...just drive your stupid assed bike inbetween the cars in heavy traffic!!


Got a nice "sunshine yellow" crotch rocket with matching leathers and you want'a save time at a red light?  Well shit!  Just weave that liitle ol' 2-wheeled penis mobile that you call a bike inbetween those big assed SUVs!  And when you see that cute ditzy blond up front you can show off by doing a "wheelie" when the light turns green!


Of course if you fall off, that 6600lbs SUV that you just passed might not stop in time from running your sorry ass over!


Or maybe your some "BAD_ASSED" dentist that rides a Harley to work when the sun is out.  Shoot! you might even be hitting the laughing gas before you hit the nightmare traffic on the way to your suburban home (which has a seperate garage just for you $25k Harley) .  What to do when you hit heavy slow moving traffic?


Well sheeeeeetttttt!  You're BAD!  You're NATION WIDE!!  YOU SIR ARE A BIKER!!...and a dentist.
So just gas that wide assed bitch bike of yours in between all those cars.  Make sure you straddle that little white line between the cars.Never mind the fact that I am in a big assed SUV along with many others that can't fucking see you.  Nevermind thatthose big ass saddle bags are BARELY providing proper clearance.  Hope I don't swear or turn more than 6" for fear of running your stupid ass over.....after all  I AM STILL MOVING!!

But hey, it will probably save you 1-4 minutes on your trip.  ANd you probably will get away with doing it most of the time.  It may even be 100% legal for you to do in your state!


But sooner or latter you will get tagged.  Ride a bike and want to die?


Just keep riding that fucking middle white line...sooner ort latter you will get squashed and it that DRIVERS of the car that have to live with it....not you.


And wear a fucking helmet dumbass!!!!

ANd pants...and shoes...and a SHIRT!!!!!!


SGtar15

I'm sensing some negativity here,
dig deeper tell us how you really feel

Quoted: Well sheeeeeetttttt!  You're BAD!  You're NATIONWIDE!!  YOU SIR ARE A BIKER!!...and a dentist TRUCKER. SGtar15

Fixed it for ya, Sarge!

I guess some ass on a bike pissed you off , huh? Yea, in my years I've seen people do a lot of stupid things. Here is what you need to do, go to your slection of firarms, take out your favorite one and caress it, stroke it , whisper sweet nothing's to it. Tell it everything will be ok. You'll feel better in no time. Take care. Coondog

I saw a crotch rocket go between two dump trucks @ ~50mph in Dallas.  Unfortunately for him, there was an unmarked police car behind me.  They caught him at the next intersection and ripped him off his bike.

I hope they beat some sense into him on the way to the pokey.

I have no problems lane splitting at red lights.
But dont fuckin do it on the highways!

Have you thought about seeing a shrink? You have serious issues. That or you drink too much.
BTW a freind of mine had this issue like you. He just opened the door.  He regrets doing that to this day. He lied to LE about why he opened the door. but deep down inside he knows he did for the fun of it and it eats the hell out of him today. All he says is "It is not pretty".

Hey Sarge -

Anger issues aside, lane splitting is safer for the motorcyclist than sitting in traffic.

According to MSF (motorcycle safety foundation) and other folks that track this sort of data, you are more likely to be squished in stop and go than sideswiped lanesplitting.

Car have a tendency to track following distance based on the car ahead of them, not the bike in between. This leads many drivers to follow to closely and increases the odds of a rear-ender. BAD for a motorcycle.

With lane splitting, there is generally less chance of getting whacked.

I can't speak for poor judgement of other motorcyclists: wheelies, near misses, too much speed differenctial while lane splitting, etc... But the simple act of lane splitting (all things being equal) is safer than sitting in traffic.

-Z

There are too many retards on the road in cars, trucks, and bikes.  No, scratch that, a bunch of retards could do a better job of driving than those people.  Which is why The Neutral Observer does not ride a motorcycle anymore and will never buy anything other than a monstrous pickup.  If The Neutral Observer gets into a wreck, The Neutral Observer will be the one dealing out the death.

