Author Topic: To filter or not to filter??  (Read 2397 times)

0 Members and 1 Guest are viewing this topic.

Offline pichulec

  • Member
  • ***
  • Joined: Dec 2017
  • Posts: 1006
  • Bike: KTM 1290 SAS
  • Location: Luton / Bedfordshire
To filter or not to filter??
« on: September 13, 2019, 23:17:48 »
To filter or not to filter??  Of course to filter. What is the point to have a bike, to sit in traffic?? No way!! Music video for old school rock fans, but not limited to :)


Offline Brockett

  • Member
  • ***
  • Joined: Nov 2011
  • Posts: 8348
  • Bike: 2022 Moto Guzzi 850 V7 special in blue, 2022 850 V7 Stone in darkest black, 1998 XJ600n in red
  • Location: Tendring in the Far North East (of Essex)
Re: To filter or not to filter??
« Reply #1 on: September 13, 2019, 23:57:06 »
Too fast. Filtering is walking pace.
This doesn't last forever, so do it while you can.

Offline user650

  • Member
  • ***
  • Joined: Feb 2013
  • Posts: 2962
  • Bike: DL650A M3 in fast white (Gen 3), DL650A M2 in fast white (Gen 3)
  • Location: York , North Yorkshire
Re: To filter or not to filter??
« Reply #2 on: September 14, 2019, 00:09:53 »
As the speed Meister Brockett the Rocket says a bit too fast for the speed of the traffic.
If It Starts Ride It
Don't Say Cheese Say Wensleydale
I'm Big on the inside, small on the outside
What happens in Wales gets told to everyone
 
Posh Paul
IBA Member
RBLR 1000 '18
Armistice 1000 '18
RBLR 1000 '19
RBLR 1000 '22
RBLR 1000 '23

Offline pichulec

  • Member
  • ***
  • Joined: Dec 2017
  • Posts: 1006
  • Bike: KTM 1290 SAS
  • Location: Luton / Bedfordshire
Re: To filter or not to filter??
« Reply #3 on: September 14, 2019, 00:39:16 »
It is only impression... I am slow as turtle if you compare to some others I see everyday. If I would filter 5-10-15mph I wouldn't get home in 1 hour. Normally it takes me from 15 to 25min depending of traffic conditions. I am not proud of this but it is what it is. Even my IAM observer said that if I would commute with IAM rules I wouldn't go anywhere.

Offline UK_Vstrom650

  • Member
  • ***
  • Joined: Jun 2012
  • Posts: 6580
  • Bike: DL650A L2
Re: To filter or not to filter??
« Reply #4 on: September 14, 2019, 07:27:31 »
I don't see the point of having a bike and not filtering, especially if you're commuting. I had to filter the entire way around Manchester on the M60 yesterday as it was gridlocked. I'd probably still be there now if I didn't filter. Only one car actively blocked me, but most seemed unaware of me. Of course it's always nice when cars move slightly over to let you pass.

One thing I did notice when following a bike with a loud exhaust was the cars parted for him on approach, where as with me behind him on the silent Glee they were all oblivious to my approach (I'd pulled out of his way hearing him approach too but he filtered much quicker than what I do so he soon vanished).

I'm not commenting on speed in your video as although it looks quick, it's hard to know how fsst you're going and how you're covering brakes etc. Personally I won't filter beyond a set speed to surrounding traffic, and I rejoin the lane once traffic is moving.

(Good music choice by the way  :thumb:)

Offline Holmsey

  • Member
  • ***
  • Joined: Dec 2013
  • Posts: 3464
  • Bike: DL650 L9
  • Location: East London
Re: To filter or not to filter??
« Reply #5 on: September 14, 2019, 09:47:32 »
I filter on my way home always when I am on an early shift as the traffic is too heavy in rush hour.
I do not go faster than 20 mph and move over when the turbo scooters come flying through.

There is a stated case in court where a rider was convicted for without due care (I can't remember the name) and it was stated that anything above 20 mph when filtering you are creating another lane.
Even when I do filter at 20 mph I am still going faster than the cagers at a standstill and you never  know when that idiot will decide to change lanes without looking.
Life on two wheels is better than 4 because the wife don't go on two wheels                " I'M FREEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE "

IBA Member
RBLR 1000 - 2018 -2019
Armistice 1000 - 2018

Offline Dark-Strom

  • Member
  • ***
  • Joined: Nov 2016
  • Posts: 1607
  • Bike: 2018 Ninja 650
  • Location: Ashford, Kent
Re: To filter or not to filter??
« Reply #6 on: September 14, 2019, 12:27:05 »
I had to do a large amount of filtering once past Cardiff when going to the Wales meet last month.

The road legal aftermarket exhaust on mine did help a lot, coming on and off the power provided enough noise to know something was coming, mainly truck drivers and non-male drivers in SUV's were the ones that stopped progress.

The cars were either stationary, start/stop or moving up to 10mph, I did between 20 and 35mph in these cases so the speed difference was not too high.
Once the traffic got up to 35mph, I just joined the lane.

Was shocked though when a biker went by me at 50 with traffic nearly stationary - at that speed you have no time to respond to cars moving around etc.

Also saw a few bikes with large panniers not getting anywhere...
May your God go with you...
(Dave Allen)

Offline harmony

  • Member
  • ***
  • Joined: Mar 2018
  • Posts: 68
  • Bike: DL650, VFR1200X
  • Location: Isle of Sheppey
Re: To filter or not to filter??
« Reply #7 on: September 14, 2019, 17:05:42 »
You have to filter.

