As a lifelong motorcyclist, I am not surprised by the sweeping generalisations and pigeon-holing displayed in a few of the comments published on The Dragon. Sadly, it’s been the same throughout my life and those of my parents, both motorcyclists in the Fifties and Sixties.

Most motorcyclists, and other road-users for that matter, are courteous, well-mannered individuals who treat others with respect. As in all walks of life, there will be a minority who don’t follow the rules, but their actions should not be used as a brush to tar all.

Motorcyclists have been meeting at Box Hill for nearly a century, when they used to stage hill climbs and trials in the Twenties, so weekend congregations shouldn’t be a surprise. As for talk of drug-taking etc, I suggest, politely, that correlation does not imply causation. I’m sure police could investigate and provide a statement, if needed

True, there is a minority of motorcyclists who fit noisy “race cans” to their bikes. These are illegal for road use and police can prosecute if they catch them.

But even a standard motorcycle will be louder than a car, the additional sounds emanating from an exposed engine, gearbox and chain-drive. Also, smaller-capacity engines do need to rev significantly higher than car engines to produce torque and power.

Of course, with sensible and courteous riding, none of these factors should cause the obvious noise nuisance people are unfortunately experiencing. Let’s hope the police operation proves successful.