Needo to install a very loud horn - freeway 'fun'

[RickB]

This morning a white car to my right just switched lanes right directly on top of me - I had to take extremely aggressive evasive action.
The car did ok, stayed on the road but there was a strong pitch & roll feeling to it and had I not had a firm grip on the wheel I might have lost control.
The other driver apparently noticed at last what they had done and slowed way down, of course they were completely in the place I had been occupying only seconds before.
People should not be having their coffee, applying makeup, changing clothes, watching TV or whatever while driving - it really puts the rest of us at risk.
I don't think I would have had time to hit a horn but I sure would have laid on it afterward.

 

[jsfbond]

How about one of those orange bike flags?

 

[drooartz]

I find that my skills from many years as a motorcyclist transfer nicely to the Tunebug. Drive like they are out to kill you, because they are.

I find myself making predictions on how folks are going to behave stupidly, so that I'm just fine when they do! I've been on my bike and have had folks do the same thing to me.

 

[tdskip]

I find that my skills from many years as a motorcyclist transfer nicely to the Tunebug. Drive like they are out to kill you, because they are.

+1, I drive the same way coming out of my days on the bike.

 

[tomshobby]

That is why I am putting a loud exhaust on my Midget and loud horns.

 

[RickB]

The car came from an on ramp two lanes over, changed to the lane next to me (right next to me) then into my lane as if it was empty.
I had to turn hard into the next lane to the left of me, I almost didn't get the wheel turned back to the right in time. He/she was completely in my lane where I had been only a second earlier. This all at about 65 MPH.
I've seen someone maneuver like that on a bike, I spent time on a crotch rocket myself and had a run-in or two with cars.
Don't know if I would have survived that one on a bike.

 

[Gundy]

That is why I am putting a loud exhaust on my Midget and loud horns.

So... Mimi's exhaust would appear to have some use other than to
scare women and small children.
https://www.youtube.com/user/oldschoolcruiser#p/u/19/nIsN2v5QvKU

 

[ichthos]

First of all, I am glad you are OK, Rick. I have tried to keep my Bugeye as original as possible. Safety takes importance over originality, however. I recently bought one of those compact air horns from Moss. I had to make a small bracket to fit the way I wanted in the original location, but this horn gives a suprisingly loud burst for such a small horn. No one will miss hearing this horn if I have to use it. And if I go to a car show, it takes me only a matter of minutes to swap out horns.

 

[Pythias]

I finally got tired of that kind of thing and put on one of the Griot's Garage, (I think actually a STEBINS) Italian (electric) air horn this winter. It IS freaking <span style="font-size: 17pt"><span style="text-decoration: underline"><span style="font-weight: bold">LOUD!</span></span></span>

 

[19Sprite65]

So Gundy- what muffler or resonator do you have on Mimi?

 

[sqbsprite]

Modern cars do such a good job blocking out road noise, you really do have to drive like they can't see you. In the Sprite you hear everything around you, but in one of my other cars, I can hardly hear a fire truck until it is right on me.
Alert driving like a on a motorcycle is an absolute must.

 

[rlwhitetr3b]

Modern cars do such a good job blocking out road noise, you really do have to drive like they can't see you.

In addition most of they have their stereos on and their cell phone at their ear.

You really have to drive like everyone else is out to kill you no matter what you are driving.

 

[RickB]

Agreed, I tend to believe other people are texting, answering emails, doing their nails, putting on makeup, watching the news on their in dash TV making route changes on their GPS and just about anything else other than DRIVING THEIR FREAKING CAR!!!!!!!!!

 

[smaceng]

Our cars are almost the smallest out there, and , like a motorcycle, people don't always see us. I know the few times I have gone tire to tire next to an 18 wheeler, I get the shakes! I remember in college we saw a Fiat that had gone off a cliff, and I went down and "borrowed" the horn. It was an air horn type, and I put that on my first BE. Boy was it loud!
Scott in CA

 

[ichthos]

If it ever stops raining I may get my Bugeye out for a test. In the meantime, what do you guys do to make yourself more visible to other drivers that are not used to looking for such small cars? Like I said, I have an air horn now, but what else can you do?
Kevin

 

[Trevor Jessie]

Lights on and leave plenty of distance on all sides.

 

[Billm]

My car is bright orange! Bright red was NOT good enough!
BillM

 

[Trevor Jessie]

My Bugeye is "stealth" colored so I need to be extra cautious.

 

[nomad]

After a long winter I just got back to little cars yesterday. During the winter I drive,almost exclusivly, big pickups. Wow, can I notice the difference. When in a 3/4 ton 4 wheel drive the opposition does NOT pull out in front of you. They are willing to give you plenty of room but as soon as you are in a small vehicle everything change's. I'll bet I had to slow at least a half dozen times for people pulling out in front of me and was cut off a couple of times as well.
A BIG horn makes sense. I hope by summer when the bikes are on the road the public will be more careful.
I'm blaming it on the fact that due to our size they just don't realize how close we are.

Kurt.

 

[equiprx]

First of all, I am glad you are OK, Rick. I have tried to keep my Bugeye as original as possible. Safety takes importance over originality, however. I recently bought one of those compact air horns from Moss. I had to make a small bracket to fit the way I wanted in the original location, but this horn gives a suprisingly loud burst for such a small horn. No one will miss hearing this horn if I have to use it. And if I go to a car show, it takes me only a matter of minutes to swap out horns.

When I had my Fiat 850 Spider, I often felt invisible. I was wandering around a junk yard one day and I found a WW2 era klaxon horn from a submarine. Voltage was different, but my dad was able to calculate the resistor needed to make it work. Now that was a sound that got attention.