Category: Other

1. Hein Gericke (UK) placed into Administration

   Posted on 12:01am Thursday 2nd Aug 2012

   The UK side of Hein Gericke has been placed into administration this week, with hopefully a new buyer found.

   It is hoped a new buyer is found as a matter or urgency and that they may continue to serve a dedicated customer base and keep the staff employed in the 49 stores across England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.

   Separate from the German based parent company, the UK motorcycle clothing and accessory retailer trades under a license agreement.

2. EURO TRAINERS OFFER SOMETHING DIFFERENT

   Posted on 12:01am Friday 27th Jul 2012

   Midlands-based RMT Motorcycle Training is organising a continental trip this September that offers the perfect blend of riding, socialising, advanced training and sight-seeing.

   The five-day excursion to Normandy is a package deal that includes ferry crossings, meals and accommodation for up to 25 people, together with as much or as little continental training as riders want from a small team of highly qualified instructors.

   RMT Director, Simon Hayes, explains; “We take on overnight ferry from Portsmouth to Caen, head for an English-owned rustic chateau in Brix, Normandy and ride some of the best roads in lovely countryside for three days. Our five instructors are all DSA-approved, fully qualified as Senior IAM Observers and RoSPA Gold holders - and passionate bikers. Each individual rider decides day-by-day how much he or she takes advantage of their knowledge, but we like to incorporate advanced riding techniques, tips on group riding dynamics and of course, how to ride on the ‘wrong side’ of the road! Individuals can take time out to do their own thing, but we aim to offer a nice balance of touring, learning and socialising“. 

   The trip runs from Thursday 6th until Monday 10th September and costs £650 per person, pillions are also very welcome. Routes and radios are provided, but guests cover their own fuel, lunch stops and souvenirs. RMT can also help with a comprehensive checklist to highlight the useful kit and necessary requirements for riding in France.

   Every rider gets a Development Report when they return home and may even have the bonus of being awarded the DSA Enhanced Rider Scheme Certificate of Achievement if there riding is to a high enough standard.

   A second, 9-day tour to Portugal has been organised for mid October at a cost of £990 per person.

   For more information, go to www.rmtnet.co.uk and click on Training Holidays. You can call Simon and his team on (01527) 500 333 or email [email protected] 

3. The Evolution of Motorcycle Safe

   Posted on 4:36pm Thursday 26th Jul 2012

   It's no secret that motorbikes are officially the coolest mode of transport, however, did you know that many of the safety measures we now take for granted were not introduced for many years after motorcycling became so popular?

   With motorcycle fatalities are at their lowest level ever, this infographic has been created by UK's bike insurer Bennetts to show how motorcycle safety has evolved over the years and what a huge impact the work of bikers, campaigners and legislators has had to make motorcycling safer for everyone.

4. Honda to participate in the 2013 Dakar Rally

   Posted on 12:01am Tuesday 3rd Jul 2012

   Honda has announced its intention to participate as a works team in the motorcycle class of the Dakar Rally to be held in January 2013 in South America, travelling north to south through Peru, Chile and Argentina.

   Honda competed nine times in the motorcycle class in the forerunner of the present Dakar Rally, the Paris-Dakar Rally, from 1981 through to 1989, and was a winner five times during that period. It has been 23 years since it last participated in the Rally.
    
   The Honda team, to be called Team HRC, will include Portuguese rider Helder Rodrigues, who took third place in the 2012 Dakar Rally, Brazilian Felipe Zanol, who brings a wealth of experience in motocross and enduro race events, as well as Sam Sunderland (United Kingdom) and Javier Pizzolito (Argentina).
    
   They will ride a prototype machine developed and produced by the Motorcycle R&D Center at Honda R&D. The prototype machine is based on the CRF450X, the popular worldwide enduro racing model that combines ease of handling with superior competitive strength. Kit parts designed for use on the standard CRF450X model have also been developed and will be supplied to a limited number of teams.
    
   Tetsuo Suzuki, Senior Managing Officer and Director, Chief Operating Officer, Motorcycle R&D Centre, Honda R&D Co., Ltd. commented: “The Dakar requires competitors to cover several hundred kilometers per day for more than two weeks. It needs a totally different type of vehicle from events such as motocross, trials and road races. Honda has put a great deal of effort into designing and building a powerful and winning machine. We are aiming for the championship from this first year.”

5. Bennetts reveal Britain’s ‘average biker’

   Posted on 12:01am Sunday 13th May 2012

   Typical motorcyclist is middle-class, rides to work and prefers a Honda!

    

   The traditional stereotype of bikers being free-spirited, leather clad hooligan is thing of the past, according to research by Bennetts. The UK’s number one for bike insurance* has revealed the profile of the ‘average biker’ in 21st Century Britain, a seemingly upstanding, 40-something middle-class citizen who is a married, professional, family man.

    

   The study reveals the average motorcyclist in the UK is a world away from common perceptions, with him being a six-foot tall, brown haired biker who almost certainly owns a car and rides no more than twice a week. Although seemingly conventional, the average biker does seem to have a wild side too, with 50% of the British bikers questioned having a tattoo and a third sporting a beard.

    

   Challenging the old perceptions of bikers even further, only 7% sport either long hair or a pony tail. This is probably because nearly 60% of those surveyed hold down a professional senior/management job, taking home an average wage of £30,000 a year, up 25% on the national average (£24,000)**

    

   Despite an immediate association with Harley Davidson’s and other such loud bikes, the average biker actually prefers to ride on a Honda and manages just 7,500 miles a year, with 80% of bikers surveyed owning a car as well as a motorbike. Biking seems to still be very much associated with a mid-life crisis as the average biker has only been riding for two years, despite his age.

    

   Questionnaire Results

   
   Name: Ben
   Sex: Male (96.8%)
   Age: 41- 50 (31.6%)
   Hair Colour: Brown (66.2%)
   Glasses: No (62.3%)
   Additional features: Tattoos (53.3%) and Beard (32.6%)
   Height: 6ft (33.3%)
   Occupation: Professional (29.0%)
   Motorbike: Honda (30.1%)
   How often do you ride: Twice a week (42.8%)
   Do you use the bike to commute to work: Yes (54.9%)
   Average annual mileage: 5,001 – 10,000 (43.0%)
   Favourite genre of music: Rock/Heavy Metal (48.8%)
   How long have you been riding: 1-3 years (22.9%)
   How many motorbikes have you owned: 6 (47.9%)
   Do you own a car: Yes (80.0%)
   Favourite sport: Superbikes (52.8%)
   Annual income: £20,000 – 39,999 (44.4%)

    

    

    

   *Based on brand tracking research in April 2008
   **Based on National Online Statistics (statistics.gov.uk)