An Experience for Everyone - Time to Just Do It

Ask yourself a question - Would I ever ride a motorcycle? Or - Have I ever been interested in motorcycle? Or Are motorcycles safe? For the average person the answer to the first two questions is No, and to the third is Yes.

These are the people who are the mainstay of our Harley Rides clientele. 99% of all the people we take out for a Harley Ride as a passenger on the back of our Harley Davidson motorcycles fits the above description. The majority of the people we take out for a ride, are people who have had their ride booked by a friend or family member as a surprise for their birthday, anniversary or some other similar occasion.

Many people will quite happily organise a ride for someone else and not take the experience themselves. Why? Because they have quite a few pre-concieced ideas, which during a Harley Ride are quickly dispelled. You see, the truth is the is experience is far different from the expected and its very safe. Don't believe me? Then you are the person who should Just Do IT.

Post by Harley Rides in Melbourne.

Post by Harley Rides in Melbourne.

Post by Harley Rides in Melbourne.

Compulsory Hi Viz Dangerous for Learner Riders

Today, the Law in Victoria came into force that makes it compulsory that all Learner Motorcycle Riders must wear a High Visibility vest.

Today, Car Drivers can no longer use the excuse Sorry Mate I Didn't See You if they hit a Learner Motorcycle Rider.

Today, the level of Driver Responsibility just went up a notch.

Will it change anything? In the experience of the author, who has clocked up over 1 Million Kms riding a motorcycle, who has tried the HiViz Clothing approach, I doubt that it will make any difference. Being seen on a motorcycle demands that one do far more than just look bright. In fact, in my experience - that can make things worse.

Compulsory high visibility (Hi-Viz) clothing for Learner Motorcycle Riders may result in more rider road fatalities. In fact, I would go even further and say that it will increase the risk for Learner Motorcycle Riders.

That’s an outlandish claim, I hear you say? But, Hi-Viz must be a great idea because it makes motorcycles more visible as the Victorian Government claims. Well, based on my experience over 40 years and some 1 million kms on a motorcycle I know that they are wrong. What’s worse is the truth that Hi-Viz has its down side and is not the savior non-motorcycle riders believe it to be.

Before I disclose the reasoning behind by hypothesis, let me explain the important elements, which have been overlooked by the people who came up with what I can only describe as a “Thought Bubble” which is not backed by any quantitative science.

The starting point in this debate is that motorcycle manufacturers chose, voluntarily, to hard wire headlights-on into all motorcycles manufactured kin the modern era (post 1980). But, even with my motorcycle’s headlight on car drivers frequently fail to see me. This fact is supported by the science and an analysis of the motorcycle road toll.

There are many occasions when wearing Hi-viz just won’t work, is of little use and does not make a rider more visible. Let’s examine these:

1.    Approaching Head On. Given that my motorcycle headlight is already on, both in the daytime and at night, wearing additional Hi-viz makes no difference. When viewed against the setting sun, or against a bright background it guarantees that a rider will not be seen.

2.    At a Distance. A moving motorcycle approaching at a distance will appear like a very small dot. Even if it is bright its approach speed and distance from the observer is difficult to get right. Most car drivers overestimate the distance between them and an approaching motorcycle. So, even if they have seen the motorcycle, Hi-viz won’t help here.

3.    Driver Blind Spots. Car drivers have at least six distinct blind spots, into which small objects like motorcycles become obscured. In heavy traffic, even a brightly coloured object is even harder to see as it blends in with other brightly coloured cars, or as it becomes hidden by other larger objects. Again, Hi-viz doesn’t help here.

4.    Approaching from Behind. All motorcycles, with their hard wired headlights-on, have an illuminated brake light. Again, this should be enough to negate the benefit of Hi-viz. Car drivers get the distance wrong when approaching a single point illuminated object. In my experience, I have learnt that car drivers are looking for familiar objects like other cars. Throw a small object into the mix and their brain always gets it wrong. Again, Hi-viz won’t help here.

