Category: Other

1. Bikes in peril

   Posted on 12:00pm Tuesday 12th Sep 2017

   It’s not surprising that many motorbikes are in danger of being stolen specifically for the value of the parts. This is because either the parts are rare (classics) or too expensive. For the police and insurance companies this is a real problem:
   
   1. Parts rarely have ID on them so cannot be linked back to the theft of the vehicle and for those that do have marked parts there are draw backs with systems that:
       (a) Require specialist people and equipment and do not give immediate results.
       (b) Do not provide individual ID for each component.
       (c) Have costly annual registration subscriptions.
   
   2. Often the police know where these bikes are worked on but cannot obtain a search warrant because they will not be able to link parts to crime reports for stolen vehicles.
   
   3. Parts are easily sold with a high demand for parts to keep bikes running.
   
   The solution – Auto Link
   
   You can easily mark components with individual ID  and help put a stop to this.
   1. NFC tags and UV writing are difficult to find, even for the police until they have the locations given to them by the owner.
   2. NFC and UV markings are revealed with standard police procedures and  equipment (smart phone and UV light).
   3. No annual subscription or concerns over data protection because you don’t have to register any of the ID unless the vehicle is stolen when it’s the police national computer system (PNC) and your insurer you tell.
   
   Auto-Link  £33.32 +vat + P&P = £42.78
   
   Content
   
   3 x NFC Tags These self-adhesive tags can be fixed on any surface including metal and are heat resistant and suitable for engine and gearbox but not the exhaust or a catalyser.The tags come pre-programmed but if you have an NFC enabled phone you can add to this and lock it down.They operate on a frequency that can be read by most police issue smart phones but you have to be able to virtually touch the tag to obtain a reading.
   
   1 x UV pen and light The UV leaves an invisible marking which shows up under ultra violet light. The pen includes a built-in UV torch.You can write whatever ID mark you want.Most police forces in the UK have UV torches.
   
   1 x Instructions and log Fitting instructions are included and on the reverse is space for recording the ID marks you have made and where they can be found.
   You can also buy a more extensive kit and mark spares and tools.
   
   Available from www.rbs-propertymarking.co.uk
   
   Club members’ discounts are available contact Stan Ratcliffe

2. FIRST DAY OF PRACTICE AT MISANO

   Posted on 3:00pm Sunday 10th Sep 2017

   THE NEW RS-GP AERODYNAMIC SOLUTION IS ON THE TRACK WITH GOOD FEEDBACK
   
   Aleix Espargaró and Sam Lowes tackled the first day of free practice at Misano as the natural continuation of the tests held here two weeks ago. In continuity with those sessions, the Aprilia team continued working especially on tyre choice, partially because of the asphalt conditions which are rather different than those they had found during the tests.

   The comparison between the various solutions continued until the final laps, giving the Aprilia Racing Team Gresini technicians plenty of feedback which will be translated into the final choices for the settings tomorrow in the decisive qualifying session.

   In both FP1 and FP2, Aleix Espargaró (who finished in eleventh place with a time of 1'33.832, just 6 tenths behind the leader) tested a new aerodynamic fairing on his RS-GP. The feedback was very positive, so much that the new aerodynamic solution will be used again tomorrow.

   Slowed in part by a couple of harmless crashes, Sam Lowes finished the Friday sessions in 22nd place with a time of 1'34.903.
   
   ALEIX ESPARGARO'
   "I struggled a bit more than I had expected because the track conditions are very different than they were for the tests. There is not much grip and I have a bit of trouble stopping the bike. These are the two main areas to work on. We also saved a few tyre solutions for tomorrow, since we know which tyres work best thanks to the tests. I liked the new fairing a lot. I had asked the engineers for it and they did a great job getting it ready in just 10 days. I will definitely use it for this weekend, but I think it is a solution that can work well on all the tracks."
   
   SAM LOWES
   "A strange day for everyone. A lot of guys tested here not long ago, including us, but today the track conditions were completely different. This morning the asphalt was damp too, which was just one more difficulty. Despite everything, we found a good base to work on tomorrow, especially in the final laps of the second session. I'm in a group of riders that are all within a half a second of one another. Tomorrow with higher temperatures we will definitely be able to have our say."

3. New figures show that MASTER protected motorcycles are 6 times less likely to be stolen

   Posted on 12:00pm Monday 4th Sep 2017

   Recent analysis of theft data for new motorcycles sold in 2017, shows there is a huge difference between machines which are marked with the MASTER Security Scheme, compared to those which are not. New MASTER protected bikes are six time less likely to be stolen.

