3 leaves of motorcycle safety at a stoplight!

[Rocheux]

The other day a guy was by here looking at my Valkyrie. He opened his cell phone and showed me photos of his shortened Valkyrie, which had been scrunched between a woman who hit him at 45MPH from the rear....he said the fact that a pickup truck was right in front of him saved his bacon. He had stopped dead center in back of that pickup, meaning, his front wheel was at the center of the rear of that truck.

Let me tell you what I read in Motorcycle Consumer News (MCN) about stopping behind another vehicle in my own words. I call it the 3 leaves.

1-Leave yourself an out. Stop in view of a rear view mirror, yes, but most important, stop toward the side of the stopped vehicle in front of you.

2-Leave your bike in 1st gear with the clutch pulled in (of course)

3-Leave your eyes on YOUR mirror as much as you feel safe in doing.

No sooner was this published in MCN than a letter to the editor the following month appeared saying the writer had adopted this plan and it saved his hide when a car came roaring up behind him. He quickly scooted forward, to the side and out of the way and BANG! The approaching car slammed into the vehicle which HAD been in front of him.

So next time you pull up behind someone, remember the three leaves
    (to avoid having your Valkyrie shortened as this poor man did):

1-Leave yourself an out

2-leave it in 1st gear

3-leave your eyes on YOUR mirror as much as you feel safe in doing.

Stan "Rocky" Rocklin, Arizona

[BF]

I have three fears. 

People pulling out in front of me.

People changing lanes on top of me. 

People running over me from behind. 

At stop lights, I always leave an out, my clutch is always pulled in, and the bike is in always in first gear at least untill there's at least three or four cars stopped behind me.

[..]

The other day a guy was by here looking at my Valkyrie. He opened his cell phone and showed me photos of his shortened Valkyrie, which had been scrunched between a woman who hit him at 45MPH from the rear....he said the fact that a pickup truck was right in front of him saved his bacon. He had stopped dead center in back of that pickup, meaning, his front wheel was at the center of the rear of that truck.

Let me tell you what I read in Motorcycle Consumer News (MCN) about stopping behind another vehicle in my own words. I call it the 3 leaves.

1-Leave yourself an out. Stop in view of a rear view mirror, yes, but most important, stop toward the side of the stopped vehicle in front of you.

2-Leave your bike in 1st gear with the clutch pulled in (of course)

3-Leave your eyes on YOUR mirror as much as you feel safe in doing.

No sooner was this published in MCN than a letter to the editor the following month appeared saying the writer had adopted this plan and it saved his hide when a car came roaring up behind him. He quickly scooted forward, to the side and out of the way and BANG! The approaching car slammed into the vehicle which HAD been in front of him.

So next time you pull up behind someone, remember the three leaves
    (to avoid having your Valkyrie shortened as this poor man did):

1-Leave yourself an out

2-leave it in 1st gear

3-leave your eyes on YOUR mirror as much as you feel safe in doing.

Stan "Rocky" Rocklin, Arizona

I've suggested on this and other forums that riders practise the "Out".

Park your cage in the road or place something in the road to simulate the rear corner of the vehicle you are stopped behind.

Now maonuver past the cage/obeject as if your life depnded on it.

You'll be surprised how far back you need to be able to drop the clutch and whack the throttle open without clipping the cage/object in front of you to sve your life.

[Jabba]

One of the 10 commandments in my MC Religion.  Ask Squealy.  I have been preaching to him about safety for 10 years.

Remember 1/2 of EVERYTHING that happens... happens behind you!

Jabba

[salty1]

Great advice Rocky! I always try to practice the "leaves" particularly in Phoenix and Tucson  traffic. It also applies wher your behind the wheel of your cage.  I would say a rear end crash is one of the more common "accidents" that I've viewed.   

[DFragn]

1-Leave yourself an out

2-leave it in 1st gear

3-leave your eyes on YOUR mirror as much as you feel safe in doing.

Honestly, We're screwed.
Twice the above mentioned system would've actually gotten me hurt or worse.

Each time the offending driver swerved to the right, which is where I would have gone to avoid being hit [2-lane], and they didn't get stopped until they were 2 car lengths ahead of me & they were braking hard ! - TY ABS

By the time we decide if they're going to swerve or not we are in imminent danger - it could very well be too late to move or not!
I've been lucky...

