We have had five motorcycle fatalities this year. Excruciatingly, four of these were in April.
With Aucklanders escaping north in their droves over the next few weeks and a number of key routes with fresh seal on them, the police are bracing themselves for a number of motorcycle crashes over the next couple of months.
I've never owned a motorbike and only ridden one once, as I recall. That was almost 50 years ago when a farmer and I were looking over his place. He was on a horse and I was gingerly riding one of the original Ag-Bikes down a slope beside him. I grabbed the clutch instead of the brake, and next thing I was cartwheeling down the hill as the bike took off.
The only thing bruised was my ego and the farmer was good enough to check after my wellbeing before laughing out loud.
So, I've never experienced the feeling that motorcyclists get glassy eyed about when they describe it as: "The sensation and surge of power that a twist of the wrist can elicit from a well-tuned engine, the thrill of leaning into and executing a perfect bend, the sound of the wind whistling past you, the way the motorcycle seems to become an extension of your body allowing you to feel the tyres gripping the tarmac and the suspension soaking up every dip and bump."
If you've had those sort of experiences in your younger days, it's no wonder that when the kids are off your hands, Covid has cancelled your cruise and you've been locked down for a spell, that you might want to relive those days and grab a Harley.
But with age comes wisdom so they say, and there's an old adage - There are old bikers and bold bikers but there are very few old, bold bikers. Current motorcycles are bigger and more powerful. There are more of them alongside more vehicles on the road which means that older returning bikers need to learn a whole new skill set as they recapture their youth.
Recent research indicates a 90 per cent increase in riders in the 50 to 85 year age group compared with 10 years ago, and they account for over 50 percent of motorcyclists. It's this group having accidents which is especially alarming.
Further research identifies that older riders are more likely to sustain fractures, dislocations and internal injuries. Bones are more brittle and you lose muscle mass. Impaired vision and slower reaction times make older riders more prone to mistakes and injury.
This does not mean that older motorcyclists lack skills. Motorbikes are traditionally more difficult to see on the road. They can be there before the motorist knows it and "SMIDSY- Sorry Mate I Didn't See You" is a common salutation after a motorcycle crash.
If the thrill of riding at speed with the wind in your face and the road at your feet is such a drawcard, then why not a trike for the older bikie.
That's a feeling I can relate to, when we hired a 300bhp three wheeler, and its driver, for a jaunt around Auckland a couple of years ago. The grunty speed machine was the source of great admiration by passers-by as we gave them the thumbs-up in helmet-less pleasure.
The three wheeler eliminates many of the things older riders need to worry about but purists say it is a different experience.
If the wind, the road, the noise and sense of freedom are your thing, then adding an extra wheel on the road, could keep you out of a wheelchair off it.
* John Williamson is chairman of Roadsafe Northland and Northland Road Safety Trust.
