Maybe time for a new up to day organisation to come forward to support bikers and to get new blood in.                                                                                                                                                                              

Unfortunately chaps, no matter how good intentioned or even funded and backed an organistion, MAG have a deffinate advantage over most other organisations, arses on seats withing parliament. And with all respect in order to be accepted, there are times when you have to play like the other boys doo especially in the HP. red tape binds this country, whilst the EU Parliament , rape us. We need ONE decisive coherant and  clear voice, this is the way to get heard, and again masses that cannot be devided by infighting and splits of opinion, and this only weakens any organisation. just think back to the decimation of the unions in the late 80s.  We cant force the younger generation to accept or like what we do, but we can educate and inform as to the right way to go if someone does take up the gauntlet and get involved with biking. Why should we be so sure that we are right to say that what we enjoy is correct , unfortunately the world is a changing and evolving place, and some thinkgs have to evolve or die out, i truly hope my way of life is not one of the things that will, but be warned, socio control is easy to accheive when the majority of a countrys citizens, aspire to fill their home with the contecnts of the argos catalogue and have a bigger flat screen tv than their mate, or a better bigger phone, we ar conditionsed to want more stuff , and allowed to think that this is right , this is what we should aspire to, why leave your house of an evening, you have the internet , you have facebook , and the pittance you earn can be spent on delivered trinkets from most companys. i tell you in 100 years time itll be a miracle if we dont all loose the use of our limbs due to  natural selection, ill leave you with a little somthing to think about. If money is power, then sell us more than we need to make more money, then lend us  money to make even more money and then stop lending us money to make us under control to pay back the money and be enslaved by the system itself. we need more young blood. this is true. but it all starts by each of us taking the time to educate even our own kids into what is right and wrong. then teach respect, skills and how to use the spanners. and how to get a round in. its will all fall into place from there. remeber tomorrows generation relies on us, if we fail they fail,. people dont fail all on their own , they fail because they dont live up to our standards, so its our responsibility to teach them as best we can . rant over ( and slightly off topic but hey)                                                                                                                                                                             

  I agree 100%  Hp ,well put across.
                                                                                                                                                                               

likeing all the talk some very good points i am a good old fasoned lad i will ride in all weather and doing at least a 80mile tripe on a wim not so meany around my area does that                                                                                                                                                                              

very well said harley,,
i agree totally on the point you made about teaching kids how to maintain their bikes and show them right from wrong etc,when i was old enough to safely go into my dads garage i was allowed ,think i was about 4,, i used to hand my dad tools he asked for , he showed me what an engine is , how it works, where the petrol goes , how you inflate tyres,, hell ive got great thighs threw hours of using a footpump lol,,i learned a skill and how to do things safely and with great patience,.

those skills are still with me today, i am a single girl very independant
and know how to take care of my house without going into a panic                                                                                                                                                                             

@Boody - you have a petrol driven vacuum cleaner?



:runs for cover - hehehe:
                                                                                                                                                                             

i cant believe that the government (or big kn**s) in powere belive they can make us take bikes back to dealers for any work or parts  is that what htey are goign to do with cars to then??? i think probably not.... so who are these people that think they can dictate our lives when we are all equal on this planet.. makes me bloody sick to be honest.... there really needs to be civil unrest and some action and marches taken so they dont think they can keep getting away with all this brainwashing, life numbing, cr*p that a lot of folks are falling for... who says we have to abide by their rules.... god its soooo animal farm... and some folks aint even noticing the slow complete control they are getting over our lives... anyhow apart from that..........  would you like one lump or two!!                                                                                                                                                                             

Cant fault you there Suzi at all. Their rules, They could only seriously bring anything like this in with a starting date of manufacture. Not that I'll care cos I aint doing it,my bike, my choice to do with it as I see fit .Worked hard and in dangerous places to be able to get it,they will not tell me what I can and cant do with it !                END OF   Dear me I'd better have a sit doon                                                                                                                                                                             

Amen ..
                                                                                                                                                                             

correct me if im wrong, but im sure the point about dealer only stuff, was quashed back in the 90s along with the other riddiculous stuff like leg protectors. im sure this was the then "type approval", thing. its just that since then , and im going back 15 years or so ive heard nothing more about this, or recived anything from the weekly MAG digests, unless anyone knows different?                                                                                                                                                                              

Doesnt mean they wont try ressurecting crap,MAG or BMF should know,you would think.                                                                                                                                                                              

