Soldato
Now to start with, I'm a biker.
I had my first 'motorbike', an Aprilia RS50 at 16 and I had it for just over a year until I got my car, then sold it. A year later, I bought myself a CBR400RR and did my bike test.
I love riding, really enjoy it and I'm always very careful when out on the bike. I like my spirited riding, but in the right places and within my ability. Even on the RS50, I wouldn't try to make it do anything it couldn't, I took it for what it was and enjoyed it.
Anyway, today as I was coming home in the car, a lad overtook me on a 54 plate RS50 wearing a tracksuit top and bottoms. I said to my mum who was in the car with me "He'll be sore if he comes off that" and we followed him off the roundabout we were on and proceeded in a line of slow moving traffic (5-10mph) in to town.
As he reached the car infront of him, I expected him to slow down and keep a good distance while positioning himself so that he could be seen in the drivers rear view and right hand wing mirror, as any good biker would. But instead, this lad rode right up to the bumper of the car, literally as close as he could get without touching it. Me and my mum both said how stupid he was and how close he was getting. He was weaving left and right behind this car, holding on to the bars with one hand and generally not being safe.
A little further down the road, the BMW turned off and the bike raced up to the next car, where he proceeded to sit right on her bumper too. I said to my mum "He'll be in to the back of her if she stops sharpish, you watch".
He had no glass in his left hand wingmirror and for some reason decided to turn around to look behind him (at us) at which point, the car in front of him braked and he rode straight in to the back of it (at around 5mph). He stayed on but the back wheel nearly came off the ground and the bars nearly got snatched from his (singular) hand. Anyway, the woman raised her hand as if to apologise (like it was her fault?!) and he looked down at his front fender.
As the road split in to two lanes, we passed him and I wound down the window, and said "You're too close" and pointed at the car infront. He just looked at me obliviously and didn't acknowledge it.
It annoys me that all you need to get on the road on a moped is a CBT as it allows for morons like him to get on the road. He was riding irresponsibly and very dangerously and nearly had his comeuppance. Unfortunately for him, he will come off sooner or later and I doubt it'll be a pretty sight. I never had an accident on my RS (I rode in all weathers and conditions) and I believe it was because I rode sensibly and did all I could do make myself seen by other road users. This proves that with the right attitude there is no harm in letting 16 year olds on the roads on mopeds, but unfortunately I think there are more numptys that careful riders on mopeds nowdays.
What's the forums view on CBT tests and youngun's on bikes/mopeds?
I had my first 'motorbike', an Aprilia RS50 at 16 and I had it for just over a year until I got my car, then sold it. A year later, I bought myself a CBR400RR and did my bike test.
I love riding, really enjoy it and I'm always very careful when out on the bike. I like my spirited riding, but in the right places and within my ability. Even on the RS50, I wouldn't try to make it do anything it couldn't, I took it for what it was and enjoyed it.
Anyway, today as I was coming home in the car, a lad overtook me on a 54 plate RS50 wearing a tracksuit top and bottoms. I said to my mum who was in the car with me "He'll be sore if he comes off that" and we followed him off the roundabout we were on and proceeded in a line of slow moving traffic (5-10mph) in to town.
As he reached the car infront of him, I expected him to slow down and keep a good distance while positioning himself so that he could be seen in the drivers rear view and right hand wing mirror, as any good biker would. But instead, this lad rode right up to the bumper of the car, literally as close as he could get without touching it. Me and my mum both said how stupid he was and how close he was getting. He was weaving left and right behind this car, holding on to the bars with one hand and generally not being safe.
A little further down the road, the BMW turned off and the bike raced up to the next car, where he proceeded to sit right on her bumper too. I said to my mum "He'll be in to the back of her if she stops sharpish, you watch".
He had no glass in his left hand wingmirror and for some reason decided to turn around to look behind him (at us) at which point, the car in front of him braked and he rode straight in to the back of it (at around 5mph). He stayed on but the back wheel nearly came off the ground and the bars nearly got snatched from his (singular) hand. Anyway, the woman raised her hand as if to apologise (like it was her fault?!) and he looked down at his front fender.
As the road split in to two lanes, we passed him and I wound down the window, and said "You're too close" and pointed at the car infront. He just looked at me obliviously and didn't acknowledge it.
It annoys me that all you need to get on the road on a moped is a CBT as it allows for morons like him to get on the road. He was riding irresponsibly and very dangerously and nearly had his comeuppance. Unfortunately for him, he will come off sooner or later and I doubt it'll be a pretty sight. I never had an accident on my RS (I rode in all weathers and conditions) and I believe it was because I rode sensibly and did all I could do make myself seen by other road users. This proves that with the right attitude there is no harm in letting 16 year olds on the roads on mopeds, but unfortunately I think there are more numptys that careful riders on mopeds nowdays.
What's the forums view on CBT tests and youngun's on bikes/mopeds?