Watch out world!

[netmouse]

Yesterday I went to the SOS and did the standing in line reading the manual thing and the taking a test thing (she took the manual away while I took the test - for a moment there I was surprised, not having thought about it), and then (I passed) the getting my picture taken thing, and what all that adds up to is that sometime soon I will get a nice shiny new Michigan driver's license with a cycle endorsement on it!

In the meantime, I'm already permitted to drive a motorcycle with my temporary dealie, so I plan to take advantage of the nice weather and logangrey's hospitality and practice riding on a real motorcycle with turn signals and mirrors and stuff this weekend. thatguychuck might even join me so I can comfortably leave the parking lot and practice on the street!

Dave and Chuck were willing to loan me enough safety gear that I could ride, but I decided to take the bit in my teeth, so to speak, and went to Rec and Leisure this morning to get some gear of my own. I found some low boots that fit so well I forgot I had them on instead of my regular shoes, a helmet, a jacket (mesh Tour Master jacket with two inserts - rain and warmth), and some gloves. They didn't have much of a selection of gloves my size in the brands I like, so I'll do some online shopping soon, possibly at the New Enough site everyone recommends. Everything I got is Black and Silver, btw.

I really appreciate everyone's support in this, with special thanks to shadowriderhope today for giving me a coupon for 10% off the purchases I just made. and I just may join elizilla tuesday night for a weekly biking gathering in Ypsi. Stay tuned!

Comments

[dd-b.livejournal.com]

Should I happen to be driving in Michigan this weekend (which I won't be), I'll be *extremely* careful :-)

Congratulations!

Sounds like you're being sane about safety gear, too. I have heard *no* good reports of having your skin grated off on the pavement; there seems to be startlingly uniform agreement that it's extremely bad.

[netmouse.livejournal.com]

Thanks!

My sister once got road rash just from wiping out on a bicycle. I'm in no way eager to try that at higher speeds.

Keep an eye out for bikers, wherever you're driving! :)

[dd-b.livejournal.com]

I once had a bicyclist angry at me for pulling across the crosswalk, but he must have been riding rather fast on the sidewalk since he wasn't in sight up the sidewalk a fraction of a second previously (can't look all directions at once!). Haven't had any close calls with motorcycles, I find them pretty easy to see. Of course in California where they routinely ride past you on the line between two lanes of cars, it's much easier to have a close call!

[damascene.livejournal.com]

I've been told by CA friends that that's honestly legal as long as the lane traffic is moving at less than I-forget-what-speed. Considering how CA freeways get backed up, I couldn't dismiss that as entirely unbelievable but I've never checked it myself.

[dd-b.livejournal.com]

And as long as they're riding no more than Y faster than the cars are going, yes. I do believe it's legal in California. Still not at all sure it's safe.

Lane Splitting in CA

[(Anonymous)]

Actually, there is no law governing the speed for a motorcycle while lane-splitting.

The only reason it is allowed in California is that the vehicle code does not explicitly state that two vehicles may not be in the same lane side-by-side. So technically speaking, lane splitting is simply not illegal.

Any cop can pull over a motorcyclist that is lane splitting and give him/her a ticket for vioating the basic speed law if the mood strikes them.

[holyhippie]

As someone who rides a motorcycle and lane shares in California; I should be able to give a definitive answer to the legality of this, but really I can't.

Lane shareing is legal, that I know. I don't know of a formula that says 'legal under x speed'. I believe that it is up to the officers discresion to cite you for reckless driving if he doesn't like how fast you are going, and how agressive you are weaving through traffic.

My personal rules are not to lane share when the cars are doing much over 25mph. The slower the cars are going the better, since that means the less they are moving around on the road, and the less chance of one of them rubbing me out. I frequently see motorcycles zipping between two cars doing 65, that freaks me out.

[damascene.livejournal.com]

motorcycles zipping between two cars doing 65

lalalalalala

::fingers in ears, not thinking about that, are they insane?::

[holyhippie]

Are they insane? Probably.

Since writing my post, I did some googling on the issue, and what I found confirms what I said - lane sharing is not illegal at any speed, but cops are still free to cite you for reckless driving or illegal lane changes, if they don't like what you are doing.