The Motorcycle Industry Association (MCIA) has written an open letter asking riders to stick to the current government guidelines about non-essential travel during the lockdown. We can all play our part in showing the general public that we’re not all complete idiots – and help to contain this virus and get back to normal as quickly as possible.
You may well use the ‘riding is the best self-isolation’ excuse for going out for a blast on one of the many sunny days we’ve had but things don’t always go to plan. It’s easy to have a breakdown and need the assistance of the recovery service, or a mate with a van to get you home. Accidents also happen unfortunately and you may add the emergency services and NHS into the mix. Suddenly your ‘self-isolation’ isn’t quite so safe.
When is it ok to ride/drive?
- If you’re a key or essential worker commuting to or from work
- Going out to get some essential shopping/medical supplies (as infrequently as possible)
- Taking shopping/medication to a vulnerable person
- Escaping a hostile or violent situation at home
Resist the temptation
As much as I’ve wanted to get out on a scooter, thrash my Quattrini on quiet roads, or take the series 1 for a spin – other than kicking them up they’ve just been chained up and locked safely away. I could ride to the Post Office a few times a week, or nip out for a pint of milk, but I won’t. It’ll make it all the sweeter when I can eventually get out and have a proper ride somewhere nice.
When is it NOT ok to ride?
- The rest of the time
As I sit in the office at SLUK HQ I see lots of bikes and scooters ride by every day. Most of them are the regular familiar commuters I see during ‘normal’ times, all year round on a mixture of bikes and scooters. Quite a few are motorcyclists just off for a cheeky blast, treating the quiet rural roads like a race track. From the bit I see and hear of them, often without the skills to back it up. There’s also a group of off-roaders, I only usually see them out at a weekend heading for the local forests but they’re out a few times a week as well now that they’re all off work. Great fun but not an essential journey.
I see the odd classic scooter ride by as well, plus a couple of GTS riding commuters (one of them hasn’t got a SLUK Guard on his burgundy Touring model, which disappoints me…) but other than that I’d say most Scooterists in my neck of the woods are behaving responsibly. Let us be thought of as the good guys and girls for a while, then we can go and smash some deckchairs up when we get to the seaside again…
Iggy
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I couldn’t agree more Iggy. I live out near Cadwell park in Lincolnshire, and the bikers are all out when the suns out, lockdown or not. If one comes off and we need police, ambulance, doctors, nurses etc then you will be coming into contact with literally dozens of people. Not good. Not neccessary. Stay home and be patient. The more people flout the rules, the longer the lockdown will be and the more people will die. I just don’t understand why some people don’t get it?
I commute all year on the bike, usually when sun’s shining I take one of the classic scooters for a change but I don’t want to risk needing the very nice man from the AA so am sticking to the modern jap bike until it all blows over.
Still get the odd filthy look off dog walkers who just assume I’m out for a spin because it’s sunny.
I agree Ig, I have taken my scoot a couple of times to fetch the shopping (instead of the car) other than that just a kick up on the drive to smell that sweet, sweet 2 stroke aroma
Good point, but what about the BIG increase in car traffic in the last week or so? or don’t car drivers have accidents ?
PS granted some of these drivers will be shopping for supplies,taking medicines & other essential items to vulnerable people but a lot of the cars I have seen while on my daily walk are full of groups of young lads just driving around & around! even the government daily update showed an increase in road traffic, obviously these drivers think they are exempt from the government’s restrictions.
Hi, I agree. I am sure not everyone riding around on motorcycles is ‘joy rding during lockdown’, but where I live is 12 miles from anywhere and at the side of a road famous as a great ride with the power ranger community. Last Saturday I saw dozens of bikes. Mostly riding in groups of 2 or 3, at very high speecd. Not one of them had a rucksack, bag or anything else that would lead me to believe they were going to or from work or the shops. I am not counting out the odd one may have been riding legitimatel;y, but most weren’t. There were also a lot more cars on the roads too. I am, not disputing may of those are disobeying the lockdown, but the article/letter was about motorcyclists and scooterists, hence my original comments. And to be make sure I include everyone – last Sunday 30 odd members of a Linconlshire Road Cycling Club were caught doing their high speeed close quarters Tor De France style riding on the same road. They were all stopped by the Police. I wonder how many of them claimed to be members of the same family out exercising?
I quote point 4 above when i go out on the scoot – my wife wields a mean rolling pin…
It’s not just bikers disobeying government guidelines I’ve heard plenty of classic scooters riding around while sitting in the garden.