Motorcycle Riders Association of SA

Welcome
	Welcome to the site of the Motorcycle Riders' Association of South Australia. The MRASA is the recognised voice for motorcycling with the Government. Please visit our about page for more information on what the MRASA is about.

Event Calendars

Vale Milo
	VALE IAN 'MILO' MARLOW 11/3/1953 - 11/9/2024 It is with sadness that we report that our friend Ian Marlow, affectionately known as 'Milo', passed away on Wednesday, September 11, after a long illness, aged 71½. Our condolences and best wishes go out to all his family, especially his wife Georgina and his children Renee and Callum. Milo was a stalwart of the MRASA for many years. He joined the organisation in its infancy in 1983, later holding a number of Committee positions, notably Membership Officer for 11 years (1984-1995) and Treasurer for 17 years (1986-2003). He was also briefly part of the Centrestand editorial team (1986-1989) and Minutes Secretary (1989-1991). Given that Milo's day job was that of teacher and Principal of Salisbury Downs Primary School - his last posting of over eleven years, until he retired in 2019 - we all thought he must be uniquely organised, talented, self-disciplined or dedicated, or more likely all of those things, in order to manage all that work and still have time to go on rides with us and help with the MRA Toy Run, the MRA Great Escape Rally and the many motorcycle promotional functions we arranged. Milo was highly regarded and appreciated for his work ethic and commitment to the MRA's ethos, stability and longevity. He could be serious or jovial according to the occasion, and his quick wit never failed to lighten a sombre mood. He was awarded Life Membership of the MRASA in 1993 (he held Life Membership No. 3) due to his longstanding and stellar contribution to the Association over the years. For many of these years he was without a motorcycle due to family and financial considerations but continued his commitment to the MRASA because of his love of motorcycling and the camaraderie of the group. After about 14 years without a bike Milo finally bit the bullet and bought one of the new Kawasaki ZZR 1100s, and surprised himself on the way home from the dealership by pulling a wheelie taking off at the lights. "Bikes sure have changed," was his comment when he told us the story. Milo retired from the MRASA Committee in 2004 but kept up his interest in the Association and motorcycling over the years. Milo was born on March 11, 1953, and died on September 11 this year, hence his time on this planet was seventy-one years and exactly six months. He always liked the rationality of numbers, so he would have appreciated that synchronicity. Milo was a remarkable person. He will be sorely missed by all in his ambit. Milo's funeral will be conducted by Harrison Funerals, 63 Golden Grove Road, Corner of Jack High Lane, Ridgehaven, at 10am, Saturday, September 28, in the Rivergum Chapel. Livestreaming will be available on the Harrison Funerals website - go to Tributes and Upcoming Services. A donation in Milo's memory to Kidney Health Australia will be warmly welcomed. For those who are attending, wear something bright, colourful, crazy, cool - even black, Milo's favourite colour - to reflect his irrepressible sense of fun.
46th Annual Adelaide Toy Run - Media Release September 2024
	The iconic Motorcycle Riders' Association of SA (MRASA) Annual Toy Run will once again return on Sunday 8 Dec 2024. Running for the 46th year, the ride and fete day aims to collect gifts, which are donated to Vinnies to distribute to children of disadvantaged families this Christmas. The event is also vital to promoting safe, responsible and enjoyable motorcycle riding to the public. The 2024 ride will have a refreshed format from previous years, ensuring that it is an event not just for motorcyclists - but the entire community! The MRASA are inviting all South Australia's to come along and see the spectacle of thousands of motorcycles, donate a toy to Vinnies and share the special day. As part of the 2024 event riders will assemble their bikes at Victoria Park, Pakapakanthi from 0900am. At 1100am, Santa will lead a ride to the Mt Osmond overpass on the South Eastern Freeway, before returning to Victoria Park for a day of celebrations with food stalls, variety stalls, motorcycle clubs, music and the biggest and best ever Show and Shine event. MRASA Toy Run Coordinator Cathy Lux, said, "We want the general public to feel a part of the celebration of this special day. Once again motorcyclists will have the opportunity to get together with friends, ride together and maybe even take home a trophy from the Show and Shine!" Everyone is encouraged to come and join the Motorcycle Riders' Association of South Australia celebrate the joy of Christmas, in a unique way. We hope to see you all at the 2024 MRASA Toy Run - Sunday December 8 at Victoria Park, Pakapakanthi 9am - 3pm. Brought to you by The Motorcycles Riders' Association of SA. It's for the Kid's.
