Re: New Riders and Big Bikes?
 

Here we go again :p

Re: New Riders and Big Bikes?
 

My reason is that when the fool wraps himself around a tree because he dont know what he is doing its more bad press for bikes, our insurance goes up and the Government thinks up new and annoying ways to get the rest of us off of the road.

Its not just new riders either. Born again bikers are arguably worse. Because back in the day they has a 1000 they think they can come back to biking and jump on a zx10r/GSX-R/R1/CBR, they soon find out that oh dear maybe i shouldnt have. This is ofcourse a little stereo-typical I know so dont flame me.

People need to have exp with smaller bikes before going for bigger ones. Simple as that imo.

Re: New Riders and Big Bikes?
 

Yes they want to, and can afford to. But what they're wallet and they're mouth says are different to what they're brains are saying. Some guys who go out and buy said super duper cartwheeling motorcycle are clearly capable of riding with skill to warrant emptying their wallet on a whim.

But what this really does boil down to is ball size isn't it...come on you can't be showing your mates you've tiny nuts when you've just passed your test can you!!!!!

Incidently, collectively we have nine bikes so clearly can afford whatever bike we choose, but, even when i'd passed my DAS I chose to buy the SV off my bloke because i wanted to I could have walked into the dealers and bought the latest super duper bike, but I have a brain and common sense

Re: New Riders and Big Bikes?
 

Why does my lads Father in law drive a clapped out transit, and when the sun shines his Aston Martin DB7, Why does one of the lads who used to work for me drive a Ferrarri and another a Dodge charger. All totally impractical cars. But they do it because they

1) Want to
2) Can.

It is the same with bikes. You get the bike you want. so what if sat in his little Ferrarri Malc is no Stig. He always wanted one. He got it. OK I doubt any of us are a JT never mind a Pedrossa, Rossi etc. So what, The guy accross the road with the tuned/tricked blade told me two of his colleagues past their tests in October, one bought a blade, the other a Gixxer 600. Both are paramedics and seen the consequence of over enthusiasm first hand. Blade has already been down the road. He got up walked away and thought won't do that again.

I asked the question was he hammering it. No on his way to work had to hit the brakes for a pushbike running a red and down he went. It wouldn't have mattered if he was on a busa or cg125, the inexperience front end lock up would have occurred on both. (Assuming cg had had a recent brake service)

As Lisa (R1 riding landlady) says. "Nobody ever overtakes me, they all want to ride behind me to look at my bum in leather".


In short. Whatever we ride, we do it by choice. Some have more money than others and can therefore afford the toys. I have no problem. If they wreck them then

1) + they are adding to the available spares pool.
2) + overly done they are helping some poor sod on a transplant list
3) - They might want spares from my pool
4) - They might take me with them

So bearing in mind 4 above, if there is someone with a wobble on in front. Don't just blast them as they might just be about to ride into your racing line.

Re: New Riders and Big Bikes?
 

funny, happens to me too. And to be fair if you want to over take me then go ahead. At the end of the day I'm the one in front riding at said speed, if you want to go faster, byeeee...and I wave too.

I had a mate nearly crash into the back of me, up Dent once, funny kind of an upward hill thing going on, and his words were

really sorry lou, I was too busy staring at your ar$se,

Re: New Riders and Big Bikes?
 

Find I have that problem all the time myself too. People always too close behind me ;)

Re: New Riders and Big Bikes?
 

Ha, ha, you made me laugh with that one. Are we opinionated or grumpy today Tim?

Re: New Riders and Big Bikes?
 

For once reasonable. Can't be doing with moaners at the moment

Re: New Riders and Big Bikes?
 

Blimey...

Re: New Riders and Big Bikes?
 

see what you have done lol ;)

Re: New Riders and Big Bikes?
 

is it that nice?? if so i reckon i need a PM'd picture to truley belive it!! ;):p

Re: New Riders and Big Bikes?
 

LMAO you perv lol,

Re: New Riders and Big Bikes?
 

Seems a bit unfair (or just jealousy). How do you know he was being smug; that he hadn't come up through the ranks and all that? He may have just had a bad day, just picked the bike up and/or may be taking a little longer to get used to it. he may have just made a mistake, lost concentration etc and may have looked back and thought "Why the hell did I put my foot down, why am I riding like a piltchard, oh **** that two year experienced newbie over there will be laughing at me now - b8gger"!! ;). :D

There's planty of stories passed through this forum of experienced riders doing seemingly daft things. :cool:

Re: New Riders and Big Bikes?
 

yeah like last year me following you around a sharp bend on the way back from Foxes. not realising it was as sharp asit was, concequently running wide, could have been really bad if there had been a car comming!! as i would not be here now.

