A specialist education centre has been set up at the MCI’s headquarters in Coventry, which has been awarded official accredited status, in order to provide a programme of new qualifications for motorcycle instructors and motorcycle training businesses.

The Motorcycle Industry Accreditation Centre was officially approved by the Institute of the Motor Industry (IMI) last year - to run new vocational courses for both instructors and Approved Training Bodies (ATBs), which will begin in April.

Help for customers

Customers currently have no means of distinguishing good from bad when choosing an instructor or ATB. This is particularly important when choosing where to do Compulsory Basic Training (CBT), as the quality of this initial training experience is far more likely to win converts to motorcycling when delivered well. Also, those who invest time and money into building a superior business have no concrete way to stand out from less scrupulous operators.

Professionalising the industry

Introducing qualifications for instructors and ATBs will allow the motorcycle training industry to professionalise ahead of any compulsory requirements to do so and before the car training industry has managed to do the same. 

These vocational qualifications will be equivalent to level 3 (approximately A level standard) and though they are voluntary, they will demonstrate to customers that the instructor or ATB involved will far exceed any minimum standards.

Vocational Qualifications are work based awards that are achieved through assessment and training, which require the candidates to prove that they have the ability to carry out their job to a required standard.

Welcomed by the wider industry

MCI members also agree that more structure within the training industry will allow them to choose training partners more easily and to develop fleet programmes with corporate clients who need greater quality assurances than are currently available.

The individual instructor training qualification will start in January 2015, but the first ATB course will begin in a few weeks’ time in April of this year. 20 ATBs will be given the chance to be the first in the UK to take a qualification specifically tailored to them. This can be taken by owners, directors, managers or whoever has responsibility for the day to day running, as it concentrates on the business of running an ATB. Those seeking instructor accreditation next year will need to be part of an ATB which has gained MCIAC ATB accreditation.

Steve Kenward, CEO of the Motorcycle Industry Association explained: “Driver and motorcycle training has been left behind other training sectors in introducing a framework of recognised qualifications. This move should help to change that. Motorcycles should be a natural choice as a means of personal transport and for fleet operators too, but both need clearer signposts when choosing quality instructors. We are particularly proud to be able to launch this ahead of anything similar in the car driver training industry and before any compulsory requirements to do so by government bodies.”

Karen Cole, Director of Safety and Training at the MCI, who has been instrumental in leading the bid to get accredited status for the MCI added: “Many working in the motorcycle training industry agree that the industry has suffered from a lack of recognition and professional status for too long and that needs to change. Accreditation fits into a long term strategy to deliver a ‘route to safer motorcycling’ model, which is a shared aim for MCI members and the Motorcycle Industry Association Trainers Association (MCITA). We are sure that if we can improve rider safety and raise the professionalism and credibility of the industry overall, we can expect much more support from government, manufacturers and other key stakeholders.”

Cost

The ATB course will normally be £1575, although there is an introductory offer for an initial 20 ATBs, which can be paid for in instalments. The intro offer is only for MCITA members who take a place on either the April or June course. ATBs interested in finding out more should contact the Course Administrator Lynne Whitehouse on 02476 408036 [email protected]

Instructor training will take place from January 2015 and anyone wishing to take part will need to be affiliated to an MCIAC accredited ATB.

www.mcia.co.uk

Canadian based International Superbike racer Dan Kruger has signed to race for the Penz13. com BMW Racing Team for the 2014 Isle of Man TT Races fuelled by Monster Energy. He'll also race for the team at the NorthWest 200.

Team principal Rico Penzkofer has been busy so far this season and recently made headlines when he announced that Simon Andrews would be racing for his team as well. The German based team has years of experience in road racing scene and with their direct support from BMW Motorrad, expectations are high for the 2014 campaign.

“Like most racers around the world, it has always been a dream of mine to not only race the TT but also be aligned with such a world class team on factory prepped machinery. I can’t wait for our first test in Europe next month! If all of this wasn’t enough, I'm really fortunate to have Simon Andrews as a teammate,” said Kruger.

Kruger’s race season will also include the Suzuka 8 Hour Endurance race in Japan this July with a Japanese team and the Superbike Championship in China, which kicks off March 21-23 in Zhuhai, China. “I really need to thank Rico Penzkofer and the entire Penz13 .com BMW Racing Team for making this opportunity happen, allowing me this chance of a lifetime,” he said.

“I am really looking forward to this season in particular having a Canadian racing for us at the TT and also giving Simon Andrews a chance to show the world that he is back from serious injury and he means business”, said team principal Rico Penzkofer.

