I'm 51 and I've been riding since I was 7. And, still, I'm not sure about the etiquette in this situation. I'd probably pull up close, but hang behind by a few feet. But, next time I get the chance, I'll pay closer attention.
Did I make a noob mistake?
- Thread starter KrisZ
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Thanks guys for the encouraging words
I think I made a bigger deal out of it in my head than it really is, judging by your responses.
To clarify few things. I ride a Ninja 500, this thing doesn't look like a scooter. The other rider was in the right tire track of the lane and I pulled up alongside of him on the left tire track side and since the light was already red when I approached, I pulled up fairly slowly and I kept to the left side of the lane.
I also don't think it the "cruiser vs. sports bike" thing because I had a cruiser pull up alongside of me last season and since the red was long we had a little chat together. As far as waving, I get waves from all sorts of riders, riding different kinds of motorcycles. Some don't wave back, but I don't pay attention on what kind of bike they're riding.
I think you guys are right that this guy was simply a jerk or perhaps was riding angry for some reason. No big deal, I will be more cautious from now on and keep few feet back.
To clarify few things. I ride a Ninja 500, this thing doesn't look like a scooter. The other rider was in the right tire track of the lane and I pulled up alongside of him on the left tire track side and since the light was already red when I approached, I pulled up fairly slowly and I kept to the left side of the lane.
I also don't think it the "cruiser vs. sports bike" thing because I had a cruiser pull up alongside of me last season and since the red was long we had a little chat together. As far as waving, I get waves from all sorts of riders, riding different kinds of motorcycles. Some don't wave back, but I don't pay attention on what kind of bike they're riding.
I think you guys are right that this guy was simply a jerk or perhaps was riding angry for some reason. No big deal, I will be more cautious from now on and keep few feet back.
I would never pull up along side of someone I didnt know and no one has ever pulled up along side of me. Many bikes in my area, many times I have waited at traffic lights etc, one time the light was stuck, sometimes we say a quick hello or comment but never pull up next to each other, we talk forward or backwards.
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I don't pull up next to other bikes at stop lights but I have had guys pull up next to me many times. When coming to a light I always pull off to one side just in case I get hit from behind. Don't want to get crushed between two cars. I think maybe other bikers see this as an invitation to pull up along side of me. No big deal in my mind and doesn't bother me.
One thing I don't do is ride two wide with another bike. I don't like this. I feel like if one of us had to make a quick maneuver you don't want another bike 2 feet from you. I see this everyday and don't understand why people choose to ride that way. One bike will just about be on the center line, seems dangerous with traffic passing by you going in the opposite direction. Oh, and then there are the bikers who tailgate......
One thing I don't do is ride two wide with another bike. I don't like this. I feel like if one of us had to make a quick maneuver you don't want another bike 2 feet from you. I see this everyday and don't understand why people choose to ride that way. One bike will just about be on the center line, seems dangerous with traffic passing by you going in the opposite direction. Oh, and then there are the bikers who tailgate......
Speaking of "etiquette", am I the only one that thinks the required wave thing to other bikers is kinda silly? I don't mean to offend anyone, I'm friendly to all, but I don't get the implied obligation to wave at everyone on two wheels. I rarely do and I feel it comes off as an f-you to folks but that's never my thought, it's just that I just want to ride and relax without another item on my "remember to do" list. I don't feel obligated to wear the Harley uniform either, but that's another story.
Originally Posted By: KrisZ
I also don't think it the "cruiser vs. sports bike" thing
Its never Sportbikes vs Cruiser... its more Rider vs Biker...
I think the definition is in the percentile of your motorcycle's
ability you have mastered *reguardless* of the type of bike you ride...
49%
Bikers have mastered 49% of their motorcycle's ability and bring
their environment to the riding experience...
51%
Riders have mastered 51% and higher of their motorcycle's ability
and their experience are defined by the environment...
My definition explains why you find Riders on Cruisers and Bikers on Sportbikes...
I also don't think it the "cruiser vs. sports bike" thing
Its never Sportbikes vs Cruiser... its more Rider vs Biker...
