Lane splitting in TX

[BarneePhife]

...the ever so subtle threat to blow my make the beast with two backsing head off if I ever got in front of HER again.  

welcome to Texas!!

Did you still have your CA plates on at the time?

I think that's the official TX greeting to Yankees and "those people" from California. 

[Duc L'Smart]

I wouldn't lane split. Dallas drivers are the worst, & many are packing
I'll weave in & out a little, but I'm very careful...

[Cyclone]

This is how you lane split    everything the same other than  we dont usally blow red lights... 

Man, this Greek dude must have teflon coated fairings covered in butter, and a death wish !  Obviously he has the skill !  Sometimes I wonder if on-board cameras encourage bad behavior

I'm in Dallas traffic a lot and only split once for a short distance in stop & go traffic on Woodall just to move away from a car of manics who thought racing forward & slamming on the brakes to stop a foot away from me was funny !  So I would lane split if I thought my life depended on it - I have also run red lights to avoid being hassled by aggressive people walking up to me in bad areas !  My theory is better to answer to a Leo than a wacko !

[fastwin]

Yep, it's nothing but a combat zone out there. I'd rather go to Iraq and look for roadside bombs than ride/drive in this town sometimes. Dumbass nuts, that's what we have for drivers in DFW.

[Duc L'Smart]

No sh!t...

Between track days, & HC & AR trips, & the freakin' hot summers, I just don't have much desire to ride in town.

[andym]

I'm glad this tread came up, I was going to ask a similar same question.

I have recently moved here from London and I am used to filtering, as we call it.  I can live with the queuing at lights but sitting in stop go traffic on the toll way is crazy to me.

I have only seen one bike filter the outside and middle lane since being here but I often see bikes ride down the shoulder, IMHO riding the shoulder has to be worse than filtering between stationary cages, not to mention the crap you are riding through, how would this be seen by the police?

I feel safer between cages than I do sat there waiting for one to rear end me but I am apprehensive to do it as I do not want tickets.  I have read that Dallas cage drivers are bad but a driver chatting on the phone is distracted where ever you live.  It is the ones that pay attention that may concern me, I am used to cars moving to allow me through, I can't see that happening here but how many would actually try to hit me?

[dallas2r]

I'm glad this tread came up, I was going to ask a similar same question.

I have recently moved here from London and I am used to filtering, as we call it.  I can live with the queuing at lights but sitting in stop go traffic on the toll way is crazy to me.

I have only seen one bike filter the outside and middle lane since being here but I often see bikes ride down the shoulder, IMHO riding the shoulder has to be worse than filtering between stationary cages, not to mention the crap you are riding through, how would this be seen by the police?

I feel safer between cages than I do sat there waiting for one to rear end me but I am apprehensive to do it as I do not want tickets.  I have read that Dallas cage drivers are bad but a driver chatting on the phone is distracted where ever you live.  It is the ones that pay attention that may concern me, I am used to cars moving to allow me through, I can't see that happening here but how many would actually try to hit me?

Hey there, glad you posted up. Welcome.

I'm with the other folks here in that I wouldn't feel safe lane-splitting in Dallas. I'm less worried about the distracted drivers because they're usually easy to spot; I'm most afraid of the aggressive people who feel that their current 10ft of pavement is their property and they'll guard it as such. I've seen plenty of people (usually guys in trucks) dart into the shoulder to block cars driving there, so I wouldn't put it past them to block a motorcyclists path.

Even if a law were passed today that legalized lane-splitting or "filtering", I still wouldn't do it until the general population was clear on the new rules.

[cdc]

not that I condone such "transgressions" but if I were to ever "split traffic" (not that have ever done so) I would rather do it at 90 than 20!  People sitting in traffic are pissed and bored! I'm not going through them!  But, buzz a car doing 70 at 90 and they never see you coming until you are past them, again,  I'm not speaking from experience...

he understands me 

bpc

[pipeliner1978]

he understands me 

bpc

[andym]

I guess you all know how the drivers are around here far better than I do so I will take your advice.  I'll have to change my riding from how I was taught in England, even on the test you filter as long as it is safe to do so.

[pipeliner1978]

even on the test you filter as long as it is safe to do so.

I don't know what you mean.....

[andym]

I don't know what you mean.....

In the UK it is okay to filter on your bike test.  The test is to prove that you can ride safely,  if there is a queue at traffic lights get to the front, you are safer being first away from the lights than sat in a queue.

[pipeliner1978]

In the UK it is okay to filter on your bike test.  The test is to prove that you can ride safely,  if there is a queue at traffic lights get to the front, you are safer being first away from the lights than sat in a queue.

never taken a bike test

[pipeliner1978]

never taken a bike test

I should do that one of these days

[Kevin848]

I should do that one of these days

If you have passed a MSF Course you do not need to take a riding test to get an "M" endorsement but there is still a written exam.