Lane-sharing in double left-turn-only lanes

[intotherain]

Not sure what the rest of you do when lane splitting

But


When I split down the middle to the front of the traffic whether the traffic is going to move forward or make a turn as you speak of, I always position my bike in front of one of the cars when I get to the lights, therefore I am always in front of the traffic and can never be caught in the middle of cars taking off, they have to wait for me to move off.

That's what I do.

[Flting Duck]

Though I'm form WA, I do quite a bit of riding in CA. I often lane-split in double left turn lanes. However, I only do it when traffic is stopped for the light. I ride up to the front and then get my bike a little in front of the stopped cars on my right and left to make sure that they see me. I watch for the crosstraffic light to turn yellow and am ready to go when the light changes so I can get a little head start on the cars next to me. (Note that this requires you to be extra attentive to what crosstraffic is doing so that you don't get smacked by a red light runner.)

[bclinton]

Eh, why bother. Its illegal in 49 states, only pisses drivers off (leading to increased road rage), and puts you in danger of being hit by an unaware driver as well.

Unless there is serious traffic, and I'm turning right there (off the road to my destination), I don't even bother risking it.

Just my opinion.

I totally agree with this. I was in Virginia last June and at a stop light. This guy on bike shot through our cars. I had no idea it was actually legal in any state until my brother tried to calm me down from getting pissed at him. It's unbelievable to me that it is legal in any state. I cant imagine anything more dangerous that doing that. regardless of the traffic I cant see it being worth the risk.

[shane-o]

Eh, why bother. Its illegal in 49 states, only pisses drivers off (leading to increased road rage), and puts you in danger of being hit by an unaware driver as well.

Unless there is serious traffic, and I'm turning right there (off the road to my destination), I don't even bother risking it.

Just my opinion.

I totally agree with this. I was in Virginia last June and at a stop light. This guy on bike shot through our cars. I had no idea it was actually legal in any state until my brother tried to calm me down from getting pissed at him. It's unbelievable to me that it is legal in any state. I cant imagine anything more dangerous that doing that. regardless of the traffic I cant see it being worth the risk.

ill tell you why it isnt dangerous.

When cars are pacted in tightly as they are in peak traffic or stopped at lights, WHERE are they going to move to? they dont, thats why you can split through them, it looks dangerous from a cars perspective, but from the top of bike you have plenty of room. Plus you are always a head of the traffic post the green light.

If you dont split, and you attempt to become at one with cars, you run the real risk of being hit from behind, cars hit cars when traffic is built up , if they cant see a fuking car in front of them how are they going to see us. Plus, if you run with cars, and have them all around you all the time, they tend to do all sorts of dodo to you while your minding your own buisness, best to be away from them as much as possible.

Only risk I foresee splitting with stopped traffic are car doors opening, one must be quite vigilant to split with caution and be very alert, and its not somthing I would do with any kinda speed, nice and easy is the order of the day.


Lanesplitting is legal in my country, and if it were not, there is no way I would commute to work using my bike, it would be just to dangerous in peak traffic.

[crazy5dave]

Lane splitting rocks! do it every ride all the time in traffic. I live in Japan and while it is techniclly illegal, you would never know by watching the Japanese. cars are used to it too. People drive really slow here in town. and there are a lot of signals. Think shopping mall parking lot at chrismas. I drive through them all. Like the previous person said tightly packed is the easiest. they got nowhere to turn. i like to go between cars that are directly next to each other, not staggered. Why, they cant switch lanes, because there is a car there. I do this while moving. Cars maybe 20MPH me 40-60mph. Ill split traffic on the highway too. come to the front at lights. Green light. sayonnra. no more cars till you catch up to the next pack. Just when i think im driving like a total "O Ring" between the cars, riding like i stole it, in and out of lanes, treating cars like moving chicanes, some other Kamikaze will come by and pass me like i wasnt there on a 400cc scooter, or 250 two stroke or what ever.
Why play a virtual reality game , when you can just live your life.

