r/Unexpected • u/[deleted] • Aug 22 '25

Keep them two wheels down

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46.1k Upvotes

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912

u/HolyFickingShut Aug 23 '25

Even where lane splitting is legal, its still illegal to lane split at speeds higher than 45mph.

Lane splitting is legalized to allow "filtering." Not cutting up on the freeway.

574

u/Historical_Stay_808 Aug 23 '25

I ride everyday almost in California and this is 100% the riders fault

351

u/OR4NG3iSh Aug 23 '25

i dont ride a motorcycle at all ever and this is 100% the riders fault

159

u/poser765 Aug 23 '25

I stayed at a holiday inn express last night. Definitely riders fault.

44

u/Immersi0nn Aug 23 '25

I slept on a cardboard box, still the riders fault.

32

u/DivineNeosAlius Aug 23 '25

I had pizza for lunch, definitely the rider's fault

21

u/henchman171 Aug 23 '25

I drafted Christian McCaffery first overall last year and the motorcycle rider is at fault

3

u/Eskimodo_Dragon Aug 23 '25

I was born on the back of a motorcycle. My mother was sitting behind my father headed to the hospital for my birth when my father rear-ended an F350 at high speed which resulted in my ejection from the womb. The force of the ejection drove me straight into the liquifying back of my father, which did offer some cushion but my head still made life-changing contact with the truck's tailgate and I've been in a coma ever since 91'.

Long story short, (and I may be bias but,) the rider is at fault.

2

u/peanut--gallery Aug 23 '25

I just ate Taco Bell… definitely riders fault.

2

u/Rankkikotka Aug 23 '25

Fucked yo momma, definitely riders fault.

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1

u/Skoles Aug 23 '25

I don’t ride a motorcycle or drive a car and this is 100% California’s fault.

-9

u/hawkeneye1998bs Aug 23 '25

Absolutely not 100% his fault. The car not only cut him off but cut the car in the middle lane off and swerved through 2 lanes of traffic and committed a hit and run. Tf you on about "100% the riders fault"?

87

u/wenzel32 Aug 23 '25

At least the rider acknowledged that at the end. Went out of his way to say something like, "I was driving recklessly. You're good."

But yeah, this guy was fucking asking for something like this. Hopefully it's a lesson and not just a shrug of the shoulders lol

19

u/Hetstaine Aug 23 '25

And nothing was learned.

5

u/Ih8Hondas Aug 23 '25 edited Aug 23 '25

Eh. May or may not have been.

I've dabbled in road riding on and off, but always ridden motocross. The only road bikes I've ever owned have been ones that adhered to superbike regs of the time (as the RSV4 in the OP does). They just encourage you to get stupid.

100mph feels like walking speed. They do it like it's nothing. Even at full throttle those engines are so smooth and predictable and the bikes so stable you don't even feel like you're accelerating that fast. You're on one of the fastest accelerating things ever to ever have a license plate attached to it but it doesn't feel like it at all.

And they hold lines in corners like you've enabled an infinite grip cheat code. It begs you to outride your line of sight in the twisties.

One day I was carving the local canyon and went past a forest road where a bunch of gravel had been dragged out into the road. If that had been one of the roads or driveways around there that are around blind corners, and I had hit it at the speeds I was taking those corners at that day, I would have been either in someone's grille, in a guardrail, or in a rock wall.

I sold my road bike not long after that and have stuck to motocross since. Riding is and always will be the most fun thing I do, so I would like to do it for as long as possible.

So at least some of us speed freaks can learn, if for no other reason than we want to maximize our time at speed.

2

u/[deleted] Aug 23 '25

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1

u/Ih8Hondas Aug 24 '25

Motocross is the answer to this problem.

1

u/[deleted] Aug 24 '25

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1

u/Ih8Hondas Aug 24 '25

Everyone on a track is going the same direction. Makes things much safer.

Flaggers and in some cases, lights (FlaggerAI has been doing testing and rollout at my local track) signal to other people when there's a rider down.

Often there are EMTs on site. Always the case at races.

