Ali in Austria

"> I saw these driving around the lake at Attersee, Upper Austria. No idea what they are but they appear to be road legal with plate, lights etc. The drivers were having fun and weren't hanging about. Not much chance of me squeezing in to one of those

Helmets have a shelf life once they come out of the box. Manufacturers and safety groups will say between 2 - 5 years or if it gets dropped. As AdeyT said it is the one piece of kit I wouldn't skimp on for me or my nearest and dearest. Having spent a few years working in the motorcycle industry, it never ceased to amaze me how many would pay a fortune for a bike, fashion leathers and boots and then skimp on a helmet for themselves or even worse, kit their pillion out with the cheapest inadequate gear they can buy.

It was very informative and brings it home.

Passed my Car Test in August 1977 and Bike Test the following month. Never had any points, not so much as a parking ticket while living in the UK although I did get my bike clamped once. Had to pay the release fee but my local garage gave me a really expensive estimate for some scuffs the clampers caused on the wheel. I ended up well in profit as spookily the scuffs polished out. Just had my first speeding ticket on the motorway out here. Stopped at a services and forgot there was a reduced speed limit in force as I left. €42,- and no points.

It is summer, the weather is good (possibly a tad too hot) and I live in motorcycle heaven.

That happens. My uncle was walking his dog outside his house, car came down the road, low sun, driver couldn't see and hit him. He died a few days later in hospital. In fairness, I was actually called to the accident, approached from the same direction and was going to be the first on scene. The sun was blinding and if I hadn't slowed accordingly I could easily have been part of that accident. He lived next door to my father and I had an awful feeling en route that it was going to be him. Felt very guilty for some time about being relieved it wasn't Dad and that may be there was more I could have done before the ambulance arrived. The inquest recorded a verdict of accidental death and no charges were ever brought against the motorist. The lane they lived in was sign posted as a No Through Road with access only, although there was no physical barrier to prevent people using it as a short cut which is what this motorist was doing.

No insurance is a criminal offence, so it will matter. No it isnt. Its a Road Traffic offence, it is NOT a crime. And the officer in the station cant tell you what to do, do what you think is best... and as for a solicitor, if you cant afford one, you may get legal aid on the day (free solicitor) when you get to court. You are quite right, No Insurance is a Road Traffic Act Offence and not a criminal offence. The officer on the desk doesn't appear to have told him what to do but has given him some (good in my book) advice on what to do having listened to the tale of woe. At the end of the day it is up to the individual to make sure they have a minimum of 3rd party Insurance. You could argue that you thought you were insured but the payment bounced and that is not the fault of the insurance company. They are under no obligation to try and obtain further payment. It wouldn't be the first time someone has technically had insurance cover without paying, nothing untoward happens and they subsequently cancelled the policy without making that payment. I am not suggesting for one moment that the OP had any such intention but it has happened and that is why policies get cancelled at the first sign. I would be inclined to plead guilty with mitigating factors as it happened and throw myself at the mercy of the court, just as it was suggested he could. You can of course seek the advice of the duty solicitor at the first court hearing and before entering a plea. Any subsequent consultations or instructions after the first hearing require payment which may be covered by Legal Aid. Duty Solicitors have been known to be quite keen to prolong proceedings to ensure further payments and if Legal Aid is not granted, the OP will have to pay. Tough justice but there it is.

In a nutshell, Don't. You'll end up obscuring your vision and die.

