Sheffield Advanced Motorcyclists – Weekly Newsletter 17 October 2025
Table of Contents
Editorial
What a great week it has been for riding out with SAM members. Taking advantage of the pleasant Autumn mornings, those crisp rides tend to start a bit later to let the ground frost disappear. There will still be cold patches that hang will need caution. Now is the time to take extra care in shade from hedgerows, under bridges and anywhere the sun doesn’t warm up the ground.
In the UK, political developments riders and riding include policy changes on motorcycle access to bus lanes, electric vehicle (EV) grant support, motorcycle licensing reform, and regulatory consultation affecting industry standards and rider rights.
Bus Lane Access and Local Campaigns
A recent government consultation closed with over 27,000 signatures. It didn’t affect the view of the Department for Transport who will not pursue a national policy. This intransigence leaves the decisions up to local transport authorities. Their record on the matter is to spend large amounts of money to find the ‘best local transport fit’. Only 35% (56) out of 159 transport authorities have implemented the motorcycles access policy. Sheffield was an early adopter. Barnsley, Doncaster and Rotherham authorities do not allow access. They must have different bus lanes to those in Sheffield!
Licensing Reform
The debate around motorcycle licensing reform goes on. The industry is pushing to simplify the tortuous process, rethink age limits, combine testing modules, and adapt regulations in line with the realities of younger and returning riders. While the government dawdles, local Police forces are busy chasing young unlicensed riders. Motorcycle thefts also remain a problem. As Police officer numbers have shrunk, it’s motorcycle owners who suffer. NHS casualty departments also have to cope with poorly skilled, mostly young, riders with some terrible injuries.
EV Grants and Industry Incentives
The UK Government policy around electric vehicle support remains prejudiced against motorcycles. New car grants have been introduced, but grants for electric motorcycles and mopeds have been reduced or ended. The motorcycle grant scheme set to lapse next April. There are no plans to replace it. Both industry leaders and green campaigners are calling for fairer treatment. Not everyone can afford a 400kg electric car, or healthy enough to ride a bicycle, even it is electrically assisted!
Safety, Road Policy, and Industry Regulations
Now we come to the long-awaited UK Government Integrated Transport Strategy. Motorcycling groups are urging riders to have their say to ensure bikes are included in wider transport planning. We seem to have been ignored or forgotten. The expected updates to the national Road Safety Strategy will also affect us. Coming later, following an alignment with the proposed EU end-of-life vehicle regulations, is their impact motorcycling . There is real concern about the recycling and disposal rules for motorcycles. Whilst UK regulations don’t automatically follow EU law, any changes would seriously affect the industry and riders.
Grassroots and Electoral Influence
IAM RoadSmart has focussed on the lack of road safety policies in business fleets, dashcam footage of poor driving, tyre pressures and thanking members for ticking the Gift Aid box for the charity to claim £500,000 to support their road safety work.
In the rest of your SAM newsletter this week are a reminder about Aidan’s Challenge. Many thanks to all those who have sponsored him. If you haven’t done it, think about helping him out. Bike Safe courses will start up again in April/May 2026. Darley Moor Track Days are still available. The British Superbike School are running separate track days for road riders and track riders. There is so much more! Ride safe and happy reading.
The SAM Committee are currently discussing the IAM’s proposed membership rights changes. As an affiliate Group, the SAM charity Constitution has to align the Articles of Association of the IAM. This is not a problem as our Constitution, updated in 2024, already contains the requisite provisions. These go further than those of the IAM. They state plainly that our primary purpose is to serve the local community, provide quality-assured post-test training for motorcyclists, liaise with other charities and road safety groups and provide public education on the social and ecological value of motorcycles as a form of personal transport. More information will be forthcoming to SAM members. In the meantime, help us by letting members of the SAM Committee know your views on the IAM changes to membership rights. Thank you.
IMPORTANT: SAM Monthly Club Meeting will be at the Three Merry Lads pub, Three Merry Lads
610 Redmires Road, Sheffield S10 4LJ
Your success is our success!
Congratulations to Patrick Sayer (Observer Fran Thompson). Well done to you both.
