The Institute of Advanced Motorists’ (IAM) free driving taster offer has less than two weeks to run – and the road safety charity is encouraging people to take advantage before it expires on 31 December.

Every driver in England and Wales can take advantage of the advanced driving taster session, which is worth £39.

This initiative is part of the IAM’s Love Driving campaign, which discovered that bad driving can be a real turn-off. Not only can bad motoring habits cause accidents and injury at worse; it can also put a damper on you meeting Mr or Ms Right.

The free assessment gives drivers the opportunity to carry out a 60-minute session in the comfort of their own car with a qualified assessor from the IAM. There are no special insurance requirements – you only need to hold a valid UK driving licence.

To take advantage simply log on to www.iam.org.uk/lovedriving before 31 December to register your interest.

The IAM is the UK’s largest independent road safety charity, dedicated to improving standards and safety in driving and motorcycling. The commercial division of the IAM operates through its occupational driver training company IAM Drive & Survive. The IAM has more than 200 local volunteer groups and over 90,000 members in the UK and Ireland. It is best known for the advanced driving test and the advanced driving and motorcycling courses. Its policy and research division offers advice and expertise on road safety.

www.facebook.com/InstituteofAdvancedMotorists

Waterproof bags by Ortlieb are extremely resilient, completely watertight and an essential companion on many motorbike tours. All motorbike luggage by the Middle Franconian manufacturer will now be marketed exclusively under the name “Touratech Waterproof made by Ortlieb”. The rack-packs, saddle bags and tank bags will be available via motorcycle equipment specialists Touratech, based in Niedereschach, as well as through other dealers in Germany and worldwide via Touratech’s distributor network.

Established in 1982 at Heilsbronn in the Ansbach district of Bavaria, Ortlieb Sportartikel GmbH have made a name for themselves with high-quality outdoor equipment. Their products are used wherever waterproofing is essential, such as on the way to the office – or on a wilderness adventure. There are solid reasons for Touratech to become the sole distributor of Ortlieb’s motorcycle line. As previously with Adventure Rack Packs, the product range is being further optimised for motorcyclists in close collaboration with Ortlieb, and new developments added. These include packsacks and saddle bags, tank bags, water bags, document bags, outer pockets and many more. “Touratech Waterproof made by Ortlieb” is a brand that combines Ortlieb’s experience in manufacturing waterproof equipment with Touratech’s expertise in adventure touring.

A love of adventure unites the two companies, which have followed parallel paths in many ways. Like Touratech, Ortlieb’s first products came about through a personal need to develop equipment for individual use that didn’t exist before. For Touratech founder Herbert Schwarz, it was the IMO 200T motorcycle computer and homemade aluminium panniers. For Hartmut Ortlieb, it was waterproof saddle bags, made from lorry tarpaulins, for cycling trips. Both companies have an impressive history of success. They attach the utmost importance to “quality made in Germany”, and house all departments – from development and production to sales and marketing – at their headquarters.

“I am delighted that we can offer this additional range of products under the Touratech brand. ‘Touratech Waterproof made by Ortlieb’ is precisely tailored to motorcyclists’ requirements,” says Touratech sales manager Martin Wickert. “We see obvious advantages in partnering exclusively with market leader Ortlieb in this segment, and pooling the knowledge of both firms in the interests of our customers.”
Ortlieb employs 170 people and offers a range of more than 500 individual items. All waterproof original ORTLIEB products are manufactured in a high-frequency welding process directly at the company’s headquarters in Heilsbronn.

www.touratech.com 

Speedfit Kawasaki has signed Leon Haslam in an exciting deal to race the brand new Ninja ZX-10R in the British Superbike Championship.

After a successful season finishing in fourth place in the 2015 World Superbike Championship, including nine podium finishes and with two race wins, Haslam will return to the hotly contested 12-round British Championship, where he’s enjoyed much success previously.

The JG Speedfit Kawasaki team will be entering their third season with Kawasaki UK and are looking to build on the success of last year with a plethora of podium finishes and race wins under their belt.

Partnering Haslam will be race winner and last year’s Showdown contender, James Ellison and team mate Peter Hickman – forming a trio of riders that the team hopes will be a formula for success in the 2016 season.

Returning to the British Superbike Championship with one goal, Leon Haslam said, “I’m super excited to be coming back to BSB! It’s one of the most competitive series in the world and has a huge fan base and following, so I’m really looking forward to getting back out there and racing in front of the British crowd.

