Socially distant …

Okay, so we’re moving towards media-driven suggestions that lockdown is up for a staged relaxation – never mind what happened a hundred years ago when a second wave hit after months not days or weeks of the original spike, or what may or may not be happening in Spain now – but here is an idea.

Don’t just relax the lockdown on motorcycles, make their use compulsory for anyone who has a road legal one, because:

• we’re wearing some sort of PPE already, and not the kind that reduces availability for front line health services
• even those of us who are not anti-social by nature are already physically socially distant by definition: we’re not the Red Arrows.
  • solo seats could be encouraged
  • nobody but two people from the same household would ever wear matching leathers
  • the rest of us can take our chances with a roadside check
• smaller fuel tanks mean we have to refuel more frequently:
  • even this Indian Chief Vintage, and most tourers have little more than 200 miles in a tank
  • it supports the wider economy … well, the wider fuel station network
• but more importantly than that:
  • the roads are empty
  • the weather is brilliant
  • petrol hasn’t been this cheap in years
  • those riders who want to get out – and even some that don’t – are living with people who desperately need them to go out … before they kill them!

We promise that we won’t talk to anyone when we’re out – especially if you give us all bike-to-bike intercoms, and there are some stunning models out there now.

And we will observe strict social distancing at places where bikes might congregate, like outside those food outlets that are managing to stay open – a further boost to the wider economy – especially if the other people there are riding the wrong bike.

You know it makes sense!