BMF AUTUMN 2023

MOTORCYCLE RIDER IS PUBLISHED BY THE BRITISH MOTORCYCLISTS FEDERATION (ENTERPRISES) LIMITED

MOTORCYCLE RIDER

Editor | Peter Henshaw - editor@bmf.co.uk

Designer | Louise Hillier - design@bmf.co.uk

ALL BMF CORRESPONDENCE TO: Helen Hancock

Administrator

BMF, PO Box 9036, Enderby Leicester, LE19 9BE

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COPYRIGHT: All material published in MOTOrcycLE ridEr is the copyright of the BMF. Use may be freely made of it without permission on condition that any material used is credited “reproduced by permission of MOTOrcycLE ridEr, the BMF magazine”.

The views of any contribution contained in MOTOrcycLE ridEr are not necessarily those of the editorial team or of the BMF.

Chair | Jim Freeman

Finance Director | Howard Anderson

Member Services Director | Peter Laidlaw

Political and Technical Services Director | Anna Zee

National and One-Make Club Forum Chair | Stephen davenport

Administrator | Helen Hancock

www.britishmotorcyclists.co.uk

04 Lobby Round Up

Anna Zee (BMF) and Craig Carey-Clinch (NMC) on the latest lobby news FEATURES

07 Mark Williams

Mark on ULEZ....

08

Heavy

10

Emma

14

Cover Picture: Emma Trenchard, happy to be home after riding this to Mongolia and back

Margaret

Dear Fellow Rider reader, When you read this the BMF will have held its 2023 AGM, which is the opportunity for you to quiz the BMF’s directors and have your say. When I say ‘you’ I’m assuming that I’m addressing a member of the BMF; the AGM’s a reason to become one. Nonmembers can post on our social media and email comments to the office and the directors, listed in this magazine and on the website, but we are a membership organisation, so that’s who we listen to most closely.

"Please

There has been some internal debate within the BMF recently about why people should join us. We can provide services, via our corporate partners, in insurance, legal advice and breakdown assistance and recovery. That’s great, but slightly misses the core point. What the BMF does, its number one reason for existence since 1960, is to give ordinary riders, whether affiliated through a club or as an individual member, a public voice. An individual rider can write to their MP, Council etcetera, but a solo voice is just that. On the other hand, an organisation with 7000 individual members and 50,000 members affiliated via clubs, represents a significant number of voters and citizens.

The BMF has always worked with other groups, representing different parts of the motorcycle world, for similar reasons, as a ‘force multiplier’, whether in the EU via the Federation of European Motorcycle Associations

r

(FEMA), or via the National Motorcycle Council (NMC) in this country. The relevance of both the FEMA and NMC to the BMF has shifted since Brexit. FEMA is an expensive organisation, is increasingly irrelevant to British riders, and is itself currently undergoing restructuring, because other National Motorcycle Organisations across Europe are questioning FEMA’s value and their commitment to it. In future British riders will need to concentrate on our own government, civil service, and Parliament, because that’s where legislation will be made that affects us, in the UK.

The NMC is now the major political lobbying organisation representing riders in the UK, where the BMF plays a leading role, working with our partners; the Auto Cycle Union (ACU), the Trail Riders Fellowship (TRF), Vintage Motor Cycle Club (VMCC), IAMRoadsmart, and the National Motorcycle Dealers Association (NMDA) with supporters from corporate affiliate members. That is a large spectrum of membership, representing riders, sport, off-road riders, historic and classic riders, training and road safety, and the retail trade. The BMF is the biggest contributor, financially and in numbers. The NMC also works closely with the manufacturers’ organisation, the Motorcycle Industry Association (MCIA).

Any rider needs to ask themselves, who do they think will be listened to? Their own voice, alone, or the BMF, NMC and MCIA, either as individual organisations or, better yet, as a collective?

Food for thought, I hope.

Stay safe, ride safe,

CAN

Retro motorbikes have become increasingly popular in recent years. If you’re thinking about purchasing one yourself, you might be wondering which bike to choose. Here the team at specialist insurance broker Bikesure tell us about their favourite retro motorbikes that are available to buy in 2023.

The Triumph Bonneville T120 leads the way in modern classic motorcycling and there is huge potential for customisation with this model. Its stylish lines and chunky good looks give a nod to biking days gone by, but its modern elements, such as the light aluminium wheel rims and cruise control, confirm this machine has all the mod-cons you want out of a new bike. Prices start from just under £12,000.

When it first arrived on the market, the Scrambler was an immediate favourite. Since then, it’s been improved further with new headlights, ABS for smooth cornering, featherlight hydraulic clutch, and new instrumentation. Coming in at around £9,995, the Scrambler is a relatively affordable choice.

Triumph sets the standards when it comes to modern retro bikes and the Speed Twin is another incredible machine to look out for. It combines high performance, great handling, enhanced tech and premium style. Class-leading new chassis components and new high-performance tyres deliver the best in modern sports classic handling.

With a starting price of £6,399, the Interceptor represents great value for money in the retro market. It boasts a new six-speed gearbox and a parallel twin-cylinder engine, which is backed with an air/oil-cooled parallel twin configuration. The Interceptor’s looks hark back to the 1970s, but handling and all-around performance are very much from the current era.

The new kid on the block, coming into production just seven years ago, Bluroc – previously known as Bullit – is a Belgium-based motorcycle manufacturer which has dipped a proverbial toe in the retro market with the value-for-money 125cc Bluroc Spirit. If you’re looking for an affordable retro motorbike, the Bluroc may be perfect for you as it costs around £3,000. Bargain!

The fourth generation of this modern classic model, the V7 IV comes with more power and torque, a statement wide rear wheel, comfort seating, upgraded shocks for a smoother ride, and LED instrumentation. It looks and sounds like a bike from bygone years, but performs right up there with the best. The V7 costs about £8,500.

Described by the manufacturer as the “visceral spirit” of the 1970s legend, the Kawasaki’s Z1, the Z900RS has a de-tuned engine, look-alike wire wheels, a retro style seat, heritagestyled LED headlight, and matte-black engine detail. Prices start from just under 12 grand.

INSURANCE FOR RETRO MOTORBIKES

Whichever retro motorbike you ride, whether it’s a Triumph motorcycle or Kawasaki, Bikesure have a custom motorbike insurance policy to match your style. Call them on 0800 503 3275 for a fast, no-obligation quote.

1. TRIUMPH BONNEVILLE T120

2. DUCATI SCRAMBLER

3. TRIUMPH SPEED TWIN

4. ROYAL ENFIELD INTERCEPTOR 650

6. MOTO GUZZI V7 IV

7. KAWASAKI Z900RS

5. BLUROC SPIRIT

N EWS

L OBBY N EWS R OUND U P

Anna Zee, Political and technical Services Director

I am very happy to say that the BMF has a new Government Relations Executive – Paul Morgan, who started working with us in September. I have left it to him to introduce himself (see pages 21 and 24), so all I will add here is that he seems to be settling in nicely and I enjoy working with him. You will be hearing a lot more from Paul in future.

Meetings of the PACTS Working Parties

The July meeting of the Vehicle Design working party included a presentation on the cruise control system which Ford now supplies with the Mustang, which allows the driver to take their hands off the wheel, monitored by an in-car camera. I was assured that if a motorcycle cut in front of the car they would not be run into.

The September meeting featured a presentation from Oliver Carsten of Leeds University. Research has been carried out into the handover from Automated Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS) to human drivers. The research shows that there is good reason

for concern about the alertness of the human driver, how easy it is to cheat the ADAS into thinking the driver is paying attention and whether the systems which signal the driver to take over are sufficiently effective.

The Road User Behaviour working party in July included an item on the motorcycle safety document which a subgroup, including myself and Craig Carey-Clinch, prepared about five years ago. It was not at that time adopted by the PACTS trustees but the working party agreed that the paper should be revised and brought up to date. It would be good if the new version became an official PACTS document.

National Highways Motorcycle Working Group

The Institute of Highway Engineers (IHE) guidelines were discussed in the latest meeting, but I have suggested that National Highways need to consider the needs of motorcyclists much earlier in their road development process, especially the needs of learner/small bike riders. Certainly the plans for the new Queensferry crossing did not consider learner riders until very late on and the current plans for the Stonehenge tunnel (will it actually happen?) do not have a good solution for riders of smaller bikes. I was also able to raise this at a meeting of the Transport Focus Road User panel and I hope to be talking to National Highways more about this soon.

Motorcycle Strategic Focus Group

Regrettably the next meeting of this group has been deferred until at least next year, because the top brass at the DVSA have decreed that everyone must focus on getting through the backlog of driving tests. Some things don’t change much, do they! It’s nearly 50 years since I took my driving/riding tests and you had to wait months then.

Automated driving is under the spotlight

Road to Nowhere?

The think tank, Centre for London, held an event in September featuring its report on transport in outer London. One of the speakers on the discussion panel, from the charity Possible, did actually say that they wanted to discourage people from travelling.

I wonder, what do Transport for London really mean with the slogan ‘Every journey matters’? Someone else in that meeting thought that councils should deliberately make residents' parking really expensive to discourage car ownership. That might work in some places but it’s not going to work in streets where nearly everyone has off-street parking. And really, do they deserve to be taken seriously when the presentation slides on transport in outer London contain pictures only of inner London?

Back to the Fray

Craig Carey-Clinch Executive Director, National Motorcyclists Council (NMC)

Autumn is a busy time for the motorcycle lobby, what with Parliament back in session and the party conference season. The NMC has been building on work done this year and planning for the future.

CBT & Licensing

Prior to the recess, we teamed up with Transport for London and the Motorcycle Industry Association (MCIA) to call for the much needed and already long announced changes to CBT to be finally implemented, with a joint letter to the Secretary of State for Transport signed by a range of other organisations, in both the public and private sector. As a result, we will be meeting Ministers during November to discuss the situation, urging that the CBT improvements are implemented as soon as possible.

Linked to this, the MCIA has published proposals for wider changes to training and testing, with considerable input from the NMC after the Council published its own position last year. The result is something the NMC has been happy to endorse, though there are some differences in approach in the NMC’s position to more detailed elements of licensing criteria. We will be publishing a refresh of the NMC position later this year which will reflect how thinking has evolved in some areas over the last twelve months.

But of concern for both CBT and wider licensing issues has

Transport for London, Vision Zero Summit

There were just a couple of things at this event which had to do directly with motorcycling. TfL currently has a big bee in its collective bonnet about riders in the gig economy. The NMC recently co-signed a letter from TfL and others to a Transport Minister asking that the improvements to the CBT, proposed six years ago, be implemented. TfL has now got some delivery companies signed up to a new road safety charter, see https://content.tfl.gov.uk/meal-and-grocery-delivery-companymotorcycle-road-safety-charter-acc.pdf

Also, TfL will run a new road safety campaign later this autumn on motorcyclists' safety. This will not, they say, be aimed primarily at the riders themselves.

been the DVSA’s deployment of all key staff to clear car driving test backlogs. Work on motorcycling matters via the DVSA/DfT strategic group has effectively been put on hold for six months. We made our feelings clear about this to senior DVSA officials, saying that it was unacceptable that motorcycling is once again being deprioritised, given that riders are among the most vulnerable of all road users. Exchanges of emails continue.

What Next on Decarb?

