Research into motorcycle commuting – UPDATE BMF News 10 August 202310 August 2023 Thanks for your input and here’s an update... In August of last year some of you may remember taking part in an online survey about motorcycle commuting. If you did then many thanks for helping me out and contributing to my research. BMF article here. If you didn’t then don’t worry, hopefully this article sharing some of the outcomes of that research will still be of interest. Many research projects have looked into the benefits of travelling by motorcycle. Some look at the environmental benefits of this mode of transport in comparison to the car, whilst others focus on benefits associated with mental health and wellbeing. One of the most frequently quoted studies is from 2011 and is commonly referred to as
Motorcycle groups call for zero VAT on air jackets Other news 9 August 202325 August 2023 IAM Roadsmart has joined the BMF, National Motorcyclists Council and other motorcycle groups to call for zero VAT on air jackets. Currently, only motorcycle helmets are zero-rated, along with cycle helmets and some industrial PPE (personal protective equipment). Research by air jacket/vest distributor Helite indicates that as few as 4% – one in 25 – of UK motorcyclists currently own an air jacket. The cost could well be putting some off, with Helite’s Turtle 2 air vest range starting at £550 and its Touring Air Jacket at £795. Making these zero rated would knock 20% off the price, reducing the Turtle 2 to as little as £440. An alternative to zero-rating air jackets and vests would be to give them the
Testing and improving road friction is crucial for motorcyclists’ safety FEMA News 7 August 202313 September 2023 Sufficient grip is crucial for motorcycles, because motorcycles (normally) have just two wheels: lose grip with one and you are already in trouble. Losing grip not only means sliding but also possible loss of balance and a crash. This is why it is important that the skid resistance measurements of the road authorities meet our needs too, which isn’t the case now. FEMA's Dolf Willigers and SMC's Maria Nordqvist have written a technical report, which includes clear recommendations to road authorities on how to test and improve road friction. Loss of grip can occur when a road surface has lost some of its friction because of wear, because of the weather (water, snow, ice) and because of bitumen bleeding, badly executed repairs,
Why the BMF are leaving FEMA BMF News 4 August 2023 The BMF Management Team and the BMF Council have jointly voted to leave Federation of European Motorcyclists' Associations (FEMA). This is how we got to make that decision. The Past For 40 years the BMF took the view that the main place for UK lobbying to be effective was in the EU. This was because most legislation that affected UK riders was formulated there. Both UK rider groups took that view, which is why we created FEMA, whose common language is English and whose Constitution is derived from the BMF’s, written by two BMF representatives to FEMA. The BMF continued to take this view, with statements to the FEMA Board to that effect, until Brexit. The BMF deliberately avoided any internal discussion of
UK Bike Sales Struggle Other news 4 August 202325 August 2023 UK motorcycle sales struggled in the first half of 2023, declining overall by 2.6% to 62,277 - high inflation, squeezed incomes and the increasing cost of consumer credit were blamed. Although bikes in the 501-1000cc class saw sales soar by 17.3%, every other sector suffered a fall. The big 1000cc-plus machines were down by 1.2%, the 125-500s by 7.2% while sub-125s plummeted by 13.9%, though they were still the biggest capacity sector at 22,163. Scooters (those above 50cc) were down too, by 13.2%. According to trade magazine British Dealer News, continued high inflation is at the core of all this gloom, with rapidly increasing interest rates showing little sign of dampening down the economy. The higher rates have in turn put
Kawasaki & Buell Announce Electrics Other news 2 August 20234 August 2023 Electric motorcycle sales may have languished in the UK so far this year, but the situation worldwide looks more bullish, with Kawasaki close to launching its 125cc-equivalent e-bikes, and Erik Buell’s long-awaited Fuell now available on pre-order. Kawasaki hasn’t officially revealed much about the upcoming Ninja EV and Z EV (faired and naked versions respectively) but the 125-equivalents have recently been approved for sale in Australia, with the paperwork revealing some of the key specifications. The biggest surprise is that both will use a pair of small batteries with a combined capacity of 3kwh, and that these will be removeable for easier charging. At around 12 kilos each, the batteries should be light enough for many riders to carry indoors. The