Advanced riders are safer road users, ride longer, rider further, meet more people and enjoy a healthier, happier life!
For Your Diary
Meetings
Next SAM Club Night
3rd November 2025
7.30pm start for meeting at 8pm. Gives you time to catch up on what you’ve missed!
Three Merry Lads
610 Redmires Road
Sheffield
S10 4LJ
Next SAM Committee Meeting
30th October 2025
Details to be arranged
Online Motorcycling News
General
This month’s theft stats explained
This month sees the largest amount of green on the Powered Two Wheeler (PTW) theft stats map since we started sharing it. These reductions in thefts month-on-month cover a wide area of the UK, and are indicative of the fact that motorcycle theft rates have been declining.
Sadly that’s not to say that criminality as a whole is reducing – anyone running their own business will likely be well-aware of the significant increase in the theft from, and of vans. High value car-crime is also distracting many former motorcycle thieves, but it is of course still a major problem that Police forces with limited resource are doing their best to tackle. Read more
As daylight savings edges ever closer, Royal Enfield has announced its autumnal finance offers for UK customers by introducing the 50/50 APP 0% APR offer to additional models, alongside a new lower 5.9% APR Representative rate for PCP and HP deals on all 450 & 650 models
50/50 0% APR finance offer extended to Bear 650, Classic 650, Super Meteor 650, Himalayan 450, and continues on Shotgun 650.Lower 5.9% APR Representative promotional offer for PCP and HP deals, on the entire 2025 450cc and 650cc Royal Enfield range.Royal Enfield’s 50/50 0% APR finance offer, first introduced for the Shotgun 650, has proved extremely popular, and is now expanding. This tempting offer will now include further models from the 2025 lineup, available on the Bear 650, Classic 650, Himalayan 450, and Super Meteor 650. The Shotgun 650 will also continue to be part of this offer. Read more
The start of October saw the separate openings of both a new Ducati and BMW showroom in England – expanding the reach of both premium brands and injecting green shoots of hope into what has recently become a more challenging market to navigate.
On Wednesday, October 1, a new BMW Motorrad showroom opened its doors at Group 1 Norwich – currently sharing the showroom floor with both BMW cars and Minis, with a purpose built premises expected to be ready by Spring 2026. Read more
Hey, you! Yes, you! If you’re a woman racer (or you know women racers) who may be interested in joining Royal Enfield’s Build. Train. Race. program, listen up! Royal Enfield North America’s one-of-a-kind racing development program is open for applications for its two 2026 racing series, and it’s pretty simple to apply if you’re interested.
Whether you’re passionate about road racing or flat track racing, Royal Enfield has a program available for women racers based in the US, Canada, and Brazil. Applicants are currently being accepted from all three countries, and you’ll need to provide three things to apply. Read more
Rider Health & Safety
Do you ride a motorcycle or know someone who does? If so, you’ll know that riding a motorcycle has some risks. In fact, statistics show that motorcyclists are much more likely to be involved in a serious or fatal accident than car drivers. This is why it’s important to take steps to reduce the risks and the Biker I.C.E. Card is one of the most effective solutions available.
The Biker I.C.E. Card is a simple, yet vital tool. It contains your contact details and essential medical information. In the event of an accident, emergency services staff can quickly access this information to help them decide on the right treatment for you. By carrying a Biker I.C.E. Card, you can ensure that emergency services staff have the information they need to take account of any ongoing health problems you have and any current treatments that you are receiving. This can make their job easier and your emergency care safer. Read more...
Did you know that there are TWO DIFFERENT SAFETY STANDARDS used by airbag manufacturers like Alpinestars, Bering, Dainese, Helite, Hit-Air, In&Motion, MotoAirBag and Spidi? That makes it a lot harder to choose the best motorcycle airbag because not only do they have different trigger methods, different ways of wearing them and even different payment methods, they also offer protection against different types of crashes. And I don’t just mean the coverage they provide… Read more
We’re big fans of Alpinestars’ top-tier range of airbags, and their latest product is set to take active protection up a notch. The Tech-Air® 5 PLASMA is a featherweight, race-inspired system for riders who want serious protection without feeling like they’re wearing armour. At just 1.53kg, it’s over 25 per cent lighter than the Tech-Air® 5 and slips under any jacket like it isn’t even there… perfect for trackdays, commutes, or blasting through twisties.The PLASMA isn’t just light, it’s clever. Three Riding Modes – STREET, RACE and OFF-ROAD – can be switched mid-ride via a glove-friendly LED button, while a suite of six sensors and AI decides exactly when to inflate the airbag. Gas inflators can even be swapped by the rider up to six times, so one deployment doesn’t mean a long wait to get back on the road. Read more
Adventure & Touring
While tuning up my motorcycle in the driveway, my next-door neighbor sauntered over.
