I've been enjoying the sunshine this week starting in San Diego and then Anaheim for a Solar Conference.
Drove into LA this afternoon to meet a friend who I haven't seen in a decade and then out to Ontario for the flight home tomorrow.

Bikes splitting lanes scares the crap outta me!

The 10 Eastbound was clogged this afternoon and the bike traffic just wizzed by and unless you saw them in your mirrors it was a surprise every time. Not sure I'd want to do it on an LT.

__________________
pm
--
Life is too short to do anything
other than that about which you
are absolutely passionate . . .
Ride till you can't!

"Der Weg ist das Ziel"

'00 K1200LTC
'90 K75C
'62 R 50/2 (Rode hard and put away wet)-Sold in '81
'63 Vespa 150 (1st and only dirt bike!) Sold in '67

I'm a lane splitting adict.....Its been 3 days since the last time I did.....

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Hoss
'00- K1200LTE- "Barbara"
MOA# 143004

I was in SoCal this spring on the GT. I got caught in traffic that came to a complete stop on the interstate. I could see the traffic was backed up for miles and was wearing full gear in 90 degree temps. After watching a few bikes filtering up between lanes I decided to follow the next bike that came along. It was a first for me and I couldn't keep up with the guy leading the way. Drivers were pretty good about watching for bikes and making way to let you get through. Some didn't and I didn't let it bother me. After 30 or 40 minutes of splitting lanes the traffic thinned out and by then it was almost 2nd nature. I only wish we could get the law changed to allow it here in WA.
I see you have also traveled in Europe. The drivers there also stay alert for bikes. I REALLY enjoyed riding the Alps and passing cars going downhill on the inside of a hairpin.

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Darrel
'06 GT - Blue Honu

That just means that you weren't paying attention to what was behind you. Driver error then, not rider error.

Remember, most of us have been splitting lanes for years, if not decades. There's a certain skill to it that the uninitiated often fail to perceive.

As for doing it on an LT, it is possible, albeit not my favorite vehicle for such things. Removing the huge mirrors does help though . . .

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Ken
SoCal
'07 Dark Graphite GT
'02 Mauve LTC
BMWLT#145, IBA# 366, MOA# 111996, SCMA# 24032

09 K1200LT: We split lanes near San Fran. this summer on our trip out West. This is something that I will NEVER do again, its nuttso!

I did it a bit while in LA for two weeks early September. I have to say, I liked it, could get used to it. But it's a little freaky for sure.

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Greg

2000 k1200LT Basalt Grey (Roxie)
BMWMOA Number: 134717
I have a great doctor, if you can't afford the surgery, he'll touch up the xrays -- Henny Youngman
gpolakow@bmwlt.com

Splitting lanes is just another skill, and you have to practice. Always go at your own speed.
I have been splitting lanes from the time I learned to ride in France until today. This would be one reason why I would not move to another state unless the law changes.
Also, splitting lanes does not mean you can go between cars at high speed, regardless of traffic. It is mostly for when traffic is at a standstill or moving very slowly. I try not to go over 10-15 mph faster than cars, so if traffic is at a dead stop I would go 10-15 mph.
Just like everything else in life, it is only good in moderation.
Yes I do see crotch rockets flying by at over 80 mph between cars going 50-60 mph. That is not the spirit of the law.
Rule of thumb is going no more than 15 mph faster than traffic going at 20 mph. Simple math says you shouldn't split lanes past 35 mph.

__________________

For her I climbed the highest mountain!
For her I walked through the largest desert!
And then she left me... She said I was never home!!!

I have to chime in again. Notice that the Kaliforneans are all o.k. with this (someone else from CA will disagree, now that I made that statement) I think Zippy hit the nail on the head. Its a little uneasy the first few times. I have to turn the intercom off when the wife is with, but you learn what to look for, look out for and as long as your not going 50 in stopped traffic, its a time saver to say the least. I've lost only one mirror (tethers!) and left a jpeg out once.

