Lane Splitting on I-5, Anaheim to San Diego.

[SonnyC]

     I know there has been post regarding how wide the Connie is.  Today I had to do some quick errands from San Diego to Anaheim (Disneyland) and back.  There was traffic, as always both direction on I-5.  In the afternoon the traffic got worse, even on the single lane portion of the carpool lane, which I had to avoid. I resorted to lane splitting (yes it is perfectly legal here) and I have to admit that there were occasion where I was definitely over 5mph of the prevailing traffic speed.  I will not admit to any number though. Lets just say I was on 2nd, 3rd and at times on 4th gear.
 
    There are still some ignorant drivers around here in SoCal that take offense to the fact that a motorcycle is lane-splitting.  They wrongly assume that it is illegal and will try to become an "enforcer". Some will try to slowly drift to pinch you while others will aggressively try to cut you off.  Thanks to the quick acceleration of the Connie and It was easy to avoid them.  Another modification I am glad I did was to install a Stebel Nautilus with the horn section mounted on the fork and facing forward.  The sheer decibel of the Stebel startled one driver who was trying to cut me off that he went back to the middle of his lane. When I passed him I noticed he had that terror look on his face (he was driving with his window down).

     Sure the bike is heavy compared to my triumph.  But once it gets going, weaving in and out of lane 1 and 2, avoiding slow vehicles was quite easy. The width of the bike with the hard case on and the wide side mirrors were not a factor at all.  Did it require more concentration on my part?  Absolutely!  Oh, but what fun it was! Total miles ridden lane splitting was approximately 50 miles, 40 of which was on the return trip.

[gPink]

Let's see, you brag about lanesplitting at illegal speeds, blasting car drivers with a high decibel aftermarket horn when they wouldn't get out of your way, and calling the car drivers ignorant.

I, for one, am not at all impressed with your so-called riding skills. Nor do they tend to cause other drivers look favorably on motorcycling as a whole.

[ARS]

I live in Minnesota where lane-splitting is illegal.  Would I do it if it were legal? Mmmaybe. . .ah well heck I dunno. . .probably not.  The argument for splitting isn’t a bad one though.  When I lived in SoCal I imagined that these bikes passing me were cars stuck in front of me.  So California’s answer to congested traffic is to increase the volume by allowing the splitting.  The bikes really didn’t slow my commute down.
Sorry Sonny, I liked a lot of things about SoCal, but the traffic wasn’t one off ‘em it sucked.

[Conrad]

Maybe the OP needs a new mod to his bike?

[maxtog]

Maybe the OP needs a new mod to his bike?

  "ouch"

[DGOLD]

The more I split traffic between L.A., Orange, and San Diego counties the more addicted I get. At first the C14 seemed big and cumbersome but now that is not a concern. One thing that does deter me is hearing the traffic reports announcing a Sig alert because of a downed bike. Is it because of lane splitting or being rear ended?

[deepseamdv]

[size=0px]Let's see, you brag about lanesplitting at illegal speeds, blasting car drivers with a high decibel aftermarket horn when they wouldn't get out of your way, and calling the car drivers ignorant.[/size][/size][size=0px]


1. There is no illegal speed for lane splitting in CA. 2. Anytime a cage is moving into the lane that I currently occupy I will blast with everything available, loud horn included. Some may not agree but here it is not only legal but endorsed by the CHP who recently issued a set of 'Guidelines'. The law simply states that it is permissible. Yes I have done this and yes I have also seen some doing it in a manor that I thought foolish. It is an individual choice.[/size]

[jim_de_hunter]

When I lived in San Diego, lane splitting was legal and I did it often, especially on the surface streets.

I ran into another fellow who admitted trying to cut off any lane splitting motorcycle that he could simply because he could.  IMO, this particular fellow probably deserved a Stebel in his ear - just because I can.

[gPink]

from OP
 I will not admit to any number though. Lets just say I was on 2nd, 3rd and at times on 4th gear

from http://www.chp.ca.gov/programs/lanesplitguide.html
2) It is not advisable to lane split when traffic flow is at 30 mph or faster
 
from me
2,3,4th gears are a bit faster than the illegal advisable speeds.

