Motorbike overtaking another motorbike

[JustinW]

I was riding on a nice long twisty A road today, giving it as much speed as I felt safe with. (500cc bike).
I noticed lights from another bike a fair way behind me.
As it happened, the bike didn't come up close behind me, but I kept an eye on my mirrors.
It occurred to me, what happens if a faster rider comes up behind when in the twisties?
Do I signal them somehow to pass, or just carry on and allow them to whizz past in their own way? If today the bike had come close behind me and stayed behind I would have been distracted by not really knowing what the etiquette is. I wouldn't know if he's just riding with me for fun or if I'm being an obstruction.

[Easy-X]

Priority Number 1 is your own safety, fuck worrying about who's behind you. Priority Number 2: is everyone else safe around you.

"Is everyone else having fun?" is so far down the list you shouldn't even call it a priority! By all means find a straight bit and hug the side of the road to let them pass but only if it's safe for both you and them.
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Husqvarna Vitpilen 401, Yamaha XSR700, Honda Rebel, Yamaha DT175, Suzuki SV650 (loan) Fazer 600, Keeway Superlight 125, 50cc turd scooter

[GettinBetter]

You mustn't let the bastard past at any cost, specially if they've got a bigger bike than you. Weave all over the road, braking erratically, indicating left and pulling to right occassionally, whilst sticking the finger up at them

Nah, just ride sensibly and legally, being aware of vehilcles around you, getting past you is not your worry, it's theirs, if they want to come past they more than likely will. But you can still give 'em the finger though.

[ThatDippyTwat]

Let the person behind you worry about that. Just concentrate on riding normally and not making weird moves.

If you get a nice long straight or something, feel free to move over, and if there's not going to be any confusion with turnings etc, indicate to the kerb, they'll get the message soon enough.
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'98 VFR800 (touring) - '12 VFR800 Crosrunner (Commuting) - '01 KDX220 (Big Green Antisocial Machine)

[stinkwheel]

Ride normally and predictably and they will pass when it's safe.

I find other motorbikes among the hardest things to pass because they can start behaving erratically when another bike comes up behind them. I'll generally follow for a bit so I can size-up what they are up to.
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“Rule one: Always stick around for one more drink. That's when things happen. That's when you find out everything you want to know.”
I did the 2010 Round Britain Rally on my 350 Bullet. 89 landmarks, 3 months, 9,500 miles.

[JustinW]

I've got to confess, in this instance it made me start riding far more aggressively than I would normally. I'm still a new rider so need to curtail that for now. Funny old business because in my car I wouldn't change my driving at all if a car or bike was behind me.

[Keithy]

“Ride for yourself” as my instructor said.

[ThunderGuts]

I'd say just ride safely and predictably. I had a frustrating experience on the Cat & Fiddle last week where I caught up a Triumph (with an invisible aftermarket brake light) - they were going slowly around corners but then sped up down the straights. Ended up having to overtake on an open but tight corner as otherwise I'd have been diddled by the average speed cameras. It would have been much simpler if the other rider had let me pass on the straight rather than speeding up each time.
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TG.

[DUCAUDI]

Sort of on topic but not really...

A few weeks ago I was coming down the A21 on the single-lane bit between Kippings Cross and Lamberhurst. I came rolling up behind a guy on a Harley who was following a slower car in front of him. I was clearly in more of a hurry than he was (well let's call it more spirited riding) but I didn't intimidate him, ride too close to him or anything like that. I was keen to overtake the pair of them but held back for a while as stinkwheel says to size him up and assess what he was up to. I kept looking in his mirrors to try to make eye-contact or see if he'd noticed me but wasn't getting any feedback. He seemed quite content on following the slower car and made no attempt to overtake it for quite some time. So I waited for the next big straight and calmly went to overtake. At this point the guy on the Harley pulled out to overtake the car and I followed behind, I know Harleys aren't quick but I got the distinct impression he wasn't trying very hard to get round the car quickly. Almost like he was deliberately doing it as slow as possible to piss me off. We started approaching a bend and traffic coming the other way and he pulled right in front of the car and slowed down to the same pace as it but leaving sweet fuck all room for me to pull in behind him, meaning I had to virtually anchor up in the middle of two lanes and pull back in behind the car before the bend and oncoming traffic.