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Hoss
'00- K1200LTE- "Barbara"
MOA# 143004

Are scythes legal in Kalifornia ala Ben Hur?

I've always wanted to take out a Prius.

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www.KonTourSeat.com "Like Butt-ahh!"

I have done it here (a few times ) but it is not legal. ahmmmmmmmmmmm!

The fine folks here in Tenn and Ga LOVE to block both lanes

They get a surprise when they see a blue streak passing their mirrors

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Brett
03 Anthracite
North Georgia
2005 CCR-Tetons
2006 CCR-Braselton
2008 CCR-Midway
2009 CCR-South Dakota
2010 CCR-Killington, we gotta wait another year?

just left SoCal to ride my LT back to Chicago....I have split lanes in the rain at night with a pasenger on my LT...Now that is big fun.

With lane splitting, surface street filtering, unlimited twisty mountain riding, PCH and mostly great weather.....California may be home to a bunch of wack jobs and be bankrupt but it is definitely God's gift to motorcyclists!

Ron

It's technically called Lane Sharing.
http://laneshare.org/misconceptions.htm

__________________
Doug Holck
Lodi, Ca

If your not living on the edge, you are taking up to much room.

3 Continents - 7 Countries -41 States
Returned 7/14/07 from Inuvik and Prudhoe Bay
http://www.dellfields.com/ArcticCirclePhotoVideo.html
Dell Fields 1948-2008 -- Cancer Sucks -- Good bye friend.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LKrOXtGacNk

04 1150GS Adventure
02 K1200LTe

CCR 05, 06, 07, 08, 09

BMW MOA 109760
AMA Charter Life Member 518333
International Fellowship of Motorcycling Rotarians
HDDC POSSE

I've done it on and RT in Italy and Spain. It becomes second nature but the cars are smaller and there a very few vans and SUV's. I recall one maneuver in Tuscany that seemed like an orchestral movement when three of us pulled out from between three different cars and passed a line of of 4 or five more. We only got up to around 90 mph.

__________________
pm
--
Life is too short to do anything
other than that about which you
are absolutely passionate . . .
Ride till you can't!

"Der Weg ist das Ziel"

'00 K1200LTC
'90 K75C
'62 R 50/2 (Rode hard and put away wet)-Sold in '81
'63 Vespa 150 (1st and only dirt bike!) Sold in '67

I commute from south Orange County into Anahiem daily and it's become a habit!

__________________
Murphy's law & no Excuses!
and no1 can argue!

I learned to appreciate SUV's and pickup trucks, my mirrors would always pass under them with room to spare.

__________________
Glenn BTW
California Delta Country
05 LT, ocean blue ( the replacement player)
05 LT, dark graphite (motorcycle heaven)

1100RT-P in a previous life

Most of my 30 years of riding has been in California, on daily commutes and longer rides. I agree with the others' excellent comments about lane sharing and the skills and techniques involved.

One significant reason I chose the K1200GT over the R1200RT is that the GT has its mirrors positioned high and wide. The RT's mirrors are down and low. If you are planning to split lanes, you need to keep your head up and attention focused on the road ahead, including far ahead. If I owned an RT (or similar motorcycle) and wanted to split lanes, I would seriously consider adding a set of high mirrors for the mirror mount holes.

Here are a few hints:

Get a tape measure and measure your bike at the wide points. Know where the widest points are. Know how much room you have when seated, and what sticks out where. Generally speaking, the mirrors or the saddlebags are the widest points. Know which wide points move with the handlebars and which don't. (Are your mirrors attached to the handlebars or the faring? If you get stuck behind another vehicle's mirrors or other protrusions, how will you "wiggle" out of it? Leaning the bike side-to-side while you duck walk the bike? Turning the handlebars? ...)

Keep your head up and your mind on the traffic ahead. Note any openings where a car may change lanes in front of you. They won't look for you before they commit.

Don't exceed the flow of traffic by more than a small margin (say, 5 or 10 mph). The goal is to get past the jam efficiently. If you are traveling faster than you can react to a sudden change, then slow down.

