Be carefull out there guys (and girls)

[T.C]

Over the last week or so I have done a number of talks, presentations call them what you will to various bike groups around the country.

As is often the case I get people coming up afterwards stating how they have recently been involved in an accident since getting back on the bike after the winter lay off which ties in with the increase in accidents being reported that I see at this time of year.

On one presentation with an audience of about 300, there were about 15 riders who had been involved in crashes over the last few weeks. At another talk where the audience was about 50 strong, there were about 8 who had had crashes, and at the third where there was an audience of about 150, there were about 12 who had experienced similar problems.

There were two main reasons as to why these crashes had occurred, one was dozy drivers who have become complacent to the presence of motorcycles, particularly over the winter months when numbers decline, the other problem is riders getting back onto the bikes after the winter layoff and assume that they can carry on as if nothing has changed since they laid the bike up.

In cases where it is just the rider, it is often as a result of the rider forgetting that they are a bit ring rusty and they need to get back into the groove gradually, in the case of car drivers, it is invariably just laziness in that they cannot be bothered to check properly.

So word of warning guys (and girls), please take care out there! Although I am always pleased to pick up new cases, I would rather people got home in one piece, and I would rather they took a little bit longer than trying to assume that they can ride at the same pace as they did at the end of the summer when they had a full seasons riding under their belt.
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It is better to arrive 30 seconds late in this world, than 30 years early in the next

[Klause]

I've never owned a car but for work i have to drive a van so always on the look out for bikes filtering as most of my work is in London. I've already noticed increase in numbers of bikers about. More worring is the ammount of ones who just have no idea what they seem to be doing! Loads sitting in my blind spot for ages does my nut .
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Current bikes: 1960 Triumph 5ta x2, TTR600RE, KTM200EXC, Cagiva Elephant 900ie.

[Phoenix]

I've been out on my bike a few times throughout winter for long rides into wales mainly but not much this year because it's been so cold for so long. Took it out today for general use for the first time, were a lot of bikes out around Wolverhampton, most i've seen all year.

Did follow one guy riding a cruiser on L plates down the 449 into the centre and his riding was truly appalling, it's a busy 40mph dual carriageway, it was rushour and he was just riding at a fairly constant speed no matter what was happening around him. No indicators, weaving about, up close behind cars, buses, then they'd brake and he'd just swerve to the next lane without looking whatsoever, amazed he was still in one peice when he reached the ringroad In the minority i'd say, but amazing that a new rider can have absolutely zero concentration while on the road, surely you'd be cautious.

On another point, read in the paper yesterday that a 17year old was killed when he crashed his new 600 suzuki in the Merry Hill carpark while racing his mate, he skidded and just ran into a kerb at about 60mph and went for a flight. The follow up was that apparently Merry Hill have rekerbed and redisgned the particular part of the carpark so that the same accident doesn't happen again

[Shay HTFC]

[virus]

if you cant see the driver, be it through a window or mirror, then your in a blind spot.
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own: 81 xs1100g...
owned: 85 rat CG (sold), 91 GS500e (stolen), 84 gsx400f (scrapped), 81 z250 (siezed, siezed, scrapped), 83 cb250rs (sold), 84 gpz750r ratfighter (killed) 84gpz400 (sold), '80 cb650 ratfighter (wrote off) 95gsx6/12f ratfighter (killed) 91 xj900 (sold)
stinkwheel Well I just had my hands up a pigs fanny. Which makes your concerns pale into insignificance.

[Stiffler]

It's amazing how rusty the winter months can make you. I haven't even stopped riding, but it's taken the last month at least for me to get even halfway towards my riding at the end of of play last September.

The cold damp weather of winter for the most part only really allows mundane upright pottering, and since the climate started to get a little dryer and warmer about 5 weeks ago I've slowly been getting into the groove again. I still don't feel like I'm as capable as I was last summer. So I'd hate to think what it must be like if you've not ridden at all for a good few months.

Stay safe everyone
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Current Bikes - Kawasaki ZX-6R (636) | BMW G650GS

[virus]

i took 4 days off and almost forgot how to ride lol, then again i was on a bike id never sat on before
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own: 81 xs1100g...
owned: 85 rat CG (sold), 91 GS500e (stolen), 84 gsx400f (scrapped), 81 z250 (siezed, siezed, scrapped), 83 cb250rs (sold), 84 gpz750r ratfighter (killed) 84gpz400 (sold), '80 cb650 ratfighter (wrote off) 95gsx6/12f ratfighter (killed) 91 xj900 (sold)
stinkwheel Well I just had my hands up a pigs fanny. Which makes your concerns pale into insignificance.

[colin1]

[Pete.]