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... with friends to the hotel. They were due to come down on their motorbikes. Sadly the British weather was not at its best and they resorted to the car. During their stay, Debbie discovered that Pete and Lewis had organised a motorbike ride in aid of the Friends of The Wisdom Hospice in Kent.
They sadly lost their father in September 2016. The hospice is a charity close to Debbie’s heart, as she to lost her dad there, in 2007. Debbie raises money for the hospice through sending overnight holiday vouchers to them for raffles, collecting small change from guests through the year and Debbie’s children’s book “The Adventures of Mr Rusty Futteridge in Bournemouth” has been selling in the hotel and £1 of every sale donated to the hospice.
It was a shame not to have seen the group on their bikes, however they kindly have allowed us to share their photo, outside of the hospice in Rochester Kent from their charity bike ride. (Pete and Lewis are on the right of the photo)
The Rosscourt welcomes Bikers from all over the country and Europe. Free on site parking, en-suite comfortable rooms with plenty of space for all the motorbike equipment and flexible breakfast options, makes it an ideal location for rest and relaxation or a base to explore the Dorset countryside and beaches.
APRILIA UPGRADES PUT TO THE TEST BY A RATHER PARTICULAR TRACK
The second MotoGP race after the summer break has the top class teams taking on the historic Austrian Red Bull Ring. Opened in 1969, it has been completely revamped, becoming one of the most modern structures on the championship calendar. Its almost 6 kilometres of asphalt are characterized by long straights separated by demanding braking sections that put rider and bike to a rather severe test, but different than the other rounds on the calendar.
The technical upgrades introduced from the Brno race by the Aprilia Racing Team Gresini on the RS-GP machines piloted by Espargaró and Lowes were appreciated immediately by both riders. In fact, they see the Austrian track as the best possible test bench for them. After the good feedback received during the race weekend, the upgrades were confirmed in the post-race tests in the Czech Republic.
ALEIX ESPARGARO' "The Austrian track is a strange one, very different from all the others on the calendar. Last year I had fun here. It is a track where the engine counts for a lot. With the steps forward we have made recently during the Brno weekend I am confident. I am truly curious too because already last year the Aprilia RS-GP had a good pace here and did one of its most competitive races of the season."
SAM LOWES "During the Brno tests we did a lot of work in view of this race. The initial part of braking is where I still struggle to get the best out of the RS-GP, but I think that the tests on Monday helped us to take a big step forward. The new technical package Aprilia introduced in the Czech Republic should help us. This is a start-and-stop track where braking and acceleration are crucial."
We recently asked the member of our facebook group, which books have inspired you to ride, travel or even fix your beloved Motorbike...
Wondering if it was Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance, Jupiter's Travels, Race to Dakar (Charley Boorman), the very funny Bonjour! Is This Italy? or one of four great Adventure Motorcycle Travel Books by Sam Manicom? Or maybe even our own book from THE BIKER GUIDE!
New line-up of retro-liveried Yamaha YZF-R1s revealed
World Champions Gardner, Spencer and Read in action
Bike Legends team wins Celebrity Challenge race
World GP Bike Legends served up a stirring and spectacular show at the recent Silverstone Classic (28-30 July) when a star-studded line-up of two-wheel heroes took to the famous GP track riding a combination of phenomenal 500cc two-strokes from the sport’s glory days plus new Yamaha YZF-R1s painted in evocative period liveries. What’s more, these exclusive retro-liveried R1s are now being offered for public sale. Adding to the amazing occasion, a team of Bike Legends also contested – and won – the event’s high-profile Celebrity Challenge Trophy race, a special showdown featuring an impressive grid of famous faces from sport, music, TV and showbiz all racing equally-matched Austin A30s and A35s. “It was an awesome weekend on all fronts,” enthused WGPBL ambassador Wayne Gardner. “The Silverstone Classic is now one of the world’s greatest festivals and the presence of World GP Bike Legends certainly adds to the extraordinary show. With so many enthusiasts, it was the perfect event for us to debut our exciting new initiative with Yamaha.” Gardner, the 1987 500cc MotoGP title winner, was joined at the special Silverstone showcase by fellow