Yeah, I like the sound of it. It’s clear that I can comeback from this, but I need to keep in mind that I won’t catch up in just one race, nor two. I need to go little by little and not get disillusioned. I think that I need to keep at it, that it is possible and I can come back, but the important thing is to be in Jerez feeling like I did in Qatar, that’s what I’m focused on now because, in the end, it wasn’t an injury from making a mistake on a motorbike, but something that could have happened to anyone. But the truth is that I’ve recovered as fast as I could to go back to fighting at the limit.
Also, Finland’s Mika Kallio and San Marino’s Alex De Angelis both reignited their careers in Moto2™ with victories after making the move from the premier class. Or to look further back, Jeremy McWilliams won the 2001 250cc Dutch TT, following a year in the 500cc World Championship where he picked up two podium finishes.
Half of all new Harley-Davidson motorcycles are bought by riders aged up to 34 years, female and ethnically diverse, says CEO and president Matt Levatich.
His claims came in the announcement of the 2019 first-quarter results which show global sales down 3.8% to 49,151. Revenue was down $US1.38b (10.2%) and net income down $US127.9m.
Matt says of the 278,000 new buyers of Harley-Davidson motorcycles in the US last year, half were either under 34, female or ethnically diverse.
“This group is the most diverse across age, ethnicity and gender in all the years we’ve tracked this data,” he says.
“These results continued into 2019. Of the total U.S. new retail sales in Q1, the mix of 18 to 34-year olds was up 2.6 percentage points and the number of young people participating in Riding Academy and taking test rides was also up over last year.”
Harley’s Riding Academy
He also says “young adults” also comprise a quarter of the “initial interest” in the electric LiveWire which is due in September in the US and Europe at $US29,990 (about $A42,500).
It will arrive in Australia late next year.
Harley-Davidson Livewire
Trade wars
Matt says the company faced several sales hurdles in the past year, “including the impact of the ongoing trade wars”.
The trade wars started when President Donald Trump erroneously complained about 100% tariffs on Harleys into India.
It has since escalated into hiked tariffs on Harleys into Europe and China and higher US tariffs on imported steel and aluminium. Harley has not put a figure on the increased cost of raw materials but Polaris last year said it cost them $30m.
“The tariff mitigation we realised allowed more competitive pricing and access to more customers,” Matt says.
“As a result, we saw Q1 retail sales in emerging ASEAN markets increase by 126%.
“We plan to supply China from Thailand by the end of the year, further leveraging the value of this aspect of our strategy.”
The 10 ASEAN members are Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam.
Harley-Davidson Australia spokesman Keith Waddell says the company has confirmed to them that “motorcycles for Australia will not be assembled in Thailand”.
The group did the ride in 2016 and motorcycle industry stalwart Dale Schimdtchen decided to return with more Aussies.
The four are riding 150cc scooters and hoped to arrive in Hellfire Pass last night.
Dale said he decided to visit the World War II historic sights after reading a first-hand account of the horror and depravation that occurred during the brutal regime of the occupying Japanese Army and their intent to build a railway from Thailand to Burma, using prisoner-of-war labour.
Helfire ceremony
Laying wreaths at Hellfire Pass
Hellfire Pass hosts an annual Anzac Day celebration and many other riders also make the pilgrimage.
Dignitaries from Australia, New Zealand and Thailand lay wreathes and give stirring speeches at the ceremony.
Then they take the long, steep journey back to the museum and car park for a ‘gunfire breakfast’ that includes Anzac Biscuits, plus tea/coffee, with a nip of Bundaberg Rum.
Anzac Day tribute
Royal Engineers on the beaches of Gallipoli
On the 104th anniversary of the landing at Gallipoli this Anzac Day, riders should note the significant role played by military motorcycles and their riders in wartime.
As the above image shows, motorcycles were present on the famed beaches of Gallipoli. This Admiralty official photo shows members of the Royal Engineers (Signal Service).
