MOTORCYCLES, you either love them or hate them. A simplistic view maybe but in my 12 years of riding, this simple statement can be found at the bottom of most, if not all, motorcycling arguments.

Those who hate motorcycling will use Kevin Marsham's death as another piece of ammunition in the continual bombardment of demands for new and tougher legislation with which they hope to stifle anyone's urges to ride a motorcycle on our roads in the future.

They will state that they are thinking of our safety, and in this thought, their whole defence rests.

Those who love motorcycling, like myself and Kevin Marsham, will see this as a tragic accident, and that is what it was, an accident.

Nobody forced Kevin into riding his bike that day, he rode it because he loved to and that was a good enough reason for him as it has always been for me.

Motorcycling is unlike any other mode of transport As well as the practical reasons -- less pollution, less damage to our roads -- we also have the freedom, the independence and most of all, the enjoyment or "grin factor".

To get to this point, motorcyclists have to go through two gruelling practical tests, a written test and if you are under 21, two years of being restricted to a 33bhp machine.

All this must be done within a two year period or the powers that be will issue a one year ban. No real offence has been committed, yet we have all heard of people getting less for serious offences such as drink-driving.

It comes down to ''education, education'' of ALL road users to their own and every other road users' safety.

And if we are to have tougher legislation, let's not always pick on the minority group. When I grew up, that was called bullying.

I am sure that MP Bill Rammell will tell us that although he is backing this campaign, he and New Labour are not the political equivalent of the playground bully. Only time will tell.

MR P BULLEN

(aka Mutley),

Wooding Grove,

Harlow.

Converted for the new archive on 30 June 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.