Flights of the butterfly

A biker’s thanks

thevisitorfromthen
,
I have covered well over half a million miles on bikes, and in all that time there have been two, maybe three car drivers who have tried to “elbow” me out of the way.
The rest have been courteous, considerate and helpful.
 
To all of you, car, bus, HGV, thank you.
 
On a motorcycle, you have both hands and both feet fully occupied and it is not easy, sometimes even dangerous, to give a wave of arm or even leg to acknowledge your consideration.
After all this time, it is still amazing to see an HGV pilot hoick a fifty-foot artic a metre to the side to let me pass.
 
Thank you.
 
I want to explain some of the odd and possibly annoying antics of bikers.
 
It is always dangerous to follow directly behind a vehicle. Any debris in the roadway, any pothole, the vehicle will pass over it and it will suddenly spring out at you. Bricks, pieces of wood and even a starter motor qualify.
 
Motorcycles run with their headlights on, so following directly behind will put the headlight straight into the driver’s mirror, a distraction they don’t need.
 
Do not follow in the “wheel tracks”, any debris a car runs over will probably be spat out and up, straight into the biker’s face, gravel, loose chippings, etc.
 
Running just to the left or right of the vehicle ahead gives a clear view of the road.
 
It is unwise to travel at the same speed as the traffic. You will eventually end up in a driver’s blind spot and that could be fatal.
 
On a dual carriageway or motorway, the safe position is between the middle and outer lanes, almost on the cat’s-eyes. There you can see all the way through traffic. You can see things about to happen long before they  are visible to car drivers and because a rider’s head is usually above the average car roof, that is a very long way.
 
Passing vehicles in this 2-3slot is the most sensible, efficient and safe way to proceed. Driver’s do not need to change lanes or make any manoeuvre, just keep driving stable and steady.
A motorcycle (without panners) is only about 700mm wide, plenty of room to pass in this way. This is not about traffic regulations, it is about safety and reducing inconvenience to travellers.
 
 
 

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