Hands up, guilty of bad riding behaviour!

[Beerman]

Out for a ride this evening, I had 5 car drivers trying to cause me grief within 10 minutes.

I turn a corner (left) and approach another left hand junction intending to continue straight on - and the driver pulls out on me. Cue sharp braking, horn, cross face, gesticulations etc etc.

The lady coolly winds her window down: 'you're indicating left', she says. I hadn't cancelled.

I apologise profusely, all my frustration about the 5 drivers gone and replaced by remorse.

Two lessons:

1. Don't lose your cool on a motorcycle. It's not cool, and makes you as bad as anyone else.

2. Cancel the b****y indicators. Why do I still (occasionally) not do this?

Beerman

[yogidozer]

would riding with your hands up qualify for bad riding behavior?

[JeffOlson]

Yes, I would like to see you riding with your hands up! (I do that every once in a while on my Norge, usually on the freeway at 80 MPH.)

[ken farr]

Beerman:

           Welcome to the human condition.



kjf

[zebraranger]

The Griso brings out a little bad behavior in me from time to time, but its all throttle related.

[yogidozer]

Yes, I would like to see you riding with your hands up! (I do that every once in a while on my Norge, usually on the freeway at 80 MPH.)

or to check for front tire wobble

[Guzzistajohn]

I ride with my hands up when the ape hanger dudes go by, ask dusty 🐑🐑🐑👍

Does that count???

[Lannis]

We have all sorts of gestures and faces and signals where we can tell someone that they've done something wrong or been a PITA on the road.

Sometimes I wish we had a gesture or signal that means "I'm sorry, I screwed that up, my mistake ..."

I could use one every once in a while .....

Lannis

[ohiorider]

My 1983 Yamaha had self-cancelling turn signals.  I think (but could be wrong) that one or more BMWs had them.  The old airhead does not.  I don't recall the logic used, but as I think I remember, if I was not moving and had engaged the signal, it stayed on until I began moving. Once moving, there was some sort of time/distance routine used to determine when to cancel. 

If bikes in the USA must have a side stand switch so we cannot engage first gear and move out with the stand down, why not implement a simple, self cancelling turn signal on bikes?  What's the cost to the manufacturer?  A buck or two?

[Lannis]

My 1983 Yamaha had self-cancelling turn signals.  I think (but could be wrong) that one or more BMWs had them.  The old airhead does not.  I don't recall the logic used, but as I think I remember, if I was not moving and had engaged the signal, it stayed on until I began moving. Once moving, there was some sort of time/distance routine used to determine when to cancel. 

If bikes in the USA must have a side stand switch so we cannot engage first gear and move out with the stand down, why not implement a simple, self cancelling turn signal on bikes?  What's the cost to the manufacturer?  A buck or two?

My new Triumph has one.

My '76 Yamaha RD400C had a very effective time/distance self-cancelling turn signal.    It was a $1200 bike, so the signal couldn't have cost very much.   

Lannis

[Rainrider]

My 1983 Yamaha had self-cancelling turn signals.  I think (but could be wrong) that one or more BMWs had them.  The old airhead does not.  I don't recall the logic used, but as I think I remember, if I was not moving and had engaged the signal, it stayed on until I began moving. Once moving, there was some sort of time/distance routine used to determine when to cancel.

My K75 has them, but you're right, the logic is kind of weird. Seems like they only auto-cancelled in 5th gear. I'm pretty OCD about cancelling my turn signals the moment I execute the turn/lane change, and I only ever encountered the auto-cancel when trying to signal an upcoming freeway exit to a riding partner (in which case it's the opposite of helpful).

[Johncolleary]

My 76 XS750D Yamaha had self canceling too.

[LowRyter]

those frigging signal lights!

I have resorted to hand signals.  Then I don't have to check my glaring dash lights nor assumed I pushed the button correctly.   

Hand signals are easy and deliberate.  I am ready to being them back.   

[oldbike54]

 Wait until you are out on an old Triumph with a female passenger who promises to give the hand signals , and after a few miles and several dirty looks she admits to having trouble keeping left and right sorted 

 Dusty

[Shorty]

Wait until you are out on an old Triumph with a female passenger who promises to give the hand signals , and after a few miles and several dirty looks she admits to having trouble keeping left and right sorted 

 Dusty

I'd be inclined to forgive her.   

[Calculon]

Like everyone, I occasionally forget to turn off the blinker, but thankfully, I live in a rural area where there's not as many people around to see my mistakes.