Military motorcycles have played a number of vital roles in times of war and peace and are a significant feature in many motorcycle, and military and war museums around the world, including the Harley museum in Milwaukee, the Indian Motorcycle museum in Brisbane and the Australian War Memorial. We have included photos from museums we’ve visited as well as images from the Australian War Memorial on the Motorbike Writer Pinterest page.
Most motorcycle manufacturers have, at some time, produced military models. They include Harley-Davidson, Indian, Norton, BMW, Moto Guzzi, Royal Enfield, Honda and Velocette. In fact, some of them started life because of their military use. For example, BSA stands for Birmingham Small Arms company, a manufacturer of military firearms.
Military motorcycle uses have been many and varied over the years. Apart from use in the cavalry as a rapid and manoeuvrable machine to mobilise troops, they have also played vital roles in signals regiments, for mail despatch, medical use and chaplaincy.
BRD electric donor bike for DARPA hybrid project
While the motorcycle’s various uses have been replaced by modern communications and helicopters, there is still a role for motorcycles in today’s military and into the future. For example, the American military is researching and developing a hybrid-powered motorcycle for stealth operations by special forces.
Wartime necessitates the research and development of innovative military machinery including motorcycles. One of the more interesting motorcycles developed for wartime use was the Mark 2 Welbike. It was a collapsible motorcycle powered by a Villiers 98cc two-stroke engine. Originally designed by the British Special Operations Executive for use in covert operations, the Welbike was used by British airborne and parachute regiments. The bikes folded down into a parachute container and were dropped with the airborne units for rapid deployment on landing.
Mark 2 Welbike
The Welbike pictured from the Australian War Memorial display is understood to have been retrieved from the island of Moratai where it was used by a Light Aid Detachment to fetch the mail.
So, on this 104th anniversary Anzac Day, let’s not forget the importance of the motorcycle in helping our troops. And, of course, the brave and talented soldiers who rode them!
We’d like to thank the Australian War Memorial for their help in compiling this article and for the use of their photographs.
Premier class debut a learning experience for Currie
Factory Kawasaki rider lodges DNF-13 scorecard at British Superbike opener.
Image: Supplied.
Ben Currie has described his premier class debut at Silverstone’s opening round of the 2019 Bennetts British Superbike Championship (BSB) as a learning experience.
The Australian contender, racing for the Quattro Plant JG Speedfit Kawasaki outfit, qualified in P19 before crashing out of the opening encounter, which he believes came as a result of lacking patience in navigating through the field.
Rebounding in the race two, Currie displayed composure as he fought his way to 13th, notching up his first championship points of the season.
“I’ve learnt so much this weekend and my qualifying really set me back for both races,” Currie explained. “I think being on the grid so far back for race one caused me to crash as I was trying so hard to push forwards and probably put too much pressure on myself to try and get through the field.
“We started race two in 19th again, which made things difficult, but I paced myself and was a bit more patient this time and just dug deep and worked hard to get through the pack. I saved the tyre and we learnt so much, it was crucial to get that first race under our belt.
“I’m a little tired coming back from illness but I’ll be working hard on that over the next few weeks. I can’t thank my team enough for all their help and hard work this weekend. We have a good platform to build on and we know where we need to be and how to get there. Thank you to them all.”
Fellow Australians Jason O’Halloran (McAms Yamaha) and Josh Brookes (Be Wiser Ducati) experienced difficult weekends, both recording DNFs in the two outings.
The Circuit Ricardo Tormo test in Valencia which will take place from the 17-19 June, the same track at which MotoE will now celebrate its season finale with a double header alongside MotoGP.
Primarily, the Valenica test will pick up where Jerez left off, with riders and teams focused on gaining experience with the bike and setup. Sessions will start from the grid for everyone to get to grips with race starts and grid procedures.
Subject to weather, the last day will kick-off with an E-pole simulation as riders test out qualifying with just one single fast lap at a time. The day will finish with a full race simulation, where riders will get a chance to practice overtakes and race strategy, with Energica awarding the winner with their very own motorcycle Energica Eva – the streetfighter model available for sale.
