THE BIKES WILL BE RIDDEN BY ITALIAN LORENZO SAVADORI AND NORTHERN IRISHMAN EUGENE LAVERTY IN THE RACES

Two Aprilia RSV4 bikes will be on the track in the 2017 World Superbike Championship with the Milwaukee Aprilia Racing Team colours.

This is a two-year contract, so it will also be valid for 2018.

The agreement specifies that technical material and related direct assistance and support will be provided by Aprilia Racing, including bike development, which classifies Milwaukee as a Supported Factory Team.

This means that Aprilia Racing - the Piaggio Group racing department and technological point of excellence in the Italian motorcycle industry - is confirming its high level presence in the premier competition for factory derivative bikes, alongside its important efforts in MotoGP.

The goal is to compete at top levels in World SBK in order to emphasize the competitiveness of the Aprilia RSV4, capable of taking no less than seven World Titles (three Rider and four Manufacturer) between 2010 and 2014, proving to be the most victorious bike in recent WSBK history.

The result of a project intended to create a true racing bike that any enthusiast could have, the RSV4 astonished from its rookie season, winning a race in its maiden year and then racking up repeated championship wins in both the Manufacturer and Rider competitions (twice with Max Biaggi and once with Sylvain Guintoli). All this while the street version - obviously also characterized by an exclusive narrow 1.0 litre V4 - continued to win comparative reviews year after year with the best competitors in the world, both European and Japanese.

The team run by Shaun Muir, which boasts two British titles, will be able to count on a top shelf rider lineup: in addition to the 2015 Superstock Champion Lorenzo Savadori, who quickly drew attention this year in his rookie World Superbike season, Northern Irishman Eugene Laverty will be back in WSBK, 2013 runner up astride none other than an Aprilia RSV4.

Romano Albesiano - Aprilia Racing Manager

"Shaun Muir's team, after making a good name for themselves in the British championship, wants to get to the top of a world category. Our agreement includes, in addition to providing bikes and materials, support from Aprilia Racing personnel to manage and develop the RSV4, within a Factory Support type relationship.

The birth of the Milwaukee Aprilia Racing Team also marks Eugene Laverty's return to WSBK, a rider who we know well and whose professional and personal qualities have our utmost respect. He will have Lorenzo Savadori working alongside him, a young rider who has been part of our sports project for two seasons in which he won the Superstock 1000 title first and then drew attention in WSBK with an extremely positive rookie year".

Shaun Muir - SMR General Manager

"For SMR, collaboration with Aprilia Racing for 2017 and 2018 means a real chance to fight for the win. Aprilia has a strong and victorious history in World Superbike and we are determined to continue on the same path. Having Eugene and Lorenzo on board makes this a dream team. Without a doubt, Eugene is coming back to WSBK for one reason only - to win. Lorenzo, on the other hand, is the fastest rookie and a sure protagonist. I wish to thank Milwaukee, Gulf and all of the partners who are supporting our project".

Eugene Laverty

"I'm excited to return to Superbike with Aprilia and the RSV4, a bike with which I took ten wins and second place overall in the championship. I hope to be able to pick up where I left off with those results, thanks to the support of Aprilia and a fantastic team like Shaun Muir's. Everything is in place for us to be competitive straight away".

Lorenzo Savadori

"I am very happy to continue my adventure in World Superbike with Aprilia. This is another chance to achieve great results, with one more year of experience on the RSV4 for me. In a demanding rookie season I was already able to express a good performance level, learning a lot, both about race management and working in the garage, but I do not want to stop here. We will definitely be highly motivated at the start, with an ambitious project and a great desire to do well".

Jason Chiswell - Vice President of Marketing Milwaukee Tools

"At Milwaukee Power tools our vision is always to win and that same mentality is shared with the SMR team. We see the next year with Aprilia as being an exciting and a new winning chapter in our World Superbike program”.

Frank Rutten - Vice President of Gulf Oil International

"As the world’s fastest growing oil brand we are very excited by the prospect of moving forwards with what we believe will be one of the most rapid teams in SBK next year. We have been extremely impressed by the way SMR has entered the World Superbike arena. They are one of the best organized and most professional outfits in the paddock and we have developed an excellent working relationship with both them and the team’s title sponsor, Milwaukee Tools.

We are very excited by the prospect of moving forwards with them as team sponsor and official lubricant partners”. 

A new road rage survey from the car leasing company, Lease Car, has revealed that over 40% of UK drivers find cyclists more irritating than any other road user they encounter.

The survey asked more than 1,200* people in the UK a series of questions about what winds them up on our roads as well as their experiences with road rage. When asked to pick out the most infuriating road users motorists come across, there was a clear winner…

The top 5 most irritating road users in the UK

- Cyclists 40.5%

- School Run Mums 29.3%

- White Van Men 28.6%

- Taxi Drivers 24.2%

- Farm Machinery 21.4%

According to British Cycling, the number of cyclists on the road is at an all-time high, with more than two million cyclists taking to the roads every week. It’s thought that team GB’s success in the velodrome at the Olympic games, along with Britain’s recent successes in the Tour de France has spiked our nations interest in the sport.

Just about everyone has experienced “road rage” behind the wheel at some point or another. In fact, 42.6% of drivers feel angry with fellow road users at least once a week. But which UK city has the worst road rage problem? Cyclists… steer clear!

