Easy riders out of control

[Big Dog]

Perhaps they should introduce a scheme whereby if you do not own a bike for a period of 10yrs you will need to show you know how to ride again before they reissue your 6 when you upgrade (like you have to every ten years now). This would be easy to measure by the fact that we already need to register our bikes to a licensed person.

I have also long been a proponent of having to at least redo the scratch test for real every time you get a reissue of your license.

The best thing about the scratch and win thing tey just started is that my pillion then knew how little she knew, was forced to re-read her road code, and stop mouthing off about how good she is.

[Slim]

Check out this 2002 Herald Article: Big, Fast & Too Hot To Handle

[Big Dog]

Check out this 2002 Herald Article: Big, Fast & Too Hot To Handle

Thanks for that Slim.
Once again the Herald has abused the statistics to meet their own end. Only 20% geez and at the moment they account for half the riding populatuion!

6% had consumed cannibis, shit in 2002 the only test they had only showed if it had been used in the last thirty days.

Then they really bend the truth over a table and say it may be more despite a complete lack of evidence to support that claim.


160 kmph? Shit these bikes they talk about will easily do 250kmph, does that mean that it is safer to travel above 200?

Once again BOYCOTT the Herald until they start telling the truth and stop being puppets of the transport minister.

[RiderInBlack]

Yep, isn't it amazing how you can mis-use stats to make your point. For instants:
"Report authors John and Margaret Bailey said large and powerful motorcycles, usually Harley-Davidsons, were ridden in at least 18 per cent of the 304 fatal motorcycle accidents included in a study from 1994 to 1999."Herald.
Sorry but my maths is pretty good. That stat tells me that at nearly 82% of the fatal motorcycle accidents were not on "large and powerful motorcycles"(define powerful?), which would suggest that smaller, less powerful bikes were a much bigger problem between 94 and 99 (totally opposite to what they were trying to portray).


At least they were partly on track with this statement:
"Many fatal motorcycle crashes occurred at intersections, and it was possible other drivers had trouble gauging the speed of oncoming motorcyclists."Herald. (or looking out for them, RIB).

Of course this article is over 2 years old but I don't think ACC or the Herald would have changed their views since then.

[rodgerd]

Perhaps they should introduce a scheme whereby if you do not own a bike for a period of 10yrs you will need to show you know how to ride again before they reissue your 6 when you upgrade (like you have to every ten years now). This would be easy to measure by the fact that we already need to register our bikes to a licensed person.

Then it's a rule that shouldn't just be for motorcycles, it should be for all licenses. My dad has a full class 5 that he got when he was a teenager (he just asked for it - no actual testing). He's never driven an articulated truck/trailer combo, but in theory he could tomorrow.

I have also long been a proponent of having to at least redo the scratch test for real every time you get a reissue of your license.

The best thing about the scratch and win thing tey just started is that my pillion then knew how little she knew, was forced to re-read her road code, and stop mouthing off about how good she is.

Amen. It's frightening the degree to which people just foget everything they studied at 15 to get their license.

[Big Dog]

Then it's a rule that shouldn't just be for motorcycles, it should be for all licenses. My dad has a full class 5 that he got when he was a teenager (he just asked for it - no actual testing). He's never driven an articulated truck/trailer combo, but in theory he could tomorrow.



Amen. It's frightening the degree to which people just foget everything they studied at 15 to get their license.

The problem with making it all licenses is most commercial lic see you driving a vehicle that is not licensed to you. Perhaps all private licenses?

[Timber020]

I have quite a few mid lifer clients who ask me about my bike and mention wanting to get back into bikes after there last bike was a 500cc BSA or a Norton featherbed. One of them even had some brosures, he hadnt ridden for over 20 years, wanted a bike just to get into town on and maybe a little ride to the cafe on weekends and had brosures for GSXR1000, Busa 1300,R1 and a Fireblade. No doubt all good bikes but I tried to tell him that they were extremely potent bikes and perhaps he should look at a 600. He said he couldnt have anything smaller than a 750 as they just dont have the grunt. I pray the salesman he sees wont sell him a big capacity missile without getting him to test something smaller or at least try to steer him in a more life preserving direction.

[Two Smoker]

Powerful BMW's and Harly's LMAO : now thats a joke, although they do have some power i wouldn't call them powerful, next to litre jappers and super sports tourers.

And if you mate (who hasnt been on bike in ages) T020, ask him if he wants a race against my 150, see how much grunt he needs then..... That or ask him to take your RGV for a blat hehehe

These are the people i dont like, the ones that have been off bikes for donkey's years and then get onto a GSX-R1000, now as some of you have seen, i know how to push my 150 and my 150 has been equated by my uncle (non stop racer of nearly 50 years) as being as quick as the older 400's etc, and i can't see myself jumping onto anything above a 400 with out taking a fair while to learn and to be able to push it hard and ride it well.....

