And today's commuting highlight is...

[cmaguire]

Bikesalot said:

Davemc37 said:

Bad news. Dropped my bike for the first time today since I passed my test in July. Dropped in on my empty driveway after driving 33 miles back across London during rush hour.

Good news. It fell onto grass so no damage and I was so conscious of trying to recover it before a neighbour saw I lifted it up first go before I had a chance to think about how heavy it is.

Youtube on how to pick up a bike - could save your back in the future

Often surprises me how much trouble it is for racers to lift up their bikes when they fall off. The bikes aren't particularly heavy and they should be fit/strong enough to do it easily. Maybe they are already tired from the exertion of racing, but then if it's that bad you'd think they'd never make the end of the race. I always used to use the bars to lift the bike, these days everybody seems to try lifting facing the side of the bike directly around the tank area.

[mckeann]

cmaguire said:

Often surprises me how much trouble it is for racers to lift up their bikes when they fall off. The bikes aren't particularly heavy and they should be fit/strong enough to do it easily. Maybe they are already tired from the exertion of racing, but then if it's that bad you'd think they'd never make the end of the race. I always used to use the bars to lift the bike, these days everybody seems to try lifting facing the side of the bike directly around the tank area.

It's harder to lift a bike up when you and it are sinking into deep gravel. Much easier when you have a solid footing and all your effort goes in to lifting the bike, and not pushing it away from you.

[Fleegle]

mckeann said:

It's harder to lift a bike up when you and it are sinking into deep gravel. Much easier when you have a solid footing and all your effort goes in to lifting the bike, and not pushing it away from you.

Practice makes perfect

[Cbull]

Unlucky Dakkon. Bad day eh. Sounds like its one of them situations where it could happen to anyone

Guessing he'll have to go through insurance so the van driver can claim his whiplash and sleepless nights claims. However, If he's not overly fussed about it,it'll probably be worth not going through the insurance and just pay for his damages.

[black-k1]

2wheelsjimmy said:

smiles1 said:

Do you have a link to the video I can't find it? Thanks

This is the one I was thinking of. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z7mHEjpsexs

If the way you learn what is and isn't safe for filtering is from videos such as this then I suggest you stay in the queue with the car's and lorries.

Totally the bikers fault and would have happened whatever vehicles were there.

[2wheelsjimmy]

black-k1 said:

If the way you learn what is and isn't safe for filtering is from videos such as this then I suggest you stay in the queue with the car's and lorries.

Totally the bikers fault and would have happened whatever vehicles were there.

Agree it's the bikers fault. I was just highlighting that the risks when lorries are involved is a lot higher, that's all. As so it's a place to be cautious as a beginner.

[Angrybiker]

Dakkon said:

So my update is from Monday morning, my first proper bike crash

Going into London, heavy traffic as we are approaching the elevated section about 8:15am where the M4 goes from three lanes to two and then rises up as you get into Chiswick.

I am filtering between lanes 2 & 3 and there is a biker in front of me going slowly, he nips through a gap in lane two to start filtering between 1 & 2 and I carry on, as I am going quicker I move ahead of him, but I am also looking to get across to filter between 1 & 2 for when it becomes two lanes.

I see a gap ahead between a car and a van and pull across, but I am very aware that this other biker is behind me and I don't wan't to cut him up etc, so I am checking over my shoulder as I move left across lane two and I don't know if the van braked or what, but the the right hand side of my bike clips the left hand read corner of the van, I and the bike fall to my left....game over......sigh.



Ho hum, lessons to be learned.

This exact thing happened to me many years ago, about 2 years from passing test. Mine was going home on the A3 moving from 2-3 to 1-2. In my case I think they guy in front of me actually stamped on his brakes because he was a few metres in front when I looked over left to check for aggressively positioned rider behind.

Lesson here is to be confident and deliberate with your intentions clear. Other motorcyclists are responsible for being aware of you and adjusting accordingly; and they will. If they're close enough that they can't anticipate what you're about to do (or can but just don't want to because they want to show you how cool they are when you submit position and let them undertake) - then cut them up, it's their own stupid fault riding too aggressively.

Personally I tend to hang back a little when I'm 'with' other bikes and there's filtering going on, because exactly this stuff happens. If you're behind then make sure you're anticipating what the one in front might do and give room. When I'm in front I assume the chap behind will do the same (unless they're a L plate scooter, in which case all bets are off)

[Dakkon]

anonymous said:

[redacted]

So, the guy driving the van was Polish and it was a works van, he was very worried that he would be blamed for the damage, so as soon as he got to work, he had already told his office admin and it is being processed via insurance. So there is no payout for me as the excess is more than than bike, but it will be a claim against me for the damage to the van.

