Always check your mirrors at red lights, ALWAYS!

[Rocky529]

So I am a brand new rider with a brand new '08 FZ6. I've been riding for a month and have 600 miles on the bike.

I was at a red light and I am in the habit of staying in first gear watching the driver's behind me to make sure they stop. I see a car approaching and the man is looking down... I think great, he isn't stopping or seeing me... how responsible of him to approach a red light and be looking down. He is at a crawling speed and I start to creep forward in first gear. Once I was about to get to the side of the car infront of me to avoid him, before I knew it, his hood was in the rear of my bike.

I installed a Scorpion exhaust and clear LED tail light last night, so I am thinking great... they are both messed up and have to be repaired. I get off my bike and look quickly and notice no damage. I told the Asian driver to pull over so I can get his information just incase. I pull over and closely examine the bike/exhaust, etc... not one scratch. Same thing with his car, not one scratch. So I get his information and go on my way.

I can only imagine what would have happened if he was driving faster, etc. etc... always leave space infront of you and always be ready to move out of the way.

It really is depressing for the fact that we have to do multiple things just to be safe on the road to avoid careless drivers... but it is the price we pay I guess. I wouldn't trade it for the world... by the way, the exhaust sounds AMAZING! :Sport:

Be safe out there.

 

[idanny]

man, I dont know what I would have done to that guy. I definitely wouldn't have kept control.

 

[Rocky529]

man, I dont know what I would have done to that guy. I definitely wouldn't have kept control.

If it was any faster and I dumped the bike and/or if it caused damage to my bike, he would have been knocked out in the middle of the intersection.

 

[segue00]

Yup, watch out for those Massholes.

 

[FZ6 Tas]

I hoped you checked your rear tyre. I had a driver just tap me on the rear on my GSXF 750 I used to have and the bumper put a nasty gash in the tyre. Not enough to go through the tread though but it wouldn't take much.

 

[yamagamma]

Checking your mirrors at stop lights is an excellent idea. Another trick I use is to hold the bike on the footbrake and pump it on and off, so the driver in the cage coming up fast "maybe" sees a flashing red light..... this also leaves your hands free to have the clutch in, and the throttle ready, ready to move quickly if they are not going to stop.

This same thing happened to a good friend who was driving a truck and camper trailer. Got rear ended by a semi with a driver falling asleep. The camper was crushed but saved their lives.

Ride safe
Yamagamma

 

[VEGASRIDER]

So I am a brand new rider with a brand new '08 FZ6. I've been riding for a month and have 600 miles on the bike.

I was at a red light and I am in the habit of staying in first gear watching the driver's behind me to make sure they stop. I see a car approaching and the man is looking down... I think great, he isn't stopping or seeing me... how responsible of him to approach a red light and be looking down. He is at a crawling speed and I start to creep forward in first gear. Once I was about to get to the side of the car infront of me to avoid him, before I knew it, his hood was in the rear of my bike.

I installed a Scorpion exhaust and clear LED tail light last night, so I am thinking great... they are both messed up and have to be repaired. I get off my bike and look quickly and notice no damage. I told the Asian driver to pull over so I can get his information just incase. I pull over and closely examine the bike/exhaust, etc... not one scratch. Same thing with his car, not one scratch. So I get his information and go on my way.

I can only imagine what would have happened if he was driving faster, etc. etc... always leave space infront of you and always be ready to move out of the way.

It really is depressing for the fact that we have to do multiple things just to be safe on the road to avoid careless drivers... but it is the price we pay I guess. I wouldn't trade it for the world... by the way, the exhaust sounds AMAZING! :Sport:

Be safe out there.

It's a good thing that you were doing what you were taught to do. Always look in your mirror when you are stopped and be ready to go if you need to. I will always favor one side of the lane when stopped so that I will have an easier escape route which also may influence the driver to take his or her corrective action to veer away from you and towards the area where there is more open space. I'm never stopped in the center of the lane. Even though rear end collisions account for less than 10% of all bike related accidents, I decided to install these lights to hopefully avoid this exact same situation.

http://www.600riders.com/forum/product-reviews/4679-hyper-lites.html

 

[Rocky529]

I hoped you checked your rear tyre. I had a driver just tap me on the rear on my GSXF 750 I used to have and the bumper put a nasty gash in the tyre. Not enough to go through the tread though but it wouldn't take much.

Yep, nothing...

Checking your mirrors at stop lights is an excellent idea. Another trick I use is to hold the bike on the footbrake and pump it on and off, so the driver in the cage coming up fast "maybe" sees a flashing red light..... this also leaves your hands free to have the clutch in, and the throttle ready, ready to move quickly if they are not going to stop.

This same thing happened to a good friend who was driving a truck and camper trailer. Got rear ended by a semi with a driver falling asleep. The camper was crushed but saved their lives.

Ride safe
Yamagamma

I sometimes pump the brake too to get it to flash.. only helpful when the driver is actually looking straight ahead though.

It's a good thing that you were doing what you were taught to do. Always look in your mirror when you are stopped and be ready to go if you need to. I will always favor one side of the lane when stopped so that I will have an easier escape route which also may influence the driver to take his or her corrective action to veer away from you and towards the area where there is more open space. I'm never stopped in the center of the lane. Even though rear end collisions account for less than 10% of all bike related accidents, I decided to install these lights to hopefully avoid this exact same situation.

http://www.600riders.com/forum/product-reviews/4679-hyper-lites.html

Awesome idea, but only helpful when the driver is actually looking outside his/her car instead of rolling slowly and looking down while approaching a red light.

 

[dankatz]

Good move Rocky529! I need to remember to do that. I am so jealous that you already have more miles than I do. I only have about 340miles. my commute to work is 8 miles and Friday I took the cage because I only slept for one hour and was exhausted.

 

[Rocky529]

Good move Rocky529! I need to remember to do that. I am so jealous that you already have more miles than I do. I only have about 340miles. my commute to work is 8 miles and Friday I took the cage because I only slept for one hour and was exhausted.

All my miles have been pure "joy riding". I tend to not use it as a commuter only because my Jeep gets jealous too...

 

[Zack]

... I see a car approaching and the man is looking down... I think great, he isn't stopping or seeing me... how responsible of him to approach a red light and be looking down....

F'ing idiot!
Most people that I see driving erratically on the road are people who really "must" make a phone call at that moment. Maybe this guy dropped phone book on the floor...

 

[hunterfz6]

When ever I need to slow down, I always give 3 to 4 quick taps on the front brake so my brake light flashes. Humans are set up like any predator, we see movement in front of us really easily. No counting on someone sleeping at the wheel, but a flashing light is easier to see than a steady light. Are there brake systems that automatically flash the brake light?