old - Fazer Owners Club - old
General => General => Topic started by: ginkster on 09 March 2013, 10:10:27 pm
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Hey all,
First proper post but thought I'd gage your thoughts on tailgaters. Tonight I had a confrontation with one, He pulled over, as did I to have words after I let him pass, it did escalate to the point where he had his fist up in the air about to punch me (or at least my helmet) which I invited him to do calmly before calling him a c**t, I was a bit mad with how he was accusing me of being reckless for touching my brakes to try and get him to back off, even though he said through gritted teeth and anger how he wasn't anywhere close to me. How do you deal with them? Usually I just let them go by with my arm in the air but this guy was asking for a talking to.
Maybe I should invest in a GoPro or something.
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I have front and rear cameras on my bikes and cars for this reason.
However, I used to get VERY angry with tailgaters, and at points (in the car) used to slow to a crawl if they insisted on doing it in the slow lane where I had no where else to go.
However now, I do my best to get them away from my arse, so either change lanes, or something like that. Let them crash into somebody else.
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I would usually change lane to let them pass but this was a single road that goes from 50 - 30, think he got madder when I went to 30 as most people speed through this section. What a nob. Like I said, most times I just ignore them and let them go by but sometimes I just can't let it go.
What cameras do you have?
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I wave the buggers back if I'm on the bike, it normally works, or just accelerate away from them.
If I'm in the car, they can crash into the back of me if they like, my extended tow bar and rear door mounted spare wheel will wreck any normal car, then they can pay for the damage to mine :D
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I would usually change lane to let them pass but this was a single road that goes from 50 - 30, think he got madder when I went to 30 as most people speed through this section. What a nob. Like I said, most times I just ignore them and let them go by but sometimes I just can't let it go.
What cameras do you have?
Its a real pain. I have once done as Stevierst did and slowed down and waved at them, they got the message.
I have these: http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/120-HD-720P-MINI-DVR-ACT20-Waterproof-Bullet-Helmet-Camera-Motorcycle-Bike-Cam-/290789597574?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_3&hash=item43b4692186 (http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/120-HD-720P-MINI-DVR-ACT20-Waterproof-Bullet-Helmet-Camera-Motorcycle-Bike-Cam-/290789597574?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_3&hash=item43b4692186)
Wired into the ignition system, the rear one is under neath my top box mount. The front one is behind the front screen. I will be doing a fotifixes write up on them soon. They record in a loop onto 32gb sd cards.
Whilst I like the tow bar idea, I wouldnt want them smashing into my car either! Its worth more to me in sentiment, than the insurance company will pay :)
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I wave the buggers back if I'm on the bike, it normally works, or just accelerate away from them.
If I'm in the car, they can crash into the back of me if they like, my extended tow bar and rear door mounted spare wheel will wreck any normal car, then they can pay for the damage to mine :D
I do try the accelerate thing but there was a car in front. I reckon a Tow Bar to the head would have been more efficient on this guy[size=78%] [/size] :evil
Its a real pain. I have once done as Stevierst did and slowed down and waved at them, they got the message.
I have these: [url]http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/120-HD-720P-MINI-DVR-ACT20-Waterproof-Bullet-Helmet-Camera-Motorcycle-Bike-Cam-/290789597574?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_3&hash=item43b4692186[/url] ([url]http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/120-HD-720P-MINI-DVR-ACT20-Waterproof-Bullet-Helmet-Camera-Motorcycle-Bike-Cam-/290789597574?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_3&hash=item43b4692186[/url])
Wired into the ignition system, the rear one is under neath my top box mount. The front one is behind the front screen. I will be doing a fotifixes write up on them soon. They record in a loop onto 32gb sd cards.
Whilst I like the tow bar idea, I wouldnt want them smashing into my car either! Its worth more to me in sentiment, than the insurance company will pay :)
I drive the A14 to Cambridge every morning so know about asshole drivers.
They look to be a good cheaper alternative to GoPros, they ok in the rain? A tow bar on a bike wouldn't work to well I reckon :P
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Yeah they are pretty good, I had to hack the back cover so that the usb cable could connect whilst It was screwed on, but it works well. For the price cant go wrong really.
