"Motorcycle safety activists" my arse.
Any person who wants to ride motorcycles ought first to log 30,000 miles on a very small one -- 200 cc or less. That's my advice. Then, work up slowly from there.
I started on a GPz 550, then went to Ninja 600's. What you are talking about is more government interference.
Most riders can handle it.
Some riders are ignorant buffoons. It is only those select few that deserve government intervention. As for me, keep the gov't away from me and my motorbikes!
You gotta be kidding ~ how long have you been riding?
That would have been possible when I was young. My first street bike was a Honda Twinstar 185. It served me well for well over a year, but I'm afraid that was only possible because of the 55mph speed limit. That same motorcycle would be worthless outside of the inner city (vespa land) now.