For the daily commuter question?

[formula96]

Where do you want to be in traffic? For example, my commute is 8 miles in city, then 8 more miles on a 65 mph divided hwy with plenty of businesses and turn arounds. Do you want to stick with the pack of cagers? Kinda keeping a vehicle buffer between yourself and cars coming onto, across, and turning out of traffic? Or get away from the pack so you have more room for evasive maneuvers and braking?
 

[motocr]

Personally, it depends on what I see the pack of drivers doing. If I come up on the pack and don't see and swerving or cell phone lights I'll ride with them for a bit but I prefer to get away from packs. If you ever have a line of cars behind you its best to either drop back and let the pack pass if for some reason your not going faster (that very rare occasion on this bike) or get a buffer behind you. If you fall they can not maneuver around you if there is 5-8 cars behind you close together and cars on the side that's probably the most dangerous position to be in if your hit by another driver.

[fastfredyb]

Definitely not in the city, too many options for other drivers.

[jake]

Give your self more space than you would in a car, so cars can see you. Stay towards the center line on a 2 lane weather I,m in the passing or driving lane. The goal is to be seen so use your best judgment in your situation. Always look over your shoulder when passing or merging. Have an escape route. Always assume that they don't see you.

[hobbs]

This is kind of hard to answer, because it's not always that cut and dry. Your best bet will be to observe, calculate, coordinate and execute.
 
What I mean is use common sense when you can, and learn from errors or poor judgement calls.
 
Can you ditch the pack? Ambient atmosphere is softer than the steel of a car. But did you have to jump 10 mph over the speed limit to do so and now realize there's several prime spots coming up for oncoming left hand turns, cars pulling into the flow of traffic, etc? Maybe coulda been more patient.
 
On the other hand, is the pack your in showing signs of psychopathy? I mean impatience, erratic movements, distracted or drunk driving tendencies.
 
Sometimes it's better to get in the slow lane and chill. Let the living facsimiles for human fecal matter pull ahead, then ditch the geriatrics. Other times you need to be that dude and shoot out, claim the big bubble between 2 packs of walkers... I mean drivers.
 
Treat every moment like an experiment and observe the outcome. Lear from it and grow in skill.
 
Cars that tailgate or show their brake lights often are losing patience. They're going to cut you off. Make them see you, pick the best position for it. Have a plan B for when they cut you off. Have a plan C for the unexpected. Have a plan D for when all of the above fails.
 
It's a game of chess and your job is to be one step ahead and with a clear and precise strategy.
 
Best wishes and good luck.

[Guest 2wheeler]

So here's a quick tale of crap can happen at any time... and it was on my FZ-07.
 
So I bought my FZ on a Saturday, and decided to commute to work on Monday (less than 48 hours of ownership). I had to head out before dawn so it was dark. I made it about a mile from my house where I went into a cluster f... of an intersection called Seven Corners (it gets that name for a reason). I was a reasonable distance behind a car in front of me when all of a sudden a car came from a side road and slammed into the car in front of me sending it partially into the adjacent lane. All I had time for was a quick swerve to my right. Fortunately there wasn't a car in the right lane. Other than a soiled pair of pants (kidding), I came out of it OK. I have had plenty of time to think about that, and what scares me the most is that had I been driving my car, I most surely would have hit the car in front of me.
 
Needless to say, the FZ's handling ability impressed me greatly!
 

[formula96]

Thanks for all the advice!!! I'm just getting back on a bike and the rules have definitly changed in the past 12 years, used to didn't have to worry about every one and there dog texting and driving. Sure there was the random guy reading his daily paper and driving but that wasn't a comman occurrence lol.
 
I think putting it all together I should just assume they are not paying attention and drive accordingly. I like the plan a b c and d!!

[bmwpowere36m3]

Have you not driven a car in 12 yrs? It's no different, with respect to people not paying attention. However being a motorcyclist your even less visible...

[formula96]

Have you not driven a car in 12 yrs? It's no different, with respect to people not paying attention. However being a motorcyclist your even less visible...

