Letter published in the Daily Telegraph this morning. I have some sympathy for the writer, who's probably been there longer than the bikes. None of us have the right to make other people's lives a misery, but what to do? Ban bikes, render them all silent? Or just ban whiny inline fours and only allow thumpy twins which everyone likes... Sensible opinions please. The dreaded roar of motorbikes over the hill Hell on wheels? A group of bikers at Devil's Bridge near Kirkby Lonsdale, Westmorland SIR – I woke on Sunday morning and read for a while in bed to the intermittent drone, from over the hill, of high-speed motorbikes racing on the main road to the Devil’s Bridge near Kirkby Lonsdale. It was a sunny morning and we had breakfast with the french doors open, to the same accompaniment. At 11, we went to church, where the service was slightly marred by the drone of bikes half a mile away. I later went to deliver something to a house quite close to the Devil’s Bridge. We had to stop talking when a real monster roared up the main road, chased by a few more. After that, I picked some damsons in the farmyard below our house. The surrounding buildings screened the bike noise a bit, but once I was up the ladder I could hear it again. As I write this letter, the last stragglers are roaring home. We are a distance from the road – but, for many, it’s hellish. The police occasionally try to stop the bikers speeding, but the noise goes unchecked. Every area in Britain has one of these motorbike honeypots, but I am sure the scourge could be fixed if a law forced manufacturers to quell the racket. Some education advertisements might help; modern helmets are so quiet that the bikers may not know what a din they make. Nick Gillibrand Carnforth, Lancashire
Any meet that's near residential areas is just pretty damn inconsiderate if you ask me. There's plenty of places to go that are better suited and less likely to piss people off. It's also safer all round so it's a no brainer really.
Theres a few quaint villages in Essex that bikers go. I personally avoid them as I dont want to offend locals or tourists.
It's amusing to hear this but a few weeks ago I was talking to a motorcycle police officer who was having a brew at Devils Bridge and he was talking of a group who'd got together to complain about the speed and noise of bikes in and around Kirkby Lonsdale, particularly from there over to Hawes. The police took it on board and spent a weekend monitoring the road. The copper was laughing and said the first vehicle they heard coming like a nutter was a car, when they pulled it up it turned out to be the chap who was head of the group who was doing all the complaining. Not sure if it was the same person who wrote the letter but he was slightly red faced about it, oh and £60 poorer and awarded with 3 points.
Get down off your ladder, close your French doors and eat your damsons. Probably the village busy body with naff all else to do
some of the aftermarket pipes available aren't even useable on a racetrack let alone the road because they are too noisy. I don't mind a little noise but some of them short stubby things are unbearable. the most annoying tho are those f'ing 4stroke 125's with an aftermarket can. All noise and no go....at least 2stroke 125's were fun.
TZR 125's - that's a blast from the memory banks. I often think it would be nice to go and buy a couple of my old bikes again - until I look at the price of a clean NC30.
Arnt these people the types that have got tracks checking noise levels? A lot of which I would suggest moved to a area that had an existing track, then started to bitch about the noise once they moved there.
That's pretty much my approach. I always obey speed limits in residential areas and try to avoid making excessive noise near people's houses. I was riding through Sparkford, near the motor museum recently, right in the middle of the village, 30 mph limit, gardens down to the roadside kids around, people walking to the shop etc. I was doing 30. A Z1000 came into view and as soon as he saw me he hoisted a massive wheelie and tore through the village at about 60 mph on the back wheel. It was quite a good wheelie, he crossed it up as well, but the bloke was a cock. Half a mile on there's a main road with a 60 limit and no houses. He should have done his hooning there. I've seen wheelies before, I don't need a demonstration and the people of that village now probably hate bikes. We don't need more enemies. My Streetfighter is very loud. But provided I ride it through residential areas considerately and don't go out of my way to make a racket, I've never yet received a black look from anyone. Quite the opposite. Glances usually appear appreciative. Rider behaviour is as important as volume.
I bet we wound up a few people in the middle of a large Essex estate when we tested our outfits on the road in the 90s.......no track noise regs then IIRC.
I have a good deal of sympathy with folk who suffer from the noise of a church clock striking the hours all night long, or who are woken by cockerels crowing at 5am, or who can hear a noisy motorway 24 hours a day, or even the continuous whirring of wind turbines. Those kinds of problems genuinely interfere with life and sleep. Motorbikes for a few hours during the day, on fine summer Sundays only - no, very little sympathy from me for Mr Telegraph-whinger. He desires to deprive hundreds of other people of their pleasure just to suit his wishes. Maybe he does things which annoy a lot of other people too, but he is hardly going to mention this in his letter.
Live and let live. My bike is very noisy and when I park in our village no one complains because they like to see people enjoying themselves. I never complain when people let their dogs bark, or crap in public places. I never complain when the farmer has his noisy tractor in the field. I never complain when they have a street party in the village up the road and make loud music etc. If that bloke does not like people using legal motorbikes on a public road then he should move to the Falklands.
I agree with live and let live, but always tempered with a little consideration for others. If we all do that life seems to run a little smoother. In a rights-obsessed society we're increasingly unwilling to imagine ourselves in someone else's shoes. It never hurts to try and see both sides. And of course that applies as much to the letter writer as anyone else.
Also the type that would hate to see Greenlaners have fun. This person didn't consider others when writing the letter, it was all me, my life, my breakfast. I wonder if he took the trouble to actually go down and meet them for a chat, would he change his opinion. Better than climbing up a bloody ladder to hear them.
Quick google, there's a feckin snack van at the bridge. Being a tourist attraction, is he happy with cars parked and driving through.
Popular place Devil's Bridge. Tombstoning death in notorious Devil's Bridge Kirkby Lonsdale, Cumbria: Thrill-seeking victim is 22, from Manchester - Mirror Online Might have to pay a visit myself. Hopefully without offending anyone or drowning.
Someone needs to tell these guys that they arnt 'welcome' Devil's Bridge, Kirby Lonsdale (A65) - Cumbria - BikersAreWelcome.Com
The butty vans been there for donkeys years and the car park at weekends and bank holidays is for bikes only, park your car there and you'll get a ticket. The bikes bring trade to the area, especially the butty van!
Bit far away for a trip this weekend... Pity. The SDR has the full Akra system and sounds lovely. Mr Gillibrand would like it.
