Electric motorcycles and scooters will now qualify for Government subsidy, under plans announced by the Office for Low Emission Vehicles (OLEV).

A pot of up to £7.5 million will be made available from summer 2015 until 2020, capped at £1500 per vehicle.This will make qualifying vehicles up to 20% cheaper, establishing powered two wheelers as the most affordable electric vehicles on the market and therefore within the reach of people on lower incomes.

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Bikers from Shropshire and the wider Midlands area are invited to start the season off in style on Sunday 26th April 2015 at the Bike4Life Ride Out and Festival.

Bike4Life Festival is being held at the RAF Museum Cosford in support of the Midlands Air Ambulance charity. The event is being run in collaboration with the Safer Roads Partnership and West Mercia Police and this year is being supported by radio station Planet Rock and is set to be the biggest organised biker gathering in the Midlands this year.

Biker Safety is one of the main focuses of the day and there will be the opportunity to speak to The Institute of Advanced Motorcyclists (IAM), Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents (RoSPA) and other trainers to find out more about further training and additional courses that are out there to brush up on your biking skills. There is also the opportunity to sign up on the day for a special offer of a Take Control training course – book with a mate and get the course for half price.

The importance of biker safety is paramount for all partners involved with Bike4Life and the Air Ambulance in particular are fully aware of the role they play in assisting bikers at the most crucial of times.

Mum of three Charlotte Lloyd suffered serious injuries in a road traffic collision while on a motorbike just under a year ago and, as she continues her recovery, she’s praised the “vital” contribution Midlands Air Ambulance made to ensuring she received urgent medical attention.

39-year-old Charlotte suffered a broken leg and elbow when she, as a pillion, and her partner, Marc, were involved in the accident in the Midlands in June 2014. She had been preparing to start a new job the following day when the pair set out on their motorbike on a sunny afternoon and travelled down the Pennine Way, B5080 in Tamworth to meet her younger brother. Suddenly, after missing its turning the car travelling in front performed an emergency stop. As the road surface was very badly broken, the wheels of the bike weren’t able to grip. As the bike started to snake badly, Charlotte was thrown into the air before landing in the road.

The Midlands Air Ambulance helicopter from Tatenhill was dispatched to the scene, with paramedic, Ian Walley, among the aircrew.

Charlotte recalled, “There was a lot going on at the scene and as well as being in a lot of pain I felt very sick. I remember Ian introducing himself to me. He and the rest of the aircrew played a vital part on the day as they got me to hospital so quickly. They worked really well with the land ambulance and explained everything to me and were really comforting and patient, and warned me it might be a little noisy. I was in so much pain and, up to that point; I wasn’t responding to anything I’d been given to try and make that better.”

As Charlotte was experiencing such extreme pain, the aircrew were able to administer advance relief at the roadside before she stabilised and airlifted to the Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Birmingham. Now back home, she is slowly recovering from her injuries but admits the incident had a massive impact on her life. She added, “I had never been to hospital before and had to stay for a week, undergoing scans and a session in theatre. I’m still attending physiotherapy appointments there and am awaiting a date for more surgery. Even now I still cannot walk properly or do certain things, and I do find it quite frustrating sometimes.”

However, she was still determined to meet the aircrew who helped her when she needed it most to offer her appreciation and, after travelling to Tatenhill and spending time with the team.

Charlotte continued, "I met up with Ian just because I wanted to thank him and what he did and all of the emergency services did for me that day. I had already known that a lot of bikers are airlifted by Midlands Air Ambulance but I can now truly say that they do fantastic work and help save a lot of lives.”

With hundreds of bikers already signed up, organisers are expecting thousands will show their support on the day and join in the fun, so, if you’re a biker and you’re not already registered for the Ride Out or just want to find out more visit www.bike4lifefest.com or call the Bike4Life Festival team on 01902 376 252. Find us on Facebook by searching for Bike4Life Fest and follow us on Twitter @Bike4LifeFest.

The festival will run from 10:00am to 4:00pm and visitors of all ages, not just bikers are encouraged to come along. Bikers wishing to participate in the ride out MUST have a full licence as the route to the Museum will travel along the M54 motorway.

