Lane Splitting - "and the beat goes on" !

JQL

Growing old disgracefully :)
Joined
Feb 19, 2012
Messages
207
Location
Essonne, France
Bike
NT700VA
Me last Saturday in France:

[video]https://youtu.be/7bvzOEo06ns[/video]
 

slmjim

Hopeless Tool Junkie
Joined
Jan 16, 2011
Messages
175
Location
Derby City - Home of The Louisville Slugger
Bike
Which one today...?
Of course it is. I've done it a few times without any repercussion. One major problem in the US is lack of respect of bikes by cagers. I suspect that if some car operators (I can't bring myself to honor them as "drivers...") saw a bike splitting lanes they'd wig out completely. Think self-righteous road rage. I blame the loud pipe crowd and squids for most of this. I understand that it can be done safely and will probably do it again. Educating cagers to the fact of it being legal, if it ever becomes so, will be a major task.

Good Ridin'
slmjim
 
Joined
Jul 28, 2007
Messages
3,120
Location
finger lakes ny
Bike
1999 ST1100
STOC #
7959
Way too much trust being put in the car drivers for my taste. Perhaps at stop lights or stop and go traffic, but that would be the only time I would do it.
Entirely unknown around here, and would surely be frowned upon and likely to trigger some road rage,
 
Joined
Apr 24, 2011
Messages
255
Location
Yorkville, Illinois
Bike
2010 ST/2002 GL1800
Looks to me like your putting yourself in too many BLIND spots at any given time. Even if it was legal, I think I would avoid doing it if traffic was moving.
"Just my opinion"
 

SupraSabre

48 Years of SoCal Lane Splitting/Commuting-Retired
Site Supporter
Joined
Nov 20, 2005
Messages
9,499
Location
Cedar City, Utah
Bike
12/04 ST 1300s
2024 Miles
000145
STOC #
5901
Elliot, right on! I've been lane splitting now for almost 45 years in SoCal for most of it. Just in the last 10+ years, while riding ST1300s, I have put on more than 270K miles. Most of that has been for commuting and everyday requires lane splitting. For a normal day for me, I have to lane split 10 to 15 miles of traffic.

As for accidents, it is safer in between the cages, instead of behind/in front of them! I have yet had a motorcycle accident do to lane splitting. My one cage vs MC accident I had in 2008, was due to the person thinking my lane was empty and abruptly changed lanes right into me. We were only going about 25mph and because of construction on that freeway, the lanes were too narrow to lane split.

So for all of you that can only inform an opinion based on what you fear and heard, until you experience it, you really don't have a clue!
 

Mark

Gotta make tracks
Moderator
Joined
Jan 19, 2005
Messages
6,133
Age
70
Location
Apache Junction AZ
Bike
KTM 525exc
STOC #
3768
The only time I have had an issue lane splitting in California was when a semi driver in the left lane pulled over to trap me before I could get between him and the semi on the right. The semi driver kept looking at me in his mirror... When the right semi saw what was going on he put on his left blinker and the right semi pulled over to the left just enough to let us through.
It was in stopped traffic on I10 West of Blythe.
 
Joined
May 18, 2014
Messages
86
Age
61
Location
Danville, California
Bike
2002 ST1100A
STOC #
8795
I think that when riding in traffic (as I do every day), minimizing risk and having options is important. For me, I'd rather have the option to lane split if I feel it would be safer rather than have no choice and have the possibility of being hit from behind from a mindless texter. I think that the 15mph speed differential delta up to 50mph that is being proposed is fair since it gives you more reaction time if a cager enters your lane (as shown on JQL's video above at the 2:15 mark). As always, it seems a few bad apples spoil it for the rest of us. People's perception of motorcycling is based on what they see/hear and of course the media only report on the "bad stuff".
 
Joined
Mar 13, 2012
Messages
5,046
Location
soCal
Bike
'97 ST1100
STOC #
687
So for all of you that can only inform an opinion based on what you fear and heard, until you experience it, you really don't have a clue!
+1000 Bob, and I have to admit that when I'm in the car and see bikes splitting lanes it looks more dangerous than it really is. In 15-25mph flow of traffic you have to be very careful, otherwise its pretty safe.
 

steve3b3

Retired
Joined
Apr 13, 2005
Messages
649
Location
Central MA
Bike
2018 GoldWing
I tried it a bit when I was in CA to retrieve my VFR a couple of weeks ago, and I think that if all play well together, it works.
I found that most cars moved over a bit, and when they didn't, it was a short wait to pass as an opening occurred.
It was a little more difficult to wrap my head around filtering. I'd filter to the front at a light, and then forget that I could do it again at the next one!

Steve :04biker:
 

nokesy

2007 ST1300A
Joined
Jan 17, 2011
Messages
188
Location
Newmarket, Ontario
Bike
2012 RSS Spyder
The problem in North America is that the cages can't even stay in there lanes or signal, or look or pay attention etc.
 

