I would rely on my mirrors more than sounds. I wear earplugs. I agree that the most dangerous circumstance will be the car that doesn't brake. I've been rear ended in my car from a woman as I was exiting a car park. No brake noise, just a bump. Just important to maintain your buffer zones. It might not be 100%, but anything that potentially lessens the risk is worth adopting, lesser of two evils. You don't have to nail the throttle and ride into the intersection, if you point your wheel off in front of the car next to you, you can maybe ride into the pedestrian crossing whilst the car that doesn't stop sails into the intersection. Your decision might not have the desired effect, there might be someone come along to cross the street after you have chosen your escape route, but still, you don't have much time to make up your mind. You need to keep your situational awareness constantly updated. Just wait til all the cars are electric and even quieter...
MSF classes teach new riders to downshift to 1st gear at every stop and not to put it in neutral. This is so you can quickly get out of the way in case of situations like this.
I saw a poor guy on a motorcycle get run over at a 4 way intersection, he was waiting to turn right I was in the center lane in a car, almost dark out, a big car ran him over, it wasn't pretty, not sure if he was OK or not. Car and driver who hit him was drunk, speeding and did not see him or the stop light. If you want a MC license indorsement in Maine you must be in 1st gear whenever you stop.
Always be ready to react , Good advise, My old man taught me always ride slightly faster or slower than the traffic around you, never mingle in it and stay out of drivers blind spots. One of the issues we all face riding the Terra's is that they develop so much brake horsepower from the big single we often don't have to use the brakes until we get down to 5 or 10klics and stop. (im talkin city/suburban riding) Most drivers arent aware of this fact. If I notice idiots in the mirror aren't paying attention I will activate the brake light early. In future I will keep the bike in gear until all has stopped. Thanks for the tip, You're never to old to learn new tricks. Stay Upright!
I'm of the "leave it in gear" while at a light for different reasons. I don't like the clunk into gear, or the attempt to take off when forgetting to put it back in gear. Mirrors are your friend. Glad to hear you and bike are OK.
http://www.lights.skenedesign.com/P3_Features.shtml Tie into your brake and signals. Work fantastic, hold up well. Excellent customer service. I don't have them on the Terra yet, but have had them on two bikes in the past. Good stuff. krussell, Sep 16, 2013 House Keeping Thanks krussell Ive installed the p3 system and it is good stuff pc
