California Motorcyclists: Do you lane-split?

In My Humble Opinion
1

So I moved to CA about a year and a half now – the only state where lane-splitting is legal – and have been riding a motorcycle here for about half that time (I had ridden previously in WA, my homeland). However, I can’t bring myself to split-lanes; it just seems too inherently dangerous, and at odds with everything I learned while riding in WA, that I’m not sure I could ever do it. I mean, all it would take is one moron swerving between lanes or opening a door to really mess you up.

Also, I ride a cruiser, which is a good bit wider than most sport bikes, and I’m also not entirely confident in my handling abilities at slow speeds to stay on that white line. Now I’ve read reports that rear-end collisions are 30% for those lane-splitting, but be that as it may, I’m still skeptical of the overall safety when compared to normal riding. As an example, my roommate rides a sport bike and loves to lane split – now granted, he also likes to go faster than I do – but it seems he’s had a lot more “close calls” than I have.

So tell me fellow motorcycles, do you lane-split? Have you had any close calls? And what type of bike do you ride?

2

Lame-split? :stuck_out_tongue:

Apparently we’ve changed places, as I’m now in Washington. But I have about 100,000 miles on motorcycles on L.A. freeways; and yes, I split lanes. Why wait in traffic, especially on a hot day, when you don’t have to? It’s safer than sitting and waiting for someone to run into you from behind, reduces traffic (since you’re not taking up an essentially car-sized space), saves time, and saves gas.

As you probably know, by current ride is an R1 sportbike. Before that was a standard-class Seca II (which I still have). Before that was a Honda CX500, sort of Honda’s version of a downsized Moto Guzzi. That one was a small tourer. I haven’t ridden cruisers.

There’s a surprising amount of room between cars. Plus many people will move over to let you pass. (Be sure to wave ‘Thank you’!) It’s nerve-wracking when you’re first learning how to do it, but having done it for years I now find it nerve-wracking that I’m not allowed to do it.

You’ll need to learn how to handle your bike at slow speeds. There are squids who will zip through at ‘unreasonable and imprudent’ speeds. You don’t have to. But do move over for riders who are splitting lanes behind you. And if you’re splitting lanes pass the cars. It’s really frustrating for riders behind you if you’re riding right next to a car and they can’t get by. Not to mention that you’re probably making at least two cagers nervous. Beware of double-yellow lines. Most CHP aren’t going to bother you if you cross them, but some might. Similarly, don’t ride between two sets of double-yellows. It may be safer, but CHP might nab you.

The big thing is that you have to be a confident and able rider. Know your ride. Know how close your mirrors will come to those on cars and trucks. Don’t look a quarter mile ahead. The people who will kill you, or who you will sideswipe are within a few car lengths of you. Pay attention. Use sunscreen.

Lane splitting isn’t particularly dangerous if you pay attention and are an able rider, but it is particularly useful.

3
  • Mr. LA covered most of it, really.

Lane-splitting is definitely something that takes practice - mostly in the reading of car body language - and a whole lot of situational awareness. If I’m not feeling 100% on for some reason, I don’t lane split. And if it doesn’t feel right, it’s not.

So far (knock on wood) I’ve had very few close calls when splitting lanes - my only accident was being hit, from behind, when idling at a red light. That’s 5 years and 50K+ miles of LA riding. I ride a Honda VFR 800 (sportstourer), with a headlight modulator to help out with visibility.

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Fixed title.

Fought back urge to make lame joke.

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5

Lane splitting isn’t explicitly illegal in New Mexico, although it isn’t explicitly legal, either. I do it, but just at stop lights.

6

Not being a motorcyclist, can I ask a dumb question?

The lane-splitting I notice when I drive is motorcycles jumping to the front of a queue of cars at a stop light by maneuvering along the edges of the lanes marked on the pavement, between all the cars, until they reach the front of the line of cars, and are better positioned to take the lead once the light turns green.

Is there some other activity that counts as lane-splitting? I’d assume two bikes riding together, side-by-side, in a single lane counts, but I haven’t heard “lane-splitting” applied to this behavior, only the one I described above.

7

Lane splitting is the riding of a motorcycle between two lanes of vehicles. In California it is not permitted to ride on either shoulder. I’ve heard motorcycles riding abreast in a lane called ‘lane sharing’. Most motorcyclists prefer to stagger their rides.

8

[QUOTE=Santo Rugger]
Lane splitting isn’t explicitly illegal in New Mexico, although it isn’t explicitly legal, either. I do it, but just at stop lights.
[/QUOTE]

Which begs the question, is this legal in California? At stop lights, I mean.

If so, I still think it’d be too dangerous for me to do. I mean, if you’re the first out of the gate, you stand the chance of being nailed by some ass running through a red. I remember one time I was at an intersection behind a car, and he almost got taken out by some jerk who ran his red – that could have been me, and I have no doubts I’d be dead had it been. Since that day, I’ve been diligent at every intersection and check every direction before crossing.

