This is not good!

[Grip Fast]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-29584281

Big jump in bike fatalities in Wales. All adds fuel to the 50mph everywhere brigade, not to mention all the bereaved families of course.

I don't know what the answer is - do we need to get all bikers to take more responsibility for their own safety on the roads before others feel the need to do it for us?

I believe most of us do but I still see some lunacy when I'm out on the roads...

[boxerscott]

In Britain, Motorcycling is generally a high risk mode of transport. We have congested roads. It is only going to become higher risk in the future no matter what. The glory days, if they ever existed, are gone. We`re all doomed

[slparry]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-29584281

Big jump in bike fatalities in Wales. All adds fuel to the 50mph everywhere brigade, not to mention all the bereaved families of course.

I don't know what the answer is - do we need to get all bikers to take more responsibility for their own safety on the roads before others feel the need to do it for us?

I believe most of us do but I still see some lunacy when I'm out on the roads...

It's the sunny day idiots that come out of the woodwork from the nearby cities whenever the weather's nice. The riding is truly appalling with horrendous risk taking, poor positioning and generally unpleasant attitudes.

I'm not sure what the answer is to be honest as fellow motorcyclists are potentially ruining it for us all.

Out on the GS the other day and overtook an R1 and a Fireblade along the A4212 Bala - Traws road in light rain. Was stunned how slow they were going, I mean REAL slowly, less than the cars by a long chalk.

Then once down in to Bala and on dry roads they came howling past, no doubt with a bit of willy waggling to show those adventure bike guys what real performance was.

Thing is we followed them, made progress where sensible and watched their aggressive overtakes and manoeuvres. At the lights at the A5 just filtered to the front which surprised him as he'd assumed his uber sports bike had left those adventure bikes long ago

All noise and no trousers

[PBBoxer]

See it every day up here.

Out of county lads come in and wag their dicks about. Sadly a load crash. This year has been bad in the Dales too.

I'm far from perfect and I go too fast for the law, but I dont pull the stunts i see others pull.. and worst thing is these guys are easy to pass, safely.

It's really frustrating to see these bloody accidents happen and it's really sad too

[slparry]

See it every day up here.

Out of county lads come in and wag their dicks about. Sadly a load crash. This year has been bad in the Dales too.

I'm far from perfect and I go too fast for the law, but I dont pull the stunts i see others pull.. and worst thing is these guys are easy to pass, safely.

It's really frustrating to see these bloody accidents happen and it's really sad too

Agreed

[SP250]

Nowt to do with whatever the bikes are - its all down to the quality of the rider.
I agree there seem to be more and more muppets about lately.
On the recent Boxertrix Yorkshire weekend we made "progress" on a few occasions and I only saw 2 of our number doing dodgy moves. One was continually positioned wrongly for the next bend and one was a dangerous overtake. Both riders were commented on by some of the regulars.

[Harry Lime]

So we had great summer weather. So more miles got covered on motorcycles. So the f***ing sun will rise tomorrow. So f***ing what?

What really pisses me off is that type of reporting. I expect better from the BBC.

How about "Motorcycles Mileages Triple, But Casualty Rate Only Doubles Boasts Welsh Road Safety Officer."

H.

[Merecat]

So we had great summer weather. So more miles got covered on motorcycles. So the f***ing sun will rise tomorrow. So f***ing what?

What really pisses me off is that type of reporting. I expect better from the BBC.

How about "Motorcycles Mileages Triple, But Casualty Rate Only Doubles Boasts Welsh Road Safety Officer."

H.

Good point, but its a far more sensational headline to quote fatalities.
The answer is better education and training rather than blanket speed limits which do absolutley jack!
IMHO

[slparry]

Thing is they (north Wales police) will proudly point to their excellent free BikeSafe course in answer to accidents etc..... however.... I'm sure they're missing the point a bit as the free Bikesafe course is available free to those living in north Wales, when more often than not the problem is visitors to the region, which NWP sort of elude to as they've stated that the region can be dangerous because of challenging routes, unfamiliar roads and the distance visiting motorcyclists have travelled to get here causing tiredness.

[Harry Lime]

Deleted.

[bikemad99]

Thing is they (north Wales police) will proudly point to their excellent free BikeSafe course in answer to accidents etc..... however.... I'm sure they're missing the point a bit as the free Bikesafe course is available free to those living in north Wales, when more often than not the problem is visitors to the region, which NWP sort of elude to as they've stated that the region can be dangerous because of challenging routes, unfamiliar roads and the distance visiting motorcyclists have travelled to get here causing tiredness.

Your post implies that you think it's the "visitors", the none locals who aren't used to the "challenging routes" of North Wales who are the problem.

You sure about this post?

You live in North Wales. I live in the Peak District. Aren't we lucky! - Or maybe we worked our arses off for it (I did).

*I* spend time and correspondence highlighting to the local press and Councils, the benefits of attracting people with the money to spend on a motorbike to the area.

