1. Anticipate what is happening around you. Often, reacting is not good enough, you need to be proactive when out on the road and be fully aware of what is happening and what could happen around you. It is very easy to ‘switch off’ when out on the road, especially if there are no apparent dangers ahead, but you should always expect the unexpected and be ready for it. 

2. Watch your speed. The speed limit is there for a reason, and that is because it is deemed to be the fastest speed that a vehicle can reach without becoming a danger to others. As a motorbike rider, you already act as a hazard to other road users due to your decreased visibility, so being extra-careful is important. 

3. Position yourself correctly. As already stated, it is quite difficult for car users to see bikers all the time so positioning yourself correctly is very important and will improve your safety and the safety of others. You should make sure you stick to the middle of the road so you are fully visible, and don’t sneak along at the side of the road, because cars might not take as much caution if they cannot see you. 

4. Take care when overtaking. Overtaking is much easier in a bike because of their size, yet it can still be quite dangerous. You should make the drivers behind and in front of you fully aware of what you plan to do by indicating correctly, and you should follow the Highway Code by not overtaking around a corner or near a junction. 

5. Make sure you can be seen! Whether this involves you using your lights correctly, or wearing luminous clothing, just ensure that you can be seen fully by other road-users. Even in good light, extra visibility cannot go amiss, so consider it.

I've spent most of today playing with the new motorcycles. After a quick oil change the large of the two was fired up and I gave it a good blat around the fields. It's not really designed for riding sitting down, as the pegs are so far backwards so you really have to stand. The gearing is very low and rather annoyingly the farm is rather flat so it's not really in it's element at the moment. I need to take it to somewhere really muddy and preferably, vertical and then it will come alive. It was interesting to think about how different it was to the F 800 GS I rode a few weeks ago. The 800 GS is a serious off road bike but this motorbike is something else, it's just so specialised.

Some parts of the bike are still a bit of a mystery to me, I can remember being told the sequence of things you had to do to start it but the reasons behind them were slightly lost to me. Thankfully the lovely chaps at the Classic Bike Forum were able to work out what was going on.

As you may notice this end of the handbar has slightly more levers on it than normal. The one on the top of the handles is the advance/retard for the ignition, it changes the rate at which the engine ticks over. The one below is a bit more mysterious. If you squeeze it when the engine is running the bike stops (which is handy because the bike doesn't have any other off switches) and it is also used when kick starting. After I explained what happened to the chaps on the forum they said it might be a valve lifter, so I took some photos to investigate

And so you can see on the right where the cable connects to the top of the engine. Another mystery solved. I also got my Dad's old helmets when the bikes were delivered. One of which is lovely old school lid, perfect for riding retro bikes around.

I dug it out this morning to wear while riding the bike around the farm but when I picked it up I noticed it still had my dad's white hairs on the inside. It was as if he had only taken it off five minutes ago and so I decided I think I'll leave it for now, I'll buy a new helmet for me and leave that one for him.

Image009.jpg

Originally uploaded by simonsnokia

I've signed up for a new mobile phone this week, a Nokia 6500 with 3.2mp camera and the ability to upload pics directly to flickr.com (along with lots of other bells and whistles). The 6500 isn't the latest from Nokia, so that means it was very cheap on a plan from Virgin.

Anyway, I was playing around with the new phone while stuck in heavy traffic on the Monash Freeway when I spotted this weird motorbike with three wheels. I don't mean like a trike, what I'm talking about has two small front wheels. The suspension is very different too, when the rider leans over to weave between cars in heavy traffic, the front wheels stay upright while the rest of the bike leans into the turn.

The new camera-phone came in very handy, as I snapped this shot of the three wheel motorbike.

I've started a new flickr account, just for mobile phone pics uploaded directly from the phone - www.flickr.com/photos/simonsnokia

My existing flickr site is www.flickr.com/photos/smjb which has mostly family photos.

