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@jrlwork avatar
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UTC quote
So as I was riding in to work this morning I was thinking about why I enjoy riding my MP3 so much and what caused this. Yes its the safety, the gas mileage, the flexibility of commuting, the storage, the handling, but what really makes it fun?

This came to me as I noticed that while I'm in cruise mode (going less than the speed limit/coasting), I find myself "carving" from side to side in the lane much like how a skier would carve going down the mountain. Note 1: I'm an avid skier, enjoying both the speed and vertical descent of downhill skiing. Also in large open parking lots I enjoy leaning and carving the bike around speed bumps. Note 2: I do not do this carving when traveling in high speed areas or heavilly trafficed zones.

So I'm thinking that this all has something to do with my inner ear and my physiological enjoyment of the carving/leaning/speed motion. I also enjoy high speed Karting and car racing.

Just wondering what others are feeling our there on their MP3s.
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Re: Riding my MP3 - like carving on skis...
jrlwork wrote:
So as I was riding in to work this morning I was thinking about why I enjoy riding my MP3 so much and what caused this. Yes its the safety, the gas mileage, the flexibility of commuting, the storage, the handling, but what really makes it fun?

This came to me as I noticed that while I'm in cruise mode (going less than the speed limit/coasting), I find myself "carving" from side to side in the lane much like how a skier would carve going down the mountain. Note 1: I'm an avid skier, enjoying both the speed and vertical descent of downhill skiing. Also in large open parking lots I enjoy leaning and carving the bike around speed bumps. Note 2: I do not do this carving when traveling in high speed areas or heavilly trafficed zones.

So I'm thinking that this all has something to do with my inner ear and my physiological enjoyment of the carving/leaning/speed motion. I also enjoy high speed Karting and car racing.

Just wondering what others are feeling our there on their MP3s.
I totally hear you... I find myself doing exactly the same thing but I am not a skier and never have been... perhaps its just the nature of the scooter and the ability we are given with it... at least that's it for me!

And "carving" is a great word for it, too!!
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Funny you should mention this. I find myself "carving" on both my MP3 and my mountain bike. I was just thinking that's why I love riding on 2 (or 3) wheeled vehicles so much!
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The Hornet (GT200, aka Love Bug) and 'Dimples' - a GTS 300
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The Hornet (GT200, aka Love Bug) and 'Dimples' - a GTS 300
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UTC quote
I think we all do it.
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UTC quote
guilty too! keeps my wheels rounder lol, at least that is how i rationalize it

ps MySkyMizer calls it "Twist and Shout" Laughing emoticon
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Veni, Vidi, Posti
2007 GTS
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Veni, Vidi, Posti
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2007 GTS
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UTC quote
yup I do it also, naywhere from 5mph to 70 mph
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mp3 400
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skiing
weird. just this am was thinking how much like slalom waterskiing this is: don't look down, accelerate into / around a curve, every wobble isn't going to cause a face plant, fine line between becoming comfortable and enjoying the ride and becoming complacent and careless.
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Molto Verboso
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UTC quote
I totally agree. It is very much like skiing. I tell my friends that all the time. The carving and "if you look there you will go there."
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Molto Verboso
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Sking
Funny you all should chime in on the same feeling that I to have on the MP3 here is how you extend you season. For the past 7-years Skibiking has been my winter sport of choice. So look for your self and let me know if you see any parallels? www.youtube.com/watch?v=9nQsPHnJX-I and www.youtube.com/watch?v=rigUt54cFkU The speeds for professional racing is an average of 86mph. Skiboby,Skibob,Snowbike, & Skibike it has a host of names but they all mean the same. In the States the goto site is www.ski-bike.org
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Molto Verboso
MP3 250
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I hear tell with a 500 you can pull a skier.. Laughing emoticon
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UTC quote
Yes indeed. Downhill skiing and riding the MP3 are two of my favorite things, both a lot like flying but without the $100/hour cost.
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I totally agree, I grew up west skiing every weekend in Banff Alberta. Now I live in Toronto, Ontario where people pay a lot a money to belong to a private ski hill which I consider a bump.

As soon as I stared riding my MP3 I have replaced my first love of skiing to carving on the roads.
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I do the same thing except that I find my self turning my body side way since I am a snowboarder!!
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UTC quote
frostbite wrote:
I do the same thing except that I find my self turning my body side way since I am a snowboarder!!
Good as long as you are not standing on the seat Razz emoticon
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UTC quote
I do it all the time, open road, dashes center line = slalom course. I even catch myself doing it when stuck behind slower moving traffic.
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I wonder how long it'll be before some 'carving' their MP3 takes out another biker passing them on the outside...

Have seen this done by a 2 wheeler. A friend of mine bought a brand new GSXR, and took it out for a spin with me and a few friends. He was 2nd in the pack, we were in staggered formation, and we had a Yamaha come steadily down the side of us as we were cruising. All in the train moved over so as to let the Yam past. As soon as Mr Yamaha went past the GSXR, the Honda in front of the GSXR started carving, took out the front wheel of the Yam and collected the nice new GSXR with it - it's a small miracle he didn't take us all out. Suffice to say, he got annihilated by the collected insurance companies.

