07-07-2016, 10:30 AM
Another factor in favor of lane splitting and/or filtering is FATIGUE. Riding a motorcycle at very slow speed is VERY tiring. Constantly clutching/shifting between lower gears, keeping the bike balanced and going straight, watching out for all the cars around you, and image how much more difficult this would be with a passenger. Not to mention, if it is really warm outside, and you have a full face helmet on, the human body is literally being dehydrated more and more with every mile of impeded traffic.
The example given of being stuck in a long tunnel, gasping for clean air, is another reason for getting further ahead PRONTO.
Again, I do it in moderation as a circumstantial means to an end, to get out of a horrible riding environment! If it is like a parking lot for miles on end, I will usually take the next off ramp and look for a nice air conditioned restaurant to kill time while having a meal to let the traffic clear. In the worse case scenario, I might even turn around and go back the other way - which is usually free of traffic - if I had just set out from home.
The example given of being stuck in a long tunnel, gasping for clean air, is another reason for getting further ahead PRONTO.
Again, I do it in moderation as a circumstantial means to an end, to get out of a horrible riding environment! If it is like a parking lot for miles on end, I will usually take the next off ramp and look for a nice air conditioned restaurant to kill time while having a meal to let the traffic clear. In the worse case scenario, I might even turn around and go back the other way - which is usually free of traffic - if I had just set out from home.