Motorcycles are back (Debate)

Sun 26 Jul 2020, 13:42

Hans, I empathise, but as one who has endured five interrupted nights of sleep, courtesy of the County Council, I really don't get bothered and will not object to, the occasional motorcyclist, or even two or three.  What is worse (for me) are the Lycra louts whizzing past in droves and shouting and spitting.

Let them (the motorcyclists) have some fun.

Sun 26 Jul 2020, 07:45

Paris seems to be doing something about motorcycle noise. See https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-53521561

Wed 20 May 2020, 18:41

Thanks for sharing about other topics army etc but as the OP can I ask you stick to the annoyance of speeding noisy motorcycles. Or not.

Wed 20 May 2020, 13:58 (last edited on Thu 21 May 2020, 04:54)

I agree Mandy.

Wed 20 May 2020, 11:49

It’s not the bikes that are the problem it’s the cars that fly down the Enstone road. Since doing the door at the co op I have seen so many cars vans going so fast past the shop just waiting for a accident to happen. 

Tue 19 May 2020, 18:01

I have no problem with motor cyclists who keep to the speed limits and do not modify their mufflers.

I do have issues with those who use the "Charlbury TT" as their personal racetrack with risk to life and serious injury.

Tue 19 May 2020, 14:56 (last edited on Tue 19 May 2020, 14:57)

At risk of raising the ire of some, can I put in word for the average motorcyclist? We are not generally anti-social maniacs out to terrify/outrage the public or other road users.

While not excusing imbecile few who seek to impress with noise and speed, the great majority of us are older and wiser. We love the open road, the wind in our face and the unique sense of freedom that biking can offer - it is literally 'joy-riding'.

Please can we distinguish between a few idiots and the vast majority of the biking fraternity who ride responsibly, respect the Highway Code and cause no harm.

Charlbury is a favoured through-route for bikers on a circular tour - it always has been. 

Having lived next to the Slade for 37 years, it's no different now from any other year.

Tue 19 May 2020, 07:31 (last edited on Tue 19 May 2020, 18:49)

Pillion along the Burford - Chipping Norton road 

90 miles an hour , no crash helmet! (Not with Derek, I might add) so exciting!!!  1954

Tue 19 May 2020, 07:05

Well said Leah and Hannen. I have only to reflect on my motorcycling youth some 60 years ago (nearly as long as yours Leah?). My three brothers & I - in a village of less than 100 kind of stood out and easily identified as motor cycle transgressors. The more elderly and more staid members of our community would simply phone up the local (bicycle) bobby, who would then phone my father, who would confiscate our motor bike - a mighty BSA Bantam and tell us to replace the exhaust baffles before we could have it back again. Challenging authority is part of growing up - not all of us got our kicks out of"running in cornfields" a la Theresa May. Plus ca change indeed Leah.

Mon 18 May 2020, 15:06

I would like to see the police take action.  I heard (and saw) a young learner motorcyclist travelling through Witney.  I will take registration numbers down in future and report them.  It's horrible, and anti-social.

Mon 18 May 2020, 13:36

Oh, and Hans, 

I doubt that this is a priority for TVP at the moment!

Mon 18 May 2020, 13:34 (last edited on Mon 18 May 2020, 13:34)

Well said Leah!

I have only lived here for a mere 8 years.

Hans, I understand your frustration, but I live near Fiveways and I can assure you that the motorcyclists have been whizzing around since (and before) the beginning of lockdown.

For some reason it doesn't bother me.  I think it must be exhilarating for a young or even not so young, person to be able to shoot around half empty roads.  Especially if they have been in lockdown with family.

I agree with the comments about speeding though.  Noise?  Again, for some strange reason it doesn't bother me.  See comment below.

As for the sporty cyclists, they are making a return and personally I find them far more irritating with their abrupt shouts: "left or right?" "straight on?" and spitting.  Those are the ones dressed in lycra, the "ordinary" cyclists are no problem.  I've even had the occasional sporty cyclist shouting at me over the garden fence and once ringing the doorbell (!) to ask for directions.  I don't mind but it seems strange.  Don't they plan their routes beforehand (I used to) or have GPS?

I suppose it just comes down to "live and let live".  We are all living in difficult times when patience is easily tried.

Mon 18 May 2020, 07:48 (last edited on Mon 18 May 2020, 08:12)

I have lived in Charlbury for nearly 70 years, I can't remember a Spring when people haven't moaned about motor bikes. Plus ça change!  

Sun 17 May 2020, 17:14

I take the point that there isn't much point in further debating this issue, and that it is a TVP matter. I have however reported this to TVP 101 several years ago, spoken to policemen, emailed police men, and CSW are also involved (currently on hold). However I get nowhere.

If you share my concern about motorcycle speeding and noise I recommend you call TVP on 101. If enough of us do that they may actually do something about it!

Have a nice day.

Sun 17 May 2020, 13:45 (last edited on Sun 17 May 2020, 13:57)

I heard the motorcycles this morning from a very long way away arriving in the town and passing through (I was walking up Crawborough at about 8:30), and they were clearly not running legal exhaust systems. The legal limit is 82-86 decibels, depending on engine size. It's also it’s also illegal to modify the system to make a vehicle noisier after it has been type approved.

Regulation 54 (2) The Road Vehicles (Construction & Use) Regulations 1986 which deals with silencer/ exhaust system altered to increase noise and Regulation 97 of The Road Vehicles (Construction & Use) Regulation 1986 which deals with the avoidance of excessive noise.

Unfortunately there is a sub-culture among some bikers that the noisier the better and there is a thriving after-marked for replacement exhausts. Typically the original mufflers will get put back on to pass and MOT and then the after-market versions then re-installed. On a motorcycle, this is a fairly easy job. Such exhausts are typically sold for "track days". There is a common trope among some bikers "loud pipes save lives" as some sort of excuse for this. A further complication is that there are a lot of aftermarket exhaust systems sold which are advertised as being "road legal", but which also advertise "removable baffles", like this one :-

https://www.sportsbikeshop.co.uk/motorcycle_parts/content_prod/181782

Also, just because a vehicle has passed an MOT does not mean it's legal for the rest of the year.

Unfortunately the police are often ill-equipped to perform spot checks.

Sun 17 May 2020, 12:38

Debate is for" debate, arguing or complaining "

Sun 17 May 2020, 12:05

It's a free country, as long as they are taxed, insured and mot'd. Its hardly a daily occurrence. 

Sun 17 May 2020, 12:01

What is to ‘debate’? These are people committing nuisance, making an illegal level of noise, by riding illegally fast along a public highway.

Sun 17 May 2020, 12:00

Community speed watch ?

Sun 17 May 2020, 11:55

Well why didn't you post it on Debate ?

Sun 17 May 2020, 11:13

Precisely Leah, I posted this because I would like to see a debate on what can and should be done. It's dangerous to everybody and for the life of me I cannot understand why this is allowed to continue. Jim is well aware that I have been banging on about this for years to no avail. A frustrated Hans.

Sun 17 May 2020, 09:52

DEBATE PAGE !!

Sun 17 May 2020, 08:48

Yes, been through Enstone Xroads & heard them roar through the valley.

Sun 17 May 2020, 08:31

Just heard them racing up Spelsbury Road. Somebody has to do something about this.