My commute home last night

[FJRless]

What was that round red glowy thing you rode past at about 1:44, Hans?

Good catch on the apparently unobserved red light. Fortunately, there was no cross traffic.

Very entertaining video clip. I'm not sure why you chose the less predictable and illegal manuever of riding on the right shoulder in many instances instead of just lane-splitting. There seemed to be plenty of room for it and you would have gotten through traffic quicker I think. That's where the cagers expect to find you and where they will typically provide additional margin for motorcyclists. Caltrans had motorcycles in mind when they designed those oversized CA lanes.

 

[BikerGeek99]

Day-um.

Makes me appreciate my 5-mile daily commute more and more...

 

[James Burleigh]

Thanks, all, for your comments. I’ve been enjoying reading them. I saw some comments that this looked risky or dangerous. From my perspective, this was not risky at all, particularly given the very low speeds, even on the freeway. After all, what was at stake? A few scratches (on bike or body) and a surprised driver here or there (but not likely in California)? My proximity to cars was in proportion to their speed—the slower they were, the closer I was.

I also saw some comments about how dreadful this is. I frankly enjoy it (sure, it can be a grind some times). It’s a challenge, and you get to get ahead when everyone else is stuck. I like the way Lee Parks describes commuting in LA in his book Total Control, under the chapter on attitude:

“When I moved to California in 1992, I remember being terrified of this ‘lane splitting.’ I thought of cars as enemies and had several close calls that left me feeling pretty scared. But in time I began to change my attitude toward the traffic, and I started thinking of it as more of a dodging game. Now I rarely have close calls,….”
And we all know games are fun. I can't remember the last time I had a "close call," namely an "Oh sh*t" slam-on-the-brakes or swerve moment. By now I have more than 60,000 miles of experince in these conditions, and I think I've learned to manage the variables pretty well (not perfectly--obviously I could have an accident tomorrow). It’s an adrenalin rush, and it’s very satisfying to apply riding and handling skills in that environment.

Within the parameters of safety, legality, and courtesy, I believe I am at the very low end of the range, where the high end is recklessness, lawlessness, and abnoxiousness.

Below are some specific responses to comments. Sorry it got so long, but it was fun!

Freakin nuts. I'd move, I don't care how much money can be made in the city... BTW - I thougt all them Berzerkians were greenies.. How come they aint' on a bus or something?

Um, Don, I work for the University of California. Which money is that you’re talkin’ about? :blink: Yeah, they’re all green till it comes to their comforts, just like the rest of us.

Cool video BTW. What did you use for a camera? I have shot video using a Canon Digital ELPH mounted on my handlebars, and it does a reasonably good job, but I am thinking about getting something a bit more weather proof. Advice?

Thank you. Here are some pics. It’s a Sony HandyCam, and it sure ain’t waterproof. But it’s a great little video camera.

At least the sun was shining! :lol:

Love that dry pavement. This wouldn’t have been too different in the dark and rain, since the speeds throughout are fairly low and the cars close together.

Heh, there were more than a couple of those cagers that didnt seem to happy you were scooting past. I saw a number of people look like they wanted to crowd you over. 'course I saw a number that gave up extra room as well.

I think mostly people are just not paying attention (to their lane position). Also, when they look at you through the right rear-view, they can drift in that direction. I appreciate when folks get over, but I don’t like when they get all the way over into the break-down lane. That’s an over-reaction and an indication they’re stupid. If they did that from a center lane, they could cause an accident, or take out a rider going up the opposite alley, which most of us are too smart to do with another rider.

Holy smokes Hans! Do you commute at the peak of traffic? I know people whine about SoCal traffic but I think NoCal is far worse. You don't have many alternate routes etc with all the hills and water areas.

On the road at 7AM and heading back between 5 and 5:30, yep. The alternatives are not preferable, to me.

It's a good thing you didn't have a proximity alarm running on your bike...it would have been going off constantly.

The closer the cars are, moving at moderate speeds, the more comfortable and relaxed I am. Cars that are boxed in like flies in amber are less likely to jump into my path, and more likely to actually look over their shoulder.

