Author: marcus

In the survey we held a couple of months ago some people said they couldn’t attend on Tuesdays. We’re therefore changing the day of our second meeting each month to Thursday. This means we will meet on the first Tuesday and the third Thursday of the month from August 2019 onwards. Our meetings will be on the 6th and 15th of August,  3rd and 19th of September, 1st and 17th of October and so on. Same time, same place, just a different day.

It’s been a hectic few weeks since the last newsletter which is usually the case during these warmer months.

At the beginning of June I attended the National Committee meeting in Warwick

Here’s the update from the June NC meeting

DEFRA (Department for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs) are pushing councils towards charging motorists in CAZ’s. Coventry’s plan not to charge has been rejected and they’ve been told that they have to charge all petrol and diesel vehicles. DEFRA have to approve all CAZ proposals nationally so this could cause a lot of issues.

Dr Gary Fuller has produced a document entitled “The invisible killer – the rise in the global threat of air pollution” that has some very dubious ways of measuring air quality and also seems to unfairly target PTW’s. Colin Brown has been in dialogue with him and has blown his arguments to pieces. He’s backtracking massively now so hopefully Colin can stop this document being taken seriously by the authorities

Pollution on the underground currently stands at 30 times that of the average London street which makes a mockery of the current war on motorcycles

The campaigns team is at war with TFL regarding motorcycles being included in ULEZ charging. An injunction is too risky and a judicial review is too costly so MAG is currently a case for the ombudsman to review against TFL’s actions.

Vision zero continues apace in London – no road deaths by 2041! So far this year 94 miles of roads in the capital  have had 20mph limits imposed, even though it’s been proven that these limits don’t affect casualty rates and increase pollution.

Every police and crime commissioner post is up for election in 2020. We’re looking to get FOI requests from all police constabularies regarding bike thefts and make this an issue nationwide in these elections

As part of this campaign I’ll be sending out a separate email in the next week with contact details for your local Police and Crime commissioner. We’d like you to email, Facebook and Tweet to them, voicing your concerns about bike theft and asking them what they’re doing about it. This type of campaign really works as it’s our way of putting pressure on from the very top. Let’s start to fight back on the theft issue that has gone on for far too long in ever increasing numbers.

The MCIA (Motorcycle Industry Association) have chosen not to promote ride to work week any more as they’re concentrating on other “micro mobility” forms of transport, so MAG is going to approach the world wide organisers to see if we can promote it from now on. It’s a great way to get MAG’s name out there.

FEMA are looking into electronic detection systems on modern vehicles and their impact on motorcycling.

The nominations for awards at AGC will be discussed at the next NC meeting. If you have any nominations from your group, can you let me know who they are, why they should get an award and a proposer and seconder (with membership numbers) as soon as you can so that I can get a list going. As the AGC is in West Yorkshire at the end of September, it would be great to get some local members getting recognised.

Here is the link to the current “Network” which will keep you informed with MAG happenings around the country:  https://wiki.mag-uk.org/images/5/5d/Network_2019-07.pdf

Locally things are moving on apace. I had a meeting with officers at Leeds City Council regarding secure motorcycle parking. As you’ll be aware we’ve secured £15,000 per year, per Council for four years in West Yorkshire that is ring fenced for secure motorcycle parking. Leeds have now gone one better as they hadn’t spent last year’s money due to city centre developments, so they’ve got the 2018 money plus the 2019 money giving us £32,000 to spend throughout the Leeds City Council area. They have rounded this up to £50,000! Hopefully we can help them to spend it wisely. Already ambitious plans have been drawn up for one of the multi storey car parks to have a dedicated motorcycle parking areas with extra CCTV, bars to lock to and a narrow entrance to stop cars/vans entering. I have another meeting at the end of July so I’ll keep you up to date.

It looks as though we’ve finally got movement on motorcycle access to bus lanes in Leeds after 7 years of trying and two months after Richard Lewis was voted out. We seem to have an ally in Councillor Lisa Mulherin who now holds the Transport portfolio.  There were some write ups in the YEP, T&A and BBC website saying that LCC were looking at discussing bikes in bus lanes with quotes from two councillors, one positive and one negative.I was phoned at The Farmyard and asked to do a live radio interview on BBC radio Leeds which seemed to go well.On my return from the Farmyard I emailed councillor Mulherin thanking her for allowing the matter to be discussed and offering to attend the discussions to answer any questions and also to offer pillion rides to any councillors interested, so they can see the issues faced by bikers in this congested city.

