Minnesota has legalized lane filtering, allowing motorcyclists to filter through traffic. Photo by Kevin Wing.
This month, Minnesota has become the sixth state in the U.S. to pass legislation allowing lane filtering, aka lane splitting.
Along with the lane-sharing law, which allows motorcyclists to filter through traffic “at not more than 25 miles per hour and no more than 15 miles per hour over the speed of traffic,” Minnesota has also added punishments for drivers who impede motorcyclists.
As shown by reactions to our recent post about Colorado passing lane-filtering legislation last month, the topic of lane sharing remains controversial. Data indicates that lane sharing reduces motorcycle accidents and decreases the severity of injuries in collisions, especially in rear-end accidents. But some motorists in places where lane sharing is not the norm are skeptical of the practice, even though it’s common on most of the world’s roads.
With the signing of HF 5247 into law by Gov. Tim Walz (D) on Friday, May 24, Minnesota became the sixth state to legalize lane filtering.
Minnesota is now the easternmost state to legalize lane filtering and joins California, Utah, Montana, Arizona, and Colorado — which also signed filtering into law this year — as states that permit lane filtering.
“With this new ability to filter through slow-moving traffic and at stoplights, riders in Minnesota will benefit from increased safety on the open road,” AMA Central States Representative Nick Sands said. “The recent successes of lane-filtering legislation passing into law in Colorado and Minnesota signal excellent momentum for our efforts in that space, and the overall well-being of our road-riding members.”
As part of a supplemental budget bill — which impacted several departments, including the Minnesota Department of Transportation — motorcyclists in Minnesota will now be allowed to filter through traffic “at not more than 25 miles per hour and no more than 15 miles per hour over the speed of traffic in relevant traffic lanes.” Written by Sen. Scott Dibble (D-61) and Reps. Frank Hornstein (D-61A), Brad Tabke (D-54A), and Erin Koegel (D-39A), this section of the bill will take effect on July 1, 2025.
The legislation’s success came after AMA member and BMW MOA treasurer Phil Stalboerger told his story of being rear-ended on a motorcycle while in traffic to several legislators who wanted to find a way to prevent further accidents from happening.
“After telling my story to a lot of people and educating people on what lane filtering means for the motorcycle community, it’s very rewarding seeing this legislation pass,” Stalboerger said. “There was a nice rally cry from the motorcycle community, clubs, small businesses, and others saying that ‘yes,’ we want this. The passage of this legislation illustrates grassroots advocacy at its finest.”
In addition to the lane-filtering aspects, HF 5247 also added punishments for drivers that impede motorcyclists on the open road, stating that “an operator of a motor vehicle must not intentionally impede or attempt to prevent the operation of a motorcycle” when filtering.
The AMA remains supportive of all efforts regarding the legalization of lane filtering, as its well-documented success in other states, in addition to support from several studies, indicate that it’s an effective way to keep motorcyclists safe on the road.
The AMA’s position on lane filtering, as well as lane splitting, can be found on the AMA website.
Colorado becomes the fifth state to legalize lane filtering, allowing motorcyclists to filter through stopped traffic. Photo by Kevin Wing.
Colorado has passed a bill to allow motorcycles to lane filter between stopped cars, becoming the fifth state to legalize it after California, Utah, Montana, and Arizona.
Lane sharing remains a controversial topic. In his article “Split Decision: Are Lane Splitting and Lane Filtering Safe?” Eric Trow references studies to show the effects of lane sharing in states where it is legal and found that the practice reduces the risk of rear-end collisions and reduces injuries, although it also introduces some new risks. You can find a deeper dive into the topic of lane sharing by reading Trow’s article.
The Colorado bill goes into effect on Aug. 7, 2024, and it will allow motorcyclists to filter through stopped traffic at a speed of 15 mph or less. For more information on the bill, read the American Motorcyclists Association’s press release below.
Colorado Signs Motorcycle Lane-Filtering Legislation into Law
Colorado has become the fifth state to legalize lane filtering after Gov. Jared Polis (D) signed SB24-079 on April 4, allowing motorcycles to filter between stopped cars in traffic and at stoplights.
The bill passed through both the Colorado House and Senate behind strong bipartisan support. Colorado now joins California, Utah, Montana, and Arizona as states with lane-filtering legislation signed into law.
“The signing of SB24-079 is a significant win for motorcyclists in the state of Colorado,” AMA Central States Representative Nick Sands said. “With this new legislation, motorcyclists will now be allowed to filter through stopped traffic, giving riders the ability to legally remove themselves from vulnerable traffic situations before ever coming into contact with a distracted or inattentive driver.”
