Motorbikes
It is an appropriate time to point out that the overwhelming majority of motorcycle owners do not get involved in drive-by shootings or airport brawls. Not even a little bit.
In fact, an increasing number of drive-by shooters and airport brawlers call themselves motorcycle riders but only occasionally throw a leg over a machine.
In 1947 the American Motorcyclist Association felt forced to declare that 99 per cent of motorcycle owners were law-abiding citizens. The outlaws took their minority status literally as a badge of honour and adopted patches branding themselves “the one percenters’‘. These days the patches would read “the statistically irrelevant’‘.
Continue reading "Delinquents give peace-loving bikies a bad name" »
Inner-city Australia is getting an Italianate look, and it’s not from the overwhelming belief that eating on the footpath among exhaust fumes and bus queues is a badge of continental sophistication.
It’s the increasing presence of scooters. City centres are being Vespa-ised, Aprilia-cated, VMoto-ed, and not a little Piaggio-ified.
The striking response to rising petrol prices and clogged roads has been a growth in the scooter fleet which would be at home in Rome. During the first half of the year, scooters sales in Australia rose 14.3 per cent over the same period in 2010. That means nearly 6000 were sold, compared to just over 5000 in the first six months of last year.
Continue reading "A two-wheeled renaissance in the Rome of the East" »
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Lisa H. says:
Jourmalists get to dominate the (public) conversation every day. Punch journalists who comment AFTER they’ve already had a go in the story look thin-skinned and unprofessional to me. But Malcolm (and the other Punch repeat offenders) know best, I’m sure. Read more »
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A different Rosie says:
Nah, don’t do that Mal. Lots of us are enjoying the break. Read more »
The fastest crash I had was in Italy, in 2002. I was testing tyres for Pirelli. We were trying different types and, naturally, sometimes they’re good. Other times, they’re not quite what you need.
It happened on a very fast left-hand corner – I was probably doing around 250 or 260km/h, and the rear tyre started to slide. Then it bit the road again and the bike suddenly snapped up straight again.
It’s what we call a high-side. I got thrown off the bike and into the air.
The best thing about it was – this might sound funny, but it’s true – I landed on my head and got knocked out.
The next thing I knew I woke up in a hospital room.
Continue reading "I ride fast bikes. Here’s what it’s like when they crash" »
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mark says:
sorry but i think girls are good riders evan the fat 1nnnns Read more »
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Mark T says:
Chris your a great rider and i would say the best in the wet, for you 2 idots Dave and Abe watch the next Motogp race and just see who Chris is and what an amazing talent he has. I have to say I have been lucky so far on… Read more »
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