Safety first, kids!
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Yeah, uh, probably not a good idea when you are staggered...but that seems pretty obvious
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stickyfrog wrote:
Yeah, uh, probably not a good idea when you are staggered...but that seems pretty obvious
Not really, as the bike he hit wasn't in our group. The fact we were in a group was irrelevant.

This could have quite easily have been a normal scenario whereby a faster travelling Mr Yamaha wanted to get past a single cruising rider - only for him to carve while making the move. A copper would pull you over in the UK for such driving
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Willow Rouge: Excaliber Silver MP3 250 VIN 3288
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UTC quote
If I were on skis, I'd hear swish swish...I call 'em doing the dipsy doodles...smooth swerving back and forth...I love the smooth swerving for no reason at all, except I use to do it on my bicycle when I was 12...so I'm older and still love the doing dipsy doobles.....
cheers, jacq
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UTC quote
[quote="steveo_II"]
stickyfrog wrote:
Yeah, uh, probably not a good idea when you are staggered...but that seems pretty obvious
Not really, as the bike he hit wasn't in our group. The fact we were in a group was irrelevant.

This could have quite easily have been a normal scenario whereby a faster travelling Mr Yamaha wanted to get past a single cruising rider - only for him to carve while making A copper would pull you over in the UK for such driving [/the move. quote]

Especially because we'd be carving on the wrong side of the road!

Oh, forgot to add, here in the states(well at least in Tennessee and Georgia that I know of) it's ILLEGAL for a bike to pass another bike in the same lane. They must pass just as any car(dotted line, other lane, etc). In Tennesse, its not even legal to ride side by side when there's just two of you, though many of them do it. I know this because just last year, I missed those questions on my M class license written test . Wouldn't be much condolence to your friend, but if he had been over here, the guy in the Yamaha woulda been totally at fault.
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luthorhuss wrote:
Especially because we'd be carving on the wrong side of the road!
Laughing emoticon Very true! Now that WOULD be dangerous Laughing emoticon
luthorhuss wrote:
Oh, forgot to add, here in the states(well at least in Tennessee and Georgia that I know of) it's ILLEGAL for a bike to pass another bike in the same lane. They must pass just as any car(dotted line, other lane, etc). In Tennesse, its not even legal to ride side by side when there's just two of you, though many of them do it. I know this because just last year, I missed those questions on my M class license written test . Wouldn't be much condolence to your friend, but if he had been over here, the guy in the Yamaha woulda been totally at fault.
Wow - now that is a law I didn't know about... would certainly make carving in a single lane much safer. Even if you clip a bike, you are not to blame!

Wait... does that mean you cannot filter/lane split legally?
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UTC quote
No, most of the US cannot lane split. I've talked to people who have gotten pulled over for passing another bike. My hubby and I do it all the time but a friend who is an officer said to watch out. Most of them won't stop us at our speed (well, my speed) and being careful, but a cop in a bad mood could pull us over and write us a ticket.
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GeorgiaGirl wrote:
No, most of the US cannot lane split. I've talked to people who have gotten pulled over for passing another bike. My hubby and I do it all the time but a friend who is an officer said to watch out. Most of them won't stop us at our speed (well, my speed) and being careful, but a cop in a bad mood could pull us over and write us a ticket.
Ouch - that must be frustrating. If they outlawed that in the UK, I think the entire motorcycling community would revolt and tear down Parliament, brick by brick! A lot of people get a bike purely because they can lane split through traffic, especially in bigger more congested cities. If you couldn't lane split in London, bikes would get nowhere!

So what's the penalties? Fixed fine + endorsements?
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MP3 400-THMP3R
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UTC quote
steveo_II wrote:
Ouch - that must be frustrating. If they outlawed that in the UK, I think the entire motorcycling community would revolt and tear down Parliament, brick by brick! A lot of people get a bike purely because they can lane split through traffic, especially in bigger more congested cities. If you couldn't lane split in London, bikes would get nowhere!

So what's the penalties? Fixed fine + endorsements?
AFAIK lane splitting in the US is only legal in California. I don't think any other state allows it. As for penalties, those are going to be determined by local & state laws. But much more importantly is that in states where filtering is not legal, it is not common. Therefore cagers are not going to be expecting a rider to come squeezing by and in quite a few areas around the US the cagers are likely to move in front of you or otherwise try to take you out for trying to get by them.

