The Motorcycle Action Group (MAG), the British Motorcyclists Federation (BMF) and the Motor Cycle Industry Association (MCI) have joined forces to launch a campaign to encourage motorcyclists to vote in the forthcoming General Election.

2010 will be a year where there will be big changes in parliament and the three organisations feel that this could be the best chance in decades to really influence political opinion about motorcycle issues among Parliamentary Candidates.

The main 'Riders Are Voters' campaign will kick off in the new year and as part of this, motorcycle riders and businesses in the motorcycle industry will be encouraged to contact local Parliamentary Candidates to ask for support for a motorcycling manifesto; 'Britain Needs Biking'.

However, MAG, BMF and MCI want to know what riders and business leaders think are the key issues that the campaign should focus upon. Does biking Britain need better roads? More parking? Better Government policy? More incentives for people to ride? Better policing? Or something else? Riders Are Voters wants to know what people really feel should be the key biking issues that should feature in the General Election.

MAG and the BMF will be featuring Riders Are Voters on their stands, CX10 Hall 2 (MAG) and 1D72 Hall 1 (BMF) People are urged to visit these stands and let the campaign know their views via the Riders Are Voters 'ballot box'.

MAG's Nich Brown said: " More than a million motorcycle and scooter riders are voters, so are their friends and families. By working together 'Riders Are Voters' will show the biking constituency is big enough to make a difference at elections. Government still has a long way to go to deliver on its promise to put biking at the heart of transport thinking; we've made progress but the message still has to get through to some parts of local and national government.

BMF's Chris Hodder said "The one thing we have learnt about riders is that motorcycling is right at the top of their personal agendas. The big changes expected at the next election mean that now could be the best time in decades to let those who want our votes know where we really stand."

MCI's Sheila Rainger added "The industry is delighted to support this campaign. It's clear that despite the limited actions taken in the last ten
years and the occasional warm words from Ministers, the motorcycle community expects much, much more. Motorcycles don't create traffic congestion and are the lowest polluting form of private powered transport for a given journey. Therefore it makes absolutely no sense that the Government does not support motorcycling in its overall transport strategy."

Soldier, Soldier, Soldier

You off to war did go,

A brave and much loved person,

Of whom I did not know,

You fought a foe you could not see,

Although beside you he may be, but to you he wouldn't show.

--------------------------

Soldier, Soldier, Soldier

You fought, with your head held high,

In heat and cold you fought so hard, your valour ever bold,

Fighting on with a will, that you knew would never die,

But for what cause is this you risked your life,

What are the reasons never told.

--------------------------

Soldier, Soldier, Soldier

We may never know my friend, the reason for you not growing old,

The reason for your Mother, Father, sister, brother,

No longer, having you to hold,

The reason for your children, to lie awake at night,

Crying after losing Dad, because of someone else's fight.

--------------------------

Soldier, Soldier, Soldier

Sadly now the time has come, you no longer have to fight, for you it is all over,

The enemy sought you out, albeit by bullet or by bomb,

Yet another damned statistic on the press front cover,

And back to this country you will come,

Just like so many, who before you may have done!

--------------------------

Soldier, Soldier, Soldier

You have given your all, to protect others like me,

You have now returned at last, your fighting there is done,

Your final journey is now ahead of you, although it may be a lonely one,

Your work there will carry us forward, and from you, we will learn,

That with strength of character such as yours, we can travel on.

--------------------------

Soldier, Soldier, Soldier

'Lest We Forget' what you have done,

We will remember you, each and everyone,

Past and present you have all fought for us, to make our life ahead a better one,

God Bless you in your after life, may you be free of all pain and anguish,

For us our memories of you will never die, and we all will surely cherish.

Spider!

Spider!

(In the Phrase 'Lest We Forget' ¨C the word 'Lest' means 'For Fear That' ¨C We Forget) ¡¡

I have written this to mark the 100th repatriation of our fallen service personnel through Wootton Bassett on the 20th November 2009.

But also to remind us of the millions of people who have died or been injured in conflicts around the world.

Hopefully one day it is the world itself that will Rest in Peace

*** 

I have written this to mark the 100th repatriation of our fallen service personnel through Wootton Bassett on the 20th November 2009.

But also to remind us of the millions of people who have died or been injured in conflicts around the world.

Hopefully one day it is the world itself that will Rest in Peace

While one in six deaths on our roads are caused by drivers over the legal alcohol limit, motorcyclists are half as likely as other motorists to take the risk of drinking before riding, according to the MCI, marking the start of Road Safety Week 2009 (1).

The latest analysis of drink-drive statistics show that in 2008, of the motorcycle riders tested following an accident, 1.4 per cent failed a breathalyser test compared to an average of 2.7 per cent for all road user casualties as a whole (2).

The MCI is supporting Road Safety Week 2009's call to all road users to commit to not drink even a drop of alcohol before driving, nor consume any other illegal drug, to help reduce the number of accidents and casualties on British roads.

For road users as a whole, the group most likely to drink and drive were those under 17, with 11.8 per cent of young people in this age band failing the test. Only 1.2 per cent of these positive tests were given by young motorcyclists.

