Other bikers you want to "knock" sense into

[jrandom]

... a 600 is still viewed as a little bike.

They are little bikes. I find them most unseemly in their tinyness. It just so happens that they have power-to-weight ratios in the order of a Formula 1 car.

[James Deuce]

They outdo F1 cars significantly.

[Bass]

I fall into that category generally speaking because I don't see any effort at all levels of driver training and education to take driving and riding seriously. The safer cars get, the more sound proofed, the better in car entertainment gets, the less likely we are to see an improvement.

In 1987 an 80HP CBR600 on 17" rims was a VERY fast bike. Now it is a a bit porky for a middleweight, under-powered and the suspension and tyres are rubbish.

Once upon a time it was considered insane for a learner to be able to buy a 50hp RGV250. 200BHP/litre. Now 600cc inline fours are right on the 200bhp/litre specific output and are exceeding RGV power to weight ratios, if manufacturer's specs are to be believed. Most lads look at these bikes as a stepping stone to "better" things. A K6 GSXR600 would have won the first two years of the WSB championship with ease, and would have been scoring points until about 1995.

I'm not saying things were better in my day, just different. But attitudes haven't changed to speed, other road users, or upping your skills to cope.

And a 600 is still viewed as a little bike.

The things you mention have given me pause many times.
I recall the first of the TZ 750's putting out 120 BHP straight from the factory. It was an unheard of number and we all wondered how that much power could be put to the road through one little strip of rubber.
Now I own a machine with a similar output and it is very much the middling performer, perhaps even at the sluggish end.

The same thing has happened with cars, but along with the development of more power there has been a parallel development of "despite the driver" type active and passive safety features: - ABS brakes, traction control, crumple zones, intrusion beams, air bags etc etc.

Brake and tyre improvement has carried over into bikes and there are signs of some of the others coming across as well.

However. human reactions and frailties haven't changed in that time, nor have youth attitudes. So I guess the outcome was inevitable, given that the speeds "when it finally does turn to shit and the safety features are of no use", are higher.

I don't have to like it or its ramifications for me however and it doesn't stop me wondering whether there are remedial measures that we can take.

However, this just makes us a pair of old farts reminiscing. Consequently we will be ignored and that may even be as it should. So in the end, perhaps your attitude is more practical than mine.

[PrincessBandit]

They are little bikes..

Hehehe, i had a guy (rider) come up to me and ask how come someone so little was on such a big bike - he thought it was a 1250.

[motorbyclist]

Dogs should be chipped so that the owners who let thier dogs cause accidents can be held found and held accountable. Thier irresponsible action has caused an accident that was not the riders fault.

but wouldn't the exact same idiots who owned the dogs that caused the meadia shitstorm that brought that legislation to bear be the ones who don't even register their dogs, let alone have them chipped?

it seems whenever a minority ignores the rules the NZ govt response is to make the rules even more restrictive for everyone else, ignoring the fact the guys who disobeyed before are even less likely to follow the new set of rules.


forcing idiots to wear jackets isn't going to stop them being idiots.

[scracha]

. There is nothing better than experience to teach you a valuable life lesson.

Maybe in a car but quite often on a bike they lose their life or suffer permanent damage in order to gain that experience. They're just kids FFS

[Bikernereid]

I wouldn't force those idiots to wear jackets. Let them discover for themselves what it feels like to come off their bike at 160kph without the proper clothing! I think legislation for helmets is a must as the possible brain damage to the moron who doesn't wear one and the cost and time to care for them by society and thier family is not worth thinking about. But as for the rest let the bloody idiots do what they want as long as they don't hurt anyone esle in the process.

but wouldn't the exact same idiots who owned the dogs that caused the meadia shitstorm that brought that legislation to bear be the ones who don't even register their dogs, let alone have them chipped?

it seems whenever a minority ignores the rules the NZ govt response is to make the rules even more restrictive for everyone else, ignoring the fact the guys who disobeyed before are even less likely to follow the new set of rules.


forcing idiots to wear jackets isn't going to stop them being idiots.

