Lanesplitting - who does it and who's been snapped doing it?

**vifferman** · 8th December 2010, 18:58

I lane-split to the front of traffic light queues regularly (because it takes so long for the queue of cars to get going, and because I don't like breathing their fumes as they do), but lane-split on the motorway only if the traffic's barely moving, and i try to stay in the right-hand side of the lane, with my right indicator on, and keep the delta between my speed and theirs as small as possible. (Difficult, as car drivers tend to stay to the right-hand side of lanes, despite "keep left" being supposedly mandatory). One of the main reasons I lanesplit is because I can, with a secondary consideration being that the VFR's side-mounted radiators are inefficient when travelling in a column of traffic, where the entrained air means no airflow through the rads, so no cooling.
I've been pulled up twice for lane-splitting, but that was 10 years ago. The first time, the bikey cop just screamed at me while frothing at the mouth. The second time a few months after that, the cop was very nice, and said he only pulled me over because I failed to indicate. I had an in-depth discussion with him about lane-splitting, passing on the left, etc. No ticket on either occasion.

**AD345** · 8th December 2010, 19:18

Sometimes do, sometimes don't. Not being a commuter I generally try to avoid the mororway during heavy traffic times but sometimes ya just gotta go when ya gotta go.

I've been passed on a few occasion when feeling pretty relaxed about it and then on others I've been a lane splitting demon. It does tend to make the motorway pretty short....

Mind you I rode with a crew out of Mt Eden, across the city and out to Albany a few weeks back that take lane splitting to a whole new level. It made for an interesting ride

**Slyer** · 8th December 2010, 19:21

Nah, far too dangerous.
I heard a friend of mine got pregnant from doing it once.

Just not worth it aye.

**SMOKEU** · 8th December 2010, 19:46

The highway patrol didn't care when I was lanesplitting right in front of them.

**robo555** · 8th December 2010, 19:54

Originally Posted by PirateJafa

Hey, fair is fair. If they're willing to turn their car off and push it across the intersection, then I'd have no problem with that either.

Someone been watching Mr. Bean?

**Bulldog** · 8th December 2010, 20:07

do it everyday along western motorway and then through town. I go blatently past cops in traffic, not speeding, I just don't slow down. Never, not once in 6+ years of commuting have I been nicked or even given a warning.

I think the point is it's luck of the draw on how the cop reads the situation.

**BIG DOUG** · 8th December 2010, 20:08

I do it everyday,this is why I ride a bike to work if I had to sit in a car I would have killed somebody by now and I have followed the traffic officer on the BMW lane splitting and at the same time he was checking wof's as he went past wobbling all over the road ,whats good for the goose is good for the gander.

**Babelfish** · 8th December 2010, 20:10

Hey grease girl, what do you ride in welly? Brutale? I think I saw you splitting earlier this week....and followed you into town on the RC51.

The reason I say this is that I can see why they ticketed you

**st00ji** · 8th December 2010, 20:14

well, share the reason!

ps, i always split at lights, though i try to avoid pushing my way into moving traffic - i like to get to the front and take off, so no driver can feel inconvenienced. on the motorway i'll split up to about 80k before merging back in. have never been stopped for it.

i did once get told off for riding quite a way up a median strip, which i guess is fair enough

**sinned** · 8th December 2010, 20:15

It could have been time to book a girl on a nice MV Agusta Brutale. Sometimes any reason is good enough.

**Babelfish** · 8th December 2010, 20:18

Originally Posted by st00ji

well, share the reason!

...I had to switch from mild mannered commuter to full retard to catch up...

**skinman** · 8th December 2010, 20:31

I split whenever I feel it is safe(ish) to do so. Before the new moterway link was opened to Onehunga did many k's between cars, passing cops & stuff, no probs. did clip the odd mirror though.
Now still do at the merge southbound to the southern. Am quite naughty & pass on the left between the cars & the cones. Today there was a cop in the line so & got in line about 6 cars behind till after the merge when I passed him while splitting but not on the left of the cars if you know what I mean.
Knocked over one of the cones the other day, car moved over on me. Lucky bike is so heavy hardly even felt a bump.

**Gremlin** · 8th December 2010, 22:16

Right side of middle lane (or left lane in 2 lanes) is pretty legal.
Left side of fast lane (or right lane) is not legal, and called undertaking.

In essence, its kinda like a splitting tax. Been done once for it probably about 4-5 years ago, but I was going too quick for sure. Also got pulled up and warned for being too enthusiastic in traffic a few months ago, not splitting, just using gaps in all 3 lanes to move through traffic and indicating. Bike cop felt the pace was akin to him attending an emergency with lights.

A warning and I was on my way (albeit slower).