You know what really "grinds my gears"?

When I'm the only one at a traffic signal, oftentimes my bike is not heavy enough to trip the turn signal weight sensors that control the traffic light. On desolate roads I've been known to just stop, look both ways, and proceed.



what grinds your gears?
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Any fool can make it through green lights. Takes a real rider to get through the red ones.

They changed the law in Utah, for this reason, so it is legal to go through a red light on a motorcycle if the lights don't change within a certain time period.

About 15 or 20 states I read somewhere. And it's not weight it's magnetism so some folks strap a big old magnet to the bottom of the frame to trip the sensors.

The ones that grinds my gears are the ones that try to keep you behind them. Got a double yellow, they slow down and peer throught the mirror. When the line is broken, they speed up. I've watched as his wife is yelling at him and he has that smirk on his face. I love the way he jumps and the look on his face as I pass him approaching 100 MPH in a few seconds. I'll give him the 55 sign as I leave him behind. He's still mad and I just vented. Life goes on. :whistle:
Steve

Here's a good example. The first on let me pass. I thanked him. The others, well. :whistle:
Steve

We have that law in Illinois and use it a lot out in the boonies

We do too. This time of year we get drivers from all parts. This state is known for discourteous drivers, throw in some from other states and the road is full of jerks. The guy in the second frame did his best to stay ahead of me. I knew when traffic was coming, he would slow down. It's a game to them. I found a spot to pass without going above 65 and he rode my a$$ for the next mile or so. Come up to the next one, she pulls away hard and positioned herself so it would be impossible to pass her and the truck ahead of her or so she thought. I don't like being behind or in the middle of fools like this, so I pass them and settle down with plenty of space in front and in back of me. The FWY's are the worst. I'll get around the pokey ones and find my spot in the second lane. Even though the passing lane is open, invariably some jerk will ride my tail, then take the passing lane to get around me only to be stuck behind the next set of morons. I try not to split lanes but will if I have to. I'll be cruising at 70 and the ones I passed before will speed up cut me off or some other stupid crap. It's always been like this, it seems to be getting worse though.
Steve

I believe if you stop at a light that has these magnetic sensors in the ground, you need to stop your bike on the outline of the box, or if there is a middle line, that's good too.
There's a wire running in the box they cut into the road.
Put your bikes right over that wire, and the circuit will sense your bike, using magnetism,
The magnetic field will change when the metal of your bike is over the wire.

This is what I've read, but hasn't worked well in real life.
Wait a few moments, checking it's clear, and go.

Here is what grinds my gears. Most two lane undivided highways occasionally provide a two lane stretch to allow safe passing. Drivers and riders are to keep right unless passing in these two line stretches. While most keep right in these stretches, everyone speeds up including the lead slow poke. In 60 mph zones I have been following a long line of traffic going 50 with all the vehicles driving bumper to bumper making passing difficult. Then you get a two lane passing stretch and everyone speeds up to 70. Some vehicles move into the passing lane but are too chicken to go over 70 mph so you are still stuck behind most if not the entire group when the passing section ends. I personally consider the added left lane a passing lane without speed limit.

Since I'm on the topic, Have most if not all drivers completely lost the skill to pass a slower vehicle? Why do these long trains of cars even build up? Sure some old duffer or inexperienced driver may want to drive slow but why does no one pass. If everyone passed when safe, these traffic hazards would not exits.

While I'm on a roll, as mentioned above, okay you are too chicken to pass, but do you have to ride the bumper of the car in front of you? When choosing to pass a stretch of 10 or more cars it would be nice to be able to do it a bit at a time. I have had to squeeze my bike between two cars separated by 10 ft to avoid oncoming traffic. The driver i pull in front of then freaks out and starts leaning on his horn. Sorry dude but you are supposed to leave an adequate gap between your car and the next, and if you weren't too chicken to pass this long line of cars would be one shorter wouldn't it?

It's a head trip. That's how road rage happens.
Steve

Back in the day up north on 2 lane highways if they had a bit of paved shoulders people used to lane split all the time. In cars. It was a bit unnerving at first but you got used to it. I was always too chicken to be the splitter but if you see someone coming up behind you you pull a few feet into the shoulder and the oncoming guy does the same seeing whats happening. The splitter draws a bead from his Pontiac Strato Chief hood emblem to the center line (if there was one painted). Nobody sped up, nobody slowed down, kinda ballet really.