Quoted: And wear a fucking helmet dumbass!!!! ANd pants...and shoes...and a SHIRT!!!!!! SGtar15

Guilty on three of the four charges. Did this in my younger stupid days in Florida. Head to the beach on my Katana with swim trunks and a tank top. No shoes, no helmet.

Dumb.

I too drive a big-assed truck now.

Quoted: Have you thought about seeing a shrink? You have serious issues. That or you drink too much. BTW a freind of mine had this issue like you. He just opened the door.  He regrets doing that to this day. He lied to LE about why he opened the door. but deep down inside he knows he did for the fun of it and it eats the hell out of him today. All he says is "It is not pretty".

Jesus!! Did heopen it at the light, or on the highway?!

Quoted: Quoted: Have you thought about seeing a shrink? You have serious issues. That or you drink too much. BTW a freind of mine had this issue like you. He just opened the door.  He regrets doing that to this day. He lied to LE about why he opened the door. but deep down inside he knows he did for the fun of it and it eats the hell out of him today. All he says is "It is not pretty". Jesus!! Did heopen it at the light, or on the highway?!

When I see them doing their wheelies and other ignorant tricks, I just decide my windsheild is real dirty and hold down the squirters...for a looonnnng time.

... My next dream bike, some day. Some day soon.

... And BTW, if I choose to ride without a helmet, it's my choice; not anyone elses.



... or

Quoted: ... My next dream bike, some day. Some day soon. ... And BTW, if I choose to ride without a helmet, it's my choice; not anyone elses. www.paughco.com/assets/Bike_Pics/YellowGreen_hr.jpg ... or www.bigbearchoppers.com/images/pages/gallery/views/teds_venom/teds_venom3_02.jpg

Not my cup of tea, but cool.  I like my dual-sport, a KLR650.

Sure you don't want to get a H-D and be an "individual" with all those "other individuals"???

Sarge: I feel your pain.

When I lived in PRK I saw so many asshole moves/stunts by blithering, arrogant idiots on motorcycles that they're too numerous to list here, and I still have the effects lingering today.

IIRC in CA it's legal, if traffic is moving less that 5MPH, to for a motorcycle to move between the lines. That's OK. But in the Bay area, at least, those motherfuckers seem to think it means they can do 55MPH between vehicles and if you change lanes and THEY had to do a power stop, they bitch YOU out. Fuckers wouldn't get away with that shit in MO-some G.O.B would purposely open hid Ford truck door and go, "WHOOPS".

Or when you're getting onto the highway and the assclown on his ricerocket behind you passes you through the "death zone"-the white line on the left leading to the RH lane-at 85MPH and you barely miss him and HE flips you off.

I'm sure there's plenty of considerate motorcycle riders, even in PRK-but in CA they may very well have most of the worst.

Take a chill pill Sarge.

I have put over 4K miles on my crotch rocket this summer. All of it wearing a helmet and decent clothes. None of it wheelying or stunting. If you had spent any time on bikes you'd realize that far more "cagers" (that's people in cars for the non-riders) drive like SH#T than riders. Most riders are more knowledgable about traffic flows and safe riding/driving proceedures (like pilots are more aware of weather). My driving has improved and become more safe since riding.

I never said this applied to all bikers...it isn't!

But those that do this REACKLESSLY are going to get hurt!  Maybe even KILLED!  Whne I am in heavy traffic going 15 mph I never expect a little bike to be on my left side...IN MY LANE!!  WIth Maybe...maybe 2" clearance.  If I move a little bit that guy is down and probably run over.  I would be the one living with that....not him...he's dead!


Ride your bikes..enjoy them...but be safe!


SGatr15



PS   ANd carry a Rosary

Quoted:  Whne I am in heavy traffic going 15 mph I never expect a little bike to be on my left side...IN MY LANE!!  WIth Maybe...maybe 2" clearance.  If I move a little bit that guy is down and probably run over.  I would be the one living with that....not him...he's dead!

Do yourself a favor and check your mirrors before moving over.  There's nothing quite as frightening for us riders as some SUV jumping out at us like that.  It's also just a good idea to look where you're going.