Slipping the clutch is one thing, but milling it is another. The speed difference across the plates is what's killing it. If you're revving that much to balance rear brake, then you're using too much rear brake, too.

I don’t claim to be a master gear shifter. Please explain correct procedure. But I’ll think about that rear brake thing. You might be onto something.

Passing those cars with their blinkers on makes me flinch- passing them in that small space- if they had just started to move into your lane as you passed that would lead to an ooopsie for sure!

From my vantage point and experience, they were blocked in and not going to move till traffic began to flow. Coming up behind with my brights may help a little too. But yes, they could nudge, and then I could get bumped. But what were the stakes? Not life and limb; rather, a scratch on the bike and car. The left turners that worry me are the ones not signaling.

 

[James Burleigh]

With respect to hooliganism, Mr B is on the mild side in comparison to many of the two wheeled commuters seen here. Certainly no angel though. I guess it's all down to risk versus benefit.

Howdy, SP. Always nice to hear from you. Yeah, there are some nutsoid motorcyclists out there, particularly now that it's spring, which means the "amateur" commuters are coming out. I am more afraid of them than cars, I kid you not.

Anyway, given that at most I typically see one other motorcyclist on my morning or evening commute, I’m guessing most riders have little experience with this kind of riding. I don’t think “hooliganism” applies in this context. In my view my approach to California, major-urban-area, rush-hour commuting is completely within the bounds of acceptable commute behavior by a motorcyclist. And I think the cages accept this, so long as they are not inconvenienced.

Bottom line: This is California , this is rush-hour commuting in a congested urban environment, my health and safety are at stake, so if I get in the game I am going to play hard, which in part means I am 100% engaged in what I'm doing.

With all due respect, sir, you are nuts.

This guy’s nuts: Nuts guy. Makes you realize Old Michael is right to say I ride like a pussy.

You sure extended the merge lanes, JB! I also noticed that you were close to the gutter a lot. Do you get many punctures?

I don’t particularly like going into the gutter to merge onto the freeway, particularly since it’s at an angle. And I haven’t yet been pushed up onto the adjoining concrete slope. I need to practice that when alone to see what happens. No, no punctures, yet. On the merge in the video from two lanes into a single lane, an aggressive car on my left shut the door on me, so I scooted up farther than I normally would to get back in control of the situation.

[SIZE=12pt]No $#!+.....[/SIZE]I winced and had many "pucker moments" watching this video. There were many decisions and actions that were beyond what I consider safe, polite or even semi-legal BUT....it's your commute, motorcycle and life.

If I’ve lost MadMike, I’ve lost the forum….

Uhm, I wonder what some of the instructors/riding school owners would say while doing a critique of this video. Why not send a copy to those on the following list and see what they say?
Walt Fulton, Jr. of Streetmasters once told me, "I can teach you riding technique, I can teach you perception, I can help you understand the dynamics of interacting with your motorcycle but I can't teach you patience. And that's what would most likely preserve your life."

See comments from my buddy at a later post below….

I cannot count how many times i have had a bike split 2 trucks. <_<

I got bumped over half a lane by a package truck turning from the middle lane into a driveway, hitting the rear of my bike (didn’t go down), and I had a saddlebag torn apart by a completely stopped semi that I was filtering past to the front of the light. I have read of at least two Bay Area riders killed filtering next to trucks. I NEVER do it! They are kryptonite.

The number 1 thought that crosses my mind is what if you got doored? Assuming thats unlikely , I cant help sensing thats about to happen.

During the very limited part of my escape from Berkeley where I toodle up the right, I go very slow, edge as far from the parked cars as I can, and am hyper-vigilant for people in the cars. I don’t like it, but I like less sitting in those long lines. Wouldn’t you feel the same way?

What was that round red glowy thing you rode past at about 1:44, Hans?

Here’s your answer. I don’t run red lights on a motorcycle (only in a car :lol: ).

I'm not sure why you chose the less predictable and illegal manuever of riding on the right shoulder in many instances instead of just lane-splitting. There seemed to be plenty of room for it and you would have gotten through traffic quicker I think. That's where the cagers expect to find you and where they will typically provide additional margin for motorcyclists. Caltrans had motorcycles in mind when they designed those oversized CA lanes.