Be polite, courteous, and friendly. Remember, you are sharing the road with others. It isn't their duty to get out of your way. When possible, a "thank you" hand wave does a lot of good, but don't compromise your safety for it.

Be on the lookout for other motorcyclists, in front of you and behind you. If a motorcyclist is traveling faster than you, merge to allow them to pass.

When possible, follow behind a skilled motorcyclist. The other drivers will notice them as they pass by, and be on the lookout for you. It is especially nice when the other motorcyclist is riding something big and wide, or is a CHP officer.

At the same time, don't follow motorcyclists who are riding at speeds beyond your abilities. They may be riding recklessly and exceeding their own abilities. You don't want to be a part of their accident.

I've done "professionally" in the past and was always very uneasy with it as it is NOT legal to do here except for emergency vehicles. As someone here already noted, here in GA (and TN) people will block both lanes trying to change lanes in stopped traffic on the interstates. I'd be coming up between lanes on the Pursuit Glide (with that nice big bullet nose frame mounted fairing), strobe lights going, Pulsar headlight going, hazard flashers going and occassional "blips" of the siren and people would still try and change lanes and block the way in the process. And we weren't exactly flying between lanes either. You'd hear "Sorry I didn't see you." Which means they didn't look to change lanes PERIOD.

The bottom line is that in places like CA, people know that motorcycles split lanes and are used to and more prepared for it. Try it where it is not legal and you're very likely to suprise and scare a zoned out motorist and get a suprise you really didn't want. And it will be YOUR fault.

The brain donors who do it here on sport bikes in interstate traffic at normal speeds are an entirely different story.

__________________
Chris Ehlbeck
2002 BMW K1200LTE Toscana Green The Magic Carpet

We had two different LEO's give talks to our BMW club in San Diego while I lived there, and both called it "Lane Splitting". One of them explained that Lane Splitting was allowed in CA by the CHP, but open to the discretion of different law enforcement agencies. I know from experience that the San Diego Police Department does NOT like it.

It was also explained to us that "lane SHARING" implies that you have to stay IN the lane you are sharing with another vehicle, NOT on or crossing the lines. "Lane SPLITTING" allows the freedom to ride ON, or in either side of the lines, which is the only reasonably possible way to do it.

I did it daily for 5 years, and it was second nature, and not a problem in SoCal.

__________________
I don't want to achieve immortality through my work...I want to achieve it through not dying.

David Shealey
Dandridge, TN
EX: '01 Black LT, BAT BYKE (Totaled at 110,000 miles)
IBA SS, BB, BBG, 10/10ths.
No bike now, but maybe in the future.

I lived and rode in Paris (France) for 15 years and over there every two wheeler split lane. When you drive a car there you better watch twice in your mirror before changing lane. When I first came over here in North Carolina I started riding like I did in France but that did not last long. After about a week of riding I got stopped by police and got a hefty ticket. That calmed me down the following 11 years.

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Alain

Vieux motard que jamais

I've also ridden through France and I can say that in Paris, the cars split lanes with other cars! Nothing like coming up on a three-lane intersection to find there's no room for the bike because there's already 5 cars jockeying into those three spaces. Now that was interesting . . .

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Ken
SoCal
'07 Dark Graphite GT
'02 Mauve LTC
BMWLT#145, IBA# 366, MOA# 111996, SCMA# 24032

It becomes second nature. What gets you into trouble, just like other riding maneuvers, is riding to fast for conditions.

__________________
If a man tells the truth, and, yet said truth amounts to a mere "decorum" violation, does it make it any less the truth?! BUT, more importantly, with so few having the intestinal fortitude to even speak the truth, why in the world would you then apologize for said truth or decorum violation? Perhaps it is we that owe the gentleman an apology, because he was the only one to say the truth in the face of the lie!

Riding in TN several years ago on the LT, on my way from WV to Memphis, I had cages block both lanes and thought it was so odd! They would literally move over to keep me at the speed limit. This continued for many mile throughout the state on their interstate. Only state this has happened in.......