In heavy stop and go highway traffic I'll start splitting lanes when speed dip below 30mph.  Normally I'll be doing 40-45mph.  Reasonable to me, but by the time I get home (30miles of this shit every Friday) I'm exhausted from being so stressed out.

At a stoplight I'll white line it up to the red light, but I only hit the gas enough to get a little extra distance between me and the cars so I can get over safely.  I'm not a big stunter, I know riding is dangerous enough without tempting the asphault gods.

I wear a full face helmet, lether jacket & gloves, levis and combat boots when I ride.  Even at the height of Summer.  Wish I could afford some leather pants.  I've crashed while wearing levis before and I tell you what...it's not fun picking burnt denim out of your knee.

ETA: Riders.  If you're not passing a cage then you're in a dangerous position.  If you're going the same speed as a vehicle near you make sure you are not in their blind spot.  Pull up right next to their window so the can't miss seeing you.

Scaredy cat you are.

Quoted: Scaredy cat you are.

Who, me or sgtar15?

Quoted: Do yourself a favor and check your mirrors before moving over.

I am not moving over anywhere.  I am going 15 mph and I am 100% in my lane, from the white line on the left to the white line on the right is ALL MINE.  I can move over 2" and run the idiots over and STILL BE  INBETWEEN the white line.  So it is YOU that is in MY lane.

There's nothing quite as frightening for us riders as some SUV jumping out at us like that.  It's also just a good idea to look where you're going.

My position changed 2" left to right...your position changes from being in your own lane BEHIND ME to being in my lane BESIDE ME....in a BLIND SPOT!

In heavy stop and go highway traffic I'll start splitting lanes when speed dip below 30mph.  Normally I'll be doing 40-45mph.  Reasonable to me, but by the time I get home (30miles of this shit every Friday) I'm exhausted from being so stressed out.

Next time take the bus....it stress for me having to watch out for you.

At a stoplight I'll white line it up to the red light, but I only hit the gas enough to get a little extra distance between me and the cars so I can get over safely.  .

No need...we learned long ago to wait for you to leave....BTW  Thanks for holding up TWO lanes of traffic now.


SGtar15

My SUV weighs 6800 lbs.  

God I hate it when people cut up a post with all kinds of quotes.  It's such a pain to read.

As to what you're talking about with weaving around in your lane in your land whale, sure I'll give you that.  Hell, I pass people several times a week who cannot even stay in one lane in their cars, let alone in the middle of their lane.  What you described is why I tell other riders that if you're not passing the cars around you you're placing yourself in a dangerous position.  Ride where the cagers can see you or get the hell past them before they have a chance of running you down.

The bus comment is laughable, but it was a snide remark so I'll let if fly as it doesn't mean anything.  I do like my bike quite a bit and even on those stressful traffic Fridays I still like it better than sitting in bumper to bumper in my car for 2 hours.

Thank you for being so considerate of me at the stoplight.  You cager plebians are smarter than I give you credit for sometimes.

Run somebody down and think of me today!

Quoted: My SUV weighs 6800 lbs.

You bastage!!!!

weaving between lanes of traffic, on a BIKE?




Amateurs! I used to do that in a JEEP!

I can't speak for anyone else out there, but when I split lanes I rely on myself as the safety factor.

If you hold your lane position, use your mirrors and turn signals than it's all good.

And let me guess, a Harley is a real bike?!?

You don't drive a bike, you ride it.

That is all.

Quoted: where are you guys going that you are that big of hurry to get there...and why all this 'stress'? driving/riding should be relaxing...at least it is for me.

I'm not normally stressed out or even speeding much (10-15 over) for the majority of my riding.  It's just that Friday "Hey!  Lets everybody get off work early and clog up the freeway!" traffic that gets me.

Riding is very relaxing and enjoyable for me the great majority of the time...till somebody in a beamer SUV that never saw the dirt decides to cut in front of me with 2' to spare of my front wheel.

ETA: Personally, I think much of my problem with cagers is just that I'm riding here in CA.  We have too damn many cars on the road and with quantity so decreases quality.

Yeah, we've got a lot of asshat riders here too.

Sadly no.  There are two major Freeways I can take home and they both jam up worse than Wolf Ammo.  No surface streets to take for about 20 of my 30 miles that go in the direction I need to go.

