9 minute read
Chatter
S TA R L E T T E R
WARNING – TALL LOAD!
My little sv650s got a lot of attention at the TT this year. Don’t know why?
Martin F
FB: Hey Martin, if I had to guess why anyone would be drawn to your bike, it must have been the bright pink Pringles can. All jokes aside, with that much camping equipment you must have had a great time on the Isle of Man. Good thing the SV isn’t too powerful or you would have been doing wheelies everywhere. We hope to hear back about any more crazy ideas you have on future adventures.
You can win a Weise Redwood Shirt
for simply writing the Fast Bikes Star Letter.
This classic checked shirt has an abrasion-resistant aramid lining, with CE-armour at elbow, shoulder and back to keep you safe. It’s fastened with a zipper to keep it securely closed while you ride. Find out more at www.weiseclothing.com
WORTH£139.99!
STARTING ‘EM YOUNG
Hi, thought I’d send you a picture of my granddaughter getting her first taste of biking. She’s only eight months old, being held by my son.
Clifton Scoones
FB: Hi Clifton. Well, you know what they say... start ‘em young. If she can handle a Fireblade at eight months then she’s well on track towards being the next GP star! Thank you for getting in touch, and best of luck to your little future star.
INDULGING IN SOME SUNMORI TIME...
Hi Fast Bikes team, just want to say hello from Jakarta in Indonesia. Here is my Yamaha MT-25. The photos were taken during what Indonesians call ‘sunmori’, which is short for Sunday morning ride… the latest culture that has grown significantly since the pandemic. SU B SCRIBE See page 8 for the best deals Thank you lots and stay safe, FB team. Adrian S FB: Hey Adrian, it’s great to see that bike culture is not only thriving in the UK but also in other countries... we certainly love a Sunday morning
ride too. There’s nothing more human than wanting to go out after being cooped up for so long during the pandemic. We’d love to hear more about the biking culture in Indonesia. Thanks for getting in touch.
NO LIMITS TRACKDAYS
ANDALUCÍA
CIRCUIT
Treat yourself to some fast-paced ‘me’ time this winter at Andalucía circuit in southern Spain, with accommodation and bike transportation included. This 5km rollercoaster features no less than 17 corners and more elevation changes than you can shake a stick at, with a kilometre-long back-straight for good measure. Better still, it’s located in one of the driest and sunniest parts of Europe… just in case you were needing any more persuasion. With several dates to choose from, head to www. nolimitstrackdays.com for more information.
What’s included in the package…
6 x 20-minute sessions each day Accommodation based on a twin-share basis Bike transportation, with use of stillages to move your bike
Free instruction
Full tyre support (fees apply)
Parts service
Garages available
Free tea and coffee throughout the event
Dates and prices
October 26-28: £509 – three days on track, lower-middle/middle-advanced/advanced November 14-17: £589 – four days, lower-middle/middle-advanced/advanced December 14-16: £509 – three days, lower-middle/middle/advanced
GAVIN GREWAL
PENAL SERVITUDE PREVENTER
The Fast Bikes Legal Clinic is compiled by Gavin Grewal and his bike-riding barristers and solicitors at White Dalton Motorcycle Solicitors.
They deal with personal injury claims and their sister company, Motor Defence Team, deals with all the motoring offences. They know everything about bike law. Gavin can usually be found in a court room or racing his Kawasaki around a racetrack. All the White Dalton lawyers are qualified barristers, or solicitors, or both – and they all have full bike licences, too. They don’t act for insurance companies or the prosecution. They are Britain’s most specialist law practice and if they don’t know the answer to your question, there probably isn’t one. Don’t rely on the advice from your insurance appointed solicitor – get proper, independent advice.
For road traffic offences call Motor Defence Team
0800 280 0912
For non-offence cases call White Dalton Motorcycle
Solicitors 0800 783 6191
Visit their websites whitedalton.co.uk
www.motordefencesoliticors.co.uk
If you’ve been a naughty biker, you need some decent legal advice. Get it from mail@whitedalton.co.uk
A TRACKDAY MESS!
Where do you stand if someone wipes you out on a trackday?
QI booked a trackday with a well-known provider at a famous track. I was out on my Fireblade when a rider ploughed into the back of me. My bike was smashed to bits and I bust my arm. I reckon my Blade will need £10,000 thrown at it to get it back to its former glory. My arm is in a sling and the doctors have told me just to rest. I don’t need an operation and should be back to work in three weeks. My leathers are ruined.
The other rider said I braked in a silly place and thinks I am to blame. He doesn’t have trackday insurance and has basically told me to f-off.
I have tried to claim via the trackday provider but they told me I cannot as I signed a disclaimer.
What can I do?
AYou can claim and I think you will win, against the rider but not the trackday provider. The trackday provider doesn’t appear to have done anything wrong. It provided a safety briefing, did a sighting lap with all the riders, and ensured that all riders signed the disclaimer. I don’t actually think the disclaimer is really relevant, as they cannot disclaim liability for harm caused by their negligence. I don’t think there is any negligence on their part. The rider is a different kettle of fish. There is always a level of risk associated with trackdays. A judge will understand this and there is a duty of care owed to other riders on your trackday.
You all agreed to ride fast, enjoy the trackday, and accept there was a level of risk in falling off. What you didn’t agree to was to be hit up the chuff by another rider riding like a lunatic. Therein lies your potential claim.
If you can persuade the court that the other rider has breached his duty of care, then you will likely be successful in suing the rider for your damaged bike, kit, and injuries. If not, you will lose, but you have the benefit of something called QOCS... I am not making this up! It stands for Qualified One-Way Costs Shifting and the general idea is that you can sue someone even if you lose, and you don’t have to pay their legal costs incurred in defending the action. Yes, this is a real thing but it only applies to claims which include personal injury. If the other rider doesn’t have trackday insurance then there is no insurer to claim from. This means you will be seeking your compensation from the rider himself, so unless he has a house, a good job, or assets to sell, you might win at court but never see any money.
This is a good lesson for all of us trackday enthusiasts. Insure yourself or ride well within your limits. If you don’t, you are potentially gambling your assets/ house. I say potentially, as not every incident on a track is going to open up a claim against another rider. Accidents can and do happen on track; yours is so clear-cut that I take the view you will win in a claim in negligence, but other types of incidents are unlikely to. Don’t think the floodgates have opened for claims in every case. They really haven’t.
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Email: letters@fastbikes.co.uk
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On sale September 6, 2022
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