Originally Posted by jreichart

Rant over, sorry, just can't stand it when I hear "I've had x close calls since I got my bike, I think my headlight might be too dim". Doubt it's the headlight that's too dim. I have a black bike, wear dark clothes, no reflectors, one stock headlight and no turn signals. Only a few close calls, all due to inattention on my part.

Originally Posted by Warp Factor

Nope, noise and visibility aren't a substitute for experience, attentiveness and skill, but that doesn't mean that they won't significantly improve anyone's odds.

Originally Posted by jreichart

Personally, I ride like I am the invisible man. No one can see me, and I expect everyone to be an idiot. Pay close attention to everything around you, and learn to read situations before they become a danger. YOU AND ONLY YOU ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR YOUR SAFETY! IMO, all these lights and reflectors fool riders into a false sense of security. News flash, you could put stadium lighting on the front of your bike, and you will still be in danger of not being seen. Period. No amount of noise/lighting/horns is a substitute for riding skill and overall situational awareness. Defensive/reactionary riding will get you killed. Ride with a controlled aggression, a little faster than the average traffic, put other vehicles where you want them to be. For example, if you are constantly getting passed on the highway you are not in control of your surroundings and you should speed up. There are situations that result in accidents that are completely out of our control. It happens. But, most motorcycle accidents could be avoided by better situational awareness and overall skill, not big bright lights and loud pipes. Don't rely on inanimate objects to save your ***.

A few simple rules:

1. Ride faster than traffic
2. Never hang next to any vehicle, either pass or fall behind if need be
3. Every vehicle at every intersection is going to cut you off
4. Expect every vehicle to change lanes right in front of you, see #2
5. That car approaching behind you at a light will rear end you. Leave a little space and watch him in your mirrors.
6. Your throttle will get you out of more situations safely than your brakes ever will.

Sounds like a lot of work? It is, but your life is probably worth it. Once you've done it for awhile though, it becomes second nature. It will greatly improve your cage driving skills as well.

Rant over, sorry, just can't stand it when I hear "I've had x close calls since I got my bike, I think my headlight might be too dim". Doubt it's the headlight that's too dim. I have a black bike, wear dark clothes, no reflectors, one stock headlight and no turn signals. Only a few close calls, all due to inattention on my part.

Originally Posted by Red Eye

I like the post that includes

A few simple rules:

1. Ride faster than traffic
2. Never hang next to any vehicle, either pass or fall behind if need be
3. Every vehicle at every intersection is going to cut you off
4. Expect every vehicle to change lanes right in front of you, see #2
5. That car approaching behind you at a light will rear end you. Leave a little space and watch him in your mirrors.
6. Your throttle will get you out of more situations safely than your brakes ever will.

I have a question:

When stopping at a red light intending on going straight, which lane and lane position is safest? (from being rear-ended?)

Originally Posted by stailjim61

I agree with most of this except for #1. That is a recipe for disaster. Riding with the flow of traffic will ALWAYS be the safe bet. If you ride with the flow of traffic you don't have to worry about #4. You admit you ride aggressive which is probably why the close calls. We can control most of what happens in front of us by staying away from it and increasing distances. Riding faster than the flow of traffic just took away that edge. I used to teach drivers ed and the first thing I taught was how to eliminate potential problems. By riding faster than the flow of traffic you just increased every potential problem, instead of staying away from them. How many additional vehicles have you gotten along side of, closer behind, etc over a 200 mile ride? Hundreds at least. That's hundreds of potential problems that could have been avoided by going with flow of traffic. I'm off my soapbox now, but I still believe #1 is poor advice and new riders should disregard.