TASTER SESSION             

• At least two exercises carried out at slow speed, including a slalom
• At least two exercises  carried out at higher speed, of which one exercise should be in second or third gear, at a speed of at least 30 km/h (approx. 19 mph) and one exercise avoiding an obstacle at a minimum speed of 50 km/h (approx. 31 mph)
• At least two braking exercises, including an emergency brake at a minimum speed of 50 km/h (approx. 31 mph)

On the day of the test, candidates will be asked by the examiner to demonstrate their riding ability on either the left-hand or right-hand circuit.  Please note that the standard off-road layout may change due to local conditions on the casual sites.

Click link below to see the standard layout of the left and right-hand circuits 

MMA Dimensions

The practical moped riding test

The practical moped riding test (which does not include the high-speed requirements) will also be carried out from the new test centres, where both the obstacle avoidance and emergency braking exercises will be carried out at 30 km/h (approx. 19 mph). A test for the drivers of motorcycle and side car combination is also under development.

Photo card driving licences expire
Thousands of road users risk being fined up to £1,000 because they are unwittingly riding or driving without a valid licence because they have failed to spot that their photocard licence automatically expires after ten years and has to be renewed.  But most importantly for dealers, our advice is to make an additional check for any customers taking demonstration rides to ensure your customer’s licence is valid.

Drivers have to pay £17.50 to renew their card, which will earn the Treasury an estimated £437million over 25 years.  The first batch of ten-year photo licences was issued in July 1998, and the confusion has come to light as they start to expire.  DVLA figures reveal that while 16,136 expired this summer, so far only 11,566 road users have renewed, leaving 4,570 outstanding.  With another 300,000 photocard licences due to expire over the coming year, the number of invalid licences could soar.  A total of 25million have been issued.  At the heart of the confusion is the small print on the credit card-size photo licence.  Just below the holder’s name is a numbered series of dates and details.  Number '4b' features a date in tiny writing but the significance is explained only if the holder turns over the card and reads the key on the back which states that '4b' means 'licence valid to'.

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New safety ratings for motorcycle helmets were published today by Road Safety Minister Jim Fitzpatrick.An extra 28 motorcycle helmets have been rated by SHARP - the Department for Transport’s Safety Helmet Assessment and Rating Programme – taking the total number of ratings published to 125.

 “By providing the best safety information, reminding drivers of the importance of looking out for bikes and promoting further training and safe riding through the THINK! Motorcycle Academy I hope we can make the roads safer for motorcyclists and reduce the number of terrible tragedies we see each year.” 

All helmets must meet minimum legal safety standards but the SHARP scheme uses a wider range of tests to provide riders with more information on how much protection a helmet can provide in a crash. The objective advice, which includes important guidance on how to select a good fitting helmet, will help riders to choose the safest helmet suitable for them. The SHARP tests - which award ratings of between one and five stars - showed that the safety performance of helmets can vary by as much as 70%. With helmets across a wide price range scoring highly all riders should be able to find a high performing helmet in a size and style that fits them and at a price they want to pay. 

For more information about the SHARP programme, visit the SHARP website at http://www.direct.gov.uk/sharp.                     

1. All final results of SHARP testing can be found at:  http://www.direct.gov.uk/sharp.
2. The SHARP tests and assessments are valid for all types of helmet and further results will be released on a rolling basis.  Full face helmets represent the largest part of the market (approx. 80%), but ‘flip front’ style helmets are gaining in popularity and therefore, SHARP announced ratings for some of these helmets in November 2008 and 3 more are included with this latest release.  Open face helmets will be considered later.
3. Motorcyclists are one of our most vulnerable road user groups. In 2007, 24,381 motorcyclists were injured in accidents, with 588 being killed.
4. Head injuries occur in 80% of all motorcyclist fatalities and in 70% of these the head injury is the most serious.
5. Currently no comparative rating system is available on motorcycle helmets anywhere in the world.
6. Helmets sold in the UK must meet the minimum standards of UN ECE Regulation 22.05 or comply with British Standard 6658:1985. SHARP assesses the extent to which helmets offer protection above these minimum requirements.

