Overtaking

[rac3r]

Made an overtake today which after I did it was unsure whether it was done right. I was behind 2 learners and an instructor who were all on bikes, it was a shortish country lane. I was happy cruising along behind them but the instructor waved his leg for me to pass. On coming lane was clear so check mirror then gun it up into the next gear, moved back in then had to slow quite a bit for the bend but made it round fine.

For some reason I feel I did something wrong, what would you have done?

[Twentytoo]

Pulled a wheelie as I passed and then a stoppie into the bend........well in my dreams.....in reality if he waved me past and I felt it safe I'd have gone....

[the_adam]

I still tend to be quite cautious about overtaking too. Doesn't sound like you did anything wrong to me though (except you didn't mention anything about a shoulder check! :twak:), if the instructor was happy for you to pass it sounds good, and you should really be needing to slow down for corners anyway ;)

[Twentytoo]

I still tend to be quite cautious about overtaking too. Doesn't sound like you did anything wrong to me though (except you didn't mention anything about a shoulder check! :twak:), if the instructor was happy for you to pass it sounds good, and you should really be needing to slow down for corners anyway ;)


Having come from a ZX6 to a M696 in the last few weeks I find the Monster much easier to overtake on. It feels like I've passed before I've barely thought about it as opposed to 'winding' the ZX6 up. However I think I'm still cautious and will never stop being like this....Getting home in one piece is more important that anything...

[rac3r]

Having come from a ZX6 to a M696 in the last few weeks I find the Monster much easier to overtake on. It feels like I've passed before I've barely thought about it as opposed to 'winding' the ZX6 up. However I think I'm still cautious and will never stop being like this....Getting home in one piece is more important that anything...

+1 on everything there!

Yeah I felt my 636 required either a downshift or some planning before making the overtake but the monster is pretty much point and squirt :chuckle:

[J.P]

If it felt wrong in some way, it probably was wrong to you.
Did you leave the overtake a little longer than you would normally, thus when you did the move you found the bend sooner than you thought ?
Advanced road riding suggests taking the overtake safely as soon as the opportunity arises, rather than waiting a bit. The sooner you start it, the sooner you finish it, and then can get settled and back in your groove for the approaching corner in the right gear and at the right speed.

[Mr Cake]

Just keep the kwakka wound up :) To be honest thats one of the reasons why I got the R1 when I was done with the Monster 'cause it'll go from 40mph to as fast as you dare in 6th.

It is important that whenever you brake for a turn, always dangle your leg out :)

C

[rac3r]

If it felt wrong in some way, it probably was wrong to you.
Did you leave the overtake a little longer than you would normally, thus when you did the move you found the bend sooner than you thought ?
Advanced road riding suggests taking the overtake safely as soon as the opportunity arises, rather than waiting a bit. The sooner you start it, the sooner you finish it, and then can get settled and back in your groove for the approaching corner in the right gear and at the right speed.

I wasn't really planning an overtake until the dude waved his leg. I knew there was a bend further up and this was the only spot to overtake safely as you can see all the way up to the bend. I approached a little quick but not so much that I went wide or anything. Maybe it was the fact that I wasn't planning on overtaking :confused:

MrCake I tried the leg dangle thing once and it just feels wrong :chuckle:

[J.P]

You're probably right about being waved past, if you weren't expecting it you weren't set up for it and it was, by the sound of it, a little rushed, though you got round all fine in the end.

The only other thing you could of done is overtake the instructor and one of the learners, slipped in, then waited for the next chance to get past the front learner.

[pegboy]

I would have weaved through them inside and outside then smoked the back tyre as i took off:biggrin:

Just jokes, i would have ended up in the bushed for sure, I think JP is spot on you were not ready and did something you were not prepared for. But you did it safely and all was well in the end.

[uksurfer]

I think that more importantly - you have learnt to overtake when you think it is safe, not because someone waves you past

[Yorkie]

I always have every intention of overtaking everyone ahead of me, so I am always planning it, safe and progressive, or gun it and see!

Yorkie

[Dukedesmo]

I would never trust anyone else's opinion of whether it is safe to go or not, only pass when you can see it is 100% safe for you to do so.

Consider all other road users as psycho-maniacs out to kill you or blind, incompetent fools looking for a SMIDSY and you won't go far wrong...

[Nickj]

This leg waving sounds a bit suspect, you sure he wasn't trying to kick you??