More positively, and as reported by Paul Morgan, the new DfT ‘Plan for Drivers’ explicitly puts motorcycles in bus lanes front and centre, with a new guide and a consultation for standardisation of access to be launched. Earlier this year, the NMC met minister Richard Holden where the issue was discussed and the new announcement seems to have been as a direct result of that meeting, given that Mr Holden started tackling his officials on bus lanes immediately afterwards. Credit must also go to a Londonbased BMF member who knows Holden and did their own bit of lobbying. Success in lobbying is also about individual riders actively supporting organisational efforts.

End date for ICE cars has been delayed until 2035 – still no answer on bikes

The other major change has been Prime Minister Sunak’s announcements on car decarbonisation, moving dates back by five years, as reported by Paul in his column. This throws a large spanner in the works in relation to the DfT’s motorcycle decarb consultation of a year ago and so far officials are remaining tight lipped about what the DfT’s thinking now is.

The NMC’s call remains as it always has been – move at a pace which is internationally recognised, instead of UK-only arbitrary timetables, and take a multi-technology approach, including the use of eFuels as part of the drive (or ride) to net zero. Is the lobby now moving in our direction ….?

Motorcycling Manifesto

With a general election looming over the horizon, attention across many sectors and lobbies is now turning to election planning and campaigning. It’s the same for the NMC. In the coming weeks we will be developing a ‘motorcycling manifesto’ and complementary campaign, where we will be seeking support from individual riders in lobbying election candidates within their constituencies. This could provide a huge amount of intelligence on the views of successful candidates

in relation to motorcycling, which will be invaluable when it comes to lobbying an incoming government, whatever its political flavour.

We are also exploring with industry, the potential to launch a single manifesto with sections on the asks of riders and industry, aimed at a range of policy areas. This could help streamline and strengthen the overall campaign for the motorcycling sector as a whole, rather than have candidates bombarded from lots of different motorcycling interests. More on this soon.

Meanwhile...in Morocco

Finally, lobbying can happen in the oddest of circumstances. During recess, I took leave to lead a group of riders for a short motorcycle tour of Morocco. This country offers amazing riding and has become a popular destination for motorcyclists. As always though, public affairs never take a break and as I was going on leave, there were last minute surprise government amendments to the Levelling Up and Regeneration Bill. Passed at the final stage of the Bill’s passage through the Lords, these will be considered immediately post recess by the Commons.

The amendments look innocuous, but strengthen the requirements on National Parks and AONBs to enhance environmental protections, which by implication could threaten green roads riding in these areas at some point down the line. Along with NMC member the TRF and partner the Land Access and Recreation Association (LARA) we developed a briefing for ministers, calling for close dialogue with motorcycling interests before these provisions in the Act are implemented. I suspect this will have been the first time that three secretaries of state were lobbied from the Sahara Desert! Such is the sometimes strange nature of lobbying.

Lobbying can carry on from exotic locations – Craig took this picture about 20 miles north of Fes in Morocco in early October, but he was still on the NMC case.

t h E Fi G ht o F th E Ch A r GED Bri GADE

ULEZ is broadly laudable, says Mark Williams, but...

One of the indisputable realities that’s emerged during the five decades that I’ve been involved in our little game is that the steady tide of legislation – European, national and even local – has made motorcycles more expensive and less fun to own. In my various scribblings on such matters I’ve metaphorically wrung my hands at laws that I felt threatened the nature if not the existence of biking – onerous licensing requirements, front numberplates, even mandatory helmets to name but three – none of which managed to completely kill off the riding of powered two-wheelers, but many of which changed the way we went about it or its appeal to outsiders and potential newcomers.

I have also railed against politicians, trade big-wigs and even the organisations that are supposed to represent our interests. But all of that was as nothing compared to what finally came down the pike in the shape of the much expanded Ultra-Low Emission Zone (ULEZ) imposed by London mayor, Sadiq Khan and his Transport for London (TfL), i.e. covering every London borough. And for the first time this will include motorcycles which since it was introduced in 2003 have been spared the original Congestion Charge, but if they were built before 2007 (i.e. Euro3 compliant) they’ll now be charged £12.50.

Yes, the reason for the ULEZ is broadly laudable. London’s pollution levels are amongst the highest in Europe and children, in particular, suffer damaging health effects as a consequence. But that said, I rode round the city, often stuck in traffic behind fumebelching lorries and buses and my lungs are fine, and anyway motorcycles are responsible for just 1% of the toxic gases emitted by motor vehicles in London. Of the Mayor’s 149-page Transport Strategy draft paper published in 2018 just a single page was dedicated to motorcycling. Some of which suggested higher training standards for London’s bikers (not a bad idea), but mainly sent a chill down my spine with this recommendation: ‘Twowheeled (motor) vehicles could, however, play a more significant role in low-impact freight and servicing trips, especially where these vehicles replace trips by lorry or van and are made by ultralow emission motorcycle.’

So it’ll be OK if you work for Domino’s Pizza, but Khan evidently expects us all to use overcrowded, unreliable and increasingly costly public transport instead of our ‘bikes, or ride pushbikes –

come rain or shine – even though the average motorcycle journey in Greater London is over 5km.

Moreover the Mayor’s stance directly contradicts a policy paper he received last year drawn up by the MCIA and National Police Chiefs which note that, ‘Motorcycles and Scooters… can make a significant contribution to addressing the nation’s transport and traffic problems, offering real benefits in terms of reduced congestion, improved air quality and an affordable transport solution for those who could not otherwise be able to travel for work or study.’

As a cynic, I believe that the ULEZ charges have as much to do with the £700 million hole left in TfL’s budget after the Westminster government withdrew its grant and a £240m reduction in fare revenues since 2016 as it does with cutting down on children’s respiratory illness. Be that as it may, what is surely undeniable is that as a consequence of ULEZ:

• Secondhand values of pre-2007 machines will plummet

• Other cash-strapped major cities who are already carefully watching TfL’s strategy will likely follow suit, so it’s not just London’s bikers who are threatened by ULEZ

However, for those of us who resolutely still careen around on older and in my biased opinion, more characterful bikes, there are a couple of silver linings. All vehicles built before 1st January 1973 are exempt from ULEZ charges as are those over 40 years old that have been successfully registered with the DVLA for a historic vehicle tax class. So if you don’t own one yet, buy yourself an old nail before the trade cottons on and prices skyrocket!

WIN a year's FrEE BMF membership

The BMF Photo Comp

Thanks to everyone who sent in photos this time and apologies to those we didn’t have room for – do keep sending them in, as we’ve got another Photo Comp coming up in the Spring 2024 issue of MOTORCYCLE RIDER and as ever, the winner receives a free year’s membership of the BMF. As for the subject, it could be anything motorcycle-related. A holiday snap, twisty tarmac, beautiful scenery, your local bike night, a classic meet, racing or track day – anything with a motorcycle theme. Bikes are important, but we like people too, not to mention scenic backgrounds – the bike’s the star, but context really makes it. And while winter might not seem the ideal time to get great pictures, it’s surprising what opportunities come up – be ready!

The winner of the Spring ’24 Photo Comp, plus the best of the runners-up, will be printed in the next issue of MOTORCYCLE RIDER.

Send your photos to: editor@bmf.co.uk

✶ WINNER ✶

Left: Plaudits and applause go to Danny Daintith for this suitably Union Jack’d view of his Triumph at Kirkwall Pier in the Orkneys.

Below: Melanie Gilliot, from New Holland, North Lincs, loves her Repsol FireBlade, which replaced an R1 three years ago. That was preceded by an R6 and Honda VFR400, so she likes her sports bikes – pic taken at Mablethorpe.

Above right: Pete Down’s Kawasaki VN1700 Tour, enjoying a night at Whitwell Bike Night. Held every Friday night at Whitwell heritage steam railway station in Norfolk, hence the vintage loco making for a suitable ‘heavy engineering’ backdrop.

Above: Last December, Rick Cook and friends braved the winter weather for a ride across the Lancashire Pennines – bike is his Honda CMX1100 Rebel. “Keep safe,” he writes, “what a day that was!”

Right: Stuart Moir rode a Desert and Canyon Tour in the USA this year – this is our favourite of the pictures he sent in.

Below: Nicely lit shot of Tommy Hood’s Mutt Mongrel 125, seen here at Godrevy Lighthouse, Cornwall.

Right: Weeble’s snap of his monkey bike filling up doesn’t seem very special, until you learn that it was taken on the way to the Lucky Cup Rally –145 miles each way, and he writes: “To say this bike has left a lasting impression on me is putting it mildly.” Weeble, we know what you mean.

Eco Bike Returns!

Above: “Found this very quiet corner of Isle of Man,” writes Steve Gillespie. “Not what we usually associate with the Island.”

Left: Those older Hinckley-built Triumphs are still out and about. This is Norbert Kass’s Trophy 900 (sans fairing) “somewhere near Dunton in Buckinghamshire.” Lovely evening sun, wherever it is.

We’ve got a blast from the past in the Spring 2024 issue of MOTORCYCLE RIDER. It’s the return of Eco Bike, the series from the 1990s in which BMF members scored their bike on its eco and practical attributes (which often amount to the same thing). Not just the obvious things like fuel consumption, but tyre, chain and pad life, servicing, weight, production life and spares. Eco bikes don’t need to be small (we’re kicking the series off with a 750) but they should tread lightly. Full details in the Spring issue.

How would yours score?

Vespa to Mongolia

Crashes, muggings and mountain passes to Mongolia – on a £700 Vespa

Emma Trenchard exudes enthusiasm. In fact, I can’t imagine her doing anything in a half-hearted fashion. You get a clue about this from the moment you walk into her multi-hued house, almost every wall a different colour (“I’ve been decorating, haven’t quite finished yet”). The artist from Bridport, Dorset runs a pop-up café on the nearby beach selling homemade cake and ice cream – “that’s brilliant, and it’s difficult to make a living from art.” But one thing tops all of that – her big trip, riding a Vespa 125 to Mongolia and back in 2017, and she came home with an adopted dog on the back seat.

“I’d always wanted to do an overland trip, started by going to India when I was 18 with a friend. I’d never ridden a bike before but we bought two scooters and rode around south India. I loved that, so when I went back to India again the following year, and the year after that, I hired a bike or scooter.

“I bought Grettle (all of Emma’s vehicles have been named after characters from the Sound of Music), the mint green Vespa in 2013 because a friend was having a birthday party in Paris and I thought it would be fun to ride there. I only had a budget of £700 but she came up for sale in Shepherds Bush, so I bought her and set off. After the party I was loving being out on my own bike so much that I just carried on, rode down the coast of Normandy,

sleeping on beaches. Eventually I ran out of money and caught the ferry home. I got a decorating job to earn some money and then headed off again, this time to Poland to see a friend there.

“Then I carried on down to Croatia and came back through the Czech Republic – did that twice, but I always had to get back as I was studying for a Fine Art degree at Newcastle University. I didn’t massively enjoy the course to be honest – I was just desperate to hit the road.

“I travelled very light, with no stove and no proper tent. I found that I just loved setting off from home on two wheels and having absolute freedom – it was unbelievably freeing. Also the excitement of not knowing who I would meet or where I’d sleep. And of course the landscape, just being out there under the stars. You just don’t do that at home.”

The Big Trip

Vespa proved surprisingly adept at coping with bad roads and high mountain passes – mechanical failures were few. Light weight saw it manhandled over a road blockage, but the whole trip nearly ended underneath a Turkish van in Istanbul

“What I really wanted to do was a big trip on Grettle, so I thought why not India? As soon as I’d finished at Newcastle, that’s what I did. So down through Croatia again, over the Dolomites, through Albania, Montenegro and Greece to Turkey. Grettle was fine over the mountains, but very slow. She’s done the Grossglockner Pass three times and we generally cruised at 40-45mph on the flat.

