BMF Support IAM petition

IAM RoadSmart has launched a petition calling on the Government to scrap VAT on life-saving air vests which are currently subject to a 20% VAT rate. Other lifesaving equipment, like motorcycle helmets, are either zero rated or lower rated. IAM CEO, Antony Kildare, shares his statement here Full details of the IAM RoadSmart petition can be found via the following link here Previous research has shown that for riders wearing an airbag vest or jacket, forward momentum in a crash is reduced by roughly 60 percent and head traumas are reduced by approximately 80 percent; significantly reducing incidents of broken bones and abrasions, as well as head and neck trauma. BMF fully support this petition, which, if successful, would bring down the price

British-built Hybrid reaches Production

White Motorcycle Concepts (WMC) has opened the order book for its Yamaha Tricity 300-based WMC300AE, a hybrid three-wheeler which claims to reduce CO2 emissions by 50% with fuel efficiency of 104mpg. But if you want one you’ll have to be quick (they’re only planning to make 10) and probably well-heeled (it’s ‘price on application’). The hybrid trike is basically a production version of the WMC300FR, which has been trialled by Northamptonshire Police. Starting with the 298cc tilting three-wheel Tricity, WMC has added a 5Kw electric motor and two rechargeable batteries, which charge through a standard three-pin plug. The electric power train takes over below 30mph, and its contribution tails off up to 40mph. In theory, this should give the best of

Petrol Bike Ban still under consideration

The Government is still considering what to do about the date for ending new sales of petrol motorcycles. Currently, the proposed end dates are 2030 for mopeds and 125s, and 2035 for all bigger bikes, but the recent pushback of the end date for petrol/diesel cars (from 2030 to 2035) has put these in doubt. In response to a query from the BMF, a spokesperson for the Department for Transport said: “The consultation on when to end the sale of new non-zero emission motorcycles (and other L-category vehicles) has been supported by a thorough programme of stakeholder engagement with manufacturers and the wider industry, including a positive Ministerial roundtable. We are now analysing the responses and will bring forward the Government’s

Camden parking charges are back

Recently there have been increasing numbers of local authorities seeking to introduce motorcycle parking charges. Camden Councils proposals are the latest, with the Council proposing to scrap free motorcycle parking bays and replace them with park-to-pay facilities. This is a misguided and illogical strategy given the significant congestion and CO2 reduction benefits which motorcycles offer. Motorcycles, in addition, do not take up large amounts of road or kerb space and do not require significant and expensive parking infrastructure to accommodate them. Powered 2 wheelers offer a real alternative to both high-polluting cars and the already overburdened public transport system. Rather than demonising motorcycling, local authorities like Camden should instead be encouraging greater use of motorcycles as a means to cut emissions, to

Brough SS80 could near £100,000?

‘Box of bits’ restorations can cause no end of heartbreak, but this Brough Superior SS80 – coming up for auction on 26th October– could make a happy ending for its owner, who after buying the ‘basket case’ Brough in the 1990s, took 20 years to restore it to its current pristine condition. Charterhouse Auctions, which is putting the Brough under the hammer at the Haynes Motor Museum, along with 100 or so other bikes, expects it to make £65,000-£70,000 on the day. However, get two determined bidders in the same room, and maybe it really could get to six figures... Broughs – the British superbikes of the 1920s and ‘30s – are highly sought after today, and not just because of

Brief round up of BMF 2023 AGM

The BMF Annual General Meeting 2023 The British Motorcyclists Federation held its AGM on 14th October 2023, at 10.00. The event, held on Zoom, was a great success with members taking part, from both Clubs and as individuals. Regular business was dealt with briskly, before moving on to wide ranging discussions on a number of topics. The meeting heard reports from the Chair, Jim Freeman, and fellow Directors and Staff: Anna Zee, Political & Technical Services Sheonagh Ravensdale, Communications Helen Hancock, Administrator and Social Media Manager Peter Laidlaw, Membership Services Howard Anderson, Finance The meeting was run by Jim Freeman, who managed the polls and voting, with help from Helen Hancock, the BMF’s Administrator, particularly monitoring the lively chat board. Jim Freeman was re-elected as Chair with 95% of the

