Best way of getting rid of tailgaters ?

davenowherejones · Post by **davenowherejones** » Fri Mar 18, 2016 10:52 am

Some guys want to see my Forza really close up on the highway. On a bigger motorcycle I would just twist the wrist and go. But the Forza don't have THAT much go. Brake checking them could get suicidal. Pulling off the highway at high speed with them right on my ass is dangerous. I don't like guns. So what should I do?

Phil · Post by **Phil** » Fri Mar 18, 2016 11:07 am

When this happens to me (right lane driving!) I activate right hand turn signals for a short moment, maybe slow down a bit, keep very right and let pass. At small roads I may stop right and let pass. Better than getting hit or rolled over by a jerk in case of emergency stopping.

JonW · Post by **JonW** » Fri Mar 18, 2016 11:11 am

I'm getting one of these: http://vololights.com/

Bash On! · Post by **Bash On!** » Fri Mar 18, 2016 2:48 pm

Well, I don't ride the ex-police bike anymore--nobody ever tailgated me on that one. And, I don't have a gun rack (and gun) in the pickup window anymore--never got tailgated then, either.

Tailgaters are impatient people who are much safer (to me) in front of me than behind me. I'll pull off to let them pass if I have to, but it's usually sufficient (where there are multiple lanes or passing zones) to just slow down a bit, then a bit more. They'll quickly get impatient enough to pass.

BTW, I never hug the far right side of a lane (either on a motorcycle or a bicycle) because that just encourages these people to crowd me as they pass. Remember, as tailgaters, they already have a demonstrated propensity to drive too closely to us and otherwise drive poorly. Make 'em use a full (other) lane to pass you properly!

homie · Post by **homie** » Fri Mar 18, 2016 3:48 pm

change lanes when on the scooter.... blast off leaving them so far back they can never catch up on the sport bike.

davenowherejones · Post by **davenowherejones** » Fri Mar 18, 2016 7:11 pm

I should have said on a two lane road with no passing zones, think mountains. I am not that slow but I have seen too many accidents to push the speeds on the mountain roads.

One lady passed me and then further up ahead she died when she tried to overtake on a blind corner. They closed the highway for 10 hours. I walked the bike through the accident scene to get home and let the dog out.

ScooteringAbout · Post by **ScooteringAbout** » Fri Mar 18, 2016 8:17 pm

On the PCX the front brake light comes on, with the tiny press of the front brake lever, quite a bit before it actually applies the brake. It helps to make them think for a few seconds that I am braking.

Mel46 · Post by **Mel46** » Sat Mar 19, 2016 9:45 am

I have a tail light that goes back and forth like Knight Rider while I am riding. Then, when I press the brake lever, the light strobes for 5 to 8 times before going steady on. I also have a bunch of other tail lights. However, when someone tailgates you they do not care what you have. They just want to get around you. The day before yesterday my wife and I were coming home in our car on a 3 lane road, in which the middle lane had double yellow lines and is only used as a turn lane to turn into the subdivisions on both sides. A jerk in an Audi TT came flying up from the rear to our bumper, and then moved into the middle lane, where he promptly accelerated and continued driving, passing every car in sight until he disappeared around a curve in the road. I never saw him again, but he had to be doing at least 65 in a 45 zone in an area where drivers often move into the turn lane late (3 or 4 car lengths) before turning into their subdivision. Essentially, that driver took the chance of another vehicle moving into the turn lane just as he came flying up on them. I am betting that he has done this before. All anyone can do in this type of situation is follow the law. There is no place for you to go. In your case all you could do is follow the law. IF, and that is a big IF, you have room to move over to the right to let him by, then you might be safer doing that. However, who is to say if that driver would or would not have moved up beside you and stayed there, thus blocking you from moving anywhere, just to be rude. Some drivers just should not be on the road. You can't control those drivers, so try to just stick to the rules. Too many drivers and riders have died trying to get out of the way of a reckless driver. Try not to be one of them. That is all you can do.

davenowherejones · Post by **davenowherejones** » Sat Mar 19, 2016 10:02 pm

Last summer I got out of the way of a bunch of Harley types. They ROARED past. I pulled into a rest area and one of them was down with a suspected heart attack. I let the ambulance guys do their thing and I slowly, quietly crept home still shaking.

dariel89 · Post by **dariel89** » Thu Mar 24, 2016 5:32 am

i carry a couple of sparkplugs with me in case one of those jerks gets to close to me

waspmike · Post by **waspmike** » Thu Mar 24, 2016 6:56 am

Dave nowhere,

There's only two roads out 1 and 3 as you are not being tailgated on the Coquihalla? Is the limit on 1 and 3 80 kph or higher? Used to be 90 but...maybe now 110?