The bill — sponsored by Sens. Nick Hinrichsen (D-Pueblo) and Jim Smallwood (R-Douglas), as well as Reps. Javier Mabrey (D-Denver, Jefferson) and Ron Weinberg (R-Larimer) — will go into effect on Aug. 7, 2024. It will allow all motorcycles to pass stopped motor vehicles in the same lane. Motorcycles will be required to travel 15 miles per hour or less when filtering and will only be allowed to do so if the road has lanes wide enough to pass safely. Conditions must also allow for “prudent operation of the motorcycle while overtaking or passing.”
For the next three years, the Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT) will collect safety data on lane filtering and issue a report to the Colorado General Assembly regarding the newly passed law.
The AMA continues to support efforts regarding lane-filtering legislation, as its success in several other states indicates its long-term viability in protecting motorcyclists on the open road.
To stay up to date on the latest lane filtering news, visit the AMA Action Center.
The AMA’s position on lane filtering, and lane splitting, can be found here.
Photos by Kevin Wing | Illustrations by Hector Cademartori
As part of the Stayin’ Safe advanced rider training program – a method that leads a small group of experienced motorcyclists on road tours and delivers real-time, real-world coaching via in-helmet communications – I’m often asked by participants to address specific aspects of road riding unique to the region where a training tour is being conducted. As part of our Southern California training tours, I’ve been routinely asked if I would be teaching techniques for safe lane splitting.
Although it is intriguing to consider, I always decline. While I agree it would be a valuable teaching opportunity for that riding environment, I also realize it would be impractical with a group of riders since traffic dynamics change rapidly – as would recommended tactics depending on the bike and the circumstances. But perhaps the bigger challenge would be to get consensus among the riders to do it in the first place. Even if all participants are from California (and they rarely are), there are always distinct and deeply polarized views about lane splitting. Riders are adamantly for it or against it.
Lane splitting allows motorcyclists to move efficiently through grid-locked traffic while avoiding the risk of a rear-end collision.
The term “lane splitting” gets tossed around outside of California more often these days as several other states – including Utah, Montana, Arizona, and Hawaii – have legalized some form of the practice, while others are considering it. As lane splitting becomes more widespread, the volume of polarized opinions is expanding as well.
But maybe I’m getting ahead of myself. Let’s start by defining what lane splitting is. For starters, it’s not a universal term. “Splitting” is one type of lane sharing motorcyclists have been doing for years on California freeways, but there are other forms (and terms) we should know.
Riding within 10 mph of traffic flow and actively scanning the scene ahead for potential threats, the rider safely advances between lanes.
In the broadest sense, lane sharing, lane splitting, lane filtering, white lining, and a handful of other terms are used to describe the act of advancing a motorcycle through slow or stopped traffic on a multilane road (all heading the same direction, of course) by riding between lanes at a slightly higher speed than the flow of other vehicles. That’s it, in a congested traffic nutshell.
Are We Lane Splitting or Lane Filtering?
While “lane splitting” is a term used broadly to describe riding between lanes of traffic, there are distinctions between lane splitting and lane filtering.
When riding on a multilane highway such as a limited-access freeway, a motorcyclist might “split” the lanes and ride between two lines of vehicles if the traffic has slowed or come to a stop due to congestion. That’s what’s specifically referred to as lane splitting.
When riding in multiple lanes of traffic where there are intersections and traffic signals, a rider might move forward or “filter” between rows of vehicles stopped at a light, enabling the rider to move to the front of the line. This is lane filtering.
With traffic stopped for a red light, the rider slowly filters to the front of the line.
Why Do It?
The primary argument for lane splitting and lane filtering is that they are deemed safer practices that reduce opportunities for motorcyclists to be rear-ended in high-volume, stop-and-go traffic. Frankly, that’s a pretty strong argument since busy roadways are a high-risk environment for motorcyclists – perhaps even more so as increasingly distracted drivers are putting riders at higher risk.
Lane splitting is also claimed to give riders a better view through traffic as well as improved mobility. It’s contended that it allows riders to see farther ahead, actively separate themselves from threats, and strategically place their bikes in pockets of less congestion.
Lane splitting has been touted as helping to reduce fuel consumption and emissions by minimizing the time motorcycles sit in slow or stopped traffic. It also helps reduce traffic congestion because there are fewer vehicles sitting single-file in traffic lanes.
Does Lane Splitting Reduce Risk?
Yes and no. Motorcycle Lane-splitting and Safety in California, a 2015 study conducted by the Safe Transportation Research & Education Center at the University of California Berkeley, took a good long look into the matter to “increase our understanding of collisions involving lane-splitting motorcyclists and of how lane splitting impacts collision injuries.”
When the light turns green, the rider must quickly scan left and right before proceeding.
