Wakefield MAG July 2015 Newsletter

Dear Wakefield MAG Member,

Welcome to the Wakefield MAG e-newsletter. If you can't attend our Wednesday meetings regularly, it's the next best thing to keep you up to date with what we are up to.

CONTENTS

1) FYP Report
2) Memorial Ride Out to Bridlington Report
3) Scottish politicians deliver 'common sense' policy shift for learner riders in Scotland
4) MAG challenges 20mph blanket limit
5) West Yorkshire Transport Strategy Update
6) Ossett Yorkshire Day Celebrations Gala
7) July Rideout
8) Last call for Yorkshire Pudding Rally tickets (and a call for Marshals)
9) Bike for Sale
10) Forthcoming Events (for July and beyond)

1) FYP Report

Check out the event report Here

2) Memorial Ride Out to Bridlington Report

Check out the rideout report Here

3) Scottish politicians deliver 'common sense' policy shift for learner riders in Scotland

In a landmark example of positive engagement between the Scottish Government and Britain's leading riders' rights organisation, the Motorcycle Action Group and officials in Transport Scotland have confirmed a change to planned regulations, in order to allow learner riders to continue using the existing Forth Road Bridge, even after the new road crossing opens in 2016. The meeting, attended on MAG's behalf by Scottish Representative Steve Wykes and MAG's Comms & Public Affairs Director, Lembit Öpik, was the culmination of a nine month campaign to highlight the problems with closing access to the old bridge to learner riders on bikes of up to 125cc.

Since the new crossing is a designated motorway, the ban on the old crossing would have forced these learners to make an additional 60 mile return journey. The change of heart means a saving of two hours a day for those originally faced with the detour.

Steve Wykes, who represents MAG in Scotland, is delighted with the breakthrough: "We took the issue to Alex Salmond MP in Westminster and Scottish Minister for Transport and Islands, Derek Mackay. We explained that, while this was probably just an oversight, it had enormous implications for learner riders, who use their bikes for commuting as well as learning. I have to say I'm hugely impressed with the common sense and intelligent engagement displayed by Mr Salmond and Mr Mackay. They did exactly what I had hoped - by listening to our concerns and acting upon them. I cannot praise their approach enough. It actually makes me quite proud of our politicians. It disproves the common assumption that politicians never listen. Alex Salmond and Derek Mackay certainly DID listen and we're very grateful for the sincerity with which they have engaged with us."

MAG will work with Transport Scotland in the months ahead to ensure the regulations allow all learner riders to continue to use the crossing in the years ahead.

Selina Lavender, Chair of The Motorcycle Action Group, said "This is an excellent result for learner riders. It shows just how effective MAG is, a problem was identified, we spoke to the decision makers, we got riders involved and today we can say that MAG has won another victory for the motorcycling community. We thank the SNP for seeing that common sense prevailed in this instance, Steve Wykes (MAG's Regional Rep for Scotland) for not letting this issue drop and everyone involved in highlighting this issue to the wider audience."

4) MAG challenges 20mph blanket limit

The Motorcycle Action Group (MAG) challenges the suggestion by road safety group BRAKE that 20mph should be the urban default speed limit.

MAG recognises that if vehicles don't move at all then there will be no road accidents but between that unrealistic extreme and a free for all there must lie a point of compromise which should be tailored to localised conditions.

MAG recognises the legitimacy of imposing lower limits outside schools and hospitals but questions the reasonableness of 20mph being a national default limit. People need to get around at a reasonable pace and commerce should not be unreasonably hampered.

MAG considers that 30mph represents a reasonable compromise for most urban environments and challenges BRAKE to defend what it sees as the group's extreme stance on speed limits.

5) West Yorkshire Transport Strategy Update

The meeting between MAG (with representatives from Leeds, Wakefield & Huddersfield MAG branches, together with Dr Leon Mannings, MAG's Transport Policy Advisor) and the West Yorkshire Combined Authority took place on the 11th June, and it was a very positive outcome indeed. The Combined Authority admitted it was an ommission to exclude motorcycles and MAG has now been offered three key stakeholder places (to cover the 5 Councils: Leeds, Bradford, Wakefield, Kirklees and Calderdale, that the 3 West Yorkshire MAG branches cover), on their Task and Finish working group, representing motorcycling as a viable transport option within the Transport Strategy for the next 20 years.

Monday 6th July is the first of our meetings in the Task and Finish Group, with the West Yorkshire Combined Authority, taking place at their HQ in Leeds, from 10am until 1pm. We'll let you know the outcome of this meeting in the next newsletter. This is great progress as we are now on the committee which makes and implements the decisions. Hip Hip .... Hurrah !!!

I can feel a Steve Tannock Teamwork award for West Yorkshire MAG branches coming along at the 2016 AGC ;-)

6) Ossett Yorkshire Day Celebrations Gala

Wakefield MAG have been invited to bring some bikes along to the Yorkshire Day Celebration Gala in Illingworth Park, Ossett on Saturday 1st August, as an added attraction at the Gala. The usual Gala delights are on offer, including childrens rides & games, bouncy castles, local stalls and craft stalls, stilt walkers, petting corner, clown, DJ & games (welly wanging, sack race, tug of war), local dance groups, local singers, Mickey and Minnie mascots plus hot & cold refreshments etc.

Unfortunately .... the date clashes with the Yorkshire Pudding Rally, that the majority of our members will be attending.

However, if you are not attending YPR, and have a particularly nice or unusual bike to display, do pop along as even a small number of bikes can make a nice attraction to the general public, and if it attracts more people onto bikes and interest in MAG, well, that's a result in itself.

The Gala starts at 10:00 and is scheduled to finish at 17:00.

