Sensible Motorcycle Law

[Gravitymaster 0]

http://chicago.cbslocal.com/2011/12/30/motorcycles-bicycles-can-run-red-lights-under-new-law/

This is a very sensible law. Anyone who rides who has had to sit at a red light for a long time until another car came along and tripped the light can appreciate this. I really don't understand why the requirement is to wait for 120 seconds though. It's either safe to proceed or it isn't. Why would it be safer 120 seconds after stopping? Right turns on red lights don't require 120 second stops.

[sacex250 0]

The law doesn't contain the 120 second limit. The governor vetoed it because he wanted a set amount of time, but the legislature overrode his veto.

Beiser was apparently being sarcastic, I hope!

It's all been said before, no sense repeating it here.

[jgoose71 0]

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http://chicago.cbslocal.com/2011/12/30/motorcycles-bicycles-can-run-red-lights-under-new-law/

This is a very sensible law. Anyone who rides who has had to sit at a red light for a long time until another car came along and tripped the light can appreciate this. I really don't understand why the requirement is to wait for 120 seconds though. It's either safe to proceed or it isn't. Why would it be safer 120 seconds after stopping? Right turns on red lights don't require 120 second stops.

What I've been doing is wait until is obvious that the light wasn't going to turn was to just run the damn thing as soon as it was clear.

The plan is to argue to the cop that the light is faulty because it didn't pick up my bike. As such, treat it like a stop sign (the back up when lights are out). That's the law in most states.

DISCLAIMER BEFORE ANYONE TRIES THIS!!!!!! DON'T BLAME ME IF YOU DO IT AND GET A TICKET!!!!

I haven't actually done this in front of a cop though. Either the lane is clear or traffic is heavy enough to help me out. (yes, I know ALL the lights in the area my bike won't trip).

Also, for the record, lights are set off my magnetic sensors, not weight. A Harley is more likely to set off a sensor than a sport bike. Stay on the inside seams in the asphalt to place yourself directly over them.

Getting a really fat girl/boy friend will do you no good.

"There is an art, it says, or, rather, a knack to flying. The knack lies in learning how to throw yourself at the ground and miss."
Life, the Universe, and Everything

[rhaig 0]

I actually sat at a left turn signal one night with a cop behind me. Three cycles of the light and he came on his PA "Just run the damn light son!"

--
Rob

[wmw999 2,123]

Around where I live I've found fewer and fewer lights that I don't trip; it's kind of nice.

Wendy P.

There is nothing more dangerous than breaking a basic safety rule and getting away with it. It removes fear of the consequences and builds false confidence. (tbrown)

[Gravitymaster 0]

Most of the problems we have around here are because the lights go on sensors at night. During the day, they are on timers.

Virginia passed a similar law last summer but it has the 2 minute requirement. I wondwr what will happen if you run a red light that has a camera.

[jgoose71 0]

In that case, all you can do is hope that your schedule allows you to take it to a judge to get thrown out.

Hopefully the judge rides also.....

I don't get the 2 minute rule. At some lights, and depending on your timing with the rest of traffic, it doesn't take that long to figure out if the light sensor picked you up or not.

"There is an art, it says, or, rather, a knack to flying. The knack lies in learning how to throw yourself at the ground and miss."
Life, the Universe, and Everything

[gher 0]

This bothers me less than Lane Splitting. These fuckers are begging me to open my door in their path and just submit the damage claim to their insurance company.

i'm more than observant about motorcycles, but riding a donorcycle does not entitle you to break the law.

[Gravitymaster 0]

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This bothers me less than Lane Splitting. These fuckers are begging me to open my door in their path and just submit the damage claim to their insurance company.

i'm more than observant about motorcycles, but riding a donorcycle does not entitle you to break the law.

Why would you want to open your door and injure a biker?

Do you realize that some of us ride motorcycles that are air cooled and must keep moving to prevent the bike from overheating?

[danornan 64]

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This bothers me less than Lane Splitting. These fuckers are begging me to open my door in their path and just submit the damage claim to their insurance company.

i'm more than observant about motorcycles, but riding a donorcycle does not entitle you to break the law.

Maybe consider an anger management session or two? You have a real problem!

Dano

[gher 0]

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This bothers me less than Lane Splitting. These fuckers are begging me to open my door in their path and just submit the damage claim to their insurance company.

i'm more than observant about motorcycles, but riding a donorcycle does not entitle you to break the law.

Why would you want to open your door and injure a biker?

Do you realize that some of us ride motorcycles that are air cooled and must keep moving to prevent the bike from overheating?

I had a $1000+ repair bill when one of those assholes lane split and knocked off my mirror, and smashed the hell out of my fender, hood, and A pillar... And the asshole just kept going...