I think the definition is in the percentile of your motorcycle's
ability you have mastered *reguardless* of the type of bike you ride...
49%
Bikers have mastered 49% of their motorcycle's ability and bring
their environment to the riding experience...
51%
Riders have mastered 51% and higher of their motorcycle's ability
and their experience are defined by the environment...
My definition explains why you find Riders on Cruisers and Bikers on Sportbikes...
Originally Posted By: MoreCowbellAz
Speaking of "etiquette", am I the only one that thinks the required wave thing to other bikers is kinda silly?
Its not required... a wave is a two wheel gift to others and in the spirit of
giving don't expect one in return...
Speaking of "etiquette", am I the only one that thinks the required wave thing to other bikers is kinda silly?
Its not required... a wave is a two wheel gift to others and in the spirit of
giving don't expect one in return...
Originally Posted By: BusyLittleShop
After 50 years on the perverted highway I've learned bikes are narrow as an arrow and you
may see 3 per lane... so speaking as a lane sharing Rider we are happy to share our
space with any two wheel stranger... but I've also noted that some Bikers claim 100% of the
lane for them selves like the way selfish cagers do... its not what Riders do... so my
advice is just pull up nicely and give a heart felt wave... don't expect one back... someday
they may graduate to the level of a Rider and learn to share...
How does a ""non-selfish cager" claim LESS that 100% of a lane?
After 50 years on the perverted highway I've learned bikes are narrow as an arrow and you
may see 3 per lane... so speaking as a lane sharing Rider we are happy to share our
space with any two wheel stranger... but I've also noted that some Bikers claim 100% of the
lane for them selves like the way selfish cagers do... its not what Riders do... so my
advice is just pull up nicely and give a heart felt wave... don't expect one back... someday
they may graduate to the level of a Rider and learn to share...
How does a ""non-selfish cager" claim LESS that 100% of a lane?
Originally Posted By: Robenstein
Lots of stressed out, crazy, and angry people in the world today.
True...
Too many people on the road are harboring little balls of anger just
waiting to unload on someone they feel has wronged them... beware and
practice these two steps in order to ride home safe...
First and foremost is self preservation... keep control of yourself
and your motorcycle... refrain from actions that may take away your
escape route... A rider should ride with an absolute command of ones
temper and not to provoke the anger of any stupid cager because no
passion so effectively robs the mind of all its powers of reasoning as
anger...
Second... to defuse any escalating highway rage situation just assign
yourself all the blame... a gesture like smacking your helmet is
symbolic speech that's universally understood "I made a mistake" after
which you will see a immediate relaxing of tensions between you and
the errant cager... use this time to maneuver away from the threat...
Lots of stressed out, crazy, and angry people in the world today.
True...
Too many people on the road are harboring little balls of anger just
waiting to unload on someone they feel has wronged them... beware and
practice these two steps in order to ride home safe...
First and foremost is self preservation... keep control of yourself
and your motorcycle... refrain from actions that may take away your
escape route... A rider should ride with an absolute command of ones
temper and not to provoke the anger of any stupid cager because no
passion so effectively robs the mind of all its powers of reasoning as
anger...
Second... to defuse any escalating highway rage situation just assign
yourself all the blame... a gesture like smacking your helmet is
symbolic speech that's universally understood "I made a mistake" after
which you will see a immediate relaxing of tensions between you and
the errant cager... use this time to maneuver away from the threat...
Originally Posted By: HerrStig
[/quote] How does a ""non-selfish cager" claim LESS that 100% of a lane?
A non selfish cagers mover to one side of the lane to extra allow space for a bike to
pass... a selfish cager maneuvers to obstruct a bike in an effort to prevent a pass... but
whether a cagers maneuvers for or against lane splitters they usually fail because bikes
will always find wiggle room to execute a pass... cagers will learn that bikes do add to
grid lock rather they are the solution to grid lock...
[/quote] How does a ""non-selfish cager" claim LESS that 100% of a lane?
A non selfish cagers mover to one side of the lane to extra allow space for a bike to
pass... a selfish cager maneuvers to obstruct a bike in an effort to prevent a pass... but
whether a cagers maneuvers for or against lane splitters they usually fail because bikes
will always find wiggle room to execute a pass... cagers will learn that bikes do add to
grid lock rather they are the solution to grid lock...
