Sunday 17 January 2016

Riding with a pillion

I suppose it's a bit bizarre really, motorcycling is a fairly insular activity after all, but I do enjoy riding with a pillion. I can't say I'm one for partying much anymore preferring my own company and a bit of peace and quiet. At best the company of a few good friends rather than a crowd of people I barely know. That's the trouble with getting a bit older, you learn the difference between friends and acquaintances. I've reached that point of realising that real friends are few and far between, I treasure their company and can't be bothered with the others. So you would have thought riding alone would have been perfect for me. No, the gods have played a trick on me, I'm never happier than when I have my wife sat on the back.  That's not to say I don't enjoy riding alone, I do, it's just that its so much better having somebody I care for to share the experience with.

The%20PillionThe bike is fitted out with an intercom so we could chat away but strangely we don't. Indeed there are days when I think she has fallen asleep there's so little going on. The truth is we're both just enjoying the experience as if we were riding alone. I'm a lucky man really, we're very close anyway but even better we share the same love of motorbikes and motorsports. Sharing 'the ride' is almost spiritual, we get to see wonderful places in a way so few people do these days using a method of transport we both love. It's special and it's just for us.

Now don't get me wrong, I'm not a hermit or especially antisocial. As you can see from older posts I'm more than happy at large gatherings like The Ride To The Wall, but that's different. That's a bunch of like minded bikers gathered together by a common cause, it's a brotherhood thing and really quite special. Riding with my pillion is personal, selfish if you like. I'm sharing an experience that is special for me with somebody who is special to me. It just seems so right.

Sunday 10 January 2016

Riding a bike in London

For my many sins I work in London. However, I live in rural Hampshire so, like so many others these days, I have a substantial commute to deal with every day, a 164 mile round trip in my case. I had three potential transport options to choose from; I could drive the car in; I could avail myself of public transport or I could ride my bike in. Naturally I felt obliged to try all three in the interests of a truly objective assessment.

The trip to the office entails a stretch up the M3 and around the M25 to the A3 before heading into London and the office just south of Tower Bridge.

The Car
Not my favoured option having friends 30-40,000 mile a year for the last 20 years but it had to be considered. Roadworks aside the first 70 miles are fairly easy but then you hit the suburbs. Suffice to say it could take as long to travel the last 12 miles as it did the first 70. In the end I couldn't reliably complete the journey in less than 2 1/2 hours in each direction. Not acceptable.

Public Transport
Now this really didn't appeal. An hour ten minute train journey into Waterloo followed by either the underground or a bus through to the office.  In total it amounts to a 1 1/2 hour trip in each direction. That's more like it.

The Bike
My favoured option. I have a lovely BMW R1200RT which should be perfect for the trip.  All being equal I should be able to get around any hold ups on the motorways and with you being able to ride down the bus lanes in most of London now that last 12 miles should be much easier than I the car, and so it turned out but for one tiny fly in the ointment. Cyclists. This really surprised me.  In the past I had the pleasure of working for a Dutch company. As a result I have driven through Dutch cities where cyclists have priority over all other traffic, and it works very well. So long as you know the rules there are no surprises, the cyclists know where they are supposed to be as do motorists. Everyone respects everybody else's space and it all works very well. This was pretty much what I was expecting in London...how wrong could I be ! As a member of the Motorcycle Action Group (MAG) I'm well aware of the issues of two wheeled accident rates in London and the steps being taken to overcome those. I'm also aware of the blatant prejudice against powered two wheelers. What I wasn't prepared for was the immense and incredible stupidity of the vast majority of cyclists in the city. The number of traffic violations I witnessed would have kept the courts busy for years had they been prosecuted. If the police could reliably identify the culprits they wouldn't need speed cameras for revenue generation ever again. Legalities aside the levels of stupidity I witnessed actually scared me. I would be riding down a road approaching traffic lights and would get mobbed by a gaggle of cyclists coming from every possible direction. Sat at the lights it was nothing to have 15-20 of them pulling across my front wheel. Why ! Do they really think they can beat a 110HP 1200cc motorcycle away from the lights, seriously. Even when making reasonable progress through heavy traffic I would suddenly find a cyclist appear without warning and without them looking cutting across my path as if I didn't exist. The number of incidents were far to any to mention, suffice to say the car drivers were the least of my worries. There were, of course, all the usual car related incidents with a few pulling out from junctions across my nose and others simply not paying attention but these were of the usual frequency. The cyclists struck fear into my heart. If this is how they behave in London I'm surprised the accident statistics aren't far worse than they are. Given the current state of behaviour it won't matter what TFL do to protect cyclists, there's simply no cure for being stupid.

So there you have it. My preferred method for getting to work would be by motorcycle, but as a result of the most unexpected group of fellow two wheeled road user behaviour I'm scared. As a result I use public transport at a horrendous annual cost. My question to all road users in the UK is this. Why are we so competitive on the roads. Over the years I have observed road users in many countries. Whilst we're not the worst I've seen, we are surely amongst the worst for aggression. In London if cyclists were to behave a little more like their Dutch counterparts we would all be safer. For now I will avoid riding in the city, it's just too much of a risk even if it does cost me money by not doing so.

