Biker News - Regularly updated

Welcome to our News section, where articles are listed below and if relevant within the categories on the right, just to make it easier for you to find what you wish to read...

Please note that the content within our News section (text and images), follows the same copyright laws/notice as all other content on the website - ie not to be reproduced (including slightly amending) without prior consent. 

 RSS Feed

Category: Organisations

  1. Truck Protect Wins the 2010 KillSpills Award

    Posted on

    TruckProtect Ltd, the manufacturer of the best-selling NeckIt! fuel anti-siphon device (ASD), is this year’s winner of the KillSpills/bmf/IAM Award 2010 for ‘Achievement in Reducing Diesel Spills’.

    The annual award was first introduced in 2005 in order to recognise the achievements of those working to reduce the menace to motorcyclists of spilt diesel on our roads. The 2010 award once more goes to TruckProtect Ltd in recognition of the work they have done in developing programmes to promote the KillSpills campaign and the dangers of diesel spillage.

    Last year TruckProtect won the award for the development of the world’s first anti-spill device to fit within an anti-siphon device and therefore prevent diesel spills from a fuel tank even when a fuel cap has not been replaced or is broken. The device is now being launched by DAF and Scania, amongst others, across Europe.

    Commenting, KillSpills founder Stephen Edwards said: “The engineering that has gone into this product is truly impressive, but more than that, TruckProtect have shown real commitment and interest in ending the diesel spill menace faced by motorcyclists. They are a worthy winner of the 2010 KillSpills Award for Achievement in Reducing Diesel Spills.”

    In receiving the award, Russell Fowler, Chief Executive of TruckProtect, said: “We are doubly delighted to be honoured once again by the KillSpills award. While our device started as a means of preventing diesel spillage and fuel siphoning, since first winning the award we have realised its importance to motorcyclists so have also stressed this aspect within the industry and with our customers. Some major publicity programmes will start soon following close work between KillSpills and ourselves. Their team is to be congratulated for their tireless efforts in raising this awareness”

    This is the sixth year of the award, previous winners being ASDA in 2005, Sainsbury’s in 2006, the Highways Agency in 2007 and the DFT in 2008, all of them recognised for the work they had done in raising awareness of the dangers of diesel spillage and taking measures to prevent it.

    Note: KillSpills (www.killspills.org.uk.), sponsored by the bmf and IAM, was formed in 2003 to counter the menace of diesel spillage and particularly, the danger it presents to motorcyclists.

    More details on TruckProtect can be found at:  www.TruckProtect.com.

  3. Brussels says: “You will have anti-Lock Brakes and like them.”

    Posted on

    Riders will have anti-lock braking systems (ABS) with no option to disable them whether they like them or not if the European Commission gets its way. The Commission plans to enforce the fitment of ABS to all new bikes above 125cc.
     
    A compromise that might have enabled riders to switch their ABS off has been rejected by the Commission on the grounds that ABS will offer safety benefits far more often than it will pose safety problems. The Commission is concerned that what they describe as false anxiety about ABS, may lead riders to disable their systems in normal on-road use and thus lose the benefits these systems offer.
     
    The Commission acknowledges that ABS may pose disadvantages in off-road situations but considers the number of citizens living in areas with a high percentage of unpaved roads as negligible compared to the broader riding population.
     
    MAG President Ian Mutch said, “This is typical Commission bullishness of the ‘one size fits all philosophy.’ Very few road accidents have anything to do with the machines themselves.  Unless we can steer the Commission away from this obsession with technical solutions then we are just going to face a lot of expense with no certainty that it will reduce accidents at all.”
     
    The Federation of European Motorcyclists Associations (FEMA) argues that in addition to the limitation of consumer choice, the fitment of ABS will significantly increase the purchase cost and maintenance cost of motorcycles.
     
    On a positive note, following FEMA’s suggestion, the Commission proposes to prohibit member states from applying national power limits like the 100hp limit currently in place in France.
     
    NB MAGUK is a founder member of FEMA . One Euro from each £25 MAGUK membership subscription goes to help fund the cost of running FEMA.

  4. UK ROADS CONTINUE TO GET SAFER

    Posted on

    British roads continue to get safer year on year for all road users. The Motor Cycle Industry's analysis of the Governments most recent statistics found that although traffic rose by 15% in the last year the casualty rate for motorcyclists fell by 6%.

    The motorcycle casualty rate has continued to fall since 1994 and the number of motorcycle fatalities has also dropped by 4% since 2008.

    The statistics reveal that rider/ driver errors are the main contributory factor to accidents (42% overall).

    The three main causes of motorcycle accidents are; a loss of control - 16%, a failure to properly observe - 15% and a failure to judge the other person's path or speed - 12%. Slippery roads (7%) and inexperienced riders (9%) were also notable.

    Steve Kenward, NMCI's CEO commented, " It is important that we continue to make progress and sustain the reduction in accidents and the casualty rate. Riders themselves can also take greater personal responsibility for their actions on the road and can get involved in different activities to improve their skills and experience."

    Taking part in a BIkeSafe assessment is an excellent and affordable way to discover strengths and weaknesses on the road. These sessions include an on-road riding assessment with a qualified police bike instructor who will evaluate things such as cornering and breaking as well as your overall riding technique.

    To find out more and book a session go to www.bikesafe.co.uk

    Follow this up with some post-test training to help improve your skills and techniques. The better prepared you are the easier it will be to deal with hazardous situations that might arise.

    For more information about how to find a suitable trainer and the different types of training that is available go to the website www.mcita.co.uk

    END
    Editor's Notes

    Get On is the Motor Cycle Industry's three-year campaign to get the nation biking and is funded by a levy on every motorcycle and scooter sold in the UK by participating Get On manufacturers and dealers?

    Notes:
     
    www.geton.co.uk gives details of the companies who are supporting this campaign

    Riding taster sessions are FREE and details of where they can be taken are on the website

    You do not need a car licence in order to 'Get On' but must be aged 16 years or older

    Each taster session lasts for approximately one hour

    All riding is conducted in a safe environment and does not take place on main roads

  5. Lobby Your MP On Motorcycling Matters

    Posted on

    The bmf is calling on its 80,000 members to join a mass lobby of Parliament on Monday the 8th of November as part of the Riders Are Voters campaign.

    The main objective is to raise the profile of motorcycling issues with MPs by showing that their motorcycling constituents have something to say. There are 650 MPs and roughly a third of them are new to the job so many will  have never discussed motorcycle issues before and neither will many established MPs.

    The bmf says that this is a golden opportunity for all motorcyclists, bmf members or not, to have their say on any motorcycling issue that is concerning them, from road conditions or bus lane use to the cost and complexity of getting a licence.  

    More details are provided in the briefing document below but it’s important to register now to secure your place. Rider registration is being co-ordinated by MAG on behalf of the RAV campaign organisations*. You can register by emailing [email protected]  or by phoning the Riders Are Voters office on 0800 9883193.

    *Riders Are Voters (www.ridersarevoters.org ) is a joint venture by the four main motorcycle organisations, the British Motorcyclists Federation, the Motorcycle Action Group, the Motor Cycle Industry Association and the Auto Cycle Union and they have a day where ordinary motorcyclists can meet their MP in the place where MPs works.