Talk Morgan Forums Community The Malvern Arms Driving in France - breathalyser kit

Still amazes me how many times i see a bike without HeadLight on, i even drive with lights on during the day (slightly grey day), if i cant see them they might still have a chance of seeing me,thats my theory, Black leathers, Dark coloured Bike and Helmet, no lights, just a recipe for distaster.

Peter unfortunetaly there is always going to be one, no matter how much safety we apply, at least your still here (good) with a decent life, unlike a couple of bikers i knew, now not bikers and not here.

I know exactly where you are coming from Dean. I consider myself fortunate. I still ride but no more long distannce touring. I bought the Morgan not only to fulfill a dream but instead of a new touring bike.

As I understand it it's obligatory with manufacturers to build bikes now with daylight running lights but there will always be " Sorry mate I didn't see you" he/she is out there so keep those peepers wide open eh!!

You are correct...all bikes manufactured for some time now have to have lights on when running. You would be amazed at the number of riders who override this as they don't believe running lights are safe!

With reference to motor bikes....I spent a good deal of my career in the NHS seeing patients with serious head injuries and brain damage ...many were motorcyclists...my son is a casualty officer in trauma in a London hospital and sees a regular number of badly damaged motorcycists and finally I live in an area popular with weekend bikers and there are numerous bunches of flowers on the verges of the roads to indicate where tragedy has happened.

Me too! Unfortunately many ride on the public roads as though they were on a race track. Many have crashes all by themselves but quite a few involve other road users (bikes and cars). I have always said that any driver/rider has the right to expect that the vehicle coming (perhaps even actually out of sight behind a curve or other obstruction)is doing something in the vicinity of the speed limit. That is to say not two or three times the actual speed limit.

Outside of the villages around the lake the limit is still 50 kph but everyone does 70 kph, that is reasonable, but speeds of over 100, even in the villages, are not unusual for these weekend warriors.

You're a ray of sunshine, and no mistake!

I concur

Last time we had a jaunt up to North Yorkshire, our early start (0600) meant nothing on the roads, but gradually the bikes emerged. Very few are ridden within the speed limits anywhere. On the road south from Ribblehead, which is quite windy, and often with blind bends, by lunchtime there was a complete and exceedingly dangerous mix of tourists in cars, motor bikes, cyclists, horses with riders, and groups of walkers. You never knew what was round the next bend. Not much fun at all.

I feel the same way about the weekends with all mix of people taking to the roads its no fun.

But it seems we have out grown our roads. In the south east you have to get up before the sparrow and only then will you get a couple of hours of empty ish roads.

The near continent is more fun simply because the roads are almost empty.

Harder for you to get to than me I guess you need to move further south so you can nip across at will. Believe me its worth it.