Riders could cop a hefty parking fine if their motorcycle is parked with its wheels inside a parking bay, but the body of the bike, handlebars or luggage leaning over the line as in the above photo.
A Sydney rider found out the hard way when he copped a $263 fine for parking his scooter on Philip St, in Sydney’s CBD.
Personal trainer Stephen Lewis’s red scooter’s wheels were inside a crowded motorcycle-only parking zone, but some of the scooter body, top box and handlebars were centimetres out of the designated zone.
Stephen’s red scooter
He believed “it was ok” if his scooter’s wheels were within the parking bay.
“Fortunately I took a photo as this happened to me a few weeks earlier in the same spot, where someone dragged my bike out and put theirs in its place,” he says.
“I now take photos as a precaution when parking. It’s close, but I thought this would be ok. The parking fine is for $263 as it is classed as being in a no-stopping zone.”
Parking rules
Parking within the lines presents a problem for motorcycles and scooters.
You can park your bike with its wheels inside the white lines, but the body can be over the line when leaned over on its sidestand. (Note that Stephen’s scooter was on its centrestand.)
We could not find any specific motorcycle reference to this in NSW parking rules.
Specific motorcycle parking guidelines only mention that the motorcycle should “not stick out further than any parallel parked vehicle”.
We asked NSW Transport to point out the specific reference to motorcycles leaning out of the parking bay.
This is their reply:
Under Rule 211 of the Road Rules 2014, a driver who parks on a length of road, or in an area, that has parking bays (whether or not a park in bays only sign applies to the length of road or area) must position the driver’s vehicle completely within a single parking bay, unless the vehicle is too wide or long to fit completely within the bay.
Determining whether a vehicle is ‘completely within’ a parking bay or is in breach of this rule is a matter for an authorised officer. If a penalty notice is issued for this offence by a police officer, the fine is $80.
The best option is for riders to ensure that all parts of their vehicle are within the parking bay.
In other words, there is NO specific reference to motorcycles.
We checked rules in other states and councils and could also find no reference to motorcycles leaning outside the designated area.
Also, some motorcycle parking bays are not long enough for big motorcycles as in the photo below.
Parking fine upheld
Stephen challenged the parking fine asking for leniency because of the marginal overhang, but the Commissioner of Fines Administration upheld the fine.
The Commissioner says he consulted the Caution/Review Guidelines, legislation and information provided by the issuing authority in reaching the verdict.
“The photograph provided indicates the vehicle was partially parked in the no-stopping zone at 6.54am,” the Commissioner wrote to Stephen.
“Based on this information, we are unable to cancel the penalty.
“No-stopping zones are often in areas where it is unsafe for vehicles to stop or park, such as where they may cause a hazard to other vehicles or pedestrians.
“It is important to keep these areas clear to ensure the safety of road users.”
Stephen says the fine seems punitive for such a marginal transgression.
“I am absolutely fuming as this looks like a revenue-generating con,” he says.
RideToWork.org is a 501(c)4 non-profit organization that advocates and supports the use of motorcycles and scooters for transportation, and that provides information about everyday utility riding to the public. Every year, it sponsors an official “Ride to Work Day” that aims to bring awareness to the benefits of using a motorcycle or scooter for commuting/general transportation.
Here at Rider, every day is Ride to Work Day, so we fully support RideToWork.org’s mission to get more people riding, make our roads safer for riders and push local governments to add motorcycle parking and other moto-friendly ordinances.
So join us this Monday, June 17, and ride your motorcycle to work to show your support!
If you’re looking for something unique to do on a motorbike then it doesn’t get much more exciting and unusual than the Monkey Run Peru.
The Adventurists, which as their name suggests, are responsible for some of the world’s most exciting adventures, ranging from The Mongol Derby (the world’s longest and most dangerous horse race) to the Icarus X (a paramotor race across southern Africa) are excited to announce the Monkey Run Peru is coming back for the second time this September.
The adventure takes you through some of Peru’s most isolated areas, starting in Atalaya in the Amazon and finishing off in Ayacucho in the Andes the route travels some of Peru’s moist unspoilt and rarely visited parts of the Amazon rainforest.
