Filtering

[FEINT]

I am a newbie, so I thought I better post in this forum.

Anybody know the rules, tips & tricks to filtering? I started riding my CBR250RR to uni and back yesterday, and I found it quite hard to filter. Mainly because the gap between two cars on the motorway isn't very large. I also found that I cant actually ride in the same lane as a car, as they are sometimes on the RIGHT HAND SIDE of their lane.

On the way home, I was on the LEFT HAND SIDE of the right lane and that wasn't much easier. The cars seems too close to fit. However, a Yamaha R6 (I think) came by and was filtering, so I followed him. He swayed between the left and right lane, is that normal?

WHich way do I indicate and when?

When there is a traffic lights, are we allowed to ride down the middle of waiting traffic to the front of the line?

Any tips and tricks?

Thanks.

[Posh Tourer :P]

You are allowed to ride between lanes of STOPPED traffic. As soon as it starts moving, you must be in a lane. You must not go more than 10kmh faster than surrounding traffic. You should be on the right of a lane of traffic, not the left.

Those are the rules I remember....

As for gaps, filtering isnt an easy thing to do when traffic is moving. Dont do it unless you have lightning reflexes and a sixth sense, or you'll get hurt (you might anyway). I do it anyway and have been lucky, but I had to put that warning in there. You will find you get progressively more crazy in your filtering if you do it a lot (I have), so those supposedly un-usable gaps become like lanes unto themselves. Of course, sometimes the cars *are* actually too close to fit, so it is a good idea to try and hold off this for as long as possible, so you dont become one of those who filters "like a crazed weasel on P" before you have attendant reflexes and experience.

Tips? If there is a gap that a car *might possibly maybe just* want to move into, dont split past the car, go *in* the gap. That way you are already further away from them if they do move. If you split/filter, do it between two cars, not between a car and a gap, for the same reasons (yes I know you might get sandwiched, but thats the risk, and I think it is a lesser one).
Swaying between lanes is normal, you should indicate for three seconds before you change lanes (technically).
When you get to the front of a set of lights after splitting, go into a lane, otherwise you might get swarmed by bastards in black Jeep Cherokees who think their V8 petrol turbos are penis enlargers.....
If you see a cop, be nice. You cant tell if he's going to yell at you, or just let you go.

I notice that often Auckland drivers sit to the right of their lanes, maybe because they can't tell where the left corner of their car is and think the are middling it. Splitting to the left is bad and more illegal, but sometimes easier. Again, just dont do it in front of a cop. If you are splitting, go for a bigger gap rather than a legal one.

Did that help?

[FROSTY:Me]

ride with your hands covering your brake and clutch lever.
As PT said It gets easier but basicly at your level of experience i'd say DONT DO IT
gET SOME MORE TIME RIDING BEFORE GETTING INTO FILTERING SERIOUSLY.
I filter every day 30km each way too and from work and it can be totally insane.
You need to be able to read what 10 cars in front and 2 cars to the side are doing so you can anticipate any moves they might make.
That said Theres a certain predictable movement in traffic
for example the far left lane on the NW motorway always flows 30km/h faster than the other traffic between waterview offramp and waterview onramp ditto from western springs to the newton offramp. By knowing that you can make sure youre in the best place to take advantage of these movements.
I tried 2 types of filtering one just taking advantage of stopped traffic and faster lane movement
then being insane splitting lanes like made and swinging from side to side of the road.
Funny thing was it made stuff all difference - about 3 minutes on a 30km ride.

[jrandom]

Crazed weasels on P, represent!

Um.

Like them other guys just said, don't push yourself to filter. If you do, look at the gaps, not the cars, and don't let the red mist come down. Do whatever you need to, move between lanes at will. It's impossible to keep it strictly legal. Don't bother trying.

Just don't do it past coppers unless there is no chance of them following you, and even then, remember that they might see your rego plate and ping you with a ticket in the mail later. Best option, sit in traffic when around them.

Your bike control needs to be totally subconscious and automatic. Do plenty of riding in relaxed situations, practice stopping as quickly as possible, and don't ever push the limits too hard all at one time.

I classify filtering by speed differential. Less than 30kph faster than the cars around you is slow and safe. Up to 50 or so is medium pace, and you need good reflexes. Above 60, anything up to 80 or thereabouts, is very fast filtering and you better have a sharp-handling bike, the reflexes of a champion table tennis player and a hefty dose of luck. Any differential above 80 is suicide and stupidity. I normally filter up to a 40 or so differential.

Have fun, and always err on the side of safety.

[NC]

Watch and be alert to traffic turning into other lanes..

And watch for other motorbikes filtering too, you don't wanna knock one of us off

[vifferman]

Funny thing was it made stuff all difference - about 3 minutes on a 30km ride.

That's a key point.
Yeah, it's 'fun' filtering, but it's also very dangerous. It would be wise to treat it as you do overtaking: ask yourself before you do it, "Do I really need to it?":spudwhat:
( or maybe even, "Do ya feel lucky, Punk? Well do ya?!?")

