False Neutral #5: Live From Lisbon with Cager On Two Wheels

FN-Podcast-05
Popular YouTube vlogger Cager on Two Wheels joins us this week from Lisbon, Portugal. We discuss the differences between the riding environments in Europe and North America — culturally, legally and geographically. Our conversation progresses to how those differences shape which bikes become popular in various markets, and dream riding destinations.

Here are a few links to websites mentioned in this episode:
Cager On Two Wheels YouTube Channel
Tanshanomi’s Kansas Spyder Trip Time Lapse
The Smackdab Summer Soltice Ride website
Schaff’s YouTube Channel


False Neutral – Cager on Two Wheels

Flase-neutral-jump-header

Honda NT650 Hawk GT
Honda NT650 Hawk GT
Honda CB-1
Honda CB-1
Suzuki TU250X
Suzuki TU250X (and yes, it IS fuel injected)
Yamaha XJ6
Yamaha XJ6
Yamaha MT-03
Yamaha MT-03
Yamaha XC300 Versity
Yamaha XC300 Versity
Honda NC700S
Honda NC700S
Honda PCX125
Honda PCX125
BMW R1200GS
BMW R1200GS
Yamaha MT-09
Yamaha MT-09
KTM RC390
KTM RC390
Honda CRF1000L Africa Twin
Honda CRF1000L Africa Twin
Honda XL600V Transalp
Honda XL600V Transalp

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

The maximum upload file size: 64 MB. You can upload: image, audio, video. Links to YouTube, Facebook, Twitter and other services inserted in the comment text will be automatically embedded. Drop files here

13 responses to “False Neutral #5: Live From Lisbon with Cager On Two Wheels”

  1. jeepjeff Avatar
    jeepjeff

    Lane splitting is not explicitly legal in California. It is not forbidden, but the police don’t consider filtering inherently reckless here. There’s a state bill, AB51, that’s been floating around Sacto which would explicitly allow splitting.

    And yeah, we all call it splitting out here. I often use the word filtering, but that’s definitely me copping a more European term.

    (And Cager’s filtering doesn’t bother me, but I spent a decade as a bicycle commuter in the Bay Area before picking up motorcycling, and splitting is the same skill on both machines. And, yep, I subscribed to Cager’s channel on Pete’s suggestion. 🙂

    1. The Real Number_Six Avatar
      The Real Number_Six

      It’s terrifying in CA. My first experience with it was on a loaded rental Tiger 800, with panniers attached. I picked the bike up on Sepulveda and then headed north on Hwy 1. It soon became clear that I’d packed everything for my trip except adult diapers.

      1. jeepjeff Avatar
        jeepjeff

        I started riding here, so it feels normal to me (and it’s even worse on a bicycle). Hwy 1 this weekend was pretty chill, but admittedly, I ran it from the Presidio south to Monterey, rather than starting in LA and heading north.

  2. Diogo Gonçalves Avatar
    Diogo Gonçalves

    when I went to paris in like rush hour was so terrifying to drive a car because it was like bikes everywhere and alot of them always passing so close to the cars

    1. jeepjeff Avatar
      jeepjeff

      The gaps are bigger than you think, so the trick to driving with bikes splitting around you is to hold your line (or: don’t swerve), be predictable and use your turn signals obsessively when changing lanes. The motorcyclists who have any sense of their own mortality will assume you cannot see them and not run between you and your hole in the other lane. Do keep checking your blind spots and mirrors, and keep us in mind when you do; the people who don’t see us are the ones who are only looking for cars.

      1. Diogo Gonçalves Avatar
        Diogo Gonçalves

        I was in alot of traffic and not driving but I’m saying like the amount of bikes passing was like mind blowing at least +100 likes on 15 mins

  3. Tiago Varella-Cid Avatar
    Tiago Varella-Cid

    awesome!

  4. The Real Number_Six Avatar
    The Real Number_Six

    Graduated licensing could help save motorcycling in North America – maybe a topic for a very contentious future episode of False Neutral?

    **edit** Alternate topic: Honda hates NA customers and that’s why we can’t have the tricolor CRF1000L

    1. jeepjeff Avatar
      jeepjeff

      I would definitely support graduated licensing. Putting 1500 miles on a 200cc bike before getting a 700 was definitely a good idea. And if we pick a cutoff that other countries have (say, 400cc), manufacturers won’t have to adjust model lines to provide bikes for new riders.

      OTOH: there are a decent number of riders that pick sensible starter bikes in California. When I search CL for “starter bike” in the Bay Area, the results aren’t too ridiculous (the first few hits are Ninja 250s and Honda Rebels).

      1. Tanshanomi Avatar

        Unfortunately, licensing is up to the individual States here, so it would be unlikely to gain traction until a critical mass of legislatures decided it was a good idea here.

        1. jeepjeff Avatar
          jeepjeff

          I said I’d support it. Not that there was any political will to make it happen. (I also think of California as largely separate from the rest of the union with respect to motorcycle laws, because, you know. 😉

  5. Michał Krzemiński Avatar
    Michał Krzemiński

    Actually “bus lane for motorcycles” topic could be interesting for some people internationally. For example we had such project rejected in Warsaw (capital of Poland) just recently. Would be nice to know how it’s solved in other countries 🙂

  6. dead_elvis, inc. Avatar
    dead_elvis, inc.

    I’ve finally caught up with all the False Neutral episodes. Great stuff! It’s funny to hear a voice that belongs to someone you’ve only known via teh internets.

    I don’t split lanes in moving traffic around here (Seattle), but I’m happy to be the first off the line when the light changes. Plenty of shade thrown, stink-eyes received, and more than a few things yelled at me while doing so, but SPD seems to have better things to worry about than motorcyclists taking advantage of size.