First I will talk about lane position. The average lane on a road or highway is roughly 8 feet wide, while in comparison the average motorcycle is only 2 to 3 feet wide. This means that there is a lot of unused space around a motorcycle. Wile having space has its advantages there are also a few disadvantages as well.

Diagram 1.1 illustrates that a lane can be divided in to 3 mini-lanes, left (A), middle (B) and right (C). Which part of the lane should a rider be in? Position (A) or the (blocking position) would be the best choice most of the time. I say most of the time because, sometimes the situation may call for a rider to chose another part of a lane (B) or (C) for short periods of time. It gives the best opportunity for a rider to see as well as be seen by other vehicles.

I do not recommend riding in the middle part of the lane because that is the area where a lot of debris tends to gather, also that is usually where you will find oil, coolant and other slick fluids that are deposited from cars and trucks.

As for position (C) the drawbacks are that the rider may not be visible to other drivers, as well as it might encourage other drivers to try and share your lane and shown in Diagram 1.1A. Where the driver of the blue car attempts to pass the rider in the same lane, which could force the rider off the road.