Total Motorcycle Community Forums

Today was the first day I had an encounter with a toatlly oblivious cager. Me: Great Highway left lane, cruising.
Her: Great Highway right lane, smoking a cig.
Me: Hmmm, they taught me about lane positioning and how not to ride in a cars blind spot in the MSF. I can see this ladies face in her side mirror, now I will accelerate to move past her quickly and safely.
Her: Gosh, this cig is good...I'm hungry...I love this song...Hmmm I seem to be drifting into the left lane.
Anyway, I know you have all had this happen. It's a good reminder for how hyper-aware you need to be on the road. After this I was kind of rattled so I was not "One with the Ninja" and proceeded to get freaked out by the super heavy wind today AND locking up my rear wheel while doing a hard brake at a stop light.
What a ride....can't wait to get in the saddle again tomorrow!!!

Anyone have any tricks for staying zen after scary things happen out there?

Had that happen the other day to me too... except the lady was older, talking on a cell phone, and apparently trying to adjust her radio all at the same time as needing to swerve (for no apparent reason) into my lane. I was right next to her, I had made eye contact with her, and she still tried to make me a part of the lane! I ended up honking and all that jazz, but to finally get her attention I had to put my pipes next to the drivers side window, pull in the clutch, hit the gas, and beep all at the same time . I got her attention with that maneuver! hehe Oh, and here in Colo Sprgs they tend to like to do emergency braking on a regular basis, apparently to keep everyone's skills sharp, so I've locked up the rear wheel more than once (although I do have to admit that doing it at 50 and leaving a cloud of smoke is both terrifying and exhilerating at the same time). Glad you made it alright though, best of luck out there!
Wrider

I know exactly how you feel!!
Take a deep breath and tell yourself it wasn't your mistake, and you handled it well. You turned her wrong into a right. Exhale the stress, and keep up your awareness....you are one....

The trick of staying zen after, is staying zen before and during. Let it flow around you and don't sweat it.

On that note, I tend to get pissed off and make the cager regret (or try) "procreating" with me. Between the one i scared by starting to get off my bike and the one i made miss their exit on a rotary, I've had my fair share of un-zen moments. I'm working on it.

Imo, We Should be able to drive however we want and whatever speed , And we still wouldnt behalf as dangerous as the cagers on the road

MakeCarsStandSTill wrote:Imo, We Should be able to drive however we want and whatever speed , And we still wouldnt behalf as dangerous as the cagers on the road

What???!!! You don't do this already? On the highway I pass everything, tickets are cheaper / better than getting trashed by a stupid cage. I had my close encounter on my first long ride on the highway. I try to avoid traffic but when someone gets close, I either let them around quickly or nail it and leave them behind. Dumb? Who cares, I'm still above the dirt.

Motorcycle horns generally suck. My cure for unaware cagers is a pair of these:

http://www.jcwhitney.com/autoparts/Prod ... p?Ntt=horn

Wire through relay. I had an old woman in a brand new cadi pull out in front of me. I hit the horns, she threw it in reverse and backed into a police car. I stopped to give a statement on the officer's behalf because it would have looked like he hit her, and he just laughed when I apologized.

There's one review on there that says those're no louder then the oem horns. Do you agree with this? Seems to me that a horn that's about the same price as an oem one would work about as well.

Mine were louder than any stock horns I've ever had on any vehicle.

My guess is the reviewer had a high resistance in the circuit. Maybe he didn't have an adequate ground. Maybe he wired them with inadequate capacity wire. I expect Chrysler engineers use just enough wire to get the job done, with no reserve. Heck, the might save half a cent per vehicle that way. I've seen Chryslers with stuck horn buttons melt the wires.

darsek wrote:Today was the first day I had an encounter with a toatlly oblivious cager. Me: Great Highway left lane, cruising.

That sir, is your problem. The left lane is for passing, not cruising. In Germany you would have been ticketed.