The MRA, your opinion

[Billywhizz]

I am curious to know why many people do not join or support the MRA

This isn’t a recruitment campaign

Although it may help the MRA in bringing people into the organisation

[Davey]

This will play out the way it has 100 times Mel.

"I don't join cos I disagree with their stance on X and Y"

"So why not join and make your opinion heard?"

and so on and so forth..

[Billywhizz]

such is life..
Critism is good if it is done in a constructive manner
if you want to keep riding and have the freedom to do so.. Vote
if you want to be a nob then flame the thread, I dont care
Plenty more Dorkingtons out there!

[Davey]

oo didnt see the poll.

not tryin to be a nob mate, just doubt we'll hear anything new... poll is a good idea.

[Barfridge]

I turned up to a couple of meetings, and the people were great.

I just didn't feel they were on the same wavelength as me and my views.

[Taz]

I still feel that if we got the numbers from within psb to join then we could in effect stage a coup and completely change the face of the mra and make it a voice to be heard and to attempt to reverse the statements peddled by the media and dorkington.....billywhizz for el prez and he even gets a free trip to the national meeting.....and if the national mob censure wa then we form our own safety association.

[thro]

I voted "the who?", however I am thinking of joining.


I'm not sure if the MRA ever has, or often does carry out any sort of recruitment publicity, but before I read something here on PSB about them I'd never heard of them.

[Billywhizz]

I still feel that if we got the numbers from within psb to join then we could in effect stage a coup and completely change the face of the mra and make it a voice to be heard and to attempt to reverse the statements peddled by the media and dorkington.....billywhizz for el prez and he even gets a free trip to the national meeting.....and if the national mob censure wa then we form our own safety association.

I dont think a coup is quite whats required.......

Change yes
A new way forward yes
More members yes

I am just looking for what people want

[Scoundrel]

About 2 years ago when I first started taking an interest in the MRA, I wasn't impressed with what I saw. I went to a few monthly meetings and was less impressed. My reasons are many and most of them are documented on this here forum. I believed then, as I did up until a little while ago, that I was better off putting my efforts behind the dedicated core of PSB who, out of nothing, created the MAD ride and look what that has become after a few short years. They achieved in 2 years what the MRA failed to achieve in 20.

However with new blood on the MRA's committee this year, with new ideas, and with some support from outside, I think the MRA still has the capacity to become a true force in motorcyclist's rights. Give it a year or two, with the same new blood, or more of it, I think the MRA will be in a position to occupy a very prominent seat at the bargaining table, pardon the cliche.

That said, there are issues the MRA needs to address. The age demographic of its membership is quite old, as is its long standing committee members. Whilst I have no issue with members of any age, those members should not park themselves on the committee for umpteen years, and run the shop like 'they' see fit, because things will only get seen and done from a perspective of a person of that age and stage in life. Put quite simply the MRA needs an image overhaul to attract younger members (and more of them). It also needs to change its focus from less of a motorbike club to more of a lobby group.

In short I think with a bit of interest and effort from some new blood the MRA can still do what it originally intended to do. If not...it will wither on the vine and fade into the abyss of irrelevance.

[thro]

I believed then, as I did up until a little while ago, that I was better off putting my efforts behind the dedicated core of PSB who, out of nothing, created the MAD ride and look what that has become after a few short years. They achieved in 2 years what the MRA failed to achieve in 20.

Pretty much what i was getting at, in not so many words, in my post.

PSB has come from nothing to become a huge group with a real public presence in the space of a few years. That i had never heard of the MRA until i'd been on PSB for at least a few months speaks volumes about club visibility...


No membership fee, a significant internet presence, and a general group mind-set that seems to encompass most of the people who actually ride daily is, i think, why PSB has been so successful.

That said, the lack of official "club" status, etc perhaps lessens the impact PSB could have when dealing with government officials etc....

Anyway, rambling a bit. Not exactly sure what my point is, but being a proper official club (as opposed to a "bunch of dudes on the internet"), I think the MRA will likely be taken more seriously by the pollies, etc...

[Graelin]

Until a few months ago I had not heard of PSB but I did know of the MRA.

Having been out of bikes for around 8 years I have not really followed the MRA since coming to Perth in 1987.

I was one of the founders of the Bunbury branch and Damien Codognoto (hope I spelt that right) was very influential in the movement and it had a high profile through the 80's fighting for recognition from governments. Sometimes it is the 'old farts' for want of a better term that have the time and expertise to lobby, may be even the right connnections through lifes contacts.

The MRA acheived a lot for bikes in raising the profile. There is only so much that volunteers can do in any organisation and I will be interested to see how the MRA is looked at now.

I have been in car clubs for last 20 yrs and find that in general there, younger drivers frequent forums such as this but are not interested in the club structure. Dont know the answer however I cant see Governments taking a body with out a formal structure as seriously as one with that.

I have actually struggled to find where PSB is coming from and please dont not take this the wrong way as I am yet to meet any of you. I did not know if this was some place where those with a bent on warp factor speed hang out or general riders?

Now because of past associations I have a good idea of what the MRA is about. In my time it was more of a motorcycle club with a bit of political lobbying.

We did get the ban on motorcycles taken away from several streets in Bunbury. Can you believe we were actually banned from riding down some streets by signs????

This ban was put in for the reason that a hospital patient had some disease that was affected by noise back before any off us was born I think.

The patient and the hospital had long gone but the ban remained. I put this to Council and they upheld the ban. Lets just say that other contacts legally, sort of, removed those signs and they were never missed.

The police were fining riders going down those streets by the way.

Graelin

Graelin

[Rich...]

There is no steortypically PSB user...

We are a large diverse group, we just have motorcycles in common...

[Triton]

Wheres the "I am already a member" option?

[MuNch]

Im joining next year BillyWhizz,
If theres more hoons like you in there im sure it would be good for everyone.

[rover]

I'm thinking about joining.