While most riders would agree that tougher licensing and more training is vital, there have been some unexpected and adverse consequences for all riders.
It seems many riders simply find it too time-consuming and expensive to obtain a motorcycle licence. Instead, they take the risk of riding without a licence and therefore uninsured.
And because they haven’t received proper training, they are crashing!
Unlicensed rider crash stats
MUARC doesn’t provide actual numbers, but unlicensed riders probably represent a small proportion of the overall motorcycling population.
However, their existence unfavourably skews the crash statistics.
Unfortunately, governments grab these crash stats and use them to impose tougher restrictions on all riders.
MUARC says 7% of all motorcycle crashes involve riders without a valid motorcycle licence.
Take those numbers out of the motorcycle crash statistics and they would be more realistic.
Unlicensed riders also tend to have 25% more serious injury crashes than licensed riders, MUARC says.
That’s probably because they tend to ride older motorcycles that don’t have modern and safer brakes and handling characteristics.
Licence checks
Police pull over riders on the Gold Coast hinterland
The prevalence of these illegal riders on our roads is also used as an excuse by police to perform prejudicial enforcement (some call it harassment).
Some may welcome police conducting regular licence checks on riders to weed out those without a valid licence.
However, police could just as easily rely on their Automatic Number Plate Recognition technology.
Instead, they discriminate against all riders by pulling them over in larger numbers than other motorists.
This British video of a police officer with sirens going and a hi-vis jacket and bike shows that some motorists still don’t see riders.
It shows a police special escort group of BMW R 1200 bikes escorting British Prime Minister Theresa May with the Metropolitan Police’s Protection Command in London.
Right from the start it shows a van driver doesn’t even see the police officer with hi-vis gear, flashing lights and sirens.
It also suggest increasing motorcycle visibility technology such as modulating headlights.
Well, the British police officer above has his motorcycle lights flashing but still wasn’t seen.
If even bike cops officers can’t be seen, what more could we riders possibly do to be seen and heard on the road?
Most riders resist mandatory hi-vis gear as is required for Victorian novice riders and France where riders have to carry a hi-vis vest to wear the vest during a breakdown.
Many claim they are still not seen even when wearing bright gear and on brightly coloured motorcycles.
Richard says he has studied many scientific studies about hi-vis clothing and says there is no conclusive evidence it is safer for riders.
However, there are several international studies with varied findings suggesting:
Dark clothing is more visible in certain lighting situations;
Hi-vis rider gear may be less visible in certain conditions; and
Hi-vis clothing could create a “target fixation” for motorists, causing them to steer toward the wearer.
Richard also says he regularly wears a hi-visibility jacket when riding, but has still been hit by a car.
“The driver claimed they didn’t see me, from a distance of less than 2m, as they changed lanes on top of me,” he says.
The Victorian Motorcycle Council also says hi-vis is a safety myth, claiming:
Wearing hi-vis clothing may impart a false sense of security for novice riders;
Modern research shows that people don’t recognise or react to motorcycles, rather than not seeing them at all;
Drivers are more likely to see a bike but make an error in timing; and
All bikes have hard-wired headlights yet no research has been done on how this affects hi-visibility.
Some say group rides with lead and tail-end riders in hi-vis vests destroys our argument.
However hi-vis vests on group rides are not worn for safety reasons. They are there to help distinguish those riders from the others so that riders don’t accidentally pass the lead rider or fall behind the sweep.
A Perth rider has failed in his challenge to a $550 fine for a loose helmet strap after he says he only loosened it with one hand to talk to two motorcycle police who pulled him over.
Julian Collis says the judge sided with the officers despite proving in court he could undo his helmet with one hand and despite both cops swearing he was wearing an open-face helmet.
“I was actually wearing a full-face Bell Bullitt helmet at the time, so that evidence was clouded,” he says.
“I had taken my motorcycle gloves off and put them on the console and loosened my chin strap to take off my helmet but I kept it on when I was told I wasn’t being done for speeding.”
