all out to kill us.

[Lumpy]

it's been a tense and anxious week riding in and filtering this week with the cold and the frosted and misted cars on the M27 and A32, but it's Thurday and only 3 more trips to commute and the attitude of ALL CAGE DRIVERS ARE OUT TO KILL ME, is reaping dividneds. Only missed one lane hopper, no indication, by a few inches. I don't like gaps!!!! Lucky I only filter about 10 mph quicker than the traffic, goodness knows what the speed filterers get away with.

[Phil TK]

goodness knows what the speed filterers get away with.

20mph differential usually, -in good conditions. Any faster and taxi drivers can't hear what I'm shouting at them.

[Lumpy]

goodness knows what the speed filterers get away with.

20mph differential usually, -in good conditions. Any faster and taxi drivers can't hear what I'm shouting at them.

in gridlock I would do 20, but where gaps exists when traffic is moving slowly, I can't, too many near ones.

[steeeve66]

20 or less for me - i just move aside for those who want to filter quicker.
i got knocked off (riding my CB500 winter hack) just before christmas - i reckon i was filtering at about 15mph, the car was, more or less, stationary and pulled left having got bored of sitting in traffic and decided to 'muscle' her way off the A2 at the Black Prince junc. I was wearing a BRIGHT F*CKING RED jacket and see she still didn't see me - no doubt a result of her not looking in the first place... anyway, the upshot is, had i been going faster the damage would have been far worse, i was entirely unscathed (not even a bruise)

[Lumpy]

On the Fazer, I have the later fairing on my 98, both light wired together with YELLOW bulbs for distinction. 2 Bike Vis 8 LED light pods under the fairing AND  a bright blue LED sidelight, combined with this are the 4 way flashers, with beeper (tres annoying if on for ages) plus over noisy Blue Flame twin port and a lard arse riding it. But.......... if they don't look in the mirror they will see none of this. Myopia rools ok.

[Grahamm]

Lucky I only filter about 10 mph quicker than the traffic

The rule I've been told is "20 delta 15" ie that if the traffic is going faster than 20mph, don't filter and, if you are filtering, don't do it at more than 15mph faster than the traffic.

I tend to find that the safest time to filter is when you have two vehicles side by side, because they'll at least be aware of the car or van etc next to them and won't try to move across, whereas if there's a gap, they might try to move into it without looking in their mirrors properly.

goodness knows what the speed filterers get away with.

They get away with everything, right up to the moment when they don't...

Treat every filter action as an individual overtake in its own right and don't think that the hatch lines designed to separate traffic are a "bikers filter lane"!

[Phil TK]

 don't think that the hatch lines designed to separate traffic are a "bikers filter lane"!

Here we go, barely one piece of advice can leave the mouth of someone in the IAM without a patronising flourish at the end. Yes, we know about the hatched lines thanks.
 
The advice to treat every filter action as an individual overtake is bizarre and impractical, surely you can't suggest checking your mirrors before passing every car? What are you looking for behind you exactly? Concentrate on smoothness and look ahead.

[steeeve66]

On the Fazer, I have the later fairing on my 98, both light wired together with YELLOW bulbs for distinction. 2 Bike Vis 8 LED light pods under the fairing AND  a bright blue LED sidelight, combined with this are the 4 way flashers, with beeper (tres annoying if on for ages) plus over noisy Blue Flame twin port and a lard arse riding it. But.......... if they don't look in the mirror they will see none of this. Myopia rools ok.

..aren't you worried aeroplanes might try and land on you?

[Grahamm]

don't think that the hatch lines designed to separate traffic are a "bikers filter lane"!

Here we go, barely one piece of advice can leave the mouth of someone in the IAM without a patronising flourish at the end. Yes, we know about the hatched lines thanks.

Here we go, from now on everything I post is going be filtered by Phil TK through the massive chip he has on his shoulder about the IAM (like I give a foc).

But, FYI, Sherlock, I first understood that concept whilst riding down the A31 *three years* before I ever even considered joining the IAM and...
 

The advice to treat every filter action as an individual overtake is bizarre and impractical, surely you can't suggest checking your mirrors before passing every car? What are you looking for behind you exactly? Concentrate on smoothness and look ahead.

... what I'm looking for is the "speed filterer" who is belting up behind me at 50mph so I can get the hell out of his way and let him hasten on to the inevitable moment when he fails to judge the movement of the vehicles in front of him and one of them changes lanes without looking leaving him no time to brake.

