Los Angeles is infamous for having some of the worst traffic in America. According to the TomTom Traffic Index, in 2023, Angelenos spent an average of 86 extra hours in their cars due to traffic over the course of the year. That’s more time stuck in congestion than most people get for paid time off.
What if there was a “coupon” you could apply to save some of those wasted hours? Well, there is — in the form of a motorcycle. Whether it’s a 200-horsepower Kawasaki Z H2 or an old 20-horsepower Honda CBR250R, motorcycles can cut your time spent in traffic by 40%. Those of us who live and ride in LA already know that motorcycles are a huge time-saving hack, whether it’s for commuting or parking. But we decided to quantify this subjective experience.
We compared motorcycles with bicycles, electric scooters, and cars over an 18.5-mile route from the Pacific Ocean in Marina del Rey to Dodger Stadium, passing through heavy morning traffic.
Here’s what we found: Bicycles are feasible in LA thanks to the weather and bike lanes, but they’re slow (1:32:37 for the trip). Electric scooters are faster (1:05:07) and less effort. Cars, like the Tesla Model Y, are still faster (0:48:42), but even luxury cars get stuck in traffic.
And then there are motorcycles, which were the fastest (0:28:15), offering a 42% time savings compared to cars. The key isn’t just speed — motorcycles can move through the space between lanes, thanks to lane filtering, a privilege allowed in California and only five other states.
So, riding a motorcycle in LA is like having a 40% off coupon for your commute. And while this might not apply everywhere, more states are legalizing lane filtering, meaning the “motorcycle hack” could spread.