I'd be wary of using hand signals just cause I think a lot of people would not remember them from driving school, so they may properly interpret what you're doing, which may be hazardous to your health.

[pat80flh]

I'll still use hand signals , but many drivers seem to wave at me when I'm signalling a right turn.

[yogidozer]

I'll still use hand signals , but many drivers seem to wave at me when I'm signalling a right turn.

yeah, that's a little scary, ain't it?

[Bulldog9]

It's maddening to me that my 79xs 1100 and 78xs 750 have self cancelling turn signals and auto shut off if you lay the bike down. It's beyond me why this is not standard. In fact the self-canceling system on the Yamahas where so Advanced that you had to be going over 5 miles an hour for the timer to start. Simple technology that makes life easy.

[pressureangle]

I've left them on so often that now I'm completely paranoid and keep my thumb on the switch until the turn is complete. I wish I could just stop using them altogether, but that would be one step worse for my OCD.

[Idontwantapickle]

My Grandfather taught me all I needed to know about hand signals. "If you see a driver and his arm is pointed out of the window, the window is down."
Hunter

[yogidozer]

older Harley's had a simple solution to leaving your signals on.
when your thumb is off the switch, they stop blinking. just like magic.
no computer, no gear indicator, no fuel injection, no GPS.
 

[drdwb]

I like a few others have stated our amazement that the technology from our 1970s 80 Yamaha’s had great systems for shutting the blinkers down,but yet my 2003 and up Guzzi’s didn’t incorporate this. They worked flawlessly on the Yamaha’s. And more reliable than say the kick stand switch of any of our 4 Guzzi’s. But instead of asking why and throwing up our hands and accepting the It’s a Guzzi answer, has anyone figured out or thought of adapting the Yamaha system to our Guzzi’s? Surely our combined level of expertise can come up with some kind of Guzzi DYI solution. I guess the first step is figuring out how the Yamaha system worked is it in the switch or primitive computer system of the old bikes? Than seeing if it can be cobbled on to Guzzi’s, or any other bike.

[pmillar]

We have all sorts of gestures and faces and signals where we can tell someone that they've done something wrong or been a PITA on the road.

Sometimes I wish we had a gesture or signal that means "I'm sorry, I screwed that up, my mistake ..."

My apologizing technique consists of pointing at my head (helmet) then flashing a peace sign. I have no idea whether or not it's understood as intended but nobody has tried to run me down immediately afterward.

[Beerman]

My apologizing technique consists of pointing at my head (helmet) then flashing a peace sign. I have no idea whether or not it's understood as intended but nobody has tried to run me down immediately afterward.

Yup - funny that the frankly rude hand signals I (sometimes but very rarely and only when thoroughly deserved) use for terrible drivers I can end up using on myself. The shame.


Beerman

[drburt]

I need one of these.
I don't have one yet, but I will.
I am a chronic-non-canceller of my turn signals on my 2001 EV.
I'm missing that braincell or it's broken.
Too dangerous (IMO) not to invest  $99 for this insurance.
https://www.safer-turn.com/us/smart-turn-system/





Brent

[Huzo]

Have been guilty of entering a destination in the Tom Tom while riding..

[MotoChuck250]

Wait until you are out on an old Triumph with a female passenger who promises to give the hand signals , and after a few miles and several dirty looks she admits to having trouble keeping left and right sorted 

 Dusty

Dyslexics of the world untie!!!!   

[Tom]

For sorry, this works out here.  Left hand out as in stop then the "shaka".   

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shaka_sign

[Rainrider]

My apologizing technique consists of pointing at my head (helmet) then flashing a peace sign. I have no idea whether or not it's understood as intended but nobody has tried to run me down immediately afterward.

When I was doing more 2-bike trips, my riding partner and I developed sort of a hang-your-head-in-shame gesture for when one of us did something dumb. Some cagers understand it, especially if I touch my hand to the side of my helmet and then hold it out as if to say "I beg your pardon. My head, it's empty. See?"

I think I've used my middle finger maybe once in the last decade of commuting. It helps that I think of it as a challenge ("You may think you need to see my middle finger, but I refuse to show it to you."); it also helps that most of the times I am actually tempted to Engage The Finger, it's raining and I'm wearing my 3-finger rain gloves (I did once flip someone two fingers, UK style, but I don't think it made any sense to them). My fallback is to tilt my head to the side like a confused dog. That works surprisingly well.

I still wish I could come up with a reliable hand signal for "your blinker's been on for two miles now".