FILTERING THE TRAFFIC

[Gordonius]

We know that bikes get us to work much quicker than any other mode of transport and that it is mainly due to us being able to "change lanes" as we ride through the stopped, stalled and staggering traffic. Filtering is illegal and the cops will nail you for it ... but ... it is usually much safer on a bike in stalled traffic to be moving slowly through the cars than to stop and put your feet down and the cops know it. HOWEVER, there are morons amoungst us who insist on belting down the crash lanes on the motorway and between the car lanes at 60+km/hr and are getting us all a bad rap and are getting the car drivers annoyed. This will incite a clamp down by the cops on ANY filtering if they keep doing it. We get away with filtering simply on tolerance and expedience but like any naughty act, if you push the limit you will get smacked. Treat this "privilege" with some respect and ease up on the throttle and some of the scary stuff designed to annoy other road users. This way we will all still continue to get to and from work in the most efficient way.

[riffer]

Only 60km/hr? In Wellington, they can get a lot faster than that.

I've been lanesplit by another bike while lanesplitting at that speed.

I know what you mean though. The cops do get a bit pissed at it, as do obnoxious suit-wearing creeps in SUV's...

Just as an aside though, how do you find the Harley for zipping in an out of the traffic? Or do you not split at all?

[jrandom]

Welcome to the site and all that.

So you ride an FXDWG, eh? Wouldn't have thought that'd be the most convenient filtering bike. Still, if I *had* to choose, it'd be my least-unfavourite Harley...

You might like to have a crawl through some of the older threads; the filtering topic has been discussed in depth already, including the legalities involved, etc.

In the end, we all know what's legal and what's not, and what we can be ticketed for in various circumstances. I don't think anyone would say that the HP guys around Auckland (at least) are very tolerant of motorcyclists in any case; personally, I just filter at whatever speed and style I feel comfortable with on the day, and don't do anything to attract attention around HP cars.

The traffic cops are, institutionally, a bunch of revenue-collecting taxmen with their personal judgement surgically removed to turn them into efficient ticket-generators. Why should we try to placate the schlubs in the patrol cars? It won't make anything better or worse, they're acting on orders and pull-over quotas.

[Motu]

I don't lane split much myself,I'm happy to be an old fuddy duddy and sit with the cars.Even getting to the front at a set of lights is not a favorite of mine - cars these days can move out pretty quick....and I don't,I like to take my time and check for someone running the red.

Last time someone lane split on me (apart from coming back from Paeroa) was some guy on a Harley - he was fast and aggressive and not too well co ordinated,kinda scary to watch,and not a good look for us.

[Wenier]

In wellington i have found that the cops are really good about it and i personally lanesplit at a maximum of 60km/h, depending on a few factors, but as soon as the traffic is up to 40km i will merge and wait for it to slow before splitting again.

I havent been pulled up for it and dont think the cops are too worried as long as we have limits to it.

[Jackrat]

Gordonius,I couldn't agree more.
When I get stuck in Auckland traffic in the wagon it,s not the bikers that fillter in a smooth eazy manner the piss me off,it's the clowns that weave an duck an dive at speed that really piss me off.The assholes don't care how it rubs off on the rest of us.Then they wonder why some pissed off car driver has a go at them.
Anyway welcome aboard . :niceone:

[jrandom]

it's the clowns that weave an duck an dive at speed that really piss me off

Erm.

:o

I've been good for the past week, I really have.

[Gordonius]

Answer to whether I lane split on the Harley?
No not normally. My "Go to work on every day" bike is a'97 Katana 600 and that fits and squeezes pretty well. The HD's only claim to any traffic fame is that the low centre of gravity lets you sit dead stopped with your feet up for 5-10 secs if necessary (and it isn't too windy) but the katana is way easier in heavy traffic.

[Coldkiwi]

Gordonius,I couldn't agree more.
When I get stuck in Auckland traffic in the wagon it,s not the bikers that fillter in a smooth eazy manner the piss me off,it's the clowns that weave an duck an dive at speed that really piss me off.The assholes don't care how it rubs off on the rest of us.Then they wonder why some pissed off car driver has a go at them.
Anyway welcome aboard . :niceone:

you may have a point about a poor image being projected from fast lane splitting, but the last bit is nonsensical. drivers that pull in front of bikes haven't been watching their behaviour for even the last 10 seconds... its an impulsive 'take this ya bastard' attitude driven by nothing more than personal inadequacies. :moon:

I probably lane split at higher than the average speeds but I do at least give the driver of the lane I'm moving in front of the knowlegde that i've seen them and know where their car is by doing a full over the shoulder check before moving in front of them.