“I’ve always wanted a motorcycle,” he said wistfully. “But as my wife tells me, ‘there are two kinds of motorcyclists: those who have had accidents, and those….’”
“Let me stop you right there,” I said. “I’ve heard this before….”
But undeterred, he continued “… and those who will have accidents.”
“I’ve heard that before. We all have.” I said, “At the same time, I know people who’ve been riding for over 50 years, without having any kind of accident.”
He smiled. “They just haven’t had their accident yet.”
I didn’t reply and continued working on the bike, it’s fruitless to argue. But what he said got me thinking. How many times do you have to hear something before it becomes a default way of thinking? Read more
It was almost 1:00 a.m., dark, dusty, cold, and quiet, when Anton and I made the final transition from dirt to pavement. Eyes blurry and teeth chattering, we exchanged tired glances of acknowledgment that we had officially conquered the 1,217 miles that is the Road of Bones. As the dust settled, the gravity of what we’d accomplished began to set in, but that’s not where this story began. To fully understand and appreciate accomplishment, we had to reflect on the previous seven days.
In the early hours of 4:30 a.m., the sun was already well into the sky in this northern region of Russia; the sky only darkens for a couple of hours during the summer months. We loaded our motorcycles to catch the 6:00 a.m. ferry out of Yakutsk. There are no roads to this near-Arctic city; a ferry ride across the Lena River is the only real option. The hour-long boat ride would take us to the town of Nizhnii Bestyakh and the starting point of the Road of Bones. And after a quick fuel top-off, we headed into the unknown. Read more
The biggest issue facing electric motorcycle adoption is, obviously, range. Yes, infrastructure still sucks, and at least here in the States, the federal government ain’t great right now for EV ownership. But for motorcyclists who are used to just hopping onto their bikes and going for a long rip, range is paramount to all others.
Right now, you just can’t go on any sort of long-range road trip with an EV motorcycle, which makes Stark and Zero’s decision to go after the small-displacement dirt bike market over LiveWire and Zero’s road market play make more sense. But what if you could solve for that lackluster range issue?
We already have folks working on solid-state batteries, which promise to hold more charge by adding battery density without sacrificing overall weight or size, but even those are still too large, too heavy, and don’t offer the type of range you want to see for motorcycles. They’re an incremental step. Read more
Following news that Norton intends to build at least some of its bikes in the UK, there are reports this week that those and other plans will create hundreds of jobs in the country.
Founded some 127 years ago in Birmingham, Norton is on the verge of a major comeback after more than a decade of mismanagement. Now owned by Indian multinational TVS Motor – the third largest motorcycle manufacturer in India – Norton has been spending the last few years getting its ducks in a row. Read more
History & Custom
There’s a magic to shed-built motorcycles. Sometimes it’s in the obscurity of the machine itself; other times, it’s in the idiosyncratic mods and details, each with its own story. And sometimes, it’s all of that and more—as with this Sunbeam S8 restomod.
The bike belongs to Stuart Bruton, a UK-based hobbyist who recently found himself in the crosshairs of Del Hickey’s camera. An ace photographer and regular Bike EXIF contributor, Del has a nose for motorcycles that are rare, vintage, peculiar—or all three. Read more
Kevin Williams
Know your ‘Suicide Lane’ rules
A recent Channel Five documentary featured a near-miss involving a motorcyclist and a minibus on a stretch of three lane road. Alarmingly, the rider was a police biker. Whether either should have attempted the overtake in the weather is a moot point but responses showed an alarming lack of understanding of the markings and rules for using three-lane roads and the middle ‘Suicide Lane’.
