EXUP Worldwide

You euro guys keep out of this. I know almost anything goes around there.

What do you guys do when you encounter gridlock on the highway. Do you split lanes? I am fairly new at street bikes and I don't know all the ins and outs of street riding yet. I get caught in gridlock traffic everyonce and a while here in the city. I got stuck today and by the time it opened up I had arm pump on my clutch side. The traffic was going aywhere from complete stop to 5mph for 3 miles. It happens in this same spot on my way home every day but usally not this bad. My bike heats up pretty bad in traffic also, but luckaly it was near freezing out today so that was not a problem. If I were to put it in firs gear and put down the white line, it would be much easier on me and my bike.

So what would you guys do in this situation?

I've never lane split (have plenty of friends who do though). I normally have alternate routes via side streets depending on where I hit traffic.

The clutch arm does tend to get a bit tired after bit, but I've gotten pretty used to that.

The bike heating up hasn't been a problem other than sweating to death. The bike handles it fine as the fans kick on just before 200F.

Pennsylvania doesn't have much in the way of helmet laws so in extended stop/go I'll sometimes opt to unzip the jacket and set the helmet on the tank - but that's just me and it depends greatly on the circumstances.

Usually I just suffer through it and be happy I'm not in a cage on a nice day.

Lol. I was reading your post and wondering, How the hell does that guy know I am in PA? Then I saw your sig. I also live in Pittsburgh. I always get stuck in the traffic on the parkway near the fort pitt tunnels. It sucks cause traffic is going slower than my bike wants to idle in first gear. Constant clutch in, clutch out, clutch in, clutch out.

I don't lane split either. On a rare occasion I'll hug the runoff lane/side and work my way up to a light and turn to get out of the mess. For the most part I only do that if I'm running the risk of overheating. If traffic starts getting to bad I just get off the main road and hit the side streets.

I agree the clutch arm can wear out quick. Very rarely do I ever leave the bike in neutral at a light. Don't trust them cagers coming up from behind. Unless I know there are several cars (5+) behind me I will to take a break and put it in N for a light change.

When I used to commute, I rode between 80 and 100 miles a day. Had two, one hour ferry rides. When I left work I would just light my hair on fire and run the 35 miles to the dock. If some Yo Yo in the HOV lanes wouldn't get out the way, I'd give him MAYBE a second and a half then I'm going around. I don't do it slowly. I accelerate by them usually on their passenger side and spend very little time next to them where they can hurt me...difference of speed is usually 15 to 20 mph during the actual pass. I've done it like that for years
A couple years ago, during Seafair here, the police close one of the major bridges across Lk Washington for Blue Angle practice in the afternoon. Caused a 10 mile parking lot. I split lanes up to the bridge where there were 20 or so State Troopers. I ducked back in line and one of them started over to me. As he approached, I said
"Well...You can either be part of the problem, or part of the solution..."
He chuckled, didn't say any more and walked away

Hey, it's nice to finally see someone else local around here!

Pittsburgh highway traffic is some of the worst I have seen and I generally avoid them when on the bike - especially during peak hours.

I live in the South Hills so I'd usually hit traffic on 2nd Ave in Hazelwood or through the South Side, depending on which way I'd go. Generally, I just keep the clutch in and just drag it once in a while to keep the bike slowly coasting along with traffic. Giving yourself a good sized space cushion with the car in front will give you a few extra seconds of coast time and maybe save that arm a little - but on the highway, all bets are off in that because someone will probably be trying to squeeze in there.

I do the same thing as orionburn too, I watch the mirrors when at a light and I won't relax and put it in nuetral until I get at least a couple of cars stopped behind me. I also don't stop square with the car in front either. I'm always angled to one side or the other in case I have to bail to keep from getting rear ended. In the last couple of years I've seen or heard of it happening here about half a dozen times.

Again, welcome. It's a small town so I'll probably see you around somewhere eventually.

Hey, we're not all lunatics over here. I personally will only pass cars on the inside if two important conditions are met: 1) they're in front of me, and 2) they're going slower than I am. If not - I say Ride To Live.

Ok, sorry, I'll keep out of it...

