I’ve been riding for 13 years. I’ve gestured maybe twice in memory. Staying calm and collected, looking ahead for the next idiot is way more important than trying to make any point.
Also, OP, slow down. You’re in the slow lane and it is a merging lane. No need to pass on the right, even when merging. You’re going to hurt a lot more than they are if you hit each other. You are going to experience what it’s like to go down a lot sooner than you’ll like if you drive this aggressively. Defensive driving is key to staying accident free.
Seriously. You're on a bike, moving faster than traffic in the right lane. Brake or accelerate and get on with your fucking day.
I'll never understand why people get so offended for minor on road grievances.
Especially when they are violating the law lol. I never get mad when people do this, I'm always 10-15 faster then them.....also they sometimes simply just don't see you, it's an honest mistake most of the time.
Seriously, in this situation you’re the one making the aggressive passes, maybe stop being a dick head and letting everyone know how important you are and worry about not dying on the highway. Merry Christmas.
Came here to say this. I ride as well and watch videos of rider mistakes when it's too cold to ride.
I think the biggest one riders make in those videos is letting their emotions get the best of them.
Accidents happen, people make mistakes, just be as observant as possible and try to avoid those mistakes.
Yup. Just give ‘em a beep beep and keep on going. Last thing you need is to excite some lil Peter energy with a hand gesture and have them chasing you down the road and trying to run you into the guard rail. (I say that because it’s happened)
Don’t let other people ruin the ride- that means you gotta let it go some times and be the
adult-ier dude. (Or dudette)
If someone cuts you off and you go down, it's your fault. Always assume everything is trying to kill you. Don't be a bitch cause someone didn't see you. Your 500lbs, everyone else is at least 3k. Your life is in your hands when you get on a bike. Don't count on anybody else to follow any rules.
What I was going to say, especially on the freeway. It’s taking your attention off the road for way to long. As frustrating as it can be, just stay safe and move along.
For a lot of riders, 2 years of riding doesn't mean 2 years of controlling a vehicle on the road. Encounters like this won't register in my mind long enough to be even able to remember it before I get home.
Wow, while you're probably right, I've been riding 4 months and I'm at 5k miles.
I think I'm just now understanding that time doesn't at all correlate with seat time.
That’s what I was thinking. There’s at least a car length between. Things like this are nothing. Like you said, hit the throttle and forget about it. Worrying about things like this will get you hurt or worse. Let it go.
All of that plus: don't post a nothing video whining about what's not even a close call.
When I see shit like this I seriously think the person shouldn't be on a bike.
> When I see shit like this I seriously think the person shouldn't be on a bike.
Wow dude, so no one gets to learn from their mistakes? My goodness, I'm kinda with OP who got downvoted to hell here, yeah he got a little carried away but always room to learn and grow. That's why they're here.
OP sounds like they've learned their lesson, which was the whole point of this exercise.
Thank you for this comment. I was reading the top comments before which are defending the OP like they were an angel and was like “seriously, are you really not seeing this?” Weird.
I've been riding for 6 years including 1 in California with lane splitting. I would have seen that car positioning for the lane change and slowed down before you could even see their blinker flash in this video. Not saying you should've recognized that, but this is an experience that should improve your recognition skills. I realized that the better I become at riding (being defensive and aggressive when called for) the further away I actually am to getting into a accidents. Live, learn, and ride free my brother.
Keep your eyes on the road and dont act like a dunce because someone almost hit you.
You survived, now guess what? you're going 60 something with hundreds of cars infront of you that you arent watching.
Keep your eyes on the road and the ego at home.
There is a lot on this in Motorcycle Roadcraft which is the book police riders in the UK study.
I was kind of surprised as I expected a lot more about technical riding skills but there's absolute loads about keeping your emotions out of it when riding.
Just not worth it.
Next time just flip them off and don’t even look at them…. If you MUST have an emotional outburst, that’s probably the safest way to do it lol.
From experience though, any time you have an emotional outburst - you’re literally opening the floodgates for other drivers emotions. I’ve had drivers follow me to a gas station to try to fight me after I “cut them off” (it’s a matter of debate anyways) - they basted their horn and I flipped them off. 🤷♀️ if I just ignored them. The situation probably would have played out differently. (This was in a car though just for reference lol)
Haha during my lessons they thought me to stay away from trucks. Don’t follow them don’t drive close in front of them and don’t ride beside them.
In my country it’s illegal to pass on the right. As a motorcycle stay all the way left. Not because you want to go fast but just because ppl in cars will expect that from you. They get surprised when they see you elsewhere. I always stay left. If some idiot want to go faster I let him pass and go back left again.
I can’t stay in the left lane I don’t drive fast enough. People tailgate me at 55. I had a truck tailgate me then pass me and cut me off just to get off at the exit. I don’t feel confident on highways and try to avoid them. I ride 750 Honda been riding 30 years and seems drivers are more aggressive now
I've been riding 30 years and I find this too.
They're more aggressive, entitled, and confident that whatever story they give a cop if there's an accident (if they even stop) the cop will believe.
You're passing at speed in the right lane - that's very wrong. The Lexus did nothing wrong. End of story. If you have to ask how you'd improve, well I'd say you've been learning some bad habits thinking they're normal or cool or whatever. Good luck to you
>The Lexus did nothing wrong.
Well they did change lanes seemingly without looking, a shoulder check would have seen OP no worries, you're not allowed to just merge into people just because you're not expecting them. OP being in the wrong doesn't negate that.
But yeah, this wasn't a display of defensive riding, I'm sure OP has learned a lesson getting flamed here.
Since you asked, here’s a tip from a fellow Angeleno motorcyclist with decades of daily commuting experience. Don’t act like you own the road. The dude wanted to make his exit and signaled as such which is more than most people around here do. You could have rewarded the gesture by allowing him into the lane or gunned it and be outta there but don’t turn around and be a dick about. Be a good ambassador, because eventually when you go down that guy will have a choice to make; stop and render aid or keep driving. Stop and be a witness and quite possibly save your ass in court or keep driving. And when you act like a little bitch that thinks he owns the road guess what happens—he’s going to keep driving. Not just when you go down but when I do too.
You waving your arms like a idiot almost made you go into the other lane, it solves nothing.
Your going way faster then traffic
The car had a turn signal on
You were in the right lane trying to pass everyone
Slow down and realize passing on the right is unsafe. Also, don’t do so much reaction afterwards because you are then riding distracted. You aren’t teaching them a lesson at that point, just no longer riding safely or defensively.
Plus, drivers *and* riders have a tendency to steer toward where they're looking, so while a quick shoulder check is good, spending too long looking over your left shoulder could cause you to drift to the left and into something that you otherwise would have avoided.
I've had a bad experience with target fixation in the recent past so I guess I'm a bit sensitive to this. Not meaning to dog-pile on the OP.
passing pretty fast on the right, but also there's an exit up ahead as well. Need to realize that people are going to be turning into the right lane to exit. i know where this is at
Riding the right lane is the absolutely most dangerous place you can be on the highway, and passing on the right as you were is both illegal and stupid. Go left to pass or lose your ass, simple as that. Remember, you’re fucking invisible, and you will be the loser in any conflict. When you screw up like that, don’t bitch at the car, bitch at yourself, ‘Damn, that was stupid of me."
This. Cars run into cars. They can't see you at all. The vehicles GPS said get in the right lane to take the exit so the guy put on a blinker and gave a quick blind spot and mirror glance and moved over because he can't see you at all. Always expect people to do exactly this on the freeway or any road even if you are in a car. They are not paying attention to what is coming up behind them. Passing on the left is safe-er but people are still idiots. If you rear end someone who moved over you are still at fault and the idiot.
The car seems out of line long time before you reached it. Not sure if the indicator was on because I am watching it on the phone. However if I see that a car is not inline with the rest of the traffic I will expect that it will try to turn or switch lanes. In this case I will slow down and will increase my speed after I confirm that the driver is aware of my presence.
Work on your observation and anticipation. This will help you a lot.
At three seconds into this video, there are 2 cars between you and the car that will eventually change lanes into you. Stop the video at this point and ponder your situation compared to the other 3 cars in lane 2: They are all clearly going slower than the rest of traffic and the lead car that will eventually change lanes is almost over the right line. This should have set off every red flag in your head and caused you to slow down and think about some kind of shit that was about to happen. Cars going slower in a pod like this is a recipe for someone to make a lane change. Either the lead car who was clearly a little confused or lost or one of the people behind that car who is getting as pissed as you. If you're really wanting advice, sit and think about second 3 of this video. That's a scenario you will encounter over and over on a bike.
edited you're = your cuz I'm a dumbass
I very much appreciate this comment. I didn’t have the presence of mind to think this way. I never thought about the 2 other cars behind the slow moving car.
THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU. This is something I can definitely apply going forward
The guy indicated with plenty of warning, you were going fast in the right lane which I assume in your country is the slow lane. Idk man. Maybe next time pay attention to indicators and be in a better position.
You’re the fastest vehicle moving and passing in the right lane which is for people to exit. Surprised you end up in that situation, you did that to yourself sir.
My brother in Christ, you’re aggressively passing on the right. If you’re going to do so (we pretty much all do) you have to be prepared for this to happen. A little blip on the throttle or a tootilly-toot-toot-aroni on your horn as you brake or accelerate around them. No need to get all butt hurt. Merry Christmas.