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Yeah they are pretty good, I had to hack the back cover so that the usb cable could connect whilst It was screwed on, but it works well. For the price cant go wrong really.
Don't suppose you have any footage you can share? This looks like a tempting cheap option...
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Yeah they are pretty good, I had to hack the back cover so that the usb cable could connect whilst It was screwed on, but it works well. For the price cant go wrong really.
Don't suppose you have any footage you can share? This looks like a tempting cheap option...
ermmmm, I need to take the sd card out of them, I will try and do it tomorrow but im doing the drop links on my car, so if I get a chance.
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One rather dubious trick that I (and others, who will remain nameless) enjoy is kill switch backfiring.
A guy was tailgating a few days back, so I gave him the "treatment". :lol Slowing down for a junction, I hit the killswitch, and engine braked on the dead engine (has the same effect as usual, but the fuel goes into the downpipe and does not ignite). Then, when you've reached the desired speed, hit the killswitch to live again. If done long enough / properly, the result is a 20 / 30cm jet of flame aimed at their windscreen, and a sound like a gunshot going off!!
The driver backed off... :smokin
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I had a guy cut me up once when he overtook me quite deliberately blew my horn flashed my lights he stops i stopped he come walking towards me asking me what my fucking problem was replied not as big as yours and laid him out in the middle of the road ..end of story,,yes its all true,mate said all i saw was your shoulder move,game over,went home ... :rollin
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qualité, je fais une habitude d'ignorer la cloche se termine
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qualité, je fais une habitude d'ignorer la cloche se termine
Nice try,but I don't really think "la cloche se termine" quite works!! :rollin :rollin :rollin
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I had a guy cut me up once when he overtook me quite deliberately blew my horn flashed my lights he stops i stopped he come walking towards me asking me what my fucking problem was replied not as big as yours and laid him out in the middle of the road ..end of story,,yes its all true,mate said all i saw was your shoulder move,game over,went home ... :rollin
Love that! BOOM!! :D
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I work on the assumption that everyone on the roads is an idiot so when some one proves otherwise its a pleasant surprise !
Its a bad move to try and change someone else's bad driving - it tends to piss people off and make the situation worse - just stop spending you time looking at him in you mirror ( and not the idiots in front of you) and they will pass you soon - normally at the worst overtaking point you can think of!
No point getting mad about it - it just ruins your day and makes you die younger than you should - chill!
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..... or you could just shoot them in the face!
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Christo, I love it! Does this work on all bikes? (fz1 owner?)
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Think the fuel injection on the fz1 might stop it working? (as it'll stop fuelling, with the switch off)
Only one way to find out :-)
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Kill switch trick, as fun as it is, can burn out your exhaust valves,
all things in moderation.
Careful confronting others, you may meet Glynblue2
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Christo, I love it! Does this work on all bikes? (fz1 owner?)
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Killswitch backfire only works on carbed bikes unfortunately :(
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It's a pain in the arse, but IMHO it's best to stick to the limit and ignore them. When they eventually overtake, which they probably will, stay away from them. As a mate of mine says, just keep out of their danger zone, which basicall means, keep away from them without putting yourself in danger or breaking the law. It's hard not to get the red mist when you see these tw**ts, but best to leave em alone and hope one day the'll get their cummupance. If I see a safe place to pull over and slow down I just let the tw**ts overtake, if not, they can wait. I pay my road tax same as they do.
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In the car on motorways etc just get out of the way asap. on normal single lane roads, slow down to exactly the speed limit. Fuck 'em. :)
On the bike, I find the 'Wits Weave ' always works a treat as they have absolutely no dea what the fuck you are doing, and crap themselves :D
(For those who dont know, the Wits Weave is that slow swooping tyre warming thing that some plonkers who think they are on a race track do on the road. As parodied by a piss taking bloke from Wigan who is sadly no longer with us. :( )
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"Wits weave" aka chasing snakes. It works well on minor roads, less so on the motorways, but then you have other options.
I used to keep losing my spare nuts and bolts out of my pocket when people were tailgating me (assuming they didn't back off after the first warning).
