Oilymits

Use the real thing, doesn't cover every model but still very useful for cross referencing. yammy parts

OK, here's something that really wound me up As a member of MAG i am also an "email activist" which means i annoy the hell out of politicians, the goverment and any one else that is anti-bike/biker and who comes up with ideas on getting us off the road and making the riding and modifying of bikes as difficult as possible. I don't watch the top gear programme but i certainly know who clarkson is. In a recent email from Mag HQ there was the following story, this was the first i heard about it but it has since been in MCN and some of the biking press. Clarkson on Noise (Information) ====== Jeremy Clarkson, the main presenter on the BBC program Top Gear, broadcast on Sunday 7th August 2005 made a comment regarding motorcyclists with loud exhausts fitted, he said that he would like to 'shoot them in the face.' His main complaint was that the city boys come down on their latest machines at weekends dressed like power rangers and blast past his house in the Cotswolds making too much noise. Talking to MPs this is one of the main complaints they receive from their constituents in rural areas. The comment appeared amidst was one of Mr Clarkson's rants the legitimacy of which are often diminished by the gratuitously provocative elements they contain. Accompanying Mr Clarkson on the show was Richard Hammond, a columnist for Motor Cycle News, who mentioned on air that Mr Clarkson had previously advised putting wire across the road to slow motorcyclists down. Clarkson is a menace in some respects. Our organisation, The Motorcycle Action Group, endeavours to promote motorcycling as a more sustainable form of transport than the car while Mr Clarkson consistently glorifies the most extravagant cars on the market and indulges his appetite for abusing motorcyclist at every opportunity. If you wish to make a complaint then you can at: http://www.bbc.co.uk/complaints/ http://www.ofcom.org.uk/advice/contact/tv_radio_other There is also a petition set up calling for Jeremy Clarkson's sacking at: http://www.petitiononline.com/bikers8u/petition.html http://www.lists.mag-uk.org/mailman/listin...ag-uk-activists I don't know what people here think of his comments but it has certainly upset a lot a people and when i signed the petition for his sacking there were already nearly 2000 signatures Inciting people to commit acts of violence is of course a criminal offence and in the present political climate if i was to incite violence towards a political or religious group i would probably have a SWAT team waiting for me when i stepped out of my front door! The BBC however seem to think otherwise, i also sent a complaint to them and here is their reply. Thank you for your e-mail about 'Top Gear'. I understand that you are unhappy with comments made by Jeremy Clarkson regarding motorcyclists. Jeremy's views on motorcyclists and motorcycles are widely known amongst regular viewers of 'Top Gear'. Both Richard Hammond and James May are keen motorcyclists and have opposing views to Jeremy, which tends to give an element of balance to any motorcycle related issues that arise on the show. Jeremy Clarkson's sense of humour and often outrageously provocative comments are an integral part of 'Top Gear'. They are not intended to be taken seriously and his comment about motorcyclists on this occasion was merely a turn of phrase, albeit one of his more extreme ones. This view is not restricted to motorcyclists - it is one Jeremy has expressed in the past with reference to anyone who blocks a yellow box junction. Please be assured that the BBC does not condone such activities as were suggested by Jeremy on this occasion, and had his comments been made with any degree of seriousness, rather than the deliberately provocative overstatement that is his trademark, we would of course take issue with him. Naturally we note any offence that is caused when people take Jeremy at face value and please be assured that we have registered your concerns. Thank you again for contacting BBC Information. Regards Barry McElwee BBC Information Apparently it's just his "deliberately provocative overstatement that is his trademark" so that's alright then Surely there is enough road rage already without clarkson calling for more, i know of a case locally when someone strung fishing line across a road which took a women moped rider off her bike. Clarkson as a public figure should realise there are morons out there that might well take him at his word, despite what the BBC might say. On a different note but still anti-biker, if anyone wanting to obtain a full bike licence thinks it's hard now there are proposals by the wonderful bike hating EU that will make it impossible to get a full licence until you are 24 years old. The EU says this will bring down the number of biking accidents, of course it will as there will eventually be very few people riding bikes as it will be just to difficult and expensive to get a licence (approx £800). I know that many bikers don't like MAG or any other political bike organisation and think it's not worth joining as they never achieve anything but MAG has stopped a few things becoming law over the years. Fancy having to ride your classic Yammy or R1 with legshieds? This was proposed a few years ago by the then transport minister Peter Bottomly who wanted them fitted to all bikes, his idea was dropped after 1000's of bikers went on a mass demo in London and bombarded him and other MP's with objections. Getting through to the EU can take an age but now with the internet it's far easier to make people aware of what's happening and get them complaining. Local MP's, Politicians, goverments and the EU are only an email away, we do have to fight for our simple right to ride bikes and as boring as it is dealing with this stuff life would be a lot more boring if we couldn't ride at all! OK, rant over, mike. Must get my bike finished as i really need to go for a ride after a good old rant and remind myself what i would be missing if they took it away from us