Grrrr..... motorcylists

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PpPete

Legendary Member
Location
Chandler's Ford
What is it with some motorcyclists?

Couple of times recently I've been "gesticulated" at.... because (whilst driving) I've inadvertently obstructed their progress at speeds in excess of twice the posted limit.

Happened again today: approached RAB at between 20-30 mph, nothing on RAB, motorbike on approach to next entrance round - still approx 20 mtrs from RAB when I pull out, only to find bike up my arse in short order because he finds it appropriate to accelerate to 60+ onto RAB when nothing coming from his right.
Not my business what speeds he does..... but I object to fist waving and gestures indicating I havn't seen him, when all I'm guilty of is not anticipating that he's a moron with a need to show off his penis extension.
 

XmisterIS

Purveyor of fine nonsense
Looking at it from another point of view, I wonder why you get gesticulated at at all!

I drive a car and ride a motorbike regularly and I can't remember the last time I was gesticulated at.

Also, you say the motorbike was 20 metres from the roundabout - by my calculations it would have taken him/her approximately 1.5 seconds to reach the roundabout, even at 30mph. That's just about enough time to shout "oh shoot!" and slam on the front brake to avoid the car that's just cut him/her up ...

Anyway, if I see someone riding their bike/driving their car like a lunatic, I just hang back and let 'em go.
 
I've only ever managed to do it once to a moving motorcyclist who was giving me gyp in traffic; reached over and hit the kill switch on the bars. Slows them down really quickly. The switches are usually red which makes them easy to find in a hurry.
 

User269

Guest
Here in rural West Dorset, I have nurtured some bigotry. Some motorcyclists seem to think the countryside is their personal race track. We're expected to put up with high levels of noise; I can hear them above the sound of my lawn mower. The narrow, pavement-less road through our village is appropriate for rapid accelleration and limit exceeding speeds. And then they have to ride together in groups of six or more, just to compound the problem. Despite the power and accelleration of their machines, 6 inches seems to be considered a suitable distance to leave between themselves and the vehicle in front. The nearby coast road is a 'famous' challenge for the quickest time between Weymouth and Bridport. Ignoring the villages, horse riders, walkers, cyclists and motorists also using the road.
The top ten most dangerous roads in England has just been published, along with the data that 'the vast majority' of fatalities are of motor cyclists, average age 35, and taking place in the daytime in clear dry conditions.
I'm sick of people bleating about cyclists jumping red lights, riding on the pavement, being aggressive etc. Our quality of life, indeed, our very lives, are impaired by these selfish, thoughtless people. But, hey, we live in a democracy don't we? They're entitled to do what they like.

porkypete it is your business what speed they do. They put you in danger of injury, and of their abuse.
 

XmisterIS

Purveyor of fine nonsense
User269 said:
Here in rural West Dorset, I have nurtured some bigotry. Some motorcyclists seem to think the countryside is their personal race track. We're expected to put up with high levels of noise; I can hear them above the sound of my lawn mower. The narrow, pavement-less road through our village is appropriate for rapid accelleration and limit exceeding speeds. And then they have to ride together in groups of six or more, just to compound the problem. Despite the power and accelleration of their machines, 6 inches seems to be considered a suitable distance to leave between themselves and the vehicle in front. The nearby coast road is a 'famous' challenge for the quickest time between Weymouth and Bridport. Ignoring the villages, horse riders, walkers, cyclists and motorists also using the road.
The top ten most dangerous roads in England has just been published, along with the data that 'the vast majority' of fatalities are of motor cyclists, average age 35, and taking place in the daytime in clear dry conditions.
I'm sick of people bleating about cyclists jumping red lights, riding on the pavement, being aggressive etc. Our quality of life, indeed, our very lives, are impaired by these selfish, thoughtless people. But, hey, we live in a democracy don't we? They're entitled to do what they like.

porkypete it is your business what speed they do. They put you in danger of injury, and of their abuse.

The guys you're writing about are exactly the kind that really irritate me - they give all bikers a bad name, just like red-light jumping chavs on BSOs give all cyclists a bad name.

Anybody tailgating on a motorbike has a deathwish IMHO ... "only a fool breaks the two second rule". I plan to still be riding motorbikes when I'm old! (i.e. I plan on getting old!).
 

Ben M

Senior Member
Location
Chester/Oxford
So he had priority at a roundabout and you didn't judge his speed and as a result held him up? That's nothing other than your own fault, although gesticulating is never necessary.
 

wafflycat

New Member
Am I reading this correctly? It reads as if the motorcyclist was approaching from your right. You entered RAB and find motorcyclist up your rear-end? Is that basically it?

If it is, then I'm sorry, but you're the one in the wrong as you're supposed to give way to the traffic approaching from the right, so you appear to have misjudged him - and ended up putting you both in a potentially dangerous situation.
 

GrasB

Veteran
Location
Nr Cambridge
Roundabouts can get complicated to negotiate when someone accelerates quickly onto one, one thing some motorcyclists & drivers of sports cars do. What would be an acceptable gap to go into can suddenly become to close for comfort when someone accelerates hard.
 

lukesdad

Guest
mickle said:
I've only ever managed to do it once to a moving motorcyclist who was giving me gyp in traffic; reached over and hit the kill switch on the bars. Slows them down really quickly. The switches are usually red which makes them easy to find in a hurry.
Ha! Know that one well. When I was much younger we used to take it one step further, used to reach over at the lights switch your mates ignition off and throw his keys as far as you could back down the A3:ohmy: I know... how infantile is that ?:thumbsdown:
 

DavieB

MIA
Location
Glasgow
wafflycat said:
Am I reading this correctly? It reads as if the motorcyclist was approaching from your right. You entered RAB and find motorcyclist up your rear-end? Is that basically it?

If it is, then I'm sorry, but you're the one in the wrong as you're supposed to give way to the traffic approaching from the right, so you appear to have misjudged him - and ended up putting you both in a potentially dangerous situation.

If I was a car and i was o the roundabout before him, with him being 20m behind the lines I would go out, but my car accelerates alot better than my bike. On the bike I dont reckon I would pull out with those sort of gaps. I can see the OPs reason for pulling out though. In an insurance claim (in a car) if you are on the roundabout first and someone accelerates onto it and hits you its their fault. Even if they came from the right. Op is on the right I believe, motorbike does not have to drive so fast onto the roundabout.
 

upsidedown

Waiting for the great leap forward
Location
The middle bit
Never had a problem with them in the car or on the bike, think they just have to take assertive riding like cyclists do then multiply it by 10, fair play to them.
 
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