World Champions Freddie Spencer and Phil Read MBE plus five other renowned riders from yesteryear: British champions Niall Mackenzie and Steve Parrish, TT racer Maria Costello MBE plus GP aces Didier de Radiguès and Niggi Schmassmann. This year’s outstanding WGPBL line-up also starred two sons of famous fathers – Gardner’s son Remy, currently competing in Moto2, and Freddie Sheene whose late father Barry Sheene remains one of the most loved characters in global motor sport. While Parrish, Costello, de Radiguès, Schmassmann and Gardner junior were all aboard fiery two-strokes, the five other legends debuted a quintet of dazzling Yamahas, all finished in very special racing colours. Wayne Gardner’s YZF-R1s featured a unique World GP Bike Legends design, however those ridden by Spencer, Read, Mackenzie and Sheene all boasted evocative designs harking back to respective heydays. Spencer’s design was based on the Yamaha he raced back in 1980, Read’s recalled his championship winning Yamaha of 1971 and Mackenzie’s livery honoured the Sanauto-Yamaha on which he contested 1992 500cc World Championship. Even more iconically, perhaps, Freddie Sheene’s much-admired R1 revived the revered Akai livery from the Yamaha his late father raced in 1981. All five riders autographed their respective R1s which are now on sale via the www.legendsgpbikes.com website. Each one comes with a Certificate of Authenticity (also signed by the rider) and a dedicated plaque showing its position in the very limited WGPBL series. The new collection of R1s, resplendent in their alluring retro colours, attracted massive attention at the Silverstone Classic both when on display in the National Paddock and when performing high-speed demonstration laps on the circuit. Though dramatic these on-track demos weren’t competitive, four of the WGPBL riders – Gardner, Spencer, Parrish and Costello – did join forces to contest the event’s standout Celebrity Challenge Trophy motor race on Saturday evening. Their impressive results, when added to those scored in Sunday’s follow-up showdown for the cars’ owners, ensured the Bike Legends team came out on top, in the process helping to raise more than £10,000 for Prostate Cancer UK, the event’s official charity. More information and all the latest WGPBL news is available on the official website www.worldgpbikelegends.com and via the initiative’s social media platforms.
Motorcycling fans can now pre-order the definitive guide to the 2017 Isle of Man Festival of Motorcycling with the release of the 2017 Official Programme.
The full colour 92 page glossy publication previews the four main events that comprise the 2017 festival – the Classic TT presented by Bennetts, the Manx Grand Prix, the Manx International Classic Trial and the Vintage Motorcycle Club’s Festival of Jurby.
This year’s feature packed programme includes a nostalgic look back at Bob McIntyre’s 100mph Mountain Course milestone, sixty years after the Scotsman’s iconic lap and ahead of Michael Dunlop’s tribute parade lap on a replica Gilera.
There’s also a profile of one of the TT’s young guns – cover star Dean Harrison – who talks about the enjoyment he gets from riding Classic machines while at the other end of the age scale Nick Jefferies, who has been competing on the Mountain Course for 42 years, reveals what makes him keep coming back ahead of his Classic TT and Manx Grand Prix campaign.
The programme also profiles Maria Costello, now in her 21st year of competing around the Mountain Course since her 1996 Manx Grand Prix debut. The Northamptonshire based rider talks about her early days on a Honda Melody scooter through to last year’s memorable Classic TT campaign that saw her stand on the podium alongside John McGuinness in the Bennetts Senior Classic TT.
As well as the profiling the leading riders there’s also an in-depth look at two of the most remarkable machines in the TT’s history, the Britten V1000 and the iconic Honda Six, which will both feature at this year’s event.
As well as the glossy feature magazine this year’s programme pack includes detailed race guides for both the Classic TT and Manx Grand Prix featuring the complete entry list for every race, the complete list of ‘Vintage’ and ‘Retro’ parader’s as well as the full qualifying, race and parade schedule. The programme is an indispensible guide to some of the best entertainment on the island so that you don’t miss anything off the track either.
The programme is available to pre-order now via iomtt.com priced £10 with UK delivery scheduled from 12 August and international distribution to most destinations also possible. Customers can also collect their copy from the Duke Grandstand shop during the festival.
It is also available from many of the Isle of Man's leading newsagents.
