Kevin Turner, author of the Hapless Biker series of travel books, will be donating his royalties to Shropshire and Staffordshire Blood Bikes (SSBB), his local group of life-saving riders, for all book sales from 1st November 2016 to 30th April 2017. Kevin’s publisher, Veloce Publishing, will match the author’s sales royalties, essentially doubling Kevin’s donation.  

Kevin’s books, Bonjour! Is This Italy? and From Crystal Palace to Red Square tell of his adventures throughout Europe, Scandinavia and into Russia, first riding a Suzuki SV650S and then on his ’02 Kawasaki Ninja.

Explaining why he’d chosen to donate to this worthwhile cause, Kevin said: “I really wanted to do a charity ride or a sponsored adventure, but I have twin boys that have just turned two and finding time for a big ride was out of the question. But I realised I could essentially recycle my past journeys in the sense of donating the sales from my books; it’s not quite as exciting as getting out on the road but at the end of the day, it’s about supporting my local Blood Bikers, not going on holiday.”

SSBB is a volunteer service, providing emergency transportation of blood products, for free, to NHS hospitals across Shropshire, Staffordshire and South Cheshire. 

Nigel Howells, Fleet Manager at SSBB said: “Shropshire and Staffordshire Blood Bikes rely on donations to maintain our machines and support our riders. Our riders embark on mini-adventures every time they head off on a potentially life-saving journey; although we like to think we’re a little better prepared than Kevin seems to be! We’re delighted to accept this donation; we’re sure readers will enjoy Kevin’s entertaining books while at the same time supporting our life-saving work.”

If you’d like to support Shropshire and Staffordshire Blood Bikes and enjoy a good read in the process, Kevin’s books and e-books, Bonjour! Is This Italy? and From Crystal Palace to Red Square are available to buy from Amazon.

You can find more information about them on Kevin’s website.

www.haplessbiker.com

Like and enjoy motors? Bike or Car, this will directly affect you! As well as motorcycling’s future freedom on a wider scale.

The TFL (Transport for London) ULEZ (Ultra Low Emission Zone) proposals for motor vehicles are out for consultation only through to 16.12.16 and, at present, the official literature from the TFL/Mayor of London’s office appears to be at least contradictory and it does not make clear whether or not motorbikes will be exempt from the forthcoming proposed ULEZ emissions charging.

The TFL info shown here all appears very complicated. See here 

Read it and you will see that some areas of the document state that motorbikes will be exempt, but in other places on the same page it says exactly the opposite.

Proposals shown in the document include that vehicles (cars and bikes) of 40 years or older (rolling, with the road tax), will be ULEZ exempt, but this is not set in stone – do you trust the powers that be not to renege on it?

Anyway, that stated by TFL does not appear to help anyone who rides a bike built between the mid-1970s and 2008!

As the ULEZ proposals may come into force as early as October 2017, it is a very serious business and could have grave and far reaching consequences for all motor fans, and bikers in particular, unless you act now

To state your views go here

Let them know your view, they act for you. 

www.mag-uk.org

www.bmf.co.uk

www.fbhvc.co.uk

This weekend on 29-30th October, Olympia London will be hosting the KICKBACK Motorcycle Show. KICKBACK is a platform for young engineers, experienced builders, craftsmen, painters, artists, fabricators of all ages...a blank canvass to express their imagination. There will be around 100 masterpieces from the top draw on display in the Invitational Showcase.

One of the special showcase motorcycles on display will be the Award Winning "Speed Weevil". This stunning work of art has just been voted winner at this year's Artistry in Iron Championship at the Las Vegas Bike Fest. Designed, created and built by Pete Pearson who runs (with his wife Lisa) Rocket Bobs Cycle Works, "Speed Weevil" is a salt racer powered by a slightly modified 1935 Triumph L2-1 motor; complete with turbocharger, supercharger, methanol burning and nitrous injected enhancements! On display at KICKBACK making its one and only UK show appearance!

You will be able to enjoy getting up real close to the bikes and studying the detail of these unique customised machines, classics and specials. You will also be able to enjoy other stuff that's going on, such as The Art Space showing fine works of 'motorcycle art' presented by UAL University of the Arts London (Chelsea). Check out the World's coolest barber at the AONO pop up shop. There'll be vintage biker movies showing and live music (in the background) with 3am and Ronnie Ripple & the Ripchords.

Have a coffee or a beer, have some lunch. Talk to your mates and colleagues about frame modifications and flat trackers.

