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Riding in the left or right of 'your' lane

walleye said:
I know a guy back home that lost his wife in a MC accident while he was driving. He was to the left side of his lane on a two way road. There was a semi coming from the other direction and a car was trying to pass it. Since the MC was not to the right side of the road, the cage was looking around for oncoming traffic and since the MC was to the left, they never seen it and pulled out to pass. They were hit head on. He flew over the cage and was seriously hurt but lived, his wife hit the cage and was killed instantly. He says he was in the process of going to the right side to stay away from the semi, but at the same time the cage pulled out. I always ride to the right whenever oncoming traffic is in sight always anticipating a cage pulling out to pass. If you are to the right, you will be more easily seen. I agree to use the entire lane, but when oncoming trafic is invloved, I stay to the right, always.
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I always ride left of center , but there is alot to think about right here.
 
Before riding a trike I prefered to be left of center in the line of sight with the vehicle behind me. Being on a trike has an advantage, the entire lane is mine.
 
I didn't read all the responses in this thread, so sorry if this is a duplicate but you have GOT to PROTECT your lane. That means 4 lane and you're riding in the slow lane you are left of center. I came up on a guy on a harley the other day - in the passing lane, and he was riding left of center, darn near on the white stripe. That just says to "any" aggressive cager, hey dude, slide on by me here...you can take some of my lane. Not good. You have got to protect your lane from cagers encroaching on it, for they surely will.

When in the passing lane, I ride right of center so that my headlight is in their side view mirror. And I'm full attention on the car I'm passing.

And when I'm on a single lane country road, I'm left of center and I'll slide center to slightly right of center when a car is approaching the other direction and we're moving by each other.

Protect your lane.
 
I mostly ride solo so I don`t have other riders to watch for - I ride mostly center left and move right when meeting large vehicles & long lines of cars. On multi lane hiways & heavy traffic I have a habit of wandering in my lane .It keeps cages out of my space & they don`t get a chance to look past me without me breaking their line of sight. I stay within the lines & no sharpe manuvers. If two lane I don`t follow traffic I prefer to see what on the road ahead .
Have explained this to many customer why motorcycles will pass them - (its only to see the road ahead)
 
I agree to either back away from the car in front or pass him and see the open road ahead.

As for the guy who lost his wife...so sad. I do tend to move right when going around a curve on a 2 lane. You never know when a car might be over the center line and tag you on the way by.

There is a lot of good information in this thread. Some of the best advice ever.

We should all read the posts over several times and take from it what we may.
 
Right now I'm in China so I didn't read all the responses in this thread, so sorry if this is a repeat but in the old days I rode left of center but in Motorcycle driving school, back in early 80's I was told right of center, not on the line. The reason is if you sit in a car and look in the mirrors you see that spot more then the left side. I didn't think so but they parked a car with a few bikes behind it and sure enough the bike on the right is seen more, of course that is if people use those mirrors. Oh not riding here in China these driver ??????? I leave it at that!
 
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