Public Enquiries: 020 7944 8300

Department for Transport Website: http://www.dft.gov.uk

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Kawasaki pulls team out of MotoGP

Japanese manufacturer Kawasaki has pulled out of MotoGP to cut costs amid the global financial crisis.

"We took the final decision not to continue in MotoGP," said Kawasaki's Katsuhiro Sato. "It's something we have been considering since mid-December.

"In the current economic climate and unless the situation improves it is difficult to say if we will return."

Kawasaki had competed in motorcycling's premier class since the 2003 season, with annual costs of around £28.8m.

The worldwide economic downturn has also affected other Japanese marques involved in motorsport.

Honda announced in December it is quitting Formula One, while Subaru and Suzuki are out of the World Rally Championship.

Kawasaki has also felt the bite with sales of its bikes in the United States and Europe badly hit by the economic slump.

Dutch-based Kawasaki Motors Racing failed to win in MotoGP, their best result French rider Randy de Puniet's second place in Japan in 2007.

The team had a miserable 2008 campaign , with John Hopkins injured for much of it and finishing 16th overall.

Kawasaki's decision leaves the American and new team-mate Marco Melandri of Italy looking for rides ahead of the 2009 season.

Melandri, who has won five MotoGPs, finished runner-up to compatriot Valentino Rossi in 2005.

Kawasaki's exit, assuming its two bikes are not taken on by an independent team, leaves the MotoGP grid with 17 riders. Points are awarded down to 15th place.

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MOTORCYCLES UNDER EU SCRUTINY -

NEW TYPE APPROVAL THREATENS POWER RESTRICTIONS  

A new and potentially draconian EU type approval regulation framework, up until now only applying to cars and commercial vehicles, is being considered for motorcycles warn the British Motorcyclists Federation. 

      In its response to the curbing of power outputs to 74 KW (100bhp), the BMF points out that as France is the only member state who has implemented such a power limit and has not received a road safety benefit from it, its wider adoption is not justified. Supporting the BMF’s view, the UK Transport Research Laboratory’s own assessment is that there is no safety benefit in imposing power limits, a fact also borne out by the EU funded Motorcycle Accidents In Depth Study (MAIDS) of 2004. 

On emission levels, the BMF says that while it sees no reason why emission limit values for motorcycles should not be equivalent to Euro 5 for cars, the plan to use different methods of measurement to those applying to cars will only cause confusion and make sensible comparisons unnecessarily difficult. 

In considering the mandatory fitting of Advanced Braking Systems (ABS) to all machines, the BMF says that while a strong supporter of improved rider safety, because there is no general agreement as to what constitutes an ABS system, the benefits of ABS, especially on lower cost motorcycles where the cost to users could be prohibitive, have not been proven. The industry is already rolling out suitable ABS on motorcycles say the BMF so making a particular system mandatory at this stage would be a retrograde step.
Proposed controls on modifications to motorcycles (anti-tampering measures) are an anathema to many motorcyclists say the BMF and while currently the existing legislation applies to smaller machines, proposals for restrictions on power outputs, engine control units, fuel systems etc., is a cause for legitimate concern that could well be rolled out to larger machines say the BMF. 

