Daily motorbike news, views & reviews
A “Change” petition to relax motorcycle handlebar rules last year attracted more than 11,000 signatures, but was ignored by the Federal Government. So now the petitioners have gone to a lawyer to draft a formal Federal Parliament petition to elicit some action. Click here to sign the petition. Gold Coast handlebar manufacturer Burleigh Bars Australia started …
Many riders and custom bike builders “bob” the tail of their motorcycle for a tidier appearance, but are they legal? We’ve heard of police harassing riders over their motorcycle tails and mudguards, and issuing fines for non-compliance. But what exactly is compliant? And do the police even know! In 2014, the Federal Government removed the mudguard …
Arbitrary handlebar height restrictions have created an excuse for police to conduct a witch-hunt to harass riders, says Zane Walton of Burleigh Bars Australia. The Gold Coast handlebar manufacturer has started an online Change.org petition to scrap the arbitrary limit of 380mm above the seat. Click here to read about the petition. Witch-hunt examples Zane …
The arcane rules and regulations on handlebar measurements are made more confusing for riders by the different interpretations and amendments of each state. Longtime motorcycle campaigner Wayne Carruthers says some states have not appreciated the 2005 and 2016 changes in regulations. “Many states still have clauses with the old height and width measurement systems which …
Arbitrary maximum heights and widths for motorcycle handlebars have no basis in science or safety research, yet many jurisdictions enforce maximum measurements with no relationship to rider posture. In Australia the rules vary from state to state, but they are generally that the lowest part of the hand grip must not be higher than 380mm …
Police have been incorrectly fining riders for wide handlebars, unaware the Australian Design Rules increased the maximum width in December 2015 from 900mm to 1100mm. Caboolture rider Dean Brown has had his fine waived by the Deception Bay police, but Motorcycle Riders Association of Queensland president Chris Mearns knows of four other incorrect infringement notices …
Unsightly long rear mudguards will soon be a thing of the past under new moves to remove unnecessary red tape requiring new motorcycles to meet Australia’s arcane design rules. The new change involves removing the mudguard extension specification from the national vehicle standards or Australian Design Rules (ADR). It is a rare and sensible display of agreement …