eee - when I were a lad...............

[Vitesse39]

'Just been read the Filtering in the sun thread.
I occurs to me that, you know how motorists in general say "oh it's not like it used to be on the roads, road-rage, getting cut-up..." you get the idea.

Well, from reading stuff on this site, my experiences, etc, it strikes me that, it's us the bikers who in the vast majority still ride well, considerately, and with care for fellow bikers. I exclude car drivers in that last bit, as 90% of the non-bike riding ones deserve each other!

It's funny to think that we get the bad press for being hooligans, yet our attitudes to the road are far better as is our application of our riding skills. We must be nicer people!!!!!!!!!!

I'm training to become a car driving instructor (don't laugh), so I hope I can do a bit to improve some new drivers (I'll do my best).

Anyway have a great summer of biking one and all, and I might even get my rear out to a meet at some point!!


PS. now can I go out and try to get rid of my chicken stripes !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[dern]

Vitesse39 said:

I'm training to become a car driving instructor (don't laugh), so I hope I can do a bit to improve some new drivers (I'll do my best).

IMHO you'll have to teach them to be nicer people rather than better drives to have any effect. I'm not sure I'd have the patience to teach people to drive... good luck with your training

Vitesse39 said:

PS. now can I go out and try to get rid of my chicken stripes !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

If it's any consolation, I had a zxr750 as my first bike (3 months with an rd350 no withstanding) and both my chicken strips were wider than the area of the tyre I'd used... I rarely needed to use the sidestand

Regards,

Mark

[Mad Dave]

Vitesse39 said:

It's funny to think that we get the bad press for being hooligans, yet our attitudes to the road are far better as is our application of our riding skills. We must be nicer people!!!!!!!!!!

I think we bring a lot of it on ourselves - imagine the shock on Doris' face when a bright red motorcycle comes blasting past, 4 inches from her drivers window, far in excess of the posted speed limit, twin Termignoni race can's screaming, and then cuts in at the last minute as a truck comes around the next bend.

The majority of the car-driving public just do not understand the handling, braking and accelerative capabilities of modern motorcycles.

[Vitesse39]

Mad Dave said:

imagine the shock on Doris' face when a bright red motorcycle comes blasting past, 4 inches from her drivers window, far in excess of the posted speed limit, twin Termignoni race can's screaming, and then cuts in at the last minute as a truck comes around the next bend.

Maybe so - we're not all saints, but then again if Doris had been paying as much attention to her mirrors as she should do, then she'd have seen the Duke anyway

[twit]

I think the 'problem' is that many sunday riders a dickheads. During the week I see laods of bikes, almost without exception people ride well and give respect to people on the roads. But go out at weekends and it is a nightmare, there are bikes being ridden at full tilt everywhere and whilst the handling and braking etc may be good, riding around at 100+ MPH, filtering at highspeed and generally being a prat aint. if people want to ride like that then go on a track or an open bit of land...

Makes me a bit annoyed cos it is the dickheads that most road users see as 'bikers'.

[Mad Dave]

Vitesse39 said:

Mad Dave said: imagine the shock on Doris' face when a bright red motorcycle comes blasting past, 4 inches from her drivers window, far in excess of the posted speed limit, twin Termignoni race can's screaming, and then cuts in at the last minute as a truck comes around the next bend. Maybe so - we're not all saints, but then again if Doris had been paying as much attention to her mirrors as she should do, then she'd have seen the Duke anyway

Oh of course, and that's exactly what I said to a colleague who complained that I 'scared her' on my way to work one morning, but in this situation there's no room to explain the rights and wrongs of one's actions, so Doris is left only with the view that said biker was a nutcase - and no doubt thinks the rest are too.

[Vitesse39]

Mad Dave said:

and that's exactly what I said to a colleague who complained that I 'scared her' on my way to work one morning,

ah, I understand your predicament in this situation.

Is she speaking to you again now?

[rsvmilly]

Vitesse39 said:

I'm training to become a car driving instructor (don't laugh), so I hope I can do a bit to improve some new drivers (I'll do my best).

My sister is an ADI. She makes sure she teaches them lane discipline when they do their pass plus with her (includes motorways). A mate of mine is going through the training at the moment and recently failed his Part 2. Jeez they're picky.

Good luck

What stage are you at?

>> Edited by rsvmilly on Thursday 23 June 16:28

[Mad Dave]

Vitesse39 said:

Mad Dave said: and that's exactly what I said to a colleague who complained that I 'scared her' on my way to work one morning, ah, I understand your predicament in this situation. Is she speaking to you again now?

She just called me a lunatic. Mind you, this was pre biking for me, and IIRC I was driving a bright red Corrado 16v, so I was hardly inconspicuous

[Vitesse39]

rsvmilly said:

My sister is an ADI. She makes sure she teaches them lane discipline when they do their pass plus with her (includes motorways). A mate of mine is going through the training at the moment and recently failed his Part 2. Jeez they're picky. What stage are you at?

I'm just on part 1 at the mo', all the theory.
Really not looking forward to the Hazard Perception part. I had a first try at it the other day, your supposed to see things as per the driver, but it feels more like your 15 feet behind the driver.
Anyway it's a slow process as I'm having to do it around work.

Your mate's not doing it at Thatcham is he?

[R1_nur]

My GF has just got her green badge and I she is keen to raise her students awarness of bikes.