Take care out there.

Saturday 2 January 2016

Why do you ride ?

A profound question maybe but it's one that fascinates me and many others.  The biking demographic has changed dramatically over the years. At one time the majority of people on motorbikes were working class people who could not afford a car but needed transport for work and the family in an ever more mobile world. However, as time has gone by and we have become more prosperous car ownership has increased and the motorcycle has taken a backseat as the preferred method of transport for the average man in the street. As a result motorcycling has predominantly become a leisure activity.  

These days the average biker is an over 40 over achiever with a few quid to spare on big boys toys i.e. a motorbike. 

My own experience pretty much follows this pattern. The first bikes in my stable back before I got married was there as cheap transport for getting to work from my home a few miles outside of town. As life progressed I got married, kids came along, money wasn't not quite such a problem and the bike went by the way. 25 years later I'm back on a bike! Why ?

For me it was a case almost of necessity. I'd reached a point in my career that was extremely stressful. The company I worked for was being bought by a huge Japanese corporation, I was having to make members of my team redundant and my personal workload was increasing by a ridiculous amount. Purely by chance I ended up at Silverstone promoting an event with my brother who asked me when I last rode a bike. To cut a long story short I was handed the keys for a Honda VFR800 and spent a very enjoyable couple of hours riding around the perimeter track. That reawakened my love of two wheels and reminded me of the intensity of the experience. From there I ended up buying another bike and have been riding ever since. It wouldn't be over stating the case to say riding saved me from a breakdown and has brought my wife and I even closer. I love being out there and being part of the world I ride through rather than a spectator watching the world pass by my windscreen. I love the fact that my wife always wants to come with me and share the experience. The peace and enjoyment riding brings me is invaluable, it's just so involving. Add to that the sense of community you just don't get in any other group of people I've ever met and it's difficult to imagine a good reason not to ride.

For me it is true to say that 4 wheels move the body but 2 wheels move the soul.

So, my question to you is why do you ride ?

Please leave your comments, I'm really interested to know what appeals to you. Is your bike your daily transport out of choice or necessity. Do you ride for fun, on your own or with a group. Tell us how you got involved in the first place and what your biking aspirations are...

Happy New Year - What have you got planned for 2016 ?

Here we are again, another new year dawns.  2015 was interesting but not as great a biking year as we had hoped. That's not to say it wasn't good, but as so often happens for most of us, it just didn't go quite to plan. So here we are, the first day of a new year. What have you got planned for the coming months ?

As bikers of 'a certain age' a lot of the usual biker activities don't really hit the spot anymore. Instead of the greasy spoon for a cup of mediocre coffee, a more comfortable place that serves a good cup of coffee is preferable.  Instead of racetrack like routes a more scenic, sweeping road is more fun.  You know what I mean, don't deny it, you do the same thing. 

What to do then.  I have a few ideas...

Last year we ventured into the world of touring and had enormous fun.  The trips we made were all short, generally long weekends, and all within the UK.  What we learnt was that there are some wonderful roads and beautiful places to visit without having to leave the country or spend days and weeks away from home.  Some of the places we visited were made really special by the people we met and the outstanding hospitality we received.  2016 will most definitely hold more of the same and we will venture further afield.  Wales, The Lake District and maybe even Scotland are all on the cards with wonderful routes and recommendations readily available from bike magazines such as Ride.  If you haven't already I highly recommend you give it a go, it's great fun.

Motorcycle racing is incredibly exciting and we are spoils for choice in the UK.  The season starts in March with meetings up and down the country every weekend.  British Super Bikes (BSB) is one of the best racing series in the world and it's all ours.  I have been before and can highly recommend a visit.  The racing is fast, furious and exciting, oh yes the company is pretty good as well.  After last years fantastic series the 2016 series promises to be even better.  Give it a go, there's something for everybody.

Another thing on the bucket list is to go to a rally.  This is something we've always wanted to do but never quite made it so this year it is a must.  As a MAG member I feel duty bound to attend one of the fund raising events run for the benefit of MAG so we are looking at The Farmyard or Stormin the Castle rallies. I'm really very excited about the prospect of this trip, it's a venture into the unknown but with a bunch of likeminded friends it's practically guaranteed to be a fun and successful weekend.

Another relatively regular charity run for us is the Ride To The Wall (RTTW).  Bikers are the most giving and generous group of people you could wish to meet and when that spirit is combined with a charity that supports the armed forces it's an unbeatable combination.  RTTW supports the National Memorial Arboretum and is the most moving event you will ever attend.  Around 10,000 bikes turn up with going on for 20,000 people.  Many are serving or former servicemen along with civilians like ourselves come to pay tribute to our fallen servicemen of all branches and conflicts.  There's nothing quite as moving as seeing thousands of hairy bikers with tears in their eyes stood in silence remembering fallen comrades.  If you ever had any doubts that your support is appreciated by serving servicemen try reading the comments left on the RTTW website or Facebook page.

These are a few things we intend to get involved in this coming year. What will you be doing ?  Leave a comment and share your ideas.  We might even meet somewhere on the road.  Whatever you decide to do, we wish you a very happy and eventful biking 2016.  Ride safe.