Dashcam Video of Commute: Splitting & Scraping (Pegs)

Yamaha FJR Motorcycle Forum

Help Support Yamaha FJR Motorcycle Forum:

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, and others.
I like the upside-down date (saw explanation in the other thread). To be honest, if that was what I had to do to get to work, I wouldn't bother with the motorcycle. Far too much opportunity to get squished!

 
It interesting that many cars seen to move over to one side of their lane and allow bikes to split lanes. Some of those big truck mirrors can ruin your day though if you are not careful!

 
Thanks for sharing that - I enjoyed watching it and am intrigued by the entire issue. The Go-pro depth of field is surely skewing things, but man - on the computer things look "tight". I kept waiting to hear a saddle bag get re-textured.

On a wet road, does riding on the paint stripe hinder your confidence? What about the reflector bumps - do you have to play motorcycle hop scotch on those?

The more I look at it, the more I'm convinced that overall - the rider is safer in the split than in the lane with the cages.

 
Last edited by a moderator:
Nice suit,
wink.png


JB, There is no way I could do that on a daily basis. It must be so nice when you get out into open spaces.

Dave

 
^^^^I think JB only commutes...I haven't seen any group ride reports from him with "thought bubbles" since MM2 organized a ride.

In fact I went out there specifically to see JB and he was a no show at Paso Robles, Santa Clara, Bodega Bay, Fortuna, etc. Never saw him.

So I think JB just commutes and likes the thrill of dodging bumpers...

 
Last edited by a moderator:
I only lived in one place for a year where I had to commute in traffic. That was the year I lived in Toronto while attending their Command and Staff College. I came to feel that having to commute twice a day in heavy traffic was so aggravating and could make me so angry that it carried over into other parts of my life. Heavy traffic sucks and i would do all I can to live in a place where it is rare or non-existent.

 
The more I look at it, the more I'm convinced that overall - the rider is safer in the split than in the lane with the cages.
Agreed - I've been to CA and once you get used to doing it, lane splitting and filtering to the front at lights is the SHIT! I got so used to doing it - once I left Kali, I had to keep reminding myself to stay in my lane... that was a bummer.

 
Cool video, I just got back from California and while I knew it was legal, I just am not comfortable doing it. No experience, so I chose not too, and got some weird looks from some of the drivers- which I really didn't think about until now. I bet they were thinking wtf is that moron doing... then they saw the Utah plate...
rolleyes.gif
... tourist.

 
Unfortunately, lane splitting isn't legal here in the VA/DC/MD area. In fact, you'd be arrested and charged with reckless driving. The fortunate part about being unfortunate is you don't have to worry about the cagers getting pi$$ed because you are moving and they are not and taking it upon themselves to run you down like ground squirrel! They have the potential to even adopt a "mob mentality" and work together (even though cagers rage against other cagers).

I commute 150 miles RT and wouldn't take the chance on splitting even if it were legal. I've seen too many road rage episodes play out to want to add additional peril to my rides.
no.gif
Around here, there's really only 1 way to go north/south (from NY to FL) and that's in I-95. Traffic sucks pretty much 24/7 there's less of it at 3:30 a.m. on my ride in but it's still a crap shoot!

 
It interesting that many cars seen to move over to one side of their lane and allow bikes to split lanes. Some of those big truck mirrors can ruin your day though if you are not careful!
It's true: A LOT of vehicles pull over to let bikes by. I waved a "thank you!" to the white truck at 1:00. I think a lot of pickup truck drivers dig motorcycles. I believe vehicles pull over for one of two reasons: 1) They know it's legal and want the motorcyclist to be safe and for everyone to have a nice day, or 2) They don't want the crazy @#$*% motorcyclist to scratch their paint!

Thanks for sharing that - I enjoyed watching it and am intrigued by the entire issue. The Go-pro depth of field is surely skewing things, but man - on the computer things look "tight". I kept waiting to hear a saddle bag get re-textured.
On a wet road, does riding on the paint stripe hinder your confidence? What about the reflector bumps - do you have to play motorcycle hop scotch on those?

The more I look at it, the more I'm convinced that overall - the rider is safer in the split than in the lane with the cages.
Yeah, I did some fancy body English with my hiney with the red car at :23 and thought I might feel a bump, but no. It's been years since I bumped a car, and it's only happened a couple times in thousands of lane splitting / sharing / filtering miles.

I don't think wet paint stripes are a problem, but the dots are unnerving: they lose all traction, so your tires slip and slide along them. But I don't try to avoid them because I need to focus on car proximity; so I ignore them knowing they won't materially change my path of travel. But rain is kryptonite to my super commute powers
superman2.gif
: it reduces traction and visibility (mine and drivers'); so I kinda turn into a car and get in line like a chump.

