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----

Thanks to everyone who came to our Valentine's rock disco! It was a
really good turn out so we raised just over 500 pounds for our good cause.

----

Thought I'd send on some e-mails from MAG (sorry to the reps on the list
who will have seen these already) -

----

From 1st March 2001 the UK's million-plus motorcyclists are to be asked
to stump-up £65 to licence their machines for 12 months - an increase of
£5.

While this is a modest increase, when viewed against concessions for
fuel hungry cars and trucks it hardly sits comfortably with the
Government's pre election promise to 'put bikes at the heart of its
transport policy.'

The Government has

Reduced Vehicle Excise Duty (Road Tax) for cars, extending the threshold
for reduced VED from 1200cc to 1500cc, backdated to 1st November 2000
- representing a loss to the exchequer of £250 million;

reduced lorry VED by 50% a loss to the exchequer of £300 million per year;

abolished VED on Tractors and other agricultural vehicles;

Frozen all road-fuel duty and other fuel duties - at a loss to the
exchequer of £560 million

A GRAND TOTAL OF OVER £1,000 MILLION!

SO WHAT ABOUT BIKERS THEN GORDON?

There are approximately 600,000 motorcycles in the 'top' motorcycle
VED band (over 250cc). Increasing the road tax paid by motorcyclists
by £5 will hardly impact on the overall Treasury revenues!

What's £30million when you have just given away £1000 million?
Especially when you should be promoting 'greener' alternatives to the
car! This is not consistent with the Governments promise to favour
green transport options.

Further information from MAG Tel 0208 556 6495 mobile 07802 356040

----

> Hi All,
>
> We are still desperate for help to staff the stands at the impending
> motorcycle show at London Excel. We have three stands, the MAGstand, the
> Helmet park and the theftline stand. This show is promising to be one of
> the biggest in the country second only in profile to the NEC show at
> Birmingham. MAG has a high profile at the show, negotiated for us by
> Henry and Phil but we need more volunteers especially on the Saturday
> and Sunday. Accommodation will be provided and travel expenses met
> please spread the word and help if you can.
>
> Call me on 01286 830331 or 07712206914
>
> Thanks
> --
> Gary

----

> While this is aimed at Westminster City Council, please participate, even
if
> you don't park a motorcycle or scooter in the borough regularly. (You do
> *not* have
> to live there to respond.) In the future, you may want to shop or visit
> customers there, and precedents set in this borough are likely to be
> followed elsewhere.
>
> The borough of Westminster (which covers a large part of London's West
End)
> has a chronic motorcycle parking problem. Demand from commuters
> significantly outstrips demand, and people visiting the borough on
> motorcycles (eg to shop or for business) will have significant difficulty
> parking.
>
> The borough's response has been less than constructive. They have used
> various excuses not to increase motorcycle parking provision, and their
> latest initiative is set to replace a number of free motorcycle bays by a
> smaller number of charged bays - albeit with anchor points to secure your
> motorcycle to.
>
> The council has been unreceptive to our input. However, they now have to
get
> their 'Unitary Development Plan' (UDP) approved. As any member of the
public
> with an interest (that's anyone that might at some time visit the
> borough) can file an objection, this is the best opportunity to *make*
them
> listen.
>
> Below is a URL of a web page where you can simply register an objection
to
> their UDP. This will take you a few minutes, and will make the point that
> they are obliged to take motorcyclists' views into consideration.
>
> The Motorcycle Action Group (MAG), in collaboration with Motorcycling for
> London (an organisation working under the umbrella of the National
> Motorcycle Council, and including the BMF, Despatch Association and
> Motorcycle Industry Association amongst its members), suggests you might
> like to do the following:
>
> By Thursday 22nd February visit
> http://www.westminster.gov.uk/udp/1stdeposit/rep-form.cfm , and enter
your
> details into the electronic form. Obviously, you should fill the form in
as
> you see fit, but here are some guidelines as to how you may wish to do
it:
>
> Part 1 Name & contact details: Self-explanatory.
>
> Part 2: You probably aren't acting on behalf of a local group, business,
> etc.
>
> Part 3: If you wish, you can appoint MAG to act as your agent. This may
save
> you some effort.
>
> Cathy Phillpotts
> P.O. Box 750,
> Rugby CV21 3ZR
>
> 020 8533 0158
>
> london-home-counties-region@mag-uk.org
>
>
> Part 4 Which policy, proposal or paragraph in the First Deposit Draft,
does
> this objection/supporting representation relate to?:
>
> Chapter: Transport.
>
> Leave the 'policy number', etc blank. The whole chapter is being objected
> to.
>
>
> Part 5. Are you making an objection or supporting representation?
>
> Objection.
>
>
> Part 6. If you are objecting, do you want your objection to be presented
> orally at a public inquiry or other hearing, whether by yourself or by
> someone else representing you, or as a written representation?
>
> Up to you. However, it is suspected that oral presentations will be more
> visible.
>
> Bear in mind that you can have MAG (or other groups) acting as your agent
in
> this respect.
>
>
> Part 7. Please click here if others have objected to the same policy,
> proposal or paragraph, and you would be willing to co-operate with them
to
> present a joint case at a public local inquiry or other hearing:
>
> This option probably makes sense.
>
>
> Part 8. Please state here the full grounds on which your objection or
> supporting representation is made, including any suggested rewording or
> additions:
>
> Obviously, this is the part that requires the most thought.
>
> It is suggested that you might like to make the following points. Putting
> them in your own words, and adding your own perspective, is likely to be
> best. However, quoting these points word for word is *much* better than
> making no response.
>
>
> Objection is to chapter 4 (Transport) as a whole, as it makes no mention
of
> meeting the legitimate needs of motorcyclists and scooter riders
> (subsequently referred to as motorcyclists) travelling to or through the
> borough.
>
> Motorcycles are a valid part of the transport solution. They provide
> significant benefits as they avoid congestion, and have low emissions and
> energy consumption per passenger kilometre. A responsible transport
policy
> should provide the facilities for motorcycles to be an effective part of
the
> borough's transport infra-structure.
>
> Westminster already has a chronic shortage of on-street motorcycle
parking
> for commuters and daytime visitors to the borough (ie workers and
shoppers),
> with no sign of this shortage being alleviated.
>
> Chapter 4 should be amended to include a commitment to increasing
on-street
> motorcycle parking in-line with demand. Hence reducing congestion and
> pollution, whilst improving the efficiency of business in the borough and
> improving quality of life.
>
>
> There's also a check-box "Please contact me as soon as possible regarding
> this matter", which you might like to check to indicate how seriously you
> view the matter.
>
>
> Paper versions of the submission forms are available for downloading and
> printing from Westminster City Council's web-site, at
> http://www.westminster.gov.uk/udp/1stdeposit/udpform1a.gif &
> http://www.westminster.gov.uk/udp/1stdeposit/udpform2e.gif . The layout
of
> the paper form is slightly different from the electronic version. You may
> like to consider if colleagues would like to use these forms to make
similar
> objections. However, time is very short, and the paper forms may
encounter
> postal delays.
>
> It would be helpful if you could e-mail me to let me know if you respond.
It
> would be even better if you could paste your response into the e-mail
> (particularly your objections). Please bear in mind that if the number of
> people respond that we hope, individual replies to these mails won't be
> possible.
>
>
> Mark
>
> Mark Iline for London and Home Counties Motorcycle Action Group
>
>