I intend to be outta here this time next year anywho.  I keep saying that as some kind of positive affirmation.  Here's to hoping I can make it happen.

Sarge,

In slow traffic (<20 mph) even lame drivers can, and do, hold their lane position within a couple of inches (at least on timescales of interest to bikers filtering through traffic).  For some reason, Camrys and champagne colored luxury cars tend to operated by the three sigma out crowd and go from line to line even when practically stopped.

You should be grateful for filtering bikes, they aren't consuming lane space that could be used by a car, or big ass SUV, when it is most scarce.  If they were queing up like everyone else they would be making traffic a little bit worse.

As for running one of us over, just use your signals properly and it won't be a problem.  I've yet to see a motorcylist pass someone signaling a lane change when filtering.


Cheers.

Quoted: Quoted: Scaredy cat you are. Who, me or sgtar15?

sgtar15, is a scared to ride, a motor bike.

I've been riding bikes for over 35 years and I have never once tried to share a lane with another vehicle.  No amount of rationalization will make it right or safe in my opinion, I can't even imagine myself doing it legal or not.  You guys that like to "filter" and stunt ride in traffic are tempting the fates, I hope you survive.  I always wear full leathers with kevlar padding, full face helmit, gloves and steel toed boots when I ride, you should too.  Hey you are pro-gunner, we need you in the gene pool !

So we might as well toss out the Hurt Report and the stats from the CHP concerning lane sharing....

Quoted: I've been riding bikes for over 35 years and I have never once tried to share a lane with another vehicle.  No amount of rationalization will make it right or safe in my opinion,

As we all well know, bikers have no right to be on the road anyway. Why should those gas guzzling air choking fatass soccer mom carting SUVs have to share the road with some crappy motorcycle. Besides, if I pay 60,000 for my ridiculously impractical and freakisly large vehicle to compensate for my small penis I don't have enough money left over to buy my own motorcycle or a garage to put it in. Therefore, I will continue to drive my earth smasher as I see fit, running down motorcyclists who have no right to exist and I will continue to block the view of any other driver who does not own a behemoth because I am so important that I can. I will also pull out in front of anyone I want going 5 miles an hour and give people that annoy me the bird. I don't have to look for motorcyclists, they should watch out for me. After all, I'm important enought that I can get 10mpg and laugh all the way to the gas station and those silly bike riding homos and their 40+mpg. Nice to meet you, I'm a retard motorist that will someday kill someone because I'm too important to give a rat's ass.

eta: Why don't car drivers have to wear helmets? It would save lives wouldn't it? Wear a helmet next time you drive and let me know how it improves your peripheral vision and hearing.

Quoted: So we might as well toss out the Hurt Report and the stats from the CHP concerning lane sharing.... Quoted: I've been riding bikes for over 35 years and I have never once tried to share a lane with another vehicle.  No amount of rationalization will make it right or safe in my opinion,

I'm just stating my own opinion here, you are welcome to do what you feel is safe.  I have never seen the studies you cite, but I would like to read them.  Do you have a link?  To be honest with you though, I seriously doubt that they will change my mind.  

Quoted: state troopers here caught to idiots doing over 165mph going through town on the interstate last week. They got a reckless driving and speeding fine and let go. They should have impouded the damn things and tossed the book at those idiots. I ride but that is shear stupidity. A 600+lb bike doing over 165 becomes a serious problem when it hits another vehicle. mike

Wow!  Those guys sure got off light.  Buddy of mine was doing what the CHP helocopter estimated as 170+ driving north through Kern County (Bakersfield).  The whole area is just one long straight line with usually very light traffic all day long.  I think he just wanted to get outta that hellhole.

Anyway, they sent a bunch of stuff at him.  The CHP bikes apparently could only do 140 or so and couldn't keep up.  He said he was outpacing the helo too but I think that's unlikely.  After a few minutes he realized just how stupid he was being.  Pulled over.  Took off his helmet and laid down spread eagle on the ground.

