Is getting banned inevitable if you ride a bike?

[FreshAL]

I like to thing I'm a safe and careful rider. I'm certainly the most cautious of the guys I regularly ride with.

I'm still convinced it's just a matter of time till I get the tug that's going to see me licence-less for a while.

Ride from last weekend:
• Exceding posted limit by more that 30. (the 30 limit starts on a clear wide road way before the village)
• Speed over 100 (clear road, but easy enough to miss a camera van on a flyover bridge)
• Undertaking (filtering?)
• Crossing double white lines (only in places where it's safe to overtake e.g. A4074)

That lot is enough to get me banned for quite a while.

Is it possible to enjoy riding a bike, and not just ride like you're in a car without loosing your licence?

[MarJay]

[FreshAL]

You're right, there's something about that road. I'd love to close it off to traffic and have a bit of a road race on there one day.

It wasn't actually on the A4074, just thought that would be one people knew. Not giving away the exact location of my lunacy

[G]

Yes it is possible.

Mostly due to a lack of police resources.

Don't tend to ride on the road too much these days, but still find myself going too fast.
I could often have done all the above and more on a trip to Boxhill and back - only got threatened with being done once and while that would have been quite lucky (Dangerous driving, 10 mile police chase etc) - I was lucky enough for nothing to happen with it.

In fact, need to get back on a bike, as I just seem to drive the car like a twat instead :S.

(Never mind all the kids having races at 120mph ).

[MarJay]

Sorry, with a more relevant answer:

I stick to 30's 40's and to some extent 50's. I exceed NSLs where the road is clear and the visibility good.

I do occasionally cross double white lines, but as you say only where it is safe to do so. I think those lines are designed with cars in mind, and there are times when you can overtake on a bike where it would be unsafe in a car.

Filtering is legal unless you are going faster than the traffic on your right, unless it is stationary. So thats rather open to interpretation IMO. I also don't know anyone who was done for undertaking who wasn't done for something else at the same time.

So yes, I think it is possible to keep your license. Particularly as speed cameras are dumb and can easily be avoided, and there are less traffic coppers on the road these days. Its just a shame that they aren't there to stop the red light jumpers, the U turning taxis and the people driving whilst talking on a mobile phone. Or the people driving without insurance.

Just don't take the piss, is probably the best advice to be honest. Wheelying through a 30 zone past a school probably isn't clever.

My Kung fu instructor told me of a guy he knew when he was at college. He had a motocross style bike and he always used to wheelie away from the college. This was all well and good, until one day the lights were red at the end of the street and there was a car waiting. He did it out of so much habit that he ended up wheelying into the car and riding right over it. The car had a gigantic V shaped dent all the way along it, and the rider carried on going!

I can just imagine what he said to the driver: Bit of T cut, you'll be right!

Not really /that/ relevant, but a funny story nonetheless.
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Remember kids, bikes aren't like lego. You can't easily take a part from one bike and then fit it to another.

[Mister James]

I stick to all posted limits, but tend to follow the crowd (or the prevailing traffic speeds) when in NSL's - indeed I find it is often unsafe to stick to a rigid 60/70mph when everyone else is adding at least 15 to it!

I have fun riding, although I doubt I would (or could) keep up with almost anyone here on a rideout. I suppose it all depends on what you want from your riding, and what you classify as enjoying your bike.
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>Soultrader Mister James, I bet you are a copper
>Bazza Wow. Eyes like a shithouse rat, you...

[Finglonga]

23Years riding and not been banned yet......But I don't ride like a twat. If you are caught speeding in a 30 or 40 zone then its your own fault, 50 60/national speed limits I always use my discretion and ride to the conditions.

Exceeding 100, again your asking for it as you would need to know the road anyway as a scamera van can hide behind a wall, hedge or fat bird.

Undertaking is not filtering, I don't know where they get this idea from. Filtering is filtering between traffic at no more than "about" 20mph that of the speed of the surrounding traffic.

Double white lines...I have overtaken Police cars when there are solid white lines on the road with no problems. You are braking the law if you cross the line. If you don't ride up the chuff of the car in front pissing the driver off then most times they will let you pass. Cross the white line and again you get what you deserve if you are caught.....They are not hard to see so there is no excuses.
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Andy Sez....
F.Y.Y.F.F.

[G]

[craigs23]

No, not inevitable - well, I haven't been caught yet.

There's a time and a place, if you want to stay out of trouble.

[MattEMulsion]

[G]

[MattEMulsion]

[colin1]

it doesnt have to be a double white line to be dangerous

its the line on your side of the centre that matters

if its solid, it doesnt matter if the one for traffic coming the other way is broken or not

i dont overtake when my side of the centre has an unbroken line

i do like going a bit faster sometimes, but i can still have a good time when i stick to the limits

its not just about what you can get away with.

If you only just make an overtake, you are gonna scare someone else who didnt want to be scared, and possibly ruin their day

[Tarmacsurfer]

Thanks for reminding me about the 4074. Used to be part of one of our regular runs, Leave the "Angel on the Bridge" in Henley, down the 4155 into Reading and up the 4074 into Crowmarsh before coming back down the 4130. On occasion we'd loop the other way, across Reading to Cemetary junction, then head up the A4 to Maidenhead and pick up the nice road (think it's actually called "Henley road") coming back down from Burchetts green. Also brings back fond memories of playing around on the closed off section of the 329M as they were building the flyover into the business park.

Great runs at 0300-0400hrs
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I'm immortal. Well, so far.

[Bendy]

[TheShaggyDA]

[8316]

since i've upgraded from a 125 to the 400, i feel kinda the same way as FreshAl.
now that i have finally have some power, and i can race my brother on his 7R, we do seem to drag race off the line very often. that means almost hitting the limiter in 3rd gear in town......
and the more confident i get, the faster i want to go! i guess i just have to watch myself more now, considering my new ability to speed excessively everywhere in a few seconds.
and if i've already got 3 points for speeding on a C90....
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Now own a Fireblade!! Speed Limits? Bah!

[the grim reaper]

[G]

[the grim reaper]

Hmmm.

'In town' implies 30 limit. I can't think of one place in Southampton that I would be happy doing 90, either for safety or licence losing reasons. That covers all 30s, 40s and 50s.

Cheers

Grim
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[G]

Plenty of 'in town' stuff is dual carrigeways with 30/40/50s. I've followed a police rider doing 75 on a 50 in town.

I can think of quite a few 30 I would consider it 'safe' to do 90 - and definitely plenty of 40s.

Definitely ones where it would be safer to do that than to do 30 on some residential roads where most still do 30 and more.

[Itchy]

Heywood used to be NSL the industrial estate , wide bendy roads with tall hedges on either side, it was reduced to a 40 though , but it is safe enough at nights for 90+ , cept when they changed it the put up some walls which are perfect places to park cam vans.
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