Bikers can find out more information on the Midlands Air Ambulance Charity by visiting www.midlandsairambulance.com or for more information on the RAF Museum Cosford visit www.rafmuseum.org. Further details about the Safer Roads Partnership can be found at www.srpwestmercia.org.uk

Whether you’re determined to get your moped licence or love nothing more than whizzing down the road on a strong, powerful and exhilarating £2,750 Kawasaki ER6, you’re not alone. The motorcycle industry is hugely popular across the globe with both men and women alike slipping into their leathers and riding off into the sunset – and those with a need for a speed are always looking for new and exciting models to take for a spin.

The good news is, the world of motorcycles is ever evolving with vehicle manufacturers constantly looking to develop new and exciting products. As the world becomes more environmentally aware, they’re not only trying to clean up their act by introducing energy-efficient alternatives they’re also trying to attract biking fanatics with exquisite designs and detailing.

Electric bikes, for instance, have been in the pipeline for numerous years with designers attempting to come up with two-wheel sensations that are powerful fun and thrilling to ride while not emitting a range of harsh or non-sustainable chemicals into the atmosphere. And they’ve really made headway. There are already a wide range of ready-to-ride electric motorcycles out there including the LS-218 which is the fastest production motorcycle in the world - gas or electric.

That said, many top models from well-known brands are not yet out on the roads, but are instead being tweaked to perfection meaning that when they are up for sale in their masses they won’t disappoint. Take Harley-Davidson’s Project LiveWire, for instance. It looks great and is virtually silent to ride but if President and COO Matt Levatich’s comments at the Wisconsin Sustainable Business Council's 2014 confab are anything to go by it seems the bike will not be ready for the roads until next-generation battery technologies are ready.

According to reports, the bike currently would only travel half the distance buyers want and cost $50,000, about 50 per cent more than customers would want to pay. This, of course, makes the bike less attractive to motorcycle fanatics which is why Harley-Davidson are prepared to wait for new technology and produce something that’s nothing but spectacular.

As the electric motorbike trend grows, other well-known companies such as Bultaco are rebranding themselves as electric motorbike manufacturers to ensure they have a more modern and up-to-date appeal. It’s been almost 13 years since a bike came out with the famous Bultaco logo on it, but that’s all about to change as two prototypes have already been revealed which point the way forward for the Spanish company – the Rapitan and Rapitan Sport. Both feature 53 horsepower, 92 lb.ft electric motors, Hossack-style front end suspension and enough battery storage to get over 200 km (125 miles) in town.

So, as you can see electric motorbikes are already on the roads. They’re making their mark within the motorcycle industry but with some manufacturers prepared to hold out for bigger and better things it looks like this is just the beginning of this exciting new craze.

Visitors of THE BIKER GUIDE have previously helped a research study (relating to motorcyclist stress) by TRL, with a good number of participants. They are recruiting for another study and are hoping that our visitors can help the research once again.

The purpose of the research is to assess the suitability of temporary portable rumble strips as part of temporary traffic management at road works, especially with regard to motorcyclist safety. 

They are looking to undertake trials (as a track session) and expert panel consultations with motorcycle examiners, trainers and riders in order to gain a better understanding of their experiences and opinions regarding the possible level of risk posed by Temporary Rumble Strips.

The trials will take about 3.5 hours and will take place on Membury Test Track (Hungerford, Berkshire) on April 1st 2015.

They are looking for a total of 40 motorcyclists across the following categories:

*Approved learner motorcyclist trainers

*Novice riders of any motorcycle type (less than 1 year experience since passing test)

*Experienced riders of a range of motorcycle types (at least 5 years’ experience since passing test):

- Small mopeds / scooters (of up to 125cc)

- ‘Standard’ motorcycles (between 125 - 600cc)

- ‘Sport’ motorcycles (between 600 – 1000cc)

- ‘Tourer/cruiser’ motorcycles (over 1000cc)

Participants will be provided with £35 to go toward travel expenses.

Motorcyclists who are interested in taking part can register by following the link below and answering a few short questions regarding their current riding experience and availability. TRL staff will be in contact with selected participants directly to provide further information about the trial.

Take the survey to register your interest

How the data will be used - Information from TRL

This study was commissioned by the Highways Agency and is being led by the Transport Research Laboratory (TRL). The work we are undertaking is to assess the suitability of temporary portable rumble strips as part of temporary traffic management at road works, especially with regard to motorcyclist safety. This work is part of an ongoing HA programme to significantly reduce risk to road workers across the whole of the HA network.

