Janice Park, Derek Winter, Crasher Gus, Alison Winter on the coast road outside Rostrevor at the Ross Monument, Northern Ireland.
Featured on the cover of THE BIKER GUIDE 8th edition booklet.

In his new role as Chairman of IAM RoadSmart, the largest independent road safety organisation in the UK, Managing Director of Ford of Britain Andy Barratt has pledged to focus on driver and rider behaviour in the road safety debate.

In his new position, which starts on 1 April 2019, he will launch a revamped IAM RoadSmart Manifesto. The Manifesto highlights the seven areas where IAM RoadSmart believe they can make the most impact in reducing the number of people killed and injured on UK roads.

With an emphasis on the potential that improved driver and rider behaviour could have on the safety of our roads, the Manifesto acknowledges the importance of driving to the economy and business. It should be seen as a core skill for business and a health and safety responsibility for all organisations in the public and private sector.

The Manifesto will form the basis of a submission from IAM RoadSmart to the House of Commons Transport Committee Inquiry into Road Safety.

Andy has taken on the prestigious role of IAM RoadSmart Chairman from Ken Kier OBE, who steps down this month having been in the role for three years.

Andy has almost four decades of experience at the Ford Motor Company where he started as an apprentice. Since 2015 he has been Managing Director of Ford of Britain.

Speaking of his appointment, Andy said: “To be appointed chairman of IAM RoadSmart is an honour. I wholeheartedly support IAM RoadSmart’s Manifesto pledge that post-test training is vital for safer roads. I’m delighted to be taking a leading role for a charity whose principal purpose is to make better drivers and riders.

“In my roles at Ford, developing safe vehicles is the number one priority. In taking the Chair of IAM RoadSmart, my focus will be to ensure that human factors are high on the road safety agenda in order to reduce the number of people killed and seriously injured on roads in the UK.

“As a cyclist, driver and pedestrian I’ve been pleased to lead Ford’s ‘Share the Road’ initiatives, encouraging cooperation and understanding between road users. As a motor industry representative chairing IAM RoadSmart, I believe that we can continue to find common ground, cooperation and practical ways forward to make sure that real change happens - with vehicle makers, politicians, the media, and with all road users.”

IAM RoadSmart’s Manifesto focuses on the importance of boosting the confidence of drivers and making it an enjoyable activity, while keeping everyone safe at the same time.

Embracing all stages of a driving and riding career from immediate post-test into older age, the Manifesto underlines the importance of periodic refresher courses. It also includes extending driver rehabilitation after a conviction for a wider variety of motoring convictions.

It also highlights the changing world of new technology as the switch to autonomous and connected vehicles continues to gather pace.

Mike Quinton, IAM RoadSmart Chief Executive Officer, said: “I am delighted that we have attracted someone of the calibre, standing and seniority in the UK automotive industry as Andy to the role of Chairman.

“I am confident his knowledge and contacts will be invaluable in driving us forward and I look forward to drawing on his skills and leadership experience.”

Max Coates, multiple-race winner and championship favourite in the Renault UK Clio Cup, will be running the IAM RoadSmart logo on his 130mph Clio for the 2019 season.

Max, 25, from Richmond, North Yorkshire, was one of 15 up-and-coming young racing drivers who are part of the British Racing Drivers’ Club (BRDC) Rising Stars and SuperStars programmes who took the IAM RoadSmart advanced driver test during an intensive two-day event called #Formula DriveSmart at Silverstone last December.

#FormulaDriveSmart was championed by race and rally legend Paddy Hopkirk MBE.

Max scored a F1RST in his advanced test and to show his commitment to safe driving he has agreed to donate space on his Renault Clio to promote IAM RoadSmart and its activities for the 2019 season.

He is racing with Team HARD in the 2019 Renault UK Clio Cup. Team HARD is also taking part in the British Touring Car Championship with Bobby Thompson – who also achieved a F1RST at #FormulaDriveSmart.

IAM RoadSmart is delighted that Max has made the gesture, as it puts the charity’s name directly in front of the biggest at-risk age group when it comes to drivers - young men under 25 - with a large television, social media and race-day audience.

Max said: “I am more than happy to be supporting IAM RoadSmart on my car this year. Taking the advanced driving course made me think about observation and planning on road far more than before, and I saw that my driving could become smoother and I would derive more enjoyment from it as a result.

“Those principles of planning, reading the road ahead and anticipation should stand me in good stead on the race track this year – I hope you’ll all come out and cheer me on in 2019!”

