Letters
Your thoughts, opinions & adventures
Seeing the light
I have been a biker for almost 40 years. I remember the start of MAG over the helmet law in 1973 and thought that it was just a load of hot air over a freedom principle. Just like others it did not adversely affect me so I ignored it. However, recently I noticed that there were not many younger people at the local gatherings, and when I read the interview with MAG Campaigns Manager David Short in Bike magazine, I realised why, and promptly signed up. Here was a retired chief police officer who considered it important enough to use his experience and knowledge to fight the cause. That is big stuff in my eyes so here is my £20 to further the cause.
Meuryn Howell
(middle aged grandfather)
S. Wales
Lights again
So Kevin Gladstone wants to see all vehicles with their lights on. The problem is, he won't see all of them due to the confusion of light! His last paragraph refers to the risk compensation already enjoyed by car drivers. Permanent lights on merely adds to this, some ignorant drivers will just assume that you can see them and become even more of a threat.
Some people's inability to correctly judge the speed of vehicles with lights on
is well known and even used as a military tactic. (lights on aircraft to hide them against the sun, The Yehudi effect Ed)
Andy Carrott
What's the problem?
My lights are on all the time anyway and all new bikes are hard-wired. It's difficult to glean what the real objection is with respect to road safety issues for UK riders. Seems as if it's a big noise about something that riders are doing anyway. Shouldn't we spend our efforts on real issues that are current? Has anyone actually taken the time to put this to the riders and taken a poll?
Stewart James-Lawrence
Ed: MAG's general philosophy is that you don't make a practise mandatory simply because riders are voluntarily adopting it. We believe the daytime headlight question diverts attention from the real causes of accidents. Furthermore a legal requirement would unfairly shift the emphasis of responsibility to the rider to be seen rather than the motorist to use his eyes. Don't worry MAG is not neglecting other issues.
NB there is no legal requirement to use daytime lights, yet. The industry now hard wire all bikes for Europe to maximise commercial flexibility, but you can legally fit a switch.
Lights
Re the letter from Kevin Gladstone (ROAD10). In dim conditions of course you should have dipped (deep? ) headlights. The point is, when conditions are normal or bright I want the choice to have my lights off. I can think of certain times when it may be positively dangerous to have lights on.
If we keep going down this road all we'll end up doing is sitting down and saying, "Off we go," and the whole thing will be automatic. Or is that public transport?. Okay that's a bit facetious but the less our brains have to work the worse riders we become.
Naz the Bat
Black is the new yellow
I've just returned from a day's solo ride around some of my newly adopted home-turf of beautiful North Yorkshire. During the journey the issue of high-visibility took on an interesting slant. I was taking a snack break in a café 7 miles south of Whitby on the A171, reading 'The Road', brought with me for inspiration, and at the same time pondering the most insipid, tasteless toasted sarnie I'd ever been presented with (speed limiters is one thing, but let's put a stop to cheap sliced bread as well).
Anyway, an elderly couple came in and sat down. The gent looked at me and said, "Cracking bike you got there. Wer' that you going down Marine Drive in Scarborough?" I told him, based on his timing, that it probably was. He went on, "That bike stood out a treat." I said that Harleys tend to, particularly amongst folk who don't know much about modern Jap machinery, although he clearly knew his bikes because I mentioned that my other steed was an R1150GS and he immediately mentioned Ewan and Charlie! He then said, "Well apart from the lovely sound, a big black bike, and you in black gear, just stood out."
As I returned to my bike, two aircraft flew along the coast and banked inland almost right overhead. I could see their markings and recognised them as the RAF's advanced trainers, 'Toucano's', beautiful British name for a plane made in er, Brazil. When I got home I looked them up on the 'net and found out that the RAF's new High Visibility colour scheme for its trainers is, BLACK. Not red, white and black, not a splash of bright yellow or orange day-glow here and there, just plain BLACK. The concept of camouflage is to blend in to one's surroundings and to restrict one's outline, shape and movement. When I rode back I took a much closer look at the colours along my journey, from country roads to town high streets. The latter being a huge splash of differing colours, from cars and shop fronts to people's clothing. One might say 'a confusion of colour". So I wonder why the RAF decided that Black was a good high vis' colour? They are usually quite scientific about these things and I think the little old man in the cafˇ knows something about it, don't you? Perhaps an answer lies hidden in there, somewhere?
Geoff Cadman
Yorkshire Headlights
Visors
As a 37 year old IT professional, I use my VTR1000F to commute from my home in Stratford-upon-Avon, to my place of work in Kiddlington (nr. Oxford) which means that I spend almost the entire journey heading directly into the low sun. I use the bike in most weather conditions and have spent years hunting down the most suitable equipment from the morass of inappropriate and often shoddy goods.