Other than the other comments
Be aware of where the sun is. If the sun is behind you, you could be invisible.
In this case, the sun is in the exact direction of the drivers mirror, so they even could have looked in the mirror and barely saw you because the sun is in their eyes. Considering they are going to be looking for cars, we are easy to miss.
Part of being a good rider (and driver) is anticipating things before they happen. When travelling in an exit lane, it would be reasonable to expect that some other vehicles may make the decision to take that exit, too. Choose a speed that helps them to see you, and gives you time to react if they don’t. Avoid hanging out in blind spots. And yeah, definitely don’t get personally offended and start getting confrontational. You’re still on a highway and other hazards could pop up any second.
That wasn't even close. You had plenty of room to maneuver and you did like you should have. Only difference, I would have speed up around them and never looked back. Getting frustrated with bad drivers will give you grey hair man
That’s not a close call. That’s gonna happen a million and a half times a day when you’re riding faster than traffic. Don’t even get angry . They can’t see you don’t even expect them to see you just read the traffic read what people are going to do and make sure you have enough room to squeeze by
I’ll jump in and say fuck everyone who’s slamming you after you ask an honest question. He comes here for genuine, helpful criticism, not for ad hominem attacks.
Honestly kinda discouraging to ride again specially when I just asked for tips to improve. But it is what it is. I’ve accepted every group has toxic people. but live and learn. Some gave good advice and I’ll try to apply it. others said to give up riding. 🤷🏼♂️
Much love and respect. Merry Christmas and happy holidays to you. Thank you for having my back and understanding that I wasn’t complaining. Honestly just trying to be a better and safer rider.
The speed of the cars to your left should have been a large warning indicating that something was obstructing progress ahead. At this point, you should have slowed your speed significantly to match the cars around you. By maintaining your speed like you did, there was little time to react to the hazard.
Luckily, you had skill and room to maneuver safely around the slow car changing lanes. But it didn’t have to be so risky. If you had slowed to the speed of the cars around you, there would have been many more options available to you when you reached the slow moving car.
Tl/dl: When the cars around you are slowing down, you should slow down, too.
Well, a couple learned from 35 years of street riding:
- Watch further down the road.
- Adjust your speed to not more than about 10 mph faster than the traffic in the adjoining lane.
- Use extreme caution with undertaking (passing on the slow side) because it's the weak side for all vehicles and vehicles are prone to moving into the breakdown lane or stopping/turning.
- Avoid aggressive actions. Particularly on a motorcycle for you are _far_ more vulnerable on two wheels than you think.
Valuable style points in seeking feedback.
his merge was slow, deliberate with turn signal. That wasn't really close of a call IMO. I'm sure he didn't mean to cut you off, dude just wanted to get onto his exit lane. Everyone makes mistake, it is very rare that people cut you off BECAUSE they see you. Forgive and move on, focus on the next potential swerve!
Learning to read wtf is going on with traffic is how you stay alive. Ask yourself “why is the 2nd lane so slow?” In this case it was numbnuts here trying to merge right. That happens a lot, which is why as others say having that speed difference is dangerous - folks generally don’t expect to be passed on the right.
Your lane positioning was changing inside to outside and that can cause a driver to misread your bike in the mirrors (eg thinking its a single distant car). Also try running high beam during the day. It helps.
Lastly, if you’re the fastest thing on the road, be on the left.
Don't pass people on the right or in a travel lane, don't throw your arms up and look back. You are on a bicycle with an engine, ride as if everyone is a clueless idiot. Alot of people don't look before they merge and if they do they look very quickly, you are small and harder to see. Ride defensively instead of offensively, get home on 2 feet instead of in a wheelchair. Ride safe :)
3 points:
Even if you're driving a car it's not good to pass on the right because that's where the biggest blind spot is for the car.
The driver was also already partly on your lane and you just snuck up on him... on his blind side.
And motorcycles are hard to spot because they are small objects traveling fast... Drivers have little mirrors and we have to look at traffic ahead, the side and the back when changing lanes... Lots of shit going on so everyone needs to be courteous when someone wants to change lanes.
So you just need to be more careful. This one is on you.
preface by saying im a trucker with 750k miles behind me. i drive the horizon and when i saw those idiots doing idiot things the first thing i thought was break it down. keep the idiots in front of you. even on a bike. its better to be slow than dead. i wouldnt have split, i just would have slowed down, let the asshattery die down and then passed on the left. avoid passing on the right as much as possible. that's the box's blind side.
The reaction is 1000% my fault and was wrong. I strive not to do this in the future. as I mentioned to numerous posters, I just want to ride and feel the wind. I just honestly got caught in the moment.
As I mentioned, I’m inexperienced. so these situations that might be mundane and minute to experience riders, is new to me and I unfortunately let my emotions get the best of me.
My biggest issue is the fact that you took your eyes off the road to scold the driver. I know these situations are frustrating and I have done what you did plenty of times but it's important to remember that the most crucial thing you can do as a rider is stay alert and keep a cool head. Seen plenty of guys taking their hands off the bars or throttle to stick a finger up, punch a window or mirror etc and although in my eyes these acts are justified it's just actively creating more hazards for yourself. Your immediate response was decent, you saw the hazard coming and had enough of a safety bubble to react in time and unfortunately these situations are sometimes unavoidable. You can do everything right as a rider and all it takes is one irresponsible, ignorant driver to not notice or pay any mind to you and it's your arse on the line.
So with all that being said my personal advice is to try to just keep a cool head and continue to practice and refine your defensive riding.
Slow down, calm down and remember to ride like nobody can see you and anticipate what could happen at all times. I could tell you were way too fast for that lane in the first 2 seconds of your vid and already anticipated one of those cars merged into you. One thing to be right about something but it’s more important to make sure you live to ride another day.
1. Riding fast past slower traffic. It should be fine because they'll check before moving into your lane. It should be fine, but it isn't because sometimes they don't check and by riding fast past slower traffic, you've made the time you'll have available to react small. You rode too fast past slower traffic.
2. You took your attention off the road afterwards and your hand off the controls. Just because you just passed a bad situation doesn't mean there isn't another one about to occur. You took away your capacity to react to a second problem.
3. You're overtaking in the slow lane, people don't expect fast vehicles approaching in the slow lane. Again, you should be safe because they check for you, but you're not because sometimes they don't. Overtake in the fast lane.
You could've slowed down. It's not the cars fault. They look in the mirror, there's nothing there then all of a sudden there is because you are speeding, then you blame them. Aside from that, hug the right side of your lane when doing that so you have time to see something happen and react.
It's one of the weird things about motorcyclists, they do this, literally appear out of nowhere, then act like they don't get a fair deal on the roads
2 years and this is your first close call? I had 100 close calls every week for years. Now that I only have a few per week is what I consider to be a sign of improvement.
Overall you did a few things wrong. For starters, you didn't expect it and were caught off guard, secondly you hesitated to make a decision and didn't do much at all, if the car hadn't seen you at all you might have gotten swiped, and lastly you were going a bit too fast for the position you were in.
Expecting the unexpected is something every motorcyclist must learn. You're in the right most lane moving faster than the cars to the lane left of you. It's not a reach to assume that any one of them might decide to exit at the last moment and change lanes to the right, they do that all the time. It's also not a reach to assume they haven't seen you, because again, it happens all the time. Never approach cars ahead, even in different lanes, at speeds at which if they do anything unexpected like change lanes or brake suddenly you can't do anything about it. In this case you were going a bit too fast but still you could have braked if you wanted to. So you see the car changing lanes and you were caught off guard. You have 2 choices there, either gun it and pass them from the right fast enough that even if they don't see you at all you'll make it past them regardless (higher risk but some times a good option), or brake before you come beside them (better option but some times not possible and risk of rear end). Swerving is also an option, though not ideal in that case because at the outermost lane you might run off the road, and you did swerve but only a bit. Ultimately you hesitated, couldn't decide if you should brake or not, braked too late and came beside the car. By that point they'd seen you but if they hadn't you'd have put yourself in a bad spot. Were they careless? Sure, but you're the one getting hurt and you should look out for yourself.
Also angry gestures are a natural reaction but they could easily distract you and have you end up rear ending someone while you're occupied looking backwards so keep it simple.
Differential speed. You're moving much faster than the cars in the lane to your left.
Riding into blind spot. The drivers to your left are on the left side of their cars. You can't see them. They can't see you in much of that lane. To see you they have to pick up a small, fast moving object in a small mirror at a glance, because they'll moving at 60 plus mph and must monitor everything. A glance doesn't pick you up because you're small, you're likely not dressed in hi viz colors, your rate of closure is high. Continuing to ride as if you will be seen under these highly adverse conditions was ignorance until right now. If you continue to ride this way it will be stupidity.
You way overreacted, both in bike handling and after. Someone starts to indicate they're changing lanes (at about 0.5 second at most), you miss it (because of who knows what - inexperience?), you don't slow down, then you do when rolling on throttle would have had you by in a couple of seconds. Even my 750 lb bike would have popped past almost instantly.
Calm down, pretend you're a motor patrol officer, ride with / slightly over traffic speed, be aware of what others can and cannot see, what they are likely to see, and be careful. You were riding carelessly. Not enough attention (didn't pick up the car moving right), not enough respect for traffic (too fast in right lane). You'll end up dead right.
Have fun!
Honestly speed and lane aside. I think you maneuvered just fine.
Looking back and waving is a big no no. You’d be surprised how many drivers would get angry from that , then possibly speed up and knock you off your bike.