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For those who dont know, the Wits Weave is that slow swooping tyre warming thing that some plonkers who think they are on a race track do on the road.
I didn't know about the tyre-warming, I've been doing it for ages just cos I like the feeling :o
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Wasn't a tailgating, but I was cut up on the Staines M3 flyover in broad daylight. There was a traffic jam over the crest of the flyover so I filtered up to the dodgy driver and stopped. He wound down his screen. I roared: "Next time, watch where you're driving you stupid f*ck*ng c*nt". I started to ride off as he undid his seat belt, came out of the car and then decided that running down a hill between cars was not a good idea. I'd do it again.
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Spoonlamp.
Like your thinking ;thumbup
If it feels good, do it! :lol
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I think the poor standard of driving is normal down south for some, I'm always appalled of the level of driving on the m25 and experienced the same today as any other time i ride or drive down it, peeps always in a rush tailgating at speed ! Feckwits i prefer to let em get on with it as i ain't particular keen on being run over by a car and life's to short to start arguments with car drivers after all you never no what that person is capable of and losing your life ain't worth it.
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I like to think if it came to it I could give a good account for myself in a scrap. I am a big lad, have trained in kung fu and judo, and think I could punch most folks lights out if I had to.BUT..FFs you just dont know what that other guy is packing!..Its never a gentlemanly fight is it ?...they could have knives or a gun. Twice in the last 3 yrs I have had absolute maniacs try the roadrage on me in my white van !...its best to avoid confrontation. These were guys who I could see were berserk, not just angry. Quite a disturbing level of anger...to the point where they had utterly lost control of themselves. One was a taxi driver with a fare in the back !...the other was a longhaired asian bloke with wide open crazy eyes. Is it a coincidence they were both asian ?..too much of something they are taking I think. Both were very minor incidents, which blew completely out of proportion.And were at " quiet " times of the day, not even a rush hour situation.
On the last one I did think about stopping. But then thought , its him or me. If its me I could be seriously hurt , lose time off work or worse. If its him, then tbh its probably prison! Once I lose my rag I wouldnt stop.For what ...a feckin tirade about being cut up ...look, its just not worth it.Like a collision, its not about whose fault it is, you just dont want all the fecking bother in the first place...Roadrage is actually a two way thing.If you dont provoke them most wont happen.Having had counselling for anger ( LOL)...you do appreciate just how worked up that other person is in the situation, and just realising that usually calms me down straight away.If you retaliate it usually just makes things worse.
If I am on the bike its usually dead easy to just ride off, or better still, just turn off the road .
Before my counselling ...I probably was that other person ...which is a sobering thought... :o
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I I could punch most folks lights out if I had to.BUT..FFs you just dont know what that other guy is packing!..Its never a gentlemanly fight is it ?...they could have knives or a gun.
This is becoming all to common an occurance! I deal with the aftermath of this when road rage turns violent, and it rarely ends well. I've seen incidents where golf clubs have been used against drivers, machete's, and yes even guns pulled out, but thankfully not used!!! You just don't know who these people are that are aggressive towards you. Best bet is to just get away from them when it gets to 'an exchange of opinions'
It's happened to me over the last week though on several occasions with stupid little girls playing with their phones and pulling out of junctions infront of me, then myopic old people who have lost all sense of distance/speed of oncoming traffic and trying to overtake. White van man trying to overtake another car when I'm already alongside him on a single carriageway, forcing me into the offside gutter at 60+ mph!!!! I've given them all a piece of my mind as I've driven past, even considering stopping van man and smacking him one for nearly orphaning my kids!! It's a good job I've got quite a bit of self control, but it puts me in a horrid mood for the rest of the day :(
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Alex u need a subscribe button!
pm me when you upload your how to on this!
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Ha ha! You can subscribe on fotifixes.com directly but I will do.
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For those who dont know, the Wits Weave is that slow swooping tyre warming thing that some plonkers who think they are on a race track do on the road.
I didn't know about the tyre-warming, I've been doing it for ages just cos I like the feeling :o
:) good response.
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Wired into the ignition system, the rear one is under neath my top box mount. The front one is behind the front screen. I will be doing a fotifixes write up on them soon. They record in a loop onto 32gb sd cards.