[Motorbreath]

On the Fazer, I have the later fairing on my 98, both light wired together with YELLOW bulbs for distinction. 2 Bike Vis 8 LED light pods under the fairing AND  a bright blue LED sidelight, combined with this are the 4 way flashers, with beeper (tres annoying if on for ages) plus over noisy Blue Flame twin port and a lard arse riding it. But.......... if they don't look in the mirror they will see none of this. Myopia rools ok.

..aren't you worried aeroplanes might try and land on you?

 

[Fazerjon]

Yeah I must say, that as much as I love riding bikes, and do it every day up the A2 ito Stratford, I really dont enjoy the filtering part of the journey. It usually starts around Falconwood and doesnt stop till I come out of the Blackwall tunnel. It is quite amazing the amount of idiots you see with their door mirrors actually folded in! What chance have we got when drivers cant even be bothered to push their mirrors out to see whats coming? 

[Lumpy]

..aren't you worried aeroplanes might try and land on you?

I have to go past Eastleigh airport twice a day and it's not happened yet    now helicopter may have more of a chance. It's not quite as bad as it sounds.

[Lumpy]

and a couple of quid strip of LEDs on the rack, tres effective.

[Chillum]

Christ, that looks tattier than my old shed! And there a few people on here who will testify as to how tatty that was

[Lumpy]

Christ, that looks tattier than my old shed! And there a few people on here who will testify as to how tatty that was

I resemble that remark. Yes she is not pretty but all the bits that need to be spot on are. She gets used in all weathers, washed about twice a year but all the lights are cleaned regularly. 16/48 gearing at the moment give 55mpg and adequate acceleration , had 15/44 before and may go to 16/46 or 16/45 next which will give 60mpg plus.
 
Lucky I'm not easy offended 

[Chillum]

Yes she is not pretty but all the bits that need to be spot on are.
 
Lucky I'm not easy offended 

Mine used to be the same, rode like a champion - didn't stop it getting a nickname though

As for being easily offended, you wouldn't last two minutes in here if you were

[DryRob]

don't think that the hatch lines designed to separate traffic are a "bikers filter lane"!

I stay out of hatchings because of all the shite that ends up in them, both times I've gone in them I've ended up with nails in my tyre. Personally can't believe it took me two goes to learn my lesson 

[steeeve66]

Christ, that looks tattier than my old shed! And there a few people on here who will testify as to how tatty that was

I resemble that remark. Yes she is not pretty but all the bits that need to be spot on are. She gets used in all weathers, washed about twice a year but all the lights are cleaned regularly. 16/48 gearing at the moment give 55mpg and adequate acceleration , had 15/44 before and may go to 16/46 or 16/45 next which will give 60mpg plus.
 
Lucky I'm not easy offended 

it's a fine looking bike (in the dark that is), nice to see a bike that gets used*. Presumably you have to inform your local electricity supplier before you go to charge the battery?   

*if i'm honest my CB500, which is my 'all year commute' bike, looks far worse...

[Lumpy]

it's a fine looking bike (in the dark that is), nice to see a bike that gets used*. Presumably you have to inform your local electricity supplier before you go to charge the battery?   

to be fair it's pretty grim in any light at all, but at least no-one would want to steal her.
 
The LEDs take next to chuff all thankfully but really useful for being seen, and reliable thus far.
 
Daft thin is, the Bird has an HID type dipped beam and gets seen beter than all that, maybe it has a presense. Not that she is used much of course.

this was taken in last years freeze.

 
and

 

[DryRob]

Lumpy your bike looks supercool(ed)
 
 

[Lumpy]

Lumpy your bike looks supercool(ed)
 
 

OUCH!!!!!!

[Grahamm]

It is quite amazing the amount of idiots you see with their door mirrors actually folded in! What chance have we got when drivers cant even be bothered to push their mirrors out to see whats coming? 

Yeah, and like that you can't even kick the mirror off if the foccer moves across and blocks your ability to filter at 50mph!!!

(PS: Phil TK - This is a *JOKE* ok?!)

[JZS 600]

This happened to my beloved XJ900 on the way to work one morning last year, filtering around 40 through rush hour on the way to work.

[Motorbreath]

Lumpy those pictures of your frozen bike are great!

[Lumpy]

Lumpy those pictures of your frozen bike are great!

she took rather a long time to defrost. Started okay but the throttle seemed stiff.