Simon Milward down ??

Wotcha.

Don't know how true this one is, but I've just had this email :---->

<<quote>>
MAG PRESS RELEASE

Issued 8th March 2005

Simon Milward Tragically Killed in Africa

It is with great regret that we must tell you that Simon Milward, the
former General Secretary
of the Federation of European Motorcyclists Associations (FEMA) has
died in a road accident
in Africa while on a round the world charity fund-raising motorcycle
ride.

Simon, who set out on what he called The Millennium Ride at the
beginning of 2000 was
raising funds for charities providing medical assistance via
motorcycles in poor countries.

He had reached the West African state of Mali in West Africa on his
way back to Europe when
the accident occurred.

Details from the authorities are minimal at present but we shall post
more on MAG's website
as information becomes available.

Initiatives have been made to repatriate his body and we shall post
bulletins on the website to
advise of further arrangements.

Anyone wishing to recognise the selfless work Simon so
enthusiastically committed himself
to, may like to visit his website for details regarding donations to
his charities.

www.millennium-ride.com

All of us at MAG UK wish to express our sympathy to Simon's family and
his many friends
around the world. His loss leaves a huge gap in all our lives.

Ian Mutch

MAG President

<</quote>

Didn't think Muchie was MAG president ?

Ah well, we'll see.

 

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/devon/4330073.stm

 

"^..^ Lone Wolf" >

http://www.fema.kaalium.com/ looks true to me
--
Donegal Paul - On the mend
Maico Letta 247cc - We have the technology.
Zundapp Bella r203 - Watch out for ze Germans!
Bajaj Chetak 125 - Wannabe Vespa
Lambretta Li186 - stripped.
Vespa T5 Millenium - intact
www.thepilgrimssc.co.uk
www.iowcaravans.co.uk

 

<snip>

That's a real bummer. I knew Simon, when I was in Belgium and he was a
decent geezer. He wasn't stuck up, like the twats in MAG.

Recent change, IIRC. After liversausage went, it was a natural
progression.

 

****, flag at half mast

--
<--ROT13 it
Spam Trap in Header

Freedom isn't FREE


http://borg.no-ip.com

 

Wotcha.

Indeed - that's why I was rather hoping the email was a wind up in poor
taste.

Oops. That'll teach me to pay more attention at MAG meetings ;-)

 

As in one cnut following another do you mean?

 

Bummer.

It was reading Dan Walsh in Bike, then reading Simon Milward's web stuff
that convinced me to undertake my Australia bash.

Even after 3 and a bit years, I was still hoping for the day to come where I
could meet the guy and thank him for his advice about the corrugations in
the Great Victoria Desert whilst, at the same time, feeling smug that
(mainly thanks to reading about what he did wrong before I set out) I never
crashed once on my road-tyred Pegaso....

Dave
"Less like John Deacon, more like Joey...."

 

As in one cnut following another do you mean?[/QUOTE]

*ding*

 

You're posting with that bloody dodgy news service,
talkaboutmotorcycles, aren't you?

Fucking censor nazis. (BTW, Do they censor incoming posts?)

 

If you are going to use taklaboutmotorcycles.com to post then I think
you are going to have to be a bit more creative with your language.

 

Rather spookily, given events, only last weekend I was wondering how
his round the world trip was progressing...

I crossed swords with Simon a number of times in the European Standards
committee for motorcylists' clothing, but it was never personal, and we
later collaborated on the European "Industry Quality Label" initiative
for motorcyclists' clothing. He was a committed and hard-working
proponent of riders' rights and a decent bloke.

I extend my sincere condolences to his family, friends and colleagues.

 

Organised some good European rallies. Well, at least one or two.

 

I was and remain "Principal Technical Expert" in the field of
motorcyclists' protective clothing; an honorary, voluntary position
bestowed on me by the BSi committee responsible for producing the UK's
input into the European Standards. Consequently, I represent the UK at
meetings of the corresponding European Standards committee ("WG9").

Within WG9, I was appointed leader of the Project Group responsible for
finalising the European Standards for motorcyclists' protective
clothing. The source document was a hybrid of the Cambridge Standard
and the SATRA Alternative Technical Specification, both of which were
published in order to permit the UK manufacturers of bespoke leather
garments to CE mark their products despite the absence of a European
Standard.

This hybrid document was edited into a form which the European industry
and other interest groups within WG9 (including FEMA)could more readily
support than had previously been the case.

Jumping back in time a little, industry and FEM (the forerunner to
FEMA) had been utterly opposed to standards for motorcyclists'
clothing. It was at this time that the late Simon Milward and I held
strongly opposing views. A combination of events, attempts at reaching
a compromise and not least the efforts of the industry's
newly-appointed political advisors EPPA led to advances being made.

IQL was conceived by EPPA and was an attempt by the European industry,
supported by riders' groups, to find middle ground between their
absolute opposition to standards and a legislative regime (the PPE
Directive) which might lend itself to secondary legislation making the
wearing of PPE compulsory. None of us wanted this. My support has
always been for some form of mechansism which allows the consumer
access to information which will enable them to distinguish between
competing products in the marketplace - *not* to force them to wear a
particular product.

IQL was designed to test the durability of garments in extended wear,
and to generally raise the quality of motorcycling kit. However, when
it became evident that the European Standards did not pose the threat
of compulsion which some parties had feared, and theyw ere going to be
published irrespective of the existence or not of IQL, IQL immediately
lost industry support and work ceased. To their credit, however, Hein
Gericke later sifted through the cold ashes of IQL and adapted a number
of its principles to establish their "Safe Stitch" construction system,
which has probably helped to create support for the company's products
amongst ukrm'ers.

What we have in the main, however, is the inevitability of a slowly
growing number of companies producing kit which meets the European
Standards, and a lot of kit which we cannot be certain about. As I have
said before, two types of "CE" products:

"Conformite Europeen"

or

"Caveat Emptor"

 

Paul Varnsverry wrote

<Bruce Forsythe mode on>
Fx: makes note: Thinks he knows all about trousers

Yebbut only recently.

 

Don't be silly, fucking group would have no posts in it. I did just
check and profanity seems ok incoming.

 

I am amazed it took me fifteen years to make the connection.

 

Great kit. I'm not an advocate of kit making one feel safer (just makes
idiots drive more idiotically) but at least I am more confident that
should some cager try to take me out, I am (a) more visible and (b) more
likely to survive.

Good work by all concerned.

Pricey, but good quality IFAICT.

 

Please don't fall into the trap that "more visible" equals "more safe".
It doesn't.

 

Tim wrote

This is true but, if I might make reference to Another Thread, them
yellow vests do a grand job of keeping the draught out.