9

[QUOTE=Red Barchetta]
Which begs the question, is this legal in California?
[/QUOTE]

I think it might be more correct to say that it’s ‘not illegal’. The CHP website says it’s ‘permissible’. Legal… sorry, not illegal… at stop lights? AFAIK the rules of the road are the rules of the road. But I’ve never specifically heard one way or the other.

Being ‘first out of the gate’ does carry the risk of someone running the light on the crossing street. But in my experience car drivers are not usually quick on the draw. You should be watching for crossing traffic before the light changes, and be ready to make a move before the cars beside you do. You have to be observant. Nevertheless things happen.

I feel it’s safer to stay as far away from cars as possible. (And counter-intuitively, I see lane-splitting as a means of doing this.) How many times have you had someone ahead of you put on their brakes suddenly for no apparent reason? I like to get away from the pack at intersections.

10

There are no asshats in California that will deliberately cut you off? No out of state types that have never seen it, are panicked by the LA mess in general and jerk away and cause a major wreck which you blithely ride on as you were not involved except frt being the cause?

California sport riders never split lanes at speed or deliberately blip the throttle as they pass to see the old folks panic and slam brakes?

Never had a cup of old coffee tossed on you as you go by getting ahead of all the pissed motorist stuck in the traffic jam and you are getting to go on?

This ideal California where the cage drivers all respect bikes and their riders and are okay with lane splitting, have no road rage directed at bikes and what not, where is this place? My experience is sure not the same as yours.

Besides, all smart sport riders are on new water cooled bikes so why do they need to keep moving anymore? Over heating is no longer a problem. I would think they would turn their nose up at anyone riding an air cooled bike now in California unless they are a star on an Orange county bling chopper in the love ride…

YMMV and obviously does.

11

[QUOTE=GusNSpot]
There are no asshats in California that will deliberately cut you off?
[/quote]

Some, but not many. Now that I’ve been driving out of state, I can say that California drivers are more courteous than up here.

[QUOTE=GusNSpot]
No out of state types that have never seen it, are panicked by the LA mess in general and jerk away and cause a major wreck which you blithely ride on as you were not involved except frt being the cause?
[/quote]

Never heard of it. But One guy with Colorado plates argues with me (I had time, so I waited for him) that it’s illegal. Said I was ‘straddling’. I didn’t point out that it’s hard to straddle on a single-track vehicle. But I did tell him lane-splitting is not illegal in California.

[QUOTE=GusNSpot]
California sport riders never split lanes at speed or deliberately blip the throttle as they pass to see the old folks panic and slam brakes?
[/quote]

No, those are the Harley drivers. :smiley: Seriously, most motorcyclists are more concerned with riding, rather than pissing people off.

[QUOTE=GusNSpot]
Never had a cup of old coffee tossed on you as you go by getting ahead of all the pissed motorist stuck in the traffic jam and you are getting to go on?
[/quote]

Nope. And anyway, it’s their choice to drive rather than ride. Our getting through has no effect on their being stuck.

[QUOTE=GusNSpot]
This ideal California where the cage drivers all respect bikes and their riders and are okay with lane splitting, have no road rage directed at bikes and what not, where is this place? My experience is sure not the same as yours.
[/quote]

As I said, I have over 100,000 miles on motorcycles in L.A. traffic I’ve only had one experience with a road-raged driver.

[QUOTE=GusNSpot]
Besides, all smart sport riders are on new water cooled bikes so why do they need to keep moving anymore? Over heating is no longer a problem. I would think they would turn their nose up at anyone riding an air cooled bike now in California unless they are a star on an Orange county bling chopper in the love ride…
[/QUOTE]

Not everyone rides a sportbike. My XJ600 is air-cooled. There are still lots of people riding air-cooled bikes. And motorcycles don’t have air conditioning. Gotta keep the rider cool too.

12

[QUOTE=Johnny L.A.]

Not everyone rides a sportbike. My XJ600 is air-cooled. There are still lots of people riding air-cooled bikes. And motorcycles don’t have air conditioning. Gotta keep the rider cool too.
[/QUOTE]

Yup, the bike might keep cool, but sitting still on a warm summer day in full leathers, is anything but pleasant.

13

I learned to lane split in London of all places. I had close to 100k riding at the time, but had only been to California once and didn’t have a chance to try and lane split. Went to Europe and borrowed a bike in London. Got to a traffic jam, saw another bike go by and joined him. This was on a Kawasaki Concours, a large, wide bike with saddlebags. Never had a problem. I was told that if your mirrors will fit then the rest of the bike will fit as well.

