Loud pipes: Not really needed at all. Even though my husband and I ride a Hog, our pipes aren’t particularly loud. They have not been altered from factory specs, and I don’t think we’ll be changing them. Plus, there’s Johnny LA’s ears to think of. Even though I’m in NY, I worry about his hearing since I found out loud pipes bother him
Helmets- Duh! Ever since husband got hit by a truck, I sing the praises of full face helmets. Thank God NY has a helmet law, as he lacks the brains and common sense to wear one (if it weren’t forced). Call it weeding out the gene pool, but he’s the only husband I have. I’m glad he’s forced to NOT be stupid when it comes to protecting his brain.
Lane splitting- be careful out there. In a thread a long time ago, one poster implied that even though it is LEGAL in some states, he wants to hit people on bikes who do this. Needless to say I almost ruptured something writing a scathing reply to him, but it was to no avail. Obviously not everyone out there is aware of what the law allows. Watch out for road rage by the dumb *ucks on the road. (Ducks! What did YOU think I meant?) I guess having a husband almost die in a crash has done nothing to help my sense of humor when someone “jokes” about running bikes off the road- I dunno.
Sport bikes- only total wussies ride 'em. Real riders are only seen on Hogs. (Hi Johhny!)
Al Hrley ridrs r dum xcept sum of thim. (Hi Johhny!)
I always wear a full face helmet, complete leathers, boots and gloves. Loud pipes sound real cool, but they can also annoy the neighbors when you leave for work at 5:30 in the morning. I wear the helmet and protective gear as my choice, but I don’t like the government stating what I must wear. I like lane splitting but the jerks can be a real hazard as they sometimes try a squeeze play. Some of the jerks will go so far as to fling their door open just as you come up on their vehicle. I have been riding for over 35 years now, a few minor lay downs and goof ups but no major accidents.
Ok, I just want to say one thing. If you are lane splitting, or what ever the hell you want to call it, and a car moves over to give you more space, then for god’s sake, WAVE TO SAY THANK YOU!!! When I am in my car I have no obligation to move over to make more room for you, but I do it because I ride and all my friends ride and it just makes it safer! I am doing you a favor by making more room, I might even save your life, so the least you can do is acknowledge it. And it doesn’t even need to be a “wave.” I simply put my left hand up in the air if the car is on my right side, or if the car is on my left I simply open my hand and swing it by my side.
I asked one of my friends if he waves when someone moves over for him and he said no. He said it is just easier to ride right by. So I gave him a short little rant about it and told him to tell his other friends too. So what happened? He and all of his friends now wave to anyone who moves over to make room. Just goes to show that even if you tell one person it can affect a lot of people.
Strider I appreciate your thoughtfulness in moving over, some drivers do this and indicate toward the kerb to show that they want you to pass, others will slow down.The problem is that other roadusers don’t know what is going on and get confused, the biker isn’t totally sure of what you are going to do - is it courtesy or is this driver trying to trap me as I start to pass ? Yes it does happen, you get an invitation to pass and suddenly the car/van driver cuts you up on the way past for the hell of it.
The best thing any driver, four wheels or two can do is to be predictable to other road users.If there is a safe time to pass the bike will make use of it when the time is right, no need for the wave past but thanks all the same.
Edward the Head
The only time I have heard of crash hats being cut in two is when a rider is down and rather than risk increasing possible damage to the upper spine when removing it, the crash hat will be cut apart.The rider may already be so traumatised the they cannot feel if the area is injured.I would think that this is likely to be standard procedure all over the world rather than just here in the UK.
It is definately a bad idea to buy a secondhand lid since you don’t know it’s history.
One law I think is well stupid is that in the UK we are not allowed to use darkened visors yet we can wear sunglasses wtf? Lightly tinted yes but not the real thing.
The law states that you are only allowed to use a visor that is standards aprroved and the Ministry of Transport will not do this for dark visors.
We had a situation where one rider had his confiscated whilst on the road and had to ride home with no visor at all which put that person at a far greater risk.
One district police force even recommends that its riders should consider using dark visors as it can improve safety, so now we have the ludicrous situation that a riders can be hualled in for having an illegal visor by a policeman who is using one at the time.
Ahh but only when it’s nice and sunny eh ? Wouldn’t want to get all that pretty chrome tarnished.
In the UK that means riding your Harley two or three times a year.
Wasn’t trying to start a war, and I’m only restating what I had been informed from a couple of officers from CA. They said splitting really meant going back and forth over the line, of course a bike can’t straddle lines.
Some one said something about this too. A MSF instructor was giving on road lessons on how to split, he went by first a guy opened his door on the woman and hit her. He said something like “I really got that bitch”. The person behind him was a cop and he was hauled off to jail. hope he rots.
Neither was I. Sorry if I gave that impression. [extend hand] Pax? [/extend hand]
Waving: I try to wave whenever someone gives me room to pass. Sometimes it’s not possible because of the traffic situation and I can only hope that the person who let me by sees what I’m seeing in front of me and understands. If I can’t wave, I at least try to raise four fingers while still holding on. I also wave with my right hand if someone on my right moves over and it’s safe to do so. Sure, I have to let go of the throttle for a second; but I’m sure the driver appreciates it.
Is that the case ? Well, rather be a wussie than be mistaken for a lawyer or dentist or othersomesuch - over here, the Harley is a yuppie bike, parked in pristine condition next to the Volvo and only ridden on sunny weekends. But Zette, when do we race ? There’s this great Alpine stretch I know…
As for waving: I’ll do so when I have the time, but sometimes there’s just too much to do. Especially in a lane-splitting low-speed setting, I have so much weight on my wrists that I’d rather not take them of the handlebars. (Okay, Zette, score one for the Hogs.)
S. Norman - who is now contemplating storing his bike for the winter…
I have the misfortune of living near a bar where bikers congregate. I have the further misfortune of living on a straight stretch of road.
Result: all weekend, I have idiots trying to prove they’re bad asses by gunning their bikes up and down my street. It is ultra loud. You’d think Sunday morning would be safe at least, but not so. Even then, they’re roaring up and down the street.
Weekdays are not so bad, which leads me to believe that most of the idiots are coming into town from the suburbs.
What is the f***ing fascination with noise? Grow up, fer crissake! You think you sound cool? You sound like the braying asses you are.
