The New And Improved Unofficial R65 Forum V2
General Category => Chit-Chat => Topic started by: BooG on August 31, 2008, 12:44:27 PM
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Just got back from a "Bikesafe" course run by the Met Police in London. You go out with a Police rider and he observes your riding style and technique and critically assesses you. Well worth it if your London/Home Counties based. Its amazing how differently people treat you when you are with the Rozzers!! Oh, the power!!
Great talk on filtering, as you do this every day in london. It is not covered in any test or in the Highway code, so it was very helpful to hear the Police take on it, and then go out and do it. It was based at the Ace cafe on the North Circular, so you filter straight away onto Hanger Lane which our instructor admitted was more or less a free for all. Just like most of Paris then!!
Gonna do some more advanced training on the back of this.
Question: Do people wear good quality full face helmets, or open facers? Saw some interesting pictures of what can happen to your Jaw without a full facer...hhhmmmm....
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It's a full face for me on my R65. Monte
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Boo, explain "filtering"... I wear a full face (well, modular flip-up) in the winter and a 3/4 with flip-down visor in the summer.
It is funny how people will treat a motorcycle differently based upon "perception". I remember reading in Easy Rider (back in my more cantankerous youth) a test they conducted in CA. They took an old Harley 'Glide (of course) and give it a custom treatment and dressed the rider as a typical one percenter and headed to the LA freeways. They cataloged all of their close calls, rude behavior from cagers, outright attempts to cause them to assume room temperature, etc.
They then took the same bike, put it back to bone stock, painted it the same color as the cop bikes, dressed the rider differently (in khakis if I remember correctly), and tossed in a cop style helmet. After the "upgrade" they went out to the same freeway, same time, day of week, etc, and ran the same exact route. You probably guessed it, everybody left 'em alone and they had a peaceful ride!
The analysis concluded that the average cager doesn't perceive a motorcycle piloted by your "average biker" as a threat to them as they are bigger, got lotsa metal around them, etc. The subconscious, with lack of threat, then kinda ignores the bike 'cause it can't cause it any harm. Make the sickle look like a cop bike and the subconscious registers it as a "threat", albeit just to their wallet, and keeps track of the two-wheeled varmint.
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I only wear full face coverage helmets. The little "brain buckets" alot of the cruiser folks like to wear are basically just useful to scoop up what's left of one's brains
from the roadway.
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" I wear a full face (well, modular flip-up) in the winter and a 3/4 with flip-down visor in the summer. "
Justin, Which full face, modular flip-up do you wear? What do you like & dislike about it?
I've always worn a 3/4 with flip-down visor, but now intend to add a full face for obvious safety reasons. I've looked at several, but can't make up my mind on one. Especially for warm climes (like Georgia).
This same discussion has come up numerous times . Typical Harley rider goes by wearing T-shirt, jeans, shorty helmet, no gloves, sneakers or occasionally boots. Typical BMW rider has Jacket, gloves, full face helmet, boots and often riding pants. Doesn't seem to be age related, but more mindset related. How come?
:-/
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We're now running BikeSafe Courses here in North Carolina. I work for Mark Brown of Motomark1 (http://www.motomark1.com) and he went over to London to be trained. (http://www.bikesafe-london.co.uk/northcarolina.htm) He is a NC Highway patrolman and now runs the courses here. They are looking to expand and take it Nationwide. I don't remember the 'filtering' you are talking about. I took the class a few months ago. (Well, mostly...my bike quit on me half way through. It was a rainy day and that's when I discovered my coil was cracked... >:( ...I still sat through all the classes, just couldn't go out for my final ride.) It was really a great thing to do. Right now they are still running the classes on a trial basis and they are FREE for now. Check it out here...BikeSafeNC (http://www.nccrimecontrol.org/index2.cfm?a=000003,000014,001583)
I also just helped out with some PSAs (Public Service Announcements) the Highway Patrol is doing for Motorcycle Safety. Don't know when they will be airing yet. But you just might see me and my trusty R65 in them! ;D (Oh yeah, and Graham on his Laverda.)
As far as helmets, I know first hand the damage that can be done to your face with an Open Face helmet. I only wear full face/modular helmets now. I guess I was lucky, I didn't break my jaw, just my zygomatic arch (cheekbone). Still required reconstructive surgery never-the-less. The helmet was actually cracked in two, or so I heard...I never actually saw the helmet after the accident. It came off my head. :o But I'm alive to tell about it!
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" I wear a full face (well, modular flip-up) in the winter and a 3/4 with flip-down visor in the summer. "
Justin, Which full face, modular flip-up do you wear? What do you like & dislike about it?
OK, I'm not Justin but I'll chime in on my modular full face...
