Motorcycles

I do a lot of night riding, and with the days being as short as they are, I'm doing a bit more every week. At this time of year when it's dark on the island there is also a good chance it's going to be raining too, and if not, it's going to be cold enough that traction will be significantly reduced.

I hear a lot of people talk about motorcycle lane position as if there are rules set in stone and there is only one dominant lane position. The standard agreement is that the left third of the lane is Position 1, the centre of the lane is Position 2, and the right third of the lane is Position 3.

I applaud the green attitude of those people who ride a limited speed motorcycle (LSM) for their trips on BC highways. Surely their carbon footprint is a lot lighter than my own. That and their wallet will be heavier as these motorcycles are economical to buy, license and operate.

This is something I've been telling people about fault for a long time, but have been hesitant to put it in type for people who don't know me to read, and perhaps take the wrong way, even though it's something I feel very strongly about.

This television commercial from the Transport Accident Commission (TAC) of Victoria, Australia complements their existing campaign that encourages riders to wear protective clothing at all times. It is meant to make riders aware of their extreme vulnerability on the road.

When we ride there are quite a few things that we have to do that are counter intuitive. Anyone that has ridden a two wheeled vehicle more than a couple feet quickly learned to counter steer, even if they never realized they were doing it.

I would like to know of laws and regulations for off road vehicle use on residential roadways. My neighbours frequently use their dirt bikes to race up and down our street (drivers age from about 6 to grown adults) while other children are playing and there is traffic. Some drivers wear the protection, others not.

Motorcycles are nimble, brake and accelerate quickly and the temptation to race through other traffic can be difficult to resist for some. The riders weaving through traffic are usually young males who have not yet realized the risk that they are taking or imposing on other road users.

Commercial Vehicle Safety & Enforcement is aware of provincial vehicle inspections being conducted on manufactured Restricted Use Motorcycles (RUM). These vehicles are identified as vehicle type ‘RUM’ on the Canadian Motor Vehicle Safety Standards (CMVSS) compliance label. These vehicles are manufactured and intended STRICTLY FOR OFF HIGHWAY USE and do not meet applicable standards for operation as highway vehicles.

We are small, but we are not bugs! is a video produced by the Norwegian Motorcycle Union. It highlights the fact that 8 out of 10 collisions occur when the driver of the other vehicle involved failed to see the motorcycle.