And if we don't have a date clash next year with the YPR (assumng the Yorkshire Day Celebration Gala is to be repeated), we'll be there in force in 2016.

7) July Rideout

Our monthly rideout for the month of July, is on Sunday the 5th, to the Peak District, and will be led by Terry Scott. It's his first ever rideout that he will have planned and led .. a rideout co-ordinator 'Virgin' no less, so be gentle with him. It promises to be a good one, a Learner friendly picturesque route is guaranteed and the long range weather forecast is good, so hope to see you there.

Meet 08:30 (leaving at 09:00) at Redbeck Cafe, 339 Doncaster Road, Crofton, Wakefield, WF4 1RT.

8) Last call for Yorkshire Pudding Rally tickets (and a call for Marshals)

YPR 2015

Last call for Yorkshire Pudding Rally tickets .... These traditionally sell out a few weeks after the Farmyard Party and we expect this year to be no different. We still have tickets for sale at the branch meetings (for £20 pre-book only) but as this rally is rapidly approaching (Friday 31st July - Sunday 2nd August) and there are no 'on the gate' tickets available, you would be well advised to get yours NOW before they sell out (which they will SOON !!!). So, be very quick if you still want tickets to this most excellent rally, which is held at Escrick Estate off the A19 just above Selby).

On the subject of the YPR, the call has gone out for marshals for this event. All the Yorkshire MAG rallies are run by volunteers, who pay for their tickets the same as everyone else. They then freely give up their time, in order to help run those events, in a most professional way. The Yorkshire MAG donations to Central (made from these rally profits and local branch fund raising activity), pay the wage bill of all the staff at MAG Central. Without this volunteer effort, MAG wouldn't be able to employ lobbying staff, without lobbying staff, lots and lots of anti-bike legislation would be passed unopposed and literally, the end of biking as we know it would be upon us in around 5 years. It really is that simple. This is why our volunteer marshals are vital, as there is no spare profit to pay them (that said, there is a very generous marshals package in place ensuring you are fed, watered and T-shirted !!!!).

Visit the Marshals Info section of the YPR website to register as a marshal, and for more info: www.farmyardparty.com/yorkshire-pudding/marshals-info. Please note the deadline for registration is 11:00 PM Sunday 12th July 2015, and you will receive confirmation of your shifts by Sunday 19th July 2015.

If you have never volunteered for MAG rally marshalling before, the Yorkshire Pudding Rally is a great introduction, as it's small, relaxed, friendly, none of the shifts are particularly onerous, and it's actually really good fun .... you could just be the saviour of motorcycling for the future generations (I kid you not !!!). A life on strangled small capacity bikes, with leg protectors, air bags, monitoring and speed control systems, automatic surveillance of riding habits, compulsory day-glo, inability to change anything from the manufacturers original specification etc etc ..... doesn't make for a rosy future at all !!!!

Ride Free !!!

9) Bike for Sale

Kawasaki ZX600 For Sale

KAWASAKI ZX600-G1, 1998 MODEL. 42500 miles, MOT OCT 15. In good running condition.

Bargain at only £1,500 ono.

Call John Greenwood on 0789 697 7763

10) Forthcoming Events (for July and beyond)

Sunday 5th July - Wakefield MAG Rideout (Destination: Peak District)

See Above. Meet 08:30 (leaving at 09:00) at Redbeck Cafe, 339 Doncaster Road, Crofton, Wakefield, WF4 1RT

Friday 31st (July) - Sunday 2nd August - Yorkshire Pudding Rally 2015

Escrick Estate off the A19 just above Selby. Tickets still available at our branch meetings. www.farmyardparty.com/yorkshire-pudding

Sunday 23rd August - Wakefield MAG Rideout (Destination: TBA)

Meet 08:30 (leaving at 09:00) at Redbeck Cafe, 339 Doncaster Road, Crofton, Wakefield, WF4 1RT

Friday 4th - Sunday 6th September - NE MAG's 25th Stormin' The Castle

Bike Rally & Custom Show. Witton Castle Country Park, Witton-Le-Wear, Bishop Auckland, County Durham, DL14 0DE. www.storminthecastle.co.uk

Friday 18th - Sunday 20th September - Spat at the Tsunami

Spat 2015, is down the dale at Duncolme park, Helmsley (The old Farmyard site). Tickets went on sale (and sold out) at the FYP, so if you wanted to go, hopefully you have secured your tickets already. If not, there is always eBay !!

Visit: http://east-yorks.mag-uk.org for more details.

Sunday 27th September - Wakefield MAG Treasure Hunt (The Ultimate Thinking Riders Rideout)

Multiple Clues, Multiple Answers, Multiple Destinations, Multiple Opportunities to get totally lost. Prizes for 1st , 2nd & 3rd place, plus a booby prize for coming last. Rankings determined by a combination of correct answers, correct destinations, route taken and time elapsed, so the first back to base isn't necessarily the winner ... it's why it's the Ultimate Thinking Riders Rideout !!! £1 p.p. Entry Fee (to cover the cost of the prizes). All profits to the MAG Fighting Fund. "Don't Follow Me .... I'm Lost Too"

Meet 08:30 (to get clues/instructions) at Redbeck Cafe, 339 Doncaster Road, Crofton, Wakefield, WF4 1RT. Leave when you have worked out where you are going !!!

See the events page for further details and more !!!

That's all for this month, and I hope to see you all soon.

Ride Safe .. Ride Free
Steve Travis
Chairman
Wakefield MAG
0772 078 4734

Wakefield MAG meet at the Grey Horse, Kirkgate, Wakefield at 8:30pm every Wednesday. New (and Old) faces are always welcome.