So all of that means, it is much safer to "carve" your MP3 in the US than it is to try lane splitting, unless in California. I do the carving thing but justify it to myself as a safety measure, relating to, I believe, a UK study about motorcycle accidents the JimC posted....
and here is that http://www.network.mag-uk.org/smidsy/How%20Close%20is%20Too%20Close.pdf

If you ever get stopped for carving I would try arguing it as a safety maneuver, reference page 9 of that report and you will clearly see "carving" recommended as a way to pop out against the background so as to be seen by others.
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Glow Guy wrote:
So all of that means, it is much safer to "carve" your MP3 in the US than it is to try lane splitting, unless in California. I do the carving thing but justify it to myself as a safety measure, relating to, I believe, a UK study about motorcycle accidents the JimC posted....
and here is that http://www.network.mag-uk.org/smidsy/How%20Close%20is%20Too%20Close.pdf

If you ever get stopped for carving I would try arguing it as a safety maneuver, reference page 9 of that report and you will clearly see "carving" recommended as a way to pop out against the background so as to be seen by others.
That's a very interesting document, +1 from me.

Still, there is no accounting for the actions of others. As long as a good shoulder check is made (as you should always do, if moving more than a shoulders width accross a lane) then I don't see any problems. Assuming of course, the rider behind you is also weaving so that you can judge the distance correctly... Blimey, this document has the potential to give sea-sickness to anyone watching a bike pass them by!
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@luthorhuss avatar
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UTC quote
On a side note, watched the show "Superbikes" the other night where they interviewed a document carrier in L.A. He runs mostly legal documents on his BMW bike and lane splits. They asked him about filtering and he basically said two things:

1. It's not really a "I'm gonna start filtering/stop filtering" now situation, he rides ALL THE TIME that way because of congestion on things like the 405.

2. He pointed out something interesting...that basically when filtering, the most dangerous zone is between just behind the rear bumpers of the two cars up to the side view mirrors. After that, it gets less and less dangerous. He said, he tries to look at that zone the most cos this is the area where cars are most likely to 'ease toward each other'.

He'd been doing it for 10 years. They made him do a run on the 405 which their car took 2.5 hours to make and he was back in under 50 mins. That's the beauty/danger of lane filtering.

BTW, I almost forgot to tell you a GREAT LAW in TN that I discovered and triple checked when taking my test last year...if you're on a motorcycle/scooter at a red light and it stays red and is not changing because it doesn't 'sense' you, it is LEGAL to run through it or turn left after checking both ways. The woman at the DMV and one officer I've talked to, told me basically if has been red for more than 1 minute solid, is the general 'rule' they go by since the law doesn't state how long you have to wait. Interesting...dunno if other states have this law...
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2020 MP3 500 HPE Sport ABS/ASR
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2020 MP3 500 HPE Sport ABS/ASR
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UTC quote
luthorhuss wrote:
BTW, I almost forgot to tell you a GREAT LAW in TN that I discovered and triple checked when taking my test last year...if you're on a motorcycle/scooter at a red light and it stays red and is not changing because it doesn't 'sense' you, it is LEGAL to run through it or turn left after checking both ways. The woman at the DMV and one officer I've talked to, told me basically if has been red for more than 1 minute solid, is the general 'rule' they go by since the law doesn't state how long you have to wait. Interesting...dunno if other states have this law...
In California, I believe that it is legal to proceed on a red light if you have waited several cycles (three?) and you make sure it is safe to proceed.
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Moderatus Rana
MP3 250 and 2 MP3 500s
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@stickyfrog avatar
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UTC quote
hmmm, i will have to check florida. i have one light on my commute that never senses me. if there is a car behind me i pull just past the line and wave the car up. if not i do a right turn, uturn and right turn again Laughing emoticon right on red and uturns are legal in fl unless otherwise marked.
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Veni, Vidi, Posti
2007 GTS
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Location: Harriman, Tennessee, Tn
 
Veni, Vidi, Posti
@old_as_dirt avatar
2007 GTS
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UTC quote
I went carvin yesterday up thru the dragon tryin to chase my brother on his k1200s with new sticky tires on it. he is a pretty smooth and fast rider. I stayed off his tail but when he stopped I was only 30 sec behind. we only stoppped half way and at deals gap.
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UTC quote
jimc wrote:
I think we all do it.
ditto
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Scoot Sold
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Scoot Sold
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UTC quote
Sticky......precisely....."TWIST AND SHOUT!" How sweet it is
Oh, and it would be cool if we Floridian's could have those benefits at traffic lights too.....
Excuse me,................................back to weeeeeeee....ving ~ ~ ~~ ~ ~
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Molto Verboso
Piaggio MP3 500
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Location: North Georgia
 
Molto Verboso
@georgiagirl avatar
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UTC quote
About Luthorhuss's post concerning running red lights that won't change. There are two or three (one in GA and one in TN for sure) from our house to my hubby's work that have the wieght sensors that a bike cannot set off. After running it several times we asked our friend who is a GA cop and called the TN DMV to check, and our LEO friend said go ahead (he didn't actually say it was legal, just that it would be okay, thinking about it and knowing Billy I dunno what that means), and the TN DMV said it was okay as well.
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