TBH :whocares: The traffic in auckland sucks and lane splitting is my way of dealing with it. Haven't hit anyone doing it in the 4 years since I started riding and lane splitting so I'm doin ok. if anyone has a problem with me splitting, I challenge them to come up with a better way of getting from howick to the city and back each day at peak traffic times. :beer:

[moko]

It`s not illegal here but I`ll only do it these days if the traffics at a stand-still,i.e. at lights e.t.c.bit of a grey area legally in moving traffic and I got pulled for dangerous driving a couple of years ago while carving through the cars.Cop was a Hyabusa rider apparently and I got the impression he`d stopped me more for someone to brag to than anything else,just told me to watch it and let me go.More a case of being a lot more careful and not taking any chances these days than worrying about geting pulled,passed Police cars loads of times before I finally got stopped.Always gets me that most traffic wont overtake a Police car no matter how slow it`s going.

[Jackrat]

you may have a point about a poor image being projected from fast lane splitting, but the last bit is nonsensical. drivers that pull in front of bikes haven't been watching their behaviour for even the last 10 seconds... its an impulsive 'take this ya bastard' attitude driven by nothing more than personal inadequacies. :moon:

I probably lane split at higher than the average speeds but I do at least give the driver of the lane I'm moving in front of the knowlegde that i've seen them and know where their car is by doing a full over the shoulder check before moving in front of them.

TBH :whocares: The traffic in auckland sucks and lane splitting is my way of dealing with it. Haven't hit anyone doing it in the 4 years since I started riding and lane splitting so I'm doin ok. if anyone has a problem with me splitting, I challenge them to come up with a better way of getting from howick to the city and back each day at peak traffic times. :beer:

Sounds like you've taken a hit to one of your own personal inadequacies.
So just how do you know that if I FOR INSTANCE decide fuck you your not coming through here, that I hav,nt been planning it for fuckin years an your just the smart asshole thats going to pay for it.You sound like just the prick I'm talking about. :shake: :finger:

[dangerous]

Ok then, now a few of you know that it had to be explained to me all about 'splitting' (slow mainlander;-) Well not realy it's just that you don't realy need to do it down here.

last weekend the trafic was a bit heavy so I thought bugger it and shot down between 2 rows of stationary cars right up to the frount, cool I'll be first away......but the dick head in the "oh look at me, I'm in a new V8 Ford explorer f off you stupid noisy red bike" type attude planted foot so as not to allow me in, shit all I could see in my mirrors was in blue 'Ford' :angry: So rather that pull over and let the wanker go past I gave him the birdy from behind my back and pissed off.

This is very typical of the drivers down here and is why I dont usualy split or filter, its just not worth the agro.

[speedpro]

Geez, don't be shy man, let it all out.

When I got warned for splitting lanes last June it got me on a mission. I wrote letters to the papers, the AA, and Kiwi Rider. I rang a few traffic stations and talked to the cops. I also took the opportunity to check a few of our fellow bike-riding police officers who I bumped into. Every single one I spoke to said they wouldn't bother with a motorcycle splitting lanes, unless it was stupid, as it was only a $150 fine. The car guys especially as they can't get through the traffic much faster than 30KmH even with the lights going. Two of the bike guys said they rode bikes privately and understood what it was about. What I gathered but can't prove is that there is only one bike riding cop in Auckland who will pull you over and ticket you. I got warned a second time by the same guy so I suspect it's him. I'm sure I only got a warning as I split real cautiously. I've also never had a problem filtering past a police "car", even when they have got free space in a lane and pulled back up beside me. Being on a non-aggressive MB100 might help and reduce the hoon image and therefore the suspected requirement for issuing a ticket. Being an old bastard might help too.

[ching_ching]

Slightly Off Topic:

Few days after New Years I was travelling back from Rotorua and 3km after the Wairakei BP the start of a traffic queue loomed up ahead. It was inching ahead ever so slowly.
I checked the situation, and most of the traffic was well within the confines of the left hand side of the lane so I split the bugger... speed about a comfortable 30km or so (gives you an idea how slow the queue was). Man I could feel the eyeballs drilling into my helmet as this biker ambles past about 50 cars.
On coming traffic was relatively good mostly keeping well on their side and maintaining a steady pace. Just luck that Mr Plod wasn't in the line up. Stopped at the top of Control Gate Hill next to one of those campervans with the retired, overseas couple wondering where I'd appeared from.
While blending with the traffic I bathed in the afterglow of warm fuzzies knowing that I wasn't anywhere near anybody's side mirrors, wasn't hooning it and showing the public another advantage of motobikes apart from snot splattering speed.

ching :)

[Lou Girardin]

Actually Jackrat, I've seen the odd moron notice me in his mirror and deliberately move to block the lane. Fortunately, they're pretty rare. It's much more common for cage drivers to pull left to give us more room.
Lou

[Drunken Monkey]

Filtering is illegal and the cops will nail you for it ... but ...

