| Author | Message | ||
     Jonsocal |
I know this has happened to many of you out there but I want to rant and get this off of my shoulders. There I was riding two-up fully loaded with saddle bags, a tank bag and a tail bag through the central coast of California. It seemed on several occasions that I would get stuck behind some tool out Sunday-driving at about 5mph below the speed limit. I would wait for a good time to pass safely and then make my move. Lets say that this car was driving along at 50mph prior to me passing. I would accelerate (fully loaded) to about 70-75mph to pass them and then try to get back over and would notice that the vehicle I had been waiting to pass was RIGHT NEXT TO ME!. (they accelerated to match my speed) I would then be forced to accelerate to 85-90mph just to get over without being hit by oncoming traffic. WTF???? This happened several times on our trip. I was now forced to consistently pass people like I was Kenny Roberts on the final lap of the Indy Mile. Mind you there were just as many very polite people out there who waved or asked about my Uly, but those "jack-wagons" out there who nearly got me and my girl killed need to F-OFF!. (OK, I am done ranting for now. Please go back to enjoying your summer.) | ||
| Thumpthump |
I feel your pain. | ||
| Rwven |
I always pass like Kenny Roberts on the final lap of the Indy Mile. Don't give 'em chance to get to 70-75.... | ||
| Reepicheep |
It's simple, the same people that aren't bothered a bit by holding you up, *are* bothered by loosing a race. Which is, to say, they are rude and or thougtless. It doesn't seem limited to cars though. Happens to me all the time on bikes as well, including in the mountains and even on a track days in novice class. It was so annoying... I was at the fast end of the novice group at Mid Ohio. In that class, you are allowed to pass in two locations only, both wide and straight. And it's novice class, remember? And not a race, it is a track day, remember? Sure enough, they would park in front of me through every turn, then when we got to the back or front straight, they would stay in front of me and go WFO thought the designated passing zones. Sigh. | ||
| Buewulf |
I have had this happen many times but rarely with cars and trucks. The worst offenders in my experience have been other motorcyclists, particularly those that travel in herds. I have even had herd members spread out into both lanes (on a wide-open straightaway) to prevent me from completing a pass. And I am not trying to be disrespectful or riding recklessly either. They are just going 35 - 45 on a 55 mph road and offering no opportunity to pass. (Sorry, guess I am venting, too. This happened twice this past weekends with two completely different herds.) Anyone with spikes or a mohawk mounted to his / her helmet also seems to refuse to be passed, but at least these types are just as interested in demonstrating how fast they are and therefore aren't holding me up for long. It may happen more often than I think with cars, but I stopped giving them a chance ages ago and so wouldn't notice an attempt on their part to be an arse. If I am going to pass, the gear is right and the throttle is WFO every time. The pass is complete before they know it. However, cagers are probably 20 times more likely to wave me around than other motorcyclists around here. Not sure why that is, but that is what I have experienced. | ||
| Skifastbadly |
Everybody is totally missing the point. Joe Putz is riding down the road in his Bulgemobile, half listening to the news, and suddenly, on his left, is a free man on a motorcycle. And WHAT a motorcycle it is! What IS that thing? It's half sport bike, half adventure bike. Why, its sort of like a BMW but doesn't have the aluminum milk jugs hanging out the side. "My," says Joe to himself, "I need to get a better look at that thing and the lucky fellow riding it. And what IS that brand on the airbox? I simply must know." So as you try to pass, Joe's got it pegged, in a fit of wistfulness, jealousy, and despair of his own boring, rule abiding, Bulgemobile driving life, wishing he was you on a bike he never heard of before. Give him a break. | ||
| Fordhotline |
Stopped at the store yesterday and had some guy looking at my Uly strangely trying to figure out what it was. He Walked into a pole. lol | ||
| Uly_man |
Skifastbadly - I think you should run for the "TOP" job, Dude? | ||
| Hughlysses |
Skifastbadly- best BB&D response in a LONG time.  | ||
| Thumpthump |
