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Fatjim
28th August 2006, 15:15
Scooter riders to keep to the left hand side of the road like cyclists.

Driving around palmy I've seen many scooters riding to the left of the lane (where there is only one lane).

Now the leading cause of motorcycle (yes you are motorcycles) accidents is mum and the kids pulling out in front of you. If you ride to the left it's that much harder for them to see you in time. Cyclists travelling at 20kph are not in so much danger although it still happens to them, but you're riding at 50kph.

Do you self a favour. If you in a 50kph zone and you can get to 50kph, ride in the right hand of the lane. You'll see more and you'll be seen earlier.

James Deuce
28th August 2006, 15:20
The road code says that you have to ride/drive as far to the left as is practicable.

We're technically breaking the law riding in the right hand wheel track, and the (IMHO silly) scooter riders are correct. There was an effort to police the keep left rule and when challenged about the safety of riding in the left hand wheel track (reduced line of sight for people exiting side streets, debris from the gutter, other drivers overtaking inside the same lane), LTNZ effectively went , "buh, buh, buh, buh" and no more was said.

Still technically illegal to ride in the right hand wheel track.

Wasp
28th August 2006, 15:26
stuff riding on the left, specialy around corners.

If a car is passing you cos your on the left and going too slow uphill and a car coming the other way is over the centre line then the car next to you is going to swerve left out of the way of the on comming car and your gonna get knocked off your scooter and go over the fucking edge. :ar15:

I tried to explain the above to a scooter rider after witnessing him being passed up hill on corners cos he was on the left, well he didnt listen and in short to me he was a better rider than I was and to fuck off - oh well mate it your life and your kids and wife that your going to leave behind.

deathstar
28th August 2006, 15:27
worst part is i have seen at least 3 auckland scooter riders filtering up the left hand side in the gutter when there is at least 3 feet on the right hand ... you have to shout just to get through to them they have done something both stupid and wrong

Karma
28th August 2006, 15:39
you have to shout just to get through to them they have done something both stupid and wrong

pot



kettle



black



but to be honest most of the scooter riders I've seen have been jap chicks wearing an open face helmet, skirt and flimsy jacket. You think these people really care which side of the road they ride on, whichever way they bin they're ending up with skin grafts.

Fatjim
28th August 2006, 15:48
I've never seen a copper keep left. Let alone the public. If they did then lane splitting would not be illegal.

Squeak the Rat
28th August 2006, 16:04
A lot of scooter riders don't do any training. You only need a car licence to get a fiddy cc scooter, so a lot of people simply apply the only two wheel skills they know ie. riding their pushbike up against the gutter because the car rules the road.

The sensible ones learn how to ride, either formally, or by talking to other riders, or logging on here.

Don't hug the curb guys. Cars can't see you. And it also encourages people to pass you in your lane which can be quite hairy. Having said that, go with the speed of the traffic. If you are too scared to do this then practice, practice, practice until you are confident (and get some good protective gear).

:done:

mstriumph
28th August 2006, 16:09
The road code says that you have to ride/drive as far to the left as is practicable.

We're technically breaking the law riding in the right hand wheel track, and the (IMHO silly) scooter riders are correct. There was an effort to police the keep left rule and when challenged about the safety of riding in the left hand wheel track (reduced line of sight for people exiting side streets, debris from the gutter, other drivers overtaking inside the same lane), LTNZ effectively went , "buh, buh, buh, buh" and no more was said.

Still technically illegal to ride in the right hand wheel track.


not illegal in Aus. - here motorcyles are exempt from that rule

Squeak the Rat
28th August 2006, 16:10
not illegal in Aus. - here motorcyles are exempt from that rule

We only copy the stupid aussie laws. Not the sensible ones.

Filterer
28th August 2006, 16:25
Yip as wasp said I wouldnt be seen dead riding on the left hand side of a lane if I was holding up traffic on a scooter/bike unless there was enough room for a car and motorbike in one lane

Overwise if a car goes to overtake you then realises there aint enough room left to complete the oass you can bet you bottom dollar that they would rather push you off the side of the road then have a head on and fair enough really.

So I always try to make sure that if anyone tries to apss me on the bike then they go right over into the other lane as if they were passing another car

Jantar
28th August 2006, 16:41
There is some very good advice, and some very bad advice in this thread. If travelling at the same speed as other traffic then definitely stay in the right hand wheel track, but if you are slower than the other traffic, then move left and let them pass. As soon as the faster vehicle has passed then check your six and move back to the right hand wheel track. Holding up traffic is not the way to earn the respect of other road users.

Fatjim
28th August 2006, 17:05
yep I agree.

But... you should be able to go 50 on the flat/downhill. Only uphill is there an excuss to have to pull over.

