I went out for a ride on Wednesday night to the 'Waterman' near Warwick. I ride an old Triumph with no mirrors or indicators. I was cruising about 40 mph around country lanes so I was keeping my eyes on the twisty road in front of me and not what was behind. I had just rounded a left hand bend with a sharp right hander about 50 yards further on when a Jap sports bike overtook me as if I was in reverse (He did put his hand up to me), then a second, then a third, then a fourth. By this time I was starting to lean over to take the right hander when a fifth overtook me on the apex of the bend and nearly clipped my bars with his rear indicators. once sraightened up he put his hand up, I think to appologise but that was no excuse for stupid riding. Had he caught my bars, I would have ended up in the trees at the side of the road with a smashed up bike and probably needing hospitalisation.      Fifteen minutes later, I approached a Traffic light controlled cross roads. I intended to turn right, gave a clear hand signal to the cars following behind, moved to the middle of the road and pulled up (At the middle of the cross road) waiting to turn right. I waited as there was a car just the other side of the lights coming straight accross. No sooner had I stopped when two Jap sports bikes which had just decided to overtake the cars behind me, (On the approach to a cross roads) flashed past me, one on my right (On the wrong side of the road) and one on my left. If the car coming towards me was a little further away, I would have made my right turn and been 'T' boned by a bloody bike (Going in the same direction). I know that folk driving cars sometimes don't see bkes but if you can't see a bike in front, when you are supposed to be a 'Motorcycles', then you shouldn't be riding. It's time some of these folk learned to read the road, use their common sense, ride at a speed at which they can 'See to be clear' and take into account other road users. I am now starting to be more weary of other 'Motorcyclists' than I am of cars. If you want to smash up your bike and end up in hospital, that's your choice but don't make the same decision for me because of your stupid fu**ing actions.      Take a look at these clips, this is the 'Style' of riding I was witnessing last night.    http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=sSPPGy-fZ9g&feature=r...re=related As posted by HullRider.                                                                                                                                                                             

news out that accident statistics are lowest since records began!but not for motorcycles one can see why!                                                                                                                                                                              

My post lol, nice that you saw it M.S. and found a practical demo for your thread , sorry you have experianced the ass hole super sports mentality M.S.   Please retro fit some mirrors (at least in the name of self preservation) Ride safer mate........                                                                                                                                                                             

My sincerest condolences, fella. Being Summer, all the twats are out.   As mentioned, definitely think about those mirrors. some of teh bar-end ones look good on Classic bikes. I can't ride without mine as I find I really need them with todays nutters on the road. Despite checking every 8-10 seconds, I still don't always see some of these speed-freaks.   Hate to stereotype, but isn't it always Sports riders, too?     As an aside, aren't indicators a legal requirement? I know mirrors are only if the bike has the fittings for them, but I'd have thought indicators were essential. Again, I'd suggest getting those retro-fitted too. They may not sit with the authenticity of the bike, but is appearance worth more than your safety?     OK, Nanny Mode off. Whatever you decide, be safe and have fun, mate!!!                                                                                                                                                                             

Same here. Most years recently I've doen the BMF/ACU National Rally, which means maybe 750 miles in 20 hours, so I don't have to prove anything to myself or anyone else about making progress on the road. Yet, like MS and HR and everyone else on this thread, I'm flabbersagtd by those riders who forget they're on the public highway and not the track. I've sat with a friendly bobby by the A5 in North wales and watched 'em go past one by one. Good machine control, I'll give 'em that, but they've eaten so far into their safety margin it's just not there. Then when something happens they're not expecting - patch of diesel or new ashphalt, dozy driver in front, classic bike rider making hand signals, etc - they're in trouble. Like everyone else (even, unofficially, many of his officers)  I think the chief constable of North Wales is losing the plot when it comes to motorists in general and bikers in particular. Yet at the same time I can sometimes see where he's coming from, alas. It's yonks since I had a classic bike (Matchless G12) but if I had it now I'd certainly look at aftermarket mirrors and indicators, easlyu removeable if needs be if you've go to get it past a concoirs inspector. Phew, that's my rant done for the week!                                                                                                                                                                             