No, filtering is NOT illegal. Go read pages 64 to 69 of the road code guide for motorcyclists - There is a correct way to do it though, and it has been discussed in this web site ad nauseum.

[Coldkiwi]

Sounds like you've taken a hit to one of your own personal inadequacies.
So just how do you know that if I FOR INSTANCE decide fuck you your not coming through here, that I hav,nt been planning it for fuckin years an your just the smart asshole thats going to pay for it.You sound like just the prick I'm talking about. :shake: :finger:

Hey, its a possibility that the drivers I've seen move in front lead such bitter lives that they actively seek to do harm to others on a daily basis, sure. Maybe I'd just rather take the optomistic approach that they've just had a bad day or got called a bad name they took personally and need to vent a little and hence, want to see EVERYONE stuck in the traffic that they're in.

As for being a 'prick'... well thats your call probably driven by the fact that we don't see eye to eye on this. Far enough, I'm not taking it personally. But there's almost certainly plenty of car drivers that get passed by bikes doing a whole lot less speed than me who also think these guys are pricks for what we may well all deem as 'safe and reasonable'.
I lane split the way I do remembering that I have a lovely fiancee that i want to get married to in June and that i know would be distraught if I got injured. I'm not on a rambo style rampage so i normally operate within my limits of safety and reason (sometimes I get too excited and have to ease off but I'm not claiming to be perfect).

Like the saying goes 'Isn't it funny how everyone slower than me is a moron and everyone faster than me is a maniac'.

Thoughts? :mobile:

[White trash]

Hey, its a possibility that the drivers I've seen move in front lead such bitter lives that they actively seek to do harm to others on a daily basis, sure. Maybe I'd just rather take the optomistic approach that they've just had a bad day or got called a bad name they took personally and need to vent a little and hence, want to see EVERYONE stuck in the traffic that they're in.

As for being a 'prick'... well thats your call probably driven by the fact that we don't see eye to eye on this. Far enough, I'm not taking it personally. But there's almost certainly plenty of car drivers that get passed by bikes doing a whole lot less speed than me who also think these guys are pricks for what we may well all deem as 'safe and reasonable'.
I lane split the way I do remembering that I have a lovely fiancee that i want to get married to in June and that i know would be distraught if I got injured. I'm not on a rambo style rampage so i normally operate within my limits of safety and reason (sometimes I get too excited and have to ease off but I'm not claiming to be perfect).

Like the saying goes 'Isn't it funny how everyone slower than me is a moron and everyone faster than me is a maniac'.

Thoughts? :mobile:


Hoist a good second gear, 120 kay minger down between 'em and watch 'em part like the Red Sea.

GET OUT'A THE WAY

[Hitcher]

Hoist a good second gear, 120 kay minger down between 'em and watch 'em part like the Red Sea.

GET OUT'A THE WAY

Kay Minger -- I think she sat opposite me in 5th form English...

[White trash]

Kay Minger -- I think she sat opposite me in 5th form English...
:laugh: :lol: :laugh:

[Coldkiwi]

Kay Minger -- I think she sat opposite me in 5th form English...

:lol: :2thumbsup
so was she up for a firemans lift or would that get her offside with you?

[SPman]

120 kay minger......pretty heavy man, you'd need that firemans lift!

On a ZXR, would it be a ninja minger?

[Hitcher]

120 kay minger......pretty heavy man, you'd need that firemans lift!

On a ZXR, would it be a ninja minger?

Or in Kay's case, a "ginger ninja minger"...

[dangerous]

TBH :whocares: The traffic in auckland sucks and lane splitting is my way of dealing with it. Haven't hit anyone doing it in the 4 years since I started riding and lane splitting so I'm doin ok.

That maybe but it only takes the ONE hit to wreak your life

[Deebeeriz]

Geez, don't be shy man, let it all out.