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Dano
Tampa, Fl.
Toscana Green 2002 K1200LT

What has never happened, happens all of the time!

BTDT.

Try Cairo, Egypt. They don't even bother painting lines on most of the streets. If there is a space to shim your car in, you take it. Armed soldiers direct traffic at the major intersections, which prevents total gridlock.

The basic rule is whoever is in back is at fault, so the goal is to jockey the front corner of your car in front of the other person's car, which forces them to give you the right-of-way. Then you move ahead and repeat. Of course, everyone else is trying to do the same thing to you. It is complete anarchy, but seems to work. The other basic rule is you snooze, you lose.

Nearly all cars there have several dents and dings. Just a part of normal life there.

This just happens to describe Boston, also known as Offensive Driving...

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Ted

Camarillo, CA
2003 K1200LTC - Silver
2007 F800S - Red
2007 R1200S - Black
IBA# 16554

Everyone calls it "Splitting" as matter of discussion.http://www.chp.ca.gov/html/answers.html

Splitting does not allow riding on or weaving across the lane lines. Must use signals to cross lines or can be sited for unsafe lane change. Intent is to "Share" a single lane, preferably inside #1 lane passing (aka splitting) on the right side between #2 lane since passing on the left of #1 lane is considered riding on the shoulder and is forbidden.
http://laneshare.org/ca.htm

I've always split lanes and find it anoying that it's not allowed in other states.
That said I still get "suprised" occassionaly when I'm driving my car and a rider shares my lane.
When splitting/sharing while riding I assume I am invisible and no one sees me aproaching.
You can spot the asshats, when they see you comming they crowd the line to cut you off. Others may be crowding left trying to see down the lane for what the delay is and appear to be leaving you room to share but actually not see you.
Likewise you can spot those who are alert by thier movement to the left to open up their lane for you to share. I try to give them a wave of appreciation.

Dangerous and nerve racking no matter how you look at it and is an aquired skill.

__________________
Doug Holck
Lodi, Ca

If your not living on the edge, you are taking up to much room.

3 Continents - 7 Countries -41 States
Returned 7/14/07 from Inuvik and Prudhoe Bay
http://www.dellfields.com/ArcticCirclePhotoVideo.html
Dell Fields 1948-2008 -- Cancer Sucks -- Good bye friend.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LKrOXtGacNk

04 1150GS Adventure
02 K1200LTe

CCR 05, 06, 07, 08, 09

BMW MOA 109760
AMA Charter Life Member 518333
International Fellowship of Motorcycling Rotarians
HDDC POSSE

You could give these dopes around here 100 lanes and they still have all of the lanes blocked

You just pick your spot and go for it

__________________
Brett
03 Anthracite
North Georgia
2005 CCR-Tetons
2006 CCR-Braselton
2008 CCR-Midway
2009 CCR-South Dakota
2010 CCR-Killington, we gotta wait another year?

Hmmmm.... CA allows lane splitting, but put a trailer behind a bike and now you can only ride in the two right lanes and at a max of 55mph. I guess there are benefits and pitfalls.... go figure.

__________________
Randal Tebeau
Blairsville, GA
CMA National Evangelist
BMWMOA, AMA, ABATE
2006 K1200LT (sold 99 w/109k)
1992 KLR650

You're not still upset after two years, are you?!

__________________
Ted

Camarillo, CA
2003 K1200LTC - Silver
2007 F800S - Red
2007 R1200S - Black
IBA# 16554

Split 'em all the time. Even my SO is used to it now. Admittedly, I use a more conservative style when she's aboard!

__________________
Brian Hall

Remember, the early worm gets eaten...

'01 LT - "Pepe"

Vier Räder sind gut, zwei Räder sind besser

IBA #31242, BMWMOA #136148

www.expressoriders.org Rally Registration is now open!

Try Oregon . . .

