THE doors will soon be open for the 34th Carole Nash Bristol Classic MotorCycle Show and this year’s event is set to be a real spectacle.

With 18,000 visitors expected, 60 clubs putting on displays and 600 classic motorcycles restored to pristine condition, the show, taking place on the weekend of February 8-9, is set to be bigger and better than ever before. As is now tradition, many of the UK’s top clubs will be flocking to the Bath and West Showground, Shepton Mallet, to showcase the best that the classic world has to offer.

The London Douglas Club has promised a wide ranging display and, in Cotton’s centennial year, the Cotton Owners and Enthusiasts Club will be making a special effort with 16 bikes earmarked for display; the earliest being a 1926 Blackburne. Although the show is predominately about motorcycles, 2014’s offering will also have a good helping of scooters on display including the Soul City Scooter Club and the Bristol Lambretta Club. And the Stonehenge Section VMCC will have their usual collection of immaculate machinery, including Jim Devereux’s 1931 Ariel SG which was featured in the February 2014 issue of The Classic MotorCycle. The prize money up for grabs this year ranges from £100 for individuals to £250-£750 for clubs so, with John Phizacklea bringing along a 1947 EMC Mk.1 that is sure to be up to his prize winning standards, there will definitely be an atmosphere of friendly competition. As far as trade stands go, there will be a wide variety of sellers offering everything you need to get your bike prepped and ready for the summer.

In attendance will be City of Leather, known for visiting India to track down specially made pieces of clothing, Davida Helmets offering retro headgear and Metalman – offering you the opportunity to go DIY and make your own metal parts. West Midlands Motorcycle will also be there selling top quality clearance items and Motorcycle Lifts will make working on your bike that little bit easier with the bike benches it supplies.

“Bristol is the traditional season opener and is looked forward to by many involved in the classic movement,” said James Robinson, editor of The Classic MotorCycle. “There are always a few surprises with some top quality restorations making their debut, the atmosphere is always friendly and it’s a pleasure to attend.”

Gates are open from 10am until 5pm on both days. Tickets are £10 when purchased in advance and £12 on the day.

Dan Kneen has made the move to BE Racing for the 2014 season with the talented Manxman looking to make a concerted attack on the 2014 Isle of Man TT Races fuelled by Monster Energy as well as the other International road races – the North West 200 and Ulster Grand Prix. He'll also appear in selected Irish national races, beginning his season with the Cookstown 100.

Riding for the team owned and run by former racer John Burrows, Kneen will have a full assembly of machinery at his disposal including the ex-TAS Suzuki Superbike and a brand new 600cc Honda built to World Supersport specification. Kneen will also have selected outings on Burrows’ Kawasaki Supertwin whilst also retaining the use of the Marks Bloom Charted Accountants/Wemoto 1000cc Suzuki Superstock machine.

The Dungannon businessman explained: "I wanted an exciting young rider that could take the team forward and Dan is the man in my opinion. He's already a proven top ten international finisher and with our quality machinery I believe he will be even closer to the top step of the podiums this year. I have no doubt that it's a combination that will work well."

26-year-old Kneen from Braddan on the Isle of Man has been hampered in recent times by injury, which affected all of the last three seasons, but he remains one of the brightest young talents in road racing. He shot to prominence in 2008 when he scored a unique Manx Grand Prix treble, winning the newcomers, Junior and Ultra-Lightweight races. Since then he has matured into a top class international competitor with six top ten TT finishes to his credit and a best placed fifth in the 2010 Supersport 2 Race.

Kneen, who has a fastest TT lap of over 127mph, has also made his mark in Ireland, taking top ten finishes in the North West 200. He achieved two wins at the Dundrod '150' meeting and took sixth and seventh in the two Ulster GP Supersport races in the same year. Kneen has made three visits to the Macau Grand Prix with a best finish of ninth in 2012.

Speaking about the year ahead, Kneen commented: "I'm delighted to be joining John Burrows' team. I feel that John and his crew will provide me with everything that I need to challenge for international podium finishes. His bikes will be as good as anything around. In previous years, I've had to take care of all of the machine preparation myself but this year I will be able to concentrate solely on the racing. I'm going to have a great opportunity to show what I can do and I'm really looking forward to mixing it up at the front."

