thinking of returning to Canada from California...only now I ride

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k193 said:
LOL

Looks like one possible positive reason to move back would be people's sense of humor? That photoshopped sign is hilarious

To the person who said everything is better - I agree with you, living in LA is preferable to the GTA, but I don't plan to live in the GTA, just be riding there from time to time...which is another reason I'm not that worried about getting stopped by the police for filtering, I won't be doing commuting on the DVP or anything.

How is filtering "stunt driving"? When I read about that new law from McGoofy and his crew of morons I thought to myself "well that's it, Ontario has gone full retard"

You think that law is so sound that one can't recover costs after winning the HTA case? I bet nobody has spent the money to try
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Not so sure about that....what about the lawyer whose Aston Marin was impounded when his personal assistant decided to speed down the road in it, when his boss had sent him to fuel it up and wash it for the boss's upcoming weekend away in the car? You think that lawyer wouldn't have tried?
 
k193 said:
If I can find a job in the KW area or Owen Sound I may return, definitely not moving to the GTA for any amount of money, no offense to anyone who likes it there.
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I can't imagine how bad it would be to ride in rush hour in Owen Sound without being able to legally lane split.

Instead of having a two minute commute , you probably would have to add an extra thirty seconds to your daily ride :lmao:
 
Not sure why you would even need to think about lane splitting in the KW area. Traffic is never that bad unless its a construction zone. If you are that set on being able to lane split, it might be best to stay in Cali where it is legal and people are used to it and hopefully expecting it.
 
wonderings said:
Not sure why you would even need to think about lane splitting in the KW area. Traffic is never that bad unless its a construction zone. If you are that set on being able to lane split, it might be best to stay in Cali where it is legal and people are used to it and hopefully expecting it.
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30 seconds of TeeVee time at 5-6pm is definitely worth risking your life.
 
nakkers said:
First, there is no comparison between LA and Ontario. If you steer clear of the GTA for the most part anyways. If Ontario had the same traffic congestion as LA, then I'd say filter/splitting would be something to look at. It isn't.
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I lived in LA, and the traffic is far worse in the GTA. Toronto has the worst commute times in North America.

The City has sprawled from 1.5M or 5.5M in 20 years, with no new infrastructure, save for one toll highway.
 
hey guys, little update here: I've been back for a visit for the past week or so, riding a borrowed FZ8...drivers here are definitely more polite than LA, and actually nobody seems to care when I filter up to the front of lights. I've been restraining myself and not splitting when the cars are moving as I suspect drivers here would take offense... Done about 1300km so far, some 401, some riding on 7A in cottage country, and some riding around SW ONT...great riding, little boring though as I don't know the good roads to hit. BTW the person who asked about Mulholland...yes I do ride the snake regularly, but honestly there are better roads...google "Glendora Mountain Road" and "Palomar Mountain" and you'll see what I'm talking about.
 
k193 said:
BTW the person who asked about Mulholland...yes I do ride the snake regularly, but honestly there are better roads...google "Glendora Mountain Road" and "Palomar Mountain" and you'll see what I'm talking about.
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Wow, nice :) Thanks for the info!

I would highly suggest against splitting. Filtering maybe :)
 
I don't know what your situation's like and how big a part of your life riding is, but it definitely won't compare to riding in California. I have friends who've lived/ridden in Cali and it depresses them to be back here. But if you're one of those people who would "rather be riding than not", then you'll learn to live with it.

I used to filter and split A LOT downtown. But there's a time and a place. For example, I try to only filter right before a light turns from red to green. Some people filter right away and they just sit at the front waiting while every driver that they passed will be ****** off. The same goes for splitting/filtering on the highway...don't stay on the dotted lines all the way until you get to your destination. Pop into a spot every now when it opens up and then start filtering again when it becomes stop and go.

Filtering has never put me in a situation where I've felt like I've had to run. "YMM[Obviously]V," but I've gotten a ticket for lane splitting or filtering in 4 years.
 
@OP

I used to filter regularly. Sometime late winter (when it was still freezing cold). I decided to take my "new to me" bike out for a ride to get the itch out. I forgot it was rush hour so filtered every traffic light I saw along Steeles to the 404 (east end). On Steeles and Woodbine, this piece of **** tried to knock me off with his door and gave me the finger. I thought about how I was going to do horribly immature (but very satisfying) things to him and his car, after all I was in full gear and I'm sure that's pretty good for breaking things but I don't think it's worth it.

I've got another friend who openly boasts about trying to block off filtering bikes on the dvp. His reason: "If I have to wait, they have to wait to, even if I kill him".