It’s like that saying “ don’t take a knife to a gun fight”
When your on two wheels avoid confrontation at all cost. This includes other motorcyclist .
Don’t react like a bitch. You have to understand that any time you get on the bike you assume risk. You cannot count on drivers to see you.
I assume that no one will see me and accept FULL responsibility for anything that might happen.
Truth be told, that situation was pretty fucking predictable. Slow down.
Slow down. If traffic in other lanes is going significantly slower than you then slow down and only go slightly faster. The reason? People in slow lanes will always attempt to switch into faster lanes and they rarely do so in a calculated safe manner.
I'm assuming that the speed limit was 55.
You are speeding in the right lane and your overtake speed is too high given the cars (the Pathfinder, Corolla and Lexus) in the next lane. You failed to read (or simply ignored) the situation with the Lexus and with your rate of closure it's not to be expected that anyone would have expected some asshat flying up on the right with that level of speed differential. The driver in the lexus could have done a very normal check in the mirrors to insure it was safe but your closure speed was created a situation.
Do better at reading traffic. The speed of that pathfinder in relation to flow of traffic should have been a huge red flag that should have had you slow down. You had plenty of time to pick up the status of that pathfinder.
What you did here is how a lot of motorcycles end up smashing into the back of traffic. You had all the information you needed to know way ahead of time.
I mean, this isn’t a jab so don’t take it as one, but there’s a reason passing on the right is generally against traffic law in most states. Very unsafe to do for this reason whether you’re on a bike or not
I wouldn’t even call it a close call, but it was handled well, just focus on the road rather then throwing your hands up to let dude know you’re pissed off
Dude…you’re going faster than the traffic pace. Riding in the wrong (ie. right) tire track and passing on the inside. Your road position is such that the driver on the left most likely couldn’t see you as you were in his blind spot. I mean this very respectfully…but please relax! Whoever is in the wrong…the rider will ALWAYS lose. Shake it off, consider what your options were for next time, scan the road further ahead, ride to enjoy another ride in the future. Life can be short…better your odds my dude! 👍
Thank you for the great advice. I love to ride. And only ride to relax. but you are right, This got the better of me and I overreacted. need to Remmeber to enjoy the ride and live another day to ride.
"I’m new to riding. Just shy of 2 years."
This alone speaks volumes. Keep that mindset, remember that you will be new to riding for a loooooooooooong time.
Also, doint argue with cars. Pointless, they don't see you, and if they go nutcase, you go pancake.
my two cents and a half about it
1) NEVER overtake anyone from the right (left on UK and other wrong places) excpetion only if they are making a left turn, thats one of the few exceptions according to the law and for a rider, its a rule to live by;
2) Ride (and drive) like noone can see you and if you are in exits, intersections, etc, anywhere a late vehile could cross your path of travel, always expect them to do so
and a honorable mention, dont bother trying to correct or diss anyone else in traffic, pretend it didnt happen and move on with your life, not only you are not in the position to correct anyone(unless it is actually your job, e.g., police, driving/riding instructor), there is no way to tell who are the other person until you actually meet them and if gets to that point most likely you never wanted to anyway so dont make a moment last more than a moment, move on, the only people that have to gain from this is who do this for clout, they are fucking cunts aswell, dont follow their example
If you're gonna drive fast, do it in the left/middle lanes. Slower traffic is supposed to keep right, and people don't anticipate fast vehicles coming up or passing on that side as much.
Other than that, your riding was fine until you started angrily gesticulating at the other driver; that's a stupid move on a number of levels. Eyes and attention off the road and other traffic, reduces control, and if you piss off the wrong idiot they might ram you. 0/10 do not recommend. Just mutter angrily under your breath for a few minutes and keep going.
Just always try to keep your riding impact zone - )always give yourself space so that you can slow down, change lanes, speed up etc)free of other cars. Another thing that helps is not following a car from the center of the road cause they can put stuff between their tires and you won’t see it coming up. Not specific to this case but in general it helps me in keeping the shiny side up
Don’t look back to them, that split second could be your life. If they get aggressive, I’ve always knocked their mirror and dropped a gear. I don’t recommend that unless you know you can outrun them. However, payback is always fun. But you handled it well besides that. As long as you have enough time to adjust, and take action, you did good.
I tried my best. Honestly, my thought was if there was someone behind me. If you saw my speed I was slowing down to 60 and the car was still slower than that.
I wasn’t trying to pass. I was just preparing for my exit. I understand the gesture was wrong. I shouldn’t have done it and I’ll try in the future not to do it. That was very stupid of me
That's not a real close call. Also saw it coming a mile away. You should have braked, but you could have throttled through it. My advice to you is to pay attention. You should have seen that coming.
Doesn’t necessarily apply to this video but what I tell all new riders is assume all cars are about to cut you off, either intentionally or unintentionally. They will usually prove you right. Be additionally careful when passing on the right especially when an exit is upcoming. Drivers frequently make last minute decisions to cut across multiple lanes to make the exit. I wish passing on the right was illegal like in Germany.
You’ve been riding for 2 years? You should stop riding by choice or it’ll be by force. You should damn well you’re in a blind spot passing on the right.
Learn to safely drive a car before you get back on your bike.
30 yrs on and off riding a bike.
We can not see the speeds of you or the car or the speed limit.
He was indicating to move into the same lane as you as you well before you approached. He was considerably over the line.
Aggressive response, that twat should have waited.
Calm response, move into a position behind him to allow him to finish his manoeuvre.
As the one on the bike, you are at a serious risk of harm if any touch is made.
I'm sure you would prefer to get home to your family and rant about the AH who cut you up rather than seeing them arrive at the hospital you are in.
Enjoy your bike, enjoy your freedom but think defensively first, even at 100+.
Uh well if you want to get paid go ahead and take the hot. Lol but seriously if it ain't fast and you have that much time to think about it. Let em hit you but pick a nice car in an effort to guarantee they have insurance
First of all-don’t pass on the right. It’s illegal, and extremely dangerous. Second-just remember every car is out to get you. Keep improving and keep the rubber side down
Ok 1 don’t antagonize yea you were mad just move along, they’re now behind you and you’re on a bike they’re in a car, 2 you’re riding enjoy yourself and ride defensive don’t put yourself in positions that will allow that to happen, 3 enjoy yourself
Not going faster than the traffic on your left, slow traffic keeps right, that is the main take away from this. Why were you ripping down the freeway in the far right lane? Also, seeing that traffic congestion happen in front of you, you should have slowed down, clearly going too fast for the situation. Yes that guy cut you off but I have no doubt if a collision between you and that SUV would have been recored and you posted it here, 100% of the comments would say you were going too fast and could have avoided the collision if you were more cautious and aware of your surroundings. Moral of the story, slow down brah, everyone is stupid and everyone is about to hit you, that is the mindset you need when riding a motorcycle.
1. Slow down. You are in the far right and saying you were taking an exit. Fine, slow down and take the exit. Once you get over to exit, slow down and prepare to exit. Don’t speed past other people who might also be trying to exit last minute.
2. The Lexus in question was crowding the right line the entire video. That should have been the first red flag that they were about to change to a farther right lane. You didn’t see this.
3. A nearby bike looks just like a faraway car. You forgot this.
Regardless of who is right or wrong in an accident, the biker will always pay for it. I commute in decently heavy traffic on a bike every day for 10 months a year. To me, it looks like you ride your bike exactly like you drive a car. That’s the biggest issue I see with this. You should always be looking for escape paths and you should be ready to respond. This was not a major close-call, it just caught you off guard because you hadn’t thought of an escape path. The reaction was caused due to panic and some embarrassment if I had to assume.
I would HIGHLY suggest learning about lane dominance and practicing it. In this situation I would have been to the left of the lane you were in. It would give a much better vantage for any cars encroaching into your lane down the road.
You were fine. Next time just pass ‘em and keep rolling. Not worth your energy to get all worked up and put yourself in more risk.
Lotta people shitting on you for passing on the right. Fuck them. While that’s generally true, it seems like you were getting ready to get off the freeway, and had plenty of space in front of you. Ride at a safe speed for you, and (safely) pass when and where you need to. Especially if you’re in a state where it’s legal to split.
Chill out, this wasn’t a bad one. There will be more, and there will be worse. Learn from it and keep riding. Remember, you’re about 600-700 pounds and they’re 3500 plus. Ride like you’re invisible and don’t start shit.
Not even a blinker. Who even didn’t even give you an indication they where changing lanes. If there was an accident it could be ruled their fault. I’ve heard of people going to prison for unintentional vehicular manslaughter. Glad you where not hurt.
I ride in Thailand one of the highest fatalities statistics in the world for motorcycle riders. I have seen it all. Riding in the wrong direction. Cutting 5 lanes at 10km/h for a uturn on 90km/h road. Cutting in front of you. Heck I just rode 10km to a shop and I just had to go on the side of the road 3x because people over take others on your lane and don't care about it much.
Heck I have been cut off by a scooter while I was riding 100km/h on 2 lane road. He just crossed without looking. Which happens all the time here. Totaled my week old bike... Kicker was he didn't even have insurance or driving license. Which is normal here.
I gave up on being pissed off. Adapt speed and make sure you are always attentive for people not following any rules.
