A NSW Police Traffic and Highway Patrol officer has been injured in a “single-vehicle crash” on the Central Coast about 4.15pm today (Sunday 17 November 2019).
Police say the male officer was riding an unmarked motorcycle on Berkeley Road, Berkeley Vale, when he “lost control” and crashed into a guardrail.
“He came off his bike and landed down an embankment,” the police say.
Emergency services were called and came to his aid.
He was treated at the scene for two broken legs and was airlifted to John Hunter Hospital in a stable condition.
At this stage it is unknown if the officer was responding to an incident.
Police from Tuggerah Lakes Police District are calling for any witnesses to the crash, or anyone with dash-cam vision to come forward.
Anyone with information about this incident is urged to contact Crime Stoppers: 1800 333 000 or https://nsw.crimestoppers.com.au. Information is treated in strict confidence. The public is reminded not to report crime via NSW Police social media pages.
Aston Martin will spread its wings on a motorcycle for the first time when Brough Superior reveal a new motorcycle at the EICMA motorcycle show in Milan, next week.
So far all we have is the above basic artist doodle from the English auto makers.
However, we can see that it is substantially different from their Super Sport 100 model which brought the company back to life in 2016. In fact, it looks much more like a “supersport” model than this does.
Brough Superior SS100
It’s not unusual for motorcycle and car companies to get together to build a motorcycle.
Apart from companies such as Honda and BMW that build both, we had the short-lived collaboration between MV Agusta and Mercedes AMG that spawned the “solarbeam” in 2015.
Mercedes-AMG solarbeam MV Agusta F3
Like the “solarbeam”, this collaborative bike will be a limited-edition model and should be quite expensive.
It will be unveiled on 5 November 2019.
Aston/Brought release
Here is he official joint release from Aston Martin and Brough:
Brough Superior, the eponymous performance motorcycle brand created by George Brough in 1919 and resurrected by enthusiasts long after his death is, like Aston Martin, a luxury brand with great heritage. Both Brough Superior and Aston Martin place huge importance on developing a brand that customers are proud to be part of and products that strike the perfect balance between performance and design.
Both masters of craftsmanship who use the finest materials to breathe life into their designs, as independent companies they also revel in their ability to offer bespoke design and engineering solutions so a collaboration between the two brands is virtually guaranteed to produce something very special.
The first new motorcycle is the combined vision of Aston Martin Executive Vice President and Chief Creative Officer Marek Reichman and Brough Superior CEO Thierry Henriette, who are both motorcycle enthusiasts.
Reichman said: “This is a fascinating and very popular project for myself and my team. The opportunity to collaborate with Brough Superior has given us the chance to bring our own unique views on how beauty and engineering can combine to create a highly emotive piece of vehicle design. We’re excited about the end result and can’t wait to see the reaction the motorcycle receives when it is revealed next year.”
Henriette commented: “Aston Martin and Brough Superior are two luxury automotive manufacturers sharing the same passion for exclusive design and performance, the idea of developing a motorcycle in a frame of a close partnership came naturally.”
A male rider has died after his motorcycle struck a telegraph pole in Ingleburn, south-west Sydney, yesterday (12 October 2019).
Police have identified the rider as a 49-year-old man from Macquarie Fields.
“He was riding a back FL series Harley-Davidson — witnesses said at high speed — when he hit the power pole,” police say.
“He sustained major head injuries, dying on impact.”
The crash happened about 12.50pm on Collins Promenade, Ingleburn.
Officers from Campbelltown City Police Area Command established a crime scene and commenced an investigation into the circumstances surrounding the crash.
A report will be prepared for the information of the Coroner.
Anyone with information about this incident is urged to contact Crime Stoppers: 1800 333 000 or https://nsw.crimestoppers.com.au. Information is treated in strict confidence. The public is reminded not to report crime via NSW Police social media pages.
Our sincere condolences to the rider’s family and friends.
Roadside hazards
Roadside poles on Collins Promenade
A 2017 United Nations road safety report recommended the removal of roadside hazards such as poles as they are a proven cause of serious motorcycle crash injuries and deaths.
The 108-page World Health Organisation “Powered two- and three-wheeler safety” report says a motorcycle crash with a fixed roadside hazard is 15 times more likely to be fatal than a crash on the ground with no physical contact with a fixed hazard.
They also increase the severity of injuries in such crashes, it says.
