[Closed] middle aged men and big motorbikes.

bikes are very big and powerful now in comparison to the FS1E bikes of the 70’s.

Big, powerful bikes were available in the 70's too.

Whats to discuss, you nailed it.

It's easy to get more power and speed than you have the skills, reactions or training for. Roads are busy enough and riding outside of the law and what is safe will lead to more accidents.

I love the cheek of the 'look out for motorcycles' type signs and stickers. There should be stickers all over the bikes asking them to look out for other road users.

It's due to  the inexplicable popularity of the Mighty Morphin Power Rangers in the early nineties.

These middle aged guys are reliving their youth by dressing up as their childhood heroes.

If the lady in the tea van showed up to work dressed as Rita Repulsa they'd try to kick her head in.

As a middle aged man with a big motorbike I can say that the whole area, focussing on the a65 and Devils Bridge is well known for people being stupid on motorbikes.  Personally I avoid it like the plague when out on my bike, and it certainly used to be heavily policed at weekends, though not sure if that is still the case...

It's endemic in that part of the Dales. Haven't noticed it quite so much on the A65 recently, normally there are little packs of dangerously over-biked idiots weaving in and out of the tractors and caravans.

Only had about half a mile on 'A' roads (A684 out of Hawes) yesterday, but got buzzed and dangerously overtaken several times.

Then, to cap it all, get onto the restricted byway at Cotter End and about 20 scramblers come roaring past chewing the hell out of it.

I'd hate to live in Hawes, the placed was absolutely crawling with bikers when I was there.

Speaking as an ex motorcycle instructor, it seems to be people who had small bikes in their youth, who gave them up for career and family.  Kits leave home, bit of spare cash, want to get back on the bike.  Buy a big one but are too confident in their own ability to take some lessons, see what they've forgotten in 30 years.

Similar happens each easter as moth balled bikes come out of hibernation and leather clad heroes wobble around like both wheels are loose.

It’s easy to get more power and speed than you have the skills, reactions or training for.

Its easy - and easier that it was in the 70s because we're a richer nation -  but theres also a little bit of a pressure too. Theres an implied "you should only ride a bike like this if you know what you're doing" the flip side of which is "if you're not riding a bike like this then you don't know what you're doing".

Whats to discuss, you nailed it.

Indeed.

Freely available credit innit. Bike on 2yrs PCP costs peanuts and blokes our age can afford it.

I’m not keen on them riding like loonies and using the public highway as their own racetrack, I think that’s stupid and irresponsible.

But I reckon I’m in the minority with my view.

My big bro has a big bike. He boasted the other day of doing a ton (no pun intended).... with his 11 yo daughter on the back. I love him, but what a div.

Speaking as an ex motorcycle instructor, it seems to be people who had small bikes in their youth, who gave them up for career and family.  Kits leave home, bit of spare cash, want to get back on the bike.  Buy a big one but are too confident in their own ability to take some lessons, see what they’ve forgotten in 30 years.

Similar happens each easter as moth balled bikes come out of hibernation and leather clad heroes wobble around like both wheels are loose.

Exactly what I was going to say. I'm a biker but I passed my test 4.5 years ago, 37 now so technically middle aged, but no big accidents yet (*touches wood) in my nearly 50k miles on bikes, and none involving other vehicles.

The 'born again bikers' are exactly as Onza said, they had bikes in their 20's, got married and had kids and had to give up bikes. Now the kids are grown up and they've got a load of disposable income they go out and buy either the latest BMW GS adventure and trundle around Europe, or they buy the latest 200bhp superbike and jump straight back in like they're 22 again.

In spring you see it every year, I tend to avoid the first few warm weekends as you get the 'weekend warriors' out for the first time on their sports bikes, they have haven't ridden for 6 months but in their mind they're still as good as Rossi, come the first damp patch or bit of gravel or dodgy overtaking opportunity and they become just another statistic.

There's another common theme between these guys, they don't ride through winter, only in summer on dry days. The first bit of dodgy weather and they have no idea how to handle the bike. Saw it with the first bit of rain after the mammoth heat wave earlier this year, there were lots of accidents and they just don't realise how slippery the roads are after a small amount of rain.