My major gripe is that from my experience of adverse weather, there are many things which can obscure a riders' view and - lead to distractions.
1. Misting/Fogging of inside of visor.
2. Inability to clear rain from outside of visor.
3. Rain getting on the inside surface of the visor if opened.
4. Cold air 'jetting' into eyes due to poor helmet/visor design.
5. Sun in eyes.
6. Sunglasses fogging/misting up when stationary or moving slowly.
7. Tears (from eyes) landing on inside of visor.
When I use the bike on cold foggy mornings and especially drisly mornings, it is a full time job keeping the visor clear and there have been 2 occasions when I have nearly had an accident due to such distractions.
I've tried RainX, I have a glove with a suede finger for wiping, and I recently bought a Respro Breathshield (which could have suffocated me on first installation). I've tried most things now. I've also tried clear/yellow 'sunglasses' on darker mornings to keep the ice cold wind out of my eyes - but there's a double-whammy here since they'll steam up and you'll maybe have a visor which is steamed-up and possibly covered in rain too.
Government legislation makes absolutely no sense on the issue of visors. I agree with the relevance of shatterproof and scratch resistant visors and I'm not against visors being stamped 'for daytime use only.' But these 'daytime use' visors are not guaranteed to be shatterproof or anything else owing to the fact that they are officially illegal in the UK and as such are therefore untested or subsequently approved.
In winter with low sun, a dark visor is preferable since it will allow enough light for me to see and since it cuts out some glare, there is no need to wear dark glasses underneath. I don't like having two layers of optics between my cornea and the outside world as the more optics you have, the more there is to become obscured by mist & moisture.
It's my life that's on the line and I will use whatever I think does the job best. I know that some people will (and do) use darker visors when they shouldn't but why penalise the sensible biker for the potential folly of the minority ?
Andy Bright
Stratford-upon-Avon
Nutters
I heard that five motorcyclists/ pillions were killed and 9 seriously injured in March on Cumbrian roads. Easter weekend here was mad, with many back on their bikes for the first time since last autumn.
Whilst I have sympathy with the bereaved relatives, I do wish these nutters would stop totalling themselves as this is why we repeatedly have to fight hysterical calls for new legislation to stop 'bikers,' and we all get tarred with the same brush. I'm not anti-sports-bike, in fact I used to ride a Z1000RX until I got too inflexible, I'm just anti-suicidal-nutter.
I try not to go out on my bike on Sundays for fear of getting classified with these idiots, or getting involved in an accident caused by one.
Recently I had the misfortune to be passed by a group of three lads on R1s, Fireblades etc., all in expensive new matching leathers & helmets. I let them go and thought that would be the last I saw of them, but having overtaken me (2 of them on their back wheels), they didn't actually leave me behind by far.
Then their mate caught up - riding a 6-month old GSXR with matching kit and nipped past me quite impolitely in the queue up to a junction. If anything had been coming the other way he would have been under it. Anyway, I let him go too, thinking "better he's in front where I can see him." I followed him for a couple of miles out of Stanhope and his riding was truly atrocious! I don't class my own riding as any better than average, but this guy would wheelie the bike through the gears up to each corner, then slow down to below 20mph and wobble round. He wouldn't let me past on the straights, so eventually I passed him on the outside of a bend where I could see the road OK and I caught up with his mates who were waiting for him. I just made the 'sign of the nutter' and pointed over my shoulder. By the way, I was riding a 23-year old American cruiser. I hope his mates tease him to the extent that he gives up on biking!
How do we either get these idiots off the road or convince them to learn how to ride?
Ian Cook
NEMAG Regional Rep.
ACE Cafe memories
Seeing the ACE Cafe in a past issue really bought back memories to me. You see after the war I lived in Harrow as a child and when I grew I became a Teddy girl and we used to go to the ACE. One really scary moment I recall. A lot of the Ted's were bikers, it was before the helmet law. One evening one of them offered me a ride. Well we didn't wear mini skirts so it was quite hard, I couldn't pull my skirt up. He lifted me on side saddle and rode up and down the North Circular, it was terrifying. Ruined my hair ha ha! Such good memories. I also met this guy there, I think his name was Terry Welms, who became the lovely Adam Faith. My son sends me the magazine, I love it. I think you might know him, he's called Fergus.
Peace and sunshine
Dottie
Ed, And Ferg told me he was born of a bear, you can't believe anything he says.
On headlights
I've noticed it previously, but that letter prompted me to write on the subject with an angle that I have not heard anyone mention yet in your illustrious tome. Often when making a manoeuvre I see in my mirror a car in the distance with two bright headlights (that's all you can see - just the lights) and judge it safe to change lanes/pull out etc. Only on doing my safety check do I realise that it is in fact a motorcycle with two headlights, much much nearer than I expected. Is this worth highlighting ?
