mpaignactioncampaignactioncampaignactioncampaignactioncamp bike design by Brussels!
may not be successful. Either way, there will be controversy about the way the trials are conducted, how reliable the results are, etc. The public consultation could result in strong pressure for or against. MAG has been in the camp pushing for a speedy review, but it will take a good few months. In the meantime, the DSA say they may have identified some minor improvements that can be made to the test which could, perhaps, be introduced over summer 2011. These changes do not address the fundamental problems with the test, so while we ought to welcome any improvement, the reality is that this may amount to little more than ‘re- arranging the deck-chairs.’
Further changes to rider licensing and testing will come in January 2013 as a result of the Third EU Driving Licence Directive (3DLD). The main impacts of 3DLD on rider licensing are:
•
• •
Four licence categories: Moped, Small Motorcycle, Medium Motorcycle, Large Motorcycle
The minimum age requirement for Direct Access to large motorcycles rises to 24.
To upgrade a licence from a small or medium (Progressive Access), the rider must have two years experience on their current motorcycle licence and pass the motorcycle test again on a larger bike.
It is still unclear what engine size the bikes used for taking some of these tests will be. The question has been referred by the European Commission to a new sub-group of the EU Driving Licence Expert Group – the sub-group has yet to be convened, but is expected to meet in March 2011. MAG has been arguing at every opportunity for DfT to reconsider their earlier decision not to allow riders an alternative to retaking the test. It will be 2015 before any riders who pass their test under the 3DLD regime would be eligible to upgrade their licence through Progressive Access. DSA now believe it may be possible for riders to be allowed to upgrade their licence by taking a minimum of seven hours training instead. Any fundamental re-thinking is likely to mean the public gets asked to give its views. TheROAD and local MAG meetings will be one of the most important ways to make sure you know when the official channels are open so you as an individual can have your say. In the meantime, if you have any suggestions that we can throw in to the review process then why not email them to:
nich.brown@
mag-uk.org or
paddy.tyson@mag-uk.org
The bureaucrats want to kill the time-honoured tradition of tinkering
As we’ve reported before, the European Commission has drafted proposals that would mean compulsory Anti-lock Braking Systems for most new bikes and measures to prevent owners improving their bikes’ engine or transmission – including restrictions on choice of rear tyre. There are rumours that some Eurocrats would like to go even further to regulate the way your future bike handles - which as any rider knows is a very subjective and personal aspect of biking. Elsewhere in this edition of TheROAD you’ll find a two-page discussion on ABS. The policy adopted by MAG is that the choice of whether to use ABS or not must remain with the rider. Whatever your stance on ABS in principle, personal freedom of choice is a founding principle of the Motorcycle Action Group and for good reason. Blanket safety legislation rarely benefits everyone and its proponents are often dismissive of those it disadvantages. ABS offers some riders some advantages, under some circumstances. It comes at a financial cost which riders should be free to accept.
ABS brakes feel and work very differently to conventional brakes. Riders unfamiliar with the way ABS works on their bike will need effective training and awareness that they can’t rely on ABS as a substitute for good observation and decision-making on the road. Off-tarmac (and remember there are plenty of roads across Europe that are not ‘mettled’) a lot of ABS systems can’t cope with loose surfaces.
The proposal to require bike manufacturers to display the fuel consumption figures for new models is to be welcomed.
The above is a good idea bt the technocrats seem to want to outlaw common-sense modifications that make a bike better to ride economically, such as allowing different final- drive ratios depending on whether a rider uses twisty roads or motorways, or remapping of fuel-injection to smooth out lumpy throttle response in urban traffic. The justification for such restriction is that any interference will affect the manufacturers’ declared CO2 levels or fuel-consumption figures. The truth is that neither the way each rider rides or the roads and weather conditions experience are going to be the same as the simulations that the manufacturers will be forced to design bikes to perform against.
At the moment, every member state of the EU is engaged in a series of line-by-line discussions on the final content of the Commission’s proposals. So, while the whole process of negotiation is likely to drag on, some decisions are effectively being made on the hoof. Many of these discussions involve the Federation of European Motorcyclists Associations (FEMA) as observers. MAG remains proud to be a founding member of FEMA and we will all benefit from being kept informed of developments from Brussels. We have several different ways to make our views known.
MAG is in contact with officials at the UK Department for Transport and with the government Ministers responsible. You can write to the Department and its ministers direct to support MAGs campaign for rider choice on ABS and the need to allow riders to modify their own bikes to suit their riding needs.
DfT contact details can be found at
www.dft.gov.uk
In recognition of the fact that most anti- motorcycle legislation springs from ignorance and a lack of empathy, FEMA organises an annual event in which MEPs ae loaned bikes or taken as pillion passengers through the hills around Brussels. This is followed by lunch and is a brilliant way of developing allies in political circles. The next MEP Ride takes place in Brussels on May 5th 2011.
Why not get in touch with your own MEPs and ask them to take part in the event so they can better understand what is important to the riders they represent? The FEMA offices are in Brussels, contact details can be found at:
www.fema-online.eu The ROAD 61
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