Until you try it, it doesn't really seem as if it would work, I'll agree. It would seem dangerous to drive 55mph with a speeding truck approaching you head on only a few feet away, but milions of people manage that just fine, even though it was probably scary when we first started driving. Once you get in the split on a bike, it's just about riding a motorcycle in a straight line, and the cars alongside are going relatively the same speed instead of closing at a combined rate of over 100mph as in the oncoming truck scenario.

One thing that may add to someeople's trepidation is the roads.I've ridden a few thousand miles in Oklahoma, and nearly all the roads in the countryside don't have shoulders. Why is that ? That probably heightens the sensation of how close the cars are alongside of you. And where do the cars that die on the road stop ? In thetraffic lanes, and not onthe side of the road ?

Now THAT seems really scary to me. How do you survive the danger ?

 

So you'd like to do away with lane splitting altogether because YOU think it's dangerous and gives motorcyclists a bad name. YOU seem to think (based on all your responses stating "riding a Harley make you more 'special' than anyone else") that only HD riders split lanes.

You do realize that it IS LEGAL in CA; that studies have proven that it is safer for a motorcyclist (on any type of bike) to lane split than to sit in bumper-to-bumper traffic; that while a motorcyclist chooses to ride in the heat, you also CHOOSE to drive your car with air conditioning. You could have just as easily taken the bus--why didn't you? Did YOU feel more "special" than everyone else? Do you even carpool, or are you in your car by yourself? If you're by yourself, or just your family, do you feel more "special" than everyone else?

Some states don't have helmet laws, do you think they should?

How about we solve the problem completely, throw the baby out with the bathwater, and just ban motorcycles entirely?

Gotta love people with hypocritical signatures.

Sic gorgiamus allos subjectatos nunc

 

I agree, until you try it, it doesn't really seem as if it would work.. It would seem dangerous to drive 55mph with a speeding truck approaching you head on only a few feet away, but milions of people manage that just fine, even though it was probably scary when we first started driving. Once you get in the split on a bike, it's just about riding a motorcycle in a straight line, and the cars alongside are going relatively the same speed instead of closing at a combined rate of over 100mph as in the oncoming truck scenario.

One thing that may add to some people's trepidation is the roads.I've ridden a few thousand miles in Oklahoma, and nearly all the roads in the countryside don't have shoulders. Why is that ? That probably heightens the sensation of how close the cars are alongside of you. And where do the cars that die on the road stop ? In thetraffic lanes, and not onthe side of the road ?

Now THAT seems really scary to me. How do you survive the danger ?

 

Bad apple in every bunch. Tell me that didn't come across as a power trip.


Edit: not your reply, but the officer who would have pulled someone over and kept writing tickets if they said anything

 

You're posts seem to be the most worked up out of everyone. I can almost hear your whining through the monitor.

 

Very few people do this and the most I've observed were on metrics.
Most bikes travel in their own lane when traffic is moving at speed.
Most of the lane splitting takes place when traffic is at a crawl or stand still.

 

I'm on the fence about lane splitting. Yes, it would be nice but, I think it's dangerous especially, due to some asshat cagers that get pissed off because someone got "in front of them" while they are still sitting in traffic. I can see the headline "huge accident because a car tried to prevent motorcycle from lane splitting".

 

You have a very narrow perception of everything said in this thread so far. I suggest you go back and read it again.

 

Go back a few pages and look at the pics that were posted and then ask yourself what would you do?