S
sportrider
this thread is an instructional aid on how to lane split.(use at your own risk, FZ6-Forum.com or any of the staff are not responsible for any injuries or damage that is incurred attempting to master the skill being discussed in this thread, how ever we will take our fair share of the glory after you have mastered this skill.)
Lesson #1
master the mental side of this first, despite what your self defense mechanism is telling you, if there is enough room for your shoulders between the cars your bike will fit. (unless you're anorexic then use the bar ends as a reference point) I say "shoulders" because people tend to judge by using their mirrors. mirrors will fold in if you clip a car while splitting. it's a common fact that most passenger cars mirrors will be lower than your bar ends, on the other side of the spectrum, most truck and SUV mirrors will be taller than your bar ends. why do I tell you this? simple really, just for fun see how close you can actually get to your car and still have ample room to dip the bike side to side. closer then you thought? in reality freeway lanes are 12 feet wide, the average full size SUV or pickup is under 8 feet (including mirrors) leaving 4 feet of available lane. put two pickups side by side, even if they're centered in the lanes there is still 4 feet of room. your bike takes less then 3 feet, that leaves you a foot to work with. let me ask you this, can you walk through a doorway without hitting the door jam? like I said master the mental side. once you're in the right mindset everything else is easy.
Lesson #2
master the single track line. to those of you who ride dirt bikes this will make perfect sense. for the rest of the people, what this means is, despite what you think all you need is a trail wide enough for your tires(still talking dirt bikes here) I've ridden ridge lines no wider than a few inches at high speed with out losing it because of controlling the bike. think about the pro racers they can run extreme speeds lap after lap hitting the same spot at brake points, turn in, and exit with in thousands of an inch. practice putting your bike exactly where you want it. example; ride on the shadow of a power line in the street. I could give more but you get the idea. once you have honed your skill, start off with slow speed "filtering" at signal lights.
Lesson #3
learn your mass. after you understand the minimum gap you need, and you are confident in your precision riding, your ready to start on moving targets. I recommend starting with compact cars and in small numbers, as in two cars side by side. nothing in front of them, that way once you've cleared them you are in the clear. be committed, once you decide to split traffic, adjust your speed to cleanly overtake the pack. there is no reason to just hang out in cage sandwich, get in and get out.
Lesson #4
watch for a gap between cars, don't get tunnel vision after splitting a bunch of cars side by side, always look for a gap between the cars that might be inviting some cager to change lanes in front of you. beware of semi trailers they can wander quite a bit in there lanes, assuming you've got room can put you in a real squeeze. be sure or don't do it!!!
like everything else in riding this is an acquired skill, it may not always be necessary to use but in a pinch it's a nice skill to have in your bag if you ever need it.:thumbup:
always ride safe and don't be a squid always wear your gear!!!
Lesson #1
master the mental side of this first, despite what your self defense mechanism is telling you, if there is enough room for your shoulders between the cars your bike will fit. (unless you're anorexic then use the bar ends as a reference point) I say "shoulders" because people tend to judge by using their mirrors. mirrors will fold in if you clip a car while splitting. it's a common fact that most passenger cars mirrors will be lower than your bar ends, on the other side of the spectrum, most truck and SUV mirrors will be taller than your bar ends. why do I tell you this? simple really, just for fun see how close you can actually get to your car and still have ample room to dip the bike side to side. closer then you thought? in reality freeway lanes are 12 feet wide, the average full size SUV or pickup is under 8 feet (including mirrors) leaving 4 feet of available lane. put two pickups side by side, even if they're centered in the lanes there is still 4 feet of room. your bike takes less then 3 feet, that leaves you a foot to work with. let me ask you this, can you walk through a doorway without hitting the door jam? like I said master the mental side. once you're in the right mindset everything else is easy.
Lesson #2
master the single track line. to those of you who ride dirt bikes this will make perfect sense. for the rest of the people, what this means is, despite what you think all you need is a trail wide enough for your tires(still talking dirt bikes here) I've ridden ridge lines no wider than a few inches at high speed with out losing it because of controlling the bike. think about the pro racers they can run extreme speeds lap after lap hitting the same spot at brake points, turn in, and exit with in thousands of an inch. practice putting your bike exactly where you want it. example; ride on the shadow of a power line in the street. I could give more but you get the idea. once you have honed your skill, start off with slow speed "filtering" at signal lights.
Lesson #3
learn your mass. after you understand the minimum gap you need, and you are confident in your precision riding, your ready to start on moving targets. I recommend starting with compact cars and in small numbers, as in two cars side by side. nothing in front of them, that way once you've cleared them you are in the clear. be committed, once you decide to split traffic, adjust your speed to cleanly overtake the pack. there is no reason to just hang out in cage sandwich, get in and get out.
Lesson #4
watch for a gap between cars, don't get tunnel vision after splitting a bunch of cars side by side, always look for a gap between the cars that might be inviting some cager to change lanes in front of you. beware of semi trailers they can wander quite a bit in there lanes, assuming you've got room can put you in a real squeeze. be sure or don't do it!!!
like everything else in riding this is an acquired skill, it may not always be necessary to use but in a pinch it's a nice skill to have in your bag if you ever need it.:thumbup:
always ride safe and don't be a squid always wear your gear!!!