The study found that lane splitting appears to reduce certain types of crashes, specifically rear-end collisions. That’s great news. Lane-splitting riders were less than half as likely to be rear-ended than their non-lane-splitting brethren (2.6% vs. 4.6%). Those figures would look even better if some of those riders involved in a collision hadn’t been rear-ended by fellow riders who were following too closely (thanks, bud).
With fewer rear-end collisions, the analysis also showed that lane-splitting motorcyclists involved in a collision were injured less frequently than non-lane-splitters. They were half as likely to suffer a head injury (9% vs. 17%) and about a third less likely to sustain a torso injury (19% vs. 29%). Although fatalities are rare, even those were reduced by more than half (1.2% vs. 3.0%). Again, good news.
But with the good comes the bad (doesn’t it always?).
Lane splitting doesn’t eliminate crashes. Lane-sharing riders just crash differently and not as badly (provided speed is kept to a minimum).
While lane splitting and lane filtering can help a rider escape certain significant threats, it does introduce new ones. For example, there’s a smaller safety bubble. You’ll recall learning in your Motorcycle Safety Foundation or Total Control training course (you took one of those, right?) how important it is to maintain a safety cushion around your motorcycle. Riding between lanes puts motorcyclists significantly closer to other vehicles than they would be otherwise. That can make the rider more vulnerable from both sides (but less so front and rear) since there is less space to maneuver left or right – and therefore less time to react – if a driver makes a sudden move.
Wide handlebars, wide vehicles, and tightly spaced lanes can make filtering a challenge. Choose judgment over impatience when deciding whether to proceed.
The highest risk for any motorcyclist lane splitting in freeway traffic is other vehicles changing lanes. In suburban and city environments, lane filtering riders can find themselves among vehicles unexpectedly maneuvering into or out of traffic.
As a result, while lane splitting may reduce the likelihood of the rider being rear-ended, they are more than twice as likely to rear-end other vehicles (38% of lane-splitting riders vs. 16% of non-lane-splitting riders). That one’s on us.
Beyond the known hazards of riding too fast (surely you’ve heard, “speed kills”), the risk and severity of injury grows when there is an increase in the speed of the motorcycle compared to the pace of surrounding traffic – what’s known as “speed differential.” That speed difference between bike and traffic can play a significant role in causing a collision while lane splitting or filtering.
Perhaps the Greatest Challenge of All…
For the rider who is weighing the pros and cons of lane sharing, a serious consideration should be the low public awareness of lane splitting and the attitudes of other drivers.
Another U.C. Berkeley study from 2014 probed the minds of California drivers and motorcyclists. Even in California, where lane splitting and filtering have been common practices for decades, roughly half of all California drivers either believed that lane splitting was illegal (it wasn’t) or they were unsure about its legality. Such perceptions can contribute to negative attitudes about the practice. That study revealed 61% of non-motorcyclists in the Golden State disapproved of lane splitting.
Do drivers believe lane splitters are unwilling to play by the same rules others must adhere to, or that they are just acting as renegades?
The driver on his cell phone is hugging the center line and unaware of the approaching motorcycle, so the rider adjusts his position as he filters through.
I became particularly curious about the behavior of drivers and the potential impact (figuratively and literally) on motorcyclists as they consider the practice of lane sharing, especially in states where the concept has recently been introduced.
When it comes to driver behavior, I believe there are few better go-to resources than Tom Vanderbilt’s fantastic, well-researched book, Traffic: Why We Drive the Way We Do (and What It Says About Us). The author addresses the physical, psychological, and sociological aspects of traffic and how drivers, as human beings, interact with each other. I reached out to Vanderbilt to get his take on the potential challenges associated with introducing a practice like lane sharing into the general traffic environment.
“I am well aware of a dynamic that I am sure affects motorcyclists a lot, which I’ll call an ‘empathy imbalance,’” he said, defining the term as the phenomenon whereby people who drive cars may be unable to relate to motorcyclists since most car drivers don’t ride motorcycles and are unfamiliar with – and therefore unable to empathize with – the two-wheeled mode of transportation.
“So often drivers simply don’t understand the motives or behavior of the other mode,” Vanderbilt continued, “and they often translate their own confusion to some failing on the part of the other user. What might seem like rational or safe behavior on the part of a motorcyclist may seem reckless or like ‘cheating’ to a driver, who simply sees some ‘other’ they don’t fully understand.”
Vanderbilt’s advice? “Don’t think that your view of what is ‘commonsense behavior’ is shared by everyone around you.” In other words, until the practice is more common and drivers see enough people doing it – to a point where it no longer seems like strange and rebellious behavior – we should assume that lane splitting will be out of the norm for other motorists and may be viewed as unacceptable traffic behavior.