Reasonable doubt
Julian also believes his lawyer proved there was reasonable doubt that police missed seeing him loosen his helmet strap as they were occupied issuing a speeding ticket to a driver at the time.
Unfortunately the police officers’ helmet cameras were not operating as they had parked their bikes to conduct the speed trap.
“In the end, the judge said the two officers had dovetail evidence,” he says.
“We pointed out that they had lunch together in the court recess and could have illegally collaborated on evidence.
“The judge asked if they discussed the case and they said they didn’t and the judge believed them.
“It was a case of two against one.”
Court costs
Julian copped the original $550 fine and four demerit points plus $205 court costs, although his lawyer did not charge him a fee.
However, he says he has no regrets.
“I got to say my piece and tell the truth from what I can remember on the day,” he says.
“I wouldn’t ride around with a loose helmet strap. I value my safety as I have three small children at home and I’ve been riding for 20 years.
“I could appeal to the Supreme Court, but my lawyer said we had done as much as we can.”
Strap rule
Julian’s helmet has a double-D fastener which can be loosened without being undone
Regulation 244 of the Western Australia Road Traffic Code 2000 states that a motorcycle must not be ridden unless an approved helmet is securely fitted and fastened to the head of the rider.
“It doesn’t mention anything about how tight the helmet strap should be so it’s open to police interpretation,” Julian says.
A trial of motorcyclists using bus lanes should be introduced in Melbourne “to improve motorcycle safety and allow more efficient traffic movement”, says Shadow Minister for Roads and Infrastructure, David Hodgett.
Riders can only legally ride in bus lanes in NSW and the ACT in Australia. In most states, only bicycles, taxis, limousines and emergency vehicles can use these lanes.
However, in several major cities around the world, including London, riders are allowed to use bus lanes.
Ahead of tomorrow’s state election, Hodgett says Melbourne’s population growth is “putting enormous stress on roads and traffic congestion and that negatively impacts everyone’s quality of life”.
Under the Liberal Nationals’ trial, motorcycles would initially be permitted access to south-bound bus lanes along Hoddle St between Victoria Parade and the Eastern Freeway and on the inbound bus lane of the Eastern Freeway.
Hodgett says they would add more routes in future.
Bus lanes trials
The plan follows a six-month VicRoads trial in 2011 where riders were permitted to use bus lanes on Hoddle Street during peak periods.
A report is now more than seven years overdue and riders are still not allowed in bus lanes.
Western Australia also ran a one-year trial for motorbikes and taxis in bus lanes from March 2015. The trial was extended to include Fitzgerald St bus lane up to October 2017.
Similarly, no report has been released except to say that there were a few minor crashes.
If there are concerns about safety, why are cyclists allowed to use these lanes in most states?
Cyclists often get their own lanes anyhow
Surely cyclists are far more vulnerable because of the speed differential with motorised transport and their smaller profile on the road.
Allowing motorcycles and scooters to use bus lanes is not just another free kick for riders.
Like lane filtering, it would free up the rest of the road for other traffic, so it should be supported by all motorists.
And motorcycles would not hold up buses as would slow-moving cyclists who are allowed to use them.
The option of using a bus lane would give lane-filtering riders an alternative to the sometimes dangerously small gaps between lanes of traffic.
Cities that allow riders to use bus lanes
Riders can use bus lanes in London
Motorcyclists have been allowed to use bus lanes in London, Bristol, Belfast and the Netherlands for many years. Aberdeen in Scotland is now trialling their use.
Many other cities are not included simply because they do not have bus lanes.
In 2016, Tel Aviv opened its bus lanes to riders after a six-month trial. It showed that motorcycles, buses and taxis can coexist in the same lane.
“Under all circumstances examined, including at corners and next to bus stops, the new arrangements did not substantially change or aggravate the ‘conflict’ between two-wheeled vehicles and other vehicles. All potential conflicts were resolved without incident,” the report said.