I've been wondering whether to put that down to him just being a Harley prick or whether to blame myself for attempting an overtake where there was no room to pull in. Irony is I could have dropped two gears and blasted past him WAY back, leaving him for dust, but I gave him the room and respect and patience we all deserve and waited for him to do the overtake and followed him through (would have then gone to overtake him one-on-one after passing the car rather than blasting past two of them in one go). You expect people to make dick moves like that in BMWs. I didn't expect it from another biker bro (Harley or not) when I'd done nothing to upset him in the first place
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2023 DucAudi Mehrstraße V4 Hechte Gipfel - "Objectively the best motorcycle ever produced" - "You can have any colour, as long as it's red"
2021 Honda CMX500 Rebel S

[jeffyjeff]

[to v or not to v]

[ThunderGuts]

I would probably have done similar; maybe it's British queuing mentality, but if there was a bike in front of me I'd consider it to be their "turn" to overtake first. I'd also have been very frustrated if they'd behaved like that though.
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TG.

[DUCAUDI]

[jeffyjeff]

[Ayrton]

[P.]

If you aren't first, you are last.

[arry]

[DUCAUDI]

[stinkwheel]

If someone is being a fuck-knuckle, SOP is to either drop back then overtake them at speed while they are already overtaking or outbrake them and ride it round the outside on the way into a corner because fuck-knuckles can't corner. Then look in the mirror for the ensuing hilarity. Wave a leg in the air on the way past.

The former is normally very entertaining because they are usually in no way expecting or watching for it and shite themselves.
____________________
“Rule one: Always stick around for one more drink. That's when things happen. That's when you find out everything you want to know.”
I did the 2010 Round Britain Rally on my 350 Bullet. 89 landmarks, 3 months, 9,500 miles.

[DUCAUDI]

Problem with that is you don't really know if someone is going to be a fuck-knuckle and deliberately impede your progress until after they've already done it. If I'd known in advance then yeah I'd have blasted past him at the first opportunity. Problem being I gave him the same respect and would give anyone else. Did eventually embarrass him with a supersonic overtake but only after he'd already been a dick.
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2023 DucAudi Mehrstraße V4 Hechte Gipfel - "Objectively the best motorcycle ever produced" - "You can have any colour, as long as it's red"
2021 Honda CMX500 Rebel S

[MikesBike712]

I know the situation very well myself. I quickly feel pressured when someone is driving behind me and I'm not sure whether the person wants to overtake or not.
It is really important that you pay attention to your own safety. Drive at your own pace and if the person behind you wants to go faster, let them do so, as long as they don't endanger you. You can always give a hint by flashing your lights briefly, so that it is clear that you can be overtaken.
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Bike, environmentally friendly vehicle with health promoting mechanics.

[wr6133]

[trevor saxe-coburg-gotha]

[GettinBetter]

[UncleFester]

I'm far from the fastest rider so if I'm out and not going quick and i see someone approaching like they're on fire I do nothing, no change of speed or direction and they can go past at their own pace.

How people choose to overtake you is their problem but if they're going to commit to an overtake then it needs to be their decision, not lulled into it / invited into it by you.

If I'm the one overtaking then it's a two part process. So it's pull out and see if it's clear / wait for it to be clear and then overtake. That gives you the bailout of back behind what you were about to overtake in case something changes. I'd never follow another bike past something unless I was 100% sure i could make it past 'it' and if needed the other bike too.

If someone is that much of a cock, pull over. Take 5, have a piss / admire the scenery and then off you go. Let them crack on and be someone elses accident.

If it's in the car and i get some twat behind ( car or bike) and i know the roads i'll head for corners without using the brakes at all and just drop it a couple of gears and ping round it. Or if it's a set of corners, i'll fake brake for the mild corners and not brake at all for the last sharp one. Most of the time they'll run wide and panic cos they were watching what you were doing, not paying attention to what they should be doing. It's massively childish fun but it proves what i reckon is the point.

People just aren't paying any attention to what you or they are doing. Trying to attach any sense to it is futile. All you can do is have your spidey senses on and plan for fuckwittery.
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Module 1 and 2 passed - October 2014. Happy owner of a 2017 Z1000SX, ex owner of a YBR125 / CB500 / VFR800.