These roads, officially designated S3 roads, began appearing in Britain in the inter-war years to add overtaking capacity as rural trunk roads grew busier. The problem is obvious; the shared centre lane gave neither driver a guaranteed priority; opposing vehicles could legally be in the same lane simultaneously. The results were equally predictable – head-on conflicts and regular crashes as one or both drivers misjudged their closing speed in the middle lane. By the mid 30s, the centre lane had already been nicknamed the ‘Suicide Lane’. Read more
Does better riding need a ‘Hero’s Journey’? No!
It was back in 2009 and 2010 that I wrote ‘MIND over MOTORCYCLE’. I self-published it in 2011. It was written to pull together a bunch of articles on the mental and attitudinal side of riding, articles I’d been writing on the old Survival Skills forum that I moderated on Visordown.
A couple of years later I discovered that Bernt Speigel’s book ‘The Upper Half of the Motorcycle’ had been written in German some years earlier, and had been translated into English in 2010. I got a copy, and found it covers much the same ground, the fact that the human brain was never designed for high speed on two wheels, yet we still (mostly) manage to stay upright. I’ll be honest – I think MoM is much more accessible to the vast majority of riders. I never managed an end-to-end read, and I’m fascinated by the topics. It took me months of dipping in and out to finish the Upper Half. Read more
In today’s show… police search for off-road riders who injured horse rider… five year electric motorcycle subsidy plan for Macau… latest UK PTW sales down again… Trump administration brands road safety plans ‘hostile to motor vehicles’… Marquez damages shoulder week after title win… Royal Enfield smashes sales record again… Zero shift global headquarters to Netherlands… Verge Next spin-off offers hubless drive in low power format… in-depth today – what does 40 years of motorcycle development look like? The answer may surprise you! Read more
Whiteknights Blood Bikes
Here are our statistics for September 2025.
Thank you to our remarkable volunteers for responding to 308 jobs and 14 relays alongside other Blood Bike charities.
#bloodbikes
Today we had a very important relay our volunteer David took part in taking an urgent blood sample relay to the Institute of Genetics at Newcastle University this morning.
David was part of a team of 3 riders playing pass the parcel up the M1 and A1. The first pass was to Whiteknights Yorkshire Blood Bikes from Sheffield who then hand over to Northumbria Blood Bikes at Scotch Corner for the final delivery into Newcastle. The transit time from start to finish was roughly 4.5 hours all in total) This sample was needed for urgent analysis in support of care for a young patient at Glenfield Hospital in Leicestershire. 🩸🏍
Leicestershire & Rutland Blood Bikes
#itswhatwedo #volunteer #bloodbikes #nhssupport #fyp #LRBB #BLOODDELIVERY #leicestershire #supportyourbloodbikers #donate #volunteers #NHS @top fans
South Yorkshire Safer Roads Partnership
YOUNG DRIVERS: Electric bikes and scooters – what are the rules?
🚲 Electric bikes and scooters are becoming increasingly popular and more accessible.
As the use of these vehicles increases, sadly the risk and danger also increase, and tragically within South Yorkshire we have seen riders of both e-scooters and e-bikes lose their lives, including children.
As the spotlight on ‘Young Drivers’ continues nationally, we’re reminding parents of the law around the use of these vehicles, and how you can help keep your children safe.
If you are also thinking about buying an electric bike or scooter, or have already purchased one, please ensure you are familiar with the law and regulations around riding them.
Electric Assisted Pedal Cycles (EAPC) or more commonly known as electric bikes are legal to ride if you are over the age of 14. You do not require a licence or need to be registered, taxed or insured.
However, an EAPC must have pedals that can be used to propel it. It must show either the power output or the manufacturer of the motor and it must also show either the battery’s voltage or the maximum speed of the bike.
Its electric motor must have a maximum power output of 250 watts and should not be able to propel the bike when it’s travelling more than 15.5mph.
📣 Roads Policing Inspector Matt Collings explains more about electric bikes. He said: “Electric bikes that do not meet the EAPC rules are classed as a motorcycle or moped and need to be registered and taxed.
“You’ll need a driving licence to ride one and you must wear a crash helmet.
