Category: Other

1. Cost of living crisis driving UK motorcycling boom

   Posted on 12:00pm Thursday 22nd Dec 2022

   Motorcyclists may be in the minority on UK roads at present, but in the wake of reports that around 1 in 4 families are selling their cars to deal with the cost of living crisis, new research shows motorcycle and moped ownership is trending upwards. More than 67,000 motorcycle tests were taken between April 2021 and March 2022, according to Department for Transport figures released in October, the highest number in any year since records began. Now, Lexham Insurance predicts that this upward trend is here to stay.

   Analysing MCIA data and government figures, their team notes that:

   • Total two-wheeled vehicle registrations were up 32% on 2021 in the peak buying season between January and April this year, with the year to date showing petrol-powered tourers and classics up 25.1% and 11.6% respectively, and a 9% growth for the electric motorbike market (01/01/22-30/11/22)

   • Lexham Insurance has seen a dramatic increase in the number of people looking for motorcycle, moped and scooter insurance this year, with Google search data showing a 26% uplift in motorbike insurance searches between 2021 & 2022 

   • In the last year, more than 50,000 new bikers passed their tests to take to the road – a record high, amounting to 34% more new bikers on the road in the course of a year than pre-Covid figures, and a 203% growth on the 2020/21 pandemic period  

   Following an initial surge in two-wheeled vehicle ownership coming as a result of the pandemic, many had assumed that figures would dip as the UK returned to almost-normal after repeated lockdowns – but a substantial post-lockdown uplift in new registrations now looks like it’s here to stay.

   With fuel prices at the pumps rising 20% so far this year and the cost of living as a whole up more than 11%, many road users are looking for more economical ways to get around, with Startline Motor Finance’s October Tracker reporting that 23% of UK families are selling their cars, while 59% are looking for a vehicle that’s cheaper to run.

   “Many small capacity motorbikes get around 50% more miles to the gallon than most cars.” says Andy Goodson, Sales & Marketing Director at Lexham Insurance, “Given that running costs are all typically lower for scooters, mopeds and small motorcycles, it’s not surprising that we’re seeing a sustained growth in registrations now that people all over the country are looking for ways to reduce their outgoings.”

   Industry data aggregated across all insurers by Compare The Market shows that the typical insurance premium for a motorbike or moped is approximately 51% lower than that of the average car.

   Lexham Insurance has seen a substantial growth in site visits from people seeking motorcycle, scooter and moped insurance so far this year when compared to the same period in 2021, and from those looking to insure electric motorbikes and mopeds. UK search volume data pinpoints a 26% year on year growth in searches for motorbike insurance alone, with the trend looking set to continue.

   Of course, it isn’t just the steep incline in living costs and fuel costs that experts say is driving the boom. The UK has seen record-breaking temperatures in recent years, including the warmest New Year’s Day on record in 2022. As the local climate gradually shifts to see warmer temperatures for larger periods of the year, figures support the possibility that road users who have previously been deterred from motorcycling by the cold and rain are reconsidering that option.

   To find out more about the data, visit the full story at the Lexham Insurance blog.
   
   

    

   Articel supplied

2. CELEBRATE 120 YEARS OF TRIUMPH MOTORCYCLES WITH NEW COLLECTION

   Posted on 12:00pm Monday 19th Dec 2022

   Hundreds of photographs spanning British motorcycle manufacturer Triumph’s incredible history are featured in a new collection specially selected by James Robinson, editor of The Classic MotorCycle magazine.

   Triumph: Pictorial History of the Great British Marque delves deep into the extensive Mortons photographic archive to cover everything from the late Victorian age to the Great War, the Vintage period (1918-1930), the 1930s, the Second World War, the 1950s boom years, the cool 60s, the difficult 70s, the death and rebirth of Triumph in the 80s and beyond – right up to the present day.

   Robinson’s passion for Triumph is what fuels this hardback book. His personal enthusiasm for Triumph machines over the last 20 years is well documented: from the charming Model H to the amazing pre-war Tiger 100, Tridents, Thunderbirds through the ages, and pretty much every incarnation of Bonneville.

   The company celebrated a landmark 120-year anniversary this year – having produced its first motorcycle in April 1902.

   Triumph: Pictorial History of the Great British Marque is available to order for £25 via www.mortonsbooks.co.uk.

3. LAVOIE: McLaren applied’s new micro mobility company redefining urban mobility through motorsport and luxury automotive engineering

   Posted on 12:00pm Thursday 1st Dec 2022

   LAVOIE, a subsidiary of McLaren Applied, introduces the Series 1 electric scooter - created using supercar and cutting-edge global racing engineering excellence.

4. Suzuki celebrates latest graduates from its apprenticeship programme

   Posted on 12:00pm Tuesday 22nd Nov 2022

   Suzuki has celebrated the annual graduation of apprentices from its Apprenticeship Programme, with 26 technicians, customer service advisors, and aftersales parts consultants acknowledged at an award ceremony held at the British Motor Museum.

   Of the 26 graduates – across Suzuki’s motorcycle, ATV, marine, and automobile divisions – there was one motorcycle technician, one motorcycle aftersales parts consultant, and one motorcycle customer service advisor.

