YET again, the police have decided to harass the motorcyclists (LET, June 6).

It will be interesting when the information on the Operation Solo crackdown is available to see how many car drivers were stopped on the same day.

I find it amazing that information was available for your article on bikes stopped, but not for cars. Were any?

How many cars are there with loud race-style exhausts, music blaring from boom boxes, tinted windows, fancy registration plates as well as no road tax, MoT, insurance, etc?

Do we see the police stopping every car to check these things? No, as there would be a mass outcry from all motorists, as well as it being political suicide.

The motorcyclist is an easy target and in a minority in the motoring world. The bikes when you see them are kept in pristine condition and riders are proud of their machines, so police are not just stopping bikes to see if they are roadworthy. Loud exhausts on bikes promote bike awareness to the often daydreaming car drivers with the "Sorry, I did not see you" excuse when they kill or maim.

As for illegal tinted visors, these don't reduce bikers' visibility as reported, but in fact enhance vision especially in bright conditions. They are only illegal because they do not have a BS kite mark. These visors are used extensively on race tracks, where safety is always paramount.

However, it is not illegal for a rider to wear sunglasses under his or her visor, which could reduce the rider's visibility due to the frames or darkness.

Like most sports/hobbies, there will always be a minority who spoil it for the majority, but the heavy handedness in the way police persecute motorcyclists under the guise of safety does not warrant stopping every bike.

After all, who comes off the worst in an accident? We are aware of the risks.

Don't get the wrong impression here -- I am not against the police stopping people, providing they are not discriminated against because of the mode of transport they choose to drive or against car drivers, as I also drive a car.

My bike is mainly used at weekends for enjoyment, which is gradually being eroded by police tactics.

MR L THOMAS, Woodlands Avenue, Blackburn.