July 2015

Greetings...

Waterford becomes Irelands first 'bike friendly" county and otherwise it's a shorter issue this month as everyone's out on their motorcycles.

Your feedback (email to roadrunner@magireland.org) is always welcome.

Editor

Sign up for this free newsletter at http://www.magireland.org/roadrunner. 
Please add roadrunner@magireland.org to your safe sender/whitelist to ensure you don't miss an issue.

If you’re planning a motorcycle related event in Ireland in 2015, let us know by sending details to events@magireland.org and we'll add it to the Irish Motorcycle Events Calendar for free.

Bicycle Engine Kits Warning

We've had a couple of queries into the MAG Ireland office regarding bicycle engine kits and whether they are legal or not.

The short answer is that these things are NOT legal on public roads.

We're aware that these motorised bicycles have been seen in our towns and cities but the riders are leaving themselves open to prosecution for a number of serious road traffic offences. If someone you know is using a motorised bicycle have a word with them and put them wise. The same law applies to motorised scooters/skateboards. In a nutshell, any self-propelled vehicle used public roads will require a licence, tax and insurance and for two wheelers the rider must wear a helmet.

There is separate and specific legislation covering electrically assisted bicycles (pedelecs) which requires the rider to pedal in order for the electrical assistance to be delivered.

Click below for the Garda advice on this topic.

Bikemarshals.ie web site launched

BikeMarshals.ie is a new group of motorcycle volunteers currently based in the Limerick/Clare/Galway area who marshal and support events taking place on public roads. The overall aim is to maintain and improve safety for event participants, fellow marshals, and the general public.

Ted O'Malley, Chairperson of BikeMarshals.ie has been in touch with the MAG Ireland office to say that the group is currently getting up and running and is keen to hear from qualified riders (RoSPA Silver or Gold) as they aim to develop a network of trained motorcycle marshals.

BikeMarshals.ie recently launched their web site so for further information and contacts click the button below. We'll be catching up on their progress in a future issue and we wish the the best of luck in their endeavours.

First Bike on Scene - New course dates

First Bike on Scene – Emergency Response Skills is a one-day course covering immediate emergency skills for motorcyclists and other road users.

Delivered by the team at bikerstraining.com, the course aims to take away the fear from approaching and dealing with an accident scene, while potentially making a huge difference to the injured person.

Dates have now been announced for the Autumn/Winter season. Full details of the course and more besides can be found on the bikers training web site or see this month's Bike Buyers Guide.

MAG Ireland in Bike Buyers Guide

The August issue of Bike Buyers Guide is in shops from Thursday 30th July and this month MAG Ireland P.R.O. Victor Donnelly gives us the inside track on how MAG Ireland works with local authorities for the benefit of riders.

Elsewhere in the magazine you'll find the latest news from track side as well as the usual range of features and regular contributors, gear reviews, classic bikes, readers questions and a whole lot more besides.

August Bank Holiday message to road users

MAG Ireland is calling on Irish drivers to be extra vigilant this August Bank Holiday weekend. To raise awareness we need your help in sharing the image above on your social media accounts.

We're also advising riders to ride defensively, wear proper kit and ride such that you can stop within the distance you can see to be clear. Never assume that a driver has seen you and avoid overtaking near junctions or filling stations where a driver can turn left or right.

It's great to be able to filter past queues of bank holiday traffic but best to do it sensibly - be ready for any one of them to u-turn on you without looking. Ride defensively and plan ahead.

Whatever you're doing or wherever you're going, enjoy the bank holiday weekend and ride safe out there.

Help to protect motorcycling - Join Us

MAG Ireland represents Irish riders and is funded by Irish riders but we can only do what we do thanks to the financial support of our members subscriptions.

It now costs just €20 for a years membership, that’s less than 6 cent per day.

Not only that but we aim to save you the cost of your membership many times over via our exclusive vouchers and our group discount scheme (See below).

If you can’t stretch to a membership subscription but you’d still like to help, just click the donate link on the menu at www.magireland.org and give whatever you can.

Member only discount scheme

Get away from it all this Summer with short breaks at bargain prices in a range of three and four star hotels nationwide from €39 per person sharing.

That's just one of the many great deals available to you right now as a member of MAG Ireland. With discounts on ferry travel, car hire and hotels as well as a huge range of consumer goods and electronics there have never been so many benefits to MAG Ireland members!

On average our members save over €30 every time they use their online discounts - that's a full €10 more than the cost of membership. Join up, log in and you'll save the cost of your membership many times over!