Skifastbadly - I think you are right. I drive in the mountains allot and the same thing happens to me. Everyone is afraid of the corners and think it the Indy 500 in the straightaways. People do hate to see others get ahead of them even though it really doesn't matter in the scheme of life. If you want to pass me while i drive my bulgemobile or bike, than fine. We all move at our own paces on different days. (Message edited by thumpthump on August 07, 2012) | ||
| Bikelit |
Normal in California, the new land for ignorant foreigners. Cars or bikes get the same treatment. Be glad you're not doing the inner-city commute. I might as well have a bulls-eye on my jacket. Ride outside the state and things greatly improve......... | ||
| Ratbuell |
I think the track-day thing is just squid-ism. Hammer it in the straights because it's easy, then get skeered in the corners. Cars? They're just morons, usually distracted. When I pull out to pass, I PASS. I have a 17 mile commute. Ten of those miles are a mountain road. It has two passing zones, and that's it. And each is about 200 yards long. I don't waste time being gentle - if it's clear, I **GO**. Once I'm by, and back over...I coast to a decent cruising speed, but I don't di*k around when I'm in oncoming traffic's lane. Get over, get past, get back over, as quick as possible. | ||
| Natexlh1000 |
That BS is normal in Massholachusetts. Took my X1 up to over 100 on the highway dodging idiots trying to box me in today. But you are right about the other bikers being worse. Worst speed up when passing incident I had was on the X1 up in northern Maine on route 201 (awesome road). I caught up to a BIG parade of idiots on HDs all going under the speed limit. I think there were over 20 of them. No "colors" just a big pack of slow barges. Every time the road opened up and allowed for passing, they would wick it up and stretch out. Finally, I just gave up and nailed it. By the time I got past the front guy, I was going well past 100. The head clown tried to pursue me for some idiotic reason but soon gave up as I maintained 80 for dozens of miles. (Like I said, great road) Idiots hate it when you turn their parade into a race. | ||
| Jk651 |
Skifastbadly has it right. Heck, I'm almost guilty of that, and I ride a Ulysses. I'm a truck driver stuck in California. I'm driving down the 101 heading towards Gilroy. I'm doing the posted speed limit for trucks (55 (I despise the split speed limit)) in the right lane. A Ford Ranger goes by with a Uly in the bed of the truck. I had to speed up just to get a better look at it. Lol. At least there are 4 lanes there and I wasn't really preventing him from passing, but still. I risked a speeding ticket just to get another look at an 06 or 07 black Uly just like the one I own. | ||
| Fltwistygirl |
"Normal in California, the new land for ignorant foreigners" It's the norm in Florida as well unfortunately. Maybe its a coastal thing? I may be off my rocker but I believe my EBR ecm has helped me get around these jackwagons more quickly. Funny, I did not notice this from cars/trucks/motorcyclists in Colorado. There the jackwagons were the ones on bicycles. They did not want to move over for you, i.e., wanted to stay in the left third of their lane, no matter what else was going on in traffic. Worse on the weekends too, with more packs of them on the road.  | ||
| Electraglider_1997 |
Sorry, That was me you were trying to pass. You won. | ||
| Arcticktm |
I agree with Reepi, and I also think some of it is just that the places that are easy to pass tend to be straighter, so the same people that slow down for curves a lot then speed up in most straightaways/passing lanes. The competition aspect is also a big factor. We have all felt it, even though there are no trophies being handed out. We are somewhat fortunate in Western NC. On our 250 mile ride Sunday, we had little traffic on the back roads, and must have had at least 4 or 5 cars/SUV's that pulled off to the side or used pullouts to let us by once they noticed us. A lot of the locals/NC plates will do that here. Most of the out of state plates (which are especially from Florida here) will not. I guess they just come from a less friendly place... | ||
| Britchri10 |
Us Floridians aren't used to roads w/corners in them! I've had plenty pull to the RHS to enable a pass here on the rural roads of N/Central Florida. I guess these are folk who live around there. The one's that don't are probably from city areas & don't understand the protocols. Chris C | ||
| Arcticktm |
