Couple of points

In aus.motorcycles on Wed, 2 Sep 2009 21:15:19 +1000

They changed the rules on older riders in NSW and now you have to do
12 months on red Ps, meaning LAM, no pillion, 0 BAC, 90km/h limit.

Zebee

 

In aus.motorcycles on Wed, 2 Sep 2009 05:20:46 -0700 (PDT)

correlation not equal causation and all that.

The hard part is getting the data.

THe data is sketchy and the data that would be good to have isn't
available.

What has been got is the model of bike recorded in the crash states
for NSW, and the age of the rider and a brief description of the
cop on the scene's idea of what happended eg single vehicle crash
on curve. I don't believe the years holding licence have been
recorded unless that's part of the licence that is L/P plate.

Don't have years of riding, don't have exposure, that is how much
riding they've done in that time or recently, don't have what bikes
they've ridden before, don't have what crashes they've had before (in
this data set) don't have information about socio economic status,
about club membership.

The big change in the data available is the bike model. That's not
previously been available in the stats given out by the RTA, it's just
been "motorcycle". And the model is what's been recorded at the
scene, there's a lot of bad data.

The only way you can get that kind of data is by surveys, and those
have lots of problems.

Zebee

 

There were also a lot of 'us style/cruiser' bikes with stepped seats and
tall bars, everything from 4 cylinder Kawasakis to T140 Triumphs in the
70's.

I'd call those bikes 'cruisers' as well although the term itself (as
distinct from the type of bike) hadn't started being used.

Although if you define cruiser narrowly as a v-twin (which I don't) it
happened later.

But Triumph make parallel twin cruisers, Honda have made flat 6 ones as
well as parallel twin and V-4 ones, BMW flat twin ones etc etc.
Kawasaki Parallel twin ones, Suzuki and Yamaha single cylinder ones etc
etc.



G-S

 

Keep it in a neat little tight sealing metal case (to protect it of
course)(with your other cards so you can say I keep all of them in this)
and I'll bet that trick wouldn't work so well...


G-S

 

My night vision is not what it was, there is contrast loss.

My opthamologist? says there's some change but that it's 'normal' for my
age so that's possible.

I do know I have no issue during the day but I need brighter lights than
I used to need.

I restrict myself to cars/bikes with very good lights these days.


G-S

 

That isn't universally so, a mate of mine has a Yamaha XVS1100 and it
doesn't handle or stop anything like as well as the old GS1000S he's got
in the shed (even he would be the first to say that).


G-S

 

And the GS1000S handled like shit.

Boxer

 

In aus.motorcycles on Wed, 02 Sep 2009 19:23:20 +1000

http://www.thinkgeek.com/gadgets/security/8cdd/

although

http://www.thinkgeek.com/homeoffice/gear/9964/

might do the same thing or you could make your own

http://www.instructables.com/id/RFID-Secure-Wallet/
http://www.instructables.com/id/Make-a-RFID-Shielding-Pouch-Out-of-Trash/
http://www.instructables.com/id/Duck_Tape_and_Tin_Foil_Wallet/


Zebee

 

Andrew wrote:

Would you care to explain that remark, Andrew?

Although my Z50's rego slip does say it's LAMS, I certainly wouldn't
ever let a learner loose on it.

regards,
CrazyCam

 

Very hard indeed.

The theory of car drivers, over a certain age, being allowed onto big
bikes more easily than younger learners is based on the assumption that
car drivers have acquired some level of "road craft".

Given the standard of driving in Australia, this assumption is simply wrong.

regards,
CrazyCam

 

Zebee Johnstone wrote:

Is this really true?

It doesn't look like it to me, but then again I hang out with a rough
crowd. ;-)

regards,
CrazyCam

 

atec 7 7 wrote:

Are you talking the old set up, Q-ride here?

I think that was shut down, nearly a year ago now.

Dunno how their replacement system works, but it was at least comforting
to see that the authorities did find out about problems with the old system.

regards,
CrazyCam

 

Zebee Johnstone wrote:

I would hazard a guess that the "occasional" riders could be at risk.

If someone drives a car most of the time, and only rides a motorcycle
once a month or so, then they are unlikely to change their standard "Oh
Shit!" response from the car driving mash foot on brake pedal.

regards,
CrazyCam

 

Nev.. wrote:

<applause>


regards,
CrazyCam

 

Make that at least two (started riding at 45). In the ACT at least,
'mature' learners are quite a large group - and we have to display
L's for the whole time we are learning, then display Ps for 6 months
(but be on them for 12)

betty

 

VTR250 wrote:

I dunno how many of you lot are, or would admit to being, Ulysses Club
members, but for the rest, U.C. does try to actively encourage its
members to undertake regular rider training courses, by handing out cash
subsidies towards the cost of the courses.

For whatever reason, very few members actually take up this offer. :-(

regards,
CrazyCam

 

In aus.motorcycles on Thu, 03 Sep 2009 08:15:39 +1000

I don't have a hell of a lot of data to back it up, and such data is
hard to find.

THe ones who have been mostly riding all the time might not be buying
cruisers, the little I've heard seems to point at the ones coming back
after a long while and the new riders are.

But are you hanging with born agains and new older riders, or ones who
ahve been riding relatively continuously?

Zebee

 

In aus.motorcycles on Thu, 03 Sep 2009 08:11:20 +1000

Well... My understanding of the stats is that the older riders are
coming to grief more on "rural" roads, and more in single vehicle
crashes.

The ones who are having traffic problems are the young riders.

Problem is to determine how much of that is exposure, so how many
older riders are spending the same amount of time in traffic on a bike
as younger riders are.

Zebee

 

I can't see any difference between an older "rider"
and an older "driver"
You get , fortunately, some riders who have given up riding years ago to
start again, probably because of the traffic or the economics and
unfortunately, after so many years away from behind the handlebars, their
confidence and experience is not that great, then again, I have seen a lot
of the current riders where their experience is not that great
Following that, you have a person who has been travelling around the city on
public transport for years, because it is handy and don't have a car, even
though they still hold a licence, then after retirement, or a reduncancy
payout, they go out and buy a super-u-beaut car with all the bells and
whistles on it, go out into the country for a drive and wrap it around the
nearest red gum.

I would like to see the percentage incident rates of these drivers, compared
to bike riders
meaning all incidents, not only fatalities

 

A fair mixture, I'd say, but you know me, I'll talk to anyone who rides
any type of bike.

Certainly, one of the blokes I know, a returnee to biking, did buy a
Suzi 109 cruiser, but then, fairly shortly there after, a 1050 Tiger,
and various other bikes. He actually had an R1 for about two weeks, too!

One of the "new" older riders I know does have a Rocket III, and does
ride it like a cruiser, but OTOH, another bloke has a Rocket III, which
has had the ECU fiddled with to remove the Triumph installed
"protection" and it surely couldn't be described as a cruiser. It
certainly isn't ridden like one. ;-)

I think, but don't know for a fact, that the bloke who got the green
Street Triple about a week ahead of me getting y black one, was a
born-again, but I only spoke to him a couple of times before he went off
the road...."failed to negotiate a bend" was the words in the police report.

I do know of a few Ducatis, belonging to new and/or returned bikers.

Of course, I see a skewed set of folk, those with no jobs, or very loose
jobs, which allow them to hang around the Old Road on weekdays, and have
lost touch with the weekend warriors.

regards,
CrazyCam