I'm looking forward to this one :-)
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When i'm out in my ancient diesel Astra, I have a 3 phase plan, initially I change speed regularly trying not to use my brake light. 2 I put on the high intensity rear light and regularly touch the foot brake.3 If that fails i wait till the tailgating car is as close as possible ,then slip the gearlever into nuetral and slam my foot to the floor on the accelerator this gives a huge black cloud of smoke from the exhaust, sometimes I can hardly see the car behind, this usually always works,
I especially like to see the car thats tailgating me being tailgated ,makes my whole day!
On a bike your in dangerous territory, best to get out of the way!
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Like Piternator said - let go. I slow down and wave them to go past me. Just relax. Especially on a motorcycle. If I need to drive faster, I can always overtake them later, or filter, or whatever.
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Like Piternator said - let go. I slow down and wave them to go past me. Just relax. Especially on a motorcycle. If I need to drive faster, I can always overtake them later, or filter, or whatever.
Exactly ;) Talk is cheap and people lose the run of themselves in the heat of the moment and usually can't back it up when it's go time. If you confront someone in an aggressive manner you have to face the consequences of it whether it be a fight with a potential looper or the rozzers being called or both! If someone's all of the back of you just pull in and let them go on. If you think they're way out of line report them for dangerous driving. simples
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now i've grown up and calmed down a bit most of the time i let them pass me on dual carriageways / motorways, as they draw level and look across and start to gob off I blow them a kiss!!! winds em up sommat chronic n what are they gonna say to their mates when recounting it? this ugly bloke with glasses n beard blew me a kiss n winked at me!!! I dont think so!! :rollin :rollin
I thinks it safer to have them in front of me that way I can determine the gap between us and drop back / put other cars between us rather than behind where you cant concentrate whats in front of you and less risk of them following you!!
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now i've grown up and calmed down a bit most of the time i let them pass me on dual carriageways / motorways, as they draw level and look across and start to gob off I blow them a kiss!!! winds em up sommat chronic n what are they gonna say to their mates when recounting it? this ugly bloke with glasses n beard blew me a kiss n winked at me!!!
Love it!!
Then comes the day Elton John tailgates you... :rollin :rollin :rollin
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I've used the blow a kiss trick on the past, to great effect - its so far from what they're expecting, it completely stumps them.
Wish I could keep myself calm enough to use it more though, I'm sure life would be easier, funnier, and less stressful :-)
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(http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-radQxqbRUS8/Tqjsd7zO4vI/AAAAAAAAHBo/w22zxYg4pr0/s1600/When+Someone+Yells+at+you+from+a+car.PNG)
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When I'm in a car I smile at them, give them a thumbs up and stick at the speed limit.
When I'm on the bike I get out of the frickin way asap. No way I wanna be under their wheels.
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Here's a good one about confronting bad drivers :lol Happened on my morning commute. I was in a line of traffic and there was a taxi infront of me. There was a big queue of cars ahead of the taxi turning right and the taxi wanted to go on straight so he had to move to the left to get past them. So he started edging left and went into a cycle lane to get around the cars but just as he moved a cyclist came flying up the cycle lane. So the cyclist lamped on his brakes, skidded and went up onto the curb and got around the taxi just in time and I thought WOW that took some serious skillz to pull off! Well done ;)
The cyclist was stopped now at the front of the taxi and he was fuming. So he parked his bicycle against the front of the taxi and started giving out to the taxi driver for about 30 seconds and then slapped his hands down on the bonnet of the taxi. Funnily enough the taxi driver took exception to this and hopped out of his car and ran at the cyclist :lol The cyclist saw him coming and ran away around the taxi, I've never seen anyone change so quickly :lol The taxi driver chased him around the car twice :lol and then gave up and pick up the bicycle off the front of his car and threw it off the road :lol Was the funniest thing I've ever seen. :lol
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My next door neighbour was a bus driver. Pootling down Blackett st in Newcastle, following a cyclist. He can see 1 guy waiting at the bus stop, sitting reading the paper. Wannabe passenger looks up last minute, sees his bus, jumps up and sticks his hand out. Punts the cyclist right off his bike! Fred stops, gets out prepared to defuse the situation, passenger is saying (oh yes he was!) "sorry mate didn't see you". Cyclist picks himself up, dusts himself down, picks hus bike up. Swings it round, properly twats the passenger with it, says "sorry mate didn't see you" gets on rides off. Fred stood there open mouthed :rollin :rollin
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now i've grown up and calmed down a bit most of the time i let them pass me on dual carriageways / motorways, as they draw level and look across and start to gob off I blow them a kiss!!! winds em up sommat chronic n what are they gonna say to their mates when recounting it? this ugly bloke with glasses n beard blew me a kiss n winked at me!!!
