changed my pants and cleaned my seat

[slider]

nice little ride yesterday east on I-40 I start to pull around a biggg  ole 18 wheeler I get about half way up his side and here he comes right over into my lane,and he keeps coming and coming and coming pretty fast Im headed to the outside of the lane and Im turning on the gas trying to get past him,I end up on the 2ft shoulder with th wake up bumps traveling about 90 when I finally get past him..I stop at the scales to give him a piece of my mind  he said and I quote--You should look where your going on that thing..I was to stunned to say anything..I got on the BB and left -He didnt even see me.I was reallly lucky..Their out there people keep alert!!!

[roboto65]

Yeah what a Dumba$% makes you want to hit him and then tell him he should look where he is going 

[Russell Rice]

most people will not admit that they did not see you when they are about to take you out they will always try to make it your fault ( you should look where your going on that thing)because they do not want to look stupid I would of just given the trucker the one finger salute and went on about my business. Glad to hear that you made it though

[John Schmidt]

A couple years ago I was coming up an "ON" ramp to the interstate and about to pass a semi....was a long two lane ramp. He started coming over and I could see him watching me in his mirror and grinning about it. I started to move to my left and he followed. I backed off and so did he....until the trooper behind me got on the loudspeaker. Then he straightened up, but got pulled over anyway. The trooper also motioned me to stop. I asked what I did and he said "absolutely nothing" but wanted me to listen to what the trucker had to say. When asked, the jerk said "I ain't never pulled over for no GD motorcycle and ain't gonna start now." The trooper told him it wasn't a matter of him pulling over this time, it was a matter of him intentionally pulling into my lane for the sole purpose of cutting me off. When the trucker started to argue with him(wrong approach), the trooper asked for his license, insurance, and records. Then walked back to his car and motioned me to follow. While I waited, he ran his license. After about a minute, the cop says "whoa, then send another unit for this one." I waited a bit and two more units showed up...one trooper and one deputy. They then cuffed him and put him in the sheriff's car, followed by a search of the cab & trailer. No drugs, but found a nice stash of weapons and about a half dozen different licenses with different names, addresses, etc., all with his picture. I guess his days of cutting off bikes are over for awhile. 

[sugerbear]

FINALLY, a cop around when you needed him.

( sorry R. J.)

[old2soon]

After driving truck most of my life and motorcycles and cars and pickup trucks-you don't have to travel very far to meet buttheads in any of the aforementioned vehicles. They are everywhere out there!! The trick is recognizing them before they get you. And no-i'm not always sucessful recognizing the idiots. Just pat attention and RIDE SAFE.

[Old Geezer Richard]

 Hey Slider , that happen alot here in Texas .... and what REALLY pisses me off is like after a quick summer rain and theirs a little water on the Interstates left over ... these DUMMY truck drivers    like to pass up a M/C and pull up in their lane and kick up all that water spray knowing your getting wet and dirty and their laughing their ass off   ... glad to hear nothing but a close call .... Thanks the Geezer

[greggh]

ALL Motorcycles are invisible means of transportation.
They always say I really did not see you!
So I drive just like nobody sees me!
Always watchig for the cagers in all directions!

[B]

+1 we are invisible ... So "never ride faster than your guardian angel can fly"
Safe Travels, B
C U in Shanty Crk!

[MP]

#1  He was/is a jerk.  No excuse for his response.

On the flip side, as a truck driver and owner, I have NOT seen bikes at times.  The right side is the worst, but the left too.

One thing I do when passing a truck, is pass in the track CLOSEST to the truck.  Does not seem right, when there is a lane farther away, but when a MC is in the far track, it is MUCH harder to see him in the mirror.  The mirror looks down the side of the truck, and the far side of the lane does not show up.

ALWAYS get on the throttle, and get around the truck asap.  Do NOT pass him going just a little faster.  Get the job done, and get out in front.

There are a--holes everywhere, but most truckers like MC's, and in fact, bike ownership among truckers is higher than most professions.

MP

[Hef]

Probably any of us who ride have encountered this experience. I had the same thing happen while riding down an interstate highway. Honked (Steibel Horn) and he heard me because I could see him smiling in his truck mirror but he came over anyway. I took the shoulder and went on around him hoping he did not choose to put me into the median. Let's face it, the Valk is no match for the semi so they definitely have the upper hand. Like motorcycle riders, not all truckers bad but there are some honery ones and as in every situation we have to ride defensively.

[Hoghead]

Some of them are telling the truth when they say they didn't see you. I drive a train for a living and I have hit people and they said I didn't see you. LMAO. If you didn't see the train you sure as hell didn't see the motorcycle.

