Organised motorcycle racing will not join go-kart racing in the streets of Hamilton because of the increased danger it presents.

This message came yesterday from Corporation of Hamilton Secretary Roger Sherratt after Bermuda Auto Cycle Union (BACU) chairman David Jones made allegations of bias.

Mr. Jones argued that if the Bermuda Karting Club was allowed to put on a race event on Front Street, then motorcyclists should be allowed to race as well.

"Why allow one form of motor sport and not the other?'' he asked. "This is clearly a conflict of interest and also bias against motorcycles in Bermuda.'' Mr. Sherratt, who helped found the BACU some 30 years ago, explained the Corporation had two major concerns when it came to allowing motorcycle racing on Front Street.

And he noted the BACU wanted to do drag races between pairs of cycles along Front Street, starting from near Docksiders Pub and Restaurant and finishing in the area of the Flagpole.

"They wanted to race along a longer stretch of Front Street than the karts which would have closed some businesses such as Dismont Robinson and Supermart who have made it clear that they depend on their Sunday business,'' he said.

Secondly, Mr. Sherratt continued, were the safety considerations attached to holding such an event.

"When it comes to karting, the vehicles have a low centre of gravity so they were able to put hay bales on the course, along every corner and straightaway, which the carts would hit if they went out of control,'' he explained.

"There were also metal barriers behind the hay bales and even with those, the Corporation had additional concerns for safety following the races.'' Mr. Sherratt said additional hay bales and metal barriers will be used at the next race in order to provide the safety level the Corporation required.

And he noted the karting track set up in Hamilton had a number of chicanes which forced drivers to slow down while the BACU were proposing drag races.

BACU itself ruled out the use of hay bales and metal barriers as spectator and driver protection for their proposed event, Mr. Sherratt said.

"If a bike was to hit one of these two-foot, six-inch high hay bales it would act as a step and the bike would go straight over it and the barrier.'' "If a barrier alone was used,'' he added, "and a motorcycle travelling at 50 to 60 miles-per-hour hit it, the barrier would not stop it from going straight over into the crowd.'' The Corporation's concerns were further shared by the Police Service, said Mr.

Sherratt.

"They strongly advised us that it would be extremely dangerous to have high-speed riding on Front Street with large crowds around,'' he said.

Mr. Sherratt said that as a founding member of the BACU he was sympathetic to the group's need to find a motorcycle track in Bermuda so young people who ride bikes can enjoy racing.

But such a track would have to be properly made and graded, he added.

"Front Street is not a venue for high speed racing.''