Motorcycle lane splitting

[Wulf202]

I've lane split to get away from a crazy cager before.

[Great-Kazoo]

While we're on the topic of motorcycles, let me ask you folks another question. Why do so many bikers ride the center line? I drove Hwy 126 to Decker's and 67 to Woodland Park Yesterday. And 2/3 of the bikers I passed going to other way damn near rode on top of the yellow center line (and some literally did). Is it their way of playing some twisted game of king of the mountain? When I ride, if you were to split a lane into 3rds, I ride in the right most 3rd (on two lane roads). I don't want to risk an incoming car drifting into my lane, even a tiny bit, and hitting me. Especially on curvy mountain roads when drivers are busy looking at the sights.

So what gives? Why do so many ride the yellow center line? I've heard other riders tell me they don't ride in the center of a lane because "that's where the oil is and is slicker" but that's horse shit IMO. Even if that's true, why not the outside of the lane? My goal when riding is to keep as much space between me and other traffic as possible. The outside of the lane is for me.

IMO that's due to their inexperience handling curves, as well as mountain / hilly areas. They have no clue there's probably 1/2 cars doing the same thing in the opposite lane. Not forgetting inexperienced or new pull behind & 5th wheel drivers too.

[hollohas]

Not forgetting inexperienced or new pull behind & 5th wheel drivers too.

No kidding! There was some sort of Airstream club meeting yesterday. I passed dozens of them from Conifer all the way into WP. Most of them were doing 15-20 under the entire way and more then a few had a hard time maintaining their lane. I was genuinely worried that some rider was going to get hit.

[wctriumph]

Well, I know this is BS. Nobody has a working Pinto, let alone one that is roadworthy (unless you're referring to a horse).

This was sometime around 1978, the Pinto was my father's daily driver.

[sandman76]

One of the scariest things as a rider is when a car in the opposing lane pulls out to pass a bicycle rider.

[Irving]

Notice how us motorcyclists who have lane split where legal aren't throwing a spandex hissy, like the Lance Armstrong Wannabe crowd would if this were about the stupidity of a bicycling on the road and the absolutely dangerous nature of their presence?

FWIW, my only bike now is a TW200 and it's mechanically prohibitive to ride it on roads where lane splitting would be of any use.

Well no one is challenging the right for motorcycles to exist or bragging about running them off the road or smoking them out either.

[Hummer]

As a veteran motorcyclist I think that lane splitting is nuts. I chalk it up to the poor judgement of young men's sense of invulnerability and that they haven't yet learned how fragile life and the human body really is. They probably didn't study math and traffic statistics either. While many lane splitting riders may be well skilled, that won't save them when their number is up and the inevitable happens. The consequence of going down on a heavily trafficked highway during rush hour could result in a very painful and lingering life, or death.

I recently watched two riders lane splitting on I-25 north where traffic was doing 15-35 mph stop and go, and the bikers were going 30-40 mph faster than the cars and trucks they were weaving through. I thought to myself, "those stupid motherf..kers are gonna die". Maybe not today, but death awaits those who don't play the survival game seriously.

Although I'd like to, I don't ride anymore. I did ride dirt bikes and road bikes for most of 30 years. Rode my R100RS extensively throughout the western U.S. and Canada, up the Alaska Highway to the Arctic Circle, through the Canadian Rockies seven times, and to Mexico a few times. I also commuted daily throughout the Front Range along I-25, I-70 and I-76 to Brush. I've gone down a few times, without long lasting injury. I'm still here and thankful for it.

I would oppose any measure to legalize lane splitting in CO because it's dangerous for everyone on the road and there is no compelling reason to individuals or the public to accept the risks.

[wctriumph]

As a veteran (53 years on two wheels this weekend!) motorcyclist that is still alive and riding, I think that lane splitting should be legal in all 50 states. It saves lives. Period.

On the other hand, like all activities that require sound judgement, it can of course help to remove certain people from the breeding pool.

If a rider does not want to split lanes, don't. But don't deprive those of us that want to split lanes from doing so.

[CS1983]

I only used it for getting by a line of cars where I would have otherwise been needlessly stop and go. I didn’t weave in flowing traffic. That’s a crotch rocket tactic and not my definition of it.

My understanding is something like a stoplight, riding up the middle and taking off to avoid the stop and go accordion. Or in slow moving traffic, going between cars to keep the bike from overheating.

Perhaps a definition of terms from the naysayers, with examples, would be helpful. I have no idea why anyone would be opposed to it.

[GilpinGuy]

I think that lane splitting should be legal in all 50 states. It saves lives. Period.

How so?

I used to ride and I get the whole MC thing, but how can splitting lanes be LESS dangerous?