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Bhud |
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Bhud World Chat Champion
Joined: 11 Oct 2018 Karma :
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Posted: 15:13 - 10 Mar 2019 Post subject: Is it worth joining MAG (in 2019)? |
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My bike insurance is coming up for renewal, and I need to shop around a bit because of the mods I've done and those I have planned. I've noticed that the GoCompare website always gives me a quote for "MAG" bike insurance, which is provided by Bikesure (I think) and is just £27 more than whatever the Bikesure quote is.
Looked up the MAG website, and membership is about £27.
I think of MAG as one of those lame ducks that belongs in the past but which persists as a way for old mates to get together and have a few beers. Nothing wrong with that, and fair play to them, but sort of pointless unless you're in that scene.
However, nowadays I'm getting increasingly concerned about some of the measures being taken nationally and locally. ULEZ, making roads less convenient and more unsafe on purpose, etc. Even a nearby council plans to narrow a busy dual carriageways to a single lane with lots of traffic islands, to build a tram line between places nobody wants to go (i.e. a dying town centre and an industrial estate). It's madness, and you notice these things more and more. With every never-will-be-used cycle route being proposed, there is no objection from people who actually use a particular road.
I'm rambling, but anyway, my point is that I feel some sort of coherent voice is needed to express a few points of reason and object to some of the downright lunatic measures. But then I look at the MAG website and it's crap. I look at my local MAG webpage and it looks like it's from 1995 and has a few pictures of fat guys and old birds posing with trikes in 2012... I mean, what the hell. £27 is a very reasonable membership cost if MAG does what it's supposed to do. But would I be pissing money up the wall if I chuck this in with my insurance renewal? |
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Ste |
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Ste Not Work Safe
Joined: 01 Sep 2002 Karma :
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ThatDippyTwat |
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ThatDippyTwat World Chat Champion
Joined: 07 Aug 2016 Karma :
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Posted: 15:41 - 10 Mar 2019 Post subject: |
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https://www.visordown.com/news/general/mags-new-company-name-nice-employer-limited
That should tell you all you need to know. Liversausage is still an utter spunktrumpet. I was out of the loop for years, but they've sunk to new depths in that time.
Besides, Kahn and TfL are just ignoring them. They don't matter.
Bikesure usually team up with the BMF, who seem to be a bit more sane. My insurance is through them, with BMF membership included, or some sort of thing like that. ____________________ '98 VFR800 (touring) - '12 VFR800 Crosrunner (Commuting) - '01 KDX220 (Big Green Antisocial Machine) |
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Robby |
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Robby Dirty Old Man
Joined: 16 May 2002 Karma :
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Bhud |
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Bhud World Chat Champion
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ThatDippyTwat |
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ThatDippyTwat World Chat Champion
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sickpup |
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sickpup Old Timer
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Bhud |
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Bhud World Chat Champion
Joined: 11 Oct 2018 Karma :
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Posted: 20:07 - 10 Mar 2019 Post subject: |
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ThatDippyTwat wrote: |
There is the BMF. May suit you more. |
I'll look into it - thanks.
I checked out the BMF website and it seems better.
Basically, someone like me, who just wants to find out if there is someone or something to get involved with locally, or a specific point of contact regarding matters of concern, checks out a website like that looking for recent updates, region-specific information, etc. For example, I see it has something on Intelligent Speed Assistance proposals from the EU. But then it says "The stated position of FEMA and the BMF is that the most we would accept is throttle resistance increasing as the limit is exceeded and that it must leave control of speed in riders’ hands."
A pretty specific negotiating position, which begs the question of how they got to that decision, what justifications were behind it, how many people know about it, the small matter of whether they actually have a place to sit at the negotiating table, etc. And, personally, I'm a lot more concerned about the 24000 self-driving Volvos Uber just ordered.
It does seem better but I'll have to look into a bit more. Hope they're not the sort of people who only ride FJRs and always in high vis, and who would react with horrified bemusement at my medieval non-ABS contraption of a mechanical bike. Hehehe... typing my thoughts out loud... Got to stop doing that. Anyway, I will look into BMF a bit more. |
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ThatDippyTwat |
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ThatDippyTwat World Chat Champion
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Posted: 20:21 - 10 Mar 2019 Post subject: |
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I'm only with it because it came with insurance, I know next to fuck all about them other than there's no Liversausage at the helm, so it might actually have footings on this realm of existence. Liversausage certainly was that mental last time I met him, and I can only surmise he's got worse with age.