O M G............ PMSL...........Sorry babes x. But its the way u tell it lol. Hope that ones goin in the book............                                                                                                                                                                             

a**hole bikers i am afraid that is probably how most car drivers see us but with anything everybody gets tarred with the same brush                                                                                                                                                                             

Indecators are not a legal requirement unless fitted as original equipment, but self preservation may deem them almost as much needed as mirrors.                                                                                                                                                                             

     Thanks for the advice folks, I'm not a purist 'Classic bike' nut, I've had this bike since 1978 (When it was just an old Triumph and picked it up for about £ 295 :00). It ain't original and I don't particularly give a sh*t about fitting and removing mirrors or indicators for 'Shows' but to fit indicators (Which I am perfectly capable of doing) would require a fair bit of work as there is currently nowhere to fit them and no provision in the wiring harness for them so I would need to make an additional harness but will this really cure the problem. I think not.       I've been thinking of fitting mirrors for some time although it wouldn't have prevented the 'Morons' nearly running me off the road. I'm aware of everything that is going on around me but not prepared for idiots overtaking me on blind bends. Ref. The asshole that overtook me and the two cars behind me on the cross roads. What the hell did he think I was doing sitting in the middle of a cross roads, having a fag and a cup of tea? (Twat). If I had seen him in my mirrors (Had they been fitted), if I had not hesitated turning right, at the speed he was travelling, all I would have had time to do was tighten my arse hole and I don't think indicators would have made much difference either as I think the only choice he had was to pass me on my right or rear end me as he had not left enough space between my bike and the car behind me to get back in, he was going way too fast. Like Wills said, a lot of 'Sports' riders leave no room for error, one small hiccup and it's disaster. Shit, years ago it was virtually unheard of to hear of two bikes colliding. Any asshole can make a modern Jap bike go fast, you just wind back the throttle. The key to riding a motorcycle is to avoid moving objects and being able to stop the damn thing  quickly. I've been riding bikes over the past 40 years and I've survived so far. I ride like everybody on the road is trying to kill me but my odds of surviving further seem to be diminishing fast. Check out:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fJ9hKpsulmY and try explaining this guy's actions to the other guy's family.   Ttaskmaster.      Indicators are only a legal requirement on motorcycles manufactured from (I think) 1972/3 (You need to check up with the D.O.T. for the exact date) if fitted as standard equipment as Hull Rider says. If they were fitted before that date as standard equipment they must be in working condition if still fitted to the bike but can be removed if you so wish. With what I experienced, indicators would have made no difference whatsoever. It was just blatant stupidity.      I think I will fit some mirrors but it ain't gonna stop assholes riding bikes.      The next time you go tearing round a bend in the countryside, think what you are gonna do if you suddenly see a couple of horses in front of you. My brother-in -law (Many years ago) ran into a broken down car, with no lights on, on a dark country lane, at night, being pushed by two men. In court, the judge said that even if it had been an elephant with no lights on, he should have still been riding at a speed that he could have stopped within the distance that 'He could see to be clear' even with his headlights on and he got done for it.           Ride safe but be very careful.                                                                                                                                                                                              

Yep Video evidence of a twat (Tightly Wound back Arsehole Tacho bouncing freak) lol................... Solid white line crossing not a good idea they are there to protect us (even though that was a foreign counrty)                                                                                                                                                                              

watched both vids, and agree, that is piss poor riding, i happen to ride a jap sport/superbike, well i was till the bastard set itself alight, and have been riding bikes since i was 12, that is............................................................38 years, and it's riding like those twats that gets us all a bad name. But we're not all like that. same as not all tourers or cruisers ride sensible. Thank god for biking tho.