“I had no smartphone, just a little Nokia, and used a smallscale paper map, which was fine for getting from country to country, but useless in cities. People thought I was mad, though it worked pretty well by constantly asking for directions. That’s one reason why the trip succeeded in the end, because I wasn’t afraid to ask for help if I needed it. I have no languages apart from a little bit of French.

“I had a really bad crash in Istanbul. I was completely lost, looking for the hostel, and was given some sign language directions by two guys near the airport. Unfortunately I misunderstood them, took a wrong turn and ended up riding the wrong way down a one-way road, which I discovered when I saw four lanes of traffic heading for me. There was nowhere to go and I hit a van head on.

“I was concussed for a bit and got taken away in an ambulance, but remember looking up and seeing Grettle smashed under this van, oil all over the road...awful. I was very lucky though, didn’t

break anything, though my knees swelled up like puffer fish. Luckily I was wearing my helmet, which I didn’t all the time. The hospital was awful and I was left on a trolley, but I managed to get the help of a couple of policemen who took me under their wing. Took me back to stay with their families and helped me find Grettle in a scrapyard – she looked awful, the whole front end destroyed. Then we couldn’t find the key, went back to the scene of the accident and found it! It was bent, but still worked. For £80 a mechanic straightened Grettle enough to get her rideable.

“I was so excited to get back on the road, and carried on down the Black Sea coast to Georgia and Azerbaijan, reaching Baku just as the 2015 European Games were starting. The Ambassador got to hear about my trip and somehow the word got round that I had ridden from England to Baku on a Vespa to support the British team, which I hadn’t! I caught a cargo ship across the Caspian Sea, two-day crossing to Uzbekistan.

Top left: Maybe not what Vespa had in mind for its 125cc twist & go...

Middle: Somewhere in Russia on the long, cold ride home – Mollie the dog suitably attired

Bottom: This landslide was impassable for cars and trucks, but not Vespas

"Arriving in the desert underlined just how far from home I was. The roads were crazy, with huge craters, which the Vespa’s small wheels didn’t cope with very well, so I had to ride slowly, about 20mph, weaving in and out of them. I had no spare tyre so couldn’t risk damaging them, just had two spare inner tubes. It was incredibly hot and I carried 10 litres of fuel on the footboards and stocked up with water whenever I could. I only ran out of petrol once in the desert, but a truck stopped and syphoned some out for me.

“As always, I didn’t carry much luggage. I had clothes under the seat and a pair of old leather panniers were stuffed with sketch books because I was sketching wherever I went. My tent strapped to the front – the crash had taken the bodywork out which actually made it easier to strap things on – and sleeping bag in the little top box.

"I started to meet a few other travellers on the Silk Road, mostly bikers or cyclists. It was nice to travel with them but I was too slow for the bikes and too fast for the cyclists! I did travel with some cyclists for a while and would go on ahead to find somewhere to camp.

Kindness of Strangers

“The best thing was getting to Tajikistan, out of the heat of the desert and right up into the mountains, where the Karakoram, the Hindu Kush and the Himalayas all meet. I had no idea if Grettle could actually run at that height but she just kept going. The trickiest point was a landslide where the traffic couldn’t get through and had been stuck for three days on either side. Luckily, Grettle is light enough to carry, and all the local kids helped carry her across the landslide. That enabled me to ride the Wakhan Corridor, which was the best part of the whole trip as everyone told me it was impossible. I was always looking for experiences – that’s why it took me 16 months to ride to Mongolia and only three months to ride back.

“I’d found a teaching job in Kurdistan to work over the winter but got itchy feet and was offered another job in Mongolia. It was a crazy time to set off, in the winter snows, but I had all my visas and everything arranged. Then I was mugged and everything was stolen – visas, money, passport, everything. I had to leave Grettle at the hostel I was staying in and fly back to England on an Emergency Travel Document to get a new passport, before flying to Mongolia and starting work in Ulaanbaatar. I met an English accountant there and as it looked as though I’d be there for a while, decided to fetch Grettle from Kurdistan.

“She was having a lot of engine trouble at the time and needed a cylinder head. My dad found a secondhand one on eBay, gave it to Clive, my mechanic at home in Bridport, who cleaned it up and sent it to Igor, the mechanic I had found in Kazakhstan. Igor fitted it and we were away. Actually, I had very few mechanical problems apart from that, just a few punctures, and no engine issues once the new head was fitted.

“I teamed up with two English motorcyclists for the ride to Mongolia, both of them on old British bikes. That was very handy as they had tools and knew how to fix things. Which was great, but it did make for a different sort of trip as I usually asked locals for help, which would often lead to staying with local families. That’s one thing I’ve learned on all of these trips – the kindness of strangers. Almost everyone I met couldn’t have been more helpful – would go out of their way.

“I was always quite careful about where I camped, not near a group of drunken men for example. But really I learnt how to judge a character and if it didn’t feel right I’d get back on Grettle and ride off. But most people were super-kind. I’ve often thought that I’d be far more scared wandering around London late at night than in the middle of the Kazakh desert. I think what you give out, you get back.

“It was fun travelling with the boys and good to have company – we rode over the Altai Mountains in Russia and through western Mongolia where there were no roads, sometimes just the faint outline of a track. The boys didn’t have smartphones either, just paper maps and a compass. But the lack of roads almost made it easier in a way –we knew we had to head east, so that’s what we did.

fortunately she loved it. But it was really tough and very cold – so cold that I got to the stage where I couldn’t move my jaw. Mollie was OK on the back, quite protected by me. I had no visor on my mum’s old helmet – I didn’t have much bike kit – and had to do at least 300km a day, starting at 5am, and riding about 12 hours a day. We ate on the move, often a bucket of chicken wings hanging on the front. I even learnt to roll cigarettes on the move – just had to keep going.

Moving On

“Mollie and I got home in time for the wedding. I was living in London and at first did Deliveroo on Grettle, with Mollie on the back. I worked as a portrait artist for a bit but I didn’t really like living in London and moved to Bath, still using Grettle as my main transport – I’ve never owned a car. Then I started baking during lockdown which led to a pop-up café in a park, and now I’ve got the van for my summer café on the beach.

“I can still travel over the winter and would love to do the Mongolia trip again but I’ve never been down through Spain and West Africa, so that would be good. My fiancé Carl is willing to ride, and I might take my test and buy an Enfield Bullet. I did try one of those in India and it was wonderful, really easy to ride –one of those for the next trip would be fine.

Note:

Now stored in Bridport, Grettle needs a replacement body frame to pass the MOT – the Istanbul repair isn’t quite to DVSA standards. If anyone can help, contact Emma on emmatrenchard@hotmail.co.uk

“Living and working in Ulaanbaatar was different. Riding ponies bareback, driving onto frozen lakes for ice fishing...and I adopted a street dog I named Mollie. My plan now was to ride Grettle to Vladivostok, ship to Alaska and ride down through the Americas.

“Then my brother said he was getting married, so I had to get home quickly. I only had a 30-day visa for Russia so had to ride straight back. I got a bag for Mollie to sit in on the back seat and

T HE ULEZ S TORY

it’s

not just London with a ULEZ,

but the good news is that motorcycles are exempt in nearly all the others. PEtEr hENShAW reports

If you’ve missed the ULEZ controversy, where have you been? As well as expansion of the capital’s ULEZ to include most of Greater London, similar (but different) schemes are underway or planned in most UK cities. And it goes right to the heart of one of the biggest questions of our time (certainly for motorcyclists) – how do we square our desire for personal transport with the need for cleaner air and to cut carbon emissions?

ULEZ has a longer history than you might think. As London Mayor, Boris Johnson first suggested the idea in 2013 as a followup to the Congestion Charge which had been launched in 2003. Boris lost London’s top job to Sadiq Khan, who launched a central London ULEZ in 2019, expanded it out to the North and South Circulars two years later, and now to Greater London. All UK cities are obliged to enforce air quality standards laid down by central government, so one could argue that it’s not a left/right political issue, despite what the culture warriors would like to think.

For & Against

London certainly has poor air quality, exceeding World Health Organisation guidelines, and according to Transport for London (TfL) road transport is the single biggest producer of nitrogen dioxide and particulate matter in Greater London. Air pollution causes or exacerbates cancer, asthma and lung disease, and,

again according TfL, it’s just as much of a problem in Greater London as it is in the centre.

Hence the dramatic expansion of ULEZ on 29th August 2023. All vehicles not meeting emissions standards entering the ULEZ zone or driving within it now have to pay a £12.50 daily charge. So in theory someone commuting in by bike (five days a week, 46 weeks a year) could end up paying £2875 over a year. Worse still, the £12.50 is a flat rate, so a Londoner riding to work on a Honda C90 pays the same rate as a Range Rover driver – to put it mildly, this is clearly unfair.

Not surprisingly, there’s been a lot of opposition, which has been given plenty of media attention. Some protesters have even gone rogue, stealing or vandalising the ANPR cameras which, let’s

be clear, is criminal damage. Online protest hasn’t always been above board either. According to social media analysts Valent, about 90% of X (formerly Twitter) accounts mentioning ULEZ “exhibited signs of inauthenticity,” with a high proportion of fake followers.

Within the law of course, thousands of riders and drivers are genuinely concerned about ULEZ, as anyone faced with an extra £12.50 a day would be. It’s often pointed out that this flat rate will hit low-income Londoners hardest, which is true, but this argument only applies to those who can afford to run a car or bike – others who earn even less could benefit from ULEZ, as TfL has pledged that income from the scheme will be spent on better public transport.

But is the opposition as overwhelming as it’s sometimes given credit for? The Uxbridge by-election in July 2023 is often held up as an example of massive public opposition to ULEZ, where it was made a key issue by the Conservatives. It’s true that Labour failed to win this safe Tory seat when they did make gains elsewhere. On the other hand, Uxbridge did see the Conservative vote collapse from a majority of over 7000 to a wafer-thin one of 495, so some of those voters clearly weren’t swayed by the ULEZ argument. Also, when Boris Johnson and Sadiq Khan were respectively elected London Mayor, ULEZ was part of their manifesto promises.

How to be Exempt

So how does ULEZ affect us in practice, and can we avoid it?

The good news is that if your bike is to Euro 3 standards (2008 or later) then you don’t have to pay. The same goes for electric bikes and for historic vehicles (over 40 years old) so that 1981 Superdream will be fine too. We don’t have the figures for bikes, but TfL reckons the rules mean that around 90% of cars are already exempt.

Opposite page top: London’s North Circular was already within ULEZ before the expansion

Opposite page bottom: London city streets typically have higher than permitted pollution levels (Photo: Julian Walker)

Opposite page left: Signage is becoming increasingly familiar

Left: Bikes can be tested to gain ULEZ exemption

For bikes registered between 1983-2007 it gets more complicated – they may have to pay the £12.50. Some of these bikes already meet the emissions standards – the 2001 HarleyDavidson Fat Boy is one, the ’97 Honda Blackbird another, and even older two-strokes can meet the hurdle – Yamaha’s RD350 makes the grade.

If you think your bike is in this category, you can apply to TfL to get exemption. If it’s not on the list, but you think it should be, it might still be possible to get ULEZ exemption if you have the relevant Certificate of Conformity from the manufacturer. Mind you, this doesn’t always work out. One Vespa GT200 owner living in Ealing had his application rejected twice by TfL despite the providing the V5, conformation certificate and a signed letter from Piaggio. Eventually TfL relented, so the framework is there, but it doesn’t always run smoothly...

