The BMF has called out the recent JD Sports advert depicting the inappropriate riding of motorcycles by young riders wearing casual shoes whilst performing stunts and wheelies against an urban backdrop. The advert is completely irresponsible and encourages behaviour that could result in serious injury, not only to riders but to other road users. Effective safety gear for motorcyclists, that provides adequate protection from impact and abrasion, is vital and can make the difference between riders suffering minor injuries or much more serious ones when involved in accidents. Casual shoes and trainers will always be entirely inappropriate for riding motorcycles as they are likely to shred or slip off in the event of an accident causing significant injury to the rider. You can read

Hackney Council To Go Ahead with The Introduction of New Motorcycle Parking Charges Despite Strong Opposition From The UK Motorcycling Lobby Despite sustained objections from the BMF, other motorcycling organisations, and thousands of individual riders against the proposal by Hackney Council to introduce new motorcycle charges within Hackney, we have been advised by the Council that they have decided to "overrule all objections received" and introduce new parking charges and restrictions regardless.   Hackney Council plan to charge motorcycle parking rates 10-20 times higher than anywhere else in the UK, anticipating that this will reduce motorcycle parking in the Borough by 70%. The Council claims its priority is to "reclaim the kerbside space" used by motorcycles, despite only 0.2% of parking space in

Government launches consultation on allowing motorcycles to access bus lanes by default. Responses required by 9 June 2024. The Government has launched its much anticipated consultation on whether motorcycles should be allowed access to bus lanes by default, as part of its commitment set out in the Plan For Drivers published on 2 October 2023. The BMF has pushed for many years for motorcyclists to be allowed default access to bus lanes, predominantly on safety grounds by removing potential conflicts with other road traffic. There are also wider benefits in terms of reducing traffic congestion and journey times for motorcyclists. Although some local authorities have allowed motorcyclists to use some bus lanes, current access is neither universal nor consistent across local authorities. The

BMF on the Move... Mallory Park beckons as the BMF team prepare to pack up and move to new offices at this iconic and historic racetrack. The move will take place over an extended weekend beginning this Friday the 2nd of February, with everything back up and running, and business as usual, from Tuesday the 6th of February. The office phone number and PO Box postal address will remain unchanged following the move. Originally built as a grass oval circuit for pony trotting, motorcycles first took to the circuit for grass track race meetings in 1948. These popular events continued until 1955, when the Mallory estate was sold. The new owner, Clive Wormleighton, known as the true father of Mallory Park, went on

This year will see the BMF once again host three rallies, the Crunchy Sleeping Bag, Dambuster and the Lucky Cup, each with its own unique character and location. As well as being enjoyable events in themselves and a fantastic way to meet with fellow bikers, the rallies are a vital part of the BMF’s fundraising efforts. Any money made supports the lobbying work done by the BMF in its determination to show the importance of motorcycling in the UK and to ensure riders don’t face discrimination based on their chosen mode of transport. The BMF’s Events Director, Peter Laidlaw had this to say about the forthcoming season: “I’m really looking forward to this year’s rallies. There is a lot of challenging

Why I Still Commute by Motorcycle Despite the Weather January and it was barely light as I left home. By the time I arrived at work the leaden sky had lightened, but there was still no sign of the sun. Balancing carefully and feathering the rear brake, I drifted slowly down the ramp to the basement carpark. Ducking under the slowly rising shutter door, I made my way across between the cars, to the narrow walkway in front of a white nondescript door. The only place set aside for parking motorcycles. I was alone. In the summer months there are often three of us commuting by motorcycle, but in the winter, it is just me. I put the side stand down and

The Government has responded to the MoT Consultation and announced today that there will be no change to the current MoT testing period for cars, motorbikes and vans, with the first MOT remaining at three years from registration. Subsequent MOTs will also continue to be taken once every year. Paul Morgan CBE BMF's Government Relations Executive said " This is an excellent result which comes on the back of proactive lobbying by National Motorcyclists Council (NMC), British Motorcyclists Federation (BMF) and IAM RoadSmart along with our key partners and will ensure the continued safety of riders on UK roads." You can read more here ............. Government committed to MOT modernisation as consultation concludes  First MOT test to remain three years after

To launch National Pothole Day and the start of the new National Pothole partnership, Paul Morgan from BMF attended a media event earlier this morning in Staffordshire alongside representatives from JCB, the AA and Staffordshire County Council. Today's event was held to highlight the new Pothole Partnership between Road User organisations, including the British Motorcyclists Federation, the National Motorcyclists Council and to provide a demonstration of the capabilities of JCB's new "Pothole Pro" machine that can repair a pothole in only 8 minutes to provide a permanent and effective repair rather than the temporary "patch and dash" approach that has often been employed by local authorities. The aim of the new partnership is to bring together the key players in one

BMF joins new National Partnership between Road User organisations, including the National Motorcyclists Council, and the road repair industry to press Government and Local Authorities to deliver effective and permanent road repairs through a comprehensive 5-Point Plan launched today on "National Pothole Day."     Paul Morgan CBE, Government Relations Executive, British Motorcyclists Federation said: “Potholes and other road surface related defects are extremely dangerous for motorcyclists and the top concern for BMF members. Action is needed now to urgently clear the backlog of repairs and address the appalling state of UK roads. We call on Government to front-load the £8.3billion funding that has recently been announced for road repairs and to prioritise the necessary work to make the UK road network safe

Help STOP Camden bike charges!   Camden Council have brought forward new proposals for motorcycle parking charges. We need YOU to help stop the charges!   This might not directly affect you, but if we don't fight parking charges wherever they appear they will spread, including to your local area.   Please sign and share the petition from our friends at Save London Motorcycling against the charges. It should only take 30 seconds of your time!   Find out more and sign the petition against the plans at... savelondonmc.com/camden/petition    Camden tried to bring in motorcycle parking charges 2020. It was a petition just like this that stopped them, with your help we can stop them again!   A quick reminder of Camden’s plans: parking permits for residents', businesses' and doctors' motorcycles the same

As part of our continuing campaign looking into reports of motorcycles being banned for work journeys and issues with insurance, we need your help. If you work for a company, or an organisation based in the UK, whether you ride a motorcycle for work or not, please help us collect vital information by completing this short online survey HERE. It’s totally anonymous and only takes 2 minutes to complete. Please get your responses in by Monday the 22nd of January. Top images courtesy of Alex Parsons-Hulse