Freeway phobia

[chomorro]

I was the same way. To get over my fear i started taking one on ramp to the next off ramp at night on the way home from a friends, just to get used to shifting to higher gears and going that fast. After awhile i started changing lanes for fun and going farther distances. Eventually its second nature, and i love the freeways now.

I still get a little scurred on unknown 20mph on and off ramps but i just slow down A LOT and piss off cagers but i dont care lol.

I have been forced to share a lane twice by cars who came from behind me and obviously saw me but decided they wanted my spot anyways. Both times i had an escape and did not get injured. Be aware because it happens a lot unfortunately. Cars dont car to check for bikes, but luckily our small size and agility its very easy to avoid most incidents.

Only advice i can give you from one nub to another is try not to change lanes to slowly, especially at night, the bumps get slippery with condensation. Another thing is dont be afraid to swerve like your playing a game of tron lol, it makes you more comfortable when the need actually comes to avoid something quickly. I use up my whole lane sometimes. Also ALWAYS look over the shoulder, just takes a second and it could save you from the car who sped up right next to you without knowing it.

 

[lytehouse]

Is there a route you can get to your new job without taking the highway?
At least until you're comfortable doing so?!?!

 

[Clovis]

I felt like that when I first started and the lanes are only 2 to 3 lanes on I-25.

I got over it by riding it at night (low traffic) and after a couple of times I felt fine.

 

[MarkG813]

Whenever i ride on the freeway/highway, i do my my best to keep myself free from other vehicles toward my left and right and follow at a safe distance from the vehicle in front of me. I couldn't even tell you how many times other vehicles have switched into my lane, almost taking me out.

 

[The Hill Boys]

Wow, thanks everyone. Lots of good advice. As a few have suggested, I have ridden stretches of the route on weekends etc. I'm sure it's just going to take time to get comfortable. There is one freeway here (6 lane) that I don't like in the cage. To much traffic going different speeds, switching multiple lanes in different directions at the same time, always tons of accidents. It's actually the shortest way to the new job. The other route is more miles, but not as crazy or as many lanes.

 

[callmegandhi]

Keep your head on a swivel, and drive defensively! Go out and ride the route when traffic volume is low. Work your way up, experience will pay its dividends!

 

[FinalImpact]

Sometimes you have to be aggressive to be defensive. I feel highway riding is particularly nerve racking - but overcoming my fears is something I've always enjoyed.

I'm no longer afraid of riding on the highway. I have certain techniques that help me feel safer. For example:

Lets say you are on a 3 lane highway. Each lane has 3 potential lines you can ride. Left, Middle, or Right. I always tend to put myself in the lane most visible to people.

• So, if I am in the slow lane, I ride to the far left of the lane about a foot or 2 off the dotted lane markings.
• If I am in the middle lane, I tend to try to ride in the same lane position (far left, or #1) to have an escape route from people merging into the middle lane from the right.
• If I am in the passing or far left lane, I tend to right the far right lane position, or #3. This gives a direct line of site to anybody's mirror turning INTO the passing lane as well. And as most people look in their mirrors before merging, being in that visible spot instead of being in lane position 1 where you would be blocked the car in front of you or in their blind spot - this helps be more visible to people merging in your lane.

Some other things I do are:

• Use my highbeams when approaching slower moving traffic (if daylight, not trying to blind people).
• Do a slight weave. By moving left the bike right to left to right about 6" - 1', this makes your headlights move in different directions rather than just a straight line. This increases the chances of your highbeams catching other motorists attention.
• Look for people who are driving as if they are occupied or doing something - and make sure you stay away from them or plan an escape route and hawk them to make sure they don't turn in your lane without checking.
• Let tailgaters pass
• Move over out of the merging lane when approaching merge ramps
• A big one I notice - watch for impatient mergers who want to shoot over 3 lanes and pass everybody who's merging to slowly

Most importantly just be aware and attentive. Act as if you cannot be seen and make sure you have an escape route for anything. Sometimes swerving is the only way to go if traffic suddenly stops. Just keep your cool, stay aware, and don't go any faster than you feel comfortable.

