The new film from motorcycle safety campaign Live Fast Die Old by The Scottish Government and Road Safety Scotland^*, launched today.   

Part of the campaign’s Breathtaking Roads series, the film highlights the thrill of riding while also reminding bikers to enjoy Scotland’s roads safely.

Despite accounting for less than 1% of all road traffic in Scotland bikers account for 7% of casualties¹, with bends and overtaking among the riskiest manoeuvres. ²

Shot on the scenic Isle of Skye, the short film uses striking slo-mo footage to highlight the importance of considering the entire picture and every potential hazard before making the decision to overtake. It urges bikers exploring Scotland’s roads to ‘take your time to take it all in’.

The film is available to watch here – Watch the Breathtaking Roads film

The film can be downloaded here – Download the Breathtaking Roads film

The dedicated Live Fast Die Old website and Facebook page offer rich and engaging content, with films and blogs from Scottish bikers sharing first-hand experience and tips with peers, as well as route inspiration and best practice advice. 

To find out more about the campaign and join the conversation, visit the Live Fast Die Old website www.livefastdieold.scot or Facebook page - facebook.com/livefastdieoldscotland

The Live Fast Die Old campaign is looking for bikers across Scotland to get involved by sharing their experience, advice, top routes and ride-out tips with other bikers. If you’d like to be part of the campaign, follow Live Fast Die Old on Facebook and or get in touch on [email protected].

*Road Safety Scotland is part of Transport Scotland

¹ Scotland’s Road Safety Framework to 2030 (February 2021)

² Reported Road Casualties Scotland 2020 (October 2021)

Taking its name as the 3 Capital Cities of the mainland UK nations are included, the event will see over 50 Knievel suited and caped motorcyclists leaving from Wrexham on Wednesday June 1st.
A motorcycle event like no other which takes in... take a deep breath... Oulton Park, laps at Knockhill Circuit, laps at Olivers Mount and riding the famous section banked circuit of Brooklands.

Oh, and a meet at the iconic Ace Cafe London with legend Eddie Kidd OBE  on 4th June

All entrants raise individual sponsorship (and cover their own costs) as a strict condition of entry. This years event is in aid of Macmillan Cancer Support.
To support and donate to Capital Knievels 'BEING EVEL FOR A GOOD CAUSE' go here.

June 1st WREXHAM to DUNFERMLINE 
June 2nd DUNFERMLINE to PICKERING 
June 3rd PICKERING to LONDON 
June 4th LONDON to BRISTOL via Ace Cafe London with Eddie Kidd OBE, 
June 5th BRISTOL to WREXHAM  Event Finish at Wrexham, north Wales.
For full details check out:
FB Ride Cymru
Ride Cymru

The Gresini Racing MotoGP Team, a new ally joining the Faenza-based squad from the Italian Grand Prix at Mugello onwards, welcoming MS GLOW For MEN as a new partner. 
 
MS GLOW For MEN is a leading skincare products in Indonesia cater to men from all walks of life who care about their skin. With millions of customers on its side, MS GLOW For MEN enters a wide and solid group of Indonesian partners for the team founded by Fausto Gresini.
 
MS GLOW For MEN will enjoy prominent branding on Enea Bastianini and Fabio Di Giannantonio’s Ducati MotoGP machines, as well as inside the team’s pit-boxes and on the Gresini Racing trucks.

GILANG WIDYA PRAMANA – CHAIRMAN OF MS GLOW FOR MEN
“We are very excited to join the Gresini Racing MotoGP Team as new partner. Riding is not just a passion but also a lifestyle. This partnership will amplify the character of MS GLOW For MEN as a lifestyle product in the form of skincare for real men. We can’t wait to explore this partnership, elevate the brand of MS GLOW For MEN and promote the name of Indonesia.”

CARLO MERLINI – GRESINI RACING COMMERCIAL AND MARKETING DIRECTOR
“I’m delighted to announce MS GLOW for MEN as Official Sponsor of the Gresini Racing MotoGP Team. When we met during the GP in Mandalika we immediately decided to build a partnership and I’m glad to have them onboard starting from the next coming Italian GP. As we all know the popularity of MotoGP in Indonesia makes it a powerful marketing tool and, besides that, I believe that our strong performances will further boost the activation program that MS GLOW for MEN will building around the sponsorship program”.

• A wide range of accessories designed to make the Streetfighter V2 even sportier is available in Ducati network dealerships
• The online configurator allows you to view the different customization options and share the bike of your dreams with the nearest dealer

Borgo Panigale (Bologna, Italy), 18 May 2022 - A wide range of accessories designed by Ducati to make the Streetfighter V2 even sportier and to further enhance its look is available in the network dealerships.

Ducati Streetfighter V2 (link to the Ducati World Première episode here) is a sports naked with a unique character, which is aimed at motorcyclists who are looking for a bike capable of combining the sporty DNA of the Panigale V2 with Streetfighter riding attitude and style.

The most iconic accessory of the Ducati Performance line dedicated to Streetfighter V2 is the carbon wing set, consisting of 4 structural carbon fibre wings. This accessory is designed for those who want to give their bike a further touch of exclusivity and improve control when used on the track. The lightness of this material, combined with the shape designed in the wind tunnel, enhances the distinctly racing character and the high performances of this motorcycle.

