Biker News - Regularly updated

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  1. Sons Of Anarchy Season 2: Episode 2 - 'Small Tears' continues Wednesday 5th April at 10pm on BRAVO

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    After Gemma experiences something horrible she can't tell Jax and Clay. A rival porn producer comes to try and put Luanne out of business and Clay doesn't like Jax's decision making.
     
    Watch a preview clip of Episode 2 here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kiPit1kLTMc

    And don't forget to join the official Sons of Anarchy facebook page for all the latest news and preview videos!
     
  2. Sons Of Anarchy Season 2 - starts April 28th at 9pm on BRAVO

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    Following the phenomenal success of the first series, BRAVO keeps the motor running and the adrenaline kicking in for season two of the leather-clad and critically acclaimed biker drama Sons of Anarchy as it heads up a stellar spring schedule for 2010.

    Returning to our screens in April with a shocking and brutal season two opener, Sons of Anarchy promises to thrill and provoke with new hard-hitting storylines and huge revelations that threaten to tear the club apart.

    Check out a season 2 teaser trailer here:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kVmP2DS5B64

    And don't forget to join the official Sons of Anarchy facebook page for all the latest news and preview videos!


  3. Motorcycles help reduce the maternal mortality in Indonesia

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    Health for All operates in NTT (Nusa Tengara Timur) which is the province which despite major improvement still shows the highest rate of death rate for mothers in Indonesia. The result of a National Health Survey in 2004 showed that in Indonesia as a whole the death rate of mothers reached 307 per 100,000 live births. NTT had a rate of 554 per 100,000 live births.

    In 2007, the Health Demographics in Indonesia showed the national decrease reached 208 per 100,000 while in NTT 306 per 100,000 live births. Although the NTT rate had decreased it was still higher than other provinces.

    By way of comparison the rate for the United States in 2005 is 11 per 100,000. Further information on this topic can be found at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maternal_death

    The infant mortality rate in 2004 in Indonesia was 52 per 1000 born alive while in NTT there was an improvement from 62 to 57 per 1000 born alive.

    The result of Basic Health Research in 2007 showed that in NTT 77,1 % of delivery services were done at homes, 6,9 % in government hospitals, 6,5 % at public health or sub public health centres, 3,5 % at village maternity houses, 3,0 % in maternity private hospitals and 0,7 % at other places.

    Basic health research in 2007 shows that 46,2 % delivery were done by trained traditional midwives, 36,5 % by midwives, 11,5 % by the member of the family, 4,1 % by doctors, 1,2 % by medical staff and 0,5 % by others.

    From the facts above it is clear that many births take place with no health facilities. Woman’s mortality is caused by unskilled medical staff and unsterile equipments. A causal factor of infant and maternal mortalities is the minimum means of transportation. This applies both to the families and also to the medical staff who lack the means to reach remote areas.

    Ideally, during the pregnancy period, a mother should get a health check-up and service called Ante Natal Care (ANC). Ante Natal Care is given to an expectant mother during pregnancy according to the standard of midwifery service. This includes the measuring weight and height blood pressure, measuring fundus uteri height and checking tetanus imunisation status and toksoid tetanus, giving minimum go ferum blets during pregnancy, routine and specific laboratory check-up.There are typically four check-ups, minimum once in the first 3 month, once during the second three months and twice in the third three months.

    Due to the condition of NTT and the island's hilly topography in general women do not get the standard health check-ups during pregnancy. One way the health service solves this problem is by providing motorcycles for the use of health staff. The motorcycle is chosen since this means of transportation is capable to reach the remote areas.

  4. Motorbike insurance – how to find the best deal

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    Ensuring you have adequate motorbike insurance is as essential for a biker as having a helmet and leathers. However not all policies are the same so how do you know the policy you have provides all the cover you need?

    Know what to look for…

    Motorbike insurance is a legal necessity in the UK however many bikers just opt for the cheapest deal they can find. However, this can be a mistake as the cheapest deal may not offer the level of cover you require.

    There are three types of policies to choose from:

    • Third party only: This covers liability for injuries to others and damage to their property.
    • Third party, fire and theft: All the protection of third party cover plus cover for your own bike against theft, attempted theft and fire damage.
    • Comprehensive: Everything that’s included in third party, fire and theft cover plus repairs to your own bike in the event of an accident (subject to policy exclusions). What’s offered under comprehensive motorbike insurance will usually vary between companies but typically includes medical expenses, accidental damage cover and personal accident cover.

    Third party and third party, fire and theft policies are best suited to riders who are inexperienced or who have claims and convictions on their record as premiums for comprehensive insurance may be too high. A third party deal may also be suitable if you ride a relatively inexpensive bike.

    However, generally the more cover you have the better, which is why if you’re comparing comprehensive insurance you should examine the terms and conditions carefully to see exactly what is included in the policy – what is offered as standard by some insurance companies may not be included in other policies and there may also be optional extras to choose from – cover features for which you can pay an additional premium. Some of the policy options to look out for include: breakdown cover; legal expenses cover; a temporary replacement bike while yours is repaired; cover to ride other motorbikes (with the owner’s permission) in emergency situations; and travelling in Europe.

    What else should you consider?

    While the level of cover available should be your primary concern there are several other key factors that are worth considering while you shop around:

    • Excess levels: An excess is the amount you pay towards a claim. Usually this is split into a compulsory excess established by the insurance company itself and a voluntary excess, which is an additional amount you agree to pay, when taking the insurance out, in case a claim is necessary.
    • No-claims discounts: Making claims on your insurance costs your provider money – and so they rewards bikers who don’t make claims. Avoiding claims for four or more years could even reduce premiums by as much as 60 per cent.
    • Other discounts: There may be additional incentives offered by an insurer – for example you may get a discount for insuring more than one bike with the same company; and there may be discounts for buying online.

