Category: Tourism & Travel

1. Lady riders on the increase

   Posted on 7:57am Friday 9th Jul 2010

   The number of women taking to two wheels has increased significantly during the last eighteen months and this now represents a large proportion of moped, scooter and bike sales for the motorcycle industry.

   As a result of this trend, road safety officers in West Mercia and Warwickshire are actively promoting a series of free and subsidised “Take Control” rider assessment courses to women, in the hope that they will want to develop their riding skills.

   Director of Safety at the Coventry-based Motorcycle Industry Association (MCIA) Karen Cooke, has recently tried a Take Control course for herself and commented; “I have been riding motorcycles for 28 years and I am always nervous when anyone else analyses my riding technique, but my instructor was great and really put me at ease. Even though I have completed refresher training in the past, he still came up with some helpful suggestions and I was able to iron out one or two bad habits that naturally develop over time. I would encourage all moped and motorcycle riders to learn the Take Control techniques and particularly hope the increasing number of female riders will make a commitment to this sort of self improvement. There is no bravado, no test and no pressure and it helps you to become a safer rider“.                                                                                             

   Motorcycle dealerships are finding that women are buying a wider variety of machines from mopeds and scooters as a main mode of transport for commuting, to larger custom bikes and sports bikes, just for fun. Motorcycling now has a much wider appeal for both sexes, all ages and people from many different backgrounds.

   Communications Manager for the Safer Roads Partnership in West Mercia, Katy Jenkins explains; "Just ten years ago, most women wearing leathers and a crash helmet were presumed to be pillion passengers, but that is simply not the case now. We even know of a few ‘women-only bike clubs. They are often more receptive to advice and more willing to learn and we have a variety of half-day and full day courses that can be tailored to the needs and level of experience of every lady“.

   Take Control rider training costs either £30 or nothing at all, depending on the course you select. It is available to anyone who lives in or travels through the counties of Shropshire, Worcestershire, Herefordshire and Warwickshire. Instructors will usually travel to where clients live or work and ride on their local roads or regular routes.

   More information can be found at www.takecontroltraining.co.uk

2. UK Bikers...

   Posted on 8:00am Thursday 1st Jul 2010

   In the UK alone there are around 1.5 million bikers and there are many groups and rallies organised every year.

    

   One of Europe`s largest and most popular rallies, is the Farmyard Party, running for over 20 years. With over 175 catering and bar staff, teams of litter pickers, over 20 live bands and performers it is a huge gathering.

    

   Bikers often take the trip to other countries to be with other like-minded people. There is a long tradition of doing whatever it takes to get to the next rally. European bikers regularly travel to the US, even without their bikes to be at rallies. There are rallies taking place throughout the summer in California; in Sacramento, Long Beach, right down to Orange County.

    

   To attend biker rallies in California, there is always car rental in California.

3. BRITISH BIKE BUSINESSES BOOST UK ECONOMY

   Posted on 10:35am Monday 28th Jun 2010

   British successes abound in the motorcycle industry and contribute to sales estimated at £5.2 billion. (1)

   
   UK based motorcycle manufacturers and component manufacturers are investing heavily in Research & Development (R&D) and innovation driving the future of the industry. 
   
   The UK motorcycle industry already generates significant revenue from exports at £370 million per annum.
   
   An economic survey conducted on behalf of the Motorcycle Industry Association highlights that the British motorcycle industry includes many high-value, innovative businesses that together make an important contribution to economic development of UK PLC with products that are exported around the world. 
   
   The British companies, among others, at the forefront of innovation and export are Triumph, Motorcycle Management Ltd, Davida, Forcefield Body Armour and Scion Sprays with others involved in a range of diverse and interesting projects. Manufacturers - Triumph has increased its turnover by almost 300% over the last ten years and exports more than 80% of its finished motorcycles.

   
   Norton, with a long history of producing hand-built quality motorcycles continues to produce bespoke orders of high value, high performance motorcycles, for both road and racing. Motorcycle Technology - Harris Performance Products are involved with the major Japanese manufacturers and race teams designing, developing and manufacturing new products that will deliver results on the track or in off-road sport disciplines.
   
   Alternative Powered Motorcycles - Intelligent Energy of Loughborough University is working with Suzuki to develop hydrogen powered motorcycles, while the UK is also driving the development of electric race bikes and has established the eGrandPrix championship.
   
   Motorcycle Safety - The industry is working to improve the safety of motorcyclists and other road users, through the delivery of training (e.g. California Superbike School) and safety developments relating to helmets (e.g. Davida) and motorcycle clothing (e.g. Forcefield Body Armour and Frank Thomas)
   
   Advance Engineering - Companies are developing advanced engineering capabilities and expertise in the UK. e.g. Scion Sprays' fuel injection and engine management technologies to improve performance and deliver economic and environmental benefits.
   
