UK riders’ rights group the National Motorcyclists Council (NMC) has been keeping up the fight on several political fronts at the start of the riding season. It’s been adding its voice to the MCIA’s concerns about the end of government support for electric bikes, while also highlighting the important role the classic and used-bike market plays in the broader economy. And the organisation has also been working with partner riders’ rights groups across Europe to lobby both the European Union and the UK government on a range of issues.
The electric bike campaign is straightforward: Westminster has ended plug-in grant support for battery-powered two-wheelers, which the NMC says will significantly affect the uptake of electric bikes. The group, alongside the MCIA and other campaigners, is asking for an extension and an upgrade of the old scheme, bringing electric mopeds back under the programme and reviewing the outdated price cap. The NMC’s Craig Carey-Clinch said: “The NMC fully supports this MCIA-led call on the government to act on what has become a serious disparity in its support for decarbonisation, with the number of signatories to the joint letter demonstrating serious concern across a wide range of organisations. This is a situation which needs urgent correction.”
On classic bikes, the NMC has published a policy paper with the Vintage Motor Cycle Club (VMCC) that highlights the significance of what it calls the legacy and historic motorcycle sector. This points out that the UK has “a long and proud history” with more than 125 years of invention, technical development and world record setting. And it points to the economic value of the sector: it’s estimated that in 2023, there were 624,805 vintage and classic motorcycles valued at nearly £1.2bn – nearly 30% of the combined classic car and motorcycle fleet’s value. Government statistics also reveal that nearly half a million bikes, around 30% of all motorcycles in use, are older than 25 years. Finally, activity in the sector, including clubs, dealers, parts and accessory specialists, engineering and manufacturing businesses, plus tourism, sport, museums and events, contributes up to £1.6bn to the UK economy each year.
VMCC president Roger Bibbings said: “To secure the sector’s future, coordinated action is needed across government, industry and civil society. In particular, government action can protect heritage motorcycling while still meeting environmental and safety goals.
“With appropriate policy support, the sector can continue to thrive while making a minimal environmental impact. Targeted, well-designed derogations in future regulation will allow legacy and historic motorcycles to remain a living part of Britain’s cultural landscape for decades to come.”
Meanwhile, the NMC has been partnering with organisations across Europe to work on a transnational basis. EU regulations no longer directly affect Great Britain after Brexit, but there is, of course, an indirect impact: changes to rules for the European market inevitably affect the UK. With that in mind, the NMC has been working with FIM Europe and FEMA on a new set of position papers. These cover issues ranging from sustainable transport strategies and infrastructure design to licensing, training, and emerging technologies, and, according to the NMC, they translate the concerns of millions of riders into concrete political demands.
Carey-Clinch said: “The NMC has been proud to work with our FEMA and FIM Europe partners on developing the joint position papers. Although the papers focus on current issues within the EU legislative context, with PTI (MOT), for example, being a settled and non-controversial matter in the UK, several of the topics covered are directly relevant to the United Kingdom and other countries in continental Europe as legislation develops internationally. This very much underlines the importance of strong partnerships and cooperation, so that strong, coordinated and credible positions can be put to administrations and policy makers right across Europe on the key issues of the day for motorcycle riders.”