I actively avoid giving MAG money though, So it's the difference between being ambivalent about the BMF, but disgusted with MAG.
The only org I give to and bother to promote is NABD. They've done a lot of good for mates of mine.
https://www.nabd.org.uk/ ____________________ '98 VFR800 (touring) - '12 VFR800 Crosrunner (Commuting) - '01 KDX220 (Big Green Antisocial Machine) |
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Robby |
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Robby Dirty Old Man
Joined: 16 May 2002 Karma :
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WD Forte |
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WD Forte World Chat Champion
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Bhud |
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Bhud World Chat Champion
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Shaft |
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Shaft World Chat Champion
Joined: 27 Dec 2010 Karma :
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Posted: 00:23 - 11 Mar 2019 Post subject: |
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Robby wrote: |
I don't know the specifics of the ULEZ case, and to be honest it isn't one I would want to fight. I want cleaner air where I live and work.
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I can't disagree with that, but it does seem to be particularly punitive.
I was surprised to discover that one of our clients run a fleet of 2016 registered small diesel vans that aren't exempt (presumably that also applies to the family car equivalent) and, for the first time, it applies to motorcycles.
As you know, unlike cars, the MOT for motorcycles does not include an emissions test, so there is no historical data showing how damaging those emissions might be; as a result, they've just picked an arbitrary Euro standard and decided that anything before then can't possibly be safe.
Also, as things stand, motorcycles represent less than 1% of commuter traffic and they're exclusively petrol powered (unless there's some lunatic riding to work on a lash up with a whacker plate engine in it) so it's not like they present a major threat to public health.
There's also the other argument that says bikes should be positively encouraged, if you want to reduce congestion, although we all know that the congestion charge never achieved what it publicly purported to do, it was just another (not so} stealth tax. ____________________ Things get better with age; I'm close to being magnificent........
20 RE Interceptor, 83 Z1100A3, 83 GS650 Katana
WooHoo, I'm a Man Point Millionaire! https://www.bikechatforums.com/viewtopic.php?t=234035 |
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Shaft World Chat Champion
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sickpup |
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sickpup Old Timer
Joined: 21 Apr 2004 Karma :
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Posted: 13:49 - 11 Mar 2019 Post subject: |
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Robby wrote: | I don't know the specifics of the ULEZ case, and to be honest it isn't one I would want to fight. I want cleaner air where I live and work.
That said, it is usual for policy delivery to be quite well advanced before the consultation happens. The consultation is meant to provide a full case for discussion, and to allow any stakeholders that have not already been consulted to have input. If the consultation throws up anything unexpected, the policy should be adjusted, or the decision taken again by someone senior on the basis of the entire evidence pack.
This doesn't always happen, and the decision taken is not always the right one. It's still a politician making the decision. I expect ULEZ would only have been altered if evidence showed massive financial hardship for a lot of people, seeing as the whole point of it is to avoid massive medical hardship for a lot of people. |
Quoting all of the above as it is all relevant and also MAG have shared a lot of information on this with me.
When TFL first decided that pre 2007 bikes would be charged they failed to include bikes in the various tables concerning pollution.
After MAG raised this with them they did the >1% pie chart but again didn't include how much less pollution there would be after the charge was introduced.
Interestingly pretty much every study has shown that if you increase PTW use by 10% you lower recorded pollution by 40% or so. Keep in mind we are not just talking about exhaust pollution we are also talking about PM2.5 from tyres brakes etc.
I can understand your comment on clean air, I agree with it but unfortunately this isn't what the ULEZ is there to achieve. The ULEZ is simply a tool that is being missused to ban vehicles from the road that Khan and TFL don't like. If Khan and TFL really wanted to lower pollution they would allow LPG black cabs instead of banning them on safety grounds. They wouldn't have removed the lower charge for LPG vehicles. They could get councils to replace old heating boilers in council properties. There are many things that could have been done to lower pollution whiuch would have been cheaper and had a larger longer lasting effect but they didn't, they went after the easy mark.
