About these Trial bikes illegal or not

When I started a campaign to restore my local byways a few years ago which had been severely damaged beyond being usable, we worked with all legal users including the bikers (4 wheeled vehicles were illegal) and they joined us in the work. There is now a voluntary agreement on restricted use and even though I thought they would still damage the paths making them unsable again and I was wrong, once repaired the routes have held up and I have never had an issue when meeting any bikers while out hacking, they are always polite and helpful. I was all for getting them banned as the 4 wheeled vehicles have been, but so far that has not been needed and my hacking is fantastic again.
 
I had a similar, could have been nasty ,encounter with one of these bikes a couple of weeks ago. I did post on here but for anyone that didn't see it this is what happened:
We had been out on the three horses for about 45 mins and we were about 100 yards from the yard entrance when one of these bikes came round the corner making the most awful noise. The horses ( usually 100% in traffic) took fright and one shot forward. Instead of slowing down he continued to drive up our backside revving the bike. The 2 horses behind me took fright and all three bolted flat out up the road on the wrong side. The bike still kept coming and tried to overtake the galloping horses!!
There were people on the path shouting at him to stop but he still kept coming. I managed to pull my horse up and turn him to face they bike. Only then did he think to stop!!
The other two were still bolting up the road, they eventually stopped when three cars pulled across the road to block their path.
How no one was killed I will never know.
I was raging! I spoke to the bike rider with stern words and said it wasn't his fault. I told him otherwise and was pretty cross. This resulted in his parents arrving at the yard to have a go at me for shouting at the kid on the bike and making him cry- UNBELIEVABLE.
The police were called and said that the boy was in the right and we were in the wrong and that we had an axe to grind with the road users.
Luckily the horses have not been affected by it but it has def affected the riders.
 
charlie76 said:
I had a similar, could have been nasty ,encounter with one of these bikes a couple of weeks ago. I did post on here but for anyone that didn't see it this is what happened:
We had been out on the three horses for about 45 mins and we were about 100 yards from the yard entrance when one of these bikes came round the corner making the most awful noise. The horses ( usually 100% in traffic) took fright and one shot forward. Instead of slowing down he continued to drive up our backside revving the bike. The 2 horses behind me took fright and all three bolted flat out up the road on the wrong side. The bike still kept coming and tried to overtake the galloping horses!!
There were people on the path shouting at him to stop but he still kept coming. I managed to pull my horse up and turn him to face they bike. Only then did he think to stop!!
The other two were still bolting up the road, they eventually stopped when three cars pulled across the road to block their path.
How no one was killed I will never know.
I was raging! I spoke to the bike rider with stern words and said it wasn't his fault. I told him otherwise and was pretty cross. This resulted in his parents arrving at the yard to have a go at me for shouting at the kid on the bike and making him cry- UNBELIEVABLE.
The police were called and said that the boy was in the right and we were in the wrong and that we had an axe to grind with the road users.
Luckily the horses have not been affected by it but it has def affected the riders.
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I'm so sorry Charlie76, I can't believe this!! Just terrible, the stuff of nightmares (I had a few of my own last night). Is it possible this thread started becuase of my thread from yesterday? But I don't understand how the police could say the boy was in the right chasing galloping horses on his bike?!!! There are just no words, I do feel your anger and frustration :mad:
 
Yes I started this thread because of yesterdays posting, I didn't want to hijack the thread so I started a new one.

I find excessive "unnecessary" noise and lights a pox on society, I don't want to hear your boom box crap coming out of your OPEN car windows, I don't want to hear your poxy 20cc scooter 5 miles away, I don't want to hear your poxy little 20BHP cars exhaust either, or your chavvy undisciplined child screaming it's head off because of your poor parenting skills, I don't need blinding with your smegawatt headlights on your car, non of this is because I ride a horse, I don't need to hear it or be blinded at anytime.
 
charlie76 said:
I had a similar, could have been nasty ,encounter with one of these bikes a couple of weeks ago. I did post on here but for anyone that didn't see it this is what happened:
We had been out on the three horses for about 45 mins and we were about 100 yards from the yard entrance when one of these bikes came round the corner making the most awful noise. The horses ( usually 100% in traffic) took fright and one shot forward. Instead of slowing down he continued to drive up our backside revving the bike. The 2 horses behind me took fright and all three bolted flat out up the road on the wrong side. The bike still kept coming and tried to overtake the galloping horses!!
There were people on the path shouting at him to stop but he still kept coming. I managed to pull my horse up and turn him to face they bike. Only then did he think to stop!!
The other two were still bolting up the road, they eventually stopped when three cars pulled across the road to block their path.
How no one was killed I will never know.
I was raging! I spoke to the bike rider with stern words and said it wasn't his fault. I told him otherwise and was pretty cross. This resulted in his parents arrving at the yard to have a go at me for shouting at the kid on the bike and making him cry- UNBELIEVABLE.
The police were called and said that the boy was in the right and we were in the wrong and that we had an axe to grind with the road users.
Luckily the horses have not been affected by it but it has def affected the riders.
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Are you sure?? if the kid is how old ??? if he was riding on a public road or right of way without a licence or tax, insurance or registration he is totaly in the wrong in law... if he is totaly legal it stil is unlawfull to cause danger to other road users ..... But the main problem is scum are breeding and dont give a **** how there nasty little chav offspring behave.. I think it should be like dogs if they worry animals or cause nuisence then you should be able to shoot them LOL well it would be nice :D
 
I think the poster who wrote about Australia is right and also those who warn be careful what you wish for.

ie there is little issue with off road bike use if they are careful and the engine is switched off on encountering a horse and not switched on until they are well gone. And that campaigning to restrict historic legal rights of any minority user group of tracks and trails WILL end up at its logical conclusion ie walkers groups trying to restrict use solely to walkers. It is called the tyranny of the majority and those in unsuitable shoes who are allergic to mud dislike horse riders as much as motorcyclists. Like them, muddy places (through springs and poor drainage) get left with tyre and hoof marks and some dim walkers then ascribe the mud to the marks, without realising that the mud was there first....