[rodeo1]

i have to say that over the years i have had more truck drivers wave and let me by than not. that said, one year on the way to sturgis i wittnessed a trucker intentionally cut a bike off out on I-80 and give the biker the finger. the biker pulled over and got on his cellphone. i followed the trucker into a truck stop and before i could say anything to him a large group of banditos pulled into the stop, led by the biker the trucker ran off the road. i didn't hang around !

[Jabba]

ALWAYS get on the throttle, and get around the truck asap.  Do NOT pass him going just a little faster.  Get the job done, and get out in front.

MP

Yep +1 there.

I hang back until there is room for me in front... then flick the wick, and get in front.  Then back to normal.

I tend to ride a little faster than everyone else around me.  I call it being forwardly mobile.  I think it's the safest way to be.

YMMV.

Jabba

[FryeVRCCDS0067]

ALWAYS get on the throttle, and get around the truck asap.  Do NOT pass him going just a little faster.  Get the job done, and get out in front.

MP

Yep +1 there.

I hang back until there is room for me in front... then flick the wick, and get in front.  Then back to normal.

I tend to ride a little faster than everyone else around me.  I call it being forwardly mobile.  I think it's the safest way to be.

YMMV.

Jabba

Yep, I agree on all counts. A bike has just a few safety advantages over most cages. We can generally out accelerate them and we can usually see over them. If you are running faster than most of the traffic then you can chose when to pass instead of them choosing. In this way you can usually avoid getting stuck behind vehicles you can't see over.

Run faster than most of the other traffic, pass from one "hole" in the traffic to the next "hole" to maximize your safety space.

In my opinion, most truck drivers are better than average drivers and can usually be trusted more than a soccer Mom with her ear in a phone. But the bad ones are dangerous and can kill you and keep going with no one the wiser.

I often wonder how many of the single vehicle biker deaths involved a cager who caused it and didn't stop. I'll bet some have done it several times.

[fudgie]

Guess you should have louder pipes!  

Dont let it get ya down. Shake it off and ride. You will always run into cages like that.

[RoadKill]

Sometimes when that happens my rear tire kicks up a few pennies that a driver in front of me must have lost onto the roadway....I keep my pennies secure in the windshield pouch so that doesnt happen 

[SPOFF]

I avoid multi-lane roads as much as possible.

Unfortunately here in NH we have country roads that go 30 miles without a single passing zone. And there is always some 95 year-old dimwit driving 25 mph in a rusty manure spreader. At least when they try to kill you, it's not intentional. 

[John Schmidt]

All drivers seem to hang in the blind spot. I try to avoid that area that's about 45 degrees to either side of the rear end of the vehicle you're following. That seems to be a pretty universal blind spot for most, and if you're on a bike it's even worse. I'm with Jabba....wait for the space, then get it done without hesitation.

[rainman]

Sometimes when that happens my rear tire kicks up a few pennies that a driver in front of me must have lost onto the roadway....I keep my pennies secure in the windshield pouch so that doesnt happen 

I seem to find rock's or ball bearing 

[RoadKill]

Sometimes when that happens my rear tire kicks up a few pennies that a driver in front of me must have lost onto the roadway....I keep my pennies secure in the windshield pouch so that doesnt happen 

I seem to find rock's or ball bearing 

Yeah......Paintballs MELT ! 

[art]

Most truckers are good but it only takes one to ruin you day.I never let a truck psss me up.I just don't want hin in front kicking up road junk an not being able to see around him.I have to travel a two lane road a lot here an would rather be on the valk rather than my pickup.With the mc I have more room to manuver in the lane than with the pickup.Two weeks ago my wife an I were going to town for shopping with the truck and a approaching semi crossed the center line bu about 3 feet .We were lucky to avoid getting hit head on.There just isn't enough room to move in a pickup.I also never ride the center line like some bikers do

[HotRod]

Should of let the scale master know or call the po po to check his log book,maybe running to long with no sleep or heaven forbid on something.

[~ Timbrwolf]

...we were comming home to Michigan from a 2 week road trip we took to Texas last summer....we hadnt been in a hurry the entire trip until the end...Chili had to be at work Monday mornin...there was a huge front behind us...comming out of Texas...and an even bigger one comming at us...streaching clear across the bottom half of Michigan and half of Ohio...we were trying to stay in the middle of both fronts, but got caught in the pouring rain half way through Kentucky....I was towing a trailer ...doing 75 mph in the rain...we were just passing a semi and I was looking in my side view mirror to make sure my trailer was clearing him so I could pull over in front of him...we were also just entering under an overpass....thats when I rode over a wet tar snake....then the white staggered passing line painted in the road that was also wet....all of a sudden my front end began to wobble violently and went into a high speed wobble...I immediately returned my full attention to the handle bars and gripped them as tight as I could...I lucked out as the handle bars responded immediately and smoothed right out...we came roaring back out from under the over pass at 75 mph back into the poring rain....the semi hot on our ass about 5 car lenghts behind us....thats when it happened....suddenly to our right a bolt of white light came streaking out of the sky and struck a telephone pole about 50 yards away... everything went into slow motion....the lighteing never made a sound...it just came down...connected with the pole...and stayed...there were two transformers on the pole...and they began to hum loudly...then the one on the right exploded into flames and two flaming wires fell away from it...then the one on the left exploded into flames and two flaming wires fell away from it....thats when I felt "something" run up my right arm....everything went back into real time and we roared past the pole, the semi still hot on our ass...from the time that we went into the high speed wobble ...till the pole exploded was less then 10 seconds...I turned to Chili and said...did you see that ?!?!? ....she said she missed the lightening hit the pole..but....when she looked around when she heard the explosions..she saw some kind of white light come up around the bike and dissapear.....I told her...I think I just got hit by lightening !!


