Would a louder horn be considered Safety Equipment?

[CADMAN]

After a close call yesterday morning on the way to work, I immediately logged-in and went straight to the Stebel website to order a Nautilus.

Woman in a Hyundai, on her cell proceeds to attempt to occupy my lane while I am to her right at her windshield! (Basic physics: two solid objects cannot occupy the same space at the same time) If I had been farther rearward, I probably would have been forced into the curb. Luckily I was in the left third of the lane and had enough room to move right and gas it, as she had crossed the lane line and was coming further when my weak oem horn finally got her attention. As we approached the traffic light, of course I showed her She immediately moved to the left turn lane almost being hit by an oncoming car from the rear.

I am impatiently waiting for the mailman.

 

[Motogiro]

Most definitely! :rockon: and glad you're okay!

 

[DeepBlueRider]

I've stopped caring about using a horn for faster evasive maneuvers. I've used to had Stebel kind of horn on one of my bikes. While commuting to work I was slowly rolling to red light and there was a car on right lane (two lane street). When I was in exactly same position as you she figured out my lane is much more attractive than hers. I've pressed the horn and keep it. Woman did NOTHING. She continued maneuver until done and me pushed to the curb.

Since that time I trust brakes more than horn.

 

[TownsendsFJR1300]

IMHO, the Stebel is indeed a safety feature, as is a louder exhaust(IMO), High Beam headlight on during the day too. Hyperlite running / flashing brake lights for the rear backs up your SINGLE Yamaha tail ligh should a bulb blow too. (I actually have a spare Hyperlite running/flashing brake light on the rear of my SUV-just under the hitch)

And of course riding defensively , planning for that cage that may not see you and have an escape route AT ALL TIMES.

I personally try to stay ahead of any group of cages and NOT get "boxed in", could be very dangerous...

 

[kenh]

IMHO, the Stebel is indeed a safety feature, as is a louder exhaust(IMO), High Beam headlight on during the day too. Hyperlite running / flashing brake lights for the rear backs up your SINGLE Yamaha tail ligh should a bulb blow too. (I actually have a spare Hyperlite running/flashing brake light on the rear of my SUV-just under the hitch)

And of course riding defensively , planning for that cage that may not see you and have an escape route AT ALL TIMES.

I personally try to stay ahead of any group of cages and NOT get "boxed in", could be very dangerous...

Agreed, I think 1/2 of time spent riding is making sure your are seen and after a few close calls, I will have to say the headlight mod has been most beneficial in that regard.
I was considering upgrading the horn. I have used it a few times and find it pretty wimpy. I have also noticed that a quick rev at the right moment can be an attention getter.
Being "boxed in" is a very uncomfortable feeling , but I prefer to let the cages run ahead and provide interference for those vehicles that are waiting to enter or cross the flow of traffic. Just this moring on the dark and foggy ride to work a doe ran in front of the large SUV that I was following, I was glad to have a couple tons of steel out in front.

 

[FZ09Bandit]

I would consider it safety equipment, I have seen a lot of motorcyclist use this tactic when someone is waitin to pull out onto a road, especially in warmer riding weather since a good percentage of people have their windows down.

Think of it like this, we are buddies, I drive by your house and see you outside, so I honk a few times what do ya do?

Ya look in that direction.

Good choice!

 

[CADMAN]

Great advice, thank you.

IMHO, the Stebel is indeed a safety feature, as is a louder exhaust(IMO)

Louder exhaust planned for a future mod (possibly a Phrank2K11 type).

...Hyperlite running / flashing brake lights for the rear backs up your SINGLE Yamaha tail ligh should a bulb blow too. (I actually have a spare Hyperlite running/flashing brake light on the rear of my SUV-just under the hitch)

Hyperlite was second mod, added a 16 module just under tail light, always had them on every bike owned. As I have an older S-10 Blazer, plan to add dual 16 modules as additional aux brake lights.

I was really quite lucky to have the space to get out of the way, but a louder horn would have freaked her out.

 

[Susan]

I don't know that being louder helps that much (maybe a little in some circumstances).

So many times I've been inside a minivan with the windows up, not distracted, no loud music... and a bike with loud pipes blows past. I see him coming in my mirrors, but I don't hear him at all until he's right beside me. Which of course would be very unfortunate for him if I were to be distracted and switching lanes without looking or signaling, as some drivers do.

Better to maintain safe space margins, in my opinion, than to count on a driver hearing your horn and reacting to it in time.

 

[VEGASRIDER]

When I had the Stiebel Horn, I begged for those beautiful moments. The blast of a freight train to scare the living daylights out of the driver. I had a woman almost roll her SUV on the highway once I gave her a blast. She jerked the steering wheel so hard in order to get back into her lane, I heard her tires screeching while her SUV zig zagged out of control.

 

[Susan]

I had a woman almost roll her SUV on the highway once I gave her a blast. She jerked the steering wheel so hard in order to get back into her lane, I heard her tires screeching while her SUV zig zagged out of control.