Israel is now rolling it out throughout the country.
This is despite the report acknowledging that motorcycle crash rates have decreased as a proportion of the number of riders. (In NSW and Victoria alone, rider numbers have increased as much as 74% in a decade.)
Suggestion box
The uni report also suggests:
Licence refresher courses for older and returned riders;
Promote high-visibility motorcycle clothing and research into its effects;
Increase motorcycle visibility technology such as modulating headlights;
Support national standards for motorcycle protective clothing;
Reduced speed limits in high-speed zones, rural areas and intersection;
Increase speed limit enforcement;
Increase rider licensing requirements;
Promote technologies to mitigate multi-vehicle crashes;
Improve the quality of rural roads;
Evaluate roads for their specific motorcycle safety; and
Reconsider the learner-approved motorcycle scheme (LAMS) to also consider bike type, not just power-to-weight ratio.
Visibility fear
While some of the recommendations have merit, there is a fear among riders that authorities will twist words such as “promote” and “support” into “mandatory”.
This could lead to mandatory high visibility clothing, mandatory protective clothing minimums and mandatory technology such as emergency braking, traction control and crash sensors.
It has been compiled using 2005-2014 data from police crash reports in several states, vehicle registrations in Victoria and NSW, and Redbook motorcycle specifications.
The Monash Uni report reflects previous studies with findings such as older rider numbers and associated crashes are increasing.
However, it also found some new and interesting characteristics such as the fact that the number of riders choosing more powerful motorcycles has doubled.
It also claims to show that the crash and injury severity risks on high power-to-weight-ratio bikes are higher.
Here is a summary of the crash stat findings:
Fatal and serious injury motorcycle crashes increased 20%;
Rural areas are more dangerous for riders;
Most popular motorcycle types — sport, off-road and cruisers — also have the highest incidence of severe injury crashes;
Unlicensed and novice riders are more likely to crash older motorcycles;
Severe injury risk in motorcycle crashes is higher at intersections and in multi-vehicle collisions; and
Risk is lower in 50km/h zones.
What do you think of the Monash University report? Leave your comments below.
Timber bridges add authenticity to a rural ride, but they can be a particular danger to riders with longitudinal planks, rotting wood and exposed spikes.
The Australian Local Government Association (ALGA) says one in five of these local timber bridges are in poor condition and there is an extensive backlog of bridges that need fixing.
They have called for permanency of the Federal Bridges Renewal Program to help fix or replace local timber bridges.
ALGA President Mayor David O’Loughlin says that despite increased investment to renew bridges and the continued effort of councils to extend the life of their ageing assets, the backlog of bridges in poor condition remain largely unchanged.
“Councils are doing their best to bring these bridges up to a reasonable condition but this report shows that the scale of the problem is beyond the current resources and revenue streams available to councils,” David says.
“The Bridges Renewal Program has proved to be a very successful and important partnership between the Commonwealth and councils to improve road safety and freight productivity; more than 205 local bridges have been fixed using around $120 million of Commonwealth funding.
“Councils are keen to continue this partnership to deliver this important work and are calling for the program to be made permanent.”
Timber bridges replaced
Old timber bridge
New concrete bridge
Earlier this year the famed Lions Rd crossing the NSW-Queensland border was reopened after 18 months of bridgework that required replacing timber bridges with concrete constructions.
Kyogle Council received $2 million through the Australian Government’s Bridge Renewal program to replace the timber bridges, five of which have load limits between 2 and 25 tonnes imposed on them.
However, the ALGA is calling fr an end to the uncertainty of the Bridges Renewal Program.
They say further budgetary pressure has been placed on them with Commonwealth Financial Assistance Grants (FAGs) declining steadily over the past 20 years.
It has fallen from 1% of Commonwealth Taxation Revenue in 1996 to just 0.55% today.
David says the short fall in FAGs funding has been “swept under the rug for too long and the impact has been most acutely felt in regional and remote councils throughout Australia”.