Ridersafe Training in South Australia - Aug 2024
	The following letter was received from the Executive Director Transport Policy and Regulation, Dept. Of Transport. The MRASA welcomes the changes to RiderSafe Training but is very disappointed with the announced price increases. Formal Announcement of New Motor Bike Training Firstly, thank you for your input over the last year or so as we have developed reforms to the Rider Safe training program. Today, the Minister has announced the reforms to the Rider Safe training program which will commence on 9 December 2024. These reforms, which has been guided by your feedback, introduce on-road assessments to complement the current on-range training courses which themselves have been updated. Further information about this announcement and the new training model itself can be found on the Department for Infrastructure and Transport website. Relating to this announcement, the Governor approved new regulations on 24 July 2024 that provide the basis for the operation of the new training program. These regulations come into effect on 9 December 2024, which will be the same date that the new training model starts to operate. For your convenience, an extract from the gazette notice of the regulations is attached. Training Costs The new fees for the new Rider Safe courses are as follows: Pre-learner $35 myRiderSafe (online courses) $450 Motor Bike Learner Course Part A (one full day) $450 Motor Bike Learner Course Part B (one full day) Pre-licence $225 Motor Bike Pre-licence Course (one half day) $240 Motor Bike Licence Assessment (75-minute session) ---------- $1,400 Total This increase in the total cost of obtaining a motor bike licence from $811 to $1,400 is a result of the increase level of training being provided when compared to the current course. Under the current training model, new riders are provided with 1.5 days worth of training, two half days at the pre-learner stage and half a day at the pre-licence stage. Under the new model, new riders receive three days worth of training, double the amount. At the pre-learner stage, this consists of the new myRiderSafe online training course which will take around two to three hours to complete, followed by two full days of practical training as part of the new Motor Bike Learners Course. At the pre-licence course, this consists of half a day of practical training through the Motor Bike Pre-licence Course, followed by a Motor Bike Licence Assessment that will last for just over one hour. In addition to the increased amount of training being provided, the training will be more targeted to each participant due to the introduction of smaller course capacities. The new courses will have a maximum capacity of five participants, down from 10 currently, while still having two instructors. Transition into New Model The current Basic and Advanced Rider Safe courses will remain unchanged up to 9 December 2024, though there will be limited spots on both course types in the lead up to this date. People may experience some delays in contacting the Rider Safe bookings office. It is anticipated demand for places in the current Rider Safe courses will increase. Booking numbers will be monitored in the lead up to the introduction of the new courses, and payments for the current courses may no longer be accepted if there are no available spots. Next Steps The Department for Infrastructure and Transport will continue to provide updates on the implementation of the new training model, including any information about the ability to book into current and future courses. Public Comments The MRASA has written to the Premier expressing our disappointment at recent comments made by Mr Tom Koutsantonis. The media conference announcing changes to the RiderSafe training programme was the final stage of many years work by riders working cooperatively with government to improve rider training. Mr Koutsantonis, with a few ill chosen comments, severely undermined our confidence in his impartiality towards motorcycling. The MRASA and politicians of both sides of the house have worked hard to engender a spirit of co-operation to promote Motorcycle road safety. By his comments, we, the motorcycling community, feels let down by the people who should be supporting us. We await the Premiers response.
