Lane positioning when riding

[davemon]

http://www.motorcycle.com/how-to/pro...ne-positioning

I agree with many of the ideas in this article but not all. An example of something I don't agree with entirely would be the positioning in the fast lane. In the fast lane riding solo; I think it's important to use the right hand third of the lane to make one's presence felt and sort of "own" the lane. If I'm out there, I'm always passing and taking in the behavior of vehicles before I get next to them so this right hand third is where I stay unless given a strong reason not to... and in most cases if I would need to use the left third of the lane, I probably just wouldn't pass and would move over behind the vehicle in question (and stay back and get gas or take a stretch break as soon as possible).

Wondering if I'm incorrect in this approach. I figure Ken has thought about this more than I have.

Dave

[jasnmar]

Like you, I tend to ride in the right 1/3 of the left lane. If there is a particularly dodgey driver I'll move over, but otherwise I'm in the right 1/3.

I also pretty much never ride in the middle 1/3. Besides there tending to be more oil / coolant / random dripping stuff there, the chances of there being other debris there is higher. I tend to as much as possible follow the tracks of the 4 wheelers. Following tracks is especially true in the wet.

[aldend123]

I spend a lot of time in the passing lane, and I like the left side of the left lane. It gives me a greater time to react to a car who decides to pop out in front of me as if I'm not moving in on them. And worst case, someone tries to merge in to me, most highways I ride have a big enough paved area on the far left that I can fit comfortably in to until the other driver gets off the phone.

[obsolete]

I use the right third till I get near another vehicle then I move over to the left third. Not only am I in a safer position the movement has move of a chance of getting the drivers attention.

[e30addict]

I favor the left third when solo. If I'm in relatively heavy traffic with small speed differences I try to put the bike where I can see the driver to my 1-2 o'clock in their cars left mirror.

[golden chicken]

Lane positioning for me is very situational. Most of the time I try to be a conspicuous obstacle. I have a brake light flasher, HID headlight, OEM turn signals (not those dim, crappy eBay specials) and enough reflective tape to choke an elephant.

Generally speaking, I'll use the right third of the leftmost lane and the left third of all other lanes.

I may stop at a light in the middle of the lane if I am riding solo. If I stay to one side or the other, I find drivers will pull alongside, assuming I'm going to turn and then it's a drag race/game of chicken across the intersection.

I may move from the left third of the lane to the right third if I am being eclipsed by the car/SUV in front of me.

If I am in traffic, stuck next to someone, I actually ride closer to them in order to stay in their mirrors longer. You'd be surprised how many of my customers' outboard mirrors are aimed half at the side of their car. I also feel like I can 'feel' them changing into my lane sooner if they're close by rather than being half a lane away and they're committed to the lane change before I get a chance to honk or evade somehow. It gives me the rest of the lane to work with so I don't need to rely on there being a shoulder to escape to.

[Ken C]

In general, your job when in traffic is to be as visible as possible (this means never lingering in blind spots) while providing a space cushion to allow for drivers who unexpectedly move toward you.

On the highway, I ride in the right portion of the left (passing) lane for several reasons. 1. to see as far ahead as possible (look for brake lights several cars ahead to alert you of change in speed or an obstacle in the road). 2. to ride in the car tire tracks (where there is less contaminants, and so you don't end up running over obstacles that cars ahead straddle to avoid). 3. To be as visible as possible to cars in the middle lane. Yes, you are closer to cars in the middle lane but presumably if they see you, they will not move into your lane. If necessary, move to the left and then move back to the right part of the lane when safe to do so.

Riding in the left portion of the passing lane makes you less visible to drivers in the middle lane, who are arguably your greatest risk as they may move into the fast lane.

I'm less concerned about drivers ahead seeing me in their mirrors, because they are not the biggest threat as long as you are giving plenty of following distance if they were to slam on their brakes. Also, your presence behind them will not influence their decision to change lanes or slow down if they have to.

Lane positioning is one of THE most important strategies you can use for being seen. Hiding behind cars and trucks will certainly lead to many close calls.

BTW, I have written volumes about this subject (and many others) in my Proficient Motorcycling and Street Strategies columns for Motorcycle Consumer News. This topic is also covered to some degree in Riding in the Zone.

[RandyO]

I use the theory that it is best to position yourself on a road that has no other traffic, ride right in the middle of the road except when avoiding frost heave damage, it give you better visibility of vermin peeking from either edge of the road and more time to react

[RandyO]

what's this "fast lane" shit

on multi lane highways, furthest left lane should be passing only, any more and your a LEFT LANE HOG

[davemon]

Great thoughts everyone. Thanks Ken for your summarized insights!