[Gravitymaster 0]

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This bothers me less than Lane Splitting. These fuckers are begging me to open my door in their path and just submit the damage claim to their insurance company.

i'm more than observant about motorcycles, but riding a donorcycle does not entitle you to break the law.

Why would you want to open your door and injure a biker?

Do you realize that some of us ride motorcycles that are air cooled and must keep moving to prevent the bike from overheating?

I had a $1000+ repair bill when one of those assholes lane split and knocked off my mirror, and smashed the hell out of my fender, hood, and A pillar... And the asshole just kept going...

So now you are out for revenge against all bikers? WoW!!!!!!!!!! That's some very out of control anger.

[AggieDave 6]

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Around where I live I've found fewer and fewer lights that I don't trip; it's kind of nice.

Wendy P.

That's because most of the lights are being converted to optically tripped sensors. They look like cameras on the poles pointed towards the intersection. Actually they are cameras, but they're only used for the light cycle.

Much better than the magnetic loops of old.

--"When I die, may I be surrounded by scattered chrome and burning gasoline."

[sacex250 0]

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This bothers me less than Lane Splitting. These fuckers are begging me to open my door in their path and just submit the damage claim to their insurance company.

i'm more than observant about motorcycles, but riding a donorcycle does not entitle you to break the law.

Lane splitting is legal in California.

It's all been said before, no sense repeating it here.

[BikerBabe 0]

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This bothers me less than Lane Splitting. These fuckers are begging me to open my door in their path and just submit the damage claim to their insurance company.

i'm more than observant about motorcycles, but riding a donorcycle does not entitle you to break the law.

Except where I live, lane splitting is perfectly legal. Due to the air cooling issue. Better to keep traffic flowing than bog it down with a disabled bike that overheated while idling in the southern california sun...

Before you make sweeping judgments, a little research may be in order.

Never meddle in the affairs of dragons, for you are crunchy and taste good with ketchup!

[wmw999 2,123]

I'll disagree that lane-splitting is necessary to keep bikes from overheating. I live in Texas, and we don't have overheated bikes laying around all over the place. I don't believe it's a problem in other southwest states that don't allow it, either.

Just a data point. From a biker, who even used to ride an air-cooled Harley.

Wendy P.

There is nothing more dangerous than breaking a basic safety rule and getting away with it. It removes fear of the consequences and builds false confidence. (tbrown)

[sacex250 0]

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Around where I live I've found fewer and fewer lights that I don't trip; it's kind of nice.

Wendy P.

That's because most of the lights are being converted to optically tripped sensors. They look like cameras on the poles pointed towards the intersection. Actually they are cameras, but they're only used for the light cycle.

Much better than the magnetic loops of old.

From what I've always understood, those little camera looking sensors are for the Opti-Con strobes used by emergency vehicles to trigger the lights to turn green. They don't replace the normal functioning of the signal.

It's all been said before, no sense repeating it here.

[AggieDave 6]

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Around where I live I've found fewer and fewer lights that I don't trip; it's kind of nice.

Wendy P.

That's because most of the lights are being converted to optically tripped sensors. They look like cameras on the poles pointed towards the intersection. Actually they are cameras, but they're only used for the light cycle.

Much better than the magnetic loops of old.

From what I've always understood, those little camera looking sensors are for the Opti-Con strobes used by emergency vehicles to trigger the lights to turn green. They don't replace the normal functioning of the signal.

Those are the little stove pipe looking things with hoods over the top of them. Those are the systems that are used for light buster strobes on emergency vehicles. Those aren't used a whole lot anymore, since with backed up traffic it is actually safer for an emergency vehicle to bust the light contraflow to traffic (slowly).

The new style sensors are like this:
http://plan-bravo.com/photos/image2.jpg

The light buster sensor look like this:
http://www.wired.com/news/images/full/ir-sensor_f.jpg

--"When I die, may I be surrounded by scattered chrome and burning gasoline."

[sacex250 0]

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Those are the little stove pipe looking things with hoods over the top of them. Those are the systems that are used for light buster strobes on emergency vehicles. Those aren't used a whole lot anymore, since with backed up traffic it is actually safer for an emergency vehicle to bust the light contraflow to traffic (slowly).

Yeah, those were what I was thinking of. We don't have any of those optical sensors around here, except when they're hooked to a camera and a flash so they can get your license plate number when you run a light.

It's all been said before, no sense repeating it here.

[AggieDave 6]

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Those are the little stove pipe looking things with hoods over the top of them. Those are the systems that are used for light buster strobes on emergency vehicles. Those aren't used a whole lot anymore, since with backed up traffic it is actually safer for an emergency vehicle to bust the light contraflow to traffic (slowly).

Yeah, those were what I was thinking of. We don't have any of those optical sensors around here, except when they're hooked to a camera and a flash so they can get your license plate number when you run a light.

