Tailgaters make me nervous and its dangerous on a bike.Any suggestions how to get rid of these boneheads other than a finger salute,thats not my style. Getting past the one blocking me and getting the h... out of there is my first choice but some times we get stuck where we are.Maybe I should carry a handful of rocks, what do you think :)

-Robert-

finger salutes and rocks aren't going to get the guy off your tail anyway. I haven't found any good solutions (car or bike) for tailgaters other than your first choice. The biggest danger is if you have to stop suddenly, they don't have time to react. So it seems to me the best thing to do is put some distance between you and the guy in front of you to give yourself some time so that you don't have to make a quick stop if something happens. And you never know, maybe slowing down will send him the message and he'll back off. My 2 cents.

My nefhew had a woman (I know, not just women tailgate) stoping right on his ars, he just put his side stand down, took his helmet off and told her she was making him nervous and could she leave some room between them. Of course she complied, he is a cop. LOL

My favorite trick in the work van is to suddenly shift down into low gear. I pulled that maneuver on a hot dog Mustang. It worked, because he weaved through traffic, got in front of me, and started hitting his brakes on me in retaliation. I knew I scared the little weiner. The hardest thing to do is not pay attention to what's behind us. The affects these situation have on our psyche are just as dangerous as the imagined scenario of the stop up ahead. A rear view mirror reflect more than just the object behind us. It also reflects our state of mind.

Finger salutes and erractic driving only tends to make matters worse, it tends to reduce the tailgator's IQ down closer to their shoe size. Best method.........Slow down. Thats the one thing they don't want to do is be any later to wherever they are going. They will pass ASAP. I know it's not the macho thing to do but it works.

I'm with you marc. I think most of them don't realize that there's any difference doing it to a bike as there is to a car/truck. jmo

I tap my brake lights a few times to get their attention, sometimes that works or you can slow down a little, pull to the far right of the lane and wave them by, IF there is room to do so safely.

Speeding up to lose someone following too cloely only ends up with someone tailgating you at a higher speed.
A better way to handle a tailgater is to get them in front of you . Slow down and open up extra space ahead of you to allow room for both you and the tailgater to stop .
this will encourage them to pass.
If they don`t pass you will have given yourself and the tailgater more time and space to react in case of an emergency does develop ahead.
That is what the Georgia DMV says I like the finger better !!

I tap my brake lights a few times to get their attention, sometimes that works or you can slow down a little, pull to the far right of the lane and wave them by, IF there is room to do so safely.

+1 for what Joe said. But to be honest, sometimes I just want to open up the Wing and get some distance between me and them..

It all depends on the mood I'm in at the time. Sometimes I'll slow down to the correct speed limit - very effective. Other times, I'll twist the throttle just to show them that I could go fast if I wanted to and then I'll slow back down to the speed I want to travel at. On highways, its between 65-70mph, no matter if its a 55 or 65mph. I am still awed by the quickness of my wing, and occassionally, I want to shock and awe others as well. I usually will not exceed 90mph...emphasis on the word usually.

Hey people, don't let the testosterone get you into trouble. Slow down, let them past. Slow down to walking pace, or pull off the road if you have to. Once they are past, just resume your ride. You'll be behind them and at most 10 seconds later then you would have been. Doesn't really seem worth the stress and the danger does it.

BTW I can't say I'm blameless. When this happens to me, sometimes it takes a bit of stepping back and looking at the big picture before I can remind myself to let them go. I get really tempted by all the other options people mention, but in the end know the safest thing is having them well ahead of me, where I can keep out of their way.

Charlie

Sorry forgot to add, if it's in traffic and letting them past isn't going to work, then I just extend my following distance to the guy in front tot 4s so that I've got time to react for the guy behind me as well. Funny how many times they just burst past into that spot, and tailgate the guy in front again.

Charlie

Hey people, don't let the testosterone get you into trouble. Slow down, let them past. Slow down to walking pace, or pull off the road if you have to. Once they are past, just resume your ride. You'll be behind them and at most 10 seconds later then you would have been. Doesn't really seem worth the stress and the danger does it.

BTW I can't say I'm blameless. When this happens to me, sometimes it takes a bit of stepping back and looking at the big picture before I can remind myself to let them go. I get really tempted by all the other options people mention, but in the end know the safest thing is having them well ahead of me, where I can keep out of their way.

Charlie

I agree completely, no point in ruining your own ride and getting into a tight spot.

Thanks for all the input about this subject. The answers posted were all very sensible and thought provoking. We see and hear about road rage tail gaters and soforth all the time and if nothing else I wanted us to reflect on this common situation so we can better instinctively react when it happens.I appreciate this group of riders here on GWOF
and if all the drivers out there thought as this group does we'd have a lot less accidents
and better drivers by far.

-Robert-

Set the bike on cruise turn around and open fire with a AK-47, lol


What I do when I'm troubled by tail gators is pull off and let them go by. Too much road rage going on as it is. Shooting the bird may result in bringing a knife to a gun fight. I always look for the quick exit

Most bike accidents are caused by cages. If you ride so there is no cage in the vicinity, you'll be that much safer. You smoke the tailgater, and get to where the traffic is thinner. Give the guy that much room to pass you so you can ride alone. Even Wings have enough power to get away. Nothing macho about it, just a sensible way to stay safe.