Three years ago they launched the Monkey Run, which saw participants dropped in the Sahara and tasked with crossing the Atlas Mountains and reaching the Moroccan coast on 50cc Monkey Bikes. After just the right mix of thrills, spills and camels, the success of the Moroccan Monkey Run led to the creation of the Monkey Run Peru which is asking place for the second time this September.
The Adventurists are keen to show off the miniature bikes’ prowess on some of South Americas’ most exciting roads and trails, surrounded by epic vistas from Ayacucho in the Andes to Atalaya in the Amazon.
The fact there is no set route isn’t a result of The Adventurists lacking a good road map, it’s at the heart of what they’re all about and they actively promote getting lost and heading off the beaten track.
This drive for genuine adventure is why The Adventurists specifically chose Monkey Bikes, rather than more comfortable or powerful rides.
“Monkey Bikes are a whole lot of fun and it’s hard to take a serious fall. Because they’re low to the ground they also feel much faster than they are, but in reality they’re slow enough for you to truly appreciate the landscape you’re travelling through. They’re perfect for this trip and they’re bound to breakdown at some point, which means you’ll be forced to engage with the locals and find out what the country and culture is all about.”
Remember Rins sits third in the MotoGP™ World Championship, 27 points adrift of leader Marc Marquez (Repsol Honda Team), all despite not yet qualifying on the front two rows of the grid this season. So, with a strong Saturday to match the imperious Sunday form he’s shown, Rins could well go on to enjoy hometown glory for the first time in his career.
“I can’t wait to be at my home GP,” said Viñales, looking ahead to Round 7 of the season. “Montmeló is a very special track for me, it’s a circuit that I really like and enjoy. There I can feel all the support of my fans, it has an amazing atmosphere. I hope that I can respond with a good result, and why not with a podium?
European Championship competition resumed after the Second World War in 1947, but it only consisted of a single race, the same as it was in 1924. However, in November 1948 at the London Congress, the FICM took the decision to replace the European Championship with a World Championship. And so, in January 1949, the official rules for the motorcycle Grand Prix World Championship were written, with a six-race calendar published the following month.
So much of Davey’s disappearance is impossible to understand, but we know this: After summiting the Sonora Pass, in Northern California, Davey stopped off Highway 49 to swim in the Mokelumne River. He left his duffel, his helmet, and his gloves on the Honda he was riding, and the key in the ignition. Then he went down to the water, leaving his riding gear, his backpack, phone, and laptop near the water’s edge. His most recent text message was sent from the river on the morning of Wednesday, June 5. Not long thereafter, his phone stopped communicating with the cell tower.
South Australia’s David Johnson had scored a couple of fourth place finishes in previous TT appearances but 2019 marked a breakthrough for the 37-year-old as he raced to a hard fought podium in the Superstock TT.
Johnson was hoping for a repeat performance in Friday’s Senior TT but after an impressive opening lap of 130.98mph, disappointment then struck at the end of lap two when a vibration caused the crank position sensor to fail, shutting down the bike and forcing him to retire. Early in the week he had claimed tenth in the Supersport TT.
We caught up with Davo after the Senior TT to recap his TT week.
David Johnson
Trev: I am with David Johnson here at the TT paddock on Friday, immediately after a disappointing senior TT, but with the glory of a Superstock podium still fresh from Thursday that must be a great reward for some of the pre-season effort and the faith Honda has put in you.
David Johnson: “Today, the Senior TT hasn’t gone so well, but we were looking like we were in a good position there – I think it’s an antipodean thing, we come out of the box quite slow then get fast. It’s no different than what Bruce Anstey does. I think Cam (Donald) is the only one of us who went out and did awesome laps from lap one.
David Johnson – TT 2019
“I always end well though, and it looked like it could possibly have been a podium today as well, while yesterday of course was amazing. On a bike that I didn’t expect it on, the Superstock bike is not known as the fastest thing out of the box but we proved to people that it is highly capable. It handles so well, I could just ride it, the way it handled was amazing, there is never any dramas with the way the stock Honda handles, that’s for sure.
Cam Donald congratulates Davo on his maiden TT podium
“On the last lap in the Superstock race, when I was in P3 at one point, then P4, then just before the mount’ I saw P4 + 0, and thought who the hell is this I’m dicing with. It turns out its Michael Dunlop. That was only over the line, the last sector I was fourth, come across the line as hard as I could in the last sector, short circuit hard and come out 0.2s in front. Happy to get onto the podium for the first time.”
