OK I got you this time - sometimes its duifficult getting feelings across in black and white. So your main concern is how personal liberties and individual freedom of choice are being eroded. I agree. Sadly this is not just happening in motorbikes. It is happening in society in general. Look at the way cars are going too. Electronic sensors that can detect roads and steer for you, cars that network with each other and latch onto the back of each other electronically so that following speeds are safely maintaned, sensors for auto braking to maintain following distance, acohol breath detctors, eye tiredness detectors, etc.Originally Posted by Conquiztador
At times it can be hard to get across what one is talking about in writing on a message board. So I forgive you.I thought I made sense. Katman, who is no fan of mine, understood and added his bit that I take as an approval of my statement.
But for you:
I ride because I enjoy riding. I care not re fashion statements, bling (even if I have been known to have bikes in shows), conforming to anything. For me it is a very selfish experience. I only ride because it makes me feel good. I could not care less what my riding does to others, or what others feel when riding.
My point was simply that I can feel the walls closing in on bikers. Bit by bit what we take for granted is chipped away. Often in such small chips that we dont even notice. We will all one day wake up and say: Shit, what happened, how did it ever come to this? If it stops at day glow vests and restrictors we can probably count our self lucky. But I have a suspicion that it will not stop there; I can see roads that do not allow motorbikes, no pillions allowed, huge insurance fees if we do not adhere to all regulations. Even to a stage where if we did not have a reflex on our wheel the insurance is void. I can se only factory bikes allowed (no individuality and customising. If you think this can not happen, Germany already has this in place). I can se no overtaking allowed when on bikes, yearly training to be allowed to ride, dayglow bikles only, cc restrictions (I expect 650cc), bikes that do not have latest brakes and bits not being allowed. I can also see each bike equipped with a chip that police can read to see if we did speed and follow by satellite to figure out where we been.
Am I dreaming? Nightmares these are. But sadly I think it is all coming just a question of when.
When cars are viewed as a networked arrangement of vehicles that interact electronically with each other to get to the place they are going in the most efficient and safe manner, and even interact with traffic lights to maximise traffic flow, then you can see how freedom of car driving will be restricted. Probably much safer and quicker and less jams, but also much more restricted. The only freedom of choice left is what color the car is, and where you are going.
I guess when you chuck a 200bhp cruise missile with a potentially inexperienced rider and a devil may care attitude in to this mix, we become a bit like a "turd in the drinking water" to the law...
Vehicles (and esp. bikes) by their very nature are unsafe. There has to be a balance between freedom and safety. But this balance is affected by incidents. For example I might be a lot more open to networked traffic if my children were involved in a car accident due to reckless driving. The balance is affected when riders do stupid things on the roads that should only be done on tracks, and the government has to cough up for it.
Thats why riders have to act like adults in order to not be treated like children.
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