The WHO report also suggests the removable of other roadside hazards such as trees, guardrails, utility poles and drainage structures.
It says the severity of a motorcycle, scooter or powered-two- or three-wheeler (PTW) crash with a roadside object depends on the speed, impact angle, surface area of the object and the impact absorption properties of the object.
They cite a study that found roadside objects were the primary cause of fatalities and another Australian and New Zealand study presented at the 2015 Australasian Road Safety Conference that concluded that almost all roadside objects are hazardous to PTW users.
“This is mainly due to the fact that all objects have been designed for safety of cars and their occupants rather than for PTWs,” it says.
The report says creating a roadside “clear zone” would not only minimise the risk of a rider hitting a hazardous object, but also provide room for them to correct errors.
“Choice of location of roadside equipment used for lighting or signage can also have a negative impact on PTW safety,” it says.
“Guardrails and crash barriers are often used to separate vehicles from roadside hazards but the design of such devices needs to take motorcyclists into account.”
A Harley-Davidson signed by Pope Francis is the holy highlight of the Bonham’s Autumn Stafford sale in the UK on 19-20 October 2019.
The 2016 Custom Cycle “White Unique” is estimated to fetch up to $A180,000 when it is offered for sale on 20 October, 2019, with all proceeds to be donated to charity.
White Unique was created at the suggestion of Dr Thomas Draxler, founder of the Jesus Bikers group in Austria, as a fundraising vehicle, to be donated to the Pontifical Mission Societies (Missio), the official support for Catholic overseas missions.
White Unique
Bavarian-based Harley Davidson dealer, Würzburg Village, supplied the Softail and collaborated with the Jesus Bikers on its customisation.
As the name suggests, the machine is finished in pearlescent white, with Chicano (Mexican American) style detailing, numerous gold-plated components, a Dorne wreath ornament, a sunken cross and Pope Francis’ signature on the tank.
The Harley Davidson was unveiled to the public in Würzburg on 29 June 2019 before being accompanied by the Jesus Bikers to the Vatican, via Assisi, where the ‘Pope Bike’ was handed over to the Vatican at a ceremony with His Holiness in St Peter’s Square on 7 July.
Holy bikes
Holy Softail
The holy Harley is the latest in a short succession of holy motorcycles and cars donated to the Papacy and sold on for charity.
The effect of scams on the auto transport industry
Although they are not very common, motorcycle shipping scams are, a small yet unfortunate part of the industry. It makes all auto transport companies look bad when these scams occur, even the reputable ones.
Legitimate motorcycle shipping companies, like RoadRunner are vigilant about helping you avoid these awful scams and situations. Taking your time and looking into any company you are considering is well worth the effort because it could be the difference between getting your motorcycle shipped safely or being scammed.
Typical motorcycle shipping scams
There are a few types of motorcycle transport scams to be aware of. These can all be easily avoided so long as you know what to look for.
Bait and switch pricing – Some so-called “companies” will offer you a price way lower than any competitor. Then, once your shipment is booked, they will call you while you while your motorcycle is supposed to be in transit already. It is then they will inform you that there’s some sort of problem and in order for the transport to continue they will need to charge you double or even triple what they had originally quoted you. Otherwise, they will need to “hold” your bike AKA they won’t give your motorcycle back until you pay. This is essentially the same scam some automotive repair shops pull saying they can’t “release” the bike for safety reasons unless you pay some exorbitant price for some extraneous, seemingly made-up, repair. Now, this isn’t necessarily legal but once you end up going through the legal process, you’ll end up paying a high price anyway in legal fees plus you’ll be without your bike for an additional several weeks. It is better to just avoid any outlier super low pricing when you are comparing prices from different motorcycle shipping companies. Be sure to read online reviews from sites like Google as well.
Lead provider sites – This is essentially any site that promises quotes from multiple companies rather than providing one quote of their own. What’s really going on when you get a quote to ship your motorcycle from one of these sites is that they are taking your information and selling it to other companies. These companies will take your info and will spam you with calls and e-mails until it drives you to the point of having to change your number and/or e-mail.
Carriers without an online presence – These companies generally tend to be “mom and pop” type businesses with just a handful of auto haulers and drivers. The fact that they don’t have a website or online reviews is a major red flag. They might be nice, honest, down-to-earth folks but there’s no way of knowing you can trust them for sure. Avoid these types of companies at all costs.
