Lanesplitters! PLEASE slow down!

**fredie** · 14th February 2008, 23:25

my mate was car doored . when splitting . broken wriste hand . passed out . knocked out . bike wrecked right off.

**DingoZ** · 15th February 2008, 03:23

Haven't got that far as to be lane splitting yet. Although there is not much call for it when I ride to and from work. I'm usually riding to work before the traffic starts flowing and coming home long after it has got busy...

**surfchick** · 15th February 2008, 07:47

Originally Posted by Morcs

Everyone stop holding me up

I really hate having to pull a 90 degree turn round the back of a car into the next lane and back again.

I give myself 25 minutes to lanespit 35kms of solid motorway traffic...

maha...I do te atatu-otara...even further... i must say I've been going in the car over summer to stop my arse getting burnt off. i have to lanesplit pretty fast to keep the heat back... definitely the southern is skinnier... esp tds the CBD offramps. hard to fit between two big curtainsiders anyway...

**NOMIS** · 15th February 2008, 08:14

Originally Posted by unrealone

Learn the hardway huh?

yeh learned the hard way, didnt get hurt just my pride even tho it wasnt my fault, still felt like a bit of a dum ass. they shoul open the bloody sholder to motorbikes man would be so much friging safer

**Tricia1000** · 15th February 2008, 08:24

Which indicator do you use. If you use your right hand indicator, it means I am going to move to the right or turn right. Most people at this point are using the left hand side of the right hand lane, so the indicator is giving a conflicting message.
If you use your left hand indicator, it means I am going to turn left or move to the left, again, usually used when staying in the left hand side of the lane. Again it gives conflicting information.

Originally Posted by Mort

I ride the Northern in to AKL every morning. I used to use the right hand hard shoulder until I was stopped by a cop and "advised". Actually he said it WAS legal to use the left hand shoulder... but I dont because its full of gravel.

Lane splitting is fine if you have your headlight on full beam and use an indicator.... don't go over 20KPH above the speed of the cars and dont lane split above about 60kph.

**Badjelly** · 15th February 2008, 08:34

Originally Posted by Mort

Lane splitting is fine if you have your headlight on full beam and use an indicator

How does this help when a significant minority of drivers don't look behind?

(I don't lane-split myself, but I drive on roads where it's not necessary.)

**Swoop** · 15th February 2008, 10:26

Originally Posted by Tricia1000

Which indicator do you use. If you use your right hand indicator, it means I am going to move to the right or turn right.

You are always overtaking the cages on your left! Keep your right indicator on.

**Mort** · 15th February 2008, 12:58

The advice I was given by a cop was :

Drive between Lane 2 and 3 where possible (counting from the left for the hard of thinking)
Full beam on
Right hand indicator on
Watch your speed - if the cops think you are driving with excess speed you will be ticketed even if you are within the speed limit.
If the traffic is moving at speed (say over 60kph) - don't lanesplit.
Right hand shoulder riding is illegal.
Left hand shoulder is Legal (But to be honest I doubt that and wouldnt do it anyway)

The main thing is to take it steady... watch for gaps left or right which cars can move in to (often without indicating). Also , watch out for trucks - you can get an angle on a car to get out of the way but trucks need a full lane and it halves you options for manouvre.If you ride to the conditions you have time to react to cars changing lanes etc....

I've seen one accident while lane splitting ... on the Northern by Wairau Park.... a total idiot on a 900 Hornet doing 120+ in slow moving traffic... a car changed lane (quite properly) and he had no chance of stopping. He escaped injury (despite being thrown over the car)... and his new bike was a wreck.... Total lunacy...When I stopped he asked for the police not to be called because he had no licence... made me very angry. People like him deserve what they get...

**NOMIS** · 15th February 2008, 13:23

Originally Posted by Mort

The advice I was given by a cop was :

Drive between Lane 2 and 3 where possible (counting from the left for the hard of thinking)
Full beam on
Right hand indicator on
Watch your speed - if the cops think you are driving with excess speed you will be ticketed even if you are within the speed limit.
If the traffic is moving at speed (say over 60kph) - don't lanesplit.
Right hand shoulder riding is illegal.
Left hand shoulder is Legal (But to be honest I doubt that and wouldnt do it anyway)

The main thing is to take it steady... watch for gaps left or right which cars can move in to (often without indicating). Also , watch out for trucks - you can get an angle on a car to get out of the way but trucks need a full lane and it halves you options for manouvre.If you ride to the conditions you have time to react to cars changing lanes etc....

I've seen one accident while lane splitting ... on the Northern by Wairau Park.... a total idiot on a 900 Hornet doing 120+ in slow moving traffic... a car changed lane (quite properly) and he had no chance of stopping. He escaped injury (despite being thrown over the car)... and his new bike was a wreck.... Total lunacy...When I stopped he asked for the police not to be called because he had no licence... made me very angry. People like him deserve what they get...

Must be something about people and hornets

And no licences

wouldnt do 120 that just dumb i can off at 35kmph pulled my bike onto me so i wouldnt wreck it got away with a scratch on the mirror was only doing about 10k when i fell was my fault and the stupid cage driver rolling a smoke arrrrggghh

**Edbear** · 15th February 2008, 16:04

Originally Posted by Mort

The advice I was given by a cop was :

Drive between Lane 2 and 3 where possible (counting from the left for the hard of thinking)
Full beam on
Right hand indicator on
Watch your speed - if the cops think you are driving with excess speed you will be ticketed even if you are within the speed limit.
If the traffic is moving at speed (say over 60kph) - don't lanesplit.
Right hand shoulder riding is illegal.
Left hand shoulder is Legal (But to be honest I doubt that and wouldnt do it anyway)

The main thing is to take it steady... watch for gaps left or right which cars can move in to (often without indicating). Also , watch out for trucks - you can get an angle on a car to get out of the way but trucks need a full lane and it halves you options for manouvre.If you ride to the conditions you have time to react to cars changing lanes etc....

I've seen one accident while lane splitting ... on the Northern by Wairau Park.... a total idiot on a 900 Hornet doing 120+ in slow moving traffic... a car changed lane (quite properly) and he had no chance of stopping. He escaped injury (despite being thrown over the car)... and his new bike was a wreck.... Total lunacy...When I stopped he asked for the police not to be called because he had no licence... made me very angry. People like him deserve what they get...

Good advice! Having a larger bike and usually being two-up I'm generally over-cautious sometimes to the wife's frustration, but I'd rather be a live dog, if you get what I mean.

"Total idiot!" and "Total lunacy!" are apt descrptions of the biker and his actions. No sympathy whatsoever for these morons.

**Usarka** · 15th February 2008, 16:43

Originally Posted by Mort

The advice I was given by a cop was :

Right hand shoulder riding is illegal.
Left hand shoulder is Legal (But to be honest I doubt that and wouldnt do it anyway)

Both are emergency lanes, both are illegal to ride in.

Cops are like GP's, alright with the law when it's clear cut and common. Oh and they are on drugs and have syphyllis.

compare that to something else someone heard from a cop here

Originally Posted by Big Dave

In the ensuing 'grilling' what did become evident is that with the current regulations splitting on the right in the inner or 'fast' lane (observing the rules stated above) is acceptable.

The thin shoulder lane between the dividing barrier and the lanes is designated for an emergency and that if you have to go into it to avoid a vehicle it would be 'an emergency.'

**Mort** · 15th February 2008, 18:05

Thanks for the link... I must say I thought (after my chat with the cop) that lane splitting was legal.... But I am from the UK and so was the cop who told me.

Won't stop me lane splitting though... but you are a mug if you don't do it right.