...now..I dont scare easily...but I,ll tell ya what...all the muscles in my right arm slowly began to tighten up...and I told her...I need to get off the highway and collect my thoughts...we took the next exit and pulled into the first gas station we came upon...I dismounted and just walked back and forth ...making a fist with my right hand over and over.....after about 20 minutes we decided to get back into the wind and try to make some more time...in the pouring rain...my right arm was tight for the rest of the day and finally began to loosen up that night in the motel...


...I,ll tell ya what....that is THE closest Ive ever come to being killed on my bike....without actually having a collision...  

[3fan4life]

Sometimes when that happens my rear tire kicks up a few pennies that a driver in front of me must have lost onto the roadway....I keep my pennies secure in the windshield pouch so that doesnt happen 

When I was a kid my dad worked in a foundry. One of the things that they made there were ball bearings. These bearings were slightly larger than a marble and weighed nearly 1/2 lb ea.

Dad used to bring home some of the culls for me to play with. At one time I probably had 100 of them.

Sometimes now when someone is tailgating me I wish that I still had some of them.

[art]

Use sparkplugs at least you have an excuse for having them

[YoungPUP]

You just never know when you might  need a spare d battery or 3 for the maglight in your saddlebag....

[wizard -vrccds#125]

My son in Desert Storm was a M1A2 tank driver. He gave me a bunch of T72 Turit bearings. I seamed to have lost most over the last 20 years. But knew where they went !   

[ChromeDome]

Like many have said, I figure they are all out to get me and drive with my head on a swivel. Can't say that I have had any touble with truckers but it seems that cagers will run you over and ask "what was that?"

MP ... thanks for the advice of using the inside track, I usually use the outside when passing.

[solo1]

I trust no one.  Trust only yourself.  While I've never had a semi driver pull anything on me,  I don't give them a chance.  Like mentioned here by Jabba and others, check for clear,  pull into the passing lane, check for clear ahead, and then use the cycle's power to get you around ASAP .  On hot days you have another worry, alligators!  Tires like to shed tread when they're hot and under heavy loads.

I'll take my chance on getting a speeding ticket.

[SteveL]

nice little ride yesterday east on I-40 I start to pull around a biggg  ole 18 wheeler I get about half way up his side and here he comes right over into my lane,and he keeps coming and coming and coming pretty fast Im headed to the outside of the lane and Im turning on the gas trying to get past him,I end up on the 2ft shoulder with th wake up bumps traveling about 90 when I finally get past him..I stop at the scales to give him a piece of my mind  he said and I quote--You should look where your going on that thing..I was to stunned to say anything..I got on the BB and left -He didnt even see me.I was reallly lucky..Their out there people keep alert!!!

You gotta be in their mirrors, but they don't see it as their job to look beyond their mirrors.. if they even bother with those.

Listen to em on the CB sometimes, they're freakin' dangerous.

If you are going by a truck, you need to go by fast. Use your air horn, down-shift and crank it.

[hubcapsc]

ALWAYS get on the throttle, and get around the truck asap.  Do NOT pass him going just a little faster.  Get the job done, and get out in front.

That's exactly the attitude I take, by the time I get committed to pass, I nail it and get on by... it
seems that some of my truck driving buddies  just roll by, looking at all the little bits and pieces
on whatever truck they're passing, maybe because they know enough about trucks to recognize
everything they are seeing...

That's a good point about using the track closest to the truck so you'll be in his mirrors... I didn't
know that...

-Mike

[R J]

FINALLY, a cop around when you needed him.

( sorry R. J.)

That's okay sugarbear, we can't be everywhere when needed but we are only a radio dispatch away.    So make the 911 call.

[Bonzo]

A nice older lady cut me off the other day, I went down after i hit my brakes on some gravel and busted up my fibula. She did stop and said "I'm so sorry I didn't see you".  Hey at least she stopped?