How to spot a scam
There are a few sure-fire ways to spot a moto transport scam:
Too good to be true pricing – As we stated earlier in this post, carriers or brokers that undercut the competition by a wide margin will inevitably add on very large hidden fees after transport has already started. If you refuse this payment, they might possibly threaten to withhold your bike.
The company asks for a wire transfer of money instead of a credit card or check – just run in the other direction, this sort of thing is the biggest red flag you’re going to get.
The company asks for the FULL payment up front – most companies will likely ask for the slight majority of the payment up-front or at least some sort of considerable deposit. However, no reputable company will require a full 100% payment before your bike has been shipped. Would you pay a moving company in full before you even moved? Of course not, you want the security of knowing that they need to perform their service and do so properly in order to receive the rest of their payment.
Your final price is WAY off from the initial quote you received – this could get a little confusing but your final price that you actually pay should be close to the quote you initially received online or over the phone. If the final price that you pay is nowhere near the price that you were initially quoted, then it is likely a scam. Now, keep in mind that if your original quote was for open air transport of your motorcycle and somewhere after that point you decided you wanted enclosed motorcycle shipping instead. Your final price will likely be at least $400 more than the original quote. The point is that if all things are equal (shipping method, distance etc.), the price should not fluctuate greatly between the quote and final price.
Ship your bike safely
Whether you choose to ship your motorcycle with a carrier or broker, make sure you select a trustworthy business. Get all the info you can about your potential motorcycle transporter – name, address, phone numbers, MC number and as much info as possible about their insurance policy. Contact the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration and check to see if the auto transport company’s license is currently active. Use Google to verify they are a real business. Google takes verifying businesses information very seriously, if the company has a verified address on Google Maps, that is another good sign.
Be sure once you have gathered all of this information that it all checks out. For example, if their site lists a phone number and you try to call, and the number isn’t working, or no one picks up during normal business hours (depending on what time zone they’re located in) then there is a decent chance that it is some sort of scam.
If everything else checks out and you are able to contact them over the phone be sure you ask questions. Don’t be afraid to be thorough either. In fact, see if you can get some customer references so you can verify that they’ve done good business in the recent past.
Also, be sure that once you are ready to book your shipment that you go over the terms of service with a representative. Once you have the agreement, look over the agreement and scrutinize it. It is crucial to acquaint yourself with every detail. Pay close attention to the points which are written in fine print. This is a good measure to take even though you likely got a confirmation e-mail explaining everything. Once your driver arrives, make sure you ask him any questions you might have regarding the bill of lading as well.
Final word
No matter what, you want to make sure that you will be able to trust whichever company you choose to ship your motorcycle. You will want to make sure that you do not end up involved in some sort of a scam. It is important for you to do whatever you can to protect yourself and your vehicle. Don’t get ripped off or have your bike taken hostage. In summary, the following will help you figure out whether an auto transport company is legitimate:
The body of a 42-year-old man has been found up to 12 hours after he went missing on a country road in the Lockyer Valley west of Brisbane yesterday.
Queensland Police say the rider died “following a single-vehicle motorcycle crash” on Lowood Minden Road at Coolana.
“Preliminary information indicates the motorcycle was travelling south along Lowood Minden Road sometime between 8.15pm and 10pm (September 23) when it left the road and crashed,” Police say.
TheRegency Downs man’s body was found beside his motorcycle about 10.45am yesterday by a member of the public.
He was pronounced deceased at the scene.
The Forensic Crash Unit is investigating the cause of the crash.
If you have information for police, contact Policelink on 131 444 or provide information using the online form 24 hours a day.
You can report information about crime anonymously to Crime Stoppers, a registered charity and community volunteer organisation, by calling 1800 333 000 or via crimestoppersqld.com.au.
Quote this reference number: QP1901862518
Scooter rider dies after collision with ute
Meanwhile, a 19-year-old P-plate driver from Kellyville has been charged with dangerous driving occasioning death after a crash with a 41-year-old man on scooter in Sydney.
The collision between a Toyota Hilux ute and the scooter occurred in the back streets of Five Dock about 8.45pm, Tuesday (24 September 2019).
Emergency services were called to the intersection of Spencer Street and William Street following reports that a car and motorised scooter collided.
The rider was treated at the scene by NSW Ambulance paramedics. He died a short time later.