The science behind why the human brain does and does not see things is something well understood by Illusion Artists. People look, but their brains fill in the gaps and the result is that some detail gets left out. Our peripheral vision (that outside the central point of our direct line of sight) is low definition. Our brain up scales this low resolution to give us the impression that everything is in focus by adding things it predicts should be there. Much of what we think we see is not 100% correct. More likely it’s far less than we believe. Thus in a split second – our brain can cause us to get it all wrong – horribly wrong. This is something that Hi-viz won’t help and on some occasions will make worse. How can I prove that? I have experienced it hundreds if not thousands of times over the last 40 years.

False Sense of Security. Compulsory Hi-viz supports the false hypothesis that a motorcycle rider will always be seen. It sends the wrong message to the most vulnerable – Learner Motorcycle Riders. By telling Learner Riders that they must wear Hi-viz, the Victorian Government is telling them that this is something that will guarantee their safety. “The Government supports it, they must be right,” is the view they will form. For those who do fall for this trap and therefore expect Hi-viz to keep them safe, the risk of being involved in an accident will increase.

Voluntary or Compulsory? I am not anti Hi-viz per se. Hi-viz is something that must be understood by the wearer. A Learner Rider is not the best start point for Hi-viz. The decision to wear Hi-viz should only ever be voluntary. I know many experienced riders who wear Hi-vz. But they also have a thorough understanding of the factors I have outlined and incorporate it into their overall safety regime. I choose not to wear Hi-viz, and therefore adapt my own riding techniques and habits to reduce the risk of my not being seen by car drivers.

Education of both Car Drivers and Motorcycle Riders as to how their brains interpret what they see is far superior to any move to forcing any motorcycle rider to wear Hi-viz.

Uber - Illegal Operators are Against the Law

Update

Motorcycle riders acting as marshals at an Ironman Competition being held on 16th November face heavy fines if they accept the payment being offered by Event Organisers who are desperate to fill 20 Marshall positions for the event.

Riders are being offered payment of $110, Fuel Vouchers and lunch.

The Victorian Taxi Commissioner has stated that he frowns on similar activity, when addressing the legal framework surrounding organisations like Uber and drivers who provide their services in return for Fee for Service.

There nonetheless remain some serious issues surrounding such services. In Victoria, the driver of a commercial passenger vehicle must be accredited with the Taxi Services Commission, “primarily so we can check drivers against police records” according to Samuel.

“Our focus is on safety and security”, he says, adding that if an Uber vehicle is not properly registered, it is “almost certainly not insured”.

There is also the problem that the licence fee for a commercial passenger hire vehicle is fixed at $40,000 on the statute books. Samuel says he is open to discussing how this issue can be dealt with, highlighting the importance of cooperation between the regulator and companies. 

“There is an important need to protect the safety of passengers and drivers, and whilst Uber and other newcomers have massive commercial incentives to address safety themselves, strong safety regulation is still a requirement.

Motorcycles and the provision of the type of service being sought by the Ironman Event organisers (the roles vary from pillioning photographers and cameramen to leading the first rider in, to carrying officials for scrutineering for drafting) are the domain of the Taxi Services Commissioner.

The regulations covering Commercial Motorcycles include an Annual Licence Fee, Criminal History checks, Rider Pillion Experience (a rider must have a continuous 5 years riding history) and Public Liability cover.

HD Chauffeur Ride Pty Ltd has in the past provided services of the nature required by the Ironman Event organisers, and regularly performs similar work for Tourism Victoria. We question the Pillion carrying experience of the people being recruited. This is a major safety issue that is being overlooked here.

I wrote to Neil Mitchell at 3AW this week to bring his attention to the Legal problems that associated with the Uber phenomenon. Here is how I explained the way it effects the Harley Rides Industry, and the can of worms that the Taxi Services Commissioner faces:

Dear Neil,

Your attention is drawn to the lack of Public Knowledge surrounding Fee for Service operations, and the validity of the Commercial Fees that I and other like commercial operators pay to government agencies like the Taxi Services Commision (TSC). The emergence of Uber and services like it have been around for many years and there is an underlying issue that needs to be exposed.

I have uncovered what I believe is a conflict which could embarrass the TSC in relation to their inability to enforce and regulate operators charging Fee for Service vehicle transport operations. In addition, I have uncovered further evidence which incriminates several Melbourne Major Events, who appear to be breaking the law in relation to the employment of non-licenced operators charging Fee for Service.

