There's a well renowned road just north of Sydney called the Old Pacific Highway or as most of us Sydney riders know it the Old Road or Old Pac. It's a twisty bit of tarmac which is about 30kms in length which is the closest ride to the suburban population base of Sydney. It would be Sydney equivalent to Los Angeles the "Snake". This means its frequented a lot by Sydney motorcyclists.
It's also quite frequently patrolled by the Gosford Hwy Patrol as there is at least one crash up there every weekend. Taken into context there might be several thousand bikes up there every weekend. The speed limit has been dropped over the years from 100 down to 80 and down to 60 and in one spot down to 50 making it a cannon fodder exercise for the Hwy patrol to rake in the revenue where the road is quite easily capable of at least being a 80 zone if not 100. One of the biggest dangers on this road is the cyclists that ride it 2 or 3 abreast around blind corners often doing less than half the speed of traffic.
We rarely frequent the old road these days maybe once a year because of the heavy police presence and most corners in the 60 zones can be easily ridden at 100+ kmh. You can see previous blog posts about the Old Rd here and here.
A recent you tube upload of a crash on the old road prompted all of Sydney's news channels to flog out the following story which has to be one of the most sorry pieces of journalism I've ever seen. It's motorcycle bashing at its best. I bet the wanker from channel nine rides a harley a couple of times a year.
I agree that it does seem 1 sided with reporting but think they have bought it on themselves with what has happened with the speed reduction and police patrolling the road heavily and its not only that road either that is getting the same treatment.
ReplyDeleteoxley hwy
https://motorbikewriter.com/people-power-halts-oxley-speed-changes/
Happens a lot on the roads that some use as a racetrack instead of a public road that they are out there for.
Resulting in and getting the speed reduced and a heavy police presence ruining it for all.
There's 2 down this way that are accident central every weekend
national park road and macquarie pass
I dont use either at a weekend as they are out of control and just dangerous with the boy racers doing the same thing and I have had them go past me on mac pass and nearly take me out on double lines.
You then see them at the pie shop comparing times they do the ride in with the other want a b's.
From the video it looks like the guy crashing exceeded his abilities by a long way and maybe trying to impress knowing the video was being done and maybe should have kept the vid to himself or asked that it was.
and yep Simon does ride a bike
a Indian I think at the moment does the snowy ride and a few others
The only bit of bullshit in that article was that the sliding rider could have somehow killed a family coming the other way. Bullshit, the rider would have been quite literally mincemeat.
ReplyDeleteApart from that it was all fair enough. Go to the track if you want to ride like a tool. Otherwise use the road for what it is built for - getting people and goods from A-B safely and legally.
As a car, truck & bike rider of over 50 years, not a one sided report in any way shape or form.
ReplyDeleteNot only grosely neglegent of the rider but unbelievably stupid ( ego over interlect ) to post it on the web as it will cause others to emulate to prove to themselves that they are better rider than the one who lost it.
If you feel the "could have caused a major crash" was rubbish, have a chat to some truck drivers and ask them how many drivers they knew who died trying to avoid others and also note oncoming traffic was approaching from a blind corner and the natural reaction to seeing & hearing the bike would be to veer right to avoid the bike & rider sliding on the road which then has the car on the wrong side of the road on a blind corner for the on coming trafic.
All the district M/C clubs are going broke due to dropping numbers , an open track day costs near nothing , your mates can get some fab photos of you to feed your web ego and usually there is an ambo on site should the unfortunate happen.