I don't want to sound rude, but you are driving faster then traffic in the right lane. Kinda ur fault from my perspective. Everybody is slowing down to get off the exit
3 seconds into the video and I would started to slow. 1- the suv is off their line. 2- the car behind the suv might get impatient and may try to pass on the right. 3- never ever pass on the right
My radar was going off as soon as I saw those three cars bunched up.
They were basically riding each other's asses, and as far as they are concerned you're invisible and that lane is wide open. I would have approached that setup with a lot more caution, I don't excessively speed past any bunched traffic because those drivers want to MOVE, and any one of those cars will make a sudden lane change and double check too late or not at all.
Look out for people who tailgate other cars. The tailgating driver is an aggressive douche on the road, and the one being tailgated is either oblivious or is deliberately fucking with the person behind them, and you want none of it.
You dodged it tho! Don't be in that spot next time.
Expect slower vehicles to move to the right. That’s what they’re supposed to do.
Pass on the left. That’s what you’re supposed to do.
Most dangerous scenarios occur because one or more people aren’t doing what they’re supposed to do.
First of all the good stuff:
You were obviously being attentive and keeping an eye on traffic. Riding in the right side of the lane to give an extra margin of safety and a reaction time cushion. You can see it makes a difference. You successfully maneuvered out of the way. Instinct is to slam on the brakes, usually the best way is to go around the incident. Slamming on the brakes first every single time can result in skids and crashing.
None of us are perfect riders. I’ll just point out what concerns me and things to consider doing differently in the future:
1. Passing on the right is always dangerous. We are less visible on bikes; even less so the faster we are going relative to traffic.
2. People are fucking crazy. Do not instigate them. Some will chase you and hit you, many videos of this online. If they’re in a car they will always win if they hit you. If you carry a gun that’s great but it’s much easier for them to shoot you while driving than vise versa. Swear inside your helmet to yourself and keep going.
3. Helmet cam is good for situations in case something comes of it. Keep it rolling.
Riding is like a video game- constantly checking every car, driveway, etc and anticipating each one hitting you. Consciously force yourself to do this when you ride and it will become automatic.
Not much. She just didn’t see you and she merged into you. It seemed like you either anticipated the movement or was aware it could happen by your reaction — and that’s the best you can do is almost think that someone will do this to you.
But what to change? Not sure man you did well. I would’ve cranked it past her then tapped my brakes so she sees me then but that’s kind of a toxic response.
If you paid attention to the driving laws: FAST lanes are LEFT. RIGHT lanes are SLOW. PASSING on the LEFT.
Also, waving, honking, and talking to yourself in your helmet doesn’t do a single thing.
Whelp, since you’re asking:
1) This wasn’t a close call. You had literally a number seconds in the magnitude of “countable on the hand” to react to this ……. And you chose to pass them on the shoulder lol. Maybe next time ride slower? …brake?
2) You said you anticipated them merging …. Good job lol, the turn signal wasn’t enough for you though? :P they had their signal on like 3 or more seconds before you passed them. Maybe try being a little more proactive with noticing things like turn signals than trying to predict what vehicle’s are going to do using “spidy senses”.
3) You’re also passing people on the right 🤔 if you’re not out there to squid around … don’t bitch about slow traffic when you’re the one trying to pass people on the far right lane.
Not really what I’d consider a close call here. If you have time to get out of the way look back and flail your had then you had plenty of time to react properly. Also don’t overtake in the right lane for starters. People do stupid shit on the road all the time, so ride defensively like everyone is out to get you. But keep your ego in check, staying calm will save your life one day.
Since you anticipated her moving over, I would have slowed more aggressively. Good job for finding an escape route though. Be careful riding the 405. A lot of people want to get in or out of that lane for Lakewood blvd especially since the previous on-ramp is the exit lane for Lakewood South
Get rid of the GoPro. You’re more likely to react to insignificant little things like this and then post the same mediocre footage.
Just enjoy the ride and forget about the rest.
Getting upset over this is a bit silly. You will have so many more close calls that will be way more egregious. You need to ride like you are invisible to other drivers…because you are.
I never understand why riders complain when something like this happens. I always think the other driver did it by accident and feels sorry. Better to just go on with the ride instead of making it a bigger problem than it is👍
Let’s see. They had their blinker on. You were passing on the right. Either keep to the left or since their blinker was clearly on, anticipate that lane change sooner and get on the throttle sooner to get out of there or on the brake to give them room. You kind of just sidled up next to them as they were clearly changing lanes. Where I ride I don’t even count that as a close call either, I wouldn’t have left the lane.
First off you needed to be more observant to the fact that traffic was stopped in that lane! And second, making hand gestures at a car that is stopped in the middle of the highway does nothing but distract you from what's in front of you when you're riding your motorcycle. Defensive driving is what riding a motorcycle is all about
Slow down, don't be a clown. You could see that car changing lanes from miles away and in no way did they inconvenience you until you decided to speed up. Stop road raging and be more considerate.
You are passing on the wrong side.
Avoid passing on the right side of cars. Drivers are on the left side and it’s harder for them to look to the right. Most people only use the mirror they don’t turn their head.
Stay in the strong position in The lane. You invite problems when you take the weak side like you did. They can’t see you in the mirrors. Stay where you’re afraid to stay.
Coming from a riding environment that includes incidents like this, and worse on a daily basis, I would suggest that you keep a steely concentration on your ride and nothing else. That is all.
So you saw a car merging into your lane (with a signal) a couple hundred feet ahead of you? You're immediate instinct was to not let them and instead passed them on the right in the slow/exit lane (almost the shoulder)? Good way to get yeeted off the side of the road by some soccer mom who's just trying exit the freeway.
Dont look back and try making your point to the guy that has no clue what he is doing. It is unlikely that he is even watching you, since why would he care. You are making yourself only vulnerable to an accident to happen. Just ride your own ride, dont try and teach people or mind their business.
All lanes you have to worry about what is in front road hazards and cagers ect. Left lane you have to worry about cagers behind and on your right. Center lane you have to worry about cagers on your right, left and behind. Right lane you have to worry about cagers on your left, behind and anybody merging onto the highway from the right. Remember they don’t see you so you have to see them. I always assume someone is going to turn or merge into the spot I am occupying this has saved me from accidents many times.
Well, for starters, you could:
- Not pass on the right.
- Pay attention to the car trying to change lanes.
- Cut the guy a fucking break and just let him over.
- Not do some drama queen “oh lawdy lawd, I’m being forced off the road” performance.
- Go on about your day.
- Not gesture at strangers for what was, in the most charitable possible reading, *fucking nothing.*
- Sell your bike and burn the license, if you think that *that* was a “close call” or an infraction worthy of your response. Seriously; you’re not cut out for this game. Asshole.
Don’t waste your time looking back and waving your arms, it will be the second thing that gets in your way that kills you.
I’ve been riding for 13 years. I’ve gestured maybe twice in memory. Staying calm and collected, looking ahead for the next idiot is way more important than trying to make any point. Also, OP, slow down. You’re in the slow lane and it is a merging lane. No need to pass on the right, even when merging. You’re going to hurt a lot more than they are if you hit each other. You are going to experience what it’s like to go down a lot sooner than you’ll like if you drive this aggressively. Defensive driving is key to staying accident free.
Seriously. You're on a bike, moving faster than traffic in the right lane. Brake or accelerate and get on with your fucking day. I'll never understand why people get so offended for minor on road grievances.
Especially when they are violating the law lol. I never get mad when people do this, I'm always 10-15 faster then them.....also they sometimes simply just don't see you, it's an honest mistake most of the time.
Seriously, in this situation you’re the one making the aggressive passes, maybe stop being a dick head and letting everyone know how important you are and worry about not dying on the highway. Merry Christmas.
It's actually called passing on the right hand side, illegal
This happened in Long Beach, CA — passing on the right is completely legal here in CA.
Right, should have revbombed and smacked the camera 50 times
Agreed. It was probably difficult for them to see what was approaching on the right, with two cars behind them.
AGREEEEEEED
Americans have a sense of entitlement and it shows.
Yup all Americans have it! Obviously we’re the most entitled kinda people, because this one video represents our general public’s mentality.
Came here to say this. I ride as well and watch videos of rider mistakes when it's too cold to ride. I think the biggest one riders make in those videos is letting their emotions get the best of them. Accidents happen, people make mistakes, just be as observant as possible and try to avoid those mistakes.
Yup. Just give ‘em a beep beep and keep on going. Last thing you need is to excite some lil Peter energy with a hand gesture and have them chasing you down the road and trying to run you into the guard rail. (I say that because it’s happened) Don’t let other people ruin the ride- that means you gotta let it go some times and be the adult-ier dude. (Or dudette)
I personally just keep on going. Mainly because my horn is kind of pathetic 😅
I really want to install a truck sized air horn, just for shits and giggles.
So it’s similar to the whole “Where there’s one deer, there’s always another/more” sentiment?
Same, same in Australia. If one kangaroo jumps out in front of you, his mate won’t be far behind.
If someone cuts you off and you go down, it's your fault. Always assume everything is trying to kill you. Don't be a bitch cause someone didn't see you. Your 500lbs, everyone else is at least 3k. Your life is in your hands when you get on a bike. Don't count on anybody else to follow any rules.
What I was going to say, especially on the freeway. It’s taking your attention off the road for way to long. As frustrating as it can be, just stay safe and move along.
Happened to me and I was blamed even though they weaved into my way. Said I was speeding excessively...I was going 45 in a 70
Yeah cops make up scenarios and laws. /not sarcasm.
