In a bid to promote lower emissions, electric vehicles and green-friendly transportation, the Department for Transport (DfT) has come out with a vague anti-tampering legislation proposal which is currently being considered - the British Motorcyclists Federation (BMF) has stepped in to back the bikers.
We’ve covered this story in part last month when it first emerged - here’s a recap to get up to speed.
If not, basically, the DfT have dreamed up potential legislation that would outlaw modifications to motorcycles in the name of a greener future, with hopes it could become law as early as 2024 - all in the name of 'anti-tampering law'.
Anna Zee, the BMF’s Political and Technical Services Director, has said “The BMF disagrees with the proposals as defined because the scope appears unlimited, there is no indication of who will enforce the legislation or how.”
The BMF has also underlined the fact that the real experts, in this case, motorcyclists and their organisations, should be actively involved from the start of any new legislature proposal. Particularly if these proposals infringe on the ability of motorcyclists to keep older motorcycles on the road.
As they put it themselves, along with other parameters, “No motorcycle should be required to better the standards in place when it was new.” Adding to this, small businesses that restore old bikes plus those that supply after-market parts & accessories will be all but wiped out by this potential legislation.
The government don't want motorcyclists modifying your bikes, man!
It’s also noted that limits on tuning should not even be considered for de-restricting A2 machines, or for power increases which have no subsequent increase in emissions. Really, they just don’t think the government are approaching this ‘anti-tampering' malarkey in the correct manner.
It’s well worth reading the full release on the BMF site as this is just a quick run-through. It’s truly great that there are people out there defending the rights of motorcyclists.