The angriest cities behind the wheel in the UK (based on instances of road rage a month)   

1. Southampton – 10.3

2. Leeds - 8.1

3. Plymouth – 7.8

4. Liverpool- 7.3

5. Manchester -7.1

6. Bristol – 7

7. Sheffield – 7

8. Newcastle – 6.8

9. Nottingham – 6.8

10. Glasgow – 6.2

Although they may be considered a nuisance, cyclists are the most vulnerable group on our roads today and need to be protected, even if this means adding a few minutes on to the average journey time. 

To help drivers and cyclists live in harmony on our roads, Lease Car has created a fact file of top tips for drivers to keep in mind when they encounter a cyclist on the road.

· Always check for cyclists before you open your car door – it sounds obvious but drivers can often forget to take a look at their surroundings before leaving their vehicle.

· Give cyclists plenty of space when overtaking them and if there isn’t enough room don’t attempt it.

· Treat cyclist’s equally- by law they are entitled to the same rights on the road as motorists so treat them as you would any slow-moving vehicle.

· Give them extra space in bad weather - wet conditions can make it extremely slippery for cyclists.

· At night use dipped headlights when approaching cyclists like you would any other road user.

· Leave room for cyclists at traffic lights.

· Be aware of blind spots, especially if you drive a HGV.

· When turning left allow a cyclist ahead of you to pass the junction rather than overtake them- patience can save lives.

Tim Alcock, Senior Marketing Executive at Lease Car said: “Our survey revealed that cyclists caused more stress to the average driver than any other road user, and whilst they may be an inconvenience when getting from A to B, we need to remember that they have as much right to be on the roads than anyone else. Cyclists are vulnerable road users, so it’s important to look at how we can raise awareness around their safety, and try and get drivers to keep their cool when they encounter them. Drivers can get carried away sometimes and its important to understand that what may seem like a minor reaction can be extremely dangerous and carry serious penalties if you’re caught by the police. We all come down with a case of Road Rage from time to time, but in these situations it’s important to keep to the old adage of keeping calm and carrying on.”

 * The research was conducted with 1,200 general consumers aged 18+ in GB between 05/08/2016 & 08/08/2016.  The survey was conducted from a random sample of UK adults.

With torrential downpours this morning, here are some tips from IAM RoadSmart’s head of driving and riding standards Richard Gladman about how you can stay safe when travelling in wet weather.

• Be sure to check your local weather forecast beforehand so you can plan your journey accordingly. If you have no choice but to travel, use main roads where possible which are less likely to get flooded.

• Don’t forget to check your windscreen wiper blades and lights are working properly. You’ll need to use your dipped headlights if visibility is significantly reduced so give them a check too.

• On flooded roads, think before driving through deep water, don’t stop in standing water and drive through the highest section of the road slowly. If there is any doubt don’t enter it. Once you have managed to drive through check your brakes and dry them out as quickly as possible – a light touch of the brakes whilst still moving should do the trick.

• Roads will be more slippery than usual in wet weather – be sure to give yourself more time to react when approaching a hazard. Increase your following gap to at least four seconds from the moving traffic in front.

• Keep your eyes peeled on the road at all times as spray from other vehicles can suddenly reduce your visibility. Remember it affects others too, so anticipate their actions and be prepared.

Richard said: “If your tyres begin to lose traction, ease off the accelerator, avoid braking and allow the speed to naturally decrease until you have full control of your car again.

“Driving in wet weather can be challenging, and with delays and increased concentration needed it can be more tiring too. By allowing increased time to stop and extending your following distance you can remain safe.”

The National Bikesafe Show will return to Rockingham in 2017 (date to be confirmed), however it is likely to be the weekend of 15th/16th July so please put it in your diaries.

Held this year on Saturday 16th July at the Rockingham Motor Speedway circuit, 5,000 visitors were treated to a wide range of motorcycle activities and family entertainment.

Visitors enjoyed, on road Police assessed rides, a track experience under the watchful eye of California Superbike School and manufacturers demo rides from BMW, Honda, Suzuki, Triumph and Yamaha.

On site “Get On” and Yamaha were busy introducing new riders to the joys of two wheeled motoring and the Kawasaki Off Road experience offered by Lee Dunham got rave reviews from riders completing the five mile off road circuit. The Moto Gymkhana gave everyone a chance to test their machine control over a timed short circuit and demonstrations by “The Skid Bike” proved popular. As ever the Dave Coates stunt show in the Yamaha MT Tour arena was a crowd pleaser with three shows throughout the day.

In total 644 motorcycle experiences took place on the day, with over 50 Police motorcyclists on hand to deliver the on road rider assessments.

With over eighty exhibitors on view there was plenty for everybody, offering a wide variety of motorcycle related products to far away adventure holidays and more.

Blue light emergency services gave public demonstrations on the techniques used by Police to stop an offender’s car using “Boxing” tactics and the Fire service gave a demo of the extraction from crashed vehicles. Police also offered high speed, free rides around the oval circuit in marked patrol cars with a constant queue of eager thrill seekers.

A good selection of photographs can be seen on The Bike Insurer facebook page courtesy of The Bike Insurer.

The 2nd Rally held to replace the Kelso Bikefest Rally. After the success of 2015 Rally, more and better things at the 2016 Rally.    

Live music on Friday and Saturday night with Alma Fiera and the Signs. Disco by Trog. Ride out on Saturday to East Fortune Airfield home of the National Museum of Flight.

venue: Stair Arms Hotel, Pathead, Midlothian, Scotland, EH37 5TX. On the A68 south of Dalkeith and Edinburgh.
price: £14. Price includes a nip of whisky on arrival and a BMF Scotland Rally badge. 
tel: 07341 730016
website: www.bmf.co.uk
facebook
facebook event
e-mail: [email protected]