SIR - No wonder this country is known as a nanny state' if everyone thinks like Graham Hoyle (T&A, September 12.

I have been riding a motorbike for more than 20 years, have no loud exhaust and I don't wear leather as a fetish or for protection.

Most bikes are not noisy, dirty, unsafe or inefficient as Mr Hoyle suggests. In fact the reverse applies to most bikes on the road today.

Although I have a car and drive it on a regular basis, I prefer riding my motorbike for pleasure because it is more versatile on our heavily-used roads choked up with cars and heavy goods vehicles.

Things have changed in the motorbike world which make riding a lot safer.

Motorbike riders must first pass the Compulsory Basic Training before being able to ride a bike on the road and progress in stages before a full licence can be gained, more than any car driver.

There are a lot of cars about with exhaust pipes as big as dustbins and as loud as empty ones, with tinted windows and loud music playing.

So Mr Hoyle, don't have a blinkered view, live and let live.

Steve Charlton, Wyke Lane, Wyke