Motorcycles could be subjected to 100bhp power limits under proposals to be set out by the European Commission this summer.
The Commission is expected to propose European-wide consistency on the issue, raising the prospect that countries will have to change in line with France, where a 100bhp limit is already in place.
The Department for Transport (DfT) has asked UK motorcycle groups for opinions on the plans in anticipation of the consultation.
A spokesman for the Motor Cycle Action Group (MAG) said: "The DfT has been asking us for our opinion on this and we’ve very clearly come out against a power limit for the UK."
He said the proposals were also likely to include ABS for all new bikes. "A 100bhp limit is back on the EU agenda as part of a package of fresh controls which includes mandatory ABS."
A draft version of the proposals published last year said of the current inconsistency between countries: "This creates a situation where a motorcycle above 74 kW [100bhp] type-approved in one country is refused in another one. This type of situation is not in line with the spirit of the internal market.
"On the other hand, it emerged from dedicated studies that the link between engine power and increase of safety cannot be demonstrated. Based on this, the Commission intends to propose an harmonisation of the EC legislation on that matter."
So the obvious answer is for France to fall in line with everyone else.
This appears to be the problem with a lot of harmonisation - all get behind the most restrictive legislationregardless of wether it make sense.
I think it's too early for compulsory ABS aswell. It's already the case for cars, but bike systems aren't yet good enough to be making them compulsory.
Once again a goup of unelected a**eholes get to decide what we can and can't do.....what we have to use......france and germany finally rule europe and we just gave up all our rights to Brussels.....cheers Gordon Brown...again...
Even if we don't agree, as in our MP's don't agree with this, they are powerless to oppose it....we gave up that right ages ago...so we have no-one else to blame but that one eyed scottish T**t as Jeremy Clarkson called him lol
here we go again why dont they just fk off and stop meddling they should be limitting the powerr that cars put out not us we practice and get to know what were doing motorist on the other hand jump into what ever they can insure it is them thats the problem not us !
you never hear about vehicle harmonisation as in cars that really would put the skids on their BMW's and top end cars, but no you can't have a restricted Merc can you they wouldn't lkook good in the drive way...as***les
I think many (not all) cars are voluntarily limited.
Bikes had a similar gentleman's agreement at 125 bhp, until Triumph blew that apart with the 147 bhp 1200 Daytona
I was involved with this nonsense the first time around as part of the type approval process when a fat aggressive German called Bangemann tried to push it and ended up making a fool of himself. There was a postcard campaign directed at him which coincided with the anniversary of the D-Day Landings so people made a point of using the special stamps on their cards.
The evidence that showed that there was no link between power and casualty rates eventually carried the day although France had some kind of get-out derogation to retain the 74 kW limit in spite of having worse casualties than some of the member states that did not. As Rob says, it should be for France to fall in line with the rest of the EU - as it always appears that the UK has to when we're in a minority.
The trouble with the EU is that it always comes back with proposals that had been thrown out until it gets them in place and it also likes to ratchet down any limits that it sets. If 100 bhp is put in place, there will be proposals in a few years time to make it 80 bhp and then 60 bhp ad infinitum... We need to support FEMA, MAG and BMF to get this thrown out - again.
here here cataraptor i remember it when it came round the last time too that and them sodding leg protectors it dose seam that they wait andtry pushing it through the back door just like the cuurent priminster ( terdy brown) likes to do!
The other thing that bugs me about the way the EU enacts its directives and regulations is that the southern and the bloody-minded states like Italy and France respectively are allowed not to bother to implement them; the Scandinavians (the Swedes supported the amendments to the second EC Driving Licence Directive bringing the current mess) call for stricter regulation of everything and the British while appearing to oppose their introduction then go on to gold-plate them and make everything ten times worse. I'm all for a united Europe but not one that works like this and is obsessed with safety to the extent that it barely makes life worth living and you have to fill in a form in triplicate before you can take a dump.
I've said it once and I'll say it again. It won't happen. MAG/BMF may blow trumpets over this issue but they actually acheive sod all. Thats not an insult at the groups, but All the Jap manufacturers threatening to pull out of Europe and denying the continent a boat load of revenue carried a lot more weight than anything.
The likes of Mr Honda,Triumph et al are not spending millions upon millions in racing efforts and R&D for some fat wankbiscuit from the EU (who most likely hasn't ever sat on a bike, or had sex without paying for it) To tell them what to do. Can you honestly see the likes of Ferrari or Aston Martin saying "Of course we will restrict our cars to 100bhp as we all know horsepower kills"
I, for one, am getting a bit fed up with argument constantly being dragged out of the rafters when theres no more news about. If you could see some of the bikes/cars in development like we do then you will know your HP is safe
On a similar note, I hear the French are organising a protest against legislation that would make filtering illegal.
Lets hope they're succesful, because given time, that's something else that could be rolled out, Euro-wide, if the kn*bs in suits run out of things to do.
p.s. when was the last time the manufacturers got together on our behalf ? The thought that they'd suspend supplies doesn't sound too likely to me. They'd more likely be rubbibg their hands together at the thought of selling loads of new restricted bikes.
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