Is it legal to wheelie?

Originally Posted by hongman

I guess under the right circumstances you could try claiming it was accidental? lol

Erm...no...not a good plan. Will deffo get you booked with a careless driving (section 3 RTA) at a minimum.

Best plan? Don't do them on a public road.

Please explain where I insinuated it should be a planned act. Keywords being "under the right circumstances".

Would you book someone for a little slide round a corner (backend wiggle)? Not in total control of the vehicle, completely accidental. Who hasnt done it?

I'm obviously not saying you should use that as an excuse for pulling a **** off monster wheelie down the road, but a little one pulling away or similar, you could try and wiggle out of.

[Biker Biggles]

We had a plummer on here once who put it like this-----Anything less than two wheels touching the road is a nick.

[Dave20046]

Originally Posted by hongman

Who hasnt done it?

Doesn't really stand up in court very well
If you're riding like a d1ck you do it at your own risk, there's not too many defences you can use unfortunately.

[squirrel_hunter]

Why wheelie? You're faster if both wheels are on the ground.

I nearly hit the Chief of North yorkshire police a few years back... just as I snicked into second on a wheelie, he stepped out in front of me and put his hand up for me to stop!

Having *just* missed him I turned around and went absolutely Banzai on him. An absolute tyrade!

I accused HIM of dangerous behaviour and trying to deliberately cause an accident. I was going to have him in court. He smugly grinned at me expecting to throw the book at me until he suddenly realised we were on a closed road and he was very much in the wrong!. I wish I'd video'd the grovelling apology!

Never had trouble since, but then I've never been caught since.

C

Originally Posted by hongman

Please explain where I insinuated it should be a planned act. Keywords being "under the right circumstances".

Would you book someone for a little slide round a corner (backend wiggle)? Not in total control of the vehicle, completely accidental. Who hasnt done it?

I'm obviously not saying you should use that as an excuse for pulling a **** off monster wheelie down the road, but a little one pulling away or similar, you could try and wiggle out of.

No, i am saying the plan of saying it was an accident is not a good plan!

Technically, yes, I could book someone for having a little slide around a corner, as clearly you are not in proper control of the vehicle and have taken a corner too fast. Whether I would or not is a different matter.

And if someone used that line of "it was accidental" for doing a wheelie, no matter how small, when pulling away, I could almost guarentee I would book them. I have never done it yet so in my opinion, an "accidental" one would show you being less in control of your vehicle than a bloody planned one!

However, should anyone wish to follow the "accidental" advice, feel free.

Like I said, best advice....infact, no, best advice is S_H's!

Originally Posted by Dave20046

Doesn't really stand up in court very well
If you're riding like a d1ck you do it at your own risk, there's not too many defences you can use unfortunately.

haha, I know, but you've taken it out of context - "Who hasnt done it" meaning who hasnt lost control of their vehicle, however minor, at some point.

Originally Posted by Milky Bar Kid

No, i am saying the plan of saying it was an accident is not a good plan!

Technically, yes, I could book someone for having a little slide around a corner, as clearly you are not in proper control of the vehicle and have taken a corner too fast. Whether I would or not is a different matter.

And if someone used that line of "it was accidental" for doing a wheelie, no matter how small, when pulling away, I could almost guarentee I would book them. I have never done it yet so in my opinion, an "accidental" one would show you being less in control of your vehicle than a bloody planned one!

However, should anyone wish to follow the "accidental" advice, feel free.

Like I said, best advice....infact, no, best advice is S_H's!

Ok I see, apologies.

Without sounding argumentative, I know for a fact people have wheelied by accident. I've seen it first hand - hand apparently slipped off the clutch lever.

I dont doubt it is within your very power to book someone in these circumstances, but really, would you? I mean, just becuase you've never done it accidentally, doesnt mean someone else cannot.

If the police booked a biker for having a little wiggle round a corner by means of a genuine accident, I'd be inclined to think they were taking the P1ss. Not all about hitting a corner too quick, there can be soooo many factors as you well know.

Afterall, noone is perfect 100% of the time.

Surely to pull a decent wheelie you have to be in supreme control of your vehicle? Likewise with a power slide etc.

Surely someone who is very good at wheelying is a better and more controlled rider that one that can't? They are more aware of the limits and function of the vehicle and able to control it to an extremely high degree.

On the Law's logic, a stunt rider is the most dangerous and out of control person on a bike when it could be argued the exact opposite. Jenson Button is more dangerous in a car because he can do more things with that car. Likewise Valentino Rossi on a bike.

Sometimes the law is donkey shaped. And lets not forget that the law is in place to protect the thickest members of our society and the law *should* apply less the more inteligence that a person has.

A blanket speed limit is in place because the powers that be deem 30mph to be a safe speed for the most utterly useless driver in the UK to travel at in a built up area. The more able the driver the higher technically they could be travelling to achieve the same end result (the avoidance of an accident). Nigel mansel has sharper reaction times and better car control than a mong that shops at iceland and read heat magazine and punches her friend on X factor.

Oh, slap me, I'm controvertial!

C

Originally Posted by hongman

haha, I know, but you've taken it out of context - "Who hasnt done it" meaning who hasnt lost control of their vehicle, however minor, at some point.



Ok I see, apologies.

Without sounding argumentative, I know for a fact people have wheelied by accident. I've seen it first hand - hand apparently slipped off the clutch lever.

I dont doubt it is within your very power to book someone in these circumstances, but really, would you? I mean, just becuase you've never done it accidentally, doesnt mean someone else cannot.

If the police booked a biker for having a little wiggle round a corner by means of a genuine accident, I'd be inclined to think they were taking the P1ss. Not all about hitting a corner too quick, there can be soooo many factors as you well know.

Afterall, noone is perfect 100% of the time.

I'm not saying accidental wheelies don't happen. The point I am trying to make is that it could be argued that an "accidental" wheelie is an example of not being in proper control of your vehicle and as such, could be liable to a Section 3 charge. It would depend on the circumstances whether I booked them or not if it was really accidental but I was replying to the suggestion of "passing it off as accidental" as you suggested.

And as for it not about hitting a corner too quick. If you go around a bend and the back end slides out, you are going to quick. Perhaps not for the actual bend, but for the road conditions (diesel, gravel, oil, mud, puddle). So yes, TECHNICALLY, it could be construed as careless driving/riding.

I didn't say I would though.