Decembers BMF Club news round up

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BMF NEWS ROUND UP – November 2023

The monthly news round-up, brought to you by the BMF

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Meetings attended for the BMF in November



Anna Zee:



MCIA off-road and sports group meeting

Participation in motorcycle sport is holding up, slightly better than pre-Covid. ACU looking to reduce the red tape currently required for holding events. There is interest in racing electric bikes; however, riders may have to bring diesel generators in order to ensure charging capability.



PACTS conference on speed

Several presentations on why lower speeds are safer. Some possibly informative contributions in the chat buried in the hectoring from a 20s Plenty campaigner.



RoSPA meeting on the gig economy

This meeting did not try to solve the perceived problems immediately but laid out the background to the gig economy, eg the business models behind the need for delivery riders, employment status etc. Included an interesting presentation on PPE, including helmets, and another given by a Transport Safety Lead from one of the big delivery companies.



Paul Morgan:



PACTS Council of Members

Key agenda items discussed at the meeting included the challenges around driverless cars and the Automated Vehicles Bill. BMF reminded the group that motorcycles, as vulnerable road users, require special attention with regard to being seen by other road users and this needs to be fully factored into the design of automated vehicles. The King’s Speech also mentioned action on e-Scooters and pavement parking. Teresa Ciano of GoSafe Wales gave a presentation on the 20mph residential speed limits in Wales. Mark Cartright (National Highways) presented on HGV driver risks, especially poor health and other factors.



PACTS Lecture on Transport Safety

Professor Nicola Christie (University College London) presented research finding that the risk of serious injury in a traffic accident increases significantly when driving for work. Also found links between child casualties on the roads, social status and deprivation. Also ‘gig economy’ riders having a ‘perfect storm of risk factors’ – poorly maintained bikes, inadequate training amd long hours with challenging deadlines.



Motorcycle Crime Reduction Group

Latest theft statistics were discussed. Recovery rate of stolen motorcycles and scooters remains very low in comparison to cars. Top three types of bike stolen to September 2023 were Scooters (8210), Naked (4052) and Adventure (1219). Key in getting action to tackle bike theft was to engage with senior Police and Crime Commissioners and develop effective and properly resourced anti-theft strategies. Forensically marked bikes were less likely to be targeted. MCRG will seek to bring Polaris and Insurance underwriters together to ensure rider policies are discounted where approved security devices are fitted.



In Other News:



Let’s start with some good news – bikes will not be charged to enter Cambridge’s planned low emission zone. Greater Cambridge Partnership proposed charging powered two-wheelers £5 a time, but has backpedalled in the face of consultation responses.

From road to motocross, with news that both Triumph and Ducati are jumping into top level motocross. Triumph recently unveiled its 250cc bike, which will contest the 2024 FIM Moto2 World Championship, while Ducati’s contender enters the Italian Motocross Championship. Still on motocross, British MX fan Paul Fulcher has started an online petition calling for the provision of defibrillators at all motocross tracks – find it at change.org

The Manx Grand Prix is facing a barrage of criticism of its new slimmed down format. Cut down to nine days instead of its traditional two weeks, the MGP lost more days to bad weather and practice time, with just two and half days allocated to actual racing. Happier racing news from New Zealand, where Leslie Harris qualified as the world’s oldest motorcycle racer, at 98. After beating his son and granddaughter in a Regularity race, Les scotched any talk about retirement. “I’m not finished yet,” he said.

Back to the future, and in an online press conference, Honda announced it was investing £2.7 billion in new electric bikes – we should see 30 new battery Hondas by 2030, ten of them by 2025. Most will be scooters or small (125cc equivalent) bikes, but it looks like we’ll see a bigger cruiser, naked bike, enduro and a retro sports bike as well. Gilera, on the other hand, will be making a petrol-powered comeback in 2024, with a reworked version of the Aprilia Shiver V-twin. Just one thing, it’ll be made in China, out of a joint venture between Piaggio and Zongshen.

Talking of heritage, the Kawasaki Ninja is celebrating its 40th birthday and the company is marking the event with special editions of the ZX-4RR, ZX-6RR and ZX-10RR, all in colours inspired by Ninjas past. BSA is returning to France, where Peugeot is teaming up with the UK importer to sell the new Gold Star across the Channel – it’s 50 years since BSAs were offered to the French. In fact, if history is your thing, take a trip to Sparkford in Somerset for the Haynes Museum’s new motorcycle exhibition. ‘Life on Two Wheels: The British Motorcycling Story,’ traces this from the late 19th century to the present day.

Just when you thought speed cameras couldn’t get any cleverer, the latest version uses infrared and radar technology, able to take images and video in all conditions, including bad weather and low light. It can also work in both directions and is small and light enough to strap to existing street furniture.

Two worthwhile causes this month – Peterborough Panthers speedway supporters have set up a campaign to save the team amid plans to sell its track – find them on Facebook. And down west, Bristol Biking Girls, a women riders’ group, has produced a calendar to raise money for Air Ambulances UK – available from Bristol bike dealers or direct from bristolbikinggirls.co.uk

And finally...heated clothing is a boon to year-round bikers, but have you ever struggled with flapping wires and fiddly connectors? Indian is developing wireless heated clothing, which uses inductive coils on the bike to provide the power, wirelessly. Writing this as the snow falls outside, it sounds like a jolly good idea...





Written by Peter Henshaw – Editor BMF editor@bmf.co.uk



Anna Zee – Political Technical Services Director anna.zee@bmf.co.uk



Paul Morgan – Government Relations Executive paul.morgan@bmf.co.uk