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Coldkiwi
2nd July 2003, 13:00
You know, as I was riding past half of the lemming traffic last night on the southern motorway (gridlock from market road due to big crash at Mt wellington off ramp), I ALMOST felt sorry for them. It would've probably taken someone two hours to get from the city to Howick via the motorway last night. Took me 35 minutes... 5 mins more than usual! (the only time i stopped was to ask a cop car if they minded me scooting up the lanes... was given a thumbs up and away I went,so I guess they're not all unreasonable)

So what do you guys think? Are car drivers that commute everyday into the city just stupid? Why don't more people take bikes?Or are they (by some cruel twist of nature) simply unable to? Its not like they're all amputee's... the only reason I can come up with is that they are for the most part difficult, stubborn bastards who deserve no pity.

 

 

Duke of Rogan
2nd July 2003, 13:28
yup, cage driving commuters for the most part are stupid and stubborn, but I think a lot of them have been brain-washed against the idea of owning/using a motorcycle.
:ar15: :stupid:
Although they will never try it, the ones I know think its too dangerous and too cold and they don't want to be called a "bikie". :rolleyes:
Also, as I said in a previous thread, the government isn't going to encourage the use of motorcycles as a means of commuting, because they will miss out on tax revenue (until they make it so expensive to use a bike that it will then appear as a good idea)
:brick:

750Y
2nd July 2003, 13:49
tell me about it. I was in the ute yesterday due to having to transport a potbelly woodburner in the morning(wouldn't fit on the pack rack) and got caught up in the jam.
I left town at 6:15pm and an hour later i thought stuff this and got off at penrose, went through panmure-botany-whiford-hunua & got home just before 8pm. I forgot how much it sux to commute on 4 wheels. I probably coulda sat for the same amount of time in the traffic but would rather be moving even if i did have to go the long way.

SpankMe
2nd July 2003, 13:49
While riding between grid locked traffic because of an accident, I have had cops tell me and other riders to use the shoulder.

I have neither pity nor time for cage drivers. I hate them as I would hate any group that is trying to kill me.

Once while going home through Newmarket on Gillies Ave where the traffic was locked on the right lane because of a car stuck mid turn because of the locked traffic of the left. He was unable to back up or go forward until the left lane traffic moved. I just rode up the middle and over the hill at the next intersection the same situation. The left hand lane traffic couldn’t move because of stopped cars coming out of the road on the left turning into the right lane who also could not move forward or back. Neither end could see each other so I have no idea how long they were stuck there like that. I just laughed all the way home. :D

georgedubyabush
2nd July 2003, 14:05
i'd say the perceived danger factor.
no-one I know, none of my friends ride a bike. well one rides an sj50.
when I ask them "when you gonna get a bike so Ive got someone to ride with?" a typical answer was, "My Mum would have a shit"
guess my friends are all just mumma's boy pansies.

ScottieX
2nd July 2003, 14:22
I agree with most of the sentiments about car drivers ( most of them are ignorant of bikes )

I also drive a car though, during the week, mainly beacuse I hate wet weather riding, & I like to save the bike for the good weather, & weekend rides.

Maybe if car drivers spent a bit of time on bikes their awareness & reactions to situations may sharpen up a bit.

Basically I don't trust car drivers when I'm on the road on two wheels

georgedubyabush
2nd July 2003, 15:37
it seems that a lot of old codgers used to have bikes. eg. my old man and his mates, though not any more.
Would it be true that they used to be a far cheaper form of transport when compared to cars?
Is the lack of bikers just another symptom of cheap japanese car imports? does anyone remember a day when a family would struggle to afford 1 car, let alone 3.

the licencing system puts a few people I know off too. "250? that's a girls bike....for 2 years???, bugger that"

Duke of Rogan
2nd July 2003, 15:56
whoa, a bit of an echo coming through from the far north there GeorgeW, are you trying to progress from your L-plate status more quickly? :p

the 250cc excuse is just that, a lame excuse, usually coming from the mouth of an ignoramous, however it would be a great way to strengthen the gene pool of all kiwis by allowing newbies to own a superbike when they're 15! (not that they could afford one)

and in reply to your last post:
maybe their momma's won't mind if they're riding a moped, with a full rollcage, and 5-point harness with air-bags (reminds of one of them new BMW mopeds, even has a window wiper!)

Duke of Rogan
2nd July 2003, 16:02
Originally posted by georgedubyabush
guess my friends are all just mumma's boy pansies.

heres a bike for them:

Antallica
2nd July 2003, 16:08
Yeah, gotta love shooting up the sides eh, I have been tempted to do so many times here. This town just 'aint Auckers though :( oh well.