[MP]

nice little ride yesterday east on I-40 I start to pull around a biggg  ole 18 wheeler I get about half way up his side and here he comes right over into my lane,and he keeps coming and coming and coming pretty fast Im headed to the outside of the lane and Im turning on the gas trying to get past him,I end up on the 2ft shoulder with th wake up bumps traveling about 90 when I finally get past him..I stop at the scales to give him a piece of my mind  he said and I quote--You should look where your going on that thing..I was to stunned to say anything..I got on the BB and left -He didnt even see me.I was reallly lucky..Their out there people keep alert!!!

You gotta be in their mirrors, but they don't see it as their job to look beyond their mirrors.. if they even bother with those.

Listen to em on the CB sometimes, they're freakin' dangerous.

How many miles do you have in a semi tractor?  I have a couple million.  Your statement that we "do not look beyond our mirrors, if we even bother to look at them"  insults the h**ll out of me!

How do you "look beyond the mirrors"?
 When anyone is beside me, I cannot see them unless they are very close to the truck.  The mirror only looks down the side of the trailer.  The right side is much worse than the left.  That is why I say pass in the wheel track closest to the truck.  I cannot see what is in the left (far) wheel track.  Also, as you get closer to the cab, I cannot see you at all.

As to your statement about how they talk on the CB making them dangerous,  have you been listening on this forum about all the nasty things the members here would do if they caught someone doing nasty things to kids etc??  MANY comments have been made about maiming, killing, etc on this forum.

I dare to say NONE of it would happen, it is all just talk. 

So, until you find out some facts, please stop insulting me, and all the other professional drivers out there.

Also, ANYONE who thinks loud pipes help, I am here to tell you that when a bike with loud pipes passes me, I do not hear it until they are right outside my window.  If you like to make noise, go ahead.  But, you are fooling yourself badly if you think someone AHEAD of you that you are gaining on can hear it at all.  They cannot.

Rant over!   

MP

[Alzacs]

I have been on that NH road with the 'forever'-no passing zones.  That old codger with the manuer spreader is still there.  (He's up to 27mph on the down hill section.) 

I have done little highway riding but learned that the 'mirror-track' is the way to go.  Thanks for that tip. 

As far as LOUD PIPES go... today's cages are made exceptionally well.  Even the 'cheap' models are made 'tight' with a lot of sound-insullation.  If the driver has the radio on with ANY real volume, he/she doesn't hear a bike BEHIND the car until beside or out front.  Think of it this way... "You don't know the car behind you needs a new muffler until it is beside you or in front of you."  That's just another loud pipe you didn't hear.

[R J]

I have been on that NH road with the 'forever'-no passing zones.  That old codger with the manure spreader is still there.  (He's up to 27mph on the down hill section.) 

I have done little highway riding but learned that the 'mirror-track' is the way to go.  Thanks for that tip. 

As far as LOUD PIPES go... today's cages are made exceptionally well.  Even the 'cheap' models are made 'tight' with a lot of sound-insulation.  If the driver has the radio on with ANY real volume, he/she doesn't hear a bike BEHIND the car until beside or out front.  Think of it this way... "You don't know the car behind you needs a new muffler until it is beside you or in front of you."  That's just another loud pipe you didn't hear.

I'm glad someone else has discovered that loud pipes do not save lives.   Been preaching that for quite awhile now and every once in awhile someone will try to rip me a new A'H over my saying they can't be heard.   I'll agree, I can hear them when they are in front of me.   But, what good does that do me or them if they are passing me and in my blind spot.      That is also one reason I always run high beam and my spots are on all the time.    So if I'm in their eye sight, there is no excuse for me not being seen.

I been there and done that, on my bike, in a cage and even in the Cruiser.

[Jess from VA]

I for one would like to say that in my many ears of driving and riding, over the road truckers have been, in major part, the best drivers on the road.  By far more predictable and reliable than the other random cagers out there.   I always try to give them all the courtesy and room those big honkin trucks need. 

[Garland]

I for one would like to say that in my many ears of driving and riding, over the road truckers have been, in major part, the best drivers on the road.  By far more predictable and reliable than the other random cagers out there.   I always try to give them all the courtesy and room those big honkin trucks need. 

+1 on that. I have been riding 35 years and never have felt that a trucker was "out to get me". I have had a few instances where a truck driver has given me room when he realized I needed it in passing. I would rather be on a road full of truckers than the interstate full of distracted texting and cellphoning cagers I deal with every day.

[Bonzo]

Use sparkplugs at least you have an excuse for having them

Pick up random debris off a road, a rusty lug nut, broken shackle, etc. Never have two of the same in your pocket. You can be charged with some serious sh!? if caught. Not that I would ever advocate such justifiable retribution. I have heard that a long acorn lug nut with a broken stud rivals a cruise missile>