Are you referring to getting onto the freeway? In no other instance was there any “lane-sharing” opportunity. On the left of the cars on a single lane is impossible, except to occasionally jump one car ahead when it’s over to the right. On the left is a DY. I do stay to the left of the white fog line whenever possible, though sometimes I have to nudge over.

 

[madmike2]

One of my biggest fears of driving a semi in California is that i will crush a lane splitting motorcycle.
I cannot count how many times i have had a bike split 2 trucks. <_<

I am not an advocate of lane splitting. I think it's dangerous.

I dunno, Adam. Maybe you should come and ride with some of us who are a bit more cautious in our application.I passed 2 CHP cars, about 3 miles separate from one another, while lane sharing on the ride home tonight....not even a second glance.

This isn't the venue for debating danger of the practice, and splitting to "big rigs" is just silly-dangerous. Still, given a choice and knowing the driving habits of the average cager (reading, shaving, eating, cell phone talking or radio station changing), I'll lane share with care.

 

[James Burleigh]

I have a motorcycle buddy whom I met when he was teaching an MSF course and I was shadowing it. He's a fellow Bay Area commuter, and he and I are talking about collaborating on writing articles about commuting by motorcycle. So naturally I shared with him the forum link to my vid, where he was able to watch it and see people’s responses. He wrote me an email back with some thoughts, which he said I was welcome to share with the forum. So here they are, but first, a little about his background:

• 25 years as police officer, 15 on a motor.
• 8 years with NHTSA as a motorcycle safety expert.
• 2,000+ hours of crash education / training, all types of vehicles.
• Court-recognized collision reconstruction expert in multiple states.
• Co-author with Pat Hahn of Maximum Control, Mastering Your Heavyweight Motorcycle.
• Research on human factors of motorcycle riders, publication of info pending, being submitted to professional journals.
• B. Sci Degree in Physics with minor in math (post grad work toward PhD in mathematical physics)

His comments:

OK… where to start…. So many important things…. I guess the most important… I had no problem with anything I saw you do in the video or how you did. I too pass on the right to get on the freeway at 8th and Bryant here in the city… I don’t like it and I did not like it when I saw you do it… but… I have no doubt that in those same conditions I would do the same thing you did and do it like you did. I think the reason I don’t like it is because you do set yourself up for flat tires… as somebody mentioned in the posts. I saw nothing wrong…

There were only a few comments I thought were kind of negative. From what I read from those few, I appreciate their right to an opinion, but I would question their overall experience… not experience… but overall experience. I think getting out there and lane sharing is huge gain in experience. I think it teaches you how to better read the traffic, and I think it forces you to have a higher visual horizon… you are looking for the guy that is going to cut you off. I have a lot more about all of this, but not the space to write it…. but, I think that riders who criticize or pass judgment on another rider without really being aware of the complete circumstances are a little narrow mind and have a narrow vision.

Here are two facts for you;

1. There are no traffic crash statistics anywhere in the good Old US that says lane sharing or lane splitting is unsafe…. Or put another way, more unsafe than sitting in traffic exposed to a rear end collision. I think we may have talked… it is my opinion as a crash expert that I would rather be in a same direction (lane change) contact than a rear end contact. Even a minor rear end contact can be devastating to a motorcycle rider.

That being said:

2. It is not how you were riding that was the safety issue… the safety issue is what is your relative speed while you were doing it. That is, how fast were you going with respect to all of the other traffic on the road.

These are the two primary issues of concern with respect to almost all things we do on a motorcycle. At your speed could something have happened to you….. of course….. However, based on what I saw your speed was such that you could have avoided most things that would/could have occurred. And going back to fact 1, if something would have happened it would have been a minor incident as compared to being rear ended.

There are some studies out there that look at speeding and in these studies the issue is relative speed.. how fast are you going compared to the rest of the traffic. Obviously the faster you go the greater the odds re of you being involved in a crash… there is a NHTSA study on this…but given my recent experiences with NHTSA I now have to look at the study again to re-assess its accuracy.

