EU. In or out?

[Jak*]

The issue for some of us on here is that the UK is such a small market that if the EU imposes some kind of rule on motorcycles it is likely that most of those imported would have to meet those regulations. The same would be true for many other products.
We are just going to have to get used to the fact that we are a little country and we will be dictated to by bigger countries, but I am sure that will be worth it for our independence.
Cheers Jak

[daveuprite]

The issue for some of us on here is that the UK is such a small market that if the EU imposes some kind of rule on motorcycles it is likely that most of those imported would have to meet those regulations. The same would be true for many other products.
We are just going to have to get used to the fact that we are a little country and we will be dictated to by bigger countries, but I am sure that will be worth it for our independence.
Cheers Jak

irony and a bit of sarcasm is all that is left to us. Luckily it's a comedic tradition that the UK is good at. So lots of material to work with right now.

[Richard Simpson Mark II]

Single-seat road-legal enduro bikes were made exempt from the ABS rules...and quite a few others as well. No doubt the views I made known were taken into consideration...along with those of others.

With the UK outside the EU...my views would not even have registered. But you can bet the legislation will still apply.

Genuine question - if we were outside of the EU how would the legislation still affect us? We could make our own rules, couldn't we? I know we'd inherit all the EU legislation by default but we'd soon change that and repeal most of it and set our own laws....wouldn't we?

And a good and a fair question.

Euro legislation regarding vehicles now tends to to picked up as UN legislation regarding vehicles, and so applies to most of the world.

For instance: Most of the world, including India and China, is basing its heavy-duty diesel emissions on the Euro I - VI standards: working towards Euro VI which is where the EU/Uk is already.

When it comes to motorcycling there is obviously a thriving European enduro bike industry...the world's best enduro bikes are all built in Europe. This is not lost on the legislators in Brussels.

If the UK did decide to go its own way on motorcycle legislation, I suspect it would go the way of the antis. Our Parliament and Civil Service are basically anti-motorcycling.

I did hear a story...and I can't verify it but nor has it been denied...that the big 4 Japanese manufacturers actually gave a bit of help to the resurgent Triumph company back in the early days because they thought a good way to preserve the British motorcycle market from then evils in Whitehall was to make sure that the UK had a volume motorcycle manufacturer again...if you look at those first four-cylinder Triumph engines they certainly, shall we say, follow some Japanese thinking. The Uk market isn't very significant to the Japanese in terms of numbers sold, but they have a certain attachment to it...the Isle of Man TT was the platform that they launched themselves onto the world stage from, although logistically it couldn't have been less convenient. Back in the 1950s/60s, Soviet airspace was closed so they had to fly 3/4 of the way around the world just to get the the UK, and then face the trek to a small island in the Irish Sea.

[Richard Simpson Mark II]

this video is an interesting reminder of the attitudes that prevailed in the UK around about the time we joined the EU



John Player put a load of money into Norton.

The Norton uses an engine from the 1950s and a gearbox from the 1930s.

It could fail at any time, and has the potential to chuck the rider (who is also the development engineer) off.

The gearbox can't cope...but never mind chaps, we will go and race at the jolly old TT.

At scrutineering, someone notices the front wheel spindle is unaccountably broken.

"Never mind, there's still four hours before the race, the men can weld it up."

Incredibly, the race is won...the rider having followed the team manager's instruction to 'Win as slowly as possible."

This success encourages Norton to believe they've got more time in which they won't bother to design a new gearbox, and they break down for the rest of the season.

"Jolly good show chaps, show Johnny Foreigner what for."

I've got a horrible feeling this sort of farce is what people want to go back to.

Bugger Just in Time Delivery and Continuous Improvement, just pass me a bigger hammer. Now hold my beer.

[lancashirelad]

This post is just like discussions that go on in the club I drink in it'll go on for ever, no one will ever change their opinion so can't we just agree to differ, some people will end up with RSI if it carries on

[qcnr]

Single-seat road-legal enduro bikes were made exempt from the ABS rules...and quite a few others as well. No doubt the views I made known were taken into consideration...along with those of others.

With the UK outside the EU...my views would not even have registered. But you can bet the legislation will still apply.

Genuine question - if we were outside of the EU how would the legislation still affect us? We could make our own rules, couldn't we? I know we'd inherit all the EU legislation by default but we'd soon change that and repeal most of it and set our own laws....wouldn't we?

In a word, no.
Again look at Norway, not a member of the EU, but wishes to trade with the EU. So a member of the EEC.
As a member of the EEC Norway haas to abide by EU regulation, and cannot have it's own regulations that hinder
or are against EU regulations, therefor Norway is the country that actually adopts more of the EU regulations
than most other countries. You could also however argue that this is because Norway has weak politicians that
don't stand up to the EU. What would happen if we shut off all the gas supply...?

[Brenhden]

What would happen if we shut off all the gas supply...?

What do you mean?

[qcnr]

Norwegian gas is piped via some 30+" pipelines to Teeside in UK, Emden in Germany (that I know of off hand).
Maybe some other places as well.
Norway could actually just say, sorry mate don't want to play anymore.
I believe something like 30% of British Gas i sfrom Norway

Quick google:

Norway is a small player in the global crude market with production covering about 2 per cent of the global demand. However, Norway is the third largest exporter of natural gas in the world and Norway supplies about 25 per cent of the EU gas demand. Nearly all oil and gas produced on the Norwegian shelf is exported, and combined, oil and gas equals about half of the total value of Norwegian exports of goods. This makes oil and gas the most important export commodities in the Norwegian economy.

From here: https://www.norskpetroleum.no/en/produc ... l-and-gas/

[AlanHolt]

I've just read that there are at least 3 different types of IDP (international driving permit), and depending on the countries you are traveling through, you may need more than one. For example, to travel through France and into Spain, you need two different types of IDP.

Taking back control!

[catcitrus]

I've just read that there are at least 3 different types of IDP (international driving permit), and depending on the countries you are traveling through, you may need more than one. For example, to travel through France and into Spain, you need two different types of IDP.

Taking back control!

I've always had the one --and never had to show it in Bulgaria, Albania and so on--didn't realise that France and Spain had their own rules--we'll have to see--and I thought that you needed an IDP at the moment anyway.
www.rac.co.uk/drive/travel/driving-abro ... nd-brexit/