South West Bikers | Motorcycle Forum

is it all these bikers are being knocked off there machines or are they Hitting the vehicles. Every week you here of a biker being killed or injured in a accident. What is it that's going wrong is there still not enough advertising think bike !! or dare I say it some of these bikers do not ride with the right frame of mind.
Some thing? has to be done soon as I am sure legislation will be brought in that will finish biking on the roads.

What are your ideas guys and galls

Music

Nicer days- more bikers out - more chances of collisions caused by either party - cars not expecting bikes due to massive slouch in number of bikers out regularly over winter - add in some peoples lay off over the winter and slight rustiness on the bike = more people getting hurt

Thats what I thinks happening, touch wood it will all calm down soon. I bloody hope so!



Ride all year

I was driving up the M5 on Monday and some to55er on a 57 plate VFR is riding about 10 foot from my bumber. If I had hit the brakes he would have been in the back of my car and worse still hurt me and my passenger.

I've seen plenty of accidents caused by car drivers too.

I think each accident has to be judged on its own merits but the statistics clearly show that the majority of bikers who are in fatal accidents have unfortunately died without other vehicle involved.

Whatever the reason lets just hope this is just a spat and less of us will be dying on the roads this year.

I'm sick of attending funerals!

Without a doubt there are a lot of car drivers not being attentive enough but driving round Exeter today within the space of thirty minutes one rider on an old x reg customy thing overtook my truck on a lefthand bend then slammed on as he found the guy in front of me waiting to turn right, a sportsbike rider who apparently thought the road was empty except for him and shot up the outside of a long row of cars at least double the speed limit and i was doing 30 at the time and numerous mopeds weaving through the traffic without slowing to look at junctions or pedestrian crossings, its certainly looking for trouble and their riding cetainly wasn't defensive but what was noticeable was that it was spread across all types of bikes, mopeds,sports and tatty old commuters.............

I think a lot of drivers are not bike aware, but it has to be said that there are a hell of a lot of riders out there who ride like idiots and don't help themselves.

What is worrying, is the dramatic increase in recent years, of motorcycle accidents where no other vehicle is involved.

Oh yes, and what I forgot to say, (and this is just my opinion), is that there is a myth, perpetuated by the popular biking press, that being a good rider means being fast, and getting your knee down.

A Poice rider once told me that one of their biggest problems is riders coming off on group rides, where 2-6 riders, usually on sports bikes, go for a blast.

These things normally start off well intentioned, but pretty soon someone will want to show off, and before you know it, the rider who may not be as quick as the others, is left trailing and taking huge risks to keep up so as not to lose face.

As far as blame is concerned.

Well, from my experiences and what I see day to day, whereas 25 years ago you could nearly always say the car driver was at fault - now I'd say it's about 50-50.

Stately wrote: the rider who may not be as quick as the others, is left trailing and taking huge risks to keep up so as not to lose face.

LOL not me m8, gives them a chance for a fag at the next junction waiting for me

Johnnyb wrote:

Stately wrote: the rider who may not be as quick as the others, is left trailing and taking huge risks to keep up so as not to lose face.

LOL not me m8, gives them a chance for a fag at the next junction waiting for me

I used to belong to a bike club that had a few non smokers who didn't like the fag breaks on ride outs. At the next committee meeting it was agreed this was unfair on non smokers, so it was voted in in to the constitution that when smokers did have a fag break, non smokers would be permitted a w ank break. Shortly after that there vwas a big drive to get more non smoking women in the club. A true tory.

Back to the thread, anticipation, anticipation, then a bit more. When out I have a simple rule - If someone in front does something dumb, I drop back 10 ft, do something else dumb, another 10 ft. Overtakes are considered very carefully, then carried out in an extremely swift, some would say brutal manner.

It's a war out there.

Stately wrote:These things normally start off well intentioned, but pretty soon someone will want to show off, and before you know it, the rider who may not be as quick as the others, is left trailing and taking huge risks to keep up so as not to lose face.

Whats your point? Ride to the capabilities of the slowest rider and not have such a good ride? Everyone I know and ride with rides to their capabilities and if necessary I/we/they will wait for a few seconds at the next village turn off whatever for whoever it is that is the slowest to catch up. Which is no big issue. If someone wants to push their limits they will do it whether in a group or not.

I would like to see the stats that show that riders in a groups of 2-6 are the one of the polices biggest problems for crashing.

I think that generally most people know their limits, i stick to friendly rides with the odd ride at a slightly friskier pace but i stay away from any unfriendly rides as i don't want to hold the boys up...........

Then again, on some of the 'spirited' rides I'v been on trying to keep up with the quicker guys has helped me take better lines through corners and pushed my limits but increased my overall confidence and ability. When the obvious better ability of the riders and machines ( my 400 does its best but an R6 or Super Duke does piss all over it ) means I can no longer keep up, sure I know they'll hang around for me to catch up at a convenient place. But maybe age and experience has taught me when too push it and when to hold back and younger newer riders don't have that experience, which is where maybe that should be passed on to those who need it on group rides.

At the risk of being a bit contraversial I reckon its all down to the rider.

If you feel confident enough to gun it then do so. If you need to hang back a little then do that. Sometimes it takes bigger balls to slow down than go fast and try to keep up.

What ever speed we ride at it is vital we remember all the cr4p on the roads like cars, oil, diesel, lamp posts. pedestrians etc.

And not least we need to see the big picture. Its better to be slow sometimes than dead for ever.

I spent Wednesday caning my R6 and loving it. My choice. Come the summer I will need to back off when the tourists are on the roads. Until then ?I'll just keep on having a ball and not risking anyone elses life but mine.

I've had a few beers so if this is a bit of a rant please forgive me. I'm just pee'd off at seeing bikers getting buried before their time should have been up!

Just as many crap bike riders as there are car drivers.....

I've witnessed some shocking riding lately, so bad I felt I had to have a word.

Its all about margin for error, knowing the bikes limits and yours etc.

If people are in a group rideout, so what if someone hoons off or does a massive mono. Doesn't make you a loser.

Alot of testosterone in group rideouts and theres always one [idiot] that will show off in probably the most unsafest place probable but life goes on.

ILOVECOPS wrote:Just as many crap bike riders as there are car drivers.....

I've witnessed some shocking riding lately, so bad I felt I had to have a word.

Its all about margin for error, knowing the bikes limits and yours etc.

If people are in a group rideout, so what if someone hoons off or does a massive mono. Doesn't make you a loser.

Alot of testosterone in group rideouts and theres always one [idiot] that will show off in probably the most unsafest place probable but life goes on.

Well said -

it seems todays riders that turn up and do their DAS are only taught how to pass the test, not how to ride.

everyone rides differently, i won't say good and bad, more like inexperienced and experienced. one persons dangerous is anothers boring.

its my opinion that its a subject that will never be resolved as there are too many variables

new to biking + bike + adrenaline + ego + peer pressure + wanting to keep up = accident waiting to happen


in my opinion, all people who want to have a car license should have to spend 6-12 months riding 2 wheels, bike/scooter etc so they become more aware of their existence on the road.