18-12-2009 Biker Friendly Crash Barriers a Reality?
After years of campaigning work by MAG and it's European partners (FEMA), a new draft technical standard for crash barriers has been approved by CEN (Euro committee for normalisation- yes really!). That means it is finally on its way to becoming a Euro standard. Bike friendly crash barriers are almost a reality, so Happy Christmas! Let's hope we never actually need to use them.

Motorcycle fan rescued from mud
A man who tried to cross the Bristol Channel on a sea scooter to watch motorcycling races in Weston-super-Mare had to be rescued after becoming stuck.

The 3rd European Driving Licence Directive
The various member counties have all put in their two pennyworth and the Commision has designed a camel that in some way meets the different views of, say, the Swedes (ban all bikes) to the UK (let the second directive stand, that's a big enough headache already). The compromises have been settled and it went to the European Parliament late summer 2006 for a final rewording. Each member state will then have untill 2011 to implement into "local" law. The likely scenario for the UK will be : * Age 16 CBT Provisional Moped, Theory and hazard perception test, Off road manouvres test, on road test. Full P licence. * Age 17 CBT Provisional A1 motorcycle, Theory & hazard test. Off road test, on road test using 125cc bike. Full A1 licence. Restricted to 125cc 14 BHP for 2 years. * Age 19 CBT Provisional A2 motorcycle, Theory & hazard test. Off road test, on road test using 33 BHP bike greater than 500cc. Full A2 licence. Restricted to 47 BHP for 2 years. * Age 21 CBT Provisional A motorcycle, Theory & hazard test. Off road test, on road test using 47 BHP bike greater than 600cc. Full A licence. * Unrestricted Direct Access will remain but at age 24 years. It sounds complicated.... It is complicated.... Put more simply, suppose you are 17 years old and you want a bike licence. * There's 3 steps, at 17, 19, 21 years old. * Each step involves theory, off-road, and on-road tests. * Each step must be taken on a bigger bike than you are currently allowed to ride, and practiced for under Instructor supervision. A wicked but subtle change (buried in the small print) is the proposed minimum test vehicles. 500cc bikes don't exist (they're 496 or 498). We suspect simple ignorance is the reason why every "learner bike" in existence will be useless from 2011 at huge expense to the public / training industry. A rather discriminatory effect is that the existing A2 route for learners is abolished. There will be no way for a smaller or disadvantaged person to get a full licence anymore. (2 years experience on a 33bhp to then upgrade utomatically). The disadvantaged will have to cope with 650cc (?) on test, like it or lump it. For even a new A2 it will be a 550cc (?) bike which will be rather big and heavy for small people in the new off road test. It'll all get very expensive and difficult. It's forecast that the ultimate reduction in the number of new riders going through the new system will be as much as 60%. Yes, less than half as many as at present. Add the cost to Training Centres of dealing with the 2nd directive in 2008, only to have to re-equip for 2011 and less than half as many customers it's doubtfull that there will be many bike shops or training schools surviving anyway.

yamilia 350 supermoto (RD 350 YPVS Engine)

yamilia 350 supermoto (RD 350 YPVS Engine)

yamilia 350 supermoto (RD 350 YPVS Engine)

frame was a Aprilia 125 Taureg, now half RD 350 YPVS. Engine Yamaha RD 350 YPVS producing 70 + bhp @ rear wheel, Yamaha DT125 LC (82) tank seat and side panels, Yamaha DT 175 MX (81) kick start and side stand, Yamaha TZR 250 RC 3MA upside down swingarm with 4mm off set , rear wheel, disc, caliper now under slung. Yamaha TZR 250 2MA 320mm front disc. Yamaha R1 blue spot front caliper. Yamaha FZR 600 front wheel, KTM white power supermoto forks, white power rear shock , Aprilia taureg rear fender and light, TZR 250 2MA six petal reeds with 6mm spacers foam ramair filters Hel brake lines, Vapor digital speedo with rev counter, blue silicone hoses, All work undertaken by myself (cider county strokers) except for one off pair of yokes front wheel spindle and front brake caliper mount were done by MW precision engineering (Bridgwater). Hand made spannies and porting work done by Martin 77 (Devon)