Simulating qualifying and a full race is useful not only for the riders and teams, but also for the organisation of the Cup in order to fine tune procedures ahead of MotoE’s debut at the Sachsenring on 5-7 July. Josh Hook is the sole Australian in the newly-introduced category, fielded by Pramac Racing.
No one likes to think of their mortality, especially vulnerable motorcycle riders, but the Motorcycle Council of NSW has organised free Wills for members.
Chairman Steve Pearce says they have negotiated the deal for all members through MCC NSW legal advisors, Robert Bryden Lawyers.
Rob Bryden says a professionally compiled will could cost anywhere from $600 to $900 depending on the complexity.
“We are offering complimentary wills and they will be tailored to each person’s individual needs obviously — some may need more complex protection than others,” he says.
“It’s absolutely key every single person over 18 has a Will so that if the unforeseen happen (and let’s face it accidents happen every day) those that they care about are looked after.
“If you don’t have an up-to-date Will, the control of the estate will not be in the hands of an executor and distributed according to the rider’s wishes and circumstances, but according to legislation controlled by the government.”
RBL have set up an online process so there is no need for a time-consuming face-to-face meeting.
RBL will draft the Will according to the form and provide advice where required or wanted and then it is executed.
“A Will needs to be legal and undertaken with informed decisions and advice,” Rob says.
“We are offering this service free of charge to MCC NSW members in good faith and willingness to support.”
Passionate advocate
Rob with a KTM track car
Rob says he is a passionate advocate for road safety.
He drives and races cars on track regularly, lobbied when Government wanted to introduce the CTP changes and lobbies for better treatment of motorcyclists on roads.
Rob was also the NSW Senate Elect for Australian Motoring Enthusiast Party and was key in developing the NSW Learner Driver Program initiative.
“There are obvious synergies between MCC NSW and Robert Bryden Lawyers so we hope to work together in common areas around road safety, CTP, etc,” he says.
We often base our thoughts on visual first impressions and the details behind the facade are secondary, however it’s those small details that normally tell a different story, as I was about to find out….
2019 Aprilia RSV4 Factory 1100
The visual appearance of this tasty new Italian V4 from Aprilia was equally backed up by the specs of what’s hidden under the beautifully finished and dressed Aprilia RSV4 Factory 1100. If it were not for the lights, mirrors, and oversized titanium Akrapovic exhaust hanging out the back, I could have been fooled into thinking I was walking up to the launch of theAprilia RS-GP MotoGP bike, rather than the all-new RSV4 Factory 1100.
The bike really is a work of art, with carbon-fibre fairing components along with the now almost obligatory carbon winglets seen in MotoGP, making the the RSV4 Factory a bike you can stare at for some time. There’s also a track day accessory kit that includes a carbon air duct for the front brake system, race shift linkage kit, carbon rear guard, and a lever set with more adjustment and a nicer feel under the hand.
The 2019 Aprilia RSV4 Factory 1100 features the MotoGP inspired winglets in true racer form… despite not being race legal
The media briefing information from Aprilia’s staff certainly kept me interested in what I was about to swing my leg over the following day on Australia’s most iconic race circuit – Phillip Island.
The specs and technology that make up the RSV4 Factory’s DNA are impressive, I mean super impressive! Lets start with the heart of the machine, a 1078 cc engine that produces a claimed 217 hp at 13,200rpm with 122 Nm of torque at 11,000 rpm.
The 2019 Aprilia RSV4 Factory 1100 also boasts 217hp at 13,200rpm with 122nm of torque
That’s 16 hp and 7 Nm up on the previous RSV4, and while yes it has grown some larger pistons to achieve that claimed figure – that’s not all that has helped produce that whopping number. The new pistons and cylinder heads are finished in the CNC machine, meaning a precise and perfect finish on every motor.
New cam profiles, join new gear box components and a revised oil lubrication system that is designed for efficiency and less friction. The gearbox is a perfect marriage to the power character of the motor, with the slightly higher fifth and sixth gear helping through the higher speed turns to keep the engine driving forward.
