From: lmcstst@noah.ericsson.se (Stamos Stamos)
Newsgroups: rec.motorcycles
Subject: 100bhp limit the story so far
Date: 22 Jan 93 17:57:03 GMT
Organization: Ericsson Communications Inc. Montreal, Canada
X-Disclaimer: This article was posted by a user at Ericsson.
              Any opinions expressed are strictly those of the
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100bhp limit: the story so far
PB Feb.




1. Unelected Eurocrats, 
headed by Commissioner Martin Bangemann, decide a Euro-wide 100ps
(98.6bhp) limit for bikes will enhance road safety.  They justify their
decision by quoting from a report by BAST, a German government agency,
and add the limit to the regulations intended to ensure that all bikes
sold in the EEC are the same spec.  Due date: 1994

2. September'92:  
the 12 EEC governments agree a 100PS limit is a fine
idea, though the UK admits, "statistics in support of the limit are not
entirely conclusive."

3. October 29:  
democratically elected Euro Parliament rejects the
limit as unfounded and challenges Commission evidence linking engine
power and accidents.  "Europe's citizens are against this Brussels
meddling."

4. November 30:  
UK Roads Minister Kenneth Carlisle is, "concerned 
about 'short-sighted' manufactrers building bikes with excessive
power." Bike industry president Lord Denbigh points out there are
more high performance bikes on the roads today than ever before, yet
the accident rate has exceeded governments targets eight years ahead
of schedule - unlike any other road user group. "Picking on bikes
is unfair. I don't see anyone banning Porsche turbos."

5. December 9:
BAST deny any knowledge of the report quoted by Bangemann [liar,liar
pants on fire].  He is accused of introducing the power limit using
flimsy evidence.  BMF say five major studies, two of them worldwide,
show power is irrelevant in motorcycle accidents.  BMF research believe
Bangemann selected findings from a secret BAST study into age limits
and license restrictions which has already led to separate proposal
limiting newly-qualified European riders to 33bhp for two years by
1996.

6. December'92:
the 100ps proposal returns to the Euro Parliament for its second
reading.  In the new year it goes back to the twelve EEC governments so
that they can agree a 'common position'. Whatever the Euro Parliament
does it is powerless to stop the 100ps limit becoming law.

WHAT YOU CAN DO
Write to your MP, House of Commons, Westminster, asking him/her to 
persuade the UK government to oppose the 100ps limit for motorcycles.
It stifles European harmonisation, has no proven safety  benefit and
will harm UK and European motorcycle manufacturers. Write to your
MEP (the BMF 081 942 7914).


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MORE EUROCRAP
*************
PB Jan.
KR


It ain't over 'til it's over.

Last month we reported that the European Commission's proposed 100bhp
limit on new bikes had been thrown out by a European Parliamentary
Committee, who challenged the Commission's ludicrous assertions that
apower limit would make bikes safer. This month the full European
Parliament has followed the Committee's lead and voted against the
imposition of a limit.
Hurrah for democracy?  Not quite.  The European Commission is a
 non-elected body largley composed of Fat Gits.  These unelected
 bureaucrats don't have to take any notice of the Parliament'`s
 decision and are free to continue to push through their 100bhp
 legislation.

Continuous lobbying by British and European rider groups, and the full
support of some MEPs, notably Peter Beazely, has led directly to the
European Parliament's current anti-limit position. The commission
itself is unlikely to be swayed by lobbying, so the next step is to
persuade national governments to take the same anti-limit view,
effectively isolating the Commission.  You can write to your MP at the
House of Commons, Westminster, London, and your MEP (any local
political party office will give you the name and address), and keep
reminding them that this legislation is ill-advised, poorly researched
and discriminatory.  Remind them, too, that letting the Commission
dictate to Parliament makes a mockery of the democratic process.  The
Britsh Government, by the way, continues to support the horsepower
limit, despite already having admitted that there is absolutely no
evidence to justify it.  All the Government wants is a quiet life [what
a bunch of sorry ass whimps], so it's up to us to kick up so much fuss
that legislating against us would be more trouble than it's worth.

STOP PRESS: John Major called Martin Bangemann {who would cut a portly
dash at any EEC cocktail party. Martin's very interested in Type
Approval}. "silly and ill-informed" the other day.  Over 60% of the
people in hte UK think the EEC has done them no good over the las 15
years, and would cheerfully see it disbanded tomorrow, according to a
recent poll.



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--
Stamos <lmcstst@noah.ericsson.se>            ZZR11            Ellas
Ericsson, Cellular Design
Montreal, Canada.
Newsgroups: rec.motorcycles