As far as I'm aware,it was MAG who got it stopped it in the first place (leg protectors etc)   I used to be a trustee of an organisation called The Professional Drivers Association,a similar sort of thing to MAG but for lorry drivers (we are people too!)We used to get the same sort of flak like where does the money go and what do we get for our £15 a year.Well apart from the costs of running the website and producing a quarterly magazine and paying the fees for a pitch at Truckfests around the country,organising training days for new drivers to learn skills like roping and sheeting etc and other similar events,I'm not sure where it went!  The funny thing was,according to the articles of association,we were bound by law to hold and AGM (venue had to be paid for) where we had to publish yearly accounts,hold elections for trustee positions and generally discuss the coming years plans and member's suggestions.Date and venue had to be published at least six weeks prior to the meeting. Who would turn up? The existing trustees and maybe one or two members resulting in the same trustees being re-elected year after year because nobody else could be bothered to put in the time and effort but were happy to accuse us of running a "cosy little club" When I left,I vowed never again to get involved in an official capacity with any sort of organisation and I never will.                                                                                                                                                                             

Good points have been made. 

I am one of those under 30 bikers, even though im on 125 geared bike at the moment, I plan in the next few months to take my test and have a 500 in waiting in my garage for me. 

One problem I find with older bikers (not all mind) and some other bikers that have been riding larger bikes for over 5 years, they seem to get above themselves and forget where they started and as a result will not ride with those younger (or just new) bikers because they have a 125 that doesn't do the same speed or acceleration that those of 400 up. That really P****s me right off, we all have to start somewhere and learn somehow and how better to learn than learn with more experienced bikers that can give advice and so forth. 

But so many times i've found that those bikers moan that there is not enough new biker blood and what not, but can you really not understand why that may be if experienced bikers do not want to ride with them. 

But then saying this I have found a few on here that don't mind im on a 125 and will go out riding with me just because they:

1. love riding and speed and power do not matter when just enjoying the ride
2. Like to see new biker blood
3. Willing to help and advice new bikers
4. Because they do not think they are better and remember that not only are they STILL learning to ride their self but also remember how they started out.

Also remember, the tests these days are far harder to pass than 20 plus years ago which also puts some off.

As for the kn**s that try to push policy, most know jack about the area they are pushing policy for. 
I do hope that manhole covers are changed, roads fixed and more to the point bikers not getting the blame for all things and then forgotten in areas such as road safety (ie pot holes),

Think I made a point there lol 

Adz                                                                                                                                                                              

Oh also, large organisations have many hidden costs that members may not see or be aware of, but can understand why they ask where the money goes.                                                                                                                                                                              

This is from one of my female biker mates:

"I'm a young biker who works on her own bike when its within my skill, teaching my friend to do it, and do over 10,000 miles on the bike each year, but struggle with older bikers on here as they approach me only after one thing and its intimidating" 

wee_biker                                                                                                                                                                             

Fair play to you Ace, I've ridden with and had the crack with 'young' bikers,not even a problem if I can help,you follow them or wait further up the road if you need a blast,you'd do that with yer mates anyway,dont understand why others wont/cant be bothered but if it happens that sucks,but I've seen at rallies the divide thats there ,attitudes mainly,not all.. your right,dont forget tho motorcycling became a must do activity to a lot of people with a bit spare cash and an idea of owning a large powerful bike with matching leathers and lid not interested in the erm... 'lifestyle'? .It doesnt just happen to young bikers mate believe me.

Yeah thats true Swas, such a shame there are these divides though, we are meant to be in it together, all enjoying biking for biking not just as a fashion accessory. It's the lifestyle im in for and so are many others. 

But yeah your most likely right that it's not just young riders it happens too, but guess i see it more happen to young riders as I am one. 

We all need to really just help each other and stick together here as it seems the gov., councils, cyclists and other drivers are against, and not forgetting the traffic pigs (cough cops) and some not so much but also normal cops that hate bikers. Oh and of course I can't forget the courts... 

Ok i'll stop now lol                                                                                                                                                                              

Gotta say what ya think Ace,dont stop now,get your message through.                                                                                                                                                                               

Just think that we need to stand together rather than divide, otherwise the causes we fight for, i.e. bikers in bus lanes, pot holes to be fixed, etc. will never happen and things will be forced on us. 

Bikers deserve more respect and more rights than we actually get.

Not only that, we are now having EU rules forced on us, such as the new part one test that doesn't actually take in to account fully British riding, i.e. the speed limit (swerve test at 32mph not the limit of 30mph, that 2mph can make the difference) and then other laws they want to force on us such as tests for each level of bike. 

It really is no wonder potential bikers may be put off the biker lifestyle when so many are against us, not that it will put me off                                                                                                                                                                             

Surely MAG and the BMF are taking up that fight ?
your dead right about sticking together and good man,enjoy