Engine refinements on the RSV4 Factory 1100 join the new larger pistons and increased capacity
The big question was also asked, as to why Aprilia would build an 1100 V4 that can’t be raced in WSBK or even national championships around the globe? The answer, “This is a special exclusive model that represents what the passionate Aprilia owners want in their bike, unrivaled performance and technology.”
They certainly ticked that box.If you want a legal race bike there is the 999.6cc RSV4 RR with 201hp and 115Nm, which is plenty good enough numbers to work with to win races. That’s if your skill set is up to the task?
The Aprilia Performance Ride Control (APRC) system returns on the RSV4 Factory 1100
The brains driving the system (no not the rider), is as impressive as the motor details. The fourth generation Aprilia Performance Ride Control (APRC) system features eight levels of Traction Control (ATC), Wheelie Control (AWC), Launch Control (ALC) which we weren’t able to try, Cruise Control (ACC), Speed Limiter (APT), and the ultra smooth Quick Shifter (AQS) for clutchless shifts up and down through the box with a sweet auto blipper.
All of the above works perfectly with the Bosch 9.1 ABS system with three ABS settings and RLM or rear lift mitigation. What does that mean? The system has the ability to be set to allow the rear wheel to lift off the ground and not interfere with front brake pressure, this also allows you to back the bike into turns such as Turn 4 and MG. It really is a neat feature that works very well.
The RSV4 Factory features Brembo’s Stylema calipers, alongside Ohlins NIX forks
Navigation on the APRC system is really simple too, you can use one of the preset modes or create your own personal settings. Adjusting ATC is very easily done on the fly with simple +/- buttons on the left bar which is necessary with 217hp around The Island on street tyres.
A neat feature for track use is the high beam flasher doubling as a lap timer button for when you’re solo at a track day and want to know what lap times you’re doing. Another impressive feature with the data collected is you can go back and view it all after a ride with the APRC dash – not just lap times either but max speeds, lean angle, G-force, and brake pressure are recorded.
The high beam ‘flasher’ control also doubles as a lap timer for the track day addicts, as part of the highly technological package
As you would expect on a bike of this level the gold suspension can only mean one thing, Ohlins and it’s of the highest level. The front end is taken care of by Ohlins NIX forks with 125mm of travel. They are fully adjustable for spring preload, compression via the left leg, and rebound via the right leg and the separation of the damping control means less interference of each system effecting the other.
The amount of fork coming through the triple clamps was a bit too much for track use and sub 1.40 laps around The Island, making the bike quite ‘loose’ and a few times giving me a ripping case of the ‘Marco Melandri’s’ at well over 280km/h heading into Turn 1 even with the claimed 8kg of downforce at 300kmh provided by the carbon-fibre winglets.
The Ohlins front end with Ohlins multi-adjustable steering damper offer a confidence inspiring corner entry
The action and feel of the forks is very confidence building for the rider on corner entry though and at no point did I have a moment where I was wondering what the front end was doing, it was sliding a few times but thanks to great feedback from the fork it was controllable, almost fun…
A grippier front tyre wouldn’t have been a bad option on the press bikes though, but as I was told it’s how the bike rolls off the showroom floor and in that guise its pretty impressive around a circuit. There’s a new swing arm which has the same geometry as the previous model, but to deal with the extra power it’s built with stronger reinforced alloy.
Standard fitment more road orientated tyres were fitted for the test, with the RSV4 also featuring a beefed up swingarm
The wheelbase/axle position offers excellent mechanical drive grip, but also offers maximum squat force. Speaking with Byron Draper from Ohlins he said the bike in race settings operated better with a longer wheelbase, which I can concur would have felt better around the Island.
For the first time the RSV4 is now fitted with an Ohlins TTX rear shock offering 120mm of rear axle travel – the staple on race bikes for well over a decade now. If you were wanting that better track performance out of your personal RSV4 Factory I’d strongly suggest going up in rear spring rate to help finish off the faster longer turns easier. Completing the Ohlins ensemble is the multi-adjustable steering damper which I’m glad the bike had – otherwise I may have been testing it as a dirt bike after Turn 1.
