Motorcycles

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.

Even at the best of times, motorcycles may be hard to see in traffic. This video is an excellent example of a driver who looks but fails to see a motorcycle approaching an intersection.

The British Highways Agency has produced a 14 minute video titled "Great Roads, Great Rides 2." It is designed to put you on the bike, inside the helmet and close to the road, in order to teach you to identify hazards and 'read the road'. The rider in the video is Glenn Julian, a professional motorcyclist.

This year has not been a good year for motorcycle collisions on Vancouver Island. Of nine fatalities, police report that seven of them have been the fault of the rider. Speed and inexperience are the cited contributing factors.

One of my old supervisors used to shake his head and say "$5.00 head, $5.00 helmet!" He was referring to Harley riders who wore "beanie" helmets that didn't do much more than hold the other ends of the chin straps.

Does the price at the pump have you thinking economy? If so, you are not alone. One reader has asked about limited speed motorcycles. They have heard that you can ride one with a regular driver's licence and don't have to get a class six.