The alternative is to get your older bike emissions-tested at an approved centre, of which there are now five. This isn’t cheap at £175, but if it passes, you’ll recoup that in three weeks of commuting. Riverbank Motorcycles, one of the early approved centres, found (in 2020) that about 70% of the bikes it was testing passed, many of them being 50 and 125cc two-strokes – the pass rate was lower for bigger bikes, but still about 60% for 250750s. Failures could often be persuaded to pass by curing air leaks or replacing aftermarket exhausts or air filters.

Of course, the simplest thing could be to ditch your old bike and replace it with a Euro 3 or later machine. This sounds like a lot of hassle, but it could work out if you were planning to upgrade soon anyway. TfL has put up a £160 million fund to encourage Londoners to do just that. Prove that you’ve scrapped your old bike and TfL will give £1000 towards a ULEZ-compliant replacement, an offer now open to anyone living in any of the 32 London boroughs, or the City – not much comfort if you live in Herts or Bucks, I know... Interestingly, if you’re willing to scrap

your old bike and move on to public transport, you could be quids in. As an alternative to the £1000, TfL will give you £600 and a year’s Travelcard, which on current prices can cost as much as £4244 – do the maths, as they say.

Still, this is the BMF, we are motorcyclists and let’s assume you want to stick to two wheels. If so, the cost of changing boils down to the price of an affordable and commuter-friendly bike like a Honda CB500S or Yamaha X-Max 125, say 2010-2015, minus the £1000 grant. Yes, you’ll end up with a more modern bike which is ULEZ-compliant, but you’ll still have to find £1000 or more of your own money to make the change. If I was in that position, I’d take a punt on getting my existing bike tested first.

Reactions

So will any of this work to improve air quality and encourage Londoners out of their cars? According to a TfL report (peer reviewed by Imperial College) NOX emissions fell by 26% in central London and 23% in inner London post-ULEZ, and there was also no evidence that pollution had worsened just outside the zone with drivers attempting to skirt the edges.

Back in 2020, insurers Bikesure asked 1000 Londoners what they thought of ULEZ, a year after it had been introduced. Nearly two-thirds had changed their usual mode of transport in some way, and nearly

one in five of those were using a compliant scooter or motorcycle. Some of them may have simply changed from a non-compliant two-wheeler, but it's still a significant result. The most recent survey by YouGov found that 47% of Londoners supported ULEZ, and 44% didn’t.

The Other ULEZs

So that’s London, but what about the rest of the country? Well the good news is that motorcycles, scooters and mopeds are exempt from charges in nearly all of them. The exception is Oxford (charging bikes £2 to enter its tiny pilot scheme) while Cambridge is considering its own clean air zone for launch 2027/28, and

Above: Bristol CAZ covers much of the central area

Below: Bath’s Clean Air Zone is one of many Opp. page top: Bottlenecks like Rotherhithe Tunnel are pollution hotspots

would charge bikes £5 a day, the same as cars. Otherwise, you can ride a bike through Bristol, Glasgow, Sheffield and many others without paying for the privilege. Exactly why we’ve been let off the hook isn’t made clear, but hopefully it’s a recognition that powered two-wheelers don’t contribute as much as cars to urban pollution.

All of these schemes use ANPR camera systems for enforcement, which take a photo of all the numberplates passing by, check against the database and issue a charge (or not). The non-London ULEZ zones cover city centres only, varying from just a few streets (Oxford) to the whole area inside an inner ring road (Birmingham, Sheffield). For cars, the emissions standard is usually Euro 4 (petrol, 2006 on) or Euro 6 (diesel, 2015 on), and payment can be on an app, online or by phone.

But not all cities have chosen to set up a clean air zone. Leeds stopped its zone early (arguing that the street-level emissions standards had already been met); Liverpool decided not to charge anyone, reckoning that emissions will drop as the vehicle fleet is renewed over time; Manchester is having a rethink and Cardiff is still deciding what to do.

But there’s no doubt that low emission zones are here to stay. It’s telling that Leeds City Council, despite ending its own zone, is keeping the ANPR network. Why? Well, as everyone and his dog knows well, things change. The emissions limits we face today may well tighten up further in the future, so we could see petrol bikes being charged one day. But for now (Londoners apart) it’s business as usual.

Bikes are exempt from Bradford’s zone

Types of Clean Air Zone

Four types of ULEZ, depending on which vehicles are included:

London’s Motorcycle Emissions Test Centres

Five test centres are currently approved to emissions test bikes for ULEZ. TfL is looking for more and invites applications to ruculezenquiries@tfl.gov.uk.

Garfield Motor Company Emissions testing Centre, Garfield Road, Ponders End, Enfield, EN3 4RP

riverbank Motorcycles Ltd, Unit 12, Riverbank Business Park, Dye House Lane, Bow, London E3 2TB

ULEZ testing Uk Ltd, 5 Bowman's Trading Estate, Bessemer Drive, Stevenage, SG1 2DL

the test Centre, Edward Place, Deptford, London SE8 5HD

Essex & East London Motorcycles ULEZ testing Centre

Unit 5, Pentowan Farm, Church Road, Noak Hill, Romford, Essex, RM4 1LD

Britain’s Clean Air Zones – The Big List

The local authority has the option to include motorcycles

Aberdeen

Bath

Bradford

Bristol

Cambridge

Cardiff

Dundee

Edinburgh

Glasgow

Leeds Ended October 2020

London 2019

Manchester Delayed

Oxford Feb 2022

Portsmouth November 2021

Sheffield February 2023

Tyneside January 2023

York January 2020

*Historic = 40 years old or over, Euro 3 typically from 2008

a few streets

suspended – may be reintroduced if needed

and Euro 3-on bikes exempt *

– bikes and private cars exempt

pilot scheme, wider ZEZ in consultation

city centre

streets within A61/A57 ring road

also exempt (may change)

buses only

A Long Tradition

BMW Motorrad is 100 this year, and the BMW Club is 72. Club President JUDY LEPLEY says what it does

Late in 1951 a small group of 30 BMW enthusiasts gathered, and the BMW Club purred into life, initially as the ‘BMW Society.’ That was soon rejected as too high falutin’, becoming The BMW Club. The original subscription was one guinea with the newsletter being produced in members’ kitchens. Throughout its long history the Club has always welcomed BMW motorcycle enthusiasts – female or male, with their own bikes or riding pillion. Members should have an interest in BMW but not necessarily ride one.

It remains the only officially recognised BMW motorcycle club in the UK and Ireland and with around 3000 members is self-financing, manufacturer independent and staffed by unpaid volunteers. We are affiliated to the BMF, FBHVC (Federation of British Historic Vehicle Clubs) and MAG, and we maintain links with BMW AG, BMW (UK) Ltd, other BMW clubs around the world, and The International Council of BMW Clubs.

Fifteen Sections – East Anglia, Irish, London, Mercia, Midland, Northern, North East, Scottish, Southern, South East, South West, Ulster and Yorkshire – each with its own committee of volunteers and each section is represented on the board while six national officers (all unpaid) run the club day to day.

Each Section organises a wide variety of activities. Some concentrate more on European tours or hotel weekends, others on camping events. All organise regular ride-outs, lunch meets and pub natter nights. About 100 events happen every month, listed in

the Club’s magazine and on the website, so wherever a member happens to be there is somewhere to go and meet fellow members.

They all enjoy a full range of benefits, including the 48-page monthly magazine which covers everything from tours to rebuilds and beyond, all written by members. Mutual Aid is a free service offered to members wanting to sell/purchase motorcycles, parts, equipment, clothing etc. The magazine also contains a list of businesses offering discounts on products and services from clothing and insurance to ferry travel etc.

Within the Club we also have Vintage & Classic, GS and Side Car Registers, each with their own activities, while a Sporting Register organises track days. The Vintage & Classic Register provides a wealth of information on the older bikes while the GS and Side Car Registers both nominate two camping events a year, with GS riders also organising a European tour. As for the Sporting Register, their track days at Snetterton and Cadwell Park are open to non-members as well as members and are highly successful, with people returning year after year.

An extensive collection of specialised tools is available for hire by members together with expert advice on their application from our very knowledgeable and experienced Tool Hire Officer. The Club holds records of BMWs sold from the very earliest prewar days right up to the present day while our DVLA Officers can help on VIN or engine numbers for those wishing to re-register bikes that may have been stored or forgotten and recently rediscovered or even rebuilt. This service is also available to nonclub members for a fee.

We are very proud to report that two of our officers (Tool Hire and DVLA) have been awarded the very prestigious Prof. Dr. Gerhard Knöchlein BMW Classic Award. This was established in 2002 by the BMW Clubs International Council in honour of the long-standing commitment of Professor Dr Gerhard Knöchlein to BMW clubs internationally. The award is presented in commemoration of his committed enthusiasm for historic BMWs and his work for the global community of BMW clubs.

A three-day Club National Rally is held once a year, and

Opposite page top: Anything can do a track day

Opposite page inset: Membership = marriage on occasion – this is Pat, Miffy and Patch

Above right: Ride-outs are popular

Above: Out in all weathers, that’s the BMW Club

Below: All ages of Bee Emm are catered for – nice mid ‘70s R75/5

in August this year we held a very successful event at the Fire Service College, Moreton-in-Marsh to celebrate 100 years of BMW motorcycles. Next year it’s on 16th-19th August and heads north to Stirling University Campus in Scotland.

In April 2022 the Club elected me as its first female President and although I do not ride a motorcycle myself, I grew up with bikes and get a real buzz out of riding on the pillion behind my Mr Grumpy. In the 30 years that we have been members, I have always felt respected and welcomed by all the wonderful people that I have met through the Club, and I’m certain that the many female members of the Club will echo my comments.

In fact, we are more than just a motorcycle club. For many it is a way of life, and for others it has opened up a whole new social world. It has been responsible for bringing together many different people, often resulting in life-long friendships and even quite a few marriages! The aim of our Club is to promote motorcycling for all in way that is safe, fun and friendly.

BMW’s 100 Year Milestones

1923 BMW R32 – 498cc flat-twin

1931 BMW R2 – 250cc single

1935 BMW R12 & R17 – telescopic forks

1937 Ernst Henne sets world speed record, 173.7mph

1939-45 R75 twin sees war service

1947 Restarts production in West Germany

1955 New range with Earles forks and sporting R69

1969 Radical revamp with /5 range

1974 R90S superbike

1976 R100RS, wind tunnel developed fairing

1978 R80G/S adventure bike

1983 K100 water-cooled four

1985 K75 water-cooled triple

1993 R1100RS with oil-cooled heads

1997 R1200C custom

2000 C1 enclosed scooter

2004 R-series twins updated

2006 F-series 800cc twins, G650X single

2008 K1300 range

2009 S1000RR – first four-cylinder sports bike

2014 C-Evolution electric

2017 G310 single

2020 R18 – 1802cc twin

FEMA Committee Meeting – 7th October 2023

The meeting was held at the Hotel Schiphol in the Netherlands, with over 25 delegates and staff attending, in the meeting and online.

The Treasurer, the BMF’s Jim Freeman, reported that FEMA was conforming to the 2023 Budget, which projected an end of year deficit. The 2024 Budget was a different matter, with a drastic projected drop in income, due to the retrenchment of support from the major funding organisations in FEMA, and the departure of the BMF, which was relatively insignificant.