The RSV4 Factory 1100 also features a Ohlins TTX rear shock, with a Brembo two-pot rear caliper
The complete brake system is from Italian marque Brembo. The Brembo Stylema monobloc four-piston radial calipers bite, and bite hard, onto the huge 330mm rotors. The feel through the radial master brake lever is amazing. I pretty much only required a single finger to brake from the ridiculous speeds this bike gets too. The rear braking is taken care of by a two-piston Brembo caliper, however the rear brake is almost obsolete with the ATC, ABS, and AWC, but did help step the rear end out into the tighter turns.
Rider ergos are very spacious, for a smaller rider maybe a little too spacious. Especially when you twist the fly by wire throttle and the rear Pirelli Diablo Supercorsa hooks up sinking you into the back of the seat, stretching your arms a little. This RSV4 Factory is 5kg lighter than the previous edition and changes direction at high speed with little fuss.
The 2019 Aprilia RSV4 also offers generous ergonomics for a spacious feel
The colour APRC dash is very easy to see and note when you’ve made an adjustment to the settings, while shift lights are nice and bright so you can’t hurt the motor by forgetting to shift. But there’s not much you can do about them mid-Stoner Turn when its asking you to shift up a gear.
So what does all this power and performance feel like on the race track? Summed up in one word: amazing. I have ridden a lot of high performance sports bikes over many years of racing and most recently testing street bikes. This Aprilia RSV4 1100 Factory is hands down the fastest thing I’ve ever swung my leg over and shifted into sixth gear on the stops.
“The Aprilia RSV4 1100 Factory is hands down the fastest thing I’ve ever swung my leg over.”
Does it feel like it has 217hp? You bet it does and going back through the APRC data after one session showed the max speed at 300km/h along with a few other laps above 290km/h. It really is that fast.
Theres a few things that left me wanting more out of the bike, but to be fair that was the dormant racer left in me, not a rider that’s going to spend $36,190 on their dream bike and spend more time admiring it, than taking it to the track to try turn back the clock by racing it.
Is bigger better? That extra 3mm in bore size certainly would suggest so and I’m sure the Aprilia customers will agree once they have a new RSV4 Factory of their own.
Aprilia longitudinal 65° V-4 cylinder, 4-stroke, liquid, cooling system, double overhead camshafts (DOHC), four valves per cylinder
Bore and stroke
81 x 52.3 mm (78 x 52.3 mm)
Total engine capacity
1,078cc (999,6 cc)
Compression ratio
13.6:1
Maximum Power
217 HP (159.6 kW) at 13,200 rpm [201 HP (148 kW) at 13,000 rpm]
Maximum Torque
122 Nm at 11,000 rpm [115 Nm at 10,500 rpm]
Fuel system
Airbox with front dynamic air intakes. 4 Marelli 48-mm throttle bodies with 8 injectors and latest generation Ride-By-Wire engine management. Choice of three different engine maps selectable by the rider with bike in motion: Track, Sport, Race
Ignition
Magneti Marelli digital electronic ignition system integrated in engine control system, with one spark plug per cylinder and “stick-coil”-type coils
Starter
Electric
Exhaust
4 into 2 into 1 layout, two lambda probes, lateral single silencer with ECU-controlled bypass valve and integrated trivalent catalytic converter (Euro 4)
Alternator
Flywheel mounted 450 W alternator with rare earth magnets
Lubrication
Wet sump lubrication system with oil radiator and two oil pumps (lubrication and cooling)
Transmission
6-speed cassette type gearbox
1st: 39/15 (2.600)
2nd: 33/16 (2.063)
3rd: 34/20 (1.700)
4th: 31/21 (1.476)
5th: 34/26 (1.307) [31/23 (1.348)]
6th: 33/27 (1.222) [34/27 (1.259)]
Gear lever with Aprilia Quick Shift electronic system (AQS)
Clutch
Multi plate wet clutch with mechanical slipper system
APRC System (Aprilia Performance Ride Control), which includes Traction Control (ATC), Wheelie Control (AWC), Launch Control (ALC), cruise control (ACC) and speed limiter (APT), all of which can be configured and deactivated independently
Frame
Aluminium dual beam chassis with pressed and cast sheet elements Available adjustments:
Headstock position and rake
Engine height
Swingarm pin height
Öhlins adjustable steering damper [Sachs non-
Adjustable steering damper
Front suspension
Öhlins NIX fork with ∅ 43 mm stanchions and TIN surface treatment. [Sachs fork with ∅ 43 mm stanchions]; Aluminium radial calliper mounting bracket. Adjustable spring preload and hydraulic compression and rebound damping. 125 mm [120 mm] wheel travel
Öhlins TTX monoshock with piggy-back, fully adjustable in: spring preload, wheelbase and hydraulic compression and rebound damping. [Sachs monoshock adjustable in: hydraulic compression and rebound damping, spring preload and centre-to-centre distance]. 120 mm [130 mm ] wheel travel.