After all that I decided to just not filter

...and a couple of weeks ago, I had a cager use the shoulder to cut me off during grid lock so now I'm debating to start again lol
 
knowledge said:
I don't know what your situation's like and how big a part of your life riding is, but it definitely won't compare to riding in California. I have friends who've lived/ridden in Cali and it depresses them to be back here. But if you're one of those people who would "rather be riding than not", then you'll learn to live with it.

I used to filter and split A LOT downtown. But there's a time and a place. For example, I try to only filter right before a light turns from red to green. Some people filter right away and they just sit at the front waiting while every driver that they passed will be ****** off. The same goes for splitting/filtering on the highway...don't stay on the dotted lines all the way until you get to your destination. Pop into a spot every now when it opens up and then start filtering again when it becomes stop and go.

Filtering has never put me in a situation where I've felt like I've had to run. "YMM[Obviously]V," but I've gotten a ticket for lane splitting or filtering in 4 years.
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Great info, thank you. I agree it will be depressing...BUT, there are race tracks up here and I can continue to do track days so it won't be too bad. If I never rode track in CA and just did canyons and then had to move back here...oh man, yeah that would suck. I will miss Buttonwillow and Streets for sure though.
 
This guy is still your friend? lol

油井緋色;2059929 said:
....
I've got another friend who openly boasts about trying to block off filtering bikes on the dvp. His reason: "If I have to wait, they have to wait to, even if I kill him".

After all that I decided to just not filter

...and a couple of weeks ago, I had a cager use the shoulder to cut me off during grid lock so now I'm debating to start again lol
Click to expand...
 
Gaggu P said:
This guy is still your friend? lol
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Don't talk to him much anymore. He ****** me off pretty badly w/ that comment, joke or not.
 
油井緋色;2059929 said:
@OP

I used to filter regularly. Sometime late winter (when it was still freezing cold). I decided to take my "new to me" bike out for a ride to get the itch out. I forgot it was rush hour so filtered every traffic light I saw along Steeles to the 404 (east end). On Steeles and Woodbine, this piece of **** tried to knock me off with his door and gave me the finger. I thought about how I was going to do horribly immature (but very satisfying) things to him and his car, after all I was in full gear and I'm sure that's pretty good for breaking things but I don't think it's worth it.

I've got another friend who openly boasts about trying to block off filtering bikes on the dvp. His reason: "If I have to wait, they have to wait to, even if I kill him".

After all that I decided to just not filter

...and a couple of weeks ago, I had a cager use the shoulder to cut me off during grid lock so now I'm debating to start again lol
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Toronto drivers in a nutshell.
Keep a magnet zip tied to the triples...with a few old spark plugs on it. The 401 between the airport & DVP during rush hour is like Mad Max...survival of the fittest.
 
k193 said:
hey guys, little update here: I've been back for a visit for the past week or so, riding a borrowed FZ8...drivers here are definitely more polite than LA, and actually nobody seems to care when I filter up to the front of lights. I've been restraining myself and not splitting when the cars are moving as I suspect drivers here would take offense... Done about 1300km so far, some 401, some riding on 7A in cottage country, and some riding around SW ONT...great riding, little boring though as I don't know the good roads to hit. BTW the person who asked about Mulholland...yes I do ride the snake regularly, but honestly there are better roads...google "Glendora Mountain Road" and "Palomar Mountain" and you'll see what I'm talking about.
Click to expand...

I just rode on Glendora last week, thinking that it was a detour to 15 from 210, as 210 had a huge jam for miles for no reason whatsoever. So, needles to say, I loved it, especially after discovering it on my own randomly.
 
Ok so last update, I am leaving tomorrow back to California from my vacation here.

Covered about 5000km since I've been here...from Ottawa to Kitchener down to Dutton, into Michigan, etc...

The main points I've noticed:

- Most people here rider cruisers and goldwings, I saw maybe 3 sportbikes the entire time
- Kitchener drivers take more offense than others to filtering
- Motorcyclists here need to learn to be more aggressive and stop holding up cars
- The same problem with HD ********** running open pipes exists here as in California causing people to hate all of us as a group
- Roads here are boring, BUT at least they are open. If you have a bike and you're willing to pass people comfortably you'll never get held up outside the GTA

Happy motoring to all
 
You gota visit the local timmies to see the sports, otherwise it's all cruisers and so on in the country side as you said =) Same was true for the states during my 15-day adventure this month. I've seen a few thousand cruisers, mainly because of Sturgis Rally, and only a handful of sports.
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