Poison rally takes a life

[Harry Potter]

The annual poison rally was held this weekend at Rustenburg Kloof. I went out for my Saturday morning ride and on my way back home 07H00 the bikers were already up and on their back wheels, I have never seen so many riders on their bikes without helmets, one of the bikers passed me on his back wheel without his helmet. I was shocked to see that they just don’t care and that the organizers did nothing regarding the situation

 

Saturday ended on an extremely sad note. One of the bikers and his Girl popped a wheelie (Both without helmets) and fell. The bike hit a woman and her boy (both spectators). The sad news is that the woman died and the boy is in a critical condition in hospital. The lady apparently has a daughter as well.

 

What do you hubbers have to say??

[Mojoman]

Sad news, I heard yesterday when I went out for a beer in town. I have only been to the Paradise Rally, way back in 2001, was my first and only rally. Even then the set up was probabaly much the same. They will close off a street and the bikers will do whatever, wheeliess, donuts, stoppies, burnouts etc all day! People line the streets and watch and, as with any motorsport event, you take your chances on the sidelines.

Edited December 6, 2010 by Mojoman

[Wannabe]

Used to hate it when there is a Rally on at the Kloof. Stayed close by, could hear the music almost 24/7, the whole weekend. The bikes dice up and down the N4, making a racket 24/7. Some guys revved the bikes up to the limiter and let it backfire. Some sounded like machine guns. A DAMN NOISY BUNCH.

But during the week they are respected, professional people (well most of them). It's only at these Rallies that they "hak uit"

 

There normaly is a few serious injuries at any rally, and unfortunately also fatalities. As they say, "Brandewyn het nie brieke nie, Rum het nie remme nie"

 

So glad I missed the chaos this year.

 

Condolences to the Ladies family.

Edited December 6, 2010 by Wannabe

[GrumpyOldGuy]

Yeah, rallies are generally seen by many (not all, but many) as just an excuse to get plastered and ride in contravention of all traffic rules without any consequences.

 

I used to attend a few of the mass rallies in the distant past but dont do it any more, largely for those very reasons, alcohol, ego and powerfull motorbikes dont make for a good combination, and its very unusual to have a rally without any serious crashes, injuries or even deaths.

 

I dont mind people riding without helmets though, it thins out the gene pool, and sooner or later a better strain will emerge.

[pastapouch]

We cycled out to Magaliesburg for coffee and there were many bikes. Can't understand the hooligan behaviour.

[scotty]

Happens far too often at these rally's, but guess what at the next one some bikers will do exactly the same thing, if the they try instill some dicipline they tell them to sod off as they believe they are Evil Keniviel and nothing can touch them.

[Harry Potter]

Sad news, I heard yesterday when I went out for a beer in town. I have only been to the Paradise Rally, way back in 2001, was my first and only rally. Even then the set up was probabaly much the same. They will close off a street and the bikers will do whatever, wheeliess, donuts, stoppies, burnouts etc all day! People line the streets and watch and, as with any motorsport event, you take your chances on the sidelines.

True but so sad

[slowpoke]

condolences to the lady's family. this is why i prefer to not attend rallies - too much alcohol, too many little boys with big toys trying to proove themselves, etc.

[Harry Potter]

It will be a sad Christmas for that family

 

Condolences

[DITSEM]

Not just one or two lives but as far as we could establish 24 rally related deaths over the weekend. This includes three bikers within as many hours early Saturday morning.

 

I know the biker community sees this as a kind of collateral damage but it is sad to hear of a mother, baby girl and a 10 year old boy all from the same family, dead. I am lead to believe that these people weren't even involved with the rally, innocent bystanders.

 

Bikers want other road users to respect them and look out for them but how can we if they behave like this?

[WBC Bikers Helpline]

I am a biker and have a Biking Helpline. It is very sad that this happend, I for one do blame the organizers as they did not have their safety factors in place. Bikers riding without helmets is just plain stupid. As far as I am concerned a rally as large as this should have had better organization as well as the correct emergency back up, which they did not. I think it is all about money now for them.

 

Not just one or two lives but as far as we could establish 24 rally related deaths over the weekend. This includes three bikers within as many hours early Saturday morning.

 

I know the biker community sees this as a kind of collateral damage but it is sad to hear of a mother, baby girl and a 10 year old boy all from the same family, dead. I am lead to believe that these people weren't even involved with the rally, innocent bystanders.

 

Bikers want other road users to respect them and look out for them but how can we if they behave like this?

[Guest Big H]

I always thought it was the helmet that shuts a bikers brain down. It must be the @ss. Same with cyclists.