Right To Ride’s Trevor Baird attended the official launch of Compulsory Basic Training (CBT) by the Environment Minister Edwin Poots at Parliament Buildings, Stormont on the 16th February 2011.

CBT will be officially introduced on Monday 21st February 2011 and will fundamentally change training requirements for those wishing to ride a motorcycle as a learner rider on public roads.

Mr Poots said the new training scheme was essential to improve safety for all road users and that, "Road safety is my top priority, and I believe that this initiative will help us to further drive down deaths and serious injuries on the roads. Biking can be a great experience, but ridden inappropriately, a motorcycle becomes a lethal weapon.”

The minister added that, "The introduction of CBT will improve learners’ riding skills because they will receive training in a safe environment before proceeding to ride on public roads. The evidence shows that the scheme will improve safety for both motorcyclists and other road users."

The introduction of CBT will mean that new moped and motorcycle riders will not be permitted to ride unaccompanied on public roads without valid CBT certificates. CBT can only be delivered by a registered Approved Motorcycle Instructor (AMI).

“However those with provisional motorcycle or moped licences issued prior to 21 February 2011 will have 12 months to either complete a CBT course or obtain a full motorcycle licence.”

 “If they choose the CBT course option they will be entitled to ride with L-plates for a period of two years or until they have passed their practical test.”

The CBT course has three modules:

• introduction and practical training, for example touch and feel
• practical riding (either off-road or on-road in a safe environment) and preparation for on-road riding (theory)
• practical on-road riding

Right To Ride also welcomed the continued recognition by the department that, “It should be noted that half of all motorcyclist casualties are caused by other drivers.” The department has also encouraged motorists to give extra consideration to motorcyclists through campaigns such as the 'Underneath' campaign where drivers are reminded to look out for bikes when overtaking, at junctions, when turning right and when emerging onto main roads.

At Right To Ride we have been reporting over the last year on the proposals for CBT and along with the British Motorcyclists Federation have had our views represented on the stakeholder group that has delivered the CBT scheme by David McMcGuckin from Ballymena Rider Training.

We believe that initial rider training in whatever form it is presented, is crucial for novice riders. CBT will provide “off road” and “on road” training elements, giving new riders the basic instruction of how to handle a motorcycle on public roads.

There will be a cost to this of course, but we would expect that this cost will be kept to a level that is affordable. 

For more information see Right To Ride on CBT

Four times World Superbike Champion Carl Fogarty will take on an ambassadorial role with Ducati to promote and support the Rapid Solicitors Ducati 848 Challenge.

Carl became a supporter of the 848 Challenge last year when he rode an 848 on a parade lap at the Oulton Park British Superbikes round to help promote the series. Since then Carl has taken a keen interest in the 848 Challenge and is honoured to become an ambassador for the series.

Fogarty will make a number of appearances at British Superbike rounds as well as possibly one or two at the overseas rounds at Assen and Monza. He will be on hand to give advice and mentoring to the 848 Challenge riders and pass on his knowledge of the seven circuits that the series will visit. As well as sharing his experience with the 848 Challenge riders Carl will also be available to present trophies, media interviews and personal appearances.

Carl commented on his new ambassadorial role with Ducati and the 848 Challenge ’I am very pleased to be asked to be involved with the 848 Challenge and pass on my experience to the riders and also hopefully help some of the young and up and coming guys. The 848 Evo is a fantastic bike and the Challenge should produce a great spectacle at every one of the eight rounds.’ 

The 848 Challenge starts at Brands Hatch on the 23,24,25 April where Carl Fogarty will be on hand to calm early season nerves, pass on commiserations and congratulations and present trophies to the winners.

The full 2011 Rapid Solicitors Ducati 848 Challenge calendar is:

Round 1    23,24,25 April    Brands Hatch    BSB
Round 2    13,14,15 May    Assen, NL
Round 3    28,29,30 May    Thruxton    BSB
Round 4    9,10 July        Monza, IT
Round 5    5,6,7 August        Brands Hatch    BSB
Round 6    27,28,29 August    Cadwell Park    BSB
Round 7    3 September        Castle Combe    New Era
Round 8    23,24,25 September    Silverstone    BSB
   
For further information regarding the Ducati 848 Challenge and series entries please contact: Jason Boswell, Series Coordinator: [email protected]

Thee KillSpills campaign, founded in 2003 to counter the menace of diesel spillage and particularly the danger it presents to motorcyclists, has come to an end.

Announcing the end of the campaign, the KillSpills team leader Stephen Edwards said that the increased pressure of his ‘day job’ coupled with family domestic needs meant that he could no longer give the campaign the time and resources it needed.

Although sponsored and supported by the BMF since 2005, (and from 2008 also by the IAM) the small volunteer KillSpills team remained just that and it is to their credit that they achieved so much in raising the profile of the spilt diesel menace.

Highlights over the past seven and a half years included the annual London KillSpills Rally, at one time attracting over 7500, riders converging on Parliament with regular reports and petitions taken to the Prime Minister’s office at 10 Downing Street.

Thanks to KillSpills, the Highway Code now includes a section on the danger of diesel spillage and due to the Highways Agency support, leaflets and guidance were issued to fleet operators and drivers. The DfT also came on board and commissioned and funded a study into best practice on cleaning up diesel spills.

The high profile campaign also presented annual awards to companies who had done the most to lessen the risks and improve awareness of diesel spills. Recipients included big fleet operators, ASDA and Sainsbury’s, and TruckProtect, the makers of an innovative and now widely adopted anti-spill device. Awards were also presented to the Highways Agency and to the DfT in recognition of their work on the topic.

