Bad Laws Are Getting Riders KILLED
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- Опубліковано 27 січ 2024
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We have less riders than in Europe, but more deaths per year. Why? I think it's bad laws are getting riders killed.
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Do you think we need a tiered licensing system in the states? Or maybe a national helmet law? Let me know your thoughts!
I learned on a 125 Yamaha street bike. It was a good idea to do so.
Honestly man as an adult age 26 that rode dirt bikes and 4wheelers from age 12 to 22 my first street bike was a gsxs 750 and I got it bc it was cheap, great deal buuutttt it's alittle quick for me, someone that has years of experience on a bike, yea I'll be able to grow into it but only cause I have self restraint had I not I'd never recommend a hundred hp bike for a first bike honestly bikes are way faster than people think
Litterly makes me feel like an uncontrolled ICBM sometimes it just goes from oh shit to Mach Jesus in 3 seconds wide open and it's a 750! Not even a 1000
Never let the govt dictate what’s best for your safety (see Covid)
I'm for the helmet laws . End of story .
French guy here, a few points :
- no mandatory 125 in France as long as you're more than 18, you can get your A2 license
- At the moment, you cannot get on a french highway after lunch, there's manure on it !
- !
Get yourself a midsize adv bike and just ride over it. 😉
@@darkiee69 Who would want to ride a motorcycle on a highway ? ^^
Plus there's always manure on the road where I live ^^
I'm not French, but I ate a croissant once
@@dimitrigilbert I would, if no one else was on it due to the manure. 😁
Bravo, go French farmers! Unfortunately 80% don’t have a clue what we’re talking about. Shit, more classes.
As a 69 year-old I personally really believe that you as a rider have to responsibility for your own safety. There are very good physiological reasons why car drivers don't see you, and if you're going 150 mph, they won't realize how fast you're coming at them, if they see you at all. You need to develop the habit of being alert, of driving defensively, and being aware of the other drivers. If you don't wear a helmet, make sure you sign your donor card. A young and otherwise healthy male who comes into emergency with a massive brain trauma is a rich and extremely valuable source of transplant organs - not to be sexist - females too.
Are the male and female organs interchangeable?
There are more crashes that happen under 150 mph than over 150 mph. Therefore, you're less likely to get into an accident the faster you go. I am not a lawyer
There are almost no motorcycle accidents that happen while nude, so ride naked. It's a stupid argument based on an unweighted stat.
You underestimate my willingness to be nude in public
@corgi. I couldn't agree more bro!!!
Unfortunately my bike tops out at 110mph 😞.
@@Gideon_Judges6its almost like it was a joke 😮
Jokes. Some people get 'em, some don't...
Story time… TODAY I met 3 guys on motorcycles. 2 has ninja 650’s and one had an r3. I was on my CFmoto 450ss so I asked if I could join them. After talking with them for a bit, non of them took an msf course and didn’t think they needed one. I would consider myself a pretty confident rider so I decided to stay in the back because I didn’t want them trying to match me in the twisties. Well sure enough I came around the last turn and the lead guy on the R3 went to fast into the corner probably hit the breaks and looked immediately at what he didn’t want to hit, and he hit it. Went right into a culvert that was about 6 feet deep and broke his wrist. I was the only one that turned around to help him (I don’t think the other guys knew what was going on). Well after we got everything sorted out, he called a friend to drive him to the hospital and the very nice people across the street (who also rode) helped me drag his bike onto their property so he had a safe place to keep it. After trying to keep his confidence up, and sharing some of my stories of going down myself, I told him he should really look into an advanced rider course or a circuit Certification course. Thanks for reading my story of what happened today.
Your story has a problem. It doesn’t state weather your for or against onerous legislation that creates legal barriers to motorcyclists and gives the government significantly more power over your life and increases the likely hood of you dealing with hostile armed individuals exercising authority over you. It also makes motorcycles more expensive and increases your insurance rates merely for possessing the higher level license regardless of what bike you happen to be on. I believe in wisdom, knowledge, and experience too, as your story illustrates the value of. But appreciating those virtues has nothing to do with government power and making the already expensive hobby of motorcycles less affordable and more difficult to participate in and enjoy. He wants you to have to pay multiple people and use a significant amount of your time to have a permission slip from the government just to be allowed to buy a motorcycle… it’s fundamentally wrong. What side are you on? Be a slave to your masters and require permission to do anything, and every year a new rule and less freedom. or do you just want to enjoy yourself we already have enough rules and barriers to entry and you feel lucky to get to ride at all in your busy life? What’s next, the gov says you must have a million dollar insurance coverage and buy/use a high level full race suit anytime you swing a leg over your bike? Why not, there are stories that demonstrate the value and wisdom of it…
Sometimes reasonable men must do unreasonable things. I lane filter in Florida daily, not legal, but I do it and Police look the other way. They know.
I do left turns on red lights when there's no traffic coming.
Either I can see the road or I can't, in which case no one should be driving there at all.
Naaa dude thats just them being lazy, either that or cops are trained not to chase bikes if they run as it just makes the ending worse. It doesnt make sense to chase them, they cant keep up, cant split traffic. Why put a riders life and others at risk just to give some bs technical ticket. Mostly newbie cops are the ones who try to chase anyways
Everyone speeds 15 over on Florida and cops don't do anything. They catch the dangerous drivers, not the ones making random traffic violations
Ill give the lawmakers lane splitting if they give us lane filtering
Is there a state where lane splitting is allowed but lane filtering isn't? If I could only have one of the two, I too would pick filtering.
I am in AZ and we can filter but nit split. I don't care about splitting but the fact that EVERBODY used both terms interchangeably probably added at least a year to the fight.
Here in Florida almost none of the cruiser riders wear helmets. You only have to wear a helmet if you don't have insurance. Most of the fatalities around me are Harley riders without a helmet. I've watched these elderly gentlemen, barely able to pull away from a light without dragging their feet, riding with nothing but a bandana.
Trust me, that's not just in Florida....
Ya-not just Fl. Made a mistake once of a group charity ride from the local HD. Within minutes I was bringing up the rear, my choice. Lots of newbies on 20K 800lb beasts, they did have nice vests and bandannas.
They care more about how they look to others than about their own lives. But to each their own.
We're required to wear a helmet for 60 days following passing of the beginner rider safety course. Half the class I was in were counting down the days to never have to wear a helmet again. I wear a full face helmet and took a bug to the face shield once, I will never understand not wearing a full helmet...
It's stupid, but as long as they know how dangerous it is (they probably do) then it's their life to waste imo.
I think for a lot of Americans, motorcycles are a luxury item meant to be used for fun, while the rest of the world sees them as everyday tools for practical transportation. That's why laws for lane splitting don't pass. Car drivers think we're just trying to have more fun and be reckless. There is so much utility to lane splitting. I live in Los Angeles, and it saves me 2 hours of being stuck in traffic daily.
