Proficient cornering...

[NI5L]

I guess the main reason is the old million mile Harley dealer, Jim Magner, taught me to at 16. He said riding in the left tire track gives oncoming (or passing) traffic the message that you own the lane, just like a car, and they don't need to be thinking about using some of it. Don't know how right that is but that's what I do.

My riding mentor told me the same thing and I practice it to this day.

It makes me cringe when I see some rookie tooling down the highway in the right track.

[marchyman]

It makes me cringe when I see some rookie tooling down the highway in the right track.

When you are in lane number 1 (the fast lane) of a multi lane highway riding in the left track can be an invitation to a car on your right to pull into your lane. Depending upon the shoulder (or lack thereof) it can also take away lanes of escape for evasive action.

Right track, left track... there is no one correct action. The choice depends upon the situation. Anyone who slavishly follows a "use this track" rule is adding unnecessary risk to their ride.

[sedanman]

Agree!

[bikerfish1100]

Right track, left track... there is no one correct action. The choice depends upon the situation. Anyone who slavishly follows a "use this track" rule is adding unnecessary risk to their ride.

exactly as we teach it in the BRC.
make your decisions based on the changes that occur within your ride on a moment-by-moment basis.

now, that "oil collects in the center of the lane" thing has been going around for years. hear it in my BRC classes all the time, especially when we address the question of "which part of the lane is the correct one to ride in?"
i consider myself to be a student of the road, and in my 35+ riding years i have yet to find a general accumulation of oil, debris or any other memorable crap in the center of a single lane. yeah, sometimes a bit does gather, but generaly speaking, not so much. and certainly not enough to take me off my O-I-O late apex cornering line.
well, except in toll booths and major city intersections. there i find oil, so i tend to ride U-U-U (upright, upright, upright) thru the left or right tire track, depending upon situational specifics.

[ANDYVH]

From one MSF coach to another, 1+.

Anyone who follows a strict set of "riding rules" will likely find out one day that they were wrong, and find out the hard way. This includes MSF instructors who teach "this is the only way to do it."

Not too many out there, but there are some. Fewer than there used to be.

[dwestly]

From one MSF coach to another, 1+.

Anyone who follows a strict set of "riding rules" will likely find out one day that they were wrong, and find out the hard way. This includes MSF instructors who teach "this is the only way to do it."

Not too many out there, but there are some. Fewer than there used to be.

+1 from another MSF coach. I always preach adjusting your situation to fit the environment. This includes lane position, speed, etc. Any coach who says "this is the only way to do it" in terms of riding rules (with a very few exceptions, like ATGATT) is doing a serious disservice to their students.

[bikerfish1100]

+1 from another MSF coach. I always preach adjusting your situation to fit the environment. This includes lane position, speed, etc. Any rider who says "this is the only way to do it" in terms of riding rules (with a very few exceptions, like ATGATT) is doing a serious disservice to their listening audience.

fify

[ANDYVH]

When I ride I am always looking for/choosing my optimum lane position based on a mental list of factors that I've developed that help me decide how to set up for many different road conditions. So that means I move around within the three mini-lanes to best suit the conditions.

I have never done a track day (yet), though I do local off-road/dirt bike events and I ice-race in the winter on the amateur level (that means back-marker). But I have read many books and over the years, developed my "riding flow" for the twisties. People that ride with me for those back road blitzes comment, "we hardly ever see your brake lights, yet, you just seem to move and flow through the corners, and you're quick!"

Over the years, experimenting on my own, listening/learning, actually applying the tactics taught in the MSF ERC and ARC, it has really brought my riding up. I still want to take a track day with professional instruction.

[NI5L]

When you are in lane number 1 (the fast lane) of a multi lane highway riding in the left track can be an invitation to a car on your right to pull into your lane. Depending upon the shoulder (or lack thereof) it can also take away lanes of escape for evasive action.

Right track, left track... there is no one correct action. The choice depends upon the situation. Anyone who slavishly follows a "use this track" rule is adding unnecessary risk to their ride.

Sorry, but I don't recall referencing the fast lane.

I was assuming that readers could deduce my meaning as it pertained to the post I was responding to. His point was claiming your lane to avoid being crowded out. I dislike insulting the intelligence of the reader by assuming they can't possibly understand my point without bloviating and pontificating.

Guess you missed that little insignificant nuance. I'll try to do better at spelling it out next time.

[WalterK75]

I'm picking nits here and don't want to hijack this thread. I thought the right hand lane was #1 and the lane numbers increased to the left; 2 and then 3.

[dwestly]

fify

Unfortunately, you are correct. There has to be willing intake of critical information, combined with intelligent data processing, to result in effective application...

[marchyman]

You're comment re cringing whenever you see someone who may not be the rookie that you assume doing something that may well be the right thing to do in the given situation shows you as one who may slavishly follow so-called rules to your own detriment. Feel free to disagree.

I'm picking nits here and don't want to hijack this thread. I thought the right hand lane was #1 and the lane numbers increased to the left; 2 and then 3.

Might depend upon where you live. In California lanes are numbered from left to right.

[NI5L]

Feel free to disagree.

Thank you for the special dispensation, oh sanctimonious one.