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I'm not saying motorbike riders are blameless. I'm not saying motorbike riders are good, better, or more aware,  but the fact remains that motorbike riders die more than car drivers and motorbike riders are going to lose everytime as they are vulnerable.  If everyone had a little experience on a motorbike, maybe they would be more aware of what it's like and take that extra second to look. We've all seen the adverts but unless you actually try it, you can't know what it's like.   I'm not going to get on my soapbox about other road users. I'm far from perfect though I think I err on the side of caution. When I drive/ride you wont find is me stuck on your bumper, you wont find me on a phone, you will find two hands on the wheel most of the time, you wont get me drinking etc and driving, you wont get be slamming my brakes on in front of a lorry that can't stop (I drive a car that is slow to stop and take off  - no where near as bad for me but just as frustrating!), you will see me use my indicators - and properly! Why do people indicate right to come off the exit of an island? Its a left turn (in the UK before I get swamped in comments).. and a million other things that annoy the hell out of me!

Anyway, here's the poem.

But you didn't see me - Unknown

I saw you; hug your purse closer to you in the grocery store line.
But, you didn't see me; put an extra $10.00 in the collection plate last Sunday.

I saw you; pull your child closer when we passed each other on the sidewalk.
But, you didn't see me; playing Santa at the local mall.

I saw you; change your mind about going into the restaurant.
But, you didn't see me; attending a meeting to raise more money for the hurricane relief.

I saw you; roll up your window and shake your head when I drove by.
But, you didn't see me; driving behind you when you flicked your cigarette butt out the car window.

I saw you; frown at me when I smiled at your children.
But, you didn't see me; when I took time off from work to run toys to the homeless.

I saw you; stare at my long hair.
But, you didn't see me; and my friends cut ten inches off for Locks of Love.

I saw you; roll your eyes at our leather coats and gloves.
But, you didn't see me; and my brothers donate our old coats and gloves to those that had none.

I saw you; look in fright at my tattoos.
But, you didn't see me; cry as my children were born and have their name written over and over in my heart.

I saw you, change lanes while rushing off to go somewhere.
But, you didn't see me, going home to be with my family.

I saw you; complain about how loud and noisy our bikes can be.
But, you didn't see me; when you were changing the CD and drifted into my lane.

I saw you; yelling at your kids in the car.
But, you didn't see me; pat my child's hands, knowing he was safe behind me.

I saw you; reading the newspaper or map as you drove down the road.
But, you didn't see me; squeeze my wife's leg when she told me to take the next turn.

I saw you; race down the road in the rain.
But, you didn't see me; get soaked to the skin so my son could have the car to go on his date.

I saw you; run the yellow light just to save a few minutes of time.
But, you didn't see me; trying to turn right.

I saw you; cut me off because you needed to be in the lane I was in.
But, you didn't see me; leave the road.

I saw you; waiting impatiently for my friends to pass.
But, you didn't see me; I wasn't there.

I saw you; go home to your family.
But, you didn't see me; because, I died that day you cut me off.

I was just a biker...  A person with friends and a family.
But, you didn't see me.

Alex Hughes's blog is only 400 views away from reaching 10,000 total views. From such humble beginnings its amazing to think that that many people have visited the site over the time it has been online.

I used to ride this bike in classic trials with my dad on the other one, it's really light and was even made road-legal briefly. Large parts of this bike were made by hand so it served as a prototype for the next more powerful motorbike. The engine is a 250cc two-stroke affair and the gearbox was a bit of a nightmare or at least that is how I remember it.

Even more exciting than the Villiers was this bike, as you may have noticed I have given it a quick wash. When it arrived it still had the mud on it from when I was on it last.

Cameron (who had picked it up for me) had noticed that it's got a bit of an oil leak which is a real pain. It seems to be in the sump, but since this is a hand built bike there isn't a manual I can get hold of - it was designed on the back of cigarette packets and the corners of newspapers.