    Policy exclusions: Read the terms and conditions of any policy that interests you carefully, and be on the lookout for exclusions (these are circumstances in which you will not be covered).

    So which company offers the best deal?

    There’s no set answer as to which motorbike insurance provider offers the best deal, or indeed which is the cheapest. This is because premiums can vary widely between insurers due to the assessments they make of how likely you are to make a claim – this can be influenced by factors including your riding history; your address – such as if you live in a busy traffic or high crime area; your annual mileage; your personal circumstances – do you use your bike as part of your job, for example; and the bike itself.

    Due to the contrasts in the way these factors are evaluated it makes sense to gather as many quotes as possible before settling on the best deal. A comparison website is a great starting point as the leading websites can compare policies from as many as 25 insurance companies. The key however, is to look beyond price alone (the cheapest deal is listed first) and also consider the level of cover you’re receiving.

    There are steps you can take to reduce premiums too – here are some quick tips:

    • Agree to a mileage limit: The fewer miles you travel, the lower the risk of an accident occurring.
    • Choose a suitable bike: Older bikes with smaller engines usually qualify for cheaper premiums as they are cheaper to repair/replace and less likely to travel at fast speeds.
    • Increase excess: Agreeing to a higher excess can lower premiums but keep it at a level you can comfortably afford.
    • Increase security: Consider adding electronic and mechanical security to reduce the risk of theft and park in a locked garage overnight.
    • Pay annually: By paying premiums upfront you can avoid interest charges.
  5. Conservative Party HQ to see hundreds of protestors

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    Campaign demands action and answers over ‘rogue’ councillors
     
    The No To Bike Parking Tax Campaign is to hold a rally outside the Tory party offices in London to demand answers and action over the activities of their flagship borough, Westminster City Council.

    The council’s parking department, under Cllr Danny Chalkley, last week pushed through permanent motorcycle charging in bays across the borough, despite thousands of objections, the largest on-street demonstrations ever seen against the council, and the Judicial Review and Court Case that could now embarrass the party nationally in the run up to the General Election.

    The demonstration comes at a time of increasing concern over the council’s parking department, which has become embroiled in battles over the bike ‘tax’, the prospect of charging until midnight for parking, extending yellow line restrictions to midnight, hiking residents’ charges above inflation, incorrectly marking dropped kerbs (leading to tickets issued incorrectly), the fiasco of the CCTV system being unfit for purpose, legal battles over copyright infringements against EDF Energy, unauthorised diplomatic bays leading to illegal tickets, allegations of breaching of EU and local government regulations regarding the tendering and issuing of contracts, and dozens of complaints over FOI requests and emails left unanswered.

    The Cabinet Member Report of October 2009 stated:
    ‘Pursuant to Regulation 6 of the Local Authorities’ Traffic Orders (Procedure) (England and Wales) Regulations 1996 … the Council consulted the Road Haulage Association, the Freight Transport Association, the British Motorcyclists' Federation, the Metropolitan Police Service, the London Fire Brigade and the Owner Drivers' Society, as well as all ward councillors and a large number
    of residents' and community associations. There were no objections from those consulted.’

    This was despite the thousands of objections received by bikers before October 2009, and a confirmation from the BMF that no such consultation took place. Chris Hodder, of the BMF, said:

    “At no point were we consulted on the permanent scheme, and if we had been, we would have said ‘no’, ‘no’, and ‘no’ again, so to claim that there were no objections, or that we were consulted, is a whitewash of the highest order.’

    It also emerged today that Westminster was cutting the number of motorbike bays, despite having claimed – as one of many excuses - that the charge would increase the number of spaces - and security.

    In addition, spaces in Council run car parks have been passed over to private companies, in at least two cases, where those spaces are likely to no longer remain free, despite this being a central plank of Cllr Chalkley’s attempts to appease the wave of anger at the scheme.

    Warren Djanogly, Chairman of the Campaign, said:

    “Frankly, these councillors make a mockery of the party they claim to represent. They have introduced exactly the kind of stealth tax Eric Pickles claimed Councillors would be sacked for, and yet the party as a whole sits there and does nothing about it. Perhaps they will take more interest when they find their flagship borough in the dock defending charges of material breaches of EU and Local Government Law?’

    Cllr Chalkley recently tried to defend allegations of revenue raising (The High Court established that using parking charges to raise revenue is illegal in a judgement made in 1995) after the uproar over the plans to extend charging until midnight, an attempt that many say brings the Council into disrepute.

    Charlie Lort-Phillips, from the Campaign, said: “Everybody who heard and read his words knew exactly what these charges are about – money, money and more money – but he just cannot come out and say it! The fact he still tries to claim that charging a motorcycle to park in a communal bay with no security, or a car driver to park at 11.30 on a Tuesday night is about ‘demand management’ is frankly a shameful and embarrassing example of the depths to which he will go to try and get away with what is revenue raising, pure, simple, and to everyone on the street, blindingly obvious.’

    Cllr Chalkley also claimed that kerbside space was ‘at a premium’ to justify charging motorcycles, while at the same time allocating 400 spaces to a car club citing ‘under-used old style meter bays’.

    Warren Djanogly added: "This is not a campaign against the Conservative Party - we are not telling people not to vote Tory - what we need is answers from the Conservatives to the serious questions regarding the conduct and policies of their 'local boys', something they have manifestly failed to do until now."

    The rally will be at Conservative Party HQ, 30 Millbank, London, SW1P 4DP, at 13:30.
     
     
    VIDEOS OF THE PREVIOUS DEMONSTRATIONS CAN BE FOUND HERE:
     
    http://www.youtube.com/user/ojosef