__________________
Ken
SoCal
'07 Dark Graphite GT
'02 Mauve LTC
BMWLT#145, IBA# 366, MOA# 111996, SCMA# 24032

Yep, same in Seoul. Except that Asian politeness means that if you see them, you have to let them in. So most drivers push ahead relentlessly while looking down the whole time.

They also have a rule that high-occupancy vehicles can use the express lanes, regardless of how many people are in it at the time. So those who can afford it drive the biggest thing they can buy, even for solo runs.

And cops just stand by the side of the road and point at cars, who are then required to pull over to get their ticket.

But the weirdest thing is that emergency vehicles leave their lights on at all times, and drive at the speed limit. So you're driving along, passing ambulances left and right with their lights blazing. Very disconcerting . . .

__________________
Ken
SoCal
'07 Dark Graphite GT
'02 Mauve LTC
BMWLT#145, IBA# 366, MOA# 111996, SCMA# 24032

if i had to deal with that all the time, i'd have straight pipes on a high-hp harley engine or my buddies vtx, daym that thing is loud!! hey, why not spread the joy if all the cagers insist on your company

...yes - but in Oregon, cars block other cars - folks just love planting themselves in the left lane!

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Ted

Camarillo, CA
2003 K1200LTC - Silver
2007 F800S - Red
2007 R1200S - Black
IBA# 16554

You reminded me of a post on the F800 board - Seoul is unbelievable (read the 1st post on the thread also):
http://f800riders.org/forum/showthr...299784#poststop

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Ted

Camarillo, CA
2003 K1200LTC - Silver
2007 F800S - Red
2007 R1200S - Black
IBA# 16554

In Paris a few years ago......huge ammounts of lane splitting everywhere even on that interstate-like circle around the city...mostly by scooters.
Kind of interesting when at a traffic light you look out the side window at the ground and see a designer 4" heel pump on the ground and then follow a well formed leg up to a wind blown mini-skirt.......They wear helmets though...

__________________
kk610lt
2007 K 1200 LT
2002 K 1200 LT (totaled by a SUV 10-7-08)
2004 R 1150 GS Adventure
1988 Concours (now being enjoyed by my nephew)
Why do bullets bounce off of Superman, but he ducks when you throw a gun at him?

and the interstate-like circle around the city is called "boulevard peripherique". Here is a video of a bike splitting lanes on the "boulevard peripherique" and breaking a speed record.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8Agz...feature=related

__________________
Alain

Vieux motard que jamais

No, I got over that pretty quick and have actually made it back over into S CA (sans trailer). Still think it's kind of a strange law and puts a motorcycle in a more dangerous position, but......when in Rome.....

__________________
Randal Tebeau
Blairsville, GA
CMA National Evangelist
BMWMOA, AMA, ABATE
2006 K1200LT (sold 99 w/109k)
1992 KLR650

It is not a law, but a LACK of a law. There is absolutely nothing in the CA vehicle code pertaining to it one way or another. It is "allowed" by the CHP if done in a safe manner, but always up to the discretion of the LEO.

I heard that there was once a bill to make it illegal, but the CHP fought against it, since it would also apply to them if enacted. If they fought against it, it would be pretty ridiculous to now try to apply it to others, thus CA riders have that freedom, as long as too many do not abuse it.

__________________
I don't want to achieve immortality through my work...I want to achieve it through not dying.

David Shealey
Dandridge, TN
EX: '01 Black LT, BAT BYKE (Totaled at 110,000 miles)
IBA SS, BB, BBG, 10/10ths.
No bike now, but maybe in the future.

Yes, great point! It's also dangerous passing to quickly because they never see you, of course--as you bounce down the side of someone's vehicle.....

__________________
If a man tells the truth, and, yet said truth amounts to a mere "decorum" violation, does it make it any less the truth?! BUT, more importantly, with so few having the intestinal fortitude to even speak the truth, why in the world would you then apologize for said truth or decorum violation? Perhaps it is we that owe the gentleman an apology, because he was the only one to say the truth in the face of the lie!

