Bike accidents on the rise?

[Pete.]

I'm seeing lots of minor (and some major) accidents this year travelling in and out of London. Typically you don't see that many bikes out before Easter but this year they are out in wobbly hoardes. Some are GP wanna-loonies but many of thm are clearly new to commuting and visibly nervous (or oblivious). I guess the fear of using public transport is causing people who otherwise would not be on their bikes take to the road.

Must be passing two or three accidents a week involving bikes - last week I passed one accident jnvolving two bikes and a car. Yesterday I saw a bashed-up scooted up against a shop front in New Cross with the rider and driver having a barney in the rod.

I don't think it's going to be a good year in terms of accident statistics TBH.

[/code]
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a.k.a 'Geri'

132.9mph off and walked away. Gear is good, gear is good, gear is very very good

[TaffyTDM]

Ive seen it every spring around this time when the warm weather commuters get used to coming out of hibernation and the minicab drivers get adjusted to them being there again. Be interested to see the stats

[RhynoCZ]

Local news (CZE) say the demand for scooters and small motorcycles skyrocketed during the pandemic, so if the same trend goes in the UK, it would only explain the increased number of such accidents. In order to avoid public transport people ride motorcycles and scooters.
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'87 Honda XBR 500, '96 Kawasaki ZX7R P1, '90 Honda CB-1, '88 Kawasaki GPz550, MZ 150 ETZ
'95 Mercedes-Benz w202 C200 CGI, '98 Mercedes-Benz w210 E200 Kompressor

[wr6133]

Last 12 months there has been a noticeable increase in small bikes on my little estate (I get the "Help can you fix......"). As mentioned they are avoiding the bus, the bus going through here now is almost always empty.

The nearest seller of Chinese 125's must be laughing all the way to the bank. Can't be a bad thing though, even if a tiny % of them like it and stick with it at least it's some new bikers.

Also it seems to have rejuvenated the used maket. I've sold 3 bikes during the various lockdowns. All 3 went for what I thought were piss take prices and shifted pretty quickly.

[Easy-X]

Not sure how accurate these stats are:

https://www.statista.com/statistics/312594/motorcycle-and-car-registrations-in-the-united-kingdom/

Bear in mind these are new stats and say nothing about the second hand or import markets but bike sales definitely jumped in 2020.
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Husqvarna Vitpilen 401, Yamaha XSR700, Honda Rebel, Yamaha DT175, Suzuki SV650 (loan) Fazer 600, Keeway Superlight 125, 50cc turd scooter

[Kris]

Also found people are becoming super aggressive nowadays. Seen quite a few road rage incidents already this year.

Perhaps patience is in limited supply?
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NSR125RR - ZXR750H1 - ZX9R E1 - GSF600S - GSF600SK3 - VFR400-NC30 - SV1000N - ST1100-R - CBR900RR-R - GSF1200SK5 - GSF600SK1 - VFR1200FA - GSXR1000K2 - ZZR1400 D8F
www.prisonplanet.com

[MCN]

I don't use my bike all year round due to work.
2020 I had about 12 weeks in U.K. and just returned last week.
I know there's the 'thing' about getting back into the groove after a period of non use.

Well that has never ever been anything that has bothered me.
For daily commute weekend/weekday blasts my riding skills/roadcraft never dips.

I could only see a long time off affecting performance at competition level.

So people wobbling about on bikes probably aren't suited to that means of transport. If COVID didn't get them then the traffic or their incompetence will.
Darwin looks after the gene pool.
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Disclaimer: The comments above may be predicted text and not necessarily the opinion of MCN.

[chickenstrip]

I haven't ridden my bike in over a year. Hedge incidents have drastically reduced.
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Chickenystripgeezer's Biking Life (Latest update 19/10/18) Belgium, France, Italy, Austria tour 2016 Picos de Europa, Pyrenees and French Alps tour 2017 Scotland Trip 1, now with BONUS FEATURE edit, 5/10/19, on page 2 Scotland Trip 2 Luxembourg, Black Forest, Switzerland, Vosges Trip 2017
THERE'S MILLIONS OF CHICKENSTRIPS OUT THERE!

[spongefinger]

I've been driving for 30 years now and I drive all around london, Essex ,Sussex , Suffolk, Norfolk and Kent for my job and in that time I have actually seen one motorcycle accident and that was low speed at some traffic lights about 2 minutes from my front door. I know more people who have been hospitalised through pushbike injuries than motorcycle.

[Bhud]

It was bad about this time last year, too. Lots of news reports about bike crashes resulting in death or serious injury.

[chickenstrip]

[Easy-X]

I count my blessings that the longest I've been off the bike is three weeks during the first lockdown.

Even so, I've fitted a dashcam to the XSR 'cos of all the other c*nts on the road
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Husqvarna Vitpilen 401, Yamaha XSR700, Honda Rebel, Yamaha DT175, Suzuki SV650 (loan) Fazer 600, Keeway Superlight 125, 50cc turd scooter

[Islander]

[chickenstrip]

[MCN]

So you think of bike insurance as your Hedge Fund?

Shite.... is that my bus?
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Disclaimer: The comments above may be predicted text and not necessarily the opinion of MCN.

[Pete.]

Seen no accidents this week (so far) but there are just loads and loads of new bikers on the road. Death-grippers and rev monsters and of course the shakey-heads. They always make me laugh when I see them not getting though a gap with 6 inches spare then giving the driver 'the look' and shaking their heads as if they have some kind of right to expect the traffic to part for them like the sea did for Moses.

I wonder how many are going to get caught out without commuting/pillion insurance when the cops start setting up their usual stops on the London commute after Easter? Could end up being an expensive option for some.
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a.k.a 'Geri'

132.9mph off and walked away. Gear is good, gear is good, gear is very very good

[Bhud]

[Bhud]

[chickenstrip]

[c_dug]

I've noticed a huge pick up in bikes over the last fortnight or so, far more dramatic than the usual spring uplift in numbers.

Not noticed many more crashes yet, but I am getting seriously pissed off already at some of the 10mph wobblers oblivious to everybody behind them. Genuinely can add 15 minutes to my commute if there is no way past.

Not looking forward to commuting this summer! I find the winter commute much more enjoyable, getting to the traffic lights and finding 20 bikes rammed into a tiny space is not fun.

It's turned me into a grumpy git
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I am a bellend, I am a man of constant sorrow, I am a gummy bear, I am a rock.

[Pigeon]

Lots of folk are WFH more and the commute has become twice a fortnight. Public transport is expensive and gives you death.
Pick up a bike for 1/4 a season ticket and sell the second car as it costs a bomb and isn't getting the mileage.

Mixed views. On the one, its surely a good thing to get numbers into bikes (provides buyers + sellers of bikes, parts and services. Maybe puts bikes into brains of decision makers.....not always a good thing).
On the other hand, anything that challenges the status quo will be met with lobbying, bad press and increased costs (tax) / pressure; more grief and fewer concessions basically.

But bikes are still what, 1%. We're a long way off being Vietnam.

[chickenstrip]

[Pete.]

If the last 3 days' grid-locked traffic is a sign of things to come I predict a LOT more bikes on the commute. It's been truly horrendous and I would not have lied to be in the van this past week.
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a.k.a 'Geri'

132.9mph off and walked away. Gear is good, gear is good, gear is very very good

[trevor saxe-coburg-gotha]