FREEDOM RIDE

 Organised Nationally by the Free Australia Party & the Freedom Riders

Protest for the Rights of ALL Australians ~ ALL Welcome

Departing Saturday, 25^th January & Returning Monday, 27^th January 2014

North & North East Victoria to Canberra ACT

~ IRG Kelly Country Protest Ride ~

Departure Point: Caltex Northbound, Hume Highway, Tallarook

9.30 am for roll out 10.00 am

You are welcome to join us, along the Hume Highway, between the following Stops:

·        Glenrowan BP Northbound, Hume Highway – 11.45 pm for roll out 12.00 noon

·        Albury – BP Lavington NSW, Travelstop Way, (enter off Thurguna Drive) – 1.00 pm for roll out 1.30 pm

(South Gundagai; part of Group will peel off to accommodation –  2.45 pm)

·        North Gundagai Shell/Coles Express, Dog on the Tuckerbox – 3.15 pm for roll out 3.30 pm

Arrive Canberra 5.00 pm

Limited accommodation available via IRG for Saturday & Sunday nights South of Gundagai.

Camping available at Mitchell or Sutton, ACT

For details, or any other information:

Please email independentridersgroup@iinet.net.au or call Cate 0412 049 504

Updates, if needed, will be posted on: https://www.facebook.com/NorthernRegisterIRG?fref=ts

“Let those who ride decide.”

Share on your Facebooks, Blogs and Emails.

Independent Riders Group (IRG) encourage attendance at Parliament House Canberra if possible. 

Most States & Territory's have Protests organised at their Parliament Houses, for those unable to take extra time out to travel to Canberra.

Please beware, be aware, and stay shiny side up.

Vehicle drivers, please take extra care while sharing the road with riders on this Australia Day long weekend.

The Freedom Day Protests Australia wide this Sunday, 26th of January, are not only about motorcyclists right to ride; they're important because it's about Australia's freedoms. It's about the right to meet with who we want, when & where we want. It's about stop & search powers extending to ordinary citizens, and more.  These Protests & Rides have been organised nationally by the Free Australia Party & the Freedom Riders.  Protect your right to ride, and stay upright :-)

PLEASE read & pass on 'Rules of Engagement for Silent Resistance' & leave anger & attitude at home.  The Australia Day Freedom Protests may be the only chance we'll get, to show our objection to any laws similar to those already in place in Qld, being introduced in other States & Territory's.  Victorian Premier Napthine has already stated he will do it.  Therefore, it is VITAL that we remain peaceful at all times, and DO NOT react aggressively to any member of any State or Territory Police force.  It is both the Govt. & media's desire to continue to demonize motorcycle riders, to justify the introduction of these draconian laws, which WILL impact enormously on our freedom to ride Australia wide.  Let's show some constraint, & NOT play into their hands, or all our efforts will be wasted.  

NB  Protest is at OLD Parliament House, and after the speeches, there will be entertainment provided.

VICPOL PR?

The vilification of motorcycle riders by police and law-makers across OZ, especially in Queensland, does effect ordinary riders.

1.3 million Australians hold bike licences. Police say only 5000 of them are members of "outlaw motorcycle gangs". 

To justify their push for power and dangerous laws government spin doctors generate negative publicity which is lapped up by the sensationalist media. Bad bikie news gets the front page treatment, good bikie news rarely gets a run. They need villains. This means riders are at greater risk on our roads and police get away with treating motorcyclists unfairly.

I copped it myself. On January 11, I went for a ride.

St Andrews up to King Lake was a great road. Now it is a death trap. The speed limit has been reduced to 60 kph for nearly 20 kms of twisty bits. Narrow blacktop. Lots of blind corners. There was a speed camera in roadside scrub at the bottom. There was no police presence.

About 11 am on a Saturday the road is infested with bicyclists who can't do anything like 60 kph going uphill. They ride two abreast in both directions.

Car drivers don't even begin to think about using their brakes and waiting to pass safely. They just swing out and overtake. A motorcycle or scooter rider can face a head-on with a car, usually a 4WD/SUV monster coming round a blind corner at a closing speed of up to 100 kph. It happened to me several times on the one trip.

I had a pie at the King Lake bakery. Too early for a counter attack at the pub and headed off to Healesville. The plan was lunch at Marysville. Spending my tourist dollars and being a good citizen.

The road through Toolangi was safe and deserted. Perfect conditions, no cars. I think the speed limit was 50 kph. I was tootling along at about 40 kph enjoying the solitude. There was a bike cop by the road. He pulled me over. I asked why he had stopped me. He said it was his job to check my licence. My licence is clean. I was wearing the right gear. The bike had been roadworthyed 24 hours before. He went over the bike and told me what was wrong with it.

