Overtaking?

[mikesaa309]

I'm just wondering on overtaking. I'm currently on a 125cc bike so not many opportunities arise for me to overtake but there have been surprisingly quite a few times I've been able to overtake. Normally if vehicles in front are doing 50 in a 60 zone I'm able to make it past them at a good rate especially with the wind behind me.

Obviously normally on a bigger more capable bike overtaking is a case of a few questions such as "is anything coming the other way?", "can I easily get back to my side of the road?" and things like checking for any debris in the road or seeing if there is a chance of cars pulling in and out of somewhere or even tractors etc turning in to farm gateways. On a 125 not only do you have to do all that but I also have to make sure cars are going to stay the speed they're at. If drivers suddenly put their foot down I stand no chance. So I also have to know why they are going so slow. Is it a slow moving vehicle at the front like a lorry or tractor or is it just someone not wanting to go fast? I then also have to make sure that my bike has enough power left to be able to get up to speed in time. For this reason when I overtake on my bike I tend to run up to the car in front so I'm already going faster than them. This isn't the right thing to do I know but I need to check that 1. my bike can go fast enough. If i realize that actually my bike isn't going to be able to get a good enough speed I shut the throttle of and fall back a bit to remain a safe distance. And 2, I need to make sure the car in front isn't going to put his/her foot down when they realize I'm about to overtake especially with the younger drivers.

I want to know what kind of rear view checks you should do. Should you check your mirrors and a life saver or just check mirrors? I once was riding out and caught up with my friend doing his CBT. The instructor knew who I was as I did my CBT with the same instructor. Anyway I over took the group and later on my friend mentioned the instructor said I didn't do a life saver although I did do a mirror check. I tend not to do a life save while overtaking just doesn't seem like there is enough time in my opinion and also I've just read an article on some advanced motorcycling website that you shouldn't do a life saver as your so close to cars in front. So what is the exact procedure to overtaking as you never get taught it on your CBT same as filtering. After two years of riding I've done around 38,000 miles and still not 100% sure what is acceptable or not when it comes to filtering. I've seen bikers filter what I'd call dangerously or where I don't think that it's safe to do so and yet they still manage to do it and I've seen bikers filter past slow moving traffic and been told you shouldn't do that etc.

[Islander]

Get into the habit of performing a lifesaver after mirror checks and directly before a manoeuvre. Your mirrors have blind spots which is why a lifesaver is called a lifesaver.

[mikesaa309]

[BakesBeans]

Who's to say another car or bike won't overtake you and the car at the same time? You wouldn't want to pull into their path would you. Do a lifesaver.
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Current: Kawasaki ZX636
Previous Bike: Honda CBR600F ABS, Yamaha XJ6 F Diversion ABS, Honda VFR400 NC30

[Islander]

Or come speeding up to a changing light intending a close overtake...

[gavbriggs]

Whenever your changing direction or speed seems to be the easiest way to determine if a lifesaver is required.

As you are doing both when overtaking then it's confirming the need!

[Northern Monkey]

I was in my car, overtaking a van, and a lorry. The van driver decided to overtake the lorry as I was coming up along side him.

Result - new rear 1/4 for van, new front wing for my car.

Imagine van was you on your bike. No lifesaver = squashed by my car.

[Ste]

You can have all the mirrors you want but it's still worth doing life savers.

[-Monty-]

A remember a while back I was riding my scooter and was about to do an overtake. It was on a 50mph road so the car in front must have been going at a reasonable rate so - as you mentioned - I started to accelerate before I reached the car to get a run up, then started to move out to overtake (didn't do a life saver). I must have been inches away from crossing the white line and a car screamed past me going way faster than both me and the car in front.

Had I moved out 1 or 2 seconds earlier I almost certainly would have been killed.

Should definitely check mirrors and do a life saver when overtaking.

As for filtering in traffic, I would always do a lifesaver then as well as you might not be the only one filtering (even if it means slowing right down almost to a stop to make sure you don't rear end the car in front while your head is turned). Even if no harm was done, it would still be pretty embarrassing pulling out into the course of another bike.
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Present: [Kawasaki ZX7r][Suzuki DRZ 400s]
Past: [Honda PCX 125] [Yamaha RXS 100] [Honda CB 500] [Triumph Speed Four] [Honda ST1100 Pan European - Po-Po Edition]

[mikesaa309]

[mikesaa309]

I just want to know for people who ride bikes and drive a car, do you find you overtake on a bike more than you do in a car? My dad drives a car a rides a bike and although hasn't got a powerful car and he also has a Honda CX500 so not an overly powerful bike compared to today's 500's but he says that a car just doesn't have the same amount of acceleration than a bike does even though his bike isn't overly that powerful. Do you find this with your cars too, maybe if you have a more powerful car like an Audi does it accelerate as well as your bike?

I also think another reason cars don't overtake is because they can't easily merge back into traffic with traffic like bikes can. I've managed to overtake an Aston Martin for this reason.

[NooBish-AbbZ]

Lifesavers? Do them. I also ride a 125, and also overtake when the opportunity arises, and also do what you do as in get a run-up to the car before overtaking sorta thing.

If you think there isn't enough time to do a lifesaver between checking mirrors and moving out then check your mirrors earlier. In fact if you've only got time to do one, you're probably going to see more if you do a lifesaver over your shoulder(not just to the side)

[NooBish-AbbZ]

[MC]

[petechett]

If theres one habit you should get into thats checking your mirrors, im constantly doing it, you need to know what around you. And remember to perform a lifesaver check whenever you manouver, especially lane changes & overtaking etc.

[bamt]

[mikesaa309]

[bamt]

My gut feeling is that the bike would get pretty close to flat out before the car went past. Nothing scientific to back it up though, just knowing how it feels getting either up to cruising motorway speed on entering an empty motorway (so not dodging traffic).

[mic]

tl;dr

overtake everything. get a bigger bike if you have to. lifesavers are cool.
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zzr600

[-Matt-]

https://assets.diylol.com/hfs/a00/0f2/c69/resized/too-damn-high-meme-generator-that-paragraph-is-too-damn-long-ffcbca.jpgThat being said

[clancy]

On the talk of lifesavers, in all honesty I pretty much never do them. I have very good observations on the road so I'm aware of anything behind me that may be an issue at some point, I'll only do a lifesaver if something behind me is concerning me.

Before people start having a whinge, my reason for this is if your behind someone about to pull out to overtake and you look away, you have no idea what they are doing in front. I know someone who has crashed cus the car in front slammed the brakes on when they where doing a lifesaver, ironic, I also know a few people on here have crashed because of it.

So far, never caused a problem
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KLX 300r

[-Matt-]

[clancy]

Possibly yeah i cant say as i dont know. Yeah I know what you mean, just depends what you feel is safer, I feel safer not doing them in general
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KLX 300r

[Rogerborg]

[bamt]