A ride out to raise money for Help for Heroes. There is going be loads of riders and a real sense of camaraderie all for a great cause.

Dewsbury will be heading up the Ride Out and the crew will be taking pictures and video for the website. J-Rock and Dewsbury will be trying to get interviews with a few of you before you leave the ground.

If you would like to take part, please make sure you register in advance and not just turn up on the day!

venue: The ride out starts at Salford City Reds Stadium (M30 7LJ) at 9am, for a 10am set off and finishes at The Winking Man Pub (ST13 8UH). L-Plate riders should meet in a layby near to Gatley Traffic Lights- near a road called Broadway. A marshal will then join you onto the Ride Out.
price: Real radio (the organser) would like each rider to raise £30 and that can be donated through JustGiving or on the day by making cheques payable to Help for Heroes.
tel: Any queries/problems you have in advance: 0161 886 8784. On the day: 07976 284874
web-site:
facebook:

23rd September, 2012

Ace Cafe London is delighted to confirm that this years annual Ton Up Day, Sunday 4th November, will include the unveiling at the premises by The Heritage Foundation of a Blue Plaque in tribute to the late Screaming Lord Sutch, 3rd Earl of Harrow.
 
Born, during the blitz on London, in a Hampstead hospital, Dave Sutch lived locally in Harrow and soon became a regular frequenter of the then notorious Ace Cafe, visiting on a BSA 125 and listening to the latest rock n' roll sounds on the jukebox.
 
In addition to finding success with his music and extraordinary stage shows, in the 1960's, when voters had to be over 21, he stood in parliamentary elections as a representative of the National Teenage Party and went on to found the Official Monster Raving Loony Party which he served as leader from 1983 to 1999, during which time he stood in numerous parliamentary elections.
 
As a great friend of the Ace, Dave Sutch kindly officiated at the first Ace Cafe Reunion, held at the premises in 1994, and shared with all those present on that day of how it was at the Ace that he ate his very first rubber egg!
 
Dave Sutch 10.11.40 - 16.6.99 RIP
 
www.theheritagefoundation.info/index.html
 
www.ace-cafe-london.com/lord-sutch.aspx

Ducati has given a preview of its highly-anticipated 2013 range by revealing exciting new Multistrada models that introduce new features such as enhanced aesthetics, a second generation Testastretta 11° engine, the very latest ABS and, on the “S” versions, the innovative semi-active suspension system, Ducati Skyhook Suspension (DSS).

The brand new range, full of owner-inspired improvements, signals the next stage of the Multistrada journey with a long list of fascinating and high-tech features. It includes the Multistrada 1200 with the associated Riding Mode technologies of Ride-by-Wire (R-b-W) and Ducati Traction Control (DTC) in addition to the very latest in ABS, while the Multistrada 1200 S Touring is now equipped with Ducati Skyhook Suspension (DSS), R-b-W, DTC and ABS with additional side luggage, heated grips and centre stand. The new touring flagship of the range for 2013 is the Multistrada 1200 S Granturismo with increased side luggage capacity, top case, additional LED illumination, enhanced wind protection and long-distance tyres, while the latest Multistrada 1200 S Pikes Peak celebrates the sporting side of the model’s character with a replica of the famous 2012 mountain race bike in its stunning new race-winning livery.

The Multistrada’s award-winning Sport, Touring, Urban and Enduro electronic Riding Modes enable a truly enjoyable and customisable riding experience separated by just one click of a button. The four-bikes-in-one concept makes instant adjustment to power and torque delivery in addition to electronic adjustment of suspension settings, traction control, and now ABS and Ducati Skyhook Suspension, instantly transforming the Multistrada 1200 to suit its rider and environment with even more precision.

Hailed as a true ‘game-changing’ motorcycle, Ducati’s Multistrada 1200 has attracted all types of riders to the Italian brand by removing the borders between different motorcycle categories and creating a model that is not only powerful and playful, but also a comfortable and versatile adventure on two wheels. The eight-level DTC and new three-level ABS introduce the Ducati Safety Pack (DSP) concept to the Multistrada family, further underlining Ducati's focus on performance safety.

Ducati’s Multistrada 1200 International Press Test is set to take place in Bilbao, Spain from 20-27 September, while the first public showing of the 2013 Multistrada range will be at the INTERMOT motorcycle show in Cologne, Germany from 3-7 October. The brand new Multistrada 1200 models will be available via the official Ducati dealer network from January 2013.

www.ducatiuk.com

In fact the weather forecasters have suggested this balmy Indian Summer could last well into October!

