NZ Herald article - Born agains...

[Hitcher]

It's taken me three hours to react to this. What was it again that I was reacting to?

It appears to me that Police and others have been conned into believing in generalised stereotypes and then making events conform with those. Transit are the same.

"Motorcycles are dangerous and are increasingly being ridden by Old Farts who have no idea what they're doing on them." Regretably there are enough incidents to keep reinforcing that stereotype. Even more regretably, the OFWHNIWTDOT can be found in motorcycle "lobby" groups like BRONZ and Uselyss.

Changing public perceptions on this matter and, by abstraction, the views of "opinion formers" amounts to pushing very sloppy shit up a steep and rocky hill with a pitchfork. Any progress is deleteriously impaired by the next forty-something who graunches their sexed-up Aprilia Superscrotum and themselves on the Takas or Coro Loop.

[Katman]

And a point that seems to have been missed is that there's a whooooole lot more vehicles on the roads these days. It requires a higher level of concentration to ensure your safety on the road today than it did 30 years ago.

[vifferman]

And a point that seems to have been missed is that there's a whooooole lot more vehicles on the roads these days. It requires a higher level of concentration to ensure your safety on the road today than it did 30 years ago.

And is it just me, or is the general standard of driving much worse than 30 years ago? People just seem to be so much more casual about it, maybe because cars are so easy to drive now?

[oldrider]

This borne again labelling crap pisses me off, I have been riding bikes almost continually for 54 years, so should I have to wear a little flag or something!

Every time I buy some new shiny riding apparel, some bright cunt makes a comment as if I am having a mid life (late life now) crisis or something!

I fell off the other day and claimed ACC, the first time ever off a bike and get a barrage of shit about how dangerous bikes are and that old people and bikes don't mix etc.

There are more old cunts around here that have ACC claims in for falling off their lounge room chairs FFS and they have the affront to say "bikes" are dangerous!

This sort of shit really pisses me off! Angry, angry, John.

[Ixion]

And is it just me, or is the general standard of driving much worse than 30 years ago? People just seem to be so much more casual about it, maybe because cars are so easy to drive now?

No, driving is no worse (though the 'worse' is a different worse). But what has happened is that the incompetents who 30 years ago never ventured outside to 30mph areas , because the open road was too scarey (and cars then were physically hard to drive at speed), now happily wander out and head off to here there and everywhere. Driving just as they do on the way to the supermarket, just a little faster. The 'casual' is right though, Mabel who used to be terrified of the open road now finds it so easy to drive her automatic power steer power brake abs auto brain car that she thinks there is nothing needed other than to point vaguely in the direction she wants to go.

Abolish power everything and auto anything I say,that'll send the bunnies back to their holes. Oh, and get rid of electric starters. Worst thing that ever happened for the road toll.

[Swoop]

I think we need an age limit on politicians.
The "old ones" are crap.



(p/t or not p/t???)

[Katman]

This borne again labelling crap pisses me off, I have been riding bikes almost continually for 54 years, so should I have to wear a little flag or something!

You've missed the point that the article isn't directed at those who have been riding continually for 54 years.

[Pwalo]

It just proves that most motorcyclist are older than they used to be.

I must say that the 80% rise in injuries is interesting. Has there been a change in the criteria for assessing injury types? You know, 'I strained my back moving the bike around the car park', sort of thing. (That does get easier the older you get!)

I guess including off road, farm, and quad stats makes a slight difference as well, especially as these aren't going to be included in the registration numbers that were quoted.

I think that group rides may be a factor in the number of crashes. There seems to be a bit of anecdotal evidence on this site.

The difference in performance of modern machines is an obvious point, but I would suggest that my SV is a lot easier to ride than my old RD400 (and not a lot faster). Sure going from a CB125 to a ZX10 is a big step, but that is probably an extreme example. I suspect most returning riders start off a little more modestly.

[Horse]

The Herald article is one guy sending out a press release... but he understands that sending out a release with relatively strongly-worded opinions, and getting it out while the original story it relates to is still "fresh" means that the paper is more likely to write an article from it.

Where was the press release over the weekend from BRONZ? How about the cheese-cutter campaign - perfect time to try and get some of that ADD news attention on your issue for 30sec. But reaction times have to be instant for this kind of thing.

[sinfull]

I must say that the 80% rise in injuries is interesting. Has there been a change in the criteria for assessing injury types? You know, 'I strained my back moving the bike around the car park', sort of thing. (That does get easier the older you get!)

.

Someone mentioned in another thread that injuries to moped/ scooter riders are included in that 80% rise ! Considering you dont even need a bike licence to ride the things , it strikes me as being a little missleading

[avgas]

An interesting article about a guy loosing money cos the government wont buy his stuff.
Man we are a country of whiners.

[GaZBur]

An interesting article about a guy loosing money cos the government wont buy his stuff.
Man we are a country of whiners.

OOOhhhh!!!! Very good point.

The MegaRider.com site is the site of the New Zealand Motorcycle Safety Consultants (NZMSC). The NZMSC is a non-profit body working on motorcycle safety and riding skills promotion in New Zealand and internationally via the Internet.

They are a non profit organisation - hmmm that sells stuff and look "... pay by credit card" you can even pay by credit card - now I will feel safer on the road!!!!

EDIT: I was told at the OMCC meeting last night there is still one more RIDE RIGHT course being run in Dunedin this year - a better option by the look of it.

[Edbear]

As a GSX600F rider I have to say "holy moly" if your old T had worse brakes than the F!

(no, I've riden drum-braked bikes and the FJ is at least a little better than them ... )

Actually, after a change of fluid and a good bleeding, the brakes were pretty good, I thought. Especially after forgetting about the T intersection coming out of Mangawhai Heads towards Waipu, I nearly did a stoppie!

Check your pads and change the fluid, they should come good. The old T500 brakes never gave me any particular problems, but then I rode it within its limits and never had to do many panic stops...

[Ixion]

I think his figures are crap. And probably include mopeds in the injury rates but not the rego figures.

Does anyone have access to actual "numbers of mopeds and motorcycles registered" figures for 2001 to 2005. Bloody LTSA charge $49 for the figures FOR EACH YEAR . Mercenary bastards

But I do know that toal bike+mopeds went from 47999 in 2005 to 65658 in 2007. So that's more than 36% increase in those years alone. But I can't find reliable injury/fatality rates fuigures.

You would think something like that , reliable numbers would be easy to find. But they seem to be actively hidden

[vifferman]

IBloody LTSA charge $49 for the figures FOR EACH YEAR . Mercenary bastards

You would think something like that , reliable numbers would be easy to find. But they seem to be actively hidden

It's not right, is it?
They use taxpayers' money to gather information, yet that info is not available. Perversely, a lot of information such as mapping info seems to be readily available to companies to then profit from by on-selling it to us.
I've been told that any gubmint info is readily available to Mrkn citizens, but our Gubmint seems a whole lot more secretive. It's either the "you're too stupid to have access to this info; eave it to us - we know best!" thing, or just deliberate obfuscation to make sure we don't find out what's really going on.