EU bike proposals - e-petition

Marta Andeasen, MEP for South-East England, has started an e-petition calling for the scrapping of the EU anti-biker proposals. I would urge everyone to consider getting over there and signing it. Here's the link:

E-petition

here's the text:

The EU is proposing the Regulation on approval and market surveillance of two- or three-wheel vehicles and quadricycles : COM(2010)0542 We call on the Government at European Council, Ministerial, at Commons and at Lord's level, as well as British MEPs and MPs to oppose, in the strongest terms, this proposed legislation.

and here's the rationale from her website:

Brussels 25 March 2011. Motorcyclists across Britain are facing misery after the European Commission published plans to regulate 2, 3 and 4 wheel quad bikes. UKIP MEP Marta Andreasen is working closely with Motorcycle groups and wants to see the regulation shelved.

The plans, which will go to the Internal Market Committee of the European Parliament in late May, include:

1. Compulsory Advanced Braking Systems (ABS). ABS does not work well on loose surfaces. The costs of fitting, maintenance and repair have not been properly assessed. The Commission’s internal Impact Assessment admits that the data on the effectiveness and costs of compulsory ABS is weak. Where riders choose bikes with ABS the rider must be able to turn the system off when riding on loose surfaces such as gravel.

2. ‘Anti-Tampering’ measures (this restricts riders’ choice of air filters, engine management systems, internal parts, exhausts,
sprockets, tyres, etc.). The riders’ ability to make modifications to suit their own situation should not be regulated. The ability of qualified riders to de-restrict or otherwise tune their vehicle should not be removed.

3. Road-side Spot-checks targeting riders. Riders are to be detained for random checks of emissions and modifications. It is unacceptable to deny freedom of movement in this way. If this was applied to cars and other forms of road transport, there would be uproar.

In a statement from Brussels Mrs Andreasen said,

“Yet again we are forced to witness the EU sticking its nose in where it is not needed. What is worse is that the proposals show a distinct lack of understanding of how motorbikes work and, if implemented, could ironically make bikes less safe. Typically the European Commission has decided to blunder in and create a problem where none exists.

“I am starting a campaign with bikers across the UK to lobby their local MEP and ensure that this needless legislation is thrown on the scrap heap. Forcing expensive braking systems that don’t work well on motorcycles, preventing bikers choice on what tyres or exhausts they want on their bikes and randomly stop-checking them goes far beyond nanny-stateism at its worst. It is actually a form of victimisation.”

Looks like UKIP is the only one on the side of bikers at the moment.

Norwich Evening News gets it

Over these anti-EU protests (sorry, I'll be back to normal stuff soon), I said that there wasn't much media interest. Seems I was wrong. One regular reader (you know who you are) took the trouble to scan and post some stuff from his local evening paper. Seems like fair reporting to me. Thank you, Mr X. Click for bigness.

Some biker thoughts ...

From the facebook page of the local bad-ass biker/charity fund-raising group, a post by a chap called Nigel Brace. He's encouraging people to put it in their Facebook statuses, so I'm sure he won't mind my pinching it for here. Read it in the context of Sunday's rider protests, as posted here over the last few days.

To all the irate car drivers abusing bikers nationwide today, may I paint you a picture? Imagine being told that you had to use OE [original equipment, i.e. made and supplied by the manufacturer - GFGN] parts every time your car needed attention. Bye bye Halfords, Kwik Fit, etc. Imagine being regularly stopped by the police when you were out driving perfectly legally, for them to check you hadn't tampered with your vehicle or fitted any non-standard parts. Imagine being told that you were forbidden to drive unless you were wearing a certain colour clothing. ... Imagine having the control of your vehicle taken out of your hands and trusted to a computer. Imagine being told that your 7 year old car, your pride and joy, was now forbidden from entering towns and cities. This is the reason you were held you up for 20 minutes yesterday throughout the country. Be under no misunderstanding, the bikers are the first in line for draconian EU interference. If we fall, it will be a domino effect. Support us now, Bikers are fighting so that you wont have to.

Convinced yet?

EU Biking Protest

I had to miss today's MAG protest against the latest EU proposals because I had to be at work. I was there in spirit.

In terms of the mainstream media, it seems to have been noticed, even if not reported on in any depth.

BBC Wales
BBC England
BBC Wiltshire
BBC Humberside
Nothing in the dailies that I can see on a quick search.

About 1,500 motorcyclists have staged go-slow protests on the M4 in south Wales and the A55 in north Wales against proposed EU laws on bikers.

