Passing flash?

Today I went for a little bimble into Cambridge on the old FZR, seeing
as it needed a run. I also needed a good wet weather run, having
become little more than a weekend rider of late. This is the downside
of living within a mile of my workplace. Also, I do sometimes enjoy a
wet weather ride, in daylight at least.

Anyway, out I trundled into the rain and all was going swimmingly. The
roads were wet but clean; the FZR with its 010s felt secure; the old
jacket hadn't started leaking yet: it was pleasant. Then I caught up
with a couple of cars on the exit of a roundabout.

The car immediately in front of me closed up on the car in front and
moved slightly to the right, the body language apparently saying "I'm
going to overtake" allthough (s)he wasn't indicating at this point. We
cleared a bend, waited for a bit of oncoming traffic and then with a
very long clear stretch of road the driver did... nothing. I gave the
driver a couple of seconds more and then banged on the indicator and
started to overtake. As I drew level the dopey pillock meandered over
to the right, presumably to overtake as well, forcing me to run wide.
At this point I gassed it to get clear and pissed off into the
distance.

It was really only a slight scare, but it set me thinking.

Most bikes are fitted with a "pass" headlight flasher and I did used
to use this on occasion, but I've got out of the habit. I don't recall
seeing anyone else use this warning of late, so is it still a
recognised warning, or would it simply confuse your average muppet?

 

"Pip Luscher"
SNIP

I always try to flash my headlights when in car or on scooter [1] when
overtaking.

[1] awaits sound of laughing

 

I never have :-/

In fact I rarely even bother with the indicator unless overtaking a group of
vehicles...

 

"dwb" said to "Donegal Paul"

No indicators here anyway

 

Do pushbikes have rear view mirrors?

 

........

Ditto ;-)

They HEAR me coming and most move incase the windows shatter ;-)

--
Petel .
02 M2 Buell.
C90-ZZR.

http://homepage.ntlworld.com/peteh1/website/index.html

 

How often do you succeed?

--
Platypus - Faster Than Champ
VN800 Drifter, R80RT, Z200
DIAABTCOD#2 GPOTHUF#19
BOTAFOS#6 BOTAFOT#89 FTB#11
BOB#1 SBS#35 ANORAK#18 TWA#15

 

Pip Luscher came forth with the following in uk.rec.motorcycles

Just giving it a few blips of throttle before overtaking usually has the
same effect of flashing the headlights :0)

--

Mark
ZX12R-B1 (Blue)
CG125 (hers)
BOTSWCAW#3

 

I'll never flash as a warning because despite it being down as such in
the Highway Code, everyone takes it to mean "I'm letting you out".

 

I've never used it while overtaking. Just indicate and *voom*[1].

[1] when safe to do so, check your mirrors, blah.

 

Surely this is the best example of the highway code's authors
stubbornly refusing to change with the times and causing a dangerous
hazard as a result. I mean, anyone approaching a junction and
following the HC's advice would surely stand a great chance of causing
an accident.

The irony is that, no doubt, they could successfully claim to be in the
right if some poor **** had pulled out after they flashed.

 

So you have never used your lights to say "I am here"? Approaching a
hump-back bridge or blind corner? When someone pulls out on you?

Yes, some people use a flash to give way, but I think the HC is right in
that the majority of the time it's used to signal the presence of a
vehicle.

 

I went on a bikesafe day a few weeks ago, and plod advised me that
I should've use the flash for a stupid fucker doing 40 in the outside
lane of a dual carriageway. Anyway, coming back from the NEC in the
pissing rain, I tried it three times with dozy fuckers doing 80 in
L3 and nobody in L2. No effect whatsoever, thus allegedly I had to
do an alleged undertake as per alleged usual.

Good alleged evening to allegedly everyone[1]

Paul

[1] Allegedly

 

In uk.rec.motorcycles, said:

It is also alleged that a good squirt of chain lube on the windscreen
works for those that don't immediately see the error of their ways.
failing that, a spark plug works quite well I've heard, allegedly.