Biker News - Regularly updated

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  1. Join Loch Fyne Oysters on Sunday 5th June between 10am and 4pm for the second Bike Fyne motorcycle safety event.

    Supported by premier off-road training centre Moto Scotland, the event is designed to educate bikers, highlight the high number of accidents involving motorcyclists on the A83, the tragic loss of life and the impact on businesses in the area.

    Visitors will have the opportunity to participate in emergency care training sessions offered by First Aid Scotland and improve biking confidence and road skills through demonstrations by Moto Scotland.

    The Institute of Advanced Motoring (IAM) will also provide observed rides on a number of routes throughout stunning Argyllshire scenery. Additionally, the British Horse Society, Police Scotland Camera Safety Unit, Argyll and Bute Council Road Safety Unit and Biker Down will be present on the day.

    The Loch Fyne culinary team will be demonstrating their skill on the BBQ, offering a range of burgers and sandwiches all prepared with luxury seafood and the finest meats and locally sourced ingredients.

    Martyn Paterson, Divisional Director & Deputy Managing Director at Loch Fyne Oysters said: “As a prominent business within Argyll we are keen to raise awareness of the road safety issues surrounding the A83. We are delighted to be holding our second Bike Fyne event and look forward to building on last years success and welcoming bikers from across the UK to Loch Fyne.”

    www.lochfyne.com

  2. IAM RoadSmart (formerly the Institute of Advanced Motorists) is celebrating its 60th anniversary in 2016. Over the last 60 years more than 400,000 people have taken their skills to the next level and become advanced drivers or riders with the organisation.

    To mark the anniversary, IAM RoadSmart is staging two parties; one for bike enthusiasts on 2 July and another for car buffs on 9 July. Isle of Man TT winners Steve Plater and Mick Grant are attending the bike party, while rally legend Paddy Hopkirk will be special guest at the car party.

    • The organisation was established in 1956. By 1995 the IAM had guided its 250,000th member through his advanced test and in the past 21 years 150,000 more have taken the opportunity to improve their skills on the road.

    • In 1962 the organisation introduced the first test for commercial vehicle drivers in the UK and in 1976 the IAM introduced its first motorcycle test. A decade later it launched a fleet training programme for businesses.

    • By 1998 the IAM’s 200th local group was formed; today there are 207. The local groups are the lifeblood of IAM RoadSmart, coaching and testing potential advanced drivers and riders week-in week-out. Currently there are more than 5,000 volunteers representing the groups across the UK.

    • By the 2000’s the IAM was increasingly involved in lobbying the government for change in transport legislation. Its manifesto became widely respected for setting out the scene of what it regarded as the most essential developments in road safety – such as a graduated driving licence system and introducing road safety to the National Curriculum.

    • In 2016 the Institute of Advanced Motorists was renamed IAM RoadSmart, and over the coming year will launch a range of products which support specific needs, to include driving at night, rural driving and motorway driving.

    • IAM RoadSmart operates a commercial division which addresses the specific needs of business drivers and fleets with a suite of courses and advice. It also provides drink-drive rehabilitation courses through its Driver Retraining Academy subsidiary.

    To celebrate the 60th anniversary of the organisation, there are two parties coming up celebrating all things bike and car – a bike party at the National Motorcycle Museum in Birmingham on 2nd July and a car party at the British Motor Museum in Gaydon on 9th July.

    Visitors also have the chance to have their car or bike take centre stage as part of the magnificent #60bikes and #60cars displays. IAM RoadSmart is looking for one motorcycle or scooter manufactured in each year of IAM/IAM RoadSmart’s existence for the 2nd July party, and the equivalent for the car party on 9th July.

    The bike party will be attended by two legends of the British biking scene – 2009 British Supersport champion and twice winner of the Isle of Man TT race Steve Plater, and works Kawasaki and Honda rider and seven times Isle of Man TT winner Mick Grant.

    Guest of honour at the car party will be none other than Mini royalty – winner of the 1964 Monte Carlo and 1967 Acropolis rallies Paddy Hopkirk.

    Sarah Sillars, IAM RoadSmart chief executive officer, said: “We are proud of what we’ve achieved over the past 60 years. In co-operation with our group volunteers and the willingness of the motoring and riding public, we have all worked to improve lives for the better and have seen road fatalities and injuries plummet over the decades.

    “As IAM RoadSmart we are now ready for the next 60 years. There will always be a need to make better drivers and riders whatever happens to the transport landscape in the UK. Our work will only become more relevant in the future.

    “Our events on 2 and 9 July will be a chance for people to celebrate their love of cars, bikes and most importantly driving. They are an important part of so many of our lives for so many reasons. We look forward to meeting as many of you as possible.”

  3. Jorge Lorenzo raced to stunning on-the-line victory at Mugello in Italy today as he used his new hard and soft compound Michelin tyres to the full and pushed to the limit on the last-lap to take victory as he crossed the finishing line.