Definately needs to be a relicencing test, can you imagine going from a even a 1970's CB750 to a GSX-R750 nowadays?

Let alone a BSA 450 to a gixxer thou

[rodgerd]

The problem with making it all licenses is most commercial lic see you driving a vehicle that is not licensed to you. Perhaps all private licenses?

Licenses are for individuals, not vehicles. If you mean it's hard to keep your experience up with biig rigs unless you work with one, well, yeah. But it someone hasn't worked with milk tankers in a decade, I don't want them suddenly cruising the roads in one.

[rodgerd]

I have quite a few mid lifer clients who ask me about my bike and mention ... No doubt all good bikes but I tried to tell him that they were extremely potent bikes and perhaps he should look at a 600. He said he couldnt have anything smaller than a 750 as they just dont have the grunt.

Unfortunately it's a common attitudes that's promoted by many experienced riders, and worst if they've been on the 'net and encountered "bigger is better" Americans (*rolls eyes*).

Need to keep some dyno graphs of a '60s BSA and a '90s 400 and point out which has more power...

[Motu]

To counter the too powerful arguments - the modern motorcycle makes much more power alright,but it's so usable,even a Vmax for all it's reputation is an easy bike to ride and a lot of old guys own them.Power delivery at lower speed is gentle,most bikes run CV carbs which slow response low down,often ign advance is retarded in lower gears - just a general dumbing down.

My old sohc CB750 was fun to ride - I used to like the 3rd gear wheel spin in the wet.When I had to take a late (at the time) dohc CB750 out in the wet on bald tyres I was a bit nervous - but after a bit of experimentation I found I couldn't wheel spin it! I had to find a bump in the road to get it spinning.It made a lot more HP than the sohc with more revs,but the lower end was tamed way down,a much easier bike to ride than my older model.

[Motu]

I drive a lot more cars than bikes these days and the trend is the same - I got out of a 730i BMW yesterday after booting it around the block in the wet...I couldn't believe it when I saw the V8 in there! V12 Beemers are totaly gutless,so too V8 Soarers,300ZX twin turbos.You can do a 180 around a roundabout in a V12 BMW with your foot planted on the floor,nothing happens until you are halfway up the road,if I'd tried that in the E48 Charger I also drove yesterday it'd be on it's roof! These things are made for high speed use and can really fly at silly speeds,but are dumbed down big time to make them docile around town.

The difference between the V8 BMW and E48 Charger in the wet was dramatic - I know which one was more fun! Which takes the more skill to drive? Same with bikes.

[riffer]

Not that I have that much experience with german cars but it appears to me as though in the german cars the power delivery was more logarithmic rather than the linear delivery that the American and Australian cars had.

btw I'm dying to hear - whats an RT like to drive? Apart from the obvious wheelspins off the line? details please?

[bungbung]

...in the german cars the power delivery was more logarithmic rather than the linear delivery that the American and Australian cars had..

From my experience owning an Audi, and driving most everything for dial-a-driver (in a previous life), the german cars have much taller gearing for autobahn-ness, not much of a kick in the pants off the line, but floor it when you're doing 140 and there's a whole lot more action.

[Motu]

btw I'm dying to hear - whats an RT like to drive? Apart from the obvious wheelspins off the line? details please?

Generaly I find that Euro cars are made to stop go and handle,but the big cruisers are lethargic,like a 3 series is fun to drive,a 7 or 8 is boring.

I have never liked the VJ Valiants and the Charger in particular,they don't fit my body type,I never feel at home in them.No power steer,long throw gear lever,heavy clutch (twin plate) and throttle (3 webers) you are working hard just moving out,nothing is smooth,it's hard to put all your actions in one harmonious flow - getting it wrong in the wet is easy.Even though the 6 cyl doesn't rev high they are very tall in the gearing and winding it out in 2nd is moving along in city streets.I know another guy with one that makes this E48 look tame - it puts out 450HP with a huge turbo on it,you can get into trouble just putting you foot down in top gear in the dry.Different than a lot of modern turbos,it's got some intriging touches - like a seperate exhaust system complete with muffler for the wastegate and a reserve oil system that pumps oil through the turbo when it stops.He built it to do Auck/Wellington in the 5hr bracket and has a huge tank in the back.It doesn't need a WoF and it hasn't been out for a few years,I'll remind him of that next time I see him.