Are motorcycles suppose to go faster than traffic?

RCS

RCS

Joined
Jul 3, 2008
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Location
Stamford, CT
I've logged about 7,500 miles on the highways on my ST1300 since August of 2008. Everytime a motorcycle comes up from behind me the driver passes me. Occassionally, I'll try to keep up but to do so my real speed, per GPS, exceeds 78mph in a 65mph zone. I don't mind going to 72mph, which is the flow of traffic, but then I have to wave goodbye to the motorcyclist.

Is it taught somewhere that a motorcyclist should travel 5mph faster than the flow of traffic? (My beginner MSF course didn't address this issue).
 
I think that's up to each individual's own comfort level. Personally, I feel a little safer going a little faster than the traffic flow (within reason, based on speed limit). This allows me to ride in a proactive manner, rather than reactive. IOW, I'm not a sitting target waiting to react to some BDC. If speed limit is 65 and traffic is flowing at 85, I'll tuck right in and ride along with the flow. :07biker:
 
Mine is "supposed" to go faster :D

My $.02
same speed as traffic I'm blending in and becoming invisible.
slower than traffic then stuff if coming up from behind me and I'm not in a great position to anticipate.
a little faster than surrounding traffic I'm in a little better postion to react to whats going on.

If another MC passes me I'm happy to let him be the rabbit and flush out the LEO :bow1:
 
I don't think it's taught anywhere, but I also ride slightly faster than the flow because I think it's safer. If you are constantly moving past the flow, I think this prevents you from getting stuck in peoples blind zones and makes you more visible.

Think of it this way, say everyone is going 70mph. Relative to each other, there is no movement. But if you are going slightly faster, you will be the one seen.

Also, if you are going slightly faster, you can manuever quicker if you need to avoid a situation. Because at highway speeds, hitting the throttle will save you more times than hitting the brakes.

One more thing, if you want to improve your riding skills, get yourself a track bike and do some track days. You will learn how to avoid very crazy situations on a track, and if you do it enough, it becomes second nature on the street. My track skills have saved my a$$ on the road on more than one occassion. Like when this crazy b!^ch pulls out in front of me and I had to slam on my brakes (just like going into turn 1), my wife was on the back and all of a sudden the back of my bike starts coming around sideways where I can see my wife in my peripheral vision. I kept my cool and avoided this women. But if I hadn't practiced EXTREME braking on the track, things might have been different. Practicing taking your bike from 160 down to 40 on the track is good to do.
 
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I prefer to be moving relative to traffic, because I figure there's a better chance I'll be seen.

"Relative" for me usually, but not always, means faster. :burnout

--Mark
 
I do my best to avoid being in traffic. I call it my "zone of comfort". If I have to lag behind a group of cars to do that so be it. If I have to stay in front, I will up to a limit. The majority of officers will usually give you 10% of the limit before they get interested in you. So 77 in a 70 is normally ok. Of course with the ST's you must be able to compensate for the 7% difference in the speedo if you dont have a GPS. Luckily i went to catholic school as a kid and I know my 7X's table real well.

For normal highway driving I try to keep away from all cars at all costs esp. living in Florida. With our older generation of people (and I am almost one of them) their reflexes and skills are starting to diminish and motorcycles usually are not their top priority while driving.

Folks as we all know by now....cars are not your friends while riding.
 
Riding in SoCal has me in traffic jams and among a lot of cars quite frequently. First and foremost you always want to ride within your comfort level. When I started riding, I was told by fellow riders that it was best to move faster than the cars around me. This would keep me from hanging out in blind spots and constantly moving into drivers' line of sight. It also lessened the chance of being rear-ended. I personally think it's a good idea to go faster than the cars around you but you have to be comfortable with what you're doing. I've seen riders split lanes at speeds that boggle my mind and am also guilty of doing the same at times. Go with what feels right and you're comfortable with.
 
Always slightly faster. At least until I can find a good opening in traffic to settle into. Safer having space around me whenever possible.
 
I concur,
Faster than traffic is a good idea, then find a big hole and settle into it.
At times, it is unavoidable to get stuck *in* traffic with nowhere to go, not much U can do there.

Tazmool
 
Same here, I go faster than traffic then settle where I feel I can be seen. I rather look infront than keep on checking my rear.
 
OH, I LOVE THIS QUESTION!!!

my answer is YES, but within limits.....

as Geoff states, and I agree - that I hate being locked in a group of cars and do my best to have as much free space as possible. If I cannot safely work my way through any group of cars/cagers I will begrudgingly hang back.

And I try to remind myself-

I can't remember whose motto it is here-

but when I remember that the faster I go, the sooner my rider is over, I think more about relaxing and enjoying the ride........
 
As a post thought to my original post on the subject..I normally ride with either 2 or 3 other guys ..after spending literally thousands upon thousands of miles together over the years we know what the other guy is going to do. It makes it a lot easier to group ride when the fellow riders are in tune with each other. We always try to keep it to 3 0r 4 guys because much more is getting into a control situation. Sometimes 8 or 9 bikers just cannot pass together where a small group can usually zip by the cage...just my .02cents
 
I generally try to move slightly faster than the traffic around me. If I can find a nice big spot free of any vehicular traffic I'm happy to stay in it as long as it lasts (which is usually not too long).

Not too long ago on my commute home, because of two trucks riding along side by side at the exact same speed on a two lane highway, I got stuck in very heavy traffic. I worked my way through, figuring I'd get a chance to pass the trucks at some point, that one or the other would slow down or speed up... but neither did. Eventually I just passed them on the shoulder. At that point, one of the trucks realized what was going on, and sped up and moved over.

I probably would have gotten a ticket for passing on the shoulder had any LEO's been watching, but that option was safer than sitting amid all those trucks and SUV's all of which were jockeying for position to try to pass these trucks.
 
Faster here too. I try to get to the openings in traffic and then settle into a cruising speed. If I'm in really heavy traffic and there is no getting out of it, I try to stay out of blindspots as best as I can.
 
stickman said:
Practicing taking your bike from 160 down to 40 on the track is good to do.
Click to expand...

I went out and tried it (although there were no handy race tracks nearby)... My ST won't do 160!!! :mw1:

Should I ask for my money back?

And for the record, I prefer moving through a bit faster than traffic too; although here in El Paso traffic tends to run at the limits of the LEOs' tolerance (i.e., 65 in a 60 zone), so going 5 mph over will often get you a ticket. Don't ask me how I know... ask my lawyer!! :doh1:
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