Electric Enfield Completes Edinburgh 200 Mile Trial

An electric motorcycle has completed the 200-mile Edinburgh Trial for the first time, unsupported and using only public charge points. It’s thought to be the first time an electric bike has finished any of the major long-distance trials – run by the Motorcycling Club (MCC) these consist of off-road special sections linked by road mileage. Engineer Fred Spaven is no stranger to battery bikes, having converted an Enfield Bullet to electric in 2015. An experienced MCC competitor (on a BSA Bantam) he was inspired to take the electric route while working on his PhD with University College London – UCL offered to part-fund a suitable bike out of its motorsports fund. Calculating he needed a 100-mile range between charges, Fred settled

BMF Link Up With Motorcycle Law Scotland To Develop A Car Drivers Awareness Campaign To Improve Motorcyclists’ Safety

BMF has agreed to work with Motorcycle Law Scotland (MLS) to develop an information campaign to improve car driver awareness of motorcyclists at junctions to reduce motorcycle accidents and fatalities in Scotland. A recent article in “The Scotsman” by Thomas Mitchell, an Associate at MLS, has highlighted the continuing vulnerability of motorcyclists in road traffic accidents in Scotland with motorcycle riders often the innocent victims of poor driver behaviour. MLS argue that current safety campaign messaging in Scotland, that focuses solely on educating riders about risks and reducing the speed of motorcyclists, “demonises” motorcyclists and creates a false perception amongst other road users that the responsibility for a rider’s safety rests entirely in the hands of the rider. The figures on motorcyclist injuries/fatalities

Volunteer Anna Zee: ‘Why I give up some of my riding so you don’t have to’.

Over the last twenty years I have received a pretty extensive education in road safety matters and a good deal of technical and legislative education to do with motorcycling issues. Most of it while engaged in full-time employment in a completely unrelated area. I never intended to become a road safety expert but if I am more than halfway there it is because if you represent motorcyclists it is necessary to engage with a whole spectrum of road safety bodies. It is unfortunately the case that as a representative of motorcyclists one does encounter people who can only think of motorcycles as dangerous and noisy. With respect to noise the simple solution is to enforce the existing law so let's put that

Use It or Lose It this Winter

If you get bombarded by emails and offers from your local motorcycle dealer this winter, then be sympathetic, because they may just be taking advice. The motorcycle trade has become increasingly seasonal, as leisure riders put their bikes away in the garage for the winter, hook them up to the Optimate and head indoors – consequently, sales of bikes, tyres, clothing and consumables all plummet. Some dealers struggle to survive this lean period, but motorcycle marketing man Dan Sagar, writing in trade paper British Dealer News, suggests that they take a leaf from the books of businesses which weathered the Covid lockdown well. The key, says Dan, is to keep in touch with customers via email newsletters and social media, with

Top Bike Crash Scenarios Listed

What’s the most common scenario for a motorcycle crash? Common wisdom suggests junctions, which are certainly high on the list for road crashes in general, but when it comes to which vehicle types top which type of crash location, a different picture emerges. According to a study from Forbes Advisor, using Department for Transport road casualty data for 2012-2021, motorcycles were the most common vehicle type to crash in five different scenarios. These were: failing to make a left-hand bend (ie going straight on), the same for a right-hander and three different overtaking scenarios – overtaking on the nearside, and overtaking a moving or static vehicle on the offside. Most common of these for bikes was offside overtaking when the other vehicle

Laverda Club Celebrates 50th Anniversary

The International Laverda Owners Club (ILOC) is to mark its 50th birthday in advance by launching a book which celebrates the iconic Italian machines. Founded in 1974, the club has since been a must-join for fans of the well known triples, 650/750 twins and the earlier singles. The book is a history of the club, its members and their experiences, so includes articles about their life on bikes and their love of Laverdas, plus contributions from key people in the Laverda UK story. ILOC Chairman Keith Prentice commented “We thought long and hard about how best to mark such an historic event and decided the ILOC Anniversary Book is a fitting record and memento of 50 incredible years of the Owners’

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