Motorcyclists aged between 20 and 24 were most likely to fail a breath test, with 2.4 per cent of tests taken by riders in this age band positive for alcohol. However, this figure is still less than half that of the average for all road users between 20 and 24, of whom 5 per cent gave a breath test positive for alcohol.

In 2007, at least 15,935 people in the UK were killed or hurt by drink and drug-drivers. That's: 1,328 people every month, 306 people every week, 44 people every day, 2 people every hour.

In 2007, 478 people were killed by drivers over the drink-drive limit in the UK. Women are much less likely than men to cause drink drive crashes. However, nearly a third of the casualties in drink drive crashes are women; often passengers in cars driven by young men.Nearly one in six convicted drink-drivers are caught the morning after.

The MCI advises:

* Never drink any amount of alcohol if you're riding. You don't have to be over the limit for your skills to be impaired.

* Never drink late at night if you're riding early the next morning. If you get caught out later than you thought, take the bus or go pillion next morning.

* Don't let mates drink and ride.

* Don't hassle anyone into accepting a drink they don't want.

Sheila Rainger, MCI Director of Communications, said, "The demands of riding a motorcycle are greater than those of driving a car and it is good to see the majority of motorcyclists recognizing this fact by refusing to mix drinking and riding.

"However, there is no room for complacency. As vulnerable road users, motorcyclists need to stay sharp. The MCI is backing the Road Safety Week 2009 call to all riders to commit to 'not a drop, not a drag' before starting the engine, and as Christmas party season approaches, urging riders to be aware that alcohol can stay in your system well into the morning after."
1) www.roadsafetyweek.org
2) DfT; Compendium of Motorcycling Statistics 2009
3) Other statistics supplied by Brake

• NABD
• Northern Harley Club
• Jesters MCC
• FELP
• The Wrecking Crew
• Unwanted MCC
• Royal Oak Rejects
• Salutation MCC
• Bristol & Avon Roadrunners MCC
• The Royal British Legion Riders Branch
  
  ... and a few other familiar Bikers from the UK scene including 4 lovely ladies on the front cover!
  
  Other information
  
  £1 of every Calendar sold will be donated to NABD
  
  * Please note there is a limited print run of THE BIKER CALENDAR for the 2010 issue.
  
  The Calendar is already selling like pints at a Biker Rally, so to avoid disappointment get one now...
  
  See here:
  
  Buy here:
  
  Also at Screamin Kiwi stall at Rivington Barn on a Sunday and at Speedstyle, at Squires Cafe.

Teaming up to produce a range of Limited Edition clothing, the Anglo-American partnership of Ace Cafe London and Schott NYC includes the seminal Schott Perfecto leather jacket, famously worn by Marlon Brando's "Johnny" in the 1953 film "The Wild One".  The increased visibility of the Perfecto jacket in this ground-breaking film and its subsequent popularity at the time, initially resulted in a decrease in sales!  Like the film, which was banned in the UK for fourteen years by the British Board of Film Censors, these jackets were also banned by many schools in the USA because they were considered to symbolise a burgeoning, and what was regarded as an increasingly dangerous teenage demographic.

In 1955, the Perfecto was catapulted to the height of its popularity when a love of speed ended the life of teen idol James Dean.  It was said at the time that he was hardly ever seen in any other jacket, and that they seemed to be made for each other.

Ace Cafe London's Mark Wilsmore, who has owned one of these jackets for years said, "Being a motorcyclist and enthusiastic collector of iconography relating to motorcycles, a Schott jacket was a must.  We are very excited to be working with a company with such heritage".

In 1928, Irving Schott crafted his first motorcycle jacket for Beck distributors in Long Island, New York.  Durable and rugged, it was immediately embraced by the new generation of "bikers" as a symbol of the excitement, adventure and danger that fuelled their fascination with motorcycles. It retailed for $5.50!  Soon after, Irving introduced a line of jackets under the Perfecto brand, named after his favourite cigar.  Since the early fifties, only the top of the line Schott motorcycle jackets carry the Perfecto label. Quality, innovation and individuality were the ideals of Irving Schott, and four generations on, the tradition continues from the core one hundred year old factory in Staten Island, New York.

Made from deluxe heavy steerhide, the Perfecto is 24" long and features a belted front, bi-swing back, underarm ventilation, zippered pockets and sleeves and an insulated nylon quilted lining. The standard classic Schott Perfecto at £480 and the special Limited Edition Ace/Schott Custom Perfecto (the only Schott jacket with a half-zippered lining making it easier to sew on patches without damaging the leather) jacket at £550; which comes with a set of Ace Cafe London badges, are both available from the Ace Cafe London web shop.

Julian Ritchie of Schott said, "We at Schott are very pleased to be working jointly on exclusive products with Ace Cafe London, the first of which is the Perfecto Custom - a collaboration between two great names in motorcycling history.  Both companies have their roots in a culture in which the Perfecto jacket has become an icon in its own right and Schott are proud to be part of the Ace Cafe and its culture."

Check them out on the webshop's Featured Brands Section