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Getting more comfortable with lane splitting

Eugene

Eugene

New member
Joined
Mar 8, 2008
Location
San Francisco
Moto(s)
S1000R
I am not originally from CA - so the whole lane splitting thing was new to me when I moved here. I've been riding for about 8 years - maybe 60k bike miles under my belt, but probably only about 10% of that in CA.

I find that lane splitting is still the most stressful form of riding for me. However, it definitely beats getting baked in black leathers on a clogged highway. I swear, though, every time I start lane splitting, I actually have to give myself a pop-talk, like "Come on, you can do this, you can fit between those cars, eye of the tiger, here we go!" .... 10 seconds later .... "Oh god oh god oh god, almost clipped that mirror, too close for comfort..."

Then I'll see some other rider blast by between lanes at 2x my speed and find myself wishing that I had their skill and testicular fortitude. I'll generally only do it if traffic is moving slower than 30mph, and I'll go in at 1st and sometimes 2nd gear speed.

Does anyone have any advice on techniques / mental training tips / etc. on how to get better / more comfortable with the whole lane splitting thing?
 
Just like everything else with riding a motorcycle.....start slow, stay in YOUR comfort zone and ride your own ride.
 
Squidly McSmearstain said:
Just like everything else with riding a motorcycle.....start slow, stay in YOUR comfort zone and ride your own ride.
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Exactly this. Don't worry about other riders being faster than you. (unless you're blocking them) Also, some riders split too fast - don't take that as a good example if it seems too fast for you.

Oh yeah - shameless plug - we have lane splitting tips / discussion on the LaneSplittingIsLegal Facebook page, usually on Friday mornings. Check it out.
 
Splitting is mentally draining. The folks that post about going 20+mph splitting and want people out of their way, are id ..... very lucky people. I pull back in with traffic when I stress-out, and need a rest ..... or I get off the highway completely, take a few deep breaths, check my chin strap, jock strap, etc., and get back at it. (I split for years to downtown LA)
 
For me it all comes down to two words: Awareness and Delta.

If you stay within a 5mph delta ahead of the speed that traffic is flowing, generally you will not surprise any cagers as you smoothly pass by them.

If traffic is going 50-55, I go 65 and lane change casually into open areas. Like a leisurely slalom. Any faster than that is a calculated risk.

However, when traffic is completely stopped or moving < 10mph I slow way down and take it easy and watch out for impulsive lane jumpers. These jerkies will abruptly decide that being in the next lane over going nowhere is better that the lane they're in. They usually do this without signaling or signaling late.

Other than that, just watch mirrors and turn signals. Watch the "body language" of the drivers in your path. Are they swerving or jumping lanes or staying put? You begin to pick up when and where to pass, and when to lay back/maintain your lane.

Just remember everyone has their own pace and do what's comfortable for you. Don't stress and ride safe!
 
monkeyneck said:
Exactly this. Don't worry about other riders being faster than you. (unless you're blocking them) Also, some riders split too fast - don't take that as a good example if it seems too fast for you.

Oh yeah - shameless plug - we have lane splitting tips / discussion on the LaneSplittingIsLegal Facebook page, usually on Friday mornings. Check it out.
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Thanks! I'll have to check it out. I'm from the bay but live in la and split lanes quite a bit.

I put on my high beams when splitting. It tends to alert more drivers this way. I'm also tempted to start honking my horn too. I was splitting behind a cop today and he'd hit his siren if the cars didn't move out of his way. The cages parted like the Red Sea. He was like Moses on a Harley.
 
I keep forgetting that the Aprilia is 3 feet wide at the back. I did get totally stuck between a limo and a security guard pick up truck splitting up to a light last week :shame
 
One thing I've seen many riders do, is trying to go from gap to gap, someone above mentioned a slow slalom. I've been advised by a CHP motor officer, not to split cars unless they are side by side, they generally won't change lanes into each other, but they will dive for that gap.