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----

Please spend 5 mins e-mailing the government on the VED tax increase.
Keep it short and polite. They're going to get a lot of e-mail! Here's
the details -

VED Increase
From: MX%"magnews@mag-uk.org" "Ian Mutch" 20-FEB-2001 22:48:33.64 CC:
Subj: VED Increase press release

From 1st March 2001 the UK's million-plus motorcyclists are to be asked to
stump-up £65 to licence their machines for 12 months - an increase of £5.

While this is a modest increase, when viewed against concessions for fuel
hungry cars and trucks it hardly sits comfortably with the Government's
pre election promise to 'put bikes at the heart of its transport policy.'

The Government has

Reduced Vehicle Excise Duty (Road Tax) for cars, extending the threshold
for reduced VED from 1200cc to 1500cc, backdated to 1st November 2000 -
representing a loss to the exchequer of £250 million;

reduced lorry VED by 50% a loss to the exchequer of £300 million per year;

abolished VED on Tractors and other agricultural vehicles;

Frozen all road-fuel duty and other fuel duties - at a loss to the
exchequer of £560 million

A GRAND TOTAL OF OVER £1,000 MILLION!

SO WHAT ABOUT BIKERS THEN GORDON?

There are approximately 600,000 motorcycles in the 'top' motorcycle VED
band (over 250cc). Increasing the road tax paid by motorcyclists by £5
will hardly impact on the overall Treasury revenues!

What's £30million when you have just given away £1000 million? Especially
when you should be promoting 'greener' alternatives to the car! This is
not consistent with the Governments promise to favour green transport
options.

Further information from MAG Tel 0208 556 6495 mobile 07802 356040 --
magnews@mag-uk.org [Above edited from original. Treasury e-mail address
is: public-enquiries@hm-treasury.gov.uk.]

---

Mass lobby in London Thursday 15th March. Coach pick-up from Chievley
around 9.30 - 10.00 am. Leave London 5pm. Or we might organise a bike
ride if anyone's interested.

The plan is to get at least 200 people to attend, from as far and wide as
possible, to ask for a national motorcycling strategy, to take our
concerns and issues into account, and to create policy sympathetic towards
motorcycling - something that is currently missing.

With the election date rumoured to be pencilled in for early May it is
essential that every MP and Prospective Parliamentary Candidate is
contacted and that MAG Central Office is aware of by whom.

