When you click on links to various merchants on this site and make a purchase, this can result in this site earning a commission. Affiliate programs and affiliations include, but are not limited to, the eBay Partner Network.
A bunch of us were trapped in a traffic backup coming out of Boothbay Harbor Maine onto Route One. We drove down the breakdown lane for miles, yelling "air cooled motor", until we reached Route One.
We were just up in Maine for vacation this week. Stayed in Topsham at a great little B&B then went and spent the day in Boothbay. Took a Boat excursion out to Cabbage Island and attended a Lobster and Clam bake. Had a great time but the traffic was ridiculous!.
Virginia law is reckless driving charge for splitting the lanes or traveling on the shoulder. Not only do you get a hefty fine, and your auto insurance spikes, but they can haul you off to jail too and your bike is towed.
Now considering that, why is it that one state says its not illegal then another says its illegal. Oh, wait a minute. Here it comes, wait, wait, yeah, the state gets money if they catch ya.
Wait, is splitting lanes not legal everywhere (honest question)? How can "liberal" CA have this legal if other states find it unsafe? As a person that's lived in CA for their entire life I thought it was legal everywhere.
That being said I only split if there is ZERO movement, 5mph or more and I wait in line. You wouldn't believe how many "motorcycle and automobile with fatality" I heard on the AM traffic report when I lived in SoCal.
it's justified as a "health issue". When you're expected to wear a helmet and a thick leather jacket, and traffic is commonplace and a daily reality, sitting in 100+ degree heat has caused many bikers to pass out from heat stroke while sitting in traffic and obeying the law. This, in turn caused a bunch of lawsuits and that lead to legalizing lane-splitting. The way the law sees it, moving is your only way to keep cool on a bike so they allow you to keep moving. However weaving is still illegal.
I was in Florida last weekend and was surprised how pissed off people got when bikers split lanes. Of course there was absolutely no reason for them to be doing it since traffic was non-existent but I saw several people try to run them off the road...CRAZY!
In L.A., I noticed the only time anyone tries to make lane-splitting difficult for me is generally Prius drivers (I'm not kidding...I've only ever been squeezed by Priuses) in traffic. They'll see me coming and try to move over so I can't get by them sometimes they get my carbon fiber-covered knuckles in their mirror for TRYING TO KILL ME...sometimes they'll yell something about it not being fair and I should wait in line like everyone else. Leave it to the hippies to make sure everyone is equally miserable.
Of course it's absolutely fair - all they have to do is get on a bike (which gets even better gas mileage than their Prius) and they can split lanes too!
Always got pissed off about this while sitting in my cage, and still didnt understand it while on my Suzi Boulecard
Then a month after buying my Ultra I got stuck in Bourne Bridge traffic on my way out to the cape. After about 15 minutes of sitting in line, I figured out why I always saw Harleys riding up the shoulder.
In any event, to answer your question. In my case I took the shoulder, all the way to the bridge, about 2 miles, and 3 exits. I had no choice, to get off would not have gotten me on the cape, to stay would have been awful I was 2up and had not removed the cat yet.
In any other situation, I would ride the shoulder to the next exit, and get off there.
In L.A., I noticed the only time anyone tries to make lane-splitting difficult for me is generally Prius drivers (I'm not kidding...I've only ever been squeezed by Priuses) in traffic. They'll see me coming and try to move over so I can't get by them sometimes they get my carbon fiber-covered knuckles in their mirror for TRYING TO KILL ME...sometimes they'll yell something about it not being fair and I should wait in line like everyone else. Leave it to the hippies to make sure everyone is equally miserable.
Of course it's absolutely fair - all they have to do is get on a bike (which gets even better gas mileage than their Prius) and they can split lanes too!
I noticed it to. It always seems to be a freakin prius that trys to block you in. Here it legal to lane split but I only do it when traffic is stopped.
7 Surprising Harley-Davidson Products that Are Not Motorcycles
Slideshow: The bar-and-shield logo shows up on far more than motorcycles, some of the company's most unexpected products have nothing to do with riding.
Slideshow: From the troubled AMF years to modern misfires, these bikes earned reputations for reliability issues, questionable engineering, or disappointing performance.
Crazy Bunderbike Build Looks Amazing, But Is It Impossible to Ride?
Slideshow: The Swiss custom shop has taken a Harley Softail and stretched it into something so long and low that it looks closer to a rolling sculpture than a conventional motorcycle.
Engraved Rebellion: Inside Bundnerbike's Glam Rock II
Slideshow: A standard cruiser becomes an intricate metal canvas in the hands of a Swiss custom house known for pushing Harley-Davidson platforms far beyond their factory brief.
Slideshow: Harley-Davidson's challenges aren't abstract; they show up in dropping shipments, shrinking dealer traffic, and strategic decisions that aren't yet translating into growth.