Motorcycle Live is arguably the best place in the UK to meet some of the country’s – and in fact the world’s – leading racers away from the pressures of the paddock, all under one roof, and this year’s show will not disappoint. There will be a daily procession of stars from World and British Superbikes, MotoGP, TT and Speedway taking part in on-stage Q&As, photo opportunities and rider signings.

The show will fire up on Saturday 28 November with a star-studded list of racers headed up by 2015 World Superbike Champion Jonathan Rea and including 2015 British Superbike Champion Josh Brookes, 2015 World Speedway Champion Tai Woffinden, four-time British Superbike Champion Shane ‘Shakey’ Byrne, MotoGP riders Scott Redding and Maverick Vinales and World Superbike ace Leon Haslam.

From then on, the racing stars just keep on coming with appearances throughout the week from the likes of MotoGP rider Bradley Smith, 2015 Moto2 World Champion Johann Zarco, Moto2 star Sam Lowes, 2015 BSB Showdown contenders Dan Linfoot and James Ellison, SBK’s Sylvain Guintoli and Alex Lowes and former racer Troy Corser.

The Isle of Man TT riders will also be out in force on both Classic TT Day (Sunday 29 November) and TT Day (Sunday 6 December), as well as every day of the week, with 23-time TT winner John McGuinness and 11-time TT winner Michael Dunlop being joined by Michael Rutter, Conor Cummins, Dean Harrison, Bruce Anstey, Ryan Farquhar, William Dunlop, Gary Johnson, Ian Hutchinson and many more.

For a full list of riders, updated as and when more are confirmed, visit www.motorcyclelive.co.uk/racers

Motorcycle Live takes place at The NEC, Birmingham from 28 November to 6 December 2015. Advance tickets are on sale now, at just £17.50 per adult, £11 for Seniors and £7 for children aged 11-16* (kids ten and under accompanied by a paying adult go free). There is also a £20.50 advance ticket, which includes entry to the show and a choice of Oxford neck wear worth £15.

To book, call 0844 581 2345 or visit www.motorcyclelive.co.uk.

*Advance ticket price, closing date for advanced tickets 5.00pm on 27 November 2015

All information correct at time of release and subject to change.

The search for an external commercial promoter for the Isle of Man TT and Classic TT will begin next month with the aim of making an appointment prior to TT2016. Plans to progress an international TT series are being put on hold for the time being.

The decisions have been made following the completion of the tender process undertaken by the Department of Economic Development to find a commercial promoter for the TT, Classic TT and an international TT Series.

The Minister for Economic Development Laurence Skelly stated:

'The IOM TT Races are iconic. They are very special to many in the motorsport community. They also play a huge role in our community, bringing over £25m into the Island's economy. The TT brand helps raise the image and awareness of the Isle of Man globally.

'Given this, IOM Government is committed to growing both the TT and the Classic TT sustainably and in a manner that works for both fans and the Island. To do so, we need to invest in the events so that we can bring exciting new content while maintaining our proud heritage. Our Department has shown we can manage this delicate balance through the highly successful Festival of Motorcycling as well as the growth we have delivered in the TT in recent years, both in terms of the visitors drawn to our Island as well as the global TV audience of nearly 30m. We must continue to seek new opportunities for growth - it is in that spirit that we entered into the procurement process this year to seek a private promoter with the right skills and resources to help us grow the TT and Classic TT as well as launch a new, ambitious international TT Series.

'Our Department has learned a great deal over the last year, both through this process and through the excellent growth we have continued to deliver in 2015. We were very fortunate that we received strong bids from several organisations. As a result, I remain convinced that we need a private promoter partner who can bring relevant expertise, commercial acumen, new ideas and
investment so that the TT and Classic TT can continue to grow. This is also consistent with our policy to deliver a smaller, simpler Government.

'With regard to the proposed TT Series, this has always been a relatively high risk idea - indeed, some people have voiced concerns that the TT Series might fail or might dilute focus on the Isle of Man events, either of which could harm the TT and/or the Island's economy. Our Department therefore considered very carefully the bids to see whether we could be confident we could deliver the proposed TT Series while managing the risks. Government must be mindful of the importance of the TT to many other stakeholders including local businesses, so our Department has applied a higher threshold of risk than say a private organisation would apply. We have therefore decided that the best way forward is to focus on growing the home events and making them more appealing. As we strengthen our events on the Island and the TT's brand internationally, we will continue to monitor the global motorsport market so that we can pursue the TT Series concept as and when we feel the time is right.

'I am announcing that we will soon commence a new procurement process to find the right promoter partner to help us grow the TT and Classic TT. Government must be seen to be fair to all potential bidders, so given this is different in scope to the previous procurement process it is necessary to commence a new process. We expect to be able to complete this new process prior to TT2016, which will enable us to maintain the momentum we have already built in our plans to date. I believe this is the right way forward to deliver best value for the taxpayer, grow our economy and respect the TT's loyal fan base.

'May I take this opportunity to thank everyone who has given us their views on how we should seek to grow the TT, especially the bidders, our Department's staff and our advisers who have all worked hard and acted so professionally throughout the process.'

