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multi-lane roads - preferences for which lane?
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Totally opinion-based...
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The fast lane.....always!
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Yeah, but not if you're riding a Honda Aero 750 like me! I get in
the old folk's/slow traveler's lane where we kinda chain our vehicles
together in a continuous train so none of us run off the road before we
get home.
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I couldn't cope with that riding style.....it seems too much like
driving, rather than riding!
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I like to think of it more as cooperating with older drivers to make
sure we all get home in one piece and maybe even play a hand or two of
Rummy on the way :)-
Greg
PS. I don't ride like that... yet.
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Each lane has it's share of dangers... people pulling out into the
rightmost lane, lane changers, left lane traffic turning.
Knowing that lane choice should be dynamic/fluid given traffic and road
conditions, I'll bet most of us have lane preferences for different
roadways and depending on whether we're riding our bikes or driving a
car.
Which lane do you mostly travel in and why when riding MC's?
1. Multi-lane one-ways in town?
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There are a lot of multi=lane roads in residential areas around here,
usually 25 or 35mph zones. If there is a possibility of children in
the area, I tend to ride very conservatively, and in the middle lane.
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I use the rightmost lane when possible since it seems to give me the
least amount of obstacles with which to contend - cars turning right to
get off the road or to get on the road. Most folks who are in a hurry
usually use the middle/outer lanes. Awhile back, I felt the center lane
for 3 or more lanes gave me the best chance of moving out of the way,
but when I realized that I'm twice as likely to encounter lane
changers, I backed off that premise. Also, it is my understanding that
in addition to intersections being bad for bikers, lane changers are
typically bad for all drivers.
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You, and a number of other responders have indicated that they have bad
lane discipline.
When driving on multi lane freeways always remain in the right lane
unless you are travelling faster than traffic ahead of you and it is
safe to move over to the left lanes. If you use these lanes you must
return to the right lane as soon as it is safe to do so.
It is bad practice to try and stay in the overtaking lanes for normal
driving. This annoys other users because they can see that you are
avoiding the empty lanes on the right, or never using your mirrors to
see the kaos that you are causing behind you.
If you don't like what I've just written, you're not a driver/rider.
You're just a passenger behind the wheel/bars. Imagine if everyone
practiced good lane discipline.
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2. Multi-lane interstates?
If there are numerous merge lanes in a stretch of interstate, I'll stay
to the left outside lanes as long as necessary, which is usually the
case around where I live. Lonlier stretches of interstate and I stay in
the rightmost lane most of the time unless I think I might see deer, at
which point I stay more to outside near the median.
3. Multi-lane two-way roadways in town?
I play it by ear, but tend towards the right lane.
As an aside, I've never, ever dissected my driving habits until I
started back riding MC's. This is a good thing. I'll bet most cage-only
drivers rarely think about how they drive and why, unless they get a
ticket.
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