LOCAL GROUP CHAIRMEN & CLUB OFFICERS PLEASE NOTE:

CLUBS LIAISON, EVENTS & SOCIAL: Catherine Donnelly. Contact Catherine on 01 457 0634 or email: maglink@magireland.iol.ie.

LOCAL GROUPS (Development & Issues): David Gibson - Contact MAG Office 01 453 0797, Mobile 086 832 5780, or email gensec@magireland.iol.ie

ADMINISTRATION (membership, club insurance, products): Maeve Roche, Admin Secretary, Contact MAG Office 01 453 0797 or email: magsupport@magireland.iol.ie.

ROADRUNNER: Due to the unforeseen circumstances of a boot sector virus causing havoc with our computers, the Roadrunner has been delayed. It is now at the printers and should be arriving on your doorstep within a couple of weeks.

STOP THE ROT
Our main fundraiser of the year is the Stop the Rot Rally which is held on the 3rd weekend in August, the MAG Benefit weekend, this year the 19th/20th August. The venue is the Portlick Inn, Glasson, Athlone.
This event is being run by MAG Longford/Westmeath and co-ordinated by our Liaison Officer, Catherine Donnelly and our Vice-Chairman Jim Fisher. A poster has been enclosed and we would be obliged if you would put it in your local biker pub, bike shop etc.
A huge amount of work is going into this rally to ensure it is the most successful ever - but we need your support. A number of clubs have already responded to our appeal for help - see cover letter for details - and also some MAG local groups.

INSURANCE NEWS

AON
Buying a new bike directly from a dealer? Check with your dealer about insurance, there are approximately 40 dealers nation wide who are involved in a scheme who can when you buy a new bike arrange your insurance for you and on average it can be 12½% cheaper than Norwich Union. Subject to the usual criteria as with any other insurance scheme. The company AON are already insuring approximately 2500 bikers. The scheme only applies when you buy directly from a dealer, they do not do insurance for private sales.

NORWICH
If you have a car insured with Norwich Union and it is registered to yourself, they will insure your bike again it must be registered in your name at a reduced rate 66% LESS THAN NORMAL QUOTE.

EAGLE STAR
We have had reports that if you have a car policy with them they will put the bike down as the 2nd vehicle however when rung with that query we were told very rudely NO.

ROYAL & SUNALLIANCE
Cover for driving motorcycles is excluded even when your policy may cover you for driving other cars. THIS COVER IS AVAILABLE AT AN ADDITIONAL PREMIUM.

OFFICE EQUIPMENT APPEAL
We are appealing to all local groups to raise funds for some badly needed office equipment. The office is currently being mostly run on (kindly) donated second-hand machinery, which is costing a lot of money to maintain. We could urgently do with a brand new computer for producing Roadrunner and other tasks, but do not have the scope within the budget for the foreseeable future. If each local group could hold a fundraiser for this particular cause and raise at least £200 each it would mean a lot. A huge amount of time is lost trying to sort out the various problems with the present computers which badly need to be overhauled. Without the backup of a new computer it is virtually impossible to do this. Please discuss this with your group and see if you can come up with any ideas e.g. poker runs, quiz nights, rock nights, B-B-Q's, etc, etc.

IRISH DEVELOPMENTS

Direct Access (Licences)

Several postcards will be included in every copy of the June edition of RoadRunner. More are available from MAG Reps, motorcycle shops or the MAG Office. Please post it to Mr Noel Dempsey TD. Minister at the Department of the Environment.

During the Summer MAG will campaign on the following issues: Direct Access, Roads Maintenance, Motorcyclist Awareness and Insurance Choice. A National Day of Action is planned for Saturday 19th August to coincide with Stop the Rot. Our demand is very clear and very simple. Motorcyclists want parity with other road users.
EYROY 2000

The closing date has been extended to July 9th to give you all a chance to rush off and either send in your applications, or encourage others to do so. Secondly and in many ways of equal importance we've had no response to our appeal for prizes/sponsorship.

As an organisation MAG needs young people to join so as to carry on fighting for bikers' rights, if we don't encourage them after a few years they'll get fed up with the hassle, especially where licences are concerned, and go off and start driving cars. Secondly we need to raise public awareness about us so when we are fighting the government they are on are side and not indifferent or worse still against us. So come on help out get participants and or prizes/sponsors.

EVENTS INSURANCE

Clubs must be affiliated to MAG Ireland. Annual affiliation fee is £20- per club.

Public Liability: Club Insurance Scheme is, strictly, cover for clubs for their legal liability for third party injury or third party property damage arising from the organisation of their events. It covers Runs, BBQs, Rallies, etc. It does not take on risks insured under other policies, i.e. pub owners. Cover for hired-in plant (Marquees, generators, etc) is extra.

For a claim to succeed, the 3rd party would need to prove that their injury or property damage was caused by the negligence of the Policyholder. If the policy is extended to indemnify another party, such as a property owner, this would mean the Policy picking up claims which are purely due to the negligence of the property owner.

If the club hires a marquee and a rally-goer accidentally slips on a beercan and breaks an arm, then our insurer takes the claim. If the rally is in a pub or hall and somebody falls on a slippy floor, or a rock band hired by the club sets the pub's faulty wiring on fire which burns down the pub, then the pub-owner is at fault and any claim has nothing to do with the club. If there are claims being paid under this scheme which have nothing to do with MAG or our clubs, this could mean the premiums would increase due to other peoples' negligence and make the scheme too expensive for clubs. Where property-owners already have their own Public Liability Insurance, the practice of indemnifying property-owners will be stopped.

Club Liability Policy insurance rates @ £35.98 per event or from £77.10 per annum are unchanged for 2000. The first £250 in each claim is excluded. Call the Office in good time (min 5 days) for event or annual public liability insurance.

PRODUCTS:

If a club or local group wants inventory for a rally or meeting, they can obtain stocks by contacting the office in good time (5 days). Alternatively products may be purchased by visiting the Office, by phone, mail order or via e-mail.

Sew-on MAG Eire, Ride Free patches: 3.00
Ride Free stickers 2.00
Year 1999 Enamel badge Red 2.00
Year 2000 enamel badge Yellow 3.00
MAG Eire T-shirt 8.00
MAG Neckwarmer 10.00
MAG Baseball Cap 10.00
MAG Zippo lighter 20.00

NEW WEBPAGE

MAG Ireland has a new Web Site - please use the following address, where necessary & change your Favourites
www.iol.ie/~maglink.

INTERNET CLASSIFIED ADVERTS

A new facility for members: if you have a bike, or bits, or whatever, for sale, exchange or wanted, we can now offer FREE Internet classified adverts. Send details of your advert to the office, please.

IRISH RIDER TRAINING ASSOCIATION

Contact: IRTA Phone 01 453 0797 & we will give you a Driving Test Help sheet and a List of instructors and put you in touch with your nearest trainer:

Terry Cronin (N Dublin) David Gibson (S Dublin) Jim Fisher (Longford) Marc O'Loideoin (S Dub)
David McMahon (Athlone) Ray Murray (N Dublin)

RoSPA preparation of the successful wannabes has started, leading to inclusion in the Instructor Preparation Course. Everyone on our list should have been contacted by now. If not please tell the MAG Office.

RoadRunner and MAGLINK

Please keep the office fully informed of the date and venues of your regular meetings and of all other events and activities. News of events, insertion in the new Local Groups Calendar with if at all possible good quality photographs afterwards - most welcome. Advise the MAG Office. All Club Events should be either notified directly to the Clubs Liaison Officer at 01 - 457 0634 or by e-mail maglink@magireland.iol.ie or sent to the MAG Office.