Does an increase in users justify a higher casualty rate? The reason for the restrictions on that road could be blamed on a few thoughtless Power Rangers riding beyond their abilities but in reality more than care to admit are responsible for such measures being brought in. It would have been a National Speed Limit of 60mph before the 50 Limit was introduced in any case so a drop of 10mph. The trouble is a high percentage of Bikers don't think that the National Speed Limits apply to them and that they are all blessed with abilities over and above everyone else which enables them to "safely" ride in excess of such limits. Before the reduced limit it was Policed and motorbiking forums are littered with people moaning that the Police have nothing better to do and caught them speeding. The warning signs were there but Bikers ignored them hence the reduced limit. You can only give so much warning and scrape so many bodies off the road before someone says enough is enough. The Cat and Fiddle is history and the Bikers have moved on. The trouble is that all it has done is shift the problems elsewhere but the same solution to that problem will be employed in due course. Don't say you haven't been warned. The costs alone of dealing with a fatality, fully investigating it and taking it to its conclusion are astronomical and any enforcement steps taken to reduce them are considerably more cost effective. Don't get me wrong, I'm no angel myself and like to make progress, but not at the risk of my own skin or anyone else's for that matter.

This might be of interest to someone on here, or their kids. I think it is aimed at someone in their mid to late teens A large Holiday Farm adjoining my place is looking for some help during the summer. It will focus mainly on the holiday side of the business with some help around the farm (Dairy) Here is their request: We are looking for: If you are young, friendly and open minded, would you like to work during the summer season at a family farm. We are looking for trainees in agriculture, housekeeping and guest animation from June to September 2012. Language skills in German would be an advantage. Please send CV and photo to; Georg & Christine Gerharter Simonbauer Ramsau 32 8972 Ramsau Austria [email protected] http://www.simonbauer.at If you click the video link on their home page you will get a good idea of the set up and an additional video about Lärchbodenalm can be found here http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kJK8LCHg ... ature=plcp Lärchbodenalm is a Cafe very popular with walkers in the mountains directly behind us and is part of their family business. Georg & Christina are lovely people and this could be a great opportunity for someone. It is likely that at least two people will be taken on in this role. If anyone has any reservations we are just a couple of hundred metres behind Simonbauerhof and would be happy to act as a point of contact, help and advice for anyone considering this.

I imported it when I moved over from the UK 2 years ago. At the time mine was only the 3rd one registered in Austria, even though it has a Rotax Engine which are made just up the road from me. There wasn't even a Service Agent at that time and I had one hell of a job importing it. We have a few dealers now and my Local Can Am Dealer looks after it even though he doesn't sell the Spyder. It certainly turns a few heads and people want to chat, which is a problem because my German is cr*p. It has more than a passing resemblance to a SkiDoo (Same Company funnily enough) which is what really gets them going. They can't understand that it can't be fitted with Tracks and Skis for the winter. Actually it is dreadful in snow as the TC keeps kicking in.

Very very nice... 170 degree wide angle ain't it? All the Drift models have a 170 degree lens. It does cause a bit of Fisheye round the edges and can't be zoomed to get rid of it in 1080p mode. Having said that, most of the time you don't notice it. When you will is using them to take photos. Just remember to zoom in a bit when you set it up. Mount the camera on your helmet centering on your line of sight and it's easy to take pics on the move. I mount mine on the hinge part of my visor. I did mention the new Drift HD earlier. It's about 1 inch shorter than the other models but width and depth are the same. Does exactly what the HD170 and Stealth do with the added bonus of a 9mp camera instead of 5mp. As I said, the downside is it can't take the long life batteries and uses the standard battery common to the other models. It also takes a Micro SD Card which in my big mitts is a bit fiddly. On the subject of SD/micro SD Cards I've found that Class 6 or higher is better. I use Class 10 SDHC and Class 6 micro SD. Never had a problem with Cards going tits up. The HD170 and Stealth have a hinged door for access to battery, Card, power leads etc. If you want to use an external microphone you need the silicon boot that covers the back with the door open. While it does a good job of keeping the dust out I wouldn't use it in the wet. The New Drift HD has a screw on type cover and comes with a second one to replace it if connecting said microphone. Again, I wouldn't trust it in very wet weather. It also has a replaceable lens. The built in Mics on all models are prone to picking up a lot of wind noise.

