Splitting Lanes
RE: Splitting Lanes
Did it for five years in Long Beach on my smaller faster street bikes. I was younger and dumber then. Never quite got used to it. Very tense and not relaxing. I did it also to get away from being rear ended in big packs of cars at the light.
I moved to Phoenix and started riding again. I don't have to do it at all here, and I pretty much have not done it since LB. Move here. It's not too cold and you can ride almost year round. I miss CA sometimes. Not often though.
P.S. The cagers are generalygonna hate us anyway. It makes me really appreciate the ones that drive heads up and aware, giving us proper room. There are a few good ones out there.
I moved to Phoenix and started riding again. I don't have to do it at all here, and I pretty much have not done it since LB. Move here. It's not too cold and you can ride almost year round. I miss CA sometimes. Not often though.
P.S. The cagers are generalygonna hate us anyway. It makes me really appreciate the ones that drive heads up and aware, giving us proper room. There are a few good ones out there.
Outstanding HDF Member
Joined: Sep 2007
Posts: 2,272
Likes: 3
From: Slidell, Louisiana
RE: Splitting Lanes
Gotta have *****. I did it when i was younger but only for fun. Would not do it now but i do understand why some do in that Cali. traffic. Hell if its legal i say rock out.
Guest
Posts: n/a
RE: Splitting Lanes
All depends on the traffic. I do the 118 from Simito Northridge (about 14 miles)and only split if traffic is doing under 25 mph otherwise I just hang in my lane. I end up only having to split on the Simi side most of the time.
Having to get used to the bagger not really any wider then the Deluxe was but it seems that way. Miss making noise with the Deluxe pipes though...that way theycould hear me coming. Don't feel the need to have loud pipes on the bagger might go for a little more tough just for this reason.
Having to get used to the bagger not really any wider then the Deluxe was but it seems that way. Miss making noise with the Deluxe pipes though...that way theycould hear me coming. Don't feel the need to have loud pipes on the bagger might go for a little more tough just for this reason.
Road Captain
Joined: Oct 2007
Posts: 619
Likes: 0
From:
RE: Splitting Lanes
When I lived in cali, I had an fxsts. Pretty easy lane splitting with that narrow bike but wouldn't do it much on a bagger.For those who don't live where it's legal, cagers are surprisingly pretty darn corteous about itbut of course, there's an a$$hole in every crowd...
Tourer
Joined: Nov 2005
Posts: 361
Likes: 4
From:
RE: Splitting Lanes
I do it all the time, very comfortable for the most part once in a while I get a scare but rarely. To me it is just like riding on the any street, most of the time all is well and then something happens to snap you back to the reality of the dangers of riding on two wheels. It is done all over the world and the way gas is going upbike riding will double or triple in the foreseeable future. Many, many morebikes on the rode and with the traffic jams we all haveeverywhere, I think it is a good law to be able to split lanes. Every state should allows us to do it in my opinion. Not fast and not in all lanes, left lanes only when traffic is slow and backing up.
Cagers hate us anyway, might as well rub it in (smiling).
HD Forum Stories
The Best of Harley-Davidson for Lifelong Riders
7 Surprising Harley-Davidson Products that Are Not Motorcycles
Verdad Gallardo
8 Best Harley-Davidson Motorcycles Ever
Pouria Savadkouei
10 Worst Harley-Davidson Motorcycles Ever
Pouria Savadkouei
Killer Custom's Jail Break Is The Breakout That Refused to Blend In
Verdad Gallardo
Crazy Bunderbike Build Looks Amazing, But Is It Impossible to Ride?
Verdad Gallardo
Harley-Davidson Reveals Super Cool Cafe Racer Concept
Verdad Gallardo
Engraved Rebellion: Inside Bundnerbike's Glam Rock II
Verdad Gallardo
10 Motorcycles You Should Never Buy
Joe Kucinski
10 Things Harley-Davidson Needs to Fix in 2026
Verdad Gallardo
Tourer
Joined: Aug 2007
Posts: 429
Likes: 1
From: California
RE: Splitting Lanes
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JGaVHIrQs_Q
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1urbl...eature=related
[8D]
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1urbl...eature=related
[8D]
Ultimate HDF Member
Joined: Dec 2006
Posts: 5,878
Likes: 17
From: The Desert SouthWest
RE: Splitting Lanes
There are safer ways to do it and foolish ways to do it. I only do it when the traffic is stopped or nearly stopped/crawling along (<10 mph or so). And when I do split lanes I only pass thru at jut a tad above the speed of the vehicles around me. I dont fly between the line of cars - it's a casual pace up the line and constantly on the alert. I've never had any trouble with cagers really. In fact it seems that most that do see me coming move over a tad to give me extra room as I approach.
It's the guys that do 30 or 40 mph up a line of cars crawling along at 10 mph that pisses people off.
As mentioned above watch for gaps in the line as it starts to move - these are danger zones cuz the cars may try to jump into that gap in the next lane. Anticipating just this kind of stuff is part of the experience.
It's not relaxing or fun but if done cautiously and prudently the risk is minimal. Once the lanes start to move at any reasonable speed at all (15 or so MPH) I fall back into the lane and flow with the cars. What I try and avoid is the contant STOP n GO where you're moving a car length, putting feet down/engaging clutch, moving another car length then putting feet down/clutch, etc. That's pure torture and is the reason I split lanes when necessary and SAFE to do so.
It's the guys that do 30 or 40 mph up a line of cars crawling along at 10 mph that pisses people off.
As mentioned above watch for gaps in the line as it starts to move - these are danger zones cuz the cars may try to jump into that gap in the next lane. Anticipating just this kind of stuff is part of the experience.
It's not relaxing or fun but if done cautiously and prudently the risk is minimal. Once the lanes start to move at any reasonable speed at all (15 or so MPH) I fall back into the lane and flow with the cars. What I try and avoid is the contant STOP n GO where you're moving a car length, putting feet down/engaging clutch, moving another car length then putting feet down/clutch, etc. That's pure torture and is the reason I split lanes when necessary and SAFE to do so.