They tried to get him for the speeding fines, reckless endangerment, exhibition of speed and I think attempted manslaughter. Don't know how on the last one, but it had something to do with him being of sound mind doing such stupid stuff around other people.  Luckily for him he got a gangbusters lawyer, had atleast 4 marines and several family and friends at every coart appearance and a previously clean record.  He was convicted of many many misdemenor counts.  I think it was because the judge was a former Marine and understood that felonies would have gotten him kicked outta the Corps.

I think his community service part of the sentancing took about 2 years for him to complete, at about 30hours a week.

I don't think he's broken a traffic law since.

Lane Splitting: Tear Along Dotted Line
Think passing cars between is reckless and inconsiderate? We beg to disagree. But there are some things to know before you start. By Art Friedman.
 
I had called USC's Accident Research Department to talk to Dave Thom about helmets, but Harry Hurt answered the phone. Hurt, the lead author of the famous "Hurt Report" about the causes of motorcycle accidents, is arguably the most knowledgeable expert in the area of motorcycle safety and always fascinating to talk to.

Today, however, the news wasn't pleasant. Hurt had been rear-ended and had required surgery on his neck. His brand new truck suffered major damage too. "The stupid part," said Hurt, "was that if I'd been on a motorcycle, I wouldn't have had the accident. I would have split lanes and never gotten hit."

Everyone recognizes that lane-splitting is a way for motorcyclists to save time, which may be why car-bound motorists sometimes resent it. In its defense, lane-splitting also reduces congestion and actually helps everyone get there sooner. In effect, it creates an extra lane. That "motorcycle-only lane" can, as Hurt points out, get you away from the antics of cars, which tend to be most violent at the back of the line. I was originally a reluctant lane-splitter myself, but after diving between lanes to escape screeching cars coming up behind me three times in a single ride, I decided that perhaps there was a cosmic message in there somewhere. That was 25 years ago, and I have been lane-splitting, mostly on a non-emergency basis, almost every day since.

The knee-jerk reaction to lane-splitting for most people is that it's dangerous. In fact, Hurt and his fellow researchers discovered that, if anything, it's actually slightly safer than staying in the lane in heavy, crawling traffic. Hurt theorizes that this is because motorcyclists have an easier time steering around threats than stopping frequently. Evans Brafield, Motorcycle Cruiser's Associate Editor and an instructor for the California Motorcycle Safety Program California Motorcycle Safety Program, reckons that the ability the see ahead and get early warning of what traffic is doing is part of the advantage. Certainly, you put virtually all the threats ahead of you and needn't watch your mirrors much.

At Motorcycle Cruiser and our sister magazines, Motorcyclist magazine and Sport Rider magazine, lane-splitting is a way of life. Here in Southern California, rational lane-splitting is tolerated by law enforcement, and the CHP actually testified against a bill that would have banned it several years ago. In a quarter-century of SoCal commuting, I reckon I have reduced the time I have spent in traffic by months, and I can't recall a single close call while doing it. In fact, I haven't ticked more than half a dozen mirrors in that time. In the last few years, the growing availability of carpool lanes has reduced the need to lane-split on freeways, but increased congestion on surface streets has made it more useful there.

The dangers involved in lane splitting are the close proximity of other vehicles, the limited space for maneuvering and the fact that few drivers anticipate your presence. My standard visibility ploys--headlight on high beam during the day and a day-glow orange Shoei helmet--serve me well lane-splitting as in other traffic situations, but the key to painless lane-splitting is understanding the dynamics of the cars around you and knowing what to expect. For example, though you may feel more squeezed when passing between two vehicles side by side, you are more likely to get bunted when overtaking a car that has an open space next to it, especially if the lane on the other side of you is moving significantly faster. If the driver tries to jump to that space, he may forget to check for you. Whether lane-splitting or not, use caution when riding through the blind spot of a driver when you are between him and a place he is likely to want to put his car.

Other pointers:

- You should be alert and ready to concentrate fully on the matter at hand.

- Enter the lane-splitting zone cautiously. Wait until both lanes are slowed down, so that you aren't being overtaken by a car in the adjacent lane. You may be starting from a slow speed, so your bike won't be completely stabilized, and you don't want to weave into an overtaking car.