Dave Robinson (Grizzly)
Ed: Hmmm very interesting
Off road training
The East Staffordshire planning committee passed the application by the Burton Sporting Motorcycle club for a permanent off-road training facility at Kingstanding near Tatenhill airfield. The club has been campaigning for a new site following the council's decision to remove their training activities from Shobnall leisure centre at the end of last year.
The club is delighted with this decision that will allow them to continue to offer safe training opportunities to children from the age of 6 years on off-road machines. The club's chairman Mr Martin Flinders said. "Today's decision has sent a positive message to all young motorcyclists that the East Staffordshire authority is interested in promoting your sport whether your interest is moto-x, grasstrack, speedway, flattrack, or trials. We welcome this decision, which went against the planning department's advice and scored a victory for common sense. My belief in the local democratic process has been restored." The B&DSMCC is an ACU affiliated club. It is run as a voluntary, self financing club that offers safe training in a controlled environment to all ages from 6-70 years old.
Martin Flinders
Chairman Burton & District S.M.C.C.
Pitzah problem
Am I being selfish thinking that I am being deprived of an opportunity to find a parking bay? I spent ages riding around the BT tower in London today trying to find a bay to park in for 10 minutes. Every bay was full so I went further a-field to one where I normally have some luck, Ogle Street. But no, as you will see. I ended up on a yellow line in Cleveland Street and rushed in and out of my appointment with my fingers crossed. Oh and there was another Domino's moped in the bay at the top end of Cleveland Street too.
The photographs say it all. To me it smacks of commercial parking rather than solo parking and doesn't enter into the spirit of what motorcycle bays are about. Note one chain around all four wheels.
Name evaporated
Neanderthal columnist
Ref last month's Soap Box by Ken Partington. He must be the most ill-informed, arrogant, and Neanderthal person on two wheels ever to grace this Island and the worst crime of all is that you give him a whole page of your fine publication to shoot his mouth off!
As a rep who services the motorcycle trade and a keen motorcyclist for over 30 years I can say that I speak from experience. His attitude and that of many others like him is part of the reason the bike trade is in the financial doldrums at this present time. The margins within the trade are lower than any other retail trade going, this is due to many factors but the main two are that the motorcycle industry is a very small one, so buying power is small, and most motorcycle shops are owned by enthusiasts not businessmen. Most shop owners are not in the business to get rich but because of their love of motorcycles.
The larger shops that do buy in bulk and 'pile it high and sell it cheap' often buy last season's gear at a reduced price from the wholesaler / importer which is then passed onto the consumer, that is why it is cheaper than last year's recommended retail price.
Ladies' clothing, manufactures are waking up to the fact that there are many more female bikers and although there is much more choice now-a-days, with bigger size ranges and more colours, unfortunately ladies clothing still only makes up less than 5% of clothing turnover.
There are specific motorcycle boots available for ladies, including one make that even puts a 1 1/2inch lift in the sole for the more petite lady, however I doubt if Mr. Partington would be willing to pay the purchase price. I bet Mr. Partington's local bike shop owner is wondering how he is going to retire on all his profits made from Ken's once in a decade purchase of rim tape! Also has he not heard of health and safety. If he wants to buy battery acid over the counter. Perhaps Mr. Partington would like to run a clothing and accessory shop. I would be willing to come along and sell him some boots (Minimum order £8,000 paid up front to qualify as a trade stockists!) He then has business rates, staff wages, telephone, electricity, bank charges, advertising etc to come out of the 30% profits. His remarks about the NEC show are also totally unfounded. It is the NEC charging those outrageous prices not the retailers. They moan about the prices just as much as the public! You ought to see what they charge per metre of floor space, MAG should know as you have a stand there!
Last of all he carps on about all the bike magazine write ups and tests on products. Mr. Partington does not have to buy the magazines, it is not a compulsory purchase! He could put the money towards some decent kit for his wife! Most of the write ups and tests are only relevant to how much the importer of the product is spending with the magazine on advertising over the year, so you can reach your conclusion on test results!
Paul
Ed, That's the Soapbox column for you. I blame the editor, maybe best not read this month's either. Someone send me a rant that isn't about the bike trade please.
Motor Neurone Disease
I am 49 years old and I have ridden bikes since I was 16, I have been a member of MAG for numerous years since then. At Christmas I was diagnosed as having Motor Neurone Disease; an uncommon, debilitating and degenerative illness which is steadily robbing me of my mobility. As a result of this disease I am unable to walk now, and haven't been able to ride my bike since October. Needless to say, I've had to sell my Harley which was fairly heart-wrenching to say the least, as I'm sure you can understand.