Love it!!
Then comes the day Elton John tailgates you... :rollin :rollin :rollin
I'm ex navy so that dont bother me lol!! :rolleyes
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I had a guy cut me up once when he overtook me quite deliberately blew my horn flashed my lights he stops i stopped he come walking towards me asking me what my fucking problem was replied not as big as yours and laid him out in the middle of the road ..end of story,,yes its all true,mate said all i saw was your shoulder move,game over,went home ... :rollin
I thought it was just DaveG that behaved like that. :lol
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Another time I was filtering up the middle of a road and there was a garage on the left. There was a queue of cars and a van waiting for a green light. The van had left a small gap for a car to pull out of the garage so I saw this and stayed back a bit and as the car pull out from the garage and was heading off in the opposite direction the chap in the van said something out his window to the car driver who also had his window open. The guy in the car heard it and stopped and got out with a metal bar in his hand. The chap in the van rolled up his window really quickly and looked straight ahead and pretended there wasn't an angry man waving a deadly weapon in the air :lol
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I can remember a time when we was kids and was travelling with my dad in his white van its got to be 25 years ago when we came under attack from road rage ill never forget it he came charging upto the van my old man just locked the door and sat there the fella was effing and jeffing and smacked the side window and making threats, than my old man just drove off i was so upset and disgusted at my dad i wanted him to deck the fella, at the time my dad was my hero x military forces a real tough guy and in my head my dad could have snapped him in half but I could not understand why he never only later in life i realise it takes someone special to show restraint in this way.
JP, you made me LOL Kung fu i never took you for a bruce lee type of guy.....
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It happens a lot, even today but I'm just trying to let it slip and chill now. After 2 days thinkinf about it, I really shouldn't have stopped. There are some good tactics I'll try to apply. My mate said you're getting angry over a bit of tarmac and to just let it go.. easier said than done at times though!
If I saw him again I think I'd try and have a word with him and put it straight but I think that time has passed..! :\
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They are in and out of your life in 10 seconds.
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He's right, let it go mate, it's hard I know but the world is full of tw**s, but there are some good guys too. We've all been there. You were doing the right thing, 30 in a 30 limit. Speaking to him again wouldn't achieve anything, life's to short to ruminate over pillocks. You just do whats right and keep out of their danger zone. Best of luck. ;)
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They are in and out of your life in 10 seconds.
I tend to say that too. Best way of dealing with it on the bike. :D
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Wired into the ignition system, the rear one is under neath my top box mount. The front one is behind the front screen. I will be doing a fotifixes write up on them soon. They record in a loop onto 32gb sd cards.
I'm looking forward to this one :-)
me 2!
use a drift on my helmet but could do with one pointing backwards and this seems like a good idea :)
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Dave
Its true ! I used to spar with a copper who was 6 ft , 18 stone, a black belt in karate and judo , and was same belt as me in kung fu. I was a bit leaner back then ! :lol
but you never forget basic stuff.He taught me some superb judo moves...it was rare to even be able to land a kick or punch on him.
I never got to my ex bro inlaw standard though , he was black belt karate, so slim and long legged...he could pull a roundhouse and part my hair! so feckin quick....awesome.
I got out of it when GFs came along and it all got spiritual rather than combative. Would love to do it again, but me knees not up to it these days.
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Wired into the ignition system, the rear one is under neath my top box mount. The front one is behind the front screen. I will be doing a fotifixes write up on them soon. They record in a loop onto 32gb sd cards.