I usally put the bike in neutral when I am at a light. But you guys make good points, I am going to keep it in gear from now on. I do usally pull to one side or the other of the car in front of me when I am at a light or I am in gridlock. I come from a bicycle background and I love being able to squeek through stopped/slow traffic on a bicycle.

I rember seeing one of those crazy videos from europe and everyone on motorcycles would squeek up to the fromt of the line at a stop light. It reminds me so much of riding a bicycle in traffic. Ilove seeing a line of cars waiting to make a right at a light but they have to wait because the first person is not turning. But I can squeek all the way up there past everyone and make my right thun while they are stuck waiting.

When I am in traffic it is so tempting to just ctart cruzing down the white lines at 10mph. I have yet to try it. I find it hard to avoid traffic where I go. I sometimes have to drive from one end of town to the other crossing through the down town area 4 times a day! Being stuck in traffic on the highway is still faster than driving on the surface streets of downtown.

uk biker folks are crazy

there I said it....after having witnessed over there for near two weeks

I left there shaking my head....

okay back to the states

I seldom lane split - too dangerous even in gridlock - unless ABSOTUTLEY necessary

Otherwise...I will go all the way to the left or the right and go around folks in gridlock. I do it very slowly and have noticed no one really seems to get upset - since they let me back in without fighting about it.

or maybe you guys consider lane splitting the same thing as what I mentioned about riding in what we call the emergency lane or break down lane.

the other reason for going real slow in the break-down lanes is to at least give myself a chance of spotting the state troopers.

i don't lane split either. in some states it's either legal on bikes, or the troopers turn a blind eye. in northern delaware and southeastern PA, it's a big no-no and a ticket is involved.

as for the pittsburgh guys, the traffic there isn't as bad as i once thought. i grew up in cleveland, went to college in pittsburgh, then moved out this way to the philly area. you wanna see traffic? come visit sometime and we can sit in gridlock on any of the major routes in the area. it's as great as it sounds. actually, the only place i have been with worse traffic is boston. i would be in prison for homicide if i had to commute there.

In good ole Cali, we folks split even when we don't need to! Why, do you ask? Cuz it is fully legal to do so. Heck I usually catch up to a CHP bike to/from work and he/she will move over and wave me by! Ask the WA folks that came to GP last year and they will confirm that they had a hell of a time keeping up with me! I guess its just that I'm so used to it now

Lane splitting,
err, a bike is narrow, so does not get held up as much in traffic,
which seems a ubiqitous thing on this small island. If I did not
lane split, why have a bike.
Do I go round thumping car roofs because it's raining again,
and I'm wet and cold. No that's an advantage of being in a car.
But I do not get held up as much in traffic as a car, that's an advantage
of a bike.
So be dry in your car, but spends days of your life sat in traffic,
me I'll get wet and cold, and lane split.
yours Slip.

As Hooligan said, in Pa. lane splitting is a no-no and a ticket is involved. The cheapest moving violation I've ever seen here is $102 and it goes up from there. Not really worth it for me, but I envy you folks in places where it's legal. I won't badmouth you boy across the pond for it either. I knew a guy years ago from Paris, he said it's not only legal but expected of bikes - helps keep congestion down becuase of the number of people on bikes or something like that.

Pittsburgh traffic on a whole isn't that bad - there are definitely worse places. It's the traffic on the highways that bother's me. Let's come to a screetching halt because we are coming up on a tunnel. Let's all switch lanes 4 or 5 times every quarter mile. Not where I want to be on two wheels which is why I'll usually take surface streets during peak times. If I'm out for an evening or weekend cruise or something, I have no problem with them. Have to be careful though - a couple of local stunt teams pulled some shenanigans last summer, even made the news for a week - so some troopers and random highway vigilantes are on the prowl for anything resembling a sport bike.

After having commuted downtown on a bike for a while I have become a very "vocal" rider when in traffic. Yeah, the chick on the cell phone who decided to change lanes without looking just as I was passing her....yeah, she got a tap on the window and an earful about vehicular homicide and what they do to women in prison.

Thank gawd for concealed carry permits - best $19 I spend every 5 years!


And I'd rather be wet and cold on a bike than dry and bored in a cage.

