WTF is it with the motorcyclists?

[p m]

Here it goes.

Yesterday around noon, I was coming up highway S22 from Borrego Springs to Ranchita - the road looks very much like one in the "Mad, Mad, Mad World." Very tight turns, limited visibility, fairly steep uphill - just enough for me to keep at about 40-45 mph.

Downhill, towards Borrego Springs, there's a trickle of bikers - all sorts of, Harleys, crotch rockets, choppers, whatnot. It's annoying enough that they either hug the median (probably, scared of wiping out past the guardrail - that I understand), or ride side by side taking as much space as a semi would. So far so good, until... I see two guys, each riding in the middle of a lane - one of which is mine. And I saw one of these guys move from his lane into mine!
Fortunately, I was in relaxed enough state of mind to use four or five seconds to think it was some sort of Russian roulette prank they might be doing, and ponder my options:
- hug my side of the cliffside. Upside: I'm safe and legal. Downside: the guy in a Harley will be dead, and my truck destroyed.
- try to stay near the median. Upside: I may make it between two Harleys, riding mid-lane on a two-lane road. Downside: I may lose control - it is a tight right turn, with left side having no guardrail and a hundred-foot drop. As a bonus, I may wipe the other biker into oblivion.

Took option 2, and barely made it between them. I think in the last second the in-board (to me) dude shit his pants and went as close to the wall as he could.

What the fuck? Is it something they have a habit of doing? Should I keep a dashcam and a rearview cam running all the time? Or pack a piece?

Amazingly enough, I could tell that even my heart rate hasn't changed after the encounter. I just felt pissed off - which was unfortunate, for (as my friend says) weekends bring out all sorts of idiots on the roads, and there was a very fair share of those.

 

[pinkytoe69]

Not trying to be a dick, but I would like to understand the scene you are painting and cannot.

Is this a 2 lane road and the bikes were oncoming?

Perhaps a 90 sec MSPaint sketch would help

 

[p m]

It is a [narrow-ish] two lane road, one in each direction, and one biker was riding in the middle of his lane, and another - in the middle of mine.

Edit: here: 33.22449,-116.416093

 

[pinkytoe69]

So they were coming at you, then all of a sudden one of them goes into your lane and essentially dares you to kick a field goal?

If so, no, Ive never heard of that being a regular thing...not that I have my ear to the streets or anything though.

You must remember that you do live in [McClane]Fuckin California[/McClane]

 

[p m]

So they were coming at you, then all of a sudden one of them goes into your lane and essentially dares you to kick a field goal?

Yes. But I am not sure if it is a California thing - never seen it or heard of it in 18 years here.

 

[az_max]

bikers are douchebags. get more than three of them together and the stupidity level goes through the roof (see NYC videos for reference).

I have "A8 Smallest dashcam h.264" from ebay in both vehicles. Haven't caught an accident, but a couple of near misses. Unfortunately there's a whole lot of imitators that don't record in h.264 mode. I'm not sure which one this is, but it's similar http://search.ebay.com/321306688996

 

[p m]

The stupid thing was that I had a GoPro with me on this trip, and a windshield mount. But the thing ate 32GB of memory earlier on the trip, so it was in the glovebox.

 

[Beagle Bones]

bikers are douchebags. get more than three of them together and the stupidity level goes through the roof (see NYC videos for reference).

I had bikes for years. Odd ball English junk to big boy Hd's, I never considered myself a Douche. Though I never got into that Douchie group ride BS either. Never could wrap my brain around it, if you will.

To the original point; I'm in a Subi most days, company car, and I'm not 100% certain I would've even slowed down or hug one side or the other. W/that said no one can say exactly how they would react in a similar situation either. Clearly you were dealing w/a mob mentality, perhaps the worst of them all. Glad to hear you weren't injured due to some other retards actions.

 

[K-rover]

To the original point; I'm in a Subi most days, company car, and I'm not 100% certain I would've even slowed down or hug one side or the other.

Im with you on this, BUT if the police determine that you made no effort to avoid an accident, then you're screwed too.

We have big groups of bikers here, luckily I havent had any run ins like this!

 

[DiscoPhoto]

wtf is it with Rovers and bikers man...damn. I would tend to agree, generally bikers are douchebags. I once went on a poker run with a local group that my friend belongs to, fuck that. Never again, basically if the first guy in the group of 20 makes it through a yellow light, everyone else has to run the red or get left behind.