Motu
28th August 2006, 17:27
My brother and sister in law used to have a Honda C50 each,they called them gutter bikes because that's what they did....ride them in the gutter.I'm terribly sorry,but both are still alive and kicking.

bell
28th August 2006, 17:52
I believe "holding up the traffic" is what Mr Plod would make the effort to book you for doing if you were riding your scooter/motorcycle/slow vehicle in any position on the road that was preventing other road users from passing you. Sure, there's lots of variables in there but that's the only time I'd think a ticket was fair.

And if you're the parent of a young person who rides a scooter and you let them ride it without gloves and/or anything more than shorts/t-shirt/miniskirt/ school uniform on, then you need to slap yourself in the head quite hard until you wake up to the fact that they are vulnerable and deserve decent gear.

James Deuce
28th August 2006, 18:21
I've never seen a copper keep left. Let alone the public. If they did then lane splitting would not be illegal.

The way most people do lane splitting it isn't. If you pass a vehicle on the right in the same lane it is technically legal. If you pass on the left of a vehicle in the same lane you gets a pretty ticket to frame.

awesker
28th August 2006, 19:00
Scooter riders to keep to the left hand side of the road like cyclists.

you tend to get the idea after seeing hordes of cars starting to pile up behind you..

RantyDave
28th August 2006, 19:08
Scooter riders to keep to the left hand side of the road like cyclists.
Nobody does, this is the point of scooters. You can do down the shops, pay yer cash, and zoom off round town treating it like a bike with a hairdryer in it. I can't start to tell you how horrified I was, learning to ride a proper bike and thinking back to how I had ridden my scooter....

Dave

Filterer
28th August 2006, 19:53
There is some very good advice, and some very bad advice in this thread. If travelling at the same speed as other traffic then definitely stay in the right hand wheel track, but if you are slower than the other traffic, then move left and let them pass. As soon as the faster vehicle has passed then check your six and move back to the right hand wheel track. Holding up traffic is not the way to earn the respect of other road users.

yes and no, if traffic can't get past you then pull over and stop - i agree. I was trying to say there is no way that I would want a car trying to squeese past me when there isn't room for them to do so because your the one that will come off worst everytime if it turns pear shaped

James Deuce
28th August 2006, 19:58
There is some very good advice, and some very bad advice in this thread. If travelling at the same speed as other traffic then definitely stay in the right hand wheel track, but if you are slower than the other traffic, then move left and let them pass. As soon as the faster vehicle has passed then check your six and move back to the right hand wheel track. Holding up traffic is not the way to earn the respect of other road users.

Wasn't giving advice on what to do, was giving advice on what is considered correct legally.

I travel in the right hand wheel track if it is appropriate to do so and will not be modifying my behaviour.

You're completely incorrect in a practical sense about what to do if you are travelling slower than the flow of traffic. Long experience has taught me that it must be correct form to hold as many people up as long as possible. Kiwis don't drive to earn respect, they drive to teach everybody else how to drive and will impose their interpretation of the speed limit at will.

Don't forget to drive your truck at 90km/hr in the right hand lane of the motorway people. You can do what you want after all.

Dodger
29th August 2006, 08:51
Well here goes.
I have a 50cc scooter and weigh over 100KG.
as such it takes quite some time to get up to 50kph on the flat.

Taking the above into account and the issue that no cages drive at 50 in a 50 (most travel at 60) it's safer for me to be over to the left hand side until I get the scooter up to speed. Once im at 55-60 I'll move out into the centre as I'm no longer holding up traffic. :scooter:
Biggest problem I find is that it's hard to find a flat road, most have a slight incline, which on a 50cc slows you down. (going the other direction is another matter; and much more fun)

On the plus side I have found that the scooter will stop VERY well in an emergency. (front disc)
I only use my scooter to pop down to the shops and other short trips.

Fatjim
29th August 2006, 11:35
Dodger it's time for a turbo, or a diet till you can get a thou. Everybody knows fat people ride thou's.

James Deuce
29th August 2006, 11:41
You're a prince among men FJ. See? I'm NOT fat.

Dodger
29th August 2006, 13:42
I've brought a Hyosung GT250 for starters :)

The Wop
29th August 2006, 15:02
Since going on a rider safety course and as I do ride a scooter capable of 100km/h, I always ride the right-hand wheel track. It is clearly the best place to be. I got caught out a week ago when I went for a ride on my pushbike (for the first time in ages) and was holding up traffic doing 30km/h and hogging the RH wheel track! Habit!!

bungbung
29th August 2006, 15:33
You're a prince among men FJ. See? I'm NOT fat.


if 1000cc is +1 fat, then you must be 75% fat.

James Deuce
29th August 2006, 17:14
Said yet another +1 fat bloke.

Street Gerbil
29th August 2006, 21:28
The road code says that you have to ride/drive as far to the left as is practicable.

We're technically breaking the law riding in the right hand wheel track, and the (IMHO silly) scooter riders are correct.