In that case if i had been riding my ZX would i have been said tosser? no i just had a bad day.!!

actually the ZX would have got me around it beter as i could have pushed it harder in the corner!!

Re: New Riders and Big Bikes?
 

:smt045 see sig.

Re: New Riders and Big Bikes?
 

Bah she never wears her leathers :-P

Re: New Riders and Big Bikes?
 

yeah exactly i was hoping for her to be wearing very litttle ;):p

Re: New Riders and Big Bikes?
 

I probably fit into a lot of the stereotypes listed in some of the above posts ie born again biker/weekend warrior(though without the attitude and tellytubby suit)/inexperienced biker on a litre bike - 12 months on a 125 years ago then 500 DAS training/ then SV/ then Triumph Tiger. Its not an all out sports bike so obviously not as quick as a gsxr etc, but fast enough to get into trouble quickly. Simply choosing to use a bike instead of a car you are 56 times more likely to be killed or seriously injured, and most of the statistics are riders my age with not a lot of experience on a big bike, and this worries me, but I love my bike, so try to be very careful to keep it within my limits and only use the power when I feel certain that its safe. I got the bike i wanted (Tiger) because it fits me and can carry some luggage. I dont have a lot of experience and still make stupid mistakes like occasionally having to put my foot down. Yes I probably do enjoy bragging about my bike- why shouldn't I, because I think its great. I often take corners too slow or dont always filter when I can and get overtaken by 125cc bikes, but it doesnt bother me, as its better to be overtaken than taking a corner too fast or dropping the bike onto somebodys bonnet. I dont want to ride a 125 for 5 years, before moving onto a 250cc etc

Re: New Riders and Big Bikes?
 

A bike/car is a weapon in the wrong hands regardless of how fast/slow it goes.

However, I still advocate that people should start off with a bike which is more forgiving.

Re: New Riders and Big Bikes?
 

In France I believe they have a system in place where for two years after your test you are limited in what you can ride. Up to 600cc.

Which would mean you can ride a SS 600.................but not an SV:confused:

Re: New Riders and Big Bikes?
 

In France all bikes are restricted to approx 100bhp, so the likes of 600 Fazers and Hornets and large adventure bikes are very popular. Bikes such as the gixxer thou exist, but are supposed to be restricted so are much less popular than here.

Re: New Riders and Big Bikes?
 

Yes, we'd noticed on our trips to France that big adventure-type bikes were very popular. We've seen more Africa Twins and Tigers in France than anywhere else.

Re: New Riders and Big Bikes?
 

Interesting with France.

My former boss, whilst French and lives in Paris, Belfort and Grass. Has a Scottish wife (poor lass marrying a frog). He bought his 996 one warm afternoon when we skived out the office and down to the local bike shop for a quick look round.

He had it registered to his wifes family home in her name. I had the fun of collecting it and riding it down to Dover, where they met me to take the bike. There was no way he would buy a French spec bike as (his words) "They all have there balls cut off"

Re: New Riders and Big Bikes?
 

Everyone 'unrestricts' them....if you see a sportsbike its probably over 100BHP.

Its only a problem if the stromphe's catch you doing high speeds, or behavng especially naughtily. Thats my experience anyway......

Re: New Riders and Big Bikes?
 

whilst doing my iam observing I took an older guy out. he had had bikes as a young guy and gave them up when wife and kids came along. he read loads of magazines and decided to buy an R6. never even sat on a bike for 20 years. anyway he picked up bike and was sitting at traffic lights just outside garage. chavs pulled up next to him and he thought ill show them. lights changed he grabbed a handful and bike went straight up in the air, landing on him and breaking his pelvis. a year later he was back on bike and at iam. he was very cautious and decided a few weeks later that he was not enjoying it and gave up biking. But it is not right that anyway else decides what size of bike he can and cannot buy. training is the answer not prohibition

Re: New Riders and Big Bikes?
 

Training is a nice ideal, but given the reason that the guy broke his pelvis in the first place was a bad attitude, so you think that if he hadn't broken his pelvis he'd have been anywhere near the IAM?

Lucky for him the chavs arrived at stationary trafic lights really, they did him a favour. What if he'd decided to "show them" when they overtook him thrashing their GTI down a country road at 80mph?