Must admit that I'm suprised PA has conceled carry...

Outlaw wrote:Must admit that I'm suprised PA has conceled carry...

More states do than don't



Image from www.packing.org

I try not to mess with anyone when I am on my bike. If I get cut off I try to let it go when on the bike, because they are usally much bigger than I am. When I am driving my fullsize pickup, that is another story. I acually mess with people just for entertainment. For example, there is a neck down in the road from two lanes to one and you see someone that is trying to pass everyone. I'll just slow down and drive my truck exactly next to thier car. Even if it means letting the car in front of me get away a bit.

When I am on my bike I can't get away from bad drivers fast enough. I have heard stories of prople carrying old spark plugs aroung and chucking them at the bad drivers.

You are right, traffic around here is not all that bad but lane splitting is so tempting. I do alot of riding during peak times though. I don't have much choice when I need to go and how soon I need to be somewhere. Sometimes I have 15min to get from sq hill to the north side during rush hour. 15min can be pushing it sometimes. I swear pittsburgh has the worst rubber neckers of any where. I had someone come to a complete stop in front of me to take a peak at an accident. That is why I don't have a conceled carry permit.

MadHaqr9 wrote:

Outlaw wrote:Must admit that I'm suprised PA has conceled carry...

More states do than don't



Image from www.packing.org

And I live in one of the four red states....

In Victoria Australia (i.e. melbourne) lane splitting is not illegal*, and is tolerated by almost everyone (so yes, I do lane split - I limit this to non-moving traffic). There was even a report by Vic Roads (our government road body) which indicated that lanesplitting at lights can be safer for a bike because you get to the front, and as bikes accelerate faster they are away from cars who can not see you. It also prevents the issue of cars not seeing you and hitting you from behind while at standstill. However, this report said something to the effect that "while there appear to be safety benefits of lanesplitting there is no proof that these actually exist". I.e. there is no research proof showing lanesplitting decreases accident rate, and conversely there is no proof it increases acciddents.

* Police can choose to book you with passing on the left of a vehicle, but that is it. Normally they will accept it (I have lane split by police). It is illegal in new south wales, but not victoria or queensland.

Lately, australian motorcycle lobby groups have been making a distinction between lane splitting and lane filtering. Lane splitting is when a bike splits between moving traffic. Lane filtering is the process to get to the front of the pack at a set of lights, or when traffic is not moving (or is very slow moving). Filtering is meant to help releive some traffic congestion. These lobby groups do not approve of splitting at high speeds.

About 2 months ago the riders decided to demonstrate what would happen in victoria if they did not filter during peak hour traffic. The result was mayhem - traffic moved much slower than usual. It showed just how much congestion can be alleviated by allowing bikes to filter. With that said I can only assume that the number of commuting riders here is much higher than other countries...

With those definitions above, I wouldn't even consider lane splitting but I would oh so like to be able to filter. Moving cars are way too unpredectible as it is. Our number of bike commuters is significantly less over here than in Europe or Down Under but the numbers are slowly growing.

Rubber neckers do suck here. I love how traffic can be worse on the opposite side of wreck or slowdown than the lanes it is actually in.

I am very vocal in traffic, I use the horn and scream at drivers a fair bit, usually when rapidly getting out of the situation. I'll only go after certain really bad ones and inform/remind them that they almost just killed someone. The permit actually has made me more level-headed than before.

15 min from Sq Hill to the North Side? That's a pretty good pace for mid-day traffic.

Outlaw, don't fret - Ohio just adopted a law in the last couple of years and from what I hear it's working out well so maybe those last couple hold out states might come around. There is also some talk of a Nationwide law as well.

I do not lane split, and I'm pretty sure its illegal here. However, there have been times when it is extremely tempting to do so. Huge traffic backups come to mind. I can definatly understand someone doing it then (I try not to ride in bigger cities). I have driven through Chicago (in a car and/or semi) and watched groups of sportbike riders lane splitting at over 80mph on the Dan Ryan Expressway. It's very dangerous, not to mention rude when done that way. Don't get me wrong, I love to ride fast. But there is a time and place for everything, and I don't have any desire to be inconsiderate to other drivers. Unless they start it (ok, i'm human... )