And…. I am an MSF rider coach… I know Walt Fulton personally, we generally speak about some motorcycle topic monthly, and I am a retired motorcycle cop and NHTSA motorcycle safety expert. I have seen the video and I have no problem with it… that it the reality of the situation…. From me you get a real answer; from others you can get a political answer…. Having been in that political aspect of the motorcycle community I can talk about that and I know how some of those mentioned about showing the video to will answer… I also know what they would say if they were not answering as part of their “title.”

OK… I don’t understand what the whole thing about your clutch and rear brake was… I heard the RPMs…. I do the same thing you do… I tend to keep the RPMs up because that gives me the opportunity to accelerate rather than lugging when I need to… I have no idea why somebody was talking about riding the brake and slipping the clutch… this is not the situation for that type of riding…. Having survived police motorcycle training and rode double digit years worth of police enforcement riding I feel OK about saying this…. And this all goes to what I said at the beginning, some riders just don’t have the same broad experience as others and they may not really understand what is going on.

OK…. All in all, I have no issues with what you did… and, if I were asked as an expert in court about your actions I would not say that your actions were unsafe given the conditions in the video.

All this being said, please feel free to post any part of this email, or all of it on your forum if you wish… you know I am always up for a good debate.

 

[cometman]

Wow, sort of reminded me of San Diego rush hour a little.

 

[wfooshee]

Hooliganism was my word, and it was sarcastic in the context of my post. I never intended for it to actually be taken as a label; I don't for a moment think JB's a hooligan. But in my neck of the woods, anybody that would try any of that would be labeled such. And they'll write you up faster than you can say "Crap!!!" for passing on the right. People making sudden right turns has splashed many a tourist on a rented scooter here in the Redneck Riviera.

As for the comment "I have no idea why somebody was talking about riding the brake and slipping the clutch… this is not the situation for that type of riding…." That second sentence was my point exactly. It sounded to me several times like you had way too many revs for the speed you were at, and it occurred to me that maybe you were dragging the rear. I drag the rear when slipping at really really slow speed, but I didn't see anything in your vid where I'd have been doing so. Personally I can't see running 4500 RPM in the friction zone while slow riding.

 

[exskibum]

I have a motorcycle buddy whom I met when he was teaching an MSF course and I was shadowing it. He's a fellow Bay Area commuter, and he and I are talking about collaborating on writing articles about commuting by motorcycle. So naturally I shared with him the forum link to my vid, where he was able to watch it and see people’s responses. He wrote me an email back with some thoughts, which he said I was welcome to share with the forum. So here they are, but first, a little about his background:

• 25 years as police officer, 15 on a motor.
• 8 years with NHTSA as a motorcycle safety expert.
• 2,000+ hours of crash education / training, all types of vehicles.
• Court-recognized collision reconstruction expert in multiple states.
• Co-author with Pat Hahn of Maximum Control, Mastering Your Heavyweight Motorcycle.
• Research on human factors of motorcycle riders, publication of info pending, being submitted to professional journals.
• B. Sci Degree in Physics with minor in math (post grad work toward PhD in mathematical physics)

His comments:

OK… where to start…. So many important things…. I guess the most important… I had no problem with anything I saw you do in the video or how you did. I too pass on the right to get on the freeway at 8th and Bryant here in the city… I don’t like it and I did not like it when I saw you do it… but… I have no doubt that in those same conditions I would do the same thing you did and do it like you did. I think the reason I don’t like it is because you do set yourself up for flat tires… as somebody mentioned in the posts. I saw nothing wrong…

There were only a few comments I thought were kind of negative. From what I read from those few, I appreciate their right to an opinion, but I would question their overall experience… not experience… but overall experience. I think getting out there and lane sharing is huge gain in experience. I think it teaches you how to better read the traffic, and I think it forces you to have a higher visual horizon… you are looking for the guy that is going to cut you off. I have a lot more about all of this, but not the space to write it…. but, I think that riders who criticize or pass judgment on another rider without really being aware of the complete circumstances are a little narrow mind and have a narrow vision.