That's my best advice, coming from a daily highway rider for 4 years now. I'm not saying I am the most experienced, or pretending to be an expert rider - but this is what works for me.

Well said! That is me to a tee as you speek of Lane Choice!

Mirrors..... I hate not having a mirror in the center so i can confirm where the cages are. I'm not a owl and use my mirrors exclusively so the bike strips a boundary of vision away.
- Anyway - moving slightly faster than the traffic around you keeps them behind you too vs along side of or over-taking which can at times reveal you as a Biker!
- but ya, I watch the people in the cars and through the windows of other cars to size people up. I avoid those who seem detrimental to my well being. Like cars with distracted drivers, vehicles with smashed noses (rear-ended somebody), big rides with lots of blind spots.

But please please, if you don't feel confident, work your way up when not in rush hour traffic. A lack of confidence and awareness will get you killed!!!

Do tell us you wear FULL GEAR TOO!!

 

[VEGASRIDER]

Next challenge? LA Freeways.....that's when you know you have become a pro.

 

[Raptorman53]

I was the same way. To get over my fear i started taking one on ramp to the next off ramp at night on the way home from a friends, just to get used to shifting to higher gears and going that fast. After awhile i started changing lanes for fun and going farther distances. Eventually its second nature, and i love the freeways now.

That's the same thing I did. Once I got comfortable enough, I would go ride the interstate with a friend of mine who had a lot more experience and followed his lead. Now I would much rather take the interstate than surface streets.

 

[PhotoAl]

I ride almost daily on the freeway and it can be very intimidating. Last time was out there it was like here, some slow folks, a bunch of folks just driving along and a few really fast folks. On multilane roads my favorite spot is the left lane and go whatever speed the vehicles in front are going. In the left lane you are furthest away from the folks entering and exiting and only have vehicles on your right to worry about and most of the time there is a good shoulder to use if someone pulls over on you. Watch the mirrors for fast cars coming up behind and when traffic in front slows down watch the mirrors to see if those behind are stopping or texting. At night it is more difficult and fast cars can get lost in the lights - I almost hit a car going by me at 90 mph - I was doing 60 in a 55! Did not see him and started moving over and he was by in a flash but VERY close!!!

Generally speaking the faster you go the more stable the bike is. It will not just fall over and a quick move may take a good bit of pushing on the bars to get the bike to respond quickly. Practice on a more remote stretch when there is light traffic to get more comfortable. Most of the time I will take an interstate over a 2 or 4 lane surface street with lots of intersections. The most dangerous place for a motorcycle is intersections and people turning left in front of them.

 

[7UPyours]

Wow, thanks everyone. Lots of good advice. As a few have suggested, I have ridden stretches of the route on weekends etc. I'm sure it's just going to take time to get comfortable. There is one freeway here (6 lane) that I don't like in the cage. To much traffic going different speeds, switching multiple lanes in different directions at the same time, always tons of accidents. It's actually the shortest way to the new job. The other route is more miles, but not as crazy or as many lanes.

longer route = more seat time on your bike :rockon::rockon: , traffic doesn't bother me as I see a lot of it, I just hate moving 5mph

 

[The Hill Boys]

Went out and ran a few laps on a section of freeway near my house that isn't too busy. After the first couple of laps (4-5 miles back and forth) I decided to put some ear plugs in. I think the noise might have been creating an audio matrix affect and thus causing me to panic a little. A few more laps with ear plugs and then I started noticing the "dirty air"/buffeting of all the different cars/speeds, etc. Interesting how I wasn't really catching that with the ear plugs out. I tried altering my position on the bike to see if this made any difference but it really didn't. As I was rolling down the off ramp, I started playing around with my hand positions. I decided to go home and change the angle of the handle bars. Holy crap! I moved them back, closer to me and lower then adjusted the levers. I took it for a short run and it felt like a different bike. I was only able to do one short segment on the freeway before I needed to head back home but I am very anxious to get out this weekend and try it out more.

 

[TownsendsFJR1300]

Sometimes you have to be aggressive to be defensive. I feel highway riding is particularly nerve racking - but overcoming my fears is something I've always enjoyed.