Completely agree on the EU laws btw, as someone who moved here from Ireland the standard of riding here honestly really shocked me. I then did my test here to get my motorcycle license and it was a very large "AH" moment. Not only that but the guy running my test had never ridden a motorcycle in his life. Coming from Ireland where we a have very similar licensing process to the UK, to NC, I was genuinely blown away at the level. Even the safety course, 3 day one, my wife attended was nowhere as good as the 3 day IBT in Ireland imo. She never rode on the road, the test, I never rode on the road. Insane really. I understand more laws and regulations are almost always bad, but young motorcyclists don't know what they don't know, the training not only helps, but shows you how truly low you are on that skill bar. Great video.
I returned to street riding after years of not riding there. I let my motorcycle endorsement lapse. However, I continued to ride off road. I recently decided to reinstate my motorcycle license in the state of Texas, and the MSF is required and lasted three days. I’ve ridden all my life and considered myself skilled. By and large I was and I am, but I did learn a few things I support training.
In Europe (with maybe some differences depending on the country) you only start on a 125 if you are 16-18. If you are 18-24 you start on an A2 bike. If you are 24 or older, you get the full A license. You can also take the full A test after being an A2 rider for 2 years. So, you could get full A at 20.
USA SuperDuke @16 lfg
Not true. If you want to ride unsupervised as a learner, it's on a 125. Anything more powerful has to be with an instructor.
I think people don’t appreciate the capability that a “beginner” bike has to offer. I ride a klr and I think it’s a great beginner bike as long as you’re comfortable with the height. It’s not an intimidating amount of power for a beginner, but it has enough performance to offer that it doesn’t become boring.
yammi put it best, the thing about bikes is that even the slow ones are fast.
Yammienoob has never put anything best. He's an idiot. Find someone smarter to watch. @@SoulTouchMusic93
I took my MSF course at 51 and started on a RE 350. 1/3 of the new riders at the course had already bought thousand pound Harleys as their first bike
That's ok, Harleys aren't that fast. It'd be worse if they'd bought GXSR 1000 or Fireblades.
@@darkiee69 Harleys are pretty quick. They are a lot faster than 80% of the cars on the road. They are also a lot heavier than a sport bike, making them more difficult to ride for a noob.
@@Dragoninja833 Same. Watched a fellow MSF Basic course rider drop the Suzuki Tu250X training bike during our test on Sunday, then pick up his barely-used, $22,000 Harley on Tuesday. I guarantee you that 800 pound Street Glide was dropped three times in the first three months. Heavy bikes are tough to manage in parking lots, garages, and bumper-to-bumper traffic. I should know, my Victory Cross Roads Classic is 770 pounds (365 kg). I bought this used Victory only after gaining 9 months of experience on 550 pound Suzuki M50 (800 cc). The Victory V-twin engine is 1731 cc !! It is properly quick.
I have no idea why anyone would want a bike over 500 lbs.
I took it last year at 50 and got a RE Himalayan……. LOVE IT
As a new resident in Texas, not able to filter really irritates me sometimes.
First and for most, I am not sure will the drivers behind me are focused on the environment around them and avoid pushing me into danger.
Second, the width is a bit narrower than what we have in Taiwan, but it is still 100% doable to filtering though the traffic during red light. Not doing than when we physically can just make no sense.
Last, motorcycles often accelerate faster than a car, unless the car is a Lamborghini or a Ferrari. Having a motorcycle in front of a car usually does not make them wait significant longer in a traffic light, we just pull away faster than cars ever can.
yes, filtering should be legal... but you have a bunch of idiots who understand nothing of what you said making and enforcing laws.
In Sweden we have 3 licenses for motorbikes. A1 is for 11kw bikes, A2 for 35kw bikes, and A for 35kw and over. If you are old enough (24) you can just get the A license and ride whatever, but the requirement is 24 years old or 20 years old if you've had an A2 license for atleast 2 years. And you almost never see anyone riding without proper gear.
I think more bikes like the Duke 390 will help increase interest in bikes under 47HP by providing options that are still actually good bikes
Hard to pay 11 grand for a 47hp motorcycle...
@@adamlannerd1408 I'm tempted by the new Triumph 400 Speed. It's a beautiful bike, and cheap too.
I got a 390 adventure and it's a great bike for me to learn more on. Had a 700 gs before it as my first bike and it felt like too much for me.
The most fun I've ever had on a road bike was a KTM 200 Duke. Could cruise all day at local limits, but chuck in some tight twisties. and away it went. I definitely enjoyed it more in tight twisties than bigger sportsbikes I've owned. So chuckable!
@@adamlannerd1408the 390 is 11 grand?
So, here in Alabama you ONLY have to take a written test to get your FULL license starting at the age of 16. That’s gotta stop. The amount of young guys I see on liter bikes that have no clue how to ride. Not only that, the test is complete BS that mostly talks about the effects of alcohol and doesn’t focus on rider skills.
Alabama has high automobile insurance rates and low motorcycle insurance rates compared to other places I've lived so young guys on liter bikes aren't crashing all that often compared to, say, young guys on literbikes in the state of Florida. Missouri is the opposite; low automobile rates (if you're not driving a KIA/Hyundai) and high motorcycle rates.
Until a decade ago, you didn't even have to have a motorcycle endorsement in Alabama, just a regular driver's license was enough. At least they changed that so you had to have a motorcycle endorsement.
Amen
I just did a separate reply on this fact before seeing yours. But, also remember, you can get a restricted motorcycle only license at age 14 in this state, too. ... ... ... .
@@terr281 It's surprisingly hard to get either automobile or motorcycle insurance in Alabama even if you have a perfect driving record. It's not Florida hard, but Alabama has a much higher than average uninsured driver rate caused, presumably, from drivers not being able to get insurance.
It's almost as if insurance companies don't trust the state government to output properly licensed and trained operators, and thus refuse to do business in that state.
Filtering is good . Splitting is a hard sell.
Federal legislation mandating it is a huge no. My whole life, I have followed the laws that apply to my activities. When I began biking, I wore protective gear and chose a bike with less than 50 horsepower. I trust my own judgment more than any politician’s, especially an unelected bureaucrat.
Agreed we don’t need anymore Nanny state laws. There is plenty of information and access to the right and safe way of doing things. There no excuse for being ignorant.
Can't have one without the other. And it effects car/truck riders too. Some kid with their hand out the window getting their fingers ripped off by a passing bike is not gonna go over well.
Early in the video Spite was complaining about rep. Gillen passing a law he didn't like but is confident that bureaucrats at the Federal level can do much better. Why? Besides the Federal Government doesn't legislate traffic laws, the States do.
