EUmotorbike test

[poridge wog]

seems like the EU parliament is out to screw bikers again.
just read in my morning paper that european transport committee voted to restrict people under 19 to riding motorcycles with a maximum engine size of 125, at present, 17 and 18 year old can ride up to 350
under new proposals to be voted on by the eu parliament next month, the direct access scheme for gaining an unrestricted motorbike licence will be blocked for people under the age of 25.
these changes are designed to simplify licensing laws across europe and cut down on m/cycle crashes
all this was reported in todays times on page five under the heading
CURBS TO PUT BREAK ON RISING MOTORBIKE DEATH TOLL
after a heading like that i was waiting for the grim reaper to jump out on me ,just for owning a bike.
thought you might like to know
moan over :(

[BlackPig]

I don't know how the laws are now in the UK but,over here if you have a valid car licene you can ride a 125 legally. In this instance wouldn't it be a better security measure to have a mandatory part of lesson time spent on two wheels ?
This would give them a first hand view of the problem,and maybe even make them more aware of what they are getting into.A vehicle of any sort is a dangerous weapon in the hands of someone who doesn't know/understand the risks.
Waiting for the backlash................. :rolleyes:

[bill?]

seems like the EU parliament is out to screw bikers again.
just read in my morning paper

what paper PW?

[poridge wog]

bill it was on page five of todays times (closet intelectual that i am ) :cool:

[GRIB]

I Read The Same Article And What Pisses Me Off Is That The Eurocrats Who Have Never Been On A Bike In There Lives Trying To Tell People Like Us How We Should Be Rideing When We Know Best So In Short If It Aint Broke Dont Fix It (bastards)

[krammer]

once again it's just blatent discimination against bikers. how is it (in theory anyway) a 17 year old kid who passes his/her car test can get behind the wheel of a very powerful motor? there was a picture of wayne rooney in the paper a couple of weeks ago standing by the side of his hummer because he was unable to park it properly, so one of the stewards at the game did it for him ffs :mad:

[Bosun]

its the blatent use of scare tacticts in:
"CURBS TO PUT BREAK ON RISING MOTORBIKE DEATH TOLL"

that doubly annoys

krammer hit the other nail spot on :mad:

[Rabid1]

CURBS TO PUT BREAK ON RISING MOTORBIKE DEATH TOLL
How about curbing these death tolls another way what about banning cars, that will solve an awful lot of problems such as congestion, greenhouse gasses, cut drink driving, cut joy riding, make fat kids walk to school and slow the motorbike death toll. See i have solved all these problems by just banning the car easy isn't it. :mad:

[Crofty]

The licensing laws as i believe in the uk are:
16+CBT+Provisional licence=scooter
17+car licence(counts as provisional bike)+CBT= 125 (l plates, no pillions, no Mway etc)
17+CBT+Bike licence= any size motorcycle as long as it's restricted to 33bhp for two years
21+Direct access=any size bike of any power

thing is, you can get 125's and even some scooters to do decent enough speeds so i don't see why you should be so penalised after passing both a theory and practical test, where you can easily kill yourself on a similar speed 125. 50mph to the head will do you some damage no matter what you fall off.
You could even argue that someone might try to overtake something on a tremendously underpowered bike, being a danger.

[chimaera]

Oh come on you lot. We are all baby eating head banging speed freaks who kill all and sundry and don't have any sense of decorum or standards. We are the dregs of society and should all be shot or killed at birth, because we are individuals and stand out from the norm we dont fit into their slots and the bastards don't like that

[Gypsy]

i think both cars and bikes should be the same ,
limited engine size depending on how long the licence has been held for, eg for the 1st 3 yrs of car licence only allowed upto say 1.3L, bike say 250cc, so the more experience you get the higher the engine allowance.

there are a small percentage that arse it up for the rest, i knew a guy that took the 5 day course for his bike licence, passed and bought a brand new R1(dropped it twice in the first month). and its probably the same for your 17yr old boy racers too

[Strider]

I agree, sort of, just go back to olden days when it was restricted to 250cc for 17 year olds until they pass their test, but make it an engine power limit(say 25bhp) rather than engine size. Oh and a power restriction on 50cc scooters/bikes of 12bhp

Then after 2 years they can either take a direct access type test or go on to the next engine power group, say up to 60bhp, a year on that then unlimited.

Trouble is we have all got sensible suggestions, but does anyone listen, do they buggery !!!!!!!!!!!!

[Mitch]

Euro Trash

Issued 28th January 2005

Euro Trash

It's more Eurotrash says the Motorcycle Action Group (MAG) of the latest licensing proposals under the
3rd European Driving Licence Directive to come out of Brussels.

The European Parliament's Transport Committee has voted in favour of amendments to the directive in a
poor effort to harmonize motorcycle testing and licenses across the EU.

The proposed changes also aim to create a safer testing regime for riders but simply moving the age limit
for Direct Access to 26 does not make a safer rider. Nor does waiting until you are at least 19 years to ride
a bike bigger than 125cc"

Brussels has created a hodgepodge of differing age limits to the licence structure for riders and in doing so,
has denied riders the right balance between safety, mobility and access to Powered-Two Wheelers while
failing to address the real issues of motorcycle safety.

MAG says that quick-fixes for safety by unreasonably limiting access to motorcycles will not work.

Instead, MAG recommends a constructive approach featuring:

The introduction of long term education for road safety starting at school level.

High quality cost-effective initial rider training.

Raising the awareness of other vehicle drivers to motorcycles.

A re-focus on the relevance of experience rather than age.

MAG Director of Public Affairs Trevor Baird says, "There is a reluctance to look at the facts and
an enthusiasm to reach for the unrealistic objective of a harmonised European motorcycle licence.
There are big cultural differences between the European states and the 'one size fits all' approach
isn't justified. Simply limiting younger riders to smaller bikes makes no sense either."

MAG is not alone, a Pan European front consisting of FEMA (Federation of European Motorcyclists'
Associations) representing twenty two European riders organizations, the FIM (Fédération Internationale
de Motocyclisme) and ACEM, the Motorcycle Industry in Europe, have been working in partnership by
presenting a joint position paper and amendments to the directive.

MAG has lobbied UK MEP's in the European Parliament's Transport Committee and has met representatives
of the UK government to state its position together with other rider groups, representatives of the motorcycle
industry (MCIA) and the Motorcycle Rider Training Association (MRTA).

MAG calls on the European institutes to listen to the rider lobby, Antonio Perlot, Secretary General of FEMA
said, "Our objective is to contribute to the identification of an approach to Powered Two-Wheelers insuring the
coexistence of safety and mobility, through an effective and affordable licensing scheme. The Transport
Committee of the European Parliament is also proposing a revolutionary approach, shifting the emphasis from
testing to training."

MAG will be lobbying MEP's and MP's in earnest prior to a European Parliament vote on the directive in February
and will be asking riders through in its political activists arm the 'Email Army' to respond.

Notes:

1. Details of the Initial Rider Training Project are available at www.initialridertraining.com

2. Subscribe to the Email Army at www.lists.mag-uk.org/mailman/listinfo

Issued by

Trevor Baird
Director Of Public Affairs

MAG UK
PO BOX 750
Rugby
CV21 3ZR

Tel: +44 (0)870 444 8 448
Fax: +44 (0)870 444 8 449
Email public-affairs@mag-uk.org

The UK's Leading Riders' Rights Organisation

www.mag-uk.org


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[ForestFred]

Gald you did that Mitch saved me from doing it :)