Here are two facts for you;

1. There are no traffic crash statistics anywhere in the good Old US that says lane sharing or lane splitting is unsafe…. Or put another way, more unsafe than sitting in traffic exposed to a rear end collision. I think we may have talked… it is my opinion as a crash expert that I would rather be in a same direction (lane change) contact than a rear end contact. Even a minor rear end contact can be devastating to a motorcycle rider.

That being said:

2. It is not how you were riding that was the safety issue… the safety issue is what is your relative speed while you were doing it. That is, how fast were you going with respect to all of the other traffic on the road.

These are the two primary issues of concern with respect to almost all things we do on a motorcycle. At your speed could something have happened to you….. of course….. However, based on what I saw your speed was such that you could have avoided most things that would/could have occurred. And going back to fact 1, if something would have happened it would have been a minor incident as compared to being rear ended.

There are some studies out there that look at speeding and in these studies the issue is relative speed.. how fast are you going compared to the rest of the traffic. Obviously the faster you go the greater the odds re of you being involved in a crash… there is a NHTSA study on this…but given my recent experiences with NHTSA I now have to look at the study again to re-assess its accuracy.

And…. I am an MSF rider coach… I know Walt Fulton personally, we generally speak about some motorcycle topic monthly, and I am a retired motorcycle cop and NHTSA motorcycle safety expert. I have seen the video and I have no problem with it… that it the reality of the situation…. From me you get a real answer; from others you can get a political answer…. Having been in that political aspect of the motorcycle community I can talk about that and I know how some of those mentioned about showing the video to will answer… I also know what they would say if they were not answering as part of their “title.”

OK… I don’t understand what the whole thing about your clutch and rear brake was… I heard the RPMs…. I do the same thing you do… I tend to keep the RPMs up because that gives me the opportunity to accelerate rather than lugging when I need to… I have no idea why somebody was talking about riding the brake and slipping the clutch… this is not the situation for that type of riding…. Having survived police motorcycle training and rode double digit years worth of police enforcement riding I feel OK about saying this…. And this all goes to what I said at the beginning, some riders just don’t have the same broad experience as others and they may not really understand what is going on.

OK…. All in all, I have no issues with what you did… and, if I were asked as an expert in court about your actions I would not say that your actions were unsafe given the conditions in the video.

All this being said, please feel free to post any part of this email, or all of it on your forum if you wish… you know I am always up for a good debate.

Kinda verbose, isn't he? I mean, couldn't he have just said: "they should all have worshiped your mad skillz, Hans"? :lol:

I was intrigued by his comments about your forum critics lacking overall experience and what lane sharing teaches those who are more studly experienced at it.

That reminded me of a friend (a respected extreme skier in our time) with whom I used to go ski mountaineering. Every time we started up from the cars, he'd say: "Remember -- the object is to get back to the cars. If that means you have to descend something instead of rip it to do that, then do the descent." Could he or we rip back country chutes? Yep. Were there circumstances in which the decision to do so might not be the most prudent? Same answer.

You asked what was risked and then answered it, somewhat minimizing the full extent of the risks (IMO). No one asked what was to be gained. Hitting the couch a few minutes sooner? The risk/reward situation isn't quite the same as imposing on all your buddies to hump your broken body and gear out of the backcountry on an improvised toboggan, but still -- I'm not a stranger to lane sharing, but I'd have made a number of different decisions that would have had you winning the race to the couch by a few minutes.

Guessing I'll never be an overall experienced rider (and probably don't really want to be).

And BTW, just to be clear: I don't see this as a referendum on lane sharing.

 

[2wheeldrift]

I like how you did the whole video in slo-mo to make it easier for us to watch.

You were wincing in slo-mo, too? hno-smiley02:

Absolutely!!!! :ermm:

 

[beemerdons]

Totally legal in the whole world, with the exception of 49 US States. Cameras can't catch the whole story and having met JB, there was still some reserve he could draw from if needed.

Outstanding video James Burleigh, immensely fun to watch; Thank you! I moved to Arizona from California 20 years ago and miss lane sharing a lot. Excellent comment by Checkswrecks: Truly is legal in the entire world; nowhere else (that I know of!?), except for 49 of the United States, is lane sharing on a motorcycle illegal. Why our country can't accept M/C lane sharing is beyond this old coot!