LOL I love when people make up problems that don't exist in order to argue against something. You can lane split in California and no kid has ever lost their fingers. Get a grip jimmy. @@willyjimmy8881
Sleepy J?😂
Big daddy government doesn't like motorcyclists.
Hear what they are doing in UK?
Big daddy government likes anything that gets votes. ABATE, AMA, and other MC lobby groups like anything that gets members. Members ask more for freedom than for safety. If we can fix ourselves to join big groups and ask them to push safety we can begin to lace our shoes for the first step in a long journey.
Which is exactly why this motorcyclist doesn't want big daddy government getting involved. Hard pass. Aside from filtering, which I wish was legal here, all of the other points come down to personal safety choices. Pick the right bike, wear full gear, take the MSF class, and any other courses available. Daddy government shouldn't be forcing that shit though.
When I started riding in 1997 in Melbourne, Australia I had to go through a 2 day riding course and then pass a written and practical test. I was then able to ride on the road but was restricted to 260cc max and no passengers.
After 12 months as a learner I was able to go through another course and tests to gain my provisional licence. I was then on a provisional licence for 3 years, but still restricted to 260cc and no passengers for the first 12 months.
I don't know if the licensing is still the same, but the 260cc limit has been changed to a power/weight ratio, opening up access to many more bikes.
I couldn't agree more. I grew up in the UK and at the time I HATED having to ride a 125cc. When I moved to Canada I took my motorcycle test which involved someone watching me ride around the block, passing, and heading straight to the dealership to buy my 90HP Thundercat. My first outing on it was pretty terrifying as I didn't know how to make such a "heavy" bike corner, and yet felt the need to keep up with my friends on their liter bikes. I don't like to rely on horseshoes and my puckered derriere.
I bought a 1200cc, unlicensed without having ridden a motorcycle before, waited for an msf class to open a week later, then spent a week riding around under 30 in a calm suburb before spending another month on scenic highways doing 50-80 and riding fire trails. I THEN got my permit and was never at significant risk.
In my state, there is a written and driving test and they are sticklers for rules. My state also allows you to take an msf course to bypass the riding test, as the maf course includes it.
The best way to have a licensing system is options, not fascist dictates. Extreme limitations causes people to not get a license ever and accounts for a large portion of fatalities.
I'm very grateful for the time I spent on various scooters and 80/125cc bikes before getting on my first big bike. I think it was at least 5 years, but those years of riding an automatic and then a clutch on low powered motorcycles really prepared me for big bikes because it meant I only had to learn a few things at a time. I did do one case of "whiskey throttle" with no harm to myself nor the 80cc bike I was on.
When I finally got to a 750cc 4-stroke, it was relatively easy to ride and corner. Yeah, it was heavy and powerful but I did just fine on it. Interestingly I soon got rid of it and got a 400cc I4 motorcycle which promptly broke my wrist from a highside. I didn't crash, go figure.
While I would like to say smaller bikes are great and all that, after owning a liter bike with TC, ABS, rider modes, wheelie, and rain settings, I'm not so sure anymore. Modern liter bikes are shockingly easy and smooth to ride on both the track and on the street.
I think 48 HP is plenty to learn on. It gives the ability to have fun w/o the bike being able to get away from you. Add weekend riding course to the licensing process and looking pretty safe!
Also, the French highway after lunch x2 got me 😂
Back in the day here in Australia we had a ridiculous learner rider capacity limit of 250cc. That left particularly bigger/taller guys pretty crap options in bikes. We now have 2 simple tiers of license, the new LAMS restricted bikes are max 660cc and power restricted which opens up a tonne of great options in bikes. After 2 years it unrestricted and you can ride whatever you like.
Unless Ur in WA mate😂😂😂
Crappy laws here means that after we get our R-E (lams license) we gotta wait 2 years, yet the catch is u gotta do the same bloody test again for your R (opens).
I'm not exaggerating when I say it's quite litterally THE EXACT SAME TEST only on a open class bike. Keep in mind that a open class bike could be 65 hp and then when u pass u can jump on 200 hp🤦♂️
I reckon in combination australia is also pretty behind. Yet better then some😂
You need to take in consideration also the culture of driving (car & motorcycle) in EU vs USA.
Great video, but you forgot one detail. Here in Europe each motorcycle license class has an age-limit to them. I got my motorcycle license last summer and since I am 37 years old I could take the exam for the A-license right away. Having never had a motorcycle license, I now daily drive a VFR800fi -00 with almost 100hp. Our licenses goes like this:
at 16 years old, you can take an A1-license, allowing you to drive motorcycles with a maximum of 125cc, 11kW and a kW to kg ratio of 0.1kW per kg.
at 18 years old, you can take an A2-license, allowing you to drive motorcycles of any cc with a maximum effect of 35kW and a kW to kg ratio of 0.2kW per kg.
at 24 (20 if you've had A2 for two years) you can take an A-license, allowing you to drive any motorcycle. :)
splitting and filtering are both illegal here yet it's way safer in traffic to split.
also it helps congestion in cities to let motorcycles split. and because it's more convenient it will encourage more people to get on motorcycles further reducing the congestion by removing a bunch of single occupant vehicles.
In Ontario Canada, we had a helmet law. It is a little up in the air right now with the current exemption and lobbying, but I agree with the law. I even went out and got myself an ECE and snell rated helmet.
On the tiered licensing system, I agree with one caveat. You should be able to challenge those tiers at no additional cost. IE. If I know how to ride and do so safely, I can take an additional test to prove it, and allow myself to move to a more powerful bike. For instance, I rode dirtbikes from the age of 12, and when I got my license, I was already used to the power and weight of a WR450F, so I got a 600cc sportbike, knowing a litre bike would be too much still. There has to be a solution somewhere in the middle.
In the UK you can do what is called direct access once you are over 19 for A2 47 hp and 24 for A unlimited (or 21 if you already hold an A2 license) insurance cost will keep most people from getting a blade or R1 at 21.
In Sweden, you can officially get your AM (50cc) license at 15, A1 license at 16, A2 license at 18 and A license (unrestricted) at 24. However, if you take your A2 license at 18 you only need to wait 2 years to get your A license. It's the same tests, just bigger bikes. Most traffic schools use the same motorcycle for A2 and A, they just strangle the A2 variant.
My state has a written and riding test. Your license is limited to tiers, and you can ride anything at or below the tier of the bike you test on.
Number 1 bad law in the USA: no lane filtering in some states. To make sure you're stationary between 2ton+ vehicles. I'll never comply.
We need to be able to escape.
I'm a social scientist. Europe has different riding habits. They have lower speed limits, use public transit more often, etc. Narrowing it down to just one or two variables like helmet usable and licensing is a bit odd.
Agree, they don't have nearly the liter bike squid culture we do here or the NGNT Harley culture
I wouldn't say the speed limits in Europe are lower, however it is hard to compare as many states in the USA do not seem to have a set of speed limits for highways/rural/city roads like most European countries. On rural roads the limits seem to be slightly higher in the USA (depends on state), on highways in Europe.
