emveezee

Twice in the last two days I've had to deal with motorcycles in bike lanes on my way to work. Now that the weather has turned warm in NYC, bikes lanes have plenty of bike traffic. Yesterday, a sport bike tailed me for about 5 blocks in a bike lane.

When I finally come to stop at a red light, I turn around and ask the guy what he was doing. He mumbled something that I couldn't make out because of the idling engine. I continue my one-way conversation and tell him that I have a motorcycle too, but I never dream of driving it in a bike lane because it's illegal, obnoxious, and not safe.

I don't want one following me, because I'm nervous they will try to gun it around me when they see an opening, and I don't want to be following one and sucking fumes.

I felt like it was best to confront the guy because if no one ever does, he might actually think it's ok to do what he's doing.

Rant mostly over.

To be honest, I don't like electric-assist, or electric anything in bike lanes either. These [intended to be] car-free strips of pavement are so scarce that I feel they need to be protected from anything powered. Pedaling under your own force should be the price of admission. Go as fast or slow as you like or you can on a bike, and I can relate with the experience, physical effort, and psychology.

I guess I worry that the bike lanes are going to get clogged with the big, fat, single-occupancy SUV drivers that I pass all the time, if the figure out they can get where they're going faster on some of the newer more powerful e-assist bikes.

Am I being selfish, unreasonable, paranoid, or just getting grumpy in my old age? How do y'all react to motorcycles or scooters sharing your lane?

CliftonGK1

I haven't encountered any motorcycles in the bike lane. I told off a guy on a Vespa (after complimenting him on his awesome restoration GS-150) and he honestly seemed surprised and unaware that the "bike" in Bike Lane meant bicycle only and didn't include motorbikes.

I just pass mopeds and laugh. I figure that's punishment enough.

lostarchitect 

There are A-holes in every group--Motorcyclists, pedestrians, cyclists, drivers... You encountered a few motorcyclist jerks. That sucks, but I don't think you'll see it all the time. I am also a NYC cyclist / motorcyclist. The bike lane behavior I see WAAAAAY more than this, and that bothers me more, is cyclists going the wrong way in the lanes.

jeffpoulin

Lots of motorcycles in the bike lanes here, but I don't mind them because as fellow cyclists, they understand what it's like to commute on a bike. Now cars parked illegally in the bike lane... that I don't like.

cehowardGS

As another motorcycle rider to another, you are CORRECT. They have NO BUSINESS in the bike lane. Sometimes I see cars taking a short cut.. Same thing, they have no right to be there. If it contiunes, I would notify somebody to try to put a stop to it..

weshigh

electric-assist is fine in my opinion. I haven't run across one in real life that has been going anywhere as fast as most cyclists. They have all usually been older folks and it can get them on any sort of bike and out of their car, I say the better. As they increase in power, it might be worth setting a limit to the amount of power one has and can still use bike lane.

fietsbob

NL has long shared the long distance bike paths with small Mopeds.. 30~50cc max.

doomtroll

it's hard not to enjoy it

chefisaac

agreed

TwoFourOne

The other day, going up a bridge, a scooter took the bike lane ahead of me. It was because they didn't have enough CCs to keep up with the cars on the uphill. I'm just wondering what he would have done if a bike started to come towards him, as the traffic was semi-heavy.

AdamDZ

Yeah, I ride in NYC and I noticed that too: motorcycles in bike lanes. Yeah mopeds don't bother me, I can pass them easily, but motorbikes often go fast, basically using the bike lane as passing lane.

Leisesturm

I haven't been in NYC since 2008. In 2005 I went back there for a year after living two years in Oregon (Salem). I was appalled at how my driver friends treated pedestrians and cyclists. They aren't nasty people or mean but get in a car and without thinking about it they used their power and mass to forcefully and aggressively brush peds back onto the sidewalk so they could make turns or whatever. When a ped was walking across a crosswalk they would creep forward and intimidate the peds into bolting. Totally uncool behavior out here but that is after years of public education and after hundreds of tickets handed out by plainclothes cops posing as pedestrians. A car has to come to a stop well back from the crosswalk if there is a pedestrian in it. Most do. I never saw motorcycles in bike lanes in NYC and I never see it here and there are a lot more bike lanes here. But then I am technically outside of Portland in the suburbs where there is room. What you guys are seeing is the typical NY spirit of necessity being the mother of invention. I became expert at boarding and riding between subway train cars during the 80's. I became a proficient and profligate red light runner in NYC in the 90's. I can only imagine that motorcyclists feel they have to jump in a bike lane now and then to make up a little time. I don't know what to say about that except... come on out here!! Its amazing. Its everything you've heard. Bicycles rule. Almost as many chicks on bikes as dudes, maybe as many. They haul ass too. Out in the sticks where I ride there aren't many bikes but there are lanes and the stoplights are a half mile apart so less reason to bomb them but I don't want to get too rusty so... woooosh!

H

AdamDZ

I've been tempted by OR if it wasn't for the rain. Everything, but the rain, is what I want: good biking, mild temperatures and great outdoors. I have to come visit some time.

fietsbob

And you get to leave the NYPD behind.

AdamDZ

Oh, I'm sure cops are incompetent and arrogant in many other places too.

jeffpoulin

You get used to the rain. I lived in Oregon for 15 years and the first winter was the hardest. If you like to ski, Mt. Hood gets LOTS of snow when Portland gets rain, and the slopes often stay open until early May. The one really nice thing about PNW weather is the 2 to 3 months of sunshine from mid-July to mid-October. It's not every year, but it happens a lot. Absolutely gorgeous.

If you want to check out Oregon, but without the rain, look at central and eastern Oregon. Bend likes to boast that they get 300 sunny days/year. Still great biking, mild temperatures (though colder than Portland), and great outdoors. Just an idea...

AdamDZ

No, I don't like any winter sports. I might be tempted to get a snow bike though, if the Winter is pretty, unlike the constant slush in NYC. I was surpised to learn last year, on these forums, that most of OR is actually a desert! I was also told there are places more inland that have less rain but still pretty mild weather. I have all that written down somewhere. I really should check OR out, I just need to find some time.

scorch

I feel the same way. Motorcyclists, scooterists, and bicyclists all share the same dilemmas. Often time motorcycle riders help me out quite a bit. And you will usually find motorcyclists tend to be bicyclists as well.

I think you are being a little bit too picky.

jeffpoulin

That's correct. 70% of the state lives in Willamette Valley which is between the Coast range and the Cascades. It, along with the coast, is the milder, wetter part of the state. East of the Cascades is desert.

If you want to check out Oregon, try to go to Cycle Oregon. Registration is right about now, and the ride is the second week in September. They have over 2000 riders riding 400 miles through some part of Oregon. It's a GREAT way to explore the less well known areas of the state.

Digital_Cowboy

No, you most definitely are not. This week, and last week I've had to contend with scooters on The Pinellas Trail MUP. The fact that they have a license plate should be a clue that they don't belong on the MUP.

The only one that I was able to talk to was of the opinion that because the police don't do/say anything to him about riding his motorized vehicle on the MUP that it is somehow "alright."

Digital_Cowboy

While not a "moped" a few months back I did leave a Giant Hybrid in my dust. Granted this was the model with just one battery, but it still had to sting a little having someone on a totally human powered bicycle leave someone behind who is riding a bicycle with an electric assist motor.

AdamDZ

Thank you! That's a very good tip.

Edit.: Oh wow, the ride is already sold out and the waiting list is closed.

Maybe where you live. In NYC most motorcyclist are punks. Dudes on low riders are usually cool, but most problems are caused by the disrespectful kids with no imagination on Japanese sportbikes.