Training's great, but a lot of guys who buy fireblades after DAS have a cavalier attitude, already think they are the best car driver on the planet, and IAM is nowhere on the radar and no-one will convince them otherwise.

I mentioned earlier the nut job at work (he's a customer but I'm a consultant and spend a lot of time working at thier offices) who wants to pas DAS and buy a fireblade. No way his mega ego would have him waste his time in McDonalds car park on a Wednesday night when the gixxer superhero mates who are pushing him to get a bike (you know the type who ride to the Carbeth Inn at 140 mph and pull a massive stoppie into the car park) say the instructors all have beards and an R1100RT.

I'm not saying prohibition is necessarily the answer. Another customer has been riding a XR125 since last summer and commutes on it every day, he used to cycle to work through Edinburgh traffic so it's not a huge change for him. He now wants to pass his test on the 125 and asked me what bikes he could get with 33BHP. He says that he doesn't think he has the experience so a two year restriction is not a bad thing anyway. Knowing he's sensible I advised him to go and pass DAS and then buy a 500 if thats what he's confortable with, then after a year if he wants something bigger he won't have the restriction on his license.

Perhaps tying training into legislation is a sensible answer. For instance, leave the existing 33bhp rule in place, allow over 21's to pass DAS and ride up to say 85 bhp for two years, unless they pass IAM or ROSPA within that time period at which point they can ride what they like. You could then join IAM immediately after passing your test and within 6 months be riding a fireblade if thats what you want.

It would allow sensible riders to buy a fireblade and make sure the mega ego nut jobs have had some training and a good dose of awareness talks.

Re: New Riders and Big Bikes?
 

Nope totally disagree with anything that limits personal freedom.

Its up to ME to chose what bike I want to ride, what I wear when doing it.

Re: New Riders and Big Bikes?
 

I would have said this is better than what the DVLA are proposing to introduce to dissuade people from riding all together!

Re: New Riders and Big Bikes?
 

Plus one on that. My licence says I can ride what I want. Why change it.

Re: New Riders and Big Bikes?
 

Yup, laws are changing to make it ridiculously hard to ride a bike legally.

Only 2 test centers in all of yorkshire when the latest batch of bull$hit arrives in a few months.

Re: New Riders and Big Bikes?
 

I read most of this with amusement. I have made my feelings on this plain. However, I cannot believe that some bikers want to place more restrictions on us.

I wonder just how much is based on the "It's not fair, I have a 33bhp restriction, yet being a riding god, I am far better than any Gixxer riding power ranger could ever be. Yet they can ride anything because of their age, income etc".

As I have previously said. We need to encourage more onto two wheels. Disparaging comments about anyone's bikers abilities, choice of bike and the fact they are sensible enough to wear decent leathers etc. makes me wonder if they are true bikers or just shallow imitations.

The governments of Europe are already scheming against motorcycle usage, lets not give them more ammunition under the guise of motorcycle interest groups are asking for phased progression to a full licence etc.

Re: New Riders and Big Bikes?
 

As an aside, I'm a reasonable rider, I'm no Rossi and I never will be.

I took my GSXR out yesterday to give it a run, I havent ridden it since September last year. It was wet in places and slippery after the salt, my rear tyre is squared off and it makes the bike slow to turn.

I rode so slowly up a hill with a series of switch back corners in it I got caught up by a car :oops: I have pretty much forgotten how to ride and I'm really rusty, so I rode slowly because I was building my confidence back up again.

Re: New Riders and Big Bikes?
 

All fair enough, these are your opinions. But whats the difference between a newbie 40 year old being restricted to 85bhp, if a 20 year old is restricted to 33, a 17 year old to 12.5, and a 16 year old to 3.5.

Are we saying therefore that under 21's should also be given freedom of choice to ride what they want? That the 16, 17 and 21 year old restrictions are a bad idea? After all they can drive a Ferrari at 17.

If you think thats acceptable then say so and don't read further, but if you don't think thats acceptable, then why do you think its acceptable for a 40 year old DAS graduate with the same level of biking experience to jump on a 180bhp Hayabusa?

Re: New Riders and Big Bikes?
 

I don't disagree that the current changes are a bad thing for biking, I'm suggesting this as what I think is a better alternative to the new laws. And it doesn't stop people riding what they want. It just insists that if they are new to biking and have done DAS they take additional training first. Any rider who's ridden more than the two years would remain unaffected, which would also cover anyone who already been through the 33 bhp two years.

