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Post by bernard on Mar 14, 2006 23:50:16 GMT
[ftp]http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/4208163.stm[/ftp]
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Post by ZRX Gremlin on Mar 15, 2006 11:22:34 GMT
:hmm: Now there's a thought provoking item.
Basicaly what they're trying to tell us is that we ought to grow up?
I myself had a 12 year layoff from riding due to the usual family and finance issues. It was with some trepidation that I got back on two wheels again after all that time off, fearing that I may have in some way "lost the edge".
Rather than start back with something ridiculously huge and powerful, (I was never into big bikes anyway) I bought something of similar size and power to the last bike I rode, knowing that I could handle it. I also took a refresher course just to make sure that I hadn't forgotten anything vital which was going to see me to an early grave. There's no shame in being trained. I've always maintained that good riders are trained, not born and I know I did the right thing.
As we already know, far too many riders return to biking after even longer layoffs and buy themselves bigger bikes without having even the slightest inkling as to just how power they've just bought. All too often this is a recipe for disaster.
So what's to be done? Could there be some way to monitor peoples motorcycle usage and at least make sure that they get some kind of refresher after a long absence from the saddle? It needn't be any form of test, just obligatory training.
Whilst on the subject of mature riders, it's also far too easy for a non biker to obtain a bike licence. I know this is gonna get me in trouble. A one week DAS course is enough to see you riding any bike with no restrictions? That strikes me as being almost like buying a licence. Sure, the training is good but experience is the real life saver and you can't buy that.
Any youngster (under 21) lucky enough to be able to afford to run a bike is forced to take a different route. CBT, theory test and then the full test. This process can take months and at the end of which, if the candidate is successful is restricted to 33HP for a further two years. The above follows a similar path to what many of us mature riders took in the first place. Most of us couldn't afford to buy a huge bike immediately after our tests so we increased engine capacity and horsepower as and when we could, gaining experience along the way. Maybe that age limit should be upped from 21 to 91?
I know I got my licence way too easily. It was a cold, windy and very wet October day when I took my test and the poor bloke with the clipboard* obviously hadn't got any enthusiasm for it. He sort of went through the motions for 15 minutes, taking me back to a warm test centre and giving me my pass certificate. OK I'm not ungrateful but my horsepower limits were dictated by the size of my bank balance at the time so at least I gained some experience before getting quicker.
* Back in those days :jerry: there was no pursuit test. One examiner with a clipboard "followed" you round on foot, giving you directions after every lap of the route.
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Post by yorkie on Mar 15, 2006 13:03:13 GMT
yes i am a bambi 11 years off the bike got myself a sv650 was blown away by its performance the tyres i got lost with all the different types back in the 80s you just asked for a make of tyre and that was it things have changed bikes more powerful then ever maybe to powerful we may be our own worst enemy but saying that i think if i was 20 years younger with these bike we have today i would have already lost my license by now r worse and as for the DAS i agree with grem on that 1 my kid brother did his DAS and a month after passing got himself a x11 needless to say he only had it a year and got rid scared him shitless
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Post by johnnyrep on Mar 15, 2006 19:31:58 GMT
im a born again,.......every time i ride the bike im born again. never been without a bike even when unenployed i cobbled something together. i lost my job last week but i wont sell the rex.....whatever it takes[may sell the bandit though]..................... yeeeeeeeeeeeeeehaaaaaaaaaa.............
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Post by stumpy on Mar 18, 2006 14:45:26 GMT
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