“Dan has really dominated over in China these past few years and is ready to take on a new challenge. He shows the maturity needed to safely take on the TT. I am really looking forward to working with him and I am pretty confident he will adapt to the BMW very quickly,” he added.

Kruger will travel to the Isle of Man shortly, meeting with officials for a mandatory two-day newcomer induction which will include several instruction laps with TT rider liaison officer Milky Quayle.

The team would like to thank BMW Motorrad, Pirelli, Motul, Frank’s Autowelt, ZF, SK Support, GB Racing and Nature Power.

The BMF Kelso Bikefest will have a new Sponsor for 2014 in the form of Principal Insurance, the Manchester based insurance broker who offer ‘A Fresh Approach to Insurance’.

Martin Chick, BMF Show organiser said “We have been working with Principal for the last 12 months and their introduction to the shows last year was extremely positive” “This sponsorship gives them the opportunity to build on the relationships they began last year and we’re looking forward to working with them again, plus we hope they’ll bring the same weather with them that we all enjoyed last year as well!”

Principal Insurance Operations Manager Matt Byrne added “Having attended the Kelso Bikefest last year, we have decided to bring our “fresh approach to insurance” to Kelso again. We want to build on last year’s success and we are really looking forward to speaking to as many riders and enthusiasts as possible over the weekend and again throughout the year”.

The BMF Kelso Bikefest is held over the weekend of 4th - 6th July. Tickets are available from: 0844 8845151 or for more information about any of the BMF shows visit www.thebmfshow.co.uk. Or talk to the show organisers, The Mulberry Group, on 01869 277077.

The IAM is warning drivers about the dangers of distracted driving after research found that nearly one in ten (9%) of drivers admit to crashing their cars because they were distracted. Just under one in twenty drivers (4 per cent) say that someone was injured in the crash.

The IAM/Vision Critical survey, which polled nearly 1500 regular UK drivers aged 18 years and over, also found that of the 500 divers who admitted to having a near miss, almost one in five (18 per cent) then went on have a crash.

The most common distractions are:
•Children in the car (29%)
•Changing the radio channel (27%)
•Back seat drivers (26%)
•Mobile phone use (24%)
•Sat nav (15%)
•Attractive pedestrians, drivers or passengers (14%)

Our most crash-prone drivers come from London and the South East, where 14 per cent of drivers admitted to distraction crashes. The lowest crash rates are in Wales (3%), Yorkshire and Humber (4%) and South West England (5%),

Men are nearly twice as likely to crash because of a distraction than women (11% and 6%).

IAM chief executive Simon Best said: “If you think you can multitask and drive then think again. Using mobile phones and other distractions were a factor in more than one hundred deaths on our roads last year, every one of them avoidable.”

www.iam.org.uk

The Isle of Man Government, Department of Economic Development has launched an appeal for people to come forward with bikes formerly ridden by Joey Dunlop to appear on the Isle of Man at this year's Classic TT Festival.

The theme running through this year’s Classic TT is titled 'Joey Dunlop - Road Racing Legend' and the Department’s Motorsport Team is sourcing relevant bikes that the legendary Northern Ireland raced during his career to go on display in what is hoped will be the largest collection of his race bikes ever in one place.

Joey's glittering racing career featured a record 26 outright TT victories over his twenty-four years of racing at the TT, from 1976 to 2000. He also competed at World Championship level, took a podium in World Superbike and achieved numerous race wins and podiums in Ireland including 24 Ulster Grand Prix victories and thirteen North West 200 titles.

The Classic TT is one of the event's that makes up The Isle of Man Festival of Motorcycling, a fortnight of competitive racing which runs from 16th to 31st August 2014, which also includes the Manx Grand Prix Races, The Classic and Two Day Trials and the Vintage Motor Cycle Club's Festival of Jurby.

Trevor Hussey, Head of Motorsport, Department of Economic Development, Isle of Man Government commented: “We have several initiatives planned for this year’s Classic TT to tie into our Joey Dunlop theme and one of the most significant will be the creation of a one off display in the paddock of bikes that Joey raced throughout his career.”

“We have been working with the Dunlop family and have already been able to source a number of iconic machines, but we want to create something special that has never been seen before and we are calling for anyone who is lucky enough to now own one of Joey’s race bikes to make contact with us to see if their machines can be included.”

Anyone wishing to contact the Department of Economic Motorsport Team can do so at 00 (44) 1624 686815 or via e-mail at [email protected]