1st day on the road proper and everyones out to get me !!!

[MikeH]

Other than a blatt round yesterday afternoon after passing my test, today has been my first "proper" day of freedom. But damn me some folk are half soaked. On my way to work, 20 mile trip, not 1, not 2, but three cars pulled out on me even though I had the headlight on and it was quite a light morning. Luckily I've been there before when I T-boned a Nissan Cherry on a m8's DT80 when I was about 18 so I'm weary of junctions and the twats that inhabit them, but it really does amaze me how folk can be so friggin useless,Inever had this problem when I was buzzin' along in the Landrover they all wait .......I wonder why ??

Anyway, lunchtime some dozey pratt nearly reversed into me out of his drive while I was waiting at some lights, if I hadn't leant on the horn he'd have had me over as I had no where to go other than up some poor chaps boot lid Trials stylee Gave him the finger and let him know what I thought.

At this rate I'm not gonna see next week, let alone my next birthday !

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Busa Junkie

[TL666]

Welcome to motorcycling

[GearboxGeezer]

So, your first taste of biking! Sounds normal to me, Hence why this forum is always full of storys about how car drivers are idiots, how car drivers dont deserve to be on the road, how car driv....... you get it?

Seriously lough, its not always that bad, The mournings do seem a lil worse since people are half asleep and all that.. Perhaps you could do with riding more "denfenceivly" ( ok i cant spell, and I dont care ) basicly by showing yourself more to cars, So if you see a car on the left at a T junction, ride more to the left side of the road ( if theres a car infront of u which is blocking u from the car pulling out ) and stuff like that, it does seem to help, for me anyway as I have less scarey moments now... Still shit my self at least 7 times in one bike journey lough

Hope you enjoyed it, May I surgest going out for a ride on country lanes and shit, dont just use ur bike for work couse thats when u start getting pissed off with it

[.....]

Remember to keep well on top with obsevation. Learn the tell tale signs that the drivers are going to pull out, all these types of incidents will happen less and less.

[MikeH]

[ISLAND GIRL]

I know just what you mean here, passed my test two wks ago now and I am more cautious than ever as I really do believe that cagers drive around with a blind fold on. I have had several cagers pull out in front of me and I approach each juntion, bend etc ready to break if need to as they seem to be so unpredictable.
Read in this wks MCN that on the 30th this month a new tv and radio advertisment is to be shown aimed at cagers to be more aware of motorcyclist as they simply are not taking enough care or looking out for us
As a cager myself too, drive every day for work purposes since I have been riding I have become a lot more aware of other road users, learning to ride has certainly made me a better driver and I have been driving for 18yrs!
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Live on the Isle of Wight and ride a CBR600F

[R4nger]

It sounds like you are nervous at junctions and such. This makes me think you slow down at junctions that some people think your letting them out. Just keep a constant speed.

[Suzuki]

[ISLAND GIRL]

[G]

Did you have your headlamp on dipped / fullbeam rather than sidelights, if it was light?

This can actually make it harder to judge distance, because they just see a bright point of light, rather than a motorcycle getting closer.

Where possible I use sidelights.

Also, it may look nerdish, but I've taken to wearing a reflective yellow bib for my 50 miles a day on the m4. Does seem to have helped a bit. (and sadly there's nothing very 'nerdish' about the way I ride )

[syl]

They got me before I'd even passed my test, on my first day out alone on a bike (125cc loaned by the school). Someone rammed me from behind whilst I was sitting at a junction pushing me forwards onto a roundabout - fortunately it was going very slowly and there was no damage to me other than to my nerves (and no damage worth bothering with on the bike, just a small dent in the mudgard which complements all the others you expect to find on a learner machine).

Anyway, it's not paranoia. They really are all out to get you.
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Current bike: Kawasaki Z750S

[G]

[stinkwheel]

[impaler]

[MikeH]

Had a much better day today had to go out to a site so put about 70 miles on the clock.
I think it's just a case of being a bit more assertive while at the same time staying on the ball, did a bit of filtering in the traffic and riding a bit further towards the centre of the road seems to have helped with stopping plonkers pulling out on me. I still need to master crosswinds and overtaking trucks without getting blown about but I'm getting there slowly.

My cornering has improved and generally I'm starting to get to know the bike a bit better which helps with confidence levels, give it another week I'll have my knee down if thats possible on a KLE

G, I ride everywhere with dip beam always have even as a yoof on peds, my side light is pants, don't even know why Kawasaki bothered fitting one

Cheers for the tips folks
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Busa Junkie

[G]

Knee down should be ok on the KLE, just take it east and get faster progressively. Have got knee down on a dr with trail tyres no problem.

Stinkwheel:
Was driving through London stuck in 4th and then 3rd gear (had to get out open bonnet to change gear) - 4th gear was geared for 120, which was interesting.
Someone tried to play 'chicken' with me as such, seeing who would brake and let the other into a merging bit where I had right of way.
I was following Korn and didn't want to lose sight so there was /no/ way I was going to let them infront, they did try and edge for a bit before they got the idea.

[MikeH]

[G]

Sorry, meant to say semi-trail tyres. They were road biased, but still ok for gentle off road stuff (well and more, but not designed for a mx track ).

Some new bikes don't, which has been a matter of issue.
I believe TC has mentioned that if you crash into someone in such a case and your bike /does/ have a switch, then their lawyrs could use it against you.

[MikeH]

[G]

I'm not a legal professional, so not the one to argue with .

TC is/was a pretty serious legal professional in the motorbiking field.

Basically though, if you are actively making it harder for people to judge your position, it's not going to look so good.

[MikeH]

No arguments with you G, just discussing the point

It's typical of our bloody twisted legal system

Mike
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Busa Junkie