AA AND THE RADIO NETWORK ARE ANTI-BIKE

[Lou Girardin]

And just a thought - Your rentals are on the AA web site - ironically you pay them for promoting your motorcycle business. Ethics?

And roadside assist, Ray's dealing with that.

[SARGE]

If I don't buy 11 bikes, I can afford the Superduke.
Sarge, would you not sell me 11 GN's?

lou.. you drive a hard bargain.. can we make it 14?..i need new billet rims for my FJ

[SARGE]

Flying GN250s?? Have you guys cracked the bourbon already? C'mon it's still at least 24hrs until Friday night when the golden gates of Colemans close.............

P.S. Can you ask Mark to warm up the water blaster at 5.30'ish? The beast needs another wash, a damned bird shat on me screen!

he will fire it up if you let me take it through Woodhill forest again

[The_Dover]

Hmm, that may make it three in three months............

[MD]

I heard the radio news this morning about AA and was already pissed off with the DomPost Saturday story on what happens when its $2 a litre. Paper said a move to motorcycles would probably increase the road toll" and to add impact next to that was a pic. of the white crosses along Centennial Highway. Poor example since those crosses are all for recent car vs car/truck crashes.
As drivers switch to bikes there will be less cars on the road to endanger riders and what cars there are will become more aware of bikes from our increased presence on the road. Its a win win with the national petrol consumption and pollution reduced.
see if they print it.

[Beemer]

I don't care about the "Soldiers vs Generals" distinction either. AA=You Suck in my Lexicon.

So you tar every person who works for a certain organisation with the same brush do you, Jim2? So even if someone who works for the AA rides bikes and supports motorcycling, you lump them in with those who make comments on the safety of motorcycling? As a matter of interest, what do YOU do for a living?

I agree with Ixion about the AA being run by 'tired grey old men' - I went after the job as editor of their magazine many years ago but it went to the boring twat who is still there now. I think their target market is the elderly - because they are the ones who have the time and money to travel by car.

And as Dave said - it is the AUTOMOBILE Association, not the MOTORCYCLE Association - so do you really expect them to recommend people buy bikes? They may not have worded it very well, but I understand what they meant by the comment that if people rushed out and bought bikes they could harm themselves - what they left out was 'inexperienced' people - those who have never ridden before.

The AA coming out against motorcycles is no different to Suzuki NZ issuing a statement that a certain number of riders had been killed or injured while riding their bikes so they want people to think twice and look at a small car instead!

[myvice]

Why the shock?
We have all known for years that the AA are just an insurance company masquerading as a "Voice of the Driving Public."
Would blame us for the death of Farlap if they could!
We need an Auto-Cycle Association, what BRONZ is sposed to be!
"Bikes are dangerous!"
This tired old line gets pulled out every time bike sales go up, is it because car sales drop? Conspiracy theory to follow if you want it!
The ACC are a pack of money grubbing plebs who will spend $2000 to get out of paying $500 to someone who needs it.
They have been manipulating statistics for there own ends for so long that no one knows the truth anymore anyway so they just say what they want and get the figures later.
People have short memories, and few listen to talk-back or read the paper beyond the first page anymore, at least not the 15-30 year olds that are most likely to be getting into riding for the first time.
Did a stint as a pushbike courier in Auckland, dangerous? Na, Other 1/2 said she'd divorce me if I tried it again tho! That and parachuting.
Bikes are Ok tho...

[James Deuce]

So you tar every person who works for a certain organisation with the same brush do you, Jim2? So even if someone who works for the AA rides bikes and supports motorcycling, you lump them in with those who make comments on the safety of motorcycling? As a matter of interest, what do YOU do for a living?

I agree with Ixion about the AA being run by 'tired grey old men' - I went after the job as editor of their magazine many years ago but it went to the boring twat who is still there now. I think their target market is the elderly - because they are the ones who have the time and money to travel by car.

And as Dave said - it is the AUTOMOBILE Association, not the MOTORCYCLE Association - so do you really expect them to recommend people buy bikes? They may not have worded it very well, but I understand what they meant by the comment that if people rushed out and bought bikes they could harm themselves - what they left out was 'inexperienced' people - those who have never ridden before.

The AA coming out against motorcycles is no different to Suzuki NZ issuing a statement that a certain number of riders had been killed or injured while riding their bikes so they want people to think twice and look at a small car instead!

AA has a "service" for roadside repair. You do not leave a pregnant woman and two small children on the side of the road in a broken down car at 8pm and say that they can't send anyone until the morning. If the organisation doesn't want everyone tarred with the same brush then they shouldn't do things that will forever tarnish their reputation in my mind. It was not the first time they had let us down either, but it is certainly the last.