David Johnson was cool as a cucumber ahead of the Superbike TT as his mechanics fuelled his bike only moments before the race start
Trev: I remarked in the Superstock race report (Link), the bike uses less fuel, the team helped make up that three-seconds in the pits to give the team great credence as well, but some people also forget that you lose more than three-seconds a lap with the horsepower deficit to the BMW and Kawasaki. So you still had to do your job with less power out on the circuit. From the sidelines earlier in the week I could see that Michael Dunlop could make 20 metres or more on you over 400 metres as soon as the bikes were upright, pulling 20 metres over a 400 metre straight – when the tracks over 60,000 metres that certainly adds up over a full lap…
David Johnson in the pits on the Superbike
David Johnson: “Yea, Sulby Straight I think we were at our worst, against whoever was fastest, 15 mph down, which is a lot, a friggen hell of a lot. Yea so I sorta had no idea who I was dicing with, I thought it was actually going to be James Hillier, but obviously he had a 30s penalty, which didn’t come into the equation, as even with that penalty off we still beat him by 6s, but it was Dunlop I was fighting with.
David Johnson – Superstock TT 2019
“The last sector is obviously where the Honda is going to be awesome, as it’s quite a tight little section, slow and tight, which is why I can push without risking too much. Just to come out by 0.2 of a second is… some people, the way they were following it, they were saying it was the battle of the TT.”
Peter Hickman leads David Johnson
Trev: It was only a race for third to be fair right from the start, Hicky and Harrison were in another league last year, and it proved the same again this year, that pair are going to be hard to beat.
David Johnson: “They’ve changed the bar for this whole situation really, Hicky was behind me starting, I was ninth on the road, and he was 10th, so when he caught me and he caught me quite early in the lap, and then starts pulling away, I was like oh my god, this is ridiculous, to push like that.
David Johnson – Superstock TT 2019
“The way they are pushing to get what they do, it’s changed a lot. That’s how hard you have to win, those two have changed the bar. Dunlop has won 19 TTs all together and in a big bike TT you have to push absolutely, like say short circuit you push 100 per cent, to win a TT these days that’s what it takes… I would if I felt comfortable on the bike, but with the short practice that we’ve had and me being new to Honda, I just didn’t quite feel that comfortable to go out of the box and push like mad right from the off.
David Johnson – Superstock TT 2019
“Whereas especially the first couple of laps, is where you make it all up and get comfortable with the bike, you push like mad in the first two laps and the rest comes to you. Whereas I’m still building up speed…”
David Johnson
Trev: Third, that’s probably fulfilling your ultimate potential that you would have looked at coming into the race. Are the team happy, does that mean you’ll be on a Fireblade next year and they’ll pay you more money? (laughs)
David Johnson: “Maybe, we’ve not spoken about that, I’m happy with them and they are happy with me. Especially in Superstock, they didn’t expect that at all. The Superbike is a fair weapon, so we expected to be somewhere near in that, and we were close, we thought we had the potential to be on the podium today in the Senior, unfortunately the bike let us down with an electronics problem.
David Johnson – Superstock TT 2019
“On the Superstock bike it was a long shot, the Superbike was the one I expected to be on the podium in, and then all of a sudden I’m on the podium in Superstock. I’ve won BSB championship races in Superstock, so I knew I was going to be good on it, but had no idea, never expected to be on the podium this year like that in the Superstock class.”
David Johnson on the Superbike – TT 2019
Trev: We don’t hear outside of the TT anything that you’re up to. How have you got yourself up to speed, and your head up to speed?
David Johnson: “Well the Island Classic, Phillip Island, that’s my main preparation, they ride like mad out there. To be honest, I didn’t do any British Championship races this year, which I usually do. I know if I go into Superstock race I can be at the front. But this year we didn’t do that, for whatever reason.”
David Johnson at the 2019 Island Classic – Image by Rob Mott
Trev: Might there be any opportunities for you to get any short circuit work in the latter part of the year?
David Johnson: “There is, that’s all down to me now. I’m 37-years-old now and I’ve got my fiancee and we’re from Adelaide, and I like to spend all my time in Adelaide now. I’ve been here for 18 years now, in Europe.
