Bikers Playing Fast and Loose

LA Times ^ | 11.29.06 | Ralph Vartabedian

[absolootezer0]

A Suzuki racing bike screaming at 80 mph in a 25-mph zone slammed into Gigliotti on Oct. 4 as she was leaving her job at Long Beach City College, igniting a fireball inside her Ford Escort.

"It is not uncommon to see these kinds of accidents with motorcycles, particularly high-powered super bikes," said Raymond Dennison, the Long Beach detective who investigated the crash. "The whole function is to go as fast as they can."

[WideGlide]

Go have another peace of carat cake you pedantic hippie harley hater.

I didn't mean anything by that. I'm just saying. (:^D)

[absolootezer0]

I was talking about the GSXR Habanero...Hayabusa, whatever. I guess it eats Mexican rice. (:^D)

yeah, yeah, typical harley rider. only two types of bikes, harley and not-a-harley, right? :)
don't feel bad, i can't tell a wideglide from a road king.

[JeffAtlanta]

Except for one thing. The cop now has your license plate #

LOL, yeah I thought of that too. The license plate numbers on bikes are very small are pretty difficult to read. Unless he has been following the bike closely for a while, he won't have it.

[Ditter]

I live on a very busy city street I see and HEAR motorcycles everyday. They ALL will go 80 and sometimes I am sure they do, right here in the center of town in a 30 mph zone. I understand that certain kinds of bikes are mentioned in this story but my comments are direct to ANY and ALL riders who drive like the guy in the story and those who defend them.

[taxed2death]

I know you have good intentions... but physics comes into play here... the faster a bike goes, the more gradual an arc the rider will make even under extreme cornering...this has to do with the huge gyroscopic effects that he must fight against in order to steer / turn at high speeds. The front wheel does NOT want to turn. So again, my advice to you is this:

He has every intention on passing you (at a high rate of speed)....He knows what he has to do in order to pass you. If you change that equation at the last minute, it is possible and highly likely that "bad things" will happen. So just stay put. If you want to "vent" lay on the horn, flip him the one finger salute or what ever, as he passes you, you'll get your message across.

[taxed2death]

My post was not in regards to lane splitting...but for those traveling along at speeds of 55-65 and who then see a headlight VERY rapidly approaching from the rear.

[woollyone]

amen

[The_Victor]

my comments are direct to ANY and ALL riders who drive like the guy in the story and those who defend them.

No one in this thread is defending the rider.

[Finny]

Yeah, splitting the lanes is legal alright, which is A-OK with me, especially in freeway commuter traffic stuck in a jam where average speeds vary from 15 to 35 mph. I have MANY TIMES had to drive 40 miles at an average speed of 15 mph. I look at those guys on the bikes splitting lanes and beating my time, and I say, God bless 'em -- more power to them! They're getting to where they want to go in half the time, and by not driving cars, they're freeing up more space for the rest of us.

That said, I'm also of the opinion that IN THE EVENT of an accident caused when a car switches lanes at the moment that a splitting-lanes biker is there, it should automatically be assumed that the biker was driving too fast for safety. The biker knows the risks he's taking by splitting lanes, and it puts far more onus on the auto drivers to keep an eye peeled than it does on the bikers to assume cautiously safe speeds. If bikers wants to keep the privelege, they should be willing to cede legal right-of-way, so to speak, to cars changing lanes, and it should be reflected in deciding who's at fault come insurance-bickering time.

[Finny]

Yes, absolutely, you are right, then. It is the smartest way to drive. Your advice is spot-on!

[RebelBanker]

I understand about the handling, I still have my motorcycle license even though I have not ridden in quite a while. I will not try to maneuver the beast I drive if someone is trying to pass me at a very high speed differential - I always figured that motorcycles, police cars, ambulances or whatever that go that fast know how to get around slower vehicles.