SupraSabre

48 Years of SoCal Lane Splitting/Commuting-Retired
Site Supporter
Joined
Nov 20, 2005
Messages
9,499
Location
Cedar City, Utah
Bike
12/04 ST 1300s
2024 Miles
000145
STOC #
5901
...
... I'd filter to the front at a light, and then forget that I could do it again at the next one!

Steve :04biker:
After nearly 45 years, it becomes habit! ;)

The problem in North America is that the cages can't even stay in there lanes or signal, or look or pay attention etc.
In most areas around the world that seems to be an issue, but when you lane split as long as I do, you are always on the look out for cagers that seem to have everything on their minds, other than the traffic! :mad:
 
Last edited:
Joined
Sep 17, 2007
Messages
989
Location
Newport News, VA
Bike
2006 ST1300A
The original intent of lane-splitting was to allow air-cooled MCs to continue getting airflow in those horrendous CA traffic jams. Most bikes today are water-cooled, and it won't be too much longer before they are all water-cooled. Granted, there will continue to be older bikes operating on our highways. Me? Totally against lane-splitting. I also don't like lane-sharing with another bike. Do you? And when a car changes lanes while you're splittin' 'em, who has the right of way ... and who gets the ticket after a collision?
 
Joined
Apr 22, 2011
Messages
1,149
Age
68
Location
Camarillo, Ca
Bike
2006 ST1300A
2024 Miles
002552
I too have lane split for years, every day on my 72 mile commute in southern California. I travel at the speed of traffic plus two. I am never in a hurry but I will slowly filter through a cluster to find that open bubble between clusters. Once I am in the bubble I will try to stay there until it collapses. Then I slowly split till I can find the next open bubble. I often pass clusters in the slow lane but splitting should be done between the one and two lanes. I have been passed several times by CHP & Sheriff bikes who are also splitting lanes. But when the traffic is stopped, splitting will help cool the motor AND the rider AND reduce the wear on the clutch (stop and go on an uphill)...
 
Joined
Mar 13, 2012
Messages
5,046
Location
soCal
Bike
'97 ST1100
STOC #
687
And when a car changes lanes while you're splittin' 'em, who has the right of way ... and who gets the ticket after a collision?
I had one collision in my many years of splitting lanes, the insurance companies assigned the fault at 50/50 between me and the driver, no ticket. The reality is I was riding too fast on my way home from work on a sportbike, so when she changed lanes I didn't have time to react properly. If I had been following my own basic rules I think I would have been able to stop without any impact.
 

SupraSabre

48 Years of SoCal Lane Splitting/Commuting-Retired
Site Supporter
Joined
Nov 20, 2005
Messages
9,499
Location
Cedar City, Utah
Bike
12/04 ST 1300s
2024 Miles
000145
STOC #
5901
From things I've seen, as long as there is a collision, the insurance companies will usually fault 50/50. In many cases where the cage cuts off the "inexperienced rider" (where the rider panics and hits the brakes and goes down but no contact with the cage), the rider is faulted for not keeping control of their vehicle. I've seen two of these kind of accidents, no contact with the cage, one where the two insurances contacted me, the rider's ins said that he will be at 100% fault. So, make sure if someone comes close and your going down, at least slap the cage so there was contact!
 
Joined
Mar 1, 2007
Messages
430
Location
cartersville, GA
the problem with these kinds of things is that there are those that will abuse it and wanna be all up in arms when it comes back to bite them.....JS
 

Uncle Phil

Site Supporter
Joined
Feb 26, 2007
Messages
11,250
Age
71
Location
In The Holler West Of Nashville, Tennessee
Bike
4 ST1100(s)
2024 Miles
002064
STOC #
698
I've lane split in California, in London (you'd better if you expect to go anywhere!), the rest of the U.K. and in Europe. I hope they do implement it here as it would be nice when traffic is at a standstill or slow to move to the front of the queue. As with anything, there will be abusers and losers. But having the option would really be nice. My favorite memory was heading for the ferry from Dover to Calais and getting past miles and miles of cars since bikes go to a special area on ferries and can roll right on.
 
Joined
Aug 10, 2015
Messages
2,029
Location
Fort Worth, Texas
Bike
91 ST1100/06 ST1300
In my opinion, it should stay outlawed. It's too dangerous and ambiguous.
Here in Texas it is legal to split in order to pass an obstruction. Last week a guy stopped at a red light, about four car lengths from the light sensor. No light change. I honked and he ignored me so I drove around him between our lane and the turn lane, cycled the light and went. Asleep-at-the-wheel proceeded to tailgate me, honking and flashing, then passed me at high speed in the turn lane with his middle finger out the sun roof.

So long as sociopaths and psychotics can still drive, I'll stick in my lane unless an emergency pops up.
 
Top Bottom