You’ll hopefully be aware that one of the stalwarts of Wakefield MAG, Justine wife of Wakefield Rep Steve Travis, passed away after a short battle with cancer several weeks ago. For Justine’s last ride there was a really good turnout. I contacted the police for help in getting the bikers in attendance from Tingley to Cottingley but they refused to help. On discussing it with some of the Wakey lot we decided to marshal the route anyway. It went very smoothly and we were commended by the hearse for the way it was done. It’s never an easy task to get 100+ bikes anywhere in one group so thanks must go to all those who helped. Justine will be greatly missed by all her MAG family.

We had a very successful Farmyard Party. I did the set up week which is always good fun. The weather was great and the bands that I saw were excellent. Attendance was up with lots paying on the gate. The only real downer was a few tent thefts on the Friday evening. This unfortunately seems to be the case at most rallies these days so please look after your belongings and take a bit of responsibility for your actions.

Next up for Yorkshire MAG is the Yorkshire Pudding Rally. Always my highlight of the rally calendar, tickets can be bought online, from selected local dealers or from your local meetings. Here’s the link to the ticket line. https://www.mapevents.co.uk/tickets_where.html

We had some new merchandise at The Farmyard Party that sold really well, to the point that we’re currently restocking again for a The Pudding. The only change from below is that we’re having some of the beanie hats done without the “Yorkshire” font on the back, as strangely, some folk didn’t want it to say that on it, so just to please the foreigners were having some done both with and without Yorkshire on them. Below is another rundown of the latest merchandise and if we can facilitate it, we’re going to look at doing an online shop so you can still show your allegiance, even if you can’t get to a rally to buy one in person!  We have a revised Yorkshire MAG T-shirt, some new embroidered beanie hat, and we also have both Yorkshire MAG stickers and screen/window stickers. All will be available from KevKev at the Yorkshire Pudding merchandise store. For images, please see:  https://www.facebook.com/yorkshiremag/

Yorkshire Pudding Rally marshals registration will be closed in a few weeks time. We’re always on the look out for new marshals, because without our marshals we can’t put the rallies on. We’re almost like a family within a family and I can say from personal experience that marshalling at our rallies gives a whole new appreciation of them and is fantastic fun. Anyone marshalling is given a good package for stepping forward which makes it a win/win situation. Email mag.marshals@live.com for more details.

We’ve got a few events coming up in the next few months that you may want to add to your diaries.

Huddersfield MAG Elland Gala Parade on Saturday 6 July 2019: The parade sets off from the C of E school (which is at the bottom of Westgate, Elland approx post code HX5 0BJ) at 11.30am, thus it will help if you can arrive by 11.15am. The Gala Committee would love for us to park our bikes up in one of the car parks after the parade allowing families to come and have a look and chat with the owners.

Saturday 27th July – Leeds MAG’s third Yorkshire Day celebrations @ The Royal Hotel LS28 8PR from noon. Live music, Barbeque, tombola, raffles, Yorkshire quiz, evening disco. Everyone welcome.

Friday 2nd to Sunday 4th August – The Yorkshire Pudding Rally @ Escrick Park near York. £25 prebook. https://www.mapevents.co.uk

Friday 13th to Sunday 15th September – SPAT Back Into Hull @ Leven Social Club, North Street, Leven, HU17 5NF.  Tickets are limited and only available to buy at Yorkshire Pudding Rally

Saturday 28th September – MAG Annual General Conference (AGC) will be held this year at Shawcross ARLFC in Dewsbury and will be hosted jointly by the Huddersfield, Leeds and Wakefield MAG groups. Secure camping on the Friday and Saturday nights, live music and biker quiz on the Friday followed by the conference on Saturday and fresh from their Farmyard Party big top appearance, we’ve secured The Interiorz to headline our AGC party on the Saturday night. The party is free to members and £3 to non members.

Finally if you want to get more involved at a local level (and to really get the most out of your MAG membership, I strongly recommend that you do) here are our meeting details – though we are looking to expand with more groups so if you haven’t got one close by and fancy getting together with like minded bikers, get in touch with me at manny@mag-uk.org

We’re very lucky in having some very strong groups in Yorkshire, but we need the members to join in, so pop along to your local meeting and help to make a difference

Leeds MAG meet every 1st and 3rd Tuesday from 8pm at The Royal Hotel LS28 8PR

Ride safe

Manny (Leeds MAG rep)