David Johnson on the Superbike – TT 2019
Trev: It’s a long time ago you left the Aussie domestic competition…
David Johnson: “I remember I was excited when you did a little write up on me in my first year, in 2002…”
David Johnson – Aussie GP Support Races 2002
Trev: So we’re both getting old.
David Johnson: “I guess so! I do what I need to do to keep doing it. I do a heap of track days, Levi Day race schools, my own race schools here and there as well, and the Champion Rides days, so I do a lot of riding. I do the James Whitham schools when I’m here and the Focus Events around Europe. So I do a lot of riding but that doesn’t really reflect when you’re pushing hard from the get go, like mad.”
David Johnson – Supersport TT 2019
Trev: So if you got any short circuit work in this year, would it be back in Australia or in the UK?
David Johnson: “I’ve never really had the opportunity in Australia, they never come up, I would love to do it, with Honda if they had a spare bike and it was offered, I’d jump on it. But because I’ve never had the offers, I’ve never done it. And to be competitive you need to be on a good bike and team to be in Australia, in Australia the riders are world class.”
David Johnson on the Superbike – TT 2019
Trev: It’s very tight, one turn of a clicker between hero and zero really it is that close.
David Johnson: “It’s no different than going to BSB, if you’re on a crap bike in BSB you won’t be competitive. In Australia it’s the same thing and I don’t want to do it half arsed. If I do it, it has to be properly. But I don’t know, I’ll suss it out. It feels like the end of the season for me now, so we’ll have a big night tonight and move forward from here.”
David Johnson on the Superbike – TT 2019
Trev: So just see what crops up in the latter half or 2019 and will there be any more real road racing for you? Anything lined up for the Classic TT?
David Johnson: “Yes, I’m racing with the Kawasaki team in the Classic TT, I’m not really allowed to say that around here! But yea the Kawasaki team for that. Ulster GP as well, it’s not in my contract but I know Honda will want me to do it and I love the Ulster GP, I got a podium last year with the Tyco BMW team and it’s a good place. A love-hate relationship. I broke my back there and spent a month in Belfast hospital but I want to do that again. And the Macau GP at the end of the year, so I have a few big international races to do.
David Johnson at the 2018 Macau GP
Trev: Who’s Macau with?
David Johnson: “Not sure yet, that’s to be confirmed, to be announced, actually I don’t even know yet. I’ve had about 17,000 offers so far, so it’s wait and see.”
David Johnson on the Superbike – TT 2019
Trev: It’s nice to be wanted mate.
David Johnson: “It’s better to be wanted than no one gives a shit, so we’ll wait and see.”
David Johnson on the Superstock podium – TT 2019
Trev: Celebrate a safe and successful week, we’ll see you in due course.
David Johnson: “I’ll see you at the bar later mate!”
The 2019 Isle of Man TT has seen Dean Harrison claim Kawasaki’s first Senior TT win since 1975. This is only the second ever win for Kawasaki in the premier event at the TT, and at 30-years-old Harrison is also one of the youngest riders ever to win the Senior TT. We had a front row seat for the chat with Harrison immediately after he claimed victory in Friday’s Senior TT.
Dean Harrison – Senior TT Winner – 2019
Your first big bike win at the TT.
Dean Harrison: “I’m over the moon I can’t believe it to be honest. It’s great now as I’ve won every TT on a Kawasaki, I’ve won the 650 twin race, Supersport race, the big bike race, so a win in every class, that’s ticked all the boxes.
“The race I got off to a reasonable start, Pete had a bit of the legs on me to be honest. I just tried to put as much pressure on him as I could, as the race went on he was chipping away from me, and the gap was getting bigger, it wasn’t until lap 4 or lap 5 that I noticed the gap had halved. So I thought… well the thing is when the gap halves, I’m not sure if there was a problem, as if someone breaks down there’s a big gap, and it keeps coming down and down and down.
“So I just kept it going to be honest, I was short shifting everywhere, trying to conserve fuel for my last lap. Six laps around this place, 226 miles (over 360 km) on the bike, and two hours, it’s the longest race you’ll ever do as a solo rider. It’s a testament to the bike to keep going for so long, the hammering it gets from me is unbelievable.”