“The Bridges Renewal program helps tackle the backlog in fixing bridges, but a fairer share of Commonwealth taxes is vital to restoring sustainable levels of funding in the longer term, particularly for our regional and remote communities,” he says.
“That is why we are also calling for a restoration of the FAGs funding levels back to at least 1% of CTR to ensure our councils are adequately resourced to provide, maintain and renew the infrastructure and services our communities deserve.”
The widow of a rider killed when he hit wire rope barriers has urged riders to vote in this weekend’s Victorian election for the party that pledges to improve the state’s roads.
Jan White was speaking at the Bad Roads Rally in Bendigo at the weekend.
Jan says the most important issue to her is halting the rollout of wire rope barriers while a “proper safety review” is undertaken in consultation with motorcycle groups.
“This would have to include a review of our accident reporting systems in my strong view,” she says.
“I want to see the promise of action to make all roads safe for all vehicles on our roads, no matter if four wheels or two.”
MP Peter Walsh told the rally that if they attained government they would also restart the Victorian Parliamentary Inquiry into VIicRoads management of country roads.
On the same day as the rally, Victorian Police called for doctors to dob in old drivers and riders that they deemed unfit, lower speed limits and deploy more speed cameras.
Here is the full text of Jan’s speech:
Jan speaks at the rally
I speak today in memory of my husband Phil White and on behalf of our children, Madison, Molly, Raechel, Shane, Danielle and Chris, our family and friends. The pain of knowing how Phil died is indescribable.
On 5th November last year Phil was thrown from his motorbike and into the wire rope barriers where he died.
Make no mistake, he did not die from his bike hitting a dead kangaroo on the road. He died upon impacting the wire rope barriers.
He had no chance at all of surviving that day.The wire rope barriers hemmed him in and were directly in his path. It could have, and should have, been different. He should have come home to us that day.
None of us will ever be the same.I have read each and every witness statement of the events of that morning and there should be no confusion, there is no confusion of what took Phils life.And yet, there is no mention officially implicating the wire rope barriers in my husbands death.
Phil’s cause of death is officially listed as ” a result of multiple injuries caused from a mototcycle incident.”
We ask, where is the justice in this?Systems need to be changed.
How many other deaths have there been to the wire rope barriers where the true cause of death is lost or filtered amidst the trail of forms, reports and people?
There can no truth in the statistics we are fed. There is no truth in them.
Wire rope barriers
In our view — Phil White’s grieving family — the road authorities have much to answer for.
They created the only roadside hazard in that area; already known by Vic Roads to be potentially lethal to a motorcyclist. Yet there it was, the hazard that brutally stole the next 20– 30 years oflife from Phil and from us all. The years that he was looking forward to. Gone in an instant.
And so, we stand united today, in memory of the unjust death of our husband and father and on behalf of all road users , demanding a change to the wrongs of our governing road authorities and government.
We demand the respect and consideration that we deserve as voting road users
We demand the duty of care that is our right as voting road users
We demand the right to be safe when we travel our roads as voting road users
Not just for some, but for all.
We say to you: We will not forgive, we will not forget and we will not give up.
For our husband, father and friend,Phil White, and for all others already tragically lost to our bad roads.
ACT police have asked for help to identify two riders who were videoed in separate incidents where a car swerved toward them while they were legally lane-filtering.
Police were made aware of this video a day later and began investigating.
Two incidents
It now appears there were two incidents involving the same driver.
This surely demonstrates that the first incident was not accidental. Instead, the driver seems intent on causing alarm and/or injury.
ACT Police have now released the images on this page (at top and below) of both incidents.
The rider in the second incident
They are seeking the identity of the two motorbike riders involved and have released this statement:
About 4:30pm, the riders were separately travelling northbound on Majura Parkway, Majura, when a green Ford Falcon swerved, almost colliding with the riders. At the time, the riders were lawfully lane filtering.
