Biker News - Regularly updated

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  1. COMING UP!

    Triton & Cafe Racer Day, Sunday 28th June, 9am – 5pm

    Ace Cafe London’s annual Triton & Cafe Racer Day, celebrating clip-ons, rear-sets and swept-backs, this year not only includes with stands and displays by both the 59 and Busy Bee clubs, but also Mascot Leathers, whose London roots go back to 1881, displaying their newly reintroduced legendary “W” style “Black Night” & “Black Rock”, ton-up single zip black leathers jackets!

    Up for grabs on the day, as a very special prize, is a brand new, uniquely styled and iconic, Mascot Leathers Ltd jacket, as first introduced and available to the public in 1957.

    Spot prizes for “Best Cafe Racers” throughout the day include for:

    Best Triton
    Best Classic
    Best Modern

    In addition, spend £5 or more over the counter at the cafe from 10am, and receive a raffle ticket to be in with a chance of winning prizes to include:

    A pair of tickets to attend the cafe’s Elvis Tribute Night 8.8.15

    A pair of tickets to attend the cafe’s annual Stunt Festival & Streetfighter Show, Wembley 26.7.15

    A pair of tickets to attend Ace/Brooklands Ton Up Day 5.7.15

    Draw will take place at 3pm

    www.mascotleathers.com
    www.brooklandsmuseum.com

    For more information about what's on at the Ace, check out:
    www.ace-cafe-london.com

  2. John Surtees announces auction and star-studded line-up for the 2015 Henry Surtees Foundation Team Karting Challenge | Tuesday 30 June 2015 | Mercedes-Benz World Circuit, Brooklands

    The fourth annual ‘Henry Surtees Foundation Team Karting Challenge’ will take place at the Mercedes-Benz World Circuit, Brooklands on Tuesday 30 June. The prestigious event will see approximately 30 teams consisting of over 100 competitors from the world of motorsport; business and entertainment battle it out in a 2hr endurance race in Daytona’s high-performance, two-stroke Dmax karts.

    Henry Surtees and Paul HollywoodThe race will be officially flagged off by five-time Le Mans winner Derek Bell and closed by Former Formula 1 World Champion Damon Hill OBE. Also pledging his time and support to the foundation is ‘Great British Bake Off’ TV presenter Paul Hollywood.

    During the karting interval will be a fabulous parade – as Damon Hill OBE will take to the circuit in the 1965 Tasman 2.5 litre Climax Lotus type 32B that Jim Clark won the Tasman Series with (Courtesy of Classic Team Lotus) to commemorate the 50th anniversary of Jim Clark winning his second Formula One World Championship. Derek Bell MBE will be reunited with the Surtees TS7 that he successfully raced for the team; Scott Malvern will drive the Surtees TS10 Formula 2 car that John Surtees won the Japanese Grand Prix and Imola Gold Cup in 1972. The ex-Alan Jones TS19 will be driven by a driver nominated by the Racing Steps Foundation.

    John Surtees OBE said “There are still a limited number of places available for teams to participate in the HSF Team Karting Challenge. Why not put a team of four together and come and join us at Brooklands - the original home of motorsport, where you will be able to enjoy the superb facilities of Mercedes-Benz World in the company of the Henry Surtees Foundation and our star guests”.

    Aside from the karting action and celebrity driver parades, visitors are being actively encouraged to attend the event, which is FREE to spectate!, and provides a great opportunity to explore the impressive Mercedes-Benz World visitor attraction featuring interactive displays, racing simulators and motorsport exhibits.

    The HSF Team Karting Challenge event culminates in a prize giving Champagne reception courtesy of G H Mumm in the impressive state-of-the-art Mercedes-Benz World venue where the prestigious 'H' trophy is awarded to the 2015 karting champion. A trophy will also be judged and awarded to the highest finishing corporate team, to compete without a race license holder within the team.

    Tickets are also available to attend the Champagne and canapé reception (£65 per person). The reception will be hosted by Steve Rider and feature trophy prize giving, interviews with racers and celebrity guest participants plus a fabulous fundraising auction hosted by Malcolm Barber of Bonhams featuring exclusive artwork, memorabilia and experiences. G.H. Mumm Champagne will, once again, be poured by generous arrangement with the House and Bernie Ecclestone. The reception is open to all paid guests. To purchase tickets, please email: [email protected]

    Event Address: Mercedes-Benz World, Brooklands Drive, Weybridge, Surrey, KT13 0SL

    Event Schedule:

    10:45 – 11:00 Drivers Briefing
    11:15 – 11.45 Kart Tests
    12:00 – 12:50 Practice (50mins)
    13.10 PRESS CALL: Group photograph
    13.30 PRESS CALL/INTERVIEWS AVAILABLE WITH JOHN SURTEES, DAMON HILL, DEREK BELL, SCOTT MALVERN and OLIVER ROWLAND
    14:00 – 14:10 Qualifying (10mins)
    14:15 – 14:45 On-track demos with Derek Bell, Damon Hill, Scott Malvern and Oliver Rowland
    15:00 – 17:00 Race (2 hours)
    18:00 – 20:00 Champagne Reception including Awards Ceremony/Auction.

