Michael Rutter will make a return to the Classic TT presented by Bennetts in 2015 and will again line up for the Ripley Land Racing team where he'll be gunning for victory in both the Bennetts 500cc Classic and Okells 350cc Classic TT Races.

The Midlands rider made his first appearance at the Classic TT last year, where he rode Ian Garbutt's MkII Seeley Matchless in the 500cc event as a last minute substitute for the injured Dan Kneen. It proved to be an inspired decision by Guildford based Garbutt as, despite limited practice time, Rutter went on to break the 500cc single cylinder record with a stunning lap of 109.102 mph. The British Superbike Championship veteran was leading the race and on course for a fairytale victory until a minor problem on the third lap caused him to retire on the Mountain Mile.

In addition to his outing in the 500cc Race, Rutter will also expand his activities this time around to include the 350cc Classic TT Race where he'll be on board the same 350cc Ripley Land Honda that Chris Palmer rode to victory in 2013.

Speaking about his return, Rutter said

"Last year was my first attempt at the Classic TT and I thoroughly enjoyed the event. The G50 Seeley is a lovely bike to ride and was superbly prepared and presented by the team. As for the little Honda, I can't wait to get my hands on it!"

Team principal Garbutt added

"After Michael's performance in the 2014 Race, we are delighted to have him back on board for this year. We will not be subjected to last minute pressures as in 2014, and will be able to spend more time testing with Michael to fine tune the bikes to his exact requirements."

From Gravel to Snow: Touratech Breaks New Ground

Motorbike outfitter in a co-operation with Finnish Lynx snowmobiles.

Bound by a passion for adventure: Touratech, based in South Germany and the leading brand in aftermarket accessories for touring and adventure motorcycles, is to enter into a co-operation with the Finnish snowmobile manufacturer BRP Finland Oy based in Rovaniemi.

What Touratech embodies in the world of adventure bikes, Lynx is for snowmobile fans. A passion for adventure that fuels innovation, unlimited riding fun and the pleasure found in new experiences and memorable moments are firmly entrenched in both companies' philosophies. Lynx experience in the snowmobile industry and Touratech's expertise in the field of adventure touring are now being bundled, merging in a joint project that was be presented to the public in Hermavan / Sweden on 9 March: the Lynx Commander Touratech, designed for ultimate winter adventures.

Developer and manufacturer of Lynx snowmobiles, BRP Finland Oy, is part of the Canadian company Bombardier Recreational Products (BRP), based in Valcourt, Québec. BRP is the well-established world leader in the construction, development, manufacture and marketing of motorized recreational vehicles and powersports engines. The company founder built the first tracked vehicle for transportation on snow-covered terrain back in 1937.

The German motorbike outfitter presented a Touratech styled snowmobile at the Intermot trade fair in Cologne. This was a project vehicle by Touratech’s Head of Sales, Martin Wickert, and one in which a number of developers, under the guidance of chief designer Bart van den Bogaard, have given free rein to their creativity out of their sheer pleasure in crazy ideas.

It's no coincidence that Touratech is breaking new ground: for months after going on a snowmobile tour, Martin Wickert talked about little else than the speed, the vehicle's power and the tremendous amount of fun to be had riding over a frozen lake or ploughing single trails through deep snow.

The maiden voyage of the Lynx Commander Touratech has started on March 9 from the "Santa Clause" town of Rovaniemi, Finland. Touratech’s Head of Sales joined professional adventurer Sami Päivike for a snowmobile journey from the Arctic Circle to the Arctic Ocean. Follow their adventure at www.lynxadventure.com

On behalf of a major motorcycle manufacturer, MM-Eye would like to invite a few Cruiser owners along for a focus group discussion to hear your thoughts on riding and Cruiser bikes.

Your opinions will be greatly appreciated and participants will each receive £100 as a thank you.

The event will last about 2 hours and will take place on Tuesday 10th March 2015. between 8- 10:15pm @ Edgbaston, Birmingham. 

They are looking to speak with people who own one of the following models:

Harley-Davidson Softail (Breakout, Fat Boy/Fat Boy Lo, Softail Slim, Heritage Softail Classic)
Dyna (Fat Bob, Street Bob, Wideglide)
Touring (Road King Classic)
Yamaha XVS (950A/1300)
Indian Chief Classic/Vintage
Kawasaki VN1700 Classic
Suzuki Intruder C1500T B.O.S.S.
Victory Cross Roads Classic

If you own one of these models and you are interested in participating, please send an email to [email protected] with the following information:

• Model owned
• Year of purchase
• Contact telephone number

Spaces are limited for what they anticipate will be an interesting occasion.

Previous events have proved very popular, so please contact Karen at your earliest convenience to avoid disappointment – this is a first come, first served registration.

Carl ‘Foggy’ Fogarty MBE, the most successful World Superbike (WSB) racer of all time, will be guest of honour at the Llangollen International Motorcycle Festival - LlanBikeFest 15 on Saturday, August 1st 2015.

The 49-year-old winner of four WSB titles and eight world crowns will open the two day family-friendly event, spend the day meeting fans and provide plenty of opportunities for autographs and photos. In addition to his unprecedented 59 victories from 219 race starts, he won the fourteenth series of I'm a Celebrity...Get Me Out of Here! in 2014.

Carl said: “I’m looking forward to being back in Wales in August for LlanBikeFest. I was at the Llangollen show a few years ago and received a great reception - but now I hear the show is bigger and better, so it promises to be a fantastic weekend for anyone who loves their bikes.”

