Lack of skills, or death wish?

[Headbanger]

It's the nature of the beast, you will always get people who ride too fast, push too hard, and wind up looking like cocks or dead, especially when there is a group.

It's an ego thing.

You can tell them about the tortoise and the hare, about riding smoothly, about pace riding all you like, and the next day, they'll still go like a bat out of hell.

Some grow out of it. Some don't.

Same goes for cars, just the proportion of cocks is smaller in the car world than it is in the bike world.

Personally I made no reference to speed, If anything I believe people should crank the throttle so they have their own space to ride in.

[jim.cox]

the pass was littered with broken harleys

Aside from the fatal, how many accidents were there between Chch and Greymouth last weekend?

I've been wondering how the poor blighter is that stacked in the Waimakariri Bluffs - anyone know?

I saw the rescue 'copter doing at least one other fetch 'n carry

[CDFloss]

...Either go with them,or stay behind and pick a better place to pass, Doing a half pass is bullshit, Your now a massive fuckin hazard, Stuck out in danger land moving far to slowly...

Yup - I rode to Palmy and back (to Wellington) on Saturday and saw 2 groups of around a dozen riders each, and when it came to passing they couldn't think for themselves and the stragglers ended up hanging out in the on-coming traffic more than once when their mates didn't make space for them after the passing maneuver. I felt quite embarrassed to be on a bike.

[98tls]

Certainly seems that some motorcyclists who were over the coast this weekend have made a really great fist of endearing motorbikes to the ordinary public. Talking at work this morning to a couple of guys who had been over the coast for the weekend, gave me a hardtime about the ACC levy followed by remarks about some of the stupid/silly/dangerous actions by the motorcyclists they saw. Well thanks for that its done wonders for our PR image just when we needed it - NOT.

There basing there opinion on whatSimply they got passed by some guys on bikes or what?Not defending stupidity here but theres plenty of non motorcycling car drivers out there that have absolutly no idea just how fast bikes are compared to there everyday 4 door whatever motor car,what they may think an unsafe passing move by a bike may well be to the average bike rider completly safe,the fact that they get passed at to them warp speed means bugger all.Any weekend you care to name there will be some supposedly unsafe riding from the publics view just like the reality of the endless displays of bad driving by car drivers.Nothing will change because of proposed ACC price hikes.

[rocketman1]

There basing there opinion on whatSimply they got passed by some guys on bikes or what?Not defending stupidity here but theres plenty of non motorcycling car drivers out there that have absolutly no idea just how fast bikes are compared to there everyday 4 door whatever motor car,what they may think an unsafe passing move by a bike may well be to the average bike rider completly safe,the fact that they get passed at to them warp speed means bugger all.Any weekend you care to name there will be some supposedly unsafe riding from the publics view just like the reality of the endless displays of bad driving by car drivers.Nothing will change because of proposed ACC price hikes.

I agree here, I tend to think I ride with care, a bit fast sometimes but I dont overtake on corners, wedge between oncoming cars, overtake on the left etc etc like some bikers I see do, I guess I am just justifying my riding is safe to myself.....anyways
However if , for instance if I am following a couple of cars on a windy road and I see a gap to pass, I will take it. A 1000cc bike moves very quick, and I am back on my side of the road in a very short time, safely before the next corner. Now to a car driver that move would be insane as there is no way a car could move that quick and that tightly. I think to myself yeah that cager probably thinks , "there goes another crazy biker passing in the wrong place".
I own other bikes that do not have the torque/power of the SV and I cannot overtake in some of these situations because the sheer instant GRUNT is not there, when I ride my smaller less powerful bikes I see the bigger bikes pass me and think , wow maybe I wouldnt pass where they have just done. But then I think what you tend to do is judge others and their riding to some extent by the type of bike or vehicle that you are in at the time.
My mate who rides a less powerful bike than the SV used to say that I overtook on some short straights, that he wouldnt, its not until he rode my bike did he realise that it was completely safe, and felt so when doing so.
Your right most cagers have know idea on the speed and acceleration and nimbleness of motorbikes. Its just that some push the limit a little too far.

[98tls]

I agree here, I tend to think I ride with care, a bit fast sometimes but I dont overtake on corners, wedge between oncoming cars, overtake on the left etc etc like some bikers I see do, I guess I am just justifying my riding is safe to myself.....anyways
However if , for instance if I am following a couple of cars on a windy road and I see a gap to pass, I will take it. A 1000cc bike moves very quick, and I am back on my side of the road in a very short time, safely before the next corner. Now to a car driver that move would be insane as there is no way a car could move that quick and that tightly. I think to myself yeah that cager probably thinks , "there goes another crazy biker passing in the wrong place".
I own other bikes that do not have the torque/power of the SV and I cannot overtake in some of these situations because the sheer instant GRUNT is not there, when I ride my smaller less powerful bikes I see the bigger bikes pass me and think , wow maybe I wouldnt pass where they have just done. But then I think what you tend to do is judge others and their riding to some extent by the type of bike or vehicle that you are in at the time.
My mate who rides a less powerful bike than the SV used to say that I overtook on some short straights, that he wouldnt, its not until he rode my bike did he realise that it was completely safe, and felt so when doing so.
Your right most cagers have know idea on the speed and acceleration and nimbleness of motorbikes. Its just that some push the limit a little too far.

As they have done in all of my 38 odd years of riding,as they will long after i have moved on.Thers plenty of people out there driving cars that have a dislike of motorcycles,always have always will and because of the proposed ACC changes theres no point in getting all bothered about motorcyclists doing what they have and always will do,we could all ride 250s and behave impeccably but the public perception wouldnt change one iota,nor i doubt would the amounmt of accidents involving motorcycles,nature of the beast.

[monkeymcbean]

Well shoot, I'm off on a weeks tour around the South Island next week, I don't won't to read any gizzling about my riding on here, for that matter i'll take my profile pic off incase you recognise the bike....ha ha.

[ynot slow]

Yup - I rode to Palmy and back (to Wellington) on Saturday and saw 2 groups of around a dozen riders each, and when it came to passing they couldn't think for themselves and the stragglers ended up hanging out in the on-coming traffic more than once when their mates didn't make space for them after the passing maneuver. I felt quite embarrassed to be on a bike.

And how often do you see the same for cars and light trucks one passes and the rest follow like leemings off a cliff,just because one can pass safely they all assume it is safe.At least with a bike you can usually get passed quickly,and not in no mans land,if in doubt think.

[98tls]

Well shoot, I'm off on a weeks tour around the South Island next week, I don't won't to read any gizzling about my riding on here, for that matter i'll take my profile pic off incase you recognise the bike....ha ha.

No chance,you will be mentioned in despatches on here for A riding to fast B riding to slow C Not waving D waving E wearing non approved safety gear F wearing to much safety gear G riding a Harley H not riding a Harley I passing in an unsafe way J not passingget the picture.

[oldrider]

We should all be aware that there is only one perfect driver/rider on our New Zealand roads!

I know I should take the time and teach the rest of you how to come up to my own high standards!

But then you might become as good as me and there would be no one left to complain about!