If you are stuck without a clue of what to buy your car or bike loving relative or friend, wonder no further … IAM RoadSmart’s Advanced Driver Course and Advanced Rider Course is available to buy at a 10% discount until Christmas.

The advanced courses are administered by the UK’s biggest independent road safety charity and vouchers don’t have to be redeemed for 12 months. With the special offer you can buy the course for another person for £134 instead of the usual £149 until 20 December.

The vouchers are sent to the person who ordered them, so it allows him or her to write their own greeting inside.

The offer applies for both IAM RoadSmart’s Advanced Driver Course and Advanced Rider Course, and are sure ways of making sure your loved one becomes the safest driver or rider they can be – as well as getting a host of benefits once they pass, including access to low rate insurance from IAM Surety.

To order online use the following link: www.iamroadsmart.com/christmas or by phone call 0300 303 1134. Quote GV10 to obtain the 10% discount by phone or online.

Horst Saiger and the Saiger Racing team will switch to Yamaha to compete in the 2018 Isle of Man TT Races fuelled by Monster Energy and the other international Road Racing meetings, after Saiger reached an agreement with the Swiss Yamaha Importer ‘Hostettler.’

Saiger will ride Yamaha R6, R1 Superbike and R1 Superstock machinery prepared by Mandy Kainz from the Yamaha Austria Racing Team (‘YART’) with whom Saiger has a long racing history. 2018 will be an anniversary season as Hostettler will be celebrating 50 years of bringing Yamaha motorbikes to Switzerland.

Hostettler have a long and outstanding history not only in Switzerland but racing generally. Names to have represented the company include Rodney Gould who, in addition to the 1970 250cc World Championship, secured two runner up places in the Isle of Man TT Races in 1970 and 1972. Other names who have raced in the Hostettler colours include Michael Frutschi, Jacque Cornu, Roland Freymond, Bruno Kneubühler and sidecar competitors Rolf Biland / Kurt Waltisperger.

Saiger made his TT Mountain Course debut in 2013, finishing the second fastest newcomer behind Josh Brookes and he achieved his highest placed finish of tenth in the 2017 RL360 Quantum Superstock TT Race.

The team will launch the bikes at the Swiss Moto Zurich show (22nd - 25th February 2018).

Saiger will also be returning to his roots, having spent 10 years riding Yamaha machinery in the past.

"I rode as an instructor at the Yamaha Riding Academy of Hostettler and was able to get a first glimpse of the Yamaha YZF-R1 at the race track of Aragon. I was immediately convinced by the unique engine concept as well as the super sporty R1 in general – I fell heavily in love with this motorbike, when returning to home.”

He continued:

“I am now looking forward to my 2018 season, which will start with the NW200. Further confirmed dates are the Isle of Man TT, which is my main highlight, and Macau. Unfortunately the Terlicko Road Racing meeting clashes with the Endurance World Championship at Oschersleben and I wont be able to compete there. But I am still hoping to make my return to the Ulster GP and I am considering a detour to Frohburg as well.”

Elements of the scooter/motorcycle rivalry of the mid-60s will be showcased at the Carole Nash Classic Bike Guide Winter Classic show. The motorcycling event, now in its seventh year, takes place at Newark Showground on January 6-7 and has been expanded by two halls for 2018.

Among the many attractions on offer will be a Retro area dedicated to the 50s, 60s and 70s; slap bang in the middle of that time period was the collision of youth cultures that defined what the press came to call ‘the Mods and Rockers’ era.

Visitors and traders alike are encouraged to join in the fun by dressing in their finest Mod or Rocker gear to enjoy a faux-seaside atmosphere reminiscent of Brighton, Clacton or Hastings during the heyday of the two movements. Prizes will be on offer from the organisers to the best-dressed Mod and Rocker. The Retro area will also feature gentlemen’s grooming specialists Arthur Razor from West London. Known to stars such as Colin Firth and Tim Vincent, the pop-up barber shop will be offering great contemporary and vintage haircuts and excellent traditional wet shaves to visitors.

Alongside the Retro area will be the show-within-a-show that is Scooter World – which this year will feature the sounds of the scooterist internet radio station, Mod Radio, as well as some of the finest custom scooters on the scene today.

Another adjoining hall will also contain a dedicated ‘Pit Area’ which will reflect the atmosphere of a race paddock and will include a ‘Blast From The Past’ bike start-up area which will see highly-tuned sprint and race machines revved-up for your enjoyment – earplugs are optional!

Event planner Vicky Bean said: “Outside it might be the depths of winter, but inside we’re aiming to recreate those hazy lazy days of mid-summer at a south coast resort during the golden age of two-wheeled travel. Visitors will be able to explore the sights and sounds of our Retro area before stepping into Scooter World halls for a dedicated scooterist experience.

“Why not escape those post-Christmas blues to join us for some scooter and motorcycle-related retro enjoyment among like-minded enthusiasts!”

Beyond the Retro area and Scooter World, visitors will be able to explore and admire hundreds of beautiful classic bikes, pick up parts for their project, or find spares for the motorcycling year ahead.

Discounted advance tickets are now on sale for the show, with a one-day adult pass costing just £8. Tickets will also be available on the gate, priced at £10 each. Under 12s go free, and free parking is available for visitors.

For more information visit classicbikeshows.com

2017 marked the most successful campaign for the Penz13 BMW Motorrad Motorsport team in real road racing. Manxman Dan Kneen earned the team’s first TT podium finish and Michael Rutter, Danny Webb and Alessandro Polita achieved multiple race wins and podiums in the IRRC.

