Hogs and filtering

[Griff]

Serious set of questions.
When I am filtering and come upon a Hog Rider, I usually position behind and to one side until I get noticed and then gently scoot past.

Q1. How do you Harley-type guys feel about filtering?
Q2. Do you find that your bars are too wide to go for the small gaps?
Q3. Doesn't sitting low (feet first), give you less of a view of traffic?
Q4. Do you get low speed, stability issues?
Q5. Do you worry about avoiding cars and still maintaining ground clearance?

For info, when I am filtering on a sports bike, I have to remember to keep my weight on the bars as minimal as possible, which means gripping the tank with my knees and taking the weight in the lower back. Flickability and braking is not a problem, nor is visibility (using the sit-up "meer-cat" position).

Ta.

[McJim]

Why do you ask Griff? Are you thinking about getting a Cruiser or just prodding the anthill with a stick?

I wonder if this is another shameless troll.

[Swoop]

An interesting question. I await answers from their riders.

[Griff]

Why do you ask Griff? Are you thinking about getting a Cruiser or just prodding the anthill with a stick?
I wonder if this is another shameless troll.

No, not this time. I think it would be helpful to understand (Filtering) life from their side of the fence, thats all.

** I promise that I will NOT use this for trolling, Scoots Honour **

[Macktheknife]

Never found it a problem, visibility is all good, occasionally there is a gap that looks a bit small but a simple rev to let them know I am there usually sorts that out. Cruisers are generally pretty stable at lower speeds, often more so than sprots bikes, as for ground clearance, that's just silly.

[Virago]

...I think it would be helpful to understand (Filtering) life from their side of the fence...

Fence? What fence?

[The Lone Rider]

Filtering? You mean lane splitting and such?

I dont do it except for when there is a car turning but has stopped to wait for passing traffic, or if there is a hold up in a lane from cars wanting to merge into a turning lane.

I dont not do it because my bars are too wide. I don't not do it because theres no stability going slowly. I don't not do it because I can't see.

I don't do it because on the off chance someone in a car decides to quickly change lanes due to being sick of waiting in traffic or someone decides to open a door to let someone out since the traffic aint moving.. I will be in some serious pain

Ground clearance? What the hell? Cruisers arent THAT low to the ground that you can't do small direction changes in smallish spaces.

[Angusdog]

Highway pegs make good width gauges

Plus drivers assume you're a dreaded bikie, so don't close the gap.

[vifferman]

Cruisers should be more stable - not less - when going slow, as the longer wheelbase, rake and trail make for better stability than a sprotsbike.

[Griff]

Cruisers should be more stable - not less - when going slow, as the longer wheelbase, rake and trail make for better stability than a sprotsbike.

Not according to Llama sola

I dont not do it because my bars are too wide. I don't not do it because theres no stability going slowly. I don't not do it because I can't see.

[outlawtorn]

Serious set of questions.
When I am filtering and come upon a Hog Rider, I usually position behind and to one side until I get noticed and then gently scoot past.

Q1. How do you Harley-type guys feel about filtering?
Q2. Do you find that your bars are too wide to go for the small gaps?
Q3. Doesn't sitting low (feet first), give you less of a view of traffic?
Q4. Do you get low speed, stability issues?
Q5. Do you worry about avoiding cars and still maintaining ground clearance?

For info, when I am filtering on a sports bike, I have to remember to keep my weight on the bars as minimal as possible, which means gripping the tank with my knees and taking the weight in the lower back. Flickability and braking is not a problem, nor is visibility (using the sit-up "meer-cat" position).

Ta.

I don't ride a HD, but to answer your questions:
Q1. Filtering isn't a problem on a cruiser, although sportsbikes are thinner we can normally filter easily and a little blat of the V&H's will soon let people know that I am near.
Q2. The wide bar have caused a few scary moments, but normally it's my mirrors that smack the side mirrors of 4x4's, because we all know 4x4 drivers own the road.
Q3. Seating position doesn't really effect your view of what's ahead, at least not dramatically.
Q4. My Volusia is very stable at low speeds, I can quite happily filter along at low speeds
Q5. Ground clearance also isn't an issue.

I filter everyday and use my Volusia, so far so good, no problems there. I have added extra spotlights to the front of my bike for increased visibility by drivers, not for me and added the lovely V&H pipes to make a more audible presence.

Cheers
J.

[rainman]

Serious set of questions.
When I am filtering and come upon a Hog Rider, I usually position behind and to one side until I get noticed and then gently scoot past.

Q1. How do you Harley-type guys feel about filtering?
Q2. Do you find that your bars are too wide to go for the small gaps?
Q3. Doesn't sitting low (feet first), give you less of a view of traffic?
Q4. Do you get low speed, stability issues?
Q5. Do you worry about avoiding cars and still maintaining ground clearance?

Not a Hog rider but I commute in to the city every day on a mid-weight Jap cruiser. (Don't think I would if I could afford a HD, for a range of reasons!)

Q1. Like all things riding-related, I do it carefully.
Q2. No. But I don't have ape-hangers. If the gaps too small, I don't go for it, waiting for it to clear only takes a few secs.
Q3. No. The VZ is about an inch lower in the seat than my GN was. But then again I'm fairly tall.
Q4. No. As others have pointed out, cruisers are plenty stable at low speed. I can sit comfortably at 50 in the 'burbs (or even 40 in a school zone in the mornings) with no issues.
Q5. P/T, right?

The VZ is only a bit over 200kgs, so I can move it around pretty easily in a pinch. Mercifully haven't had too many close calls but have had to move aside for a few inconsiderate baastids and so far have managed with room to spare.

When you say you "scoot past" what's your typical splitting speed down the motorway?

[Griff]

When you say you "scoot past" what's your typical splitting speed down the motorway?

Usually I filter above 40kph, depending on the SH1 conditions.

[rainman]

Usually I filter above 40kph, depending on the SH1 conditions.

I suppose I filter at around 40-50kph, as you say depends on conditions. If the cars are stopped and it's dry and not windy and I've had my coffee it may be closer to 50, and if the traffic is flowing even slowly I am more than likely to just merge back in.

Unless by "above 40kph" you mean you're one of those nutters that fly past at about 80...?

[peasea]

An interesting question. I await answers from their riders.

I use bus lanes, emergency lanes, whatever gap I can fit through. I have even used the footpath on occasion. Only had one ticket for using the emergency lane so why not? The odds are in my favour and it saves hours......

The one time I did get plucked I was actually only in the e/l for a few hundred metres coz I'd been stuck in holiday-w/e traffic, squeezing the clutch, for about ten k's. I gave my aching hand a rest and bingo! Did my excuse do any good? No. (Ka-ching.)

Still, for the one-fifty it cost me I reckon all the times I do it and get away with it the deal probably comes down to about 50c per offence.