All Fee for Service operations are regulated by law in Victoria. In order to accept any form of payment, an operator must only use a vehicle that is properly licenced (requiring the payment of a specific licence fee for that type of vehicle) and the driver must hold the appropriate commercial accreditation (ie for taxis a Drivers Certificate). Uber White and others like it fail to meet any of the above. The emergence of  Uber stands to make a mockery of the TSC, as leads the public to believe that it is OK to pay anyone for service. There are many categories affected for which the public is ignorant of the requirement of Victorian Law.

Widespread abuse of the Fee for Service Law became known to me late last year, which became apparent to me when I was employed to transport a video cameraman on my motorcycle at the Melbourne Marathon in 2014. On that day I discovered that there were a large number of motorcycles employed that day, for which none held the appropriate TSC Fee for Service Licence. Further detail is outlined in a  copy of a letter I wrote to Minister for Public Transport Terry Mulder (see attached and his response).

Further information has been made available to me that IronmanMelbourne has also been employing motorcycle riders for many years. The information I have is that their source originates from a Ulysses Club on the Mornington Peninsula. I spoke to them today and they confirmed that they do employ riders, and they had no knowledge of any commercial licence requirement for riders. I have also spoken to Bicycle Network Victoria and they advise that they use motorcycle riders, but only re-imburse for fuel costs and that support is voluntary and I have no concern with that. 

My questions are:

a. Do the public understand that by engaging someone without the appropriate commercial licence, that they may be breaking the law? How widespread is this practice?

b. Why should I continue to pay the TSC a licence fee when there are others being employed (who do not hold the same commercial licence) to supply something for which I, as a legitimate operator, could have otherwise supplied? I have rigidly remained within the law for the duration of the time I have been conducting fee for service operations. There have been many occasions on which I have lost bookings because I refused to employ non commercial licenced bikes and riders because there a only a limited number of commercial licenced riders( the way I conduct booking for large groups is limited by the numbers of legal riders - but that is an entire other saga).

c. If the TSC welcomes competition, then does this therefore not demonstrate that the TSC should be scrapped? I have paid them a lot of money over the last 15 years and don't think I get any value for  money. Are they not required to protect me from illegal operators?

Our latest YouTube Harley Ride Videos

We are the only Harley Ride company who regularly produces videos of our customers. It makes us feel proud to be able to showcase ourselves this way and share the happy smiles and looks of excitement that appear on all the faces of the many people we take out for rides.

Here are our latest ones:

We now Produce a Video for most of our customers.

Recording the joyful looks on the faces of our customers has become much easier over the last few years, with the advent of modern technology. And, we can proudly say that we are the only Harley Ride company in Melbourne who provide this service.

Only, this past weekend we filmed three girls we took out for a sidecar ride.

The previous Friday it was a group from Singapore - here for the Longest Lunch - sponsored by Tourism Australia.

And the previous weekend it was another person we took for a ride down the Great Ocean Road to the 12 Apostles.

And one more when we took two out for a ride around the City.

Yes, we now have a large collection of videos, and will be adding another to the collection this coming Saturday when we take a 75 year old girl down the Great Ocean Road to Apollo Bay. She is ticking off things on her Bucket List.

The Best Way to See Melbourne

Just ask anyone how has come out for a ride with us. Its only after the ride that the lights come on. As you can see here by the reaction we got from Mike.

Not All Operators Are The Same Quality

Not all Harley Ride operators in Melbourne are the same and we take pride in being the trend setter in the industry. It may surprise people to know that our industry is very small, and that we all tend to work together. 

But, there is one the operator in the Melbourne Harley Ride Industry who has been used by us on one of our group rides in the past. BUT, that was in the past, I now no longer use him because he doesn't come up to the high standard my company has become known for. 

Only this past week he was involved in an accident that appears to have led to his motorcycle being written off. On a job he attended in December 2014 he was seen arriving with two dogs in his sidecar, which then remained in the sidecar while his passenger sat on the back of his bike for a group ride out to a local Yarra Valley winery. Recently one of our customers, who had been out on a ride with this other operator told us about a frightening experience they had with him, when the axle nut on his bikes rear wheel fell off, and they almost had a serious accident. Shen chose not to come out with him for her next ride. We were not surprised.......