---

> PRESS RELEASE
> 14th February 2001
>
>
> FESTIVAL OF EUROPEAN MOTORCYCLING 2001
> 14-16 September 2001, Belgium
>
> >>> THE BIGGEST EUROPEAN RIDERS' EVENT <<<
>
>
> Plans are well advanced for the organisation of the biggest European
> Riders' event. With the full co-operation of the local authorities, the
> event will be centered on the Belgian coastal resort of Koksijde and the
> surrounding villages.
>
> During the weekend, the area will be full of riders coming from all over
> Europe. Various shows and activities will take place, there will be
> opportunities to make good bargains at the bike market, test ride brand
> new bikes. You can also enter the bike show and win terrific prizes.
> Also there will be drag races, trial contests, pocket bikes, offroad
> rides, scenic tours, stunt and wheelie demos..... and of course good
> music and beer.
>
> The Festival of European Motorcycling is organised by the Motorcycle
> Action Group (MAG), the Belgian riders' organisation. The profit of the
> event will partly go to FEMA, for the protection and promotion of
> motorcyclists' interests in Europe.
>
> FEMA General Secretary Bob Tomlins said: "It is great that were are
> getting a super European Riders' event, organised by riders, for riders,
> which will benefit FEMA and ensure that we can continue to represent
> riders' interest within the institutions of the European Union".
>
> Presale tickets at a very good price will soon be available through the
> riders' organisation in your country.
>
> For more information, please contact:
> MAG Belgium, Hoek 13, B-2850 Boom
> Tel: +32 (0)3 888 41 63
> Fax: +32 (0)3 888 97 43
> E-mail: magbnc@tijd.com
> Website: www.mag.be
>
> ENDS
>
> Issued by Christina Gesios

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--

Bad news -

--

Dear All,
It is with regret that due to the recent developments in the countryside,
(Foot and Mouth) it has been decided by the Lion Rally Committee to cancel
this years event.

We would like to apologise to one and all for any inconvenience caused but
due to circumstances outside our control it was deemed better to cancel
now rather than wait closer to the date.

We will be up and running again next year and hope to see you there.

Please pass this on to all rally goers and non email users. The website
will be updated this evening.

Regards

The Lion Rally Committee.

--

Other Foot & Mouth cancellations at -
http://www.bikersweb.co.uk/latest/march/203footmouth.htm

--

The date for our Poker run has been set as the 2nd of June.

--

The Flags has it's own website with information about bands on every
weekend - http://www.the-flags.bigstep.com

--

Jagged Edge are playing in Slough this weekend too -

We are playing at the Lighthouse in Slough on Friday 23rd at 7:30 onwards,
hopefully if all goes well, it will be a regular thing for bands to play
there on a friday night. Which is why we need as many people there as
possible.

Please do us all a favour and spread the word.

cheers guys
Dazza
Jagged Edge
http://www.jagged-edge.co.uk

--

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We've got Fiona Mactaggart, the labour MP for Slough, visiting on the 10th
of April at our usual meeting place. Please come along and try and think
up some brainy sounding questions so we look like we know what we're
doing. Wycombe MAG are coming so we should be OK.

--

Plans for the Poker run on the 2nd of June are going well. Chief and
Malcolm have been working hard by getting in touch with some other local
MAG groups and clubs so it should be well attended this year - if the
weather improves!

Denny - if you read these, note that I'll be sending you the info for the
Thames Valley area website soon.

--

Cheers

Peter

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--

Should have sent this earlier! Don't forget Fiona Mactaggart (MP for
Slough) is visiting us tonight at The Flags at around 8.30 to 9pm.

Cheers

Peter

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Recent events:

Fiona Mactaggart (MP for Slough) came and talked to us about anything that
came into our heads. Some of it was motorcycle related like her plans to
try and get motorcycles allowed on the M4 bus lane.

I phoned the engineers responsible for doing the motorcycle parking in
Slough yesterday. They've now done their bit (the design) and the job has
been passed on to some other contractors to do. It's now running late
(as if we didn't know!). I'm told they are being chased about it.

Coming events:

Monday 16th April : Ride out to "Grasscutter bike show" at The Englands
Rose in Postcombe. Meet at The Yew Tree pub at 11.30. Get there earlier
if you want food. The organised ride will be slow and scenic.

Monday 16th April : Reps meeting at Newburys meeting place in the evening.

Saturday 28th April: Wycombe MAG's do at The Gate. More info at
http://www.wycombemag.freeserve.co.uk/guvnor.htm

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We've got a date for the Old Wolf Bike Show. It'll be at The Flags in
Chalvey on the 8th of September. More info later.

Not long now to the Poker run on the 2nd of June!

I've added a few words and selected the pictures for the La Licorne rally
review -

http://www.wadmag.freeuk.com/reviews/sl2001.htm

Now I've got to figure out what to do now that I've used up the 25Mb
allowed for web space by my ISP!

Cheers

Peter

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If anyone wants to go to the fantastic Reading MAG May Day Mayhem on
Sunday and would like some company then meet outside the Flags pub at 2pm
on Sunday. More info about the bike show at
www.readingmag.freeserve.co.uk.

Don't forget it's the WADMAG Poker run on the 2nd of June!

Peter

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****** Windsor MAG's Poker Run. *****

****** This Saturday - 2nd June *****

1st Prize : A free full service on your bike which will include new oil &
filter, plugs, air filter, Service Book stamped!

2nd Prize : 75 pounds

3rd Prize : 50 pounds

Entry Fee is £5 per player. (includes buffet food)

The run is approx 80 miles with 6 stops. Each player is given a random
playing card at each stop, the ones with the best poker hands win the
prizes. Meet from 11:00am to 1:00pm start at The Boot Public House, Park
Road, Bracknell. From the Met Office roundabout simply take the exit
sign-posted Winkfield and The Boot is 200 yards on the right. Or meet at
The Flags pub in Chalvey at 10.45am for an organised (sort of!) ride to
The Boot.

