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DO NOT HIT THE PIGEONS!!! PLEASE READ!!!

Cagers are pigeons because they do not use binocular vision when they look for bikes therefore they can not judge your speed or distance away. It's up to you to control the variables since they are not! This is a great video for those who say, "I quit riding because of the idiots". The problem is the idiot is likely YOU! If you watch videos of bike crashes on Youtube you will see idiot after idiot going to fast for the conditions getting hit by cars. Even though it's often the car driver's fault you pay the price because of "your" actions! Can we prevent all crashes? No, but "we" as riders can greatly reduce the numbers. Then again some people just don't listen!

Will I get flamed by someone soon? Yes I will, every time I've tried to impart riding tips I've learned or heard, people will tell me how I'm wrong or that I think I'm the best rider around, etc.. SO.......
 
I do see a lot of videos on YT where it seems if the person on the bike would have paid more attention, they could have avoided the situation. I often wonder if it’s new riders who don’t understand how to anticipate a situation or are they just not paying attention?
 
I wish it was just new riders, unfortunately it’s not. As MotoJitsu says if you’ve been practicing white belt techniques for 30 years you’re still a white belt. I’ve spoken to many riders who say things like, “I’ve been riding for thirty years I know what I’m doing” but when they go through a reasonably easy obstacle course in a parking lot they run over cones, drop their bikes, etc… When I say reasonably easy, I mean for people who practice their riding skills not just ride.

I’m not saying that everyone wants to practice or that they have to but since the consequences on a motorcycle are often deadly, I think they should! It’s similar to wondering why most cops don’t practice with their weapons. The fact of the matter is they don’t and most are pretty horrible shots considering they carry a gun everyday!
 
Excellent video! Something that human eyes also pick up is movement, especially out of the norm. As you approach possible pigeons, do a little wiggle. Now your straight on headlight becomes a moving beacon, and can be more noticeable.
 
I've found adding my aux lights mostly fixed the issue of not getting seen. This explains why some folks pull out at seemingly off times anyway. I've dodged the pigeons so far. *Knocks on wood*
 
I had a headlight modulator on my 99 Concours. I know it got attention because I would see drivers look my way and turn away and then whip their head back toward me because they picked up the flashing headlight. I also had a few people pull over thinking I was a cop. Just gave a big wave when I went by.
 
I have a habit of watching the youtube crash videos. I try to analyze the scenarios. A lot of riders push a bad position a lot of times. Any of us could do the same. The wife watches the videos with me and we discuss some of the content. I remember when the wife wanted to get her license. She asked a lot of questions. One day on the way home, we were coming across Rock creek west of Millsap, I started slowing down as I crossed the bridge. The car on the side of the road ahead does a u turn in front of us. So, I asked if she had noticed anything. No. Well. I said, there was movement in the car and that could be an issue. In this case it was. Hopefully, she is mindful of that scenario.
 
Excellent video! Something that human eyes also pick up is movement, especially out of the norm. As you approach possible pigeons, do a little wiggle. Now your straight on headlight becomes a moving beacon, and can be more noticeable.

This 1000! I do this all the time and it is amazing at how well it works. If anyone wants to check out a video explaining it just look up the smidsy maneuver.
 
I agree that the Smidsy maneuver probably draws attention to you and that it will help but it does not address all the issues. The other issue addressed in the video was the inability to judge your speed. Just because they see you does not mean they realize your speed and will not pull out in front of you thinking they have time. However, you can slow your speed and adjust your lane position to prepare for that. I say do both and you're good to go!
 
Just watched this last night. Makes sense. This guy reminds me of those hosts on science shows, etc
 
This video is very flawed. The issue of drivers not identifying speed or the path of travel of a motorcycle is valid point only in a tiny number of situations. He is leaving out the fact that many drivers see motorcyclists and do not care if they have the right of way or not. People will run into you, run you off the road and pull out in front of you because they believe they can bully you into yielding to their larger vehicle. What is worse, they are correct. If you run your 500lbs bike into their 8000lbs truck you will be the one to suffer. Trying to justify drivers not caring if they kill someone else is disingenuous at best. Most people do not care if they kill another person, they are only concerned that they could be caught.

There is no such thing as the right of way.

There is only the right of weight.
 
There are a series of videos on youtube that I look at periodically on a channel called "Moto Madness". They highlight many confrontations between riders and cages. I would say that it is at least 50 percent of the time that the rider is riding too fast or aggressively that causes the friction. These videos are just a sampling and are all posted from the riders perspective.
 
