Just my opinions:
What the Harley guy did was dumb. What you did in "retaliation" was even dumber.
So I guess you won, you get the prize.
You were definitely the most immature rider that day. :thumbsup:
Then to come here and brag about it... ?
k: 
Share The Road
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What the Harley guy did was dumb. What you did in "retaliation" was even dumber.
So I guess you won, you get the prize.
You were definitely the most immature rider that day. :thumbsup:
Then to come here and brag about it... ?
k: 
HotRodZilla
GOD BLESS AMERICA
Not always, but sometimes, people are just not looking in their mirrors, and just don't realize we are there. Other times, people just want to be ass-holes and play the "you can't pass me game." I have found on the FJR that it is pretty easy to win that game given the space. I don't wanna follow an ass-hat anyway.
On my way home from WFO this year, I was east bound on I-90 out of Spokane, headed for Butte Montana. I was kind of on the outskirts of Spokane when I came up to two vehicles, blocking both lanes of the freeway, seeing who could go 55mph in the posted 65 the fastest. The guy in the left lane saw me, waved at me, and sped up just a little to make some space between him and the asshole in the blue truck in his blind-spot. As soon as the space opened, I hit it and made off; running close to 75mph. A few minutes later, I see a blue blur in my mirror and realize the blue truck is bearing down on me. He pulls up and proceeds to yell behind the glass and give me the finger. He must have been going over 90 to catch up to me, but has the balls to be pissed at me for passing him and going 10 over.
For a split second, my inner asshole thought about taking off his mirror, but my brain got the better of me. He was trying to hog the space to prevent me from passing again, so I downshifted to third, waited for my mark, and blew by him again. After the pass, I slowed, returned the finger and the went faster than that little POS could go. Never saw him again, but he was the biggest asshole I had seen in a long time.
That is until some prick in an RV tried to play a game of head-on chicken with ScooterG in the rain the next day. If the semi they guy was trying to pass had not slowed, it could have gotten ugly. People are stupid.
On my way home from WFO this year, I was east bound on I-90 out of Spokane, headed for Butte Montana. I was kind of on the outskirts of Spokane when I came up to two vehicles, blocking both lanes of the freeway, seeing who could go 55mph in the posted 65 the fastest. The guy in the left lane saw me, waved at me, and sped up just a little to make some space between him and the asshole in the blue truck in his blind-spot. As soon as the space opened, I hit it and made off; running close to 75mph. A few minutes later, I see a blue blur in my mirror and realize the blue truck is bearing down on me. He pulls up and proceeds to yell behind the glass and give me the finger. He must have been going over 90 to catch up to me, but has the balls to be pissed at me for passing him and going 10 over.
For a split second, my inner asshole thought about taking off his mirror, but my brain got the better of me. He was trying to hog the space to prevent me from passing again, so I downshifted to third, waited for my mark, and blew by him again. After the pass, I slowed, returned the finger and the went faster than that little POS could go. Never saw him again, but he was the biggest asshole I had seen in a long time.
That is until some prick in an RV tried to play a game of head-on chicken with ScooterG in the rain the next day. If the semi they guy was trying to pass had not slowed, it could have gotten ugly. People are stupid.
meosborn
Well-known member
I've never been much of an advocate for acting out frustration on the road but that one made me smile.
Good on ya for not taking out his mirror. Just would have given him some legal angle against you.
vroompuppy
Well-known member
Wish this guy woulda let us "play through". We felt the sign pretty much summed up the driver of this truck on the Dragon last Monday.....
Brody
Well-known member
Think about what you're saying..................How's he gonna let you "play through"?
He's got no where to go but forward. Once he's started on that road he's committed.
You should have done a U-turn and gone the other way for a while them turn around and come back.
Or at the least pull off on one of those new paved shoulders and wait for some distance.
Why would you follow a semi through the Dragon?
Ed_Grant
Well-known member
C'mon Sensei Brody. I know you'd be able to get around that semi on the dragon or anywhere else for that matter.
It's all in the wrist...
Brody
Well-known member
The problem is not getting around it...........it's getting around it safely.
I would pass it, if I thought that I could but I don't think that I would or could because of the lack of a safety margin.
I've never followed a semi thru the Gap..........so I'm just going on what I imagine I'd do.
The longest vehicle that I've followed thru there was a big dually pick-up truck towing a large trailer.
I caught him just just a few turns "north" of the crossroads.
My first thoughts were, "Why would you even try to tow that thru here?" and "I need to find a place to pull off & wait."
But after following him a while, just before a sharp left,
I got a long enough view up the road and went around him.........
After that it was clear sailing all the way to the overlook.
vroompuppy
Well-known member
Maybe I'm not understanding/interpreting the concept of "play through" as you are, but it's my assumption that slower traffic/drivers should allow faster traffic to pass when possible. Being the owner/operator of a diesel pusher motorhome I am acutely aware of alot of the trials and tribulations truck driver face; at least more aware than your average driver. Fact-o-the-matter is Brody he was doin' a good job of not derailing riders coming the other direction by stopping on both inside and outside curves, and I'll give him credit for that. However, he ignored several opps to just stop in corners w/sufficient sight line for us and let us by.....so why shouldn't I be irritated w/him? Was he not aware we were behind him? Was he playing big, bad trucker? Dunno, but he made no effort whatsoever to let us pass. I would have thought he would have welcomed someone in front to pass along the word he was coming.
