Anyone out there as disgusted as I am with the SoCal traffic from the 5 to the 405 and the 91? It's getting absolutely ridiculous. You have to either get up at dawn or ride at midnight to ride anymore. It is every Saturday and Sunday in Orange County and LA county that you ride and run in to some heavy to insanely heavy traffic. Total buzzkill. Still love riding, but it does get old. Hard to zoom through splits in the traffic with a bagger. Any thoughts or gripes by my fellow shark noses?
Southern Ca. Traffic
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ha it was that way thirty years ago when I was stationed out there 
JtB
JtB
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Hell Ya! I hear you. I cant stand it. Everything you say is true. Almost gave it up. Get your self a fast pass and ride, it helps.
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1,070 Posts
I see similar, but maybe not quite as bad, traffic here in Sacramento and when I go anywhere in the San Francisco Bay area. You just have to get comfortable with the width of your bike and keep splitting lanes. There will be holes you won't fit through, but it's amazing how many places you can get a shark to go through with no trouble.
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Its a pain in the ass but it is what it is. When I'm riding for the sake of riding its either in the mountains or in the desert and far away from any road that begins with an "I"
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849 Posts
Pretty much how I try to keep it with this year-round riding weather. I go out of my way to stay off those super-slab freeways and keep to the back hills, deserts and valleys. Even then, the urbanites trying to escape the blight will still clog up the two lane roads and take a lot of the fun out of even those, so, the 360 days of great riding can get cut a little shorter even with five days allocated for potential rain (and that is generous) haha...
Traffic does suck, I don't think I would be a very happy rider if I actually had to commute to and from work on my bike every day.
I'm in LA County but feel your pain. I regularly get to work several hours early every day to avoid traffic. Going home there is no way around it. At least I have a carpool lane and can split. I run the 405 to the 101 daily. Talk about hell. When it rains and I take my car it takes 1.5 hours to go 25 miles.
I'm used to it after 3 years of this daily but if I drove a car every day I'd move closer to work.
Drew
I'm used to it after 3 years of this daily but if I drove a car every day I'd move closer to work.
Drew
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1,547 Posts
1.5 hrs to go 25 miles? Holy crap. You'd be reading about me in the local paper. Roadrage.
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90 Posts
Yup and getting worse !!! I work a split shift and always go for a ride on my break I am finding that because of traffic my rides take longer BUT I am not going as far !!! But as long as I am riding ALL IS GREAT !!!!!!!
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1,402 Posts
I live in Costa Mesa.......it just sucks. Hell, I'm lucky enough that my work is only 4 miles away.....but it still takes me up to 15 mins (in a car) to get to work.... if I take the bike it's not even warmed up hardly. But yes....I stay the F off the 405 / 5 / 91 at ALL COSTS.
Hell, I got on the 55 on Sunday at 2pm and it was stop n go. WTF?
Hell, I got on the 55 on Sunday at 2pm and it was stop n go. WTF?
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746 Posts
I live in OC and work in LA. The traffic here is one of the best reasons to own a motorcycle. I can get to work or back home in under an hour any time of day. If kalifornia didn't allow splitting, I would have to double down on my threats to move away. Like Richie, when I ride for pleasure, I do it as far away from civilization as possible!
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6,826 Posts
I live in Santa Clarita and ride 5 days a week to Torrance CA. 405 shucks and people can't drive because their in there cell phones. Splitting lanes is the only way to go for sure. After a while you gain a 6th sense and it's as if you can read what these dumb ass driver are going to do wrong. I've been doing this for 14 years and have been down twice. The last time I was down I was ok but the bike had $9,200.00 in damages. I will always ride because I hate to drive. All I can say is stay on top of things and hopefully you'll be ok. I puchased my 2015 RGS in late Oct and I currently have 9,800 miles. The bikes been great and all I can say is I dig the ABS braking system.
Swomack
Swomack
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35 Posts
I moved to Oceanside from Gilbert, Arizona and let me begin by telling you there is a huge difference in riding enjoyment. I'd rather deal with 115 degrees than mess with I-5, That is no joke. In AZ I'd take off and enjoy the ride, day dream and look off into the distance with no fear of cars encroaching on me. You can smell the air, ride without a helmet and get lost in your thoughts.
Out here, The traffic ranges from terrible to unbelievable and you must wear a helmet not only because it's the law, but for your own safety. If this was a helmet optional state, I would still wear it.
I find peace riding into Oceanside and enjoying the pier and ocean and when I head East I stay on 76 across the 15 and it's more peaceful and enjoyable out that way.
Ride on
Out here, The traffic ranges from terrible to unbelievable and you must wear a helmet not only because it's the law, but for your own safety. If this was a helmet optional state, I would still wear it.
I find peace riding into Oceanside and enjoying the pier and ocean and when I head East I stay on 76 across the 15 and it's more peaceful and enjoyable out that way.
Ride on
Thanks guys for your honest comments. I'm actually thinking of selling my RG and giving it all up. I love riding. I don't love stopping. The whole point is to ride. I've been riding since 1979 and it ain't the same. It's gotten even worse just in the last 2 years even with the expansion of carpool lanes on the 405.
I have been splitting lanes since 96 so it is second nature. You gotta split a little slower on a bagger but it gets you there much quicker. I have had plenty of wrecks but never one from splitting or on the freeway. Pay attention and like was said above after a while it is easy to tell what car is going to do what. You can spot them from a mile away hitting the brakes for no reason, wandering in the lane, etc.
Here's to a continued streak of good luck with lane splitting.
Drew
Here's to a continued streak of good luck with lane splitting.
Drew
I was really hoping that the billion dollars spent on improving the 405 freeway from the 10 to the 101 would help. It did not. The traffic is even worse. I rarely ride to work, as I do not want to ruin the pleasure I get from riding by dodging and weaving through bumper to bumper traffic. When I do ride to work, I have to split lanes from Wilshire blvd and the 405 North all the way to the 118. You really have to be alert and on your game. And after a hard days work, I just do not have the energy for that level of concentration.
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