  3. A number of high profile World Superbike riders are heading for the next round of the championship in Misano this weekend with their lap of the iconic TT Mountain Course still fresh in their memory.

    Four of the leading contenders, Chas Davies, Sylvain Guintoli, Jonathan Rea and Tom Sykes, enjoyed a parade lap around the iconic 37¾ mile circuit in the break between races last Wednesday as part of the 2015 Isle of Man TT Races fuelled by Monster Energy.

    Following the lap 2014 WSBK Champion Sylvain Guintoli, whose varied career has also included MotoGP and British Championship campaigns said:

    "What an unbelievable feeling. That felt so fast. I had to push to follow the other riders. I looked down at one point at the speedometer and it said 170 and I thought that's not right and I even managed to outbreak myself at one point. What a track."

    Isle of Man resident Jonathan Rea and his Kawasaki Racing teammate Tom Sykes were also on the lap. Jonathan Rea is no stranger to the track and has already enjoyed a closed road lap but it was a first time experience for Tom Sykes who said:

    "I can see why all these riders are so in love with the place. I've never been round it and suddenly looked down and I'm at 170mph as I go through a village. I would have liked to go behind Milky (TT Rider liaison officer Richard Quayle) the whole way round as I felt I was riding blind when I wasn't behind him and was really relaxed when I was. We had a fantastic reaction from the crowd and it was a great experience. I only wish I'd been able to do a few more laps."

    The Kawasaki pair will now resume their head to head at the top of the WSBK leader board in Italy. Rea has built up a lead of over a hundred points with race wins in every round but Sykes ended that run with double victory in the British round of the series at Donington Park.

    The fourth WSBK rider to experience the closed road lap Welshman Chas Davies, the 2011 World Supersport Champion, said:

    "There was so much to take in over one lap. It was like nothing else I've done. My respect levels for the road racers were really high before this but seeing this now, feeling the bumps they're gone through the roof. I'm currently on a safety commission for WSBK and we complain about a few bumps but it's fair to say my perspective has definitely changed."

    Sylvain Guintoli and Chas Davies enjoy an ice-cream at the Isle of Man Mou

    Tom Sykes, Jonathan Rea, Sylvain Guintoli and Chas Davies enjoy an ice-cream at the Isle of Man Mountain TT course. 

  4. The Heritage Motor Centre has everything all wrapped up for Father’s Day whether it’s a special day out or a unique gift for fathers and grandfathers that love British motoring. Not only does the Museum boast over 180 historic British cars to admire from Aston Martins to Minis and everything in between, but the nostalgic Banbury Run also takes place on Sunday 21 June. An added bonus is that entry into the Museum on that day is just £8 instead of the normal £12 entry fee.

    Visitors on the day will be able to see over 500 Veteran and Vintage motorcycles ride out, starting and finishing at the Museum. The event, now in its 67th year, is the largest gathering of pre-1931 motorcycles & 3-wheelers in the world and a spectacle not to be missed.

    If you are looking for a motoring gift then the Heritage Motor Centre has a range of exciting and unique products for every British marque of car available from their shop or online. The choice ranges from pewter models, books, DVDs, mugs and tin plaques to more personalised and bespoke gifts such as tax disk cuff links that can feature the registration number and production date of your father’s car or a Heritage Certificate for his classic car. Many more products are available to purchase from the Museum’s shop as the website has only a limited selection.

    If pictures are a more suitable gift, then choose from thousands of British Motor Industry Heritage Trust archive photos using our online picture library - Motorgraphs. Available as a framed print, canvas or collage, you will find a wide variety of attractive historical images featuring famous makes such as Austin Healey, Triumph, MG, Rover, Land Rover, Austin, Morris, Riley and Wolseley. There are also attractive advertising posters and colourful scenic pictures from the 1950s to the 1980s, just the thing for that difficult-to-buy-for father or grandfather!

    For more information about the Heritage Motor Centre please visit www.heritage-motor-centre.co.uk or call 01926 641188.

    For the online shop visit www.heritage-motor-centre.co.uk/store.