When I got back to the states I wrote to a local newspaper that has a driving column. They said it was illegal for a motorcyclist to do that. However, a few months later they said that cars can go around one another at a stop light, which I hate, and that on a road that’s wide enough two cars can pass going the same direction even though it’s only one lane. Never did figure out why one can do that, but a bike can’t.

I got so used to splitting in Europe that I still see how wide the extra lane is around here. There are times that I really, really want to just go for it. I also find it safer as I’ve been hit from behind and the woman even said to me, I didn’t hit you that hard. :eek:

14

[QUOTE=GusNSpot]
There are no asshats in California that will deliberately cut you off? No out of state types that have never seen it, are panicked by the LA mess in general and jerk away and cause a major wreck which you blithely ride on as you were not involved except frt being the cause?

California sport riders never split lanes at speed or deliberately blip the throttle as they pass to see the old folks panic and slam brakes?

Never had a cup of old coffee tossed on you as you go by getting ahead of all the pissed motorist stuck in the traffic jam and you are getting to go on?

This ideal California where the cage drivers all respect bikes and their riders and are okay with lane splitting, have no road rage directed at bikes and what not, where is this place? My experience is sure not the same as yours.

Besides, all smart sport riders are on new water cooled bikes so why do they need to keep moving anymore? Over heating is no longer a problem. I would think they would turn their nose up at anyone riding an air cooled bike now in California unless they are a star on an Orange county bling chopper in the love ride…

YMMV and obviously does.
[/QUOTE]

Where did you read any of that?

Oh, and I forgot to mention, my bike is a ZZR 1200, and is considered a “sport tourer”.

15

[QUOTE=Red Barchetta]
Which begs the question
[/QUOTE]

No, it doesn’t.

16

IANA cyclist, but I’m surprised that lane splitting is legal anywhere. It just seems so dangerous. Usually when I witness it the rider is going pretty fast. The car drivers I see on a daily basis aren’t exactly the most adept group in the world and I very often see people drifting close to, or over the line into the other lane for a second or two until they correct. Between that and cell phones, and all the other things that distract drivers it seems like playing Russian Roulette to me.

17

Back when I was borrowing a bike that I could actually take on the freeway, I experimented a bit with lane-splitting. I wasn’t super comfortable with it, but I used it when traffic came to a stand-still. I was always very conscious of riders going a lot faster than me, and I’d duck back over in between cars whenever I saw another cyclist coming up on me. I almost always got an appreciative wave in return.

As has been pointed out, a lot of motorists will definitely make room for you. I rule-of-thumb I’ve read somewhere is that you really should only be going up to 10mph faster than car traffic around you. I’m not one of the guys who’d go zooming by you before you ever knew I was there – just seems dangerous to me and to the cars around me.

As for pulling between cars at stoplights, I’ve only bothered once. I got caught on a major street that had heavy construction and pushed traffic down to one lane. I was about a half-mile from the light and could see that only a few cars were getting through on each cycle of the signal. My bike is air-cooled, I was hot, and there was no way I was going to sit there for 15 minutes to get through that intersection (I believe I was at Azusa and Amar, for anyone familiar with the area). But generally speaking, I don’t have any strong motivation to get to the front of the pack at stop lights.

18

I do sometimes, but I look closely at the risk/benifit ratio. In most cases, I try not to ride like I’m in a big hurry, but if I see a big pack of cars stopped at a light and I see a roomy path between lanes, I might scoot up to the front. I rarely lane split moving traffic, unless it is stop and go. Then I do it, not because I want to go faster than traffic, but because it is easier to keep moving at 5-10 miles an hour than to keep stopping and starting the bike.

It also depends what I am riding. I have a Harley (cruiser), a Buell (sportbike) and a Yamaha 125 scooter (scooter). The scooter is very easy to split lanes with, but its tiny and I try not to do anything on it that someone might not expect.

The fact that we can use the carpool lanes also reduces the need to lane split.

19

As a California driver, not a cyclists, I can say that I never get mad at lane splitters, and I have never met anyone who has.

20

[QUOTE=Southern Yankee]
It just seems so dangerous. Usually when I witness it the rider is going pretty fast.
[/QUOTE]

It does seem dangerous, but once you get the hang of it it’s really not that hard. Here’s the general rules I know of:
Don’t go more then 10-15mph faster then the rest of traffic.
Don’t do it if traffic is moving 30mph or more.
Don’t do it if traffic is moving steadily.
Don’t be a jerk and weave in and out of traffic and between lanes.

This is in some ways safer because:
You can’t get rear ended and squished between two cars.
You’re moving slightly faster then the rest of traffic so even if someone starts to move over you’re past them.

Even though I have little use for it here in Maryland I do wish they would allow it. There are times that it would be nice to be able to move to the front of the line when there’s way too many people around.

Johnny, there’s an organization up your way wanting to get lane sharing legal.