GORoad, party's over too?

http://www.theage.com.au/news/national/bid-to-cut-toll/2005/11/30/1133311106688.html

"We have noticed an increased number of highly dangerous incidents and
this campaign is designed to remove erratic and dangerous riders and
drivers from the Great Ocean Road and other roads in the Otways," he said.

....

"Many of these riders depart from Melbourne early on Sunday mornings
(and), because sports bikes are not built for touring, they tire by the
time they reach Anglesea, let alone Lorne, and then they return to
Melbourne that afternoon."

What the? Of all the ways I might end up crashing on the GORoad,
fatigue is not one of them. I've done 700km days there and felt _great_
afterward!

Still... looks like that road will be best enjoyed in cooler months what
with the state of tourist traffic and now this kind of enforcement. <sigh>

Jules

Not that I've got a bike now anyway ;-)

 

So they should restrict the GOR to tourers and sportstourers.

Postman Pat

 

Cases, cases! Get yer cases! Givi, Hepco and Becker....

justAL

 

Well according to Hammo anything with two wheels is a tourer !

JL
(not sure whether the engine is required)

 

And Postie Bikes. >

Aido. >
Bikeless! >

 

The bunch of folks that I ride with were supposed to do a GOR ride to
Warnambool this coming weekend. Unfortunately, I couldn't get any
takers, what with work committments, a local toy run and other reasons.

It's a regular ride for us and in past years we went on the GOR during
the week (go to W'bool Thursday, come home Friday).

I think that our next one, whenever it may be, will be a weekday ride,
both to avoid the Sunday traffic which can be woeful, including 100s of
cyclists who tend to clog it up.

However, in today's Age online there's a shot of a fellow who is
negotiating a right hand bend over double lines and on the wrong side of
the road.

The photo looks suss. The rider is hardly pushing it, and therefore
there should be no need to cross double lines in order to take the
"inside line".

I've posted the original and a flipped version to demonstrate what I
mean. Of course, it could be a photo of a chap in Europe somewhere,
where the rider is doing the right, and safe thing. It's been known to
happen in the past - post a photo of a bike in the oncoming lane to
demonstrate the dangerous nature of motorcyclists, when in fact it was a
shot of a factory BMW promo. Or edit it, like the infamous one of the
chap on the GSXR-750 giving the speed camera the bird at 200 km/h (the
speed varies depending on who is using the shot).

http://home.austarnet.com.au/mtaylor/gor1.jpg

is the original photo out of The Age.

http://home.austarnet.com.au/mtaylor/gor2.jpg

is the "flipped" version.

 

There might be a clue in the red reflective marker on the left in the
original photograph. Would they not be on the left side, regardless of
whether one were in a left hand drive or right hand drive location?

There have been occasions where I have taken the 'short' line if I can see
that there is absolutely nothing coming in the opposite direction

Cheers

 

So what exactly are you implying? Penny Stephens is a long-term staff
photographer at The Age. Are you suggesting that she went out and took a
pic, filed it, and then [she/pic editor/news editor/news
conference/chief sub/layout sub/cleaner] decided it was better for the
story if the pic was flipped?
As Lleyton Hewett was once heard to utter, "Come ooooooooon".

- sanbar

 

People cross double lines all the time ... just to round out the
corners. Sure, it's illegal but it's often not at all unsafe.

No. We're not on the water here.

-----sharks

 

Perhaps you wouldn't. Perhaps I wouldn't.

There are plenty of folks out there who would find 700km a bit of
a stretch. And there's plenty of folks who might feel okay, but
just misjudge the last corner. Especially if they have been being
tailgated by a Tarago the whole way.

As for the "40% from Melbourne", I'm amazed it's that low, given
the relative populations of Melbourne and, well, the rest of Victoria.
What is it, about 70:30?

-----sharks

 

I can state catagorically that I have no problem with you riding the GOR
paul!


G-S [Interpretor of the ausmoto sports tourer regulations for the masses]

 

Nup. That red reflector is the clue. In Oz, red reflectors are placed on the
left, and red on the right. even though the rider looks to be taking it
easy, it still looks to me like they're on the wrong side.

I suppose the paper could have photoshopped the reflector, but that's sounds
a bit paranoid.

<conspiracy> It still could be any road, not necessarily the GOR, and the
pic may even be posed.</conspiracy>

Tony F

 

Becker? Why haven't I got one of those.

Theo

 

Well spotted Martin. It is suss. Note that there is a reflective marker on
the side of the road. These are white on the near side and red on the far
side. This makes your 'flipped' photo the original. You may want to write
and tell them that.

Bastards!

Theo

 

Yup, she did. Note the red marker on the wrong side of the road.

Theo

 

Yeah, well, don't laugh. I heard a rumor a few years back that local
councils suggested banning all motorcycles off the GOR. Not sure of the
validity of the rumor, but it wouldn't surprise me. If state governments
can ban say, Jetskis, which are registered boats, by the way, off parts
of Sydney Harbor and other selected waterways, what's to stop them
extending this to bikes and certain roads. Look at the push to ban 4WDs
from city centres.

 

Why not? The media is very good at this sort of thing. Otherwise, we
wouldn't have shows like Media Watch..

 

So, we have red reflectors on 'both' sides, do we?

Anyway, when I saw the shot, I noted the reflector. However, at 11pm at
night, after a nightshift, I couldn't recall how they're orientated. Not
without going for a ride to look. So I omitted it as a comment, hoping
that the more astute would pick it up and confirm or deny my suspicious
paranoia...

Newspapers and TV News departments are known to use what they refer to
as "stock footage". So yeah, it could've been anywhere. It's a photo of
a rider on a bike on a twisty bit of road. It fits the story.

 

D'oh!

Looks like you guys spoteed my deliberate... yes, that's it,
....*deliberate* error... ;^)

What a tool (me). Anyway, I should have said, red on left, white on right.

<Crawls back into cave, sulking>

Tony F

 

So, were you deliberately spreading disinformation, or just
trolling?

-----sharks