[scracha]

The trick is to essentially ignore the hoons and convince the "powers that be" that we're not all at the current extreme so they don't tar all of us with the same brush.

So would the majority of kiwi motorcyclists support making it compulsory to undertake a full day's professional training* before being allowed out on the road ? Would be cheaper, save more lives and be more likely to succeed than any cheese-cutter campaign. Would be nice if they done it for new car drivers too but we've gotta get our own crash statistics down first.

* and not some mickey mouse course where everyone passes because they attend

[dipshit]

Maybe in a car but quite often on a bike they lose their life or suffer permanent damage in order to gain that experience. They're just kids FFS

Plenty of other examples of where " let them learn by their mistakes" is not a good idea either... flying aeroplanes... using firearms... being in the military... all require good training beforehand because you may not live long enough to learn from your mistakes.

[Ixion]

So would the majority of kiwi motorcyclists support making it compulsory to undertake a full day's professional training* before being allowed out on the road ? Would be cheaper, save more lives and be more likely to succeed than any cheese-cutter campaign. Would be nice if they done it for new car drivers too but we've gotta get our own crash statistics down first.

* and not some mickey mouse course where everyone passes because they attend

You're assuming that (a) novice riders are young and (b) that all novice riders would attend such a course just because it's compulsary.

There's a shit load of riders , on big bikes (especially Harleys) who have NO class 6 licence , and no intention of getting one, and would not attend any such "one day course" (unless they got a 6F as a result).

Some of them are quite competant riders,a nd just haven't done the paper work thing. Others, otherwise.

Making something compulsary doesn't mean people will do it.

[toycollector10]

On Tuesday the 22nd of January heading south. Put your helmet on before you leave home. Ditto take a crap and brush your teeth. Get out of bed 10 minutes earlier. It's easy.

You won't look so smart when nursey comes to wipe your arse because you can't use your arms. And you're drooling because your head got all smashed up. And I'm paying for your care for the next 50 years until you drown in your own spit because you wouldn't wear a helmet.

All you liberals and no-helmet-brigaders please fill you boots, but I just wish you wouldn't expect other people to pay for your idiocy when the time comes, and it's a'commin boys! No one expects to crash. Right! Uh-oh...

[swbarnett]

So where do we stop? What about the cost to society of injuries from riding motorcycles WITH the gear? Shall we ban motorcycles then?

The cotton wool producers will love you.

On Tuesday the 22nd of January heading south. Put your helmet on before you leave home. Ditto take a crap and brush your teeth. Get out of bed 10 minutes earlier. It's easy.

You won't look so smart when nursey comes to wipe your arse because you can't use your arms. And you're drooling because your head got all smashed up. And I'm paying for your care for the next 50 years until you drown in your own spit because you wouldn't wear a helmet.

All you liberals and no-helmet-brigaders please fill you boots, but I just wish you wouldn't expect other people to pay for your idiocy when the time comes, and it's a'commin boys! No one expects to crash. Right! Uh-oh...

[swbarnett]

Maybe in a car but quite often on a bike they lose their life or suffer permanent damage in order to gain that experience. They're just kids FFS

The trouble is that their over protected at a younger age so when they are allowed to operate a motor vehicle they let loose with no appreciation of their own fragility.

I witnessed a teacher telling their students off for climbing a tree because it was dangerous. This is seriously counter-productive to any degree of long term safety, how else are they going to learn?

[dipshit]

The cotton wool producers will love you.

Oh grow up swbarnett.

[swbarnett]

Oh grow up swbarnett.

Too subtle for you?

As I've said elsewhere, be careful what you wish for. You may want to ban riding without the gear (or at least not pay for the mess), and, in isolation, I might agree with you, but be mindful of what will follow in years to come.