Even though it was really naughty I couldn't resist firing it up, mostly to see if I could remember the sequence you have to go through to start it. It fired up almost instantly and rolled over beautifully, the exhaust note is deep and powerful like Thor laughing and it brought back a flood of memories. Today feels like Christmas.

After seeing friends in Yorkshire and Nottinghamshire I stopped off at a service area near Stanstead Airport. I was feeling sorry for myself, guilty for leaving and not a little bit scared of what was to come.

However, one of the great joys in travelling is the people you meet a long the way and the good fortune that these encounters can bring.

Clair and her son had seen AshaBlue and started to talk to me. It turned out that her father had been the Bursar at Budlilikanta School in Kathmandu, and had known Crown Prince Dipendra who went on to kill his mother and father, and bring down the Shah royal dynasty in Nepal.

We got on like a house on fire and talked about mutual friends and about Kathmandu and Nepal.

I stayed far too long. I wanted to get to Dover; book a ferry ticket and find a hotel for the night.

I was going to try the Channel Tunnel first and if I could not get on to the train there go on to Dover.

On arrival I asked the lady at the entrance who told me that it would be £80 and the last train of the day is due to leave in 30 minutes. I thought it would be too much and thanked and I would go on to Dover.

I stopped outside the gates to think through my options. Cheryl a security guard came up to me and asked if I was in any trouble and if she could give me any help. I told her my dilemma. She suggested that it would be cheaper for me to get on the train and find a cheap hotel in Calais.

So that is what I did. And before I knew I was in France.

I met Hans and Heidi on the train who told me they would take me to the Formule 1 hotel in Calais. They did and they made sure I had a room for the night before they left.

It is those happy coincidences of meeting Clair and Cheryl which can make life so wonderful.

Having searched online for interesting classic looking bikes I came across the Whizzer (pic above). Having never seen one in real life and having talked to bike riding mates, who also have never seen one I thought I'd put the pic on the blog.

The bikes have been produced on and off since 1939, based on a motorised bicycle, they do around 40mph flat out thank to their 138cc engines. They'd probably be quite popular amongst those of us who like the classic lines. But, sadly they don't appear to be sold here in the UK.

The bike is certainly something that would only appeal to those biker who are not too obssesed with engine size. Mind-you the motorways and A roads would be scary.

There are plenty of US based sites and a few vids to watch on You Tube.

Links: www.whizzermotorbike.com

Onto Bike number 2. My Dad's pride and joy, a Red, Honda BlackBird, 1100cc sports tourer. Ok its twice as heavy, about a third extra cc and so many hoursey's that it took my eyes a week to leave the back of skull after the first ride on it. The Blackbird was the first bike to reach 200 MPH (road leagel) and keep on going. Now I'm not stupided enought the try to get it to go that fast, plus theres not enought streight road in Northern Ireland to let get to that speed and stop agian.
I degress, you can imagine my delight when my dad give the keys to his baby instead of the FZR 750R Yamaha he has. Well I road it for about two weeks. It was like going from a auid TT to a Ferrori, the responce of my dads bike was amazing, all you had to do was twist the throutal slightly and you where you to 60 in second gear and it want to keep going. Even in 6th all you did was twist the throutle and she went and want to keep giving you power, and the noise form the twin exchust. OMFG at about 3000 RPM it was the low bassy rumble, and it never and I mean never screamed at you, it just got slightly higher and growled as you accelerated. It was a noise that only god himself could have approved. If I was a petrol head I think I would have compaired it to sex, but I'm not so alought it was very horny sound it was nowhere near sex.
As you can gess I love the bike, but it does have down sides, like I was shitting myself incase anyone scratched the bike as the paint is in the fiber of the fairing an not ontop like most paint jobs. It is a really haevy bike when you are trying to get into its centre stand, but those are bout it.