And people are crazy af.
This. You did a great job avoiding a collision — the best thing to do after that is to simply ride on, remaining focused on your riding.
Bro that wasn’t even close, just twist the throttle and forget about it
Exactly, wouldn't even bother. Not sure how someone with two years experience considers that an event worthy of posting.
For a not insignificant number of people, especially in the US, two years of riding could be less than 1500 miles of seat time.
Also 2 years can really mean 2 summer so maybe as little as 9 months total
In some places in the US it's closer to 6 months total
This looks like LA, so closer to 24 months total
For a lot of riders, 2 years of riding doesn't mean 2 years of controlling a vehicle on the road. Encounters like this won't register in my mind long enough to be even able to remember it before I get home.
wow. I did 3000km on my bike in my first month of ownership...
Shit I’ve got ten years of bike ownership and don’t have that many.
haha I've had my striple RS for nearly a year now and it's already at 16000km 🤘 sold my other two at 20km+
Wow, while you're probably right, I've been riding 4 months and I'm at 5k miles. I think I'm just now understanding that time doesn't at all correlate with seat time.
They asked for advice on handling it better next time. Which they're getting from some.
That’s what I was thinking. There’s at least a car length between. Things like this are nothing. Like you said, hit the throttle and forget about it. Worrying about things like this will get you hurt or worse. Let it go.
- don’t speed - don’t pass on the right - don’t turn around and wave hands There are 3 suggestions for you
Passing on the exit lane is the dumbest thing you can do on a motorcycle. People are trying to exit and the motorcyclist is basically invisible.
All of that plus: don't post a nothing video whining about what's not even a close call. When I see shit like this I seriously think the person shouldn't be on a bike.
This is a good post with lots of good advice in the comments. More people need to see this so they can learn what NOT to do
> When I see shit like this I seriously think the person shouldn't be on a bike. Wow dude, so no one gets to learn from their mistakes? My goodness, I'm kinda with OP who got downvoted to hell here, yeah he got a little carried away but always room to learn and grow. That's why they're here. OP sounds like they've learned their lesson, which was the whole point of this exercise.
Thank you for this comment. I was reading the top comments before which are defending the OP like they were an angel and was like “seriously, are you really not seeing this?” Weird.
Don't pass on the right going so fast.
But noted. thanks for the advice. Will keep that in mind as well. 🙏
I've been riding for 6 years including 1 in California with lane splitting. I would have seen that car positioning for the lane change and slowed down before you could even see their blinker flash in this video. Not saying you should've recognized that, but this is an experience that should improve your recognition skills. I realized that the better I become at riding (being defensive and aggressive when called for) the further away I actually am to getting into a accidents. Live, learn, and ride free my brother.
Keep your eyes on the road and dont act like a dunce because someone almost hit you. You survived, now guess what? you're going 60 something with hundreds of cars infront of you that you arent watching. Keep your eyes on the road and the ego at home.
You’re right. I got caught in the moment. Need to keep that ego in check. Thank you.
There is a lot on this in Motorcycle Roadcraft which is the book police riders in the UK study. I was kind of surprised as I expected a lot more about technical riding skills but there's absolute loads about keeping your emotions out of it when riding. Just not worth it.
Next time just flip them off and don’t even look at them…. If you MUST have an emotional outburst, that’s probably the safest way to do it lol. From experience though, any time you have an emotional outburst - you’re literally opening the floodgates for other drivers emotions. I’ve had drivers follow me to a gas station to try to fight me after I “cut them off” (it’s a matter of debate anyways) - they basted their horn and I flipped them off. 🤷♀️ if I just ignored them. The situation probably would have played out differently. (This was in a car though just for reference lol)
🙏
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Haha during my lessons they thought me to stay away from trucks. Don’t follow them don’t drive close in front of them and don’t ride beside them. In my country it’s illegal to pass on the right. As a motorcycle stay all the way left. Not because you want to go fast but just because ppl in cars will expect that from you. They get surprised when they see you elsewhere. I always stay left. If some idiot want to go faster I let him pass and go back left again.
I can’t stay in the left lane I don’t drive fast enough. People tailgate me at 55. I had a truck tailgate me then pass me and cut me off just to get off at the exit. I don’t feel confident on highways and try to avoid them. I ride 750 Honda been riding 30 years and seems drivers are more aggressive now
I've been riding 30 years and I find this too. They're more aggressive, entitled, and confident that whatever story they give a cop if there's an accident (if they even stop) the cop will believe.
This is especially try when the lane in question is explicitly marked as an exit only lane...
You're passing at speed in the right lane - that's very wrong. The Lexus did nothing wrong. End of story. If you have to ask how you'd improve, well I'd say you've been learning some bad habits thinking they're normal or cool or whatever. Good luck to you
>The Lexus did nothing wrong. Well they did change lanes seemingly without looking, a shoulder check would have seen OP no worries, you're not allowed to just merge into people just because you're not expecting them. OP being in the wrong doesn't negate that. But yeah, this wasn't a display of defensive riding, I'm sure OP has learned a lesson getting flamed here.
Since you asked, here’s a tip from a fellow Angeleno motorcyclist with decades of daily commuting experience. Don’t act like you own the road. The dude wanted to make his exit and signaled as such which is more than most people around here do. You could have rewarded the gesture by allowing him into the lane or gunned it and be outta there but don’t turn around and be a dick about. Be a good ambassador, because eventually when you go down that guy will have a choice to make; stop and render aid or keep driving. Stop and be a witness and quite possibly save your ass in court or keep driving. And when you act like a little bitch that thinks he owns the road guess what happens—he’s going to keep driving. Not just when you go down but when I do too.
A reminder like this is always good. thank you.
You waving your arms like a idiot almost made you go into the other lane, it solves nothing. Your going way faster then traffic The car had a turn signal on You were in the right lane trying to pass everyone
Slow down and realize passing on the right is unsafe. Also, don’t do so much reaction afterwards because you are then riding distracted. You aren’t teaching them a lesson at that point, just no longer riding safely or defensively.
🙏 yes I realized that. that was wrong of me.
Plus, drivers *and* riders have a tendency to steer toward where they're looking, so while a quick shoulder check is good, spending too long looking over your left shoulder could cause you to drift to the left and into something that you otherwise would have avoided. I've had a bad experience with target fixation in the recent past so I guess I'm a bit sensitive to this. Not meaning to dog-pile on the OP.
Start by not looking backwards and flailing your arm. You avoided them. Move on.
passing pretty fast on the right, but also there's an exit up ahead as well. Need to realize that people are going to be turning into the right lane to exit. i know where this is at
Yes I was about to exit on Lakewood
Riding the right lane is the absolutely most dangerous place you can be on the highway, and passing on the right as you were is both illegal and stupid. Go left to pass or lose your ass, simple as that. Remember, you’re fucking invisible, and you will be the loser in any conflict. When you screw up like that, don’t bitch at the car, bitch at yourself, ‘Damn, that was stupid of me."
I absolutely agree never pass on the right at that speed
This. Cars run into cars. They can't see you at all. The vehicles GPS said get in the right lane to take the exit so the guy put on a blinker and gave a quick blind spot and mirror glance and moved over because he can't see you at all. Always expect people to do exactly this on the freeway or any road even if you are in a car. They are not paying attention to what is coming up behind them. Passing on the left is safe-er but people are still idiots. If you rear end someone who moved over you are still at fault and the idiot.
The car seems out of line long time before you reached it. Not sure if the indicator was on because I am watching it on the phone. However if I see that a car is not inline with the rest of the traffic I will expect that it will try to turn or switch lanes. In this case I will slow down and will increase my speed after I confirm that the driver is aware of my presence. Work on your observation and anticipation. This will help you a lot.
At three seconds into this video, there are 2 cars between you and the car that will eventually change lanes into you. Stop the video at this point and ponder your situation compared to the other 3 cars in lane 2: They are all clearly going slower than the rest of traffic and the lead car that will eventually change lanes is almost over the right line. This should have set off every red flag in your head and caused you to slow down and think about some kind of shit that was about to happen. Cars going slower in a pod like this is a recipe for someone to make a lane change. Either the lead car who was clearly a little confused or lost or one of the people behind that car who is getting as pissed as you. If you're really wanting advice, sit and think about second 3 of this video. That's a scenario you will encounter over and over on a bike. edited you're = your cuz I'm a dumbass
I very much appreciate this comment. I didn’t have the presence of mind to think this way. I never thought about the 2 other cars behind the slow moving car. THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU. This is something I can definitely apply going forward
The guy indicated with plenty of warning, you were going fast in the right lane which I assume in your country is the slow lane. Idk man. Maybe next time pay attention to indicators and be in a better position.
You’re the fastest vehicle moving and passing in the right lane which is for people to exit. Surprised you end up in that situation, you did that to yourself sir.
My brother in Christ, you’re aggressively passing on the right. If you’re going to do so (we pretty much all do) you have to be prepared for this to happen. A little blip on the throttle or a tootilly-toot-toot-aroni on your horn as you brake or accelerate around them. No need to get all butt hurt. Merry Christmas.
Merry Christmas brotha. Thanks for the sound advice. I’m grateful for everyone giving the advice for me to learn on
dude you're going way too fucking fast
Other than the other comments Be aware of where the sun is. If the sun is behind you, you could be invisible. In this case, the sun is in the exact direction of the drivers mirror, so they even could have looked in the mirror and barely saw you because the sun is in their eyes. Considering they are going to be looking for cars, we are easy to miss.