In Australia, we have a power:weight ratio limit for learner- and provisional-licenced riders. Means you can have a 650, but a tuned down one.
Each state has their own licensing system, but it would be good to see a national standard here as well. Also for registration: Queensland charges you a higher rego if your bike is set up with a pillion seat/foot pegs, regardless if you never carry a passenger.
See I'm an American and that's the first thing I've heard that seems too much for me, the pillion thing. I don't like any kinda thing that charges or restricts you for what could just be a matter of looks.
@@Ramonatho I think it's more the other way around, like it's cheaper registration for having your bike registered as a single seat. I don't really agree with it either but it makes more sense in a country where the government pays for all the hospital costs etc. It's a financial thing.
We need fewer laws, not more...the comments are filled with boot-lickers.
But but it's Murica, land of freedom. The freedom to be stupid.
Bud, fewer laws mean more deaths due to deregulation. Look at Texas and the deaths caused by their deregulation of their power grid. Safety laws/regs are written in blood. Grow up beyond libertarian principles and join us in the real world.
Not a bootlicker by any means, but common sense laws are good. Since insurance is a requirement and we all share the costs of it, then we all need to have some safety requirements. You have insurance which is partially paid by my premiums. A helmet reduces hospital costs which are paid by my insurance premiums and my taxes. Same applies to restricting hp the first year or two. Fewer accidents would be the result and that directly affects all of us. Get rid of free healthcare and mandated insurance and I will support your right to ride without safety gear and eliminate seat belt laws. But since I have to pay taxes and buy insurance, the above mentioned restrictions are required since I am forced to co-op the costs of all accidents.
Actually, I have a right to do whatever I want with my own property so long as it doesn't directly harm the property of others. As streets are communal property, so long as I am not objectively putting undue risk on the property of others, morally, you have no say.
We have traffic laws and we have traffic police. If those don't deter dangerous driving, what makes you think more will suddenly deter dangerous driving? Don't be a fascist.
Yeah, fuck everyone else.@@logangodofcandy
Spite! Loved
This format. Very engaging content matter obviously but the way the video was laid out kept the video interesting as well.
Great video. Factual, educational, honest ... and a bit of fun too. The quality is great. I don't know how the algorithm hasn't steered me in your direction before. Keep it up.
European here. The licensing system is backed up by good basic training. A novice rider over 24 doesnt need to start on a small bike. I started on a KH 100 as a 17 year old. Thank God I did as I was a mental case 40 years ago.
We are allowed to filter, we axtually learn how to survive on the roads. We have to do basic training before we can hit the road and younger people then have further training every time they go up a licence category. Also insurance will cripple you if you are young trying to buy a bike beyond your experience.
We have to have a lid. In France they have to have gloves as well. We also look good in gear :)
Any way , we still have to do a test after we do out basic training. We have to be able to show progression in town. We have to show that we have spatial awareness. We have to position our bike correctly. All these contribute to passing. We can even get matked down for putting down our right foot at lights.
I split but I look and see ehere the drivers in front are going. I wear pritection. I look where Im going and where people are. I protect my licence.
I honestly dont understand the position about " freedom" with regards to helmets etc. Paraplegia isnt freedom.
Amen! from a Dutch bro!
No. Not very texas of you to ask daddy government to force us to be more safe.
Should you wear a helmet, yes. Should it be a law, no. Should you start on a lower cc bike, yes. Should it be a law no.
100% agree.
You're right. We should legalize heroin and meth while we are at it.
YES!
"Motorcycling ... is really more of a craft than a form of transportation." Easily the best way to sum up what I love so much about riding and how it manages to make something as dull as getting from A to B enjoyable.
Quick note here: in my country (The Netherlands) in Europe, you don't necessarily start on a lower powered bike, it depends on age. If I recall correctly, at 18 you can ride 15 BHP (125 cc, generally), at 20 you can ride 45 BHP (400 cc or a downtuned bike, generally) and from 24 you can ride whatever you want. If you get your license at age 30, you can technically immediately buy a liter bike. But because you're 30, there's a smaller chance of you doing so as mature adults tend to be more responsible.
Same here in Denmark. I got my license at 25 and got the A license from the beginning.
In your country, you are a subject of the government. I'm glad your owners are so lenient with you.
@@logangodofcandy What?
Benjamin Franklin said "Those who would give up essential Liberty, to purchase a little temporary Safety, deserve neither Liberty nor Safety." We don’t need more permission slips. Maybe they should just outlaw motorcycles make them illegal because they are just too dangerous.
Benjamin Franklin must be rolling in his grave with as much as he is taken out of context to justify stupid shit. I've heard this quote used for all sorts of messed up beliefs. Context is key people.
pssh, 145hp is a perfect amount of power to start on for a beginner bike
My first motorcycle is an Aprilia Tuono v4 and go to say, you’re not half right.
MURICA!
Don't tell Spite but we all know the correct answer for "What's the perfect beginner bike for every beginner?"...
TurboBusa.
You said "and that comes down to laws" and I yelled HELL YEAH in my garage! ahahah
Hi Spite, as a rider in the UK, we have a system where you have to take the following.., 1) we have to do a CBT (compalsery basic training) that has a 2 yr span, 2) then we have to do a theory test (questions and hazard awareness), however, we cannot do the latter until we pass the theory test first, again, this has a 2 yr span. 3) we have two options for the test 1) is basic training in a car park, then on road riding to make sure we're safe and know what to do. All of which depends on the size of motorbike you can legally ride. 1) catagory A, is either 250cc or a restricted 600cc to a 250cc power. 2) catagory A1, you have a full licence and legal to buy a 1000cc bike.
As for wearing a helmet, this IS required by law, unless you ride a trike, where it's an option for the individual.., other than that, you wear what you want.
Screw regulations, licensing, testing laws etc. Freedom is messy. Motorcycle riding is a dangerous venture that can lead to death. Everyone should respect that and those that don’t should get weeded out the natural way. I’m tired of infringment at the behest of mouth breathers. As for TX motorcycle laws… 😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣 We ride light speed down here and ain’t pullin over for road pirates.
I seen them Colorado boys in blue are trying to get there hands on your local TX speed demon!
I was shocked when I seen they actually put out a warrant for Gixxer brah!
MURICA!!!
You had till the road pirates.
with great power comes great responsibility...we got enough laws bro
The squid that becomes a red smear on the pavement doesn't go on to create more squids of his/her own.🤘😎🏍
do you not yet have enough evidence that responsibility is anathema to most young motorcycle riders???
I definitely agree with lane splitting in slow/stopping traffic, but am far less convinced that filtering is at all a good idea, mostly because a lot of motorcyclists I have encountered in states where it is legal are not following the laws on the speed difference, and filter at unsafe speeds during traffic slowdowns.
