Saw a dude wipe out on his motorcycle this evening

myf16n said:

I've continued to ride 500-750mi a month over all those years, including trackdays and racing motorcycles. I didn't ride like an ass-hat prior to marriage and kids, and just kept that up with the kids. It helps that there isn't a riding season where I live, cars see us everyday.

I think a lot depends on the location and drivers. I loved riding when I lived out on the coast in Mendocino, CA. Curvy single-lane roads with minimal or no cross traffic. PCH was turn 3 after leaving my driveway. Drivers were relatively attentive and not aggressive. My biggest fear was debris in the middle of blind corners.

Also appreciated that CA lets you lane split and filter, and that drivers are used to that. Contrary to popular belief, that makes things a lot safer for riders.

I'd still be riding if I lived in low-density NorCal. Possibly even if I lived in a CA city.

But since moving to Columbus, OH. I gave it up. Riding was more stressful than rewarding. Roads are all straight and flat. Weather is changeable. Drivers are oblivious, and I don't have the same power to control my positioning in traffic.

I was told that after I did a few projects and saved up the money that I could buy a murdercycle.  I achieved those goals just about the time we moved from PA to SC.

Once in SC, I decided not to get a bike.

There is NO WAY I would ride a murder cycle here.  I have been almost hit numerous times, on my bicycle, while crossing the road WITH a walk signal or green light just going from sidewalk to sidewalk.

I see people running red lights all day everyday.  Everybody is on their phone, not paying attention.

Plus, the roads are all flat and boring.  

The juice ain't worth the squeeze.

I am starting to see more lane splitting being done in Florida by some motorcyclists, with how bad it is to drive in Florida, feels like a death sentence...

Sitting in Dale Mabry Traffic right on the Busch BLVD overpass, I saw a motorcycle go through the shoulder, about 10 minutes later just up the road, I saw the same guy and bike on the ground. Not sure what happened, but that same shoulder I've seen cars go through it to get ahead only to get pulled over...

aw614 said:

I am starting to see more lane splitting being done in Florida by some motorcyclists, with how bad it is to drive in Florida, feels like a death sentence...

If done properly, lane splitting is safer than sitting in traffic. Your two biggest dangers on a motorcycle are: a car not seeing you stopped and rear ending you; a car making a left turn not seeing you and running into you.

Properly lane splitting is: ~10mph faster than traffic that is going <25mph (or close to those numbers). You should be passing on the dashed yellow between lanes. When traffic gets above 30mph, merge back into the line. If you follow those guidelines, you are then have much more control over your situation which can benefit you if you are aware and riding proactively. You effectively remove the risks of being rear-ended, and greatly diminish the risk of a driver mistaking you for a gap in the accordion and merging into you.

This is much less effective if drivers are unused to riders lane splitting. Many will get angry and want to exact "justice" against you for breaking the law.

The rider you described was not following the guidelines above.

Lane splitting should just be legalized. Not only does it make riding safer, it also gives a very strong incentive to commute on a bike - not getting stuck in traffic. More people riding bikes would greatly reduce congestion and benefit everyone.

In reply to aw614 :

I'm seeing lane splitting in Atlanta now, which is not legal. It is also insane considering how people drive here (and shoot at each other).

Last time I was in Florida I saw a guy wreck his bike for the last time ever. Full Florida-man mode: shorts, tank top, sport bike, pinned throttle, blackout level drunk (per the autopsy report). At least he had a helmet, although when it hit my windshield it was launched into the stratosphere never to be seen again. He had shoes on at least, you can see one of them under my car but the other landed down the road.


Since this was the second drunk driver to have hit me head-on in my life, I'm hoping the odds of a third are now astronomical.  Don't drink and ride folks.

I'm a novice rider.  Both my bike and I are antiques.  I was on a bone dry 35 mph 2-lane road when a motorist stopped suddenly ahead of me.  I was well back, but I sorta panicked and stomped the rear brake (reacted, didn't think any) and locked the rear, stalled the engine.  Didn't come close to laying it down, but felt pretty goofy having to re-start it.

While splitting does drastically reduce (eliminate?) the risk of a read-end collision, I don't agree that lane splitting is safer than sitting in traffic. Motorcyclists are simply reducing one risk and increasing others. When I was younger I used to lane split as though I was required to do so (everywhere, all the time, every time), now I am much more selective. Is there a benefit at this moment and does that benefit reduce or increase my risk? While I no longer split everywhere, I generally find that I split at least once on each ride I take.

The California Vehicle Code (Note there is no speed limit.):

21658.1 (a) For the purposes of this section, “lane splitting” means driving a motorcycle, as defined in Section 400, that has two wheels in contact with the ground, between rows of stopped or moving vehicles in the same lane, including on both divided and undivided streets, roads, or highways.