Across the United States, advocacy and action groups will come together to promote motorcycle related legislation and occasionally an entrepreneurial politician will campaign from the saddle.

But British bikers are taking motorcycles and politics one big, organized leap forward.

A group called ‘Riders Are Voters (RAV)’ are organizing events to allow riders and local motorcycle businesses to directly question politicians running for office in the Country’s upcoming General Election. Patterned after the popular ‘Question Time’ where the Prime Minister must regularly answer a range of questions from politicians of different parties, the motorcycle version will allow bikers to discuss and question riding issues on the run up to the General Election.

Riders are Voters is a partnership of the main motorcycle organizations, the Motor Cycle Industry Association (MCI), the Motorcycle Action Group (MAG) and the British Motorcyclists Federation (BMF). The three organizations have joined forces to lobby Parliamentary Candidates in advance of the General Election and to hopefully put motorcycle issues on the political agenda.

Areas of concern expected to come up are potholes, the training and motorcycle license testing situation, bikes in bus lanes and motorcycling in overall transport policy. Riders will have the opportunity to ask politicians whether they support the fitting of non-slip manhole covers, or provision of secure free parking, among other issues.

 “Now is the best time for riders and the industry to work together and discuss motorcycling issues with the people who want to represent us in Parliament,” says Steve Kenward, CEO at the Motor Cycle Industry Association, “These local events offer a chance to ask the decision makers the important questions that matter to the biking community and industry.”