The majority of the meeting time was spent in formulating a new membership fee structure and related voting rights. The perennial difficulties of having member organisations of vastly differing resources and internal membership numbers were balanced out and a compromise settlement reached. This will form a sound basis for the future, starting with the FEMA Annual Meeting in February 2024.

This meeting saw the retirement of a number of key players from the last 10 years: Anna Zee as President, Jim Freeman as Treasurer and Dolf Willigers as General Secretary. The only replacement is Wim Taal, the current Communications Officer, who will become the General Secretary in November, when Dolf retires. The other posts will be filled at the 2024 Annual Meeting.

A number of presentations were made to Dolf, including the BMF’s David Dingley Memorial Award 2023, for outstanding services to motorcycling. Dolf also received a testimonial plaque from FIM Europe, presented by Chris Hodder, the former BMF Government Relations Executive. Anna Zee also presented a testimonial certificate from FEMA, with gifts from other FEMA member organisations, including a watch from IGM in Switzerland. The members had also clubbed together to give Dolf a substantial voucher for a vacation.

The David Dingley Memorial Award

This award, usually referred to as the DDMA, is the BMF’s highest award for ‘Outstanding services to Motorcycling’. The award commemorates David Dingley, an ordinary member of the BMF who left a significant legacy to the BMF. David’s wife Rosemary asked if we could use it to memorialise David in some way, which we did. The award is an ‘everyman’ honour, aimed at those who, without ego, unsung, do fantastic work on behalf of motorcyclists. So far the award, which is made solely on merit, not annually, has been presented only three times: to Morten Hanson of Norway, Maria Nordqvist of Sweden and last but very much not least, to Dolf Willigers of the Netherlands. As Dolf himself commented, “I’m in good company.” The esteem with which FEMA is regarded, as the primary riders’ rights organisation in the EU, is very much Dolf’s work, ably supported by Wim Taal.

A M OTORCYCLE M ANIFESTO

A General Election is looming – our new Government relations Executive PAUL MorGAN sets out what we need to do

Photo: Descrier, Creative Commons

Iam really pleased to be doing this job, helping provide reactive and proactive lobbying on behalf of the BMF directly with the Government, working closely with the National Motorcyclists’ Council (NMC) amongst others to promote the cause of motorcycling.

Welcome Development

Politically, things have already started to hot up. In September the Prime Minister kick-started the Conservative Party’s election campaign, announcing changes to the UK’s net zero policy, as the PM promised motorists that he is, “on their side.”

The BMF was pleased to see the Government’s subsequent announcement in October of a new ‘Plan for Drivers.’ One welcome development, following proactive lobbying by the BMF/ NMC on this point, is that it includes a guide for local authorities on allowing motorcycles to use bus lanes and sets out the Government’s intention to hold a consultation about whether motorcycle access to bus lanes should be standard across the UK.

Making it Clear

However, Labour has pledged to reinstate the 2030 deadline for the ban on the sale of new petrol and diesel cars if it wins the next election, and with the party currently riding high in the polls that remains a distinct possibility. With the BMF, NMC and other key motorcycle groups seeking an international approach to decarbonisation rather than imposing arbitrary UK-only targets based around just one type of technology, the coming months are going to be a pivotal time for motorcycling.

It is crucial that motorcyclists’ groups have a clear voice on timetables, process and legacy protections around the phaseout of fossil fuels and that we are able to move towards global net zero targets making the best use of current and future

technologies, including e-fuels, with low-polluting motorcycles seen as a key part of the solution to achieving net zero rather than the problem child.

General elections provide a key opportunity to influence future decision-makers and we will need to be ready with a comprehensive lobbying and engagement strategy in place to get our key messages across. Most pundits are predicting that the election will take place in Autumn 2024, but it could be as early as April or May. Importantly, as we head towards an election, we will need to decide how best to effectively engage with the various political parties. Now is the time not only to build on the relationships NMC and BMF have established with the current Government and various officials but to also build new relationships with shadow ministers and their teams.

Our Manifesto

A key part of any lobbying strategy is to develop a manifesto which sets out our key priorities and which will help politicians understand the needs of the motorcycling sector ahead of the general election. BMF will be working closely with NMC colleagues over the coming weeks and months to develop a manifesto which fulfils those aims and which we can use to engage effectively with politicians and their teams. We will need to work closely with our members and regional clubs to ensure that this is fit for purpose.

Ultimately, we need to ensure that motorcycling is firmly at the heart of the political agenda with a clear recognition of the contribution that motorcycling and motorcycle sport and leisure makes to the UK economy and jobs and how it can contribute now to achieving net zero and congestion targets. And it will be essential that we take the opportunity over the coming months to be at the heart of political decision-making and are considered key partners for any new government.

E VENTS R OUND U P

Dambuster, Lucky Cup, overland & WiM – four disparate biking events

It has been quite a busy year and although the main BMF events have been Dambuster and the new Lucky Cup rallies we cannot forget the smaller but very friendly Crunchy Sleeping Bag held at the Heneage Arms at Hainton, Lincolnshire. Beer and food were excellent along with the hospitality – it is certainly welcome to have a roaring log fire to sit by when eating fish and chips.

The ever-successful Dambuster Rally took place in the grounds of the Thorpe Camp aircraft museum at Tattershall Thorpe, set in glorious countryside among the Lincolnshire Wolds. This year ticket numbers were limited so that we didn’t get crowding as in 2022, and it worked well. Just one glitch, in that our incumbent bar provider did not apply for a licence in time, and the only solution was to ask everyone to bring their own. With a lot of generous understanding by all who attended there were few problems, but one thing is for sure – this will not happen again! The NAAFI was really well prepared this time with enough cake for everyone, with the usual ‘security’ provided by Gaz and Paul.

The Gypsies band have been with us for many years and are a brilliant foundation for all our events. Sadly, one of the original band members (Rob the bass player) passed this year and it was fitting to have his ashes scattering at the museum memorial garden with family and friends.

Lucky for Some

Our new event – Lucky Cup – was based at Muncaster Castle on the hill just above Ravenglass on the west coast of Cumbria. It’s a brilliant venue with lots of history and the family owners (been

Above: Campers at the Lucky Cup – they'll be back next year

Top: Enjoying refreshments outside the Mental Health Motorbike stand at the Lucky Cup Rally (Photo: Mike Andrew)

here since the 12th century...) are very keen on having our type of event on the site. The barns and surrounds of the farm are set up for festival type events and even though this was a first for us, the arrangements were really good. We are discussing some aspects with Muncaster to improve for next year and they are very willing to help. Feedback from rally attendees has generally been very good with all the variety on site and in the surrounding area of the National Park. We have committed to ‘Lucky Cup 2’ which will be on the second weekend of September 2024 – see the BMF website for more details leading up to this event and the others.

One thing needed for all events next year and beyond is an expanded list of volunteers to help out with marshalling so that we are not depending too much on a small band of very hardworking people, who of course are greatly appreciated. If we have a large enough volunteer list, the workload can be shared and everyone can enjoy the rally. I am looking forward to next year, how about you?

Pete Laidlaw

Below:

The Overland Event

It’s the end of an era, with likely the final Overland Event. Nine years (including Covid!) of weekend celebrations of overland motorcycling with guest speakers from around the world, thrilling their audiences from would be adventurers through to experienced global riders. Launched by Paddy Tyson and Nich Brown, the Overland Event was later organised by Paddy and Saul Jeavons.

Over the years, they’ve brought in presenters from Australia, Canada, Russia and all over Europe. Luminaries like Ted Simon, Tiffany Coates, Sam Manicom, Lois Pryce, Austin Vince and Mary Sievier to name just a few. People who’ve ridden places we can only dream of, written amazing books, produced incredible films and given awe-inspiring slide shows. For the most part, ordinary women and men who’ve made extraordinary trips and given their time, free of charge, to inspire the rest of us.

The Overland Event has raised large sums of money for charities and NGOs: Air Ambulances UK, Mental Health Motorbike, Motorcycle Outreach, Pikilily. Apart from test rides from almost all the manufacturers, activities have also included skills training, tyre changing, yoga, Biker Down, roadside cookery and

photography courses. And as a woman, I’ll add that Overland has from the start welcomed women as presenters and participants, creating a friendly and safe environment for us all to enjoy. Thank you Paddy, Nich and Saul.

Women in Motorcycling

For 2023, WIM expanded to two days and moved to Uttoxeter Race Course – not as atmospheric as Tutbury Castle, but with a better layout for demos, camping and everything else. Numbers increased to over 1600 – approx 25% men!

Helen, Net and Sheonagh covered the weekend and the BMF stand was busy throughout – we signed up 11 new individual and three new joint members. Honda offered test rides, plus a learner zone with starter training for complete newbies. Electric rides were also available in the arena with Super Soco. Derbyshire Police/Bikesafe put on impressive displays along with riding tips and there were a host of speakers: Lissy Whitmore (young racer featured in RIDER Summer 2022), Vanessa Ruck (adventure motorcyclist, RIDER Spring 2023) and plenty more, that sadly we were too busy on the stand to escape and see! Plus useful skills workshops on lowering your bike, handling and picking it up, crash protection, basic maintenance, painting, social media and tricks. Not to mention Biker Yoga with the excellent Kate Harrington (useful tips in RIDER Spring 2023). Excellent photographic exhibitions too from BMF member Patti Webb and others. BMF club members from Curvy Riders and WIMA were also there.

Women of all ages and levels, from never having been on a bike (yet) through to highly experienced riders in every discipline, plus women in the industry. Ladies – it’s a welcoming and safe environment if you come on your own. And guys – if you’ve always wanted your wife or girlfriend to get into bikes… bring them here next year! https://womenmoto.co.uk/

Sheonagh Ravensdale

Right: Overland presenters from several years gathered at the final event (photo: John Norris Photography)

Sheonagh and Net sign up a new member at WIM (photo: pjwebbphoto. com)

M EET PAUL M O rg A n

PAUL MorGAN is the BMF’s new Government relations Executive – what’s

his background?

Motorcycling has always been a passion of mine since I first started riding Japanese bikes in the late 1970s. At that time leather was the material of choice for riders (hi-tech clothing with waterproof and breathable membranes was some way off) and I’d managed to pick up a Marlon Brando ‘Wild One’ leather jacket from Sunbury Market and a pair of leather fur-lined WWII ‘ex-Luftwaffe’ boots for a good price off Exchange & Mart. Of course, all this kit leaked in the rain! This was not entirely surprising as the Luftwaffe boots had been designed to be worn in the enclosed cockpit of a Messerschmitt.

Nor was ‘Safety’ yet a primary consideration in motorcycling, and nobody (apart from maybe Barry Sheene), spoke much about armour or knee pads back then. But there was a mutual respect between motorcycle riders and other road users and a wide recognition amongst the travelling public of the motorcycle as a key means of transport, providing a viable solution to get from A to B cheaply, whilst enabling the rider to experience the thrill and excitement of the open road. My father, who came to the UK from Eastern Europe after WWII, was part of the generation during the 1950s and ‘60s who relied on bikes as cheap transport, starting out with an AJS and moving on to an Ariel/BSA with sidecar when my sister came along.

Like many youngsters in the ‘70s, my first bike was a Yamaha FS1-E before I worked my way up through various trials bikes, including a Honda XL175 and a blue and white Yamaha RD250, which I used to ride up to Box Hill at the weekend with a friend who rode a black Kawasaki Z900. In more recent years, I have ridden a Honda CB1000R and various Harleys, while my current bike is a Harley Fat Bob with a Milwaukee-Eight 114 V-twin, described as a, “street eater with an appetite for power with amped-up performance in every ride,” which just about sums it up. It has certainly come a long way in terms of performance, handling and safety compared to the bikes of the ‘60s and ‘70s.