Carbon fibre is used frequently in Ducati Performance accessories, as it represents a perfect combination of design and lightness. Within the range of Streetfighter V2 accessories there are various elements made with this precious material, including front and rear mudguards, rear shock absorber cover, instrument panel cover, heel guards, license plate holder and exhaust cover in carbon and titanium. In collaboration with Rizoma, Ducati has also created a series of accessories in CNC-machined billet aluminium, including rear-view mirrors, fuel tank cap, brake fluid reservoir and clutch fluid reservoir.

The Bologna-based motorcycle manufacturer has also thought of a package of accessories to enhance the sporting attitude of the Streetfighter V2. The Sport package includes a license plate holder in carbon, handlebar counterweights, fuel cap, brake and clutch levers and dynamic LED indicators.

Finally, for track use only, a complete titanium exhaust unit is available, which makes the Streetfighter V2 even more unique and exciting, significantly improving the already remarkable weight-to-power ratio. This accessory is designed and developed by Akrapovič and is made of racing materials to maximize performance.

The DDA KIT is also available for use on the circuit, combining the functionality of the electronic finish line and the display of dashboard times with the data acquisition of trajectories, speed, RPM, gear, throttle opening angle and intervention of electronic systems.

The entire range of accessories is available on the Ducati.com website, where through the "Configurator" section it will be possible for all Ducatisti to choose their favourite accessories to make their Streetfighter V2 unique and share them with the nearest dealer.

Nationwide roadside rescue and recovery operator Start Rescue is warning bikers they must take a moment to check their pride and joy before taking to the road, with more than 40 motorcyclists hurt every day on UK roads according to Department for Transport.

The DfT’s shocking statistics show that despite only accounting for one per cent of traffic on UK roads, motorcyclists made up 20 per cent of road deaths in 2020. Fortunately, fatalities are much reduced from 1979 when over 1,000 bikers lost their lives; in 2020 that figure was down to 285. Lockdown has reduced these figures further but with spring upon us, bikers are once again taking to the roads.

Start Rescue recognises that many accidents are caused not just by other motorists’ poor motorcycle awareness on the roads, but also by motorcycle owners’ poor maintenance and neglect of their machines. With summer approaching and the roads starting to dry out, many bikers are opening their garage doors and dusting off their precious two-wheeled steed.

Lee Puffett, Managing Director of Start Rescue, said: “We’re blessed with some great roads in this country, but too many bikers are left stranded by poor preparation. While Start Rescue can help recover a broken bike and rider, it’s better to be prepared. A mechanical mishap on a bike isn’t just inconvenient – it can be dangerous for the rider and other road users.”

Lee continues: “Storing a bike in a lockup or garage during winter is a sensible way of protecting it from the elements (particularly road salt) but it doesn’t guarantee reliability once the weather warms up. Old batteries can fail, even if they’re disconnected. Trickle charging can recover some batteries, but a new replacement guarantees starting on the button (or kick-starter).”

Lee understands that most bikers take great pride in cleaning and polishing their pride and joy, but there are other benefits: “A good clean can highlight any problems hidden by dust – such as leaks and perishing rubber seals or pipes. Likewise, any corrosion that’s starting to take hold will be obvious with a sponge rubbed across it. Give the chain some spray lubrication after a clean to preserve it.“

Start Rescue urges all bikers to check their tyres carefully. Firstly, the legal tread requirements for motorcycles over 50cc are a minimum of 1mm around the tyre’s entire circumference and across the centre ¾ width of the tyre. For mopeds less than 50cc, all grooves of the original tyre tread must be visible. Start Rescue recommends replacing tyres well before these limits for the sake of safety, but also because the penalty for insufficient tread depth and/or poor general condition can be up to £2,500 fine and three penalty points per tyre. If the tread depth is OK, check for any unusual or uneven wear, eg a bald patch. If the tyre itself is OK, check the pressures are correct.

Finally, consider a refresher course for safer riding. Lee says: “While it’s easy to be dismissive of road rules, accidents often hurt your loved ones more than they hurt the rider - be a safer rider for them. BikeSafe (www.bikesafe.co.uk) is a police-run scheme for post-test training. The content covers attitude, observation, cornering, overtaking, filtering, junctions, group riding, hazard awareness and the system of motorcycle control.”

Checklist for mothballed motorbikes:

• Check tyres: pressures, cracking, tread
• Check brakes – renew old fluid, check pad thickness & disc condition
• Damper condition – any leaking/bad seals, stanchion pitting and scratches
• Frame corrosion/cracking
• Check all lights
• Check fluid levels – oil, coolant, brake fluid
• Lubricate the chain
• Consider a service if the bike has been stored a long time

Editor’s notes:
www.startrescue.co.uk is a trading style of Call Assist Ltd, which is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority and has been providing breakdown services on behalf of many brands for the past 23 years. Call Assist currently services more than 2 million policyholders through a large network of approved recovery agents throughout the UK and a further network in Europe.

Accident statistics taken from the following publications:
www.gov.uk/government/statistics/reported-road-casualties-in-great-britain-provisional-estimates-year-ending-june-2021/reported-road-casualties-in-great-britain-provisional-estimates-year-ending-june-2021

www.gov.uk/government/statistics/reported-road-casualties-great-britain-annual-report-2020/reported-road-casualties-great-britain-annual-report-2020