If you're in the right time and place and you feel good about it then go.. . if you want to

Someone waving a leg at me would want to get past a bit sharpish.. obviously a bit of an odd cove

[Mr.Number]

10/10 on dukedesmo comment.

Sounds to me that you made a move on someone else's judgement. If this isnt true, then I would say you have allowed the instructor to have more of an influence on your decision making process than you should have allowed.

The fact you have generated a thread speaks for itself, my opinion is that you were wrong to make the move.

1. "I wasn't really planning an overtake until the dude waved his leg"

WHAT !......sorry rac3r but that doesnt sound at all good. To me that raises the question whether your thinking safety first.

2. "I knew there was a bend further up and this was the only spot to overtake safely as you can see all the way up to the bend. I approached a little quick"

Think this answers your own question doesnt it. Unless you have written it wrong, to me it sounds as though because "This was the only spot to overtake safely" ....this has influenced you into taking the decision go. Did you have to ? Why not wait and see the road through ? Were you in a rush ?

You havnt really gone into details about the distance you had between your position when you made the decision to do the overtake and the location of the bend. In other words, was there really enough room for a safe overtake. Making an overtake which when completed is taking you into a bend, in my opinion is an absolute no no unless you have a full limit point well ahead of you. Again in my opinion, one of the main reasons for this, is that if you are suddenly presented with an oncoming vehicle in the lane you are currently in during your overtake, you are leaving you and your bike too much work to do to get back in your lane.

You said "you can see all the way up to the bend".

What if theres an absolute prick in a subaru gunning it around that blind bend heading in your direction ? Yet youv already made your decision because the dude "waved his leg". You dont know what view the instructor has ? Ok he/she is an instructor and you would like to think he/she wouldnt suggest an overtake if it wasnt safe, however its just too much trust to place elsewhere in my opinion.

"I approached a little quick"

Im not slagging you off rac3r but going by what your saying theres all sorts wrong with this.

You can progress quickly on roads, but the conditions must be right, and it doesnt look like they were for this. Credit to you for raising it, take the comments in and also my boring advice, in that overtaking carries substantial risk, get it wrong and you will pay for it, be switched on and confident and make your decisions on sound judgement......your OWN judgement and you will enjoy it more.

[Tomfoolery]

Your hair wasn't on fire, your flip-flops were not flame-coloured, and your front wheel was depressingly tarmac-touching.

Poof.

[utopia]

I would never trust anyone else's opinion of whether it is safe to go or not, only pass when you can see it is 100% safe for you to do so.
Consider all other road users as psycho-maniacs out to kill you or blind, incompetent fools looking for a SMIDSY and you won't go far wrong...

I think that more importantly - you have learnt to overtake when you think it is safe, not because someone waves you past

Dukedesmo's advice is spot on.
I would only add that even the best of us do daft things sometimes. So keep smiling, and stay humble.

Uksurfer hits the nail on the head in this case.

For what its worth, my two-pennorth is this.....
What is possibly troubling you is that, even though the manoevre was completed safely, you allowed someone else's opinion to affect the decision you had already made.
That is not a good thing, generally speaking, and so even though you reassessed the situation properly and made a concious decision that it was safe to change your plan, the fact remains that you had relinquished some control over your actions.
It is very understandable that your instinct would tell you to heed the opinion of a motorcycle instructor, particularly if you have taken your test in recent years.
Not to worry though. You reassessment was good, if maybe a little borderline, and more importantly you have realised that something was wrong and are seeking to address the issue.
Next time you'll be more confident in your own opinion.
I'd say top marks, and things look good for the future.

[craigie]

Your hair wasn't on fire, your flip-flops were not flame-coloured, and your front wheel was depressingly tarmac-touching.

Poof.

Are you one of those IAM instructors?

[Tomfoolery]

My Dad was :D

[craigie]

Rubbed off on you then............

[Tomfoolery]

Yeah, it's not a good ride unless my hair's on fire and the Police helicopter comes out :D

[rac3r]

Thanks for the comments guys. I was thinking of an overtake but wasn't actively ready if that makes sense and when the instructor waved me on and the bikes moved to the side I felt the need to go. In terms of distance I had enough before the bend, if you throw in the Subaru example then yeah that would have been a problem if he was on the wrong side of the road. In actual fact there was a truck there but we were both where we were supposed to be so it was fine.

If I were to approach the situation again I'd probably stay where I was, I'd feel like an idiot and the instructor would be pissed off but hey :chuckle: If I did make the overtake out of my own judgement it would be a little slower