Before joining the BMF as Government Relations Executive in September, my background was working within government at senior level on border and national security issues. That involved close working with Ministers, officials and partners outside government, both in the UK and overseas for almost 40 years,

Above: Paul's Dad used an AJS for everyday transport before going on to a sidecar outfit to accomodate his growing family.

Below: Motorcycle genes clearly run in the family!

including secondments in North and West Africa, the Middle East and Europe. In more recent years, I have worked on negotiations with European partners on migration and security, preparations for UK border operations and on implementing health measures at the border during Covid.

That work has given me a unique insight into the mechanics of government, including how best to achieve positive engagement with Ministers and their Private Offices and wider policy officials across government. I hope to fully utilise my experience and skills in my new lobbying role with the BMF.

BMF ON YOU T UBE

our new Youtube channel has launched and you can help it grow

The BMF has launched a YouTube channel as another way of communicating our message to as many people as possible. With the popularity of motorcycle-based channels like The Missenden Flier, Username Kate, Teapot One, Itchy Boots and many others, YouTube has the potential to introduce the BMF to a huge audience who might not otherwise know about us.

Currently there are videos from our South Wales and North West reps – Steve Preston and David Kershaw – featuring interviews on bike-related topics and BMF events. Steve has already built a successful YouTube channel with a partner – some of their videos have had between 50,000 and 150,000 views and he is very hopeful that, over time, the BMF will become an established presence on the platform.

Talking about developing the channel, Steve said: “It takes time to build a following on YouTube with so many motorcycle channels out there, but if we can develop plenty of interesting content, we have a great opportunity to spread the word about the work of the BMF and develop a dynamic, interactive relationship with bikers around the UK and beyond.”

Help by Subscribing (for Free)

The key issue for us is subscribers. YouTube uses an algorithm that makes certain videos appear in the ‘feed’ or homepage of its users. If the algorithm thinks a particular video or channel is likely to get good numbers of views, it will make it visible to more people, but with so much competition, it is extremely difficult to get noticed when starting out. However, once someone subscribes to a channel, all new content that channel creates automatically appears in a subscriber’s feed. The more subscribers a channel has, the more the algorithm

will promote it, and so there’s a kind of snowball effect on growth.

For anyone who isn’t a regular user of YouTube and may not know how this works, subscription is free and is just a matter of clicking on the Subscribe button at the bottom of the video.

Upcoming Content

We are anticipating a busy autumn creating longer videos which focus on important current issues for motorcyclists, including how encouraging people to commute on two wheels can have a substantial impact on greenhouse gas emissions. Also the new 20mph speed limit in Wales, its true impact on emissions and road safety, and what it might mean for the rest of the UK if rolled out elsewhere. We will also look at electrification, motorcycle security and advanced riding techniques as well as continuing to release interviews with interesting folk in the biking community, news about BMF events and updates on our lobbying activities.

If there are issues in your local area that you would like us to highlight, please email bmfsteve@bmf.co.uk.

How to Find BMF on YouTube

To find us on YouTube, simply type 'British Motorcyclists Federation' into the search bar and our content will come up. We would encourage everyone to subscribe to the channel, to ‘like’ the videos and leave comments about the content, as well as sharing them on social media platforms. This will be a huge help in growing the channel.

V i S in HEATE d V i SO r PRODUCT TEST

Ah, autumn merging into winter. The season of mists and mellow fruitfulness, chilly mornings, clear skies...and fogged up visors.

Is there anything worse on a cold morning than having to choose between having the visor rapidly fogging, or having it open enough to clear, thanks to the below-zero draught which is (equally rapidly) freezing your nose off? Spit supposedly keeps fogging at bay, as does washing-up liquid and any number of antifog sprays, but you have to keep reapplying these, and they’re pretty messy.

A Pinlock insert is now the mainstream answer, available for most helmets, a simple form of ‘double glazing’ which works surprisingly well. But why not have the same system as some cars – a heated screen/visor? If memory serves, BMW tried this a while back, though it didn’t seem to catch on, but now there’s an alternative, the Visin.

Like the Pinlock, this is an insert which you apply to the inside of the visor, in this case heated by an external rechargeable battery pack. The Visin has been designed by West Midlands-based Diamond Coatings, which supplies aerospace, medical, military and automotive sectors with specialist coating technology, on tape, plastic and glass.

The transparent insert coating can conduct electricity and thus heating across the entire area, working down to -20 degrees C, according to the manufacturer. Fitting it needs care, and at the

Above: Fitting of the Visin needs care

Left: Insert is fairly unobtrusive

Far left: Battery is a chunky thing

moment the company is offering a free fitting service, but once in place, with wires routed inside the helmet liner to the battery, it’s all good. The inserts come in three shapes/sizes, to suit sports helmets, enduros and flip-ups.

So does it work? Yes, it certainly does. Testing the Visin on a disappointingly mild, dry day I resorted to (picture the scene if you will) jogging around the house, helmet on, visor shut, breathing heavily...and it would not mist up. Around the edges of the insert, my Schuberth’s visor was opaque, so yes, it works. The Visin goes into temporary boost mode when you turn it on, to heat the insert up, and weirdly you can actually feel a gentle warmth on your face – very nice too.

Any drawbacks? The battery is a chunky thing which weighs 280g, and you’ll need a reasonably large pocket to store it in, or maybe mount it on the bars somehow. The manufacturer says that it’s big enough for eight hours of riding, but I’d like the option of a smaller, lighter battery (maybe stuck to the side of the helmet to cut down on wiring), and put up with having to recharge more often.

At £179.95, the Visin costs a lot more than a Pinlock, and you’ve got the faff of carrying a battery, associated wiring and plugging it in. On the other hand, it clearly works well and should keep your visor clear on a long day’s riding, no matter how wet or cold the conditions.

Price: £179.95

Contact: www.heatedvisor.co.uk

BMF AGM 2023

The BMF held its AGM on 14th October 2023 at 10am. The event, held on Zoom, was a great success with members taking part from both affiliated clubs and as individuals. Regular business was dealt with briskly, before moving on to wide-ranging discussions on a number of topics. The meeting heard reports from the Chair, Jim Freeman, fellow Directors and staff:

Anna Zee, Political & Technical Services

Sheonagh Ravensdale, Communications

Helen Hancock, Administrator and Social Media Expert

Peter Laidlaw, Membership Services

Howard Anderson, Finance

The meeting was run by Jim Freeman, who managed the polls and voting, with help from Helen Hancock, particularly monitoring the lively chat board.

Jim Freeman was re-elected as Chair with 95% of the votes cast on a Zoom poll.

The meeting approved the accounts for BMF (Enterprises) Ltd for 2022, with 95% in favour.

The nomination list for the BMF Council, with candidate Councillors elected from the National and One Make Club Forum (NaOMC) and Annual Regional Meetings (ARM), was passed en bloc by a 95% poll.

Making Our Voice Heard

Key topics raised and discussed at the meeting included the BMF responses to consultations, and other essential lobbying activity.

• The implications of the refocusing of BMF lobbying activity from the EU to the UK. The increasing irrelevance of the EU to riders in the UK following Brexit, and the consequent increasing importance of the National Motorcyclists Council (NMC) as a broad platform of different motorcycling interests combining to lobby the UK government. The BMF is the single biggest contributor and the largest membership group within the NMC. Along with the other members – the Autocycle Union (ACU), Trail Riders Fellowship (TRF), IAMRoadsmart, National Motorcycle Dealers Association (NMDA) and Vintage Motorcycle Club (VMCC) – the BMF works closely with the Motorcycle Industry Association (MCIA) when communicating with Ministers and civil servants. In a recent roundtable meeting with Minister of State for De-Carbonisation, Jesse Norman, representatives from across the entire motorcycling spectrum were participating, which is not something that’s happened before.

• The changes in BMF Communications strategy and their implementation. Sheonagh Ravensdale announced that she was stepping back as Communications Director, after seeing through the three-year project of revamping the BMF’s

Communications, from an outside supplier to totally in-house. The meeting thanked Sheonagh for her successful endeavour and wished her well in pursuing other interests.

Finance & The Future

• The BMF’s financial situation and future. The increase in revenue from expanding membership, together with a small surplus in 2022, allowing for the employment of a Government Relations Executive (GRE). The wages bill has risen substantially as a result, compared with 2021.

• Paul Morgan CBE, the new Government Relations Executive, in place since September 2023, introduced himself to the meeting.

• The successful renewal of the BMF’s events programme, both those attended externally, and the BMF’s own (the annual Dambuster Rally, reported elsewhere in this issue), has gone from success to success, with a maximum capacity sell-out this year. The new Lucky Cup Rally, held at Muncaster Castle in Cumbria, was a successful inaugural event, with the date fixed for 2024. Unlike the Dambuster site Muncaster Castle has substantial scope for development in the future.

• The ongoing successful partnership with Bikesure.

• The partnership with Thorneycroft Solicitors, who provide the BMF Legal Line, also supporting road safety organisations.

• The BMF Breakdown recovery scheme, as a significant member benefit.

• The Chair, Jim Freeman, stressed that the BMF was committed to maximising lobbying effort within the available resources, including employing a full-time GRE.

The Chair closed the meeting at 1.15pm, after announcing 12th October 2024 as the next AGM, venue to be confirmed.

BE PREPARED

Thorneycroft Solicitors aren’t just about bikes – what about Wills?

Words: Mary Lomas

D•

id you know that Thorneycroft can look after all of your legal needs wherever you are in England or Wales. We have specialist teams to help with:

• Family Law.

• Wills, Probate, Powers of Attorney, Trusts, Estate Planning etc.

• All types of conveyancing work including Agricultural Conveyancing.

• Medical Negligence including dental, care homes, cosmetic surgery etc.

• Accidents at work, slips, trips, injury due to faulty goods etc.

An alarming number of people do not have a will. We highly recommend that whatever age you are you should have a will to ensure your wishes are carried out and to help your family and friends. Preparing a will is also a good time to do some estate planning to make sure you are leaving your family in the best possible situation financially; this is especially relevant if you think you might need to go into a care home at any point.

Here are some pointers to get you thinking about your will.

Is your Will valid?

Your will is one of the most important documents you can have. It contains your final wishes, instructions on how to deal with your estate, and who you want to inherit your assets in the event of your death. However, it is not enough to simply create a will, you must ensure that it is valid. Read on for what could invalidate your will and why it matters.

Why is it important to have a valid Will?

It is the only way for you to have control over your estate and who benefits from it after you die. If you were to die without creating a will (intestate), your estate may not be shared out how you wished it to be, and this can cause issues for your family. This is also the case if you die and your will is found to be invalid.

What makes a Will invalid?

Several things can do this, including:

• if your Will was not witnessed correctly In the UK, your will must be signed by two witnesses who are there to acknowledge that the person who has written the will is the same person signing it. If the will is not witnessed correctly, it may be deemed to be invalid. The witnesses must be present

while you are signing the will and they must also sign at the same time as you do. They must be people who are over the age of 18 and are not beneficiaries, heirs, or anyone who stands to inherit under your will.

• if your Will was made ‘under duress’

A will made under duress is one where a person is forced to change or create their will in a certain way. Making a will under duress is a serious matter and can lead to the will being deemed invalid. If you feel that you are being pressured into changing your will, you should speak with a solicitor immediately.