I'll post up one of my commuting vids one day.  lol

Offline Asmith61

  • Member
  • ***
  • Joined: Sep 2015
  • Posts: 4684
  • Bike: DL1000 K7, 2011 B-King 1300 , 1999 Triumph 1200 Trophy 2023 Harley Nightster 975
  • Location: Essex
Re: To filter or not to filter??
« Reply #8 on: September 14, 2019, 17:35:13 »
Yes definitely have to filter  :thumb: you seem to have very heavy traffic for your commute, you are obviously confident and used to filtering so seemed OK to me ( me being a country bumpkin not much call for filtering  lol) when I do I am only to aware of lane changers😱





Offline mr_diver

  • Ride Coordinator
  • Member
  • ****
  • Joined: Oct 2010
  • Posts: 8078
  • The Rantings of a Crazed Lunatic
  • Bike: 'onda Varadero XL1000v9, 'onda CX500ec '83, GSX14 '06, DL650 K6 (Blue) R.I.P,
  • Location: Port Talbot
Re: To filter or not to filter??
« Reply #9 on: September 14, 2019, 17:45:34 »
Filtering is not mentioned in the Road Traffic Act so therfore is not illegal, but not being mentioned does not make it Legal.
Police can and will prosecute if the manner of riding is considered in their professional opinion careless or dangerous.

Insurance companies usually will impose at least 50% of the blame on the rider in the event of an accident when the rider has been filtering.
Even if not filtering at the time it goes to the riders state of mind and riding behaviour, taking risks and not riding appropriate according to the Road Traffic Act. (Insurance companies consider filtering as a illegal at it's not mentioned)

I will happily filter when the traffic is slow, but with caution and I pull back in around junctions as its far too likely for someone to move out of lane 1 to leave room for traffic to pull on (more likely lane 2 is moving 0.02mph faster)

After traffic speeds increase to 30mph I will get into a lane. And I'll never filter more than 15mph over what the traffic is doing. Even then you little time to react.
I do filter with wide panniers, I've never hit anything with them, but sometimes cars will have to pull out of my way as I don't like to sit and wait for some woman in a Chelsea tractor to finish doing her makeup in a queue of traffic.
(1000cc V-Twin @ 5,000rpm with straight through cans gets a bit annoying inches from your head. :shy:)

------------------------------

Loud cans (mine are very loud) do sod all to attract attention of those ahead of you.
Your exhaust is pointed rearwards and so the majority of the sound waves travel away from the bike to the rear.

Most of the time a car driver will be made aware of your presence via exhaust sound with just enough time to look out the side window as you go past at 10mph (over their speed).

An awful lot of drivers are so wrapped up in what they are thinking, txting, changing radios to notice sirens and big blue flashy lights.
Do for a moment think they will in anyway be alerted to your presance with a slightly noisey motorbike.

Loud cans do not in fact save lives... they just piss off your neighbours.
I only like a few of my neghbours and they are bikers so f### the rest of them. lol



Ride Coordinator

Offline Dark-Strom

  • Member
  • ***
  • Joined: Nov 2016
  • Posts: 1607
  • Bike: 2018 Ninja 650
  • Location: Ashford, Kent
Re: To filter or not to filter??
« Reply #10 on: September 14, 2019, 21:00:27 »
 lol Mr.diver.

Will have to agree to dis-agree from my recent experience  :thumb:, it was stop/start traffic on a hot day so some windows were down etc. - I would not have got through so easily with a quiet bike.

I think there is an amount of reverberation /resonance from an exhaust when moving between the vehicles??

But, yes we filter otherwise we'd be bored shiteless in cars all the time lol
May your God go with you...
(Dave Allen)

Offline UK_Vstrom650

  • Member
  • ***
  • Joined: Jun 2012
  • Posts: 6580
  • Bike: DL650A L2
Re: To filter or not to filter??
« Reply #11 on: September 14, 2019, 21:53:12 »
I'd also add I heard the faster bike approaching from behind before I saw him and he was some way off & moving at speed. That was over the music I was listening to and the earplugs I was wearing. Watching the cars part for that bike before he got to them was the opposite of what they did to me when I was passing several seconds later. Not sure I could listen to the drone of loud pipes though...

Offline pichulec

  • Member
  • ***
  • Joined: Dec 2017
  • Posts: 1006
  • Bike: KTM 1290 SAS
  • Location: Luton / Bedfordshire
Re: To filter or not to filter??
« Reply #12 on: September 15, 2019, 08:19:44 »
I used to ride with baffles out but my neighbours didn't really liked so I was kind of forced to put them back. What I noticed, with baffles out, cars were spreading ahead of me faster than now, but now is still not bad, I use flood lights to show my presence - they always on.

Offline Tusker

  • Member
  • ***
  • Joined: Jul 2012
  • Posts: 4213
  • Bike: NO BIKE
  • Location: Bryn, Wigan
Re: To filter or not to filter??
« Reply #13 on: September 15, 2019, 14:48:43 »

Offline STORMY

  • Member
  • ***
  • Joined: Apr 2019
  • Posts: 289
  • Bike: Triumph 1200 GT Pro
  • Location: Winchester
Re: To filter or not to filter??
« Reply #14 on: September 24, 2019, 14:54:03 »
I spend a lot of time on the M25 picking up clients from Heathrow and driving into central London etc. Loud exhausts definitely give me a heads up allowing enough time for me to get out the way.
The danger times for filtering are winter evenings in the rain, rearward visibility is sliced in half, a deep sounding V twin will give you those vital few seconds to move. However once you’re up on running anything over 30 mph, I’m not going to hear you.
I know it’s illegal but a pair of powerful auxiliary lights made to flash would really make a bike standout in filtering situations - hazard flashers do bugger all - just my observations
If you ignore your teeth, eventually they’ll go away