I also always have my high beam on when I'm splitting, they can't tell if I'm a cop or not until I'm already past. I also tend to split at a fairly fast pace.

I'm pretty comfortable splitting, I commuted from Monterey to Santa Clara for several years, that's a lot of practice.

And splitting lanes is one of the reasons I won't have saddlebags on anything I ride, I forget about them and tag cars with them.
 
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I can totally relate. I have been riding for 30+ years but only moved to CA a couple of months ago. The first time I took the bike to work I was hesitant to split. I hung back in a lane and then watched/followed another bike as he split. I feel more comfortable now and don't feel stressed, just very aware of the surroundings, body language, etc. I am certainly slower than some riders but not all. I am sure glad that my Victory is much narrower than my previous Goldwings.
 
corndog67 said:
I've been advised by a CHP motor officer, not to split cars unless they are side by side, they generally won't change lanes into each other, but they will dive for that gap.
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^ This.

Mind the gap!
 
i have been splitting lanes for the past two years on my 60 mile commute on my ninja 250...of course you are hesitant and fearful in the beginning...but now it becomes second nature...

i find that i can point and shoot in what i initially thought was too narrow a gap..even with a 250 i have enough power to squirt through the slightest opening...with over 20k miles on the san diego freeway, i can use the hov lane and when traffic slows down, splitting between the hov and the first lane is a piece of cake...:ride

yeah, i just have a big grin when i passed all those cars and think how they just sit there with envy...:teeth
 
riding vs lane splitting

is like

dating vs dating a stripper


best know what you're doing or you'll get hurt
 
I don't split over 30mph and never in moving traffic if I can help it. I really do it as a safety measure when it's too hot or cold for me (and possibly my bike, which if nothing else starts cooking my thighs) or the stop-and-go gets me nervous about getting rear-ended.

Only go as slow as you can react or slower.
 
Hate to say this but, whenever possible, It's important to ride fast and scare the shit out of as many drivers as possible so they remember to look for bikers behind you.
 
gitoy said:
yeah, i just have a big grin when i passed all those cars and think how they just sit there with envy...:teeth
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Uhhh, I don't think it's envy, it's more like rage. And with every rider that goes by, they get madder and madder. Especially the guy in Prunetucky that tried to wipe me about 20 years ago when I was splitting 20 mph traffic. Multiple times.
 
ElectricPrunes said:
Hate to say this but, whenever possible, It's important to ride fast and scare the shit out of as many drivers as possible so they remember to look for bikers behind you.
Click to expand...

Riding fast and scaring the shit out of people doesn't help drivers "remember to look for bikers behind you," it just pisses them off. Hoping you just forgot a sarcastic smiley.
 
If you're getting stressed about lane splitting, you may want to try looking a bit further ahead of you. It sounds like you're nervous about hitting the cars you're passing, so all your attention is on them, and then you have to quickly re-focus on the next pair of cars. Your brain struggles to keep up, and things get out of control.

It's like trying to catch a ball that someone throws to you - if you watch the trajectory of the ball for a while, it's easy to catch it. But if you see the ball only as it's about to get to you, it's very difficult.

So try looking further ahead and plan your moves further ahead, and use your peripheral vision to thread the bike safely through the gap that you're currently in.

If you're on the edge of rubbing up against cars, the gap might be too small to fit into. When you're splitting, you don't have to squeeze through everywhere. Sometimes it's too tight, so you have to wait for the gap to widen, or even get back into the line of cars for a bit.

Also:

- Don't split between lanes of cars moving at significantly different speeds
- Be very careful splitting next to cars with an empty space next to them
- Be very careful splitting right before exits - cars are likely to change lanes
- Be very careful splitting as traffic is slowing down or speeding up - cars are likely to change lanes
 
Biggest hurdle I had with lane splitting was a sense of etiquette. Riding in Europe cured me of that. That said, I try never to get too comfortable
 
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