Time for a NZ Motorcycle Alliance?

**flyingcrocodile46** · 5th December 2009, 12:57

Originally Posted by Conquiztador

I hear you. But you are missing the point a fraction. What I am proposing is not a organisation made up of individuals. It is an Alliance of excisting clubs/organisations and would not have to fight to get members. It would be a "umbrella" organisation that would lobby and work on behalf of the organisations/clubs that are part of alliance. The alliance in it self would have no opinion re any of the issues going on and not make decisions on behalf of the members. It would be there to forward their view with all that having a big voice represents.

And there is not that much in to starting a organisation. I have done that more than once. Constitution, members, register and you are away. (OK, that is simplyfied, but the rest is just details).

Good luck on trying to...
1. Organise agreement of all the clubs etc to join the alliance in the first place

and

2. Good luck on getting agreement between them on what views should be forwarded.

**Squiggles** · 5th December 2009, 13:02

Informally i suspect they do exist...

**Conquiztador** · 5th December 2009, 13:23

Originally Posted by T.G.W

Not knocking the idea - but hmmm I don't think the work, costs and people needed - involved to setup an umbrella is necesary, when essentially it comes down to info sharing amongst groups.

The umbrella would still be doing the same jobs as say for example BRONZ (sorry to speak on behalf of) who I imagine comb media, do research, analyse data, meet with interested parties etc, all of this to stay ahead of the game and up to date (and if the umbrella didn't do this work, then it would be less informed than the groups it represents)

Also the nice thing about group alignment is that many groups have eyes on many balls.
Perhaps a centralised data sharing system, but even then there are still places setup with information?

What I am proposing would be to 100% driven by the members (clubs/organisations) and run by them w/o each and every one of them needing to have all the information and expertise to do so. As a N4P organisation the Alliance could get funding (and as it is not a sport club/organisation) it would, in the current climate, help here. There would be a token yearly fee from each club/organisation to belong. Only other thing a club/organisation would have to do is to provide a contact detail and a yearly membership figure. And thats it.

Apart from being up to date with issues, the Alliance would not start anything w/o the members asking for it. Membership mandate would drive it all.

I might be ahead of my time. But I think this is needed as in my chrystal ball I can se much more roadblocks for bikers in a near future.

**scissorhands** · 5th December 2009, 17:26

I'm for including cyclists, they want something too. Two Wheeled Commuters Association of NZ ish. The Association could be very powerful with a large membership.

**zahria** · 5th December 2009, 17:35

Originally Posted by scissorhands

I'm for including cyclists, they want something too. Two Wheeled Commuters Association of NZ ish. The Association could be very powerful with a large membership.

I reckon you might be on to something here, there'd be a pretty good number on two wheels, Be something to have on the cards when ACC get around to hitting cyclists in the pocket as well.

**Pedrostt500** · 5th December 2009, 21:30

I've been thinking about starting a political party, and calling it The Bastards Party, But National seems to beat me to most of the policies. Might just form the Pedrostt500 Junta, but then I would have to get a uniform for my Secret Police, lots of Gold Braid.

**98tls** · 5th December 2009, 21:44

Interesting thread C,Theres is however im guessing many more motorcyclists out there that dont belong to a club/group etc than do methinks,i and not one of the guys in my social circle (or whatever) dont,various reasons,group rides suck blah blah,how do you get that group of potential voters involved?

**Pixie** · 5th December 2009, 23:16

Originally Posted by 98tls

Interesting thread C,Theres is however im guessing many more motorcyclists out there that dont belong to a club/group etc than do methinks,i and not one of the guys in my social circle (or whatever) dont,various reasons,group rides suck blah blah,how do you get that group of potential voters involved?

Let them know that Land Transport has plans to eliminate motorcycling in NZ by 2050

**grbaker** · 7th December 2009, 12:45

NZMA - Sounds like a good idea.

I wasn't surprised by AA opinion, especially since they are vendor agents of LTSA for all of our licenses. Of course they would agree with their biggest customer (no not you, the Govt).