Brakes
Front: Dual 330-mm diameter floating stainless steel disc with lightweight stainless steel rotor and aluminium flange with 6 pins. Brembo Stylema [M50] monobloc radial callipers with 4∅ 30 mm opposing pistons. Sintered pads. Radial pump and metal braided brake hose
Rear: 220 mm diameter disc; Brembo calliper with two 32 mm separate pistons ∅. Sintered pads. Pump with integrated tank and metal braided hose
Bosch 9.1 MP ABS with cornering function, adjustable to 3 maps equipped with RLM (Rear wheel Lift-up Mitigation) [can be disabled].
Wheel rims
Forged aluminium alloy wheels, completely machined, with 5 split spoke design. [Aprilia in aluminium alloy wheels with 3 split spoke design].
Murray Sayle Retiring from Kawasaki Motors Australia
Murray has a well-known passion for the Kawasaki brand. The green blood infiltrated Murray’s system in-full once he stepped on-board the H2R 750cc 3-cyclinder race bike for Ron Toombs in 1974.
Start of Unlimited Race at Amaroo Park, 1976. L to R; Warren Willing, Gregg Hansford, Murray Sayle, John Woodley, Greg Johnson.
“My proudest racing moment was winning the Australian Road Race Championship in 1978, but I still regret not winning the New Zealand Marlboro 250 series in 1977-78” – Murray Sayle
40 years since he raced fulltime on board the Kawasaki Ninja H2R, Australian racing identity and Kawasaki employee Murray Sayle again took to the track onboard the iconic model in 2014
Murray’s recent role at Kawasaki has been with the Marketing Department.
Murray Sayle
“It has been a fantastic journey here at Kawasaki over the past 32 years. I have worked with our great staff and dealers and made some life-long friends. I have been very lucky to have worked with our Japanese head office staff and visited Japan approximately 20 times. I have test ridden new products at the Auto Polis Race Course (Kyushu, Japan) the JARI Test track (Chiba, Japan) and the SPA Naoiri Race Track (Japan). I have taken Australian Journalists to world press launches, in Almeria, Spain, Auto Polis, Japan and Losail International Circuit, Doha, Qatar. Many good times and happy memories, thanks to Kawasaki.”
Murray Sayle – Kawasaki KR250 – Bathurst 1976
Across his Kawasaki career, Murray has made significant contributions to the in-house systems, enhanced the knowledge of co-workers and ensured the Kawasaki Dealers had support in place to grow the Kawasaki brand.
Murray Sayle – Barry Sheene Festival of Speed 2016 – Image by Mark Bracks
Murray brought his understanding of racing, brand belief and desire to win into Kawasaki every day, he officially retires on the 30th of June 2019 with his last day in the Kawasaki office on Wednesday 24th April 2019.
