Archive for April, 2009

I feel the need to add my voice to the growing number who are appalled by the sentence handed out to Robert Bennett for his motorcycle speeding offence.

For those not familiar with the story…

Mr Bennett was allegedly caught speeding at 122MPH in the rain on the A361 in North Devon. He was riding a Suzuki Hayabusa and had his 14 year old son riding pillion. As a result, Robert Bennett received an 18 month driving ban and a 6 month custodial jail sentence, of which he must serve at least 3 months. His life is, I’m sure, ruined.

First of all, far be it from me or any other road user to criticise Mr Bennett for speeding. All drivers do it, whether intentionally or not. Obviously, few drivers hoon about at 122MPH, but let’s put this into context: the Suzuki Hayabusa is a 1300CC sports motorcycle capable of 186MPH, therefore 122MPH represents 65% of its capability. I regularly see people driving ordinary family cars at 100MPH+ on the motorway, which represents closer to 90% of the vehicle’s capability. Whilst I am certainly not going to condone riding at 122MPH on a public highway, that speed is well within the safe operational design limits of the bike in question. Mr Bennett has decades of riding experience, so it’s probably safe to say that he was operating within his own limits too

I’m not going to make a judgement on the speed - make your own mind up about that. Police pursuit drivers happily exceed those speeds in inferior vehicles without any concern for public safety. Also worth bearing in mind that a Hayabusa can stop from 122MPH in less distance than most cars can pull up from 70MPH. Frankly, if you watch the video (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AVOyrFz5pbk) I would question the accuracy of the speed gun anyway. He certainly doesn’t seem to be going that fast, particularly as he goes round the corner barely leaning.

Of course, he was prosecuted for dangerous driving not speeding, but I can’t really see much dangerous in the way he was riding. Sure, there was potential for a nasty accident, but he didn’t have one did he?

Very very harsh.

Let’s not forget that Lord Ahmed (a Labour peer) was jailed for only 12 weeks after texting behind the wheel and actually killing someone! He only served 16 days of that sentence. Where is the parity in justice?

In any case, if you ride that quickly, you greatly increase your risk and the need to concentrate and fully focus on the job. I cannot comprehend attempting that with a pillion, particularly if the pillion was my own son. My boys are not old or big enough to go on the back of my bikes, but when they are I will gladly take them. However, I will be riding more slowly and more carefully than I would on my own, and my boys would have to be decked out top to toe in safety gear. Mr Bennett failed to even provide gloves for his son.

Since being caught Robert Bennett has taken an anti-bike stance. He said:

“That bike was just so fast. You only have to touch the throttle and boom, it’s gone. I never would have knowingly traveled at that speed, especially with my son on the back. These bikes react amazingly quickly and sometimes it’s very hard to tell just how fast you are going.

“When I realised what I had done I felt very ashamed and had to get rid of the bike as soon as possible - I didn’t want it to happen again. With hindsight, I don’t know why manufacturers make bikes that fast, they should be speed-restricted, I will never buy a bike that fast again, in fact, I think I’ll stick to my car in future.”

Give me a break! No-one buys a Suzuki Hayabusa for its looks! People buy them because it’s the fastest bike you can buy. As with all modern bikes, the ‘busa comes complete with a speedo. This amazing gadget can be used to tell you just how fast you are going… and, it also comes with a throttle that can be closed as well as opened. If you can’t control a throttle, don’t buy a Hayabusa.

Frankly, I can’t believe anyone with 30 years’ riding experience would not have excellent throttle control along with a thoroughly good grasp of speed - without even having to look at the speedo. I have mastered both of those things, and I have been riding for just 1 year. So, why come out with all this tosh? The anti-motorcycling nazis are already against him, why does he want to alienate the motorcycling community with nonsense statements like this?

I think the quick sale probably had more to do with the certain knowledge of a ban and wanting to get the best price possible for the machine. Frankly, with the celebrity value, he should have been able to get rid of it for better than market value anyway.

As stupid as this was (and let’s face it, who of us hasn’t done stupid things in our life that are totally out of character with our normal good judgement?), does the punishment fit the crime?

Hell no! It’s an outrage! There is no way a car driver caught at 122MPH would receive a jail sentence like this. Again, I refer to Lord Ahmed’s case as a classic example. This is nothing more than bigotry on the part of Judge Phillip Wassall, who when sentencing came out with this:

“Had you lost control of your motorcycle it would have become a missile, causing a serious accident and probably the death of at least one person.”

What?!

The chances of an experienced rider losing control of a motorcycle operating well within its limits on a smooth dual carriageway is unlikely to say the least! And how would it have become a missile exactly? Missiles take off and accelerate towards a specific target. A bike sliding down the road is slowing down, and is simply out of control - not at all like a missile. Frankly, the dangers of a bike sliding down the road are similar whether the bike was doing 122MPH or 70MPH.

How do we know it would have caused a serious accident? A properly dressed motorcyclist can walk away from a 122MPH slide down the road. It’s all down to traffic, weather, road surface, chaos theory and a billion other random influences.

“Probably the death of at least one person”. Well, that sounds scientific and factual. Fair enough, the kid is going to have some messed up hands coming off at that speed without gloves, but he may not necessarily be dead. This is nothing more than conjecture, and conjecture has no place in the convicting of a person.

Don’t get me wrong, I’m not trying to justify the crime. I think it was completely reckless, but my opinion is no more relevant than Phillip Wassall’s own bigoted anti-bike, anti-justice ideals.

Robert Bennett needs to appeal. He is being made an example off, and that is not justice. I have no doubt he would win an appeal against the custodial sentence, but when he does, I suggest he leaves the bikes to those of us who know how to use a throttle and a speedo.

Bikes are a sensible, safe, cheap and environmentally friendly form of transport. Just as with cars, there are a small minority who drive like complete pricks and spoil it for the rest of us. I hope that the majority of safe riders will not be affected adversely by this case.