The festival is open to all motorcycles and celebrates local connection with the Davidson family of Harley-Davidson fame.

Friday Night - 9pm - 1am Rock Night (Ballroom Gitz) £10/ticket. 
Saturday 10am - 9pm - Static display of vintage & classic bikes, trade stall, food village, fairground area, 40 mile ride out (all bikes welcome). 
Park and display in town centre as streets closed for motorbikes to park in.
Saturday Night 9pm - midnight: American Rock and Country & Western Night £10/ticket. Camp site with CCTV - £10 per person, adjacent to swimming pool, fitness gym, etc. Various competitions. 

venue: Held in the town centre of Brechin, Angus. Streets closed for bikes to park in and stalls are on Clerk Street, Panmure Street, Swan Street, St Davids Street, High Street. See here and below
price: Event free to all. Campsite £10 per person. Tickets to Rock Night or American/Country Western Night - £10. 
tel: 07767 602 855
website: www.hditc.co.uk
facebook page - Brechin - Harley Davidson in the City 
facebook event
e-mail: [email protected]

Touring the good old USA in the ultimate American coast to coast biking trip is on the bucket list of most bikers. Who among us hasn’t dreamt of riding the infamous Route 66 from the saddle of a Harley Davidson while listening to Steppenwolf’s Born to be Wild? It might be a cliché, but it’s a cliché for a reason.

The truth is the USA offers some of the most amazing empty roads and spectacular scenery that you’ll find anywhere in the world, and is probably the most biker friendly country you’ll visit too, featuring plenty of iconic biker friendly accommodations and bars along every route. While there are hundreds of amazing routes you can take in America, let’s take a look at some of the best and most popular routes.

Route 66 – From Chicago to Santa Monica

This list would not feel right unless we started with the world famous “Mother Road” highway – Route 66. One of the original highways in the US Highway System, Route 66 spans a total of 2,448 miles (3,940 km). Beginning in Chicago, IL, this historic cross country route established in 1926 will take you through a total of 8 states: Illinois, Missouri, Kansas, Oklahoma, Texas, New Mexico, Arizona, and finally to California.

The so called Main Street of America is not just a hugely visited route because of its legend however, as it features a huge variety of beautiful landscapes, national parks, monuments, ghost towns, and kitschy iconic pieces of Americana that are definitely a sight to behold.

From the quirky Cadillac Ranch in Texas, the breathtaking Painted Desert in Arizona, the Teepee shaped Wigwam Motels, or the Jesse James Museum in Missouri, there are enough historic, natural and cultural landmarks throughout the route to guarantee that you’ll get your kicks on Route 66. TheRoute-66.com has a very complete list of attractions you well encounter along the way.

Valley of Fire Loop 

About 20 minutes away from Las Vegas you’ll find about 100 miles of the most amazing ride areas in all of America. Featuring twisty, windy roads with scenic vistas of desert, canyons and Lake Mead, this route will take you to the Valley of Fire State park and back, visiting some amazing locations along the way.

Starting in North Las Vegas on the I-15, you will border Lake Mead and the Colorado River until reaching the Valley of Fire. The Valley of Fire State Park, located about 50 miles northwest of Las Vegas, offers some of the most incredible vistas for bikers throughout its 42,000 acres of spectacular red sandstone formations dating back over 150 million years. Owing its name to the way that the sandstone appears to be on fire when reflecting the harsh desert sun, The Valley of Fire is the oldest state park in Nevada and offers riders a great spots to camp and amazing hiking trails.

However, since this route should only take you about a day or so the best bet will always be to simply return to Las Vegas and enjoy yourself with some of their famous shows, bars and of course casinos! If you want to know which casinos are the best to visit, Vikingslots travel guide of Las Vegas can help you determine which casino is right for you.

Route 50 – The Backbone of America

“For the unhurried, this little-known highway is the best national road across the middle of the United States,” William Least Heat-Moon, Blue Highway (1982)

Route 50, also dubbed ‘The Backbone of America’ by Time Magazine, is a coast to coast highway that stretches 3000 miles long, spanning 13 states on its way from West Sacramento, California to Ocean City, Maryland. Running mainly through rural areas and passing hundreds of old, little towns, the Nevada section of the route is known by travelers as “‘The loneliest road in America”, as you will find nothing but mountains, sand, blue sky and the open road ahead of you for as far as the eye can see.

Running through national parks, caves, petroglyphs, ghost towns, lakes and forests, this route will allow you to see a little bit of everything along the way, particularly the natural beauty found throughout Middle America.

Once you arrive in Maryland, you will also be in the perfect place to start two more of the East Coast's best routes The Blue Ridge Parkway and Skyline Drive.

The Three Sisters (aka The Twisted Sisters)

Three Sisters starts in Medina, TX, and offers bikers a 131-mile roller coaster ride that will absolutely blow you away and change the way that you view Texas for good. Filled with twisty mountain-like curves and sharp turns (hence the name the twisted sisters), this road will take you through large hills, clear rivers, the amazing million dollar vistas of Frio Canyon, and even authentic J.R. Ewing-style Texas ranches.

If you feel like doing a little fishing along your journey, the Nueces River is the perfect place to catch largemouth bass, smallmouth bass, and the Texas native Guadalupe bass, as well as a variety of panfish such as redbreast sunfish, green sunfish and even Rio Grande perch.

article supplied

As IAM RoadSmart’s well-regarded Mature Driver Assessment undergoes its own mid-life makeover, the charity is offering the chance to win an exclusive lunch at Silverstone Circuit with its Mature Driver Ambassador, renowned rally and racing driver Paddy Hopkirk MBE.