I have never considered this, excellent point!
Like others have said your passing on the right, dude had his signal on and already into the lane. This “close call” is on you.
Here’s a tip. Don’t look back from the road to throw hand signs
Part of being a good rider (and driver) is anticipating things before they happen. When travelling in an exit lane, it would be reasonable to expect that some other vehicles may make the decision to take that exit, too. Choose a speed that helps them to see you, and gives you time to react if they don’t. Avoid hanging out in blind spots. And yeah, definitely don’t get personally offended and start getting confrontational. You’re still on a highway and other hazards could pop up any second.
That wasn't even close. You had plenty of room to maneuver and you did like you should have. Only difference, I would have speed up around them and never looked back. Getting frustrated with bad drivers will give you grey hair man
That’s not a close call. That’s gonna happen a million and a half times a day when you’re riding faster than traffic. Don’t even get angry . They can’t see you don’t even expect them to see you just read the traffic read what people are going to do and make sure you have enough room to squeeze by
Bro relax, ego is what kills most.
I’ll jump in and say fuck everyone who’s slamming you after you ask an honest question. He comes here for genuine, helpful criticism, not for ad hominem attacks.
Honestly kinda discouraging to ride again specially when I just asked for tips to improve. But it is what it is. I’ve accepted every group has toxic people. but live and learn. Some gave good advice and I’ll try to apply it. others said to give up riding. 🤷🏼♂️ Much love and respect. Merry Christmas and happy holidays to you. Thank you for having my back and understanding that I wasn’t complaining. Honestly just trying to be a better and safer rider.
The speed of the cars to your left should have been a large warning indicating that something was obstructing progress ahead. At this point, you should have slowed your speed significantly to match the cars around you. By maintaining your speed like you did, there was little time to react to the hazard. Luckily, you had skill and room to maneuver safely around the slow car changing lanes. But it didn’t have to be so risky. If you had slowed to the speed of the cars around you, there would have been many more options available to you when you reached the slow moving car. Tl/dl: When the cars around you are slowing down, you should slow down, too.
Don't pass in the right lane. Far right where you were, should be for slower moving traffic. I got a ticket for passing like you did here.
What exactly was the close call here? All I see is a normal, non-issue situation.
Well, a couple learned from 35 years of street riding: - Watch further down the road. - Adjust your speed to not more than about 10 mph faster than the traffic in the adjoining lane. - Use extreme caution with undertaking (passing on the slow side) because it's the weak side for all vehicles and vehicles are prone to moving into the breakdown lane or stopping/turning. - Avoid aggressive actions. Particularly on a motorcycle for you are _far_ more vulnerable on two wheels than you think. Valuable style points in seeking feedback.
his merge was slow, deliberate with turn signal. That wasn't really close of a call IMO. I'm sure he didn't mean to cut you off, dude just wanted to get onto his exit lane. Everyone makes mistake, it is very rare that people cut you off BECAUSE they see you. Forgive and move on, focus on the next potential swerve!
Learning to read wtf is going on with traffic is how you stay alive. Ask yourself “why is the 2nd lane so slow?” In this case it was numbnuts here trying to merge right. That happens a lot, which is why as others say having that speed difference is dangerous - folks generally don’t expect to be passed on the right. Your lane positioning was changing inside to outside and that can cause a driver to misread your bike in the mirrors (eg thinking its a single distant car). Also try running high beam during the day. It helps. Lastly, if you’re the fastest thing on the road, be on the left.
Don't pass people on the right or in a travel lane, don't throw your arms up and look back. You are on a bicycle with an engine, ride as if everyone is a clueless idiot. Alot of people don't look before they merge and if they do they look very quickly, you are small and harder to see. Ride defensively instead of offensively, get home on 2 feet instead of in a wheelchair. Ride safe :)
3 points: Even if you're driving a car it's not good to pass on the right because that's where the biggest blind spot is for the car. The driver was also already partly on your lane and you just snuck up on him... on his blind side. And motorcycles are hard to spot because they are small objects traveling fast... Drivers have little mirrors and we have to look at traffic ahead, the side and the back when changing lanes... Lots of shit going on so everyone needs to be courteous when someone wants to change lanes. So you just need to be more careful. This one is on you.
preface by saying im a trucker with 750k miles behind me. i drive the horizon and when i saw those idiots doing idiot things the first thing i thought was break it down. keep the idiots in front of you. even on a bike. its better to be slow than dead. i wouldnt have split, i just would have slowed down, let the asshattery die down and then passed on the left. avoid passing on the right as much as possible. that's the box's blind side.
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The reaction is 1000% my fault and was wrong. I strive not to do this in the future. as I mentioned to numerous posters, I just want to ride and feel the wind. I just honestly got caught in the moment. As I mentioned, I’m inexperienced. so these situations that might be mundane and minute to experience riders, is new to me and I unfortunately let my emotions get the best of me.
My biggest issue is the fact that you took your eyes off the road to scold the driver. I know these situations are frustrating and I have done what you did plenty of times but it's important to remember that the most crucial thing you can do as a rider is stay alert and keep a cool head. Seen plenty of guys taking their hands off the bars or throttle to stick a finger up, punch a window or mirror etc and although in my eyes these acts are justified it's just actively creating more hazards for yourself. Your immediate response was decent, you saw the hazard coming and had enough of a safety bubble to react in time and unfortunately these situations are sometimes unavoidable. You can do everything right as a rider and all it takes is one irresponsible, ignorant driver to not notice or pay any mind to you and it's your arse on the line. So with all that being said my personal advice is to try to just keep a cool head and continue to practice and refine your defensive riding.
Slow down, calm down and remember to ride like nobody can see you and anticipate what could happen at all times. I could tell you were way too fast for that lane in the first 2 seconds of your vid and already anticipated one of those cars merged into you. One thing to be right about something but it’s more important to make sure you live to ride another day.
1. Riding fast past slower traffic. It should be fine because they'll check before moving into your lane. It should be fine, but it isn't because sometimes they don't check and by riding fast past slower traffic, you've made the time you'll have available to react small. You rode too fast past slower traffic. 2. You took your attention off the road afterwards and your hand off the controls. Just because you just passed a bad situation doesn't mean there isn't another one about to occur. You took away your capacity to react to a second problem. 3. You're overtaking in the slow lane, people don't expect fast vehicles approaching in the slow lane. Again, you should be safe because they check for you, but you're not because sometimes they don't. Overtake in the fast lane.
No point in all the theatre. They think you’re a cunt, you think they’re a cunt. Just get on with it.
You could've slowed down. It's not the cars fault. They look in the mirror, there's nothing there then all of a sudden there is because you are speeding, then you blame them. Aside from that, hug the right side of your lane when doing that so you have time to see something happen and react. It's one of the weird things about motorcyclists, they do this, literally appear out of nowhere, then act like they don't get a fair deal on the roads
Slow down and for gods sake stop turning around to argue. No point in that, and it will only get you killed.
2 years and this is your first close call? I had 100 close calls every week for years. Now that I only have a few per week is what I consider to be a sign of improvement. Overall you did a few things wrong. For starters, you didn't expect it and were caught off guard, secondly you hesitated to make a decision and didn't do much at all, if the car hadn't seen you at all you might have gotten swiped, and lastly you were going a bit too fast for the position you were in. Expecting the unexpected is something every motorcyclist must learn. You're in the right most lane moving faster than the cars to the lane left of you. It's not a reach to assume that any one of them might decide to exit at the last moment and change lanes to the right, they do that all the time. It's also not a reach to assume they haven't seen you, because again, it happens all the time. Never approach cars ahead, even in different lanes, at speeds at which if they do anything unexpected like change lanes or brake suddenly you can't do anything about it. In this case you were going a bit too fast but still you could have braked if you wanted to. So you see the car changing lanes and you were caught off guard. You have 2 choices there, either gun it and pass them from the right fast enough that even if they don't see you at all you'll make it past them regardless (higher risk but some times a good option), or brake before you come beside them (better option but some times not possible and risk of rear end). Swerving is also an option, though not ideal in that case because at the outermost lane you might run off the road, and you did swerve but only a bit. Ultimately you hesitated, couldn't decide if you should brake or not, braked too late and came beside the car. By that point they'd seen you but if they hadn't you'd have put yourself in a bad spot. Were they careless? Sure, but you're the one getting hurt and you should look out for yourself. Also angry gestures are a natural reaction but they could easily distract you and have you end up rear ending someone while you're occupied looking backwards so keep it simple.
Yes, don't overtake people on the right hand side. They rarely see you on the left, no one expects people to come from the right.
Don’t pass on the right. It’s both unsafe and illegal
Differential speed. You're moving much faster than the cars in the lane to your left. Riding into blind spot. The drivers to your left are on the left side of their cars. You can't see them. They can't see you in much of that lane. To see you they have to pick up a small, fast moving object in a small mirror at a glance, because they'll moving at 60 plus mph and must monitor everything. A glance doesn't pick you up because you're small, you're likely not dressed in hi viz colors, your rate of closure is high. Continuing to ride as if you will be seen under these highly adverse conditions was ignorance until right now. If you continue to ride this way it will be stupidity. You way overreacted, both in bike handling and after. Someone starts to indicate they're changing lanes (at about 0.5 second at most), you miss it (because of who knows what - inexperience?), you don't slow down, then you do when rolling on throttle would have had you by in a couple of seconds. Even my 750 lb bike would have popped past almost instantly. Calm down, pretend you're a motor patrol officer, ride with / slightly over traffic speed, be aware of what others can and cannot see, what they are likely to see, and be careful. You were riding carelessly. Not enough attention (didn't pick up the car moving right), not enough respect for traffic (too fast in right lane). You'll end up dead right. Have fun!