Westminster Bike Parking Charges – It’s ‘No’ or Ever   The British Motorcyclists Federation is calling on its 90,000 members to oppose the imposition of motorcycle parking charges in Westminster by handing in their written objections to Westminster City Hall on Wednesday 1st July, the eve of the final day for objections. Supporting the ‘No To Bike Parking Fees’ (NTBPF) campaign, the BMF is asking all motorcyclists to meet in Westminster’s Golden Square, W1, between 5.45pm and 6.30pm and join a demonstration ride to Westminster City Hall where organisers will hand in participants’ objections to the charging regime.  The BMF say that the parking charges introduced for PTWs (Powered Two Wheelers) by Westminster City Council run contrary to the Government’s aim to ‘mainstream’ motorcycling and could, if implemented, be adopted by other towns and cities. “This is a ‘no or ever’ situation” said BMF spokesman Jeff Stone. “Say ‘no’ now or regret it forever as charges are slowly introduced across the UK.” In backing the ‘No To Bike Parking Fees’ (NTBPF) demonstration  (notobikeparkingfees.com), the BMF point out that motorcycles and scooters provide the ideal solution for commuters seeking a genuine door-to-door solution and especially so for low paid key workers. Where public transport does not serve their needs and cycling is not a practical option, PTWs provide the only realistic alternative for those seeking personal mobility say the BMF. While Westminster have recently reduced the daily experimental charge from £1.50 to £1.00 a day, this still goes against the accepted norm that PTWs are part of the solution, not the problem, in easing traffic congestion and should be encouraged, not discouraged. Motorcyclists unable to attend can still play a part by registering their objection on http://www.notobikeparkingfees.com/object-online/ Where and when: Weds, 1st July. Meet GOLDEN SQUARE, W1 (ROUTE MAP) between 5.45pm and 6.20pm, leaving at 6:30pm for the ride to Westminster City Hall to arrive at 7pm. Note: As well as being economical, PTWs with their efficient use of space do not cause congestion, are able to filter through congestion where it does take place and then occupy less space for parking. They are environmentally friendly, comply with current European emission limits and, coupled with their ability to avoid dense traffic, pollute far less than slow moving four-wheeled traffic.

Brief News
The Department for Transport has backed down over proposals to reduce the national speed limit on single track roads to 50mph from 60mph (http://www.bmf.co.uk/pages/news.php?fullstory="893)

The government has also announced a £5,000 rebate on electric cars from 2011.  There is no mention of other electric vehicles in the proposals (http://www.independent.co.uk/environment/green-living/electric-dream-machines-are-they-really-the-future-of-motoring-1669963.html)

Alistair Darling announced large increases in the price of petrol in the Budget which with VAT returning to previous rates should push petrol prices back to over £1 per litre by April 2010 (http://www.hm-treasury.gov.uk/bud_bud09_index.htm)§      The recent demonstration by the No To Bike Parking Fees Campaign attracted around an estimated 4,000 riders.

Kingston University has unveiled the first bike to be entered for the TTxGP. (http://www.autobloggreen.com/2009/04/24/kingston-university-officially-launches-ttxgp-entry/)

Get Involved
The BMF are still urging people to fill in surveys supporting the motorcycles in bus lanes trial - http://www.bmf.co.uk/pages/news.php?fullstory="882

We are also asking riders to fill in a survey which may help the BMF deliver rider services in the future - http://www.bmfx.co.uk/

New e-Petitions
There are several petitions on the Prime Minister’s website which relate to motorcycles.  Please feel free to add your name to any you support.  Inclusion here does not necessarily mean the BMF supports a particular petition.Due to the increasing length, we will now only cover new petitions.  Previous Campaigner lists of petitions can be found at http://www.bmf.co.uk/pages/bmf_main_pages.php?main_page_id="806.

Air bag jacket

The jackets are the equivalent of car air bags and inflated if the rider is thrown off during a crash. In one version, the jacket is attached to the bike by a lead which detaches when the rider has come off suddenly. The Department of Transport said it had no plans for a new law but said it welcomed anything to improve safety. Vital organs Dr Parfitt, a keen biker, said: "There's no question that what the jackets do afford is, they protect a motorcyclists' vital organs, neck and spine over and above the level that a normal jacket would do. There are different types of air bag jackets on sale in the UK, which cost up to twice as much as standard jackets. One version, sold by Point Two, is attached to bikes by a lead and, if the wearer falls off, that triggers a small gas canister that inflates the jacket in less than one fifth of a second. The spine is then held tight and the air bag protects the area between the neck and pelvis. Newsbeat gave one of the jackets to Rob Hunt, a stuntman for 12 years. He said afterwards: "It just stops you from going anywhere. It's tight. It's protecting all around my ribs." "It felt as though I was picked up off the floor and I was on the air bag. It was just like gliding on air. "It stopped me from rolling as well. It stops the bounce. I think it's the bounce when you're crashing at speed that hurts you."