Well, it’s 2019 and I have decided to launch a petition to try to gain access for motorcycles onto bridleways in the UK.

Now, currently the situation is that if there is a bridleway that stands alone and is not colocated on a byway or road etc then motor vehicles of any description are not permitted upon them.

The whole of last year I trekked along many byways and bridleways and saw some amazing scenery and they were largely deserted too, so I got to thinking why can’t motorcycles have access to them in controlled conditions.

Now, I say controlled conditions because the last thing we want is for anyone riding their bikes and hooning around and scaring the living crap out of horses and riders and thus alienating themselves to the countryside folk.

The other control must be to preserve the trails as much as possible so that they do not become rutted or a danger for horses or walkers to traverse along. However with some tight controls I believe motorcycles can be used in the classic trail bike fashion, and go explore this huge network of trails and not offend too many people either.

On my rides I have come into contact with countless horse riders and there has never been a cross word spoken between us. Now I put that down, in part, to my dashing good looks and devilish charm but I would admit that my overt respect for them and my friendly demeanour probably was the key ingredient…in fact I had some great conversations with horse riders along some trails too, which got me thinking why couldn’t we use them more often?

So this is what I propose…

1. To allow motorcycles onto bridleways and restricted byways from the beginning of May until the end of September. These would tend to be the driest months and would less likely be cut up and rutted by occasional motorcycle traffic.
2. The maximum speed along the trails would be 15 – 20mph.
3. All motorcycles must give way to horses and must switch off their engines when near horses.
4. Only road legal motorcycles are permitted. No motocross and no loud exhausts
5. All riders must apply for a bridleways access permit which much be displayed on the bike at all times.
6. RPMs must be limited to a nominal amount e.g. 2000rpm, to avoid excessive noise.
7. No stunt riding of any kind is permitted. These should be treated as trails to amble along only.

Now, some of these may seem overly excessive, however the point here is to introduce motorcycling onto a network of trails that are seldom used but offer a great opportunity for sensible motorcycling to have access to some amazing countryside in the UK.

Of course you would expect resistance from the horse riding community but if the motorcycling world can show how respectful it can be and how mutually beneficial this access can be for both riders and local residents and businesses, then it could be a win win situation.

The countryside and the back trails are truly amazing and the adventure is usually right on your doorstep. All we need to do is go explore and have permission to go discover these areas for ourselves. Of course we as individuals and as a biking community need to be responsible and there must also be some way of policing this to deter any abuse too.

We can all share the trails and see the amazing sites together, so my petition is going in…hopefully you will join with me in the endeavour.

If you are interested in joining in to get this petition started. Please contact us via the contacts page and hopefully in time the word will get out. Thanks