BMF's News Round Up – January 2022
The month's top motorcycle stories, brought to you by the BMF
Biggest news this month – at least if you're a fan of the old British bike brands – was the return of BSA. The all-new Gold Star was unveiled at the National Motorcycle Museum to reveal a 650cc four-valve single and styling which faithfully apes the original 1950s Goldie. From the chrome panels on the tank to the spoked wheels and fake pushrod cover, it all looks very authentic, but with a modern twist. The double overhead cam motor was designed for BSA in Austria and produces 45bhp at 6500rpm, with useable urge from below 2000rpm.
The new Gold Star will be built in India by Classic Legends Ltd, a subsidiary of giant Indian manufacturer Mahindra. The price will be around £6000, so competitive with the Royal Enfield Interceptor, that other Indian-made, British-badged retro 650. So now we've got BSA, Royal Enfield, Triumph and Norton back in production – any bets on which will be the next British bike brand to rise from the dead?
After that excitement, news that the Highway Code was getting a few changes sounded a bit pedestrian, if that's the right word. But the changes, which came into force on 29th January, involve a potentially radical change of mindset. Previously, all road users from pedestrians to HGV drivers, were expected to hold the same responsibility for the safety of others – now, the bigger your vehicle, the more responsibility you have towards the more vulnerable.There's now a Hierarchy of Road Users based on their vulnerability, which puts pedestrians at the top, followed by cyclists, horse riders and motorcyclists. Rule H1 now reads: “Those in charge of vehicles that can cause the greatest harm in the event of a collision bear the greatest responsibility to take care and reduce the danger they pose to others.” In other words, the opposite of ‘might is right.' “Let's just hope that the Highway Code revisions encourage everybody to actually read the Highway Code, after they've passed their Tests. When was the last time you ever looked at it?” said BMF Chair Jim Freeman.
Are powered two-wheelers really greener than cars and vans? A resounding yes, according to research commissioned by the Motorcycle Industry Association. This measured the total life greenhouse gas emissions of mopeds, motorcycles, cars and vans, both electric and fossil-fuelled. This 'cradle to grave' measure includes total emissions from manufacturing and end of life recycling as well as those from the tailpipe. Focusing on eight typical uses, including commuting, inner-city courier work and weekend leisure, the study found that petrol or electric two-wheelers or quadricycles (lightweight four-wheelers) had “significantly” lower overall emissions than the equivalent car or light van.
A pity then, that the Government decided to slash the Plug-in Motorcycle grant by 90% just before Christmas, reducing the incentive to go electric. “This is a shortsighted move”, said BMF Chair Jim Freeman. “With the cost of most electric bikes being what it is, we need all the help we can get, if people are going to make the big jump to e-power.”
Talking of going green, if you're concerned about your bike's carbon emissions, the Federation of British Historic Vehicle Clubs (FBHVC) is now offering a carbon offset scheme – from £12 a year for a low mileage classic bike, the FBHVC's partner Tree-V will plant native species of trees in Britain.
And finally, FBHVC research has found that there are over 1.5 million historic vehicles registered in the UK, of which over 417,000 are motorcycles. Honda is the most common, followed by Yamaha, BSA, Suzuki, Triumph and Kawasaki.
The month's top motorcycle stories, brought to you by the BMF
Biggest news this month – at least if you're a fan of the old British bike brands – was the return of BSA. The all-new Gold Star was unveiled at the National Motorcycle Museum to reveal a 650cc four-valve single and styling which faithfully apes the original 1950s Goldie. From the chrome panels on the tank to the spoked wheels and fake pushrod cover, it all looks very authentic, but with a modern twist. The double overhead cam motor was designed for BSA in Austria and produces 45bhp at 6500rpm, with useable urge from below 2000rpm.
The new Gold Star will be built in India by Classic Legends Ltd, a subsidiary of giant Indian manufacturer Mahindra. The price will be around £6000, so competitive with the Royal Enfield Interceptor, that other Indian-made, British-badged retro 650. So now we've got BSA, Royal Enfield, Triumph and Norton back in production – any bets on which will be the next British bike brand to rise from the dead?
After that excitement, news that the Highway Code was getting a few changes sounded a bit pedestrian, if that's the right word. But the changes, which came into force on 29th January, involve a potentially radical change of mindset. Previously, all road users from pedestrians to HGV drivers, were expected to hold the same responsibility for the safety of others – now, the bigger your vehicle, the more responsibility you have towards the more vulnerable.There's now a Hierarchy of Road Users based on their vulnerability, which puts pedestrians at the top, followed by cyclists, horse riders and motorcyclists. Rule H1 now reads: “Those in charge of vehicles that can cause the greatest harm in the event of a collision bear the greatest responsibility to take care and reduce the danger they pose to others.” In other words, the opposite of ‘might is right.' “Let's just hope that the Highway Code revisions encourage everybody to actually read the Highway Code, after they've passed their Tests. When was the last time you ever looked at it?” said BMF Chair Jim Freeman.
Are powered two-wheelers really greener than cars and vans? A resounding yes, according to research commissioned by the Motorcycle Industry Association. This measured the total life greenhouse gas emissions of mopeds, motorcycles, cars and vans, both electric and fossil-fuelled. This 'cradle to grave' measure includes total emissions from manufacturing and end of life recycling as well as those from the tailpipe. Focusing on eight typical uses, including commuting, inner-city courier work and weekend leisure, the study found that petrol or electric two-wheelers or quadricycles (lightweight four-wheelers) had “significantly” lower overall emissions than the equivalent car or light van.
A pity then, that the Government decided to slash the Plug-in Motorcycle grant by 90% just before Christmas, reducing the incentive to go electric. “This is a shortsighted move”, said BMF Chair Jim Freeman. “With the cost of most electric bikes being what it is, we need all the help we can get, if people are going to make the big jump to e-power.”
Talking of going green, if you're concerned about your bike's carbon emissions, the Federation of British Historic Vehicle Clubs (FBHVC) is now offering a carbon offset scheme – from £12 a year for a low mileage classic bike, the FBHVC's partner Tree-V will plant native species of trees in Britain.
And finally, FBHVC research has found that there are over 1.5 million historic vehicles registered in the UK, of which over 417,000 are motorcycles. Honda is the most common, followed by Yamaha, BSA, Suzuki, Triumph and Kawasaki.