You've got those backwards, splitting is going fast between cars. Filtering is at slow speeds. But I agree with you.
Im probably a minority here on this but I don't think we should have tiered licensing. The "I'm for less laws and smaller government, buuuuuut..." line is where it ends with me. If someone new wants to buy a 1000cc definitely warn them and show them reasons not to learn on one but ultimately the decision should be up to them. The answer in my opinion is to make the classes accessible push them where you can, maybe dealerships, but also have more than just the basic msf class. Maybe have more insurance discounts for more advanced classes. How often do we hear new sport bike riders complain about the insurance, I was one of them before going to supermotos. Those incentives to learn more would make more of a difference than forcing someone. I think accessibility to knowledge is a better method than outright not letting someone buy a bigger bike.
Im in complete agreement on your take for better laws though.
ooo that's a nice transition from talking at your desk to talking on a bike
But I'm with you, I'd trade a tiered licensing system to get lane filtering
The older I've gotten, the more I've come to realize that our politicians really aren't that smart and rarely know anything about the laws they pass. Now, is that their fault? Or is it ours (for voting them into office)?
There are VERY few instances where I support more Big Gov't., BUT... licenses (moto and auto) should be MUCH tougher to get and keep...
Also, love seeing you enjoying that F4i!!! I jumped to one after riding a Ninja 300 for a year. Thought I was ready... I was not. 🤣
I agree on making all driving/riding licenses harder to get and keep... and much harsher punishments for driving without a license.
That's right. You're not allowed to travel without a hall pass from the dictatorship. When you do, you'll travel as and when the dictatorship pleases.
How has that ace pro screen been holding up to having the back open to the environments?
Great video Spite. Is kinda crazy how easy it is to get a superbike over there. Ride safe
Within a year of riding, I went from a Suzuki DR 250 to a Yamaha FJ1200. I had tremendous respect for the power of that bike. I knew that the bike would only go as fast as I was willing to push it. I was perfectly fine. Just because a bike can do 140 mph doesn’t mean the rider will actually ever ride there….. I DON’T think we should have a tiered licensing system here.
Amen, there's no replacement for responsibility. However, I'm glad my son wants to learn on my Himalayan. Twisting the throttle on a sport bike is a thrill and a ton of fun, it's not a skill issue, but a maturity one.
@@SuicideVan Exactly, it's maturity. That's why the tiered licence system works first and foremost with age.
I was 25 when i got my licence, so i could directly move to a full A licence.
If i had been under 24 it would've been A2(45hp)
And under 20 it would be A1(under 14hp)
This system has greatly reduced the number of young riders who die on bikes, while not having any effect on the number of young people taking up motorcycling.
But you do also have to actually learn how to ride here, so that is also a big factor.
Legislation will always trump whatever sense of "responsibility" a rider thinks they have. Deaths on the street are a systemic issue and they can't be dealt with by simply saying "just be responsible". An 18-20 yo simply doesn't need to ride a liter bike, ever, and the rest of society does not need to cater to people that can't wait two years for that over the endangerment of others. Forcing some actual rigorous testing and training, and not just parking lot drills would be a good step towards not filling the streets with idiots that think they've learned all they can.
@@basmca1 ohh I agree with you, which is why my son will be on the Himmy as a learner and not my Beemer!
Bikers also are delusional they are the only ones at risk, a 500 lb steel missile going 90 mph will cut right through that family minivan.
I don't know much about America... But damn that's crazy how slack things are over there.
Why would anyone not wear a helmet!? Madness. At least you can shoot the road before it removes your flesh. 😆
I always wear a helmet even in a state where it is not required, but I do not support a helmet law for any rider over the age of 18. Personal choice and personal freedom takes precedence over all in my book it's your life and it is yours to do with as you chose.
if you get a license after the age of 24 (in the netherlands) You still have no restriction on bike power. So most people wait till then. But atleast you make about 20 to 30 hours learning to ride it with an instructeur, just like a car.
Beware the "should" monster. It only grows . . .
I agree with the HP limitation for new riders. I'm 40, and I learned to ride last year after getting most of my high speed out of my system, I'm also on my 17th year as a commercial driver. I find my RE Interceptor to be a very good compromise between speed and ease of riding for me as an experienced driver/new rider at my age. And.. when I bought my bike I picked up my learners permit on the way to get the bike. If I want to drive something that has a ton of power and head turning value I drive my bright orange 1967 C20 Chevy pickup.
I'm a real American, and my constitution wants you to GTFO.
Maybe you should have a tiered system for what job you are allowed to have, what food you are allowed to eat, and when you're allowed to leave your house. You could catch the flu if you go outside and die.
Agreed! I've been riding my 2018 tu250x and loving it since my wife handed me my helmet (now upgraded to ECE) and said get home safe. I have now full head to toe gear and wish Maine had more flexible laws. NH will be live free or die and we also have a big Harley scene here. (as I've gotten shit for being a small human on a suzuki)... simple put fuck those assholes and gear really isn't that heavy
I will say I've been pleasantly surprised by Harley riders on occasion. Based on my interactions, it seems the 'poseurs' are the ones that act like elitist pricks most of the time. I've had more than one old, crusty, jail-tatted dude pull up beside me and give me a polite nod or wave.
@@docsamson2299 fair, when they drop a wave I always smile hard.
The biggest safety factor for motorcycle riders is that police enforce the existing traffic laws brutally efficiently. When two cars are doing one hundred ten miles per hour ,one driving down the shoulder and the other in the far left lane, being on a motorcycle in that, is terrifying.
What i never understand about the US.
1: A 18yr old kid could ride a Busa without any proper motorcycle trying or licence, and doesn't even need to wear a helmet.
2: Ride between some stopped or slow cars on a wide as sht road?OOH NO THAT IS DANGEROUS!
Comon guys...
Freedom is scary. We don’t need or want more government involvement in our riding. No tiered system for us thank you very much. Needing a motorcycle endorsement on our driver’s license is bad enough. Be responsible for your own health and safety.
This is a terrible take. The government will not save you…. Ever.
Anecdotal, but I had two friends in high school who bought sport bikes. One was a GXR600 and a the other was a Ninja ZX-6R. Both bikes were completely trashed by the end of the first season... one ended up embedded into the back of a car. I personally don't think inexperienced kids should be messing with these kinds of bikes and I would support a tiered system.
@@joeMW284 I hear you. Many of us have similar horror stories. BUT, we can't bubble wrap every part of life, nor should we. Parents can make rules and prevent their children from buying whatever... but we should not give the Government more authority to interfere with our pursuit of happiness. Laws should be in place for the protection of others... not the protection of the bikers. So crazy bikers don't hurt others. I choose freedom. Freedom to make good and bad life decisions. It's like saying the Government should outlaw hamburgers because they make us fat and that isn't safe.