So you are riding at the limit and guys catch you up?

Either ride faster or wave them by.

iceman · Post by **iceman** » Thu Mar 24, 2016 8:50 am

A friend of mine is a high speed police car driver - he told me they are not supposed to hoot, chase or otherwise 2 wheeled motor-vehicles any more in case they fall off or have an accident due to police being sued, etc. If true it's a state of madness as criminals now almost get permission to do wrong.
Tail-gating in London is riff - and nothing is done about or most road madness.

davenowherejones · Post by **davenowherejones** » Thu Mar 24, 2016 12:16 pm

My biggest problem is those who want to go faster than the posted highway speed. The next problem is those who want pull up too close to me. I can stop way faster than most cars. I want a bit of distance for safety.

CelticCross · Post by **CelticCross** » Thu Mar 24, 2016 7:28 pm

I think you are better off if you can remain calm and slowly decelerate (which will help minimize the impact if the jerk rear-ends you) and move to the side of the road as soon as it is safe to do so and let them pass. Hitting the breaks could cause the tailgaiter to loose control while attempting to avoid hitting you; potentially making you liable for causing an accident. Accelerating will just allow the tailgaiter to increase their speed - accomplishing nothing.

easyrider · Post by **easyrider** » Mon Apr 18, 2016 7:27 am

Tap brake lights..do not energize brake pads..Gradually decrease speed . Pull over or turn off at earliest opportunity. No contest here they win !

GatorGreg · Post by **GatorGreg** » Mon Apr 18, 2016 12:46 pm

davenowherejones wrote:Some guys want to see my Forza really close up on the highway. On a bigger motorcycle I would just twist the wrist and go. But the Forza don't have THAT much go. Brake checking them could get suicidal. Pulling off the highway at high speed with them right on my ass is dangerous. I don't like guns. So what should I do?

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dkazzed · Post by **dkazzed** » Mon Apr 18, 2016 1:27 pm

waspmike wrote:Dave nowhere,

There's only two roads out 1 and 3 as you are not being tailgated on the Coquihalla? Is the limit on 1 and 3 80 kph or higher? Used to be 90 but...maybe now 110?

So you are riding at the limit and guys catch you up?

Either ride faster or wave them by.

The 1 and 3 is 90-100 now. Coquihalla is 120. In the traffic study done last summer since the speed limit was increased, the 85-percentile speed was 127. That means 85% of the people were doing 127 or less, and 15% were exceeding that. The year before, the 85-percentile speed was 128. So it actually dropped since the speed limit increase.

When I'm in my car, I typically do 110. I let it creep up to 125 when I'm going downhill.

davenowherejones wrote:Last summer I got out of the way of a bunch of Harley types. They ROARED past. I pulled into a rest area and one of them was down with a suspected heart attack. I let the ambulance guys do their thing and I slowly, quietly crept home still shaking.

Yikes...

I have no answer to your original question. It does really suck when you're in the right lane doing your thing, where people have full access to the left lane to overtake you, and they still choose to tailgate you. It happens every once in awhile to me, particularly when my slow Vino 125 is climbing hills.

davenowherejones · Post by **davenowherejones** » Mon Apr 18, 2016 7:14 pm

I went on a Yamaha group demo ride on Saturday. One way of getting rid of people too close is to brake test them. I did not do it but somebody did. The brand new 0 km Stryker ended up in the grass and so did the 70 year old rider. Apparently both survived without a scratch.

I hate group rides. Too many stupid things happen. Too many people of different skill levels. The BMW demo ride had speeds up to 160 kmph on 100 kmph roads. I can do the speed but it leaves to little room for errors by people you don't know.

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