Bikers make up 1% of the vehicals on the road, yet account for 5% of road traffic accidents. Now, this sounds like a bad figure, but how much of that is at the fault of the rider? I recently did Jury Service and a biker had been killed by the driver of a car driving dangerously.  He was at 60mph (on the 60mph road) so how is it his fault? A major accident on the A23 the other day when a car and lorry collided. The lorry crossed the central reservation and went head-on into a group of bikes. Again, thier fault? How about making it compulary for all car drivers to take an advanced lesson in handling the car?

The Government are just picking on us because we're more vunerable on the roads. Well, we know we are. Everytime we get on the bike we understand and except the risk we're taking. We won't win a head on and we'll come off worse in an accident, we know all this... but we still ride. Does this mean a Bugatti Veron, Ferrari, Porshe, Alfa and all the other GTI twin turbo etc etc cars out there will be getting a restrictor too? I highly doubt it. It infuriates me to the point of screaming when this happens. I have a good mind to march on parliment at the weekend (or ride!) with a board saying F**K OFF!!

How about Blair and his croanies back off and leave us alone. No sooner have they done something good for us (Opening up bus lanes!) they flip it around and bring out some ludicrus legislation like this. If this is implimented then I'm off, I can't stand this country anymore.

Yamaha FZS 600 Fazer ... in gold! 

Ride safe, and look out for the Rainbow of Death!

^{There're only 3 kinds of people in the world, those who can count, and those that can't.}

^{Roses are red, Violets are Blue, I'm a schizophrenic ..... and so am I!}

^{Take pity on the man who invented the drawing board, when he screwed up, he had nothing to fall back on.}

^{Stuff everything, I've always got my bike.}

To me, the problem is far more deep-seated than just "this bloody Government again".  There are now two kinds of people:

• Those who believe that we are all responsible for our own actions and are willing to accept the consequences of whatever they do, who accept that life can never be risk-free, and who feel that people should be free to live their own lives and make their own choices; and
• Those who believe that any risk or harm is unacceptable if there is the means of reducing or eliminating it, who believe they have a duty (and even a right) to protect others from harm, whether caused by others or self-induced, and that restricting other people's freedoms is quite acceptable in the name of risk reduction.

I would imagine that most bikers would be of the first type, and most social workers would be of the second.  The problem is that we are now ruled by the second type - not just in Government, but throughout society, from local authorities to the health service, from the EU to the promoters of the "safety" cameras.  Even the Fire Service - in the news this week was an item on a fireman (sorry, firefighter) who was being disciplined after entering a swollen river to save the life of a woman who was drowning.  Apparently, jumping into moving water is not in the list of "things firemen are allowed to to" from a safety perspective.

Until we can change the mood of society as a whole, these things are going to keep happening, whatever Government is in power.  The last major politician to be of the first type was Margaret Thatcher, and she hasn't been in power for 17 years.

Don't worry too much, though.  I can remember the "leg protectors" debate of the 70s, which would have resulted in the slimmest and razziest of sports bikes carrying huge ugly structures on either side, and the Bangermann proposal from the EU to restrict all bikes to 100bhp.  Neither happened.  If they do decide to limit the fastest bikes, I am damn sure that manufacturers, tuners and riders between them will find a way to get round them.

The big problem is that biking is a non-essential activity.  Almost any rider could afford a cheap car if he/she wished, unlike say the 1950s, so we are (according to our masters) wilfully indulging in a dangerous and anti-social activity because it is enjoyable.  And don't forget that when the Puritans banned bear-baiting in the 17C, it was not because of the pain caused to the bear, it was because the people doing it were having fun.  And that could not be allowed to happen - then or today.

I'd get that Busa while you still can, Mazz!

Thanks for the heads-up, though.  where did you see the news item?

--

2003 ST1300 Pan Euro
1995 Yam XT600E
http://goingfastgettingnowhere.blogspot.com/

I have heard it said - why do you continue to drive a 4x4 when you could easily satisfy almost all your motoring needs with a small hatchback?  The answer "because I want to" is not acceptable.  If there is no good justification ("good" meaning "one that I agree with"), then you are irresponsible and selfish for choosing such a dangerous/polluting/anti-social form of transport.