He continued: "My main aim is podium finishes at the TT but I'll also be looking to go well in Ireland. I don't know any of the national circuits but John's experience will be a great help at all the places that are new to me and I'm confident that I can put on a good show everywhere, starting at Cookstown. I'd like to thank John for putting his faith in me and thanks to Marks Bloom for their continued support."

Tickets are now on sale and selling fast for the 2014 TT Races. Glencrutchery Road Grandstand race day tickets are sold out but there are still TT Fan Zone Grandstand tickets available at Ballacrye, Creg Ny Baa and Nobles Park during practice and race days. Grandstand tickets are also available by purchasing VIP or Platinum Hospitality tickets. All tickets are available from www.iomtt.com or by phoning 00 44 (0)1624 640000.

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1,860 pages packed with smart ideas and innovations for motorcycles and touring

"Made for Adventure" – a theme that runs like a thread through the new Touratech catalogue, which is now available. And this does not only apply to BMW Adventure bikes, but to adventure riding in general – the promise of exploring the world on two wheels, meeting new people, discovering new places, and of course the fun of motorcycling.

On more than 1,860 pages (yes, it's even bigger than before!) Touratech presents an extensive range of products for all current adventure and touring motorbikes, with many interesting new developments for almost every model. True to form, Touratech already offers all kinds of accessories for the new BMW R 1200 GS Adventure, and some sensational footage from the world's first adventure trip with this bike is on the way – the film from the test tour in Zimbabwe will be out in early summer. The Black Forest accessory manufacturers also turned their attentions to the new BMW R 1200 RT, giving the touring boxer some added extras.

But there's so much more in the new Touratech catalogue: plenty of bright ideas for touring and motorcycling, the biggest ever range of proprietary seats, the latest GPS and outdoor products, and Touratech's new version of the Compañero – the Compañero Boreal. This Touratech riding suit is made from a high-quality three-layer laminate with climate membrane. It is designed to be perfect for bikers who see little of the southern sun but frequently take to the road in rainy northern climes.

Touratech has created a limited edition Dakar collection to celebrate the legend of the famous rally and commemorate its own sporting history with a Touratech Dakar team. Featuring exciting styling and officially licensed designs, the products range from T-shirts and polo shirts, jackets, caps and scarves, to rucksacks, bags and rackpacks.

The Touratech Suspension range has grown significantly and now includes Touratech Suspension DDA Plug & Travel – the world's first semi-active suspension system for the R 1200 GS, specially developed for challenging adventure riding.

You can find all this and much more in the new Touratech catalogue, which as usual contains a large editorial section to browse at leisure: travel reports from Africa, Iceland, Morocco and Arizona, a look back at the Travel Event and BMW Motorrad GS Trophy in Niedereschach, and lots of information about what's been happening at Touratech.
To help you navigate your way through this mammoth publication, the Touratech catalogue includes a detailed index and clear table of contents. The first section is dedicated to special parts for specific motorbikes, with individual models sorted alphabetically and in descending order of engine size. The middle part contains sections on luggage, seats, Touratech Suspension and universal motorcycle accessories, followed by rider, navigation and travel equipment.

Two hundred thousand copies of the 2014/2015 Touratech catalogue with its 1,860 pages are being printed in five different languages and will be available at all major trade shows and events where Touratech is represented, as well as from Touratech distributors.

Copies can be ordered by phone, e mail or via the internet – free of charge, as always – and soon the catalogue will also be available online at www.touratech.com. The online version is designed to work on smartphones and tablets as well.

Cheshire’s Connor Behan will step up to the 2014 Isle of Man TT Races fuelled by Monster Energy, having agreed a deal to continue his relationship with KMR Kawasaki. The 21-year old will contest the 4-lap Monster Energy Supersport Races and the 3-lap bikesocial.co.uk Lightweight event on Kawasaki machinery.