• You get married

If you get married, you must update your will to reflect your new status. If you do not, your spouse will not automatically inherit your assets and this may cause issues after your death.

• You have not destroyed a previous Will

This is a very common mistake to make. Many people have many copies of their wills lying around the house. If you have not destroyed a previous will, it could invalidate your latest will.

When creating your will, you need to be careful to avoid the pitfalls that could deem it invalid. The best way to do this is to use an experienced solicitor to help you draft it.

If you are worried that your will might be invalid, or you would just like some help creating one, you’re in the right place. Our team of specialist wills, trust and probate solicitors can provide expert advice and assistance.

And another thing...

It’s been a fabulous year on the motorcycle event circuit; we have made new friends and welcomed back many familiar faces. Thank you to everyone who has stopped for a chat. Our sponsored riders have also been doing very well this year and they have been excellent ambassadors.

David 'Hello Dave Racing' Glossop, one of Thorneycroft's sponsored riders

H ARDKNOTT & C O

Above:

Below: Crummock Water, scenic...

What’s your favourite day ride? tell us about it in 500 words with a few pictures (high resolution please). You could see it later in Motorcycle riDEr and receive a BMF gift! Send to: editor@bmf.co.uk

140 miles through the Lake District’s best passes

– roN CoMMoN is your guide

Photos: Mark Davidson and ron Common

The Lake District, with its beautiful mountains, lakes and miles of winding roads, has been our destination for two of the past 11 years – that’s the Triumph Tiger owners group, which meets up every May for a weekend of riding fun, the Tiger Megameet.

Our last Lakes visit was especially good, thanks to a stunning 140-mile route designed by Mark Davidson and some fabulous weather for the Saturday ride-out. Our start and finish point was the Premier Inn at Cockermouth.

We began by heading east along the A66 until the A5091. This lovely winding country road leads to Ullswater and provides stunning views approaching the lake. We turned right on the A592 towards Glenridding and eventually reached the dramatic Kirkstone Pass. At the Kirkstone Pass Inn, we turned right onto The Struggle, which includes a steep descent into Ambleside but compensates with cracking views of Windermere.

Turning right in Ambleside onto the A591, we rode towards Grasmere via the B5287, turning left by the church in Grasmere towards Red Bank. The road becomes very steep and narrow but there’s a reward at the top – we had coffee and cake in the pretty gardens of the Langdale YHA café.

From here, we rode down to the B5343 which winds its way through the stunning valley of

Great Langdale. Towards the end of the valley, there’s a sharp left and the road becomes a nadgery track to Little Langdale. At Side Gates we took a right turn for the awe-inspiring ride through Wrynose Pass. Then at Cockley Beck we peeled off right and climbed the back-to-back hairpins to the infamous Hardknott Pass. A quick rest at the top to take in the stunning view before a careful descent. Thankfully no incidents!

The next visual treat was Wasdale, reached via Santon Bridge. The road along the shore of Wastwater is one of the best in the Lakes and the Wasdale Head Hotel at its end is an ideal place for lunch. Admire Scafell Pike as you eat.

Back on the bikes, we headed for Gosforth and picked up the A595 to Calder Bridge before turning north towards Ennerdale Water and onto the A5086 before joining the B5289, which is another Lakeland stunner as it follows the beautiful shores of Crummock Water and Buttermere. The Sykes Farm Tea Room in Buttermere was our afternoon stop and it was ice creams all round in the sunshine!

From here, we climbed up through the stunning Honister Pass which was followed by the pretty descent through Borrowdale and onto Derwent Water. After a quick detour at Barrow Bay for the amazing Surprise View we headed into Keswick, and from the A66 we picked up the B5292 and the final treat of Whinlatter Pass before heading back to Cockermouth.

Sensory overload complete, it was time to relax in the bar, reflect on the glorious day’s ride and start planning where the next Megameet will take us!

Top: Approach to Ullswater – roads can be twisty and challenging

Ten points for spotting that Ron also rides a GS

My (2nd) Bike

in Motorcycle r id E r Autumn 2022, ArEK PiOrUn described life with his first bike – now he’s upgraded

ATaking

fter 2000 miles commuting on my Honda CB125F I was ready for a bigger bike. Not something like a Gold Wing, but a 350-400cc single seemed about right, and so I considered the Royal Enfield Classic 350 or Benelli Imperiale 400. Yes, I am into classics (at least for now) as I want to experience the ‘pure motorcycling’ feeling experienced riders talk about. Eventually, after lots of reading and analysing I decided on the Benelli, maybe because it seemed a bit less popular than the Enfield or other well-known brands.

Seven months on, after mainly commuting three times a week, 30 miles a day, I can say that the Benelli single is just what I hoped it would be. A simple machine, not built for speed but with a bit more power for those hills on the way from Sevenoaks, and it does give the pure motorcycling experience.

It’s certainly a different experience to the Honda, thanks to the weight (90 kilos more, at 205kg) the bigger size, the power and the handling. For a new rider this all makes a difference and suddenly you realise that you have to learn all over again. But it’s not at all scary and I’ve actually found the Benelli to be very user-friendly, mainly thanks to its simplicity. It also feels safer and more stable, and having ABS makes such a difference. In fact

it’s fun, and also good on fuel. Obviously it’s more thirsty than the little Honda but 80mpg is still pretty good, with a range of just over 200 miles from the 12-litre tank.

The engine feels happiest thrumming around up to about 60mph and the best cruising speed is 50-60mph. The Benelli’s only flaw is its gearbox, not as smooth as the Honda CB650R on which I took my test, but overall it’s the perfect first bigger bike. I am still learning how to properly handle it, and I think it’s better this way, to progress to a slightly bigger bike step by step. So the Benelli 400 will not be my last motorcycle, and I’m already thinking about a Kawasaki 650. Why Kawasaki? Well, the GPZ 900R in ‘Top Gun’ has something to do with it... In reality, a 1985 GPZ is not ULEZ compliant, but a modern classic Kawasaki would be, and would fit the bill. I don’t want to jump onto a Ninja H2 just yet.

What’s your First Bike?

Do you remember your first bike? Of course you do – tell us the story (in about 500 words, preferably with a picture) and we’ll print it in Motorcycle RIDER. Send your My First Bike story to editor@bmf.co.uk

it steady – he won’t be going for a Ninja just yet

Arek is enjoying his first bigger bike

NABD –National Association for Bikers with a Disability –what it’s all about

You can’t ignore NABD. The National Association for Bikers with a Disability has been around for over 30 years, helping disabled motorcyclists get back on the road –12,000 have benefited so far directly, with many more, says NABD, helped in other ways.

It was in 1991 that six motorcyclists from Stockport and Manchester founded the registered charity, initially just to help a friend who had lost a leg get riding again. “In a way it was quite fortuitous,” Rick Hulse told MOTORCYCLE RIDER. “My brother Bill helped set the group up in April, then in June I was knocked down by a stolen car, seriously injured and in danger of losing my right leg. I had some time on my hands so agreed to be Chairman for a year – 32 years later, I’m still here!” As a long-term motorcyclist with a liking for trikes (he now rides Midnight Star and Honda DN-01 threewheelers), Rick is probably the ideal NABD Chairman.

A DAP t to r i DE : th E NABD

those early days,” says Rick Hulse, “Each adaptation had to be designed from scratch, and many engineering problems had to be solved.” Now, with thousands of adaptations under its belt, NABD is able to quickly suggest what changes would be needed to suit each case.

Finding Solutions

The adaptations are simpler than you might think. For someone with no mobility in their right arm, the twistgrip and front brake can be transferred to the left bar, with the brake lever mounted in tandem with the clutch, while standard bar-mounted switchgear can also change sides. It’s similar with a left arm disability, with the clutch and any switchgear moved to the right. The front brake can also be operated by a right thumb operated lever, allowing a single clutch lever on the right.

Now, do you remember those pale blue disability trikes, still an occasional sight on UK roads in the early ‘90s? Powered by a stone-age Villiers two-stroke, they carried a stigma that would be unacceptable now – the last ones were withdrawn in 2003. But even now, there is no official government help for bikers suffering a disability who want to carry on riding, and disabled people who want to learn. Cars and mobility scooters yes, powered twowheelers no.

This is where the NABD comes in. From the start, the charity was all about giving practical help, and in its first 12 months had helped three disabled people adapt bikes to suit their needs. “In

For leg disabilities it gets a little more complicated, but foot gear changes can be replaced with the well-established Kliktronic change. Developed by a couple of engineers from Bury St Edmunds with disabled riders in mind, the Kliktronic is something of a quiet success story. It’s an electrically operated remote gear change, which allows any manual bike to change gear via push buttons, as on Honda’s DCT system. Obviously, if the two-wheeler involved happens to be a Honda DCT, a twist and go scooter or an electric, that simplifies everything, as there’s no foot change to worry about. “The DCT has been an absolute boon for disabled riders,” says Rick Hulse, “because it’s easy to use and has no negative effect on performance. Electric bikes will

Opposite page: Twin-lever (clutch and front brake) adaptation for left arm amputee

Left: Learner legal loan bikes are still popular

Bottom: Trikes can be adapted to carry wheelchairs

Below: Rick Hulse now acts as an expert witness as well as chairing NABD

overshadow it in time, with the same advantage.”

Something that all bikes need is a side stand, which is a problem for riders with an above knee amputation, for example – the usual answer is a simple linkage to a hand lever to operate the stand. As for stopping at red lights, a prosthetic leg with a ‘stabilised’ knee joint (available through the NHS) helps with keeping the bike upright when stopped.

Grants, Loans & Advice

These changes don’t cost the earth, typically £250 to £750 to cope with an arm disability. In any case, one of NABD’s key offerings is a system of grants to riders who cannot meet the cost, ranging from £250 to £2000, depending on the applicant and type of adaptation. Anyone can apply but obviously there are conditions, such as using an approved engineer and submitting evidence that the conversion has been done properly. And of course, they’re only available for bikes, scooters, sidecars and trikes or quads.

For those with a disability who want to learn to ride from scratch, NABD runs a small fleet of learner-legal 125s – both geared bikes and scooters, ready adapted – which are available on loan free of charge, with just a delivery/collection charge to pay. It’s a good facility, enabling riders to get through CBT, on-road training and tests before buying their own bike. A couple of adapted trikes are available as well, with full hand controls for wheelchair users.

NABD has clearly amassed a huge amount of expertise

over the years so as well as the grants and bike loans, it offers advice on just about every aspect of riding – licensing, insurance, any VAT exemptions, adaptations to protective clothing...it’s a bit of a one-stop shop.

This key role over time has given NABD considerable clout with other bodies as the go-to organisation when it comes to motorcycling with a disability. So it’s often consulted by the DVLA’s Medical Group as well as Motability, FEMA, various licensing authorities, National Highways and Quavadis, which is the European Parliamentary Group on disability and transport. Oh, and something called the BMF – NABD has been an affiliate member since 1994. It’s also helped set up similar disability biker groups in Norway, Sweden, France, Japan and the USA.

Raising Funds

All of this costs money, and although NABD prides itself on low overheads, with just one paid employee, it depends on volunteer fundraising for most of its finance. Anyone can join NABD –disabled or not – as an individual supporter, which costs £24 a year and includes ‘Open House,’ a quarterly magazine. Clubs, groups and businesses can also affiliate to NABD and support it financially, which of course they do. As well as local fundraising events, the flagship ‘You’ve Been Nabbed’ rally, is currently held in Cheshire in early May and is a well established favourite in the UK’s rally calendar.

