What are you views on lane splitting?

[Dragmaxster]

https://www.yahoo.com/autos/s/curve-lane-splitting-magic-number-130007704.html

 

[dannymax]

It's not allowed in NY but I wouldn't do it here even if it was. A rough guess (on my part) is 70% - 80% of all drivers on NY roadways are a mosquito's bite away from a full blown, murderous road rage incident....seeing a biker slowly motor on past them while they sit..trapped in traffic..would surely result in total chaos....injuring many bikers!

 

[blaxmax]

It's not allowed in NY but I wouldn't do it here even if it was. A rough guess (on my part) is 70% - 80% of all drivers on NY roadways are a mosquito's bite away from a full blown, murderous road rage incident....seeing a biker slowly motor on past them while they sit..trapped in traffic..would surely result in total chaos....injuring many bikers!

That is so sad.
I can honestly say it has saved quite a few lives in california and helps with congestion. You can by yourself ride in the diamond lanes for over 10 years now too.

 

[Rollie]

I don't trust the cagers .

 

[Traumahawk]

I don't trust the cagers .

+1

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[tothemax93]

I would never lane split. I'm in NY to, with Danny. My main reason is trust issues with other drivers. Just a flick of the wheel by a driver and your done. Doesn't matter how good of a rider you are. I also drive a lowboy hauling big equipment. It's very common to have a dozer blade 12 or 13 ft wide or an excavator with tracks 12 ft wide. I don't need the stress over a motorcycle trying to get by me in an already dangerous situation. But that's just me.

 

[sdt354]

I've done it in stop & go traffic, but it doesn't feel safe. Like said, cagers can't be relied upon to do anything but something detrimental to us.
Steve-o

 

[Zeus36]

I've been doing in California since 1984. No accidents and only one close call that put a scuff on my saddle bag. It is standard procedure and ALWAYS done by motorcycle cops and CHP.
Freeways are the safest place to do it as there are no immediate left or right turns and traffic is traveling at roughly the same speed - also 99.99 percent of the time, the same direction. Freeways are also wider than non-freeway roads and streets. The safest time is when there is a lot of traffic and the cars are locked in their position.
I have seen ricers doing 80-90 MPH splitting lanes, but those are the ones that get taken out and the main reason that they are considering that new law. Some lawmaker's relative got killed going way too fast splitting and he is the cause for the introduced legislation ( which I am against). I say leave the laws as they are and let natural selection occur.

I don't do it on non-freeway roads and streets unless it is at a traffic light to get to the front after all the traffic has stopped. Still, I've seen doors open, arms come out, drinks and ice tossed out, and cars move to cut you off if they see you coming up behind them. That is the reason I am always covering the brakes. On the freeways when traffic slows to a crawl, my Fatboy has 4-way flashers that I employ and cars will usually move slightly to create more space. They get a hand wave if safe to so. No 4-way flashers on the Vmax yet...
Seems there is an unwritten rule in the courts that you can be cited if you go 10 MPH over the "common" speed of the traffic, but I've never had that happen to me.

 

[Dragmaxster]

I've been doing in California since 1984. No accidents and only one close call that put a scuff on my saddle bag. It is standard procedure and ALWAYS done by motorcycle cops and CHP.
Freeways are the safest place to do it as there are no immediate left or right turns and traffic is traveling at roughly the same speed - also 99.99 percent of the time, the same direction. Freeways are also wider than non-freeway roads and streets. The safest time is when there is a lot of traffic and the cars are locked in their position.
I have seen ricers doing 80-90 MPH splitting lanes, but those are the ones that get taken out and the main reason that they are considering that new law. Some lawmaker's relative got killed going way too fast splitting and he is the cause for the introduced legislation ( which I am against). I say leave the laws as they are and let natural selection occur.

I don't do it on non-freeway roads and streets unless it is at a traffic light to get to the front after all the traffic has stopped. Still, I've seen doors open, arms come out, drinks and ice tossed out, and cars move to cut you off if they see you coming up behind them. That is the reason I am always covering the brakes. On the freeways when traffic slows to a crawl, my Fatboy has 4-way flashers that I employ and cars will usually move slightly to create more space. They get a hand wave if safe to so. No 4-way flashers on the Vmax yet...
Seems there is an unwritten rule in the courts that you can be cited if you go 10 MPH over the "common" speed of the traffic, but I've never had that happen to me.

+1 Many CHP officers will give advice to riders as they have more time riding than most and in California the majority of cagers give room to bikers.

 

[rebeltaz83]

Not sure what part of NY you guys are from but I was in upstate NY. Never had a reason to lane split. Not sure I would for fear of somebody cutting you off, that's just me though, had way too many close calls in a concrete truck, I take that driving with me on the bike. I can usually read people and tell if they are gonna pull out in front of me, comes with experience I guess 9 times of 10 I'm right and already on the brakes before they go. Can't trust anybody. That's how I ride.

