A BIKER died when he misjudged a bend in the road and crashed into a barrier and a tree, a coroner heard.

Peter Johnston, of Radcliffe, Manchester, had been out for a pleasant evening ride through Craven with a friend when he lost control of his Suzuki 750 on the A682 near Cowgate Lane, Nappa.

Forensic collision investigator, Steven Kirkbright, told Craven coroner, Rob Turnbull, that the 44-year-old lost control on a right hand bend.

He ran off the road to his left, the motorcycle rolled upright along the grass verge and then struck the end of a crash barrier. It then "cartwheeled" along and smashed into a tree.

"He lost control as he entered the bend where there was limited view. He couldn't negotiate the bend so he ran wide over the verge on the near side. Excessive speed was not a factor. It was driver error," said Mr Kirkbright.

Mr Johnston's friend, Stephen Duxbury of Rochdale, who had been leading the way on their separate motorcycles said he lost sight of his friend in his rear view mirror shortly before reaching Nappa.

Eventually, when Mr Johnston failed to appear, he stopped and returned along the road expecting his friend to have broken down. Instead he came across the accident.

Mr Turnbull said a pleasant evening motorcycling trip by the two men, on June 21, last year, had turned to tragedy.

"Sadly, Mr Johnston failed to negotiate the right hand bend, ran onto the nearside grass verge and struck a crash barrier before hitting a tree. He suffered substantial injuries and died at the scene."

Mr Turnbull recorded a verdict that Mr Johnston died as a result of a road traffic collision.