Now... is my bike more or less visible when in a high loft wheelie compared to when both wheels are in contact with the road?

Dave

[e30addict]

Great thoughts everyone. Thanks Ken for your summarized insights!

Now... is my bike more or less visible when in a high loft wheelie compared to when both wheels are in contact with the road?

Dave

Depends. Did you put day-glo paint on the belly pan or no?

BTW - Come play with us for the 3 day. I need instructors badly. Lot's of racing going on that weekend too. Show your 4 wheel friends some love!

[davemon]

Depends. Did you put day-glo paint on the belly pan or no?

BTW - Come play with us for the 3 day. I need instructors badly. Lot's of racing going on that weekend too. Show your 4 wheel friends some love!

No day-glo, it's just silver heat shield things on the Multi. Think paint will help?

Can't do on the cars as I've got a company thing all weekend in VT. If that changes I'll ping you, come up, instruct if you still need me, and probably slut some poor/rich/lucky bastards car. I really haven't been showing the car friends love this year. Spent too many vacation days on travel so bike days have been the focus and all the weekend days I could get (thank you NYST).

Dave

[feralchimp]

I generally don't care how visible I am to drivers on the highway, preferring to be as far away from them as possible. Thus, left side of left lane, right side of right lane, and migrating left/right in middle lanes depending on passing/passed traffic.

[e30addict]

Never stay in front of a Range Rover, that's for sure.

[Ken C]

I generally don't care how visible I am to drivers on the highway, preferring to be as far away from them as possible. Thus, left side of left lane, right side of right lane, and migrating left/right in middle lanes depending on passing/passed traffic.

Um. Good luck with that. Being seen is the best thing you can do. Staying away from cars is fine, but not often practical.

[golden chicken]

It's really interesting to me that two riders who essentially encounter the same hazards can have totally opposite approaches to riding on the street and that both approaches work and make total sense to each rider.

[jasnmar]

You should hear Scott Greenwood talk about differences in his and Eric's approach to riding the track a Loudon.

Multiple approaches can work, but each come with their own risks and rewards.

There is some aspect of "if you as an individual are comfortable with..." in most of these things. The question then becomes "can you get comfortable" or "do you need to modify."

It certainly is interesting to hear the different points of view and reasons for them.

[RandyO]

I usually look for eyes, those vehicles closest to being priority, once I know I'm not in blind spots of closest adjacent vehicles, I position myself where I can see the faces of the most oncoming drivers, and the most rear view mirrors ahead of me, (this usually puts you close to the centerline). In curves, I position myself for furthest visibility, with the exception of blind righthanders, I hung the inside cause that's where I see opposing traffic cutting the corner, if I was closer to centerline where I can see furthest thru corner, they would be right in my face

[G21forme]

I usually look for eyes, those vehicles closest to being priority, once I know I'm not in blind spots of closest adjacent vehicles, I position myself where I can see the faces of the most oncoming drivers, and the most rear view mirrors ahead of me, (this usually puts you close to the centerline). In curves, I position myself for furthest visibility, with the exception of blind righthanders, I hung the inside cause that's where I see opposing traffic cutting the corner, if I was closer to centerline where I can see furthest thru corner, they would be right in my face

This, eyes and hands if visible are a great indication of intention.

Sent from my SCH-I535 using Tapatalk 2

[Cheese]

On the highway, I ride in the right portion of the left (passing) lane for several reasons. 1. to see as far ahead as possible (look for brake lights several cars ahead to alert you of change in speed or an obstacle in the road). 2. to ride in the car tire tracks (where there is less contaminants, and so you don't end up running over obstacles that cars ahead straddle to avoid). 3. To be as visible as possible to cars in the middle lane. Yes, you are closer to cars in the middle lane but presumably if they see you, they will not move into your lane. If necessary, move to the left and then move back to the right part of the lane when safe to do so.

Riding in the left portion of the passing lane makes you less visible to drivers in the middle lane, who are arguably your greatest risk as they may move into the fast lane.

I'm less concerned about drivers ahead seeing me in their mirrors, because they are not the biggest threat as long as you are giving plenty of following distance if they were to slam on their brakes. Also, your presence behind them will not influence their decision to change lanes or slow down if they have to.

This.