Officers attached to Burwood Police Area Command attended and established a crime scene that will be examined by the Metro Crash Investigation Unit.
The male driver of the Hilux was arrested and taken to hospital for mandatory testing.
He was later charged and will appear in court today.
Investigations into the circumstances surrounding the crash continue.
Anyone with information about this incident is urged to contact Crime Stoppers: 1800 333 000 or https://nsw.crimestoppers.com.au. Information is treated in strict confidence. The public is reminded not to report crime via NSW Police social media pages.
Sikhs are seeking an exemption from wearing motorcycle helmets on up to 500cc bikes on local 50/60km/h streets through a submission to the Religious Discrimination Bill.
It comes five years after a Coffs Harbour Sikh group unsuccessfully sought a similar exemption.
Amar Singh, 38, of Turbans 4 Australia is preparing the submission to Parliament in consultation with community and religious groups.
He says it is not just about motorcycle helmets but also hard hats for workers and bicycle helmets for school children and senior citizens.
“Not allowing kids to wear a turban on their bicycle puts fear into their minds that they are not acceptable in Australian society,” he says.
“And many seniors who were used to riding pushbikes in India can’t even go to the local shops or temple.”
Amar says he has not been able to ride the 1970 Jawa his wife bought him for his 38th birthday last year because he cannot remove his turban to fit a helmet.
Amar on his Jawa (Photo: Wolter Peeters, The Sydney Morning Herald.)
Turban exemptions
Sikhs are being granted helmet exemptions to wear their turban instead of a helmet in several countries around the world on religious grounds.
The UK introduced the exemption in 1976 and it has now spread to include New Zealand (up to 50km/h), India, Pakistan (Peshawar only) and most recently the Canadian provinces of Alberta, Manitoba, Ontario and British Columbia.
Applications for turbans to be worn instead of helmets have also been knocked back in France while Denmark is cracking down on helmet exemptions for health or religious reasons.
Religious Discrimination Bill
Australia’s Religious Discrimination Bill protects “religious activity” such as the wearing of a turban, but does not override state laws, including road rules.
Victoria is the only state to grant a helmet exemption on religious grounds, but that is for cyclists only.
Amar says he will also apply to each state for the exemptions.
“The turban exemption is already approved for cyclists in Victoria; all the states have to talk to each other,” he says.
In 2014, the Central Coast of NSW Sikhs campaigned to Coffs Coast Council for the right to not wear helmets on city streets signposted up to 60km/h.
However, the matter had to be decided by the NSW Centre for Road Safety (CRS). Neither council nor the CRS could find any record of contact from the group.
NSW Roads and Maritime Services says they have not granted any exemptions for religious reasons.
The CRS has conducted standard bicycle helmet tests on the Sikh turban and found it did notoffer impact protection.
Aussie Sikhs
Sikhs have been in Australia since the 1880s.
There are now about 126,000 Sikhs here, according to the 2016 Australian Bureau of Statistics census. It is the fifth largest religion after Christianity, Islam, Buddhism and Hinduism.
Victoria has seen the sharpest increase in the number of Sikhs with 52,762. The state with the second highest Sikh population is NSW with 31,737 Sikhs, Queensland 17,433, Western Australia 11,897, South Australia 8808, ACT 2142 and Northern Territory and Tasmania have under 700 Sikhs each.
Turban symbol
Amar says it takes about half an hour to wrap a turban which he describes as his “spiritual crown”.
He also points out that Sikh soldiers fighting with Allied forces at Gallipoli did not wear helmets.
Unshorn hair (‘Kesh’) are also an essential part of the Sikh Code of Conduct. This makes Turban an essential part of a Sikh’s attire. Like the ‘Kirpan’ issue, this is another issue where the Government and its departments as well as the wider Australian community need to be informed about the importance of the Turban for a Sikh. More importantly, in order to tackle the hate crimes and discrimination based on the ‘looks’ the Australian community is being educated about the distinction between a Sikh and other members of the community who may also wear a Turban or cover their head or perhaps may look the same due to other items of clothing (for example the salwar and kameez for the women). Hopefully the Government will introduce measures which will allow the wider Australian community to be more aware and tolerant and not discriminate against someone wearing a Turban and not assume that they might be a terrorist.
An American inventor who has been working on a “miracle” exhaust pipe cleaner for several years has revealed his secret formula on YouTube after it was “stolen” and marketed by a rival.