Other pub stops include Tumble Down Dick in Farnborough, Soldier's Return
in Basingstoke and King's Tavern in Reading. Last stop is at 6:00pm at The
Flags Church Street, Chalvey, Slough for prize giving and buffet food.
Live Rock Band, "Straight Up", lined up at The Flags for 8:00pm.

----

Important WADMAG news:

Last night Sarah and I resigned our posts as joint reps as we felt that
neither of us was putting in the effort required for the position. This
way we're leaving the post available for anyone else to take it rather
then letting it appear filled. We'll still carry on doing what we did
before so it shouldn't affect the running of the group at all. I'll still
be the e-mail contact and we'll still be attending meetings as before.

----

Web site stuff:

I've added some pictures from Ian and Fran to the La Licorne review at
http://www.wadmag.freeuk.com/reviews/sl2001.htm . My favourite is a
really nice one of Sarah -
http://www.wadmag.freeuk.com/reviews/genhtml/sl2001geezer_bird.htm

There's a few pictures from Reading MAG's May day Mayhem at
http://www.wadmag.freeuk.com/reviews/misc2001.htm

BTW - the ISP hosting the WADMAG site are having some problems with
another company (Network Solutions) which means the website may be a bit
dodgy for a few days until it's fixed. I might update the backup site -
http://members.nbci.com/wadmag later so you can use that one instead.

Also, anyone think I should get rid of that frame on the left hand side
that uses up so much space on a small screen (800 x 600)? I could go back
to something like http://www.wadmag.freeuk.com/noframes.htm .

----

Parking.

We've had a letter from the engineering company that works for Slough
saying the new motorcycle parking in Slough is being started on
'immediately'. This was about 2 weeks ago!

----

Cheers

Peter

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----

We're off to Wycombe MAG this Tuesday (12th June) to give them a dam good
thrashing at some quiz they're doing. Leaving The Flags at 8pm or see you
there.

I've added some pics from the Poker Run that we had last week at

http://bigfoot.com/~wadmag/reviews/misc2001.htm

Finally, the latest Street Biker is available on-line at

http://www.streetbiker-mag.com

Cheers

Peter

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Coming events:

Wednesday 20th June : Bike show in Wexham park cricket club (opposite the
Red Lion near Wexham park hospital). Meet at the Yew Tree pub from 7.15pm
onwards for an 8pm departure.

Monday 25th June : Cassington bike show. Leave the Yew Tree pub at 8pm
for a ride out.

29th - 30th June : Chinnor Bike day. Really good local MAG bash. See
http://www.wycombemag.freeserve.co.uk

----

MAG's chairman opposes the Bulldog 2002 licence:

Read about it at

http://www.mag-uk.org/nfl_bulldog.html (very long!)
http://www.bikersweb.co.uk/latest/june/146magbulldog.htm

Just updated today or yesterday -

http://www.mag-uk.org/mag_bull_19-jun-2001.html
http://www.bikersweb.co.uk/latest/june/196bulldog_bash.htm

----

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-------

Just at note to let everyone know about the next Thames Valley meeting.
All MAG members are welcome. It's quite an important one as we'll be
electing a Thames Valley regional rep (TV RR) and discussing the HA
situation.

I don't think I've informed this list before that Clive resigned as
Reading MAG rep recently due to some proposal that the rest of Reading MAG
want to present. ( I think ). So it could be interesting.

Cheers

Peter

Message from Clive follows :

From: Clive Crocker [SMTP:clive.crocker@ntlworld.com]
Sent: Wednesday, June 20, 2001 2:46 PM
To: tvmag-reps@anvil.org
Cc: Nicky Myakicheff
Subject: RE: [tvmag-reps] Regional meeting

For my sins, Nicky M (national reps liaison officer) kind of appointed me
TV RR (acting) for the duration, so I'll make an executive decision.

Thames Valley Regional EGM will start at 12:00 on Sunday, 22nd July, at
the Kings Tavern, Kings Road, Reading.

The main items of business will be

1) Officers reports
2) Election of Regional Rep
3) HA issues
4) Other business.

Please notify this to all active members, and make every effort to attend.

Ride free

Clive Crocker
07970 270896
clive.crocker@ntlworld.com

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This email was sent to:

Message from Mark -

So long as weather is OK, leave Yew Tree 7:30 sharp (Wednesday)
for rideout to Sarratt.

For those of you who don't know what Sarratt is - it's just a place with a pub
where bikers have a gathering. Have a look at another bike groups page about
it for a map - http://www.ukrm.net/meets/sarrat.html (Who can't spell Sarratt
then?).

Cheers

Peter

--
Windsor & District MAG - http://www.wadmag.org.uk
-----------------------
The Totalise Email system, probably the most flexible email system in the
world. To register for an account goto http://www.totalise.net

Coming events:

8th September : Old Wolf Bike Show at The Flags in Chalvey. More info at
http://www.chalvey.fslife.co.uk/Old-Wolf.htm

--

Website udpates:

Scanned in Ago (X Windsor MAG member) from Streetbiker June/July -

http://www.wadmag.freeuk.com/cuttings/june2001.htm

--

MAG Press Release

Following the tragic death of MAG's President Dennis Howard, Northish London
MAG are organising a Memorial evening to be held at the Ace Cafe on Friday
August 31.