@@teammotu If nothing else, I think it's a public safety measure. The pursuit of happiness is not reserved only for the rider. Eating burgers doesn't involve bystanders.
I don't think that's the point of this video. The point is that Europe is doing something right regarding motorcycle safety, so we should learn form what they're doing and find ways to achieve the same outcome here. I believe it comes down to integrating motorcyle awareness and riding into driving culture. I'll elaborate:
There's three types of government action that can be taken here.
The first is restrictive action, such as restricting your license via a tiered system. These types of restriction would never work here, in part because of the relationship US citizens have with their government, but also because the logic could also apply (and will inevitably extend) to cars.
The second action is enabling action, such as legalizing lane filtering and splitting. This is much more effective and likely to be implemented because it allows motorcyclists (citizens) more options to take their safety into their own hands. No one is saying you must lane split, but you now have the option.
For what it's worth, helmet laws could be incentives or mandates, and therefore could take either of the above forms.
The final option is to modify the existing institutional structure in a neutral manner (neither restrictive nor enabling). Fully incorporating motorcycle training and safety into the standard license system would be an example of this. Given how common and how much easier it is to access motorcycles it shouldn't be a different license anyway. It might take a bit longer to go through the classes, but everyone acknowledges the need to get the classwork, and it would make everyone more aware of motorcycles.
@@k3y155 none of that sounds crazy or unreasonable. But I will always err on the side of freedom. Less government is always better. I would certainly support the laws loosening to include filtering. But any law or action that assumes the government knows better or cares more than the people is a non starter for me.
Also, I will point out that the USA and Europe are way different places. America is huge with massive wide open spaces. Europe for the most part is not. So the idea of limiting the bike size means something different here in the US.
I do support riders getting training and riding smart. But those are rider responsibilities and no coercion from government is needed.
Completely against government regulating personal freedoms. I always wear a helmet but would not want it to be federally mandated. It impacts no one but yourself. And I'm not taking that "what about the person who needs to clean your brains off the road" argument seriously. Great, helmet-less rider is providing jobs.
I agree filtering should be legal. I would lean towards yes on splitting but the half the riders near me seem to be missing something between their ears and certainly make splitting a bigger danger than it needs to be.
The MFS is a joke of a requirement, its barely better than no test at all. Not a big fan of the tiered licensing system. Especially when its not there for cars, which should require more barriers do to the danger to others and perceived "safety" they give the driver. (How smooth modern cars feel at 120+, the feeling of safety for the driver at everyone else's' expense, etc;)
All in all, work with your local law makers on the laws you want to see, but end of the day just do what you thinks best for yourself, the law be damned.
In texas, it is legal to buy a car without a license or knowing how to drive. You just can’t drive the new car you just bought… so thats the same as motorcycles
I bought my first motorcycle without a license first time too! Had no idea how to ride it had to have my buddy ride it back to his place where I learned how to put around on his lawn!
how about having an actual course for motorcycle riding beyond knowing how to shift and turn. I had to do a skills exam before I could do road lessons that I did to prepare for my road exam. The road lessons went into positioning for safety, scanning forward and the like. Also explained when you'd use certain skills that we learned from the skills exam.
In England they have a series of written and road tests that you have to pass.
Yeah I learned fuck all from my motorcycle class from a road standpoint. You can do a figure 8 cool here's your license. Wind speed on the highway would have been great info..
Going 80 on a light weight sports bike with 20-25mph wind is sketchy
you only shift a couple of times during the msf course... it's mostly just learn how to balance the bike while riding... I had to learn, and I am still learning, how to ride on the road all by myself... the first I took my little mt03 out on the road was terrifying... I felt like I was on a rocket ship when I was only going 45 mph.
Bet you’re an ace in parking lots after the MSF? The class is not too bad but the “road skills” is very lacking. I understand it’s just a start but it should be way more. In Texas you pass that class you’re done all you do is go to the DPS and get your endorsement.
I think the tiered system needs to be applied across the board. I think even to cars and trucks. But let's get back to the motorcycle situation. I think limit a new rider to under 50 horsepower for the first year would be good and then maybe have a tier up to 100 horsepower then you are ready for 300 horsepower turbo busa time. Plus also I think everybody needs to wear a helmet. I've seen some stuff on live leak that will make me always wear a helmet.
Also I miss filtering. Now I'm second guessing everyone that pulls up behind me at a light.
@@BUGBYTE_go off to the left or right. Leave your escape path.
Great video! Very sensible! Pro responsibility 👍🏼
Which explorer model is that? Been looking for a newer epi/gib with a floyd rose.
It's the Brendon Small Ghost Horse Sig
@@spitescorner Cool, thanks. I thought his sig was the all white 'snow or ice' something model. cool he's got another
I spent several years in the motorcycle safety program for the military. Even a tiny bit of training made a huge difference. When I got to the base, they were losing atleast one rider per year. They lost one rider in 10 years after starting the program, and that person was flat out ran into the guardrail by a cager. No chance. We started out with a simple five minute test to verify competency. And a quick briefing about safety gear. After a year or so, we added the MSF/MRC course. Then the experienced course as well as certification only to the size bike you tested in. Very effective. Now, it was in a state that “allowed” lane filtering or whatever it was called. You could exceed traffic by 10 mph, up to the speed limit. People didn’t use it to get to safety, they used it to skip the line. I did it, but not much. Couldn’t get comfortable knowing that some fool was going to open their door or pinch me in. Making it illegal to pinch a biker doesn’t stop it anymore than laws about DUI. The fact that people filtering are injured more, but less severe isn’t really a good plus for the practice.
How did you come to the conclusion that filtering riders are hurt more when the stats in this video says the opposite?
skipping the line is good for everyone. motorcycles accelerate faster than cars and take up less space. therefore allowing filtering to the front reduces traffic congestion by removing the vehicle from the traffic line. it also encourages more people to ride and therefore reduces traffic even more by removing single occupant cars from the road entirely
@@darkiee69go back and watch the video again. All it says is that riders get hurt less often, and less serious in crashes when filtering or splitting. Says nothing about more or less crashes. If it was less crashes, it would say there are less.
@@trd4d And if there were more it would say so too.
we lost 10 people in 2 months at camp lejeune in 2010. we had to have a base wide safety stand down where some brigadier general screamed at us in an auditorium for like 45 minutes and no one could ride their bikes again until they were inspected by a non-commissioned officer or higher and then everyone was required to go on a group ride to be evaluated after mandatory training. honestly though, when they give you only 72 hours of leave a single time in between back to back 7 month deployments and tell people it's cool to drive 500 mi and back, people are so sleep deprived that they were crashing cars almost as much as bikes.
YES! And we as motorcyclists need to raise our voices about this stuff. We are underrepresented and over-killed.
That is because most of us have no clue how to handle a motorcycle.