Neil Stern contacted Motorbike Writer in 2015 after we published an article in which the World Patent Marketing issued a patent for his “Rid a Blue”, a quick-cleaning product designed to take the bluing out of stainless steel or chrome exhaust pipes.
It was claimed to comprise detergent oil, white diamond Polish and an “anti-oxidiser chemical”.
Neil told us he was the inventor of Rid a Blue and was working on getting it to market.
He asked if we would like to try it and we accepted.
Dodgy pack
When it arrived in some dodgy looking bottles with hand-written directions and an old rag, we were immediately dubious.
It didn’t work on an old bike we had and Neil said it was probably not real chrome or stainless steel.
So he sent another dodgy package and suggested we try it on the badly oxidised pipes of our Triumph Street Scrambler.
This time the results were amazing and immediate.
With only a small application of the solution and without much rubbing it immediately removed the ugly oxidation spots.
Before
Compare pipes!
In fact, he emphasises you have to be quick and not leave it on for long as it is “strong and fast acting”.
He said it consisted of an “activator” to shift the stain and a deactivator to stop the process. You then use a normal chrome polish such as purple to finish the job.
Neil ran in to all sorts of dramas in getting his product to market, so he gave up.
However, when he found someone selling his formula this year at the Sturgis Motorcycle Rally, he decided to reveal the secret formula in this crude video on YouTube.
Secret ingredients
It turns out the secret ingredients in the formula are one-third muriatic acid to two-thirds plain old polish.
Now, muriatic acid (HCL) is a form of hydrochloric acid which is poisonous and highly corrosive. It is also known as spirits of salt.
I can imagine most riders immediately recoiling at the prospect of putting corrosive salt-based acid anywhere near their pride and joy.
In fact, I never would have agreed to use it had he revealed his secret ingredients.
However, it does work.
Warning
Only a small amount is needed
Neil advises “be careful, it’s strong” and to only use a small amount.
It also has a strong odour and we recommend that if you are brave enough to try it on your pipes, make sure you do it in an open space.
We would also suggest you wear gloves even though we weren’t advised to and didn’t.
Also, be very careful not to get any on any other surfaces, especially paint!
We have not seen any adverse reaction in the pipes which have not oxidised again.
Still non-oxidised
“Never let the activator stay on long and hit it with a polish to deactivate and polish,” he says.
“Never do it on hot pipes, always cold.”
He says it can be used to clean all oxidation on stainless steel and chrome.
Neil says some chrome pipes are “plated under solution with no oxygen which is unstable”.
“When in the air and heated up, the molecules in the chrome fall apart and allow oxidation and bluing,” he says.
“What this cleaner does is force the particles together,” he said.
Neil no longer plans to market his cleaner and has now turned his attention to health care products.
Police in NSW and Queensland are investigating two crashes in which riders died early last night (20 August 2019).
In one incident, police say a motorcycle was travelling eastbound along the Warrego Highway three kilometres from Minden about 6.30pm when the rider “has attempted to overtake two trucks and has lost control”.
“As a result, the motorcyclist has collided with one of the trucks and was pronounced deceased at the scene,” police say.
If you have information for police, contact Policelink on 131 444 or provide information using the online form 24hrs per day.
You can report information about crime anonymously to Crime Stoppers, a registered charity and community volunteer organisation, by calling 1800 333 000 or via crimestoppersqld.com.au 24hrs per day.
Rider dies in Tweed Heads crash
Just across the border, an 18-year-old male rider died when his moped collided wth a Holden Colorado about 6pm in the southbound lanes on Ducat Street.
The teenager was knocked off the moped and was struck by a northbound Toyota Prado.
He died at the scene.
Officers from Tweed/Byron Police District attended and established a crime scene.
The 42-year-old male driver of the Holden, and the 46-year-old female driver of the Toyota were uninjured.
They were taken to Tweed Heads Hospital for mandatory blood and urine tests.
The road was closed for about five hours while the scene was examined.
Inquiries continue and a report will be prepared for the Coroner.
Anyone with information about this incident is urged to contact Crime Stoppers: 1800 333 000 or https://nsw.crimestoppers.com.au. Information is treated in strict confidence. The public is reminded not to report crime via NSW Police social media pages.
Our sincere condolences to the riders’ friends and families.