Like every other charity and self-funded group, NABD suffered through Covid, but unlike many has survived. “We had to make some tough choices,” says Rick, “but we’ve come out of it relatively healthy. We were able to restart our grants system, and there’s no waiting list now.”

You get the feeling that, above all, the NABD is an inclusive bunch of people who want nothing more than to help anyone experience the joy and freedom of motorcycling, regardless of their circumstances. “When it comes to motorcycling,” goes their core mantra, “a disability need not be a handicap.” Which sums it up very well.

Margaret Wells Award 2023

this year’s Award went to an unsung overlander from the 1960s – Mary Sievier

The Margaret Wells Award is awarded annually to a lady motorcyclist (Individual or Affiliated club member) who has made a significant contribution to motorcycling and is in memory of Margaret, who along with husband Ken were lifelong BMF members as well as being present at the inaugural meeting in 1960.

This year’s nominee, Mary Sievier, will not be recognised by many, but she followed in the wheel tracks of Theresa Wallach and Florence Blenkiron, who rode from London to Cape Town in 1934 on a Panther sidecar outfit, and Peggy Thomas, who explored the USA and Canada by BSA Bantam in 1951.

Mary was another Bantam traveller, starting her journey in 1967 aboard a D7 Super. Protection was an open face helmet and a Helly Hansen sailing suit, with luggage in a pair of canvas panniers. And with £80 in her pocket, she set off. For the full story of her journey and her bike see RIDER number 95, Autumn 2021.

Mary returned to these shores in 1976, settled back into normal life and relative obscurity and it was only recently that she was ‘discovered.’ I had the good fortune to listen to her presentation at last year’s Overland Event and it made fascinating listening.

Chatting to Sheonagh Ravensdale (who had nominated Mary) at this year’s event, a plan was hatched to make the presentation on the Saturday, subject to Mary’s health allowing her to travel.

All went to plan and her initial response was “Why me? What have I done that’s so special?”

The presentation took place on 2nd September. Sadly, two weeks later I had a message from Sheonagh to say Mary had lost her battle and had passed away the previous day. RIP Mary.

Mitch Elliott

Mary Sievier with Mitch Elliot and Sheonagh Ravensdale

iN t E r NAtio NAL

L AVERDA O WNERS C LUB

kEith PrENtiCE on the club that’s about to touch

50th Anniversary Book

To celebrate the Club’s upcoming anniversary we have produced

The ILOC Anniversary Book: 50 Years of Great People, 50 Years of Great Bikes. The limited run 208-page book contains over 330 images and shares articles from ILOC members about their life on two wheels, their Laverdas and why they love them. It will appeal to anyone with an interest in Laverdas.

The International Laverda Owners Club (ILOC) is in celebratory mood as it approaches its 50th Anniversary and as Laverda itself enters its 75th year. The ILOC was started in the UK in 1974 by Hal Kendall, an American with a passion for the unlikely pairing of Laverdas and sidecars. Hal and his wife initially hosted meetings at their home in Banstead, Surrey and by the end of 1974 had over 70 members – the rest, as they say, is history. This was the genesis for a club that now boasts over 700 members worldwide.

Today the ILOC hosts a vibrant community and at its heart has been the club magazine La Vera Vista (broadly translated as ‘in true sight’) drawn entirely from club members’ accounts of their trips, experiences, rebuilds and restorations – it’s a fascinating read for anyone with an interest in Laverdas. The Club also hosts an annual rally, traditionally held in Wales in early September where members can gather, ride fabulous roads and generally reflect on why they love their Laverdas so much.

As with most historic marques, the sourcing of spares and general know-how is where the Club really makes a difference, with ILOC’s website forums helping members track down those elusive parts, share advice as well as supporting a specialist network of firms who help keep our Laverdas on the road.

Promote your Club!

Want your club to be profiled on these pages? Email us: editor@bmf.co.uk

Laverdas are for riding and each year we host a Riders’ Event which involves members riding far and wide, recording their travels and scoring points. We also run regional meetings, usually monthly and typically at a pub – we are a friendly bunch who like nothing better than a nice ride out and to share a story or two.

For many people, what’s remarkable for a marque that had its heyday in the 1970s and ‘80s, and is a testament to the longevity and attraction of Laverdas and the Club, is that the interest is still strong – the passion for the mighty triples and twins, the racing success and the history of the Italian marque have all stood the test of time.

You don’t have to own a Laverda to become an ILOC member. We welcome anyone who has an interest and enthusiasm for the marque and wants to know a bit more about it – all are very welcome.

Do WN Yo U r WAY

ALL THE BMF cOnTAcTS yOU nEEd

SCOTLAND – REGION 1

regional Chair - Tom Duncan 01506 842131, 07887 835321 tom@tomduncan.co.uk

AYrShirE - Pauline Speirs 01560 321791, fastrakscotland@aol.com

GLASGoW - Nick Elliott 01416 379305 drnickelliott@gmail.com

NORTH EAST– REGION 2

regional Chair - Alex Parsons-Hulse 07702 229 311 bmfregion2rep@bmf.co.uk

BiNGLEY - John Lancaster 01274 560174, john-lancaster@sky.com

tYNE AND WEAr- Michael Mangan manganelectricalservices@gmail.com

MIDLANDS – REGION 3

CoVENtrY AND WESt MiDLANDS John Nelson jsnlsn@btinternet.com

DErBYShirE - John Hutchinson 07876 756 356 hutchpeaks@btinternet.com

WArWiCkShirE - Mark Lunt 07767 870117 mark.a.lunt@gmail.com

NottiNGhAMShirE

Jerry Hough, 07825 997969 jerry.hough@mail.com

hErEForD AND WorCEStEr Frank Whittaker, 01531 635843 frankwhittaker62@gmail.com

LiNCoLNShirE - Mitch Elliott 07982 802 588 elliott.mitch@gmail.com

StAFForDShirE - Jeffrey Brook 07401 070 934 jeffbrook89@outlook.com

EAST ENGLAND – REGION 4

CAMBriDGEShirE - Tim Flinders, 01223 212721

LONDON– REGION 5

Anna Zee, anna.zee@bmf.co.uk

South London Charles Deakin 07951 978 283 deakie57@live.co.uk

SOUTH EAST – REGION 6

BErkShirE - John Ward 01344 428667, 07880 645970 john.c.ward@hotmail.co.uk

hAMPShirE - Ian Hammond 07989 531121 iphamonda@googlemail.com

kENt - Mike Gallafent 01322 400775, 07503 165035 michaelgallafent@yahoo.co.uk

oXForDShirE - Hugh Jaeger 01865 554814, 07762 093310 hugh_jaeger@hotmail.com

SUrrEY - Michael Gray hello@graymic.co.uk

WESt SUSSEX - Mark O’Dwyer 07824 554 927 markodwyer67@gmail.com

SOUTH WEST – REGION 7

regional Chair - Jim Peel-Cross 01249 819671, 07470 899546 jimpcross@hotmail.co.uk

Deputy Chair - Adrian Lambert 07971 908 604 adrian.lambert@mac.com

BAth - Carenza Ellery 01225 835599 07962 076370 cbx550mini@gmail.com

BriStoL - Alan Maynard 07305 544 884 excalibur08@blueyonder.co.uk

CorNWALL - Tiffany Coates 07805 078062 tiffanycoates@hotmail.com

DEVoN - James Maynard 07791 412 957 maynard23@live.co.uk

DorSEt - Adrian Lambert 07971 908 604 adrian.lambert@mac.com

WESt WiLtShirE - Les Simper 07789 354371

leslie.simper@btinternet.com

SoUth WiLtShirE - Roger Stone 07928 822671 r.stone703@ntlworld.com

WALES – REGION 8

CENtrAL WALES - Phil Harries 07968 168486 dpharries1@aol.com

SoUth WALES - Steve Preston 07906 167 357 bmfsteve@bmf.co.uk

NORTH WEST – REGION 9

regional Chair - Peter Laidlaw 07939 260524 peter.laidlaw@bmf.co.uk

ChEShirE - Jim Bradburn 01606 836782 jimbradburn@hotmail.co.uk

EASt LANCAShirE - Mick Gibbons 07940 816492 mick.gibbonsindarwen@googlemail.com

Steven Bartley, 01254 278187 ste.bartley@googlemail.com

WESt LANCAShirE - Dave Barton 01772 455018, 07971 519004 bmf_r9@notrab.co.uk

NORTHERN IRELAND- REGION 10

regional Chair - Howard Anderson 07918 903497 howand@hotmail.co.uk

Co. ANtriM - David Gillespie (club liaison) 02893 350495, 07882 525777 gwocni@hotmail.com

numbered regions

COUNCILLORS

R1 - Kona Macphee, 07747 651 877 kona@cloverleaf.scot

R2 - Alex Parsons-Hulse 07702 229 311 bmfregion2rep@bmf.co.uk

Michael Mangan manganelectricalservices@gmail.com

R3 - Mitch Elliott, 07982 802 588 elliott.mitch@gmail.com

Mike Cook

cmcook34@ntlworld.com

John Hutchinson hutchpeaks@btinternet.com

Kev Mulligan enquiries@skilledbiker.co.uk

Mike Fairhead mjf.phone@gmail.com

R4 - Paul Gardiner paul.gardiner@live.com

Scott Edy scott.edy83@gmail.com

R5 - Juergen Buechner, 07786 931 729 jwbuechner@mail.co.uk

Jim Freeman, jim.freeman@bmf.co.uk

R6 - Neil Smith, 07961 576 624 gunnersmith1959@gmail.com

Kieren Ganley Ganley39@gmail.com

Greg Apostolidis gregory.apostolidis@hotmail.com

R7 - Adrian Lambert, 07971 908 604 adrian.lambert@mac.com

Jim Peel-Cross jimpcross@hotmail.co.uk

R8 -Stephen Preston BMFSteve@bmf.co.uk

R9 - Anthony Beard, 07944 661 779 anthonybeard@blueyonder.co.uk

Dave Barton

bmf_r9@notrab.co.uk

R10 - David Gillespie, 07882 525 777 gwocni@hotmail.com

NATIONAL AND ONE-MAKE CLUBS FORUM (NaOMC)

Chair - Stephen Davenport stephendavenport98@me.com

Secretary - John Gardner 01695 622792 john.gardner119@gmail.com

NaOMC COUNCILLORS

John Nelson - TOMCC jsnlsn@btinternet.com

Norman Powers - TOMCC pollard1942@gmail.com

Laurence Mee - TOMCC membership@tomcc.org

tim kirker - VOC tim.kirker@zen.co.uk

Jacqueline Bickerstaff - VOC jacqueline.bickerstaff@btinternet.com

Stewart Lowthian BMW secretary@bmwclubuk.net

ian Dobie - BMW ian.dobiesnr@btinternet.com

John Nicholas DOC bmfrep@docgb.net

tim kirker - Vincent HRD tim.kirker@zen.co.uk

John Gardner - TOMCC john.gardner119@gmail.com

Jacqueline Bickerstaff - Vincent HRD jacqueline.bickerstaff@btinternet.com

John Nelson - TOMCC jsnlsn@btinternet.com

John Nicholas - Ducati bmfrep@docgb.net

Pete Wilson - BSA Bantam secretary@bsabantamclub.org.uk

MORE BMF REPS NEEDED!

If your county is not listed and you would like to be a BMF rep, we would love to hear from you - please email admin@bmf.co.uk

WRONG NUMBER?

If these aren’t the right contact details, let us know at admin@bmf.co.uk and we’ll put it right.

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