Engagement With Motorcyclists

[Woodman]

The roads in Nuzillad are fine. Stop blaming the fucken roads.

[GazzaH]

Here in Napier/Hastings area, the roads are OK. We have our fair share of poth-oles, cows-hit, manh-ole covers, slippy lines and so on but generally OK.

The areas around major roadworks can be challenging, especially in the wet, but the bloody great warning signs (lots of them), flashing yellows, diggedy-diggers and cones for Africa, are a teensy weensy clue that 'something is going on'.

By far the biggest hazards, though, are fuckwit cagers, juggernoughts, livestock, traaaactors, farm bikes and other unpredictables.

I've yet to see a mobile pothole that signals left and turns right. Or pulls out from a side-turning as I'm approaching. Or overtakes me on a blind bend.
Or does a u-ey, dropping its load of ladders across the road.

Admittedly I've seen potholes grow, spreading marbles. And I've seen potholes "repaired" with fucknosewhat, teflon'd then greased for good measure.

When I'm riding an unfamiliar bit of road, I'm extra vigilant for dodgy road surfaces, adverse camber, hidden junctions and all that stuff. On familiar haunts, I prepare for and avoid the hazards I know about, of course ... and watch like a hawk for new ones, including the ones I missed last time through - like "new" road signs (that have been there since the Dark Ages) and farm gates mysteriously installed in the past week (no, decades past). It's fun to catch myself out. If I don't spot some new static hazard on a regular trip, I know I wasn't paying enough attention. And if I miss a mobile hazard, I know it may be my final mistake.

[kiwi cowboy]

...sounds just like starting a new class of bike or formula in our club racing calendars...then trying to interest other clubs...then MNZ...then Members, and then wonder why, a couple of seasons down the track why anyone would bother trying to get a consensus in our silly little country...pushing shit uphill with a pointy stick...

Well your a ray of fucking sunshine and positivity today aren't ya.

Did a ride fore ever couple of years ago and got a discount off my insurance that year and would lik eto do a refresher course again especially if something like a discount on ACC was on offer in the package.
Might attract a bigger attendance.

[eldog]

The roads in Nuzillad are fine. Stop blaming the fucken roads.

They might be in your backyard.

most country and rural areas I have passed thru have great roads IMO.

the south is I remember as particularly well sorted.

yes parts of the roads are inconsistent as is the ‘repairs done’

we should expect a good standard of work, not put up with shit.

same with drivers of vehicles.....

people seem to be the main cause of all of rastas problems, getting them to change will be a long slow process. if change can happen at all.

riding like people and roads are rubbish is generally how I ride, but I am not the majority. I am out to enjoy what biking allows me to do (it’s the closest thing to flying without wings). You could say for some it has caught on.



there is no magic bullet, but you will have to make it reasonably wide ranging to appeal and varied to keep attention. Pop up in all sorts of unexpected places, get the ACC to sponsor some hard hitting advertisements, no PC crap. Get real people from all walks of life, even the 1%ers will speak I am sure, if they have lost a mate etc. let’s not make it a them vs us scenario.

[caspernz]

So, our roads are rubbish.

We can wait maybe a generation or two, they will likely improve. Lots of us will suffer in that couple of generations, but hey, its great to have someone else to blame.

Another option is for us to ride as if the roads are rubbish.

Don't follow so close, scan properly further ahead, and maybe lets not travel at Nurburgring speeds. In summary, lets ride like the roads are rubbish.

Nah. It won't catch on.

The roads in Nuzillad are fine. Stop blaming the fucken roads.

The roads in NZ are not bad overall. Certainly can't blame the roads for most accidents. Always amuses me when our crew can travel back and forth 24/7 in all weather without incident to popular destinations, yet one wet weekend and multiple cars/bikes arse up as the weekend warriors fail to observe the basics. But yeah, like RC commented already, it's the fault of the road if someone follows too close, fails to look more than 3 seconds ahead and drives/rides way too fast for prevailing conditions...

[Daffyd]

Once we underground all the power lines perhaps we can make a start on farmers fences, plenty of lives have been snuffed out by a strainer post.

Interesting footnote. I know some people on here don't like the S word but in Canterbury ten times as many people top themselves than die in motorbike crashes. Old Press article. Makes me wonder about national priorities.

Mmmm Underground fences. I can see that working.

[Daffyd]

The roads in Nuzillad are fine. Stop blaming the fucken roads.

Absolutely! Try coming to the Philippines, (or India, or any other Asian country) and you will find bad roads.

[AllanB]

Even the earthquake damaged roads in ChCh are quite manageable providing you own a bike/4wd that can handle them.

You really are a fuckwit.

[ellipsis]

You really are a fuckwit.

...I'd never have noticed, had you not brought it up...

[caspernz]

You really are a fuckwit.

...I'd never have noticed, had you not brought it up...

Now that you mention it, there's a certain whiff...

[caseye]

Now that you mention it, there's a certain whiff...

Whif, Fuck me it's a STENCH, fuckwit is the nicest way of describing IT!

[rastuscat]

Getting back on track for a moment.

I think there would need to be a broad range of strategies, given the wide demographic within motorcycling.

[Blackbird]

Getting back on track for a moment.

I think there would need to be a broad range of strategies, given the wide demographic within motorcycling.

Yep! Which is basically what we have now, catering for different needs. So where are the current options falling short and what can we do differently? Appealing to the pocket is always a good one but may never be accepted at government level for any number of reasons. I've had a discount from my insurers for IAM qualifications and lack of accidents, but what about a discount for my road licence? Unacceptable, I suspect.

[Moi]

Yep! Which is basically what we have now, catering for different needs. So where are the current options falling short and what can we do differently? Appealing to the pocket is always a good one but may never be accepted at government level for any number of reasons. I've had a discount from my insurers for IAM qualifications and lack of accidents, but what about a discount for my road licence? Unacceptable, I suspect.

I like your thinking Blackbird... let's say if you've completed an advanced riding qualification [what that means is a totally other kettle of fish...] you can have 50% off, yes! 50% off your licence fee... Considering that the licence fee for a big bike, read over 600cc, is $24.50 then half of that is $12.25... worth it? Probably not...

Am I being cynical? Yes, I am. Considering that the ACC levy for the same bike is nearly 16 times the licence fee it would be nice to have something off that for improving your riding - difficulty in defining "improving your riding". But, the issue I see with that is that it could easily be seen as a form of rebate similar to the "no claims bonus" you get with insurance and then does that start to make the ACC scheme look more like an insurance and with that the other "conditions" that insurances carry - such as "it looks like an insurance so why not sell it off to an insurance company to run"...

What is the answer? Sorry, I have not got an answer for you. Though I do believe we are going in the right direction with RideForever and other rider up-skilling programmes. However, as has been said before on this thread, those programmes are the water to which you lead the horse, but will the horse drink? Would a level of compulsion work? Possibly for some but there would also be those who would argue that you don't have the right to tell me what to do. Perhaps it's a case of "if you want to play in our playground [the public highway] then you have to abide by the rules of the playground". Who knows how that would go...

The only thing that a question like this - how to engage motorcyclists? - does, is encourage discussion, debate and argument. Possibly it encourages personal thinking for many. Perhaps some self reflection and acceptance of self responsibility for our actions amongst some as well.

[jellywrestler]

Getting back on track for a moment.

I think there would need to be a broad range of strategies, given the wide demographic within motorcycling.

after all this discussion that's it? that sort of shit is what government departments come up with that covers everything but says nothing in reality.