MotoMania Column

Article appeared in The Inland Magazine - February 2007

Thank you to all those that got in touch and joined us on the last Ride Out after reading the MotoMania column in The Inland Magazine. At the time of writing the weather is fantastic for bikers, more like spring than mid winter.

Second Sunday
The Second Sunday Ride Out – that is the second Sunday of every month – that we organised for 14th January was the best yet with about 30 bikes in attendance. I say about 30 bikes because I didn’t get chance to count them, or take photo’s, as we were too busy admiring the many and varied bikes that turned up.

The star of that Sunday has got to be the Ducati 1098 which is the first bought in Spain and what a work of art it is. We didn’t get the Spanish owners name but Tour and Track are happy to be associated with the mechanic that supplied the bike, and many of the other bikes out that Sunday.

Meet up at Meson El Jardin in Castalla on 11th February. Don’t worry if your bike isn’t the latest or the fastest, we have 125 cc’s up to 1800’s.

Cars
Tom Herman, in a letter to January’s Bike magazine, wrote of his experience on returning to bike riding at the age of 50 after a gap of about 20 years. Tom’s comment, that will strike home to thousands of bike riders is, “So much has changed but two things remain the same: first, car drivers don’t look backwards, or sideways and only occasionally forwards; second, the excitement and sense of release of being on a bike, whether in the middle of London or the middle of nowhere, is unbeatable.”

Unguided Missiles
For a motorcyclist, at least one that goes out on public roads, cars represent unguided missiles that are very often occupied by a being that is unable to see or hear most of the world around them and in most cases are incapable of thinking that a motorcycle may be near them.


Car drivers who own motorcycles, or have ridden motorcycles in the past, tend to be better drivers because they realise that there may be other vehicles on the road apart from the metal cocoons that they are surrounded by and feel indestructible in.

Just take a minute to think about the last time you were in a traffic jam. Did you give the slightest thought to the idea that although you are stuck if you moved to one side slightly then all those motorcyclists, who equally have a right to be on the road, might be able to continue on their journey? It is not their fault you chose the car as your form of transport and you should not be resentful of them.

Unthinking Government
And what about the killer crash barriers? Spain seems to have been overwhelmed by the spontaneous growth of crash barriers in most cases in places where they serve no purpose apart from enriching the crash barrier suppliers.

While the idea seems to have started off as a good one like most of these things it is now an excuse for the government being seen to do more about safety without thinking through all of the consequences on installing spine snappers, er, sorry, crash barriers.

Up and Coming Events
Club Meeting - Due to popular demand there will be a TnT club meeting/breakfast on the 4th Sunday of every month at the El Jardin. The first one will be on 28th Jan 2007 at 9:30 am.
3 and 4 February - Track Riding Courses CARTAGENA
11 February – 5th Classic Bike Market Pla de la Vallonga Industrial Estate ALICANTE
3 and 4 March - Track Riding Courses ALMERÍA
31 March – 1st MAC90 The Race CARTAGENA
March 25th - MotoGP Jerez de la Frontera. If you want to go let us know soon as we have reserved a small number of entry tickets and hotel rooms.

See you next month.
Ray French (687 206 908)
Lol Duffy (678 628 660)
Tour and Track SL

NEXT MONTH: Let the GP’s and Touring begin!