What Would You Do?

[judobiker]

So I just went home for lunch on my Bandit 1200. I was heading through town on a nice, wide, two lane road with a 35mph speed limit. It's a beautiful day, so I was just putting along at about 40mph, following a Dodge pickup. I noticed in my mirror a Harley coming up behind me. It followed closely for a mile or so. I thought it was following pretty close, but I figured maybe that's the way those guys are used to riding. Then he pulled up beside me in my lane. Now I'm thinking, "maybe this is one of my buddies messing with me." I looked at him (didn't recognize him), he looked at me, then he pulled up in front of me and grabbed the center of the lane.

My turn was coming up, so I hung back and then turned off the road. Still, I was fuming a little inside my helmet. This joker just passed me...in my lane. My Bandit may not be the fastest bike in the world, but it's fairly modded out and I'm pretty sure it would smoke the clapped out Harley this dude was on. I think he was actually trying to get me to race. Or is that some friendly pirate highway game I don't know about? Was he a designated highway captain and thus entitled to always have the lead position? I guess I did the right thing in ignoring him, but I can't help but wonder if he isn't sitting around a bar right now saying, "You shoulda seen me bust this weak little crotch rocket on the way over here! That crappy Suzuki didn't stand a chance!"

...stinkin' pirates...

What was the right thing to do here? (If this was in the Basement, I'm pretty sure I know what the answer would be)

[DAKEZ]

I would be smiling inside that there is another rider out enjoying the day.

Originally Posted by judobiker

I was fuming a little inside my helmet. This joker just passed me...in my lane.

If you get pissed off while riding YOU are doing it wrong.

[judobiker]

Originally Posted by DAKEZ

I would be smiling inside that there is another rider out enjoying the day.




If you get pissed off while riding YOU are doing it wrong.

Touche. Thanks, for the very good point. Fuming probably wasn't the right word. Puzzled might have been better. Still, I was lucky to get to take even a 10 minute ride in great weather during the middle of the workday. I enjoyed every second of it.

[FirstPath]

If he didn't cut you off or drift towards you I'd let it go. He should have used the other lane to make a clean, safe pass but, eh, what are you going to do? Was there oncoming traffic? Did you move to the outside of your lane inadvertently signaling him it was OK to move up and pass?

Enjoy the ride! At least you CAN this time of year. Come on spring!!

Scott in Shoreview
'79 Suzuki GS550

[NJ-Brett]

Don't wory about it, he may have been drunk, or just likes playing games.

Some people just need to put others down to make up for their low self esteem.

[Tall Man]

Passing another rider in the rider's lane is very bad form, unless explicit permission is provided. That doesn't appear to be the case here.

I'd have been quite upset with the guy on the H-D. I would also be a little fumed at myself for not watching my six enough to notice that another rider was coming up along side me. You were already following another vehicle, so what did the fellow on the cruiser hope to accomplish when he pulled that crap?

The performance abilities of either motorcycle are irrelevant. There are safe and proper ways to execute a passing manuever. The H-D pilot did not do so. He put your safety at risk by doing what he did.

[cliffy109]

Just shake your head and continue to ride your ride. In this case, he couldn't see your head shake, but that is a move that makes me happy when a driver is being an idiot. Its a visible sign that you disapprove but without anything rude and threatening. "Whatever" is about all you can say to some people. Many may not get it, but again, it makes me happy and then I get back to my ride.

FWIW, you did the right thing in your situation.

[judobiker]

Originally Posted by Scott in Shoreview

If he didn't cut you off or drift towards you I'd let it go. He should have used the other lane to make a clean, safe pass but, eh, what are you going to do? Was there oncoming traffic? Did you move to the outside of your lane inadvertently signaling him it was OK to move up and pass?

Enjoy the ride! At least you CAN this time of year. Come on spring!!

Scott in Shoreview
'79 Suzuki GS550

That's what was strange. I was in the right tire track on the road--not really moved over. There was a truck right in front of me with oncoming traffic in the other lane so there was really nowhere to go. I actually had to slow up once he started to pass me. Oh well...

[NJ-Brett]

Why in the right tire track?

Bad move, limits your view of traffic and others view of you...plus it left an opening for him....

Originally Posted by judobiker

That's what was strange. I was in the right tire track on the road--not really moved over. There was a truck right in front of me with oncoming traffic in the other lane so there was really nowhere to go. I actually had to slow up once he started to pass me. Oh well...

[woodnbow]

Originally Posted by judobiker

That's what was strange. I was in the right tire track on the road--not really moved over. There was a truck right in front of me with oncoming traffic in the other lane so there was really nowhere to go. I actually had to slow up once he started to pass me. Oh well...

I'm outraged! You got to ride for ten minutes in balmy NEGA and I'm stuck here in front of a computer with snow falling an inch an hour...

[rocker59]

Originally Posted by NJ-Brett

Why in the right tire track?

Bad move, limits your view of traffic and others view of you...plus it left an opening for him....

Yep.

[rocker59]

Originally Posted by judobiker

What was the right thing to do here? (If this was in the Basement, I'm pretty sure I know what the answer would be)

You should've been in the left track of your lane.

Your position was inviting him to pass to your left, within the lane.

You saw him coming. No harm, no foul.

I have people pass me in my lane occasionally when in city traffic. I don't like it, I think it's bad form, but people do it. They're passing me on the right, though, because I'm always in the left track on a two-lane road.

[michaelas6]

When I was a new rider I had several instances where more experienced squids passed me in the same lane at speed. We could have collided very easily as I moved around a lot in my lane. (why not it is my lane) a more experienced rider pointed out a lot of motorcycles spend their lives not ridden & that on another day that that biker would have been in a cage endangering motorcyclist.
I guess my point is until he has a bad close call or falls he will think he is King of the Road

[cliffy109]

Originally Posted by NJ-Brett

Why in the right tire track?

Bad move, limits your view of traffic and others view of you...plus it left an opening for him....

Bad move? How do you know? Were you there? Don't be so dogmatic about lane position selection. Maybe the bigger issue was being seen by cages entering the road from the right. Maybe the guy he was following had a missing left side mirror. Who knows? I wasn't there so I can't say if he was in the correct lane position or not. I will often shift from the left to the right and even use the middle at times, based on road conditions, visibility and traffic. There isn't one "right" place to be.

As for leaving an opening for an asshat, that's also absurd. The cruiser rider illegally shared his lane to overtake him. If a rider is willing to do that, there's nothing to stop him from overtaking on the right if the OP had been in the left track.

[Tall Man]

Originally Posted by cliffy109

I will often shift from the left to the right and even use the middle at times, based on road conditions, visibility and traffic. There isn't one "right" place to be.

Agreed. We have a legal claim to the entire width of our lane space. If we except automobiles to respect our space by not infringing upon it, why shouldn't our fellow cyclists be held to the same standard?