Onto bike number 3. Back to a Kawasaki GPX but this time its the younger brother of mine, it a 600 R. This bike is in mint condition and for 19 year old it great. I've been on it for 1/2 week but it feel really nice, the power deliver is a lot smother then the 750 (hopefull this enginee rebuild will cure that). It handles really well, but that about it for 3 days riding. Like the others it does a downside, its size to start with, after my dads sports tourer felt like I had a small town between my legs, and my 750 not as wide as my dad but still not slim either, the 600 fell like I 125 or 250 in comparison, but is make it more nimble. Also I weighs a lot a less so I am able to through it onto its stand. The other downside is the note form the exchust, it not the dirty sexy noise of the blackbird its more like the noise of its big bother a clear fress sound. BUT I can live with that after all its fast off the line than the STIG in an F40.

Like I said most Normal people do that, but then I've never like normal.  My primary mode of transport this a Motorbike and I love it.  This morning I woke up, look at the window and though "wet gear agin for the bike, at least it not windy". 

All was going well until about 25minute into my jurny to work.  The rain bouncing off my visor and I'm think thank god I have my wet gear and rain suit on, I nice and worm and dry.  Or was I, I suddnley fell this coldness on the top of my foot.  Strange place I know but it doesn't anoy my to much until about 30 second later when I realize that alough my head and body are nice and dry, me feet are starting to get wet.  Not the nicess of the felling for about 10 mile my feet get wetter and wetter and wetter. 

Eventually when I get into work my feet are sooked and I dont have a change of socks.  The worst of if is I have to go though it all again on the way home and at rugby tonight.

The mornal of this soggy sock tail is:  If your going to ride a motorbike in October, bring a change of socks.

…Even bigger news, Jean Claude (my boss at VSO) has just this very moment delivered my motorbike!!!  It’s chucking it down here, and he looked a bit bedraggled to say the least.  But now I have my tools, I can properly commence my work!

The end of year exams start next week.  That means I’ve got 6 days to visit 20 schools (I’ve already visited 2 in town)  Bearing in mind that the furthest one is a 3 hour drive away this could be a logistical nightmare.  But, come hell or high water (high water being the likelier option given then amount of rain falling from the sky at the moment) I'll get around somehow!

I have a big meeting on Wednesday with all the directeurs and chargés of my schools, plus some bigwigs from the district.  It’s to introduce myself and the PHARE work plan for the forthcoming year.  The room has been booked, the Fantas are ready (Fanta deserve a post of there own, but suffice to say, they’re mandatory here!) and the invites have been posted (whether they’ve been read, or even received for the matter!).  So, 50 people invited, no-one but me and my boss has confirmed.  That’s only 25 Fantas each…

P.S.  I have lots of little stories to tell, but rather than post them all in one big chunk, I think I’ll try and write them up over the next few days then post them up as and when, just to keep you checking back for more.

Feel the freedom of the clean, green environment, the fresh air and amazing scenery  

Chiangmai's stunning landscapes, lush forests and pleasant climate make it a haven for many outdoor activities, and a great place to unwind. Society is diverse, sophisticated, and multicultural. The honesty, friendliness, and openness of “Kon Muang”(native Chiangmai local people) will impress you. Doi Suthep mountain rises 1,676m above and be hide the city makes it visually striking, providing a picturesque back drop.  That will leave you asking yourself why you haven't come sooner.  

However the biggest advantage of Chiangmai is that all of its diverse physical, cultural, and artistic landscapes are within easy riding distance of each other!  

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In the same way that high performance cars cost more to insure than low performance cars, low performance bikes are also cheap to insure. So when you are considering getting your first bike, try not to go for something that is overly fast, as it may end up costing you a lot to insure.
A lot of people that learn to drive a motorcycle do so after then have learnt to drive a car, and are then pleasantly surprised to find that they are offered a discount from their insurance provider, for having more than one vehicle insured with them.

If you can, obtain a policy with a high deductible. The deductible is the amount that you have to pay yourself, upon making a claim, before the insurance company will pay the rest. This is a great way of reducing the rate of your premium.