Welcome to the latest Leeds MAG newsletterA week last Sunday we had the Yorkshire MAG meeting at The Royal Hotel in Pudsey. It was well attended, with all Yorkshire branches in attendance.West Yorkshire is very busy with all the five West Yorkshire Councils moving on getting secure motorcycle parking in place not only in the city centres but in the outlying towns as well.Unfortunately the 2+ lane down Stanningley Road in Leeds looks set to become a full time bus lane after a consultation. This will mean that motorcycles will no longer be able to use this lane as currently, bikes aren’t allowed to use bus lanes. We are working very hard on this situation and the Leeds Political Rep has done some fantastic research to show the council and some of its councillors up for the lying, cheating charlatans that they are. Hopefully after next months local elections, we’ll be dealing with different councillors. If you want to read Marcus’s blog which has now been published independently follow this link https://westleedsdispatch.com/guest-post-why-stanningley-road-bus-priority-measures-may-not-work/Leeds MAG are carrying out a survey to find out more about what matters to riders, whether or not they’re MAG members. Fill it in at https://www.surveymonkey.co.uk/r/ZPCK5DB and share it with your friends. There’s a chance to win a Leeds MAG t shirt and a year’s MAG membership if you do.Following the complaint I made against my local councillor and the subsequent grovelling apology I received back, we’ve put in a freedom of information request to see the evidence that they say they used to reach a decision on bikes in bus lanes. We still await a response and we strongly suspect that personal prejudices were used rather that hard facts.Both of our political reps StevieB and Ian have been pulling out all the stops for MAG members throughout Yorkshire and they deserve our thanks.Here is the link to the current “Network” which will keep you informed with MAG happenings around the country. This month it’s in two parts.https://wiki.mag-uk.org/images/7/74/Network_2019-03.pdfhttps://wiki.mag-uk.org/images/b/b7/Network_2019-03_part_2.pdfMembership remains steady throughout the region as is generally the case at this time of year. When you come to renew, please think of doing it by direct debit as this way, it’s all done automatically and you continue being a MAG member.Traditionally, this time of year is always a quiet one but behind the scenes at MAP HQ, everything is coming together nicely to give you the three best rallies on the biking calendar. Tickets are now on general sale and all the info you need is here https://www.mapevents.co.uk/tickets_where.htmlWe’re always on the look out for new marshals, because without our marshals we can’t put the rallies on. We’re almost like a family within a family and I can say from personal experience that marshalling at our rallies gives a whole new appreciation of them and is fantastic fun. Email mag.marshals@live.com for more details.Last Saturday Leeds MAG hosted Ed March at Squires Cafe, where he gave us a brilliant talk on his ride from Alaska to Argentina on his C90. Everyone went home with big smiles on their faces and we raised just over £900 for MAG so massive thanks go to all who came along and supported us.We’ve got a few events coming up in the next few months that you may want to add to your diaries.Tuesday 9th April – Leeds MAG Easter Egg Run to Lineham Farm Children’s Centre. Meeting from 6pm at Cardigan Fields car park (behind McDonalds on Kirkstall Road) to leave at 6.30pm to ride in convoy to the centre. Please bring as many Easter Eggs as you want. Everyone welcomeSunday 21st April – MAG visiting The Craven Collection. Meet at Squires @ 11am to leave at noon to ride to the Craven Collection Motorcycle Museum at Stockton on the Forest. £5 entry. All members welcomeFriday 3rd to Sunday 5th May – Into The Valley Rally @ Sledmere House. Weekend ticket £25 prebook. https://www.mapevents.co.ukSunday 19th May – Yorkshire Regional Meeting @ The Royal Hotel, Pudsey, LS28 8PR at 10am.  All MAG members welcome.Finally if you want to get more involved at a local level (and to really get the most out of your MAG membership, I strongly recommend that you do) here are the meeting details of the five Yorkshire MAG groups – though we are looking to expand with more groups so if you haven’t got one close by and fancy getting together with like minded bikers, get in touch with me at manny@mag-uk.orgWe’re very lucky in having some very strong groups in Yorkshire, but we need the members to join in, so pop along to your local meeting and help to make a difference. You don’t need to be a member to come along.Leeds MAG meet every 1st and 3rd Tuesday from 8pm at The Royal Hotel LS28 8PRRide safeManny (Leeds MAG rep)

At Leeds MAG we’re keen to understand what issues matter to people locally, whether or not they’re a MAG member. In order to do this we’re carrying out a survey to find out people’s concerns and to understand how they use their bikes. It will run until the 30th of April and as a thank you for completing it all responses will be entered into a free prize draw to win a Leeds MAG t-shirt and a year’s MAG membership The survey is at  https://www.surveymonkey.co.uk/r/ZPCK5DB and the draw will take place at our meeting on the 7th of May.