If you are one of the motorbike riders affected please contact ACT Policing on 131444. Please quote reference 6327970.
Police are also urging anyone who knows the motorbike riders or who witnessed or has dash-cam footage of this incident to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000, or via the Crime Stoppers ACT website.
Please quote reference 6327970. Information can be provided anonymously.
ACT Police have confirmed they will alert us on the outcome of their investigation into these incidents.
Lane filtering is now legal in all states and territories (except NT and WA which is expected to follow shortly) and has been legal in NSW more than four years.
So there is no excuse for this driver’s behaviour in the ACT which is inside the state of NSW.
Not only is lane filtering legal but it also benefits all motorists as it helps move heavy traffic more quickly.
What does it take for drivers to understand this?
You can do your bit to educate drivers by sharing this article you are reading now as well as this “Open letter to drivers“.
Perth incident
Meanwhile, in another road rage incident in Perth on Sunday, October 28, a driver swerved at a rider twice.
We posted YouTube video of the incidents, but it has since been removed.
However, it showed the driver trying to hit the rider at traffic lights, then a second time further down the road.
At the end of the video the driver gets out at traffic lights to have a go at the rider, but forgets to engage his handbrake! His car almost rolls into the car in front.
We contacted WA Police to make them aware of the video.
They said they would investigate and when we followed up yesterday they said they were still investigating.
Filtering rage
Drivers trying to obstruct riders has been happening ever since lane filtering was introduced.
Check out this video from last year sent to us by Newcastle rider Harry Criticos.
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“I was filtering legally when a driver stuck his whole body out in an attempt to block me,” the 2016 Triple Black R 1200 GS rider told us.
“I did not stop and he did make contact with the bike. I hope it hurt.”
It might be worth telling your driver mates that this particular motorist not only got hit, but also copped a $325 fine and three demerit points.
Lane filtering is legal
Surely it is time for some major advertising campaigns in each state to advise motorists that riders are allowed to filter and what benefits there are for ALL motorists.
So far, lane filtering education campaigns have been minimal and mainly aimed at riders, not the general motoring public.
We not only need major ad campaigns, but also roadside signage such as this photoshopped sign.
Here’s a sign we’d like to see!
We are not aware of any polls about lane filtering in Australia.
However, in California where lane splitting (filtering at higher speeds than 30km/h) is legal, polls have found it is vastly unpopular among other road users. The main objection is that it’s unfair!
That breeds hostility which results in stupid behaviour such as in the above video.
Lane splitting is unpopular in the USA
So long as lane filtering remains unpopular and/or erroneously believed to be illegal, motorists will do stupid and dangerous things to stop riders filtering.
Police ‘not interested’
Not only are authorities not interested in educating the motoring public about lane filtering, but police don’t seem to help, either.
Harry says police were initially not interested in following up on his complaint about this driver.
After we published the video, Harry went back to the police to find out why they did not charge this driver.
With the winter season fast approaching, it’s only practical that we make the necessary preparations for the onset of snowfall and slippery roads. While the white flakes are a joy to have, in excess they can be really harmful to motorists, especially those who prefer motorcycles to cars.
Vehicular accidents happen frequently enough during ideal road conditions, but they are more likely to happen during the winter season because of many reasons. These reasons include slippery roads and poor visibility. Sometimes even the cold itself is going to cause harm to your motorcycle if it isn’t stored properly.
So, how exactly do you ride your motorcycle safely during the winter? Read on, dear readers.
Reduce Your Speed
While this may be one of the more obvious things to take note of, many of us seem to forget this simple tip because, whether we admit it or not, going fast on a motorcycle is part of the fun. Any rider can speed up, but the real test of skill is being able to maintain control of your motorcycle even at low speeds.
Wear The Proper Gear
Donning the proper gear not only helps prevent serious injuries in the event of an accident, but it also helps you keep warm. Consider investing in thermal pants, gloves, and jackets. Riding in freezing weather is going to greatly impede your movements if you’re unable to keep warm. As an added bonus, wearing the proper gear not only looks cool, it keeps road rash away too.
