As I said, curious. We all like bikes on here and I hope to keep riding for many years to come so like to keep an eye on how the politicians and bureaucrats plan to stop me. Been a MAG member from the days when it was rather more active, mass demos, chaining bikes across the doors of DVLA offices, mass lobby at Westminster, the first euro demos etc.
I'm told that the lobbying side of things is more effective than action these days which is probably true but it isn't as much fun.
So I guess you miss the 'action' then prof?
Members of my local MAG group were a bit thin on the ground, but the few who attended were (how can I put this without being impolite?) bloody antisocial! I'm going back a few years now so hopefully it will have improved.
Read one of their magazines and didn't like the 'feel' of the organisation. Just like Greenpeace, their intentions were probably originally good but way too political now.
Will stick to fighting my own fights.
(probably all stems from my refusal to join a Union at Ford's despite HEAVY pressure from the officials)
Me neither. Went to a mag meeting and was met with turned up noses with a snotty attitude. Maybe cos i was riding a chop.
Don't know cos they didn't want to talk. Won't get my money. Same as TeeCee,fight my own fights.
That's funny, just had a published post vanish into thin air when I tried to edit it. Grrrr.. Here goes again. I used to work nights which means I've not got the time for MAG or anything else that meets of an evening. North-west MAG meets the far side of Manchester anyway, which means getting across two big cities. I suspect it all comes down to whether or not you click with the individuals at a local level, anyway. I sniffed round the BMF, but they seem to spend a lot of time on internal politics, and the website is so far out of date it's untrue. I've just checked and it's talking about events going back to 2005 and 2006, for pity's sake. It should get its act together, and I've seen enough internal politicking to last me a long time at the BMW Club, ta very much. If N West MAG met nearer home I might just be persuaded.
Sticking up for yourself is laudable but not too likely to persuade a politician, getting several hundred people to westminster mid week at short notice and having over 400 MPs lobbied by constituents the day before a vote tends to work better.
The original aim was to repeal the helmet law, the attempting to protect riders rights in general grew out of it. MAG is more political both in it's methods of campaigning and inevitability as with any organisation no doubt some internal politics as well.
I think it's the only game in town and while I haven't been an active member in ages I'll keep paying my subs in the hope of keeping bikes on the road.
As a "life" member I once thought that MAG was the way to go
but have become more sceptical over the intervening years.
I was a "founder member"
(joined during TT week on the island [73?] when the membership was a £1 a year )
In the early 80's I got the local lads,
(who hung around my place for help/advice/general meeting spot)
to start a MAG group (Dearne Valley) my motive, and realistic aim was to show them that if they didn't take a stand and join the movement, motorcycles would be legislated out of existence by the time they were my age
(I was 30 something then and most of them were barely past teenage )
Most of them are still riding and attend MAG rallies regularly
Dont get me wrong, I see what they are trying to acheive but I am not happy with the"corporate structure" they have developed.
When I skint myself in the early 90's to pay the £200 fee, to keep MAG going, myself and a few hundred others were expecting MAG to fight the repressive legislation on our behalf.
To be fair they have been successful in several areas of EU legislation in conjunction with FIM at the EEC.
But I am dissapointed that the whole organisation seems to have degenerated into a private club for those in the management, on salaries
Maybe now I've "retired", I should take up the cudgle and join the fight at the front ?
Shake things up a bit !
I might also point out that most of the current crop of "superbikes" would not exist in their present form if the "joint" motorcycle lobby had not overturned the 100 BHP limit which the EU were trying to introduce
![MAG Members - Forums [Biker Match]](/images/backgrounds/strips/8mobileLQ.jpg)
![MAG Members - Forums [Biker Match]](/images/backgrounds/strips/8desktopLQ.jpg)