Exciting new rally venue for 2023 – Muncaster Castle – September 8th to 10th 2023 BMF News 31 July 202325 August 2023 Exciting new rally venue for 2023 - Muncaster Castle September 8th to 10th 2023 We are keeping the laid back style for this rally, with a slight festival feel twist to it! There will be live music, fantastic food, a rally bar, traders, all in an amazing venue steeped in history and not to forget it's an excellent ride-out location to explore the fabulous Cumbrian countryside. Why The Lucky Cup Rally? - we decided to recognise the history and the tale of the drinking bowl left by Henry VI. THE LUCK of MUNCASTER In 1464 Sir John Pennington gave shelter to Henry VI, wandering after the Battle of Hexham. Many years later in 1783, John, Lord Muncaster erected the tower known as
Big Tours Back On Other news 31 July 20234 August 2023 Globetrotting motorcycle tours are finally making a return, after a long hiatus during and post-Covid. In a symbolic move, Globebusters, probably the best known of the mega-tour operators, set off on their biggest tour since Covid in late July, a 22,000-mile epic across the Americas from Alaska to Patagonia. And in a sign that adventure motorcyclists are ready to travel again, the 142-day tour was sold out – and that was at a cool £37,995 per person. Globebusters was founded over 20 years ago by Kevin and Julia Sanders, who before they got into the tour business, set a new Guinness World Record for the fastest time across America, two-up. Globebusters proved a success, tapping into the desire for some (well-heeled)
One million stolen motorcycles never found Other news 29 July 20234 August 2023 Around one million motorcycles stolen in the UK since 1973 have never been recovered. That’s according to Dr Ken German, who served in the Metropolitan Police Stolen Car Squad unit and now holds a PhD in international vehicle crime. Dr German has calculated that over 900,000 bikes nicked in the last 50 years have never been recovered – add in those not reported, off-road and race machines, he writes, and the total amounts to a cool million. Between 1973 and 1987, 675,000 bikes were stolen in the UK, of which 405,000 were never recovered. These would have been cloned, stripped to their component parts, were exported or the subject of insurance fraud. In the following five years to 1992, 190,000 were
Bruce Main-Smith archive now available online Other news 26 July 202331 July 2023 Looking for an ultra-rare workshop manual, parts list or brochure for your classic bike? The National Motorcycle Museum (NMM) may have the answer. It has digitised its entire collection of Bruce Main-Smith titles, with over 5000 documents available covering over 300 motorcycle marques from Ascot-Pullin to Zundapp, stretching from the late 19th century right up to the 1980s. Parts manufacturers like Lucas and Amal are included, plus sidecar makers Bruce Main-Smith (BMS) famously sold photocopies of out-of-print manuals and owners handbooks through the 1960s and ‘70s, amassing a huge list of obsolete titles which proved invaluable to classic bike owners and restorers. The man behind the venture, ex-motorcycle journalist Bruce Main-Smith, died in 2018. Now this impressive archive is available digitally, ordered online
European Commission: End-of-life motorcycles must be handed in FEMA News 24 July 202313 September 2023 The European Commission wants to make it mandatory to hand in motorcycles when the have come to 'the end of their life'. FEMA's Wim Taal explains. The European Commission (EC) has recently adopted a Proposal for a Regulation on circularity requirements for vehicle design and on management of end-of-life vehicles (end-of-life vehicle means a vehicle which is waste or vehicles that are irreparable). The inclusion of motorcycles in the Regulation could mean the end of so-called home recycling. Recycling of motorcycles and motorcycle parts is an inherent part of motorcycle use. Home recycling, where you end the bike’s registration and take it apart for re-use of its parts, is a significant part of the motorcycle culture. Home recycling helps to keep bikes
Ducati launches instant low-seat Multistrada Other news 22 July 202320 July 2023 A lower seat at the touch of a button is the promise of Ducati’s Easy Lift function. Already available on the Multistrada Rally, it’s now offered on the cheaper V4S as well, both on new bikes and as a free retrofit software upgrade. Making use of the Multistrada’s electronic suspension control, Easy Lift opens the suspension valves for three minutes after the ignition has been turned on. This effectively softens the rear shock and front forks, making what is a big, heavy machine easier to lift off its stand – the softer suspension also results in a lower seat height once the rider is aboard, a boon for those with shorter legs. The seat height can be set at one of