I'm no longer afraid of riding on the highway. I have certain techniques that help me feel safer. For example:

Lets say you are on a 3 lane highway. Each lane has 3 potential lines you can ride. Left, Middle, or Right. I always tend to put myself in the lane most visible to people.

• So, if I am in the slow lane, I ride to the far left of the lane about a foot or 2 off the dotted lane markings.
• If I am in the middle lane, I tend to try to ride in the same lane position (far left, or #1) to have an escape route from people merging into the middle lane from the right.
• If I am in the passing or far left lane, I tend to right the far right lane position, or #3. This gives a direct line of site to anybody's mirror turning INTO the passing lane as well. And as most people look in their mirrors before merging, being in that visible spot instead of being in lane position 1 where you would be blocked the car in front of you or in their blind spot - this helps be more visible to people merging in your lane.

Some other things I do are:

• Use my highbeams when approaching slower moving traffic (if daylight, not trying to blind people).
• Do a slight weave. By moving left the bike right to left to right about 6" - 1', this makes your headlights move in different directions rather than just a straight line. This increases the chances of your highbeams catching other motorists attention.
• Look for people who are driving as if they are occupied or doing something - and make sure you stay away from them or plan an escape route and hawk them to make sure they don't turn in your lane without checking.
• Let tailgaters pass
• Move over out of the merging lane when approaching merge ramps
• A big one I notice - watch for impatient mergers who want to shoot over 3 lanes and pass everybody who's merging to slowly

Most importantly just be aware and attentive. Act as if you cannot be seen and make sure you have an escape route for anything. Sometimes swerving is the only way to go if traffic suddenly stops. Just keep your cool, stay aware, and don't go any faster than you feel comfortable.

That's my best advice, coming from a daily highway rider for 4 years now. I'm not saying I am the most experienced, or pretending to be an expert rider - but this is what works for me.

+1 on the above!!! (the rest are also very good suggestions as well). Also, as noted previously, I like keeping ahead of traffic (not too fast to get stopped from radar/lazer) and going just slightly faster than traffic.

Something I didn't see and you may consider. Aftermarket pipes. I have SS Scorpions with the cat, No DB killers. Not obnoxiously loud unless in the very high rev's but cages DO HEAR YOU when your near by and know somethings nearby....

BTW, not just for highway riding, re defensive riding.. ALWAYS plan/count ON ANY nearby cars changing lanes/pulling out, etc. With that said, ALWAYS HAVE A WAY OUT and be aware of vehicles around you, especially behind you, possibly speeding, possibly changing lanes into your intended lane...

 

[Downs]

Something I didn't see and you may consider. Aftermarket pipes. I have SS Scorpions with the cat, No DB killers. Not obnoxiously loud unless in the very high rev's but cages DO HEAR YOU when your near by and know somethings nearby....

Please don't do this in the name of "safety". If you want to because it will sound better fine but don't try to tout it as a safety feature.

There may be SOME circumstances where it will help but overall all it does is piss off the general public and makes them even more unhappy with bikes and the people who ride them

The Doppler Effect

 

[The Hill Boys]

Already have a set of Leo's on.

 

[Dave.TX]

I don't think the "loud pipes save lives" myth is true. Cars nowadays are so well insulated I routinely don't hear V twins until they're right next to me and by that time, if I hadn't seen them earlier (because I check my mirrors frequently), it would be too late. If someone is on the phone that's even less of a chance they'll hear your buzzy bike. Besides, all that noise is going out the back, the opposite direction of travel. See above link for the Doppler effect also. Nothing "saves" you but being seen. Folks that wear all black (as typical bikers do, because we're a force to be reckoned with) are less seen that folks wearing bright colors.

In my limited experience riding on the street (less than 5 months) I've found that my vast time behind a wheel really applies to riding. Lanes are numbered: #1 is the inside/fast/passing lane, #2 is to the right of #1 and so on. On busy freeways I don't like being in the far right lane as folks coming on and coming off are more concerned for their own entry/exit and won't see you, especially if they all of a sudden realized they're about to miss the exit and change lanes rapidly. I like to stay in the #1 lane if I can.