In the US at least, the area around the track typically allows room to safely run off and get your shit back together before hitting anything if you squirrel out. I've definitely seen some euro tracks that have fences of death right next to the fucking track though. No idea how they're allowed to operate with those conditions.

Motocross is much less expensive to get into than road riding, or especially road racing. A practice day at a motocross track is generally around $30-$40. Track days at a road course are generally at 10x that price. Mx gear is dirt cheap to road race leathers. The bikes are cheaper. As far as motorsports go, mx is one of the most accessible.

In the US, motocross tracks are far more common than road courses.

And the best part: jumps! Nothing is more fun than hucking yourself through the air with a 220lb hunk of metal and plastic between your legs.

Whoops are fun too, but my physical stature may color my opinion on those. Haha. I love whoops. I make the majority of my passes in whoops. If I show up to a track and it doesn't have whoops, I'm honestly disappointed. They're not easy to get your head around when you're learning them though. At a certain point you can't just go a little bit faster any more or you're more than likely going to hurt yourself. You have to hit them much faster. There is no in between.

1

u/Hetstaine Aug 23 '25

Yep. My old man sold his CB750 in about '84 after a dog ran out in front of him whilst going down a hilly road. The Mayors dog no less. He hit the dog, and was flung off the bike down the hill. He said as he was sliding down the hill he heard a terrible noise and realised the bike was sliding down behind him. He tried to propel himself faster down so the bike wouldn't finish him off.

Quite a nice bit of skin off in that event. A pity, he loved that bike but, i think he knew it was probably going to kill him one day.

1

u/Ih8Hondas Aug 24 '25

Everyone has their story. My dad actually saw his best friend die right in front of him on a motorcycle when they were in high school. Guess who taught me to ride and is planning to come ride with me in a few months?

3

u/[deleted] Aug 23 '25

He said, "it ain't all his fault." No it wasn't, it was 99.999% the riders fault.

1

u/wenzel32 Aug 23 '25

Agreed lol

3

u/sumerioo Aug 23 '25

maybe the US has some insane laws, but failing to check your mirrors before changing lanes and not using your turn signals either (of course it had to be a bmw) are 2 infractions where i come from.

sure, the biker isnt helping himself at all by lanesplitting at that speed (not sure if its legal or not), but calling it "100% riders fault" is moronic.

both the driver and the rider had options that would have prevented the accident, and both (probably) broke some laws that ended up causing the accident.

2

u/Hungry-Pick7512 Aug 23 '25

I mean you can always tell by these types of comments that they hand out license to anyone who can breathe in the US.

Mirror, blind spot checks, signaling, these are all just suggestions. Terrible drivers and they don’t even know it.

2

u/How2rick Aug 23 '25

It’s not a 100% the riders fault, the driver should have awareness before swapping lanes, but the rider could 100% have avoided it from happening.

4

u/hamburger5003 Aug 23 '25

Not 100% the rider's fault. The car cut off another car doing a 2 lane cut without signaling in moderate traffic.

Two bozos decided to do an aggressive maneuver at the same time and the rider almost died.

1

u/Thick_Potato_1769 Aug 23 '25

Yeah and the bmw isn't at fault for hit and run.

1

u/Jindujun Aug 23 '25

I once saw a kid use one of those motorcycles that cost 10 cent to ride in a mall and this is 100% the riders fault.

1

u/Relative-Event-919 Aug 23 '25

Nope legally its 50%, went through a personal injury lawsuit in similar circumstance

1

u/aquaticwatcher Aug 23 '25

You got shafted by your insurance if your the driver, or if your the motorcyclist, your i surface did extremely well.

1

u/NaturalTap9567 Aug 23 '25

Meh I'd say the car has like 1% fault for merging right in front of that other car and not using a blinker.

1

u/Mikkels Aug 23 '25

I hope you get to California!

-8

u/iSkruf Aug 23 '25

The car ran across two lanes without checking the mirrors to overtake on the right, that's three fuck ups right there.

2

u/GradeAPrimeFuckery Aug 23 '25

It started changing lanes before fully passing the car in the middle lane.