- The most dicey time is when traffic is slowing down. Some cars pull under braking and some drivers choose this moment to jump to another lane. If one lane is slowing more than the other, the likelihood of a lane-jumper increases. If the lane next to the one you are using is going faster, entering the lane-splitting zone may put you in the path or an overtaking car that isn't expecting it. I like to wait until both lanes are moving at similar speeds.

- Keep your speed just slightly above that of the cars you are passing. A large speed differential reduces your chances of avoiding a collision when something goes awry. However, you should also be overtaking traffic, so that you can focus exclusively on what's ahead and next to you. This puts you in control of the situation.

- Set a maximum speed for lane-splitting and stick to it. When traffic hits about 30 mph, I get back in line.

- When traffic speed picks up, try to merge back in front of the last car that you will completely pass at normal lane-splitting speeds. Plan ahead to be sure you don't get stuck behind a large vehicle that you can't see past.

- Watch for other motorcyclists overtaking and let them by.

- Acknowledge drivers who move over for you, but don't get mad when someone overlooks you.

- Look for those subtle first signs of a direction change by drivers -- a change in speed, the glance to a mirror, the repositioning of hands on the wheel, the car's front wheel actually beginning to steer. If you look ahead and watch for events that will slow one lane down, you can usually anticipate when driver will want to change lanes.

- As always, stay ahead of the game. Keep your eyes up the road, several cars ahead of you to see those first signs of a change in speed, debris on the road or other event that changes the speed or direction of traffic.

- If you come to a place where two vehicles are uncomfortably close together, bide your time and wait for an opportunity to pass them safely.

- Don't hesitate to honk if the cars next to you get uncomfortably close together. It will probably annoy them less than if you snap off one of their mirrors or bang your head on one of their rear fenders.

- The gap between the two left lanes is usually the largest and most consistent because drivers in the left lane, with no traffic to their left, move well to the left to see ahead and to open the gap on their right side.

- Watch for abrupt changes when another roadway merges with either of the lanes you're between.

Cruisers have some advantages as lane-splitting weapons. The sit-up riding position offers a good view over cars. The torquey power characteristics provide good response, though you shouldn't let revs drop too far. There are negatives, too. Cars are widest at their mirrors, which, unfortunately, are often about the same height as cruiser handlebars and mirrors. Ultra-wide bars like those of the Vulcan 1600 Classic limit the gaps you can traverse. In fact, if you split lanes regularly, a narrow bar (or sawing an inch off each end of the stockers) is a good idea. The best lane-splitting weapons are dual-purpose bikes because they are narrow and you sit quite high.

I have heard some lane-splitting horror stories over the years: the rider who hooked a crash bar on a car bumper (unconfirmed), the riders who have had doors flung open in front of them either intentionally or unintentionally (at least one confirmed) and the rider who split lanes alongside a big rig which wasn't aware of him and then crept forward, first pushing the bike over (rider and passenger jumped off) and then running it over without ever knowing it. I have only encountered one driver intent on keeping me from passing ("Kick his damn door in!" was the unheeded advice shouted by a nearby trucker), but thousands who have pulled over to give me extra room. There are also tales of non-injury encounters with drivers disposing of coffee, over-filled ashtrays or the contents of an upset stomach, but I haven't encountered anything worse than the stuff people sometimes throw in your face even when you're in the middle of your lane.

And I spend a lot less time out there in path of danger or trash when I'm tearing along the dotted line.

Art Friedman
If you have questions or comments about this article, email the author at [email protected] or at [email protected].

I can't find the complete Hurt Report on line.

This is the CHP FAQ answer, the web page that had the stats has been removed.

Q:  Can motorcycle riders "split" lanes and ride between other vehicles?
A:  Lane splitting by motorcycles is permissible but must be done in a safe and prudent manner.
http://www.chp.ca.gov/html/answers.html

Quoted: I'm just stating my own opinion here, you are welcome to do what you feel is safe.  I have never seen the studies you cite, but I would like to read them.  Do you have a link?  To be honest with you though, I seriously doubt that they will change my mind.

It's LEGAL here in California. I split (share) lanes practically everyday. The drivers here generally expect to see motorcycles splitting lanes when traffic slows down.