“Any person riding such a vehicle which does not meet the criteria who is disqualified from holding or obtaining a driving licence will commit the offence of driving while disqualified, which will have further implications on your young person as they mature.”
Electric scooters can be bought from most toy stores and cycle shops. They are powered by a battery motor and generally have no pedals with them. This makes them illegal to use on a public road, pavement or cycle lane. The use of these machines is restricted to private land. If a person uses an electric scooter on a road then it is being used as a motorcycle or moped and requires the rider to be licenced and the vehicle to be registered and insured.
Inspector Collings continued: “As with any vehicle, driving it comes with great responsibility.
“To drive any vehicle on the road is a privilege and laws must be obeyed for everyone’s safety.
“I urge all parents to take the time to consider buying their child one of these machines. If caught on roads and pavements, these are uninsured vehicles that can be seized. Sadly, while some may feel these are innocent harmless machines, we have seen serious and even fatal incidents up and down the country involving the riders and pedestrians.”
Every death and serious injury on the road is a preventable tragedy. Yet, on average, five people die every day on the road in the UK and 82 are seriously injured (10-year average from 2013-2022). This has to change. Help us by sticking to the rules of the road. Brake, the road safety charity
Motorcycling Organisations
IAM RoadSmart
Has it been a while since you passed your Advanced test? 
💡 Did you know? Last year, thanks to our amazing supporters who ticked the Gift Aid box, IAM RoadSmart claimed nearly £500,000 to fuel our life-saving road safety work! 🙌
More than 60% of our members made this possible, and we couldn’t be more grateful! 💙 Every tick makes a huge difference in making our roads safer for everyone. ✅
🔗 Update your status now and drive change on our roads! Every little bit counts toward making a BIG impact.
https://iamroadsmart.net/GiftAidFB
#GiftAid #RoadSafety #IAMRoadSmart #Support
Are you aware of the OAP framework when out riding?
ACEM
Motorcycle industry calls for urgent action as prohibitive US tariffs on European motorcycles are introduced.
Brussels (Belgium) | 27 August 2025
The European Association of Motorcycle Manufacturers (ACEM) expresses serious concern that the EU-US Framework Agreement of 21 August falls significantly short of addressing the trade challenges facing European manufacturers.
While acknowledging diplomatic efforts on both sides of the Atlantic, the agreement’s partial scope leaves the European motorcycle industry facing the new general 15% tariff on products exported to the United States. Furthermore, European motorcycles, parts, and accessories are now also subject to 50% tariffs on their steel content.
This unbalanced framework creates an economically unsustainable situation for European manufacturers, as steel represents a fundamental component in motorcycle construction. The persistence of punitive tariffs threatens the competitiveness of ACEM’s member companies and jeopardises jobs they support throughout Europe and in the US. The current arrangement effectively introduces discriminatory treatment that undermines decades of successful transatlantic business relationships. Read more
Motorcycle Industries Association
MCIA has today published the new vehicle registrations for the month of September 2025.
This includes Mopeds, Scooters, Motorcycles and some other specific sectors of the wider L-Category vehicle types.
Positive signs for the market in September, as new registrations for the month continue to show improvement over the year-to-date trend. The Scooter segment continues to significantly improve in September closing the month at a positive 1.5%. Some sectors of the Motorcycle registrations also witnessed very positive signs of growth in the month with the Adventure segment up 21% and Road Sport up nearly 8% compared to 2024. Motorcycles combined remained negative albeit vastly improved from the year to date closing the month at just – 3%.
With September closing at an overall market at just -2% compared to 2024, this reduces the year-to-date negative to -15.2% improved from the August year to date of -17.2%. Read more
National Motorcycle Dealers Association
“September is a vital month for the new motorcycle market, which has shown some signs of recovery. However, with the overall market still affected by negative registrations, Q3 has continued to struggle with restoring consumer confidence,” commented Symon Cook, Head of the National Motorcycle Dealers Association (NMDA), in response to the latest figures published by the Motorcycle Industry Association (MCIA).
New registrations in September showed a slight improvement in the scooter segment, which was up by 1.5%. Motorcycle registrations declined by -3% for the month however, interestingly this marked an improvement compared to the year-to-date figure, with September 2024 down 14.8%.