There is going to be around 50 decent traders including product launches from the likes of Dickies Motorcycle Outfitters, & Sons, Oily Rag Clothing, Gold Top, Krazy Horse, Luk3 G Clothing and Cabaret Club Clothing...plus some ace builders and dealers including the likes of Stile Italiano, Krazy Horse London, Bieda, BMG with MV Agusta, TTT Motorcycles and Royal Enfield, Jack Lilley Triumph, Rag & Bones Customs, Righteous Brothers, Sinroja and Sinnis Motorcycles...

You can get in on the door for just £10 cash for an adult weekend pass. Or if you fancy saving a few quid you can buy tickets online for just £8.95 where you'll also see kids for a quid deals.

www.thecustomshow.com

When the 28-man field lines up for the 2016 Macau Motorcyle Grand Prix this November, Manx road racer Conor Cummins will be representing the Honda Racing Team alongside John McGuinness. The race’s qualifying stage takes place on Friday, 18th November at Guia Circuit, and the race itself will be held the following day.

Cummins joins Stuart Easton, Michael Rutter, Martin Jessopp, Ben Wylie, his teammate McGuinness, and the race’s defending champion Peter Hickman among the U.K.’s well-represented contingent of world-class road racers heading to Macau.

The 30-year old favourite of his fellow Manx, along with motorcycle racing fans everywhere, Cummins’ legend is steeped in the history of his homeland’s most famous contest: the Isle of Man TT. A grueling 37-mile journey through the hilly Manx countryside’s Snaefell Mountain Course, which was once dubbed “37 miles of stone walls and telegraph poles” by former world champion racer Barry Sheene. The Isle of Man TT blends pure road racing with jaunts through local landmarks like Alpine Cottage to create one of the world’s most highly competitive, and highly anticipated, motorcycle races.     

Conor’s father William “Billy” Cummins raced in the Tourist Trophy in his day, and Conor himself was born during TT week back in 1986. Both of the Cummins lads are still racing today, but for Connor, the road didn't always run so smoothly.

In 2009 the younger Cummins sibling found himself on top of the racing world. He claimed the crown of Fastest Man on Earth that year, winning the Dundrod 150 Superbike race during Ulster Grand Prix Bike week by posting a final lap speed of 133.284 mph aboard his McAdoo Kawasaki, while also securing his first Isle of Man TT podium finish as runner up in the Senior TT. But on the second lap of very same race one year later, he fell victim to a horrific crash that went viral around the world. He broke five vertebrae, his left arm was completely shattered, and to top off the laundry list of injuries, Cummins suffered dislocation and ligament damage in his knee. The crash was featured in the 2011 documentary Closer to the Edge, which chronicled the 2010 Isle of Man TT through the eyes of Cummins, McGuinness, and fellow U.K. racers Guy Martin and Ian Hutchinson.

Cummins isn’t shy in talking about the impact that the crash played on his career, and his life. Befitting his family’s long road racing lineage, he returned to the sport just one year later to begin a comeback from what many believed would be career-ending injuries. He finished third in the Lightweight TT in 2013, but from there the hunt for podium finishes has been fruitless. Nonetheless, in light of a recent change from Preston-based sponsor Jackson Racing to the Padgetts team out of Batley, ahead of this year’s Isle of Man TT, Cummins will be looking to ensure a Manx presence on the podium in Macau.

Along with Cummins, the U.K. will be represented well by a stellar cast of former Macau Grand Prix champions.

Peter Hickman of Burton-upon-Trent conquered the Guia Circuit, a 6.2km street course, last year.

Michael Rutter of Wordsley is an eight-time champion renowned as the “Two Wheel King of Macau”, and he’s searching for a ninth checkered flag after winning the race in 1998, 2000, 2002, 2003 2004, 2005, 2011, and 2012.

Stuart Easton of Hawick, Scotland was the Macau Motorcycle Grand Prix champion in 2008, 2009, 2010, and 2014.

Ian Hutchinson of Bingley was the winner in 2013, and Isle of Man TT legend John McGuinness – Cummins’ Honda Racing teammate – took top honors in Macau in 2001.

With such a stacked field for this year’s Macau Motorcycle Grand Prix, an appearance of the podium would be a surprise for Cummins, especially considering his three-year drought.

He wasn’t expected to race again though, so to see Cummins’ name among the 28-racer field in November represents a win in its own right. And this is motorcycle road racing after all, so a superb run coupled with a little luck could very well see Cummins enjoy the kind of improbable finish that makes this sport so special.

article supplied