Honestly, I would have gone straight. Then again, I don't really care about the ARB on the front of my truck.

 

[bri]

Failure to avoid an accident would likely not play here. If you would be in danger of killing yourself, not to worry. But hitting a bike head on is pretty eminent death for biker and in this case very likely yours.


Did you see him change lanes? Catch any cues about whether it was intentional or not?


I can see where a biker on this road that was not experienced and/or had just lost concentration for a moment could easily just drift into an opposite lane. Shit, I've seen people in cars do it.


As far as motorcycles and aidiotic behavior and ccidents go. I have seen everything on skyline road and highway 17 from Santa Cruz to San Jose. I've had a bike come from the other direction, hit the cement center median and fly over my car. I've seen them do 85 between lanes of cars that are doing the 45-55. I've helped pick them and/or bikes off trees. On the other hand I know a guy that did the 17 commute for 8 years on a crotch rocket no accidents. One of the most defensive drivers I have known.


It sounds unintentional. Every time I have seen a bike head on, its been alarming for both of us.

 

[p m]

Im with you on this, BUT if the police determine that you made no effort to avoid an accident, then you're screwed too.

I'd have simply stopped. By the time I made my decision, the guy on the hog had no chance of avoiding the collision.

 

[p m]

Did you see him change lanes? Catch any cues about whether it was intentional or not?

Bri - yes, I saw him change lanes. And I saw him heading towards me, looking at me, for several seconds.
The more I think about it, the more it looks a "fast and furious" stunt the douchebag will be bragging about for years - until a bitch named Karma catches up with him in a shape of a semi losing a bead or a grandma in a Buick rolling out of the gas station.

 

[bri]

wtf is it with Rovers and bikers man...damn. I would tend to agree, generally bikers are douchebags. I once went on a poker run with a local group that my friend belongs to, fuck that. Never again, basically if the first guy in the group of 20 makes it through a yellow light, everyone else has to run the red or get left behind.


Honestly, I would have gone straight. Then again, I don't really care about the ARB on the front of my truck.

An ARB ain't going to do jack about a human body flying through your windshield. It might stop the bike though.


If you are with a group, don't dust your group. If the group breaks up, slow and or stop for Christ's sake. The whole point of being a group is keeping the group together.


Avoiding breaking the group is part of the fun. The leader should be aware enough of the group to see what has happened. Certainly between leader and tailgunner, you should have it in control.


When you leave on the group leader and tailgunner should remind everyone to stay in the group and that is part of the fun. Do it safely and don't break the law in process. Running red lights on a motorcycle is absolutely one of the very worst things you can do. You will die doing it.


Yeah?


I wouldn't ride in any organized group that did not set out some basic guidelines like this and don't even care if it were my 10 best friends. I'd just tell them I would meet them at the destination and give them a few minutes to get out of my sight. Or I'd be lead and pick my tail gunner.

 

[bri]

Bri - yes, I saw him change lanes. And I saw him heading towards me, looking at me, for several seconds.
The more I think about it, the more it looks a "fast and furious" stunt the douchebag will be bragging about for years - until a bitch named Karma catches up with him in a shape of a semi losing a bead or a grandma in a Buick rolling out of the gas station.

Crazy. Destiny awaits him.

 

[Beagle Bones]

I've told, my potentially soon to be step daughter - never ever would I thought I'd say those words as I never wanted kids, the best thing to do is jam on the brakes. The potential to lose control swerving to avoid an object is too great. Luckily you were an experienced driver, had this been a 16-18 year old driver the situation could have been much worse.

 

[DiscoPhoto]

An ARB ain't going to do jack about a human body flying through your windshield. It might stop the bike though.


If you are with a group, don't dust your group. If the group breaks up, slow and or stop for Christ's sake. The whole point of being a group is keeping the group together.


Avoiding breaking the group is part of the fun. The leader should be aware enough of the group to see what has happened. Certainly between leader and tailgunner, you should have it in control.


When you leave on the group leader and tailgunner should remind everyone to stay in the group and that is part of the fun. Do it safely and don't break the law in process. Running red lights on a motorcycle is absolutely one of the very worst things you can do. You will die doing it.


