Modern Vespa

It would be interesting to hear reports of braking experiences from MP3'rs after reading this article: http://www.webbikeworld.com/Motorcycle-Safety/braking-tips.htm

Also: http://www.webbikeworld.com/Motorcycle-Safety/motorcycle-accident-statistics.htm Stats and especially riders comments at the end of this article are informative.

Fully agree with the braking article.

I liked this comment from the second report summary:
"I can tell you the answer, though. Pass a law that you cannot even obtain an automobile license without first becoming a trained and certified motorcyclist and riding for at least one thousand miles. Tell the major motorcycle manufacturers that. They'll lobby the law through, realizing that their sales will go up an hundred-fold. The insurance companies will likely help push it through, ...along with the motorcycle magazines."
Spot on, say I.

Very intriguing articles, Dennist. It looks like a lot better research is still to be done. We really need "Hurt Report 2".

In the meantime, I think we should focus on the factors that we know improve both safety and survivability (thanks aviator47!). I won't try to list them all here, but they certainly include (not in any particular order of importance): good and appropriate gear; good bike maintenance; skills learning and practice; not riding while impaired in any way chemically, physically, or emotionally; and maintaining a constant state of awareness and alertness on the road.

Let me add common sense. Know yourself as a rider and ride your own ride within your skill and comfort level.

Interesting links.

Any proponents for ABS??

Tried a Burger 400 with ABS last Thursday. Could not get that puppy to lock up under any condx. The only thing I didn't like about it was the
c of g. Seemed top heavy for my tastes.

I think ABS is the route to go. I also think we will be seeing more ABS offered as well as auto boxes on MC's and Scoots in the next few years.

Personally I'm not a fan of ABS on bikes. In cars, yes. On bikes it becomes an expensive add-on. It can make bleeding the system a very tiresome affair. An experienced rider can pull up in a shorter distance without ABS. Linked or combined brakes are another matter - I'm quite a fan having had this on four X9's in the last six years.

I don't mind if they make it mandatory to offer all bikes with ABS, as long as the punter can still choose the same model without ABS fitted.

I have heard that ABS comment several times jim. Is this anecdotal or is there proof? Certainly, I love my Honda Combined ABS system. The ABS works REALLY well, you can feel a smidgin of lockup just before the lever starts pulsing. I have heard some comments that the Honda system is on of the best, unlike the many complaints about the BMW one.

I agree. M/C licences first, then car licence. Makes sense. Riding a scooter has certainly made me more aware as a car driver.

I've seen it demonstrated at a machine control day, quite effectively. I don't know what bikes they were (thay all look the same to me?), but otherwise identical, one with, one without ABS. The riders swapped over several times. These were stops from about 50mph. Not a huge difference, a couple of metres most times, but the ABS bike took longer to stop just about every attempt. Now what exact flavour of ABS it was I don't know, perhaps there's one out there that beats the experienced rider.

This was in the dry mind, so perhaps in the wet the ABS may present a safer option - better to take a big longer to stop than have a higher risk of sliding.

Very much agree. I don't think we can all be on the ball 100% of the time. On the very few occasions over the last 4000 miles on my Honda, I can count on the fingers of one hand, the times where it operated. On one of those, when my concentration slipped for but one second, it stopped me sliding down the road into a mobile phone texting pedestrian, who did not look as they stepped into the road.

I was watching what white-van-man was doing at the time, and yes, it was in the wet. Must say I was mighty impressed. One of the magazines tested the honda system on gravel and commented on its efficacy, where it left a little pattern of gravel as it operated...

I agree in principle the idea of all future motorists having to ride a bike for a while, but I am not to sure of the idea of the roads being clogged up with bikes, many of which will be under maintained, slow and badly ridden giving ALL bikers a bad name.

As a relatively new rider I know feck all But I remember thinking (and commenting to anyone who would listen) after doing lessons and test on a bike that everyone should have to do a test on a bike or a scooter before they do their car test. Riding a scoot has made me a more observant and more considerate driver, no doubt about it.