I know there are many clubs out there who like to raise money for charities. I am therefore asking that they consider the Motor Neurone Disease Association (Registered Charity No 294354) or Paul's World (http://www.paulsworld.org.uk/ Registered Charity No 1117777) when deciding which charity to contribute to. Due to the rarity of this illness it seldom receives as much publicity as other, more familiar, diseases and is well down the NHS's league table when it comes to funding.
Ian Towler
Ed: I wish you every bit of good luck in the world Ian
Road defects
Can the fact that a defect hasn't been reported remove liability (Sunken Sensations, issue 10)? On the rail network every asset must be recorded and inspected at least annually. Most track is inspected far more frequently. Don't other asset stewards have similar responsibilities? The manhole you showed can't have dropped overnight so Scottish Water should have had time to inspect their asset and repair it if defective. If it wasn't inspected they aren't acting responsibly. Their fault. Network Rail and Jarvis admitted responsibility for the Potters Bar crash even though the points had been inspected and passed but were still defective. The only way I can see that they wouldn't be responsible is if the road surface had been altered which means the alterer would be responsible. One for MAG Lawyers to ponder?
Ian Leeds
Lowrider
Just a short note to let you know how much I enjoyed Low Rider. Having done a 2,000 mile trip myself across South Australia a few years ago on an aged, overloaded and optimistically titled Yamaha Royal Star. (It wasn't regal by any stretch of the imagination and the only star quality was that they were always out by the time I got off it each night). I was with you every oil-stained, buttock-clenching, back-breaking, mood-swinging, beer-swilling mile of the way. It made me re-live those 'lower than a snake's belly' moments and incredible highs that you get. In fact at one point yesterday my wife called me and I shouted back "I can't come, can't you see I'm having a beer with Ian in Greece." I could taste the Amstel! It also, made me realise how soft I've become as I'm off on a trip down to Southern Portugal soon and I'm pratting about with air jackets, pertec liners, spare visors, sun cream and UV resistant buffs! I've let the kit take over the trip so now I've made a new list. Petrol, docs & dosh. The real thing to remember is just go - open throttle, open mind.
Cheers again
Steve Nash
PS: Shouldn't the lowest low rider be in the Guinness book of records?
Ed I might not be the only biker who has made it to the Dead Sea. I guess I could see if they have a record for the lowest bike in the lowest place on earth.
Helmet law
Ref the recent horrific motorcycle accident in which a biker was decapitated, I feel it is absolutely wrong to jam a bucket on your head whilst riding a motorcycle. When riding one should have full facility for hearing and total all round awareness to the benefit of personal riding pleasure.
It is absolutely essential that MAG promotes at every turn, a return to freedom of choice for helmet wearing to our 'free' country. Do enjoy this fine summer weather.
Owen Kristiansen
Cornwall
Dummy CCTV
My Honda motorcycle recently suffered criminal damage while parked outside a Honda dealership in Mitcham. I told the manager and he said he has no responsibility as the CCTV on the shop front was a dummy one. This shop should have live CCTV to help convict criminals who damage bikes. I shall not visit it again.
Mr I Hill, London
Ed I can understand your irritation and real cameras are so cheap these days I'm a little surprised he bothered with a dummy.
Vermin thieves
Our Ural sidecar outfit 'Boris' (featured in a previous issue of The ROAD) was stolen and though we got the bike back it's a burn't out wreck. The police know who's doing it and the residents where it was dumped and subsequently set fire to say it happens all the time! The residents even reported the bike as being there several hours before it was set on fire!
You're right about doing something about the vermin - but what? Most people feel powerless to act when the police can't (or won't) do anything about it and then the criminal justice system doesn't follow through and these little bastards know that!
In the meantime can you tell me how the £1000 MAG reward works - is it for information leading to the conviction of the thieves?
Jakki Francis
Ed, These yobs know nothing of consequence will happen to them as the prisons are full. I'm sure the police get highly demoralised as they don't have the back up of the courts and must watch louts walk laughing from courtrooms with ASBOS that are badges of pride in their distorted world.
The courts in turn don't have the back up of the government who have declined to build enough prisons. It's a vicious circle. Ultimately of course society needs fixing but until then government's priority should be to protect innocent citizens and that they and previous governments have singularly failed to do. It may be thought a little outside MAG's remit to campaign on this broader issue but member's views are welcomed. As far as the reward scheme goes. All MAG members bikes are covered by it. If someone provides information on who stole your bike and it leads to a conviction then depending upon the value of that information ie how critical it was to the conviction, MAG will pay up to £1000 to that person.
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