IOM Government spends over £5m annually to host the IOM TT Races and Festival of Motorcycling and recoups a similar sum from the associated sponsorship and tax receipts. As a result, the Island's economy gains an annual boost of over £25m as well as invaluable international publicity. The Department believes that a private promoter partner can help to improve the TT and Classic TT and as a result continue to grow visitor numbers, media coverage and sponsorship, helping to deliver further economic growth and Government income.

The Classic Motorbike Show, held at Birmingham’s NEC from 13-15 November, has welcomed Comet Classics as sponsor of its popular Pride of Ownership competition. Around 25-30 motorbikes and scooters will line up in the hope of being awarded ‘best in show’.

Comet Classics, making its NEC debut, will also be bringing a selection of classic and vintage motorcycles from its Hampshire showroom and global distribution centre along with three American trucks including the 1951 Ford F1 pick-up from the latest series of Wheeler Dealers.

Owned by Martin Webb and Ray Waller, Comet Classics started as a private collection is now a three-year-old business with over 100 classics motorcycles and petrol pumps in stock. Between them, Martin and Ray have over 80 years of automotive and motorcycle experience. Martin said: “We’re delighted to sponsor the Pride of Ownership competition and can’t wait to see the bikes at the NEC. There’s already a diverse line-up of entries submitted so the final display should be very exciting indeed.”

As well as the Pride of Ownership, around 30 clubs will be fantastic displays of motorbikes plus the National Motorcycle Museum returns with its ‘Where Are They Now’ feature including special guests. There will also be a BikeJumble, the Ace Café and the ever popular vintage Wall of Death.

Event Director Dan Nwaokolo added: “We’re thrilled to have Comet Classics on board. Martin and Ray’s passion for motorcycles is clear just by looking at the standard of their amazing showroom. I’m sure this year’s Pride of Ownership display will equally reflect the passion for classic motorbikes.”

The 2015 Classic Motorbike Show will be held from 13th to 15th November at Birmingham’s NEC with tickets also offering admittance into the Lancaster Insurance Classic Motor Show.

www.classicmotorbikeshow.com

On 28 November, former racer, current MotoGP commentator and Motorcycle Live’s resident stage host Steve Parrish has described the moment he first came alive on a motorcycle.

Parrish reveals that he “borrowed” his brother’s 250cc Ariel Arrow and took it for a spin when he was just 11 years old. Despite running out of petrol and having to push the bike back home, he was hooked, and by age 22 had turned professional, winning the 1976 ACU Solo title in the British Motor Cycle Championship. He went on to win the Shell 500 title in both 1979 and 1980, and a Superbike title in 1981. To view the video click here.

Parrish hosts the Black Horse Stage in the British Eurosport Entertainment Zone at Motorcycle Live, which will once again occupy the heart of show. Alongside James Whitham, he will keep the crowd entertained with interviews and chat shows, along with a variety of interactive games and quizzes such as the ever-popular ‘A Question Of Bikes’.

Motorcycle Live 2015 will run from 28 November to 6 December. Advance tickets are on sale now, at just £17.50 per adult, £11 for Seniors and £7 for children aged 11-16* (kids aged 10 and under accompanied by a paying adult go free). There is also a £20.50 advance ticket, which includes entry to the show and a choice of Oxford neck wear worth £15. To book, call 0844 581 2345 or visit www.motorcyclelive.co.uk

Michelin-sponsored racer, Daley Mathison, has been crowned champion of the 2015 MotoE series with his electric motorcycle, UoN-01, built by an expert team from the University of Nottingham. Having competed at rounds across Europe, Mathison, famous for his road-racing success, took the final win of the championship at the Portimão circuit.

The MotoE series is a five-round European Championship Cup for electric motorcycle racers with teams from across the globe competing against each other. Constructors come from a variety of different backgrounds, from technical colleges to commercial engineering specialists, and traditional motorsports professionals to privateer inventors.

The bike that Mathison rode to victory was designed and built by a small, highly-talented team within the University of Nottingham’s Power Electronics, Machine and Control Research Group, part of the university’s Department of Electrical and Electronic Engineering. Daley Mathison was appointed as the team's rider, based on the recommendation of senior officials from the Isle of Man TT.

With a maximum speed of over 180mph and power in excess of 265hp (200kw), the UoN-01, is certainly not your average motorcycle, although it does share some standard superbike parts such as Öhlins suspension and Brembo brakes that sit alongside a purpose-built frame and swing arm.

Riding on Michelin tyres, Daley admits that the demands of racing an electric motorcycle are different to a petrol bike: “The electric bike performed fantastically for me throughout this championship. A lot of it is down to the fact there is not as much to do whilst you are on the bike. With a petrol machine you’re constantly thinking about gears and engine braking, while on the electric bike you’ve just got to brake and accelerate, which allows you to really concentrate on hitting the apex and getting the drive out of the corner.”

Daley’s team had a range of Michelin’s high-quality performance tyres to choose from such as the new Power Slick Evo, Power Cup Evo and Power Rain. The Power Slick Evo is designed to provide optimum power on the track, and when racing in the heat of Portugal’s Portimão Circuit, having rubber you can rely on makes a big difference.

For more information about Michelin’s range of motorcycle tyres visit moto.michelin.co.uk or to follow Daley’s racing success check out www.daleymathisonracing.co.uk