Just ride defensively and anticipate everyone might cut in front of you. Riding takes more vigilance because you are invisible, even with your high beam on and "loud pipes". You are the only one that knows you're there so ride like it. Stay out of those blind spots of other drivers. Before you know it your exit is coming up and you've made it...

 

[ChevyFazer]

I don't think the "loud pipes save lives" myth is true. Cars nowadays are so well insulated I routinely don't hear V twins until they're right next to me and by that time, if I hadn't seen them earlier (because I check my mirrors frequently), it would be too late. If someone is on the phone that's even less of a chance they'll hear your buzzy bike. Besides, all that noise is going out the back, the opposite direction of travel. See above link for the Doppler effect also. Nothing "saves" you but being seen. Folks that wear all black (as typical bikers do, because we're a force to be reckoned with) are less seen that folks wearing bright colors.

In my limited experience riding on the street (less than 5 months) I've found that my vast time behind a wheel really applies to riding. Lanes are numbered: #1 is the inside/fast/passing lane, #2 is to the right of #1 and so on. On busy freeways I don't like being in the far right lane as folks coming on and coming off are more concerned for their own entry/exit and won't see you, especially if they all of a sudden realized they're about to miss the exit and change lanes rapidly. I like to stay in the #1 lane if I can.

Just ride defensively and anticipate everyone might cut in front of you. Riding takes more vigilance because you are invisible, even with your high beam on and "loud pipes". You are the only one that knows you're there so ride like it. Stay out of those blind spots of other drivers. Before you know it your exit is coming up and you've made it...

That's a good point about the way modern cars dampin outside noise so well, but not everyone drives a new car. Plus a few of the people I have rode with said that they could hear my bike over theirs when I'm behind them, and that was with my gutted stock exhaust which was a good bit quieter then my new exhaust. So in other words some people might hear you and others might not.

 

[TownsendsFJR1300]

Please don't do this in the name of "safety". If you want to because it will sound better fine but don't try to tout it as a safety feature.

There may be SOME circumstances where it will help but overall all it does is piss off the general public and makes them even more unhappy with bikes and the people who ride them

The Doppler Effect

In riding 38 years, besides my old 2001 HD Wide Glide with loud pipes, the FZ is the loudest (WHEN HARD ON THE THROTTLE) with the Scorpion pipes. The Scorps are not obnoxious riding regularly around town. I have yet to be stopped with the bike and I have opened the bike up on occassion...

I put the pipes on as I wanted the bike to have some sound. IMHO, the additional awareness of cages that I am around is a plus.

I can say, from experiance (riding police MC's as well-retired), that cages have actually turned their heads after hearing me, so to say, it doesn't help, IMHO, is BS..

BTW, Doppler effect DOESN'T have anything to do when your riding alongside another vehicle (as your doing on the highway)...

 

[chunkygoat]

Loud pipes don't save lives - good riding techniques do.

Loud pipes DO make you more noticeable - proven fact. A loud whiny sports bike right next to you is obviously more noticeable than a new silent Ford Focus Hybrid. You cannot argue that - plain and simple. It's a matter of preference.

I prefer to pursue any option that raises other motorists' awareness of my presence. This does not guarantee EVERY PERSON WILL SEE YOU. This does not mean you have free reign on the road; but IMO, the more aware other are of your presence, the less likely an accident will occur.

Agree with me or not.

Loud Pipes = More noticable - plain and simple. Ask any cop you drive by at 45mph in 2nd gear - he'll tell you he heard you a mile away.

Why wouldn't you want to be more noticeable? The only drawbacks I can think of are enraged neighbors and prowling cops.

 

[The Hill Boys]

Well, I was preparing to start commuting into the new job one day a week and then we had a fatality here were a bike crashed and the rider was run over by the vehicle behind him. The drive of the SUV was a friend of someone on a local riding forum and is herself a rider. There is a lot more to the story, but needless to say, it put a funk on my optimism. I'm at the point now of just leaving the commuting to the cage and to leaving the riding to a weekend hobbie outside of the big city. The people here drive like sh!t any way, then add to it cell phones, texting, checking emails, etc....