I find myself paying more attention to other drivers when i'm riding vs when i'm in my jeep for example, if i am in a fender bender in my jeep "o well". Same scenario on the FZ, and a hospital trip may be in order. So i havn't cared as much about stupid drivers in the past 12 years and the evolvement (pretty sure thats not even a word) of the cell phone. I'm sure youve heard the frog in boiling water story.

[redharris]

Have you not driven a car in 12 yrs? It's no different, with respect to people not paying attention. However being a motorcyclist your even less visible...

.....and more vulnerable. 

[hobbs]

Have you not driven a car in 12 yrs? It's no different, with respect to people not paying attention. However being a motorcyclist your even less visible...

I find myself paying more attention to other drivers when i'm riding vs when i'm in my jeep for example, if i am in a fender bender in my jeep "o well". Same scenario on the FZ, and a hospital trip may be in order. So i havn't cared as much about stupid drivers in the past 12 years and the evolvement (pretty sure thats not even a word) of the cell phone. I'm sure youve heard the frog in boiling water story.

 
 
I think the word you wanted to say was evolution.

[formula96]

I find myself paying more attention to other drivers when i'm riding vs when i'm in my jeep for example, if i am in a fender bender in my jeep "o well". Same scenario on the FZ, and a hospital trip may be in order. So i havn't cared as much about stupid drivers in the past 12 years and the evolvement (pretty sure thats not even a word) of the cell phone. I'm sure youve heard the frog in boiling water story.

I think the word you wanted to say was evolution.

 
 
Ahh, that's it, thanks lol

[ornery]

I'm a new rider, and seems I'm strictly a commuter. When I first started riding, I told myself I'd be courteous, calm and cool.  Not like the stereotypical biker hoodlum.  Well, that lasted all of a few weeks.  It only takes a couple inconsiderate nitwits to turn that upside down in a hurry.  I think Hobbs had the best explanation, but a narrated video would be even better.
I've only got a five mile commute on a four lane 35MPH avenue, and I run it QUICK.  I stay out of people's blind spots and pass everybody at the first opportunity.  Keep an eye out far ahead and assume every car is going to pull in my path.  Always have a few options in mind in case it does happen.
I've watched so many hours of bikes having collisions and it looks like most (not all, of course) take place because the rider was exceeding the speed limit or making a stupid move.  I try to keep it under 15MPH over the limit, but this bike... Well, you know.  I always have my camera on just in case, but it frequently contains video I don't need the law to see!  I could use some kind of slow down mantra, if anybody has any suggestions.

[hobbs]

I would actually like to put some sort of video together to express my opinions on the subject. Maybe a vlog I guess, but I just find the entire concept lame as shit. (No offense to the vlog lovers, it's just my opinion.)
 
Sometimes I wonder wtf I am doing riding in the conditions I ride in, but I make it work.

[ornery]

Everything you said, clicks for me, but if I had heard all that before I really started riding... it's just words.
 
Only thing I could add, that might make it more clear, is that when you're really alert, with some adrenaline flowing, you automatically scan for trouble. Somebody starts pulling into your lane, and you shoot ahead or back off effortlessly as if you expected it... BECAUSE YOU DID EXPECT IT! What would be a tragic accident for some, becomes just a mundane annoyance.
 
If I ever get such an event recorded, I'll share it for an example. As it is, I really try to keep away from the lug nuts, so there are no close calls.

[ornery]

Wow, compared to this guy, my reckless hooligan level is nil!
        [video src=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w5T_YslMz5Y]
You're going to be commuting among the same people coming and going, day after day.  They'll certainly remember you if you pull crap like this guy.  The last thing you need is enemies on top of the idiots.

[hobbs]

Yeah I think about that every time I have to be a dick for the sake of safer pastures. It's not very often, but people have little to no self awareness, let alone be privy to the reasons I may be doing something specifically to avoid a hairy position.
 
I would place my hooligan level at about a 10 out of 100. Still, people hold grudges for less.
 
Then again, people project. I was leaving work yesterday and so was another fellow on a stretched swingarm liter bike. He pulled out onto a well trafficked roadway before I did and left about a 30 yard strip of rubber and a big puff of smoke. I'm left there thinking, damn, this is part of the reason people seem to actively want to waste me...