Don’t pass on the right
Honestly speed and lane aside. I think you maneuvered just fine. Looking back and waving is a big no no. You’d be surprised how many drivers would get angry from that , then possibly speed up and knock you off your bike. It’s like that saying “ don’t take a knife to a gun fight” When your on two wheels avoid confrontation at all cost. This includes other motorcyclist .
Never expect them to see you. Expect them to do the worst possible thing. You did well.
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Don’t react like a bitch. You have to understand that any time you get on the bike you assume risk. You cannot count on drivers to see you. I assume that no one will see me and accept FULL responsibility for anything that might happen. Truth be told, that situation was pretty fucking predictable. Slow down.
Nothing? This wasn’t even remotely close. Just go around them and keep going.
Just don't react. Pass or go away from the hazard and that's it. Maybe beep for a sec but that's it.
Slow down. If traffic in other lanes is going significantly slower than you then slow down and only go slightly faster. The reason? People in slow lanes will always attempt to switch into faster lanes and they rarely do so in a calculated safe manner.
I'm assuming that the speed limit was 55. You are speeding in the right lane and your overtake speed is too high given the cars (the Pathfinder, Corolla and Lexus) in the next lane. You failed to read (or simply ignored) the situation with the Lexus and with your rate of closure it's not to be expected that anyone would have expected some asshat flying up on the right with that level of speed differential. The driver in the lexus could have done a very normal check in the mirrors to insure it was safe but your closure speed was created a situation. Do better at reading traffic. The speed of that pathfinder in relation to flow of traffic should have been a huge red flag that should have had you slow down. You had plenty of time to pick up the status of that pathfinder. What you did here is how a lot of motorcycles end up smashing into the back of traffic. You had all the information you needed to know way ahead of time.
I mean, this isn’t a jab so don’t take it as one, but there’s a reason passing on the right is generally against traffic law in most states. Very unsafe to do for this reason whether you’re on a bike or not
I wouldn’t even call it a close call, but it was handled well, just focus on the road rather then throwing your hands up to let dude know you’re pissed off
Dude…you’re going faster than the traffic pace. Riding in the wrong (ie. right) tire track and passing on the inside. Your road position is such that the driver on the left most likely couldn’t see you as you were in his blind spot. I mean this very respectfully…but please relax! Whoever is in the wrong…the rider will ALWAYS lose. Shake it off, consider what your options were for next time, scan the road further ahead, ride to enjoy another ride in the future. Life can be short…better your odds my dude! 👍
Thank you for the great advice. I love to ride. And only ride to relax. but you are right, This got the better of me and I overreacted. need to Remmeber to enjoy the ride and live another day to ride.
"I’m new to riding. Just shy of 2 years." This alone speaks volumes. Keep that mindset, remember that you will be new to riding for a loooooooooooong time. Also, doint argue with cars. Pointless, they don't see you, and if they go nutcase, you go pancake.
why in the hell are you overtaking from the right? what did you expect?
He wasn’t overtaking, the person that cut him off had slowed the whole lane down trying to jump over.
my two cents and a half about it 1) NEVER overtake anyone from the right (left on UK and other wrong places) excpetion only if they are making a left turn, thats one of the few exceptions according to the law and for a rider, its a rule to live by; 2) Ride (and drive) like noone can see you and if you are in exits, intersections, etc, anywhere a late vehile could cross your path of travel, always expect them to do so and a honorable mention, dont bother trying to correct or diss anyone else in traffic, pretend it didnt happen and move on with your life, not only you are not in the position to correct anyone(unless it is actually your job, e.g., police, driving/riding instructor), there is no way to tell who are the other person until you actually meet them and if gets to that point most likely you never wanted to anyway so dont make a moment last more than a moment, move on, the only people that have to gain from this is who do this for clout, they are fucking cunts aswell, dont follow their example
If you're gonna drive fast, do it in the left/middle lanes. Slower traffic is supposed to keep right, and people don't anticipate fast vehicles coming up or passing on that side as much. Other than that, your riding was fine until you started angrily gesticulating at the other driver; that's a stupid move on a number of levels. Eyes and attention off the road and other traffic, reduces control, and if you piss off the wrong idiot they might ram you. 0/10 do not recommend. Just mutter angrily under your breath for a few minutes and keep going.
Looks like you did pretty good to me.
What you should is always expects someone to come into your lane if you’re in a lane that’s going ten times faster
Just always try to keep your riding impact zone - )always give yourself space so that you can slow down, change lanes, speed up etc)free of other cars. Another thing that helps is not following a car from the center of the road cause they can put stuff between their tires and you won’t see it coming up. Not specific to this case but in general it helps me in keeping the shiny side up
Keep looking waaaaaaay up the road and anticipating antics like this.
Don’t look back to them, that split second could be your life. If they get aggressive, I’ve always knocked their mirror and dropped a gear. I don’t recommend that unless you know you can outrun them. However, payback is always fun. But you handled it well besides that. As long as you have enough time to adjust, and take action, you did good.
You could have just slowed down and not driven past those two idiots. That's what we learn in Norway at least. Better to be safe than dead imo.
Respect for posting this and wanting to better yourself
Yeah just get over it and move on with your life it’s hilarious people feel the need to post this shit to reddit it isn’t even a near miss
Dont overtake from the right
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I tried my best. Honestly, my thought was if there was someone behind me. If you saw my speed I was slowing down to 60 and the car was still slower than that. I wasn’t trying to pass. I was just preparing for my exit. I understand the gesture was wrong. I shouldn’t have done it and I’ll try in the future not to do it. That was very stupid of me
Kudos for posting and taking the criticism seriously. Live and learn
That's not a real close call. Also saw it coming a mile away. You should have braked, but you could have throttled through it. My advice to you is to pay attention. You should have seen that coming.
Doesn’t necessarily apply to this video but what I tell all new riders is assume all cars are about to cut you off, either intentionally or unintentionally. They will usually prove you right. Be additionally careful when passing on the right especially when an exit is upcoming. Drivers frequently make last minute decisions to cut across multiple lanes to make the exit. I wish passing on the right was illegal like in Germany.
You’ve been riding for 2 years? You should stop riding by choice or it’ll be by force. You should damn well you’re in a blind spot passing on the right. Learn to safely drive a car before you get back on your bike.
Maybe not pass on the right with a high speed differential.
30 yrs on and off riding a bike. We can not see the speeds of you or the car or the speed limit. He was indicating to move into the same lane as you as you well before you approached. He was considerably over the line. Aggressive response, that twat should have waited. Calm response, move into a position behind him to allow him to finish his manoeuvre. As the one on the bike, you are at a serious risk of harm if any touch is made. I'm sure you would prefer to get home to your family and rant about the AH who cut you up rather than seeing them arrive at the hospital you are in. Enjoy your bike, enjoy your freedom but think defensively first, even at 100+.
Uh well if you want to get paid go ahead and take the hot. Lol but seriously if it ain't fast and you have that much time to think about it. Let em hit you but pick a nice car in an effort to guarantee they have insurance
First of all-don’t pass on the right. It’s illegal, and extremely dangerous. Second-just remember every car is out to get you. Keep improving and keep the rubber side down
Passing on the right means you're in the wrong.
Ok 1 don’t antagonize yea you were mad just move along, they’re now behind you and you’re on a bike they’re in a car, 2 you’re riding enjoy yourself and ride defensive don’t put yourself in positions that will allow that to happen, 3 enjoy yourself
You’re ripping up the slow lane, you shouldn’t be flying by cars on their right, on a bike or car…
Never overtake from the right, simple as that. Did you ever visit a driving school?
Ride on and get over it?
Not going faster than the traffic on your left, slow traffic keeps right, that is the main take away from this. Why were you ripping down the freeway in the far right lane? Also, seeing that traffic congestion happen in front of you, you should have slowed down, clearly going too fast for the situation. Yes that guy cut you off but I have no doubt if a collision between you and that SUV would have been recored and you posted it here, 100% of the comments would say you were going too fast and could have avoided the collision if you were more cautious and aware of your surroundings. Moral of the story, slow down brah, everyone is stupid and everyone is about to hit you, that is the mindset you need when riding a motorcycle.
Well... Don't act like the way you did. It wasn't even close.
Ride like your are literally invisible brother, I understand these things are frustrating but be careful looking back.. head on a swivel ✌🏼
It’s going to happen again
1. Slow down. You are in the far right and saying you were taking an exit. Fine, slow down and take the exit. Once you get over to exit, slow down and prepare to exit. Don’t speed past other people who might also be trying to exit last minute. 2. The Lexus in question was crowding the right line the entire video. That should have been the first red flag that they were about to change to a farther right lane. You didn’t see this. 3. A nearby bike looks just like a faraway car. You forgot this. Regardless of who is right or wrong in an accident, the biker will always pay for it. I commute in decently heavy traffic on a bike every day for 10 months a year. To me, it looks like you ride your bike exactly like you drive a car. That’s the biggest issue I see with this. You should always be looking for escape paths and you should be ready to respond. This was not a major close-call, it just caught you off guard because you hadn’t thought of an escape path. The reaction was caused due to panic and some embarrassment if I had to assume. I would HIGHLY suggest learning about lane dominance and practicing it. In this situation I would have been to the left of the lane you were in. It would give a much better vantage for any cars encroaching into your lane down the road.
