Just as a note I am new to riding. I have two weeks under my belt now and I got caught in a situation and wondered what you all feel is the correct action. I have no pics or diagrams so I will set the scene. Three lanes (US) solid traffic; a left turn, center and right (straight/turn) with a cement divider next to the left turn. I am in the center.
This is where the situation starts, with an ambulance that needs to get through. Obviously the vehicles try to maneuver out of the way. Now my question: how do you make yourself known? I had a truck I dont think noticed me and was becoming a threat of squishing me like a bug. (BTW) dont forget making noise is practically useless when you have a wailing siren and flashy lights within 10-15 ft. Thanks for your feedback.

 

If you cant use the horn and the cager dosent see you, move. They are not worried about you, you have to watch for them.

 

Pretty much.

You should still have the advantage of mobility, agility and size. You should also already have escape routes at least mentally prepared.

In a situation like this you may have to use the other cars around you as additional armor. The trucker may not be aware of you and could not hear your horn. But he is more than likely aware of the other cages as he began maneuvering to give the ambulance clearance. So put the other cages between you and him in some manner.

 

I completely agree with both of you and thanks for the feedback. Before buying a bike I did alot of safety research on proper practices. I had an escape route ready but when the puzzle changed there was no forward back or side to side. (left and center shifted and became compact) And just as clarification it was not a trucker but a slightly lifted truck. I do like the idea of using other vehicles as blockers though. Thanks!

 

a siren isn't as loud as a two brothers exhaust at 14k rpms. just saying.

 

And I'm just saying, rather emphatically, if you rely on that pipe to get attention over moving yourself and your bike out of the harm's way you will end up squished.

 

I don't think he was saying not to move, but just as a fact, if you couldn't move any more and the truck wasn't paying attention, revving would probably help get his attention.

But I think the best situation is to use other cars to block you from this happening.

 

Not going to get into the "loud pipe" myth / debate. What I do know is

• Taking the engine "offline" by pulling in the clutch to rev the bike is not always the best idea
• some people react very poorly when under pressure something startles them into awareness

It also is tacitly promoting using something other than skill and awareness to the situation. Which is not acceptable when speaking to a new rider in my book

 

oh well i was thinking that common sense would at least take him over and he'd start moving his bike and himself out of the way, but he was asking how to be heard, or be noticed at all. the initial debate wasn't "should i move or should i rev/honk/scream? which ones more important"

 

Yep - and I can attest that until that siren is at my door, it is usually quieter than my truck's stereo if I've got the volume **** cranked and the windows are up. And I'm just running a simple single 12, and a nice selection of midbass/highs. That 2 bro's pipe wouldn't even register with me. Especially since it's really not that loud until it is in front of me anyway.