So I finally got my handguards on..safe to say, i had to shave back the rubber on a handgrip some and put a nylon washer on, so as to not get the throttle stuck in open position. Also, i put all sorts of reflective bright stuff on the bike because i got pulled out in front of TWICE today. Stupid cagers. anyway, the GA weather really was great today, and I put 150 miles on the bike. It's comfortable, but my back gets to hurting after a while, but I have always had a few back issues. It's a very flickable machine and I love the linear, smooth powerband, though sometimes my clutch acts up when cold. I'll have to check it out. Anyway, Here's the pics! any questions, just ask me.

there's the washer+bit of cut off handgrip to not stick

  there's the frontal view with all the reflective junk so i can be SEEN!

there's the rear view with more reflective stuff.

Regarding being pulled out on due to NOt being seen.

I think... people DO actually see you - but - just don't care and pull out anyway.

When they see a bike they think a few things without realizing it...

=> He can stop
=> It's not a cop
=> It't not a 1%er who will hurt me

Bright yellow, high beams, whatever, they Already see you with normal light on. They just don't care.

When I ride with my 1%er get up on, I ge respect on the road. People get out of me way.

When I ride with my cop-like get up on, I get respect on the road. People get out of my way.

When I ride to work with my work gear on, people pull out in front of me.

Want to stop them... ride odd. If you see someone on a side road, swerve around your lane as if you're avoiding something. It will make them pause in thought for a moment. More effective than swatches of red stuff plastered on your bike.

After a while, you will also get to KNOW when people are going to do stupid things. It's the biker's 6th sense.

Michael

AH..thanks for that advice. Its just kinda everytime I see someone about to pull out it freaks me out because I have no idea if they see me. So you're suggesting I dress up as a cop and ride? hahahah! where do they sell the "uniforms"?
And what do you mean by the 1%?

Some places I have to work at requires certain dress codes. It just so happens, those dress codes make me look like a cop on a bike. Which is why I said cop-like. And with my posture riding the GS, it is like that of the posture used while cops ride their BMWs.

In Australia, apparently, there are less road incidents of people who wear white colored helmets. It's not cause they are seen better but because cops wear white helmets. And the cgae driver might think for a split second... cop... and halt their action. Even if they then realize you were not a cop, the effect has been achieved.... they didn't cut you off and gave you more respect.

A 1%er is, in this country, an Outlaw Bikie Gang. Members of such gangs where a Vest with a Large Patch on the back and any number of smaller patches and buttons on the front.

The MC Club I belong to also has a large patch for the back of a vest. When I wear that vest, which is also adorned with various patches and buttons on the front, I look like a Bikie. A 1%er. And as everyone knows, 1%ers are tough MOFOs and you better not piss them off lest they will Hurt you or your Property.

Once while wearing my Club Vest a guy cut me off and jumped into my lane. I could see his reaction of "oh sheet" in his side mirror. He waved an apology at me. THEN, when I got next to him cause my lane moved, he verbally apologized!

Now I should point out, our club goes to a LOT of effort not to be mistaken for a 1% club. ALL the police know we are Fine, Upstanding Citizens. BUT, the public have their own ideas.

For instance. "The Patriots" MC Club is made up of currently serving and former serving defense force people - full time or reserve. AND, you must NOT have a police record for ANY crime whatsoever. About as upstanding as you can get, right? But the general public doesn't know. They see.... motorcycle; motorcycle vest with patches; lots of them on a ride... and conclude, it must be a Tough Bikie Gang so stay out of their way.

Just like people make a judgement call on a person wearing a suit, people make similar calls on motorcycle riders.

As I've mentioned before... walk through the local shopping mall and take note of how people are around you. Now walk through wearing your bike jacket and carrying your helmet and notice Different the general reaction is. Wider berth, right? That's cause you are now classed as a Biker and are probably Tough and mean. Wear a vest with patches and the reaction is even more noticeable.

Anyway. A longer answer than you were expecting.

Michael

I agree 100% about the reaction to image.  I'm not a small guy, not huge either, ~180 lbs at 6'2" but if I put on all of my riding gear the additional height and body due to padding and gear makes people treat me like I'm a tough giant.

I like it.

Peace,
Syzygy

I'll also add to the High Vis CLothing & Bike Adornments thing... the type of person to wear all that would tend to ride a certain way as well. And that riding style would be less conducive to being involved in a crash.

Picture the guy wearing sandshoes without socks, shorts and a singlet, riding a Ninja. Squid, right? Imagine how he rides?

Now picture the guy with motorcycle boots on, kevlar jeans, motorcycle jacket, highvis vest on, gloves, brightly colored helmet, riding a GS500. Think he might ride differently?

FACTS:

=> Cages WILL pull out in front of you from side streets no matter how Visible you are. Expect it and ride & position yourself accordingly.

=> Cages WILL pull into your lane / cut you off no matter how visible you are. Expect it and ride & position yourself accordingly.

And by position I mean... to place yourself so you can be seen & so it is easier to take evasive action.

