billinom8s wrote:why is it that with increasing regularity so called seasoned riders turn up on here spouting all kinds of holier than thou b/s ? These riders seem to think that as they have been chugging around on one form or another of early eighties jap bike for the last 30 odd years they have the right to preach to newer generations of bikers. I have been lucky enough to have seem lots of sides of biking and have to say that yes time with a license does bring with it experience, however if someone has had a licence for 20 years but only rides on sundays if the sun is out and its 20degrees outside, they are not going to have as much ability as someone riding daily for 5 years. I know of a rider who has been on 2 wheels for over 20 years but still can't filter, stands up on the pegs to look past a car to overtake instead of changing road position and still doesn't change down gears to overtake - rides a 600 diversion so does not have power to do it without changing safely. So why make assumptions ? Going by your example as you have been riding longer than rossi, you are safer. Maybe you could learn something from younger riders who are still open to new things rather than hiding behind unprovable stats preaching and pointing. Just my opinion.
By the same token, I have met soooo many people of all ages who are new to biking who see it as their mission to tell everyone else what they are doing wrong.
These people also usually don't last long.
Next time you're out and about, see how many other riders you can find with more than five yeard continuous experience.
I'm not saying that being an experienced rider makes you better by default, and yes, there are plenty of examples like the one you give of riders with a lot of experience who cannot ride worth a wee, but looking at your last sentence, I see you have fallen onto the trap that most newbies fall into by assuming that faster means better.
On the track, where fractions of a second count, then yes but on the road there are a different set of priorities, the most paramount of which is safety above everything else.
That is why it is perfectly concievable that a rider on a CG125 can be a better road rider than someone on an R1.
Back to experience, and I would say just this.
If you are in any doubt that generally, experienced riders are better, safer road riders, just have a word with your insurers next time you speak to them, and ask them why it is that your insurance get's cheaper the longer you've been riding.
They are in the business of putting a price on risk and weather you choose to accept it or not, experienced riders are considered less of a risk than inexperienced one's and that, I'm afraid, is a fact that your insurers will bear out, and that the statistics in the link provided earlier confirm.
