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 .

[jrandom]

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

Erm.



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 .

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.

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 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.

[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.

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 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.

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.

[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' 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