I'm looking forward to this one :-)
me 2!
use a drift on my helmet but could do with one pointing backwards and this seems like a good idea :)
It does work quite well. Takes a bit of time to get the correct angle though :)
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Would love to do it again, but me knees not up to it these days.
You should give it a go if you really want to do it, it's better than regretting not trying. I only started Judo in the last year after thinking about it for ages, there's a fella with a chocolate knee who started a bit after me and he cant get enough. You could always just concentrate on kata if you go back to Karate
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Wired into the ignition system, the rear one is under neath my top box mount. The front one is behind the front screen. I will be doing a fotifixes write up on them soon. They record in a loop onto 32gb sd cards.
I'm looking forward to this one :-)
me 2!
use a drift on my helmet but could do with one pointing backwards and this seems like a good idea :)
It does work quite well. Takes a bit of time to get the correct angle though :)
do you need to press the record button every time though ?
and have you made the usb connection waterproof / removable ?
thanks :)
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What cameras do you have?
I have these: http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/120-HD-720P-MINI-DVR-ACT20-Waterproof-Bullet-Helmet-Camera-Motorcycle-Bike-Cam-/290789597574?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_3&hash=item43b4692186 (http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/120-HD-720P-MINI-DVR-ACT20-Waterproof-Bullet-Helmet-Camera-Motorcycle-Bike-Cam-/290789597574?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_3&hash=item43b4692186)
Wired into the ignition system, the rear one is under neath my top box mount. The front one is behind the front screen. I will be doing a fotifixes write up on them soon. They record in a loop onto 32gb sd cards.
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I've bought one to give it a try. Thanks for the pointer :)
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What cameras do you have?
I have these: [url]http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/120-HD-720P-MINI-DVR-ACT20-Waterproof-Bullet-Helmet-Camera-Motorcycle-Bike-Cam-/290789597574?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_3&hash=item43b4692186[/url] ([url]http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/120-HD-720P-MINI-DVR-ACT20-Waterproof-Bullet-Helmet-Camera-Motorcycle-Bike-Cam-/290789597574?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_3&hash=item43b4692186[/url])
Wired into the ignition system, the rear one is under neath my top box mount. The front one is behind the front screen. I will be doing a fotifixes write up on them soon. They record in a loop onto 32gb sd cards.
I've bought one to give it a try. Thanks for the pointer :)
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If I'm in the car I tend to slow right down to both increase the distance to the car ahead and frustrate the tailgater. If I'm on the bike I try and signal to them that I would like them to pass or back-off, if that fails, I'll pull over and stop.
A couple of years ago I rode to work on lovely New Year's eve morning, cold and crisp but dry. During the course of the day the weather changed and by the time I finished there was about 6" of snow on the roads and due to the fact I live about 15 miles from work and there was no public transport I had no choice but to ride home. I made it most of the way without any real problems until some idiot in an old 3 series BMW decided to drive up my backside. He was so close I felt violated. I tried to get this idiot to pass me but he wouldn't, and then it happened, I panicked and grabbed too much brake at a set of lights. The bike went down, trapped my leg and we both slid down the road a little. Because of the snow I couldn't get enough purchase to pull my leg from under the bike. I gestured to the guy in the BMW to help me but he just sat there with his arms crossed, smirking at me. Thankfully a woman and her teenage son were out walking their dog and they came to my aid and as soon as we got the bike over to the gutter the guy in the BMW drove off.
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I find that letting them pass then returning the compliment works as our lights in their mirror seems to upset them (shame). doesnt work on the 4x4 s though and they seem to be the worst now. They dont seem to want to let anyone filter either bless em.I must admit to anger issues myself ( once ran after a beemer throwing stones at it cos the bloke chose to drive away rather than do what he bravely threatened to do). I dont seem to have trouble on the bike thanks to being able to filter and go quicker when the roads clear.
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Must admit it's very rare indeed I get tailgated indeed. In the rare situation it happens I tend to wave backwards at the guy and put the brake light on a little bit so they get the idea, but I did once drop back beside the car and ask if he wanted to get any closer (that was in a 30 zone commuting into central London, no idea why he was so close, as he couldn't go anywhere!)
