Lane splitting/filtering: the legal and commonsense answers

**howdamnhard** · 14th June 2007, 00:53

Thanks to the female biker who taught me how to lane split tonight,through Aucklands rush hour traffic.

Thanks for waiting when I was to chicken to go past the occasional truck or bus.It was a scary rush for this first timer.

I noticed most cagers obligly got out of the way but the odd few try block you.

**90s** · 16th June 2007, 23:13

Originally Posted by howdamnhard

Thanks to the female biker who taught me how to lane split tonight,through Aucklands rush hour traffic.

Thanks for waiting when I was to chicken to go past the occasional truck or bus.It was a scary rush for this first timer.

I noticed most cagers obligly got out of the way but the odd few try block you.

I still think that hardly any try to block you in open traffic (lights maybe sometimes ... ) but never forget - they really can't see us, really don't look, and really do weave randomly as they reach for the aircon/ipod/mobile/lipstick ...

never forget - they WILL do stupid unlikey things. Its not a video game.

**MBSteve** · 16th August 2007, 15:20

Ah yes, here we go with another lane splitting post.

Just as I was getting on the motorway this morning in rush hour Auckland traffic, a motorway patrol police car pulled in right behind me. I am on my learners, with a little 150 RGV two stroke. I have been going on the motorway to work every morning for two months and have been lane splitting all that time. Now the cop right behind me made me nervous since I am on my learners on the motorway (although it is not expressly forbidden) and the fact that I want to get to work faster and the cop behind me is not going to like it if I am weaving in and out of the lanes like a seamster on acid. So I kinda just sat in the slow lane going 10 km/h for a while, after a while the cop changed lanes and ended up a few cars ahead of me. I stayed put in my lane. Then, in the span of three minutes, 4 bikes was splitting right past the cop either because they saw the cop too late or they just didn't care. They were on the right side of the centre line and did not have their indicators on to show that they were overtaking, as was sugested in this forum. The cop didn't care and just let them go by without any issue.

So I now believe that, unless they can catch you (bike cops etc), they won't try... awesome....

**discotex** · 16th August 2007, 17:54

I must've splitted past 10 cops in the last 3 months alone. As long as you're not being a dick I think they've got better things to worry about.

**Deviant** · 8th October 2007, 20:30

Has anyone here clipped a car or mirror while splitting? That's what has put me off doing it at all but the most obviously safe of times. I'm paranoid of being "that asshole biker who clipped my mirror" and giving everyone a bad name.

I've seen other bikers come pretty damn close.

**swbarnett** · 8th October 2007, 20:59

Originally Posted by Deviant

Has anyone here clipped a car or mirror while splitting? That's what has put me off doing it at all but the most obviously safe of times. I'm paranoid of being "that asshole biker who clipped my mirror" and giving everyone a bad name.

I've seen other bikers come pretty damn close.

In the last year I've clipped two mirrors. Not nice when it happens but no big deal really. Just means I wasn't paying enough attention at the time. It's a warning sign to pull my head in and stop day dreaming. If you're careful and always err on the side of going slower than you really need to through the gap there's no reason why you shouldn't get away with never touching another vehicle in any way.

**Deviant** · 8th October 2007, 21:30

How'd the car owners react? I bet they were pissed off... if I was a cager who'd never ridden a bike, and you clipped my baby, I'd be wild.

**swbarnett** · 9th October 2007, 17:39

Originally Posted by Deviant

How'd the car owners react? I bet they were pissed off... if I was a cager who'd never ridden a bike, and you clipped my baby, I'd be wild.

They both smiled. I only just touched them with the rubber of the hand grip so no damage done. Don't think it even left a mark.

**XP@** · 18th October 2007, 22:38

I used to think that there were some real nutters lanesplitting out there. It was apparent that anyone faster than me must be a total nutter!

Soon I began to find that there were some really slow splitters out there, darn annoying nanas if you ask me!

A while later I realised the world consisted of about 50% Nanas and 50% Nutters.

Time went by and the nutters started to disappear. I then realise if all the nutters have gone and the world is full of nanas where does that leave me?

Originally Posted by Deviant

Has anyone here clipped a car or mirror while splitting? That's what has put me off doing it at all but the most obviously safe of times. I'm paranoid of being "that asshole biker who clipped my mirror" and giving everyone a bad name.

I've seen other bikers come pretty damn close.

Clipped one once in the UK (near Fat Tonies place), I was not lane splitting, just got too close. I guess they were doing about 50mph towards me, I was doing around 115mph (throttle pinned open on my 350ypvs). I did not stop.

**steveb64** · 21st October 2007, 11:12

Originally Posted by surfchick

I lane split if the cars are banking up on the NW. If she's grinding on stop start I'll ride in line w the cars till they grind stopped again then lane split till the cars are up & running again. quite mild mannered am i... seen a red Duc carving up regular. even when the cars are going OK.

both of us still seem to be shiny side up, so each to their own!

Ever stopped to think that there MAY be a reason for the Duc slicing through the traffic? Like he CAN'T go any slower? I have this problem with mine - not so bad since I went up 2 teeth on rear sprocket - used to have a minimum speed of 50kph with standard gearing - now it's down to 30kph.

Trouble is - it's also got a dry clutch, which dies if being slipped too much, so minimum (speed I can ride WITHOUT slipping/riding clutch) is 30... And YES - I've had to replace a clutch after being caught in traffic - not stop start, doing about 10 - 15 kph. When the temperature started nudging into the red - I gave up and started lane splitting - going as slow as I could without slipping the clutch...

Clutch was never the same afterwards tho...

**Scout** · 29th October 2007, 11:07

Originally Posted by Deviant

Has anyone here clipped a car or mirror while splitting? That's what has put me off doing it at all but the most obviously safe of times. I'm paranoid of being "that asshole biker who clipped my mirror" and giving everyone a bad name.

I've seen other bikers come pretty damn close.

I've watched a Guy Splitting following another Motorcyclist Reach out and thump a Young Guys mirror for changing lanes in front of them once, they were doing in excess of 20k's faster than traffic and think that he was totally unreasonable as the Lad would never have seen him, the Guy that got cut off didnt even blink.

**HungusMaximist** · 29th October 2007, 12:34

^ Yea, I remember posting here about how I have clipped a few mirrors while filtering through traffic.

You gotta be careful in those situations aye, because the cages could get your rego and come after you with shotgun or something.

In the times that I did it, I just quickly waved sorry as I was passing by and farked off asap just in case they come after me.

Yup, I felt pretty guilty but it's one of the things you'll encounter sooner or later while filtering.

**unhingedlizard** · 29th October 2007, 13:14

Last mirror i clipped was a plumber on the way home. Only one ive clipped actually. Pulled into the side of the road as Id actually cracked it. Stupid flat mirrors. Anyway guy was good about it and took down insurance details but didnt hear a think about it. Gave me a hell of a fright, him too.

**Mikkel** · 20th December 2007, 08:24

Dunno if this page has been linked earlier in this thread. Can't be arsed to check and anyway it won't do any harm to repost it:

http://www.ksrc-au.com/index.php?menuid=21