When I was in my twenties in the 1990's, I had a seventies superbike, 900cc, now I'm a middle aged man and a born again biker, and have an eighties 400cc bike.

Never been into crotch rockets and I think the speed of them is ridiculous really, but as in all areas of life, you get idiots sometimes.

Not sure there's an answer.

Current 200bhp 1000cc superbikes are far too quick for the road, that's also part of the issue. You barely need more than 1st-3rd, and 1st gear will do more than the NSL.

My bike is also 1000cc but is an older generation so only 140bhp and a 'naked' bike, meaning no fairings and wide MTB style bars so you feel the wind, stops you going fast as you feel the speed you're going.

Rider education is one answer....oh, and track days - great for getting it out of your system I find

Big, powerful bikes were available in the 70’s too.

I have one. Its a very unpleasant place to be over 90mph if the road has any bumps or bends...allegedly, so I was told, when I was on the autobahn.

Used to have a fav back country road which I would regularly jump on my supermoto and man was it fun!

I imagine that a modern superbike is still safer to ride than something like a Z1

I imagine that a modern superbike is still safer to ride than something like a Z1

Have they improved the pilot yet?

I have just got one Ton, but I can assure you I'm riding it like Miss Daisey with no intention of riding like you describe.

and it is big (900cc) but only has 55HP, still enough to do some damage though.

Not all middle aged bokes on big bikes ride like that.

If you've ridden a MTB downhill quickly you have a grasp of the 'why'

It's adrenaline, endorphins, fun, pleasure, whatever you want to call it.

However as a rider you're in a bubble of semi invincibility, maybe only perceived of course, but it exists. You believe you're in control. It's all good, all safe.

You may not agree with any of that logic, but it's a motorcyclists logic indicative of that sort of biker.

Round my way it seems to be easy rider wannabes or middle aged hells angel wannabees all blasting around in homo erotic leather costumes with tassels and German army helmets with bikes that seem to have been designed without exhaust silencers.

Drives me mad. If I started making that racket outside their little castle in suburbia they’d be the first to report me to neighbourhood watch.

There must be some law that makes that level of noise wrong in some way.

And the same as someone above - what is it with those “watch out for bikers signs” - generally on roads where bikers are riding like idiots.

You may not agree with any of that logic, but it’s a motorcyclists logic indicative of that sort of biker.

I had colleagues who were full believers in the gospel according to MCN

Evil police stopping us doing what we want where we want to do it just because it's illegal, hiding those speed cameras just to catch us doing it.

One of them went off to Wales on a sort of protest to the Police State that was persecuting them for you know recklessly riding and speeding. Hit a wall and very happy when the police helped him up.

Some right ****s out there who are going to leave somebody mentally scarred as they bounce across their windscreen

I imagine that a modern superbike is still safer to ride than something like a Z1

Better frame, brakes, suspension, tyres, etc. But there is still only a contact patch about the size of a small spectacle case at each end with sometimes between 150-200bhp being fed into it, instead of around 70-80.

Put someone used to driving a little car with around 60-70bhp into a car with 200bhp, with no experience of using that sort of power and it’s likely that the result could be the same, however the bike has only two, and requires balance and forward motion to stay upright, combine that power, small contact patches and damp, greasy tarmac with possibly a poorly maintained surface, loose clippings and bare patches of tar where the chippings have come away, along with metal drain and manhole covers all compromise grip and handling, even in fine, dry weather. Which is how a mate of mine wrote off a two month old 600cc bike on his way home from work, at roughly 50mph. Also wrote off his brand new lid, his jacket and gloves. My brother barely survived clipping the rear tail-light of a car at barely 15mph with his knee, he hadn’t seen the brake light come on because the sun was shining from directly behind, he toppled over and was hit by an Alfa Romeo doing 50, hit his head, right shoulder and chest. Also wrote off his beloved 1200 Bandit. Only the local air ambulance and his partner’s medical skills stabilising him at the scene saved his life, or possibly his right arm, which they were going to amputate. There are a great many things can bit you in the ass, speed is only a component.