Yeah?


I wouldn't ride in any organized group that did not set out some basic guidelines like this and don't even care if it were my 10 best friends. I'd just tell them I would meet them at the destination and give them a few minutes to get out of my sight. Or I'd be lead and pick my tail gunner.

It's not to say I support the group in any way. The group's ride rules basically state that you have to stay together, regardless of traffic lights or signs. At 4 ways there's 2 guys who go up and stop traffic so everyone can go.

It is exactly why I no longer do group rides, the pact mentality drops the collective IQ to 50. I bought my bike to commute 40 minutes each way because 8mpg in the Rover wasn't doing it for me.

I drive a bike that is often associated with jackass riding, a CBR. Do I cut people off and weave through cars? No, but that doesn't mean that someone assumes I will. I've had people brake-check me on the highway because I passed them previously, they just assume I'm an asshole.


Basically all I'm saying is riders get a bad wrap from jackasses like this, which is why I wouldn't risk my health to avoid a collision in PM's situation.

 

[bri]

Bri - yes, I saw him change lanes. And I saw him heading towards me, looking at me, for several seconds.
The more I think about it, the more it looks a "fast and furious" stunt the douchebag will be bragging about for years - until a bitch named Karma catches up with him in a shape of a semi losing a bead or a grandma in a Buick rolling out of the gas station.

Sorry. One more reply. This story gets me even though I have not personally met you.


It is rather sickening, if intentional.... this douche was lucky it was you. Had it been someone else with partial awareness they would have hit and killed him and potentially themselves.


Had it been MANY people they would have opted to avoid both which would have killed them. Shit, my wife avoids squirrels and rabbits.


Regardless of how big of a douche he was, I am very glad you are around to tell a story and apparently made the best decision for both of you at that particular moment in time.

 

[bri]

It's not to say I support the group in any way. The group's ride rules basically state that you have to stay together, regardless of traffic lights or signs. At 4 ways there's 2 guys who go up and stop traffic so everyone can go.

It is exactly why I no longer do group rides, the pact mentality drops the collective IQ to 50. I bought my bike to commute 40 minutes each way because 8mpg in the Rover wasn't doing it for me.

I drive a bike that is often associated with jackass riding, a CBR. Do I cut people off and weave through cars? No, but that doesn't mean that someone assumes I will. I've had people brake-check me on the highway because I passed them previously, they just assume I'm an asshole.
<snip>
Basically all I'm saying is riders get a bad wrap from jackasses like this, which is why I wouldn't risk my health to avoid a collision in PM's situation.

Ahhh.... I think avoiding the collision in this case is what is going to save YOU and the asshole in the other lane.

Hitting a motorcycle head on, on a two lane road with a fall off, other cars, other bikes and guard rail at 45 is a roll of the dice for you and the motorcyclist. You'd both be lucky to live -- unless you avoid collision.


That bike is going to toast your ARB and the "still live" human is going to be attempting to occupy the same space as you in the front seat. That never works well.</snip>
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<snip>As far as stopping traffic are these guys police or something?</snip>
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<snip>I don't care how far a commute is, riding a motorcycle on a commute is about the most unsafe thing I can think of. If I were to get a bike it would be to find a road where there are no other vehicles.</snip>

 

[DiscoPhoto]

Ahhh.... I think avoiding the collision in this case is what is going to save YOU and the asshole in the other lane.

Hitting a motorcycle head on, on a two lane road with a fall off, other cars, other bikes and guard rail at 45 is a roll of the dice for you and the motorcyclist. You'd both be lucky to live -- unless you avoid collision.


That bike is going to toast your ARB and the "still live" human is going to be attempting to occupy the same space as you in the front seat. That never works well.</snip>
<snip>
</snip>
<snip>As far as stopping traffic are these guys police or something?</snip>
<snip>
</snip>
<snip>I don't care how far a commute is, riding a motorcycle on a commute is about the most unsafe thing I can think of. If I were to get a bike it would be to find a road where there are no other vehicles.</snip>

No they're just assholes, they just park their bikes in front of the other lanes.

I'm not sure the rider would end up in the windshield, at my truck's height the face of the bumper would hit his windscreen and then his chest, but who knows, I don't want to test it.

Perhaps you've never been to Vermont. We don't have traffic here and I'm rarely next to another car.