C'mon Sensei Brody. I know you'd be able to get around that semi on the dragon or anywhere else for that matter.
It's all in the wrist...
BTW, we eventually found enough of a straightaway (remember this is the Dragon) to blast by him as Fred suggests, and then went forward warning oncoming riders to slow down for the moving hazard. But it should not have been as much of a challenge as the truck driver made it for us is all I'm saying.
palerider
Well-known member
There's a small subset of drivers that thinks that it's their job to control traffic in the absence of the police. You'll see them doing the speed limit in the fast lane and not moving over. I knew a guy like this. When I asked him why he didn't pull over to let people by (cars too), he said, "I'm doing the speed limit. I'm not obligated to move over for people who are breaking the law." I said, "The law also says, 'Slower traffic keep right.'" He said, "That only applies up to the speed limit."Maybe I'm not understanding/interpreting the concept of "play through" as you are, but it's my assumption that slower traffic/drivers should allow faster traffic to pass when possible. Being the owner/operator of a diesel pusher motorhome I am acutely aware of alot of the trials and tribulations truck driver face; at least more aware than your average driver. Fact-o-the-matter is Brody he was doin' a good job of not derailing riders coming the other direction by stopping on both inside and outside curves, and I'll give him credit for that. However, he ignored several opps to just stop in corners w/sufficient sight line for us and let us by.....so why shouldn't I be irritated w/him? Was he not aware we were behind him? Was he playing big, bad trucker? Dunno, but he made no effort whatsoever to let us pass. I would have thought he would have welcomed someone in front to pass along the word he was coming.
C'mon Sensei Brody. I know you'd be able to get around that semi on the dragon or anywhere else for that matter.
It's all in the wrist...
BTW, we eventually found enough of a straightaway (remember this is the Dragon) to blast by him as Fred suggests, and then went forward warning oncoming riders to slow down for the moving hazard. But it should not have been as much of a challenge as the truck driver made it for us is all I'm saying.
How do you argue with that kind of thinkng (other than with a bullet)?
Moon Man
Well-known member
I have been reading this all with great interest. Especially since I am about to go ride with a really good friend of mine who rides a Harley, he claims they go over group rules before riding in a HOG group, we will see.
I find that a lot of group riders are:
Inexperienced
Not Fluent in Group Riding Principles
I just rode with a Triumph group ride, 5 over everywhere but there was no pre ride briefing. There were 4-5 newbies in a 20-30 bike group. The leaders did NOT go over group riding rules. So here we are and the first five guys are signaling with their hands for turns, hazards, single file past cyclists, etc, and for a lot of the group this falls on deaf ears. But even in a ride where half the folks were on Sprint ST's the pace was really slow, like actually doing 35 through a 55 MPH corner.
So me and the busa guys slowed way down before we reached the restaurant and had power wheelie contests between 40 and 120, I lost, but it got the lead out. Why should riding in a group safely be boring?
---I guess the question is, do you guys brief before you group ride? I.E. Signals, Passing Etiquette, following distance, newbies, where the fast guys ride, what to do if you get split up, etc? Takes all of 5 minutes and in a year of riding i have never seen it done properly.
Oh and for the record, I was group riding in La Crosse this weekend and somehow got both my father and uncle to quickly line up aside for a beemer and a sprint ST to pass, so i did my part. Just then a Black Cherry FJR passed the other direction too, and didn't wave, asshole!
I find that a lot of group riders are:
Inexperienced
Not Fluent in Group Riding Principles
I just rode with a Triumph group ride, 5 over everywhere but there was no pre ride briefing. There were 4-5 newbies in a 20-30 bike group. The leaders did NOT go over group riding rules. So here we are and the first five guys are signaling with their hands for turns, hazards, single file past cyclists, etc, and for a lot of the group this falls on deaf ears. But even in a ride where half the folks were on Sprint ST's the pace was really slow, like actually doing 35 through a 55 MPH corner.
So me and the busa guys slowed way down before we reached the restaurant and had power wheelie contests between 40 and 120, I lost, but it got the lead out. Why should riding in a group safely be boring?
---I guess the question is, do you guys brief before you group ride? I.E. Signals, Passing Etiquette, following distance, newbies, where the fast guys ride, what to do if you get split up, etc? Takes all of 5 minutes and in a year of riding i have never seen it done properly.
Oh and for the record, I was group riding in La Crosse this weekend and somehow got both my father and uncle to quickly line up aside for a beemer and a sprint ST to pass, so i did my part. Just then a Black Cherry FJR passed the other direction too, and didn't wave, asshole!
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Brody
Well-known member
There are 2 sides to this..................of course I understand what you are saying.
I also hate the flaming anoids that "make it difficult".............
They clog the corners then speed up when there is a passing op.
But I just don't know about the semi trucker on the Dragon............