As to MAG, having them there places constant pressure on groups like TFL. They may not be very loud but they do have an effect. |
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thx1138 World Chat Champion
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iooi Super Spammer
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Fizzoid World Chat Champion
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Ste Not Work Safe
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Robby |
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Robby Dirty Old Man
Joined: 16 May 2002 Karma :
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Posted: 09:39 - 12 Mar 2019 Post subject: |
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sickpup wrote: |
I can understand your comment on clean air, I agree with it but unfortunately this isn't what the ULEZ is there to achieve. The ULEZ is simply a tool that is being missused to ban vehicles from the road that Khan and TFL don't like. If Khan and TFL really wanted to lower pollution they would allow LPG black cabs instead of banning them on safety grounds. They wouldn't have removed the lower charge for LPG vehicles. They could get councils to replace old heating boilers in council properties. There are many things that could have been done to lower pollution whiuch would have been cheaper and had a larger longer lasting effect but they didn't, they went after the easy mark.
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I think we agree on the idea, but disagree on the way to get there. ULEZ will reduce pollution. It's a blunt instrument, and there are all kinds of way it could, or should, be changed to achieve much the same or better effect with less impact on lots of road users.
But it's being led by a politician, so a single big thing with no loopholes looks better to voters. If it doesn't work it's going to bite the mayor, seeing as this is all measurable.
I didn't know about the LPG taxis, that is unfortunate. At least we now have the new hybrid petrol taxis, which are getting more and more common.
I think boilers will be the next big thing, but it would be a more gradual change. To get councils to do it will require funding. To get private building owners to do it will require incentives and/or legislation. Heating is expected to electrify over the next 30 years anyway, but London may want to be ahead of the curve.
For me, the silliest exception for ULEZ (and one I intend on taking advantage of) is the exemption for historic (40 year old +) vehicles. Assuming that exemption stays in place and keeps rolling, it means that all of the Japanese bikes from the 80s are allowed into London over the next decade. That is significant because 80s bikes are still plentiful, good enough to ride daily, and fun. |
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sickpup |
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sickpup Old Timer
Joined: 21 Apr 2004 Karma :
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Posted: 11:10 - 12 Mar 2019 Post subject: |
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Robby wrote: | I think we agree on the idea, but disagree on the way to get there. ULEZ will reduce pollution. It's a blunt instrument, and there are all kinds of way it could, or should, be changed to achieve much the same or better effect with less impact on lots of road users. |
This is the core problem. Instead of introducing legislation that addresses the problem charges are being introduced that attack the minorities but look good.
Robby wrote: | But it's being led by a politician, so a single big thing with no loopholes looks better to voters. If it doesn't work it's going to bite the mayor, seeing as this is all measurable. |
The saving in emissions from pre2007 motorcycles is so small it isn't actually measurable.
Robby wrote: | I didn't know about the LPG taxis, that is unfortunate. At least we now have the new hybrid petrol taxis, which are getting more and more common. |
Most people don't know about it as TFL buried the tests and decisions.
Basically they insisted that the LPG tank was covered with a 1" thick steel blanket for protection. The weight of this was so high that the rear suspension collapsed.
TFL could have dictated that the new Taxi used an Petrol/LPG hybrid generator but no, they went petrol only.
Robby wrote: | I think boilers will be the next big thing, but it would be a more gradual change. To get councils to do it will require funding. To get private building owners to do it will require incentives and/or legislation. Heating is expected to electrify over the next 30 years anyway, but London may want to be ahead of the curve. |
Boilers are the present big thing. If you replaced 20,000 old boilers and replaced them with Combi-boilers you would lower pollution more than if you replaced 20,000 pre2007 bikes with post 2007 bikes.
Yes there are views that Gas will be phased out over the next 30 years but this doesn't take into consideration the grid.
The Royal Mail was constantly attacked for not converting the central London fleet to Electric especially when they had the huge parking lot at mount pleasant. This didn't take into consideration that the grid in the area couldn't actually supply enough power without melting and cutting power to ALL the residential properties in the area.
As we are potentially looking at power shortages over the next decade or 3 I can't see how we can get rid of gas.
Robby wrote: | For me, the silliest exception for ULEZ (and one I intend on taking advantage of) is the exemption for historic (40 year old +) vehicles. Assuming that exemption stays in place and keeps rolling, it means that all of the Japanese bikes from the 80s are allowed into London over the next decade. That is significant because 80s bikes are still plentiful, good enough to ride daily, and fun. |
One I already aim to use.
Overall the UK's energy and pollution policy is a shambles and until politicians are willing to make difficult choices and invest heavily nothing will change. Just this month we are losing the FIT's for fitting Solar Panels taking away the incentive to invest in them, something that could provide the back bone of the UK's clean(ish) energy policy if fitted to ALL new properties and Government roofs. |
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Old Thread Alert!
The last post was made 5 years, 47 days ago. Instead of replying here, would creating a new thread be more useful? |
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