Stopped between lanes, the rider is in a tactical-ready stance, with the bike in gear and ready to go when the light changes.
The “empathy imbalance” is a compelling way to capture the mindset gap that exists out on the roadway and how that imbalance could be a chasm the size of the Grand Canyon in states where neither lane splitting nor lane filtering have ever been routine behavior. When it comes to lane sharing, especially where the practice is just being introduced, that empathy imbalance may be the greatest threat of all to motorcyclists.
Sidebar: What do Lane Splitters Look Like?
While some folks might expect lane splitters and filterers to be wild-haired outlaw rebels without causes, research paints a different picture. Contrary to the ruffian image, research reveals that lane splitters tend to be:
Regular commuters riding during weekday commuting hours
Wearing proper riding gear, including full-face helmets
Riding solo and riding sober
Splitting lanes only when traffic is at 30 mph or below
Can Lane Sharing Be Done Safely?
According to the U.C. Berkeley study, lane splitting and lane filtering appear to be relatively safe strategies and practices provided they are done in traffic traveling at 50 mph or less and motorcyclists stay within 15 mph of that traffic. Lower traffic speeds and a smaller speed differential between the bike and surrounding vehicles make it even safer.
The Motorcycle Industry Council (MIC), American Motorcyclist Association (AMA), National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), and Motorcycle Safety Foundation (MSF) all align in support of lane sharing as a safe strategy. The American Automobile Association (AAA), on the other hand, opposes the practice.
Avoid filtering beside large trucks and buses. This rider paused in a safer spot to avoid blind spots and the potential of the bus swinging wide.
Beyond these authorities, I turned to another trusted source in California, my friend and fellow motorcycle proficiency expert Lee Parks. Among his many credentials, Parks owns and operates Total Control Training Inc. and authored the best-selling book Total Control: High Performance Street Riding Techniques. He also runs the rider training program for California and several other states. I asked Parks for his take on lane splitting.
“Having moved here in 1992, I can’t imagine living in another state that didn’t have lane splitting,” he said. “It’s safer, saves time, reduces the chances of getting rear-ended by other road users, and reduces the travel time for everyone by taking riders out of the long lines of traffic.” Parks shared how, for him, a two-hour commute by car became a manageable 45-minute ride by motorcycle.
Is lane splitting for everyone? Parks and I share the same opinion, but he articulates it better: “It’s good for any experienced rider who has excellent situational awareness. Lane splitting is not for the faint of heart, nor those new to riding. It requires an extreme amount of focus and attention to be safe, and all riding functions must already be in your muscle memory so they don’t take away from your awareness.
“I’d add that lane splitting is only safely manageable for someone who is not impaired in any way. This includes drinking, drugs, fatigue, or being mentally distracted.”
Safer Splitting and Friendlier Filtering
Whether you’re new to the practice or have been lane splitting or filtering for years, here are things you can do to improve your odds while improving your position in traffic.
First, stick to these two speed factors when lane sharing:
1. Traffic speed is slow or stopped. The faster traffic is moving, the greater the risk of incident and injury. Choose to filter past other vehicles only when traffic is moving below 50 mph, and the slower the safer.
2. Your speed is within 10-15 mph of traffic. A small speed differential is safer. By keeping your own speed close to that of traffic, you buy critical time and space to respond to emerging threats. Work the physics in your favor!
Apply these techniques each time you move between lanes:
Look farther ahead, widen your view, and anticipate vehicles changing lanes.
Be “tactical ready,” poised to smoothly slow down or maneuver as necessary.
Stay to the left-most lanes on highways when lane splitting (between lanes #1 and #2).
Don’t linger in blind spots.
Beware of gaps that might invite other vehicles to change lanes just as you arrive.
Avoid splitting lanes near entrance and exit ramps (it’s illegal in California).
If riding with others, keep a safe distance between bikes to avoid rear-ending your buddy (or being rear-ended).
Lane-splitting riders must stay vigilant, especially when approaching gaps in traffic where a vehicle can suddenly change lanes.
Lane-splitting riders must stay vigilant, especially when approaching gaps in traffic where a vehicle can suddenly change lanes.
Of course, there is still the concern of other drivers and their response to lane-sharing motorcyclists, especially in states where the practice is not the norm. Until it is, riders should anticipate pushback from other motorists. Perhaps the best way to minimize that is to promote goodwill by being respectful, courteous, and empathetic to the other drivers who remain stuck in traffic (we’ve all been there).
Should You Do It?
It’s a personal choice – don’t ever let someone else force a lane-splitting decision for you. If you are still on the fence, here’s a little more filtering food for thought:
Not all motorcycles are created equal. While lane sharing is practiced by riders of all types, it is easier on a narrower, lighter machine. Remember, the wider your bike, the less space cushion you have as you filter between rows of cars, SUVs, trucks, and buses.