The intention is to have a series of runs from individual local groups'
meeting places to converge at the Ace between 20:00 and 21:00, followed by a
social get-together in the newly-refurbished Ace Cafe.

Although the official opening of the Ace is not until September, the cafe is
now open for food and drink, and is also licensed.

For those who do not know, The Ace is accessed from the slip road to the north
of the North Circular Road (A406) at the Park Royal junction (clockwise). Map.

For further details contact Sol on 020 7359 8775; e-mail unclesol@genie.co.uk

The Ace Cafe's web-site is at www.ace-cafe-london.com

Ian Mutch

--

--
Windsor & District MAG - http://www.wadmag.org.uk
-----------------------
The Totalise Email system, probably the most flexible email system in the
world. To register for an account goto http://www.totalise.net

-------------------------------------------------

It's the Old Wolf Bike show this weekend!

It all starts at 1pm with live music, stalls, bike show etc. Free entry until
6pm.

Anyone wanting to help please be at The Flags for 10.30.

More info at http://www.theflags.co.uk

-------------------------------------------------

Website update -

Tony gets a bit in the Ride magazine bit about crashing -

http://www.wadmag.freeuk.com/cuttings/sept2001.htm

--

Hope to see some of you at the FEMA rally next weekend!

Cheers

Peter

--
Windsor & District MAG - http://www.wadmag.org.uk
-----------------------
The Totalise Email system, probably the most flexible email system in the
world. To register for an account goto http://www.totalise.net

Coming events :

September 23rd : West Oxon end of season show. 1pm at the White Hart, Minster
Lovell (nr Whitney Oxon). Contact 01993 778453.

September 29th : Wycombe MAG's end of season party. At The Gate, The Lee near
Wendover. See http://www.wycombemag.freeserve.co.uk for more info.

---

Website updates -

Old Wolf Bike Show : http://www.wadmag.freeuk.com/reviews/wolf2001.htm
Amsterdam trip : http://www.wadmag.freeuk.com/reviews/amsterdam2001.htm
FEMA festival : http://www.wadmag.freeuk.com/reviews/fema2001.htm

---

Note that the views of NFL do not Necessarily reflect mine nor do I consider
his presentation of information to be reliable but anyway -

--

This is the text of a letter that Neil Liversidge has sent to BSH in
response to a recent editorial/article in the magazine.
Please make it available to all your members, in full (not abridged)
form.

Thanks

Rick.

--

Dear BSH,

Stu is to be congratulated on a reasonable balanced editorial in the
October edition regarding MAG's relations with the Hells Angels, even if
it was written with one eye half closed. It is a better contribution to
the debate than any from the HA's fan club, which seems to operate
with eyes wide shut.

Almost a year ago Stormin Organiser Jim Coxon came to the MAG NC to
ask for help. He detailed a catalogue of assaults and violence by the HA
at Stormin 2000, none of which surprised me as similar events have
occurred at almost every previous event. Jim also stated that unless MAG took
action as a national organisation to enable the event to be safely run
in the future then there would be no Stormin'. He also said that he
would oppose any application by MAG UK for a licence to run it if he
and his friends backed out.

Jim and the MAG NC agreed to pursue the progressive strategy that I
proposed. This strategy had three components:
a) To politely ask the HA to give an assurance not to attend in
the future and provided such an assurance was received, to take no further
action.
b) In default of receiving the required response to warn the HAMC
that we would oppose their licenses for the Bulldog and other events
if the required assurance was not forthcoming.
c) In default of receiving the required response to oppose their
licenses as indicated.

The rest of the Stormin committee subsequently indicated their approval
and agreed that they would proceed with Stormin again in 2001 on the
basis of the action proposed.

The first letter was duly sent. The only response of the HAMC however
was to harass MAG officials in the Northeast and to issue yet another
threat to murder Ian Mutch and myself, followed later by an implicit
threat to the same effect against Henry Marks.

As to the Bulldog objection therefore, the HA have only themselves to
blame. They have no automatic right to attend our events and frankly we
do not want them to attend. Moreover they certainly have no right to the
free tickets, beer and other things that they have extorted out of us
over the years.

This year we have spent considerable sums on security and ticket prices
have risen as a result. This means that ordinary bikers are paying more
money as a direct consequence of HA intimidation and violence. I am
sorry that prices have gone up but it is out of my hands. If the HA
force us to employ security then it has to be paid for.

Simply employing security however amounts to a strategy that is wholly
defensive and leaves us at the mercy of the HA who are then in a
position to try to bankrupt MAG. It is clear therefore that there must
be an offensive arm to our strategy, the aim of which is to exclude the
HA from MAG events so that attendees can enjoy them in peace and safety.
This is why we opposed the Bulldog and why we will oppose it again in
the future without any hesitation if the HA does not leave MAG members
and MAG events alone.

Now I have heard some people complaining about the collateral damage if
the Bulldog is closed down. These people ask "What about the bikers
who'll miss a great event?" and "What about the traders who'll miss out
on a good earner?" To those people I say "What about the people who
missed out on a great event when the HA forced us to close Magna Carta
in 1998? What about the traders who lost out then? What about all the
people over the years who have gone off for a good weekend at Stormin
and have been battered by the HA thugs?"