They take a bit of getting used to Ian as they are nothing like a bike. Forces acting on you are more akin to a car. Once you get your head round it they are great fun and go very well, especially in the mountains out here. Power steering, Traction Control (a bit sensitive for my liking), Stability Control to stop you flipping it and ABS. They have been limited to 120 mph because they use the 6th gear for reverse so it runs out of room to the red line with only 5 but gets there very quickly. You can lift a wheel in anger but the Stability Control will cut in if it gets to high for to long. It will spin up in a straight line but the TC cuts in on bends. It does need to because it is very torquey but as I said, it is a little overly sensitive. It's easy to ride at a leisurely pace but does require some effort through the bends at speed. The knack is to get the weight over the front wheels entering the bend and then go for it.

It's a Can Am Spyder http://i1218.photobucket.com/albums/dd406/PensionHausMaria/a6b930cf.jpg http://i1218.photobucket.com/albums/dd406/PensionHausMaria/b1e50364.jpg .......and here's all the toys. http://i1218.photobucket.com/albums/dd406/PensionHausMaria/d8e3cd77.jpg

Most have a strap for securing around the headstock. They can be prone to lifting and I have often seen riders pushing them back down on to the tank. Its a case of try it and see.

It's been a harsh winter for snow here in Ramsau but spring has finally arrived, the bikes are back on the road and I've just had my first blatt round the valleys. It was actually a touch on the hot side in the sun but there's no pleasing some people eh? The high passes are closed for another month or so yet but there is still plenty to keep me amused I decided to have a run round to Hallstatt which is only a few kilometres north east of me as the crow flies. Its not that easy out here though as there is a huge range of mountains in my back garden separating me from my destination. I ended up doing a 100 mile circular route which took a couple of hours or so. http://i1218.photobucket.com/albums/dd406/PensionHausMaria/Early%20Season%20Ride%20to%20Halstatt/ee18dee5.jpg Hallstatt is a very pretty village set on one of our many stunning lakes. It is so popular with the Chinese that they are building a replica in China. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hallstatt Here are a few pics I took along the way. Nothing exciting as I was just snapping on the move. http://s1218.photobucket.com/albums/dd4 ... =slideshow I then carried on over the Koppen Pass to Bad Aussee. "> If this summer is as good as last years I can keep the bikes on the road until the end of November. Fingers crossed

I've been using them for several years. The HD 170, Stealth and new Drift HD all record in 1080p HD. They are very robust, I've tested this in anger on a few occasions. Never had any problems with any of the fittings and the various mounting options they do are very good. I use them for motorcycling, skiing, paragliding etc. I have used them in extreme weathers and never had an issue with water ingress. I'm also a bit ham fisted but to date have not caused any damage to the lens. I have an older XD170 which does not record in HD but which I now use to take Pictures. It has the same 5mb camera that the HD170 and Stealth has. I also have 2 HD170's and the new Drift HD. No I'm not greedy, I use them as part of our business and for Tour Guiding. The main difference between the HD170 and The Stealth is that The Stealth can record at a suitable rate for Slow Motion as can the new Drift HD. The HD170 with a 32GB SD Card and 2 x Long life batteries will film all day without issue. You get between 3.5 to 4 hrs from the long life battery filming in HD. The downside on the new Drift HD is that it only takes the standard battery which will last between 1.5 and 2 hrs filming in HD. It does have a 9mb camera though and as stated can record at a higher frame rate. I wouldn't consider these cameras as big and they are certainly more streamline than the Go Pro. Added to which they have a viewing screen, rotatable lens and remote control as standard which means setting up and operating them is a doddle. I believe the GoPro incurs extra expense as add ons for these features. None of this type of camera has image stabilisation so recordings won't be as smooth as a proper video camera but they do a good job. Sometimes you need to adjust the exposure setting. They are very versatile and can shoot video at various rates, take photo's on the press of the remote, timed intervals or burst shots. The videos here involving motorcycling, paragliding and skiing were shot with the HD170 http://www.youtube.com/user/PensionHausMaria?feature=mhum Action Cameras who supply Drift currently have some offers on this month http://www.actioncameras.co.uk/brands/drift/drift-cameras

Or Bulletproof which is a brand of motorcycle clothing.