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This video is very flawed. The issue of drivers not identifying speed or the path of travel of a motorcycle is valid point only in a tiny number of situations. He is leaving out the fact that many drivers see motorcyclists and do not care if they have the right of way or not. People will run into you, run you off the road and pull out in front of you because they believe they can bully you into yielding to their larger vehicle. What is worse, they are correct. If you run your 500lbs bike into their 8000lbs truck you will be the one to suffer. Trying to justify drivers not caring if they kill someone else is disingenuous at best. Most people do not care if they kill another person, they are only concerned that they could be caught.

There is no such thing as the right of way.

There is only the right of weight.
True. It doesn't just happen to motorcycles. On a section of "Merge left" section of BW8 West, a guy in a lifted pickup truck tried to squeeze in front of me (in a 4dr sedan), from the right shoulder of the road, long after most motorists would've merged in. I refused to let him intimidate me into submission, and that rankled him to no end. He chased me down, tried to cut me off again, and even threw a water bottle at me. All this because he was probably used to being able to throw his weight around and intimidating other drivers of smaller vehicles, and got really pissed off when he comes across someone that wouldn't.

Yet another reason to have dash cams on every cars I have. Having multiple cams (front + rear) is even better.
 
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The rule I was taught is simple. "Don't fall down". Do what you have to do based on your skills, knowledge and abilities to protect yourself and you will usually be fine. Keep yourself a safe zone, and don't start a tour in TX through the hill country at 4 a.m. :-) Just for the record, I commuted to Austin for two years and almost all the I-35 close calls were people on cell phones, multitasking. I used to think the stupidest people in the country commuted to Austin. Now I hear its about the same everywhere. No concern for the rights or life of others, and of course, the love of most has grown cold :-)
 
This 1000! I do this all the time and it is amazing at how well it works. If anyone wants to check out a video explaining it just look up the smidsy maneuver.
It's surprising to me that smidsy is not better known. I use it and know that it has helped.
 
Great video, and i tend to agree that it is incumbent on the rider to avoid collision. This is a learned behaviour, yet critical for survival. Drinking and riding handicaps your ability to do this, as does the immortality of youth.
Watching a rider on loop 610 weave lanes at 85mph+ wearing gym shorts and a tee yesterday, when the inevitable happens to him I'm sure he'll cast the blame on the driver who switched lanes. He would be dead wrong.
 
I've found adding my aux lights mostly fixed the issue of not getting seen. This explains why some folks pull out at seemingly off times anyway. I've dodged the pigeons so far. *Knocks on wood*
Blinding on coming traffic is not the answer. If you think it is helping you I guess it’s good for your thoughts but I promise it’s putting you in danger. When drivers have to look away they’re not watching you. I don’t see a headlight with a motorcycle behind it, I see a motorcycle with ridiculous lights on it and I look have to look away, and now you’re on your own, having to do what you should have been doing in the first place. Ride safe, don’t blind drivers coming the other way. Blind pigeons can’t see you.
 
Blinding on coming traffic is not the answer. If you think it is helping you I guess it’s good for your thoughts but I promise it’s putting you in danger. When drivers have to look away they’re not watching you. I don’t see a headlight with a motorcycle behind it, I see a motorcycle with ridiculous lights on it and I look have to look away, and now you’re on your own, having to do what you should have been doing in the first place. Ride safe, don’t blind drivers coming the other way. Blind pigeons can’t see you.

I have a dimmer module that keeps them at 20% with my low beam. They only get really bright with the high beam. Don't be so quick to judge.
 
WIlliam is completely right, adding auxillary light makes you more visible both during the day and at night. This has been proven in study after study and by my own non scientific study. Having a dimmer that allows you to run the lights at night is the only way to go in my opinion. Calm down Mike, this isn't ADVrider forum.
 
Blinding on coming traffic is not the answer. If you think it is helping you I guess it’s good for your thoughts but I promise it’s putting you in danger. When drivers have to look away they’re not watching you. I don’t see a headlight with a motorcycle behind it, I see a motorcycle with ridiculous lights on it and I look have to look away, and now you’re on your own, having to do what you should have been doing in the first place. Ride safe, don’t blind drivers coming the other way. Blind pigeons can’t see you.
Easy there cowboy!
 
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