There are a number of Internet Agents Sites for whom this other operator is a supplier. These site supply a wide range of adventure activities. It may interest anyone reading this to know that none of these agents do quality or safety checks on their product suppliers. 

Our business is about "making people happy". If I was in it for the money, then I certainly wouldn't be doing it. Motorcycles are my passion and sharing that experience with our customers is why I am in business. All the riders I use service and maintain their machines to the highest standards. Safety is the priority.

Examples of the type of Internet Agent sites are Red Balloon, Adrenalin and Experience Oz (this last company were the ones who used my Harley Ride images without my permission last year).

Here are some images from some of our recent rides, where we put a huge smile on their faces.

The standard that we apply   is that all the bikes we use are regularly maintained and serviced by Authorised Harley Davidson mechanics. The individual in question services his bike by himself and he is not a Harley Davidson qualified mechanic. Next time you are comparing products on the internet, ask yourself, "Does the low price equal quality?" You get what you pay for - if it is cheap then there is normally a very good reason why.

How Busy are you?

Its a question people often ask. The answer is."Well we could always be a lot busier." The reality is that we are nowhere near as busy as you would think, in fact it seems like many people are too scared to come out with us given all the Outlaw Bikie crime which is being reported in the media of late.

The truth is that all of the riders we use don't know any of these so call Outlaw Bikies and we only know as much as is reported in the press. To even be allowed to operate as a Harley Ride Tour operator requires that we be given approval, and the appropriate accredited registration for our bikes by the Victorian Taxi Commissioner. That means that each bike is issue with a special number plate (just like a Taxi) which means that that bike and its owner are allowed to transport a paying passenger.

Its imperative that when booking a Harley Ride that you ensure they they only employ riders with bikes which carry what we call the S Plate (each plate has an S on it followed by a three digit number - mine is S 393). This ensures that the rider has no criminal record and that their bike meets all the strict requirements aimed at your safety.

Its Valentine's Day soon and as at 2nd Feb 2014, we don't have any bookings in the diary yet. In the past this has been a massive day for us and before the GFC we were exceptionally busy. But, it seems that those days are long gone.

But, at the end of the day, as I always say, "If I was in this for the money, then I wouldn't be doing it." Read the reviews we get on Trip Advisor. It seems that all of the people who came out for a Harley Ride with us thoroughly enjoy the experience. 99% have never been on the back of a motorcycle before, few are Harley Davidson enthusiasts, and for the majority its a new experience.

So if you want to really see and experience Melbourne, then why not try a Harley Ride? Or help us to get a lot busier sharing this amazing experience that we believe should be on everyone's Bucket List.

The Best Way to See Melbourne

We frequently meet people who are visiting Melbourne, who choose to come out for a Harley Ride with us who after their ride realise that they made the right decision to come out for an hour or more with us. They come to the realisation that "its not about the motorcycle" - its about how much more they see, how much better it is compared to sitting in a tour bus, the freedom and un-restricted views.

Then the added bonus - the joy and thrill of the experience of being on a motorcycle. They suddenly realise that its nothing like they expected it to be. The suddenly realise that its very safe - yes very safe! Why? Because their rider is very experienced and takes motorcycle safety very seriously. Enough said.

Just watch these videos and you will get some idea of what we mean. Just last week we took a girl out for a ride, whose friend, visiting Melbourne with her, didn't come for a Harley Ride giving the excuse that "she didn't like motorcycles". Most of the people who we take out have never been near a motorcycle in their lives. Most hold those prejudices and its only when they spend an hour or more with us, that those prejudices quickly disappear. We tend to convert those people. Our biggest challenge is getting them to take the Harley Ride Experience in the first place. Our biggest enemy is the prevailing myths that surround the Motorcycle.

So, if you are reading this article, do us a big favour and spread the news. We would be a lot busier if only people understood that this is the Best Way to Experience Melbourne and all the areas in the near vicinity like the Dandenong Ranges, that Yarra Valley and the Great Ocean Road.

What is on Your Bucket List?

Here are a couple of ideas that we here at HD Chauffeur Ride Pty Ltd can help you achieve, if a ride on a Harley Davidson motorcycle is on your Bucket List.

Greatest Experience

If I had one choice to nominate my favourite ride, that choice would have to be the Great Ocean Road Tour Harley Ride. Its very difficult to explain if one hasn't taken the experience, but that is the one of my choice.