It is a pretty simple message really. If the HA want us to leave the
Bulldog and their other events alone, they need to agree to leave MAG
and MAG events alone. The best thing any die-hard fans of the Bulldog
can do then is to implore the HA to do precisely that. Our future
actions in this matter will be determined precisely by the future
actions of the Hells Angels and not by any amount of website ranting. If
the HA leave MAG alone, MAG will leave the Bulldog alone. If they
don't then we don't.

MAG is no longer going to be a doormat for the HA and the days of
bribing them or anyone else with free tickets and beer are over, all
concerned please note.

This leaves us looking to the future. In view of the HA's absence from
Stormin' we have decided to give them a period of grace. Provided that
the HAMC does stay away from MAG events and out of MAG affairs we will
not be mounting any challenge to the Bulldog license next year. Equally
though, it should be understood that any more threats, assaults,
intimidation or interference of any kind against MAG members or events,
MAG will launch a full-scale campaign to close all HAMC events. We will
review the position annually and I hope that no further action will be
necessary.

If the HA wish to follow the obviously beneficial course of action then
perhaps they would like to make their position clear in writing. They
have my address. They might also like to withdraw their death threats
while they are at it.

Yours faithfully,

Neil F. Liversidge
MAG National Chairman

Kind Regards,

Neil Liversidge

--
Windsor & District MAG - http://www.wadmag.org.uk

Just a note to say that the Thames Valley regional rep (Rick) will be visiting
Windsor MAG on the 10th of October. So if you've got any MAG related
questions or just want to meet him then make sure you come down.

Also, I found this interesting -

In this months BMF magazine there was an article on end cans. A piece was
contributed by Alan Bajer, C Eng, M i Mech E, and founder of the Motad
Exhaust Company (with which he is no longer connected). Someone posted it on
a Bandit discussion forum -

Quote:

'What on earth is the point of race cans apart from making noise?? The power
increase if any, is small, and below the the level of susceptibility. On the
bikes that do respond well (Bandit 1200) you could get the same result by
fitting
a straight length of 55mm diameter pipe. There is no technology involved in a
race can; they are all the same basic idea of a body enclosing some 'e' glass
over a perforated tube held in place by a couple of end caps.
Therefore a proliferation of new manufacturers appear every week on MCN's new
products page with a full catalogue of fitments. What they are selling is a
badge and an image.
Exhaust gas can't read so it can't see the badge, and in any case, it is in a
hurry. The power event happens in the cylinder hea. The primary pipes can
make a small difference to the volumetric efficiency. The silencer is a
damage limitation device. By getting rid of the pressure rise using a
straight through unit, all that has happened is a weakening of the mixture
strength and a possible power increase by running leaner then the OE
manufacturers judge to be a safe limit set-up for longevity of valves etc.
The reality is that the trade is cashing in on an uncontrolled market by
giving the customers what they want - noise.'

Unquote

This prompted a bit of discussion but I think the outcome is, if you
get your mixture corrected then don't worry about the longevity of your
valves. And don't bother with expensive cans for reasons of performance!

Having been told that a new end can and a K&N air filter would be good for a
1200 Bandit, I found this -

"K&N Air Filter
Many Bandit owners choose to put a K&N filter on their bikes. There are
trade-offs for everything and this is no exception. While the K&N filter is
reusable and offers increased airflow for about the same price as a stock
replacement, it also allows more dust particles to enter the engine. The Motor
Industry Research Association found that K&N filters stop 97% of particles on
an SAE fine dust test (0-20 micron particles). By comparison, the average
paper filter stops 98-99% of particles on the same test. This means that the
K&N passes 2 to 3 times as many particles as a standard paper filter. It is up
to each individual owner to determine which filter is best for them, K&N or
stock. While the K&N allows more dirt particles to pass through the filter to
the engine, the decreased long-term cost and increased power often outweigh
this drawback."

Well I find all this very interesting even if nobdy else does!

Cheers

Peter

--
Windsor & District MAG - http://www.wadmag.org.uk

Just a reminder (especially as I got the date wrong in my last e-mail!), to
say that the Thames Valley regional rep is visiting Windsor MAG on Tuesday the
9th.

Also, there's a regional meeting at Englands Rose on the 17th of October from
9pm for any MAG members who want to attend.

Cheers

Peter

--
Windsor & District MAG - http://www.wadmag.org.uk

Coming events:

17th October : Thames Valley regional meeting at Englands Rose in Postcombe.

--

Website updates:

Some pictures of drunk people at Wycombe MAG's recent party -

http://www.wadmag.freeuk.com/reviews/misc2001.htm

Proof that Paul Minton and I look nothing like each other -

http://www.wadmag.freeuk.com/reviews/genhtml/fema2001peter_paul.htm

Totally different!

Or have I already sent that one? Never mind.