The site has previously hosted successful bike shows, the last in 2011, now LlanBikeFest 15 is being organised by a new team of local motorcycle enthusiasts, led by Harry Edwards. Harry said: “The opportunity to meet Carl will be the icing on the cake for what promises to be a fantastic celebration of every aspect of motorcycling.”

The Llangollen International Motorcycle Festival at the town’s Pavilion is set amid some of Britain’s best biking roads, at the foot of the Horseshoe Pass and its famously bike-friendly Ponderosa Café, and on the edge of the Snowdonia National Park.

On-site attractions will include displays, stunts, demonstrations, trade and club stands, plus beer, bands and evening entertainment. There will also be ride-outs from the site to explore some of the area’s most beautiful roads and scenery.

Follow the event on Twitter at @llanbikefest and facebook 

Follow Carl Fogarty on Twitter at @carlfogarty and facebook

Book tickets and stands online at www.llanbikefest.co.uk or contact the festival office at 07960 693398 or [email protected].

Entries closed for the 2015 Isle of Man TT Races, fuelled by by Monster Energy, at the end of February, and race organisers have confirmed a truly stellar line-up.

As in previous years, every class was oversubscribed, presenting the organisers with the huge headache of selecting who made the final start list but they have produced a world class entry suitable for the greatest motorcycle race in the world.

The RST Superbike and PokerStars Senior races will again create the most intrigue and headlines. With the top 20 seeded riders all having lapped comfortably over 127mph, it's the strongest top end of the field ever witnessed. It's no less impressive further down the order with the top 70 riders having already lapped at over 120mph and with 91 entrants targetting the 72 starting places that are up for grabs, this year's two six-lap races should be absolutely barnstorming affairs.

Honda Racing's John McGuinness, the 21-times TT race winner now back to full fitness, will lead the field off at number 1. He will be eager to reclaim his King of the Mountain title from Michael Dunlop, whose eight wins in the last two years have seen him rightfully grab the headlines. Now on board the all-new Milwaukee Yamaha R1, Dunlop goes off at number three with James Hillier, another member of the 131mph club, sandwiched between them on the Quattro Plant Bournemouth Kawasaki.

Bruce Anstey, the current outright lap record holder, will start from his customary number five position. The Kiwi is again on the Valvoline Racing by Padgetts Honda and will have that elusive first Superbike victory in his sights.

After Dunlop's feats of 2014, there are three BMW-mounted riders in the top ten. The Tyco pairing of William Dunlop and Guy Martin go off at numbers six and eight respectively with Michael Rutter starting at number four. The Midland's based rider is expected to switch to the Penz13.Com team.

Gary Johnson, last year's opening Monster Energy Supersport race winner, will again take the number seven plate, which this time will be the JG Speedfit Kawasaki, Mark Smith-Halvorsen's BSB team making their debut at the TT. The top ten is completed by 2010 hero Ian Hutchinson (PBM Kawasaki) and Conor Cummins, the Ramsey Rocket continuing in the Honda Racing set up where he'll be looking to get his first win after a second and a third last year.

Dean Harrison, riding for the Mar-Train Racing team, is onboard the second front running Yamaha at number 11 with Keith Amor, making his big bike return, lining up at number 12 on the RigDeluge BMW. Another Superbike returnee, Ryan Farquhar sets off 20 seconds later on his KMR Kawasaki, the former team-mates starting either side of 2013 TT Privateer's Champion Lee Johnston (East Coast Construction BMW) who will again assume the number 13 plate.

Dan Kneen is set to go at number 15 although the talented Manxman is still in the process of finalising his plans having seen his proposed ride with Millsport Racing fall through. David Johnson (Smiths BMW) goes at 16 followed by last year's sensational newcomer Peter Hickman (Briggs Equipment BMW), Dan Stewart (Wilcock Consulting Honda), the rasping Norton of Cameron Donald and Steve Mercer who completes the top twenty on his privateer Honda.

Dan Cooper, Ivan Lintin - set for a strong season on the RC Express Racing Kawasaki - Russ Mountford, Jamie Hamilton and consistent Italian rider Stefano Bonetti are all just outside the top twenty. Horst Saiger, who almost broke the 125mph barrier last year, will surely achieve that feat this year with regular top privateers Ben Wylie, Rob Barber, Davy Morgan and Robert Wilson back for more.

Some of last year's leading lights - James Cowton, Martin Jessopp, Michael Sweeney and Daniel Hegarty - give further proof of the strength in depth of the entry with Jamie Coward and Derek Sheils returning to the fold having both missed out on last year's meeting.

The entry has further been bolstered by a large influx of leading Manx GP competitors who are already knocking on the door of 120mph+ laps, most notably the winners of last year's Junior, Senior and Lightweight races, Andy Lawson, Andrew Soar and James Neesom, which adds further strength and means the line-up from 20th to 70th is arguably the strongest it's ever been. Others to make the step up include overseas visitors Kamil Holan, victor in the 2012 Newcomers race, Marco Pagani and Bjorn Gunnarsson and Frank Gallagher, Sam West, Anthony Redmond, Ben Rea and Matthew Rees.

The quality of entry is so high this year that just four newcomers go in the Superbike class with former World Supersport Championship contender Robbin Harms from Denmark the most notable newcomer. Current Irish Supersport champion Derek McGee, the latest rider of great potential to receive backing from Wilson Craig, former Thundersport Champion Tom McHale and Franck Petricola, the Frenchman now fully recovered from injuries sustained at last year's North West 200 meeting are all expected to perform well on their mountain course debuts.