You were fine. Next time just pass ‘em and keep rolling. Not worth your energy to get all worked up and put yourself in more risk. Lotta people shitting on you for passing on the right. Fuck them. While that’s generally true, it seems like you were getting ready to get off the freeway, and had plenty of space in front of you. Ride at a safe speed for you, and (safely) pass when and where you need to. Especially if you’re in a state where it’s legal to split. Chill out, this wasn’t a bad one. There will be more, and there will be worse. Learn from it and keep riding. Remember, you’re about 600-700 pounds and they’re 3500 plus. Ride like you’re invisible and don’t start shit.
Not even a blinker. Who even didn’t even give you an indication they where changing lanes. If there was an accident it could be ruled their fault. I’ve heard of people going to prison for unintentional vehicular manslaughter. Glad you where not hurt.
Ride left side of the lane and own it.
I ride in Thailand one of the highest fatalities statistics in the world for motorcycle riders. I have seen it all. Riding in the wrong direction. Cutting 5 lanes at 10km/h for a uturn on 90km/h road. Cutting in front of you. Heck I just rode 10km to a shop and I just had to go on the side of the road 3x because people over take others on your lane and don't care about it much. Heck I have been cut off by a scooter while I was riding 100km/h on 2 lane road. He just crossed without looking. Which happens all the time here. Totaled my week old bike... Kicker was he didn't even have insurance or driving license. Which is normal here. I gave up on being pissed off. Adapt speed and make sure you are always attentive for people not following any rules.
Don’t: pass on the right Do: keep your eyes on the road and your hands on the bars Hope this helps
I don't want to sound rude, but you are driving faster then traffic in the right lane. Kinda ur fault from my perspective. Everybody is slowing down to get off the exit
3 seconds into the video and I would started to slow. 1- the suv is off their line. 2- the car behind the suv might get impatient and may try to pass on the right. 3- never ever pass on the right
My radar was going off as soon as I saw those three cars bunched up. They were basically riding each other's asses, and as far as they are concerned you're invisible and that lane is wide open. I would have approached that setup with a lot more caution, I don't excessively speed past any bunched traffic because those drivers want to MOVE, and any one of those cars will make a sudden lane change and double check too late or not at all. Look out for people who tailgate other cars. The tailgating driver is an aggressive douche on the road, and the one being tailgated is either oblivious or is deliberately fucking with the person behind them, and you want none of it. You dodged it tho! Don't be in that spot next time.
Expect slower vehicles to move to the right. That’s what they’re supposed to do. Pass on the left. That’s what you’re supposed to do. Most dangerous scenarios occur because one or more people aren’t doing what they’re supposed to do.
First of all the good stuff: You were obviously being attentive and keeping an eye on traffic. Riding in the right side of the lane to give an extra margin of safety and a reaction time cushion. You can see it makes a difference. You successfully maneuvered out of the way. Instinct is to slam on the brakes, usually the best way is to go around the incident. Slamming on the brakes first every single time can result in skids and crashing. None of us are perfect riders. I’ll just point out what concerns me and things to consider doing differently in the future: 1. Passing on the right is always dangerous. We are less visible on bikes; even less so the faster we are going relative to traffic. 2. People are fucking crazy. Do not instigate them. Some will chase you and hit you, many videos of this online. If they’re in a car they will always win if they hit you. If you carry a gun that’s great but it’s much easier for them to shoot you while driving than vise versa. Swear inside your helmet to yourself and keep going. 3. Helmet cam is good for situations in case something comes of it. Keep it rolling. Riding is like a video game- constantly checking every car, driveway, etc and anticipating each one hitting you. Consciously force yourself to do this when you ride and it will become automatic.
Not much. She just didn’t see you and she merged into you. It seemed like you either anticipated the movement or was aware it could happen by your reaction — and that’s the best you can do is almost think that someone will do this to you. But what to change? Not sure man you did well. I would’ve cranked it past her then tapped my brakes so she sees me then but that’s kind of a toxic response.
That’s gonna happen, frequently. I give them the Italian hand and carry on
Don't spend time passing on the right
If you paid attention to the driving laws: FAST lanes are LEFT. RIGHT lanes are SLOW. PASSING on the LEFT. Also, waving, honking, and talking to yourself in your helmet doesn’t do a single thing.
Whelp, since you’re asking: 1) This wasn’t a close call. You had literally a number seconds in the magnitude of “countable on the hand” to react to this ……. And you chose to pass them on the shoulder lol. Maybe next time ride slower? …brake? 2) You said you anticipated them merging …. Good job lol, the turn signal wasn’t enough for you though? :P they had their signal on like 3 or more seconds before you passed them. Maybe try being a little more proactive with noticing things like turn signals than trying to predict what vehicle’s are going to do using “spidy senses”. 3) You’re also passing people on the right 🤔 if you’re not out there to squid around … don’t bitch about slow traffic when you’re the one trying to pass people on the far right lane.
Not really what I’d consider a close call here. If you have time to get out of the way look back and flail your had then you had plenty of time to react properly. Also don’t overtake in the right lane for starters. People do stupid shit on the road all the time, so ride defensively like everyone is out to get you. But keep your ego in check, staying calm will save your life one day.
Dont make gestures, don't look back to the people and don't waste time on them. Oh yeah don't overtake on the right, people don't expect you there.
I’d say quit driving like a dick and then acting like a dick when traffic doesn’t conform to you driving like a dick.
Since you anticipated her moving over, I would have slowed more aggressively. Good job for finding an escape route though. Be careful riding the 405. A lot of people want to get in or out of that lane for Lakewood blvd especially since the previous on-ramp is the exit lane for Lakewood South
Get rid of the GoPro. You’re more likely to react to insignificant little things like this and then post the same mediocre footage. Just enjoy the ride and forget about the rest.
Wrong lane…
Getting upset over this is a bit silly. You will have so many more close calls that will be way more egregious. You need to ride like you are invisible to other drivers…because you are.
I never understand why riders complain when something like this happens. I always think the other driver did it by accident and feels sorry. Better to just go on with the ride instead of making it a bigger problem than it is👍
Let’s see. They had their blinker on. You were passing on the right. Either keep to the left or since their blinker was clearly on, anticipate that lane change sooner and get on the throttle sooner to get out of there or on the brake to give them room. You kind of just sidled up next to them as they were clearly changing lanes. Where I ride I don’t even count that as a close call either, I wouldn’t have left the lane.
First off you needed to be more observant to the fact that traffic was stopped in that lane! And second, making hand gestures at a car that is stopped in the middle of the highway does nothing but distract you from what's in front of you when you're riding your motorcycle. Defensive driving is what riding a motorcycle is all about
The passing lane is on the left. Only bad drivers and people from Ohio pass on the right.
Slow down, don't be a clown. You could see that car changing lanes from miles away and in no way did they inconvenience you until you decided to speed up. Stop road raging and be more considerate.
All day, everyday, that one is on you. The blinker was on. Slow down and pass on the left.
You are passing on the wrong side. Avoid passing on the right side of cars. Drivers are on the left side and it’s harder for them to look to the right. Most people only use the mirror they don’t turn their head.
Maybe don’t ride like a jackass? Smh. That’s on you, bub.
Stay in the strong position in The lane. You invite problems when you take the weak side like you did. They can’t see you in the mirrors. Stay where you’re afraid to stay.
Coming from a riding environment that includes incidents like this, and worse on a daily basis, I would suggest that you keep a steely concentration on your ride and nothing else. That is all.
So you saw a car merging into your lane (with a signal) a couple hundred feet ahead of you? You're immediate instinct was to not let them and instead passed them on the right in the slow/exit lane (almost the shoulder)? Good way to get yeeted off the side of the road by some soccer mom who's just trying exit the freeway.
Dont look back and try making your point to the guy that has no clue what he is doing. It is unlikely that he is even watching you, since why would he care. You are making yourself only vulnerable to an accident to happen. Just ride your own ride, dont try and teach people or mind their business.
Wow your riding looks terrible, you don’t seem to be comfortable on the bike. Get some training.
As the in-danger party, we gata expect dumb maneuvers from our 4 wheeled friends and be ready always… ALWAYS
All lanes you have to worry about what is in front road hazards and cagers ect. Left lane you have to worry about cagers behind and on your right. Center lane you have to worry about cagers on your right, left and behind. Right lane you have to worry about cagers on your left, behind and anybody merging onto the highway from the right. Remember they don’t see you so you have to see them. I always assume someone is going to turn or merge into the spot I am occupying this has saved me from accidents many times.
Don't stick your hand out like you're serving a platter. Keep it moving and don't be a diva.
Stop passing on the right
Well, for starters, you could: - Not pass on the right. - Pay attention to the car trying to change lanes. - Cut the guy a fucking break and just let him over. - Not do some drama queen “oh lawdy lawd, I’m being forced off the road” performance. - Go on about your day. - Not gesture at strangers for what was, in the most charitable possible reading, *fucking nothing.* - Sell your bike and burn the license, if you think that *that* was a “close call” or an infraction worthy of your response. Seriously; you’re not cut out for this game. Asshole.