

I know you drive many, many more miles than I do per week in more
varied vehicles and for longer. I'm trying to look at things from your
average driver[2][3] and how to make them act in the most predictable
way. Even with the variety of personalities out there, most will act
in the same way if you present them with the same, normal situation.
Introduce something abnormal and you provoke the differences. A bike
is different, a loud sound is different and a bright light is
different. How much difference is too much?

[0] On the way out of Blackburn tonight three riders were trying to do
knee-down on a large roundabout. I knew what they were doing so I
stopped in my junction until they came round again. Another might not,
and have set off at the wrong moment. FWIW, they should be ashamed of
themselves - it's a lovely KD spot and they were on R6s.
[1] or at all over the last 4 months or so
[2] muppet, dozy bint or whatever you wish to substitute
[3] you are not your average driver - you see much more, and have many
more miles experience with more vehicles

 

Top notch. I usually go for the "twixt two cars" method for the exact
same reasons. Nice to see my logic isn't that far off. Also, I find
it slightly unnerving when you get a hunch about a car, then you're
proven right about five seconds after you rolled off and tucked back in.

 

Yes, that's usually my plan. Mind you, I got caught out by a Jag on the
A1 a couple of weeks ago, the dozy **** only woke up when he heard the
squealing from my front tyre (excellent thing ABS when it works).

I was being followed by a bloke on a Kwak at the time, it was a funny
thing to see two bikers chasing a Jag waving a well known hand signal at
him ;-)

 

I don't agree, I think drivers of cars have got worse in recent years.
The time they spend sitting in traffic just means they completely lose
concentration now. The added comfort features don't help much either,
along with all the extra 'I can't die in this thing' safety features.

 

Using the patented Mavis Beacon "Hunt&Peck" Technique, Andy Hewitt

<Shaggy Mode>

It wasn't me...

</SM>

--
Wicked Uncle Nigel - Manufacturer of the "Champion-105" range of rearsets

WS* GHPOTHUF#24 APOSTLE#14 DLC#1 COFF#20 BOTAFOT#150 HYPO#0(KoTL) IbW#41
ZZR1100, Enfield 500 Curry House Racer "The Basmati Rice Burner",
Honda GL1000K2 (On its hols) Kawasaki ZN1300 Voyager "Oh, Oh, It's so big"

 

Meaning that they aren't concentrating, as they have a nice DVD to
watch, and they don't give a shit anyway, as their car will stop them
dying if they hit something. Or at least that's the impression they are
being given by the car manufacturers.

That is a slightly cynical view, but nonetheless are circumstances all
too often ovserved in real life.

 

I didn't think it was anyone here, there would have been a 'fat **** on
an old FJ in near miss' thread.