When I got warned for splitting lanes last June it got me on a mission. I wrote letters to the papers, the AA, and Kiwi Rider. I rang a few traffic stations and talked to the cops. I also took the opportunity to check a few of our fellow bike-riding police officers who I bumped into. Every single one I spoke to said they wouldn't bother with a motorcycle splitting lanes, unless it was stupid, as it was only a $150 fine. The car guys especially as they can't get through the traffic much faster than 30KmH even with the lights going. Two of the bike guys said they rode bikes privately and understood what it was about. What I gathered but can't prove is that there is only one bike riding cop in Auckland who will pull you over and ticket you. I got warned a second time by the same guy so I suspect it's him. I'm sure I only got a warning as I split real cautiously. I've also never had a problem filtering past a police "car", even when they have got free space in a lane and pulled back up beside me. Being on a non-aggressive MB100 might help and reduce the hoon image and therefore the suspected requirement for issuing a ticket. Being an old bastard might help too.
Im an old bastard and I got fined $150 for lanesplitting on the nw m/way by the rosebank interchange all cars were crawling and i was going less that 40kph.he was on a bmw parked up the off ramp waiting for m/cs to lanesplit, For the little time you save I dont think its worth $150

[Deebeeriz]

Im an old bastard and I got fined $150 for lanesplitting on the nw m/way by the rosebank interchange all cars were crawling and i was going less that 40kph.he was on a bmw parked up the off ramp waiting for m/cs to lanesplit, For the little time you save I dont think its worth $150
by the way to catch me had to lane split as well.

[Zed]

We know that bikes get us to work much quicker than any other mode of transport and that it is mainly due to us being able to "change lanes" as we ride through the stopped, stalled and staggering traffic. Filtering is illegal and the cops will nail you for it ... but ... it is usually much safer on a bike in stalled traffic to be moving slowly through the cars than to stop and put your feet down and the cops know it. HOWEVER, there are morons amoungst us who insist on belting down the crash lanes on the motorway and between the car lanes at 60+km/hr and are getting us all a bad rap and are getting the car drivers annoyed. This will incite a clamp down by the cops on ANY filtering if they keep doing it. We get away with filtering simply on tolerance and expedience but like any naughty act, if you push the limit you will get smacked. Treat this "privilege" with some respect and ease up on the throttle and some of the scary stuff designed to annoy other road users. This way we will all still continue to get to and from work in the most efficient way.I lanesplit/filter but don't enjoy it. But I would be even more miserable if I sat in my lane and stop-started with all the cages! :brick:

Lanesplitting requires strict concentration in Auckland peak-hour motorway traffic, not only on the unpredictable vehicles you are passing but also on the whereabouts of the police....I much more enjoy it when the traffic is moving steadily at say 60kms where large gaps occur enabling me to safely & legally indicate and pass cars between the lanes. :rolleyes:

Good thread for your second post Gord!


Zed

[Coldkiwi]

Im an old bastard and I got fined $150 for lanesplitting on the nw m/way by the rosebank interchange all cars were crawling and i was going less that 40kph.he was on a bmw parked up the off ramp waiting for m/cs to lanesplit, For the little time you save I dont think its worth $150

thats a bummer man. I guess I try and split my attention 25% cops, 75% cars. I know the likely spots for the cops so I spend 1/2 of that 25% looking through the traffic to spot unmarked cars etc. and the other half scanning the usual spots.

I know filtering is more dangerous than sitting in my lane (got a stark reminder of that this morning when I underestimated how much a truck was slowing to let someone pull in front- all of a sudden said car was changing lanes beside me! Yikes!)... but I live and have learnt!!

[bgd]

Filtering here (UK) is a way of life if you commute. Depending on traffic I filter for 5-10 miles on my 35 mile journey into work. In fact it was filtering that got me into bikes in the first place. Got tired of sitting in traffic and watching bikes making progress.

On my route I generally find cagers pretty good. They are used to bikes and usually look before lane changing. Only ever had one deliberately move over to stop me. It was 3 guys in van just having a laugh, nothing aggressive and they gave me a wave when I finally got through.

Heard this evening that plod are going to be cracking down on excessive filtering - filtering in excess of the speed limit or filtering at greater than 20mph faster than surrounding traffic.

[Coldkiwi]

Heard this evening that plod are going to be cracking down on excessive filtering - filtering in excess of the speed limit or filtering at greater than 20mph faster than surrounding traffic.

well sod me! that actually sounds like a sensible idea from the cops! unbelievable! :sunny:

[Andrew]

I actually find lane splitting quite addictive. I use to start out splitting at starionary traffic because it was annoying waiting there.

Now I find myself searching for an excuse to lanesplit on the motorway. I will often lanesplit at over 100kph, and obviously theres just no need for it. I see the gap in the traffic and its almost like I have to split.

I've even found myself in situations when there's been a cop parked in rush hour traffic. I've had to restrain myself from even lanesplitting there. The temptation to split, cop turns on his lights and so I split even faster to out run him is just so overwhelming.

