I ride all year round, have done for the last 23 years, even in the snow ( yes I know its stupid ), I think this teaches you a lot about your limits and the limits of the road, it makes you not a faster rider but a wiser rider, as the weather picks up I see a lot of bikes returning to the road, often doing things that I would consider crazy, not because its out of my riding means, but because it is so easily going to result in tears. I also notice a marked increase of plod, oh and not being able to park my bike at work.
This is awful, I am going to stick 6 months tax on my bike this morning but flipping heck!! The poor riders and there families, plus the poor car drivers (in some cases). The once amazing roads around here in Lincs are now really dangerous, pot holes, idiot drivers and in some cases East European drivers (not a dig because they are wonderful people and hard workers) who work the fields around here momentarily forgetting that we drive on the left pulling out on our side. Please stay safe but it is important to continue doing something we love.
All really sad reading, was out with a mate and his brother a few Saturdays ago, nice day still running the SP in so nothing silly when I looked back on straight section of road couldn't see lad behind me. Turned round only to find he'd gone head on into car on other side of road, dead instantly at the scene. Wasn't a sharp bent but somehow he was on wrong side of road but what was worse his brother was behind him a distance back and came upon the aftermath, still haunts me now weeks later. RIP Andy A. Also yesterday another biker killed overtaking line of traffic on fast section of road and front car turning right. Lets all learn from these tragic incidences and if you have not done a Bike Safe course I would urge you to book on one for this year, it may just save your life. Safe riding everyone.
I do think that on the whole it is caused by the fact that most of us do nothing bike related for 6-8 months of the year, simple as that. Practice makes perfect, so to speak. It's not coincidence that this happens when the sun starts to shine, i don't know the answer, it all down to our own inbuilt survival instinct and how much we think before we take an action. Sad indeed, but predictable.
It would do a lot of people a favour to go do a track day early in the season, that way it would reset your brain and help adapt to the speed of a modern bike, not only that I find it takes away the desire to thrash it out on the road! (and in my case you see how slow you are ) Also I have been listening to some lads at the local meet, saying how they burned up this bloke and that, you just think I wish you lads would get out on track, then you 1) will see how fast you are. OR 2) see how fast your not! Life is so fragile and we all do daft things on bikes, hell I know I do and have! BUT sadly its decisions often made in the blink of an eye that can cost some the rest of there lives, so very sad to think of the people left behind, often those people have noting to do with bikes and blame them for the loss of there loved ones. The roads are VERY dusty round me, I've been hit by some of the biggest stones this year all ready following mates, watching dust (lots) fly up from the back wheel of the bike in front does not inspire me to tip in hard into the next bend! That plus bloody pot holes and crap make for hard fast riding round me, you can not use a racing eye on the road as you need to scan for crap, if you ride blind at speed your asking for trouble imo.
There was an article in super bike about the police inspector and how he lost his dad. I'm guessing the above vid relates to that.
Wow, that is powerful indeed. As we all know it often does not matter how long you have held a bike license.
No it isn't just down to someone's rusty skills, but I do think riding through winter gives you a different perspective on how to ride on the road, it does make you a more careful rider I think, simply because riding in the winter when the weather turns bad gives you more respect on how quickly things can go wrong, I think people tend to forget when they park their bike up get the bike out in March/April then try to ride the bike as business as usual. I tend to find a lot of the people who only ride during the good weather tend to be obsessed with low mileage on their bikes and only pull the bikes out every now and then, were as someone like me is on it as much as possible and rides through the whole year, rain, wind or shine.
