Mirror Vs Transit

[Jono]

Anybody else suffer when squeezing between 2 vans, in that our mirrors are the same height as most van's mirrors ?

Has anybody tried relocating the mirrors, or swapped them for another type ?

 

[bandit]

yes but

they might be the same height as a transit but they are higher than the cars.

and the transit drivers couldn't give a toss if you clip them.

Unlike the arseholes who drive BMW's

 

[Colt]

Yes I have a set from the k1200rs.
fit ok needed part of stem cutting away so that"choke lever"can be used.

 

[(RIP) maverick]

Van Mirrors

Yep have an occasional meeting with them on a weekly basis although it is pretty much the tossers that close the gap on you. I usually filter pretty slow so most times if they see me in the mirror some of them move over and then sometimes they don't.

Have never felt the need to change to smaller or lower ones as that might just bang into something else again. At least now I know my odds.

 

[darren]

I have almost perfected a manouvre for this situation. Take two Transits or similar, and on your approach try and wait until one is 6" ahead of the other, then 'Shimmie' your way through. Works for me and the van drivers can't usually believe you can get through!

 

[Jono]

Thanks chaps, have been shimmieing for years now, but at the moment I keep coming up against trannies that won't budge from exactly side by side.

Maybe I'll look into the other mirrors....

 

[Vern]

I just hit them,plain and simple.One bloke was having a bit of road rage the other day,out of his car shouting at a lorry driver,and he left his door open.I can now reveal that R1100GS cylinder heads close car doors at an optimun speed of 35mph without damage.I think you could get away with maybe 15mph, but the bloke was getting back in the car so I allowed another 20mph to account for his leg

 

[Jono]

Trouble with hitting them is you have to adjust them again, not to handy when filtering...

 

[Captain Beaky]

Yea, good innit?

It's payback for every white van man out there.

(and at least it's better than catching your shoulder on one when your using a sportsbike...

 

[ralphy]

Re: white van man.....
True story here folks, actually witnessed by my colleague. in London, nr Paddington station last Thursday.....
white van man delibrately moves van towards centre line (in heavy traffic) to try to stop courier bike filtering through. Is unsuccessful, as bike inches past him - so WVM leans out of his window and hits biker on left shoulder. Bike stops just at front of van (which is now stationary & pinned in by cars in front) & the following happens.....
biker removes tyre lever with his left hand from inside riding boot, hits white van window hard enough to 'star' it completely, replaces tyre lever in riding boot, & rides off - giving cheery wave 50 yds further on!!!!!!!
Superb!

 

[wessie]

the BMW handguards are the perfect tool for removing Transit door mirrors so a mate that commutes on his GS around the North Circular tells me

 

[jnrobert]

biker removes tyre lever with his left hand from inside riding boot, hits white van window hard enough to 'star' it completely,

Two wrongs don't make a right.

 

[Timolgra]

WVM

Now then, on occasion I am a white van man, and proud of it.
My exception though is always giving absolute priority to bikes.
However thats where the courtesey ends.

I love showing no road manners, indulging in sneaking moves like not allowing overtaking on the inside, nicking parking spots just as someone who has been waiting for a while is about to pull in, and a particular favourite of mine when being tailgated by big trucks on a hill is to drop a few mph so they lose their revs (just make sure they can't find me at the service station). The best has to be edging out into town traffic causing road rage and mayhem, you just know that given a show down with a nice posh car a rusty white Tranny is going win out.

Some say it is a gift that cannot be learnt we are simply born with it. Even so, I would like to take an advance white van man driving course, perhaps an off road version could be taken involving golf courses and parks. All manner of skills to perfect, hand brake turns on the green, chase the ducks....................

ooh er getting a bit pisssed already must have been the sherry earlier

Tim

 

[manumartin]

you could always pull a wheelie but then you'd hit car mirrors with your cylinder heads.....................

 

[Jon]

What I want are some stickers, just like the fighter pilots have, of wing mirrors. You can put them on your mirrors or handguards. People see them in their mirrors and think you mean business - even if you don't.

I've only ever hit one mirror and that was on the A40 coming out of London and with my handguard, just after getting the bike.

Boy, did I weave like a demon to get away after that one!

The other sticker I want (I've only ever seen it once) is the one written backwards so it can be read in a mirror ;

"Yes, I am going to follow you home"

Fantastic

 

[Malky]

What I want are some stickers, just like the fighter pilots have, of wing mirrors. You can put them on your mirrors or handguards. People see them in their mirrors and think you mean business - even if you don't.

I've only ever hit one mirror and that was on the A40 coming out of London and with my handguard, just after getting the bike.

Boy, did I weave like a demon to get away after that one!

The other sticker I want (I've only ever seen it once) is the one written backwards so it can be read in a mirror ;

"Yes, I am going to follow you home"

Fantastic