Not all riders are created equal. Experience riding in heavy traffic, ability to maneuver a motorcycle confidently at very slow speed, and maintaining a calm mind to avoid panic are important aspects of riding a motorcycle between lanes of congested traffic. Make an honest assessment of your own riding proficiency before attempting to split lanes.
Motivation matters. Lane sharing can be a valuable safety strategy to avoid rear-end collisions, and it can make commuting more efficient for all. But if your motivation is driven by impatience, resentment of other drivers who are holding up your progress, or simply because it seems that splitting might be an adrenaline rush, it may not be the best choice for you (it doesn’t do much to help driver attitudes toward the rest of us either).
Where is Lane Splitting and Lane Filtering Legal?
Even if you are willing, lane sharing is still only a legal practice in a handful of states – and to varying degrees. Lane splitting on multilane highways? That’s still only legal in California. Yep, that’s it. Lane filtering in stopped traffic can now be done to some extent in Arizona, Hawaii, Montana, and Utah, but each state has distinct restrictions (see sidebar below).
If you’re the gambling type, the states of Delaware and Arkansas don’t have legal language that expressly prohibits lane splitting and filtering, but they do have an abundance of law enforcement officers who are authorized to interpret what a “safe and legal” practice is on a case-by-case basis.
Lee Parks said he believes the challenge in new states will be educating the car drivers more so than the riders.
“It will require a lot of public service announcements and driver education to make it as accepted and ubiquitous as it is in California,” he said. “The successes and failures of those states will help drive policy for new ones to adopt one of my favorite benefits of riding in California.”
A summary of current state laws specific to lane splitting and lane filtering
California: The only state where lane splitting and lane filtering on multilane roadways are both legal practices.
Arizona: Motorcyclists may ride between lanes of stopped traffic at a red light on a multilane roadway where the speed limit is 45 mph or less and the rider is traveling no more than 15 mph. No passing on median or shoulder.
Hawaii: Riders are permitted to use the shoulder of the road to pass stopped traffic on roads with at least two lanes in each direction and a shoulder wide enough to accommodate the rider.
Montana: Riders may filter between lanes to overtake stopped or slow vehicles traveling no more than 10 mph provided that the motorcyclist stays within 10 mph of surrounding traffic and does not exceed 20 mph.
Utah: Motorcyclists may travel between lanes of stopped traffic (not slow-moving traffic) on a multilane road having a speed limit of 45 mph or less. Motorcyclists may not exceed 15 mph and may not use the shoulder or bike lanes.
My Take?
Beyond being asked by Stayin’ Safe training tour participants if I would be teaching real-world tips and techniques for safer lane splitting and lane filtering, I’m most often asked for my professional opinion on the practice. “It’s great,” I say, followed by, “and it’s not.” Practiced responsibly, it can be an effective way to avoid collisions and severe injury. When practiced irresponsibly, it can be perilous for the rider and, at a minimum, harmful to driver/rider relations.
Even after examining the data, hearing the opinions of experts, and weighing the significant pros and cons presented here, a consensus may remain elusive. When it comes to splitting lanes and filtering through traffic, it might always be a split decision among riders. Fortunately, we all have the personal option to do it or not do it. As for me, I split lanes where it is legal to do so, provided the environment, my equipment, and my state of mind are suited for it.
Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have an appointment and traffic is heavy, so I think I’d better split.
Episode 60 of the Rider Magazine Insider Podcast focuses on the controversial topic of lane splitting, also known as lane sharing. Motorcyclists tend to be strongly in favor of it or adamantly against it. Last year, Arizona became the fourth state to legalize lane sharing, joining California, Utah, and Montana. Contributing editor Eric Trow’s feature about lane sharing in the upcoming June 2023 issue of Rider provides a fair and balanced approach to the topic. Our host Greg Drevenstedt is much more biased in favor of lane sharing, and they have a lively discussion about the pros and cons.
Eric Trow, Rider Magazine Contributing Editor and Stayin’ Safe principal, on his late grandfather’s 1953 Indian Chief.
Our guest on Episode 38 of the Rider Magazine Insider Podcast is Eric Trow, a life-long motorcyclist, a renowned motorcycling proficiency expert, and a recipient of the AMA Outstanding Road Rider Award. Trow is a Contributing Editor at Rider Magazine, where he writes the popular “Riding Well” column as well as special features. Trow developed the modern Stayin’ Safe method of advanced rider training, and Stayin’ Safe Training Tours are available through MotoMark1. In this episode, we talk with Trow about his background in motorcycle skills training and how he got involved with Rider Magazine. We get the backstory on two of Trow’s popular features published in Rider, “Chasing Gene and Washie” (Feb. 2022 issue) and “Parker Discovers America” (Aug. 2021 issue). And we learn what motorcycles Trow has in his garage, from his grandfather’s 1953 Indian Chief (one of the last ones built) to his newly acquired Honda Trail 90.