--

Some stuff about MAG & the HAG -

http://www.bikersweb.co.uk/latest/october/0510HAMAG.htm

--

Cheers

Peter

--
Windsor & District MAG - http://www.wadmag.org.uk

Jackie has asked me to let you know that there's a band on this Saturday.
Camping available. Kicks off around 8.30pm

Englands Rose website : http://www.fsvo.com/englandsrose/door/

Peter

--
Windsor & District MAG - http://www.wadmag.org.uk

A message from our Regional MAG rep -

Henry has sent a message about M & P going into receivership.
Please warn your members that warranties may be adversely affected.

Rick.

--
Windsor & District MAG - http://www.wadmag.org.uk

Coming events:

Sunday 28th October : There's a few people meeting at the Yew Tree at 12:00
for a rideout to the Ace Cafe. Unless it's pissing down!

---

M&P:

Despite my note about M&P going bust, you'll be pleased to hear that they're
still operating under administration. I ordered some stuff last Wednesday and
it all arrived on the Saturday.

---

Web stuff:

Funny bike picture - http://rosbif.free.fr/photogallery/BikeStuff/21.jpg

and some bike related humour - http://rosbif.free.fr/photogallery/bike.htm

Recent MAG press releases -

http://www.mag-uk.org/pr/16-oct-2001.html (M&P)
http://www.mag-uk.org/pr/10-oct-2001.html (London parking)
---

Cheers

Peter

--
Windsor & District MAG - http://www.wadmag.org.uk

Coming events:

Nothing soon but Reading MAG have got a date for their Lion Rally next year,
the first weekend in June which is a bank holiday weekend. There's a problem
for a few of us as the Welsh Show is on the same weekend.

---

Recent events:

Reading MAG's Gravel Rash Bash. Quite a few of us went and got drunk, frozen,
thawed and drunk again.

---

Motorcycle parking stuff:

Recently it has been suggested that we have a regional demo about motorcycle
parking but hold the demo in Slough. This along with the recent bike theft
figures prompted me to finally get in touch with Slough council and see how
they're doing with our parking places. This all started in 1998 by the way.
I spoke to the council and also to the engineering company that work for the
council. The engineering company has been chasing other people who work for
Slough council for months now and claim to have finally got them started on
it!

I hope to go to Slough tomorrow lunch time so I'll check up on it.

---

Bike theft:

Something from http://news.bbc.co.uk/hi/english/uk/newsid_1642000/1642265.stm

A new police report warns that organised criminal gangs are stealing =A33m worth
of motorbikes in the UK every month.

In the first report of its kind, the National Criminal Intelligence Service
(NCIS) identifies London, West Yorkshire and the West Midlands as the three
worst hotspots.
The figures show that more high performance bikes are stolen each month than
are bought new and that only 16% of them are ever recovered.
Evidence suggests thieves operate in teams, using small lengths of scaffolding
pole through the wheels of a bike to lift it into the back of a stolen transit
van.
They often target sporting events but also drive around the streets looking
for high-performance bikes before following the rider home and later breaking
into their garage.
Steve Powell of the NCIS Organised Vehicle Crime Section, said: "It is an
important statistic that more motorcycles are stolen in the UK than were
bought new.
"These guys have been operating up and down the country for some considerable
time, they have got the resources to disperse them, they have their networks
and there is a ready market."
A total of 600 bikes go missing each month, some of them worth more than
=A310,000.
Many of the bikes are stripped down for spare parts and sold by corrupt
dealers or shipped abroad with foreign number plates.
Figures released from July to October 2001 also reveal thieves stole more
Japanese manufactured bikes than any others.
The most popular bike for the thieves is the Honda CBR 600, which retails at
=A36,500, with 350 of them stolen between July and September this year.
Detectives believe about a dozen gangs are operating in the UK.
London was the worst affected area for motorcycle theft, with more than 25% of
the total.
Local authorities across the country have been urged to provide more secure
parking and motorcycle pressure groups are calling for tougher penalties to
deter thieves.

---

Cheers

Peter

--
Windsor & District MAG - http://www.wadmag.org.uk

Coming events:

18th & 19th January : Snowy Sydenham MAG Meltdown. Tony is braving this one
with Take a Chance RC and anyone is welcome to come along too. It's indoor
camping so he's not being that butch!

22nd January : Ricky (Thames Valley regional rep) will be visiting WADMAG to
tell us what's happening in the world of motorcycle politics.

26th January : HAMC Wessex 25th Anniversary Party at the clubhouse.

7th February : Thames Valley Coalition meeting at the Kings Tavern Reading.

---

Recent events:

Thames Valley Coalition -
There will be more events listed on this new letter as I'll be including stuff
from the "Thames Valley Coalition" which is a recently formed (or forming)
collection of clubs which are getting together to promote each others events.
Windsor & District MAG are considering joining it so please come along to our
weekly meetings if you want to know more. There are plans to issue individual
membership cards which will get you discounts - hopefully at more places then
you can currently get with a MAG card. The card will probably cost a few quid
and the club will have to pay 5 pounds a month to cover admin costs. There
should be quite a bit left over to donate to charity or whatever at the end of
the first year.

---

Ye olde location saga -
It's that time of year again. We're thinking of moving! Get in touch if you
care.

