Lane Splitting/Sharing - Do You Do It?

[CZroe]

Originally Posted by Kevin2109

true, but a cop is never going to be able to catch you so much of the times they dont care

A motorcycle cop can.

[alex.s]

Originally Posted by CZroe

A motorcycle cop can.

the bike cops are usually going like 25 faster than traffic though... those guys are dangerous

[ally99]

Yikes! Anyone stopped ever opened a door on you? When I lane split in heavy traffic (rare, but happens), I go slowly enough so that I can see the drivers and predict their next move. I've seen too many instances of people opening doors to see what's ahead, pour out a drink, etc. You obviously are comfortable on the bike and have mad skills. Just stay safe.

[CZroe]

Originally Posted by ally99

Yikes! Anyone stopped ever opened a door on you? When I lane split in heavy traffic (rare, but happens), I go slowly enough so that I can see the drivers and predict their next move. I've seen too many instances of people opening doors to see what's ahead, pour out a drink, etc. You obviously are comfortable on the bike and have mad skills. Just stay safe.

If a cage does that in Cali then they are at fault for not watching their mirrors. Because it's legal here and bikes are very popular, people tend to watch their mirrors (at least in SoCal).

[phr3ek]

Originally Posted by CZroe

If a cage does that in Cali then they are at fault for not watching their mirrors. Because it's legal here and bikes are very popular, people tend to watch their mirrors (at least in SoCal).

this
and there are certain areas that motorcyclists take a lot so cagers do scoot over

[adri99an]

I've seen both phr3ek and Kvin lane split as they left me in the dust! They want to made into a WAFFLE!!!!!! Slow the f- down!

[ally99]

Originally Posted by CZroe

If a cage does that in Cali then they are at fault for not watching their mirrors. Because it's legal here and bikes are very popular, people tend to watch their mirrors (at least in SoCal).

Riding at those kinds of lane-splitting speeds, I think "at fault" would be the last of a rider's concerns when taking out a car door. JMO

[Jinx250]

Originally Posted by alex.s

the bike cops are usually going like 25 faster than traffic though... those guys are dangerous

I've seen LAPD and CHP motor officers split trafic that stopped me cold on my 250. I'd say they are more highly skilled than 99.9% of the riders on the street. With bikes that weigh close to double what a "normal" bike does.

[alex.s]

Originally Posted by Jinx250

I've seen LAPD and CHP motor officers split trafic that stopped me cold on my 250. I'd say they are more highly skilled than 99.9% of the riders on the street. With bikes that weigh close to double what a "normal" bike does.

the "those guys are dangerous" thing was mostly a joke. i have the utmost respect for motorcycle officers... i've chatted them up every chance i get and they seem like really skilled, smart people. but the same rules still apply to them. if someone cuts you off going 35mph over traffic with only 10 feet before impact, especially with a bike that weighs as much as theirs do with all that gear, you ain't doin nothing in time before you're hugging that car

[TheJimmyEnglish]

How many of you actually lane split? I know in most states its illegal.. I only do it at red lights to get to the front. I'm still unsure if thats legal in Tennessee.

[Alex]

/merged with another mongo filtering thread.

[nickjpass]

Originally Posted by eddiekay

I split lanes since 1967...it used to be legal in NY, and while i clipped a few mirrors there was never any damage done.Yet...it was only a matter of time.
Summer '09, doing it thru standing traffic I got a big surprise,,,I clipped one of those big round fuel tanks on a tractor with my passenger peg, enuff to wobble me good and smarten me up...never expected a fuel tank. Now....I very rarely do what I did every day until that tank. Something else I noticed that I never thought much about was the car drivers reaction...I had a sport crew fly by me with screamin' pipes, the first bike spooked me ( in my truck) and i did a quick little move right and came close enough to the car next to me so that I swerevd back to where I was. Wasn't too dangerous but I was sober and a long time driver and wasn't going too fast...if i were an inexperienced driver with maybe a beer or 2 under my belt I would've crash, no doubt.
Nowadays...most people HATE sport bikers because of stuff like this. For me anyway, I avoid provoking cagers by splitting, blowin' them away at the light, passing them on the outside at the ramps...anything a sport rider does on the street that's "sporty", draws a negative reaction and ...I couldn't believe this...a state trooper told me that even though he can't catch us, he can ticket the plate # and start a process that will cost us a half dozen trips to court...he claims to have done this when he saw something that reaaly pissed him off.