I did suggest that I pay for the damage to the van as it really was not that much, but he did not want to be at risk with his company if that makes sense. He seemed a very genuine bloke.

As for my bike, I actually think that mechanically it is sound, the right hand side fairing is a mess, the nose, headlight, instrument cluster is broken and pushed back on the right hand side to the handle bars. That said, I think the front wheel, brakes, forks, frame and engine are fine. The bike started when I got it upright, but was leaking oil from a feeder hose at the front by the radiator.

[Pothole]

2wheelsjimmy said:

I was just highlighting that the risks when lorries are involved is a lot higher, that's all. As so it's a place to be cautious as a beginner.

No you weren't. You were unequivocally saying nobody should do it:

originally you said:

Never go between a lorry and a car, just wait. If you haven't seen the video on youtube then do, it just won't end well.

Say what you mean, mean what you say.

[kiethton]

Encountered a nut job in a peugeot 308 this morning on the way in, tailgating cars whilst then flooring it to undertake/cut up and carry on. Was a joy to see him spot the camera on the junction between Beckenham and Catford (by Dunelm/Currys) too late, nearly locking up but still setting the camera off....

In other news I replaced my excessively leaking stator cover gasket last weekend, all was well but on pulling up at home last night it's bloody started leaking again!!! It's better than it was but only really seems to leak when the throttle has recently been used aggressively and you then come to a stop. Not sure on the cause but think it may be oil forcing its way though the gasket somewhere - maybe I didn't tighten it enough? I also refilled the oil level marginally too high, may check that in case it's the slightly excessive oil level causing the issue.

[Sea Demon]

Looked like a new GS down near Limehouse link last night around 5.30pm, anyone from here? Was a police car sat in traffic so were on the scene in less than a minute.

[2wheelsjimmy]

Pothole said:

Say what you mean, mean what you say.

You're right. It wasn't clear.

My comment was aimed at the beginner who asked for advice.

[Pothole]

2wheelsjimmy said:

Pothole said:

Say what you mean, mean what you say.

You're right. It wasn't clear.

My comment was aimed at the beginner who asked for advice.

Cool.

props for a rare PH climbdown.

[sjtscott]

Sea Demon said:

Looked like a new GS down near Limehouse link last night around 5.30pm, anyone from here? Was a police car sat in traffic so were on the scene in less than a minute.

Saw the biker down looks like he got mini-cabbed by a Silver Prius turning across in front of him Police/Ambulance in attendance - he was being tended to as I passed heading east into the tunnel. They'd left the minicab partially blocking the outside lane heading east so at this time was causing quite a large traffic tailback on the highway.

[Biker 1]

Turned right at the lights on way to work, ended up behind an ancient red Nissan Micra. Young (fat & ugly) lady driver who either didn't know which pedal was the accelerator, or that its not advisable to pull away in a high gear in a very low powered car.... Anyway, as I pulled out for a ridiculously easy & safe overtake, I was shown the middle finger - I have absolutely no idea why. Having overtaken her, I touched the brake lever to activate my brake light, at which point I saw her slam the anchors on in my mirror. Perhaps she thought that as a super mean biker I was going to take out my revenge on her....

[cmaguire]

Why did you touch the brake lever?

[mckeann]

Lots of bad bikers on this thread giving the rest of us a bad name. Badly adjust lights blinding drivers, brake testing little old ladies in micra's, no wonder people don't like bikers

[Jazoli]

mckeann said:

Lots of bad bikers on this thread giving the rest of us a bad name. Badly adjust lights blinding drivers, brake testing little old ladies in micra's, no wonder people don't like bikers

I think having to commute everyday would probably make me a bit bitter and do daft things, it just makes 'us bikers' as bad as most of the other dheads on the road, I do commute on the bike regularly and if I've not made anyone react to my riding I've done well as its very easy to turn into 'vigilante biker' and scream/shout/give people the finger/brake test/kick a mirror.

My rule of thumb in the car is that if a bike has high beam on I'll close the gap, tttish I know but satisfying nonetheless (and yes that makes me a c*nt too )

[pessimal]

a Saturday morning commute into work

bliss

[tom_e]

Biker 1 said:

Turned right at the lights on way to work, ended up behind an ancient red Nissan Micra. Young (fat & ugly) lady driver who either didn't know which pedal was the accelerator, or that its not advisable to pull away in a high gear in a very low powered car.... Anyway, as I pulled out for a ridiculously easy & safe overtake, I was shown the middle finger - I have absolutely no idea why. Having overtaken her, I touched the brake lever to activate my brake light, at which point I saw her slam the anchors on in my mirror. Perhaps she thought that as a super mean biker I was going to take out my revenge on her....

You provided the reason why when you hit the brake for no reason, she was obviously just a psychic