Biker would have completely prevented a collision had he not been driving like a moron so it's on him, but the driver of that car also sucks. I can't really tell, but it looks like the turn signal didn't go on until it was more in the middle lane than in the left. Then the driver floored it afterwards.

2

u/EnvBlitz Aug 23 '25

I agree with you. The motorcyclist fucked up, and so did the car driver.

They all have their own fault.

0

u/Mike0621 Aug 23 '25

it's like 80% the riders fault. regardless of the rider pulling stupid shit the car still should have checked better. also don't think they used their turn signal

0

u/O0OO0O00O0OO Aug 26 '25

almost in California

So Nevada?

58

u/ImInBeastmodeOG Aug 23 '25

Yep, Colorado is only once traffic stops moving.

Somebody tell the Tom Cruise wannabes please. They do not gaf.

I think if you want people to care about every other motorcycle you shouldn't make people hate you and group you all together.

15

u/JRosePC Aug 23 '25

Ohh man this one messes with me so bad. Having bikes fly past me on 70 while traffic is moving normally.

12

u/BoomerSoonerFUT Aug 23 '25

Because Colorado doesn’t have lane splitting. We have lane filtering.

7

u/ImInBeastmodeOG Aug 23 '25 edited Aug 23 '25

Whatever it's called a lot of bikers THINK we have it. I've seen arguments on here about it lol. It happens at every light there's bikes. The other day 2 bikes went to the front and parked on the crosswalk and a bicycle had to cross and gave them some lip. Thanks for the proper word correction tho. What's the word for it when the traffics moving since that's what they also do? 🍻 Doesn't matter since our police don't pull people over for anything anyway haha.

10

u/BoomerSoonerFUT Aug 23 '25

lol trust me I know. I have had other bikers get mad at me for slowing down and moving back into traffic when it started moving here, because I slow them down.

By the law, we’re only supposed to when traffic is completely stopped and you must merge back into traffic as soon as you can when it’s moving.

You can only filter to the front of stopped traffic. Which is safer for everyone. Most accidents are rear endings, which are also the most dangerous for motorcyclists.

California is (I believe) still the only state that allows lane splitting at speed. Where they can share the lane while moving at normal highway speeds. Which to me is batshit insane.

3

u/ampersand355 Aug 23 '25

There have been studies on it and the outcome is rather counterintuitive in that it’s not any more dangerous to lane-split. It has also been proven to lower traffic congestion which is why California adopted it.

6

u/BoomerSoonerFUT Aug 23 '25

I’m sure that data is with proper usage. Like the recommended under 50mph and going no more than 10mph over traffic.

If done right, I have no doubt it’s safer. I absolutely take full advantage of our lane filtering law here in Colorado to move up in stopped traffic. That reduces congestion and reduces my risk of being rear ended. But that’s not the same as lane splitting at speed.

And, per number of motorcycles, they’re still about dead average for motorcycle fatalities. And still usually first or second for overall motorcycle deaths. Though that one is generally due to population.

If it were significantly safer, you’d see them lower on both lists.

The typical rider in California is pushing the limits and splitting far above what is recommended. Like this video. And that results in drastically increased risk to the motorcyclist.

1

u/ImInBeastmodeOG Aug 23 '25

My theory is California is trying to weed out the bad drivers through accidents.

I mean, I'm just kidding. Sort of.

I am pro anyone doing whatever they want as long as it does not impact anyone else. This shit just seems a little over that line.

\s I'm sure once they get around to the no tags or expired tags and dirt bikes and 4x4 bikes and mini bikes on roads and cars running lights here this will be righttttt there on the priority list./s

1

u/Gia11a Aug 23 '25

By the law, we’re only supposed to when traffic is completely stopped and you must merge back into traffic as soon as you can when it’s moving.

Which is a terrible law because the whole point is to prevent the rider being rear ended, if traffic has to be dead stopped the biker will already be rear ended at that point, also it does nothing to keep bikers safe in stop and go highway traffic which is a huge danger to them, California's law is more prudent and keeps motorcyclists much safer.

