Europe Questions the Role for Motorcycle ?toys? on our Roads

[Tarmacsurfer]

[TUG]

BHP ban? WHAT!??!?!?! Should we all ride on scooters that cant pull away from cars? FUCK THAT!
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Haz ER-5, innit!

[Charlie]

They wouldn't be able to ban motorcycles, how much money is generated through motorcycling?

Imagine thought, if there was a motorbike protest, how many bikers would protest in Europe. I'd be there.
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Past: Honda x8rs, Honda City fly, Honda Hornet 250, Honda VFR750, Yamaha xt600e.
Current: Honda CBR929RR & Yamaha XT660Z Tenere

[kitty kat]

I would be there alongside you at any protest
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Enjoy everyday, tell those you love everyday you love them
Life is too short to fall out with people

[Paivi]

[Seb]

I can think of a few occasions where the acceleration of my bike has gotten me out of a potentially dangerous situation, usually after filtering up to some lights or on dual carriageways with drivers moving across into my lane on me.
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2010 Triumph 1050 Sprint ST

[Matt06]

I dont like the idea of BHP limits. The 33bhp licence annoys me enough, but an outright limit would annoy me beyond belief.

The main issue with motorbikes I think are 1 of a few things.

Firstly, even bikes considered as a 'boring commuter' like the CB500 are still significantly more powerful, especially in acceleration, compared to the equivalent car. The performance of the real deal sportsbikes is pretty much unmatched and still without modification. I am willing to bet some cock waving business men dont like the fact that someone who spent a fraction of the money on their motorbike can completely trash their car in speed. People who dont ride talk about the dangers of bikes and the stupidity of the riders, but in reality I think these people are just jealous. I know its a little big-headed to suggest, but I think its true of most people who have that opinion. It would be very easy for a lot of car drivers to agree with plans to limit a motorbikes BHP because it makes them feel better. After all, why should we get something faster than everyone else? Its just not fair is it?

Secondly, its very easy for the average Joe to get a very powerful bike. For less than 10k you can buy something like a GSXR1000 new, which even Hyper cars will have trouble keeping up with. I would say almost every bike is within my reach and I could very well own my dream bikes. The average Joe that dreams of owning a Bugatti Veyron is most likely never going to realise that dream. The angle I am trying to come from is the same as MPG. Some argue that Sportbikes arent actually that fuel efficent, but compared to an equivalent performance car they are very good.

Of course, motorbikes are an easy target because of the little rider to driver percentage. However, in an effort to make the 'roads safer' surely it makes sense to improve the 'safety' or limit the BHP of the most common road vehicle?

Im sure the people making these decisions and proposing these plans have never even sat on a motorbike and have very little understanding of them. To them its quite easy just to assume that lower power = safer motorbike.

Bah, dont usually do a long post. Probably didnt make too much sense either..... Oh well. You get the idea. NO BHP LIMIT FOR BIKES .
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Current: MT-10, Bandit, Grom, GPZ500
Previous: YBR125, GSXR400, ZXR400, MT-03, NTV650, R6, z750, ZX6R, MT-09

[kawakid]

Lets not forget, there is a maximum of 100bhp allowed in France, which probably explains why the Z750 is the biggest selling bike over there.

No we are quick to think we have it bad, but i've lived in 2 other countries, plus I do travel a bit with work and we do okay.
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I've a twin and a 4.

[Itchy]

[feef]

[Itchy]

[feef]

[TUG]

[Tarmacsurfer]

How many of the riders on this forum remember just how close the UK got to signing up for a BHP limit in the early nineties when Germany and France originally started pushing for homogenisation of EU driving and vehicle laws?

In response to the "they can't ban bikes" argument, bear in mind the powers that be recently banned cheap blunt swords on safety grounds, if they're willing to do something so patently stupid then do you really think something as relatively tiny a niche hobby as biking (with a disproportionate drain on NHS reserves) is really going to stay out of the line of fire for very much longer?