National Road Safety Data - Media Release 2 May 2024
	The Australian Automobile Association (AAA) has been running a 'Data Saves Lives' campaign. The AMC has been a part of this campaign, acting at a national level for the benefit of all states. On 2 May 2024 Minister Catherine King published a media release containing two key elements. New uniform crash data reporting requirements for states and territories are to be included in the next negotiated road funding agreements An additional $21 million in funding for the National Road Safety Data Hub The Commonwealth will look to improve data sharing from the states through the Goverments upcoming federation funding agreement negotiations. For the first time, the Federal Government will seek to include a provision in this negotiated agreement with the states, that will create a requirement for the provision of a nationally consistent data set. View the AMC media release here. View details on the overall campaign here.
Ridden-on Ride 2024
	The 2024 Ridden-on Ride will be held on Sunday 28th April. We will assemble at the Victoria Hotel, South Road, O'Halloran Hill. Tea & Coffee available at the Hotel from 8.30am. Ridden On Ride Badges will be available at $10.00 each. Departure is at 10am, for a ride to Second Valley. A short memorial service will be held on the back beach, followed by an optional ride to Victor Harbor for lunch. We hope to see you there to commemorate our mates who are no longer with us. Proceeds to the 4Bs. More information is available on the ROR page.
National Road Safety Week 2024
	Every year, approximately 1200 people are killed and another 40,000+ are seriously injured on Australian roads. Traffic injury is the biggest killer of Australian children under 15 and the second-biggest killer of all Australians aged between 15 and 24. These numbers are growing every year but are preventable if we choose to Drive So Others Survive! Pledge I pledge to drive as if my loved ones are on the road ahead. I will remove all distractions and never use my mobile phone while driving. I will not put other people at risk by speeding, driving while tired or under the influence of alcohol/drugs. I will protect all vulnerable road users, especially those whose job places them in harm's way, by slowing down and giving them the space they need to be safe. Here is the link to sign the pledge.
New Life Members
	At the 2024 AGM the MRASA awarded Life Membership's to both Cathy Lux and Ebi Lux. They have truly exemplified what it means to be dedicated members of the motorcycling community. Their passion, hard work, and unwavering support for the MRA have not gone unnoticed. As Life Members, they will forever be recognized for their outstanding contributions and will continue to inspire others to follow in their footsteps. The MRASA is grateful for their continued involvement and looks forward to many more years of collaboration with these two exceptional individuals.
Motorcycle Observation and Awareness Guide
	The motorcycle observation and awareness guide has been created by Stephen Bardsley. This guide targets all road users and has been prepared to inform and encourage a new approach to motorcycle rider awareness and road safety. It's goals are to: assist drivers to better understand the importance of sharing roads with motorcycles explain to drivers how a riders life can depend on their actions and reactions inform drivers what are the causes of many accidents involving motorcycles provide drivers with tips regarding motorcycle awareness, observation and safety show drivers how improved motorcycle awareness & observation can save the lives of and prevent serious injuries to motorcycle riders Road safety should be an equal and shared responsibility of all road users. Understanding other road users can make roads safer for all. Please search for this document online, you will find a copy available on Stephen's Linked-in page.
SAMRATS Ride Group Leaders
	Do you enjoy motorcycle group riding and know your way around the hills and surrounding districts reasonably well? Then you may consider becoming an MRASA ride group leader. As a leader, you will be required to chose start and finish points for Sunday rides on a rotational basis with other ride leaders. You will lead the ride along your favourite route, planning stops at bakeries and ultimately stopping somewhere for lunch before returning home. It's a great way to share riding in the local and not so local area and enjoy some riding company, whilst having a lot of fun. If you are interested in being a ride leader or want to know a bit more about the job please contact the Secretary via the contacts page.
MRASA Archives
	Here are the links to archived articles on the MRASA website. These have been indexed by the year of posting. 2024 2023 2022 2021 2020 2019 2018 2017 2016
Meetings
	We welcome all interested people to attend our General Meetings. See the Meetings page for more details. MRASA Committee & General Meetings are held at the hall of Motorcycling South Australia, 251 The Parade Beulah Park. The mid-year General Meeting will be held in July 2022.