I was not happy getting a lecture on a rare day out for doing absolutely nothing wrong so I returned fire. I asked him why he was pulling bikes up on a very safe bit of road when a few kms away deadly mayhem was being committed by idiots on pushbikes and potential culpable drivers. He said it was not his area. He did not deny he was only pulling up motorcyclists. He tried to make excuses that the hills were a high bike crash zone. He was not where the bike crash risk was high on the St Andrews / King Lake Road.

After about 20 minutes it was clear he was not going to find something to book me for so I left. Spoilt my day. What great public relations for the Victoria Police eh?

Damien
IRG

SURFACE SLIPS ON MELBOURNE'S WEST GATE

Hi DAMIEN,

The crack appears to just be the membrane separating from the asphalt due to the heat (no structural damage):

http://theage.drive.com.au/roads-and-traffic/heatwave-likely-cause-of-large-crack-on-west-gate-bridge-20140120-314w4.html

However that shouldn't stop us from pointing out that motorcycles have the lowest impact on the roads and do not cause these kinds of problems.

NB. It was probably the trucks that made that asphalt move over the membrane.

*************************************************************************

Traffic chaos caused by two lanes on Melbourne's West Gate Bridge being closed is bad for everyone.

Trucks damage infrastructure BUT in the short to medium term we can't move goods any other way.

Single occupant cars make up 70% of the city's traffic and a lot of them are on unnecessary trips. They pollute our air, clog roads and damage infrastructure. These drivers should be encouraged to commute by scooter or motorcycle. If 5% of car drivers made the switch everyone would benefit. We'd breath easier and save time and money.

Australian cities will continue to grow and the motorcycle & scooter community will too. This was documented in the Federal Major Cities Unit report The State of Australian Cities - 2012.

www.infrastructure.gov.au

VicRoads must abandon its antibike policies and the Transport Accident Commission must review motorcycle & scooter CTP premiums and abolish the "safety levy" (antibike tax). They should follow the City of Melbourne's lead and actively promote commuting by motorcycles & scooters.

Damien

WANNA JOB?

http://mycareer.com.au/jobs/south-melbourne-3205-vic/executive-corporate-strategy/senior-management-board/9145662+chief+executive+officer+motorcycling+australia.aspx?from=jobalert&alertid=1033882&s_cid=ja:20140120:daily:executive+/+corporate+strategy,+marketing,+media,+advertising,+arts+&+entertainment,+pr+&+communications:melbourne:&utm_source=jobalert&utm_medium=email

Situation vacant at Motorcycling Australia.

BIKE BROADCAST 2014

Don't forget to tune in on Tuesday night next week at 7pm on Alive 90.5 online around Australia.

Find out the latest on the Freedom Ride to Canberra on January 26.

why it looks better for custom motorcycles in Australia.

Interesting news for Queensland regarding the High Court Challenge.

Why recreational riders have received an apology from the Police Commissioner.

All this and more great Aussie music - so tune in if you can!  

www.alive905.com.au

UNDERCOVER IN NEW YORK

abcnews.go.com/m/story?id=21586184&ref=http%3A%2F%2Ft.co%2FAbKHAUKjrK

LETTER TO A MINISTER

The Victorian Scooter Riders Association (VSRA) have been in favour of traffic filtering since our inception. 

The VSRA policy letter supports filtering, we have sent several media releases supporting filtering independently and also as joint media releases with the Independent Riders Group (IRG). 

One of our member clubs made a submission to the Victorian Parliamentary Inquiry into Motorcycle Safety supporting filtering. We have made numerous pleas to Terry Mulder the Victorian Minister of Roads to support the recommendation resulting from the Parliamentary Inquiry into Motorcycle Safety in particular Recommendation 59 regarding filtering.  

The VSRA made a submission to the Melbourne Road Safety Plan proposing the introduction of Filtering in the Melbourne CBD, I personally raised the issue of an overdue filtering trial and establishment of a Filtering Review Committee at the last Motorcycle Advisory Group meeting at VicRoads in Kew.

In this regard, along with previous initiatives to see filtering introduced, the VSRA supports the draft rider rep PTW Filtering Submission of the 19^th December and we commend it along with all previous and any future initiatives that may one day see the long overdue filtering trial and establishment of a Filtering Review Committee in Victoria.

Regards

Stephen Bardsley
Spokesperson - VSRA