Storing your bike in the garage is a good way of reducing the cost of insurance. You can also join a safe riding class. Upon completion of the class you are presented with a certificate, which can be sent off to your insurance company. Knowing how much safer you are at riding your motorcycle, they will be only too happy to reduce your insurance for you. Always remember that you should not be in charge of a corgi car when you are drunk, let alone something as dangerous as a motorbike.

Therefore, ignore the law that says you are entitled to one, and do not even have any! Finally, never go for a biking session anywhere, unless you are wearing a helmet. Even the least severe of accidents on a motorbike could lead to a head injury, so a helmet is essential.

You will be able to instantly save money if you compile your bike insurance with any policies that you have for car insurance. This is a way of getting substantial discounts, and if you can find a company that will bundle together your house insurance as well, then all the better. If you want to reduce your premium then you should choose a policy with a high deductible. This means that the amount you will have to pay for any claim to be made will be more, and so is an optimistic way to look at your insurance policy.

Storing your bike under lock and key, in a garage, is something that will make your insurance company reduces your premium. You can also join a class for safe riding. Upon completion you will be presented with a certificate that you can send to your insurance company, that will get you a further reduction on your premium.

This goes without saying, but you should never ride your motorbike whilst under the influence of alcohol. Once you get caught drinking while in charge of a vehicle, you can kiss goodbye to any chances you had of a reasonably priced premium. Make sure that you wear a helmet for your own safety, and always ride your motorbike in a manner which is safe for you and other road users.

Remember that the more research you do online, the greater your chances of getting a reduction on your insurance.

On the practical side of things the bike is going to lose a bit of weight and gain a bit of power but that's about it really, apart from a few minor cosmetic changes. Weirdly no one seems to have thought of putting photos of the two models next to each other so we can compare them directly so I'm going to just that. I've even managed to get photos of the two bikes in the same colour to make it just that little bit easier.

You'll notice that the lights are different on the '09 Daytona, but also the brakes have been updated and the wing mirrors are a slightly different shape. The engine on both models is painted black for a bit more rust protection, but early Daytona's didn't have that.

We could even play spot the difference, so can anyone else see any other changes to the bike?

We got hold of a Volvo 740 and customised it to look like a pirate ship, or at least a Volvo owned by pirates. Everyone else on the rally had customised their cars too which made the event feel like an episode of Wacky Racers.

The first half of the rally was very jolly. We had a Sat Nav but no charger so we could only turn it on in emergencies. So instead we managed to navigate across Europe using the map in the front of a copy of Asterix and Roman agent. As you can imagine we got lost quite a lot but it was all part of the fun. Even the bit where we sort of drove through someone's front garden was good. On the second day we awoke in Switzerland. We had driven in the night before so we hadn't seen much of the view so went we woke up it was a lovely surprise. Switzerland is extremely pretty, and it has some of the most wiggly roads I've ever seen.

Even though we were supposed to be doing a challenge on that day (Every day we had a different task to complete and there were prizes for the best teams at the end) we decided to abandon any pretence of gaining points and just spend a day driving on really wiggly roads. It was absolutely fantastic fun, I've never enjoyed driving a car so much and yet we were constantly passing motorcycles and their owners taking a rest with huge grins on their faces. It looked like they were having even more fun than we were, more on that later.

After a day of brilliant riding we decided that the only sensible thing to do would be to leave Switzerland via the infamous Stelvio pass. Henry was driving and so at the bottom of the pass we stopped the car, checked stop watches and set off. At the first corner the breaks failed and we went up on to two wheels. Henry managed to slow the car down by driving it onto a bank and we came to a stop. One of the other chaps in the car went into shock at this point.

Even though we had enough computers with us to send a spaceship to the moon we didn't have any tools. Yup, not a single tool. It turned out that our day of thrilling driving had boiled off the brake fluid. The RAC refused to come out and help us because we weren't going to bring the car back from Europe and so we were rather stuffed. The sensible thing to do at this point would be to slowly work our way down the hill and wait out the next day.

