As motorcyclists, the problem with young riders is something we are going to have to tackle ourselves. If we want anything to change.
I came across 5 young riders on a single day last week, probably all riding illegally. One had no headlight, 3 were wearing shorts and T-Shirts. Two had proper kit and were riding off-road bikes. Gave me a nod as they passed me on my E-MTB.
If I’d been on my KTM they may well have stopped for a chat.
I trained the Notts police off-road team many years ago, who were very successful in tackling the off-road riding problem. But that is not where the problems mainly are. It’s on road. Off road riding really is just a nuisance – mainly noise, and complaints from land owners. Tractors do far more damage.
So what can you do?
Firstly discourage your youngsters from riding a motorcycle if under 16 years, when they can do their CBT. An E-Cycle or E-MTB can be legally ridden from 14 years. Good chance to learn braking and handling skills – and the use of disc brakes and suspension movement.
They can race mini motos etc. and off-road, but it’s expensive. There are facilities in some areas where they can ride, but sadly they are rare. There is no national equivalent of ‘Young Drivers’. There should be.
Personally I’ve never had a problem talking to young riders. Never had any abuse.
Motorcyclists come from all walks of life, sharing a common interest. If you breakdown roadside the next biker along may well stop to help.
The Problem
In 2022, in the 14-16 young rider age group:-
- 115 KSIs in total
- 60 were underage
- 55 were riding 125cc machines illegally
In 2023, in the 17-20 year old group:-
- 36 young rider fatalities
- 50% higher than the 24 fatalities in 2019
- Double the number from 2020, which at 18 fatalities, was probably affected by COVID 19.
The extent of the problem seems to be a well kept secret.
The Main Issues
Illegal E-Scooters.
- Average rider age 16 years.
- 50 deaths all ages so far. >1,000 serious injuries.
Underage Riders
- 40% of fatalities. Many others probably had no licence. Proper training is vital.
Upgrading to a 125cc
The risk of upgrading from a 30 mph moped to a 125cc geared bike capable of 60 mph with no extra training.
No legal requirement for more training. The vast majority of KSI’s are on 125’s.
Emergency Braking.
The DVSA advice is wrong. Apply your rear brake immediately. Do not snatch the front brake lever, or stamp on the rear brake. Apply the brakes steadily. Practice.
Consider riding with two fingers on the front brake lever and clutch, and just squeeze both in an emergency. This should save you >1 sec and critically should reduce your impact speed by around 15 mph or maybe avoid an impact altogether. You’ll probably survive a 30 mph crash, but not at 40 mph.
A New Approach?
I started again, this time with pre-teen riders and Bikeability, who are supported by the Dft.
We already know that there is a serious problem with PTW braking, so I asked them how they teach braking to young cyclists.
Received an immediate response. Somebody cares.
They are taught to ride covering their brakes, how to brake progressively, and particularly to avoid snatching the front brake. Perfect.
So moving to a motorcycle, the skills are immediately transferable.
The question is then why are PTW riders not taught to cover their brakes, and why is PTW braking so poor?
Bikeability cover 44% of younger riders who should be more open to accepting advice before they become teenagers. Braking skills can be embedded more easily with younger riders creating ‘muscle memory’.
There is now also a ‘halfway house’ with E-Cycles from 14 years, which they also cover, many with disc brakes and front suspension, where they can experience weight transfer and the front suspension compressing when braking.
Motorcycles and cycles could be part of the National Curriculum, within Physics, centre of mass, friction, tipping, leaning, speed, gyroscopes, kinetic energy, braking distances etc. I think it helps when you have a practical example of the theory.
Regarding the essential difference between cycles and motorbikes, it is simply speed, and mastering throttle control which is straight forward.
What is vital to grasp, and to be taught, is that momentum obeys a ‘Square Law’. So it takes 16 x further to stop from a motorbike’s 60 mph as it does from a bicycle’s 15 mph.
The major danger is young riders jumping on motorcycles of 125cc and above, which can get to 60mph or more, without any training.
Let’s all hope that the message gets across.
https://www.bikeability.org.uk/about/
British Superbike School 