“I made the decision that I wanted to come back a few months ago and began looking at different options. I’ve known Mark for quite a while and I’ve seen how quickly and professionally the team has grown so they were my first option really. I’ve seen first-hand how dominant the old ZX-10R still was, so with this new one already proving faster in testing I can’t wait to get out there next month and try the JG Speedfit Kawasaki for the first time. It will also be my first time competing in the Showdown format so I’m looking forward to that, but our goal from the start of the year is to come back and be challenging at the front from the start!”

JG Speedfit Kawasaki Team Principal, Mark Smith-Halvorsen, added, “Everyone in the team is excited to be welcoming Leon for 2016. He has proven to be one of the most successful riders within Superbike racing and we know that he won’t be returning to make up the numbers!

“Although behind the scenes the signing has been a very quick deal, we’re already in the process of building a third ZX-10R Superbike which Leon will get to experience when he joins James and Peter next month. With a combination of the new Kawasaki and three of the strongest riders on the grid, I truly believe we have the right package to win our debut MCE British Superbike Championship title. It’s up to us now, to turn that into a reality”

Ross Burridge, Kawasaki UK Senior Racing Co-ordinator, said: “The British Superbike Championship is certainly a tough one and you have to make sure everything aligns in order to even be in with a shout at success. I truly believe GBMoto have achieved this for the 2016 season. Their rider lineup is phenomenal, the factory support we’re providing is working wonders and the team’s sheer determination to win is second to none. I really believe that 2016 could be the year for them to bring home the British Superbike Championship. I wish them the best of luck and can’t wait for round one at Silverstone in April.”

To find out more about the JG Speedfit British Superbike team and all of Team Green, visit the all new website at www.teamgreenracing.co.uk or like the Facebook page - Kawasaki Team Green

Rising road racing star Dan Hegarty has confirmed that he will ride for RTR Motorcycles backed by Downshift Limited for the 2016 Isle of Man TT Races fuelled by Monster Energy as well as selected meetings at Oliver’s Mount including the prestigious Scarborough Gold Cup.

The team has yet to confirm machinery but is committed to competing in the RST Superbike, RL360 Superstock, Monster Energy Supersport and PokerStars Senor TT Races at next year’s TT which runs from 28th May to 10th June 2016.

Nottingham rider Dan, who made his TT Races debut in 2011, clearly made real progress in 2015, performing consistently at the TT, which resulted in a new highest placed finish of thirteenth which he achieved in the opening Superbike race. He followed that up with a top 20 position in the RL360 Superstock Race and eighteenth position in the prestigious PokerStars Senior TT, rounding off his most consistent TT to date. He also improved his fastest lap around the TT Course to 126.5mph on the last lap of this year’s Senior TT.

2015 also saw Hegarty make his debut at Oliver’s Mount in the Spring Cup National Road Races, finishing the meeting as leading newcomer, which included third place in second Junior A Race.

He finished the 2015 road race season in style at the Scarborough Gold Cup, piloting his Downshift Motorsport ZX10R Kawasaki to a superb fourth place finish in the Steve Henshaw International Gold Cup meeting which included taking an outstanding runner-up place in the Senior Race ahead of notable road racing luminaries including John McGuinness and Ivan Lintin.

Commenting on his 2016 season Dan said:

“I am glad of the way I have progressed over my years competing at the TT. There’s so much to take in when you’re learning the TT course but next year will be my sixth year on the Isle of Man and every year I get more confident round there. It’s great to have the deal with RTR Motorcycles/Downshift Ltd sorted well ahead of the new season which gives me loads of time to keep working hard towards my goals.”

Get your motor runnin’ and head out on the highway…

Motorbikes and rock and roll have gone together like helmets and leathers since the younger generation learned to love the freedom afforded by two wheels and the open road in the post-war era.

Steppenwolf’s much-covered Born to be Wild was not the first true motorcycle song, but possibly the most famous thanks to its appearance on the film soundtrack of Easy Rider.

Specialist insurance broker Bikesure, which numbers many true bike devotees among its staff, set them a challenge to come up with 10 of the best true biker songs of all time.

From the Shangri-La’s teen tragedy Leader of the Pack to Brian Wilson’s typically harmony-drenched paean to the Honda Super Cub, the team came up with some legendary rock numbers and one or two more little-known gems.

Read about and listen to the full 10 tracks. You can also put forward your own suggestions.