The "World Bike" Standard

These are the front page News Items. Only Club members can add news items to this forum.
Locked
Eamonn Townsend

The "World Bike" Standard

Post by Eamonn Townsend »

FEMA focuses on the "World Bike" Standard

The FEMA, and its national member organisations, realise that Transport issues discussed by governments at the International level will greatly affect motorcyclists.

For some years now, FEMA is taking part in the different Working Parties dealing with Transport within the United Nations (UN). One of them has been given the responsability to set up the construction standards for the "World Bike", the other one is establishing a worldwide Road Safety strategy.

With the Multi-Directive, the "Euro Bike" standards had been established. FEMA was in the front line to make sure that that bike was one that motorcyclists would enjoy riding. And with success! Now, we have to make sure that the "World Bike" will be free from unnecessary restrictions.

The difficulty here is that the procedure is significantly different to the European democratic process, where Parliament and Member States have to reach an agreement for a proposal to be finally adopted. Within the UN, Member States are operating independently. In practical terms, this means that the results achieved by motorcyclists in Europe will not necessarily be taken into consideration worldwide. Added to the fact that the United States, Australasia and Asia will also be part of the game.

On the Road Safety side, the UN strategy for motorcycles includes the promotion of leg protectors in the design of bikes and fluorescent and reflective clothing... This sounds like 'déjà-vu'! FEMA managed to avoid making them compulsory in Europe and now they come back and try to impose themselves Internationally!

There is still a lot of work to be done in order to preserve the future of motorcycling. From the beginning, FEMA is looking closely to these developments and will work hard to make the motorcyclists' voice heard, together with FIM (Fédération Internationale de Motocycliste) and its sister organisations from the other continents.

Locked