I agree it's safer, of course. I think one thing the video shows is just how wide those lanes are up between the cars (particularly on the freeway; splitting on streets to get to the front is a little more...invigorating
rolleyes.gif
).

Nice suit,
wink.png
drinks.gif


^^^^I think JB only commutes...I haven't seen any group ride reports from him with "thought bubbles" since MM2 organized a ride.
In fact I went out there specifically to see JB and he was a no show at Paso Robles, Santa Clara, Bodega Bay, Eureka, Fortuna, etc. Never saw him.

So I think JB just commutes and likes the thrill of dodging bumpers...
I'm sorry I missed you. Yes, it's true: I pretty much only use the bike nowadays (last couple years really) as transportation. I very seldom ride on weekends for pleasure, or with groups. Maybe it's something in the water (what's left of it in Calif.
sad.png
): It seems to me the once very active NorCal forum contingent has gone kinda quiet... I DID shoot up a couple weeks ago to say howdy to Tyler when she passed close by on her Dangerous Curves ride to Calistoga:

111465a.jpg


Cool video, I just got back from California and while I knew it was legal, I just am not comfortable doing it. No experience, so I chose not too, and got some weird looks from some of the drivers- which I really didn't think about until now. I bet they were thinking wtf is that moron doing... then they saw the Utah plate...
rolleyes.gif
... tourist.
LOL. I bet they were thinking, "Man! I'd never be crazy enough to get on a donor-cycle, but if I did--I sure as sh*t would not sit in this traffic if I didn't have to!"
laugh.png


I remember when I first dove up between freeway lanes on my Harley Sportster: Traffic was just crawling, so first I just leapfrog one car that was doddling; then eventually I leaped a couple of cars, then five....

Slowly you gain comfort that the world will not end, and off you go, slowly, two fingers covering the front brake and your foot hovering over the brake pedal when things get really tight (I practice rapid braking to a stop with a foot down every day when I ride in on this one side street where there's no traffic)....

 
Last edited by a moderator:
How's that clutch doing on the new bike?
lol.gif


Those dashcam videos remind me why I still haven't accepted your invites for urban warfare city tour of San Francisco.

 
Last edited by a moderator:
It interesting that many cars seen to move over to one side of their lane and allow bikes to split lanes. Some of those big truck mirrors can ruin your day though if you are not careful!
It's true: A LOT of vehicles pull over to let bikes by. I waved a "thank you!" to the white truck at 1:00. I think a lot of pickup truck drivers dig motorcycles. I believe vehicles pull over for one of two reasons: 1) They know it's legal and want the motorcyclist to be safe and for everyone to have a nice day, or 2) They don't want the crazy @#$*% motorcyclist to scratch their paint!
I said it before in the lane sharing law thread: I've grown to love seeing cali plates here in phoenix. I really hope we get a sharing law passed, or at least get that extra strip separating the HOV lane designated for motorcycles in slow'n'go traffic. It's not everywhere, so it would make a good test case and allow drivers to get used to it.

50b645c8bc44e.image.jpg


 
...or at least get that extra strip separating the HOV lane designated for motorcycles in slow'n'go traffic. I
Are those strips "designated" for motorcyclists? In the SF Bay Area our HOV lanes do not have that extra space. But they do have it in Los Angeles, where I understand it is unofficially referred to (by riders no doubt) as the "motorcycle lane." I have ridden down there during commute, most recently with Fairlaner, using that "motorcycle lane." It's pretty cool. And BTW, if you want to see what aggressive lane-splitting looks like, try riding in L.A. during rush hour! Yikes!

 
Unfortunately, they are not deemed 'lanes' at all, and like the other 46 states that specifically make splitting/filtering illegal, it's a no-go zone. I will admit that more than a few riders, especially the air-cooled bikes, will use it or the shoulders when traffic is stopped in the summer. When ambient temp is over 100 and 10-15 higher on the blacktop, them not moving is a serious risk for really bad things for their engines. Most of the cops around here only offer awards for the most idiotic riders that stunt while using it.

 
I am glad I don't have to deal with that kind of traffic on a regular basis.

Come to think of it, glad i don't have to go to work on a regular basis.

Stay safe.

 
James. That exemplifies the virtues of owning and riding a motor. That should be legal everywhere. I'm not that blatant with it but I do a little this and that on mine even though it's not legal here. If I ever do get rewarded, I do know a good many LEO's whom ,hopefully, can help me out. But I refuse to operate it the same as when I'm in my cage when the traffic piles up.

 
Top