Nissan Primera 130 - 140 mph, that has amazed me! Swerving in and out of traffic on a busy carriageway, I am trying to picture the cop bike flagging them down. This incident in my opinion is far worse than an experienced biker 'testing' their motorbike over a 1,000 ft distance at 149mph. With respect Big Lad, the ambulance and police response to a biking accident on a track or road race is every bit as distressing as attending a road accident other than if other innocents are injured or killed. I agree there has to be a deterrent but jail and a 5 year ban, that sounds like some judge on a power trip who doesn't like bikers to me.
He also has to resit an extended test. It is harsh, too harsh? I dont know, my boss is a fireman and he hates bikes, cleaned up to many bits off the road, his boss is a biker. Could be the Sheriff has a daughter...[/QUOTE]
The Sheriff said in the paper;- it wasnt the guy doing 149 , it was someone unexpectedly coming across a bike doing a speed they had no reason to expect, on a public road (paraphrasing)
When I lived in Germany I could travel to work at that speed and often did but always looking in the mirror cos there is always someone quicker but I felt safe,when I got back to England people don't expect that kind of speed and don't look for it,so not so safe
Just a couple of hours ride South from where he was nicked is Knockhill race track. For £80 quid he could have gone there on a track day and ridden at any speed he wanted, all day, without fear of endangering anyone's life but his own..
Just to add my Tuppence, I don't really care what speed people do on the road. If you want to stick to the limit, fine. If you want to go over the limit, fine by me. I'm also fine if somebody wants to do 150mph on the public roads. However, and this is the main point, if you do go over the limit, especially 150mph, you have to accept that you are breaking the law, and have to accept the consequences of your actions if you get caught. Saying the road was clear, conditions were good, nobody was around me is all fine and well, but it is still breaking the law. Therefore, go ahead and do whatever speed you want to, but be aware that there is always a chance of getting caught. And also remember, joe public still has this opinion of bikers being hooligans, riding like maniacs and being a danger to everybody (and we wonder why this is!), so the police are going to be disproportionately heavy handed on bikes. It's the way it is. Is it fair? No it's not. But life isn't always fair. Every time a biker gets done for this kind of speed, the greater the cry for us to be banned/restricted/outlawed. Again, is that fair when cars are doing the same? Again, no, but most people don't have bikes but do drive cars, and anything different is to be shunned/persecuted for the their hedonistic ways, even though they do exactly the same thing. tl:dr - Go fast if you want to, but accept the fact you are breaking the law and accept the consequences of your actions.
I was away in Scotland for the weekend last year with my local ROSPA group. The chairman and lead trainer averaged 80mph in a 60 leading the group. I'm no Angel by any stretch of the imagination .I raised the topic at the end of the day and I was very surprised that they felt they could break the law if they felt it was safe to do so.
Say there had been a walker or horse rider on the side of the road, or someone about to step off the verge, or a tractor pulling out from a track. Do you think you'd be able to pull up safely from 149mph as opposed to 60mph? And not forgetting that the police were there to speed-gun him - so clearly this expert rider didn't see them in time enough to decelerate. Nah, dangerous and reckless riding deserves harsh measures to deter other hooligan riders who give the rest of us a bad name. I mentioned Community Service as an option, but reading the guide notes on Community Payback in Scotland it looks like it would not be deemed appropriate for a victim and damage-less case such as this (which part of the community are you paying back?) which is maybe why the Sheriff didn't use it. And unlike England & Wales there are no sentencing guidelines in Scotland it seems.
Yeah Baz is a retired cop also ex iam instructor. He's the craziest rider I know. Wheelies everywhere,but safe , very quick and very aware!!
Only one that would have counted: what if he hadn't decided to check it at that speed but a more sensible speed i.e. Under a ton?
I wonder what the law abiding citizens on here who think the treatment of the biker was justified (and I don’t believe for a second they have never broken the law by going over 60mph!) think what "over the limit speed" is acceptable (in their minds) 80mph,90mph,120mph??.. surely breaking the law is breaking the law regardless of how much over the speed limit you go. Also at what speed do they think a jail sentence and a 5 year ban is justified. .surely it should come down to circumstances and not just speed..PS if you have never ever broken the speed limit i apologize..but i don't believe you
Well there is that! He might have escaped with 2 months jail and a 3 year ban. His main fault was getting caught, he has been made an example of without a doubt. Not nice being sent to prison if he is a law abiding citizen in all other aspects of his life. Fine, ban, community service would have been more fitting.