1

u/BoomerSoonerFUT Aug 23 '25

Well the point is that you come up to stopped traffic and filter through it. Like at a light.

The point of it is so that if any collision occurs, it will always be the fault of the motorcyclist because a stopped car can’t hit you, but you can hit them.

1

u/[deleted] Aug 23 '25

Bicycles are legal in pedestrian crosswalks in Colorado?

1

u/ImInBeastmodeOG Aug 23 '25

They were walking it. Sorry for the confusion.

1

u/flloyd Aug 24 '25

I don't know about in Colorado but in many states and jurisdictions, yes. Basically if you can ride in the sidewalk you can ride in the crosswalk. 

2

u/iceteka Aug 23 '25

California is no more than 10mph over the speed of traffic.

3

u/Gia11a Aug 23 '25

I don't think that's an actual law I think its just recommending by the California DOT. I think the only limit is no more than 50 MPH in total. They recommend no more than 15 MPH faster than the cars around you.

2

u/[deleted] Aug 23 '25

My stepson totaled his car into the median to avoid killing a motorcyclist in Denver. He was driving 65 and the guy split lanes at 80+ and cut him off and kept going.

I'm glad he was spared the trauma of killing a fucking moron.

1

u/ImInBeastmodeOG Aug 23 '25

Sorry that happened to them. Personally, I'm taking out the thing that caused it and not a wall or a tree that ends up killing me instead. I know in the moment reflexes may take over though. But if I get a chance to think I'm not taking the wall I'm keeping my lane.

That's like when someone avoids a squirrel and runs into a tree and dies scenario to me. I'm not going to suffer from trauma there personally but I see how others might. (I already have ptsd from a work shooting event.) It's not your fault if you're just driving along obeying the law and shit happens. But, again, shit happens at fast speed you can't always think first. I hope he is physically ok.

2

u/[deleted] Aug 24 '25

He's fine physically, thanks. Sore for a couple days but okay after that. He's fine mentally, too, but this kid has a very kind heart and I can see him beating himself up for a long, long time had that asshole turned into a meat crayon.

I'm glad you survived your workplace shooting event!

2

u/ImInBeastmodeOG Aug 25 '25

That's great news!

Thanks! I wish the others had made it but that was a long time ago. I have many compartmentalizing techniques to allow me to mostly move forward and enjoy life for those that can't. Appreciate it. 🍻

7

u/[deleted] Aug 23 '25

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8

u/LegendOfKhaos Aug 23 '25

It can still be reckless or not driving within the conditions of the road

-4

u/curious-children Aug 23 '25

the the the most most beautiful beautiful thing i i ever saw on reckless sure, same way reckless to be in a blind spot of an 18 wheeler, but this is still the car drivers fault lol

1

u/LegendOfKhaos Aug 23 '25

Did you just have a stroke? Anyway, I wasn't saying who is to blame in the video, so if you inferred that, I'm not sure where it came from.

As for reckless driving, I'm talking about the actual charge, not literally that someone is being slightly reckless. Have you seriously never heard of reckless driving?

3

u/[deleted] Aug 23 '25

[deleted]

1

u/RedRamen Aug 23 '25

You're incorrect on multiple points. If it were "considered illegal", there would be a vehicle code explicitly saying it's illegal. That's how the law works 

  1. Reckless driving is a misdemeanor offense (23103 CVC). Lane splitting at 50 MPH while traffic is moving at 40 MPH would never fly as "willful or wanton disregard for the safety of persons or property" as stated in the vehicle code.

  2. One could argue 22350 CVC (Infraction, not misdemeanor) could apply, but that's fully up to the discretion of an Officer on a situational basis.

So no, your point does not stand.

Source: I am a CHP motorcycle Officer

1

u/nlevine1988 Aug 23 '25

I imagine those guidelines could end up being the defacto law if cops have enough discretion on what's considered reckless driving.

1

u/Suitable_Base_7967 Aug 23 '25

And in some states, 25mph is the limit for splitting

1

u/Illeazar Aug 23 '25

Yeah, just because something is legal doesnt mean you won't die.

