Wryst, the Official Timing Partner of the 2016 Isle of Man TT Races fuelled by Monster Energy, has confirmed that the new limited edition ‘Isle of Man Tourist Trophy’ sport watch is now available for pre-order and will be delivered in the first quarter of 2016.

The Swiss manufacturer has developed The Isle of Man TT ‘Special Edition’ 2016 Chronograph, an exclusive timepiece dedicated to the iconic Isle of Man TT Races, the world’s greatest Road Race.

Complete with a tough black diamond-like carbon coating and premium design, the watch has an ultra-modern style and is packed with high performance specifications designed to deliver a tough, durable and prestigious timekeeper including offering water resistance to 100 metres.

The watch case back features a 3D recreation of the famous three legs triskelion with the inscription ‘Isle of Man TT’ and every watch has its own serial number and is marked ‘special edition.’ The watch face is also marked with Isle of Man TT at the 9 hour mark. Every watch comes complete with a 45 mm case. It has a bi-colour black and yellow high quality silicone strap.

The high tech performance watch offers the following features;

Swiss 5 jewel gold plated quartz chronograph movement
Scratch resistant black ‘diamond like’ carbon coating on the case, crown and buckle
Shatter-proof KI mineral crystal with anti-reflective coating
Red anodized top chrono pusher, yellow anodized bottom chrono pusher
TT Races winners will be early recipients of the watch but it is also available at £695 (GBP) and comes with a one year manufacturer limited warranty. They will be delivered worldwide from the first quarter 2016.

Ace Cafe, London
Doof Cafe, Ruthin, Wales
Loomies Cafe, West Meon, Hampshire
The Fossils Café, Clacton-on-Sea, Essex
The Leadburn Inn, Penicuik, Scotland
The Pitstop Café, Stretton on Fosse, Warwickshire
The Watermill, Thirsk, North Yorkshire
Whiteways Café, Arundel, West Sussex
Woodleigh Coach House Cafe, Exeter, Devon

Also from TwistMoto, when you purchase great touring equipment

Along with the website (just the p&p) to pay, here

Motorcycle Artwork by Talana Gamah, featuring a different canvas for each month and a Sunbeam S7 cover. 

A clear plastic flip cover, spiral wire bound A4, high quality 250gsm card. 

Calendars: £16.50 inc UK P&P or £19.50 gift wrapped with a greetings card (RoW S&H at cost). PayPal, Bank transfer or UK cheque.

See facebook page for details

About Talana

I’m a lifelong motorcycle enthusiast, who loves to ride and restore my ‘bikes, and to paint. Nowadays I work mainly in acrylics. All of my art is brushwork only, no airbrushing or digital techniques.

I love mechanicals of all types, shapes, ages and conditions and painting same, although my art is not just confined to machinery, as I paint anything that interests me!

I’ve always been interested in textures, and find mechanical rust and decay equally as fascinating as unblemished chrome and reflections. I enjoy painting a machine in context, rather than just as a clinical technical drawing. So, hopefully, the viewer can see a ‘story’ behind the artwork – hinted at by, for example, a pair of gloves left on a seat, a well used patinated saddlebag, or even the setting the ‘bike (or machine) sits in.

My brushwork style tends towards what is nowadays called 'hyper realistic', but I also paint fantasy images, and produce sketches, and inkwork, as well as rust or chrome reflecting surfaces!

Painting times. From commission to the 'tah dah' finish point depends upon the subject (obviously), but a rough guideline is around 3-6 weeks for a highly detailed image.

When I’m not painting, fettling or riding, I’m starting to set up a website for my art work, but in the meantime, you can find me here

Tachometer breaks, the mandatory rest stops commercial operators must take when driving, were the cause of nearly 1,700 road closures in one year alone, according to newly released figures from IAM Drive & Survive.

According to the Road Haulage Association 85% of everything sold in the UK is carried by truck at some stage of the supply chain (reference 1) with this number set to increase as more retail purchases are made online in the run up to Christmas.

The numbers come from a Freedom of Information request to Highways England into why motorways and major A roads were closed in 2014. Tachometer breaks are one of the top 25 reasons for lane closures, with 1,669 incidents last year.

IAM Drive & Survive says one of the main causes of this problem is road infrastructure – insufficient numbers of laybys, a lack of services for commercial drivers and the impact of long distances of road works.

It adds that drivers and their employers can play their part in ensuring their journeys are as smooth and safe as possible and that planning journeys in advance is key.

Researching routes with good facilities for drivers, looking up road closures and avoiding areas where traffic delays are common all help to avoid the need to stop in unsuitable locations.

Lesley Upham, IAM commercial director, said: “Designing the roads and facilities drivers need to operate safely is essential, but meeting this objective needs a long-term approach.

“Until then employers and drivers must remain aware of the challenges and plan their journeys accordingly. Radio road traffic reports and live traffic functions on satellite navigation systems have a role to play, but planning ahead and having an alternative route in mind is also essential. There is also a great responsibility on employers to limit the time-based pressure put on their drivers. Nothing will delay their operations as much as a serious incident and if an accident occurs procedures will be scrutinised.”

Other significant reasons for road closures include abnormal load (3,191) and vehicle shedding its load (6,648).

IAM Drive & Survive is a leading occupational driver risk management provider and helps companies reduce on-road incidents, minimise costs and look after their drivers. To download a copy of its Driver Risk management booklet click here

The Association which represents Wheels to Work transport schemes is urging the Chancellor to continue to help unemployed people with transport costs, in his November spending review.

Wheels to Work schemes (W2W) provide a temporary loan of a moped, scooter, bicycle or motorcycle to individuals who are unable to start work or take up training for work, due to a lack of public or private transport. Clients are usually young people, aged between 16 and 25, although in recent years older people have needed transport loans after periods of unemployment. Schemes generate income through charging for the loans but many need to access matched funding to meet costs.

Funding could soon become a problem for Wheels to Work schemes, as the Local Sustainable Transport Fund (LSTF) will not be available from next year. Many schemes have benefited from LSTF, which was a pot of money made available to local authorities by the Coalition Government, to support growth and cut carbon.

There are currently 45 W2W schemes across the UK, nearly double the number there were in 2013, with others in the pipeline. The Wheels to Work Association is concerned that these schemes will close or reduce numbers, if the Chancellor fails to earmark funding for transport to work and new schemes will not be able to access start-up funding.

The Association’s Chairman, Nigel Dotchin, has written directly to George Osbourne to highlight the practical value of W2W, which helps young people such as apprentices get to and from work, without which they would be unemployed. A loss of W2W would be particularly critical in rural areas, where public transport has been reduced or phased out.

The Association has also offered public backing to the Campaign for Better Transport, which is calling for government to create a new ‘transport into work’ programme. This would encourage targeted initiatives, including W2W, which would help people into work, where transport was a barrier.

In his letter to the Chancellor, Nigel Dotchin pointed out how W2W helps meet Government targets for growth:

“The schemes are helping to deliver not only the Government’s accessibility agenda, but also contribute to wider policy ambitions such as the apprenticeships initiative, and road safety for those on two wheels.

“It would be a great shame if the Government allowed these schemes to flounder, which would further compound the inequality in employment opportunities for those living in rural areas.”

www.wheels2workassociation.org