After Kneen's contract expired and he moved to Tyco BMW, team principal Rico Penzkofer assessed their approach to the 2018 season. The team's main focus has always been the FIM Endurance World Championship, while Penzkofer's heart has always been with road racing.

Derek Sheils deputised as a stand-in rider for the ill Kneen at the Joey Dunlop Open event at Frohburg in Germany earlier this season and after his strong performance in the recent Macau Grand Prix, the Irishman was considered a perfect fit for the vacant seat in the Penz13 squad.

Sheils will be provided with the latest BMW machinery in Superstock and Superbike configurations for the 300 Corners of Gustav Havel event in Czech Republic, which the team uses as a test for the season’s main event, the Isle of Man TT Races fuelled by Monster Energy. Additionally, Sheils will join the experienced and proven winning formula at the Imatranajo in Finland, the Joey Dunlop Open in Frohburg, Germany and the prestigious Macau Grand Prix.

Derek Sheils:
"I am grateful for the support of John Burrows so far, giving me the opportunity to sign for the Penz13 team for the TT. I enjoyed my stand-in race in Frohburg last September and felt that the BMW is the right bike to step up into the world’s top league of road racers. I quickly got the grip with the electronics that come along with the HP4 and I was surprised how well advanced their electronic suspension from Tractive Suspension actually is. I am obviously aiming high and hope to finish all the TT Races within the Top ten but also taking some race victories over in Europe.”

Rico Penzkofer:
"I didn’t know much about Derek until he joined us in Frohburg, but immediately saw that he would fit perfectly into the team and could be a good replacement for Dan Kneen. His recent Macau GP pace convinced me even more and I took the opportunity to sign him right after the race. In Frohburg was actually the first time he rode a BMW with all the electronics. Our suspension engineer Eric Lindemann as well as our mechanic crew pointed out that he provides very good feedback. I enjoyed working with him and therefore hope that he can help us to further establish our team in real road racing in 2018. I am sure there is a lot to come from Derek in the near future.”

Announcing an all-new rider line-up for its 2018 Road Racing campaign, Honda Motor Europe is delighted to welcome Ian Hutchinson and Lee Johnston to the fold contesting the North West 200, Isle of Man TT and the Ulster GP aboard the Honda CBR1000RR Fireblade SP2 in the Superbike and Superstock 1000 classes.

Both Hutchinson and Johnston are no strangers to Honda machinery and in 2010 Hutchy claimed his historic five-TT wins with the Padgetts Honda team. Hugely successful on the roads the ‘Bingley Bullet’ is a 16-time TT winner with 27 TT podiums to his name and will be looking to further add to his tally, as well as claiming the maiden road-racing win for the Fireblade SP2.

Former National Superstock 600 Champion Johnston made his debut at the North West 200 in 2008 and it was 2012 when he first rode the famous TT Mountain Circuit. ‘The General’ has impressed during his time on the roads collecting three wins and six podiums at the NW200, as well as two podiums at the Isle of Man TT. Johnston also has strong links with the Louth-based squad, having worked closely with the Honda Endurance Racing team as its Le Mans 24-hour reserve rider.

With a long established history at the Isle of Man TT, Honda remains the most successful manufacturer at the event and the Fireblade still holds the accolade as the most successful 1000cc machine ever around the 37.73-mile circuit with 23 TT victories. Honda Racing’s all-new line-up for 2018 is eager to tackle the road circuits, starting with the North West 200 in May.

To keep up to date with all the latest news from the team follow @HondaRacingCBR

Ian Hutchinson

I’m really looking forward to getting started with Honda Racing; it’s a new challenge and a fresh start for me. I suppose I have quite a bit of history with Honda, ten years ago I rode with this official team and in 2009/2010 I rode with Padgetts Honda, where I scored five-TT wins in a week, so I know the Fireblade pretty well. I haven’t ridden the Fireblade SP2 yet and will have to wait until we go testing early next year, but I can’t wait to start making some progress. The Honda team has a lot of experience at the TT and its history speaks for itself with the wins and successes over the years, it’s also nice to see a lot of the team still here who I worked with in the past, so I’m confident that come the New Year we can get started and start aiming to where we want to be.

Lee Johnston

I am genuinely excited about being with Honda Racing next year, I’m probably the most excited I’ve been in years if I’m honest! I have had two tough years and it’s nice to have everything organised and in place early so I have nothing to worry about apart from riding motorbikes. So that for me is the biggest thing and what I wanted more than anything, as I have no outside distractions and I can just concentrate on doing my job. I’ve ridden the Fireblade SP2 already at Le Mans, when I was a reserve rider for the Honda Endurance Racing team, so I’ve got a bit of a head start in that respect. I enjoy riding the CBR, the tank fits me well and it isn’t as big as it looks! I just can’t wait now for testing to start in March and just get going with the new programme for the year.

Jonny Twelvetrees

Team Manager

I’m really pleased that we’ve been able to sign both Hutchy and Lee for our 2018 roads campaign. Hutchy’s record speaks for itself and especially so when he’s been on a Honda. Whilst always being aware of his determination and professionalism, this has been highlighted to me even more so when striking up the deal. I’m looking forward to seeing him on the SP2 at our opening test, he has plenty of past experience on the Fireblade, so I’m sure it won’t take him too long until he’s pushing on and able to feedback what he needs. Lee has always impressed me, he joined the Honda Endurance Racing team as a reserve rider for the Le Mans 24-hour and since then we had been watching from a roads perspective. He clearly has a talent on the roads and I am positive with the team we have, the Fireblade SP2 and the plans we have for the season that he can show his full potential. We’re really looking forward to working together and personally I can’t wait for us to be back on the roads.