My big bro has a big bike. He boasted the other day of doing a ton (no pun intended)…. with his 11 yo daughter on the back. I love him, but what a div.

Someone* did the ton on their way back from their (passed) motorcycle test following their instructor.

In defence of such behaviour, unlike a car it doesn't take 30 seconds to get from the speed limit to a ton apparently, you can hit a ton and be back under the limit just with engine braking and wind resistance whilst the car driver is still wondering if they'd be quicker dropping down to 4th or staying put bogged down in 5th.

So yes it's partially dickish behaviour, but its also like cyclists and red lights and filtering, people like to get upset by others rule braking and perceived upsetting of their order.

If I had a bike it would be something old for plodding about well under the speed limits!

*definitely not me officer.

This phenomenon is also really starting to annoy me; and i'm a motorcyclist myself. I'm finding motorcyclists, particulary on far flung or mountainous/alpine roads a real menace. My particular hate is the bizarre way they seem to enjoy driving round in huge packs, making loads of noise and stopping every 100 yards to drink tea/coke/beer, before shooting off at mach 3 again and overtaking you on a corner. I'm not sure if the superbikers are even more annoying than the twits dressed for the dakar rally on their silly GS1200 setups; i'm really not sure why the cops don't have a huge crack down on anti social exhausts either way.

So yes it’s partially dickish behaviour, but its also like cyclists and red lights and filtering, people like to get upset by others rule braking and perceived upsetting of their order.

If I had a bike it would be something old for plodding about well under the speed limits!

How did they enhance the reaction times on the test? That is the problem, you can't speed up your reactions, the MCN bible tells you that you can through observation and all that but it doesn't really happen

I've seen some woeful riding in recent weeks.

On most of the roads up here in the Highlands, I reckon a competent rider on a good 250 could mop them all up.

However bikes with German plates seem generally tidily ridden.

Onza has covered it.

Ton, All that area around Hawes,Skipton & Ingleton has always been a mecca for bikers,especially on a Sunday.We used to go tearing around there,there's a big meeting point outside of Kirby Lonsdale at Devils Bridge

I love my motorbikes but I'm wary of going over that area on a Sunday.

It's not just middle aged blokes either.I was in the Isle of Man for last weeks Classic TT & the power rangers turned up there not all middle aged. The mountain was shut a few times...

i’m really not sure why the cops don’t have a huge crack down on anti social exhausts either way.

Aye, used to work with a guy who's bike was ridiculously off the scale loud. I'm pretty sure if I was his neighbour, I'd have torched his garage.

hell, theres some moaning gits on here. the bikers are just enjoying the roads like we enjoy flying down footpaths, walkers probably say the same about mountainbikers flying past them at speed as some of you lot say about the bikes. wasn't that long ago that i'd be out blasting around in fast cars on the same roads mentioned above, sometimes on my own, sometimes a group of us. after every drive you where wondering if you would get something through the post resulting in a ban so i did eventually make the car track only.

and whats wrong with load exhausts, love sitting in the garden and hearing someone giving it beans down the road, certainly much better than hearing kids playing down the street.

and whats wrong with load exhausts, love sitting in the garden and hearing someone giving it beans down the road, certainly much better than hearing kids playing down the street.

Not sure, is it legal? Did your neighbours ask you to rev it?

hell, theres some moaning gits on here. the bikers are just enjoying the roads like we enjoy flying down footpaths,

Is speeding legal or not?

doesn't really matter if speeding is legal or not, if someone wants to break a law thats up to them. personally i think there is quite a few roads out in the countryside that could be unrestricted. majority of people in performance cars/bikes will ignore the limit anyway on certain roads so why have one, if they cause an accident they can be done for something else anyway.

doesn’t really matter if speeding is legal or not, if someone wants to break a law thats up to them. personally i think there is quite a few roads out in the countryside that could be unrestricted.

I'm sure the people on bikes and horses have an opinion too, which ones I'd don't know many that are safe as it is.

 majority of people in performance cars/bikes will ignore the limit anyway on certain roads so why have one

Probably rule one

if they cause an accident they can be done for something else anyway.

Maybe the idea is to get in before that happens and people die.