I used to filter quite frequently, but now I just leave a few minutes earlier, and don't bother, unless the traffic's espcially slow-moving or stopped, and starting to piss me off. The VFR gets hot in traffic very quickly, so that's been an extra reason lately to filter, usually on the way home.

[FEINT]

I am on the North Shore, so I ride down to the city in the morning and back in the afternoon. I started doing this yesterday. As you know yesterday was raining and traffic was worse than normal.

I find changing lanes on a bike easier than on a car. I also found that on the far right lane, it is better for me to sit on the left hand wheel track of the car in front of me.

If it is legal to split down 2 lanes of traffic when they are waiting for the lights, is it legal to drive down the left or right hand side and then move in front of cars at the lights?

If you are filtering and you are switching from lane to lane with your indicator going, and there are no gaps between the traffic for you to go back in to, do you just stay on the line and try to fit behind the cars?

It is ILLEGAL to ride on the far right hand side of the motorway right?

Thanks alot for your comments,

[vifferman]

If it is legal to split down 2 lanes of traffic when they are waiting for the lights, is it legal to drive down the left or right hand side and then move in front of cars at the lights?

Strictly speaking, it's not legal to split down 2 lanes of traffic when they are waiting for the lights, but it's unlikely you'll get ticketed for it. It's also "less illegal" (if there is such a thing) if you stay in the lane and pass to the left of the cars in the lane.

If you are filtering and you are switching from lane to lane with your indicator going, and there are no gaps between the traffic for you to go back in to, do you just stay on the line and try to fit behind the cars?

Yes.

It is ILLEGAL to ride on the far right hand side of the motorway right?

Yes.

[slob]

I've toned down my filtering heaps now - only do it if traffic's stopped or really slow (e.g. 10kmph). What used to be exciting is now a bit stressfull - guess I'm getting old now. I was overtaken by a another bike filtering really aggressively in peak hour traffic on the Southern motorway a few days ago near Greenlane. When I got to the lights at Nelson street in town he was there waiting i.e. it didn't make a difference at all to our arrival times!

[Biff]

My Rules when filtering/splitting:

Slowly - less than 40K's (very slowly when passing police cars).
Carefully.
Keeping my brakes covered.
Keeping my horn covered.
Being particularly careful when there are gaps in the traffic, as they tend to attract other cages, particularly the 'sudden lane change without indicating' sort.
Don't ever get tempted to speed up because another biker on a death wish speeds up behind you. Pull in where safe and let them pass.
Thank all vehicles that make an effort to get out of my way.
Rev furiously and make rude hand gestures at those that obviously attempt to block my way. But then I'm 6'3" built like a brick out house, a second Dan in Aikido and a black belt in Jujitsu, oh - and I ride have a fast bike if there's more than two of them.

[outlawtorn]

My Rules when filtering/splitting:

Slowly - less than 40K's (very slowly when passing police cars).
Carefully.
Keeping my brakes covered.
Keeping my horn covered.
Being particularly careful when there are gaps in the traffic, as they tend to attract other cages, particularly the 'sudden lane change without indicating' sort.
Don't ever get tempted to speed up because another biker on a death wish speeds up behind you. Pull in where safe and let them pass.
Thank all vehicles that make an effort to get out of my way.
Rev furiously and make rude hand gestures at those that obviously attempt to block my way. But then I'm 6'3" built like a brick out house, a second Dan in Aikido and a black belt in Jujitsu, oh - and I ride have a fast bike if there's more than two of them.

Exactly what Biff Baff said, filtering is dangerous, I know first hand as I have seen my arse because of a cage drivers blindness. Take it slow, take it easy, eventually you'll become more confident, but don't confuse confidence with being cocky.
oh and welcome to KiwiBiker

[FEINT]

thanks for your replies, looks like I might just take it slow.

maybe I will just ride in the bus lane, so I don't have to share the lane with any cars, just have to watch out for the buses!!

[jrandom]

maybe I will just ride in the bus lane, so I don't have to share the lane with any cars, just have to watch out for the buses!!

As has been discussed here recently, you're not allowed to use bus lanes on the motorway. The 'main road' ones are fine, though.

[Jeremy]

You wouldn't be the guy who asked me where SLT1 was the other day would you?

I might be just a bit conservative here but I'd say that if you have to ask for advice on how filter then it's probably not a good idea to even attempt. By the way if you have the ugly L on the back then really don't try it, as quite a few of the drivers will attempt to swerve into you on purpose (maybe they're bored or something). Just stick to your lane, it only takes an 50 mins to get from Manukau BP to Auckland Uni giving you 10 mins to change out of your gear and dump it into a locker, which is still a lot quicker than the 1 hour 30 mins the express bus took on tuesday (+20 min walk to bus stop).

[slob]

Just saw a smashed up CBR250 on NW motorway just before Newton ... Hope that wasn't you Feint..