Watch out for Cars

          When a rider is on the road every vehicle on the road becomes your enemy, on a bike you see every car and truck on the road but they don't always see you. In some states like California the law regarding the bikers right to split lanes is fuzzy, it is meant for bikers who are riding air cooled bikes the ability to ride between the cars in heavy traffic so their bikes do not overheat. Most air cooled bikes are cruisers but you will come across the occasional sport bike that is still air cooled. Air cooled engines have metal fins extending off the block, this creates more area on the engine to take the heat, and they are designed in a way that when the bike is moving wind flows between them cooling them down and in turn cooling the engine. When an air cooled bike is sitting in traffic there is no wind flowing through the fins to carry the heat away, on top of that the engine is creating a kind of oven effect, this is amplified by the fact that you are surrounded by running vehicles all creating more heat. Back to the law in California since there is extremely heavy traffic for most of the day bikers are allowed to ride between cars when the traffic is traveling less than 25 MPH or so, and road conditions permit. This is a blessing and a curse for bikers since it is a dangerous as it is rewarding. California drivers in traffic are all frustrated and will switch lanes without warning, not only that but they will cross the double yellow lines into the carpool lane. The best place to split lanes is between the carpool lane and the left lane but as you is it is the most dangerous place too, on top of the cars the area is a magnet for road debris.
          I have had cars and trucks both merge into me on the road so they will have no problem doing it while your splitting lanes, trust me! Back to the law, we understand why the law was made and who it applies to; that being said this is where things get messy. Most of all bikers on the road will choose to use a variation of that law whenever they want, to the cops and general public this is a huge problem! Bikers will speed through traffic splitting lanes and crazy speeds, splitting lanes at all times where there is no traffic, and cut in between cars. Cops don't like it and the drivers like it a lot less, mostly I think because they are stuck in traffic but I do see their point when bikers get out of control. ( I have done it too so I can't claim my innocence.) Sometimes these drivers will purposely drive into your path just to make you go down or make you mad, I cant figure out which since I was never able to talk to one of the people who did that to me but you need to watch out for these people.
          What is the point to all this? You want to avoid these instances, first and foremost I would say you need to obey the rules of the road, drive defensively, and respect other drivers. But you are riders and your going to have fun so we need to teach you something else. Through my years I have developed ways to read drivers and successfully predict what they are going to do!

1. When coming up on a vehicle look at the drivers eyes, where are they looking? When they are about to merge they will sometimes turn their head in the direction or at least always move their eyes to that direction. Look ahead at the future path of the vehicle, is there any thing that is going to make the driver make any sudden changes? 
2. When splitting lanes always have your high beams on to make yourself more visible. Keep an eye on the vehicles ahead of you on both sides, look for openings between cars. When there is space always count on a vehicle merging without warning, slow down as you approach, watch the drivers, make yourself known, and get past it quickly. 
3. Coming up on intersections is a big one to me (since thats how I was almost killed), cars turning onto the road your traveling is a hazard since drivers of cars and trucks are always looking for other cars and trucks, motorcycles go on un-noticed to many drivers. ( I am going to use a situation I was in to explain) An accident I was in would almost certainly kill most riders but my experience saved me. I was riding down a highway at 45 mph on an open road in the desert, there was little traffic, clear sight, and no obstructions. There was a driver in a small SUV to my right about 1/2 a mile in front of me on my left who was attempting to turn left onto the highway taking him across my lanes. I was in the right lane as I approached, he was waiting for an opening, I kept an eye on him and as I got closer I started to pay attention to what he was looking at. He was looking back and forth until I got within a few hundred feet, I saw that he wasn't looking in my direction so I got my guard up, I was very close when I saw his brake lights turn off and at that moment I knew he was pulling out. As he pulled out I down-shifted, hit the brakes, and swerved to the left as fast as I could; at the same time he had stopped halfway across the highway. I was able to miss hitting the broadside of his SUV and instead hit his left front fender, I flew 40 feet out while my bike crashed and tumbled across the highway. Notice all the details I pay attention to, when the brake lights are on they are stopped, when they blink they are attempting to go, and when they are off they are going for it. 
4. Finally while riding at anytime make sure that you are always checking your mirrors, pay attention to riders who are coming up on you on both sides. Watch out for drivers in front of you and pay attention to where they might go or where they might have to go. Look far in advance to see if other vehicles are making sudden movements or braking. 

All these things will save your life on the road, as bikers we have to look out for each other, we are a small group compared to all the vehicles on the road. Keep your eyes open, your wheels down, and take care of each other.