You can listen to Episode 38 on iTunes, Spotify, and SoundCloud, or via the Rider Magazine Insider webpage. Please subscribe, leave us a 5-star rating, and tell your friends! Scroll down for a list of previous episodes.
Eric Trow and Ron Washabaugh face off on the same clay their grandfathers raced on more than 70 years earlier (below). Contemporary photos by Hal Deily, archival photos courtesy of the author.
At a time when American riders were fighting the Harley and Indian wars, Gene Townsend and Floyd “Washie” Washabaugh were unflinchingly Indian men. It was rumored their blood flowed a bit more maroon than the rest of us, having the distinct deep shade of the brand’s signature Indian Red color.
Over the years, the two men defended the Indian brand on dirt tracks across Pennsylvania, Maryland, and Virginia. Gene, my grandfather, born in 1908, spent most of his racing years on an Indian 101 Scout sporting the #9 plate. He was a top regional amateur racer from the mid-1920s on into the war years, only to retire when a brush with a #6 bike sent them both through a fence.
Gene Townsend before a race on his highly tuned Indian 101 Scout.
The radio announcer covering the event mistook the upside down #6 machine as the #9 and mistakenly reported that Gene Townsend had been rushed to the hospital with serious injuries. My grandmother and her young daughter (my mother) were beside themselves when they heard the broadcast. Gene promised to never worry them again and quit racing on the spot. Washie, five years his junior, competed successfully on Indian Sport Scouts through the mid-1950s, and even had a short stint as a professional racer with Gene’s backing.
Parker, Eric, and Ron leaf through a period racing program along the road to Winchester.
By 1948, Gene had owned his southwestern Pennsylvania Indian agency (what dealerships were called back then) for about 20 years. He had built his reputation as an exceptional rider and racer as well as an expert tuner. If Indian riders wanted the hot setup, Gene was the guy to see. Washie was granddad’s close friend, a fellow racer, and a fixture at the old shop. They shared a passion for three things: Indian motorcycles, racing, and storytelling.
Floyd “Washie” Washabaugh aboard his #64U Indian Sport Scout racer in 1948.
I only knew Washie as an older man who rode his flashy old Indian Chief to my granddad’s shop. But I envisioned him and Gene as the vibrant and courageous young dirt-track racers in the old, dog-eared photographs taken in their racing days. The deep connection I developed with these older men was something I thought only my brother and I knew. Then I heard about Washie’s grandson, Ron.
We may have met at some point at the shop when we were kids, but Ron Washabaugh and I didn’t know each other. About three years ago, we met while attending the American Flat Track races at Williams Grove near Harrisburg. We immediately hit it off and began swapping stories of that magical old motorcycle shop and the deep appreciation and fondness we had for our grandfathers.
Some sections of the old National Pike haven’t changed much since Gene and Washie rode them.
The most powerful memories for Ron and me were the racing tales told so passionately by old Gene and Washie. Through their words they painted vivid pictures of handlebar-to-handlebar racing adventures aboard their Indians on myriad local dirt tracks, as well as more distant venues such as Cumberland, Maryland, and Winchester, Virginia. They would either stuff a bike into the back of a sedan or ride their Indian Scouts to a track, remove the headlights and fenders to race, and then reassemble everything for the ride back home afterward. If they weren’t racing, they were organizing rides to watch others compete, like legendary AMA Hall of Famer “Iron Man” Ed Kretz at the Langhorne, Pennsylvania, track where he dominated the mile oval.
Stepping away from the digital GPS and iPhones, a vintage paper roadmap is used to chart the path the way their grandfathers (and great-grandfathers) would have done (below). It was a bit easier for the two older guys in the group.
Ron and I decided to retrace Gene and Washie’s path to one of the legendary tracks they rode to back in the late 1940s and early 1950s.
Ron and his son, Steven, and me and my son, Parker, conspired to chase Gene and Washie into the past on a journey to the old Winchester Speedway. As grandsons and great-grandsons, we would emulate the experience the two elders had back in the day. We would ride the National Road (U.S. Route 40) and other two-lane roads, stop where they might have stopped, eat at family-owned diners along the way, and find classic roadside motor lodges where they might have stayed. At every opportunity, we would celebrate their story and, at the same time, get to know each other and forge another generation of bonding around a common passion for motorcycles.
After a sprint up the mountain, the overlook atop Summit Mountain on Route 40 was a popular stop for the old boys.