Watch this and you may begin to understand what I mean:

Beware of What You are Paying For

Would it surprise you that many of the product images you see on the internet are not actually truly representative of the product being sold? That many of the Affiliate Marketing web sites, which accept your money for a Hotel or Tour booking don't have anything but a passing and informal relationship with the product or service in question? Many of these Affilate sites don't even have a quality process in place, to guarantee that what you are paying for is of the highest quality, or that the Tour you have booked maintains the highest safety standards and holds the appropriate accreditations etc.

To our horror, we stumbled on one such fraudulent web site last week. One displaying images that we know were not theirs and not representative of the product or service they were selling.

How can we prove this "outrageous" claim, you might ask? Well, as it turns out they were using an image captured by HD Chauffeur Ride Pty Ltd Director - John Karmouche, an image captured by John himself using a GoPro camera mounted on the handlebars of his 2012 Heritage Softail Harley Davidson.

The problem? This web site was not selling Harley Rides on behalf of HD Chauffeur Ride Pty Ltd. We know the company who supplies their product. We also know that their quality standards have never been checked by the Affiliate Booking site in question. If they had done so, we feel things may have been different. Below is the offending image:

John's Photo

And here is the offending web site page:

Offending Website Using John's Image

We have contacted the management of this site and alerted them to their copyright infringement, and they have since removed John's photo from their site. John is considering what further action he will take in regard to this blatant copyright infringement.

Why book via one of these affiliates, when you can quite easily go direct to the supplier. Maybe that's because the Harley Ride company in question here doesn't have Credit Card booking available on their site, or is doing things on the cheap by not maintaining that facility. HD Chauffeur Ride Pty Ltd, does maintain and operate a Merchant Facility. Maintaining this facility is not cheap. It also leaves one to ask what other cost shortcuts is the Harley Ride company in question taking (who this Affiliate Site is taking your money)? What is the quality of the motorcycle they utilise? How often are they serviced? Is the bike repaired by a qualified mechanic? What safety standards are being bypassed? The list of questions left unanswered is long.

Why doesn't HD Chauffeur Ride Pty Ltd use Affiliate sites? Quite simply - its because they charge a 25% booking fee, that we don't add if you book directly via us. Compare the rates charged by this Affiliate to us - the rates are identical. Ever wonder where these rates originate - from us as it turns out. Here in Melbourne, HD Chauffeur Ride Pty Ltd sets the standard, behind which everyone else follows. They can't offer a cheaper rate - so one is left to ask why use them at all?

HD Chauffeur Ride Pty Ltd takes pride in maintaining exceptionally high standards. All of the bikes we use to take our customers for Harley Rides are up to date models, serviced only by qualified Harley Davidson mechanics. No safety corners are taken. Safety and quality is expensive - but its an expense we are proud to say that we are prepared to wear - even if it means losing business to cheap and nasty alternatives that utilise Affiliate web sites to save costs.

At the end of the day, we can only direct you to the Testimonials left by our customers on Trip Advisor on on the Testimonial page on our site.

Sharing the Harley Davidson Brand

The Harley Davidson story is a marketing legend. Long known for giving its customers what they want, and understanding the people who ride their machines Harley Davidson have survived against all odds by leading the field with "Iconic branding".

If it were not for the iconic nature of the Harley Davidson motorcycle, and the throb of the Harley Sound emitted by their "head turning" machines, I doubt that the Harley Rides Industry would have evolved in Australia, as in did in the early '90s. Since 1993 when HD Chauffeur Ride Pty Ltd was founded literally hundreds of thousands of people have been introduced to the Harley Davidson Brand on individual Harley Rides given to them as a gift by a family member or friend as a birthday gift, Hens and Bucks Day rides, wedding anniversary surprise etc. In addition there have been many thousands of tourists visiting Australia (and in our case Melbourne) who have recognised that taking a ride on the back of a Harley Davidson motorcycle is the best form of transport that guarantees that they will see more of Melbourne, the nearby hills and the Great Ocean Road. Its simply because the view one gets seated on the back of a motorbike, while someone else does the riding just can't be matched by any other mode of transport which sets the Harley Ride Experience apart.