First of all,,,,,what the hell is he doing on that road? Maybe he has a good reason, maybe not.
Whether he has a reason or not, he's there and it's clearly double yellow the whole way.
Should he take the responsibility to encourage someone to make an illegal pass?
He doesn't know the skill level of the biker behind him!
What if he stopped to let bikes pass and they head on into a knee-dragger coming the other way??!!
I think a semi on the Dragon should do what this one did and if the rider(s) decide to risk a illegal pass,
it's all their responsibility.
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On a road with substantial shoulders, a slow vehicle can pull off the lane and let faster traffic by without them having to cross the double yellows.............that's great.
Many states have places for slow moving vehicles to pull off in curvy or hilly sections.
And some states even have a law against holding up more than a couple vehicles.
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This is another pet peeve of mine that is sort of the opposite of the above............
I get behind drivers that ride half way onto the shoulder but don't slow down,
I assume so that if I want to make an illegal pass, they are giving me room?
I don't like them to do that..........especially if it is unpaved.
The dirt they throw up forces me to back off or make the illegal pass.
But even if it's paved........I want them to drive properly between the lines.
I will decide when and if I want to pass without their frickin help!
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Moon Man
Well-known member
Definitely the case with cars, bike of course you have to decide if the dude you are passing is worth his salt.
I would not want to ride in a group that big. If I saw 30 people lined up at the start of a ride, I'd make and excuse and scram. That sounds like one of the Harley parades you see around here.
A much better solution is to break into smaller sub-groups over the same (or even different) routes. You can then have a speedy group and a slower group. Jim and Iris (ZOOM and HerFJR) have been doing exactly that on their popular, annual Cats and Daks rides (which I have never yet to be able to attend :angry: ) and I would do the same thing if the group were more than a dozen or so.
As to "ride rules", all that hand waving and foot pointing stuff is completely unnecessary. Just keep your proper following distances and you'll easily be able to see all the road hazards in plenty of time. I mean, what do you do when you are riding alone? Knowing and using standard hand signals is fine, if you really want to. Just make sure that you are using them correctly. For instance, don't raise your left hand up (right turn signal) when you have to come to a sudden stop. That might be confusing and actually increase the stopping time of following bikes. (FWIW, left hand held down at 90 degree angle is correct stop signal). I find that the turn signals and brake light work pretty well in telling following riders my intentions. I tend to flash the brake lights 3-4 times before anything requiring a quick slow down.
The one "rule" that I have used to good effect in bigger groups is for each rider to stay in visual contact with the rider behind them. That way nobody gets lost, left for dead off the side of the road or dropped from the group. It also helps to keep the group from pushing the less capable riders in the group too hard.
Yes, a group ride is supposed to be fun. Part of that fun is being in the group. When you want to go fast (or have wheelie contests) make it a (much) smaller group that you know can all handle the pace. But then we don't call those "group" rides. Just plain old rides.
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Geezer
Parsimonious Curmudgeon
A bit of a hijack, but group riding 'rules' seem to vary a lot from group to group. The first problem with your scenario is that the group was WAY too big for anything but a slow tour. A group of ten or so is the maximum when all are experienced and have ridden together before. Half as many per group for beginners.
With a diverse group, the best thing is to provide a route and end point and meet everyone there.
Moon Man
Well-known member
Not really a hijack, the thread is share the road after all. My question is just mainly if there are any groups out there that educate on motorcycle to motorcycle passing etiquette? I think not many.
Brody
Well-known member
Groups that I've ridden with usually have a short "riders meeting" first.
Basic points usually something like this:
* there is a designated leader and caboose
* no passing on right
* no wheelies while in formation
* stay in staggered formation unless it's technical then space out and ride single file
* group will wait at route change intersections for everyone to catch up
* ride your own ride!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
(stay in your own comfort/safety zone-don't let others push you into anything you think is unsafe for you)
Basic points usually something like this:
* there is a designated leader and caboose
* no passing on right
* no wheelies while in formation
* stay in staggered formation unless it's technical then space out and ride single file
* group will wait at route change intersections for everyone to catch up
* ride your own ride!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
(stay in your own comfort/safety zone-don't let others push you into anything you think is unsafe for you)
Toecutter
What would DoG do?
RsvlFeej
RsvlFeej
Go on a NorCal ride. I've seen MadMike2, Highlander, DrRich, and JamesBurleigh each give very good pre-ride instructions. They ask everyone to read the pace https://micapeak.com/info/thepace.html beforehand and they all gave everybody the lowdown on what's expected (3-second gap minimum, LEO is signalled by patting the helmet, wait for the guy behind you whenever there's a direction change). Splitting the group into much smaller subsets (3-5 bikes) for a "shared destination" ride is also a common tactic.
boomerang
Well-known member
From an ex truck drivers point of view, That driver probably had his hands full trying not to take out oncoming trafic ( ie.bikes ) by not crossing the center line or wipeing out the inside corner with his 53 ft. trailer.
I meen it's not a motorcycle only road, take a break and give him a chance to get down the road,and then hit it.
I meen it's not a motorcycle only road, take a break and give him a chance to get down the road,and then hit it.
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