M4 Outbound - Crazy Bikers

Pac1Man

Did anyone see the motorcyclists today on the M4? There must have been about 15 or so barrelling up the motorway with not a thought for other motorists.

There was fairly heavy traffic in both lanes as is the norm for a Friday afternoon and they were frantically swerving in and out between cars regardless of the room that was available. They were literally travelling between cars which were right beside each other. Had a car changed lanes during this, one of them could easily have been killed.

Most of them were wearing an orange and green hi-vis with 'Marshal' written on the back along with a logo of some sort. Seriously reckless.

For the record, I'm not one to complain or get annoyed about an overtake etc. but seeing this left me shocked and annoyed in equal measure. :eek:

rocky

Hope someone with a dashcam uploads a clip...

visual

If all car drivers are not in noddy land and observing mirrors there should be no problem.

You be surprised how observent motorcyclists can be and their ability to read other drivers and the road.

Canis Lupus

Pac1Man wrote: »

Did anyone see the motorcyclists today on the M4? There must have been about 15 or so barrelling up the motorway with not a thought for other motorists.

There was fairly heavy traffic in both lanes as is the norm for a Friday afternoon and they were frantically swerving in and out between cars regardless of the room that was available. They were literally travelling between cars which were right beside each other. Had a car changed lanes during this, one of them could easily have been killed.

Most of them were wearing an orange and green hi-vis with 'Marshal' written on the back along with a logo of some sort. Seriously reckless.

For the record, I'm not one to complain or get annoyed about an overtake etc. but seeing this left me shocked and annoyed in equal measure. :eek:

Here's hoping cars wouldn't change lanes when travelling next to one another

No Pants

Pac1Man wrote: »

they were frantically swerving in and out between cars regardless of the room that was available.

There was obviously enough room.

paddydone1

visual wrote: »

If all car drivers are not in noddy land and observing mirrors there should be no problem.

You be surprised how observent motorcyclists can be and their ability to read other drivers and the road.

I love the statement if all car drivers, label everyone that drives a car as been in noddy land is just ridiculous. A lot of us that drive cars drive bikes as well.

Pac1Man

Oh dear.

It's amazing how people can imply that the car drivers were at fault. As I said, I would never be one to complain about an incident.

visual wrote: »

If all car drivers are not in noddy land and observing mirrors there should be no problem.

You be surprised how observent motorcyclists can be and their ability to read other drivers and the road.

When I asked "Did anyone see the motorcyclists M4", I guessing your answer was 'No'. They put a lot of fate in these noddy drivers you speak of.

No Pants wrote: »

There was obviously enough room.

Why is it obvious? Because nobody crashed?

doolox

....that bikers have the size and power/weight to get ahead of the muppets who choke up the outside lane on Irish motorways at BH time. Motorists who may never be on a motorway at motorway speeds for months on end and then they take to the open road at holiday time doing 80-100kph on the outside lane forever, never pull in etc..

Bikers are a lot more observant than car drivers on the roads because they have to be to survive.

ironclaw

doolox wrote: »

Bikers are a lot more observant than car drivers on the roads because they have to be to survive.

You can be as observant as you like but at 120km/h (30m per second) you don't have much of a chance if the person you are 'observing' decides to move left obviously not expecting someone to be as stupid as to pass on their left. I had a biker in my left rear blind spot yesterday on the N11. The only reason I knew he was there was because I'm observant. I can guarantee you 9 out of 10 cars didn't know he was there.

I have no issue with bikers but its not a license to weave and undertake as you see fit. Its been done to death on the other thread but on a normal road, in normal conditions at the speed limit, I'm expecting a person wishing to travel faster than me to overtake to my right only. I'm also expecting that person to respect my current overtaking stance and wait the 2 seconds it will probably take me to move back left (When it is safe and clear for me to do so)

This is what happens when a biker undertakes you and then decides to brake test you on a cold January day with leaves on the surface. The footage is from the N11 at Cabinteely about 2 years ago. I was at the lights in lane 2, accelerated and moved back into lane 1. Biker had cut up the bus lane.

The way I see a lot of bikers behave they won't be surviving for long.

Suasdaguna1

visual wrote: »

If all car drivers are not in noddy land and observing mirrors there should be no problem.

You be surprised how observent motorcyclists can be and their ability to read other drivers and the road.

What a stupid comment......acting the boll@x and weaving in and out of traffic at high speed is best left for the track as against a busy evening on the n4.

I too have a cage and a serious bike and am no angel.

endacl

ironclaw wrote: »

You can be as observant as you like but at 120km/h (30m per second) you don't have much of a chance if the person you are 'observing' decides to move left obviously not expecting someone to be as stupid as to pass on their left. I had a biker in my left rear blind spot yesterday on the N11. The only reason I knew he was there was because I'm observant. I can guarantee you 9 out of 10 cars didn't know he was there.