---

Website stuff -

I've taken the radical approach of trying to *reduce* the number of hits we
get! This is because a large number of them are "inappropriate". You'd be
surprised at the number of people who look for "wet clothes" which used to
lead them to this picture -

http://home.freeuk.net/wadmag/reviews/genhtml/eclipse99drying.htm

Probably not what they were looking for and I'd like to make the hitcounter
stuff more accurate as a tool for seeing where genuine visitors came from. So
I've re-named the picture from "wet clothes" to "drying" in order to change
that. There have been a number of similar changes and I'll re-name this one
soon for the same reason -

http://home.freeuk.net/wadmag/reviews/genhtml/turkey99sex_god.htm

and this one

http://home.freeuk.net/wadmag/reviews/genhtml/sl2000dave_pissing.htm

(People search for "pissing". How odd.)

I've recently updated the events page with some of the local stuff we'll
probably attend and some of the other events we'll go to.

Cheers

Peter

--
Windsor & District MAG - http://www.wadmag.org.uk

Just a note to say that Rick (Thames Valley rep) will be visiting Windsor MAG
tomorrow (11th December). Last time he did an agenda and we had an
interesting meeting so please come along.

Cheers

Peter

--
Windsor & District MAG - http://www.wadmag.org.uk

Hi,

If anyone is going to the Wycombe Xmas party then they need to get in touch
with Paul Minton (Wycombe MAG rep) as soon as possible. He's needing numbers
and ideally some cash. If you don't have his contact details then reply to
this e-mail and I'll send them on.

From http://www.wycombemag.freeserve.co.uk -

Saturday 15th.December 2001:
Our Christmas Party. Sorry, it's invite only...contact me if you or your club
would like an invite. Tickets will be =A314 for an absolutely enormous buffet
and having your ears blown out by our favourite band, Dirty Dogs. Camping or
crash out space will be available.

---

Parking in Slough.

I think I mentioned in the last news letter that I was going to check to see
if Slough Council had started building the motorcycle parking bays. I can
confirm that they have started and may have even finished as I haven't checked
for about a week or two.

---

Some stuff from the MAG mailing lists -

--

MAG on loud pipes.

Motorcycle News this week reported MAG's Chief Executive Henry Marks as having
provided unqualified support to the BMF's policy of urging maximum enforcement
of noise limits.

To clarify MAG's position and present a comprehensive version of Henry's
comments:

MAG supports noise limits in principle since refusing to recognise the
legitimate expectations of the broader public is self evidently unreasonable.

In its negotiations with the European Commission MAG expressed the concern
that limits were being reduced to unrealistic levels. The problem which MAG
identified was that existing limits were not enforced.

MAG warned the Commission that if they continued to lower limits beyond what
was reasonable then riders would buy illegal silencers that would be
outrageously loud and the Commission's efforts would be counter productive.

This is precisely what has happened.

MAG recognise what many politicians tell us, which is that excessive noise is
the biker's biggest enemy in term of the public's perception of us and
represents a major obstacle to our credibility in negotiating across the
entire spectrum of motorcycling issues. This is a problem compounded by the
false perception of high speed conveyed by high volume.

MAG's recognise that far too many riders effectively 'take the Micky' by
fitting 'silencers' that would not conform to any standard in place over the
last 20 years let alone today's.

As a credible lobbying organisation we cannot condone people breaking the law.
MAG exists to shape laws and regulations not to promote anarchy.

If people are reasonable the negative PR and the threat of extreme legislation
will evaporate. MAG urges all riders to be reasonable.

--

Bikes in M4 bus lane

Motorcycle Action Group Press Release

In the wake of sustained campaigning by MAG, the M4 bus lane will be
opened to motorcycles under proposals announced by Transport Minister
John Spellar today.

Furthermore the speed limit for the bus lane section will be
increased from 50mph to 60mph. The increased speed limit will improve
road users' journey times on the stretch which runs from junction
four to the elevated section of the M4 near Chiswick. The speed limit
on the elevated section will remain at 40mph.

Mr Spellar told MPs in a written reply to a Parliamentary Question:

"The effectiveness of the bus lane is closely monitored by the
Highways Agency. They report that it continues to alleviate peak
congestion on this busy section of the motorway but they recommend
that the scheme could be improved by raising the speed limit between
junction 4 and the elevated section to 60mph and the use by
motorcycles of the lane designated for buses and taxis. I have agreed
that the Highways Agency should consult on these changes and this
consultation will be launched today."

Highways Agency Project Manager Paul Harwood said:
"Allowing motorcyclists to use the lane would help to make their
journeys safer by keeping them clear of lane changes by other
vehicles. The Agency will be monitoring this change carefully and the
results will help inform decisions on whether there is a wider case
for motorcyclists to be allowed to use bus lanes."

The Highways Agency will now consult road users, local authorities
and other interested parties. If the proposals are accepted the
Agency will make the necessary alterations to the metal and
electronic signs and the changes will come into affect next summer.

MAG Spokesman Ian Mutch:

'This is great news and shows that persistent lobbying does work,
London & Home Counties MAG and MAG's employed lobbyists are to be
congratulated on this result. Let us hope that all riders appreciate
the efforts being made on their behalf and lend MAG their support
through joining us.'
Those wishing to join MAG should phone 0870 444 8448. We take
membership over the phone by credit card.

Further information from Ian Mutch 020 8556 6495

--
Windsor & District MAG - http://www.wadmag.org.uk