With September closing at an overall market at just -2% compared to 2024, this reduces the year-to-date negative to -15.2% improved from the August year to date of -17.2%.
Symon Cook concluded: “It is encouraging to see some improvement in the market for September and the close of Q3, albeit figures remain down overall. However, the Government continues to overlook the sector and the NMDA now turns its attention to the Chancellor’s Autumn Budget in the hope of measures that will support and stimulate growth within the industry.” Read more
National Motorcyclists Council
The National Motorcyclists Council (NMC) has welcomed news that the Department for Transport (DfT) is considering options for reviewing the current training, testing and licensing regime. The NMC, along several motorcycling organisations and other road safety stakeholders were told the news by the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Transport, Lilian Greenwood MP who attended a round table meeting of the Government’s Motorcycle Strategic Focus Group on January 20th to discuss licensing and other aspects of motorcycle safety and policy. Read more…
The Driver and Vehicle Licencing Agency (DVLA) has today (26th August) issued new guidance to some of its vehicle registration policies, making the rules around the notification of modifications to already registered motorcycles old and new more straightforward.
These changes follow a call for evidence which NMC member, the Vintage Motor Cycle Club (VMCC) responded to with the support of the NMC. Organisations in the four-wheeled historic vehicle sector also responded. As a result, the DVLA is replacing its existing policies on rebuilt and radically altered vehicles with three new sets of guidance that will apply to all vehicles, regardless of age.
Key changes include:
• like-for-like repairs and restorations will no longer require notification to DVLA, providing the vehicle’s appearance is the same as when it was originally manufactured and there are no changes to the log book (V5C)
• vehicles that have been subject to significant structural modifications will be able to keep their original Vehicle Identification Number (VIN) and registration number, but the registered keeper must notify DVLA of the changes
• vehicles that have been converted to electric will also be able to retain their original identity, but the registered keeper must notify DVLA of the changes
Previously, a range of changes to a motorcycle made during modification, restoration or repair, required notification and sometimes an inspection and re-registration. The new rules simplfy the requirements for when modifications need to be declared, though previous rules remain in place regarding replacement frames, frames that have significant structural difference after modification, or when a repair or restoration affects the VIN number details on the bike’s registration document. Read more
FEMA
Around 1,500 motorcyclists gathered in Rosenheim, Germany on 20 September to protest against motorcycle bans on the Sudelfeld route in Bavaria’s Rosenheim and Miesbach districts. The demonstration was organised by the German motorcyclists’ association BVDM, a member of FEMA.
The event and subsequent parade up to the Sudelfeld Pass were peaceful, well-organised, and praised by police for their discipline and positive spirit. Local media estimated up to 2,000 participants. About half of the riders joined the parade along the closed Sudelfeld road to the Schnauferl-Wirt inn, where the event concluded. Due to the continued closure of the descent towards Bayrischzell, traffic briefly became congested when riders were forced to turn back. The BVDM had requested a temporary reopening of the route for the event, but this was refused by Miesbach District Administrator Olaf von Löwis of Menar. Read more
On Saturday 4 October 2025 the FEMA members held their Committee meeting an in a hotel near the Dutch Schiphol airport. Here is a short summary of that meeting.
Secretariat report
FEMA’s General Secretary gave a presentation of his activities over the last months and the meetings in which he represented FEMA. He gave an overview of the political issues on the EU-level, like the End-of-Life Vehicles Regulation (ELV) and the Periodical Technical Inspections (PTI).
End-of-Life Vehicles Regulation (ELV)
Our main concern: without a clear differentiation of Authorised Treatment Facilities (ATFs) by vehicle type, motorcycles may end up in non-specialised ATFs, where they are more likely to be shredded instead of dismantled. Some car-focused ATFs may not value specific motorcycle parts. The legislation aims to increase reuse of parts, but without differentiation the current market-driven reuse system could be undermined. Our position: Differentiate ATFs by vehicle type to ensure motorcycles are processed in specialised facilities, prevent unintended shredding of motorcycles by directing them away from non-specialised, car-focused ATFs, safeguard valuable motorcycle parts that are essential for rare bike restoration and motorsports, and support the legislation’s goal of reuse by protecting the current, successful market-driven system. Read more
British Motorcyclists Federation
World Mental Health Day takes place every year on 10 October. It’s a reminder of the importance of good mental health and the need to prioritise and invest in good mental health.