Except where archaeologically important trackways are being ruined, I dont support restriction unless it is very clearly as a non motorised multi user track and not then being managed by a clique consisting of entirely walkers organisations. Just because some way down the line, the horses will be the next target

The sort of behaviour highlighted in some of these posts should result in a complaint to a senior police officer about the handling of the case - some of these amount to careless driving, initimdation, let alone the insurance issues. But thats a separate issue -we as horseriders with such limited access to off road routes should be concentrating on making more of them, not getting distracted with using our energy to restrict other users.
 
perfect11s said:
True and of course you never need to pick up and help anyone else ramblers, hackers, rock climbers, MTB riders etc they never have acidents with there hobby :D
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Actually no, they seem to have more brains.

There was one horse rider injured when one of the bikes tried to jump the track with a horse walking up it. I dont think the horse threw the rider, I think the bike actually knocked her off, cant be sure it was many years ago.
 
Ludoctro said:
So dirt bike riders now steal and race cars too..??? Oh OK then..!!!

Getting a little carried away with oneself now I think.
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Actually the ones I was talking about probably do, given the standard of parenting nothing would surprise me.

My point was that you cant always do the sport that you want if you dont have the money and facilities to do it. Enjoying it illegally as many of the bike riders do in my area doesn't make them much better than the ones who TWOC.
 
As a trail bike rider myself (probably do this more than horse riding at the moment due to not having one of my own anymore) i can say that my bike and my friends all have standard exhaust systems and are reasonably quiet. We stop for any Horse riders and turn the bikes off whether the Horses appear to be nervous or not.

My boyfriends bike is a two stroke (which is the type of bike i ride on the road) which means it has a different cycle to an engine in a car and also burns oil with the petrol. The noise is very different and is louder as the bike needs lots of revs to work properly. I have to say that off roading on motorcycles is quite frustrating at the moment as so may trails have been reclassified leaving us with very few places to ride legally. I personally have to travel almost 25 miles to reach my first trail but only 7 to my nearest bridle path!

And on a flip note i have met some very rude Horse riders who have ordered me off a track that they considered a bridle path but was infact a green lane, luckily i had the map to prove it. With attitudes like that you can see how bike riders get fed up with Horse riders just in the same way many people on here have said about motorcyclists.

Also if a motorcycle does not have a number plate it is illegal. Green lanes/byways are just roads so all road laws apply. I have to have a registered bike, display a numberplate, have tax and insurance.

True off road bikes (ie for motocross racing) will generally not be road registered and these bikes can be seized from the owners and crushed if used on the road/green lane/path not designated for motor use
 
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Any Public Right of Way is treated as a public Highway and anyone using it must be doing so lawfully.

Therefore a motorbike on a Byway (the only Public Right of Way they can legally use) must have a number plate, be fully insured, MOT's and have a valid road tax.

The bike must also have a legal exhaust and silensor fitted. The excessively noisy ones are illegal.

If you spot them off road on a public right of way and they are causing problems then report them to the police with a description of the bike and rider. (If they have a number plate then record this)

Many areas now have Rural police officers i the fight against rural crime.

Peter Natt BHS Access Officer - North Hertfordshire
 
I hate trial bikes and think they should be kept souly to private land/arenas and shows...even then, agreed they are loud and not a pleasant sound for anyone!

But,....in their defence, I have to say I came across the most pleasant group of trial bike riders today! I was out on my girly (only the 2nd time out on the roads) and 4 of these noisy monster came out of a track onto a verge,...my little girl froze and grew to about 18hh's!! Nostrils flaring etc,...anyway, the OH being there he stood near her for reasurance, the bikers obviously noticed this and each of the 4 turned off their bikes and stood still until we were able to pass. It made me feel all warm inside that some people are still respectful and understand that if a horse spooks, especially on a road, it can be fatal for both horse and rider. So, they are not all bad :)
 
I don't really understand the difference between this sort of bike and the normal ones, apart from these ones are louder, but both kinds seem to turn up on the roads round here. My horse is fairly unflappable, but even she gets spooked by the noise of the trail bikes. That said, my only problem with them and their riders is when they go past us at full speed. I don't expect them to crawl past me, but it would be nice if they didn't shoot past fast enough to give the both of us a heart attack!
 
I have the most traffic proof bomb proof road cob ever..shotguns/crow scarers/huge HGVs/police car sirens full blast.............no problem just keeps going....! Meet a scrambler mini bike etc on a bridleway(yes bridleway) was not fond at all. If they turn off and wait for me fine, but you know when you work in the city all week and go out for peace and quiet of countryside then hear blasted noisey bikes etc its worse than being on M1.

This weekend they were out. Really annoying but no police have reported etc given registrations for those with them..nothing. They even turn up mid day on sunday pop popping no police. I am actually married to a cop and its a common thing we often say in London you just do not see police walking anywhere. No presence, no reasurrances. You have me started now..undertaking on motorways is common...no police. This is where CCTV has taken over..again nothing. Whats the PCso going to do...call the police!! urgh.

If they are on restricted byways/bridleways they shouldnt be there. Illegal.The battle is getting anything done about it.
 
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