Even Wings have enough power to get away. Nothing macho about it, just a sensible way to stay safe.[/QUOTE]

There are times when its safe to just "GO" and look for that clear buffer area with no other vehicles around, I prefer that,all of us do.
I was following a "B" train Fuel tanker in Saskatchewan, I stayed back quite aways until I saw my break,dropped a gear and I'm gone and in the clear.A dozen miles later I pulled in for gas,the tanker pulls in to. I sit down inside for a coffee,the tanker driver a total stranger sits down at my table and says "I like how you ride,I'm a biker too" he said he'd seen it all driving for a living and so many drivers tailgate,he can't see them in his mirrors and if one of his airlines ever broke the brakes dynamite,the tailgater is toast.
The other thing he said,one of his tank caps flew off one time smashing a cars windshield. Staying well behind is a good idea.

-Robert-

do what I do. Reach up and flip on the blue/red lights! Works every time

Hay 2003 GL 1800 Police where can I get those red and blue lights for my bike

Just slow down and give them a chance to pass. I am going to order a programable sign for the back of the box. It has the capacity of 10 150 chariter mesages. #1 will be "Please dont tailgate" #2 Please back off" #3 BACK OFF #4 "You are about to have a flat tire"

Out here where I ride we nearly always have shoulders so put on turn signal and move to the right. It works most of the time. I don't care if it is legal or not, it is better getting a ticket than a tailgater!!

Just slow down and give them a chance to pass. I am going to order a programable sign for the back of the box. It has the capacity of 10 150 chariter mesages. #1 will be "Please dont tailgate" #2 Please back off" #3 BACK OFF #4 "You are about to have a flat tire" #5 Hand grenade launch ready, lol

I always wanted to build a cable operated trap door in the bottom of my saddlebag that carried a few hundred roofing tacks in it. Maybe a paint ball gun rigged to shoot ball bearings from inside the trunk. You can tell I've had some real bad experiances with tailgaters, lol

Problem with the sign, "the idiots get closer so that they can read it" :)

#5 Hand grenade launch ready, lol

I always wanted to build a cable operated trap door in the bottom of my saddlebag that carried a few hundred roofing tacks in it. Maybe a paint ball gun rigged to shoot ball bearings from inside the trunk. You can tell I've had some real bad experiances with tailgaters, lol

I like yourr way of thinking.;);)
I agree with all that has been posted but once in a while a TGer just gets me at the wrong time. I was travelling back to Edmonton on the Divided #2 highway one day in my car. I usually travel 10 over the speed limit and I was passing a string of vehicles when this J Off runs right up behind me in his tin can mufflered mini-car. He rides right on my bumper as I pass this long line of vehicles and then starts flashing his lights at me since I was too slow to return to the right hand lane. Right then it hit me that I am going to have some fun with this guy and just stayed in the passing lane for a while getting him more p'd off. Once I could see he was fuming and might do something stupid I slowly pulled into the right lane and as he flew by he of course flipped the bird at me and I just smiled and waived. About 1/2 hour up the road I was given a special present, he was on a side road with his hood up and the engine smoking and the car dead in the water.
I don't usually act this way but it was one of those days.
If tailgaters only realized that it is actually easier to pass a can if you stay back a ways. You can around the car in front better and once there is space you can accelerate some before you committ and move into the passing lane. Tail gaters are just too stupid to realize this though.

Taco Bender What do you mean "if its legal or not" What would be illegal?

It all depends on the mood I'm in at the time. Sometimes I'll slow down to the correct speed limit - very effective. Other times, I'll twist the throttle just to show them that I could go fast if I wanted to and then I'll slow back down to the speed I want to travel at. On highways, its between 65-70mph, no matter if its a 55 or 65mph. I am still awed by the quickness of my wing, and occassionally, I want to shock and awe others as well. I usually will not exceed 90mph...emphasis on the word usually.



Having come over from the liter and larger sportbike scene, I was not nearly as impressed with the goldwings power. And having my own sportbike blow by me and I could not even give it a good run proves this is not the wings forte. But all that aside, the sheer bulk was the hardest thing to get used to. But used to it I am, and I love the Goldwing for the two up travels it provides me and the wife. I can't imagine not having one now. It is a extremly confortable ride with enough power at your hands to have some spirited times available to you the driver. Would I buy another Wing......YES I WOULD!

#5 Hand grenade launch ready, lol

I always wanted to build a cable operated trap door in the bottom of my saddlebag that carried a few hundred roofing tacks in it. Maybe a paint ball gun rigged to shoot ball bearings from inside the trunk. You can tell I've had some real bad experiances with tailgaters, lol

heavychey you need to quit holding back and just go ahead and tell us how you really feel about things.:D:D:D

Y’all are funny, brought a smile to my face early this morning.

One thing I didn’t hear anyone mention is that he who has the most lug nuts wins. Usually I evade and avoid; speed up or let them pass.

In Texas, where most of the shoulder is another good lane, it is common courtesy to use the shoulder to let the vehicle behind you by. Hoping to make a ride that way this spring.

Mark