This year’s theme is ‘access to services – mental health in catastrophes and emergencies’. The theme highlights the importance of people being able to protect their mental health in times of global instability. Read more
Motorcycle Action Group
The Government: Ambitious Vision, Familiar Gap
At Labour’s October conference, Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander delivered her vision for integrated transport. She spoke passionately about her journey from Swindon—a proud railway town—to the Cabinet. She discussed her time as Sadiq Khan’s Deputy Mayor for Transport. We heard her plans for seamless connections between buses, trains, and trams.
She talked about buses, active travel and putting people first in journey planning.
But she didn’t mention motorcycles. Not once.
Louise Haigh announced the government’s Integrated National Transport Strategy—the first comprehensive transport strategy in over 20 years. The consultation has closed. Now we wait for the strategy to be published. MAG submitted a detailed consultation response. We attended the stakeholder meetings. The government cannot claim motorcycling wasn’t raised.
Yet if Alexander’s conference speech reflects the thinking behind the INTS, we should be very concerned. A national strategy that will shape transport planning for the next decade is being finalized. Despite MAG’s engagement, motorcycles still aren’t part of the public conversation.
The pattern is consistent. When Haigh spoke at last year’s conference, she declared buses “a passion of mine.” She promised to end “divisive culture wars around walking and cycling.” Motorcycles? Not mentioned. Then last November, the DfT rejected default bus lane access. This happened despite 14,000 consultation responses with 98% support. Their reason? “At present, the government has no policy to encourage greater use of motorcycles.”
That’s not hostile rhetoric—it’s policy exclusion. We’re not worth opposing. We’re simply not considered. Now that exclusion may be embedded in the framework that will shape UK transport for the next decade. Read more
New Rider Hub
What is Ridefree?
Ridefree is an award-winning enhancement to compulsory basic training (CBT), consisting of pre-course eLearning modules. Its aim is to help you prepare for your CBT and riding on the road.
How can it help me?
CBT should be an enjoyable experience. But there’s a lot to learn, and it’s normal to feel anxious about your first bike ride. The good news is that Ridefree will help you become a better and more confident rider…Read more.
It can be hard when you are buying your first bike to make sure you get it right. This page gives you lots of advice so your first bike can be a great one.
Here are some top tips when buying a bike:
Make sure you are the correct legal age to ride the type of motorcycle you want to ride
Make sure all the documents are in order. Ask to see the V5C vehicle registration document (logbook), any service records, repair bills, inspection reports and handbooks
Remember that a V5C vehicle registration document is not proof of ownership; it records who the registered keeper is for legal purposes
An MOT certificate simply confirms that the motorcycle passed the test on the day it was submitted. It only covers the specific tests required and does not provide an absolute guarantee of the general quality of the motorcycle. If you have a problem with an MOT contact the Driver & Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA), which enforces the law relating to these tests
You can check the MOT history of a vehicle on GOV.UK website; it holds the test date, expiry date, test result, the mileage recorded when it was tested, the reason for an MOT failure and any advisory notice items
An older motorcycle with high mileage may not be as good as a newer motorcycle with low mileage. It should still be fit for use on the road and in condition that reflects its age and price. Fair wear and tear are not considered to be a fault Read more
You need to know that CBT’s may not always be completed in a single day.
Get ready for a long day as the CBT course should last for at least 5 to 8 hours. You will be taught elements in turn and when you are safe to go onto the next element then you progress through all the five stages. The CBT course is completely safety orientated so if you can’t complete all the stages on the day, then a rest and a return later is the best and safest way to progress.
If you are told you need further training to meet the required standard, make sure you understand: Read more
Look after your bike/moped and it will look after you. Carrying out a few simple checks before each ride could save your life. Use POWDERS
Petrol
- Do you have enough for your journey?
- Is the reserve tap off?
- Check there are no leaks Read more…