But, by far the largest group, outnumbering all others are the children and their parents with whom we come into contact at school fetes and fairs. It is at the fundraising events, that over just a few hours we expose up to 100 or more people to the Harley Ride Experience. At these events we bring people into contact wit the Harley Davidson Brand for the first time. Most have never possessed an inclination or any interest in motorcycles, and many have never even heard or been aware of the Harley Davidson marque. What occurs at this time quite often results in a transformation, creation of desire, and a marked reversal in attitude towards the Motorcycle. For many, it marks the day when they decided to get a motorcycle of their own. I well recall meeting a guy, several years ago, who came up to me one day and told me how after his Harley Ride he went on to obtain his motorcycle licence, purchase of harley Davidson and then go on to become the President of his local HOG (Harley Owners Group) Chapter!

We have no formal connection with Harley Davidson, and our services carry no endorsement from them, despite the fact that we can claim a role in the sale of many of their machines over the years. Perhaps, one day they may give us some formal recognition, but we don't expect it.

In the meantime we will continue to share the Harley Davidson motorcycle with their potential customers. Times are becoming highly competitive and many Harley Davidson clones have emerged emulating the Harley Iconic V-Twin design. Whenever, we take anyone out for a Harley Ride Experience, our focus is on explaining to them why we have chosen a Harley Davidson over the others. Its the Icon, H-D set the standard and the height of the bar. Its up to the others to reach the level of Iconic Status held by the Harley Davidson. Its not until one has owned a Harley Davidson of their own that they are able to recognise why Harley Davidson has become the world's greatest Marketing and Branding success, a story which is studied by every aspiring entrepreneur.

A group of tourist s visiting Melbourne

Corporate Bonding

Melbourne is the Conference Capital of Australia, and attracts events from all over the world to the Melbourne Convention Centre on the bank of the Yarra River.

This past week, saw one company utilise us as a Staff Bonding Activity at their annual conference. We formed one part of an overall activity organised by our Partner Big Stick Adventures. Here is how it looked:

Of course, the staff had no idea what to expect and were surprised when Big Stick initiated the activity.

Our Customers Speak about their Harley Ride Experience

It never ceases to amaze us to see the reaction we get from people as we take them out for a Harley Davidson Ride experience. All that most people know about motorcycles are the horror stories portrayed to them by the media, and Road Safety agencies like the TAC. But, the reality is far from the myths espoused by these sources. And we frequently change people's perceptions about the Motorcycle Experience and Motorcycle safety.

Take this customer, when we took her and her partner on a 5 hour winery tour to the Yarra Valley:

Or these two girls, who had no idea that Lane Splitting isn't actually dangerous and that motorcycles are designed to fit into the gaps between stationary traffic:

We have nothing but the highest reviews from all our customers who have posted Trip Advisor Reviews.

Perception vs Reality

Its the constant challenge we face. Its the one thing which stops many people choosing to take the Harley Davidson Ride Experience.

The Harley Ride Experience is an Orientation Activity - that  enables anyone to see more in a very short period of time. During this orientation passengers seated on a Harley Davidson will be shown places to which they would not have otherwise ventured - like Williamstown, St Kilda, the F1 GP track, or if they chose one of the longer options - the Dandenong Ranges, and places like Rickett's Point and the beach front along Beach Road....all places you can't easily get to in anything other than a hire car, expensive taxi trip or on time wasing public transport.....other than by on a Harley Ride - as the method of transport!

The greatest challenge we face in attracting Harley Ride Bookings is to make people understand what the experience is really all about and why it is something that everyone visiting Melbourne should do. It is NOT just for Harley Davidson enthusiasts. Weather is NOT a factor - we provide all the warm and protective clothing. Safety - something which stops many people because of the "motorcycle reputation" is also NOT a factor because we have a perfect safety record and are very qualified etc.

All we hope is that others will share this article with anyone planning a trip to Melbourne, anyone who has never had a motorcycle experience. We know that even when our customers tell their friends what a great experience they had, that their friends still don't believe them......

Harley Davidson Riders @ www.harleyrides.com.au

Harley Davidson Riders @ www.harleyrides.com.au, a set on Flickr.

Our riders, their bikes and their passengers during our Harley Tours and Rides.