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goddamn the slow

4199 Views 42 Replies 17 Participants Last post by  Geeto67, 
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fucking lane splitters. fucking newbie squid can't get out of their own way lane splitters. It was like fucking amature day out there.

since the weather has become really nice I am back to riding to work. Blew the 73's motor last week so I decided to take the dunstall into the city today and get an inspection for it during lunch. so I am hapily buzzing along in the NYC traffic when I come upon a guy on an R1 in my 'tween-lane. traffic is stopped totally and the dude is moving 10 mph between the cars. I am on a bike that is twice as wide as he is and I am moving twice as fast. I wouldn't have mindid it so much but I cut around a car on the other side and when I came back over to get back in my 'tween-lane he sped up and blocked me. Then when I got off the highway he tried to race me at the light. what a dufus.

but that isn't as bad as the pud thumper in the flip flops and not dot helmet on the 59th street bridge on his cheap chinese scooter moving, I shit you not, 5mph in stopped traffic. I come up on him and I was patient but the asshole refuses to get out of the way and even flips me off when I rev the bike to let him know I am there and want to pass(the dunstall is loud as fuck and has no horn). the guy in the car next to me gets is and holds back when traffic begins to creep so I could get in front of him to get around the ass hat.

not 300 yards further up is another guy on a cbr f2 that looked like an f2 sampler as every panel was a different color factory paint job. this guy is sitting on a running bike walking the fucking thing through the stopped traffic. and he won't move over either. I go to the sholder and get around him and I see him riding my lane wake - close.

Finally there is the douche on the new fat boy who tries to beat the yellow light and nearly runs down a NYPD traffic cop who was signaling for him to stop, only to get stock in the middle of the intersection because traffic is backed up. Stuck right in front of me. and he and the traffic cop are too busy arguing for this fat ass to get the fuck out of my way. thankfully I wasn't the only bike there and a guy on a zrx blocked the car traffic to let me an an enduro come across two lanes to get around this jerk.

I hate New York City.
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it isn't "legal" here either but honestly, within the city limits it is pretty much a way of life. Unless you want your bike to become a bubbling pile of melted aluminum you have to to get anywhere. As long as you are not being a tremendous jackass (like the stunters) by wheeling or stoppie-ing between the cars then the cops will pretty much look the other way. I lane split past two nypd cars this morning and one of them gave me the thumbs up and said nice bike.

as for the sidewalks? well I do that too but never for longer than a block and only when the traffic is stopped. I rode one the walk this morning to get past a truck who didn't understand the concept of lanes and was parked across both.

I was pretty pissed this morning and just venting. I am calmer now.

NYC has to be the most unfriendly bike city there is and I can't for the life of me figure out why. If they were more biek friendly they could get rid of a ton of congestion. San Fran has bike specific parking and doesn't penalize riders with car specific parking procedures, why can't NY follow suit. Long Island wised up and made the HOV lane accept motorcycles but the HOV lane has yet to extend to the city.
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quote:Originally posted by Diamondj

Hey Geet,

You bringing the Dunstall to Mid-O?

Jim
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riding it all the way there. you still gonna be our chase truck? I am not worried about my bike but my buddy's guzzi might end up on the trailer before the day is out.
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I would invite you to ride with us but who is going to carry our parts home?
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quote:Originally posted by Diamondj

quote:Originally posted by Geeto67

riding it all the way there. you still gonna be our chase truck? I am not worried about my bike but my buddy's guzzi might end up on the trailer before the day is out.
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Yep. Planning on heading out on Thursday (7/24) as early as I can get on the road (probably 10am). You guys coming to NJ to meet me and head out together or will we meet up on the road?

And I can always bring along the GS so if/when your buddy's Guzzi craps out, he can take over chase truck duty and I can ride...

Jim
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I was going to tell you to bring the GS anyway since it sucks driving around mid-ohio in a car during vintage MOTORCYCLE days. To tell you the truth that thought about him taking over crossed my mind.

Not sure if we are going to meet you at your house or head out before 10am. Despite my 5 gallons of fury tank we have to make more fuel stops than you do and it would suck if you got ahead of us and then had to turn around to come back and pick one of us up. Plus Andy from the SOHC4 board might be riding out with us as well and I don't know when he will want to get on the road. So far it looks like me, CM on the 71 guzzi, and my father on the ancient ninja.

BTW, there is going to be a huge cafe racer display at mid-o this year so there is even more reason to bring your badass GS zook.