Competitive willy waving innit!? That awful phrase “I’m really competitive...” urggghhhhh bore off tubs! Up there with “my greatest achievement is my kids”... eh, a 5 minute fumble and spuzz is your biggest achievement!? High five!

I own one of the aforementioned 1000cc 200bhp bikes. Why? Coz I like it.  Been riding 25 years (different bikes obvs) and I wanted a sportsbike this time.  But the bike will only go as fast my input.  I don’t use strava, don’t ride in groups (mtb or motorbike), don’t claim to be “competitive” (urgghh), I don’t behave like a knob (in my opinion).

However, knobs will be knobs whether they’re on a fast bike or shouting STRAVAAAAA or dangling bags of dog turd in the bushes.  Peer pressure and image has a lot to answer for, don’t tar us all with the same brush.

However, knobs will be knobs whether they’re on a fast bike or shouting STRAVAAAAA

Yeah but strava and breaking the law ends badly, like doing a you tube of speeding ;( dickheads be dickheads

That’s what the police are for. Let them worry about it.

Ah that is OK then..... how are you on the drink driving thing?

Maybe the idea is to get in before that happens and people die.

like that really works

i did actually prefer drives out on my own as in groups you always did get the odd one or two who would take unnecessary risks to keep up, i preferred to wait then use a bit of extra speed to catch up.

I’m sure the people on bikes and horses have an opinion too, which ones I’d don’t know many that are safe as it is.

does it really make much difference to a bike or horse if someone passes at 60 or 90(not that you should pass a horse at 60 but its still a legal speed)

like that really works

Yeah I know like can really hope for that, ****ed up world isn't it where we expect people to die. You know how it'a just a normal thing.

Ah that is OK then….. how are you on the drink driving thing?

Never partaken. You?

Rene59 i Can assure you we are looking all around as we are targets on the road, same as on road bikes

Why do we constantly argue?

All of us obviously ride bikes, most of us drive cars, some of us for work drive lorries, Jesus, some of us drive trains and fly planes.

We are a crossover of different vehicular modes.

Cant we all just get along?

I used to ride fastish motorcyles.  A modern bike is so capable that it feels bland at low speeds and also can suck you into to riding fast as it is so capable.  A large part of why I gave up is that it was all going to end in tears - either with me getting hurt or jailed for speeding.

There are two issues here.  The capabilities of modern sports bikes are so great and the born agains who don't have the skills to ride fast.

While out with a couple of pals and riding at a fast ( illegal) but not flat out cruising speed we had a group of born again power rangers try to keep up after we overtook them and one put his bike thru a hedge trying to keep up.  We were not even going anything like flat out.  Purely down to the lack of skills mixed with being competitive from the guy who crashed

I don't know what the answer is because they guys have full licences so are allowed to ride anything legally but clearly a lot of folk do not have the skills needed to ride a modern bike at speed.  But rusty skills ( if they ever had them) coupled with a competitive attitude ( me and my pals were on fast tourers and wearing textiles so the bunch of power rangers mentioned above seemed to take it as an affront that we overtook them} seems a very dangerous mix.

If I got back on a modern bike now then I know full well it would take me thousands of miles to get back up to speed.  Thats maybe the difference.  Knowing your limitations

bigfoot

...personally i think there is quite a few roads out in the countryside that could be unrestricted....

Is this the same countryside where you can get sheep on the road, agricultural machinery crossing to the next field, a load of mud from a tractor's wheels on the corner, people walking from one village to the next, cyclists avoiding potholes, blind dips, and lined with ditches, stone walls, and barbed wire fences?

Or is this some mythical empty road - until it isn't.

The roads are public infrastructure, not a playground for entitled idiots.

(I have had motorbikes all my life)

The law breaking may be a personal choice when it goes black side up is when lots of people are involved.

Recent accident caught on his own go pro ended up with the crunch of bone and helmet as the rider slid along the road into and under an innocent road user.  Footage showed he was doing 120 when he came off.  Had he bounced not slid at least three people would have died.

(Last bike I ever rode was a cbr400 I knew on that ride that I would kill myself one day, so when I got home I never three my leg over a bike again, I was 26)