Where I live the squids (There aren't any normal riders) just go in the wrong lane and run the red.

[Gorilla25]

Should the other 49 states reconsider the ban on lane splitting?
feel free to discuss...

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/motoring/...-everyone.html

[alex.s]

lane splitting == good.

[Old Lemon]

Even if lane splitting was legal i dont think i would start doing it.

Its just gonna make cagers angry and more aggressive and i just dont feel like dealing with all that.

Then again i dont commute where the traffic is backed up for hours like in cali

[Whiskey]

It's ridiculous that there is a ban on it in the first place, you may as well take the car if you're not allowed use the advantages the bike gives you.

But I'm from somewhere that it's legal & completely normal for bikes to filter. anyone who doesn't filter on a bike looks odd.

And finally I find it great that a report from Brussels is proving the fourth reich (EU) are talking sh!te about bike emmisions being a problem, the fourth reich are doing their best to ban bikes or make it as hard as possible to start out on one, the more ammunition we have against them the better.

Originally Posted by Old Lemon

Even if lane splitting was legal i dont think i would start doing it.

Its just gonna make cagers angry and more aggressive and i just dont feel like dealing with all that.

About 50% make room for you, 49.9% don't move either way & its only the odd arsehole that tries to block you,

[Mr.E]

I would only lane split at stop lights. I love being first because I can always easily pull away from cars and not have to be stuck in traffic 24/7.

[EsrTek]

split split split.. of course my only real use for it would be to filter up at stop lights.
That would keep me from having to use every lil gap between cars to swap lanes back and forth to do the same, when the light goes green

[Gorilla25]

yep. Id like to see lane splitting allowed here in hawaii.

[miss_syn]

I would filter to the front of lights, and then because I'm not a f(&ing dumb Pittsburgh driver, GTFO. It's ridiculous how few people we've got but traffic is so bad because people can't do the speed limit through our many tunnels, bridges, and construction zones.

[sombo]

Originally Posted by Whiskey

About 50% make room for you, 49.9% don't move either way & its only the odd arsehole that tries to block you,

You must not have driven in FL yet. This is totally false for FL and from the stories I hear, most of the US as well. Here in the US the cagers do NOT respect bikes, barely see bikes, and most don't give room for anyone other their own ego. Hell I can't tell you how many times you'll see a big rig having to force his way over because arsehole cagers in the US are all MEMEMEMEMEME, FRACK YOU!!!!

Most of the time in the US if you get hit by a cager they blame you and make up stupid crap. Meantime the truth (and often caught on video now) is that they were on their cell, didn't look your direction, turned right in front of you with no signal, etc etc.

If they make it legal I still won't do it because I personally think it's stupid and puts you at much higher risk of injury. After having so many cagers speed up to try and prevent me from passing them after they were doing 10mph UNDER the speed limit, then tailgate me at 5-10mph OVER the speed limit, I'll never take my chances with lane splitting and these kinds of drivers being everywhere.

[folky15]

Originally Posted by trixter

Texas has (had?) a proposed law using the 10 year old CHP guidelines that no longer exist (archive.org shows em though).

never faster than the posted speed limit
never more than 10 mph faster than traffic
never faster than 35mph

I heard that 2-3 other states were similarly discussing almost identical rules.

That type of law makes a lot of sense and I'd love to see other states adopt something like that.

Here's a kinda fun lane splitting video showing cooperative drivers in Cali:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xpCHox6laOY

[broilmebk]

Originally Posted by Gorilla25

yep. Id like to see lane splitting allowed here in hawaii.