Remember.. Old Grannie drivers are coming for you! ;)

Antallica
2nd July 2003, 16:11
Originally posted by Duke of Rogan
heres a bike for them:

Yuck!... I'll take the muffler though ;)

Coldkiwi
2nd July 2003, 17:23
people that think a 250 is a girls bike are also ignorant. They would have no concept of performance beyond engine capacity and the facts that 250's

1)are way more agile,

2)faster cornerers

3) will only get truly left behind by larger bikes in very open road circumstances if ridden well. If ridden poorly, the smaller bike will just be going slower when it crashes!

I agree with Spankme... it really makes you laugh when you see one exceptionally idiotic driver holding up everyone else and you can pass on through. For all the risks lane splitting has, I'll do it any day rather than take the car!

bikerboy
2nd July 2003, 17:25
Most of my friends don't ride bikes anymore. They almost all did sometime in the past. The most common reason for quiting is that it's dangerous followed by some horror story of a friend killed, maimed etc.:o

If more people rode bikes then the tin tops would be more aware of bikes and they would be better drivers when in a car. Strangely most tin tops acknowledge they are the biggest danger to bikers, well, not they themselves, but other tin tops.:argh:

Coldkiwi
2nd July 2003, 17:31
here's some stats

I take 30 minutes to commute. On average, it takes an hour in the car to get to work at the same time. It would probably take 50minutes to get home by car, again, it takes me around 25-30. So I save 1 hour each day by being on the bike. (thats ignoring motorway traffic snarl ups like the last two days heading south!)

I work for 48 weeks per year (lucky enough to get 4 weeks hols)... thats 240 days at work. At 1 hour extra a day, I would waste an EXTRA 240 hrs... thats 10 WHOLE DAYS a year of doing nothing but sitting in traffic if I used a car or took the bus. After three years, I would've spent an extra MONTH sitting in traffic.

what a friggen waste of time that would be huh?

And really... whos the "man"?.. the dickhead sitting in the Commodore SS for an hour or the guy going past him on the ZXR 250 who gets home 1/2 an hour early to down a cold one?

 

 

Antallica
2nd July 2003, 18:11
Quite disturbing stats CK, never thought of it that way :gob: . Luckily in this town there's always 2 or more ways to get to a certain place.

I'd rather have a smaller agile bike, say your FZR250 ;) as opposed to a huge GSXR1000 (or other huge beasts) Even my FXR pleases me, the high revs don't :(

But who am I kidding, I'll get a huge bike one day ;)

Dave
2nd July 2003, 18:40
I got given an A100 by an apprentice at my work a few years ago, I used to really enjoy thrashing the stupid little thing to work in rush hour,lane splitting and knowing that even if i dropped it-i would pick it up have a laugh and carry on. It was far more enjoyable for that purpose than the stress of riding the GSXR in heavy traffic.
Now its relegated to a paddock bike at bike rallys. that reminds me-time to reserect it for cold kiwi.

Yamahamaman
2nd July 2003, 18:49
For my 2c, I believe many of our woes are caused by the inexperience of a vast many cage manipulators (note I did not use the word driver). These manipulators and boy racers have been driven to school by their mums all their life and when they turn fifteen start to drive themselves to school bypassing that vulnerable bicycle stage which is where respect of the roads and other traffic users is learned either the easy way or the hard way.

I have also come to the comclusion that the amount of 'dangly charms' hanging from the rearview mirror is inversely proportional to the vehicle manipulating skills of the owner.

:roadkill:

georgedubyabush
2nd July 2003, 19:27
yeah, im in agreement with pretty much everything here. those are just things ive heard said to me, largely in jest.
im happy enough with the 250 I guess, it would be a great city bike. my beef is that i pretty much never ride in town, so my speed is hardly ever low enough to shine in the nimble lanesplitting stakes. I only ever even lived in town for 3years of uni. I get down to Whangarei maybe once a month.
ive never ridden another road bike, so dont know how much better mine is in the corners. so they dont all corner like this?:D
All I see is miles of empty Northland roads. I'm 10minutes from the Mungamuka gorge, now that's fun.:rockon:

I wouldve thought that tyres at least would last a little longer on a 250. my battlaxs have no tread at 4500kms.

Antallica
2nd July 2003, 20:04
Might see you next week George, I'm cruising up Opanoni way next week. See if I can't bring my 150cc up to 150k/hr again ;)

MikeL
2nd July 2003, 20:47
Bike vs car vs public transport for commuting: empirical evidence:

Commute: Onehunga - city (Aotea Centre): 7:30 a.m.; city to Onehunga: 5 p.m.