Check Tire Pressure More Often
When you ride your motorcycle, your tires heat up after some time spent riding. This heat results in tighter traction, allowing you to control your motorcycle better (because heat causes your tires to expand). However, during winter, the heat that you generate from use dissipates faster than it is generated when you come to a full stop (and trust me, if you’re going to ride safely, you’re going to have to do this often). You’re not going to have the innate advantage of having your tires heat up as you ride, so it’s best to check and maintain your tire pressure regularly during the colder months. Alternatively, you can also invest in winter tires for your motorcycle.
Keep A Few Key Contacts Handy
Preparation has two aspects to it. One is in being able to prevent motorcycle accidents from occurring, and the other lies in how to react properly to an accident. With the latter in mind, keeping a few key contacts handy is going to save the time and effort of having to search online for the services that you need. These key contacts can be your local towing service, your lawyers, and your local motorcycle repair specialists.
Never Ride Through a Snowstorm
Riding through a bad storm is not recommended, and the main reason is that visibility is going to be reduced to nil. And while you can say that you’re going to be able to navigate through the blinding white, there are many other factors that might cause an accident, the most common of which are incapable drivers, sharp turns, and black ice. Seek shelter and wait it out. Wherever you’re going, it can wait. The important thing is that you get there safely.
The latest model releases from the two recent motorcycle shows in Milan and Cologne prove that power is still king in the two-wheel world.
A new road leader has emerged and some older models have been pushed down the order.
The list of the most powerful is still dominated by the track-only Kawasaki H2R at 240kW.
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New road king
However, the new king of the road-registered bikes is the 2019 Ducati Panigale V4R.
With 162kW of power it leapfrogs Honda’s RC213V-S which rates 158kW with a track kit, equal to the MV Agusta F4RC.
The V4R has been homologated so Ducati can go World Superbike racing again, so it is 998cc, not 1103cc.
Despite having fewer cubes, it has more poke.
Two bikes joining the top 10 are the updated BMW S 1000 RR with ShiftCam technology and 152kW, plus the 2019 Suzuki GSX-R1000 R1 in 10th place with 150kW.
2019 BMW S 1000 RR
Anyone who says power isn’t everything hasn’t twisted the throttle on a powerful sports bike.
Unfortunately, the only places left to experience these bikes is on unlimited-speed roads, at track days and in that all-important 100m traffic light drag.
There may not be many places left to experience the full power of some of the world’s most powerful bikes, but it’s always good to know the power is there.
So we’ve complied three lists of currently available new sports bikes with the most power, the most torque and with the highest power-to-weight ratio.
We have used factory supplied power and wet weight figures for Australia. The figures may vary slightly for some other countries.
For interest’s sake, we have also included at what revs they achieve peak power and torque to give you an indication of where they get most of their thrust.
Talk the torque
Gruntmeister Yamaha V-Max
While the kings of power are important, torque is that thrust in the chest at the starting line that we all love.
The king of grunt is still the brawny Yamaha V-Max. Kawasaki isn’t far behind with its forced-induction models and the normally aspirated Kawasaki ZX-14R.
If you were to include cruisers, Triumph’s 2.3-litre triple would be the undisputed king with 203Nm of stump-pullling grunt and several other cruisers would also rate high, including Harley’s Milwaukee Eight 114-cube FXDR which makes 162Nm.
Power and torque are meaningless if your bike is a porker like the 310kg V-Max. So we’ve also compiled a list of the best power-to-weight ratio sports bikes.
Again the winner is the Kawasaki H2R track-only weapon which has more kilowatts than kilograms for a power-to-weight ratio of 1.11. That compares with the V-Max at 47ptw.
So if you want a lithe sports bike with a good mix of heady power and gut-crunching grunt, Kawasaki should be your first port of call, or go to your local performance shop for a supercharger or turbocharger.