Speaking on the announcement, KillSpills founder, R1 riding Stephen Edwards, a 45 year old Accountant from Lancashire said: “This has been an extremely difficult decision for me but I’ve come to the end of my personal road on this. We’ve achieved so much and I’ve enjoyed what we’ve done, but this is it, I really can’t do any more. My thanks go to my team and the many people who have helped us along the way and of course to the BMF and IAM whose support has been invaluable.”

For the BMF, spokesman Jeff Stone said:  “From the day I first met Steve way back in 2003, I was impressed by his enthusiasm and professionalism and was pleased to be able to offer BMF support. The BMF have battled the diesel menace for years and gained some improvements, but Steve raised the bar and by concentrating on this single issue gave it a whole new dimension. Motorcyclists owe a lot to Steve and the KillSpills team.”

The BMF will continue to lobby on the diesel spills issue as part of its broader campaigning programme.

See www.killspills.org.uk for more on the campaign.

In a new initiative, ‘Rider Active’, designed to involve all motorcyclists in tackling common issues adversely affecting their motorcycling safety and enjoyment, the BMF has today launched an on-line survey to gather their concerns and from those topics highlighted, construct an action plan to deal with them.

The ‘Rider Active’ initiative follows an impromptu ‘What’s Bugging You?’ survey of visitors to the BMF’s stand at last year’s International Motorcycle Show and triggered the need for a wider survey of rider’s concerns.

The survey captured such a diverse range of concerns that the BMF now wants to break them down into priority order by surveying not only its 80,000 members though direct mailing, but also, through the on-line survey, all interested motorcyclists.

In this way say the BMF, it will not be a top-down project but will involve the BMF’s regional network of representatives too. After collecting riders concerns, guidance and briefings focused on local findings will be available enabling those riders, along with local BMF Regional Representatives, to take action themselves along with any national action taken by the BMF.

Over the year, four major issues will be focussed on as determined by the survey, all of them designed to gather grass roots concerns and involve local riders.

Launched today, the Rider Active survey will also be carried in the BMF’s re-launched Motorcycle Rider magazine published later this month.

Chris Hodder, the BMF’s Government Relations Executive said: “This represents a new way of working for the BMF, empowering local riders and putting the resources of the BMF in their hands. In this way we will be addressing the issues that they really care about.”

For further information and to take part in the survey, riders should log on.

Motorcycling legends and iconic machines confirmed for TT2011 appearance

Some of the greatest names and most exotic machinery in Yamaha's history will be on the Isle of Man for this year's Isle of Man TT Races fuelled by Monster Energy courtesy of the Dutch based Yamaha Classic Racing Team.

The international team, which includes multiple TT Race winners and World Champions, will be performing a parade lap as part of the legendary Japanese manufacturer's 50th anniversary, which is appropriately also the 100th anniversary that racing has taken place around the famous 37¾-mile Mountain Circuit.

The line up includes multiple world champion Phil Read MBE, Yamaha's most successful rider, who also won 8 TT's and will ride the Yamaha RD05A 250cc that he rode to the '68 world championship. One of the greatest names in TT history, Phil will be making his first appearance on a Yamaha since the 1972 TT.

Germany's Dieter Braun, world champion in 1970 and 1973, as well as a TT winner in 1970, will be riding the Yamaha YZ634 350cc that 7 time TT winner and fellow world champion Chas Mortimer raced on the Island in 1972, while Chas will parade on a Yamaha TZ750.

Australian Kel Carruthers who won the 1970 Lightweight 250cc TT will be renewing his acquaintance with Rod Gould, runner up in that race but who went on to win that year's world championship from Carruthers. Gould will be on a 1972 YZ635 250cc machine that he and Barry Sheene both raced in the World Championship.

Ulsterman Tommy Robb will be evoking memories of his popular 1973 125cc Ultra-Lightweight TT victory by appearing on the YZ623cc machine that he won that memorable race on.

The line up also includes Finland's Pentti Korhonen who will be riding a 350 4 cylinder RR08A and Jos Schurgers who will be on the four cylinder RA31A 125.

This eclectic group of riders is completed by American 750cc World Champion Steve Baker, who was inducted into the AMA Motorcycle Hall of Fame in 1989. The popular rider, known for his flamboyant riding style, was the first American World Champion in the 1977 750cc championship, and he also finished runner up to Barry Sheene in the 500cc championship in the same year as well as winning the Daytona 200. He is making a much-anticipated first appearance on the Island.

The team will also be bringing some classic machines that will go on display at the grandstand from Wednesday 8thJune. It is hoped that machines that will be on show will include Phil Read's RD56 from 1964 and Bill Ivy's 1960 TT winning RA97.

As well as the parade, which will take place on Friday 10th June, the team will also be appearing in a Yamaha Classic Racing Team Parade on Douglas Promenade on Wednesday 8th June as part of the night-time entertainment.

A 'Dawn Chorus' event, with echoes of morning practices, is scheduled for early on Thursday 9thJune, which will include riders and mechanics in period costume in pit lane with all of the bikes on display. Fans will get the chance to meet their Yamaha heroes as part of the 'Day of Champions' also lined up for the TT Grandstand on the same day.

Ferry Brouwer, Team Owner, Yamaha Classic Racing Team commented:

"We are delighted that Yamaha's 50th anniversary is coinciding with the centenary celebrations of the Mountain Course and we are sure that the TT fans will enjoy the sights and sounds of these spectacular machines and the chance to see these legendary riders close up."

Allan Bell, MHK, Minister, Department of Economic Development commented:

"We are very much looking forward to sharing this special year in the history of the IOM TT Races with the Yamaha Classic Racing Team and celebrating their 50th anniversary year with us."