   The newly qualified students travelled to the West Midlands to receive their certificates from Suzuki GB’s managing director, Nobuo Suyama, and director of aftersales, Denis Houston. Also in attendance were three other members from the Suzuki board of management as well the apprentices’ families and their employers within the wider Suzuki family.

   Each of the employees from Suzuki’s nationwide dealer networks undertook a combination of practical on-the-job learning and expert tuition at the Bosch-run state-of-the-art Doncaster training centre in South Yorkshire.

   Denis Houston, director of aftersales for Suzuki GB, said, “The graduation ceremony is the culmination of many years of hard work and dedication. It is always a proud moment for not only the apprentices themselves, but also for their families and employers who have played a pivotal role in supporting each of the individuals. They should all be commended for the great lengths that they have gone to in order to enable the learning and development of these young trainees. We would like to congratulate the graduates on their achievement, and they are certainly destined for very bright futures as they continue their professional careers within our dealerships.”

   The motorcycle graduates are:

   Barnaby Ingham, motorcycle technician
   Joe Phillips, motorcycle aftersales parts consultant
   Oliver Radley, motorcycle customer service advisor

5. How to Lookup a Motorcycle’s VIN Number

   Posted on 8:00am Friday 18th Nov 2022

    

   When a bike is first purchased, it will be registered with the Department of motor vehicles (DMV). One of the requirements for registration is a vehicle identification number. 

   Just like a car, a motorcycle, dirt bike, or ATV also comes with a 17-digit VIN consisting of letters and numbers. A bike with less than 17 digits VIN would have been built before 1981, a time when car and motorcycle manufacturers were allowed to use whatever string of numbers they deemed fit as the VIN of their vehicles.  

   The VIN of a bike tells you the story of the motorcycle. By examining a motorcycle's VIN, you can get information on the manufacturer of the bike, the model, year, and history of the motorbike. 

   A motorcycle VIN provides all the relevant information about the bike since it was manufactured. This post will show you how to look up the VIN of a motorcycle. 

   Benefits of a VIN

   A vehicle identification number has been a helpful tool in finding stolen vehicles. If your motorcycle is stolen, the vehicle Identification number on it will make it harder for the thief to sell it. 

   As soon as you report the theft, the police will link that theft report to the motorcycle's history through the VIN, thus alerting the police to be on the lookout while warning off innocent potential buyers of the stolen bike.

   Furthermore, a VIN informs prospective buyers of previous titles under which the motorcycle has been held. 

   If the bike has been involved in an accident or was previously damaged, the VIN will show a record of this as long as the owner reported the incident.

   VIN also helps in reducing uncertainty when buying parts for your motorcycle. If you do not know the correct parts to use, you can look up the motorcycle’s details with a free online VIN lookup tool. This VIN will show the details of the bike so that you can buy the right parts for it. 

   Some sellers will sell you a piece of worthless scrap with a fault. They will package it off to conceal its flaws until you make payment and take your purchase home to discover that you bought a bad motorcycle. 

   In order to prevent the frustration of losing money, it is best to use a free motorcycle VIN check service on the spot before you think of paying for a motorcycle. 

   A motorcycle’s VIN will tell you the history of the bike, where it has been, what it has been used for, what it used to look like, who it has been with, and how long it has been used. 

   A VIN check tool is the first tool to arm yourself with when you want to buy a used motorcycle. If you fail to run a VIN check first, you may spend the rest of the bike’s lifespan trying to fix it, or worse, you could end up with a criminal charge of facilitating theft if the motorcycle turns out to have been stolen.

   Where to find the VIN on a motorcycle   

   Motorcycle manufacturers place the VIN on different parts of the bike. Some are kept in plain sight, while some are hidden. 

   Check the frame under the shifter if you have trouble finding the VIN on your motorbike. Also, check around the plastic hood and the left side of the frame beside the engine. Look at the frame under the tail section. Check around the neck of the steering, inside the wheels, or by the radiator. These are some spots where you can find a VIN on a motorcycle. 

   How to decode a motorcycle VIN 

   A vehicle’s VIN may seem like a jumble of numbers and alphabets, but it is no ordinary mix of numbers. It is a unique set of numbers that can only belong to one vehicle at a time.

   The VIN of any vehicle is made up of the numbers one to nine and the alphabets A to Z. The only alphabets missing are O, Q, and I, because they can be mistaken for other digits.

   A motorcycle’s VIN is divided into three parts. The first segment of the VIN, consisting of three characters, contains information on the manufacturer’s identity. 

   The next segment contains information about the motorcycle itself. This section is made up of five characters that describe the motorcycle's components. This part talks about the engine, motorcycle model, engine type, and any other information the manufacturer wants to represent.

   The third section contains the motorcycle's security code or serial number. 

   If you want to buy a motorcycle, you can look up the VIN using EpicVin. This VIN lookup tool is a free online service that will help you check the VIN on your motorcycle for free. 

   Visit the EpicVin website and look up any VIN. On the site, input the VIN in the search query and initiate a search. You will receive a report of the car's history in less than a minute.

   Don’t take a bad deal

   Whether buying a new bike, or a pre-owned one, you should first check the VIN. A seller can package an already used, damaged, or stolen bike to be sold at a high price. 

   Don’t take the salesperson's word for it. Do your research. If you find that the VIN on the body of the motorcycle is different from the VIN on the paperwork, this is a sign that the seller may have something else up their sleeves.

    

    

    

    

   article supplied