Went for a 3 day ride out at the weekend. Four bikes, 6 people. One bike was a learner on a 125.
As I had sat nav and we weren’t on known roads I was leading (All weekend 
). Forgot, as usual, to check the route the sat nav had plotted and came off a roundabout as instructed only to find ourselves on a slip road up hill onto M3. So pulled over onto hatched area to discuss what best to do as the learner couldn’t go on the motorway. Decide as slip road was very wide and had hatchings down the left hand side to back up off it. Pillions got off and watched our backs and we slowly back off until we could safely take another route.
But what should we have done? Continue on to next exit and explain if we got pulled over? wait and hope a police car showed up? Called 999 and asked for asistance - though hardly an emergency?
Be interested on peoples views, especially any of our friendly neighbourhood policemen.
The other thing you could have done was one person take the learner as pillion and another ride the bike (pressuming one of the other pillions could ride).
Otherwise, probably stay in the inside lane and come off asap at the next junction.
Or stay where you are and one ride to the next phone on the hard shoulder and ask for advice - it goes straight to the police.
Mole
Yer I would have gone with Mole’s call, or stayed on and explained to the police had you got pulled…
If they moan, then you could have pulled the DVLA rule book out which says no going backk…
We did have an extra rider but she’s not currently insured so that wasn’t really an option. The one person riding on to a phone on the motorway is a good one, also i guess we could ahve arranged a shuttle with one rider takign the 125 with another bike then being brought back to pick up there own bike…
Swapping riders would only work if the bike was capable of motorway speeds, otherwise you’d be a danger to other motorists. I think you’re meant to call the Police, though realistically most of us would probably just back-peddle. I’ve done it before, though I wouldn’t now, I’d just go on to the next turn-off.
A restricted 125 would be OK on the motorway with a fully licenced rider.
I would have “reversed” but a call on the mobile to police would be the best advice.
70 is a maximum and most 125s are well able to do over 50
i would have carried onto the next junction!! 70mph is a limit not a target!
I thought the minimum speed on a motorway when traffic allows is 60mph? Any slower is a risk to others, no?
There is no minimum speed limit on the motorway in the highway code. (just do not stop unless…). Minimum speed limits are very rare - only where you see a blue & white sign.
Fair enough. I wouldn’t like to be on the motorway on a slow bike though, that could be dangerous. Myopic drivers in the slow-lane and bikes, don’t mix 
u really need to maintain 50mph on a motorway or u can cause problems for trucks who cant get out quick enough.tough problem but i think i would have done the same thing
Back-peddaling is dangerous.
straight to the hard shoulder, emergency phone, police would attend and escort the 125 off.
That way, they are safe shielded by us until the next junction and your not playing reversing motorways…
Anyone who reverses anywhere near a motorway ought to be beaten severely.
just my opinion lol.
believing that prevention is better than cure, how come you didnt spot the fact that it was a motorway in the first place, they are normally marked quite clearly and would have avoided the whole situation.
If it was a car, I would totally agree. I’ve seen idiot drivers do this in the past and you want to stop and slap them about for being such a prat.
With a bike, I don’t see it as being so dangerous. You can probably wheel your bike back up 10 metres or so, almost on the grass, without it getting in the way, even if a heavy stream of traffic was to come down?
Absolutely, however I had my head bureid in the sat nav, had been leading the ride for 2 days and concentration slipped, I only noticed it too late to turn back.
Think shold it happena gain then on to the hard shoulder and call for an escort would be best bet, although I’m pretty sure we’d get a slap on the wrist it’s still prob best option…
You wouldn’t get a slap on the wrist.
You’d be commended for being sensible.
we’d have a laugh about it, get you off at the next junction and bid you a safe journey.
(we do this regularly)
That’s cool, cheers, will remember for next time - not that it’s going to happen again 
