Wouldn’t the more apt analogy be: “Riding an R1 in Australia is like wearing a strap-on to church”? 
Take my state of Victoria. On any one day, there are hundreds of points where speed cameras operate. Many are fixed under bridges and behind signs along the freeways (which are generally limited to 100km/h with exceptions of 110). That’s fine because you know where they are but there are enormous numbers of mobile cameras set up to take pictures all day and send out fines. They’re often placed at the bottom of hills or behind shrubs and such. Additionally, there’s highway patrol, traffic squad and air wing who use laser, radar and other methods to detect and chase offenders. You’ll be pulled over for 3 km/h over (the error margin for devices) especially if you’re on a bike. Possession of any kind of detector is a serious offence.
In New South Wales, 45 over will cost you an automatic 6 months and over €930 as well as another 6 demerit points out of 12 on your license when you get it back. A court will fine you over €1280 for 30 over.
We do have some superb roads but the best (Great Ocean Road?) wouldn’t be all that remarkable in much of America (from what I understand) or Europe (from what I’ve seen). Australia’s a nice, comfortable, safe place to be. It truly is one of my biggest peeves about being back but it could be worse.
I have an (unfulfilled) nun fetish so yes; very apt.
D’oh :smack:
Here’s the kicker; our state government is trialing front number plates and stickers for bikes. We’ll be the second jurisdiction in the world behind Singapore, that paragon of freedom, to have them. Speeding fines bring in hundreds of millions of Euros to the state’s treasury and they’re worried bikes are cheating forward facing cameras. It’s got to the stage where nobody even pretends it’s about anything other than revenue anymore.
BTW Coldie? You can ban me if I have another whinge on this subject. I’m aware it’s pathetic but I had to get it out.
The_Stranger, back to Harleys…
Here’s our bike.
I’ll be joining you lot soon - I’ve passed my theory test and CBT (that will mean something to the Brits, honest) and have just got the DAS to go. In English that means I can ride 125cc bikes, but not the big boys yet.
Looking at a Bandit 600 once I finally get around to it!
I knew there were a lot of Dopebikers…
So many cool bikes to drool over!
Has anyone ever thought about a Dopebikefest?
The logistics would be tough, but maybe we could do simultaneous, multi-continent Dopebikefests to compensate for our many disparate geographic locations?
Gest, no worries, a ban is not imminent.
Australia sounds a lot like Holland, in terms of the speed cams and fines. But forward license plates? That’s just wrong! That’ll totally take away the fun of waving at the rear-facing cameras as you dash towards them at 140 km/h.
Got another speeding ticket in the mail yesterday - 137 km/h where 120 is the limit. Uncrowded highway, late Saturday afternoon. Feh. I was by car, though, which doubles the chances of getting caught. Actually, I’ve only had one speeding ticket in the 3 years I’ve been riding, and I’m almost always over the limit at least a bit. Not because I’m such an antisocial bastard, but because I consider it safer to travel faster than the rest of traffic: keeps the danger in front of you, where you can see it. “Easing off” on a motorbike is stressful as hell, IMHO.
The_Stranger: a motorbike dopefest? Sure, it’s been done, in a very local way. I’ve done a day of riding with Spiny Norman and Johnny LA in and around the Malibu Canyons, for example. Beautiful area! Too bad I was riding a rented Harley - no offense, but they’re not made for cornering swiftly. Which is exactly what one wants in those Canyons. It sounded effing great, though. 
Coldfire- I had the pleasure of meeting Spiny Norman at a SoCal dopefest in San Diego… Listening to you expound on the pleasures of Canyon riding makes me want to get a bike made for those curves- perhaps in a year or two, as a second machine! However, I live relatively close to a well known, (locally at least), mountain highway, The Ortega Highway and, unfortunately, there are too many news reports of riders fatally dumping their bikes on this road…which reminds me why I am getting a “cruiser”; it’s the whole “throttle issue” that I have! =Grin=
Wow, that DOES look great!
Yeah, riding has its risks, but a lot of riding incidents are onsided. The 23 year old on the proverbial R1, so to speak. For us more mature lads, we know it’s not all about being fast ALL the time - there’s a time to just cruise and enjoy as well. Cruise a little swiftly, preferably, but still.
As a doddery thirty year old, I’d agree. Give me sweepers and twisties (which can be an exhilarating challenge even under the limit) any day now. The_Stranger’s link looks like just the ticket.
One of my favorite rides local to the Bay Area (and the one I took last weekend while Mrs. “you’re going to kill yourself on that thing” Dooku was out of town):
The Oakville Grade. Across the Golden Gate Bridge, up through Sonoma and then an incredibly twisty moutain road that dumps you out in Napa. The map doesn’t even do it justice.
Niiiiiiiice. Wow, it must be cool having all those mountains nearby!
Good thing my wife likes motorbikes.
Your wife likes the bike!!?
Wow, did you ever do good, Coldfire!