PW_4_2025

Focus on the SIGs – Motorcycle SIG

unusual sight caught our eye. There is actually a prison on the island, and all prisoners are transported to and from by a fleet of Prison boats. As we were walking by one inmate arrived (obviously not too major a criminal as he was not in handcuffs) and a second departed (this one was in cuffs). For some time, we had been thinking about buying motorcycle airbags, but it was difficult to decide what model/make to buy in order to get the best protection and comfort. After much research we settled on an Italian made product which met our needs, but which was generally not easily available outside Italy. As luck would have it, quite close to where we were staying there was a supplier of said product, so we popped along to have a look. During the IPA weekend we had chatted to a couple of Italians who were wearing the airbag vest and got their opinions. The end result was that we bought one each and wore them for the rest of the trip. On the downside, they are a little weighty (our models have 2 gas cylinders, one front and one back, which adds to the weight) and in very hot weather they will restrict airflow to the chest area. But on the upside, they offer good protection in the event of an accident (hopefully we will never put this to the test) and in the event of an accidental activation (i.e. forgetting to unclip and walking away from the bike) the gas cylinders can be changed without sending the vest back to the manufacturer. For obvious reasons I won’t name the manufacturer, but a very good Youtube video which analyses various airbags can be viewed and you will soon see the product I am referring to. Our final part of the trip took us up to Austria via the Brenner Pass with an overnight stop in Bavaria before the final day back home. A great trip with some fantastic roads to ride, lovely scenery, good weather and a chance to meet new IPA friends from many different countries. We are waiting now to see what is planned for 2026.

It was mentioned that in 2026 another similar meeting was being planned, maybe in North Macedonia and that information would be sent out in due course. It had been a truly fantastic weekend which was very well organised, a superb service being provided by the Slovakian Police escort and IPA outriders with wonderful roads and scenery and a great venue with lovely food and a great atmosphere living up to the traditions of the IPA. For Lou and me it was now time for a bit of a slow ride back home. Firstly, we passed through Hungary, stopping overnight near Lake Balaton (a late change of hotel being required as the original hotel rang us the day before to say they had suffered a serious fire, and the hotel was not able to take guests. But a very nice replacement was sourced quickly). One incident en route to the hotel amused us. The roads in Hungary are generally OK and quiet so we were enjoying our ride but at one point we were being pushed by an HGV, which we rode away from on the open roads, but in the frequent villages where the limit was 50km he closed right up behind us as he was not complying with the lower speed limit. Eventually, on a long stretch going out of town, but still in a 50 km zone, he went past us and drove away. On the approach to the next village the 50 km limit started quite a way back and a headlamp flash from an oncoming car was sufficient warning to be extra careful. And what a surprise, there was the truck pulled in at the side of the road, with a local Police Officer showing him a handheld radar. Summary justice and as an ex-Traffic Officer it was very satisfying to see. After Hungary we passed through Slovenia into Italy where we spent four nights at two locations. Here we encountered our only rainy day of the whole tour but fortunately we had a cunning plan. Being quite near Venice and never having been there before, we were able to take the train to the city and spent the day sightseeing. Apart from the usual tourist locations, one

POLICE WORLD Vol 70 No.4, 2025

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