Have you tried BBR? http://www.bestbikingroads.com/

There is but one biking season it starts Jan 1st and finishes Dec 31st Not out here there isn"t. Spring thaw is well under way. Clear blue skies and really hot. 2 more weeks and the bikes can go back on the road.

Better go and tell the Race Teams they are wasting there money. They are under the belief that because there is minimal moisture in Nitrogen as compared to normal air, the fluctuations in tyre pressure are almost non existent which would be beneficial when accurate tyre pressures are crucial. Sheesh, you would have thought they would no better ehh?

Braking as you pass an average speed camera won't help as they do just that, record your average speed between two cameras. The cameras aren't paired. They can be linked to several so if you get a stretch where there are slip roads, services etc, each camera is capable of calculating a vehicles speed between each and every other camera. That is why there are cameras covering the slip roads.

Yes mate, It's good stuff but I had heard they had gone in to liquidation. They used to be based near me when I lived in the UK. You used to see them at the shows and certain rounds of BSB. I was wearing their jacket and jeans when I had a serious accident in 2010. Didn't save me from 6 broken ribs and a collapsed lung but it could have been a lot worse without it. The jeans were pretty shredded but the Kevlar remained intact. I did have some serious friction burns on my knees though. The jacket faired OK although a sleeve did ride up giving me some road rash on my forearm. It would have been useable if the paramedics hadn't cut it off but I'm not complaining. I think the only thing that would have saved me from the major injuries would have been a chest protector, regardless of what I was wearing. I smacked down heavily on my chest and slid down the tarmac. As I didn't and still don't wear one I can't blame the kit. I was also wearing a very expensive pair of Rukka gloves which shredded just as badly as the jeans although I was doing an impression of Superman and using my hands to try and slow me down. Anyone who argues it is personal choice not to wear protective clothing has to ask themselves if they would choose to have the injuries I had or worse. 4 days in intensive care, 10 days in hospital, lifelong problems as a result of those injuries and one hell of a lot of worry and stress on your loved ones.

Sorry mate. I've watched that repeatedly and I do not think his wheels crossed the white lines dividing the lanes. He may have been right up to them, but not over them. The lean on entering the roundabout may make it appear otherwise. He is moving about in his lane which he is entitled to do and his line exiting the roundabout is pretty much as drawn in the last issue of The Highway Code that I saw. The tarmac split you mentioned has a very broken surface which you probably wouldn't want to put a full size motorcycle wheel in let alone a small scooter wheel. Check the point where Jag driver paces out the width of the road and look at the two widths of tarmac either side of the split. Nearside section isn't wide enough for a lane. No road markings, merging traffic arrows or road signs to say the same. It was pretty much a line round the roundabout that most on here would take entering a clear roundabout TBH and that exit road is definitely a single lane. As I said before, I can't see he did anything wrong other than ride a moped, which some road users seem to believe doesn't have the same rights on the highway as everyone else.

Can"t see what the lad did wrong. He's approached a roundabout on a dual carriageway and will be exiting beyond 12 O'clock. Quite correctly he has been in the outside lane on approach and then travelled round the roundabout in the correct lane before exiting on to a single carriageway road. Not sure of the speed limit. There are lamp posts but couldn't see any repeater signs to signify it is not a 30 limit. He was probably out a bit to avoid the broken road surface that some are mistaking for white lines but he is quite entitled to be there. Watch the whole vid: No where are there any lane markings or sign posts to indicate merging traffic. It is just a generously wide single lane as you exit the roundabout, narrowing to a normal width carriageway. At about 3.15 you see another scooter take the same line and the brief glimpses you get of other traffic do not suggest anyone else is treating it as 2 lanes. Idiot in the Jag is 100% to blame and the stunt after impact is bordering on dangerous driving.