And since this thread has officially been hijacked - if anybody in the north easy wants to join our merry pack you are more than welcome. Where you stay when we get there is up to you but if you want to just come along for the ride it should be a blast. I'll make a new post about this when we get a month away from the big O.
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quote:Originally posted by borzwazie

every day I sit in traffic on my way to work and daydream about splitting lanes the whole fucking way to Pittsburgh. It's totally illegal here but I swear it would be worth the fine 10 times over.

it was legal in california when I lived there but people got pissed at you about it and would swerve to cut you off or throw shit at you. I had one guy open his door into me. wtf? if we get in a fight, dude, you're gonna lose, I got a freaking helmet on!
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yeah they do all that shit here too. the best one is when AD was riding to work one day and someone yelled out at him "you are cheating". As for the door thing, It happened to me once and I stopped in time and held the guy's door open with my front tire and said to him if he ever does that again and I see it I am going to take the fucking door off and then beat him with it. just to let him know I was serious I pushed on it with the bike till it creaked then let off. Now I am just waiting for it to happen again so I can do that again (the "OMG I shit myself" look on the cager's face is worth it alone).

I don't lane split Long Island because the Jackbooted LEOs out there will most assuredly impound my ride, but in NYC - hell the lanes are just a suggestion anyway.
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when it comes to lane splitting I suscribe to a couple of philosophies:

- If you are going to do something illegal, do it fast and then get the hell out of there.

- If you are going to ride between cars make the actual time between cars as small as possible (since in NYC the greatest danger splitting is not being knocked off the bike so much as squashed between two cars or two panel vans)

- always split commercial trucks on the left and never split between two 18 wheelers

- you don't need to be moving faster than 20-30 mph than the traffic you are splitting. You don't need to be splitting if the traffic is 35mph or above. I think it is actually really close to the california law but it just makes sense to me.

- watch out for side view mirrors. Always.

- if somebody behind you wants to go faster let him go. the point of it is to relieve traffic congestion, no point in creating another traffic jam between the traffic jam.

- be conservative. If it feels like a bad idea don't do it.

- be alert and ready for anything. cover the brake at all times.

apparently none of the people I rode behind today who were splitting know these rules. They are common sense and I worked them all out on my own so I figure either 1) they lack common sense, or 2) the ylack the will to live. I hope it is the latter because I really would not like to see them again.
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please by all means continue the hijack....it beats the snot out of talking about the latest moron the DMV gave a motorcycle permit to.
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I don;t have access to california's penal code at work but here is what I can come up with on the fly:

http://www.ducatigirl.com/california/dmv_b_roulette.html#lan

seems they had a provision specifically addressing it and removed it. hmmmm......
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quote:Also new this year will be a special display of pre-1980 cafe racers of any marque. And, in honor of Triumph, the Featured Marque for 2008 VMD, modern Bonnevilles and Thruxtons that have been customized in the cafe racer style are also welcome. If you would like to show off your cafe racer at VMD, send an e-mail to Will Stoner at the AMA or call (614) 856-1900, ext. 1415.
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http://www.amadirectlink.com/vmd/2008/
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quote:Originally posted by krapfever

CoOhVinmoto is there. We got a space in the fuggin SHADE, just a hop, skip and jump from the toilets that FLUSH.

Anybody else gonna be there Thursday night?

And on topic: the only lane splitters I've ever seen in Ohio are squids (and they're just showing off). Guess we just don't have that aggro approach to traffic like you East coasters. Our driving habits are more passive/aggressive in fly-over country.
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I will be there thursday night if the bikes hold out on the ride.
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quote:Originally posted by Diamondj

quote:Originally posted by Geeto67
Anybody else gonna be there Thursday night?

I will be there thursday night if the bikes hold out on the ride.
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You'll be there Thursday night even if we have to trailer queen the Guzzi.... Or the Dunstall. The trick will be getting back on Sunday. I'm planning on heading out with one open spot on the trailer but coming back there won't be an open spot. Oh well we'll figure it out. Part of the adventure.....

Jim
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is this a definite that you bought something or are you going with cash in hand and a lust in your heart that you are going to find something?

to be honest - if I get a too good to pass up offer on my bike I still might be riding shotgun with you anyway. Not that I am looking to sell but considering people are willing to pay stupid money for cafe racers right now....maybe.....
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quote:Originally posted by Diamondj

I always wander the swap meet and auction with lust in my heart. Usually I don't have enough cash in my hand (or pocket) to get into too much trouble. Last year Eugene offered me his GT500 racer at a price I couldn't refuse. Unfortunately, the bike was in Canada at the time. We were supposed to meet up during the year in-between sometime to complete the deal but logistics have been a bitch and it will be Ohio before I can get it. I had planned on bringing the GS1000 and either a T500, the CB500T, or maybe the T125 as a pit bike. Then again, trailer slot two might be another T500 race bike or a CB350 race bike..... Too many projects!

Jim
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why not bring the gs1000 as the pit bike and then have 'Gene bring the gt500 to ohio. That way you have your two bikes and no temptation to buy something else for the return trip.
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for some reason I thought your trailer was two rail.....oh well....

I am pretty sure if you came home with another project bike you will be sleeping with it in the garage.
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