Agree with The Heff, I take it real easy these days and really read whats going on around me. I never place myself in a position where some fuckhead can not see or hear me. Im very cautious approaching side streets and intersections and always make eye contact with fuggers waiting to pull out. I get more enjoyment these days from cruising than hooning....long gone are those days.

All very good advice. Sometimes u just cannot understand the stupid shit people do. I think in the past u could have a go at someone and they would apologise and admit their stupidity. These days no one will accept responsibility for their actions and lets face it, if it went to court and they said they ran u off the road coz u were threatening them, who is gunna lose Mr Citizen in the cage or the "leather wearin bikie"

I try and smile and give em a wave, they cant here what i am callin them over "MY LOUD PIPES"

Hey Loner, been putting up with that kind of shit for about 30 years now! Know how you feel sometimes.
i guess the ANGER tapers off after time. You realise that no matter what you do, it isnt gonna change, the Fuckers will keep trying to get ya!
I just treat it as a sport ie. I'm just trying to ride and enjoy myself, every other cunt (and I mean every one of those Fuckers!) is jealous and hates me and wants to run me off the road! I just hafta avoid the buggers.
Used to get pretty riled up and had a couple of roadside "altercations" over the years! Fact is, it hasnt stopped em or even slowed em down. Now I just treat it as a game (yeah, sometimes with pretty serious stakes!) but it all comes with the territory.

Just remember

Bike V's Car = ladies and gents we have a winning THE CAR

I'm sorry but if you are going to lose the plot every time some dick in a car does something wrong then you wont have many "happy rides" relax a bit, ride defensively ALL THE TIME and ride to get home.

I'm only new to Harleys but I'm still wondering why they don't come with brakes compared to my other rides, so distance is a good thing on these bikes LOL

Listen to what others have suggested here re riding but couple of things to consider;

Cars are made to keep noise out, they can't hear you

Bikes are a small moving object, moslty all in black so unless you ride with hi-beam on (which you should) they wont see you

Get to know how traffic flows in city areas but actually taking notice while YOUR in your car, not on your bike.

I've been riding all my life and drive EVS for the SES (lights and sirens) and even with a siren blazing cars don't move out of our way, so if they can't do that for a Ford F350 with Red & Blue lights and a siren going what makes you think that they give a fuck about us?

Nothing more to say

Cheers

Poddy

 

 

 

 

Comrade Poddy makes a few good points there....I always ride with high beam on. Defensive is a key word.

 I suppose I was spoilt when I began riding Harleys in 82 (an 81 FXEF much modified and loved over 20 years.) In those days you still had the average citizen scared shitless and they gave me plenty of room as they heard my straight through pipes, (the missus knew I was coming home 2 suburbs away, so she'd put dinner on) The Harley marketed the Evo's as fashion accesories to the yuppies and every bastard wanted to get close so they could look at your bike Grrrrrrrrrrrr. There were still golden moments though. I recall a good mate almost being taken out by a dickhead in a car one day, now my mate looked like a cross between the Wookie from Star Wars and Charles Manson. He was however, a really calm and collected character, a father of three and although not a man you'd want to piss off, he tried to sort things peacefully to start with. He followed this dingbat till a set of lights turned red, rode beside the driver's side and lent forward grabbing hold of the guy's rear view mirror to steady himself. He intended to say to the prick something like" watch out for bike's mate, I've got a family to go home to" or something like that.  However as he grabbed the mirror, he snapped the bloody thing off,  this was followed by the driver winding down his window, throwing 20 bucks out and speeding off through a red light into the distance. Mick picked the 20 up, smiled and rode home. He kept the mirror as a talking point in his shed. Ahhh the good old days.   

Fat pete they still wouldn't care that's why its all in your riding

You want to borrow one of the Gorillas!!! he's a good pillion - any crap and he will give em a good smack up the side of his head,ha

I usually give their mirror a swipe and take it with me because they aren't using it. Except the day when I took a swipe at the mirror of a Lexus and nearly flung myself off my bike because someone had beaten me to it and already had smashed it.


"Could you drive any better if I shoved that mobile phone up your arse?"