Hobzai

Whilst I believe what Ms Roberts has introduced to parliament is a good idea in principle, I have grave doubts about the rank & file police officers willingness to constructively enforce it. Ms Roberts may see it as a method of removing unruly & dangerous drivers from our roads - and so say all of us. BUT - it's yet another metaphorical blunt object with which traffic police may beat us around the head. It'll be another thing added to the ubiquitous roadside ultimatum: "Don't get smart, mate, or I'll..." Having been pulled over a while ago for an obscured numberplate on the bike and treated like I was carrying weapons grade anthrax to a primary school fete, I have no doubt about how this new measure will be enforced. Sour grapes? Well of course it is! We'll see in the months to come if I am correct, though. If there are officers subscribing to this forum who disagree - well, we all be tarred with yon same brush, and so shall ye. Here endeth the lesson. I sincerely hope that common sense prevails, we see the new laws respected & enforced properly and in the end less of us have to attend our friends' funerals (it's not a nice thing to go through). The trouble with common sense is - IT'S NOT THAT COMMON. And I mean that on BOTH SIDES of this here fence. Keep it in your pants and you get to keep your car. Think of it as a privilege that may be withdrawn. Red_17 raises a good point re: datalogging. But how many of our judiciary would be familiar with its use? To many of them, SMS messaging is a fun new thing the young people use. Hobzai.

R33NT, Sure: "I will stand corrected if anyone has kosher information but that's the last I've heard on it from a reliable source." is what I typed in my novel-esque post. I'll check it with the boys who are On The Job at the next blast. As always, it boils down to Thou Shalt Not Get Caught. Although I'm sure all in this forum are law-abiding citizens of the highest order. The rest of it has been covered time and time again in all manner of forums worldwide; the arguments tend to lack objectivity on both sides, so I'll waive the right of reply. I will slide in an agreement on the Mid Life Crisis Crew - some of those boys are cause for concern. Hobzai!

No, bike riders generally don't expect people to "go them" and here's why. They don't lane split at lights to annoy car drivers, or to "line you up for a drag, moite", or so they can get where they're going faster. We (and I say "we" because I lane split under *certain circumstances*) do it for reasons of simple self-preservation. You have a hell of lot less chance of being taken out by a car if there are no cars around you. You might feel the same way with your nice shiny Skyline - get out in front of everyone, nobody to worry about - lovely chubbly. Am I right? Of course! 90% of bike riders don't care in the slightest if your cage does 11's, all they care about is that you indicate before you change lanes, stop at stop signs and red lights, check your blind spots and generally drive like a sane human being. Next time you feel the Rage coming on, have a think before you do. "Could this get out of control, could I actually end up getting so wound up by this I'd punt him into a lamppost?" If the answer is "Yes.", remember you WILL end up in front of a magistrate, you WILL at the very least get a license suspension and you WILL cop a fine big enough to make window shopping all you do at speed shops. Oh, and in the case of a Harley Davidson it would be prudent to ask "What sort of people might ride a Harley Davidson and what might happen to me if he took serious offence to what I'm about to do?" ;o) Lane splitting is not illegal way over here in Perth provided a few basic rules are followed. I will stand corrected if anyone has kosher information but that's the last I've heard on it from a reliable source. In most cases the basic rules are not followed by the rider and thus they are in the wrong, however finding evidence to prove it from your position would be difficult since it would all have to happen 50 metres behind you. Lane splitting moving traffic is definitely illegal and makes even me fume in my helmet when I see it being done, as is what the Harley did by splitting on the left of the left lane - very bad form, old man. Gives us all a crap rep. If a car manages to keep up with me off a set of lights, I try to engage the driver in a dialogue at the next set of lights. Reason 1: to find out what's been done to the car and where he got the bits from. Reason 2: to let him know under what conditions the encounter just occurred. eg: "Wanna go again and this time I'll actually give it the large?" Sometimes I get surprised and that's OK, it's great to see; a *very* quick S14 made me and the driver smile quite a bit. Big thumbs up, all good. If I see a bike behind me approaching a set of lights and I'm in the 180SX, I generally slide over in the lane a bit and give him room to split - he's going to get off the line faster than I can. And besides if he's got any character, I might get to see a mono which always brightens my day. Bike riders drive cages, too, y'know. And we have forums just like this one where we bitch and moan about car drivers. ;o) Hobzai.

PVA, I'm a bit late in on this thread, so I apologise if I'm going over old ground here. Good on you for considering a two-wheel option for transport. Bikes are immense fun, and going fast on one is a completely different sensation to going fast in a car. Note: I didn't say *better*, just *different*. Um - very different. Best description I heard from someone is that "They warp time." I started on a ZZ-R250, did 12 months on it then graduated to my open class and a GSX-R750. Although the ZZ-R was pretty gutless as far as bikes go, it served it's purpose: roadcraft development. Riding as though everyone else is on a mission to punt you into the scenery becomes second nature after a couple of weeks. Don't spend mega-$ getting a "fast" 250, just get something harmless, do your 12 months, get all you can out of the experiences and then go the big bike. There is LIGHT YEARS between even an RGV250 and a big supersport. Power, handling, brakes, it's a different world. And you'll probably be able to sell your 250 for close to what you paid for it to the next learner on the block. I did my open class with Alert Motorcycle school. I have no vested interest in them, btw, but they were an excellent crew and a couple of friends have used them as well for their 250 and open licenses. After 12 months on the 250, I had a 90 minute lesson on a CB400 then clean sheeted the exam immediately afterwards. Unfortunately I could not recommend my 250 license tutor, so I'll remain quiet on that score. Have someone take a camera to your first test ride on a big bike after the 250 period. 99% of the people I know with bikes had the same look on their face and the same reaction - "I cracked it open and it tried to get out from underneath me." Be careful, keep your eyes open and expect people to just do the most STUPID, UNBELIEVABLY MORONIC stuff. Indicate left and turn right is a favourite; as is looking you right in the eye and pulling straight out in front of you, then at the next set of lights claiming they didn't see a blue, white and dayglo-orange motorcycle with dichroic headlights on. Also, be aware that most drivers simply have no idea how fast a supersports motorcycle (or a fast car, let's not discriminate) can accelerate. So they might do everything right and still find you occupying the roadspace they desire. When you can go from standstill to 100km/h in a tickle over 3 seconds, you can surprise the heck out of people. I know I have! Good luck and Godspeed, young man! Aitch.