 

[Dragmaxster]

I also keep 2 fingers rested on the front brake at all times. 3/10ths of a second can save a life.

 

[Fire-medic]

A good move to cover the brake lever as .3 seconds is > 26 ft @ 60 mph.

I also keep 2 fingers rested on the front brake at all times. 3/10ths of a second can save a life.

 

[rusty]

This is actually an old post/ I've said this before & I'll say it again, I'd be soooo fuckin pissed off if I couldn't lane split!! :angry flame:

 

[caseyjones955]

I have never lived where it was legal but I have done it if the idiot behind was on the phone or distracted/dangerous in some way. As anything other than a measure of self preservation, no. I have to believe that the hazard behind me outweighs the risk of a lane split. Normally if it comes down to it I will pass on the shoulder if I can see far enough ahead. I do NOT trust Joe/Jane Q Public enough to believe it to be safe.

I think I would move if I lived somewhere that had so much traffic that lane splitting actually saves you time.

 

[Dragmaxster]

I have never lived where it was legal but I have done it if the idiot behind was on the phone or distracted/dangerous in some way. As anything other than a measure of self preservation, no. I have to believe that the hazard behind me outweighs the risk of a lane split. Normally if it comes down to it I will pass on the shoulder if I can see far enough ahead. I do NOT trust Joe/Jane Q Public enough to believe it to be safe.

I think I would move if I lived somewhere that had so much traffic that lane splitting actually saves you time.

+1 Exactly what i did. Move. Over 25 years in Los Angeles and the main reason was cell phones. There are 4 canyons that go from San Fernando Valley to Los Angeles-3 are 2 lane and 1 is 2 lane. It is 7 miles from one side to the other. The 2 lane (sepulveda) you split and it will take you 25 mins from 1 side to the other- you follow the cars it takes 1hr 10 mins. The 3 two lane canyons you can see 2 cars next to each other passing in opposite directions with bikes on the outside and the inside!! Imagine from right to left in a corner(bike car bike car bike). Crazy.
The 101 fwy and 405 fwy interchange is the most congested in the usa. To go 6 miles in any direction in a car takes 1hr. On a bike lane splitting 10 to 15 mins. Cars overheat constantly and the state pays for wreckers to come get them off the freeway for free to keep traffic flowing- bikes have to push to the next exit.-The interchange is known as Carmaggedon. Downtown LA has 4 level interchanges and there are a dozen or so more throughout the city. They are ALWAYS stopped.:bang head:

 

[rusty]

I grew up in the San Fernando Valley/ Made my way to Carlsbad, many years later. Everything you said "Dragmaxster" was pretty much correct. :bike1:

 

[tothemax93]

Not sure what part of NY you guys are from but I was in upstate NY. Never had a reason to lane split. Not sure I would for fear of somebody cutting you off, that's just me though, had way too many close calls in a concrete truck, I take that driving with me on the bike. I can usually read people and tell if they are gonna pull out in front of me, comes with experience I guess 9 times of 10 I'm right and already on the brakes before they go. Can't trust anybody. That's how I ride.

I'm from the Buffalo NY area. I also agree that there's never been a need to lane split with the amount of traffic we have here. If you have a ten minute wait in traffic, That's a lot, and unusual for me

 

[rebeltaz83]

I'm from the Buffalo NY area. I also agree that there's never been a need to lane split with the amount of traffic we have here. If you have a ten minute wait in traffic, That's a lot, and unusual for me

I was in the Elmira Horseheads area. Just moved to south Carolina a year ago. Best thing I've done everything is cheaper. My wife and I both worked in ny and struggled. She stays home, I work and we have spending money lol. As far as lane splitting I've always thought of pulling up between two cars at a red light just to get the jump on them. But seems it's illegal for a motorcycle to occupy the same lane as a car, and for fear of somebody running a red light I usually hang back and pass on a passing zone. I usually never downshift from 5th to pass, but sometimes I do for the v boost drug fix lol.

 

[brad bruggeman]

I am sure there are places where this is needed but luckily I don't live there.I feel that the chance of someone opening their door or cutting you off due to road rage is too great.I value my life,health,well being and my bike too much to take that chance.I.M.O.

 

[Fire-medic]

No legal lane splitting in FL. So. FL is pretty-congested, and the only hills are man-made ones for expressway intersections, crossing RR tracks, rivers (the Intracoastal Waterway) & the like. Most bikers don't, but you can see some of the sportbikers travelling in packs on the interstate doing stupid things like passing on both sides as a dozen or more buzz-by. I have a literbike, but rarely would I ever do something like that, and as was mentioned, only to get away from some insanely-aggressive car or truck.