And get one that is way to much power and weight.
And blame others, when we can’t handle the bike.
And never practice. How has time for that.
I’ll bet there are very few motorcycle or car crashes at highway speeds over 500 mph. Therefore setting the minimum speed limit at 500 mph should bring the death rate to almost zero - right?
I made a personal choice to buy a 125cc for my first bike but I certainly wouldn’t want or need my government forcing me to do that. The problem here in my home state of Wisconsin is how lenient the laws are with drunk drivers. People that have multiple DUI’s are somehow still out on the roads.
Let the people think for themselves, whatever the cost
And let others suffer the consequences of those idiots like higher costs and more stigmatisation yeah nah
@@h3llb3nt sorry not sorry, I'm for freedom
@@RVAMotorsports and im for not suffering the consequences of others
@@h3llb3nt cool, you do you, I'll do me.
Looks like you are going to do everyone.@@RVAMotorsports
I live in europe. The time I spent on a 125 before gaining my full licence definitely went a long way towards saving my life, and I did it in my 30s. 125s are probably impractical for the giant american roads but restricting power for new riders is inarguably sensible.
Bikes trigger the hooligan in everyone, starting on a 600+ legally is absolutely insane.
Engine size is mostly irrelevant. Staying under 50 hp for a first motorcycle is very wise though. Stay under 100 hp for 2nd Motorcycle
Lane filtering at the very least would be great. Because we literally can't do it without facing legal repercussions. Helmets and getting the right bike for your skill level are all personal responsibility things that a reasonable person can still figure out on their own without a law change. Not saying it shouldn't happen, but one is clearly a higher priority than the others. Ideally we don't have to pick. But if we did... lane filtering comes first.
As an italian, let me explain the rules of an italian biker from the tender age of 14:
14 yo AM licence: allows you to drive a MAX 50cc bike (on of the many reasons tuned mopeds are a huge thing in europe)
16 yo A1 licence: allows you to drive a MAX 125cc bike with a MAX power of 11Kw (15hp for the unable to do a conversion)
18 yo: A2 licence: allows you to drive a bike that can be any displacement but with a power not exceeding 35 kW and a power/weight ratio not exceeding 0.2 kW/kg also not derived from a version that develops more than double the maximum power
24 yo (20 yo if you have the A2 for more than 2 years): no limit whatsoever
I may be biased, but the system here in Australia might be a better fit for the USA. We're much closer to the US than Europe is in terms of motorcycle usage.
We have mandatory helmet laws with mandatory ECE or ANSI compliance, so DOT helmets won't cut it. Lane splitting is illegal, but lane filtering has been legal in all states since 2018. And while licensing laws differ from state to state they follow the same basic principles.
Here in NSW for instance you have to pass a pre-learner course, similar to the MSF, before you can get a learners permit. You're then restricted to riding a bike 660cc or below with a power restriction of 150kw per tonne (20hp per 220lbs) & a top speed limit of 90km/h (56mph) & must display a L plate to show other road users that you're a learner. After a minimum of 3 months you can then go do another course that tests your riding skills to ensure that you can ride a motorcycle in real world conditions & perform some basic emergency maneuvers. If you pass you can get a 12 month provisional license with the same restrictions as the learner, but displaying a red P plate. Then you progress to 2 years displaying a green P plate & an increased top speed limit of 100km/h (62mph) but on that same restricted bike. If you're over 25 & have had an unrestricted car license for over 3 years you can skip the green P plate. After all that you can ride any bike you choose. 1100km/h is the fastest speed limit on our roads, so the speed limits for beginners is reasonably safe.
The standard "first step" (A1) 125cc European can ride from 16 year's old only come with 11-15bhp, but eventually reaches 115-120 kmh. This is faster then Australian starter bikes?
From 18 year's old, one can upgrade to the (0,2kw/kg) 47hp class (A2), which is plenty fast for a beginner (not enough to scare you, but faster acceleration then most cars).
After 2 years on A2 (or directly if you are older then 24) you can upgrade to A license, which has no restrictions.
So if you are old enough you don't have to start with a smaller bike here either.
Hard to understand that anyone ride a 2-wheel vehicle without a helmet. I can't count the amounts of bee's/ insects my helmet has taken for my face, and to loose controll of the bike is not a option for me.😅
Hope the law's in America gets on you're side and that car drivers pay attention when they drive beside you (not focusing on there phone🙄).
Stay safe, be nice and keep riding. 🤙😎
IN the states We have places with 70 mph limits. There are a lot of Honda 250 Rebels about as "starter" bikes. Those are marginal on 55mph roads, you will get constantly passed. Dangerous.... So if it comes to mandates the small/big split needs to be 500-600 cc. Most localities have a 50CC scooter no license class for those that need minimal get around town functionality. (I think that needs to be 125 considering the terrain in so many places.)
We also have highways with 70mph (or more), and these are not the roads for bikes with less then 47hp for sure. The "normal" speed for cars are often above the speedlimit ass well.
But you always have alternative roads, so you don't have to ride there.
If the limit is set to cc and not hp, there might just ass well be no limit. My Honda CBR 600 is plenty fast to be dangerous for å beginner, and it's not even a fast bike (but 0-60 in like 3,5 sec.)
@@vernerjuliussen2071 No. Our speed restrictions are for the rider, not the motorcycle. All learners here are free to choose any motorcycle to start with, as long as it meets the power to weight restrictions. Basically we can get an A2 equivalent motorcycle from the beginning.
@@vernerjuliussen2071 That's why we have both cc AND power limits, so learners can't go out & get a 600cc sport bike & yeet themselves off into oblivion. But they can get a restricted version of the Suzuki SV650, Triumph Trident 660, Aprilia Tuono/RS 660, Yamaha MT-07, XSR700, YZF-R7, Kawasaki Ninja 650, Z650, Z650RS, Versys 650 or Vulcan S, just to name a few. And once they progress to a full license most of these bikes can be de-restricted to unlock their full power.
I am not on board with shafting a skilled rider due to his or her age. If Testing shows they have the skill set, they should be allowed probationary licensing. You can not get caught doing crazy stuff or you are demoted. The ones that clearly need to start small, should.
I agree with you 100%. I’m an older retuning rider at 65 and hadn’t ridden in 40 years. I wanted to get back into it and got a 310gs and it’s all the bike I need. It’s been great relearning on and I’m glad I didn’t succumb to my ego and jump up in class. I’ve never been a speed demon but am a tech nut and bare bones without any gadgets and bells and whistles was hard to turn down. But at this point it adds distractions and weight and I just need to get the basics down. Bikes 40 years ago couldn’t hold a candle to these bikes they’re putting out today and I can’t imagine an 16 year old turned loose on them. And everyone should wear a helmet. It’s ridiculous not to.
Come on spite. Since when do these laws actually apply to riders??
