In a previous life, I was involved with the BMF and FEMA lobbying for motorcycling issues. The retrospective amendments to the Second EC Driving Licence Directive which have led to this farcical situation with the swerve and brake tests at 50+ km/h had been put through "on the nod" by the Technical Progress Committee in Brussels. We have been operating to the Second EC Driving Licence Directive since 1996. FEMA (and ACEM the manufacturers' group) were derelict in their responsibilities by readily accepting the changes when consulted. BMF and MAG UK complained about it but we were unable to have it discussed before the member organisations for over a year after bringing it up. The Swedes didn't help since their approach to motorcycling is for leisure and eletist and they already conducted similar exercises at higher speeds.
The DSA have compounded the problem by gold plating i.e. bringing in more enhancements making the off-road elements require such a large site. They had over 5 years to develop sufficient sites but failed to do so. None of the UK authorities put up any real opposition to it and it was generally considered that new riders would be better off learning to brake better than swerving. I did a mock test on my Bandit at Cardington when they proposed it and had no trouble except with the figure of eight but I had been riding motorcycles for 31 years at that time.
Anyway, the petition is a waste of time since, to answer Wannabe's question, as an EU Directive which specifies that exercise, it cannot be dropped from the UK test without courting a fine from the European Commission. Maybe with less apathy from European motorcyclists this could have been stopped but it's way way too late now.
If this isn't enough, just wait until 2013 when the Third EC Driving Licence Directive comes into force with 3 categories of motorcycles, testing and training between each category and Direct Access available from age 24 instead of 21. Again the FEMA secretariat and ACEM failed to mount any effective opposition and just compromised which in practice was rolling over. At least there's a more effective FEMA in Brussels now but that won't help on this issue. All the UK organisations wanted was log book training (like CBT satisfying the instructor that each module has been mastered) before taking the test. So if you think it's bad now just wait until the 3rd EC DLD comes into force. No doubt DSA will gold plate that as well.
Aha! I was hoping that someone round these parts would eventually leap in, hence my repetition of the question
I confess I didn't expect such a comprehensive and informative answer though! Thank you Cata - that's even more helpful than you know - I've been asking and googling all over the shop for a while now, but it's been hard to find detailed information in one place that seems to be based on anything more than hearsay.
I'd heard from my instructor about things changing again but didn't pay much heed to the details.
Found this though: http://www.motorcycle.co.uk/Articles/Training/3rd-Drivi...assed.aspx and more info here: http://www.motorcycle.co.uk/getdoc/d40e73c6-62d9-453b-b...ctive.aspx
OH DEAR ... having just read the 2 links Rachel posted Something comes to mind ...
For all drivers (car, lorry, motorcycle, ....):
retest every 10 years
possible compulsory medicals
For motorcyclists:
Access to big bikes only at age 24
Test bikes at each licence 'step' bear no relation to what you will then be allowed to ride.
Additional full test to move from A2 to A categories (currently based on experience).
The 3rd European Driving Licence Directive is due to pass into UK Law 2011.
Depending on when in 2011 it starts .. ie if starts in January, you would have had to pass your A2 before end Dec 2008 to be unrestricted without having to do another test, otherwise you will still have to do another test to be able to ride unrestricted... hmmm more & more tests & more & more money to pay out !!!
I think your last point is nearer the mark shell
Revenue is what its all about, that and wrapping people in red tape so that they can discourage the use of bikes and MAKE us all travel by public transport under surveilance or in a vehicle which is monitored
I wil fight tooth and claw to ride my bike when and where I like, I suggest we ALL take a serious interest in these proposed changes and lobby vociferously our parliamenary representatives and local councils.
We must fight back now !
Don't just lay down and roll over !
Em
found the whole directive ( http://fiabrussels.odeum.com/download/news/com2003_621_...icence.pdf ) ,,, this part is interesting
48) Therefore, the current category A, which is split at present into a limited and an unlimited part, will be renamed categories “A2” and “A” respectively. An additional technical requirement to avoid “downtuning” of motorcycles will be introduced for category A2. Progressive access to this category will be controlled by means of the introduction of a limited practical test.
