I recon the lack of lights would be the first reason it's no legal
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I totally disagree. Look at the way they are riding. Look at the fact that most (as reported in the media) have removed number plates. Doesn't sound like your average law-abiding Joe out for a bit of an afternoon ride in the sunshine with a couple of mates.
Quad bikes are apparently legal for on-road use in New York State providing the necessary registration has been paid. Didn't see any of them with plates on either. Trail/dirt bikes are not permitted for on-road use.
From memory they don't need them, the DMV have a special set of rules for ATV's.
Don't even need a license to ride them on the road over the age of 16, just need to provide ownership details or some silly rule.
Still it doesn't excuse the ridiculous behavior of a large number of the group, like I said, it really gives all motorcyclists a bad name.
After spending the morning on this I can say the following:
This was the result of what was up to this point a loosely organised ride consisting of road, trail and ATV's. This years ride was denied approval and police escort/assistance due to previous numbers of unreg/unworthy bikes etc.
The first incident was the rider who was bumped and this was a result of his own actions.
This set off the group who proceeded to, more than was already done, surround and harass the driver. Many of these riders came from ahead of the incident and had no idea of what had occurred.
The driver (and understandably so) goes into survival mode and does what's necessary for his and more importantly his families safety. To hell with what happens from there, order of priority; immediate responsibility personnel, civilians, yourself, others.and in this case the "others" a long way down the list (or under the RR).
Some info here is from reading, some from calling a contact or two in the immediate vicinity of the event..
Suspect arraigned in motorcycle-SUV brawl in NYC
The comments at the bottom of the page are very interesting.
Do reiterate - I have no idea who was right and wrong. But at that point in time that it got violent pretty much anything becomes fair game in the name of self defence, and I will happily tell that to any judge and/or my maker. I see lots of large groups of bikers of all flavours cruising round Sydney and they sure don't act like those clowns on the video - they show a hefty amount of respect and get repaid in kind by car drivers.
Maybe I have spent too much time in places where getting your door opened by someone strange in traffic means you are probably already done for.
What I am suggesting is that by the time the biker tried to open the door, the guy had no choice but to take them on.
What reasonable person thinks to themselves that a pack of 30 bikers around with an intent to harass and cause grief such that they were demonstrating and at least one willing to get off the bike and try and open the door will end well? Any bystanders going to step in to that mess? No way.
His options:
- do nothing, let the bikers drag him out of the car and kick the crap out of him (which is probably what happened after the video stopped) and/or worse...
- use the tools you have available to you in the situation
His first weapon should be using the fear the bikers have of being hit while riding. Any biker will tell you that. So his best bet was to keep on a road that allowed driving at some speed which meant high risk to the bikers for a fall, so they would stay further away. No injury to anyone, and you stand some chance of getting the cavalry (law enforcement) to help out in due time.
Once stopped, the bikers are willing more willing get up close and personal, and that story does not end well for anyone. :mad:
If the biker injured really was not part of the mob then that's a sad outcome, but time will tell.
How many of those bikers were following the road rules prior to the events? How many were actually licence holders with legal bikes?
To me, and Australia is heading this way, it is not the polices fault, but the law makers and those judging them.
They will all walk with no punishment to be a plague on society once again :mad:
Given the bikie problem on the Gold Coast at the moment, perhaps we can offer a paid holiday for the Rangie driver over here for a couple of weeks. :angel: