United Kingdom - Once again, London is the centre for chats about motorcycle theft. In 2018 there was a Pow Wow held with Sadiq Khan, Mayor of London and the motorcycle industry. Back then, Sadiq Khan told them it was vital that manufacturers help defeat motorcycle-related crime. The industry replied that they didn’t have a silver bullet – which according to them, seemed to be what was required. Now on February 26th 2024), a meeting will be held at London's City Hall with the Deputy Mayor for Policing and Crime, a senior Metropolitan Police Officer and Motorcycle … [Read more...]
Motorcycles, Crime and Silver Bullets
The article "Motorcycles, Crime and Silver Bullets" was written in 2018 for FIM's Public Affairs website and also reproduced here on Motorcycle Minds. As the FIM website appears to have been taken down, the article has with it - disappeared. There was a lot of information regarding motorcycles, legislation and security, so once again for the benefit of motorcyclists who wish to know more about security and how to keep their motorcycles "safe". In recent weeks there has once again, been a burst of information, the latest, "Aimed at educating motorcyclists and scooter … [Read more...]
Where do you go My Lovely?
Where do you go My Lovely ? (when you're sold on for scrap) Did you know that in the UK (according to DVLA statistics) there were 11518 L3* motorcycles written off by insurance companies in 2021? Just to explain - there are four categories of written off vehicles in the UK. A category write offs must be completely scrapped i.e. all parts destroyed (there were 145 L3 motorcycles); B category write offs can only be used for spare parts (there were 3071 L3 motorcycles); N category (once known as D cat.) refers to cosmetic damage and can be repaired and put back on the … [Read more...]
Myth and Reality – Subculture
‘Myth and Reality in the Motorcycle Subculture' Elaine Hardy PhD - Motorcycle Minds I wrote a PhD thesis entitled "Fear of Crime and Vested Interests - a Case Study of Motorcyclists". During my PhD research I came across Maz Harris' thesis '‘Myth and Reality in the Motorcycle Subculture' (he worked on his PhD in the same department at Warwick Univ. as me). Sadly he died in May 2000 as a result of a motorcycle crash. Anyway, I took copious notes and from those, I looked at a couple of interesting issues in his thesis: He compares the motorcycle outlaw subculture … [Read more...]
Thieves Aghast At Tactical Contact
United Kingdom – London – Metropolitan Police - Finally dispelling the myth that those using/stealing scooters and motorcycles will evade police if they remove helmets when being chased, the Met Police held a briefing on their “tactics” for disabling moped/scooter/motorcycle linked theft. At the briefing in Scotland yard on Friday 23rd November, one might say a sort of a Black Friday for two wheeled enable thieves, police chiefs warned that there is no maximum speed for police cars to hit mopeds, and that it is a common misconception among moped thieves that officers … [Read more...]
Theft – Rearranging The Deckchairs
UK – The Motorcycle Industry Association (MCIA) has announced the launch of a new motorcycle & scooter anti-theft security “star rating” programme. This is designed to recognise and highlight to buyers which anti-theft devices are fitted or supplied as standard on new motorcycles and scooters. The new rating scheme will be known as ‘MCIA Secured’, presented at the Home Office, the initiative has been developed, according to the MCIA, in response to the rise in motorcycle and scooter theft and the significant increase in scooters being used to enable further crime, … [Read more...]
Pursuits – Smashing The Myth
UK - From motorcycle enable crime to motorcycle theft - bike jacking - acid attacks to anti-social behaviour - illegal riding - to on the ground policing. One of the issues that has galled riders and has been perpetuated by the press, is that the police will not chase a suspected stolen motorcycle if the rider or pillion remove their helmets. Police officers have faced internal investigation and faced prosecution, not just regarding motorcycle pursuits nor just un-helmeted pursuits - that have either ended in death or injury or not - to the suspect/s being chased and … [Read more...]