It's a Fulmer Modus. As to features...
It has two open/close air vents. One above the visor for a bit of air to your head and a second one at chin level that directs air to de-fog the visor interior and/or add some additional fresh air. They are effective.
The visor will open and secure at multiple positions for additional air flow. I have a clear visor but others are available in tinted. Easy off-on for cleaning or changes.
The lower section of the helmet has a large button in front/center for simple opening; gloved or bare handed.
I find the helmet to be well padded and comfortable on long rides. The modular helmets are a bit heavier than the basic full face non-mod but I haven't noticed any neck strain.
No web-site sales of the Fulmer line. Retail at scooter shops only. That's a down. Mine, with tax, hit two C-notes.
Monte
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So "filtering" is the name given to progression by a bike in-between two or more lanes of stationary or slow moving traffic. It probably has a name Stateside as well?
It is not illegal in the UK, but it is legally a grey area in terms of the law as it involves undertaking and often involves bikes moving over the solid white line at the front of a que of traffic in an attempt to get away faster. What constitutes a safe speed is also ambiguous. There is not much margin for error, and the suggestions included keeping speed low, taking regular rests in stationary traffic to avoid fatigue, and acknowledging helpful motorists who move for you, whilst accommodating those who resent you filtering, (50% of recently surveyed motorists in London!). None of this is covered or dealt with in the Highway code OR in the Motorcycle practical test, or the Hazard perception/Theory test. In London, well over 50% of a journey in and out of the city will involve filtering.
Full face lids are the way to go! I think everyone should be encouraged to wear one. I own an open face lid as well
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This same discussion has come up numerous times . Typical Harley rider goes by wearing T-shirt, jeans, shorty helmet, no gloves, sneakers or occasionally boots. Typical BMW rider has Jacket, gloves, full face helmet, boots and often riding pants. Doesn't seem to be age related, but more mindset related. How come?
:-/
I see 3 general classes of road riders. Bikers / Weekend costume party bikers/ Motorcyclists.
I think it is the latter group I'm interested in. have a look at the photo gallery at http://kleineboxer.de/
These guys seem to wear all the gear all the time! Well, not all the time
http://photo.redeker.net/2008%20Vater-Sohn-Wochenende%20Belgien/Dries/slides/08_VSW_38.html
rich
Full face, armored jacket, high boots, deerskin gloves, Kevlar pants
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Boo, I've heard that referred to as "lane-splitting" over here where it's legal. I don't think it's legal in TX and not sure I would do it if it was!
Ed, I have an HJC SyMax. About the only thing I would complain about is noise and when it's fairly cold outside the face shield fogs over bretty bad unless I crack it open about 1/8". It has a chin vent but it doesn't allow enough airflow to keep the shield de-fogged. Nice features are central "unlocking" so you can unlatch it with one hand, keeps the cheeks and ears warm when it's below 40 degrees, and my chin just clears the guard.
My chin rams uncomfortably into the guard on most of the modulars I've tried. I really want a Nolan N-Com helmet but I'm afraid it would fit like the regular Nolan and my chin would be crammed up against the chin-bar all the time and I wouldn't be able to wear it. :-/
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Justin,I love my Nolan n-comm helmet. There is enough room in the chin area that I can use my Nady head set so you might want to go by BMW Fort Wort and try one on.
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I'm thinking they didn't have any last time I was there, but that was quite a while ago...
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Got mine there back in April.
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I haven't been there in almost a year. I tried on the regular Nolan modular and it mashed into my chin something fierce!
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Boo, I've heard that referred to as "lane-splitting" over here where it's legal. I don't think it's legal in TX and not sure I would do it if it was!
It's not legal in TX. It is legal in CA but, when I was there, I didn't do it because there waqs too much danger of not being seen by traffic. I'll take another 10 minutes, but I'll ariive safely, (I hope).
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My now broken and cracked Caberg flip-up did its job despite my obvious facepalnt that left the faceshield all scratched and one side of the faceplate not attached as the plastic part that covers the mounting hinge was ripped off never to be seen again. The flipup never came up at all but protected me it would seem. I still got an impact concussion but if I hit that hard just think what would have happened to my chin and nose without the full face! BTW while riding along during that trip I remember thinking what if the helmet broke my neck because it is heavy and I have a chicken skinny neck!!! I wasn't figuring on answering that question quite so soon!! :o
One friend from town here saw my crunched helmet and immediately went out and bought himself a fullface helmet!! So that is a good thing. Ya never know now but just maybe another type of fullface may have produced less of a concussion or more of one...that I'll never know.
The pants were armoured as was the jacket and motocross boots and gloves....not a scratch on me..just impact injury on one side only.