The Northwich rider enjoyed an excellent year with KMR Kawasaki in 2013, his first full season on the roads. Clearly benefitting from the expert tutelage of team boss Ryan Farquhar, Behan took a superb second place in the Manx Grand Prix Newcomers A Race, where he also set the fastest lap of the race at an impressive 115.139mph.

Having made his public road race debut at the Southern 100 in 2011, taking sixth in the 400cc race, he contested a full season of racing in the 2013 Irish Junior and Senior Support Championships for KMR, ending the year in second overall in each series. The season saw him take no less than three wins and countless podiums in his debut year with victories coming at Cookstown, Armoy and Killalane. Indeed, he only missed out on the Junior Support title by five points.

Prior to his fledgling road race career, Behan was a leading light on the short circuits, most notably in the National 600cc Superstock and British 125cc Championships. With a win and three podiums, the youngster took third overall in the 2011 600cc series, after placing seventh the year before, and he also achieved fifth and seventh places in the 2008 and 2009 125cc series.

Commenting on his 2014 TT Races debut Connor Behan said: "I really enjoyed my first experience of racing on the Mountain Course at last year's Manx Grand Prix and I couldn't have a better mentor than Ryan Farquhar for racing at the TT. I'm just looking to build on what I learnt last year and to give a good account of myself and repay the faith that Ryan's shown in me."

Tickets are now on sale and selling fast for the 2014 TT Races. Glencrutchery Road Grandstand race day tickets are sold out but there are still TT Fan Zone Grandstand tickets available at Ballacrye, Creg Ny Baa and Nobles Park during practice and race days. Grandstand tickets are also available by purchasing VIP or Platinum Hospitality tickets. All tickets are available from www.iomtt.com or by phoning 00 44 (0)1624 640000.

THE ALL-ITALIAN DUO THAT WILL TAKE ON WORLD SUPERBIKE ESTABLISHES ITSELF AT PORTIMAO 

Portimao, 20 January 2014 - The Portuguese Portimao track was the setting for the first tests of the season held by Aprilia Racing, the reigning Manufacturer World Champion team, concentrated on three days of testing with newcomer Marco Melandri, working side by side with test rider Alex Hofmann.

For the rider from Ravenna, the natural candidate for a key role in the World Championship that will start on 23 February in Australia, this was the first contact with his Aprilia RSV4 since the winter break. After regaining some familiarity with it, Marco focused on preparing for the first race of the season. Despite difficult weather conditions, with rain on the first two days and an average of low temperatures, the Italian team was able to take advantage of the session to fine tune the bike that is the reigning Manufacturer world champion.

The intermittent rain on the first two days of testing forced the riders to lap in less than optimum conditions. The third and final day, on the other hand, allowed everyone to push hard, with the obvious limit of a track which was cold and not very rubberised.

Over the three days Melandri put in 175 laps with a best time of 1'43.1.

Sylvain Guintoli was absent from the Portimao tests, having just come through the second operation on his right shoulder which he injured last year. The return of the French rider, who is going through physical therapy, is expected for the first race at Phillip Island. The Superbike Test Team was also in the Aprilia garage with test rider Alex Hofmann (150 laps, best 1'45.0).

Marco Melandri: "Considering the difficult weather conditions, the first two days were a bit wasted. The last day was a particular day. We made a lot of progress with the electronics but we had a few problems with the chassis set up. The track improved little by little and the settings had trouble coping. Toward the end of the test we began to figure out which direction to go for my riding style, but it's a shame that we lost the last half hour (due to oil on the track - editor's note) where we could have tried to put in a fast lap. I'm disappointed about that but the good thing is that we have a clearer idea now. I hope we can get back onto the track for some more testing before the first round at Phillip Island".

Romano Albesiano, Aprilia Racing Manager: "During these three days first of all we decided on the 2014 suspension which was one of our goals. Melandri was also positive about the electronics updates, where the chassis set up is concerned there is still work to be done to adapt the RSV4 to the rider's needs. We're on the right path but we still need to take that final step to define a base set up that will allow us to take best advantage of the bike-rider package".