White Dalton Solicitors Blog

The Triumph Explorer back to back with the Ducati Multistrada 1200, Honda Crosstourer and BMW R1200GS (continue reading…)

I must now have a fair few thousand pillion miles under my belt. And it is true to say that whilst I really enjoy being a pillion, there is no doubt that my enjoyment is affected by the bike itself! (continue reading…)

As a starting point, I do not wear a flourescent jacket or a white helmet unless I am working by the side of the road at a scene visit – so I can compare how drivers react to my usual riding gear of black Alpinestars textiles or leather, Rukka textiles or the Black Aerostich and compare this directly to the same rider and same bike in white lid and dayglow. So here is my considered opinion.

If a driver cannot see a red Multistrada with auxillary lights with a six foot tall man perched on top of it then a full set of fairy light and a flashing beacon on my head is going to make no difference. However when I ride dressed like a pretend policeman other drivers seem more aware of my presence because their driving styles change. I think this is because they are unsure as to whether or not I am a Police Motorcyclist who can do terrible things to their license.
The next question is “Is this an advantage?” and there I think it is a mixed blessing. Cars get out of the way because they don’t want what they perceive as a bike cop behind them but their driving becomes a bit unpreictable as they attempt to drive “by the book” and their forward progress becomes much slower. An unpredictable car is a harder prospect to pass than a driver who is driving at normal speeds and predictably. So I have come to a balanced decision. Most of the time I think high visibility stuff is not much of an aid to safer motorcyling (except for learner bikes which travel slower than ordinary traffic flow) so I don’t wear it. It does have an effect, but I don’t think the overall effect makes riding any safer. it is a matter of personal choice (at least so long as the EU keep their beaks out of it – I’d have thought they had bigger issues to deal with). The HIghway Code recommends it but whilst I have seen a couple of attempts made in Court to shift some blame onto a motorcyclist who is not wearing high visibility gear but these have got precisely nowhere as it cannot stand this simple cross examination -
Q “So you did not see the motorcycle?”
A “No”
Q “The big motorcycle with a rider on it which had its lights on?”
A “No”
Q”But you say you would have seen it had the riders helmet or jacket had been a different colour”
A ” I don’t know”
Q “But the bike was not invisible, was it?”
A “No”
Q “And it was there, wasn’t it”
A “Yes”
Q “So the riders clothing made no difference?”
A “No”

In fairness by this point the Judge has usually told me to move on because he has already dismissed the argument that the rider is to blame for not wearing high visibility clothing. As a general rule not following the Highway Code is only a factor in blame. It does not end the argument, and should only be regarded as a starting point.

It’s 10.36pm. I’m in the back of my van in Oulton’s paddock, tucked up in
‘bed’ (two sleeping bags and an airbed with a slow puncture). The thin metal
roof stops the rain from actually landing on my face but otherwise repeats
the weather conditions with me verbatim. The temperature outside is
identical to in here. Every individual rain drop reverberates around the
van; a light shower sounds like a bowl of Rice Krispies served in a steel
drum; a heavy downpour is like being shut in a wheelie bin while it’s hosed
down with ball bearings. Lurking unseen, the wind is a troublesome gang
kicking bottles around the paddock and rocking the van on its springs.
Summer’s swan song of a week ago is just a memory; Autumn is here and it’s
stamping its authority. Winter’s hollowness awaits, a dark absence of all
this, of the anticipation that warms me, of racing. A motorsport season is
all seasons.
This weekend the task at hand is simple, in essence if not in practice. I
must beat Chris Barnes in order to protect my fifth place in the
championship. Exactly what that entails I will discover tomorrow afternoon,
shortly after qualifying when all the cards are turned over. However, I’m
pretty sure it will come down to riding my motorcycle as fast as I can.
Oulton Park is fun at speed, a true challenge at race pace. It bucks around
Cheshire like a rodeo bull, testing your concentration and reactions. Hard
braking follows flat-out crest, hairpin follows sweeper, patter bumps follow
millpond asphalt. Stability in a bike is essential here and takes precedence
over steering speed and even mid-corner front-end feel. If your bike isn’t
stable you’ll spend most of the lap playing the rodeo rider to the circuit’s
bull, and we all know that some rodeo rides may last longer than others but
they never end well. Far better to be the horse whisperer, to soothe your
bike into thinking you’re not riding it hard whereas in fact your
stabilising flat chassis balance allows you to open the throttle with
confidence.
Time to sleep and dream of glory.

Leading specialist motorcycle solicitors White Dalton Motorcycle Solicitors have recently been recognised by the Legal 500, the UK’s premier guide covering legal services providers. (continue reading…)