   MASTER, which stands for Motorcycle and Scooter Tagged Equipment Registration, is the UK’s only official and national scheme and has been adopted by the majority of major motorcycle manufacturers since its launch in 2013. It both deters theft and makes it easier to secure a conviction.

   What do new statistics show?

   Information from the MASTER Scheme database and new registration data shows 66,423 new motorcycles and scooters were registered in the UK from the beginning of this year to the end of July 2017. 42,254 were marked with the MASTER system, of which only 78 have been reported stolen. Of the 24,169 motorcycles and scooters which were not protected by MASTER, 285 have been stolen.

   Rates of theft

   There is a clear and significant difference in rates of theft. MASTER tagged machines registered in the first seven months of the year have a theft rate of just 0.18%, while non-MASTER tagged new bikes have a theft rate of 1.17%, showing MASTER tagged bikes are more than six times less likely to be stolen than bikes which are not protected by the MASTER Scheme.

   Steve Kenward, CEO of the Motorcycle Industry Association, which first introduced the MASTER Scheme in 2013 says:

   “The MASTER Security Scheme represents a significant investment by major brands and these figures confirm that the decision to invest in the official MASTER scheme was the right thing to do. This data is very encouraging and hopefully will persuade those manufacturers not yet marking bikes to reconsider the MASTER Scheme as significant benefit to their customers.”

   How does the MASTER Security Scheme work?

   The MASTER Security Scheme uses a sophisticated array of technology to mark the motorcycle or scooter’s major component parts providing a unique 'fingerprint'. This layered approach involves a combination of visible and concealed elements including tamper evident warning labels, hidden microscopic Datadots, stealth UV etching and a number of unique radio frequency identification transponders which are embedded into parts. This is similar to the technology that allows the chipping of cats and dogs, but cannot be altered or erased.

   The combination of hidden elements (detailed above), along with the high visibility and the unique number on each tag, offer both peace of mind to consumers and help the police secure prosecution when recovering stolen motorcycles. Police have access to the MASTER Security Scheme secure database 24 hours a day.

   The MASTER Scheme system includes a highly visible ultra-destruct identification/warning label that is fixed in a prominent place on the bike (generally on the frame near the headstock), alerting potential thieves to the fact that it is marked and registered. The label disintegrates if it is tampered with and alarm bells will ring for police and subsequent owners if the label is missing on models from participating manufacturers.

   All motorcycles and scooters from participating manufacturers are registered on the MASTER Security Scheme’s national secure database. This is updated continuously, which means the reporting of stolen vehicles is immediate.

   It would be virtually impossible for a thief to remove all traces of the MASTER Scheme technologies from all parts, which is why this makes protected bikes far less attractive to them.

   There are now over 250,000 MASTER protected machines and this number increases each year.

   Facts about motorcycle theft

   43% of all insurance pay outs are due to theft (according to MCIA research).

   Many motorcycles are ‘cloned’, which involves being broken up into parts within hours of being stolen and reassembled onto legally acquired frames, which have log books. This can net thieves thousands of pounds a day.*
   80% of these ‘cloned’ motorcycles find their way into the legitimate dealer network. Before the MASTER Scheme it was virtually impossible for dealers or the police to identify stolen parts.*

   **(Facts and figures supplied by the Motorcycle Crime Reduction Group).

   

   www.masterscheme.org

4. Getting ready for a Biker Rally - The difference between Men & Women

   Posted on 12:00pm Monday 21st Aug 2017

   Women;

   Three weeks before;

   • Book hair, nail, eyebrow appointment
   • Buy hair colour
   • Search e-bay/Amazon for new outfit
   • Look at your womanly physique in the mirror... decide that you need to lose a stone in 3 weeks, so make mental note to do workout, sit-ups, squats, etc, every day
   • Save small amount of your favourite toiletries, face cleanser, toner, eye make up remover, day cream, night cream, eye cream, factor 15 for the face and factor 8 for the body (the sun WILL come out), body lotion, shower gel, shampoo, conditioner, hair product one (to give it body), hair product two (to make it straight), hair product three (to make it glossy) hair product four (so it does not frizz), hair product five (to keep it in place)

   Two weeks before;

   • Buy new outfit (two of just in case), found using searches such as 'Biker babe', 'biker rally outfit', 'black goth', 'black basque ladies', etc...
   • Start tan-tastic preparations, scrub flesh and moisturise

   The week before;

   • Dye hair, hair cut, buy new hair product
   • Eyebrows waxed
   • Get nails done in Biker themed design and/or to match bike (and pedicure if its summer)  
   • Apply self-tanning creams (unless goth)
   • Look in shops for a new outfit (just in case you see one you like better than the two you bought last week)

   The day before;

   • Sort out the clothing you are taking into piles
   • The clothing you are wearing on a hanger
   • All other items hidden, so that your Victor Meldrew husband does not say "Do you think you are taking that lot for two days!"

