usually flashing my brakes (NOT brake checking, just flashing) gets the hint across.  if it doesn't, slowing down to 10 under the limit does.

however, i have long contemplated a "back off my ass" vest.

Quote from: SpitfireHowever, how about adjusting your mirrors so you can see rear left and right, just not directly behind you? (Mine seem like this anyway).

I have mine adjusted this same way, if I still need to look directly behind me I can tuck an elbow.

No need for me to mess with mirrors. I can't see a darn thing anyway unless  I get in a contorted position. :mrgreen:

Derek

people tailgate me constantly when i'm out visiting my family in Minnesota.

In California, everyone drives fast, so if you don't drive 80mph on the highway, you will get tailgated because everyone keeps catching up to you. I learned very quickly to go 80mph or ride only in the rightmost lane.

I don't have mirrors  :dunno:

Not really much to help with tailgaters but more of a general safety device -- I have installed one of these on my GS.

http://www.flashalert.com/integrator.htm

They have scratch and dent sales sometimes on ebay where you can pick them up for about 40% off of their retail price.

They cause the brake lights to flash while actively braking and also work to make one of the brake lights flash when your turn signals are on.

I am considering getting one of these annoying things.

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&rd=1&category=34284&item=4561654120&sspagename=WDVW

Anything to help w/ visibilty.

Sorry for the semi-OT post.

Chris

Whilst we are on this topic, it makes me cringe when I see riders using the wrong wheel track within a lane and they have a car behind them who is thinking mmmmeeee I could just squeeze past this bike, they seem to be mainly scooter and smaller cc bikes riders.  Remember guys, position yourself so should your ass go through their windscreen it hits them fair and square in the face.  

Tailgaters shaZam! me and I use a staged approach starting with flashing the brake light working up to some nice abusive gestures and language.  My preference would be a high powered rifle capable of reengineering their engine with a new intake  :guns:

Quote from: conradvrMy preference would be a high powered rifle capable of reengineering their engine with a new intake  :guns:

in conjunction with the "do you pack while riding" post from a few days ago, a .357 magnum will crack an engine block easily, and fits nicely in a tank bag

Tailgaters really piss me off too, even more so on the bike than in the car.  I'm more vulnerable plus the bike can stop a lot faster than the car and the idiot behind me doesn't realize that.  

The first time I took the bike to work I had a woman in a big honking SUV about 6 inches off my rear fender all during the fastest and scariest part of the trip. Fortunately it was only for about 2 miles (nowhere to pull over, it's a secondary road with serious hills, twists and guardrails).

I tried flashing the brakes to no avail. Also tried waving my left hand in a "get back" motion, no luck.
I tried speeding up but was already 5 or 10 mph over the speed limit and I'm still a noob so I started to scare the hell out of myself. And it didn't help because she would just speed up too.

When the road finally split into 2 lanes I pulled into the right one and she roared past me on the left. I shook my fist at her as she passed but she didn't see because she was screaming into her CELL PHONE  :x .  

LQ

sometimes this comes in handy...
http://www.uscav.com/productinfo.aspx?productid=5423&tabID=137

The Instructor in my MSF course told all of the students to carry marbles or washers in there pockets to help with the tailgator problem.. seems like good advice in my experience

I read this post this morning and not 6 hours later I was riding along on a 30mph side street and someone was riding my ass. I went to make my left turn and must have caught them offgaurd cus they had to lock up the brakes and hit the horn when I slowed down. If done right they could have killed or seriously injured me. Some people!

Quote from: erijinThe Instructor in my MSF course told all of the students to carry marbles or washers in there pockets to help with the tailgator problem.. seems like good advice in my experience

Yeah, that is bad advice.  Just speed up, move over, tap your brakes, etc.  Throwing dangerous items at a moving car is a bad idea.  Not only could you hurt the driver (or other drivers), but that seems like a VERY good way to make a car want to actually run you over, instead of just riding your a$$.

If you cause an accident by throwing something at a car, or otherwise injure somebody, you could  face both criminal and civil penalties...not good times;  bad times.

One of the funniest things I have seen in the last few years was a guy who had a 200X Mercedes CLK, they have a rear sunshade that comes up with the flip of a switch.  He wrote in big lettters(In tape) "f%$k YOU" on it, so when he was pissed, he'd press the sunshade button, and there would be no question at all as to his feelings about someone... classic.  

Just 15 mins ago some sh$t was tailgating at 30 mph .... I turned around and gestured  :nana:  at him... to no avail.... what are people thinking?

While commuting this morning I noted that I was following a wee bit too close to the hearse in front of me.  Bad karma?

Only if you smack into it...  

My MSF instructor said that one of his Harley-riding friends chews tobacco while he rides, and if someone gets too close the guy will swing his head up and to the side and spit a big lugey so that it lands on the windshield of the tailgater :lol: .

And no, the guy doesn't wear a full-face helmet!

LQ

When i am in my Jeep and a person tailgates me, while on a curvey two lane road, i slow down to about 25 under the speed limit.  Then drive straight in my lane till they build up enough corage and frustraition to try to pass, as soon as i hear them rev the engine to gain speed, windows are down, i swerve into a spot where passing is impossible, no oncoming cars.  My record is a 20 sec horn blast from an @$$ about 1 ft of my bumper. to them.... :guns:

to all us out there just trying to enjoy the road and not get run over  (after the ride of course)

Why would you intentionally trade a crappy and oblivious driver behind you for a crappy and VERY PISSED OFF driver behind you?  That seems to defy common sense.

I'm at the point in my life where I can laugh at the high-strung soccer moms and power dads beating their steering wheels in frustration.  Life's too short for that shaZam!.

Cheers,

Cay