[VALKIFIED]

The other day a guy was by here looking at my Valkyrie. He opened his cell phone and showed me photos of his shortened Valkyrie, which had been scrunched between a woman who hit him at 45MPH from the rear....he said the fact that a pickup truck was right in front of him saved his bacon. He had stopped dead center in back of that pickup, meaning, his front wheel was at the center of the rear of that truck.

Let me tell you what I read in Motorcycle Consumer News (MCN) about stopping behind another vehicle in my own words. I call it the 3 leaves.

1-Leave yourself an out. Stop in view of a rear view mirror, yes, but most important, stop toward the side of the stopped vehicle in front of you.

2-Leave your bike in 1st gear with the clutch pulled in (of course)

3-Leave your eyes on YOUR mirror as much as you feel safe in doing.

No sooner was this published in MCN than a letter to the editor the following month appeared saying the writer had adopted this plan and it saved his hide when a car came roaring up behind him. He quickly scooted forward, to the side and out of the way and BANG! The approaching car slammed into the vehicle which HAD been in front of him.

So next time you pull up behind someone, remember the three leaves
    (to avoid having your Valkyrie shortened as this poor man did):

1-Leave yourself an out

2-leave it in 1st gear

3-leave your eyes on YOUR mirror as much as you feel safe in doing.

Stan "Rocky" Rocklin, Arizona

I've suggested on this and other forums that riders practise the "Out".

Park your cage in the road or place something in the road to simulate the rear corner of the vehicle you are stopped behind.

Now maonuver past the cage/obeject as if your life depnded on it.

You'll be surprised how far back you need to be able to drop the clutch and whack the throttle open without clipping the cage/object in front of you to sve your life.

[Jabba]

Better hit from behind than mashed between them.  At least in MY opinion.

Jabba

[Dubsvalk]

We teach the very thing you described in Motorcycle Safety Traing Classes.  We just don't call it the 3 leaves; which I will start using in my classes.  Anything that helps peope remember a concept is a good thing!
Dubs

[bigguy]

I always practice that. I'll usually have my bike aimed at the slot between cars rather than an outside lane just in case the car behind does suddenly swerve at the last minute. My thinking is that if I'm in the "alley" between cars that is narrower than the car coming from behind, I've got a better chance of not being hit. Of course, the impact could knock the cars on either side of me together, but I still think that's a better place to be than taking in full in the rear.
My biggest fear is my reaction time. If the car behind me doesn't slow down at all, it's going to get to the accident pretty fast. Would I have enough time to realize it and respond? I hope so, but I'm not comfortably certain of it.

[Daniel Meyer]

Saved my bacon several times...at least three where the car behind me has hit the car in front of me. I would have been pulp if I hadn't moved.

And once, I just wasn't quick/alert enough...

http://lifeisaroad.com/blog/2010/10/25/ker-raunch-car-up-the-tailpipe/

[X Ring]

I always try to leave about 1/2 car length between me and the vehicle in front and I'm on one side of the lane or the other, whichever is better, with my front wheel aimed at my escape route.  I've got the clutch pulled in and I'm watching the mirror.  If I'm at the entry to a turn lane I will block it so I've got a clear shot into the turn lane if I need it.

Marty

[Valkahuna]

I always look for an "out", whether I am moving or standing still. I call it "looking for the path of least pain". This has got to be a constant and unconscious action, that comes through practicing this every time you are on two wheels (or four for that matter). When I was learning to drive, they actually taught this in Drivers Ed. It has served me well! 

[tonyfan70]

I do the above mentioned whenever I stop. I'm also usually off to one side of the lane or the other due to not wanting to sit in the oil slick in the middle of the lane.

That being said, glad I don't ride a twin...how on earth could I gesture at things with my left hand while revving the crap out of my engine with my right hand if the bike is in gear with the clutch pulled in? I mean, I gots to be heard so people notice me!

[Slick]

Thank you MSF for drummin into my thick skull- SEE, search, evaluate, execute--

[Paxton]

Well, when in my cage at the light, I leave about 1-1/2 car length as a scape route from Carjackers! ???

[GreenLantern57]

I usually just shake my head at the guys on bikes that put it in neutral so they can light up a cigarette.  I have been using those 3 rules for over 40 yrs now.

[Thulsa Doom]

Good reminder. Thanks.