NZ Herald article - Born agains...

[Horse]

With 5-speeds they just let it pink and labour it's way sloowwwly past the other car still in 5th gear.

Yep.... and what's the other reason?

[oldrider]

OK. I managed to get half the figures, and as suspected the article is fudging

Motorcycle deaths/injuries 2001 669/35 20071234/39

The 2007 figures are not final , it takes time for the police to complete the crash data. Deaths are actually to Feb 2008. (cos that's they way they present the numbers. Don't ask me why). So, injuries went up by 84%, yes. But fatalities only went up by 11%. Much less than even their claimed rate of vehicle growth.

Which I am sure is wrong.

Those death and injury figures explictly DO include mopeds. Any two or three wheeled vehicle

But I'd bet a chocolate fish that the registration figures are for motorcycles only. Which would fit with the increase in injuries over fatalities - it's all the scooter riders being knocked off and getting road rash

Moreover:

The "old men falling off their bikes" is total cobblers.

Injury and death rates for 2006

Under 50 811/40 Over 50 141/5
Under 55 869/42 Over 55 68/3

Ditto for 2007 (same comment as above re different periods. And they only give it in 10 year chunks

Under 55 1103/40 Over 55 110/4

So, 10 times as many youngsters as old farts. So there. Of course if Oldrider keeps falling off, this years figures may be another matter.



If I can find the rego figures I'll write to the Harold and debunk him

I thought I was being conservative. Based on MY definition of old, we have a near perfect record (until Oldrider went and buggered it up!)

(lol) Guess I asked for that, fair enough! I shall try to keep upright from now on!

Don't want to stuff up our statistcs! Cheers John.

[gunnyrob]

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.

BULLSHIT.

I returned to riding last year after a 15 year break. Throughout that time I was obviously driving a car.

My bike now (BMW R1200GS) is a shitload safer than the bike I had (GPX750R) as it has ABS, Antidive, better brakes and better handling.

My new riding gear is weather proof and has armour.

Roads are in much better condition than back then, and the amount of drunk drivers has significantly reduced.

So long as you return to riding in a sane manner and don't go stupid, it's perfectly o.k.

I attended a BRONZ meeting last month & the guys & girls there are making waves amongst the feckwits that want to introduce more cheese cutters and reduce bike parks in town. DON'T SAY BAD STUFF ABOUT THEM, THEY ARE FIGHTING THE GOOD FIGHT.

I have used my previous experience to help out with some of the 250cc rides and riders.

I welcome all returning riders. So what if we are re-discovering our youth and having fun. Isn't that why we all ride????

[Motu]

I'm certainly not a born again,but I'd love to have an excess of income to afford the flash bikes people of my age tend to ride.But I did hit a bump at the born again age.I spent 10 years living on Waiheke Island,a bit restrictive as far as long distance riding is concerned.But I wasn't sitting around twiddling my thumbs - I was doing a lot of off road riding,racing bikes on the dirt track and blasting around the gravel roads,and riding to work every day.But when I shifted back to the real world it took some time to get my riding up to speed....I was really nervous in the city,and open road riding was a challenge too,the speeds were higher than I'd done for years,and distances to the horizon much greater.There was certainly nothing wrong with my abilities as a rider,or my reflexes...but I was very conscious of the fact that I wasn't up to speed in the modern world.

[SPman]

The real problem is the guy who rode a CB125 or suchlike to University back in the day. And because there was no GDLS then, he has a full licence. And decides he wants a bike . Odds are it'll be a Harley or similar.

Or, he'll join Ulysses and buy a Blackbird......

And commuting to University he never really learned much in the way of riding and survival skills anyway. .

Bugger off - the number of times I had to take violent evasive action from motorists determined to kill me, espec in Victoria St, for some strange reason, in 1970-71, gave me a raft of skills.
Mind you a T250 had a bit more go than a CB125......

[nonferrous]

ABS, Antidive, better brakes and better handling won't stop unconscious cage drivers taking you out - good luck out there

[Skyryder]

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

Yep that's the message I got. You can have all the safety programmes in the world but some guys will never get it. It's not an age thing it's an attitude and the wrong attitude is the same at 65+ as it is a twenty.


Skyryder

[Skyryder]

(lol) Guess I asked for that, fair enough! I shall try to keep upright from now on!
Cheers John.

Yep 'upright' is not what it use to be.


Skyryder

[rustys]

[QUOTE=Skyryder;1500497] You can have all the safety programmes in the world but some guys will never get it. It's not an age thing it's an attitude and the wrong attitude is the same at 65+ as it is a twenty.

Think "Kirky" is loseing the plot i had dealings with him in the 90s, agree that the old bones take a bit longer to heal, in the old age department, but thats life.

Shit i'am 61, i ride a 2006 YZF R6 on the road and track days, and will eventually race it one day, i also have been raceing for the last 5 years and will continue till i'am blind. As Skyryder says its all an attitude thing.

"Kirky" would be better off organising some descent "rider training" schools, and put out some of his books again on "Rider skills" etc like he used to, so some of these newer (older) people can understand motorcycle handling and skills. Sure there are a hell of a lot of people getting back into the motorcycle scene, just walk into the shop buy one and off we go, where's the training schools.
I have to agree that the bike's off today are much easier to ride, but hell you can get into a lot of trouble with them to.

Just another "old Fart" saying his piece.

[James Deuce]

Hey look! Invincible non-aging bikers!

Good luck with that fellas.

[DonaldH]

Hey look! Invincible non-aging bikers!

Good luck with that fellas.

Meow.... Some of us can remember when folk respected their elders!

[Bonez]

Hey look! Invincible non-aging bikers!

Good luck with that fellas.

Aww, c'mon Jim there's at least one in real life.

[James Deuce]

Meow.... Some of us can remember when folk respected their elders!

I'm 42. I've broken my back & neck. MY physical stamina and reaction times are estimated at 20 years physically older than I am, and I can tell you that 60+ year olds are definitely slower than 40 years olds as 40 year olds are to 20 year olds. Aging isn't a bad thing, or something to get angry about. You can do nothing about it, apart from decent diet and exercise which can prolong your physical well being and mobility. Shit wears out though, including neurons and ganglia, as well as muscle atrophy, joint wear & tear, skin elasticity, blah blah.

The age appropriate chart they measure your reactions against has different categories to cover a broad range responses for each age group. It's just life. You Baby Boomers AREN'T going to live forever no matter what they said in that 1955 Popular Mechanics.

[James Deuce]

Aww, c'mon Jim there's at least one in real life.

Ogri isn't real, fella.

[scumdog]

I'm 42. I've broken my back & neck. MY physical stamina and reaction times are estimated at 20 years physically older than I am, and I can tell you that 60+ year olds are definitely slower than 40 years olds as 40 year olds are to 20 year olds. Aging isn't a bad thing, or something to get angry about. You can do nothing about it, apart from decent diet and exercise which can prolong your physical well being and mobility. Shit wears out though, including neurons and ganglia, as well as muscle atrophy, joint wear & tear, skin elasticity, blah blah.

The age appropriate chart they measure your reactions against has different categories to cover a broad range responses for each age group. It's just life. You Baby Boomers AREN'T going to live forever no matter what they said in that 1955 Popular Mechanics.

Now THERE'S some info to cheer me up - thanks Jim!!