bit of advise

[ts50x0]

hi everyone, i was riding home from work tonight following a bus and there was a car, literally 5metres behind me, i was pretty worried to pull over because i didnt know if they would stop in tkme if i stoped,
has anyone got any advise on what to do in this situation???
thanks,
oh p.s, she then went and procceded to reverse into another carwhen she stopped at the traffic lighs, obviusly someone like this should not be on the road, and it annoys me that they are!

[Stu_666]

Yeah I get w*nkers like that all the time when I'm on the bike, not so much when I'm in the car though. Myself I try and gradually slow down so that you've got more space in front of you to brake. At least that way if the car/bus does suddenly brake that you're following you can slow down a wee bit slower and hopefully they will. Of course no doubt some pr*ck will enter the gap you've created and you'll have to increase the gap again. Apart from that can't really think of much else...

[ts50x0]

i know mate, but ive been riding for a year and a half and ivenever had anyone drive this close, i mean it was scary.

[DanceLikeAMon...]

I take it you mean 5 feet not 5 metres?

[Fire_Eyes]

Yea, I've had the same thing appened to me. The reason I had my accident.
____________________
Kawasaki ZZR 400 | K5 GSX-R 600

[Frost]

I've had that a few times, normally i feather the brak brake to show a brake light then slow down VERY gradually to give them change to notice i'm slowing down.
It's only ever not worked once. That time i just adjusted my road position so that the car wasnt behind me, slammed on the brakes, they shot past me, undertaking me, i moved back to my normal road position, slowed down and turned off to the right.
If i'd attempted to slow and turn they would ahve been in the back of me, so i just moved out of the way

[JonB]

The thing I don't understand is how drivers/riders have the conscience to drive so close behind someone, personally I feel so insecure when on the bike if I know I might not have enough space to brake in an emergency, I also like my personal space and hate it being invaded.
____________________
Be careful whose advice you buy, but, be patient with those who supply it. Advice is a form of nostalgia, dispensing it is a way of fishing the past from the disposal, wiping it off, painting over the ugly parts and recycling it for more than it?s worth.

[ts50x0]

probably 4 feet, i havnt really got a good judgement of distance, they were bloody close though, anyone heard anything from an instructer or something on their test about what you can do?

[dodsi]

I normally just give the bike a handfull and watch them dissapear way behind me!

[ts50x0]

yes but like i said there was a bloody huge bus in front of me!!!!!!!!

[Davo]

I normally find feathering the brake to show the brake lights is quite effective, whilst doing that just pick up the pace a little and increase the gap. Do that a lot in the car as well if i'm being tail gated, don't do it in an ABS equipped car though.

Could try giving them the back off gesture, although I can't say it's ever worked for me.

[instigator]

If someones tailgating you, then what I do, is to physically just take one hand off the bar, turn 90 degrees to look at them and to gesture to move back. Works every time but if they dont get the message, I'll make it clear at the next set of lights. Polite of course but get your point across otherwise they might not notice what they're doing wrong. Tapping your brakes may make them slow down but thats only under instinct. They may not realise they were travelling too close to you.

Don't be abusive, or show signs of road rage, just try and make them aware.

[Barker-CBR 600]

But make sure you arent going to hit anything while turning round.

Had this problem yesterday on the A421. I was out with a mate on his NSR for his first ride, so naturally he was riding wimpishly (i.e near the left of the lane) and this car looked like it was around 3-4 foot of his back wheel!

There was pretty much nothing else about and was on a dual carrigeway so it could have easyily overtaken... so i did what any good friend would do.

I swung more into the right lane (with plenty of mirror checks ) put on the brakes so i was level with the car and proceeded to make a series of 'what are you doing... look at the bike there' gestures. The car complete with chav in front seat looked scared shitless of this biker making such an effort to communicate he backed right off.

Sometimes it'll annoy you, but keeping calm is the key. Remember they have several tons of metal on their side, and you never know when the guys in the car might have been just released from prison for assault...
____________________
Previous - Gilera DNA50 / XVS125 Dragstar/Honda CBR 600F/GSF 650 Bandit
Current - 2013 Suzuki VZ800 Intruder
'Is this a rhetorical question?'

[Bendy]

When they do it and I'm in the car, I make a point of driving at exactly the speed limit, or less, and secretly hope they shuft me up the rear cos my towbar would really fuck up the front of their car.

Doesn't really happen to me on the bike much tbh. I did intervene last year when a BMW driver was about a foot off the back wheel of this poor kid on a cg who'd clearly just done his CBT (slow, wobbly and all the shoulder checks were by the book)... I wasn't amused so overtook the beemer, cut in front of him and slowed down to force him back. Coupled with much gesticulating and noisy revving, he finally seemed to get the point.

[ts50x0]

thanks for the advise guys.

[Rodger Wabbit]

Hi, I had this the other day, a car was about 1 meter from my back tyre and a huge lorry in front so i couldnt really overtake. So i decided to slow down (50mph road) to about 30. At this point i could see this stupid bloke in his huge people carrier getting really anoyed. (I found this funny). Then the road opens up so as he was just at the side of me i gave him the 1 finger gesture and overtook the lorry

Just remember you have as much right to be on the road as the twat in the car so dont let anyone harras you. And go at your own speed

[ian_s]

I don't think having L plates helps much either - they must be magnetic the way they attract cars to your rear wheel. Saying that I have had other bikers come to my aid when there is someone tailgating me.

Bendy, isn't your towbar bolted onto the floorpan of the car - surely this would bend rather than their car?!

[Dom]

Towbars are very solid things. You drive into one of them at speed and you won't have an engine bay anymore.

Shame there's no similar way of rigging your bike up so that the rearending idiot's going to end up in more trouble than you.

[ts50x0]

so you do you reckon ill have less of this when i get rid of my L's?
im planning on passing my test within the next couple of months, i thought that cars would give you more room with L plates as they know you might do something wrong at any time!!!

[Bendy]

[Dom]

Nice.

[mchaggis]

[dodsi]

since passing my test people on the road do behave better towards you in general!