Thats why i'm going to go to the other scale of things and just play it really conservatively. I just don't have the discipline anymore to lanesplit a little bit. Its all or nothing.......

[Motoracer]

Have you ever tried lane splitting on the motorway behind two cop cars trying to get to an accident. Bloody effortless and awesome fun too (its not often I get to chase police cars :D)

[Coldkiwi]

of course, you need to make sure they don't get cancelled to the call out because all of a sudden they have nothing to do but bust drivers... *bugger*

[SPman]

Sitting behind a bunch of Hardleys is almost as much fun. Slipstream in that little bubble they leave as they cleave their way through the traffic...

[ManDownUnder]

Or in Kay's case, a "ginger ninja minger"...

Get thee to Auckland and you could stop in at Ninja Burgers...

I wonder if they'd deliver a Ginger Ninja Minger Burger? (I wonder how they'd react to the order...!

:thud:

[jrandom]

I actually find lane splitting quite addictive... I will often lanesplit at over 100kph, and obviously theres just no need for it. I see the gap in the traffic and its almost like I have to split.

The fingers just start twitching, don't they? It takes a conscious effort for me to not 'make my own gaps' at anything under 120-ish.

Maybe if I had a little more delta-v in reserve I wouldn't hate slowing down in a straight line behind cages so much.

[PeteThePom]

Well, from a pommie point of view your all very well behaved when it comes to lane splitting. In the UK my daily commute consisted of 50km's along the M4 each way and I'd happilly lane split at 90mph(relative to the traffic, if traffic was doing 40mph then I'd probably be doing 50mph'ish), yes it was dangerous and yes I'm lucky I didn't get wiped out, although I had a few close calls(which generally slowed me down for a few days) it's very easy to get blase about something that you do every day, twice for half an hour each time. It is VERY good at improving your concentration and reaction times but I wouldn't recommend it to anyone. Yes it probably pissed a few people off but the vast majority either moved out of the way or stayed exactly where they were, because they knew the suss. My attitude? Ride how you want, just dont be suprised when someone kicks you in the teeth!

[Wenier]

Yes i think that idea of the law in england for lanesplitting is a darn good one, also since i ride a bike when in the car i always move to the left so that the bike can get thru, i almost think all the ppl who do that at some stage have had a bike or own one at the time as well. :)

[Holy Roller]

Reading the Kiwi Rider mag the editor has asked the "Police" (the person in charge) about the legality of lane splitting but as yet has not received a reply.
My time in Auckland lane splitting was essential to get to work on time (Dury to Royal Oak) If one did not leave at a time to wake the sparrows. Only got pulled over once. there was an accident on the motorway everything had come to a grinding halt. I slowly made my way to the front where they were letting one car through at a time. The copper ordered me off the road and had to wait 10 mins just sitting there untill he let me past.... go figure :confused:

[Redstar]

Geez, don't be shy man, let it all out.

When I got warned for splitting lanes last June it got me on a mission. I wrote letters to the papers, the AA, and Kiwi Rider. I rang a few traffic stations and talked to the cops. I also took the opportunity to check a few of our fellow bike-riding police officers who I bumped into. Every single one I spoke to said they wouldn't bother with a motorcycle splitting lanes, unless it was stupid, as it was only a $150 fine. The car guys especially as they can't get through the traffic much faster than 30KmH even with the lights going. Two of the bike guys said they rode bikes privately and understood what it was about. What I gathered but can't prove is that there is only one bike riding cop in Auckland who will pull you over and ticket you. I got warned a second time by the same guy so I suspect it's him. I'm sure I only got a warning as I split real cautiously. I've also never had a problem filtering past a police "car", even when they have got free space in a lane and pulled back up beside me. Being on a non-aggressive MB100 might help and reduce the hoon image and therefore the suspected requirement for issuing a ticket. Being an old bastard might help too.sorry but this is utter bollocks the three times I have been done for this offence I was doing about 20klms
the traffic cops on the Motorway gridlock would not make quota without pinging bikes and they exercise zero discreetion they have no place in my heart :angry:

[Lou Girardin]

. I slowly made my way to the front where they were letting one car through at a time. The copper ordered me off the road and had to wait 10 mins just sitting there untill he let me past.... go figure :confused:

You should have asked him what section of the Act allowed him to forbid you to ride for 10 mins. Still, he was probably just doing his job :Police: :Pokey:
Lou

[speedpro]

I've been past police cars splitting lanes without a problem. I don't pass police bikes because of my theory and the impossibility of identifying the officer.The question to Red is - Were you stopped by a car or bike?? Any idea if it was the same police person??