The minutes for our AGM held on the 12th of Feb 2019 are now are now available. Our new committee is as follows:

• Leeds MAG Rep – Richard Manton
• Leeds MAG Vice Rep – Martin Thompson
• Leeds MAG Treasurer – Kate Williams
• Leeds MAG MAP Liaison – Keith Maven
• Leeds MAG Web Officer – Marcus Houlden
• Leeds MAG Entertainment Officer – Helen Taylor
• Leeds MAG Political Officer – Marcus Houlden
• Leeds MAG Press Liaison – John Nettleship
• Leeds MAG Communication Secretary – Sally Johnson
• Events Promotions Secretary – to promote events in the media. Zoe Thompson/ Gavin Weiner jointly
• Dealer Liaison (new role) – Bob Hawkins

Part of what we do is understanding what local transport policies there are, how they affect transport in general, and what the implications are for motorbikes. Some of this comes fairly easily through things like press releases and the local papers. Other times it involves digging a bit further and doing some research. In November last year we put out a Freedom of Information Act request to DVLA to find out more about the number of bikes and riders there are locally. This can be found at https://www.whatdotheyknow.com/request/motorcycle_and_rider_stats_for_w.

» Read more

Tuesday 22nd January – Leeds MAG Comedy night at The Royal Hotel, LS28 8PR. We have a few tickets left so if you want to come get your tickets here https://leeds.mag-uk.org/shop/ it’s always a brilliant night and the ticket price includes a curry supper.

Tuesday 29th January – Leeds MAG AGM at The Royal Hotel LS28 8PR from 8pm. All MAG members welcome and bring your card if you want to vote.

We’ve got two Fred Hill rides in the region. Both appreciate your support and the sacrifice Fred made should never be forgotten as it underpins the MAG ethos to the day – Freedom of choice rather than compulsion.

Sunday 10th February – Leeds MAG Fred Hill Run. Meeting at Squires from 10 to leave at 11 prompt to ride to The Sun Inn at Norwood

Sunday 17th March – Yorkshire MAG and MAP meetings at The Royal Hotel LS28 8PR from 10am. All MAG members welcome.

Saturday 23rd March – Leeds MAG presents An Evening With Ed March! Following the success of our previous motorcycle travel talks, we’ve managed to secure madcap C90 adventurer Ed March to come and talk to us. Check out his exploits on YouTube then come and meet the man himself

East Yorkshire MAG meet on the 2nd and 4th Thursdays from 8pm at The Forresters Arms HU17 0PR

Huddersfield MAG meet every Wednesday from 8.30pm at The Fieldhead HD3 4FB

Leeds MAG meet every 1st and 3rd Tuesday from 8pm at The Royal Hotel LS28 8PR

South Yorkshire MAG meet every 1st and 3rd Sunday from 7pm at The Ball,1 Hesley Bar, Thorpe Hesley, Rotherham, S61 2PW

Wakefield MAG meet every Wednesday from 8.30 at The Grey Horse WF1 1JG

MAG is offering up to £1,000 to catch a potential road killer.

MAG has announced a £1,000 reward for information leading to the successful prosecution of the individual responsible for a ‘hit & run’ incident near the Squires Café Bar in North Yorkshire, where a car driver left a seriously injured motorcyclist, Matthew Ramsden, lying on the road with his damaged motorcycle.

The incident occurred in Sherburn-in-Elmet. Police say that Matthew was travelling along the B1222, near Peckfield, on Sunday 6 January at around 4.40pm, when he collided with a car at the junction with the A63. The driver did not stop at the scene.

Castleford-based firm, West Riding Personal Financial Solutions, has also put up £1,000 for information leading to a prosecution. Police believe the car to be a silver saloon – possibly a VW or a Skoda – and it suffered severe rear bumper damage as a result of the collision.

Yorkshire MAG Representative Richard ‘Manny’ Manton describes this latest incident as a ‘line in the sand.’ He says: ‘the guilty driver showed no respect for the biker’s life or property – and also decided to evade the law instead of fulfilling a basic moral and legal responsibility as a road user.’

Manny continues: ‘we’re offering up to one thousand pounds for information leading to a successful prosecution because MAG isn’t going to stand by and tolerate blatant criminality on the highways of Yorkshire – or any other part of Britain. If you know who did this, and you don’t speak up, you’re protecting someone who can’t be trusted by you or anyone else. Help us get justice – and potentially pick up a thousand pounds for yourself. This offender isn’t fit to be on the roads. If they are not found, they can do it again – to you or someone you love.’

Please contact MAG on 01926 844 064 with any information. You can speak to us in confidence. We won’t reveal your identity – we just want the identity of a law-breaker too cowardly to stay at the scene of a serious accident where someone could have died.

You can visit this site to get further police information about the incident:

https://northyorkshire.police.uk/news/hit-run-appeal-b1222/

Contact MAG at 01926 844 064 or central-office@mag-uk.org