LANCASTER LUNE AND WYRE MOTORCYCLE CLUB
Newsletter No 117
September 2001
Well the
holiday month of August has passed and we are now heading out into the winter, I
understand that the Isle of Man was excellent despite there being no racing
there with plenty entertainment and other activities to fill the week. I've not
had any written reports however .... any offers?
I expect
that the what's in the bag quiz went down reasonably well last month, I was
sorry to have missed it, however by the time you read this you will know that
there is a Breakfast Run this Sunday organised by Dick.
With
Holidays still fresh in some minds, the following is an extract from "World
Understanding on Two Wheels" by Paul Pratt who travelled around the world
on a 500 Triumph arriving home in 1979. I saw him talk at a 'Mighty South London
Triumph Owners Club' meeting in 1980.
Driving
a motorcycle is not difficult, but should be studied with care. If possible, you
should practice off the main road with no load on the machine just to get the
feel of the motor cycle on rough tracks and muddy surfaces. Study how the
experts control their machines in Moto Cross or Trials. In this way, you can
learn how to control a motorcycle on a complete variety of surfaces. Many months
or years would be required on the main road to gain the same wealth of
experience. Though you may not aspire to be a competition rider, the development
of riding skills is a challenge as well as a pleasure, and it equips you to deal
with the unexpected hazards that
can occur, when you least expect them, on a long journey.
The
general contention is that motorcycling is dangerous. However, experience
intelligently applied with common sense will minimise the dangers. Along with
the gaining of experience the motor cycle rider can reassure himself by making
some very favourable comparisons with other road users. In the first place, the
motor cycle has less bulk and is more manoverable than a four wheeled vehicle.
The rider is sitting in a position that demands constant alertness. A careful
selection of goggles or sunglasses will ensure that the motorcycle rider has far
superior visibility compared to that of a saloon car driver. The experienced
motor cycle rider develops a "feel" for different road surfaces and
knows that, given a good dry road surface and a well maintained machine, his
braking distance is considerably shorter than that of the average saloon car.
The main
disadvantage of the motor cycle is the exposed position of the rider and
consequently his greater vulnerability to injury in the event of an accident.
However, by driving defensively, avoiding as much as possible densely populated
areas an utilising the aforementioned practice and experience for gaining better
machine control, these dangers are reduced to a minimum.
During
the long journey, I made it a practice to use the machine as little as
possible while staying in large cities. By this means, I saved the motor
for actual travel and had time to observe and "feel" the city while
someone else was driving the bus, thereby having a rest from riding and, at the
same time, considerably reducing the risk of accidents.
Things
have certainly changed since Paul Pratt learned to ride, whilst motorcycles have
improved dramatically since 1980, so have 'saloon' cars, with fuel injection,
turbos and ABS disk brakes all round. I'm not sure that a modern bike would
necessarily stop faster than a modern car. Anyway-food for
though, get off-road before the next long run!
This
week's meeting is going to be a simple Social at the Scarthwaite House Hotel,
just a pint an a natter to catch up
on the various events which have occurred during the summer...see you all then.
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