Re: Swapping tyres around, and scrutineering!
Posted: Sat Jul 14, 2012 9:59 am
The Technical Official is NOT responsible for the safety of the machine and tales of individual technical officials being liable personally for millions of pounds are nonsense.
"9. TECHNICAL INSPECTION.
Unless otherwise stated, inspections will take place from 07.30 on the morning of the event. Machines will be checked for eligibility and the competitors clothing and helmets will be examined, competitors must be present. It is the competitors responsibility to ensure his/her machine complies with the regulations and is safe for competition. However, a Technical Official may refuse to verify a machine on grounds of eligibility, lack of cleanliness or safety.
Any machine involved in an accident must be re-inspected."
The Road Race Committee insist that wording is inserted in all Supplementary Regulations (ours above is just one example of what is acceptable) to reinforce this. Every rider who has undertaken a CTC Course will also have had to answer the question:-
"Who is solely responsible for the safety and compliance of your machine?" if they don't answer correctly, they don't pass the CTC test. Those papers are kept as a 'disclosable document' in the event of any future claim. I know that doesn't neccesarily help when dinosaurs like Keith, Gordon or myself who are far too old to have ever taken a CTC Course, but it is the firm basis of how the ACU solicitors, insurers and barristers deal with any claims of that kind.
Spinning tyres is a different subject altogether. In most instances with modern construction radials there is absolutely no safety issue with it, but you guys still use a lot of bias-belted cross ply stuff (which is why the market is so small & expensive). There is some evidence that splice joints, although a lot better than they used to be, can still cause problems every now and again. I worked in the Goodyear Technical Research Centre in Luxembourg for a while and this was something they were working very hard on back in the early 80's - mainly due to the proliferation of assymetric tyres rather than uni-directional stuff. Michelin also did a lot of work on it at Clermont Ferrand at around the same time (with more success than we had) as they were looking to replace their XVS & XAS assymetric range.
The manufacturers have a vested interest in seeing radial motorcycle tyres used only in one direction, but in the modern world they stop short of saying it's dangerous and merely say it's not recommended. Sign of the times I guess.
"9. TECHNICAL INSPECTION.
Unless otherwise stated, inspections will take place from 07.30 on the morning of the event. Machines will be checked for eligibility and the competitors clothing and helmets will be examined, competitors must be present. It is the competitors responsibility to ensure his/her machine complies with the regulations and is safe for competition. However, a Technical Official may refuse to verify a machine on grounds of eligibility, lack of cleanliness or safety.
Any machine involved in an accident must be re-inspected."
The Road Race Committee insist that wording is inserted in all Supplementary Regulations (ours above is just one example of what is acceptable) to reinforce this. Every rider who has undertaken a CTC Course will also have had to answer the question:-
"Who is solely responsible for the safety and compliance of your machine?" if they don't answer correctly, they don't pass the CTC test. Those papers are kept as a 'disclosable document' in the event of any future claim. I know that doesn't neccesarily help when dinosaurs like Keith, Gordon or myself who are far too old to have ever taken a CTC Course, but it is the firm basis of how the ACU solicitors, insurers and barristers deal with any claims of that kind.
Spinning tyres is a different subject altogether. In most instances with modern construction radials there is absolutely no safety issue with it, but you guys still use a lot of bias-belted cross ply stuff (which is why the market is so small & expensive). There is some evidence that splice joints, although a lot better than they used to be, can still cause problems every now and again. I worked in the Goodyear Technical Research Centre in Luxembourg for a while and this was something they were working very hard on back in the early 80's - mainly due to the proliferation of assymetric tyres rather than uni-directional stuff. Michelin also did a lot of work on it at Clermont Ferrand at around the same time (with more success than we had) as they were looking to replace their XVS & XAS assymetric range.
The manufacturers have a vested interest in seeing radial motorcycle tyres used only in one direction, but in the modern world they stop short of saying it's dangerous and merely say it's not recommended. Sign of the times I guess.