That is what I suspect here as well. The out of state plates are often tourists, and are not used to "pulling off" since straight roads don't really call for it. No one pulled of when I lived in Michigan, Minnesota or Florida, but the roads certainly did not call for it, either! I was impressed when I first saw folks pulling over in West NC. I'd guess that about 25%-35% or so do it, which sure beats the 0% I was used to! More cars do it than motorcycles, FWIW. | ||
| Hughlysses |
There are some fun places for this to happen; some roads in the mountains of North Carolina and Georgia have passing lanes on the uphill sections. On one of my first trips to north Georgia, I was on a section like this north of Helen, GA on my 1983 Honda VT500FT Ascot (I wasn't dragging a knee or anything) and I was gradually passing several cars that were in the right lane. I came up on some dude and his wife in an SUV and he apparently decided no motorcycle was going to get around him. We went through about 3 turns neck-and-neck as I gradually ramped up the speed until I heard his front tires really squawl going into one turn at which point he completely backed off. I figure his wife was giving him hell about then. That incident produced one of my first big-ass motorcycle riding grins.  | ||
| Uly_man |
You will always come across some idiot on the road at some point or other. Thats life. Use the power of the bike to get to the place you need to be. On a two up fully loaded bike that is not so easy, I find, and best to let the fools play there stupid games. Sooner or later they will be stuck in traffic and you will be running the highway, with a big smile on your face, on your way to a bike steak and beers while watching the sun go down. | ||
| Hooper |
I see this in my car as well - I chalk it up to a not-so-passive aggressiveness, an "I don't want to be passed, and I don't want anyone in front of me setting my pace". I can understand if someone can maintain a an appropriate speed for the road, but for some of these guys, it's pure affrontery to their manhood to be passed. Just like when you need to change lanes on the highway and someone guns it to close the gap as you're doing so (even if you're signaling and there's plenty of room). It's that weird thing that happens to people when we get into our cars. | ||
| Conchop |
I have an open road philosophy about these road rage cagers. Never give them a sitting target. When I get behind them, I politely, but quickly pass them. Then I make them think about it as I continue to gain far more speed and distance. Most people and their cars cannot handle the acceleration and the speed required to get to me. If they're going to try to hit me, I'm a very high speed moving target and they'll have to work very hard to catch up. Yep, its breaking the law, but, the cager has a really big problem hitting or harassing a moving target. And as you know, a Uly can move. If you have skill, a well maintained machine, and a bit of luck, I feel its safer to use your speed to stay away from idiots in cars. | ||
| Buelet |
I call it the Cheerio Effect. If there's more than one Cheerio in a bowl, it'll find the others and stick with or group to them. It seems that these drivers don't use their cruise and mindlessly drone along at whatever speed their surroundings are moving in. ...Like the car that you're stuck behind in the left lane, that slows to the speed of the car their passing, or slows to the speed of the car they're following. Happens all the time. No problem here with people trying to not let me past though. | ||
| Ken503 |
The ones that always infuriate me are trucks pulling trailers and/or motor homes. Yes, I realize you have a massive displacement engine packed into your land ark, as evidenced by the monumental cloud of black smoke that is expelled when you floor the accelerator, but do you truly think you're impressing anyone? You CANNOT keep up in the corners, you SHOULD not be driving excessively fast on the straights because you're fulling a freakin' trailer dummy! | ||
| Buellerxt |
Skifastbadly comes through AGAIN!!!  Good stuff, Man, and good perspective! | ||
| Griffmeister |
These must be the same people that just have to pass you and then slow down in front of you. Skifast has the right attitude! | ||
| Danair |
For some selfish reason, when a jackwagon really effs with me, I really enjoy adjusting their mirrors as I go by! | ||
| Buelldualsport |
A $.99 packages of Gum ball purchased at any grocery store, kept in the left pocket of the riding jacker, makes a real good bio degradable - no evidence way for getting cagers attentions. Spark Plugs, rocks, ball bearing and etc will do the same thing, but are not bio degradable nor are the non-evidence producing. YRMV Ride Safe | ||