I have no issue with bikers but its not a license to weave and undertake as you see fit. Its been done to death on the other thread but on a normal road, in normal conditions at the speed limit, I'm expecting a person wishing to travel faster than me to overtake to my right only. I'm also expecting that person to respect my current overtaking stance and wait the 2 seconds it will probably take me to move back left (When it is safe and clear for me to do so)

This is what happens when a biker undertakes you and then decides to brake test you on a cold January day with leaves on the surface. The footage is from the N11 at Cabinteely about 2 years ago. I was at the lights in lane 2, accelerated and moved back into lane 1. Biker had cut up the bus lane.

9/10 drivers didn't know there was a biker in your blind spot?!? You can mark that up to 10/10 now. I'm a driver, and I know it now too!

ironclaw

endacl wrote: »

9/10 drivers didn't know there was a biker in your blind spot?!? You can mark that up to 10/10 now. I'm a driver, and I know it now too!

My comment regarding how many people would see a biker and the video are unconnected. There was no issue until the biker in the video decided to get the hump and brake test me. Needless to say he didn't stop. The car was written off.

No Pants

Pac1Man wrote: »

Why is it obvious? Because nobody crashed?

That's the definition of there being enough room, yes.

Vikings

Pac1Man wrote: »

There was fairly heavy traffic in both lanes as is the norm for a Friday afternoon and they were frantically swerving in and out between cars regardless of the room that was available. They were literally travelling between cars which were right beside each other.

How fast slow was the fairly heavy traffic moving? And how frantically swerving were the bikes? If traffic was heavy and moving slow I can't see any bike being able to frantically get anywhere going between cars. Obviously there was room if they managed to get through. Bikes are very maneuverable at low speeds, can squeeze through very small spaces - add speed to that equation and it's just not possible to fit through the gaps. Except splitting two lanes down the middle, in which case a biker can and will see a gap in traffic before a car driver and will react accordingly.

Cuddlesworth

ironclaw wrote: »

There was no issue until the biker in the video decided to get the hump and brake test me.

Sure. And that's why you only posted five seconds. I'm not excusing the morons actions but there are always two sides to the story.

You also must have had some pretty bad tyres on the car at the time to be out braked by a 1200cc BMW in the wet.

Pac1Man

No Pants wrote: »

That's the definition of there being enough room, yes.

Well that would suggest that the width of a bike is enough when quite frankly it's not. It leaves zero room for error or a slight change of direction from either driver/rider.

Vikings wrote: »

How fast slow was the fairly heavy traffic moving? And how frantically swerving were the bikes? If traffic was heavy and moving slow I can't see any bike being able to frantically get anywhere going between cars. Obviously there was room if they managed to get through. Bikes are very maneuverable at low speeds, can squeeze through very small spaces - add speed to that equation and it's just not possible to fit through the gaps. Except splitting two lanes down the middle, in which case a biker can and will see a gap in traffic before a car driver and will react accordingly.

The fast lane was travelling at 120kmh although was fairly congested, the slow lane a bit less. It's hard to explain their movements but they were undertaking (i.e. not overtaking) without adjusting their speed at all.

As I mentioned, there was no room to safely manoeuvre through. At one instance, a bike came up behind a car in the fast lane. The car indicated to move into the slow lane to allow the bike to pass at the same time the bike attempted to undertake. This forced the bike to quickly abandon the manoeuvre and check back into the fast lane before continuing.

There seems to a worrying assumption that if a bike can physically fit through then all is well, and that motorcyclists are the gods among us in terms of their reactions and predicting what other drivers will do.

No Pants

Pac1Man wrote: »

The fast lane

The what?

Pac1Man

No Pants wrote: »

The what?

That doesn't inspire confidence.:D

Stavros Murphy

No Pants wrote: »

The what?

The fast lane - it's the one on the left, usually, especially on the N7.. middle is for the dodderers and right is for the BMWs/Audis.

ironclaw

Cuddlesworth wrote: »

Sure. And that's why you only posted five seconds. I'm not excusing the morons actions but there are always two sides to the story.

You also must have had some pretty bad tyres on the car at the time to be out braked by a 1200cc BMW in the wet.

Two sides to every story. I fully accept that. Didn't realise that video was a shorter edit and has an error at the end. I'll find the original and upload it.

New tyres at the time. Extremely wet, extremely cold with heavy pan of dead leaves on the road surface. Not the best for braking in any car. Car itself had a G-Meter set up, I'll see can I get that data too.

Also it wasn't a 1200c BMW. Far lighter bike, think it was a Honda. I don't follow bikes myself so I have no idea what is was. If you know the biker in question, would love to hear from you. No bad feelings towards him but I felt he should have stopped at the time as cutting up a bus lane and brake testing is inexcusable. He had a clear road ahead, could have left it and carried on. I probably saved his life or prevented serious injury by braking. Have a look at the junction on Google maps and you can probably see the layout between the two sets of lights. Your not going to expect a bike cutting the bus lane.

Guy:Incognito

If a bike is close enough to the side of a lane for a car to overtake within the same lane can they?................

Are bikes actually allowed to filter like that? and if a car moves around within its own lane and hits a biker, whos at fault?