As one who just passed the scratch test, I say you are wrong. You are supposed to keep as left as practiceable on unmarked roads. Otherwise you are supposed to ride in the right hand wheel track and there is a question in the scratch tast regarding that. So ride worry-free - you are not breaking any rules here.

James Deuce
29th August 2006, 21:30
You must have missed hte stink about it about 8 months ago when they threatened to start enforcing the keep left rule and the roundabout indicating rule, Street Gerbil.

I'm off to dig out the traffic regs because I think you'll find the scratchy test is actually wrong.

Ixion
29th August 2006, 22:02
No. The Road Code says to ride in the right wheel track. Which is blatently contradictory to the law which says to keep to the left of the lane. I rang the LTSA and asked "how come". They said "wibble wibble wibble".

James Deuce
29th August 2006, 22:03
That's it Ixion. if I remember rightly we had the same brain fart about this issue and got the same response.

Fatjim
30th August 2006, 10:16
Well lets see. We can

a. Keep left, keep to the letter of the law, and get knocked off our bikes.
or
b. Keep right, use the road code as a cpretty damn good defense and be safe(r).


mmmmmm, I need to think about that.

NOT!

Motu
30th August 2006, 10:24
Keep left, keep to the letter of the law, and get knocked off our bikes.


Only if you want to,it's not compulsory - I don't think every rider who keeps left has been knocked off their bike,you do have some control over the situation.Defeatist attitude.

The Wop
30th August 2006, 10:50
Only if you want to,it's not compulsory - I don't think every rider who keeps left has been knocked off their bike,you do have some control over the situation.Defeatist attitude.
The chances of being knocked off if someone is driving beside you are infinitely higher than if they are behind you! I don't believe that you have that much control. What can you do if the car suddenly swerves at you to avoid oncoming traffic? Prayer is not a strategy!

I would much prefer not to have any cars passing me and that is why I ride a scooter that will keep up in most situations....

oldrider
30th August 2006, 10:55
When riding one way bridges I stay on the right side because I have had smart pricks come onto the bridge because they think there is room for them because you are just a bike and should move over!
This happens mostly on wider one way bridges and mainly in the South Island.
Perhaps they feel safe to approach because of my friendly features and smile! :angry: Cheers John.

James Deuce
30th August 2006, 10:58
Had that done to me on one near Kumara. I stopped. Got off. Asked them to back up off the bridge. Gotta love dark visors.

Ixion
30th August 2006, 11:42
Hm. Do I see a wee bitty contradictionette here.

On the one hand as bikers we are very worried about riding in the left of the lane, because a car might come up alongside us, and we would be riding along with a car only a foot or so from our right hand side. Very dangerous, very dangerous, can't have that.

But, on the other hand we as bikers happily , even enthusiatically lanesplit, where we have a car only a foot or so from our right side. And, indeed, another car only a foot or so from our left side, too.

Control your road, is the only rule. Ride where it works for you. I ride right wheel track, left wheel track, centre lane, in the gutter even. So long as you are where YOU decide to put yourself. Everything else is incidental, just part of the road's rich tapestry.

Street Gerbil
30th August 2006, 13:50
You must have missed hte stink about it about 8 months ago when they threatened to start enforcing the keep left rule and the roundabout indicating rule, Street Gerbil.

I'm off to dig out the traffic regs because I think you'll find the scratchy test is actually wrong.

Hey, I wasn't even in NZ 8 months ago :-) so I must have missed all the fun. IMO the part about indicating on roundabouts makes perfect sense. Regarding the right hand side wheel line, I may be wrong but then so is scratch test, since I had 100% of correct answers and the bitch didn't even bother to commend me for my excellent knowledge of the road code LOL.
Personally, I prefer to fluctuate slightly (15-20 cm) from the right hand side towards the middle of the lane and back to make myself more noticeable, but that's my personal preference. I am not sure how road police would appreciate this particular style. One thing for certain: riding near the curb is dangerous (especially at warm weather when all the busty tourists show up and ruin my concentration).

James Deuce
30th August 2006, 14:04
Hey I don't disagree with the method, man :)

The law, in this case, is an ass.

Fred50
30th August 2006, 21:22
Well I ride middle of the lane but very aware that this is where the white paint is and the oil patches BUT this is more old Pommie stuff as Jap imports don't drop so much oil these days. I drop back and right approaching intersections so that approaching vehicles can see you and don't turn in front of you. I don't ride the gutter. If I'm doing 40kph into a string head wind up hill well tough go round or stay behind. I've ridden heaps of bikes over 40+ years starting on a "real" moped and now ride a 50cc scooter but always have "owned my bit of road. I followed a 12oocc real bike home tonight after I moved over at the lights to share my lane with him. After a few sets of lights he got the hang of sharing the lane space and when I pulled into my drive we were still together so it isn't all about size and speed. Be courteous but own your own safety zone.