Do loud pipes save lives? Mike Waters tries to make sense of the eternal controversy around motorcycle noise... The big, ugly, long-running debate over motorcycle noise is back and, as with so many things these days, we can blame COVID-19. Traffic dropped sharply when the first lockdown was brought in, so the sound of motorcycles stood out instead of blending in and complaints surged. People even contacted the British Motorcyclists Federation to complain, although precisely what they were expecting the BMF to do is a bit of a mystery. But these complaints can’t just be dismissed, because complainers are also voters and a big enough number of voters tends to get the attention of politicians. Moves have already been made to ban motorcycles

BMF Political and Technical Services Director Anna Zee finds some troubling implications in proposed changes to the Highway Code. One of the ways for anyone to make their opinions known on issues is to respond to consultations. One of the consultations I am currently looking at on behalf of the BMF is on the Highway Code. The Highway Code proposals reflect a major shift in the UK’s road safety thinking. No, I’ll rephrase that – the road safety thinking has been shifting over several years and these Highway Code proposals are a concrete realisation of that thinking. The biggest change is the introduction of a hierarchy of road users, with the most vulnerable (pedestrians) at one end and those capable of the greatest

After 60 years of fighting for motorcyclists’ rights – and counting! – it’s time to look back at what the BMF has achieved for bikers. BMF Motorcycle Rider editor Jeremy Pick writes jusdevoyage C9nDxzGKXgM unsplashSince July 1960, the BMF has been the unified voice of motorcycling in the UK, fighting to protect motorcyclists’ rights and interests at the governmental level through specialist lobbyists and a UK-wide network of committed volunteers. As one of the largest rider groups in the world, the BMF is committed to protecting, advising and educating all motorcyclists from the beginner to the experienced – and the need for effective lobbying is now as great as or greater than it ever was. But there is more to the BMF

Clean air zones are probably coming to somewhere near you soon if they aren’t there already, so what are they and what do you need to know? Mike Waters explores... The first thing to know about clean air zones (CAZs) is that the name pretty much says it all. In summary, they’re a defined area in which the authorities want to reduce or prevent airborne pollution by vehicles. There are plenty of variations – London’s Ultra Low Emission Zone, Glasgow’s Low Emission Zone, Oxford’s Zero Emission Zone and so on – but the gist is the same. If you want to go in and your bike doesn’t meet the zone’s standards, you pay a fee up front or a fine when

Jess Bennett explains everything you need to know about the new motorcycle helmet safety regulations and why they're good news for bikers... Helmets save lives, and lots of them. According to a major study (link) that reviewed a vast library of medical data from around the world, helmets are 42% effective in preventing motorcyclist deaths and 69% effective in preventing brain injuries. When the worst happens and your head needs protection, that advantage can be crucial. You’ll surely be well aware of the importance of buying from reputable brands with industry standard safety ratings. However, those safety ratings change over time and, in June 2020, the United Nations voted to update the motorcycle helmet regulations for the first time in more than

Your insurance premium may be about to go up and motorsport could be in serious danger because of one Slovenian tractor accident, write the BMF's Anna Zee. Here's why. Remember the name Vnuk? Slovenian chap who got knocked off a ladder by a tractor reversing with a trailer into a farmer’s barn? His claim for compensation went all the way to the European Court of Justice, which ruled in his favour. You may recall headlines about having to insure your segway, mobility scooter or ride-on lawnmower because, on the face of it, this judgment changed what we thought was the scope of the Motor Insurance Directive (MID). Two other cases have also led to re-interpretations of the scope of the MID,