Lane splitting in Texas

[cloudbase]

may become a reality.

http://www.chron.com/news/politics/texas/article/Bills-would-allow-motorcycle-to-split-lanes-of-6118961.php

[edgineered]

1. I like it

Wouldn't it be nice if a trend develops?

[cloudbase]

2. It would. n/t

[Conch]

3. Been in CA for 10 years

Also have a motorcycle... in that time while driving a car or riding a bike I have not seen an accident due to lane-splitting.

That said, I have seen too many idiots splitting lanes at 70 - 100 MPH which driving me nuts because there are speeds where if you need to make a quick change in direction you are no longer steering but now aiming the bike.

[BlueCollar]

4. i like the idea

But as a practical matter I'll avoid participating. Texas drivers are some of the worst I have ever experienced. Give them a truck/SUV and a cellphone and roads become Darwin's waiting room.

[Straw Man]

5. I spent eight years in Japan in the '90s...

Last edited Wed Dec 8, 2021, 12:50 PM - Edit history (5)

... and rode almost every day. Without lane-splitting, I'd still be stuck in traffic. For a while, I had a Yamaha TDR-250 (two-stroke twin), which made me feel like I was splitting the lanes with a chainsaw.



Lane-splitting is perfectly legal and very common there. In fact, at traffic signals there's a box painted on the road surface just for scooters and motorcycles, so that they can filter through the stopped traffic and get to the head of the line.

The difference, though, is that Japanese car drivers are used to a high volume of two-wheeled traffic around them at all times. They know you're there, and they generally act accordingly.

My lane-splitting experience is that it's safest when the surrounding traffic is stopped or moving smoothly. The stop-and-go shit is when you have to worry about some jackass attempting an un-signaled lane change right in front of you.

All that said, I'm not sure I'd do it in the US. Not long after I got back from Japan, I had a car driver go apeshit and try to chase me down after I snuck around him at a stoplight. I unlearned that habit fast.

EDIT TO ADD: Didn't realize this was a zombie thread. Given how high it was on the post list, I guess there isn't much activity in this group. Anybody out there?

[Hotler]

6. Did you keep the bike and bring it home? That would be a keeper and a collector.

If you liked that 2-stroke, you might like my Kawasaki KX 500 set up for street, now used for track days.

[Straw Man]

7. Unfortunately, no.

I sold it before coming home. I'm not even sure about the legality of importing that bike or getting it on the road once here. Emissions were pretty foul -- that nice yellow seat accumulated a nice coating of grime if not wiped down regularly. But yes, it was a ball to ride, as I'm sure your KX is too.