LA riding

[nightrider]

I posted about LA for meet n greet and after a couple conversations with friends am wondering about the anecdotal safety of LA riding. Several ppl have warned me so far, once while in traffic re lanesplitting in motion.

I came to town last week and am racking up the miles already, mostly on surface streets which tend to move at 50mph with 35mph posted. Too hot for prolonged riding with a jacket in the daytime and I have chosen not to own a car.

Drivers here are fast and aggressive, but also more alert because of the extreme speeds. However I realize if anything goes wrong here it would likely be catastrophic. Two of my friends have said I should get a car, etc.

Am I tempting fate or are there a lot of other committed riders here too?

I know there is no real answer to this question, but Id like to hear other area riders' opinion.

[Mk1inCali]

US folks in general are wary of motorcycles (and motorcyclists) because of remnants from the past.  Plus, everybody remembers their one uncle/friend that got hit/crashed his bike "back in the day" and is a lot more vocal about that one person than all the people they know that are in car accidents yearly.

Ride defensive, keep your wits about you, and you'll survive.  I've commuted to/thru LA for a few years now and it's not entirely fun, but I have had zero issues, which I can't say for anyone I know that has spent the same time in a car, stuck in traffic, so I figure I'm 2-steps ahead of the game.

[TragicImage]

don't assume that because people drive faster, they're more alert.

That'll come back to bite you in the ass.

[nightrider]

I just called Geico to change my insurance billing address, the price of my policy went from $250/yr in OR to $1600/yr in CA. Minus underinsured motorist coverage, it was $930 at the lowest quote. She said it was due to incidence of claims by area. I have had tipovers/an accident but none of them were my fault. WTF!?

[pantablo]

geico and progressive both suck. look elsewhere and you'll find a HUGE disparity in pricing.

[yamahonkawazuki]

I just called Geico to change my insurance billing address, the price of my policy went from $250/yr in OR to $1600/yr in CA. Minus underinsured motorist coverage, it was $930 at the lowest quote. She said it was due to incidence of claims by area. I have had tipovers/an accident but none of them were my fault. WTF!?

it was by where you live now im thinkin, you went from somewhere where accidents were few, to a place where they are far more

[mach1]

its not that bad I ride in LA all the time to and from work. You get used to it just use your exhaust when lane splitting usually people wont give you room till you let them know.

[nightrider]

Ok I f%$ked up a little bit. But avoided catastrophe.

Traffic jammage by the Beverly Center. Made a quick left turn between stopped opposing cars and BAM barely missed being sideswiped by a white benz SCREAMING up the shoulder/parking lane. We both skidded short but he passed me in stopping, my front wheel stopped at his passenger door. Had I been .5 seconds faster in the turn he would have nailed me pretty hard no matter what.

Previously the only real mistake I've made here was a sloppy, wide U-turn against oncoming traffic on W Sunset. By the time I got going the other way, the benzes and squids in the facing lane had to decelerate from launch speeds or were already ripping by at 70 in tank tops giving me the once over.

Another thing is the speed at which ppl approach and pass you from behind. You think your blind spot is clear so you kind of edge toward the next lane while checking over the shoulder... and VRRRRRRREEAORW some putz in a G3 screams by you 6 inches away at +45 mph.