For example... hugging the curb is dangerous because... cars coming from side streets see the oncoming curb part of the road last as their vision clears the fence of the house on the corner; if the car comes out you cannot get closer to the curb, you're already there, and it's a lo-o-o-ong way to swerve to the center line and possibly go around the car that way; oncoming cars might not see you behind the car in front of you and will begin their turn across your path leaving you with no-where to go. In all three cases, closer to the center line enables side road people to see you better, gives greater time before they get into your riding line which gives you more time to react and swerve/brake and oncoming cars can see you better as well.

I don't care if lane splitting is Legal where you are, it is Dangerous because... you come up on cars faster than the frequency of their mirror checking; they don't expect something to be between the lanes of cars; they are fixated on the gap they are trying to move into; you have nowhere to go if something comes at you. This is why My Preference is to go on the Outside/Inside of the lanes, NOT between lanes, if I do at all. That is, to go on the Shoulder - it's sealed down here on the roads I travel with a Minimum two feet after the line marking the side of the lane. Which usually means I have Plenty of space and no-one suddenly pulls off a straight road when stuck in bumper to bumper traffic. But even still, I do this slo-o-ow.

Wanna have some fun? While following a cage, pay attention to where the driver is looking. Now start swerving as if your riding through a slalom course. They will take their eyes off the road and watch you. If they have a passenger they will say something and then expect the passenger to turn to look at you. THAT is being noticed 

In construction and heavy industry, steel capped boots, gloves, long sleeve shirts and pants, safety specs & face shields, ear plus and muffs, etc., are known as Personal Protective Equipment (PPE). The PPE on a rider are the riding boots, hardy pants, gloves, helmet, jacket. While such PPE does protect you it does NOT make you Superman and suddenly impervious to all harm.

My Basic rules when riding are... ride like I am invisible... like they do not see me - and - a flashing indicator on a vehicle informs me only that their bulb is working (don't trust indicators). This way, I am not taken by surprise when a car pulls out from a side street.

If you watch this video of mine http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ARrGgI5qLnY at around 4 min you'll see I move to the far left lane. I did this so... any cars jumping out of the stopped lane would not hinder me. But notice how close I hug the dividing line. I am closer to the center lane and can jump into it quick should a car in a side street come out, plus it enables cars in side streets the chance to see me Sooner and for me to see them Sooner. Then, when I had the red car in front I stayed my course as I could see he was itching to get over and would thus be looking for that, not paying attention to me - and as you see he moves into the lane my riding buddie was in at the time!

If you only do one thing, actively scan/monitor the traffic. Looking straight ahead unaware of what's going on around you like cagers do is eventually gonna catch you out on a bike. Look around you, and Way head of you. See all those cars stopped but the cars in front don't see it and are not braking yet? YOU start slowing now. It slows the car behind so They aren't surprised by your sudden braking and then finger crossing as you hope the guy behind stops.

THAT will keep you harm free more than relying on PPE.

IN safety circles...

1: Remove the hazard
2: if it cannot be removed, try and isolate it
3: If it cannot be fully isolated, reduce your exposure to it / control it
4: Wear PPE in case of accidental and minimal exposure to help reduce harm entirely.

1: We cannot remove cages from the road.
2: We do not have Motorbike Only lanes with barriers between us and the cages, nor set times of the day where only we can have the road.
3: We can only reduce exposure by not riding, or riding in such a way we remove ourselves from dangerous situations
4: On the chance all this fails, we have PPE to help protect us further.

Michael

Very nicely put, Michael.

As for 1%'er difinition: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Outlaw_motorcycle_club#One_Percenters

Thanks, Paulcet.

And to reiterate...

Less than an hour after I wrote that, while riding along the dual lane main road into the city... The car in question was a good three hundred yards in front with nothing between us and was following another car. I closed the gap and then changed lanes and was about mid way past this car when the woman driver (about 60) decided she wanted to be in my lane! WTF!? As I gave it some extra throttle and swerved to the other side of the lane I also beeped my horn. She halted her progress. Once in front of her I gave her the No No finger   and she slowed right up. (For some reason the most effective thing seems to be the No No finger. It doesn't cause reciprocal rage. Maybe a carry over from being a child and it gets them right at that core.   )

She was paying Zero attention to anything around her. She did glance in her mirror to change lanes - I saw this because I was watching her as I rode past. Saw her glance in her mirror and hit the indicator stalk and start to move all at the same time. She happened to do this Just as I was passing through her mirror blind spot.

Which raises a point to be aware of... when drivers change lanes they do not... indicate, look, change. They indicate as they change and look at the same time. They go from watching the road maybe 50 yards in front of them, to looking to the side as they change and then simultaneously indicate.

On a bike, if you indicate, then look, it intrinsically tells those following you, that is where you will go. So the shoulder check does more than help you make sure the coast is clear. It signals a definite intention to those behind you.

Anyway. That's just to hammer home the point about Active Scanning/Monitoring of the traffic around you.

Michael

I appreciate all the tips guys, because I'm obviously a newb to the street world. I wear all gear (pants w hip/knee pads, boots, jacket, and helmet) and they're brightly colored. It's a matter of being seen I was so worried about..but then you said that people do see you and pull out in front of you. I found these the other day (http://www.webbikeworld.com/lights/motorcycle-led-driving-lights/) and wondered If they would help any?