A GOLDEN era of motorsport, and a fantastic weekend of motorcycling – that’s what visitors to one of the year’s best shows are set to enjoy later this month.

The 34th Carole Nash Classic MotorCycle Show takes place on the weekend of April 26-27 at Staffordshire County Showground, and racing legend John Surtees will be there as guest of honour five decades after becoming the first man to win world championships on two and four wheels following his fantastic tussle with Graham Hill for the 1964 F1 title.

Surtees will take along his Ferrari 158 car, plus his championship winning MV Agusta and Norton F Model, while there will be more fantastic machinery to see, including a Moto Major – an Italian made motorcycle never before seen in the UK.

The Bonhams auction is always a highlight of ‘Spring Stafford’ and this time includes a 1939 Brough Superior SS100 motorcycle once owned by the designer himself. First registered on May 24, 1939 by George Brough, the SS100 was put through its paces taking part in the London to Edinburgh endurance run two days later.

The current owner’s father has stored the motorcycle since 1967, using it sporadically since then, and it has been maintained to a high standard. The Brough Superior has an estimated sale value of £140,000-180,000.

Among the other treasures up for auction over the weekend are a 1975 Bimota 970cc HB1 and a 1929 Scott 596cc racing motorcycle.

The two day event will have something for everyone with an interest in motorcycles, including some superb private entry and classic club bikes, along with hundreds of trade stands, an extensive autojumble, The National Motorcycle Museum plus live entertainment in the form of the Wall of Death, Classic Racer Grand Prix Paddock and Classic Dirt Bike Experience.

But for many, it’s the appearance of Surtees which takes it into the premier league of events, especially as he celebrates two landmarks this year – the golden anniversary of his F1 title, and his own 80th birthday.

He’ll be sharing stories from his fantastic career on and off the track, and also promoting a new photographic memoir which will be launched in June – the proceeds of which will go to the Henry Surtees Foundation.

Show organiser Nick Mowbray said: “John Surtees is a hero of so many classic and modern motorcycle enthusiasts; what he achieved is truly remarkable. He is a star name… and not just in motorsport.

“No other man will ever repeat what he has, and this will be a fantastic chance to come and see John in the flesh.”

Advance tickets for the 34th Carole Nash International Classic MotorCycle Show can still be bought from www.classicbikeshows.com or over the phone by calling 01507 529529 – with an advance one day adult ticket costing £10, a £3 saving on the gate price.

The show is open from 9am – 6pm on Saturday and 9am – 5pm on Sunday. Parking is free.

Following the second and final qualifying session for the 2014 North West 200 in Northern Ireland today, Honda Racing’s Conor Cummins and John McGuinness will start Saturday’s Superbike races from seventh and 15th respectively on the grid.

The 45-minute session took place in warm and sunny conditions as the riders headed out on the 8.9-mile circuit in an attempt to improve on yesterday’s times. Cummins was able to climb to seventh on the grid after posting a 4:26.638 lap, 2.5 seconds behind pole sitter Michael Dunlop.

McGuinness – who is celebrating his 20th North West 200 – struggled in today’s session as he continues to recover from a broken scaphoid sustained in training two months ago. The six-time NW200 winner did manage to improve his lap time and will start from 15th position. Just five seconds separate the top 15 riders on the highly-competitive Superbike grid.

Saturday’s race order is below, with roads closing at 10.30am BST. Cummins and McGuinness will complete for Honda Racing in the two Superbike outings:

Supersport race (6 laps)

Superbike race (7 laps)

Supertwin race (4 laps)

Superstock race (6 laps)

NW200 Superbike race (7 laps)

Davys Bikes situated in Bangor and based in the heartland of Balloo Industrial Estate is the latest dealer to stock the Biker NI (CRASH) Safety Card.

We popped into the shop recently, which hosts a wide variety of stock from new/used motorcycles to brake pads and the latest clothing from IXON and were enthusiastically welcomed by the director of the business David Milliken.

Davy has been trading in the motorcycle industry for over 30 years with an expertise second to none when it comes to motorcycle sales and service.

Davys Bikes is continuing to improve their new showroom on a daily basis and are now stocking well known and reliable brands such as Roof, Suomy, Oxford, EBC, NGK, RING, LS2, AKITO, Silkolene and Castrol.

The FREE to riders safety card which brings the “Ambulance Motorcycle Club” Crash Card initiative to Northern Ireland, supported by the major agencies involved in keeping us safe on the road: PSNI Bikesafe – Northern Ireland Ambulance Service (NIAS) – Northern Ireland Fire & Rescue Service (NIFRS).

The free of charge card, is placed inside your helmet as a medical alert, details which you the rider have written on the card, provides vital information for attending ambulance crews or emergency responders if the motorcyclist is injured in a road traffic collision or unable to talk coherently because of concussion or having been knocked out.

To let those attending the scene of a collision know about this vital information the rider places a sticker on the outside of the helmet, on the right hand side (NOT on the visor or other attachments), indicating that a rider or pillion is carrying a safety card inside the lining of their helmet.

So only 15 minutes from the centre of Belfast Davys Bikes is worth a visit to experience friendly knowledgeable staff with plenty of bargains to be had, with a fully operational workshop for all your motorcycle’s servicing needs, get along and get a card!

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Biker NI Safety Card

www.righttoride.co.uk

Mitas is delighted to announce the launch of a new sponsorship agreement with Slovenian speedway rider Matej Žagar for the 2014 season.

In this year's season, Žagar will compete in the Grand Prix, the Czech League, the Polish Ekstraliga and the British Elite League. Žagar's bike will be fitted with Mitas' SW-07 and SW-02 tyres, which were developed according to FIM rules through close cooperation with TOP speedway riders.

“Mitas' association with speedway goes a long way back. In a long tradition, Mitas has produced special motorcycle tyres for speedway since 1947. Since then, we have been dedicated to the development and improvement of speedway and other motorcycle tyres for extreme motorcycle sports,” said Andrew Mabin, Mitas’ marketing and sales director.

MARGATE MELTDOWN  Bank Holiday Monday 26th May

Depart Ace Cafe: 10.30am
Route: A406 - A13 - M25 - A2 - M2 - A299 to Margate seafront

The 7th annual Margate Meltdown is the most recently established of Ace Cafe London's free to attend major ride outs.

The ride out from the cafe to this popular seaside resort in Kent has been held each year on occasion of the annual Spring Bank Holiday. Margate seafront and harbour is given over to motorcycles and scooters, diverse club and trade stands, a stage with live entertainment from Noon,
featuring on the Ace stage the semi-acoustic sounds of The Elbeats, together with rockin' DJ's Bill & George Guntrip.

Working closely with the cafe's chosen charity for this event, The Royal British Legion Riders Branch (RBLRB), the town and Thanet District Council, Margate not only has everything that a great ride out requires, but also a great beach and plenty of heritage to include a legacy from the 1960s that is of world renown relating to motorbikes, scooters and the Mods & Rockers that rode them!

This year marks the 50th anniversary of the infamous Mods & Rockers clashes of 1964!

www.rblr.co.uk

www.ace-cafe-london.com