It's rather counter intuitive to hide in the blind spot of the car you're following but it does make you more visible to many other vehicles around which are a more frequent threat. If the car I'm following is hugging the line then I may move to the left side of the left lane so that I can look farther ahead but more often there's good visibility from the right third of the left lane. When passing trucks I will often shift to the left portion of the left lane to avoid the wind currents that trucks generate at speed, but once clear of those disturbances, I'm right back to the right third again.

Speaking of blind spots; When riding at night I find it very helpful to be one lane over and in the blind spot of another driver. This allows me to use the peripheral beam of the leading car's headlights to light up my travel lane beside him. Anything that helps you look further ahead is a plus, especially at night.

[feralchimp]

Um. Good luck with that. Being seen is the best thing you can do. Staying away from cars is fine, but not often practical.

It's worked for 15 years, so I guess I've been lucky?

"Being seen" is a nice to have, but not something I feel I have as much control over. How can it possibly trump margin of error in physical space?

I'm all for benefitting from others' hard-won science, even if the conclusions aren't intuitive, but the right side of the left lane gives me the creeps.

[nt650hawk]

Highways for me..
left lane right side.
right lane left side

middle lane depends on the exit ramp/on ramps . coming up to the off ramp i want to be on the left side for the jamok wanting to go from the left lane all the way to the exit. Approaching the on ramp i want to be on the right side of the middle lane for the jamokes that NEED to be in the left lane and go under the speedlimit.


+1 in position yourself for visibility. Pay attention to the driver you can see it. Calm, distracted, tense, eager, zippy, hands on the steering wheel tells a lot, looking in mirrors, children in car, age of driver, ZIP cars, school opening (Big trucks and kids never haven driven one). Just to name a few.

[Tunertype]

I only use the left lane for passing and avoiding mergers. Thats what its for... Sometimes have to use the right lane for passing because some dick who doesn't know what the left lane is for is just cruising in it. It's usually a bad or old driver who doesn't want to have to switch lanes when people are merging. But if there is nobody in the right lane there is no reason to be in the left lane!!!

When in the left lane usually middle to right 3rd as guard rails are scarry. Unless the girl I am passing is txting, drinking coffee or painting her nails, then it's the left side of the left lane and a full throttle quick pass.

I never cruise in the blind spot or next to a car. Its easy for them to forget you're there. I've done it. Like... Hmm where'd that motorcycle go?? Its been a while.. Must not have noticed him get off th exit behind me.. Then pull a little more forward And notice he'd been cruising in my blind spot for like 15 minutes.

[oVTo]

I'm a long-time Boston area highway moto-commuter. My passing lane strategy in heavy highway traffic is the same as in the article.

In the passing lane, I stay to the right of the lane when between the cars in the next lane. Picture the spacing of same color squares on two rows of a chess board. If I'm on a black square, I want empty white squares on all four sides as much as possible. This creates space all around the bike. I can speed up, slow down, or swerve either left or right if something challenging happens.

As the bike's front wheel approaches the back end of the car ahead, I shift to the left. The bike may briefly be in a blind spot of the car to my right, but the benefit is more space and time to react to any driver who starts moving into my lane. Once my upper body is about even with the front wheel, I start shifting back to the right. Total side-to-side movement is about 2-3 feet and it's gradual, not a swerve.

Lane position isn't two dimensional, just left Vs. right. I take advantage of 'vertical' lane position by staying between the cars in the adjacent lane until I can quickly and completely pass the next car. Going back to the chessboard analogy, I try to minimize the time spent on the opposite color of the cars around me.

Over a few decades and tens of thousands of rush hour miles, I've experienced less than a dozen interesting moments in the highway. None from the front or behind, all from the side. Each time, the driver shifted into my lane with no look at all. Every time, a blast of my sweet 139dB horn and a minor adjustment to the left quickly solved the problem with little drama. It's amazing how well the horn works. The drivers always immediately retreated into their lane. It's probably because they think they've just cut off an invisible 18 wheeler and don't want to die.

The other reason I minimize time spent in the right side of the lane when directly beside a car is texters. They're usually easy to spot and plan for because they drift so much. But increased space is a still a good thing because the driver of that car beside you might suddenly get a fascinating update on Jessica's new boyfriend or what's for dinner and they just have to reply immediately!!! Fucking idiots.

I understand the logic for staying on the right side of the passing lane. The trade-off between the two techniques is slightly increased visibility Vs. slightly increased reaction time. I choose reaction time because my experience has been the biggest hazard is drivers who suddenly change lanes without checking mirrors or looking over their shoulder. Visibility doesn't seem to be a major problem because I have gone years at a time without someone trying to take my spot in the highway.