On the subject of 'rights' I remember quite well, it has stuck with me since school, a safety poster, even remember the colours, yellow and purple, of a cross-roads in the form of a religious cross with the message:
Filtering is one of the benefits of owning a motorcycle, but, in the UK, my main gripe is that you're not taught how to do it safely during CBT or in preparation for the test itself.
Having had a minor accident filtering (was overtaking a stationary single lane of traffic, one signalled right to park on the wrong side of the road as I passed him and took me out), it's criminal. Most motorcycle accidents must occur during filtering, but tutors don't prepare either motorcyclists or car drivers to do it or check for it properly.
My take on the vids:
Vid 1 - was riding too fast - he could see a gap that a car could pull into and didn't slow down. The car was signalling but he was riding too fast to see it in time. Rider's fault.
Vid 2 - comments were unnecessary, pace still a little hasty but I've seen a lot worse.
Vid 3 - how the guy survived the trip to post that video amazes me.
Here's a vid of lane-splitting thru Tokyo, as dangerous and unsupportable as it is the guy is a good rider, quite exciting to watch. Put it on sound and listen to his wing-mirrors pinging off trucks. He catches up with and overtakes a fellow kamikazi rider.
Filtering is one of the benefits of owning a motorcycle, but, in the UK, my main gripe is that you're not taught how to do it safely during CBT or in preparation for the test itself.
My experience of both CBT and L-test is that the standards of riding and road usage to be expected at those levels precludes any possibility of teaching how to filter safely.
Filtering through traffic is an advanced technique and should be practised only by experienced riders. If you need to be taught how to filter safely then you probably aren't a good enough rider yet.
Filtering is after all just general riding but in a more confined space.
__________________
Bob - not dead yet
Switch to reserve ~130 miles, fuel panic ~170
The main thing they teach you during CBT and the test is observation. The observations were really hammered in - you change road position on a bike much more regularly than in a car, and the observations are much more 'intense'.
Now, I picked up the riding thing quite quickly, but I did not realise all those observations were required, or why, just because I was on a bike and not in a car - certainly they were less stringent on four wheels when I took my test!
My point is that, just because you pass the test doesn't mean you're looking in the right place when you're filtering. If you haven't been told, you don't know when it's safe to filter, what to watch out for, how fast to filter or when to stop filtering. That's all simple information, but not necessarily common sense, hence I think it should be taught.
It isn't just common sense - take video 1. That's something you wouldn't necessarily expect, but you should expect it. Hence you should be taught to expect it!
My point is that, just because you pass the test doesn't mean you're looking in the right place when you're filtering. If you haven't been told, you don't know when it's safe to filter, what to watch out for, how fast to filter or when to stop filtering. That's all simple information, but not necessarily common sense, hence I think it should be taught.
When I passed my original [car] test, officially anyway, I had no knowledge of: night driving, bad weather, motorways, long journeys or single track lanes. I had some knowledge of the theory of those things, if only from the Highway Code, but nothing resembling real experience.
On my CBT I was told to assume that I'm invisible to most other road users and that those who could see me were out to get me.
When is it safe to filter? when you can see a clear enough path.
What to watch for? poor surface, blockages, malicious and/or careless and/or stupid drivers.
How fast to filter? slowly enough to gauge the way and allow time for everyone to assess the situation and react. (Must be able to stop within the distance you can see to be clear)
When to stop? when you've reached your goal or run out of room.
That is taught, it is basic "this is how to ride a motorcycle on the road"
__________________
Bob - not dead yet
Switch to reserve ~130 miles, fuel panic ~170
Well, but still filtering between traffic or on the outside of traffic is fundamentally different to riding on the open road or in town. Yes, the hazards are the same, but where they come from is different and there is a lot more information to take in.
I agree it should be common sense, but it doesn't change the fact that new motorcyclists and scooterists think they know how to drive around slow-moving or stationary traffic when then don't.
Hence I say that at least the theory and risks should be presented during CBT, if not proper observed practice.
I see lane splitting as safe put then there’s lane slicing which is down right dangerous. Last night going home from work I had to split ¾ of the way home. Like most splitters I do it cautiously, but I almost got ran over by a sport bike jamming down my lane, I hate to say it but I would I have like to seen him get jammed up between car that were to close.
To me, that is reckless and irresponsible driving and gives all riders a bad name.
On the same note there was a HD rider that clipped a mirror on a F150 while splitting, he stopped and talked with the driver, that’s good biking.
Linear Mode