We have so many motorcycles here in sunny California, that drivers are used to seeing bikes splitting lanes. So, they generally look out for us and give us plenty of room when coming to a stop or slowing down in traffic. Most of the freeways here have car pool lanes. There is usually a much wider gap between the car pool lane & the fast lane. So, when the CP & regular lanes come to a stop in traffic... there is usually a wider safer gap for us bikers to split lanes safely. We just have to watch out for those cagers that cross the double solid yellow line to get into the car pool lane.

I've ridden cross country several times, traveled through many states coast to coast over the years. I do see different regional driving habits & styles. As I also see how drivers drive differently in the city, suburbs, and rural areas (California also). Doing this is a state where it's NOT legal is a whole lot more dangerous than doing here in California. The drivers are not used to it, and they may not automatically give you enough space when traffic comes to a stop or slows down. They tend not to stop in as straight as a line as our cagers in Kali, a little more staggered. They seem to try to see between the cars to see why traffic has come down to a crawl. Some drivers know it's illegal to split lanes, so they may try stop you from doing it (blocking maneuver).

Now, I don't do this primarily to get to my destination in a timely & speedy manner. I do it for safety reasons!

If I stay in the lanes in traffic with other cars, I will eventually come up against an inattentive driver (cell phone, chatting with passenger, messing with radio, makeup, watching TV/DVD, reading, day dreaming..) that nearly rear ends me. Happens more often than I care to think about. Because, they're not paying attention in stop-n-go traffic. Like it was posted earlier. Some cagers will concentrate on the car in front of the motorcycle, instead of the bike in front of them and brake accordingly

When I'm splitting lanes between cars, I can't get rear ended. Just have to watch out for cars changing lanes. But, if they're bumper to bumper traffic... they can't change lanes.. unless there is an empty gap almost large enough for a vehicle. So, you have to watch out for the empty spots in a lane where a vehicle will try to jump in.

www.motorcyclecruiser.com/newsandupdates/walanesplit/ Living in California, where lane-splitting (also called lane-sharing) is "permissible", we are quite familiar with lane-splitting, and strong supporters of efforts to legalize the practice in other states. While it benefits motorcyclists, of course, it also aids other motorists by relieving congestion, effectively adding a motorcycle lane. We have never seen any research that says it's more dangerous than staying in your lane when traffic is slowed way down, and the folks who conducted the research for the Hurt Report say that there are hints that it may be safer than remaining in the lane in stop-and-go traffic. The National Agenda for Motorcycle Safety suggested further research on the issue with an eye on legalizing it more widely.

When I'm splitting lanes, I watching the drivers body language, looking at his head/eye movement, side & rear view mirrors, hands on the steering wheel, vehicles signal, lane spacing. I even pay attention to the vehicle plates, looking out for out of state drivers, who may not be familiar with motorcycle lane sharing.

So, I'm very rarely caught off guard. I try to read the drivers the best I can and try to expect the unexpected. I've been riding motorcycles since before I was 5 years old  (31 years or racing and riding motorcycles). I'd just rather be riding than driving a vehicle.

I wear long pants, riding boots, full-face helmet, gloves 100% of the time year round. I wear my leathers or my other riding jackets about 90% of the time. Even when the temperatures get over 100 degrees. That is another reason I split lanes. Since I choose to wear all this protective gear all the time, if I had to sit in traffic... I would get heat exhaustion\ stroke. We don't have A/C on our bikes, so the only way too cool off.. is to keep moving.

My bike is an air cooled v-twin, so I have to keep moving to cool the engine. That was one of the primary reasons 'lane sharing' in California was legalized. CHP officers patrolling on bikes, helped get the lane sharing law passed for their daily patrols and to benefit all the other riders in our state.

I cut to the front of the line at a red light for the same reason. For my safety. I don't want to get rear ended. So, if there is space between the cars to move to the front of the line... I will do it. I can accelerate (not racing) to the speed limit much faster than most of the cars on the road. This gives me a good safety buffer zone behind me, gives me a clear view of the road ahead (I'm not staring at the back of an SUV), bike stays cooler and I stay cooler as I don't need to wait for the vehicles to get up to speed.

