Why Bikers die on Welsh Roads - TV tonight

Originally Posted by hovis

For those of you who didn't see it and are interested in viewing the program, it's repeated tonight at 9pm on BBC2 Wales

Originally Posted by Luckypants

Available on satellite / cable as well I guess.

sky chanel 989 or thereabouts

I emailed BBC Wales asking when the programme was going to be aired and received a very quick reply:-

Outside Wales Sky channel 991 @ 9pm.

Well, I cant watch the program since i dont have sky and i dont live in wales, but i get the jist that - like every other non-informed program about motorcycling, it sorta missed the point of owning a bike.

I have a (potentialy) powerfull bike, infact even with 33bhp its more than enough to have me carted away in a body-bag and quicker than most cars off the line. Why do we need "powerfull" bikes? We dont, but then why does one person need a 4x4 all to themselves? Why do some people try and cram all their family in a little fiat? We have these bikes because its the best thing we can afford, and because we want it! We dont need it - I doubt I need a bike at all at the moment since i walk everywhere, but its nice to have it. Like owning a musical instrument without having a band to play in, or studying chemistry without a lab to perform experiments in. Its just nice to have! It seems (from the comments made here) that the whole point of owning a vehicle for pleasure use has been over-looked; understandable, since most people have a car to get from A to B, not to go out on a warm sunday with freinds for a nice drive.

It seems the programme was intended to serve a bit of a shock-tactic to motorcyclists and to enforce the image of motorcycling as a dangerous hobby where the people who take part are dumb fools with no regard to their saftey or the safety of others; for some, this is true. Ive seen plenty of motorcyclists who shouldnt be riding on public roads, since they seem to have forgotten that traffic flows both ways! Yet most motorcyclists I come across are good road users, far better than the equivalent car-only road user (the danger of death really does make you more aware) and pick their time to have a good thrash (i.e. not in heavy traffic, town or other stupid places). Most motorcyclists protect themselves and take the chances avaliable to improve their riding. I went down the 33bhp route so I could ease myself into bikes, knowing that 70bhp would be a bit beyond me to handle physically.

And thats my input

ta-ra

Matt

Originally Posted by Baph

That was another good thing I thought that the programme highlighted (if only breifly). It doesn't matter how long ago you passed your test. Experience is earnt by miles.

To true. I think you passed your test around the same time as me, yet ive dont maybe 1/14th of the miles youve coverd (if that!). I think on a given road, you'd be alot more skilled and safer than me

So I'd wobble along

Matt

Saw the programme and recorded it and it fell well short of what I was expecting.

There's bad roads in Wales & many bikers riding outside their ability.

I didn't see the programme.

I ride a lot of roads in mid-Wales. Most are terrific fun but there are a few I really don't like. The A483 from Newtown south to Llandrindod Wells is one of them. It is incredibly twisty, some very sharp bends.

It's not the bends I mind, no not at all.

It's the ********s going TFF the other way who fail to appreciate how sharp the corners are and who run wide. I have seen it happen time and time again and whenever I go down that way I try to keep as far left as I can, even on a left hand bend, simply because of the running wide danger. Too many are KSI on that road simply because of running wide and into the path of oncoming.

[Luckypants]

This was one of the roads featured, since two bikers died in one afternoon there over Easter. It is also the road that the caravan park incident from the program (referred to in this thead) happened on. The point was made that the road is dangerous.

I would say don't ride it, lots of more scenic ways to get to Welshpool / Newtown / Aberystwyth.

Originally Posted by Luckypants

This was one of the roads featured, since two bikers died in one afternoon there over Easter. It is also the road that the caravan park incident from the program (referred to in this thead) happened on. The point was made that the road is dangerous.

I would say don't ride it, lots of more scenic ways to get to Welshpool / Newtown / Aberystwyth.

Agreed as to last paragraph. I much prefer to turn left down to Churchstoke, as in AR06.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/mediaselector/c...bbram=1&nbwm=1
apart from the hard shoulder bit- that loooks alright to me!

I watched it last night. It was more balanced than I had expected (nice to see the speed is the main factor in only 4% being used). There was a nasty propoganda-like aspect to it though. The insinuation was that the recently married chap who died had been irresponsible and bought an obscenely quick bike, wholey inappropriate for someone with his lack of experience. In reality, he had bought and SV650. Similarly when he died, they left it suitably vague as though the bike crashed of its own accord. From the sounds of it, he was actually quite inexperienced and messed up, clipping the curb. A tragic death no doubt, but by the sounds of it, completely his fault and it didn't involve speeding.

It was only the video of that clown doing 80+ round a blind bend in a 30 in the middle of the day and smashing into a car which was really bad. Those two bikers (whilst doing us no favours) were unrepentant and I was glad to see that. The undertake on the hard shoulder was a bit naughty and I'd not do it, likewise, the undertake on the bus (if you've seen the whole video- it wasn't aired in the program) was poorly judged. Other than that, it was fairly standard behaviour for a lot of bikes (and not particularly dangerous). That chappie from the north wales police in the helicopter seemed a right prat. He claimed to of never seen anything like it in years of traffic policing and that it was the worst example of riding he'd come across. Wow, north welsh bikers must be absolute saints, or he must spend very little time on the road. Try heading westbound on the M4 just as it leaves london on a friday afternoon and see how the vast majority of bikes are being ridden like that (although not on the hard shoulder). Sensationalist clown: If you showed him a video of ghostrider he'd probably have a coronary.