Please Explain Lane Splitting
- Thread starter harrisonm
- Start date
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Been riding 20+ years, rarely without a helmet. Wife is a rehab nurse. Lot of stories about bikers in really minor accidents, not wearing a helmet. Look totally fine, but their head hitting the pavement as they fell means they will never feed themselves again. Harder yet on the spouse who can’t accept it because they look fine.
So you've ridden your whole life, but never became skilled enough that you felt you could ride safely while using the proper protective equipment?
Wearing the proper gear not only protects you if you crash, but also allows you to properly handle your motorcycle. You can't handle a bike properly with flip flops and shorts, I don't care what you think. Ever see any professional motorcycle racing where the riders don't wear protective gear appropriate for the riding conditions and style? The fastest, most talented motorcycle riders on the planet (MotoGP) take to the track in full leathers, boots, gloves, helmet, hell even leathers with airbags in them. They ride a lot faster than you do, have a heck of a lot more skills, and I bet not a single one would even dream of doing that without all their gear.
If you don't know how to use your senses when your wearing the proper gear, you don't really know how to use them without it either. It's no different than say, being a firefighter. Yes, all that gear is heavy. Yes, all of that gear changes how you perceive your environment. But you can't do the job to the same level without the gear. So you practice, and you train until you're more skilled with your gear on than you are with it off. Same for riding a motorcycle.
j par
Well-hung Member
Yeah right I ride in flip-flops lol whatever you want to make up to make yourself feel good. I didn't mean to get you all offended that's for sure.
yellow rose
Overnight Sensation
This is just not true. Most vehicle accidents have very little affect on your insurance costs. What is eating away your insurance costs are two things. Compulsory insurance and the fact that property and life insurance aren't seperate from auto insurance.
Compulsory insurance means that no matter what, a plaintiff can gain way more wealth from a defendant if the defendant has insurance because the insurance will pay it. If the defendant didn't have that much to give to pay, then the plaintiff would get what he could and that would be that. Things such as drunk driving accidents could cause the loss of your home and all wealth. But again, if you had insurance that wasn't compulsory, it would not affect your rates.
The other factor in auto insurance rates is that the insurance companies will NEVER lose money. Ever. Just like Vegas doesn't lose. Ever. When a huge storm or natural disaster occur, and there are BILLIONS owed on claims and the funds paid in won't come close to covering the loss, meaning the insurance companies either take money out of their reserves (never EVER will that happen) they just raise the rates on auto insurance, renters insurance and things like that. It happens all the time.
Compulsory insurance is a bad deal.
Mopar-Man
Big Block Better Burnout
Insurance companies HAVE insurance against natural disasters.
I’m not offended, I’d actually have to care what you think for that. But I’m also not going to let you tell people riding without all the proper gear is somehow safer because you lack the skills/training/experience to do it. It’s not. If you don’t want to wear a helmet because it cramps your style and you don’t mind ending up a brain-dead organ donor after a minor accident, that’s your business. Sign a DNR, carry your organ donor card, and leave the rest of us out of it. Just don’t mistake your uninformed choices, or your inability to ride with all the right gear, as facts that apply to everyone else.
I could bore you with stories of all the motorcycle accidents I’ve been on in 20+ years of working as a firefighter, but I’m guessing you think you’re immune to ending up like that. You’re wrong. If you “prepare for the crash” you have a decent chance at walking away from some pretty serious accidents. If you don’t, you have a pretty good chance of being seriously maimed or even killed in an otherwise minor accident. Just the facts.
Unconventional
Well-Known Member
My motorcycle accident. Walking TO the motorcycle that was parked properly, rear tire against the curb in front of the GF's home. Somewhere about the curb I must have stumbled/tripped. As I hit the ground I head what sounded like a gunshot. My right knee screamed in agony, briefly. I managed to get on the bike helmet and gloves in place. Started her up, off I go, knee still protesting. I knew I was screwed when I could not get my right foot up to the foot peg to get to the brake pedal, lower leg just kinda hung there below the knee. Managed to get around the block back to the GF's house and park the bike. "I think you're going to have to take me home" I says, didn't have my work clothes with me for next day. Drove the Dart to work for the next 6 months with the right leg on the passenger seat. Some crashes you just can't prepare for 
. Yes, I was sober at the time.
. Yes, I was sober at the time.
j par
Well-hung Member
Boy first time you're telling me that I ride in flip-flops and now you're telling me I'm telling people not to ride and save gear? If you stop putting words in my mouth I won't sound so terrible and you won't sound so good LOL thank you for your firefighting service it's a very dangerous job and I'd wouldn't want any of my opinions to overshadow your service. I was just saying what's feel safe for me and what feel safe or something for someone else I'd be a priority. Anything to bring your safety awareness and Consciousness while you're recommended by me. I've seen people dressed from head to toe that should never touch the motorcycle in their entire life. Anyways I just walked away from this an hour ago this Jack will just ruin his Challenger punching into the driver's door of my wife's Durango while I was crossing an intersection. Are Goldwing is up for sale anyways but definitely now! I don't think my wife and I would have survived that no matter how much gear we had on we would have definitely had left broken legs guaranteed... Again just an hour ago and I was able to drive it home I'm still a bit in shock....
Ddaddy
I'm changing the World... one pixel at a time!
Jeez! I’m glad you are ok!
SLOPAR72
Well-Known Member
Yes, glad you are OK to live another day..... However, this has absolutely nothing to do with "dressing for the crash." Just let it go and live your life as you see fit.....
JW
j par
Well-hung Member
It's odd having someone blast into you and feeling sorry for that cuz they're car is all banged up.
Got me a little Memento to hang on the mantle LOL well men off to the Urgent Care my wife won't leave me alone...
yellow rose
Overnight Sensation
Damn jpar that's bad. That whole interchange there on 205 and airport way is a super mother bear. And that's on a day like today. Go through there at rush hour and it's about like a kamikaze flight. In 1988 I worked about a mile from there. It was horrible back then and is only worse now.
Hope you guys are ok. That isn't cool. Who was driving...you or the wife?
j par
Well-hung Member
Me no wife, THANK YOU LORD!!!
Unconventional
Well-Known Member
harrisonm
Well-Known Member
I totally disagree with you. I don't see that. I see people complaining about the idiot riders. You know, the kind that give everybody else a bad name.
iScamp
Well-Known Member
Ever driven in Mexico?
grimreaper
Cross Member
A good friend was severely injured lane splitting. He and a friend were in a stop and go situation and going between cars at less that 30MPH. His friend passed a car and immediaely after he went by the car a college kid opened the passenger door to jump out to see what was causing the jam. My buddy couldn't stop. Hopitalized for 6 months. Still has a plate in his head. And, that was with a helmet! He has been riding all kinds of bikes since he was itty bitty. I won't split lanes any more.
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The "pointing down" is actually the rider saying "Thanks" for the extra room. Take a closer look next time and you'll see the "pointing down" is actually done with both the index and middle finger, sort of like a downward pointing "Victory V". It's known as the American biker wave and is the same signal that's given by one rider to another rider to acknowledge the other rider and say "Hi" while riding.
It's not done just by Harley riders.
Do I get a 2nd choice?? Of vehicle or country?
Agreed done it and seen it many a time up here.
pishta
I know I'm right....
Yeah, I know. Thats why I said either, as in good or bad.
j par
Well-hung Member
Ok
Not hurt could be kind of irrelevant question I did jump out of there in a big ball of adrenalynn but of course this morning I feel like a man that's over 50 years old that just got dropped off a building on his left side! Lol
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