Shigemi Tanaka – Managing Director
“Kawasaki is built on people like Murray Sayle; people with passion, knowledge and integrity. On behalf of Kawasaki Motors Australia and Kawasaki Heavy Industries, I would like to express our deep appreciation for his great contribution to Kawasaki. I have always enjoyed talking with Murray about racing and hope we can continue to have these chats after his retirement.”
Murray Sayle – Hume Weir, 1976
The knowledge, history, stories and dry humour will be missed by Kawasaki Motors Australia. Despite his retirement from his official role at Kawasaki Australia, I am sure that his passion will not have changed and when ever Murray talks road racing his attitude that if they are not on a Kawasaki but still winning, well then they must be cheating, will not change… (LOL).
Negative peer pressure is alive and thriving in motorcycling as it always has and probably always will be. Do you have a coping strategy?
Some say peer pressure does not exist in motorcycling because riding is about not fitting in. It’s about being the wild loner.
If that’s the case, why are there so many motorcycle groups where they ride the same type of bike or wear the same type of gear?
Despite the fact that we ride in a protective cocoon of leather and fibreglass helmets, motorcycling is still largely a social activity.
Anti-social motorcycle clubs
The problem is that some of these social motorcycle clubs and groups can become anti-social.
Every week we see new videos on social media of packs of riders performing wheelies, stoppies, burnouts and other illegal and anti-social behaviour on public roads.
Thankfully it’s worse in the USA and Britain than in Australia, although we also have our problems.
Anyone who joins these known anti-social ride-out groups is conscientiously asking for danger and there is not much that can be done about that except to leave it to the police.
But riders can still suffer from negative peer pressure riding in social motorcycle groups.
Even in these groups, there can often be someone who will tease other riders about being slow, their inability to ride long distances, wide chicken strips, a lack of overtaking or a rider’s inability to perform a wheelie or burnout.
No one wants to look like the chicken in this situation, so riders tend to give in to this pressure – however jokingly applied – and that’s when accidents happen.
Professional advice
Having the guts to not bow to peer pressure can be difficult, even for some mature riders.
So we went to psychologist and rider Sharon Ledger for some general advice on coping with negative peer pressure.
“Peer pressure is a normal part of forming relationships,” she says, pointing out that there is both negative and positive peer pressure.
“We join groups for a sense of belonging but we can then experience pressure to conform with the group’s norms,” she says.
“That’s why it’s important to join a group that has the same values as you.”
Sharon Ledger
Sharon suggests that if there is an element of bullying in the group, positive peer pressure can be used to change their behaviour.
“Don’t be a bystander to bullying behaviour. Take a stand and show that it is not acceptable. You can put pressure back on a bullyby using positive peer pressure.”
Sharon agrees with these four basic tenets of dealing with ever pressure:
Make your own decisions. Do things that make you happy and make those decisions on your own;
Plan a response;
Avoid places and situations that make you uncomfortable; and
Choose positive friends.
We took that advice and applied it to motorcycling.
How to avoid rider peer pressure
Here are our five tips for avoiding motorcycle peer pressure:
Leave. If the group is full of this sort of peer pressure, simply leave and find another group. There are so many social riding groups, clubs and Facebook pages out there to choose from, surely you can find one that doesn’t have any peer pressure. Otherwise, ride solo. Click here for 10 great reasons to ride on your own.
Throw out the bullies. If your social club has someone who bullies others about their riding, have a quiet word to them, suspend them, send them to the back of the pack or throw them out. Don’t let a bully ruin your social club.
Go to a track day. If you are feeling too much pressure to ride fast, suggest to your friends that they do a track day instead. They let off steam, they are are fun and they can improve your riding skills. They will also help get rid of those “chicken strips” in a safe and legal way. But make sure you leave your racing behind at the track.
Volunteer to be tail-end Charlie. If the pressure to keep up is too much, become the tail rider. Carry a tool kit and first-aid pack and learn to administer first-aid. That will lift your respect within the group.
Own your individuality. Dress differently and/or ride a different bike to the rest of the group. Be proud to be an individual. People will respect you for that and leave you alone. If not, see tip number 1!