I can't get my head round the current situation where somebody who passed the test on a 500 is somehow deemed a more capable rider than somebody who passed the same test on a 125. It just doesn't make any sense.

The problem with restrictions in legislation is that it's done by non biking politicians, doesn't make any sense, is driven by various political agendas, and restricts freedom of choice, not just with the focus on improving safety.

Re: New Riders and Big Bikes?
 

Well I haven't read all 14 pages of this far too much to read, end of the day I should be able buy what I want.....everybody should. Why should bikes be restricted and not cars.

In fact I just saw a 0% finance deal for a new R6 07 for ?125/month which is what I'm paying for my SV. So hell same price I may just get one, why not its my choice!

I don't want people going oh you can't have that, why the hell not? I really belive that advanced training, riding you bikes as much possiable is what makes better riders. You know it should be a good thing more people than ever on bikes....

As I said I dislike people that show off as that is what casues problem, yes this leads to crashes and dead riders, riding too fast ect but we all know that.

Don't start asking to restricted, becasue you know the government will try that on, I want to left alone to enjoy my bike with friends.

Re: New Riders and Big Bikes?
 

TBH these restrictions will do nothing. most people ilegaly derestrict restricted bikes anyhow.. and if the governmant crack down on people who can buy what ever they want three things will happen..

1. The British biking scene will just dwindle and people will lose all interest in the end!
2.There will be a massive fleet of ghost rider type folks who will just mod what ever it is they own to the max and go mental to prove a point to the .Gov!
3. race tracks will get alot busier!

if it comes to this i will move to another country and let this one just get on with it.

but back to the topic this will effect any biker/commter/ Weekend warrior / moped / restricted etc . . regardless of their ability..

through the thread i have been all up for people to get what they want,..
untill today, my dads daytona 650 just keeps breaking so he is fixing it, selling it, and getting a GSXR 1000... over my dead body .... unless he packs in alot of advanced rider training he will get himself in so such trouble with that bike.. he was bad enough on that peice of crap triumph.. give him an extra load of BHP.... dont even want to think about it... but he rode bikes all his life.. had a break and came back after 10 years... rusty as muck.. but wont listen GRRR ! ! ! so without specific training and experience id say getting a massive bike might be a REALLY bad idea.. but it all comes down to the indevidual

:shaking:

Re: New Riders and Big Bikes?
 

OK, fair enough, it was only a "Maybe the answer is..." suggestion.

Looks like most folk are opposed to any further restriction, regardless of what it comprises or if it's sensible or not.

I suppose I'm not bothered. I wouldn't have bought anything more powerful than 85bhp after my DAS, 'cos I'd been away from biking for 12 years and didn't think anything bigger was a good idea. Hence I own an SV, and only something that big 'cos I thought it would keep me entertained for a couple of years, whereas I'd have been wanting to sell a 500 after six months. Maybe I'll change for something like an RSV or Falco this year if I'm in a dealership and get tempted for something, but I'm not actively looking and still quite happy with the SV.

And if some other fool like the guy at my work or the guy that broke his pelvis wants to go and kill themselves, it'll be no skin off my nose. My son'll be getting a 50cc at 16 and a 125 at 17 and doing it the hard way.

Re: New Riders and Big Bikes?
 

thats the way i did it, helped me know end with road craft etc... my kids will do the same too

Re: New Riders and Big Bikes?
 

Altho I did my DAS, I think it would prove sensible if riders were to go through a restricted system - as I also believe car drivers should too.

I dont like the idea that after a kids driving test - they can if they have the money, go out and buy what ever car they want and drive it like a loony. If these cars were restricted, I think drivers would be forced to learn how to drive outside of lessons, rather than automatically think they can just do what they like.

Passing your test is far from knowing how to drive/ride, its merely that you have achieved the minimum standard to use the public highways without supervision.

Like currently with motorbike tests - the system assumes that the older you are, the more sensible you'll be on the road.

Call me a killjoy - but I've seen enough stupid accidents that could have been avoided if someone didnt think they were a superhero when using their car or bike.

Re: New Riders and Big Bikes?
 

When the nights are light longest in the summer, a road around my village is closed practically every weekend due to a fatality. Always a 17 year old who has put his modified GTI hatchback through a wall or a tree. The fatality is usually the 14,15 or 16 year old who was sitting in the back without a seatbelt. I can think of 4 places within a 5 mile radius of my village where there is a roadside shrine to a young person who died in the last year. If they were all restricted to a 1.2 or less for two years that would drop significantly.