Ron and I both have vintage Indians, but for this excursion Ron was aboard his modern Indian Roadmaster, and I piloted my Indian FTR 1200 S Race Replica. Stephen rode his new FTR 1200 as well, complete with a number plate bearing his great-grandfather’s racing number, #64U. Parker rode a 2018 Harley, just for a little tension in the spirit of that old brand rivalry. (The H-D Heritage 114 is mine, and so is the kid; both are terrific, and any ribbing was in good-spirited fun.)
Eric shows the kids proper tuck technique for flat track.
Last October, the Washabaugh boys met my son and me at a diner not far from the old shop. We ordered breakfast and gobbled up the vintage photo albums Ron brought with him. Although the food and conversation were delicious, we needed to get our planned adventure rolling. There would be more time to talk along the road, so we paid the tab and headed to the old Townsend cycle shop. The unexceptional building still stands (barely) just off the National Road, three miles east of Brownsville, Pennsylvania.
Washie straddles a sidecar-mounted drum of fuel used as a rolling gas station.
The modest shop was a hub of activity in its day, a gathering place where riders regularly came and went. Some visited to see what new machines and accessories had arrived. Others stopped by for a set of points, a condenser, and maybe a pair of spark plugs on their way through town. Most wheeled in for the conversation and the stories.
It was also the headquarters and ride origination point for members of Gene’s Scouts Motorcycle Club, an AMA-sanctioned club that served as the local riders’ social group and the sponsoring organization for motorcycle competitions. Washie raced as an AMA pro for one year under the Gene’s Scouts M.C. banner. Unfortunately, after just one season, the cost proved to be too steep, and he returned to amateur racing. Some things never change for aspiring racers.
Racing at Winchester included flat track and this TT race with hills and a jump.
Soon, the engines of our Indians (and Harley) fired to life in front of the old shop, echoing the hundreds of Indians that had gone before from that same spot.
We rolled out of the parking lot and onto Route 40. The first planned stop was just up the road at LaFayette Memorial Park, where we paid our respects at Gene’s and Washie’s family plots. We thanked them for the tremendous influence they had on our lives, saluted their adventures, and invited them to ride along with us inspirit as we retraced the path they took seven decades earlier.
Gene’s Indian agency in the early 1940s.
Back on the road and heading east on the National Road, we approached Uniontown. I thought of the story Gene told me about a board-track motordrome speedway that was built there for motorcycle racing in the late teens of the last century. As a boy, he would climb a tall tree outside the grounds just to catch a glimpse of the racers flying by on the large, steeply banked wood-plank track.
Indians gather once again in front of the old Indian shop (apologies to the author’s son on the Harley).
Although the multilane highway now bypasses the towns, we took the old route that Gene and Washie would have followed through downtown Uniontown and Hopwood. We rejoined the highway on the other side where the pavement abruptly angled skyward, ascending Summit Mountain. Back in the day, this was a narrow two-lane ribbon that wound tightly up the steep hill – a rider’s dream. This stretch was the subject of many of the old timers’ stories as they recounted how they raced each other up the steep, twisting curves to the crest of the hill. They heeled their Scouts and Chiefs over so far into these corners that the frames would drag, levering the rear wheels off the ground momentarily. The trick, they said, was to hold the throttle open and let the bike reestablish traction without upsetting the chassis. Easier said than done!
Members of Gene’s Scouts M.C. at a gas stop during one of their organized rides.
Today, the road is a four-lane divided highway tracing the original circuitous path. Ron, me, and our boys turned up the wick on our machines as we ascended the hill. It was a hoot to drop down a gear and put ourselves, at least mentally, alongside our grandfathers and great-grandfathers on a spirited sprint up the mountain.
The old crew would have likely crossed this stone arched bridge along Route 40 on their way to Winchester.
As we approached the summit, I signaled and the four of us wheeled off I-40 into the lookout at the peak of Summit Mountain. This was a spot where Gene, Washie, and the rest of their crowd regrouped countless times over the years. Summit Mountain was not just a road they took on the way to somewhere else, it was their local destination for sport riding. It’s where the guys tested their latest tuning and hop-up tricks. It’s where local Indian and Harley riders found out whose machine had the “soup” to capture the king-of-the-hill title for that week.
A typical overnight stay for the boys back in the day.
Ron and I used this pull-off to tell our sons stories we’d heard about this road and their great-grandfathers’ motorcycling adventures. We took turns contributing our own recollections, helping each other connect the dots where there had been gaps in our individual knowledge. Parker and Stephen stood by, soaking it all in.
Surely Gene and Washie would have stopped for the overlook at Town Hill.