 

[Fred W]

Yeah, skibum kind of nailed the feeling for me. What are you gaining here? A few extra minutes on the sofa?

But I guess if riding in that kind of city (******?) traffic trips your trigger, if you feel this is "recreational", then have a ball.

However, the whole point of posting up a video of one's self commuting through traffic, while using illegal maneuvers (it is illegal to split to the right of the right lane of traffic) was obviously to solicit the kind of responses that you got. You got em.

 

[user 213]

Rationalization -

the cognitive process of making something seem consistent with or based on reason

(psychiatry) a defense mechanism by which your true motivation is concealed by explaining your actions and feelings in a way that is not threatening

Adrenaline junkie -

Some one who seek out and craves thrilling adventures and/or activities to get an adrenaline rush.

(See James Burleigh, FJR Forum)

Watch your self JB. Your buddy had the advantage of a marked police bike. You don't.

I'm no stranger to lane sharing. You're making poor decisions just to get your 'edge' on. And dude! Enough with the poseur 6k crap. The Feej has plenty of low end torque at 3k, if you think that extra rpms gives you an edge in reaction time, take a hard look at what you're doing.

Or hey, Man up and live closer to where you work. Don't have the balls to do that, do you?

 

[Crash Cash]

Makes me appreciate my 5-mile daily commute more and more...

Yeah, I wouldn't be caught dead in California for lots of reasons, but the necessity of having to do this, puts the icing on the cake.

(I don't find anything wrong with lanesplitting/lanesharing, it's just an indication there's too many people and you need to move somewhere else)

 

[Checkswrecks]

Totally legal in the whole world, with the exception of 49 US States. Cameras can't catch the whole story and having met JB, there was still some reserve he could draw from if needed.

Outstanding video James Burleigh, immensely fun to watch; Thank you! I moved to Arizona from California 20 years ago and miss lane sharing a lot. Excellent comment by Checkswrecks: Truly is legal in the entire world; nowhere else (that I know of!?), except for 49 of the United States, is lane sharing on a motorcycle illegal. Why our country can't accept M/C lane sharing is beyond this old coot!

Thanks Don, but dang, I forgot Canananada.

<_<

Re-reading this thread, I think that for the miles Hans has on his bike and how much more he is using the clutch in the denser NorCal commuting (more than threading in the LA basin), losing the clutch at this point doesn't surprise me.

As for you woosies who are afraid to thread traffic in Kali, try it in Bangkok or Bangalore.

Taxi rides can speed up your aging process by a LOT.

 

[Silver Penguin]

Where's Fairlaner? If you think JB is crazy, just you watch a clip of Richard hurtling through traffic. He has the skills learned as a motorcycle courier, and demonstrates them. If you can sit on the edge of your seat long enough to watch to the end, his videos are thrilling.

I was glad of the legal opportunity to share lanes yesterday afternoon. My commute time is chosen, to minimize interaction with heavy traffic but circumstances conspired against me yesterday. The NB freeway was locked up completely by police action, in the apprehension of a bank robber after a pursuit. Watching such entertainment was too much for the SB drivers so they slowed to a halt, with some of them running into each other. Gridlock for miles on both sides at 2pm!

On the bike, I was able to hop on over to the HOV lane, which was temporarily moving and then slowed to a crawl. When the speed was consistently <10mph I slid in between the HOV and the next lane and rode at about 20-25mph. Some drivers moved to the left to let me pass. Some moved to the right, either to block, or as JB said, because they steer inadvertently when looking behind. At one point, I tucked in to the left to allow a more aggressive lane sharing bike to pass.

It served my purpose to get out of an ugly traffic situation much more quickly than I would have otherwise done. A friend in her car was stuck in the same traffic for two hours.

 

[johnny80s]

I commute two hours to work through SoCal traffic when I go into the office. I think what JB did was pretty tame and that is why I teased him about being slow. His speed compared with the traffic speed was very acceptable. Don't understand why this is so controversial but WTF it was an entertaining post.

I love riding in San Francisco. Can't wait to get back up there.

