Street Riding 101

I find myself wondering why motorcyclist like  to put themselves in danger by riding the way they do? Then I realize they aren't doing it on purpose, they just don't know any better.

Driving (not riding) to work the other day the traffic starts backing up, as I join the other drivers on the road maneuvering around the obstacle which turns out to be a motorcyclist riding just below the speed limit in the left hand lane. As I pass I notice the newness of the bike a Harley Sportster with paper license tags. I think to myself no one has every told him that riding slower than traffic is not a wise idea.

To get to the point, if you ride on the street, do yourself and your family a favor and ride faster than traffic. Now I'm not saying 20 mph faster than traffic but a few won't hurt. Riding faster allows the rider to control his/her path by being the aggressor (so to speak) choosing which lane to take and so on. Riding slower than traffic makes you a target. Faster moving traffic will cut you off, plus you have to worry about the car traveling mere feet from your rear tire. If you must ride slow for what ever reason, do it in the slow lane, or on lightly traveled roads.

I know, listening to the sound of that big V twin is awesome, but so is getting home safe after every ride. So, do everyone a favor and pick up the pace!  

The bike I own today is considered 'the world's fastest' bike to date. I find myself aiming for and leaving from wolf packs. I stay with the cars that close, one tends to change lanes and their blind spot is my body marks on their car, I do not leave and chase an empty space.

I am so blatantly aggressive, I split between cars just to get the heck away from them. With the power of this bike, the move is safe and instant. That is the beauty of riding faster than traffic.

You are no longer riding next to metal because the tactic works both ways. If I am behind cars, have no cars behind me, I now lift off the throttle, let the traffic ahead move forward; I made my own wolf pack as I time the cars in the rear moving up upon me, I now have a window to push farther up the road.

I am still behind the cars I let move ahead. I am so quick on the throttle, the cars turn into tiny peas in my mirror, I am both on a fun power surge to gain distance, and I am safe as long as I can have that buffer in between me and metal.  

Couple of thoughts.

1, yes, we should ride "at the speed of traffic" not faster or slower

2, he has break in and cannot go over 50mph, so, he should have been in the right lane

3, its called a SPEED LIMIT. on an interstate where the limit is 60, the minimum is usually around 45. So, in this case, I believe there is shared blame.

The rider should have been in the right lane and the drivers should be prepared for cars going slower than the limit.  

Good point! Riding slightly faster than the flow of traffic also justifies you being in the safest lane for a bike, the left lane.

In the left lane, you cannot be cut off from merging traffic; you cannot be cut off from either side as you can in the middle lanes. In the left lane, it is easiest and safest to protect your space.

And riding slightly faster than the flow allows you to concentrate more on what's happening where you are going and looking, rather than concentrating on your mirrors.

Riding faster is therefore not actually aggressive so much as the best defensive driving you can do on a bike.