A loophole in the Brexit agreement between Britain and the EU could disrupt motorcycle holidays abroad. It could affect an increasingly popular form of biking holiday – to save a long ride down through Europe, bikes are shipped by a professional freight company, or just by a friend with a van, while the owner flies out to meet it. Several motorcycle travel and adventure businesses use this system and large numbers of bikes are shipped out in this way each year, before being shipped home again after the end of the holiday. There is nothing in the UK’s trade deal with the EU which covers this practice, leaving no option but to resort to international norms, which vary widely, with no established

The National Motorcyclists Council (NMC), which was launched on 5th March, has started work straight away. “The period since the launch on has seen early impact and more political gains than expected,” said spokesman Craig Carey-Clinch. “Government officials themselves initiated early contact, which has had the effect of establishing the NMC as a consultative body.” The NMC is a joint venture between the BMF, MAG, the TRF, IAM and the ACU, to present a single voice for motorcycling to government. “Parliament has also offered support to the NMC,” added Craig Carey-Clinch. “MPs and Peers attended the launch and have been very positive since then about the formation of the NMC. The aims and objectives of the Council were presented at a recent meeting

London’s Ultra-Low Emission Zone (ULEZ) is set to expand to cover an area 18 times larger than it currently does from October 25 this year. The newly re-elected Mayor of London Sadiq Khan has committed to the expansion, which will see the ULEZ grow beyond its present location in central London to as far as the North and South Circular Roads. Transport for London’s website confirmed that the existing ULEZ standards and charges will apply in the newly designated ULEZ area too. A guide to whether your motorcycle will be affected and if a location is within the new catchment area can be found here. Commenting, Mr Khan said: “Today I am reaffirming my commitment to speed up the cleaning of London’s toxic

A growing roster of manufacturers has publicly acknowledged that they are experiencing serious difficulties in constructing and delivering new machines to their dealer networks and customers. Honda, Kawasaki and Yamaha have all highlighted disruption to their manufacturing processes, citing a shortage of essential components including semiconductors caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. Furthermore, delivery of the machines that it has been possible to build has been affected by the accidental blockage of the Suez Canal when the Ever Given famously ran aground and prevented other ships from travelling through it earlier this year. In a public message to the dealer network and customers, President and CEO of Yamaha Motors Europe Eric de Seynes said: “We understand that the wait for products to be delivered

Sales and registrations of powered two-wheelers (PTWs) surged by 570% last month as consumer demand rocketed back along with the gradual lifting of the COVID-19 lockdown. New statistics released by the Motorcycle Industry Association (MCIA) revealed a vast increased in sales and registrations compared to the same period in 2020. Almost every category – with the sole exception of the ‘Unspecified’ category, which only accounted for eight machines - saw major growth of more than 100% year-on-year. In some categories, this growth reached spectacular four-digit percentages. There were particular success stories in the Adventure Sport category (1,357%) and the Touring category (2,671%), while scooters also saw noteworthy growth with a 384% increase year-on-year. Although April 2020’s sales were noticeably low, as the BMF

The British Motorcyclists Federation is concerned by discrimination against motorcyclists at petrol stations that is potentially putting their safety at risk during the COVID-19 pandemic. Petrol stations asking motorcyclists to remove their helmets or withholding service until they do so is a recurring issue and one that many bikers have personally experienced. This request is often made for dubious and poorly defined reasons, and it is particularly significant amid the current pandemic. Because wearing a second mask under a helmet is uncomfortable, impractical or even impossible, many bikers use their helmets as their sole face-covering while travelling. We were recently contacted by BMF member Paul Myler, who highlighted his experience at the MFG Ketley petrol station in Telford. A long-standing biker who

If you're thinking of taking a holiday in Europe later this year, there are a number of things you might want to consider before you go due to the changes prompted by Brexit. This document does not cover travel for work or trade or countries outside the EU and EEA, and does not take account of any restrictions imposed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Links to relevant official webpages are included to make it easy to check for up-to-date information. This is recommended because the advice may change. The basics Generally, what applies to EU countries also applies to Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway or Switzerland, henceforth referred to as EU+4. Your passport must have at least six months left AND be less than 10

Less than a month since the launch of the National Motorcyclists Council (NMC), initial meetings with the government have revealed strong interest from key officials in exploring potential next steps for policy development in relation to motorcycling. The NMC is calling for a Government Motorcycling Strategy, with the key elements of this presented during the NMC's launch which was attended by both government representatives and parliamentarians. Subsequent meetings with key officials have been held to explore next steps in several policy areas related to the strategy, with officials welcoming the combined approach to these issues from the range of organisations that have been brought together by the NMC. A range of possible next steps have been discussed, and the NMC has

The British Motorcyclists Federation (BMF) has warmly welcomed the launch of the National Motorcyclists Council (NMC). A new initiative designed to help bring the UK’s leading motorcycle rider organisations together, the NMC’s fundamental purpose is to represent motorcyclists with a single voice on significant issues such as government policy, safety, motorcycle sports and regulatory matters where there is a great deal of common ground. The BMF is a founder member of the NMC alongside the Auto Cycle Union, the Institute of Advanced Motorists, the Motorcycle Action Group and the Trail Riders Fellowship. Motorcycling is currently undergoing once-in-a-generation changes as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, the introduction of new technologies such as electric and autonomous vehicles, evolving demographics that are changing the

The Department for Transport (DfT) has announced that ethanol-blended E10 fuel will go on sale at British petrol stations as early as September this year. A combination of 90% conventional petrol and 10% ethanol biofuel derived from sugar, grain and wood, the E10 mix is intended to help cut carbon dioxide emissions by 750,000 tonnes per year. A similar E5 blend of 95% petrol and 5% biofuel is already widely available in the UK and it will continue to be sold as the so-called ‘Super’ grade. Some machines will only be able to use E5 and not E10, and the DfT has advised anyone unsure of whether their vehicle can run on E10 to consult their checker here. However, the transition to any

The Department for Transport (DfT) has confirmed that the government plans to scrap the controversial ‘Vnuk’ motor insurance law that could have seen premiums sharply increase. As the BMF reported at the time, a decision by the European Court of Justice after a Slovenian tractor accident prompted a review of the Motor Insurance Directive that led to it being interpreted more widely to include, among other things, private land, more vehicles and significant ramifications for motorsport. A statement by the DfT argued that: “Had the EU law been implemented in Great Britain, it would have meant the insurance industry would have been liable for almost £2 billion in extra overall costs. These costs would likely have been passed onto their customers –

The British Motorcyclists Federation held a weekend of Regional meetings by Zoom on January 9-10 2021. Many topics were discussed, so here is a record of the proceedings from the various meetings. All of the meetings opened with Management Team (MT) introductions: Jim Freeman (JF) – BMF Chair Sheonagh Ravensdale (SR) – Communications Director Anna Zee (AZ) – Political and Technical Services Director Tom Duncan (TD) – Admin Director Peter Laidlaw (PL) – Director of Member Services Howard Anderson (HA) – Finance Director Helen Hancock (HH) – BMF Administrator SR: I am the newly appointed Director of Communications. I have been riding bikes for all my adult life and my particular passion is touring the world by bike. I am a member of the Women’s International Motorcycle Association (WIMA),