Lane splitting (sharing) interview

[Randy B]

Look at how clean that freeway is... No tar snakes and little bitty pot holes, wish California roads were like that.

Efforts are being made to make Californians even more aware of motorcylists out in the wild concrete jungle in general using Radio and TV ads and even a billboard near where I live which is cool to see every now and again. It's just that some motorcyclists abuse that privilege we have (lane splitting) speed and aggressiveness in its action is what makes it dangerous in the eye of the public and some riders as well that are not familiar with lane splitting. We Californians are just lucky I guess.

I cant see myself sitting behind a lifted diesel truck with a 4 barrel 4 inch diameter exhausts in front of my face and my air cooled CB cooking legs to a crisp in 100 degree weather.

That would be covered with graffiti 5 minutes after it went up around here. The little punks are REALLY bad about that in this neck of the woods.

[lola_imp]

Oh yes Randy that billboard did not last long but good efforts by the California highway patrol while it lasted.

[EarsOnWheels_imp]

To me, lane splitting and filtering is anti-social behavior and is equivalent to cutting in at the front of the que. I doubt any of us would cut in front of the que at a grocery store check out line so why do it on the road?

Familiar with express lanes? Grocery stores have lines specifically for those with fewer items (smaller vehicles) while those with more items (larger vehicles) wait in line for each other. Trying to block people on motorcycles, bicycles, rollerblades, etc when you are waiting for other cars, trucks, and buses *is* antisocial.

[Pterodactyl_imp]

On todays ride I thought a lot about this thread. I tried running 18 mph for awhile as is the limit in Australia when filtering. Imagined running between a line of cars. It is kind of slow lol. Tried in first and second gears. In second it's like 1500 rpms. in first IIRC it was around 3000 rpms? The line had better be short that you're filtering on because you are not going to pass many unless it's a long light. If there are a lot of cars you have to pass I imagine they will be taking off before you get to the head of the line and you are going to have to merge left or right into a lane. A better speed for me seemed to be between 25 and 30 mph, in second gear.

So I headed to the freeway since I had to run across town to the Guzzi dealer to pick up a can of Plexus for my brother. Yea at this time of day there wasn't enough traffic to play the splitting game unless you were just picking off 1 vehicle at a time.

[url=http://smg.photobucket.com/user/theferret111/media/DSCF4075_zpsadqan7cj.jpg.html]

one thing I noticed on our roads were hthe pot holes all seemed to be right where a motorcycle would be splitting on the striped lane divides

[url=http://smg.photobucket.com/user/theferret111/media/DSCF4073_zpsdh2rz9zo.jpg.html]

[url=http://smg.photobucket.com/user/theferret111/media/DSCF4074_zpsg9n6ffrc.jpg.html]

here you can see where the state has come thru and just patched right where the lane dividers are

[url=http://smg.photobucket.com/user/theferret111/media/DSCF4071_zpspoutcoet.jpg.html]

I did come up behind vehicles that were running side by side and skooched over on the lane divider looking at the distance between them to imagine going through. I thought Naaaa not me lol. Could probably do it, but I don't have to...... thank goodness

Ferret, I don't think you quite get it. You are hung up on the 30kph speed and then go to a lightly trafficked, fast moving, freeway to check it out. That is nonsense and not what our filtering laws were designed for. Did you look at the video I posted in [url=http://cb1100forum.com/forum/showthread.php?tid=8942&pid=140598#pid140598]this post?. The traffic in that vid is peak hour, bumper to bumper and stop and go. This is where filtering is very useful.

For example, on a hot summers day I get up early to ride one of my favourite roads, the Putty Loop. After 350kms of enjoyable riding I arrive back in Sydney at about 4:30pm. The peak hour traffic is building. I can be faced with about 10kms of walking pace traffic, most of which is in a hot, poorly ventilated (unless you are in a cage with a beaut recycling air conditioning unit) cross city tunnel. Outside of peak hour it flows well but for about three hours a day it is a nightmare of stop and start and speeds rarely exceeding 15kph. To sit and stare through the rear window of a car, at the back of a bus or 18 wheeler while overheating and breathing hot exhaust gas is not a good place to be. So is it stop and go and crawl at sub 30kph speeds, or do I choose to filter at up to 30kph? Have a guess.

Cheers

[the Ferret]

No no no Ptero I didn't try and do 18 mph on the freeway .... I'd have gotten run over. I was on a back road with no traffic. I understand perfectly what your filtering law and speed is all about. I wanted to see what riding 18 mph for a bit was like since I never do that in everyday riding. Try riding 100 yards at 18 mph sometime. It takes for ev er. Kinda like a slow race at a field meet.

[dsinned_imp]

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.

[Ulvetanna_imp]

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.

Yeah, had to do it today, situation just about like the motor officer's. Only for about a mile or so, though. Agree about the offramp and restaurant. That's why commuting can be such an issue, you HAVE to get to work and are forced to deal with that stuff no matter if you are really up to it or not.

[Lunatic Fringe_imp]

What say ye Randy, Ulve, MMC, Aschem, Lunatic, Retsel et al can you guys keep to down to max 30 kph (18 mph?)

Ulve that would no doubt require you to be under 4500 rpms lol

If that's what I was held to by some legislation I would happily do it rather than sitting in traffic waiting to get rear ended. When I filter to the front of the line on city streets I have no problem riding with feet up at a walking pace maneuvering between cars on my vfr or on my Bking.

Generally my freeway lane splitting looks a lot like the video posted earlier in this thread, steady and always in control.

For all those citing reports, stats etc to say how dangerous splitting is ...well we all are living in glass houses here. I'm used to riding in mega traffic big cities so I'm comfortable riding in heavy traffic. Personally I feel 18 mph is a bit to conservative and it would never be accepted in California, certainly not here in the Bay Area.

Like someone said, no one forces you to split traffic, even in sunny California.

[Pterodactyl_imp]

No no no Ptero I didn't try and do 18 mph on the freeway .... I'd have gotten run over. I was on a back road with no traffic. I understand perfectly what your filtering law and speed is all about. I wanted to see what riding 18 mph for a bit was like since I never do that in everyday riding. Try riding 100 yards at 18 mph sometime. It takes for ev er. Kinda like a slow race at a field meet.

Sorry, I haven't made myself clear. I have filtered at speeds of up to 30kph for kilometre after kilometre after kilometre. Often. I haven't tried yards or mph since 1970, but I imagine the effect would not be much different . Believe me, when filtering through stationary or very slow moving bumper to bumper traffic 30kph seems like supersonic flight. You should try it sometime. Try it on a very hot day. You will have the added bonus of air flowing over you and through the oil cooler. Luxury. And not only that you will be at home having your second cup of tea before the first cager you passed is off the freeway.

Cheers

[Pterodactyl_imp]

And that's a back road? I thought you lived in the scrub. In Oz that is a major road.