Replace 4x4 with "motorcycle" and you will see what I mean.  4x4s are already under heavy pressure from the Govt, the media and various single-issue pressure groups.  Bikes may well be next.

Remember "First they came for the Communists ..."?

To the barricades, comrades!

--

2003 ST1300 Pan Euro
1995 Yam XT600E
http://goingfastgettingnowhere.blogspot.com/

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/derbyshire/6510457.stm

"A policeman who was watching the Disney film Finding Nemo while a prisoner hanged himself has been given a suspended prison sentence."

A prisoner hangs himself, which you would think was a pretty deliberate act.  But the policeman is apparently at fault for not preventing him doing it.  See the post above.  The man in the cells hanged himself - it was his action and his choice.  But the blame is put on someone else, who failed to intervene to save another person from their own actions.  The policeman didn't hand him the rope or string him up - he just failed to observe the man and missed the chance to prevent him suffering the consequences of his own deliberate act.

In the same way, I guess, the Govt don't want to be held to blame for NOT banning fast motorbikes when they clearly had the opportunity and the means, and thereby causing the deaths of thousands of riders who couldn't help themselves and rode dangerously fast.

There are no consequences any more, only the search for someone to blame.

Sorry to bang on about this.  It's a pet hate of mine.

--

2003 ST1300 Pan Euro
1995 Yam XT600E
http://goingfastgettingnowhere.blogspot.com/

I heard it on the local radio and in MCN. I remember them trying to put an Intelligent Speed Advisor or something (the acronym is ISA) that cut the power if you were going too fast. Fortunately that was scrppaed (for obvious danger reasons) but I get the feeling this is thier answer to it.

Will we have another petition to sign to say "No" to this? We did it for the Pay As You Go driving charge they're bringing out. 1.7 million people (I believe) said no and the Gov't is still going ahead with it. It's a pile of ****, that's what it is!

On another note regarding the Road Charging Scheme, Mr Blair said it's not a stealth tax, but a means of cutting down traffic. My left testical it is!!! Of course it's a stealth tax, else you wouldn't be doing it. If you want a greener Briton Mr Blair, change the fuel sources. We know deisels can run on chip fat oil, and I'm sure we can develop engines to run on Air (we have, RAMJET engines, but you cant slow down!) but you won't. Why? Because you get so much money from us on normal fuel that your fingers don't want to let go.

Rant over, back on topic.

Yamaha FZS 600 Fazer ... in gold! 

Ride safe, and look out for the Rainbow of Death!

^{There're only 3 kinds of people in the world, those who can count, and those that can't.}

^{Roses are red, Violets are Blue, I'm a schizophrenic ..... and so am I!}

^{Take pity on the man who invented the drawing board, when he screwed up, he had nothing to fall back on.}

^{Stuff everything, I've always got my bike.}

Think of the effect on the health service if they succeeded in banning smoking.  The billions donated by smokers would cause a huge black hole in the NHS funding which would not be covered by any reduction in demand through people being healthier.  The Govt would have to beg some of us to start puffing again.

Not me, by the way.  Never again.

--

2003 ST1300 Pan Euro
1995 Yam XT600E
http://goingfastgettingnowhere.blogspot.com/

This country (and most of the world) needs polution to exist. It's a sad, sorry state of affairs, but to a point it's true. Without fuel (number one polutant) where would the econamy be? No cars, no trucks to transport goods. No boats to ferry across import/export. We need the fuel, else all fails and we fall apart. We can develop new, more environmentally friendly cars, machines and even houses now. The Gov't will never make it compulsary however, because there is no profit in it for them... But you can bet your bottom dollar that they will smack tax and some sort of charge for having the most eco-friendly lifestyle there is.

Yamaha FZS 600 Fazer ... in gold! 

Ride safe, and look out for the Rainbow of Death!

^{There're only 3 kinds of people in the world, those who can count, and those that can't.}

^{Roses are red, Violets are Blue, I'm a schizophrenic ..... and so am I!}

^{Take pity on the man who invented the drawing board, when he screwed up, he had nothing to fall back on.}

^{Stuff everything, I've always got my bike.}