Back on the road, we imagined the roadside stops the men might have made along their way. We proposed where they may have paused to stretch their legs, consult a map, check chain tension, or maybe add a quart of oil. Then we’d stop too. We took advantage of those roadside breaks to look through collections of old racing photos, racing publications, and pictures our grandfathers and their pals had taken along the road to different racing venues.
The Clarysville Motel in Frostburg, Maryland, has been operating for 100 years.
On occasion, we saw a turnoff to Old Route 40, most often a short spur of narrow two-lane that soon rejoined the newer main road. It was fun to ride a few of these old sections to capture the ride experience Gene and Washie had, but it was impractical to take each little detour. Other times we saw sections of Old Route 40 that were no longer accessible, including an area where an old stone arched bridge was once the path of the old National Pike. Gene and Washie probably traveled that same old stone bridge on their way to Winchester. We could only view it from the main road.
We paused at the old Clarysville Motel that looked like it might have been there when our grandfathers rode through. As it turns out, the place has been serving travelers for nearly 100 years. Other than the modern vehicles in the parking lot, it would be hard to distinguish 2021 from 1948 or earlier. Certainly, Gene and Washie rode by here many times, and may have even stayed on occasion when daylight expired.
The inn at Town Hill, Maryland, would have likely looked the same for the Gene’s Scouts crew in the 1940s.
In Maryland, the old highway began to rise, fall, and twist dramatically. This was the kind of road on which the boys surely had the old Indians dancing. They would have been intimately familiar with this fun section of road, knowing what lay ahead and anticipating it well in advance. After navigating a particularly enjoyable stretch, we crested a hill to discover the historic Town Hill Inn and overlook. This was a likely rest stop for Gene and Washie along their ride. It was a natural place to take a breather, check over the bikes, and enjoy the spectacular view across the wide valley below.
When not on the track, Gene’s Scouts were in the stands to watch their buddies race.
In Hancock, Maryland, we picked up Route 522 south and rode through quaint, historic Berkeley Springs, West Virginia, and on south into Virginia to our destination of Winchester.
Once in downtown Winchester, Ron led us to an iconic spot for a hot dog. Whether Gene and Washie ever stopped at this historic stand for a dog when they were in town, we’ll never know. But just in case, we thought we’d better have one since we were trying to capture the experience.
Grandsons and great-grandsons pause at the Winchester track to reflect on two diehard old racers.
Since the Winchester Speedway is sometimes referred to as the old airport speedway, we meandered through the town following directional signs for the airport. After working our way along narrow roads that wound around the airport property, we came to the end of the road and were unexpectedly at the back side of the racetrack. No big sign. No grand entrance. As a lot of these rural speedways were, it was simply a venue where people gathered. The raceway was probably not much different than it was when Gene and Washie were last here together, except now the old wooden grandstands are gone, replaced with concrete and metal.
Gene carves up the clay on an Indian Scout.
The beauty of these local facilities is how approachable the track personnel can be. We arrived midweek in the middle of the day and told our story. Hoping to have a picture taken outside the track at the speedway sign, our plan was thwarted when we realized there was no such sign and no suitable backdrop. Fortunately, the track folks invited us to bring the bikes onto the track and position them in front of the wall on the back straight where “Winchester Speedway” was painted in bold lettering. It was perfect. Ron couldn’t resist the temptation to ride around the dirt track just to run tires on the same clay that his grandfather once tore up on the #64U Indian Sport Scout.
A lineage of Indian men chased their ancestors Gene and Washie to Winchester Speedway to rev up their legacy for another generation.
We were all having a great time and didn’t want the adventure to end, but the autumn sun was already sinking low in the sky. With our mission completed and an abundance of pictures taken to commemorate our expedition, it was time to say our goodbyes. Ron and Stephen had about a two-hour ride east to get back home. Parker and I needed a bit longer for our westward trek on modern interstate highways back toward Pittsburgh.
On the way home through the darkness, I replayed the ride over again. In my mind, I overlayed images of Gene and Washie from 70 years ago on today’s images of Ron, Stephen, Parker, and me riding the same roads to Winchester. It felt good to ride with other descendants. It felt even better to be together, chasing Gene and Washie.
The ride began with a visit to the resting places of Gene and Washie. They were then invited to ride along in spirit.
POSTSCRIPT
As much as the Indian boys would love to hear that the Harley broke down so often that we were forced to abandon our plans (or abandon Parker), the Heritage 114 did just fine. While it’s fun for us to see the old Harley and Indian wars heating up once again in this modern era (we can hear Gene and Washie piping in from the great beyond), the real benefit of that rivalry has been the development of better motorcycles from both brands. A little competition is a good thing, though Gene and Washie would still give Indian a slight edge. After all, it’s in their blood.
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