   Steve Kenward CEO of the MCI commented, " British companies have a integral role in the motorcycle industry. Along with the overseas manufacturers who sell their products to UK customers, the UK industry provides a valuable economic contribution to UK PLC. British companies are providing a comprehensive and important range of products and services including motorcycles, safety products, technological advancements motorcycle events, touring and adventure holidays and training and safety developments. It is vital the government and the British people recognise the importance of the UK motorcycle industry to the UK economy and provide the necessary support to ensure that all these businesses continue to flourish."

    

   1) GHK survey  - The Economic Significance of the UK Motor Cycle Industry - The Motor Cycle Industry Association - Published 2010

4. Ace Cafe London are hosting the launch of Sam Manicom's latest adventure motorcycle travel book, 'Tortillas to Totems'.

   Posted on 12:00am Monday 21st Jun 2010

   This enthralling tale, Sam's fourth book, takes you on a gripping rollercoaster of a two-wheeled journey across the dramatic landscapes of Mexico, the USA and Canada. Tortillas to Totems has more twists than a Rocky Mountain pass and more surprises than anyone would expect in a lifetime.

   There are canyons, cowboys, idyllic beaches, bears, mountains, Californian vineyards, gun-toting policemen with grudges, glaciers, exploding volcanoes, dodgy border crossings and some of the most stunning open roads that a traveller could ever wish to see.

   Sam will be book signing from 12pm until 4pm on Saturday 18th September.  There'll be rock music from the fabulous Steve McGill, celebs, t-shirts, and of course travel books!   Look out too for the raffle in aid of Motorcycle Outreach. Take to opportunity to check out Avon Tyres and Metal Mule gear. You'll also have the chance to talk to photography specialists from Robert White Photographic. Robert White is the sponsor of the launch and the team are hugely knowledgeable about your needs as motorcycling photographers.

5. Motorcyclists and the UK tourist indust

   Posted on 10:09am Friday 18th Jun 2010

   The warmer weather has started, the World Cup has kicked off and as the first signs of summer are underway the MCI can reveal that motorcycle-related tourism expenditure in the UK is around £569 million, supporting approximately 13,250 tourism jobs. 

   A survey carried out for the industry by GHK researched the impact of bikers on the tourist industry and found that the average motorcycle tourist is spending around £380 per annum taking into account food, drink accommodation and other services.

   The South West is currently getting the most out of motorcycle tourism receiving 17.3% of the total spend. The South East (11.2%), London (11.2%) and the North West (11.1%) are the runners up.

   Motorcycle usage is very seasonal and is twice as high between May and August as it is between December and February.  This is likely to be because it is more enjoyable and safer to ride during good weather conditions, but is also likely to be indicative of the strong links between motorcycling and tourism.

   Hoteliers, restaurant owners and other tourist related organisations could be getting more money from the bike pound, especially as since last year more people have been choosing to stay in the UK for their holidays. There is also an untapped market in European tourists, who currently come to the UK in much smaller numbers than UK riders travel abroad.

   Providing secure parking, advertising as bike-friendly and extending promotion in the right areas could easily increase the number of motorcyclists and capitalise on a growing market.

   Number of Visitors - 23,000 international riders visit the UK  compared to around 100,000 independent riders from the UK who take tourism related motorcycling trips abroad each year, so with the right promotion and marketing there is a lot of potential to attract more non UK tourists.

   Current Spend of Overseas Tourists - Overseas motorcycling tourists are estimated to account for £17 million of motorcycling-related tourism (2008 prices) - which gives rise to an additional net additional economic impact at the national level.  This excludes expenditures of overseas visitors at UK sports and leisure events.

   Supporting Jobs - The total tourism spending associated with motorcycling supports more than 13,000 tourism jobs in the UK, of which approximately 400 are supported by expenditure from overseas 'motorcycling' visitors.

   Steve Kenward, MCIs CEO commented, ' This survey has shown us that the UK tourist industry is making important financial gains from motorcyclists. At the moment, there are certain areas in the UK that are seeing bigger gains, but there is a huge untapped market for the tourist industry to tap into.

   "Currently, we only receive about one quarter of the number of riders that travel abroad from the UK, so we should be looking to attract more overseas visitors as well as improving the ' tourist' experience for British motorcyclists. Providing secure parking, offering discounts for groups, creating links with sporting events and generally offering a bike- friendly environment will lead to longer stays, more spending and happier customers."