Dean Harrison
When you saw the early boards you must have thought he was getting away from you, growing sector by sector.
Dean Harrison: “Yeah exactly, I was going as hard as I felt comfortable going, I thought I’d push and that would be my best, in those first few laps, and I think I did a sub 17 on lap one, a 16:50 something.
“The trouble is now you’re kind of splitting hairs around here, aren’t we it’s getting so fine. I just tried to put on as much pressure as I could. It sounds daft but if you take a step back and relax you end up making a mistake, if I keep going at the pace I’m going and pushing, you sorta get into a rhythm and sorta hit your points at the apex.
“But the bike to be fair was absolutely faultless, never missed a beat the whole race. Apart from a little tank surging issue, that we went through, that showed up a little bit to be honest, at the latter part of the second lap, the pit laps. But apart from that it was faultless. Massive thanks to the team.”
Dean Harrison
For the second pit stop the lead was about 17-seconds, half of which Peter had built up just on the climb to the mount, taking about eight-seconds out of your lap.
Dean Harrison: “That’s my Achilles heel, on the lower section I seem to have it nailed, it’s the climb up the mounts that I need to do some more research on over the winter, we’ve got to do some more short circuits scratching, the faster I get at short circuits the faster I seem to go up the mountain. So I need to come back and do a bit of that here later in the year. Hat’s off to Pete, he has won three TT’s this week and it just proves I’m competitive to get onto the podium.”
And with the top brass from Kawasaki here, we think it’s the first Senior TT for the marque since 1975…
Dean Harrison: “I think it was Mick Grant that won that… Brilliant yea, to give the Kawasaki superbike a win since 1975, Jesus Christ… 44 years ago, a few years ago, no brilliant to be fair.”
What was your thought when you suddenly saw a board which said P1?
Dean Harrison: “I knew there was something wrong when the lead had halved, obviously he’s having issues here, once I got P1 the lead just went from P1 plus 8s to P1 plus 30s and on the mountain I thought I got to short shift a bit.
“It’s hard to concentrate when that happens, when you’re in a battle with someone and it’s so close, but when something goes wrong with another competitor that you get such a big lead, it’s easy to have a lapse in concentration, so you really have to keep your mind in focus, on what you’re doing and what’s coming up, keeping the bike in the right rev range, as problems can occur around here. So I kept my head down and brought it home.”
Dean Harrison at the Superbike Start
How would you sum up your TT overall, three podiums and a win?
Dean Harrison: “It’s absolutely brilliant, every class is so competitive now, I lost my way a little bit though mid-week, with the weather the way it’s been, I sorta lost a bit of momentum, I started real strong, and then my head went a little bit almost, and then it took a little bit to get me back into it.
“Yesterday with all the races I got back into the swing of things, and it’s great to get a win, where it’s six laps, two pit stops, it’s not a shortened race. The race yesterday, I take my hat off to Gary Thompson for the races we got in yesterday, as it was such a tight schedule and yesterday went absolutely seamless. It’s great to get it done for all the spectators, as the crowd around the track is absolutely massive, it’s great to see so much enthusiasm, with people waving over the fences, and sitting on the hedges.”
Dean Harrison
Your bike worked flawlessly…
Dean Harrison: “Yea exactly, it’s a testament to the bike and the team to be fair. The bike never missed a beat the whole race. With the new bike, even we’ve got a new bik this year 2019 ZX-10RR and obviously cosmetically it looks very similar to the old bike, but engine wise it’s not, but the characteristics are quite different. And it took me quite a bit of getting used to. In the stock race, I had a few problems in the NW200 and sort of dialed that out for when we got here, and the Superbike is the same thing, it’s just a matter of time.”
You’ve won TT races before, but to win the Senior TT that must be really special?
Dean Harrison: “Everyone says it’s the biggest race of the fortnight, and me and Pete were saying last year that the Superbike and the Senior are very similar, since it’s the same bike, but for some reason the Senior is the blue ribbon race, but it’s great to get my hands on the trophy to be honest, and to go down as one of the names in history. I’m over the moon.”
How are you going to celebrate getting your hands on that grand ole lady?
Dean Harrison: “You don’t want to know!”
2019 Senior TT Results Dean Harrison Peter Hickman +53.062 Conor Cummins +58.879