I started lane splitting right before my trip to hawaii last week. Got stuck in ridiculous traffic on H1. I felt so bad for those bikes waiting in traffic. It looks so odd to not lane split

[Gorilla25]

tell me about it...lol..so tempting to do so or ride the shoulder...but i dont do it. cant risk it

edit: the H1 parking lot is not fun at all. especially when its pretty toasty

[Sigma.40]

Originally Posted by trixter

Embedding the video makes it easier to watch
do this without the space:
[ youtube]xpCHox6laOY[/youtube]

Link to original page on YouTube.

EDIT: Ok I take that back, sheesh disable embedding so they get the ad revenue of hits on youtube. sigh.

I kept getting to the edge of my seat thinking "he's gonna hit, he's gonna hit!" then he didn't (I only watched like 5-6 minutes of it so if he hit a car later I missed it) Seemed like he came really close with his mirrors, though.

-Just curious, do some bikers in the Repooblik of Kalifornia choose not to lane split? Like, do you ever see motorcycles just sitting in traffic with the cars?

[broilmebk]

Originally Posted by Sigma.40

I kept getting to the edge of my seat thinking "he's gonna hit, he's gonna hit!" then he didn't (I only watched like 5-6 minutes of it so if he hit a car later I missed it) Seemed like he came really close with his mirrors, though.

-Just curious, do some bikers in the Repooblik of Kalifornia choose not to lane split? Like, do you ever see motorcycles just sitting in traffic with the cars?

I was thinking the same thing when I was watching that video. He doesn't hit anybody though.

There are people that don't lane split; I've seen a few.

[dfox]

I would love to filter at lights. I have no desire to split at speed, but when cars are sitting still, it only makes sense.

[DevinWolfe]

Filtering through stationary cars at a stop seems like a safer option simply because you will not be "mixed in" with all the traffic as they pull away and start changing lanes. You will be ahead of all the people trying to get over to make a turn or pull into the faster lane without having to worry about getting squished as much.

My vote is yes, but I would not do it through moving traffic.

[Whiskey]

Originally Posted by sombo

You must not have driven in FL yet. This is totally false for FL and from the stories I hear, most of the US as well. Here in the US the cagers do NOT respect bikes, barely see bikes, and most don't give room for anyone other their own ego. Hell I can't tell you how many times you'll see a big rig having to force his way over because arsehole cagers in the US are all MEMEMEMEMEME, FRACK YOU!!!!

Most of the time in the US if you get hit by a cager they blame you and make up stupid crap. Meantime the truth (and often caught on video now) is that they were on their cell, didn't look your direction, turned right in front of you with no signal, etc etc.

If they make it legal I still won't do it because I personally think it's stupid and puts you at much higher risk of injury. After having so many cagers speed up to try and prevent me from passing them after they were doing 10mph UNDER the speed limit, then tailgate me at 5-10mph OVER the speed limit, I'll never take my chances with lane splitting and these kinds of drivers being everywhere.

Got it in one, there's 4000 miles of water between me & the nearest point in florida & the bike can't swim. It's a well established practise over here though.

Irish driver's are pretty bad, you need to have eyes on stalks & your head on a swivel while on a bike. Bad Irish drivers are very like what you're saying about US ones.

It's a skill that needs to be developed over time, if it's made legal in the US tomorrow most people probably won't do it immediately, but it's well worth doing in the right situation. If I wasn't allowed to filter I don't know if I would have bought a bike.

Originally Posted by DevinWolfe

Filtering through stationary cars at a stop seems like a safer option simply because you will not be "mixed in" with all the traffic as they pull away and start changing lanes. You will be ahead of all the people trying to get over to make a turn or pull into the faster lane without having to worry about getting squished as much.

My vote is yes, but I would not do it through moving traffic.