Derbyshire tourism based businesses need no convincing. They're aware of how much of their coin comes from people dressed in leather.

So what are you proposing - I shouldn't be riding in N. Wales unless I've had a "proper" local course?

Come on! (You should see some of the places *I've* ridden! And of all of them, the Palermo rush hour in the wet beat the lot. Fuck India, USA, Japan...ah, I could go on....) Sicily on a wet Friday....Shit!

Oh. I get it. Your Utopia is a different speed limit for locals and visitors.

Yea, OK, in these days of ANPR, that's doable. Software will be ready by midnight. Coupla million should drag it out of my grasp!

H.

Now thats what you call real Boxerbollox!

[mrjon]

Britain is the world centre of motorsports (I read somewhere very recently).
We have a proud tradition of gentlemen riding motorcycles and cars along country roads and through mountains in their leisure time. It's what we are and what we do, it's a fundemental part of our male Britishness. It's worth standing up for, and fighting for against the army of bed wetting prius drivers that would like nothing more than to have us all wearing cardigans and crawling along everywhere at 45 mph.

[slparry]

Thing is they (north Wales police) will proudly point to their excellent free BikeSafe course in answer to accidents etc..... however.... I'm sure they're missing the point a bit as the free Bikesafe course is available free to those living in north Wales, when more often than not the problem is visitors to the region, which NWP sort of elude to as they've stated that the region can be dangerous because of challenging routes, unfamiliar roads and the distance visiting motorcyclists have travelled to get here causing tiredness.

Your post implies that you think it's the "visitors", the none locals who aren't used to the "challenging routes" of North Wales who are the problem.

You sure about this post?

You live in North Wales. I live in the Peak District. Aren't we lucky! - Or maybe we worked our arses off for it (I did).

*I* spend time and correspondence highlighting to the local press and Councils, the benefits of attracting people with the money to spend on a motorbike to the area.

Derbyshire tourism based businesses need no convincing. They're aware of how much of their coin comes from people dressed in leather.

So what are you proposing - I shouldn't be riding in N. Wales unless I've had a "proper" local course?

Come on! (You should see some of the places *I've* ridden! And of all of them, the Palermo rush hour in the wet beat the lot. Fuck India, USA, Japan...ah, I could go on....) Sicily on a wet Friday....Shit!

Oh. I get it. Your Utopia is a different speed limit for locals and visitors.

Yea, OK, in these days of ANPR, that's doable. Software will be ready by midnight. Coupla million should drag it out of my grasp!

H.

Not at all, everyone is more than welcome BUT the place really shouldn't be used as a race track. Do bear in mind the distance line I said was a quote from NWP!

Making progress is one thing, being lethal, anti social and downright dangerous to everyone else is another thing.

We should all ride quickly and safely but some of these guys deeply concern by having very low skill sets and very aggressive riding, allied to piss poor decision making and observations.

I too have ridden on every continent (except Australia) and this year will have covered 1,000,000 miles in the 40 years I've been riding.

What deeply concerns me is a lot of these guys aren't motorcyclists at all, bikes are just yet another toy to have to go along with off road vehicles, jet skis etc and other boys toys. As such their riding and accidents will be detrimental to motorcycling and give the perfect ammunition for the safety Nazis to legislate us off the road.

You appear to be very upset at what I've posted, I genuinely apologise for any offence none has been intended, BUT you've not been at the real pointy of an over zealous police chief constables obsessive mission to remove bikers from his patch. I have, and I'm not keen to repeat it just because some part time summer rider is unable to control himself, or his machine.

This week marks the 7th anniversary of a taxi driver killing my kid brother, and because of the hatred for bikers no prosecution took place as it was "only a biker" in Brunstroms eyes and one less to deal with. I appreciate that the police in the Peaks may well have purges on bikers but believe me it would be nothing like the intrusive, oppressive policing that was in place when Brunstrom was in charge and I'd hate to go back to that.

What I'm "proposing", to use your phrase, is for riders to show more consideration for other road users safety and to be honest with themselves regarding their poor riding skills and back off and ride with their skill set.

The alternative is the safety lot will get the speed limits dropped to 50 mph, draconian policing of motorcycles, and there was at one point even the possibility of bikes being banned from North Wales! Then we'd all have to come to the Peaks and treat that as a race track I guess

[slparry]

In Britain, Motorcycling is generally a high risk mode of transport. We have congested roads. It is only going to become higher risk in the future no matter what. The glory days, if they ever existed, are gone. We`re all doomed

A few years ago my Uncle said the golden days of the superbike where over, and I laughed citing all the wonderful new bikes available each year. But to be honest he was right, and as fewer younger people take up bikes each year the future, in the UK at least of bikes looks a bit grim.

Of course part of the answer could be we all move to Scotland

[Corvus]

I can't see anywhere in the (very biased) article, that the majority of the fatalities were riders from outside the area. Were they?

The comment from the brake guy at the end is pathetic.