   The day of;

   • Face pack, condition hair, shave armpits and legs, apply make up with no mascara (to avoid panda eyes on the way in gale force winds)
   • Try to pack 10 tops, three pairs of jeans, 3 sets of matching underwear, toiletries (as above), towel (the size of a small country) into small bag
   • Text mates to see if they are taking hairdryers and/or straighteners as you realise you have gone over your allocation baggage allowance
   • Moisturise whole body, get dressed putting on extra layers of clothing that you could not fit into small bag
   • Put extra items you forgot to pack into coat pockets

   Men;

   • Put tent on bike
   • Take toothbrush if longer than one night
   • Moan at woman at the amount of luggage she is taking for two nights
   • Put on 'Rally' pants, club t and leather vest
   • Go...

   Of course those apologies to all women who are lower maintenance and men who are higher...

   Author - Sharon Rollisson-Slaughter @ THE BIKER GUIDE circa 2010

5. Somewhere Else Tomorrow Wins Best Feature Film Award at Tokyo Film Festival

   Posted on 12:00pm Wednesday 16th Aug 2017

   Somewhere Else Tomorrow won the "Best Feature Film Award" at the Tokyo Motorcycle Film Festival since it began streaming on Dream Racer TV.

    

   Somewhere Else Tomorrow is the story of a naive dreamer, fearing stagnation and worried about getting tangled up in a boring job out of university, attempts the greatest challenge Daniel Rintz can think of: traveling around the world on a motorcycle - without money. Instead of wasting precious time saving up for the trip, he hastily decides to make money along the way picking up random jobs - an idea that makes his journey much more challenging and dangerous than he intended. There was no support team, no film-crew, and no budget to buy his way out of tight situations. Out of the hardship he encounters trying to survive comes a story of true freedom and global understanding.

    

   The 2017 Award Winners were:

    

   Best Feature Film – Somewhere Else Tomorrow by Daniel Rintz

   Best Short Film – Boutonniere by Paolo Asuncion

   Most Inspiring – The Frozen Few (Tokyo Edit) by Stephen Marino

   Best Documentary – Chasing the Bullet by Chris Zahner

   Peoples Choice – Tokyo Gone by JJ Koester

   Judges Pick – Bing Brothers by Richard Bo Gardt

    

   The Tokyo Moto Film Festival jury, team, sponsors and audience congratulate the 2017 award winning films.

    

   "Our has been screened at a number of festivals over the years. To some of those festivals I was even personally invited. I always enjoy engaging with the movie lovers and travellers. A while ago I received an email from Japan, a place I have never been. I was asked if I wanted to submit "Somewhere Else Tomorrow" to the Tokyo Motorcycle Film Festival. I agreed and forgot about it. A couple of weeks later I received another email asking for my postal address. The organisers of the festivals want to send me a memento of the film fest saying that our film has won "BEST FILM". Wow! I was knocked off my chair. I heard Japan is a motorcycle-fanatic country. I gotta go ride around there soon. p.s. I'll let you all know when the memento arrives. I'm curious about what it will be." says Daniel Rintz, the subject of his film, as well as producer.

    

   "Daniel's film truly deserve to win even more awards. His story is nothing short of amazing and a great source of inspiration to anyone wanting to travel the world. I am proud to be able to show Somewhere Else TOmorrow to audiences worldwide via Dream Racer TV. And as Daniel shows, it is possible to do so even without money. This is definitely a must-watch film for anyone" says Christophe Barriere-Varju, founder of Dream Racer TV.

    

    

   About the Tokyo Moto Film Festival
   
   

   Held August 5th & 6th 2017, the Tokyo Moto Film Festival is Japan's only international film and short film festival dedicated to motorcycles and moto culture.

    

   About Dream Racer TV
   
   

   Dream Racer TV is a digital video service available to viewers worldwide that features inspirational and true-life documentaries with an audience already covering over 60 countries. Dream Racer TV is a fully encrypted DRM digital video on demand platform that offers a content protected platform for film makers to host and commercialize their films . Dream Racer TV takes its name after 7x Award Winning Film, Dream Racer.