Good road services from AA went out the windows about the same time they took over the licensing stuff.

**Hitcher** · 7th December 2009, 20:18

Sometimes some Kiwi Biker members really fuck me off.

Currently there is a bunch of associations that are elected to represent the interests of motorcyclists and which are open to anybody sufficiently interested to get off their arses, pay a subscription and rock along to meetings. This includes BRONZ, MNZ, Ulysses, HOG, WIMA and others I may have overlooked. Indeed it could be argued that this plethora of representation mirrors the tribalism that will be motorcycling's undoing.

But do bikers actively support these organisations in numbers that will allow them to succeed? Fuck off.

Where's the fun and that? It's too easy to bitch and moan about hidden agendas, dickhead presidents, "that lot" and all manner of conspiracy theories instead.

Running incorporated societies that leverage dedicated volunteers to get things done is not easy. Indeed about three years ago I was involved in winding one up. People were happy to support our events and even pay their subs, but we couldn't get enough people to step forward and serve as directors, hence the decision to wind up.

The ACC levies catastrophuck is the first issue I've seen in many years that has galvanised all bikers. It should have demonstrated the value biker organisations have in making collective submissions and acting as an effective public voice. Once 1 July 2010 has passed and we're all staring down the barrel of large ACC levy increases and have accepted these as a reality, we'll all return to our bitchy backstabbing ways.

We don't need leadership. Indeed we fart in its general direction. Fuck us all and the horses we rode in on. We deserve everything we get, such is our hopelessness.

**short-circuit** · 7th December 2009, 20:27

Originally Posted by Hitcher

Sometimes some Kiwi Biker members really fuck me off.

Currently there is a bunch of associations that are elected to represent the interests of motorcyclists and which are open to anybody sufficiently interested to get off their arses, pay a subscription and rock along to meetings. This includes BRONZ, MNZ, Ulysses, HOG, WIMA and others I may have overlooked. Indeed it could be argued that this plethora of representation mirrors the tribalism that will be motorcycling's undoing.

But do bikers actively support these organisations in numbers that will allow them to succeed? Fuck off.

Where's the fun and that? It's too easy to bitch and moan about hidden agendas, dickhead presidents, "that lot" and all manner of conspiracy theories instead.

Running incorporated societies that leverage dedicated volunteers to get things done is not easy. Indeed about three years ago I was involved in winding one up. People were happy to support our events and even pay their subs, but we couldn't get enough people to step forward and serve as directors, hence the decision to wind up.

The ACC levies catastrophuck is the first issue I've seen in many years that has galvanised all bikers. It should have demonstrated the value biker organisations have in making collective submissions and acting as an effective public voice. Once 1 July 2010 has passed and we're all staring down the barrel of large ACC levy increases and have accepted these as a reality, we'll all return to our bitchy backstabbing ways.

We don't need leadership. Indeed we fart in its general direction. Fuck us all and the horses we rode in on. We deserve everything we get, such is our hopelessness.

Call him a Waaaaaambulance - quick

**Conquiztador** · 7th December 2009, 20:59

Originally Posted by Hitcher

Sometimes some Kiwi Biker members really fuck me off.

Currently there is a bunch of associations........We deserve everything we get, such is our hopelessness.

You are not far of the truth. But this is why I here propose a membership that only relies on clubs. To race in MotoX you need to be a club member. To do Trials you need to be a club member and so on. As most (if not all) clubs are run by the most dedicated club members we would already have the most active ones looking after the members and not have to rely on the ones who could not give a shit and who only are members to be able to ride/race.

Then how the Alliance steering committe is set up would be all up to what would work best. A separate committee, using the most dedicated members from the membership clubs, or any other setup that would work. As long as the ones that were in charge of the Alliance would be interested and active in making sure that the best interest of all NZ bikers was served.

As mentioned, I am probably before my time here, but it would, to me, make sense.