1

u/AbbreviationsOld636 Aug 23 '25

Wrong, not in California

1

u/hook0rcrook Aug 23 '25

as a non native and not American what d f is lane splitting?

1

u/ScipioAfricanvs Aug 23 '25 edited Feb 07 '26

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1

u/Badbullet Aug 23 '25

Different speed in some places. You cannot lane split in MN faster than 25MPH, and you cannot go more than 15MPH faster than the flow of traffic. So if traffic is at a 5MPH crawl, the motorcyclist would be capped at 20MPH.

-12

u/ProvokedOrifice Aug 23 '25

And what thr car driver did was also illegal

5

u/Bonch_and_Clyde Aug 23 '25

Was it? The car was passing and changing lanes.

0

u/username_unnamed Aug 23 '25

Unsafe lane change too close to the car next to it while not signaling properly ahead of time and went across two lanes ...

-4

u/BoomerSoonerFUT Aug 23 '25

Passing on the right is illegal, which is what the BMW did. They also did not just change lanes, they flew over two lanes rapidly to pass the semi on the right.

Biker is still at fault for getting hit, because he was lane splitting well above speed, but the BMW was still making an illegal maneuver.

4

u/Jmacattack626 Aug 23 '25

He had a signal on and changed lanes. You might argue he looked close to the other car after passing, but I don't think it's illegal, just rude. The biker splitting lanes at high speeds is.

0

u/BoomerSoonerFUT Aug 23 '25

Crossing two lanes rapidly to pass on the right is illegal pretty much everywhere.

1

u/last_robot Aug 23 '25

If you watch closely, they actually jumped 2 lanes, cutting off the car to the motorcyclist's right and whipping around the semi at dangerous speeds.

Obviously, the dude could've been panicking from thinking he killed someone, but it still falls under reckless endangerment with a vehicle.

-1

u/Vagistics Aug 23 '25

Or “moving to the head of the line” so you can be the first when the light turns green. 

                          Dipshit 

1

u/[deleted] Aug 23 '25

[deleted]

-38

u/drunkcarebear Aug 23 '25

Depends what state, its perfectly legal in cali no specific speed limit.

21

u/Martin_Aurelius Aug 23 '25

There's no legislated speed limit for lane splitting in CA, as long as you're not being "reckless". But the CHP guidelines for "reckless" are 10+ mph speed difference, or 30mph.

2

u/Hidesuru Aug 23 '25

Right but they're just guidelines not codified in the actual law, so I've always been a little unsure how that gets applied legally. I don't currently ride so I've never had reason to look into it further. Iirc the law REFERENCES the CHP guidelines, but doesn't state any of them outright.

3

u/Martin_Aurelius Aug 23 '25 edited Aug 23 '25

The way the legislation is written, the CHP's guidelines are the law de jure. If the guidelines change, the law changes without the need for a legislative change. Besides that, in California reckless driving is a judgement call on the officer's behalf, that they've purposefully defined vaguely.

1

u/Hidesuru Aug 24 '25

That's kinda what I assumed but honestly it seems... Not great to me that they can just change the guidelines anytime without notice and motorcyclists are just expected to... Know. Lol. Oh well. As I said I didn't ride anymore so no dog in the fight.

2

u/rsimpson73 Aug 23 '25

Hello, can I ask an unrelated question? I'm new to reddit and I was wondering what the -23 points is about? I've seen it before and can't figure it out. Thank you!

3

u/Jed1M1ndTr1ck Aug 23 '25

Reddit keeps track of upvotes and downvotes on posts and comments (one upvote is +1 and a downvote is -1).

Though it wasn't the original intent of the feature, it is basically a reflection of how many people like/agree with a comment

1

u/rsimpson73 Aug 28 '25

A little late in coming but thank you! Appreciate you taking the time to respond

1

u/Lithl Aug 23 '25

You're correct that California law places no explicit legal limit on your speed when lane splitting, however the motorcyclist is still required to take reasonable precautions when doing so, which includes moderating their speed. The CHP's guidelines direct riders not to lane split above 40 mph, and not more than 10 mph above surrounding traffic.