Instead another team said we could ram them if we needed to slow down and so we attempted the Stelvio pass without any brakes. Let me find a good picture of the pass so you can get an idea of the sort of undertaking this was. 

The next two hours were life-changingly scary - absolutely terrifying. At every corner we could have died and we knew it. We even started doing video messages to our loved ones if we didn't survive but that was so depressing that we stopped.

We made it, and the first pint we had when we stopped was the best tasting pint I'd ever had. Nothing like a bit of death to make drink taste better. Anyway the rest of the trip was marvellous and it was the best holiday I've ever been on. Even my dad was impressed and talking about the rally was the moment when we started to bond again for the first time in years.

Anyway, since returning I've often thought about those motorcyclists having the time of their lives and so Henry and I are going to try the Stelvio again but this time on motorbikes. Just thinking about it makes my legs go a bit wobbly so I think I'll get a bit of practice and possibly some specialised training before I decide to hit the pass. Oh and this time it would be nice to have some brakes.

NEW DELHI, September 30 (Compass Direct News) – A Christian couple was found murdered, a woman killed, numerous houses and churches burned and low-intensity bombs exploded at relief camps in the past week in Orissa state’s Kandhamal district, where Hindu extremist violence began more than a month ago.

On Sunday (Sept. 28), police found the body of Priyatamma Digal, an auxiliary nurse and midwife, in a river. On Monday, the body of her husband, Meghanath, was recovered. According to The Times of India newspaper, the Christian couple was killed last Thursday (Sept. 25).

This morning attacks by unidentified armed groups in the villages of Rudangia, Telingia and Gadaguda in Kandhamal resulted in more than 100 houses burned and the death of Ramani Nayak of Rudangia village, reported The Hindu. Her religious affiliation was not known at press time.

Eight people were seriously injured in the attacks, according to reports, and about 20 people received minor injuries.

Bomb blasts yesterday rocked three Kandhamal relief camps in the Nuagaon area, Mahasinghi village and Baliguda town, reported the Press Trust of India (PTI).

No casualties were reported, but the explosions left residents of the relief camps fearing for their lives.

“Since they have been successful in exploding bombs near the heavily guarded relief camp, there is no guarantee that the explosions will not take place in other camps,” one refugee told PTI.

Axe Attack

The Times of India also reported that five houses were torched in Phirigia block in Kandhamal (Gochhapada police jurisdiction) on Sunday night.

Last Thursday (Sept. 25), some 700 people armed with axes, swords, and iron bars attacked a Missionaries of Charity house in Sukananda village in Kandhamal, reported Asia News agency.

“There was no one at home, because when the violence erupted against the Christians, we took our few belongings and moved to our house in Bhubaneswar,” Sister M. Suma told the agency. “We brought with us the tabernacle, the altar, and especially the Dalit and tribal girls whom we were sheltering.”

Late on Wednesday (Sept. 24), mobs burned about 30 houses and two prayer houses in Simanjodi village and 50 houses in Batingia village, reported The Indian Express newspaper.

In Rakingia village, an Orissa Disaster Rapid Action Force (ODRAF) team that had gone to clear roadblocks was attacked, forcing the accompanying police to open fire, added the newspaper.

“Two tribal people have reportedly been killed,” the daily reported. “Sources said tribals with bows and arrows launched an attack on the ODRAF.”

According to the All India Christian Council (AICC), at least 57 people have been killed, more than 18,000 injured and over 4,300 houses, 150 churches and 13 educational institutions destroyed since the Aug. 24 outbreak of violence in Orissa. Two Christian women were also gang-raped.

The violence, which later spread to at least 14 districts of Orissa, has left more than 50,000 people homeless.

The attacks began following the killing of a leader of the Hindu extremist Vishwa Hindu Parishad (World Hindu Council or VHP), Laxmanananda Saraswati, and four of his disciples on Aug. 23 in Kandhamal district. Maoists have claimed responsibility for the assassination, but the VHP has persisted in blaming local Christians.