Mike Quinton, IAM RoadSmart Chief Executive Officer, said: “Many thanks to Max for agreeing to run our name on his car this year. Getting the word out about our work will be invaluable in showing young drivers how relevant advanced driving can be to them – it is an enjoyable activity and could save a life one day.”

The Renault UK Clio Cup supports the British Touring Car Championship, so look out for Max and his Clio as part of ITV4's race coverage through the year.

If you want to take a look at what #FormulaDriveSmart was all about take a look at our video about the event here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0Vp_zr69tXQ

This year the date set by the Royal British Legion Riders Branch (RBLR) in association with the American and Canadian veteran riders to hold the 11^th annual Allied Memorial Remembrance Ride (AMRR) will be Saturday the 6th July 2019.

The ride takes place in Cambridgeshire starting near Cambridge Services on the A14 with a run to the American Military War Cemetery just outside at Madingley. The event commences at 12:30 and runs from the Services with the support of Cambridgeshire Police, ride onto the A14 into Cambridge, escorted by military vehicles and then onto the memorial where there will be a short service.

It’s organised by the Royal British Legion Riders (RBLR) Branch, a UK charity that safeguards the welfare, interests and memory of those who are serving or who have served in the armed forces

This event is open to all bikers, not just for members of the RBLR. Anyone can come and join the run and show their respects not matter what their age or what they ride.  People who just want to watch the event or to come along and show support at the service are most welcome to attend or line the route through Cambridge.

Up to a thousand bikers of all ages and interests from trikes, sidecars, Japanese, Italian, Harleys to classics sports, old and new, attend from all over the country to this growing national event.   Canada and America are also holding many events at the same time as this ride for those fallen heroes of the allied forces past and present who have paid the ultimate sacrifice.   7 rides are taking place across the USA, 3 in Canada and 2 in New Zealand.  

www.alliedride.org

APRILIA IGNITES MUGELLO WITH PASSION

MORE THAN TEN THOUSAND AT APRILIA ALL STARS, THE CELEBRATION OF THE BRAND FROM NOALE

WITH IANNONE AND SMITH, THE MOTOGP TEAM PRESENTED THE NEW RSV4 1100 FACTORY AND THE SPECIAL 225 HP X VERSION THAT CELEBRATES THE RSV4’S TENTH BIRTHDAY

LIVING IT UP ON THE TRACK WERE MAX BIAGGI, LORIS CAPIROSSI, MANUEL POGGIALI, ALEX GRAMIGNI AND ROBERTO LOCATELLI


It was a huge celebration of enthusiasts who responded en masse to the call from Aprilia, a young and Italian brand that lives and breathes passion for motorcycles and racing, more alive than ever with a fantastic fan base and with the capacity to thrill and excite as it always has throughout its history.

More than ten thousand people descended on Mugello for the first edition of Aprilia All Stars, the day on which Aprilia celebrated its past and future, introducing the new 217 HP RSV4 1100 Factory to the public along with the MotoGP team. This new bike is a concentration of technology and racing know-how expressed to an even further extreme in the X version which, created for the tenth birthday of the RSV4 project, reaches 225 HP and a weight of 165 Kg.

These are two bikes that bear witness to the extraordinary bond between the Aprilia product and its Racing department which, backed by 54 world titles won, including seven in WSBK and 294 GP wins, is a true technological banner for the Piaggio Group and for the entire Italian motorcycling movement.
It was the FMI president, Giovanni Copioli, who acknowledged this role, awarding Piaggio Group CEO and MD Roberto Colannino on the track during the MotoGP team presentation.

The Aprilia Racing Team Gresini were on track with the 2019 RS-GP machines which made their début two weeks ago in Qatar, ridden by Andrea Iannone and Bradley Smith, who were the same riders to unveil the new Aprilia RSV4 versions which were then taken out on track by an extraordinary crew of Champions in the Aprilia World: Max Biaggi, Loris Capirossi, Manuel Poggiali, Alex Gramigni and Roberto Locatelli.

Biaggi’s parade lap astride his 1995 world championship RS 250, the sensational race with all the riders astride Aprilia SR 150 scooters, won in the final stretch by Manuel Poggiali and the display in pit lane of the bikes that have written Aprilia racing history filled an extraordinary day on which the public of Aprilia fans were protagonists. Participants ranged from those who are simply fans of the Italian brand, filling the grandstands and paddock that was livened up by music and games to the hundreds of fans in the Bearacer community who were able to meet the riders and share in a day of celebration with the entire team. And at the end, there was a spectacular parade of Aprilia bikes that invaded the circuit, the same track where the bikes from Noale, the most victorious bikes on the Tuscan hillside, have triumphed no less than 23 times in World GP races.