If somebody on a bike is flying up behind me, he will be past me before I see him. Again, a Dodge Ram 2500 with a cap has lousy visibility looking backwards. BTW, if you zoom past me I am more likely to shake my head and say "future road pizza" than flip you off ;-)

[Finny]

He has every intention on passing you (at a high rate of speed)....He knows what he has to do in order to pass you. If you change that equation at the last minute, it is possible and highly likely that "bad things" will happen. So just stay put. If you want to "vent" lay on the horn, flip him the one finger salute or what ever, as he passes you, you'll get your message across.

Excellent advice! Imagine how many lives hang in the balance of understanding this! Taxed, a version of this should be part of drivers license tests. MAJOR KUDOS!!!

[woollyone]

LMAO!

[Manfred the Wonder Dawg]

Your joy must be very fragile.

No, I've not read Milton.

Have you read the Word of God? Sustaining joy.

[IslandJeff]

Great advice. My only problem with the crotchrockets is that their riders don't exactly go out of their way to improve their visibility to automobile drivers. I can't remember the last time I saw a motorcycle with its headlight on.

And the triple-digit-two-wheelers, by necessity, have to fold themselves into an aerodynamic riding position.

Scares the hell out of me.

[taxed2death]

"That said, I'm also of the opinion that IN THE EVENT of an accident caused when a car switches lanes at the moment that a splitting-lanes biker is there, it should automatically be assumed that the biker was driving too fast for safety. The biker knows the risks he's taking by splitting lanes, and it puts far more onus on the auto drivers to keep an eye peeled than it does on the bikers to assume cautiously safe speeds."

________________________________________________________

I would say that in the strictest sense of the word what you described is truly an "accident". If lane splitting is legal where this takes place...and the car driver makes every attempt to detect a biker between lanes then this should be ruled as "no ones fault".

This is just my opinion....

[taxed2death]

"...a Dodge Ram 2500 with a cap "

I drive the same thing... what a coincidence...hahahah.

I know, I know rear visibility is not really a part of the mix when driving that thing (99 2500 CTD with a cap).

[woollyone]

You know...it's bad enough when I'm in my truck, at the speed limit, and a sport bike whips around me, as his speed cancels out my ability to make reasonably safe lane changes. They can appear out of nowhere and overtake you at the instant you've decided to change lanes and already checked to be certain that it's clear.

However, when I'm on my bike, either alone or riding with others and this happens it flat out pi$$es me off. In my truck I have the safety against their stupidity, but on my bike, they jeopardize my life along with theirs. I am extremely careful riding and as defensive as I can possibly be, but here is another rider, who certainly must know of the inherent danger of riding to begin with, who is KNOWINGLY putting my life, the life of my passenger and the guys I'm riding with in peril.

And these speed demons are the first to boast about their stoopidity and badmouth the bikers that actually try to ride safely on our HDs. Go figger.

Ride safe

[Ouderkirk]

My joy is not fragile at all. What is fragile is this life, and quite frankly I have no interest in looking back with regret on a life of missed opportunities.

To spend your life heeding the desires of the state as implored in the verses you quoted, is indeed a wasted life.

I have read the word of G_d. However, my interpretation is decidedly different than yours.

[Triggerhippie]

I LIVE IN DAYTONA AND WORK IN ORLANDO FLORIDA. WHEN TRAVELING I-4 I WOULD SEE ALMOST ON A DAILY BASIS THESE KIDS RIDING WHEELIES AND DODGING IN AND OUT BETWEEN CARS. THIS PAST BIKETOBERFEST THERE WAS ANOTHER RACING HIS FRIENDS ON INTERNATIONAL SPEEDWAY BLVD IN FRONT OF THE DAYTONA SPEEDWAY. HE DID NOT SEE THE MAN AND WOMAN THAT WERE CROSSING THE HIGHWAY IN THE CROSS-WALK. HE HIT THE WOMAN AND DRAGGED HER FOR A 100 FT OR SO KILLING HER. I CAN SAY THAT I HAVE NEVER SEEN THE HARLEY RIDERS RIDING IN THIS FASHION.

Metric bike riders also know how to use the CapsLock key... :)