No-one can argue about what the oldest, fastest or most expensive motorcycles are - but how do you define something’s collectability? What makes one motorbike cooler, or more iconic than another?

There are plenty of lists online which claim to show the best of the best - but by comparing those claims with what people are actually hunting for and admiring online, Bikesure have produced a definitive set of Britain’s most collectible bikes.

Using Google search data to get inside the minds of the UK’s bikers, Bikesure examined whether the motorbikes we often see in lists of the best, fastest and most stylish rides are actually as desirable as they seem.

Bikesure’s final list reveals the 11 most searched-for and in-demand motorcycles in the UK, including:

· Honda Gold Wing
· Kawasaki Ninja
· Ducati 916
· Triumph Bonneville T120
· Norton Commando

Each bike is accompanied by commentary from four-times World Superbike Champion Carl Fogarty, who gives his view on whether each one deserves its place – and whether there’s anything missing:

“If I was choosing a bike for this or had to say what’s missing, I’d go with a Yamaha HRD 250 LC or 350 or the Honda RC30. The Honda in particular was way ahead of its time and dominated everything for a few years in circuits like the Isle of Mann TT”

To see the findings in full, head here

With the news today that three police forces are trialling roadside eyesight tests and could take licenses away at the roadside, IAM RoadSmart has warned motorists that they can expect to be tested for a suite of reasons if they happen to be stopped by the police for any reason.

Every driver stopped by police from Thames Valley, Hampshire and the West Midlands in September will be required to read a number plate from 20 metres. Anyone who fails will have their driving licence revoked there and then.

Police officers in those areas will be implementing their powers to request an urgent revocation of a licence through the DVLA, if they believe the safety of other road users will be at risk if that motorist remains on the road.

IAM RoadSmart, the UK’s biggest independent road safety charity, has welcomed this new trial and warns drivers that if it is a success they can expect additional basic safety checks from traffic police in the future.

Neil Greig, IAM RoadSmart director of policy and research, said: “Law abiding drivers have nothing to fear from this – but we believe that extending the range of checks that the police could and should be doing will help remove many more unsafe drivers from our roads.

“They should be, as a matter of course, examining the following five key items: driving licence, MOT, vehicle insurance, drink/drugs and now eyesight.

“Adding a vision test to the standard list of roadside checks will be a sharp warning to those drivers who chose not to wear their glasses, or not get their eyesight checked, that the enforcement is now out there to back up the regulations. Our message is simple - don’t risk it!”

It started in 1938 and just keeps rocking n’ rolling into 2018 and beyond.

From Sept 7th to Sept 9th the legendary Ace Cafe London celebrates its 80th Anniversary and 25th annual Ace Cafe Reunion at the cafe on London´s North Circular Road and on Madeira Drive in Brighton.

Performing live and joining the celebrations at the Ace and at Brighton is Stray Cats drummer Slim Jim Phantom. Considered by many as the coolest drummer in rock n’ roll, and with over 30 million record sales, Slim Jim is set to lift the roof off at the Ace on Saturday 8th September, and then as the culmination of the Burn Up on Sunday 9th, to “Strut” n’ “Rumble” in Brighton

Slim Jim Phantom

With Isle of Man TT racing Guest of Honour, Manxman Conor Cummins, and our premium partner Blaze Wear launching their all new Motor Wear Range, the packed full weekend long programme includes Ride Outs and Awards. 

The arrival of the ‘Continental Run’ at the famous north London Ace Cafe on Friday 7th, special guests, plenty of live music, and the run from the Ace down to Brighton´s famous seafront on Sunday 9th all add to the buzz!

Come and join thousands of riders from around the UK, across Europe and  far flung overseas places. 
 

Take a minute and picture a motorcyclist... Maybe you conjured a long-haired outlaw like Jax Teller from Sons of Anarchy. Perhaps you visualized Ewan McGregor and his motorcycle adventures abroad. Or possibly you thought of the last motorcyclist who shot past you on the Interstate.

But chances are that you thought of a man—not a woman.

There are 8.4 million motorcycles registered in the United States—a tiny number compared to the 264 million registered cars and trucks. Motorcyclists are definitely a subculture and a heavily male-dominated one at that. Only 14%–about 1.18 million—of the motorcycles on American roads are registered to women. The American Motorcyclist Association encourages more women to try motorcycling if they are interested. As the AMA’s Managing Editor Jim Witters notes, “there's always room for more riders.”

"Women riders should be as common as women drivers." 
–Maggie McNally, Chair of the American Motorcyclist Association. McNally is the first female chair of the AMA in its 94-year history.

But numbers aside, women motorcyclists simply haven’t broken through in the American popular imagination. That doesn’t mean there are no motorcycle heroines. In fact, there are many female motorcyclists who deserve broader public attention for their taboo-smashing derring-do and their insight into the souls of two-wheeled conveyances and the people who ride them. Three of them are particularly worthy of celebration: Lois Pryce, Melissa Holbrook Pierson, and Bessie Stringfield, three riders who took very different journeys on what Pierson calls “the perfect vehicle.”

One English woman rode outward across whole continents and forged personal connections in remote and forbidden countries. Her vulnerability and good humor were her strengths.

Another rode inward through her own psyche to understand the allure of motorcycles and the people who ride them. Her fearless and honest introspection were her guides.

Their spiritual ancestor rode onward to confront the institutionalized racism and sexism of Jim Crow America. Her powerful faith and personal toughness were her allies.

Read the full story here 

Ace Cafe London is hosting cafe’s annual vintage Japanese motorcycle meet with the Vintage Japanese Motorcycle Club at the cafe on Sunday 2nd September. The day  includes Ace awards!
 
Spend £5 or more over the counter from 9.30am and receive a raffle ticket. Draw at 3pm.
 
 To find out more about the VJMC, founded in 1982 and now the UK’s premier club for Japanese bikes fifteen years old and over, check out.