I think you'd find if you spent more time doing it that it is really pretty safe. It's too bad the LT is so big, because I think your view would be different if you had the opportunity to try it on a smaller bike. I cut my teeth on a Honda XL600 and Ninja 1000 before doing it on the LT.

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Ted

Camarillo, CA
2003 K1200LTC - Silver
2007 F800S - Red
2007 R1200S - Black
IBA# 16554

+1! I popped my cherry on a Burgee 600.

__________________
If a man tells the truth, and, yet said truth amounts to a mere "decorum" violation, does it make it any less the truth?! BUT, more importantly, with so few having the intestinal fortitude to even speak the truth, why in the world would you then apologize for said truth or decorum violation? Perhaps it is we that owe the gentleman an apology, because he was the only one to say the truth in the face of the lie!

Err... I didn't you had a cherry...???

__________________

For her I climbed the highest mountain!
For her I walked through the largest desert!
And then she left me... She said I was never home!!!

Relative speed control is key. Seeing the nutballs on sport bikes splitting at high relative speeds you can just see the accident coming.

In general my view on the freeway is that in stop and go traffic the danger is behind you (no such thing as a bike to car fender bender.

Better to be splitting on the line when traffic comes to a stop - I ALWAYS split lanes in stop and go - even on the LT.

Motolights seems to make a huge differrence by the way - the visibility and the light pattern seems to encourage drivers to move over and give extra room.

Ride safe.

__________________
'08 LT - Blue (Current) (Daughter Rides 2009 F800st)
'07 Triumph Tiger
'06 WeeStrom
'83 Honda 650 Turbo
'82 XT550
'76 Ducati 750SS
'78 Ducati Darmah
'78 XT500
'79 Suzuki 1000
'77 RM250
'76 DT125

That made TWO of us!

__________________
If a man tells the truth, and, yet said truth amounts to a mere "decorum" violation, does it make it any less the truth?! BUT, more importantly, with so few having the intestinal fortitude to even speak the truth, why in the world would you then apologize for said truth or decorum violation? Perhaps it is we that owe the gentleman an apology, because he was the only one to say the truth in the face of the lie!

A couple years ago, Illinois lawmakers had a provision to allow lane splitting on Hwy's. They attached a rider that a statewide helmet requirement would need to be passed as well. ABATE is very powerful here and they killed the bill.

Very frustrating. I spend a lot of time in SoCal and when I come back and ride here in the Chicagoland area I get very pissed that I can't split lanes/filter in traffic. Should be allowed nationwide.

Ron

Here in the Republic of Santa Cruz, we see it all ... flip flops, bunnies on the back in short shorts, wheelies down Hwy 1. We have diversity y'all. While I consider my driving fairly aggressive, am always somewhat slower than a CHP bike moving through traffic. I guess that's the key to my success. Or, maybe am a lot slower than I think! Faster than the cages though.

I do it a little. I have my commute work out so I will spend no time on highly congested freeways so I rarely need to lane share. I have practiced it a lot in the past so I am good enough at it to survive.

Several years ago, when I first tried lane sharing I was tense but, as luck would have it, a CHP on his bike was ahead of me and I followed him for about 12 miles and watched what he was doing. That helped a lot. Now, it is no big deal but I just don't need to do it. (Cars are lot smoother today too. No protruding bumped ends and such.)

Now in regards to those sport bike guys, the ones that make me nervous are the ones that lane share at 20 to 40 mph over the speed that traffic is moving!

Guess my comment wasn't taken the way I meant it. I think lane splitting is fine, wish more states would allow it. I was giving my opinion on the safety involved for motorcyclists on the CA law that when pulling a trailer behind a motorcycle you are required to ride in the right two lanes and at a speed of 55mph. Sorry to get you lane splitters in an uproar.

__________________
Randal Tebeau
Blairsville, GA
CMA National Evangelist
BMWMOA, AMA, ABATE
2006 K1200LT (sold 99 w/109k)
1992 KLR650