Brexit is the news buzzword of the moment, and rightly so, as it’s set to shape the future of the UK as we know it. What isn’t receiving much attention is how this will affect the average biker, beyond what will affect all motorists in the UK, so in this post I’ll cover a few of the things that may change for UK bikers.
The most obvious change will be regarding how we go about going touring in Europe, and at the moment it’s still not set in stone (this is something of a theme unfortunately). At the moment it’s a simple case of having the correct kit with you, a passport and a few other documents that you already have, and a GB sticker stuck to the back of your bike (or the numberplate version). This could all still be the case, but you might also need to fork out for an International Driving Permit, and there isn’t only one version that covers all the parts of Europe you may visit! Admittedly people got by just fine before it became more simple, so this should be a minor inconvenience that shouldn’t stop you taking your bike overseas.
The Channel Tunnel and ferries could end up having larger queues, but you have to remember that you’re on a motorcycle and that skipping queues could be a breeze, especially if they’re on motorways…sorry lorry and car drivers! Another point to note before going abroad will be mobile roaming costs – admittedly free EU roaming was only a recent change and a large number of people wouldn’t even have had the chance to take advantage of it. Three is the only network so far to explicitly say they won’t charge extra after Brexit, so they may be the network to go to for the touring biker!
Moving away from touring, and onto the bikes we ride, and the gear we wear. Fortunately for the UK, Triumph is a British brand and its bikes won’t face import tariffs. The same might not be able to be said for EU brands, such as Ducati, BMW and KTM. Depending on final arrangements this could push prices up, but with motor vehicle exports to the UK being a vital part of the EU’s economies, it’s fair to say prices hikes would mean long term damage to their sales. It’s probably the trickiest aspect of Brexit to judge without being at the negotiating table, as this is important to both sides – we like European metal, and they like our hard-earned cash! The same can be said for European motorcycle gear, such as Alpinestars and Dainese – who knows which way it’ll go! The potentially positive side of this is the ability to change the trading relationship with other motorcycle heavyweights – Japan and the USA, which could mean prices for bikes and gear from these countries could change for the better if the trade deal is favourable to the UK in this sector.
One thing that motorcyclists hold dear is how their motorbike sounds, as well as how it looks and performs. Compared to car drivers, the sound of a bike is sometimes as important as how much it costs to run and buy, and EU emissions regulations have proved a hard burden to bear for some manufacturers. Ultimately, reducing emissions is certainly worthwhile, but with motorcycle engine technology lagging behind car engines in many aspects, reducing emissions comes at the expense of power and noise, and leaves behind gigantic, unsightly exhausts – all things that bikers dislike. Leaving the EU will mean these standards won’t be applicable to the UK directly, but unfortunately there is a downside. Apart from maybe Triumph with its large local market, and only if the UK doesn’t automatically adopt these emissions standards, most bikes shipped to the UK will be EU compliant, so it's unlikely much change will be seen here in the near future.
The final aspect that might be changed on leaving the EU will be motorcycle rider licensing. Recent changes have been in line with EU guidelines, and thankfully it resulted in manufacturers responding with great small capacity bikes, like the KTM 390 range. As always there are flaws in regulation, especially with blanket power restrictions, which was especially true with the old 33bhp restriction. A restricted 600cc inline four bike, for example, was not a happy beast, especially with a throttle stop doing the work, whereas the higher, current restriction is much more reasonable. With our licensing laws outside EU guidelines, it’ll be interesting to see what the UK government will do with them.
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