I sure hope you're joking.

 

[Nelly]

I don't know that being louder helps that much (maybe a little in some circumstances).

So many times I've been inside a minivan with the windows up, not distracted, no loud music... and a bike with loud pipes blows past. I see him coming in my mirrors, but I don't hear him at all until he's right beside me. Which of course would be very unfortunate for him if I were to be distracted and switching lanes without looking or signaling, as some drivers do.

Better to maintain safe space margins, in my opinion, than to count on a driver hearing your horn and reacting to it in time.

Totally agree Bren, been there lots of times.

Onservations and defensive riding saves lives, louder pipes might induce a false sense of safety?

Nelly

 

[TownsendsFJR1300]

Defensive driving and any/all add on's can only help keep you alive. Keeping the bike in top top condition as well (good tires/brakes, etc)

One thing or another will help, but its truly, IMO, all the above, expect the unexpected, use your skills, your knowledge, experiance.

Re the pipes, I don't go blowing past a car, period. As you noted, if in a cage they won't hear you until its possibly too late.. When you do, count on them changing lanes...

I'll get out of their blind spot, maybe 5-10 MPH faster, and let them SEE and HEAR me, and go on my way. Directionals, AND hand signals too (when possible) helps get a drivers attention..

 

[VEGASRIDER]

I sure hope you're joking.

Nope. The woman overcorrected when she realized she made a bad lane change due to her laziness from not conducting a proper lane change. Yeah, I scared her but that's what the horn is designed to do. Don't tell me you are not startled whenever you hear a horn sound off next to you, it is designed to get your attention.

The horn is a defensive tool and has a very small window for being effective. And that is before or during the early stages of a conflict, not after the fact.

 

[Susan]

Nope. The woman overcorrected when she realized she made a bad lane change due to her laziness from not conducting a proper lane change. Yeah, I scared her but that's what the horn is designed to do. Don't tell me you are not startled whenever you hear a horn sound off next to you, it is designed to get your attention.

The horn is a defensive tool and has a very small window for being effective. And that is before or during the early stages of a conflict, not after the fact.

I do get that there's a time and place to use a horn. The way you described her going out of control sounds dangerous for her and everyone else, though.

(You will be happy to know my driving doesn't require people to honk their horns at me.)

 

[iviyth0s]

I do get that there's a time and place to use a horn. The way you described her going out of control sounds dangerous for her and everyone else, though.

(You will be happy to know my driving doesn't require people to honk their horns at me.)

He couldn't have possibly anticipated her behavior though, if she was more aware of him and her surroundings and was only doing a lesser no-no (or if she could react without OVERreacting) then she wouldn't have potentially endangered others.

Survival of the fittest, Vegas's danger was lessened, it's not his fault if another driver cannot react to changing road conditions (crazy, swerving SUV lady)

 

[Susan]

(crazy, swerving SUV lady)

Gotcha. I agree, that's not a good way to drive.

I don't want to start a kerfuffle, just want to think out loud for a second.

After thinking harder about what exactly was making me feel so strongly about that post... I think it was this:

I begged for those beautiful moments.

The context I picked up from that (perhaps entirely inaccurately) was that Vegasrider thought the outcome was nifty. Whereas I've been in car accidents, and it was just awful both times, and my husband and another person were hurt very badly in one of them. So that was where my head was. I was horrified that it happened at all.

OK, time to get out of my head and back on topic. Carry on.

 

[VEGASRIDER]

Simply put it, she was a poor driver!

 

[kenh]

Simply put it, she was a poor driver!

Isn't it true that most drivers on the road do not give driving the full attention it deserves?

 

[mxgolf]

I agree Ken and it seems to be getting worse with the dam cell phones. People are too busy to drive any more. Sitting at a light and all you see is the drivers around you checking there phone. Then the light changes and they are holding up traffic still on there stupid phone. It's supposedly against the law but you would not know it anymore. The main thing here is we as riders have to pretend we are invisible and drive accordingly. Expect the cagers to pull out in front of us or to switch lanes at the last minute with no signal and on and on. Be safe out there people!

 

[kenh]

I agree Ken and it seems to be getting worse with the dam cell phones. People are too busy to drive any more. Sitting at a light and all you see is the drivers around you checking there phone. Then the light changes and they are holding up traffic still on there stupid phone. It's supposedly against the law but you would not know it anymore. The main thing here is we as riders have to pretend we are invisible and drive accordingly. Expect the cagers to pull out in front of us or to switch lanes at the last minute with no signal and on and on. Be safe out there people!

Here in Michigan they made illegal to text and drive, phones are still ok, however this is a Huge problem. Yesterday I found myself waiting for a light to change and noticed the guy in the cage behind me texting like a fiend. He put is head down and would look up every few seconds to see if the light had changed and then put his head back down. So I decided to have a little fun, mind you this light cycle is a couple of minutes. As soon as he would put head down, I would roll on the throttle to get his attention. It worked everytime and I don't think he ever caught on to it.