In the U.S., taking to the streets when upset about a government policy went out with the end of the Vietnam war. Not so in Europe.
On Saturday, under the leadership of the French Association of Angry Bikers, a no-nonsense name if there ever was one, motorcyclists did their best to slow and stop traffic in order to register their protests. In this case, the government edict they were protesting was a mandate that all bikers wear high-visibility jackets when they ride.
A similar protest was staged in August when the government tried to push tighter sanctions on bikers, claiming they were necessary because motorcycle deaths had increased dramatically. The bikers association was able to show that the figures quoted were taken from winter months and extrapolated to the entire year. Then, using government agency data, they showed that in fact, deaths had dropped by 20 percent.
France is also considering banning bikes more than 7 years old from urban areas, arguing that they put out too much pollution.
American riders do well to pay attention to the regulatory mandates put in place in Europe because what can be made to stick over there has a tendency to migrate here. And over there, the issues have arisen enough that a general EU Hands Off Biking day has been called for Sept. 25. The sorts of measures being resisted include the requirement that all bikes have ABS, that powertrains be sealed and unable to be customized, and that speed limiters be put on bikes.
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