Why lane splitting is good for traffic.

[ZachD]

Originally Posted by rmzalbar

.....If we didn't have lanesplitting in CA, I think the road would be littered with rear-ended, overheated bike wrecks. And even more cars than we have now.

Yup!

[ZachD]

I thought about starting another thread for sharing lane splitting videos in CA, but this thread has been so great I figure let's just continue with a good thing!

Here is a new video (of an anonymous rider on a Gen1 FZ1) doing some tests of GoPro mounting locations, while filtering (or lane splitting, sharing or whatever you wanna call it) thru commuter traffic on the 405 in SoCal. I think it's entertaining & I hope all fellow board members do too..

PS: Despite how things appear, nothing illegal happened - editing was done, to make things appear to be possibly illegal or dangerous - consider it a "safety filtering video"..


Enjoy

[eflyguy]

Looks like that HOV lane divider is a good place to ride..
..a

[ZachD]

Originally Posted by eflyguy

Looks like that HOV lane divider is a good place to ride..
..a

as far as I'm concerned, it's the unofficial "motorcycle lane"

Oh, I forgot to mention in a previous post that Efly is one of the awesomest members here - thanks again for the good deal on the GoPro! (I'm clearly enjoying it) & Today I'm gonna take it to the US Open of surfing & film some "beach goers"

Cheers everyone!

[ZachD]

Here is some rear-view footage of lane splitting on the 405 north, during rush hour, enjoy

[gixxerjasen]

Ok, I thought that looked terrifying from the front, that's even worse looking back!

Just a question of curiosity...not picking or anything, I really want to know, and having never ridden in California I have no clue about these things. Is it legal to ride and criss cross the double yellow for the HOV/Carpool lane like that for motorcycles?

We run double whites here and it's illegal to do so here. I wish they'd enforce it more, you can't do it while running at speed for the plastic picket fences but folks like to dive into our HOV lane when the traffic in the main lanes comes to a standstill. Many times they don't look before jumping in front of a vehicle doing 60mph in the HOV. I've seen a dozen near misses and at least one accident from this. I know I'm invisible so I like to run behind a "Blocker" vehicle that is easier to see. If I find myself in a situation where I'm all by myself running past a group of stopped vehicles in the main lanes, man, my butt is clenched and I'm flashing brights the entire way hoping someone that's about to break the law sees me.

But anyway, that's me running off on a tangent. I just noticed you jump from the HOV to not the HOV and that they run double yellows there and then you were riding down the double yellows and wondered if those were treated differently. If not, I don't care, just was curious.

[xtremewlr]

Originally Posted by gixxerjasen

Ok, I thought that looked terrifying from the front, that's even worse looking back!

Just a question of curiosity...not picking or anything, I really want to know, and having never ridden in California I have no clue about these things. Is it legal to ride and criss cross the double yellow for the HOV/Carpool lane like that for motorcycles?

We run double whites here and it's illegal to do so here. I wish they'd enforce it more, you can't do it while running at speed for the plastic picket fences but folks like to dive into our HOV lane when the traffic in the main lanes comes to a standstill. Many times they don't look before jumping in front of a vehicle doing 60mph in the HOV. I've seen a dozen near misses and at least one accident from this. I know I'm invisible so I like to run behind a "Blocker" vehicle that is easier to see. If I find myself in a situation where I'm all by myself running past a group of stopped vehicles in the main lanes, man, my butt is clenched and I'm flashing brights the entire way hoping someone that's about to break the law sees me.

But anyway, that's me running off on a tangent. I just noticed you jump from the HOV to not the HOV and that they run double yellows there and then you were riding down the double yellows and wondered if those were treated differently. If not, I don't care, just was curious.

Technically, crossing the double yellow is illegal here. On same way traffic like the freeway, it's not as big of a deal and cars will do it all the time. The potential for the situation you described is there for sure. When traffic is backed up nuts to butts, then I'd be doing the same as Zach and using the double yellow as my personal lane.

[gixxerjasen]

Good to know, didn't know if it differed since it's not separating traffic going opposite directions.

[xtremewlr]

Originally Posted by gixxerjasen

Good to know, didn't know if it differed since it's not separating traffic going opposite directions.

Double yellow when traffic is running both ways is obviously a huge no-no and you would get a ticket for that if caught. Don't know of anyone that has gotten one when doing it on the freeway tho.

[phydeaux]

Originally Posted by xtremewlr

Double yellow when traffic is running both ways is obviously a huge no-no and you would get a ticket for that if caught. Don't know of anyone that has gotten one when doing it on the freeway tho.

They missed us passing 100+ cars at once riding up the 1 while at MotoGP last year. Ask Price. Was pretty epic.

[xtremewlr]

Originally Posted by phydeaux

They missed us passing 100+ cars at once riding up the 1 while at MotoGP last year. Ask Price. Was pretty epic.

[phydeaux]

I just noticed I didn't explain that well. The cars going our direction were all stopped due to construction. We were just making our way to the front "so our bikes didn't overheat".

[rmzalbar]

Originally Posted by xtremewlr

Technically, crossing the double yellow is illegal here. On same way traffic like the freeway, it's not as big of a deal and cars will do it all the time. The potential for the situation you described is there for sure. When traffic is backed up nuts to butts, then I'd be doing the same as Zach and using the double yellow as my personal lane.

I never jump in or out of the HOV across the double yellow (don't want to encourage the cages) but I will ride it to stay out of the accordion death traps and pass HOV blockers.

[ZachD]

Originally Posted by phydeaux

I just noticed I didn't explain that well. The cars going our direction were all stopped due to construction. We were just making our way to the front "so our bikes didn't overheat".

Perfectly acceptable & it should be legal

Originally Posted by rmzalbar

.........don't want to encourage the cages...........

Cage drivers don't need encouragement, they do plenty of dumb/dangerous stuff all on their own - usually involving a cell phone.

Happy Fast Friday everyone!