Hi, All

I am a new member from the County of Essex UK and this is my 1st posting. I am lifelong Motorcyclist who hopes to join the party this year in Sturgis, another first and Bucket List event for me to tick-off. I ride a HD Road King, which I feel that I have tastefully "Tweaked" and modified to suit my needs. I am not a skilled spannerman, so most of the stuff I do is through the local HD dealership when I can afford it. My ignorance with mechanical things also causes me much stress when dealing with my 1959 Scott Flying Squirrel, and being of the post WW2 baby boomer generation left school before computers and Facetube, so I am mentally "Steam driven" which also impairs me in many areas of modern gadgetry, and when dealing with the wonders of the WWW.
However, I digress; my intention is also to bring to your attention (cousins across the pond) to the proliferation of (in my opinion) anti-biker legislation that is growing in Europe, and I'm sure that many of you who will read this will be checking your callenders, no it's not 1st April, Fools Day, do you have that in America? Anyway, in the land of the free, be warned, and never let this happen to you. Big breath......This year ALL motorcylists in Europe must wear High Visibility clothing, or riddiculous sleeveless over jacket at all times 24/7, and carry a personal single-use Breathalyser kit in addition to (as current now) carrying spare bulbs, emergency triangle, and plate on rear of vehicle to state the country of origin.
Despite demonstrations throughout Europe there appears to be further motorcycle anti-tamper, emission and max BHP Laws going through which will start to bite 2013. A very thin Harley parts catalogue will be printed for Europe, and this is only the thin end of the wedge I assure you. All the Laws and sensibility that originated in Mother and Father Lands oversea and influenced the American Constitution may this never reach your shores. I'll get off my Soap Box now roll on the Summer. 
Buc
 

Hey Buc/John,

I probably know you...lol...I'm "Slick" as was with Celtic Warriors Essex Chapter.....Now an independant showman with the Jet Trike "Colossus",  still living on West side of London...I was at Bum In The Mud 2 rallies ago...would have been last year too but Piglet didn't book me this last year...lol...not been booked by her this year either...but hey, cash is short all round right?

Welcome to CF from THIS SIDE of the pond.....

Slick - Jetman

Thanks for the response Rex, sometimes I just need to to re-set the default setting in my brain with the asistance of a kindered spirit out there in the ether in order to know I'm not losing the plot! Anger becomes sadness, when I remember great rides through France, a country 3 times the size of the UK with half the population. With previously a liberal attitude to men in leather, and NO static speed cameras, and unecessarily low speed limits on wonderful "Biker" roads the Garmin would lead through the Alps and Pyranees, er, sorry Rex I forgot to tell you I am one of those "Outlaws" with an illegal Garmin!! It was pre-programmed with speed camera sites when purchased, illegal in France, fine and confiscation. I'll check out Rex before I depress you too much, now where's my medication. Best Regards Buc

Thanks for the reminder of the freedoms we enjoy in this country!

Welcome to the board from sunny N Califgreat post !!
All too often we take for granted the many freedoms we enjoy in this country,and its a heads up to all of us ryders who want to continue enjoying those freedoms to git out n make sure our voice is heard loud n clear when it comes to more restrictive laws against motorcycle ryders !!

Enjoy the trip to the US and Sturgis. I can see where a reflective vest could be a good thing, but I don't want the government telling me what I am to do.

Check out our active duty riders. The military has had to wear reflective vests for years already.

1. Welcome from the South Central area of the Peoples Democratic-Republic of New York State
2. Why change, our handsome, young President likes what you are doing so much he is striving to make us just like you, only more so? - Bet your Prime Minister has not yet had to courage to usurp the Pope

Welcome Buc! Man, that's just so wrong. With the price of gas, and all the other crap, we already got to put up with, them adding all these, extra costs, and rules and regs...sheit. Seems like they're tryin' to sap all the daggone fun outta ridin', aren't they??? Keep yer chin up, mate. Ride Safe, Ride Hard, Ride Free!

And know, you got a friend here in NE Florida.

Ride Free
Tweek

I have been waiting for him to come back on again to mention that here in Britain we are getting all those crap rules in 2015.....


And its currently being discussed that we should be wearing full Hi-Vis Protective clothing with AIRBAGS built into the arms, shoulders, front and back and hips and knees and probably ankles......


Where's he gone?

Hi, All..Jet, Sportstercat, Tweek and others. Yes, it's that man again!! I was out yesterday on the bike, getting out late after spending too much time as usual getting the bike looking super shiney (thats what non mechanic's do to their bikes to make them more reliable) was crossing the Thames atop the highest point on the Dartford QE II Bridge (bloody high Google see images) gazed in the near distance at the industrial landscape, and moored Scandanavia bound Ferries and container ships; I wonder if a deal could be worked for a bike and rider to Bergen.
A three second day dream, yeah, head north towards the Artic Circle, the land of waterfalls, and the Northern Lights are spectacular this year due to the record Solar Flare activity. No, I'm going to slow down a bit, pull in behind this truck, I think this is worth a few more seconds. Beer is $10 a pint at the moment in Norway! On the plus side though the further one travels north in Norway the cheaper the petrol is; this is one of the Tax incentives the Government offer to encourage northern migration similar I believe to Alaska. But, and it's a big BUT the beer gets more expensive, and after making all that effort to get that far north (and it's further than you think) a beer would be in order. Strange people with a very high suicide rate, thought to be due to long winters when it never really gets light, poor buggers all that salted fish, I say give em cheap beer and Jimmy Buffet!! Whooahh, brake lights, back to the real world, and it goes really unreal, sureal, weird, honest, strange thunder and suddenly the Two Sisters (two 600 foot chimney stacks) fall at that moment. I later learn were controlled explosions, with minimum publicity apparently not wanting to encourage spectators, what were the chances of that! In an instant that industrial horizon changed forever, even at night the red aviation lights could be seen as a distant beacon, nearly home. They had stood for all of my living memory, and I had only noticed them now they were gone. I stopped in a service area and mentioned this amazing event I had witnessed to a complete (approachable) stranger who was suitably unimpressed. Buc

heya Buce...northern lights aren't all that great, I work in Norway...its just background stuff after a while....why don't ye do what we are doing in Ireland with these new "laws"............ we wouldn't stoop so low as to even ignore the feckers... just carry on biking as you always done, they can't lock us all up !!!

Greetings Buc from the center of the Sunshine State (Florida) and welcome to CF.
Its hard for us Americans to even comprehend the intrusiveness of the laws you outlined. Around here we bristle at the thought of even something like Motorcycle Checkpoints that the states are setting up just to make sure we're keeping within the regular laws. I guess the grass on the other side of the fence ain't quite as attractive as some would make it seem.