I don't do wheelies or other stunts on the streets. I save it for the track. I don't have loud obnoxious exhaust, I use my signals, and I wear safety gear all the time.

I'll admit that I do generally ride a little faster than the flow of traffic, and I do like accelerating up to the 'speed limit' . But, I'm do not go Mach 2 in traffic or making myself a danger to other riders/drivers on the road. I'm just trying to come home alive another day. Just a nice steady pace, to keep as large of a safety buffer around me and to stay out of cagers blind spots.

The Hurt Report is an excellent tool to disput the many moronic motorcycle myths out there...

Here are a few:

6.  
In the multiple vehicle accidents, the driver of the other vehicle violated the motorcycle right-of-way and caused the accident in two-thirds of those accidents.  

7.  
The failure of motorists to detect and recognize motorcycles in traffic is the predominating cause of motorcycle accidents. The driver of the other vehicle involved in collision with the motorcycle did not see the motorcycle before the collision, or did not see the motorcycle until too late to avoid the collision.  

12.  
Most motorcycle accidents involve a short trip associated with shopping, errands, friends, entertainment or recreation, and the accident is likely to happen in a very short time close to the trip origin.  

24.  
The motorcycle riders involved in accidents are essentially without training; 92% were self-taught or learned from family or friends. Motorcycle rider training experience reduces accident involvement and is related to reduced injuries in the event of accidents.  

27.  
Almost half of the fatal accidents show alcohol involvement.

28.  
Motorcycle riders in these accidents showed significant collision avoidance problems. Most riders would overbrake and skid the rear wheel, and underbrake the front wheel greatly reducing collision avoidance deceleration. The ability to countersteer and swerve was essentially absent.

47.  
The use of the safety helmet is the single critical factor in the prevention of reduction of head injury; the safety helmet which complies with FMVSS 218 is a significantly effective injury countermeasure.

48.  
Safety helmet use caused no attenuation of critical traffic sounds, no limitation of precrash visual field, and no fatigue or loss of attention; no element of accident causation was related to helmet use.  

50.  
Helmeted riders and passengers showed significantly lower head and neck injury for all types of injury, at all levels of injury severity.  

51.  
The increased coverage of the full facial coverage helmet increases protection, and significantly reduces face injuries.  

52.  
There is not liability for neck injury by wearing a safety helmet; helmeted riders had less neck injuries than unhelmeted riders. Only four minor injuries were attributable to helmet use, and in each case the helmet prevented possible critical or fatal head injury.  

53.  
Sixty percent of the motorcyclists were not wearing safety helmets at the time of the accident. Of this group, 26% said they did not wear helmets because they were uncomfortable and inconvenient, and 53% simply had no expectation of accident involvement.  

KA3B,  Thanks for posting the text.  I was right though, it didn't change my mind.  I have taken many motorcycle safety courses in my life, the last being a  3 day advanced course last year and this was not mentioned at all.  Lane useage and positioning was covered extensively, and this thinking goes against a lot of it.   I will admit that I don't normally ride in heavy slow moving traffic, so I am no expert.  Just remember that you are placing a lot of trust in other drivers when you do this.  Some of them can be trusted and some of them can't.  I  try to ride defensively, and fully expect the other driver to do something stupid.  I guess I'm just  more conservative than you.  And that's not necessarily bad.  RIDE SAFE and look out for Sgtar15!

I am sure it has been said, but you don't drive a motorcycle, you ride one. And if you are in Cali, then lanesplitting is legal.

Hehe....someone likes their tanks (aka Cars) a bit more than they should.

As for time saved, try a 3 hour commute cut down to 1 1/2 hours.

Riding with no helmet, shirt, etc......you just had an encounter with about 20% of the bikers out there.

If I passed you, you probably would not have noticed me, while talking on the cell phone, guzzling all that gas in one's tank.......and only glimpe you will see,  will be my taillights, as I weave through traffic.

20% percent or so of the riders out there, who you seem to describe so well, dont' represent the rest of us.

Just like 1 dumbass gun owner (Google Search......hundreds!), does NOT represent the rest of us.......