http://londonist.com/2008/05/motorcycles_all.php

Boris is changing the law to allow motorbikes in bus lanes.

Personally i think this is real bad, i hate motorcycles way more than cars. They block up gaps between cars, they dont look over their shoulder (think they can move faster than anyone else on the road) and loads of them make horrible loud noises which really piss me off.

Might wake up a few dozy peds tho...

that is full on bad

whos up for popping a cap in bj's ass?

they all bloody do it anyway.

yep, there'll be a lot of flowers at the side of the road for sure. :(

And they seem to think stop ahead boxes with the bike logo on them are for motorcycles.

And while italians seem to look sexy on mopeds, people in britain all look like losers.

...should be fun.

yep saw this in the newsrag last night.
tore into a raft of obscenities which probably scared the tourists at piccadilly circus something awful.
this is especially bad down on my commute as the bus lanes are often vacant (few taxis, few buses) but there are loads of mopeds/motorcycles about. i am not a happy man.

Good point. Though I'd rather they were in front of me than behind me.

@runcible

Well, I'm a motorcyclist too and I really don't think you can make such a sweeping generalisation. Proper motorcyclists - ie those who have a full licence - are in my experience much more road-savvy and considerate than a great deal of motorists. I guess it's about a shared sense of vulnerability.
Youngsters on scooters though are a different matter entirely.
But I do agree with you that this proposed change is a very bad idea...

Time to start carrying....

Platini - i seem to find its anyone who chooses to commute by moped. And of course delivery bikes.

Oh and people who seem to think the speed/engine noise is an extension of their ego.

Motorcycles - especially overpowered ones, use them outside of London. Whats the point in the city?

(edit - of course there are decent motorcyclists, but like decent drivers they are very much in the minority)

I suppose if you only own one vehicle, and happen to ride long distances/for recreation at some point during the week, you'd be using the same high-powered motorbike in town.

Obviously I'm not applying this logic to 4x4 use, because they're all owned by multiple-vehicle families that wouldn't dream of going off-road ever.

I find motorbike tend to be ok it's moped riders that are dodgy. Most of them ride like really bad cyclist but with more speed. Get a proper motor bike motor bikengers.

Point taken. I'm not in London... :)))

Ditto to proper motorcyclists usually being considerate road users,
ditto to kids on mopeds being c_nts.
What DOES worry me is the ELECTRIC moped. I got overtaken by one near waterloo the other day. I just heard this faint whining noise, glance to my left and a full size moped (two seater, prob 125cc equivalent - at least) shoots past not six inches from me. I hope to god they don't become too popular, although I did appreciate not getting a lungful of fumes afterwards. Road safety versus the future of our planet....hmmm.

I hate it when you're crosing a road AT A CROSSING when it's the ped's right of way, and they start revving up their engines, it shits me up. I had a go at one of them once, I was pushing my kid in a pushchair at the time, on a three lane crossing where people regularly hit 50 in a 30 zone.... blah.

I've seen plenty of messengers on the road who are good riders, careful of cycles etc. But mopeds are another matter.

Thats just Pete Tong.
I knew it wouldn't take the ponce too long before he showed his colours.
U-locks versus helmets.....
Round 1!

Almost ALL electricity is generated using unsustainable resources that threaten the future of our energy-reliant economy, and generate heat and gases that threaten our plane t= Electric vehicles are just as bad as petrol ones.

Has he said anything officially about getting rid of 20mph zones yet? I thought that was one of his policy's? But then isn't that down to individual councils?

It's the little urban yoof terrors you need to watch out for... Everytime I see one of the little cnuts I hope they come off, wizzing round in tracksuit bottoms and tees, they need an off to see how bloody dangerous they are and how unsuitable they are dressed for riding them!

I have an old 67 Lambretta that I ride occasionally (have storage issues currently) and wouldn't ride that without at least a denim Jacket on for protection... And that's not really adequate.

Surely they use a little bit less? What about if they hooked it up to a solar panel to charge up?!
Fair point tho. Let's just not think too much about the energy used in bicycle production... :-(

They are cocks, but theres fewer of them around than commuters. At least i've had far fewer run ins with kids on mopeds.

Stupid Boris seems to be implementing all the wank ideas that people were worried about (including the daft £200M desalination plant on the Thames, so that now you can have ultra-pure, ultra-energy-hungry water leaking all over the streets instead of good old fashion tapwater).
I really hope this daft motorbikes scheme doesn't cause any accidents.

Or the amount of hot air generated here talking about bikes

I can guarantee there's more energy used in production of an engine based vehicle + our bikes don't require as much energy to keep us moving.

Boris is a fucking wanker. There, I've said it.

The concentration of emmissions in specific ares is a good thing. It will make our cities cleaner and more sophisticated scrubbers can be used to deal with the emissions from a power station than can be used to deal with the emissions from a vehicle.

Also the introduction of electric cars and the appropriate infrascturcture to support them now will shorten the period between the adoption of clean power generation and a negligible carbon emission country being realised.

Who you calling a scrubber?

I ride both an overpowered motorbike for city streets ;-P and bikes, moped bods are twats, because they view and use a moped as a bicycle with an engine, and so are careless and unaware of the risks they are taking when they use their moped as such.
I've always wondered why motorbikes/mopeds/scooters couldn't use bus lanes, filtering down the outside of traffic usually involves, me, if the oncoming lane is clear riding in that, just to avoid the possibility of being taken out by someone turning right without indicating, pulling a uie, or generally just moving round an obstacle.
The issues that relate to cycling in town are pretty much the same for being on a motorbike, except you're going faster, and it hurts a lot more when you come off, both physically and financially (especially if you're trying to keep your no claims bonus).
With the explosion of people on two wheels, both motorised and pedal powered, I think opening up the bus lanes to motorbikes isn't necessarily a bad thing, we're road users, vulnerable road users yes, but road users nonetheless and I don't think we should be so quick to get on our high horse about having to share a bus lane with other two wheeled transportation.

I'll tell you what worries me.

What the future may hold.

How will I next fuck up?

Have I lost my wallet or did I leave it at home.

Will I find a campsite this w/e?