As of now, IAM RoadSmart’s Mature Driver Assessment will become the Mature Driver Review. The content and price (£49) of the 60 minute session will remain the same.

Sarah Sillars, IAM RoadSmart Chief Executive Officer, said: “We didn’t want mature drivers to be scared off by the word ‘assessment,’ as there is no pass or fail with the Mature Driver Review. It is all about giving the driver a reassurance that their driving is still up to standard and to offer an extra confidence boost as our roads get more congested."

IAM RoadSmart has long said that older drivers are sometimes pressured into giving up driving long before they need to – leading to isolation and in some cases depression as the individual loses a key part of their freedom. As we have a steadily aging population, with 10,000 people reaching their 70th birthday each month in the UK (reference 1), maintaining safe mobility is a an issue that can no longer be ignored.

IAM RoadSmart’s commissioned its own survey Keeping Older Drivers Safe and Mobile, which showed older drivers themselves are keen to drive as long as they are safely able to do so (reference 2).

Sarah said: “Older drivers are some of the safest on our roads – we are very keen that they don’t hang up their car keys before they need to. Isolating older people by taking their cars away from them will impact heavily on society and increase demands on our health services.”

IAM RoadSmart has long advocated that independent assessments to allow mature drivers to get a ‘seal of approval’ for their driving ability should be more widely available and they should be offered incentives to take them up in greater numbers (reference 3)

The Mature Driver Review involves an IAM RoadSmart expert going out with the driver in their own car on familiar local roads, to assess their driving style and to watch out for any areas where skills could do with some sharpening.

The review is informal – candidates can bring a friend to ride along if they like. Ninety per cent of older drivers reviewed by IAM RoadSmart need only some minor guidance to set them back on the right road.

After the review, drivers not only get a verbal report on their skills but also a written account of the session, which includes pointers to improvement.

To find out more about the Mature Driver Review click here: https://www.iamroadsmart.com/courses/mature-driver-review

To mark the name change, we are offering a chance for two people and a guest each to enjoy a three-course lunch with Paddy Hopkirk himself at the BRDC Clubhouse at Silverstone Circuit on 15 June as a competition prize, open to everyone.

The BRDC Clubhouse is not open to the public, so this is a unique opportunity to meet the great man himself and hear some of the amazing stories that have made Paddy a legend in the world rallying scene.

Although he is famous for winning the 1964 Monte Carlo and 1967 Acropolis Rallies, he also raced at the fearsome Le Mans 24 Hours as well as many other circuits around the world. Paddy was also greatly admired for giving up a sure win in the 1968 London-Sydney Marathon to rescue with his co-driver a fellow competitor from his burning car.

For a chance of winning this unique prize, just answer the following three easy questions and email your answers to [email protected] by noon on 1 June.

1. What car did Paddy Hopkirk drive when he won the 1964 Monte Carlo Rally?

2. Who was Paddy’s co-driver in the 1964 Monte Carlo rally?

3. And what was that car’s registration number?

APRILIA IS READY FOR THE JEREZ DE LA FRONTERA CHALLENGE

THE RS-GP HAS SHOWN GREAT PROGRESS THAT MUST BE CONFIRMED IN THE FIRST EUROPEAN 2017 MOTOGP ROUND


MotoGP heads to Europe for the first continental race on the 2017 calendar, scheduled to be held on the Spanish Jerez de la Frontera circuit. It is one of the most classic rounds and an important one in the evolution of the Aprilia RS-GP. The Italian V4, making constant progress from the pre-season tests, will be called on to confirm the encouraging signs shown in the first three races as well.

Both of the Aprilia Racing Team Gresini riders, who are taking a test day in Le Mans, have good reasons to be optimistic about the Spanish race. Aleix Espargaró will be on his home pitch on a track that he knows well and that seems to be a good fit for the characteristics of the RS-GP.
Sam Lowes is looking for his first MotoGP championship points, a feasible goal on the track where he took pole position and won the race last year.


ALEIX ESPARGARO'
“I can't wait to ride again in Europe and especially in Jerez, one of my home Grand Prix races. I like the atmosphere of the Spanish crowd, as well as the track. After the crash in Argentina and the problems in Austin I want to have a normal GP again and we will try to find the best setting to do another good race.”

SAM LOWES
“I have very fond memories of the race in Jerez last year, when I took both pole position and the win. I like the circuit and I will be aiming to take another step forward this weekend. The goal is definitely to earn my first MotoGP championship points.”

ROMANO ALBESIANO - APRILIA RACING MANAGER
“Jerez is a different track than the ones we have raced on thus far. The RS-GP does well on this track historically. The engine does not play a crucial role, whereas the bike's braking and wheelie characteristics are important. The level of grip varies a lot with relation to the temperature, so things could change rather quickly from this point of view. In Austin, we figured out a few interesting things about our bike's settings on the rear - information that we will put to use straight away.”

FAUSTO GRESINI - TEAM MANAGER
“The first European round always has a special flavour. Jerez is a nice track, a home track for Aleix, where we have built up a fair amount of experience. This could help us to be more competitive straight away and in this period we have worked hard between races and tests to be ready. After the setback in America, I expect to have a good weekend. We have the potential to stay easily in the top 10 and that is our goal.”

• Joe Collier takes the Ducati Performance TriOptions Cup championship lead
• Pole, fastest lap and race win for Collier in Race 1 and Race 2
• Moto Rapido win their 2nd dealer award