BIKE:
Time: morning: 10-15 minutes; evening: 20-25 minutes
Cost: petrol: bugger all; parking: free
Health/safety/comfort: keep your wits about you and the only unavoidable hazard is dirty diesel exhausts; cold and wet can be a bit of a trial at times, but hey! you're on a bike!

CAR:
Time: morning: 20-25 minutes; evening: 30-40 minutes
Cost: petrol: not that much (Toyota Starlet!!); parking: $12
Health/safety/comfort: cocooned, heater, radio... only danger is when I forget that I'm not on my bike and try to lane filter...

BUS:
Time: morning: 30-40 minutes; evening: 55-70mins not counting waiting time at bus stop
Cost: $6.60
Health/safety/comfort: only form of transport that enables me to read Zen and the Art of Motorcyle Maintenance while going to work. Other advantages... hmm, give me time, I'll think of something. Hint: in wet weather, don't sit underneath the skylight: it leaks. Published bus timetables belong to the category of fantasy fiction.

So judge for yourself. For me, the choice is between bike and car. At this time of the year, the car sometimes seems the more sensible option. Much and all as I enjoy cursing the cagers when I'm on my bike, and regret not being on the bike when I'm in the car, stuck in a long line of traffic, it would be hypocritical of me to condemn the automobile. As for public transport, the only time I'll use the bus again is if both my car and bike are out of action at the same time.

georgedubyabush
2nd July 2003, 23:08
which way you going Antallica? through the trees? up through twinbridges, or doing the loop?
might be able to join you depending on whether or not I can find a new set of my oddball tyre size. (and if I can keep up:p) no one up here can find any. ordering may take a while.
anyone know who might have the following in stock:
140/60R18
110/70R17
new ones Kwaka kid so dont try and sell me your raceslick specials.:D:whistle:

Antallica
2nd July 2003, 23:14
I'll be going Tuesday probably, I'll be taking the normal Whangarei route right past Rawene a bit. I'll be coming back on Thurs same way. Keep up... pfft, just wait till I shove something nasty in your rims ;)

Coldkiwi
3rd July 2003, 19:37
yeah. to be honest.. if banksie wants people to use his spanky new train station or any other public transport system  he's going to have to make it significantly faster, cheaper or more convenient than using their cars. Preferably at least two of the above.

And frankly, the bike is plenty cheaper and twice as fast as bus, train, ferry or car and its only a bit less convenient in winter... but then, with decent gear I never actually get wet... if i parked the car 500m away i'd get pissed on !!!

georgedubyabush
3rd July 2003, 22:13
Antallica;
through to Dargaville, then up through the trees seems to be the well worn biker route. I went down through there in my car about 3 weeks ago and dozens of all types of bikes were coming the other way. I was thinking, damn wish it was me. wouldve been too if I dared try and strap the girlfriend on the back. I'd recommend it if you havent already. (the tree route, not strapping my girlfriend on the back of your bike) probably about two dollars extra gas in that 150:D

Antallica
4th July 2003, 06:54
Dunno if I can afford the gas ;) .. oohh I might just be able to scrounge up something.

Yeah might venture up that way instead, it IS the shorter route I am told anyway. I just don't know it. *buys map*

wkid_one
4th July 2003, 13:52
An interesting thread - here go some of my thoughts...

250cc:

Anyone who doesn't believe these are quick and manly - get on a GP bike - yeah right - fat chance.  Well ride the Aprilia RS250 - this will give the shits to many a large cube sports bike when ridden well.  250's are superb for learning how to corner and maintain corner speed - with big bike you can fall in to the 'use the power' trap - rather than best line.

Why Car Driver's don't switch:

I believe a multitude of reasons.  Many have to wear suits - and this isn't as conducive on a bike.  Many cars are paid for by the the company so they are compelled to use them 9see my in 1 week when I get the company car - with tow bar of course to tow the bike to the track mwaaa hahaha).  Weather puts many car drivers off.  Many people are scared of bikes through previous or relayed experiences.  Bikes aren't always safe to park where some people work.  Some people have to transport a lot of stuff when they work.  Some people have to pick up clients/visit clients..  Some people just don't even think about bikes.  See - all valid reasons - albeit some of them ignorant.

Lane Splitting

See the thread a started - I LOVE lane splitting.  Except when I get to close to a car and rip my foot peg off in their wheel arch at 120kph.....ask KiwiDan - he was following....

Anywho - my contribution.