    For more information on Motorgraphs please visit www.motorgraphs.com

  5. The Institute of Advanced Motorists (IAM) has revealed for the first time the true scale of drug-driving in the UK since new laws came into force – and showed that over 400 people a month have already been arrested for this offence.

    The IAM made a Freedom of Information request asking every police force area in England and Wales for the number of arrests made for the new offence (of driving with a specified controlled drug in the body above the specified limit for that drug), since it was introduced on 2 March 2015.

    The IAM’s findings show 902 drug-drive arrests in total were made by forces in England and Wales. On average police arrested almost one person every three days for this crime.

    In addition the results that have come through have shown there is little consistency in testing and arrests across England and Wales, with figures ranging from 200-plus in one police force down to zero in others.

    The Metropolitan Police recorded the highest number of arrests, with 214 in just over two months which equates to three drivers every day since the law was changed. Next up was Northumbria Police with 97, then Cheshire Constabulary with 70, Sussex Police with 58 and South Yorkshire Police with 55.

    At the opposite end of the scale Leicestershire Police, Warwickshire Police and Gwent Police have yet to make any arrests at all for this offence in the first two months of its existence.

    A full list of results from each police force is at the end of this press release.

    The new laws introduced in England and Wales on 2 March set limits at very low levels for eight drugs commonly associated with illegal use, such as cannabis and cocaine. Eight prescription drugs were also included within the new law including diazepam, methadone and morphine.

    Police are able to use a "drugalyser" to screen for cannabis and cocaine at the roadside. Even if a driver passes the roadside check, officers will still be able to test at a police station for ecstasy, LSD, ketamine and heroin as well as other drugs.

    According to the 2010 North Report which looked at the prevalence of illicit drug use among drivers in Great Britain, drugs could be a factor in as many as 200 deaths every year, and six per cent of drivers aged between 17 and 39 claimed to have driven at some time whilst under the influence of drugs (quoted in reference 1).

    Sarah Sillars, IAM chief executive officer, said: “I am sure the majority of law abiding drivers would like to know why there is such a variation in the data we have received from police forces. It would be unfortunate if some people got the idea that some areas are softer on drug-driving than others.

    “It is very clear from our survey that the new drug driving law has just scratched the surface of a much bigger issue. It would seem Sir Peter North has been proved correct when he said there is a significant drug-driving problem which is out of all proportion to the number of accidents reported to the police. We are delighted that the legislation has been introduced and people are being caught.

    “We have reached a point where drink-driving has become socially unacceptable, particularly amongst younger people. We now need a sustained campaign to back up the police enforcement effort and ensure drug-driving is seen in exactly the same way. The effects of driving under the influence of drugs can be devastating.”
    Here is the full table of the numbers of drivers caught by each police force in England and Wales:

    Police Force/Drug driving arrests/Time period monitored (from-to)

    Avon and Somerset /12/2 March-6 May
    Bedfordshire/4/2 March-18 May
    Cambridgeshire/10 /2 March- 1 May
    Cheshire/70/2 March-17 May
    City of London/3/2 March-12 May
    Cleveland/21/2 March-28 May
    Cumbria/No response
    Derbyshire/No response
    Devon and Cornwall/12/2 March-13 May
    Dorset/No response
    Durham/23/2 March-4 May
    Dyfed-Powys/5/2 March-30 April
    Essex/Not available (see reference 2)
    Gloucestershire/No response
    Greater Manchester/26/2 March-11 May
    Gwent/0/1 April-30 April
    Hampshire/32/2 March-18 May
    Hertfordshire/15/2 March-30 April
    Humberside/10/2 March-30 April
    Kent /20/2 March-5 May
    Lancashire/10/2 March-11 May
    Leicestershire/0/2 March-21 May
    Lincolnshire/3/2 March-30 April
    Merseyside/24/2 March-30 April
    Metropolitan/214/2 March-11 May
    Norfolk/5/2 March-5 May
    Northamptonshire/4 /2 March-30 April
    Northumbria/97/2 March-30 April
    North Wales/34/2 March-20 May
    North Yorkshire/4/2 March-31 May
    Nottinghamshire/20/2 March-30 April
    South Wales/8 /2 March-30 April
    South Yorkshire/55/2 March-30 April
    Staffordshire/No response
    Suffolk/11/2 March-30 April
    Surrey/43/2 March-7 May
    Sussex/58/2 March-30 April
    Thames Valley /4/2 March-6 May
    Warwickshire/0/2 March- 30 April
    West Mercia/18/2 March- 30 April
    West Midlands /11/2 March-1 May
    West Yorkshire/9/2 March-29 April
    Wiltshire/7/2 March-8 May

    ENDS

    Reference 1