RangerDan: Let me throw in my .02. I have laid my bike down three times and come close on a couple other ocations, because of cagers! I was in the left lane of three and had a guy pull from a side street on the right into the center lane right along side of me and then proceed to head for a left turn lane coming up a ways down the street, I was able to avoid that one.
At an intersection with a trafic light (again three lanes) I was entering the right lane from a driveway a couple hundred feet down from the light, a car come through the intersection at the light from the other side and headed for the right lane, I laid it down to prevent being run over! The other guy kept on going!
At an intersection with two lanes I was on a side street wanting to turn left a guy from the other side wants to turn right (there shouldn't be any problem - I make a left turn into the left lane and he makes a right turn into the right lane) he got to the stop sign just ahead of me and signaled with his hand for me to go; I turned into the left half of the left lane and the next thing I know his bumper is against my engine guard! I laid it down HE SAW ME AND STILL RUN INTO ME!
A half dozen blocks from home in a residential area (at night) I am approaching an intersection where the other guy has a stop sign, HE RAN THE STOP SIGN AND ADD SWUNG THE TURN WIDE so that we are looking nose to nose at each other. I swerved to my right off the road and the bike went right out fron under me! The other guy of course sailed off into the distance.
So far I haven't been hurt and I'd rather not press my luck. I want to be seen! As the owner/operator of a bike repair shop I get called out once in a while to accident sites. I WANT TO BE SEEN & I WANT OTHER BIKERS TO BE SEEN! In my business I push modulators, RTB's, high intensity bulbs, etc. in the interest of being seen! If my efforts to prevent myself and others from being hurt cause those who might hurt us a slight anoiance-SO BE IT!
Here in Florida the power, telephone, cable, etc. company trucks have white strobe lights on then when they are working on the side of the road. School buses on the road have white strobes on them all the time! Inn the interest of not being run over!

Clifford