The Motorcycle Action Group (MAG) claims that they would be more heavily regulated than other road users.

South Wales Police said about 1,000 bikers drove along the M4 westbound from junction 32 (Coryton) to junction 35 (Pencoed) with little disruption.

Organisers of the A55 protest say 500 bikers joined a go-slow from Abergele.

The rides were among 70 protests organised by MAG across the UK at 13:00 BST on Sunday to protest at a range of EU proposals on motorcycling.

Oh well, better than nothing.

EU Hands Off Biking

MAG (Motorcycle Action Group) are holding a nationwide day of protest on Sunday 25 September. The reason is a mass of EU proposals that are due to be debated soon in Brussels, some of which would alter the nature of motorcycling permanently, and not for the better. I'll leave MAG themselves to explain:

A raft of issues emanating from Europe will have a profound effect on riders and the motorcycle industry generally. We must stand up and be heard. Some of these are driven by the EU Commission, like the new Type Approval and Market Surveillance Regulation that will see the introduction of compulsory ABS, the sealing of powertrains from the airbox, through the engine to the final drive (including the diameter and aspect ratio of the rear tyre), restrictions on the aftermarket industry, possible roadside checks by police or other government agencies to inspect emissions, detect owner 'tuning' and more.

There's EU-funded development of electronics to control and govern speeds through warning systems or, ultimately, actual throttle control.

Ireland plans compulsory, full sleeve day-glo jackets for riders and pillions, France is debating compulsory reflective/day-glo clothing. Will UK insurance companies start saying that because we weren't dressed in day-glo it's our own fault that an inattentive driver drove into us? MAG says the onus should not be on the victim.

France also wants to ban bikes over 7 years old from urban areas for environmental reasons! Their congestion is already terrible and putting more riders into cars that pollute terribly when they are stationary, is bonkers.

Bikes are part of the urban transport solution, not problem.

Enough! There will be a vote by the MEP committee discussing the above Regulation on Oct 17th. We need them to listen. They're meant to represent us. MAG and many others in the motorcycle community are negotiating hard with our own Government and our European representatives, but in the meantime;

Join us to keep EU Hands Off Biking, it's time for Action now!

The idea is to start from a service area at 1 pm, ride at 45 mph for 20 minutes, and then disperse. It seems a good idea - fast enough not to hold people up, short enough not to be a nuisance (the last thing we need is to piss off the people who might support us), and yet seen by many people on the motorway network. Away from the motorways, people are meeting at cafés and car parks and going on an equivalent local route. The nearest to me starts at the Little Chef at St Clears on the A40. A full list of the meeting points (still being updated) is here.

I am working all day on the 25th, so I will not be able to join in, but I will be there in spirit. I know a lot of local bikers will be there. If you can spare half an hour and support the campaign, urge you to get to one of these meets and show your support.

I've been dithering about joining MAG for a long time, so now my penance for non-attendance will be to join up, pay my dues, and get involved. It will be the next thing I do, after I press 'Publish' on this post.

UPDATE: a letter from Peter Skinner MEP, posted on the MAG Facebook page:

I want to take this opportunity to wish you the best of luck for Sunday’s ‘day of action’ across the South East and the UK. Biking has a rich history in the South East and we’re all familiar with the sight of columns of motorcycles making their way to the coast on bank holiday weekends. I know that for many of you biking is a passion and one of the greatattractions is the freedom and individuality it offers. We need to becareful not to overregulate and I will be working with MAG in the South East and in the European Parliament to make sure your voices are heard. Some of the proposals being floated at the moment are clearly over the top and would be unfair and unrealistic. We need a common sense approach here and that’s what I’ll be telling Brussels over the coming weeks. I’m told MAG are organising a lobby of the European Parliament in October so hopefully I’ll have a chance to meet with some of you then if not before.

Best of luck Peter Skinner MEP

Not all bastards, then.

MAG Bike Show

Tomorrow, MAG (Motorcycle Action Group) have a bike show in Aberystwyth. I will be there helping to man the Triumph Owners Motorcycle Club stand. We're meeting in Aber at 8 am, so that will be an early start for me.

It will be held at Aberystwyth Rugby Club over Saturday and Sunday. I'll be on the TOMCC stand for most of the time, trying to drum up some new members, but I hope to get a bit of time to look round the show. If I see anything interesting, I'll take a photo and post it here.

If you're in the area, drop in and say Hi.