I understand your hesitation about driving So-Cal freeways. I too live in ventura county and found that riding my bike to work cuts my commute by quite a bit...and makes the day pass faster in anticipation of hopping back on that seat for a nice ride home. I think that most of the aspects of freeway riding were covered here...but i figured id add a few of my experiances sense we are looking at the same type of traffic.
First...i have found that cages stop way faster then me on my bike....especially at high speed....the last thing you want to do is lock up your brakes and put yourself into a slide... ive had a 60mph to parking lot insident on the 101...and trust me...i was slower braking...the only thing you can do is stop at a safe speed(but as quickly as possible) and aim inbetween the cars...or if you can..towards the in/outside shoulder. You will get a little adrenaline rush...and probably tell yourself...OH SHIT...but u will come out just fine...
Truckers are an issue....they cant see you...and their presense around you can be dangerous...remember that because your on a naked bike wind distribution around your body is different then on a bike with fairings to make you more arrow dynamic. the wind buffering from the truck can be pretty scary...so my advice....tuck to the tank...hammer the throttle...get past him. ...he will be thankful that he didnt run over you...and you wont have to worry about random wind gusts changeing your line on the road....
adding to the issue with the lack of fairings...at higher speeds you will notice that you a more affected by the wind then your buddy on his crotch rocket....however if you are riding alot on the freeway you can invest in a fly fairing for your bike like i did....still looks sexy on the bike...and most people dont notice that its aftermarket until i tell them...and then they love it that much more....they are short so it doesnt make your bike look goofy...but they add a decent amount of wind protection for your chest...and angle the wind over your head....i found it to be a great investment...and u can pick one up from monsterparts.com for 80-120$...so not bad...and the nice part about monsters is the fact that with your foot position its not too uncomfortable to lay on the tank to get a little more aerodynamics when the wind picks up....and sometimes riding by the coast on a windy day...you will notice that you need to do this or get blown around like a bobble head....
lane splitting isnt as scary as it seems...and having a nice monster with loud pipes helps...most people hear me coming and move over...which is super nice..
but just be smart about it...and keep an eye on what the drivers are doing... [moto]
Make sure to be careful if your driving at night though because you cant see road hazards as quick (wood, tire rubber, mattress's...etc) and hitting something at 70mph may leave you flying through the air wondering what the hell just happened until you meet the cold dark pavement....so make sure you have a powerful light so you can see the debris in the road....and also so other people in the road can see that your there....
DUCATI!!