OP
startled one driver who was trying to cut me off

CHP
•Other vehicles are not required to make space for motorcycles to lane split.

Me
From the original post I'm not convinced that the startled driver 'was trying to cut me off' is an accurate statement. If said driver was trying to cut the OP off, he wouldn't be startled by a horn.
If the driver was unaware of the OP it might have been due to OP's stated excessive speed. Also a startled driver is apt to react unpredictably causing an unsafe condition.

I'm not debating the good or bad of lanesplitting. I took exception to the OP's cavalier attitude to it, and to the effect such an attitude may have on the non riding public. Do you think the 'startled driver' with 'the look of terror' will be predisposed to give an inch the next encounter he has with a motorcycle. Not likely. So in this case the so-called individual choice has affected more than just an individual.

[MAN OF BLUES]

I took exception to the OP's cavalier attitude to it, and to the effect such an attitude may have on the non riding public. ......

living on the other coast, where this is NOT legal...I concur with the feelings.

someday while out of the confines of kalifornication...he may be tempted....Karma.

just sayin' 

[koval68]

Let's see, you brag about lanesplitting at illegal speeds, blasting car drivers with a high decibel aftermarket horn when they wouldn't get out of your way, and calling the car drivers ignorant.

I, for one, am not at all impressed with your so-called riding skills. Nor do they tend to cause other drivers look favorably on motorcycling as a whole.

Sorry OP..... I agree with Garry 100%!

[stevewfl]

someone needs an ego splitting deflation tool

[SANDPSYCHO]

Having spent the majority of my adult life riding a motorcycle in and around Los Angeles County every day, I can understand where the original poster is coming from. Unless you have lived here there is just no way to understand what it is like riding a motorcycle through traffic on an LA freeway. The fact that he wants a louder horn rather then just beating the crap out of most CA drivers to me shows a good deal of restraint.

[Rick Hall]

... Unless you have lived here there is just no way to understand what it is like riding a motorcycle through traffic on an LA freeway. ...

Been there, rode the freeways. You're right, if you haven't ridden there, you won't understand.

For the most part the cage drivers are fairly courteous, they will drift to the side to let a scooter by. Even at 60MPH heading S on I-5 from Weed. Ask me how I know this.

I hear there's more 'enforcers' now. If they have to wait in a jam, everyone has to. Sad.

For the record, I can/have ridden my C-10 in sixth gear at 30MPH. Fourth/fifth gear means nothing without context.

Rick

[connie1]

I've never rode the CA freeways, I never want to.
If you make the decision to lane split I think you gotta go whole hog.  If that means a louder horn, so be it.  Show strength but don't be a total  .  It'll take a long time for the enforcers to figure this whole lane splitting thing out so the trust needed to be able to lane split wouldn't be there for me.  I don't trust anybody to not do something stupid whether in CA or here in the Great White North.

[stevewfl]

I love the opportunity to lane split in CA when I'm there, and I do it in FL at the risk of tickets.  But post #1 was over the top

[Lone-Rider]

Back in my southern Cali days I would frequently split lanes. Only when traffic was crawling though and at a reasonable speed.

My experience was people were more tolerant in those circumstances and it was the ones wanting to go 70+ while traffic was flowing at 60 that got the "enforcers" riled up.

That said, with statute of limitations long expired, I will freely admit taking a few side mirrors off of cars that tried to squeeze me.

[ugocon]

What to say?
I'm happy not to drive my bike in the US! 
That's killing the pleasure of "riding" it.
Driving a bike as if it were a car... it's a nonsense IMO.
But we have different cultures and heritages...
I respect yours in your Country and if I should ever ride there, I'd be compliant with the local regulations.

[gPink]

Ugo, come ride. Be happy. Big country. No need to be in the city. 

[pistole]

Driving a bike as if it were a car... it's a nonsense IMO.

.

- agree.

- over here , if a bike "occupies" a lane properly , the car drivers get pissed !!

.