motorbikes of all types including scooters..

TATTRAT · Apr 3, 2013

More "parts" than whole bikes, the place was crowded. . .but still, great bikes from yesteryear.

Now it's buggin me, I know I had some Royal Enfield shots in here somewhere. .. sh**

Thayli · Apr 3, 2013

SCraig said:
Cold is easier these days than it was decades ago. I have an electrically heated jacket liner and heated gloves now that help immensely. I can ride comfortably down to the mid 30's. I remember getting home as a kid after riding in cold rain and literally having ice crack off my blue jeans.

A heated jacket/suit and heated grips was something I constantly nearly did, but just never got there. My friends would have ribbed too much lol. No, I was stuck riding with one hand while I stuck the other under my backside, (only the one, I didnt have cruise or friction grips) and squeezing the engine between my legs. At traffic lights I would reach down and hug the engine lol.

You also said you were stuck in traffic? Did you have side-boxes on, or is this one of the places you're not allowed to filter?

TATTRAT · Apr 3, 2013

ATVrider43 said:
I want a honda ruckus, cuz they look fun....does this work?? hahaha

lol, I had one as a commuter on O'ahu. Was an awesome lil thing, I bought it off CL and it had a 250cc engine on it. Was great to get to/from home, and between the two restaurant locations I was overseeing. Parked right on the bike-racks, never had an issue, loved that little thing.

Had a Buell Firebolt for "over the Pali" commuting. I LOVED that bike. It was sporty as hell, but as comfortable as any cruiser I have ever ridden.

I can. not. wait. to get back on 2 wheels. . . but DC is a nightmare, and there are SO man ignorant/oblivious drivers on the roads here. Next bike will be for joyriding only, not a daily unfortunately (though I will buy one and start riding everyday the weather is over 65 and justify it to myself and better half, I'm sure).

TATTRAT · Apr 3, 2013

Anybody into the dual sports/hypermotard bikes?

SCraig · Apr 4, 2013

Thayli said:
A heated jacket/suit and heated grips was something I constantly nearly did, but just never got there. My friends would have ribbed too much lol. No, I was stuck riding with one hand while I stuck the other under my backside, (only the one, I didnt have cruise or friction grips) and squeezing the engine between my legs. At traffic lights I would reach down and hug the engine lol.

As Jim Hutton said in the movie "The Green Berets" ... "I'm not a Marine, Sergeant, I enjoy my comforts." I'd rather be warm and ribbed than cold and accepted

You also said you were stuck in traffic? Did you have side-boxes on, or is this one of the places you're not allowed to filter?

The only place in the USA where filtering / lane splitting is allowed is in California. It is illegal in every other state.

Thayli · Apr 4, 2013

SCraig said:
As Jim Hutton said in the movie "The Green Berets" ... "I'm not a Marine, Sergeant, I enjoy my comforts." I'd rather be warm and ribbed than cold and accepted

The only place in the USA where filtering / lane splitting is allowed is in California. It is illegal in every other state.

Yeah I was a bit younger then and had a bit too much ill-founded respect for some older long-in-the-tooth riders I hung with lol.

As far as filtering is concerned, while I assume they have their reasons, that's just plain madness to me. The main reason I used the bike for the commute was because I had a 12 mile ride into/through the city which took about 15 minutes by bike, or around an hour (and sometimes more) by car. Not only that, but bikes are supposed to reduce congestion (part of the reason in the UK you pay a 1/4 of the road tax), if you treat them like, or apply to them the same laws as cars then you achieve nothing...? Not only that, but filtering was one of my fav parts about riding (my commute was almost ALL filtering), I cant imagine not being allowed to.

If the traffic is moving under walking speed I see no reason why bikes shouldn't be allowed to do what they're good at. Granted, after driving here in the states for the last 2 years I've noticed there is much much less lane discipline/awareness here (and more specifically its much less enforced by the authorities), but at under walking speed, I don't see how it could pose much of a threat to the rider or others.

I knew in some states it was illegal, but i had no idea it was so widespread. Oh well, we had actually been thinking about heading out to Cali at some point in the future anyway lol.

SCraig · Apr 4, 2013

Thayli said:
Yeah I was a bit younger then and had a bit too much ill-founded respect for some older long-in-the-tooth riders I hung with lol.

As far as filtering is concerned, while I assume they have their reasons, that's just plain madness to me. The main reason I used the bike for the commute was because I had a 12 mile ride into/through the city which took about 15 minutes by bike, or around an hour (and sometimes more) by car. Not only that, but bikes are supposed to reduce congestion (part of the reason in the UK you pay a 1/4 of the road tax), if you treat them like, or apply to them the same laws as cars then you achieve nothing...? Not only that, but filtering was one of my fav parts about riding (my commute was almost ALL filtering), I cant imagine not being allowed to.

If the traffic is moving under walking speed I see no reason why bikes shouldn't be allowed to do what they're good at. Granted, after driving here in the states for the last 2 years I've noticed there is much much less lane discipline/awareness here (and more specifically its much less enforced by the authorities), but at under walking speed, I don't see how it could pose much of a threat to the rider or others.

