Yesterday on the ride home, splitting south on 280, I got cut off while splitting three times - this is unusual. Due to low speed delta I was able to easily brake or swerve for them, but had an ABS activation for one because I hit the center bumps of the lane divider.
All of these were at lower speeds too. I wasn't splitting at 50 mph.
The two cars moved over semi-rapidly at one-car length or less in front of me.
One lady waved (sorry?) after she merged, I waved back politely, no harm no foul I guess.
The third was the worst, at about 15 mph delta (I am so glad I stick to low deltas now), a bus, turns on their turns (I am 5 feet behind the tail light when I see it blink, too late to brake, and immediately moves over, so I swerve into the open space rather than brake, no problem, they did a nice slow lane change, but...
Even though with my current skillset and low speed deltas these were easily avoidable, they weren't NDE's (although 10 years ago they would have been), I am still bothered by this.
My thinking is I rode closer to dusk yesterday, so the sun would have been right behind me. So I should have been more careful than usual. The sun also made their turn signals harder to see so it's possible I missed one or more until I got close, but no way it was all three, the bus turns in particular were very dim.
I have a light triangle up front, but its also a bit on the dim side, so I am
at the Clearwater site now, about to order a gazillion watt upgrade, which I'll
have to dim down to an acceptable commute level, but it will certainly be much brighter that what I have now.
I am thinking 4 lights, two amber (2" down low), and 2 white 4" ones (up higher), (Erica + Darla in Clearwater-speak).
But almost $1200+ for a quadrangle (or is it a pentangle) of lights is also bothering me, but probably not enough to stop me.
I have seen one other moto with this configuration (two large whites up highish), and two smaller yellows down lower), and all very bright, and it gets my award for the most visible setup I have ever seen, so I am copying one of you, just don't know which one.
All of these were at lower speeds too. I wasn't splitting at 50 mph.
The two cars moved over semi-rapidly at one-car length or less in front of me.
One lady waved (sorry?) after she merged, I waved back politely, no harm no foul I guess.
The third was the worst, at about 15 mph delta (I am so glad I stick to low deltas now), a bus, turns on their turns (I am 5 feet behind the tail light when I see it blink, too late to brake, and immediately moves over, so I swerve into the open space rather than brake, no problem, they did a nice slow lane change, but...
Even though with my current skillset and low speed deltas these were easily avoidable, they weren't NDE's (although 10 years ago they would have been), I am still bothered by this.
My thinking is I rode closer to dusk yesterday, so the sun would have been right behind me. So I should have been more careful than usual. The sun also made their turn signals harder to see so it's possible I missed one or more until I got close, but no way it was all three, the bus turns in particular were very dim.
I have a light triangle up front, but its also a bit on the dim side, so I am
at the Clearwater site now, about to order a gazillion watt upgrade, which I'll
have to dim down to an acceptable commute level, but it will certainly be much brighter that what I have now.
I am thinking 4 lights, two amber (2" down low), and 2 white 4" ones (up higher), (Erica + Darla in Clearwater-speak).
But almost $1200+ for a quadrangle (or is it a pentangle) of lights is also bothering me, but probably not enough to stop me.
I have seen one other moto with this configuration (two large whites up highish), and two smaller yellows down lower), and all very bright, and it gets my award for the most visible setup I have ever seen, so I am copying one of you, just don't know which one.
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