That said, I must admit I do come up quite close behind cars on the motorway if they won't pull out of the overtaking lane and I'm trying to get past, give them a while to move out the way, then if they don't move i'll come up closer, and if they don't get the hint then I'll flash them, once they pull over from that I do give them the thumbs up as i overtake them so as not to cause bad feelings.
Of course if they don't pull over despite a few signals if there's space i undertake with the middle finger up and clear off!
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Eh?
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there are no rules on filtering . I think its the craziest thing we ever do, But I have done it myself many times on motorway when it stops. Its so hard to not do it as its so tempting. But every time there is some sort of near miss. Last year on mway down to dover the queues were incredible, and we filtered for miles, but I was tense every second, cos cars are so unpredictable.When you think just how many cars are stuck in say a 10 mile jam, only need a small percentage of red misters and its a lot of cars !..and a lot of potentail carshes.I really only like doing it in stationary traffic , and am always wary of any gap in front of a car as someone might charge across into it .
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Just another angle on this topic and as always .. all only in my opinion.
As a general rule .. these days I try not to ride with guys on solo bikes .. although I'm on a high performance sidecar outfit and keeping up is not too difficult on 'empty' roads.
However .. in traffic it is of course a very different ball game .. I can't filter anywhere near as much as a solo rider .. so I have to join the tin can queue and bear it :\ .
The strange thing is .. over the years I have noted that I almost always arrive at the 'point of destination' in less than a minute or maybe two after the solo's.
Makes me wonder just how much a solo rider actually gains in time or distance by risking any 'rolling filtering' in traffic that is moving comparatively slowly?
You might also notice that the Big Long Haul Truckers always pass you within minutes after you pull in and stop .. maybe for fuel or whatever .. and then go on to arrive at their 'point' on time :D The trick is 'consistency'
Old saying .. 'More haste less speed' :\
Stay Safe ;) Trev
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Your pretty much spot on there Purplebear. I used to do a bit of HGV work a few years ago, and it made me laugh when you saw inpatient car/van drivers jockeying for lanes, bullying themselves into the quickest flowing traffic only to find them stationary shortly after and stressed out. The wagon in lane 1 just rolls past cool as ice.:D
On short journeys (>25 miles) even bike filtering like you say is only saving you a minute or two, but its very satisfying :)
My old long distance commute (250 miles) on average filtering saved me 45-60 minutes compared to in the car. This was due to the dreaded m5/m6 junction before the toll road opened.
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Makes me wonder just how much a solo rider actually gains in time or distance by risking any 'rolling filtering' in traffic that is moving comparatively slowly?
Riding up the A34 to Birmingham a while back, traffic was nose to tail and only making about 10mph. I filtered past a load of it, then stopped for lunch at a service station.
I had a nice meal, took time to relax, then got back on the bike and filtered past all the traffic which I'd gone past previously which was all still chugging along at 10mph :)
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Makes me wonder just how much a solo rider actually gains in time or distance by risking any 'rolling filtering' in traffic that is moving comparatively slowly?
I'm going to have to say it depends entirely on the road; length, number of lights, number of junctions, roundabouts etc. I have about an 8 mile journey to work through loads of lights and roundabouts and crossing points. If I'm in the car or not filtering, during rush hour, it will take me about 30 - 40 minutes to get to work. When filtering this is consistently reduced to less than 20.
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Thats a big difference! I have a journey similair to your description, in the car, exactly 50 minutes, in the bike normally 35-40 minutse.
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If you live in a town and use your bike to commute then filtering isn't optional, if you don't filter you might as well be in a cage.
Why sit on a bike getting soaking wet waiting in traffice queues, filtering can be done safely, be alert, learn to read the road and you get a sixth sense for cagers that are about to pull out.
Also I find that lights on full beam only when the car traffic is stationary helps reduce the amount of doors, fags and gob that hits you.
Over the years I have had fags, gob, various fruit, banana skins, spew, all sorts of rubbish, people and animals come flying out of car doors and windows either just missing me or testing my brakes and the odd strike - lit fags are my pet hate, had 'em bounce of the visor and off my body several times - that always ends in a confrontation as it's bloody ignorant.