The next two weeks look set to be perfect for a camping weekend, a trip to the coast and/or last minute holidays in the UK... in fact it could be very warm with glorious sunshine reaching temperatures of up to 27C.

It is possible the rest of the month could follow suit (fingers and toes crossed) for what could be the longest spell of dry fine weather we have seen so far in 2012.

In recent years the most significant growth in motorcyclists has been in female riders and with this the rise in longer stays, rather than in a place for one night... Many riders know there is nothing worse than arriving somewhere after a long ride, unpacking, showering, eating, drinking, sleeping and then up the next day to pack up and move on - hence the rise in finding a great place to stay as a base for a few days to go out each day to tour and explore the area.

Did you know? •Motorcycle-related tourism spending in the UK is over £565 million each year, supporting over 13, 000 tourism jobs. •Overseas motorcycling tourists spend £17 million on trips to the UK •More than half of all motorcyclists are over 40, with the vast majority of motorcycle tourists being in this age category.

“The lack of interest in the motorcycle tourism sector may be due to a perceived image of rebellious youthful bikers which is at odds with their current demographic" (Dr Cater, lecturer at Aberystwyth University).

Please note this article was based on the UK weather forecast 7th September, 2012, which is of course up for change!

Following the announcement that the Manx Motor Cycle Club and the Department of Economic Development (DED) had reached an agreement on the future direction of the Manx Grand Prix Festival, the Department has published its outline proposals for the newly introduced Classic TT Races which will form a key part of the new festival.

The proposal features three Classic TT Races taking place over the traditional middle weekend of racing and the August Bank Holiday Monday. The Manx Grand Prix Races are scheduled to run on the following Wednesday and Friday with practice and qualifying for both series of races taking place during the previous week.

Early plans include the potential for a four-day festival of motorcycling nostalgia to support the Classic TT Races. The festival will feature period events, exhibitions of exotic classic racing motorcycles, chat shows and autograph sessions with legendary riders, parade laps, air displays, Vintage Motorcycle Club Events and family entertainment.

The proposals also include a revamped race programme and race regulations with races for the traditional MGP 500cc and 350cc class, rebranded as Classic TT Races, along with new Formula 1 and Formula 2 Classic TT Races.

The plans would see the Formula 1 and Formula 2 Races run concurrently and would represent the original FIM World Championship classes of the same title from the late 1980’s and early 1990’s. These new classes would open the Classic TT to a new generation of machinery including iconic machines such as the Honda RC30, Kawasaki ZXR 750, Yamaha OW01, Suzuki GSX-R 750 and Ducati 888.

A number of sub classes are also being proposed to ensure competitors of all abilities and experience, and machinery of varying specifications, can compete in the Classic TT Races in an environment that promotes equality and sportsmanship.

All competitors in the Classic TT would be given a classification as either a GP Rider or Clubman Rider depending on their previous results and experience, with further sub-divisions relating to the specification of the machinery they are competing on.

Whilst there would only be one podium presentation per race, based on the overall race result, the sub classes would be used to determine qualification times, the awarding of replicas and other trophies and would be clearly identified in the official results and recognized as sub-class winners in the official post race press reports.

The Department is inviting comments from interested parties via e-mail at [email protected] by Monday 24th September 2012.

Colin Kniveton, Chief Executive, Department of Economic Development commented:

“We have had a remarkable response to the idea of a Classic TT from the international classic motorcycle movement, which confirms our research that our motorsport heritage is unrivalled anywhere in the world. We have spoken to people from all corners of the globe including existing and potential competitors, machine owners, parade participants and race fans and all are keen to be a part of this new event.”

“We have also had a very encouraging response to our plans for the race regulations from existing MGP classic competitors and machine owners, teams and riders who have competed at the MGP in the past who are keen to return and also potential new participants.

“We now have a huge amount of work to do to develop our plans alongside our key stakeholders including the Manx Motor Cycle Club, the TT Marshals Association, the Vintage Motor Cycle Club and our commercial partners. We intend to release the regulations for the event by the end of September to allow people the maximum possible time to prepare for the inaugural event. We then plan to release details of some of the riders and machines expected to compete along with further details of the supporting festival events, ticket options and travel packages at the Motorcycle Live event at the Birmingham NEC in November.”