Yes, I'm partly playing devils advocate here but I've seen the systematic dismantling and separation of the bike scene over the last 20 years, the current fragmentation of the various factions combined with the general attitude of "but I can't make a difference, what's the point" exhibited by many, if not most, of the motorcycling fraternity makes any concerted moves a very worrying prospect.

[Matt06]

Interesting times ahead then?

I dont think they can outright ban motorbikes. There would never be a good enough reason. Its silly enough the 'road saftey' groups always play the speed card when most bike accidents occur at low speeds and not at 180mph. And again with the BHP limit, I cant see how it makes anything safer for anyone. Im willing to bet that the majority of bike accidents would still have occured if the motorbike involved had half the horsepower.

In France, what was the reason behind the 100bhp limit?
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Current: MT-10, Bandit, Grom, GPZ500
Previous: YBR125, GSXR400, ZXR400, MT-03, NTV650, R6, z750, ZX6R, MT-09

[Tarmacsurfer]

[DEN MONKEY]

How can they seriously consider biking when theyre far more economical to ride, especially with the ever growing rise in fuel prices.

I'd be willing to bet that those in the ban bikes camp have never so much have thrown a leg over one let alone ridden one to get anywhere or derive enjoyment from.

Not to mention that those on limited incomes can get themselves a means of transport rather than spending their money on some heap of shit car that should not be on the road anyway.

There are too many againsts for them to pull this one off me thinks.
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meh

[lilredmachine]

Problem is that biking is a way of life for some people. Banning it will only force them underground.

Try stopping a 180mph missile that the rider knows is illegal and has hence removed any means of indentification.

Try arresting 20,000 bikers as they do a go slow on the M25 to show their displeasure.

Etc.
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Bikes: too many, too much for one man to maintain anyway.

[cypher]

If there was protest I would be there. My heart belongs to bikes

Anyway, what in the fuck justifies Ferrari's then? Shall we ban those too? They have more power than one could legally use on a public highway and from a safety standpoint you are more likely to not only kill yourself in an accident in on but someone else too.

Leave my motorbikes alone you EU c***s.

[Matt06]

[Cigaro]

With the price of driving nowdays, for a lot of people a bike is their last chance to get on the road. I doubt they'd ban them, do they really want more people in London driving their cars for instance?

[truslack]

[Charlie]

I went on the Country Side March (when they banned fox hunting) and 400,000 people turned out for that.

How many more people ride bikes? I think a march on motorbiking would be a lot bigger.
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Past: Honda x8rs, Honda City fly, Honda Hornet 250, Honda VFR750, Yamaha xt600e.
Current: Honda CBR929RR & Yamaha XT660Z Tenere

[Itchy]

Marches are worthless the anti war one proved that , the only way for marches to work is if they get incredibly violent , if the Iraq war protests were violent say 1-2 million people sacking the Capital and bringing a rope to hang Blair, it would have made a difference as two things would have happened:

#1 Replay of 1989 Tianmen Square in London , and people would be massacred (not overly probable but possible)

#2 Dissolution of government ,

I think 1 would be more probable though all these anti terror laws and emergency powers effectively make the prime minister an absolutist.
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Spain 2008France 2007Big one 2009 We all die. The goal isn't to live forever, the goal is to create something that will. In the end, your life will flash before your eyes. Make sure it is worth watching.

[Kickstart]

Hi

Firstly it would be easy governments to ban bikes, or at least heavily restrict their availability.

Fuel consumption wise we are pretty poor. Suspect average bike consumption is around 45~50mpg, something that small cars can manage (while potentially carrying over twice as many people).

There are those who would love to see the killing off of any enjoyment in using the roads, and vehicles used predominantly for fun are an easy target.

Finally those complaining that car are not restricted are just helping the causes of those looking at bans. We have plenty in common with those who like powerful cars, so complaining that way is just falling for divide and conquer tactics. Those who like fast cars are already being hit for hideous and rising tax disks (with various anti car pressure groups calling for £1k tax disks for cars which use a fair amount of fuel).