The 3rd EC Driving Licence Directive is due to pass into UK law in 2011 but there will be up to 2 years to implement it. I suspect that it will be operative from the end of 2012 or early in 2013.
If anyone is concerned about it, it's again too late to do anything at EU level. The opportunity has been lost thanks to a weak motorcycle lobby. The only option is to press the Government to interpret the Directive as liberally as possible and not to let DSA gold plate as they have for the current test. Best to support BMF and MAG who will be doing their best to limit its impact and have the right connections at Westminster.
Thanks Cata ... but how is the progressive access going to effect those who pass at A2 & then would normally have 2 years & then be able to ride unrestricted, if you pass say 18 months before the new laws come in would you still be able to go big after 2 years or would you have to do your, progressive & then big bike test ?
The directive didnt seem to clarify that point ... or I missed it ... yeah I read it all , being all strapped up means I got lots of time on my hands hehehe
That means in future my bike won't be suitable for restricting even with the higher limit of 47BHP as the techincal requirement is:
"category A2: motorcycles, with or without a sidecar, of a power not exceeding 35 kW, a power/weight ratio not exceeding 0.2 kW/kg and not derived from a vehicle of more than double its power"
My bike is 108BHP standard, restricted to 33BHP so it's derived from a vehicle more than triple it's power and even with the higher 47BPH limit, it's still more than double. Interesting stuff.
Thanks for those links Roachy - I shall have a good read of them next week when I've got some time to concentrate. Thanks again to Cata too.
It might not affect you full licence holders testwise, but it could affect the future of biking in this country significantly, not to mention the bike production industry - the bit that caught my attention in a quick gander at Roachy's links was the part where it mentions the fact that most production models known as "500cc" machines are, in fact, 498cc and as such, will fall foul of this 3rd driving licence directive. Hmmmmm... Smells of a distinct lack of consultation all round!
It will be interesting to see where this all ends up and it's great to see positive informative posts, rather than "my intstructor said"... I'm just as guilty of it - all my information so far has been gleaned from instructors and sites that are just bleating about the changes which have already been implemented... Rather than complaining about what's already been done, I think our efforts would be better spent working towards "damage limitation" (for want of a better expression) with this 3rd directive - as Cata says, discouraging the DSA to gold plate it would help!
Yeah I saw that bit Rachel , same as my SV even tho its got the cert etc for restriction what they going to do?
But its the taking the test bit that I wondered about , for people like you that passed on a 125 & hope to ride restricted for 2 years .... what if this law comes in before your 2 years are up I know yours prob will be but what about others ?
Are you still going to be allowed to go big after 2 years ?... are you going to be able to continue to ride restricted without having done the progressive bit ? Will you have to do more tests , all that is an unknown at the moment.
What is on the links I posted about *what's likely for the UK* is a far cry from the Directive so it looks like this *gold plating* that Cataraptor talks of is underway already although it looks like no-one knows for sure.
Shell, I'd like to think (and hope) that any changes will only affect those poor sods unlucky enough to be taking their tests after the date this all goes live. Does anyone know how it was when the 33BHP/25KW/2 year restriction came in, that will probably give a good idea how the DSA deals with this sort of thing and if it's on a rolling basis or not.
I say bring back the old style test when the examiner used to follow you on foot round the test centre and jump out at you for the emergency stop.,that's how i did my test and it hasn't made my riding any worse...lol
Hehe! When my Mum did hers, the exhaust pipe kind of fell off her bike just as she'd vanished from the examiner's view when he'd sent her round the block... she basically rammed it back into position as best she could, burning her gloves in the process and continued on...
She said the examiner was looking a little puzzled at her when she finally completed the block, but he still passed her
Good story Lou! A work colleague of mine was telling me last week that he fell off his bike on his test (out of site of the examiner) and still managed to pass his test!
Same here. One of the side panels fell off the bike just after my first corner and in my haste I couldn't get in to go back on. So I dumped it in waste bin and carried out. Half an hour later I was back, rummaging through the bin to retrieve the panel, and swapping it for a couple of L-plates!
Hey Trev ...
I know someone who thinks the same about the walking round while your on test... But am sure they said the examiner had a red flag & walked in front of them
***hobbles & hides... you know I dont mean it ... much ***
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