Originally Posted By: BusyLittleShop
Originally Posted By: HerrStig
How does a ""non-selfish cager" claim LESS that 100% of a lane?
A non selfish cagers mover to one side of the lane to extra allow space for a bike to
pass... a selfish cager maneuvers to obstruct a bike in an effort to prevent a pass... but
whether a cagers maneuvers for or against lane splitters they usually fail because bikes
will always find wiggle room to execute a pass... cagers will learn that bikes do add to
grid lock rather they are the solution to grid lock...
Larry, I think you meant: "cagers will learn that bikes don't add to
grid lock rather they are the solution to grid lock..."
In a previous post you said that "Bikers ride Sportbikes, and Riders ride Cruisers". I'm assuming you meant exactly the opposite.
My own definition is: Bikers are posers, only concerned with how the look, and the impression they make (regardless of what type of bike they're riding). Riders just want to ride, and aren't concerned with making a statement.
I'm just here to help.
Originally Posted By: HerrStig
How does a ""non-selfish cager" claim LESS that 100% of a lane?
A non selfish cagers mover to one side of the lane to extra allow space for a bike to
pass... a selfish cager maneuvers to obstruct a bike in an effort to prevent a pass... but
whether a cagers maneuvers for or against lane splitters they usually fail because bikes
will always find wiggle room to execute a pass... cagers will learn that bikes do add to
grid lock rather they are the solution to grid lock...
Larry, I think you meant: "cagers will learn that bikes don't add to
grid lock rather they are the solution to grid lock..."
In a previous post you said that "Bikers ride Sportbikes, and Riders ride Cruisers". I'm assuming you meant exactly the opposite.
My own definition is: Bikers are posers, only concerned with how the look, and the impression they make (regardless of what type of bike they're riding). Riders just want to ride, and aren't concerned with making a statement.
I'm just here to help.
Totally a fluke, I doubt it would ever happen to you again. I get riders of ALL kinds of bikes pull up next to me at a light and I don't hesitate to do the same. It's all good.
to the OP...
I apologize on behalf of the riding community about the rude behavior of the [censored] that blasted you! unfortunately there are people like that in the world and we have all dealt with them...
I've been in similar situations where I've had people looking back at me over their shoulder and I have decided to hang back and give people their space which seems to keep the peace;
on a sidebar that is somewhat related...I was riding near the speed limit on a twisty backroad while climbing a hill and I had a couple on a sport tourer bike pass me without consideration for safety; they kept going up another hill into the next county and I turned onto a side road...while I didn't get angry I was taken back by such careless behavior; later that day on a different road I see the same bike & people at an intersection...a little while later I look back in my mirror and see them following me with quite a lot of space between us...guess he recognized me and didn't want to cause any problems!
I apologize on behalf of the riding community about the rude behavior of the [censored] that blasted you! unfortunately there are people like that in the world and we have all dealt with them...
I've been in similar situations where I've had people looking back at me over their shoulder and I have decided to hang back and give people their space which seems to keep the peace;
on a sidebar that is somewhat related...I was riding near the speed limit on a twisty backroad while climbing a hill and I had a couple on a sport tourer bike pass me without consideration for safety; they kept going up another hill into the next county and I turned onto a side road...while I didn't get angry I was taken back by such careless behavior; later that day on a different road I see the same bike & people at an intersection...a little while later I look back in my mirror and see them following me with quite a lot of space between us...guess he recognized me and didn't want to cause any problems!
I used to pull up besides strangers, but one time I did that there was a girl on a bike and she said hi & it is her first day learning to ride. When the light turned green good thing I let her pull out first as she was all over left/right and almost smacked the car in the next lane. I had to follow for a ways (was my direction of travel) and she killed the engine at the next stop light and almost dropped the bike, again weaved around trying to get the bike to go when the light turned green. Bad shift timing, over rev, etc. Ever since, I don't pull up besides strangers. I'll pull up almost to their back tire but on the other side of the lane, staggered configuration. Now I just do that without thinking. But never had anyone bad mouth before.