[Johnj]

Lane splitting rocks! do it every ride all the time in traffic..

That's how you got the crazy5 part of the name, right?

[bclinton]

Eh, why bother. Its illegal in 49 states, only pisses drivers off (leading to increased road rage), and puts you in danger of being hit by an unaware driver as well.

Unless there is serious traffic, and I'm turning right there (off the road to my destination), I don't even bother risking it.

Just my opinion.

I totally agree with this. I was in Virginia last June and at a stop light. This guy on bike shot through our cars. I had no idea it was actually legal in any state until my brother tried to calm me down from getting pissed at him. It's unbelievable to me that it is legal in any state. I cant imagine anything more dangerous that doing that. regardless of the traffic I cant see it being worth the risk.

ill tell you why it isnt dangerous.

When cars are pacted in tightly as they are in peak traffic or stopped at lights, WHERE are they going to move to? they dont, thats why you can split through them, it looks dangerous from a cars perspective, but from the top of bike you have plenty of room. Plus you are always a head of the traffic post the green light.

If you dont split, and you attempt to become at one with cars, you run the real risk of being hit from behind, cars hit cars when traffic is built up , if they cant see a fuking car in front of them how are they going to see us. Plus, if you run with cars, and have them all around you all the time, they tend to do all sorts of dodo to you while your minding your own buisness, best to be away from them as much as possible.

Only risk I foresee splitting with stopped traffic are car doors opening, one must be quite vigilant to split with caution and be very alert, and its not somthing I would do with any kinda speed, nice and easy is the order of the day.


Lanesplitting is legal in my country, and if it were not, there is no way I would commute to work using my bike, it would be just to dangerous in peak traffic.

If the cars are side by side they can legally stay in their lane and sandwich you between them. There is no law that makes a motorist give a bike enough room to go between them. There is also no law that makes a motorist keep looking in his rear view to make sure a bike doesnt come up beside them. What is to stop a car from veering in his own lane? That certainly isnt illegal as long as they stay between the lines. If two cars do that the bike is toast and in my opinion at fault.....

[storysunfolding]

Well if my bike is going to overheat I'm just going to ride past I mean I can't just turn it off and wait it out, that's ridiculous.

I realize this isn't the main point of this thread, but why do you think your bike is going to overheat? Isn't your Ninja liquid cooled?

I got stuck in a line going into an air show on a broiling day last May on my air cooled Bonneville. After a half hour, the bike was definitely hot.... but nothing actually happened, the bike was fine.

Yes it is but the problem for me is most of my traffic happens near the end of my run. So on a day where it's like 95+ degrees my engine is usually running a bit hot by the time I'm almost home.

Then to get stuck in traffic it gets dangerously close to that red-line.

The way my bike stays cool if it's stuck is it turns on a fan, but if the bike is already really hot that fan isn't going to put enough air through to do any good.

Granted it's not going to happen every time, but if my heat gauge is climbing I'd rather risk the ticket than risk damaging the bike.

Sounds like something is wrong with your cooling system. I have no problems with my 250 overheating at all. Might want to flush and replaced the coolant

[storysunfolding]

If the cars are side by side they can legally stay in their lane and sandwich you between them. There is no law that makes a motorist give a bike enough room to go between them. There is also no law that makes a motorist keep looking in his rear view to make sure a bike doesnt come up beside them. What is to stop a car from veering in his own lane? That certainly isnt illegal as long as they stay between the lines. If two cars do that the bike is toast and in my opinion at fault.....

Lane splitting isn't allowed at speed. It's hard to veer in a lane when going slow. Furthermore, why would two cars be doing that at once towards each other?

Still- at the speeds where lane splitting is allowed, that's easily avoidable on the bike.

[Bluebabe]

My husband and I were in California around the Sacramento area, and saw a bike go by us on our bike, right down the middle, in between cars and then we came up another mile or so and there he was, down off the side of the road screaming at some poor lady with a couple of little kids who obviously must have cut him off.

Won't ever do that......I think it's just too hard for cagers to see.