Drivers, motorcyclists urged to upskill and 'look out for each other' after four deaths in 15 days

Red Knights Northland ride captain Patrick Scelly on his Honda Blackbird CBR1100XX: "Ride like nobody's seen you". Photo / supplied

Drivers are being urged to keep an eye out for the growing number of motorbikes on the road after four riders died in a tragic 15 days on Northland roads.

And motorcyclists — especially those buying big bikes for the first time — are urged to make sure they have the skills to handle their machines by signing up to a subsidised riding refresher course.

The advice comes after the deaths of four motorcyclists between April 1 and 15 at Tutukaka, Te Kao, Herekino and Ruakākā.

By contrast no motorcyclists died on Northland roads last year, four in all of 2019, two in 2018 and one in 2017.

While there is no single common thread linking the deaths there are still lessons to be learned.

Two involved riders losing control of large bikes arguably unsuited to Northland roads while one rider was hit by a motorist who failed to see him.

Speed, alcohol and/or drugs may have been factors in one crash but that investigation is still under way.

Keen rider Patrick Scelly, of Paihia, said the single best thing motorcyclists could do to protect themselves was to take part in an ACC Ride Forever course.

The courses were especially valuable for riders getting back on a bike for the first time since their youth.

The number of motorcyclists on Northland roads had increased sharply in recent years with many of them middle-aged men who had given up riding when they had children.

Now their kids had left home and they had cash to spare they were buying big bikes, but their skills hadn't necessarily kept up.

''Some of these guys haven't ridden a bike for years. You need to re-familiarise yourself, upskill and get ride-fit,'' he said.

The Ride Forever courses were ''brilliant'' and came with a cashback on bike registration fees.

He had completed the silver and gold-level refresher courses when he switched from a sports tourer to his current Honda VTX1300.

Scelly is the ride captain for the Northland chapter of the Red Knights, a motorcycle club for firefighters which promotes camaraderie and safety.

Scelly also recommended taking part in track days, organised by bike clubs and dealers, where riders could learn about a bike's handling on a race track without having to worry about oncoming traffic.

His key advice to riders was the same as he was given when he was a new rider.

''Treat every car like it hasn't seen you, and they're out to get you. If you have that mindset you'll be prepared for the unexpected.''

A serious crash on Kawakawa's Three Bridges in 2016 which involved two Harley-Davidson motorcycles and a Corvette. Photo / Peter de Graaf

RoadSafe Northland programme manager Ashley Johnston said Ride Forever had been shown to reduce riders' chances of being in a crash by 25 per cent.

The ACC initiative offered courses pitched at four levels — urban, new, experienced and elite — and cost $20-$50. The courses were held in Whangārei and Kerikeri but other locations could be added if there was enough demand.

''You learn more skills and get a better understanding of your bike's capabilities,'' she said.

The increasing number of bikes being sold was possibly Covid-related, she said. The theory is that people unable to spend their disposable income on travel are instead buying big-ticket, wishlist items such as bikes.

Johnston said even one road death was too many so the 14 so far this year, including four motorcyclists, was a tragedy.

''We need to be aware that we share the road with each other. We need to look after each other and make sure we all get home safely,'' Johnston said.

Reports of increased bike sales are backed up by NZ Transport Agency data which show the number of motorcycles registered in Northland jumped from 5471 to 5844 — an increase of 7 per cent — in the year to April 28.

While the number of cars In Northland is much higher — currently just under 125,000 — the increase over the same period was a more modest 2.6 per cent.

This motorbike crash near Kāeo in 2020 started a fire which threatened several homes. Photo / Peter de Graaf

The first of the recent spate of crashes, on Matapōuri Rd at Tutukaka on April 1, involved a 23-year-old motorcyclist and a truck.

That investigation is ongoing with police calling for witnesses who saw two motorbikes, one green and the other white, in the Tutukaka area before the crash.

Crash analyst Warren Bunn, of the police Serious Crash Unit, said the next two crashes, at Te Kao on April 4 and Herekino on April 11, involved mature riders on big bikes where rider error was the likely cause.

In the April 15 crash at Ruakākā the rider was not at fault but simply ''in the wrong place at the wrong time''.

''He was riding with a group of mates, not doing anything crazy. The driver didn't see him.''

In some crashes the size and type of bike could be a factor.

''We have guys riding bigger bikes now, some may be new to bikes, and some have cash to buy new bikes and choose the biggest,'' he said.

''Back in the day 650 or 750cc bikes were as big as you could get, but now you've got the big Honda and Harley cruisers going up to 1700cc. Riders should look at what kind of bike they need as opposed to what they want.''

Far North Deputy Mayor Ann Court with her 900cc Triumph Bonneville T100. Photo / Peter de Graaf

Far North Deputy Mayor Ann Court, who rides a 900cc Triumph, had also noticed the trend of Northlanders buying bigger bikes as they returned to riding later in life.

Some of those bikes, however, like the big Harley-Davidsons, were designed for cruising on long straights rather than Northland's twisting roads.

Court said she had parked up her bike since January due to a broken hand but when she did ride she was ''like a nana''.

Her caution came from being in a car crash and hearing ''too many tales of woe'' through her membership of the Regional Land Transport Committee.

Everyone had a part to play in reducing crashes involving motorbikes, she said.

Drivers needed to be more vigilant and riders needed to make themselves more visible, for example by wearing brightly coloured helmets or adding reflective tape.

Court wears a pink motorcycle jacket both for greater visibility and because she believed it altered motorists' attitude towards her as a rider.

The right protective gear was also important, she said.

''It's crazy how many riders you see in T-shirts and jandals,'' she said.

■ Got to www.rideforever.co.nz to find out about motorcycle skills courses.