| Kakimoto |
Think this is an "ïnternational" problem. Drivers out where I ride (Middle East) are downright horrible. 99% of the time they are right on my taillight, or cutting across lanes on an expressway without signalling, stopping in the middle of a road, running red lights, texting while driving at 60 mph, not looking in their rear view mirror, famously cutting into oncoming lanes or being just plain bloody minded to intimidate bikers. Only way to survive out here is to ride defensively and aggressively at the same time, all the time. Ride safe all. | ||
| Fltwistygirl |
"Think this is an "ïnternational" problem. Drivers out where I ride (Middle East) are downright horrible. 99% of the time they are right on my taillight, or cutting across lanes on an expressway without signalling, stopping in the middle of a road, running red lights, texting while driving at 60 mph, not looking in their rear view mirror, famously cutting into oncoming lanes or being just plain bloody minded to intimidate bikers. Only way to survive out here is to ride defensively and aggressively at the same time, all the time." Kakimoto- I believe you are correct. My friends husband is from Morocco and tells similar stories. I've been trying to convince him to get his endorsement here in the states but he: a) had a bad crash in Morocco just before he moved here, and b) is horrified by the way people drive in the Orlando area. He likes riding, maybe a track is a better fit for him. When I have days like I did on Sunday, where I almost, as Mr. Grumpy puts it, "got punted", I think maybe a track would be better for me as well. Sunday afternoon, during a horrific thunderstorm, an inattentive speeding tailgating jackwagon in a Toyota Tacoma chose the ditch rather than the back of my XT. I returned to where he left skid marks and tracks going into the ditch and wanted to hurl. Are tanks street legal? LOL. | ||
| Nadz |
Same here, two days ago. I'm on the Blue Ridge Parkway at night, some tool's just mosey-ing along. I slowly catch up and wait a while. I passed on a straight...yea, double-solid line but it was an easy pass. Could'a done it in a minivan. I waited until I was well past, signaled, and creeped back into lane. Then the piker hits the brights and starts tailgating. So I casually rolled on and started going a little faster. Jerk's still there in his beat up sedan! Finally said •••••• and whacked it. It took a couple of minutes of truly unsafe speeds to convince him he wasn't going to hang. Moral of the story: Cagers, don't get mad when you're going under the limit, and way under the safe speed, and get passed. This is not an opportunity to prove your used up K-car is as good as "one of dem dar jap-o-naise racin bikes". Bikers, WOT every time, then put at least two terrain features between you so they can't even see your taillights. Don't give 'em a chance to think, they can't. </rant> thanks for listening <flameshields> regarding "no pass zone" Edit: just read all the posts. Nominating this for thread of the year! I LOL'd. You are all right. (Message edited by nadz on August 27, 2012) | ||
| Uly_man |
I never let them get close enough for it to be a problem. QED. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Q.E.D. | ||
| Swampy |
Yesterday morning about 5:30am I was riding to work, it had just rained so I was taking it easy, someone was right on my tail on a side street, so close I could not see them in my mirrors. They followed me onto the freeway where we both got off at the first exit, I moved over to the right and waved them around and before I cleared the lane a young woman in a Mustang hammered past me and made a left turn on the same road I was turning on. We were both stopped at the light on the overpass so I started honking my horn to get her attention and explain about how the roads were slippery but she just ignored me digging nervously in her purse, I kept honking and motioning her to roll down her window so I could explain to her I could have been her dad but the light changed and she hammered away. People are so impatient, all these young chicks driving like they are in a NASCAR race with no regards as to the consequences of their actions on other people. The sweet revenge today was watching someone pass me on the right in a Jeep to exit on the right and almost run into the back end of the line of cars stopped in the exit and running into the barrier on the shoulder, if they had not-out driven what they could see all that tire squealing could have been avoided... |