 

[beemerdons]

To echo La Pinguina Plata-Ms. JillyBeans, where's Fairlaner? JB rides like a sainted choir boy compared to Richard. When I see 'R' splitting lanes, I swear I hear the old hymn: "Nearer My God To Thee"!

 

[exskibum]

A last couple observations and I'm done. I'll agree with JB's expert that speed differential between the cars and the bike is a critical issue. Not so much because of your reaction time if a cager does something really stupid (because in most of those circumstances, you don't have any time to react), but to give that cager a chance to see you AND for the rider's process of anticipating cager moves.

I believe that the speed of a car, by itself, is also a critical element in that process. If a car is stopped and stacked up in traffic, it's more difficult for him/her to suddenly change lanes. The cager has to look, and carefully begin a move to the side so that he/she doesn't hit the car in front (not just to avoid a car to the side), while accelerating from the stop. Up to a point in congested conditions, the faster that car is traveling, the quicker the driver can suddenly dart to the adjoining lane.

The same critical process issue is the reason I wince at the right side white line encroachments -- it's about anticipating cager moves. Cagers almost all think, even subconsciously, that they are clear over there -- like it's a bail out or safe zone in congested traffic. They're less likely to even look before darting right. Even if you're not coming out of a cager's blind spot while he/she thinks he's making an unobstructed move to a safe zone, you still might be unlucky -- he didn't think he had to look there. And the deposition process would certainly be interesting, especially if he testifies that he moved to the right to give you room when he saw you coming up between the lanes to the left, looked forward again and moved to the right, only to drop a lane changing rider whose mind he couldn't read while he glanced forward and back in traffic (like a responsible driver with plenty to juggle). As his attorney, I'd sure like to have a copy of a video like that leading to a collision -- surely you don't think that even ten experts' opinions will override the jury's likely impression that what they saw on it was unsafe and the proximate cause of the accident? (If you do, then I have a jury instruction for you about what kinds of issues a jury may rely upon experts for, and those for which they may rely upon their own lay sensibilities and experience.)

Lastly, when you talk about risk of scrapes and minor damage to the bike as the only consequence, it strikes me as being a bit selfish. That may be a minimal inconvenience to you, but if it's my car you hit because of that cavalier attitude, I'd be pissed -- I don't really NEED one more thing to have to attend to, get fixed, deal with. Cagers are not all of an alien species of terrorists that deserve to be smitten, you know. So how's that Golden Rule thing go, again?

I have seen FAR worse lane splitting. Nothing like coming east on the 580 over Altamont Pass with packed rush hour traffic surging from a dead stop to 20 mph and back; the cager's only chance to change lanes to get off is often when it's moving. And here comes a lane splitter doing 35 down the middle to traffic's erratic 10-20. I look for bikes in that situation, but even I may not have seen him from 5 cars back when I last glanced to check out the opening in the lane a few feet on the other side of his trajectory. Does he appear to have the skills to ride in that slot? Yep. Does he have any control over that single mom two cars up, on the phone with the daycare center to which she's late when she realizes she needs gas and decides to get over NOW? I don't think so.

I'm glad you adrenalin splitters are still intact. Good luck, best mojo to you, and enjoy the high.

 

[puppychow]

Wow! That was quite the video, reminded me of watching one of Fairlaner's lane splitting videos, which almost gave me a heart attack. Call me a lane splitting wimp, which I am, I admit I just don't have the skills or the mettle to split lanes in or the patience to deal with crazy California rush hour traffic, it is also why I live 2 miles away from work.

I have never tried lane splitting on an FJR, I have lane split quite a bit on my SV heading west on Hwy 50 coming into Placerville when it turns into a parking lot on the weekends. However, if the traffic is moving I move with the traffic, if traffic is packed and crawling or stopped - I lane split slowly, but that is what I am comfortable with.

On another note, I did watch and follow JB lane split returning from a Napa weekend ride. I have seen a lot of hooligan lane splitters and I wouldn't follow them, but JB wasn't one and he was being careful, so I did. I also think the camera narrows the field of vision and might give an illusion of compact margins when it may not be the case. We need someone with a camera to ride behind JB and film him lane split