Similar attitude myself, if the traffic is moving I'll usually fall in line & match pace (not so much on the motorway, I go like a scalded cat down the fast lane), if it's moving slowly in both directions it's safer to go between your lane & the oncoming lane, not so many people want to cut into oncoming traffic

After that going between lanes is reasonably safe once you exercise caution, however going down the shoulder is 'frowned upon' ie. it will get you a ticket or a smack of a car turning left (we drive on the left)

[Jinx250]

The only thing stopping it from being allowed in the other 49 states is ignorance. When the average motorist hears "lane splitting" they immediately think of people like htat asshat in Moscow that made the rounds not too long ago. So they assume that ALL motorcycles ride like that, and legislate accordingly, because the assumption is that people are going to be dying left and right from "them reckless motorcycle people and their evil machines".

[Ramen]

Originally Posted by dfox

I would love to filter at lights. I have no desire to split at speed, but when cars are sitting still, it only makes sense.

Same. Some riders around here do it, but I would fear a ticket. Police agencies are definitely giving more tickets nowadays.

[massacremasses]

Sometimes its not worth it. But idk why its not 50 state "legal"

common sense says less cars/bikes taking up space in normal lanes means less traffic.

[broilmebk]

Originally Posted by Jinx250

The only thing stopping it from being allowed in the other 49 states is ignorance. When the average motorist hears "lane splitting" they immediately think of people like htat asshat in Moscow that made the rounds not too long ago. So they assume that ALL motorcycles ride like that, and legislate accordingly, because the assumption is that people are going to be dying left and right from "them reckless motorcycle people and their evil machines".

who is this asshat in moscow you speak of?

[lostdaemon]

Originally Posted by broilmebk

who is this asshat in moscow you speak of?

I believe it's this asshat:

Link to original page on YouTube.

My $0.02 is that I'm not sure I'd ride if I couldn't split lanes. At least in LA, almost every bike splits lanes, because our traffic is just that miserable. Drivers have gotten used to it enough that they mostly move out of the way or stay still (I've only had a few idiots try to block...just wait it out, go around carefully, or if they're truly aggressively endangering you that means they're endangering everyone else too, so smash a mirror and book it j/k ,) CHP doesn't care and does it themselves, and so long as you're not doing anything stupid it's WAY safer than being stuck in traffic on crazy 6 lane freeways sandwiched between bumpers. Our drivers may be distracted, insane and inattentive, but their primary direction is forward, not sideways - it's safer to split than to be sandwiched.

I think it'd be crazy dangerous at first in other areas if legalized, then become more normal once drivers and riders get used to it, looking for it, and doing it.

[blink]

You know, if people abuse the lane splitting rule, they'll pay for it.

[Jinx250]

Originally Posted by blink

You know, if people abuse the lane splitting rule, they'll pay for it.

Yes, they will. But so will ALL of us. What each of us does on our bikes at any given time reflects on all riders. Tragically that does not apply to when we're riing safely and responsibly, since in those cases, most cagers don't even know we're there.

[bonbon76]

nope.. still wouldnt do if it was legal... Being in a blind spot, cage switchs lane, nails you = busted bike and body.. no thank you.

[massacremasses]

Originally Posted by bonbon76

nope.. still wouldnt do if it was legal... Being in a blind spot, cage switchs lane, nails you = busted bike and body.. no thank you.

lol what stops them from merging in the other lane in the first place? If see a car I dont feel comfortable being beside,ill split lanes to get in front of them. Ill feel safer away from them rather than stuck beside them.

[bonbon76]

Originally Posted by massacremasses

lol what stops them from merging in the other lane in the first place? If see a car I dont feel comfortable being beside,ill split lanes to get in front of them. Ill feel safer away from them rather than stuck beside them.

True... but you have a wee bit more time than if you were in the middle of the lane, the slightest movement to switch they would hit you. When you in a lane to yourself, they can at least jerk back when they see you late, which has happend to probably everyone on here. No time for teh driver to react when your already on his/her car.

[broilmebk]

You're not riding beside them for long. When you're splitting lanes you've got cars close to each other so they're not going to switch lanes anyway (Unless of course they're being an a-hole and blocking)