I knew in some states it was illegal, but i had no idea it was so widespread. Oh well, we had actually been thinking about heading out to Cali at some point in the future anyway lol.

Lane splitting is one of those things that I think most people either love or hate. Very little middle ground. Not just the motorcyclists but all motorists. It has been around for so long in California that everyone is accustomed to it, motorcyclists expect to be able to do it and cage drivers expect to see them. I was amazed when I rode through Los Angeles at how well everyone moved over as far as they could to give us room to get through. That would never, ever happen around here. Not only would they not move over they would squeeze together as much as possible to prevent bikes from getting through.

I don't know how other parts of the USA are but in Tennessee we don't get much of a break on road use taxes. I think it costs $79 to license my car for a year, and $72 for each of my two bikes. Even though I can only drive/ride one at a time the powers that be do everything they can to squeeze as much as possible from us.

Buckster · Apr 4, 2013

When I arrived in California about 10 years ago, I saw riders filtering en masse for the first time in my life, and thought it looked plumb crazy. I was there for about 3 years and saw a few bad bike wrecks from it, plus several minor traffic scuffs over it. In the three worst that come to mind, one was a demolished bike but looked like the rider was okay, another looked like the rider might be dead, and the third had the rider flopping around on the ground like a fish.

I quit riding about a year after I started, which was maybe 20 years ago. I loved riding, but the other drivers out there are too unaware of bikes on the road for my comfort zone. After a few close calls, I called it quits and sold my Virago.

Thayli · Apr 4, 2013

SCraig said:
Lane splitting is one of those things that I think most people either love or hate. Very little middle ground. Not just the motorcyclists but all motorists.

Thats amazing, it really is. Ive seen plenty car drivers who would sit and sulk when I came past, Ive scared the crap out of plenty females sitting in traffic doing their makeup who didnt know I was there until I blipped the throttle as I passed their window, and maybe once a month or so someone would make a half hearted attempt at blocking me off, but never an actual 'grudge squeeze' like you described. I mean, if there is 20 bikes in front of you who all filter through, then you get out the traffic 20 car length's faster. If you are sitting at traffic lights and all the bikes filter forward, there will be plenty of times you will make it through on this green instead of having to wait for the next one. Everybodys a winner.

Dont get me wrong, Ive seen plenty rage directed at bikers including myself, but that was mostly high speed competitive stuff with beamers and the like. The idea of cars closing down filter paths just... well just because (why?), well that just seems a bit bloody stupid lol. It reminds me of the people I've seen in the US who create a rolling roadblock for 20 miles on a 2 lane highway with both of them side by side at 55mph exactly. You can actually hear their smug head-nodding self approvals. "Well the speed limit is 55 and I'm doing 55 y'know. Hur Hur Hur." Its at these points I really wish I still had a bike lol.

Anyway, we keep this back and forth up and we'll have officially hijacked this thread. (Although it is kinda on topic I guess). But it has been a wonderful walk with my rose-tinted glasses and I thank you for it. And while I'm a bit back to my 'screw cameras I need to get a bike back on the road' mindframe, it seems it might not be quite as much fun over here. (The speedlimits I thought were my biggest problem, after Germany and Poland I became a bit spoiled, but filtering may actually be just as big).

Thayli · Apr 4, 2013

Buckster said:
When I arrived in California about 10 years ago, I saw riders filtering en masse for the first time in my life, and thought it looked plumb crazy. I was there for about 3 years and saw a few bad bike wrecks from it, plus several minor traffic scuffs over it. In the three worst that come to mind, one was a demolished bike but looked like the rider was okay, another looked like the rider might be dead, and the third had the rider flopping around on the ground like a fish.

I quit riding about a year after I started, which was maybe 20 years ago. I loved riding, but the other drivers out there are too unaware of bikes on the road for my comfort zone. After a few close calls, I called it quits and sold my Virago.

I had a friend who had a mini virago just after he passed his test, i think it was a 250, but looked much bigger. Was a nice looking bike. I haven't seen him in a long time but I heard he upped to the full size. I didnt even know the model had been made so long. (Then again, this was 12 years ago, i keep forgetting I'm not 18 anymore).

As far as the worst accident, Ive never seen anything other than a side-mirror knock from filtering. Ive seen a few smears from other things (especially in Poland, those buggers were insane), but the one that comes to mind was in Scotland when I saw a bike lying grip down that I recognised to belong to a friend of a friend (I'd only met him twice I think). Police and ambulance were already in attendance and the stretcher was being loaded as I stopped, and I watched a big line of police walk down the hill checking under parked cars and even in peoples front gardens. I couldnt figure what they were doing, and the police asked me to move on so I did. I'm guessing the old veterans may have guessed what they were looking for by now?

While all bikers are aware of the old 'decapatation zone', he was the only one that I've ever heard of getting into it lol. And such was our gallows humour I must admit we did have a right old laugh about it. (Same as a couple of other fatalities over the years that we knew personally). I know American humor is a lot more sensitive and not quite as dark as British at times so i will excuse myself if anyone finds that offensive.

P.S. They found it almost 100m down the hill under a parked car. Police reckoned he had being doing at least 60 when he said good morning to a garbage lorry coming the other way.