As we are looking for a good representation across bike types/ level of experience, the data we collect through the online form will be used to ensure this representation is achieved in the final sample. It also gives respondents the opportunity to provide us with details about their availability, etc.

Data collected (i.e. contact details) is required in order to allow us to contact respondents. The details provided will only be used for the purpose of this research, and will not be viewed or shared with anyone outside of this specific TRL project team, this includes not sharing with any third parties.

Data protection

Any data provided by respondents for this research will be fully protected under TRL’s Data Protection and Information Security Policies which covers our obligations under the Data Protection Act, and Environmental Information Regulations. Data will be retained during the research phase and any personal details held will be deleted after approximately 1 year.

The search is on for the country’s best young driver – but the catch is they have to be aged under 17.

The Young Driver Challenge 2015 launches this week and is backed by the Institute of Advanced Motorists (IAM). It offers 11-16 year olds the chance to show their skills behind the wheel of a car.

The challenge took place for the first time in 2014, with hundreds of entries from around the country. Accelerating to the top, the eventual winners were named as Hannah Tripp, aged 13 from Cheddar in Somerset, and Troy Hickling, aged 16, from Leicester.

Run by Young Driver, the UK’s largest provider of under-17 driving lessons, the challenge aims to encourage youngsters to consider responsible and safe driving, with top marks given to those who show the best levels of control and awareness. It is backed by the IAM and motoring expert and presenter Quentin Willson.

Entries can be made until the end of July and the 40 top scorers will be invited to a final event to be held in the Midlands in September. Drivers are assessed during a lesson at any of Young Driver’s 28 venues, and marked according to strict criteria on their driving skills and manoeuvres, including parallel parking, figures of eight, turn in the road, steering, judgement and positioning.

Participants complete the second part of the test after their lesson via the Goodyear Driving Academy, an online driving simulator which tests a youngsters’ knowledge of the Highway Code.

The top prizes on offer include 20 Young Driver lessons, 20 ‘on the road’ post-17 driving lessons courtesy of Goodyear, a Young Driver at School session for the winner and their classmates and £500 off a car insurance premium courtesy of Young Driver sponsor Admiral. There will also be a special Admiral Award for the young driver who shows the best attitude, with a £200 cash prize.

The Young Driver scheme was set up in 2009 with the aim of creating safer newly qualified drivers. Currently in the UK, one in five new drivers has an accident within six months of passing their test and road traffic accidents account for 25 per cent of all the deaths of 15-19 year olds. Every year 400 people are killed in accidents involving young drivers. Yet, independent research shows that Young Driver past-pupils have 50 per cent less accidents than other novice drivers.

Kim Stanton, who runs the Young Driver scheme, said: “The Young Driver Challenge was a huge success last year. The final event included 40 youngsters who all demonstrated a driving ability well beyond their years, and I think people would be stunned to see how good they are.

“The aim of Young Driver has always been to create a safer next generation of drivers. We need to teach youngsters over a longer period of time, to give them a more thorough understanding and ample experience. Research actually shows that road safety messages are better absorbed by children in their early teens rather than at driving age. So the Young Driver Challenge gives us a great opportunity to talk to more youngsters about safe driving, and to show the general public just how good these young drivers can be, given the proper tuition. We look forward to seeing this year’s entries!”

Mark Lewis, director of standards at the IAM, said: “I was very impressed with the standard of driving displayed by the young drivers last year and the final went to a tense tie-breaker. All who attended had a good day and I heard lots of stories from proud parents and grandparents about how the young drivers have made them change their driving habits for the better. Every young person who undertakes this training is potentially setting themselves up for a lifetime of safe driving. I’m looking forward to seeing the standard being maintained this year and a sunny final event like last year will be the icing on the cake!”

Quentin Willson, Transport Campaigner, added: “The Young Driver Challenge recognises and celebrates how early tuition can make a generation of novice drivers safer on our roads. I'm extremely proud to support these awards.”

For more information about the challenge, or to book a Young Driver lesson, please log on to www.youngdriver.eu or call 0844 371 9010.