    Starting from fifth on the grid, Lorenzo chose the new hard compound MICHELIN Power Slick for the front of his Yamaha and paired this with the soft compound rear, which was also being used for the first time this season. The Spaniard got a good start and led for the early laps despite constant pressure from nine-time World Champion and yesterday’s pole-setter Valentino Rossi. The Yamaha team-mates fought hard over eight-laps until an unfortunate technical issue forced Rossi to retire, leaving Lorenzo out front on his own. The race was far from over though, as Honda´s Marc Marquez chased down the current World Champion and caught Lorenzo with several laps to go. The two riders were then locked in a monumental battle amongst the mountains of Mugello, which culminated in a breath-taking final lap. Marquez made a pass on Lorenzo to take the lead, before the championship leader snatched it back, only to see Marquez come straight back at him and re-take the lead yet again. Marquez looked to have secured victory, but Lorenzo got fantastic drive from the last corner from his Michelin tyres and pulled himself past Marquez on the line to win by only 0.019 seconds.  Lorenzo´s winning race time of 41’36.535 was also over two-and-a-half seconds quicker than last year´s race and an outright race-record for the Mugello circuit – beating the existing record from 2012 by almost a second. His victory today was his third of the season and increased his championship lead over Marquez to 10 points.

    Third place was taken by a home favourite Andrea Iannone on a Ducati. The Italian fought his way to a podium finish after a poor start which cost him five places from third on the grid. Iannone finished the race very strongly as he set the fastest lap of the day on the final circulation to establish the durability of the MICHELIN Power Slicks on this demanding circuit. Dani Pedrosa on a Honda rode a solid race, as he too finished strongly securing fourth place, just in front of the second Ducati, this time ridden by Andrea Dovizioso. Sixth went to the Suzuki of Maverick Viñales, with Bradley Smith taking a well-deserved seventh – and the plaudits of being the First Independent Team Rider. Another home favourite Danilo Petrucci on a satellite Ducati was eighth with Aleix Espargaro (Suzuki) and Michele Pirro (Ducati) rounding out the top-ten in ninth and tenth respectively.

    The huge and colourful crowd of 100,640 – the largest ever on race day at Mugello – filled the hillsides around the track and baked in the Italian sun as temperatures rose to 26°, which also saw track temperatures hit 40°C – the warmest of the weekend. The latest versions of the MICHELIN Power Slicks performed well in the extreme conditions, at a track that is notoriously difficult for tyres. The technicians will now analyse all the data from what has been a successful weekend, as Michelin moves on through the season and continues to strive to improve its performance at each circuit as the year progresses

    Next stop for Michelin will be the Catalonian Grand Prix at the Montmelo circuit near Barcelona, when the whole MotoGP paddock will reconvene their rivalries at round seven of the championship on Sunday 5th June.

    Jorge Lorenzo – Movistar Yamaha MotoGP:

    “I am very, very happy with the tyres and how they performed today. During the last laps they started sliding a little bit more than in the previous laps, but now we don’t have anything like the problem that we had in Jerez on the straights. It has been a great weekend, it was a very close race, a great show for all and I am now 10-points above Marquez in the championship, so I am very happy.”

    Nicolas Goubert – Deputy Director, Technical Director and Supervisor of the MotoGP Programme:

    “It has been a very good race weekend for us. The race time was shorter that the record race time, with the fastest lap at the end of the race by Iannone which was very close to the race lap-record.  It was the same yesterday with Rossi in qualification when he was one-hundredth-of-a-second off the outright track record. Everything went really well for us and there were no crashes that could be contributed to the front tyre, which was an important thing as nearly everybody used the new front, so this gives us confidence as we move forward with more technological advancements. We made a step here and now we head to the next race in Catalunya, where we also have a test on the Monday following the race, but if all the races are like this one we will be very happy.”

  4. The third round of the 2016 WIL Sport European Junior Cup, powered by Honda, is set to get underway this afternoon at the Donington Park Circuit in central England, with great anticipation for what will surely be another exciting battle for honours in the entry level series of WorldSBK.

    One and half months ago, Hannes Soomer claimed his first-ever European Junior Cup win at the TT Circuit Assen. The Estonian rider was able to pull away onboard his Honda CBR650F at halfway distance to cross the finishing line with a three-second gap over France’s Dorian Laville (Team Laville Mi&Do) and Spain’s Mika Perez (Granshagen Racing Team), who completed the podium in second and third, respectively. Soomer is currently leading the standings, although with the same number of points as Perez (36).

    Opening race winner at Aragón, Harun Cabuk (KNN54 – TMF) and Giuseppe De Gruttola (SK-Racing Team) will be looking for redemption, with other young riders expected to get in the mix for honours. Reigning Champion in the FIM Europe Women’s Cup Champion Avalon Biddle (Avalon Biddle Racing) has a healthy lead in that class this season after almost clinching a top 10 overall finish in the Netherlands.

    Donington Park’s European Junior Cup race (scheduled at 10:30 GMT+1 on Sunday 26th May) can be watched live on EuropeanJuniorCup.com