I have never acknowledged any of these pointless laws!!
Look they can ban it sure... People will still do it anyway .... So what
I live in the UK, after a series of young/new drivers having accidents the government has said there will be no regulations to restrict the power of the cars they can drive - probably due to the car industry lobby.
Apart from the attitude of riders, the biggest change in rider safety would be to have every car driver qualify on a bike before they can drive a car. This would be two-fold, a rider is far more aware of road conditions and how vulnerabe they are and a car driver would look relly carefully for bikes as it may be a friend or family member they are about to kill by their stupid manoever.
Probably one of the biggest game changers was the CBT (compulsory basic training) where you have to learn the basics before mixing it with traffic.
There's a bar chart i have seen that shows, from memory, crashing v age. Obviously loads of 50s being banged up by kids, but also a notable sharp rise with age over 50 on bikes over 500cc
First it's dictating to you that you need to wear a helmet in case you crash. Then it's dictating that you need to wear a rain coat because you might catch a cold from getting wet. Choice is freedom which is a great thing we have in this country.
I mean, I'm Canadian, so we already have helmet laws (and it's fine). But I believe everyone should have a tiered motorcycle licensing system.
Maybe not as tight as the EU's because roads are very different here, but we for sure should.
Maybe even 70hp max for the first year, or some such.
Great video with a lot of valid points.
The problem is with the entity that you'd like to give that regulating power to.
What blows my mind is that riders who routinely bar hop on their bikes and ride without a lid are often the same riders adamantly opposed to lane filtering because “that’s dangerous”. 🥴
Yeah, 48hp is plenty to begin on. I wear ATGATT bc I value my skin and want max protection. I'd rather replace shredded riding gear than need skin grafts!!
I do whatever i need to in order to avoid being hit. I do not care if it is legal or if i hurt another persons feelings.
Living in Texas and having a senator that has never rode a bike, outlaw lane splitting is ridiculous. So I have to sit in between hot engines in the summer instead of moving past the heat.
Freedoms dirty little secret You're on your own! RIDE HARD DIE FREE
I got my UK licence in the early 80's when you were still able to 'learn' on a 250. So, it was a CB250N, followed by a CX500, then a GSX1100. A sensible progression ... I took a MSF course in the States a couple of years ago during which a student asked what would be a good learner bike. Both instructors agreed, 'anything under 1,000cc'. Madness..... ? And yes, I saw some students 'Pass' the course who could barely pull away and stop in a college parking lot whilst in complete control
There is a massive difference between the USA and the EU/UK when it comes to the motorcycle license. The UK motorcycle license encourages people to take training as apart from up to 125cc bikes you cannot ride anything without getting a full license and you have to do a day of training and reach a standard before your restricted provision license is valid .Then there are the age restrictions and you have to retake the tests if you want to go from an A1 (up to 125cc and 14hp)licence to an A2(up to 47hp)or A(ride anything) or from an A2 to an A . Personally I would do away with the full A1 license as virtually nobody does it as it only allows you to ride a 14hp 125cc bike with a pillion and on a motorway and combine it with the A2 license the cost of insurance will stop most 17 year olds getting much over 125cc . We both though suffer from politicians that pass laws that are often “to be seen to be doing something”rather than doing something positive the only way of influencing these people in any way is to join a riders group like MAG or the BMF and trying to lobby for more sensible laws.
Lane splitting is illegal in Texas. So is speeding, texting when driving and running red lights. Yet car drivers do all that everyday. So lane split on your moto whenever it feels safe to do so.
All great points!!!
Not a fan of the tiered licensing system, but I am a fan of more testing & mandatory training to maintain licensure. I think the same should apply to cars. There's a LOT of people on the road that have zero business operating any kind of motor vehicle.
But when it comes to the government... I want them out of the way as much as possible. Beginner bike prices are already bonkers. They will rise DRAMATICALLY if your mandated to buy one. Quite frankly, it's none of the government's business what any of us want to purchase.
I hear what you're saying, but I won't lane filter. When I started riding I lane filtered because everybody told me it was safer. What I discovered was it pisses off other drivers and that, in turn, will cause them to drive more recklessly and put me in even greater danger. It's a case of a pissed-off cager REALLY IS trying to kill you! What I now do instead is position myself to filter and stay back a full car length from the vehicle in front of me - and keep an eye on my mirrors! Fingers crossed - this seems to be working well for me.
in SC, i filter when i dont see cops and when i think someone wont take it personally
Hey Spite, here in Nova Scotia, Canada, back in the day, I took the Canadian Motorcycle Safety Course, 2 in class,3 days on the bike! the day I turned 16 I rode a 1977 Honda, CB125 Sreet (12HP), rode a 1975 Honda CB 500, 4 years later, Glad I learned on the small bike! Only within the last 5 years did I ride a Kawasaki ZG 1000 Concourse, Big difference in weight between 500 & 1000cc Motorcycles, and the power! (98HP)!
The UK system has its flaws, especially for younger riders who could potentially have to take multiple tests to move up categories, but even as an older rider, having to ride a 125 on L-plates before I could take my A-license test meant that I could safely build up experience before getting on something capable of making me poop my pants. The first time I sat on an MT-07 for test prep was an eye-opener and that’s a bike seen as a sensible option for new A-license holders. Even my own V-Strom 650 felt like a lot of bike the first couple of times I rode it. There is a lot of power even at the lower end of a full license and I couldn’t imagine hopping on a 1000cc bike as my first bike.
I think the tier licensing system is one of the smaller reasons why we (I’m speaking about Germany specifically) have less casualties. The biggest difference is our lincense in general. Every driver, bike and car, needs to visit driving school regularly, wich takes about half a year. Then there’s the final practical and theoretical test where you have close to zero room for failure. All in all, a licens costs around 2000-3000€. In general we are just the better trained drivers, so there are less accidents.
Oh, and the training is necessary because we got so many rules that you would loose you license after 2 Minutes of riding if you didn’t went to driving school.
Got my license less than 3 years ago. Had ridden a dirt bike twice prior to that. I was 47. Dealership was willing to sell me whatever I wanted to buy because I had my permit. Lucky I bought on the smaller side, 400cc. I now feel comfortable moving up. Safety is always my first priority when I'm in my bike. The ride is secondary.
Good point! So does that mean that bikers have to sit in 115'f heat, whilst perched over a red hot engine in full gear and rapidly get hyperthermia from multiple sources, which could either cause them to black out and crash, or worse die? The only way for bikers to stay cool is to keep moving.
And yet the smug cagers just sit there with their AC on?
There's where you are off: Nobody in the EU has to start on a 125 or is restricted to 48 hp on his first bike. It's all to do with age. I started riding in my early 30s. And i could start on any motorcycle i wished to.
If there are further restrictions, then these are depending on the individual member country. Not the EU per se.