I AM a little surprised at some of the adverse comment my previous letter caused in which I highlighted how lethal a powerful motorbike can be.

As an example I briefly outlined a case in which an Andover woman motorist was killed by such a motorbike. It may be helpful to look into this particular incident more closely as it will clearly show the need for more stringent rules regarding young motorcyclists.

This incident took place some years ago on the Perham Down turning of the A3026 near Andover. It happened at night, it was raining and visibility was poor, making it very difficult for the car driver to estimate the speed and distance of the oncoming motorbike.

In the resulting collision the woman car driver and the rider were killed, as I have stated previously, and the three passengers in the car were seriously injured by the side impact.

The speed at which the 21-year-old rider was travelling, to cause such severe damage, can only be guessed at. This is just one example that could be used to show that riders below the age of 30 should be strictly limited to the size of machine they are allowed to ride, and that they should have at least five years' experience before going onto a more powerful machine.

Some years ago I saw a motorcyclist lying in the road, his bike had clipped the curb and no other vehicle had been involved.

He would still be alive today had he been on four wheels instead of two, which begs the question that in truth, might it not actually be the wisest course of action to remove all motorcycles, regardless of engine size, from the roads?

J BEALE, Freemantle, Southampton.