What do I do for a living? Obviously nothing of any value or worth if that's the tone you're going to take.

You might think you understood what they meant, but I guarantee they were just reinforcing long standing prejudices. I think you're deluded if you think that anyone other than a motorcycle oriented lobby is ever going to say anything positive about motorcycles.

[Paul in NZ]

I've had patchy results from them BUT they assure me that as a part of their breakdown service the will come out to me on the bike because it is the member that is covered, not their car. (different from State)

BUT - They are a funny organisation. I'm a member but frankly, I'm not quite sure why anymore?

Cheers

Edit - oh thats right - Vicki went through aperiod of locking her keys in the car and it was cheaper than replacing the side window...

[eliot-ness]

Another point that seems to have been overlooked.
If the AA think bikes are so dangerous, Why is their bike insurance one of the cheapest on the market??

[Ghost Lemur]

MAG (Motorcycle Action Group (?)) seem to be achieving quite a bit in the UK. Anyone considered making contact with them and opening a NZMAG?

I agree with the comments so far, you never see BRONZ standup and do what their supposed to. From posts by (iirc) Jackrat they sound like they've turned into the PFJ (People's Front of Judea). Sitting around in talking.

What is needed is a proactive group that will put forward our point of view.

This will be doubley needed if more plebs do take up riding due to petrol prices, etc. Reason being, you can be garanteed that a few of the pleebs will get knocked/fall off. Then we'll come on the radar of the media, which of course will mean we start showing on the politians sights. Things like certain bikes being capable of breaking the speedlimit in first gear, wheelies, knee down action, LANE SPLITTING, exaust noice, etc, etc.

If we don't have an effective lobby organisation and this happens then we can expect to get shafted. Increased reg, more regulations/restrictions, etc, etc.

[unhingedlizard]

we were with the AA until they sent us a renewal notice for our gold membership on the day before we moved. Unusually, we lost it, so we called them to send us a new one and we got told that one is all we get, so we told them if they send us a couple of cents of paper we will send them our $70odd payment, still waiting........

On the "anti-bike" note, i got pissed at this until I realised that I dont really want every numptie driver getting a bike, writting themselves off and pushing up the rego fee die to ACC levies.

[Beemer]

AA has a "service" for roadside repair. You do not leave a pregnant woman and two small children on the side of the road in a broken down car at 8pm and say that they can't send anyone until the morning. If the organisation doesn't want everyone tarred with the same brush then they shouldn't do things that will forever tarnish their reputation in my mind. It was not the first time they had let us down either, but it is certainly the last.

What do I do for a living? Obviously nothing of any value or worth if that's the tone you're going to take.

You might think you understood what they meant, but I guarantee they were just reinforcing long standing prejudices. I think you're deluded if you think that anyone other than a motorcycle oriented lobby is ever going to say anything positive about motorcycles.

You are a grumpy shit, aren't you! I find it very hard to believe that the AA refused to go out to a pregnant woman with two kids - but then if you get your woman in that state you should make sure she drives a reliable vehicle.

And as for my query about what you do for a living, I really don't give a shit - it's just that I am a journalist and get sick of being classed as scum because SOME journalists lie or aren't very good at what they do. No matter what YOU do for a living, I bet you get fed up with comments like "EVERY [insert your job here] is an arsehole".

I would LOVE it if there was a motorcycle oriented lobby group that actually did anything to create change, but there's really only BRONZ and they are about as effective as pissing in the wind.

Pull your head in and stop being such a defensive prick, there are people here who do it much better than you.

[froggyfrenchman]

bikes are still the awnser!

[Paul in NZ]

You are a grumpy shit, aren't you! I find it very hard to believe that the AA refused to go out to a pregnant woman with two kids - but then if you get your woman in that state you should make sure she drives a reliable vehicle.
.

Lordy lordy! Settle down...

I have been turned down by them when I was in a pickle too... Oh, well, too be fair, they didn't actually refuse, they just made it impossible and pointless so I found an easier way.

I have had 1 other average experience as well. They never actually helped, just confirmed my diagnosis and left me to figure out how to get home.... Which was pretty pathetic!

Jim2 is a grumpy shit and I think he does an excellent job of it BTW (PT) but really, he is entitled to an opinion. Plus he's not really doing what you are suggesting. He reckons the whole organisation is a bit duff. You are mad because people think all Journalists suck because of a few bad eggs (hey, how do you think the police feel and I'm in sales fer gods sake). His contention is more that all the various trades inside one organisation are a bit naff... That happens! sometimes.... well once... maybe.. but it could...

Cheers