According to media reports, Christians in Orissa retaliated in at least one incident. A man was killed in Raikia Block after “Dalit Christians of Gundhari village hurled bombs at the tribal-dominated village of Sirsapanga in the afternoon [of Sept. 24),” The Indian Express reported. “Sources said the deceased, Raghav Digal, a Dalit Hindu, was a government employee.”

‘Withdraw Federal Forces’

The leader of an influential tribal group believed to be instigating violence in Kandhamal demanded withdrawal of federal security personnel from the district as a “precondition” to stopping the attacks.

Yesterday Lambodar Kanhar, secretary of the Kandhamal Zilla Kui Samaj (Kui people group) Coordination Committee, was quoted by The Indian Express as saying that he was ready to give assurance that tribal people would not resort to violence if the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) personnel were taken out of the rural pockets of the district.

Kanhar accused the CRPF of having let loose “a reign of terror” on “innocent” tribal villagers.

The Global Council of Indian Christians’ Dr. Sajan K. George said Kanhar’s demand was an attempt to “complete ‘ethnic-cleansing’ of Christians.” A representative of the Christian Legal Association said Hindu extremist assailants were upset that federal forces were trying to prevent them from attacking Christians and their property.

At the same time, European Union (EU) representatives yesterday spoke to Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh during the India-EU summit in France about the government’s failure to prevent a “massacre” of Christians in Orissa and Karnataka states.

According to the AICC, in the southern state of Karnataka at least 19 churches and 20 Christians have been attacked. At least four churches and four Christian schools had been vandalized in the north-central state of Madhya Pradesh, and four churches attacked in the southern state of Kerala. Two churches had also been damaged in the national capital, Delhi.

Singh yesterday made assurances that attacks on Christians would be stopped.

Christians from various denominations, along with people from other faiths, are holding a weeklong sit-in day and night at Jantar Mantar observatory in New Delhi that began on Friday (Sept. 26) to protest the lack of security. The demonstration demanding protection for minority targets in Orissa and other states will conclude with a motorbike rally on Thursday (Oct 2).

Christian leaders such as Dr. John Dayal, the Rev. Dr. Richard Howell, A.C. Michael and Jenis Francis are participating in the protest.

This report from Compass Direct News

Well I've been thinking about this myth a bit and I think it might be possible to do on a motorbike, so in the name of science and quality investigative journalism I'm going to give it a go. Of course I'm not going to ride about on public roads with the lights out. That would be illegal and wrong but luckily I'm on a farm which means I've got a bit of land to scream around on where I won't endanger members of the public.

The next problem would be getting hold of some night vision goggles to wear. Not so, I picked some up on Ebay a couple of years ago for more than I care to mention (lets just say that the Daytona fund would be looking a bit more healthy if I hadn't) and so I have some military-grade night vision goggles.

I'll need to wear a helmet when riding the bike and I've got an old one knocking about that was my dad's and has seen better days. It will provide the mounting for the goggles, or at least will be modified a bit so the goggles fit properly.

So there you have it, everything is in place for some real scientific testing.

The goggles give you slight tunnel vision so I think that is something to overcome, but I don't think it will be too hard once I have them focused. I should point out that I will be practicing first on a bicycle before I go anywhere near a motorbike and even then it will be low speeds only

Oh and don't try this at home.

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When the bike was discovered we tried kick starting it but it was having none of it. Mostly because something is very wrong with the throttle, it's jammed and no amount of twisting will get it to move so freeing it up was my first task.

To add an extra layer of fun to the project I had to find the tools before I could use them. I suspected that everything I would ever need was probably in the workshop it was just a matter of locating it. I was right, and hopefully while I do this I can slowly sort out where things go.

After a bit I'd managed to track down the jam to the bit of wire that leads onto the small bit that looks like a miniature dustbin, or the carburettor as it's known. The lovely chaps on the Classic Bike forums suggested I just spray that with WD40 and see if that can un-gum it. I've given it a good coating so we will find out if that has worked in a day or so.