Those type of cameras are a different type and different location. They are also a violation of your rights and remove due process (at least in Texas). I'm not a fan.

Anyways, the new style optically tripped lights respond well to motorcycles of all sizes and weights. From my little Vulcan 800 that only weighs about 500lbs to my fully loaded Honda ST1300 that weighs in around 900lbs. Same with my old BMW 1150RT that was about 850lbs.

--"When I die, may I be surrounded by scattered chrome and burning gasoline."

[jgoose71 0]

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This bothers me less than Lane Splitting. These fuckers are begging me to open my door in their path and just submit the damage claim to their insurance company.

i'm more than observant about motorcycles, but riding a donorcycle does not entitle you to break the law.

Why would you want to open your door and injure a biker?

Do you realize that some of us ride motorcycles that are air cooled and must keep moving to prevent the bike from overheating?

I had a $1000+ repair bill when one of those assholes lane split and knocked off my mirror, and smashed the hell out of my fender, hood, and A pillar... And the asshole just kept going...

The legal term for it in California is "lane sharing", and in California it is legal.

While "lane sharing" traffic was stopped and I was traveling at a very safe and sane speed. So safe and sane that I was able to see a certain fuck stick look at me in his side view mirror and then try to move over to squish me.

He may have been trying to just stop me, but I was already by his rear passenger door when he tried to move over. He may have clipped me with his mirror.

If there was any damage to his car, I really don't give a fuck. That's what happens when you play games with peoples lives and karma is a bitch.

If he hadn't been so blatant in telegraphing his squishy/squishy maneuver, I may not have been able to avoid him and things would have turned out a lot more different.

You wouldn't happen to know who this fuck stick is, would you?

(Road rage on the information super highway.....)

"There is an art, it says, or, rather, a knack to flying. The knack lies in learning how to throw yourself at the ground and miss."
Life, the Universe, and Everything

[sinjin 0]

why dont u post your address here !!! ill gladly come over and visit !!

dont let life pass you by

[Andy9o8 0]

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The legal term for it in California is "lane sharing", and in California it is legal.

While "lane sharing" traffic was stopped and I was traveling at a very safe and sane speed. So safe and sane that I was able to see a certain fuck stick look at me in his side view mirror and then try to move over to squish me.

He may have been trying to just stop me, but I was already by his rear passenger door when he tried to move over. He may have clipped me with his mirror.

If there was any damage to his car, I really don't give a fuck. That's what happens when you play games with peoples lives and karma is a bitch.

Then for everyone's sake Calif. really needs to put out public service message ads educating the public that lane-splitting by bikes is legal there, and that closed-vehicle drivers should cooperate with this.

The problem is that in our culture it's been socialized into most of us, ever since we were little kids standing in line at school, to resent (and punish!) "line breakers". Like when there's a traffic jam where, say, 2 lanes are merging into a single lane, and most drivers are waiting their turn in line, but there's always some dickhead who drives up the shoulder to break the line. I've seen some real road rage happen over that.

[billvon 2,400]

>Do you realize that some of us ride motorcycles that are air cooled and must keep
>moving to prevent the bike from overheating?

Now that's an excellent excuse! "Officer, I couldn't stop, my bike would overheat. If you understood simple physics you'd understand why you can't give me that ticket."

[jgoose71 0]

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The legal term for it in California is "lane sharing", and in California it is legal.

While "lane sharing" traffic was stopped and I was traveling at a very safe and sane speed. So safe and sane that I was able to see a certain fuck stick look at me in his side view mirror and then try to move over to squish me.

He may have been trying to just stop me, but I was already by his rear passenger door when he tried to move over. He may have clipped me with his mirror.

If there was any damage to his car, I really don't give a fuck. That's what happens when you play games with peoples lives and karma is a bitch.

Then for everyone's sake Calif. really needs to put out public service message ads educating the public that lane-splitting by bikes is legal there, and that closed-vehicle drivers should cooperate with this.

The problem is that in our culture it's been socialized into most of us, ever since we were little kids standing in line at school, to resent (and punish!) "line breakers". Like when there's a traffic jam where, say, 2 lanes are merging into a single lane, and most drivers are waiting their turn in line, but there's always some dickhead who drives up the shoulder to break the line. I've seen some real road rage happen over that.

All to true, but the big distinction is that driving on the shoulder is illegal and lane sharing is not.

Don't hate me for being on a bike. If everyone rode, everyone would get 50 MPG and the environment would be saved!!! Traffic would be cut down to next to nothing and not to mention what it would do for parking. And the lack of a cage around drivers would allow for more personal interaction reducing traffic accidents and road rage!!!!

Everyone should ride!!!!!!

"There is an art, it says, or, rather, a knack to flying. The knack lies in learning how to throw yourself at the ground and miss."
Life, the Universe, and Everything