Originally Posted By: 02SE
Larry, I think you meant: "cagers will learn that bikes don't add to
grid lock rather they are the solution to grid lock..."
In a previous post you said that "Bikers ride Sportbikes, and Riders ride Cruisers". I'm assuming you meant exactly the opposite.
I'm just here to help.
Thanks 02SE for pointing that out... I did mean to say that bikes don't add to grid lock
but I did mean "Bikers ride Sportbikes, and Riders ride Cruisers" because my definition
are broken down into percentile of their motorcycles ability they have mastered
regardless of the type of bike they ride...
49% Bikers have mastered 49% of their motorcycle's ability and bring
their environment to the riding experience...
51% Riders have mastered 51% and above of their motorcycle's ability
and their experience are defined by the environment...
Larry, I think you meant: "cagers will learn that bikes don't add to
grid lock rather they are the solution to grid lock..."
In a previous post you said that "Bikers ride Sportbikes, and Riders ride Cruisers". I'm assuming you meant exactly the opposite.
I'm just here to help.
Thanks 02SE for pointing that out... I did mean to say that bikes don't add to grid lock
but I did mean "Bikers ride Sportbikes, and Riders ride Cruisers" because my definition
are broken down into percentile of their motorcycles ability they have mastered
regardless of the type of bike they ride...
49% Bikers have mastered 49% of their motorcycle's ability and bring
their environment to the riding experience...
51% Riders have mastered 51% and above of their motorcycle's ability
and their experience are defined by the environment...
Originally Posted By: BusyLittleShop
but I've also noted that some Bikers claim 100% of the
lane for them selves like the way selfish cagers do... its not what Riders do... so my
advice is just pull up nicely and give a heart felt wave... don't expect one back... someday
they may graduate to the level of a Rider and learn to share...
Baloney... I'm a motor vehicle, and entitled to my full lane width. Depending upon the intersection, the stopped rider may have positioned himself to see something, or (more likely) positioned himself to be seen. Considering that the majority of MC accidents happen at intersections, the OP had no way of knowing what was going on and should have stayed back. He pulled an inexperienced rider move by pulling along side, and needs to take the MSF safety course so he can find out why. The rider he pulled along side did not handle the situation well, but that has nothing to do with the OP being technically wrong in this case.
but I've also noted that some Bikers claim 100% of the
lane for them selves like the way selfish cagers do... its not what Riders do... so my
advice is just pull up nicely and give a heart felt wave... don't expect one back... someday
they may graduate to the level of a Rider and learn to share...
Baloney... I'm a motor vehicle, and entitled to my full lane width. Depending upon the intersection, the stopped rider may have positioned himself to see something, or (more likely) positioned himself to be seen. Considering that the majority of MC accidents happen at intersections, the OP had no way of knowing what was going on and should have stayed back. He pulled an inexperienced rider move by pulling along side, and needs to take the MSF safety course so he can find out why. The rider he pulled along side did not handle the situation well, but that has nothing to do with the OP being technically wrong in this case.
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All this talk of Cagers < Bikers < Riders is so bloody pretentious and condescending.
As long as you ride or drive safe, what you choose to operate as far as vehicle type has absolutely no bearing on the operator.
As long as you ride or drive safe, what you choose to operate as far as vehicle type has absolutely no bearing on the operator.
FWIW, I wouldn't hesitate to pull alongside someone else who was also riding an 80's [censored] bike. Expressing an interest in a rider's machine usually greases the social wheels quite nicely. That said, you probably shouldn't fawn all over it. Give it a few seconds' gaze and a thumbs-up and see how the other dude responds.
I think there was likely some 'class warfare' going on between your bike and the idiot's. Hondapottamus riders, Harley dudes, modern sportbikers, and the Scooter Patrol all inhabit their own distinct little ecosystem, and there is often little overlap or real interaction between the tribes.
I think there was likely some 'class warfare' going on between your bike and the idiot's. Hondapottamus riders, Harley dudes, modern sportbikers, and the Scooter Patrol all inhabit their own distinct little ecosystem, and there is often little overlap or real interaction between the tribes.
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