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UK motorcycling this week is shaped by new rules, new bikes and big racing events.
The Department for Transport has proposed emissions changes that would make some popular mods illegal. If you fit an aftermarket exhaust, remap your ECU or remove emissions hardware on a bike built since 2001, you could be committing a criminal offence, not just breaking approval rules. This could hit tuned street bikes and custom builds across the country.
Noise is under pressure too. Hampshire Police and Crime Commissioner Donna Jones has called illegally loud exhausts “unbearable for many” and wants tougher action against bikes that break noise limits. Together, these moves show that the government and police want cleaner, quieter roads.
In the showroom, value and power are both in the spotlight. AJS have fully revealed the Ridgeway 125, a retro cargo‑style learner bike making around 8bhp and costing £2699 on the road. At the other extreme, Kawasaki have teased a new supercharged sports model for 2027, with audio of a high‑revving four‑cylinder and the familiar supercharger chirp suggesting a spiritual successor to the Ninja H2.
Safety kit is getting smarter. New 2026 helmet designs now include crash‑detection systems that can record about 5,000 data points every second during an impact, giving engineers detailed information about how the bike was behaving when things went wrong.
Racing fans have plenty to watch. Oliver’s Mount in Scarborough is marking 80 years with a special Gold Cup meeting, with practice and qualifying on Friday 4 September and two full days of racing and parades over the weekend. Later this month, the Goodwood Revival will bring a packed line‑up of global racing stars to West Sussex for classic bike action.
For young UK riders, the lesson is clear: the scene is exciting, but the future belongs to those who ride legally, think about noise and emissions, and choose bikes and kit that match their skills.
This week brought big news for electric bike riders. Classic bike brands sold very well. UK police warned illegal riders to stop. Here is your full round-up of what matters to motorcyclists right now.
Zero Motorcycles said it will launch fast charging in 2027. This is a big win for electric bike owners. The new system uses a CCS port. It can charge bikes from 20% to 80% in under 30 minutes. Many existing Zero owners with 2022 or newer bikes can add this tech. Eligible models include the S, SR, SR/S, SR/F, DS, DSR and DSR/X. This move fixes one of the biggest issues with electric bikes: long charge times.
Royal Enfield sold 126,479 bikes worldwide in August. This is an 11% jump from last year. Sales in India rose to 114,204 units. Exports grew 10% to 12,275 units. The Classic 350, Hunter 350 and Meteor 350 drove most of this growth. Bikes up to 350cc made up 113,143 sales. Larger engines above 350cc saw a 13% drop. For UK riders, this shows that retro bikes are still very popular.
Police in Devon and Cornwall ran Operation Hyssop last week. They seized 30 illegal e-bikes and motorcycles. They made 13 arrests. Officers found riders with knives, drugs and illegal money. The force said anti-social riders are running out of road. This follows the Crime and Policing Act 2026. Police can now seize illegal e-bikes without a warning first. The government says these changes help police tackle dangerous riding.
The 80th anniversary Gold Cup meeting is at Oliver’s Mount, Scarborough. TT stars Dean Harrison, Peter Hickman and Mike Browne will race. Short circuit racers Storm Stacey and Richard Cooper will also compete. Practice runs on Friday 5 September. Two full days of racing follow. World Superbikes continues at Magny-Cours in France. Live coverage is on TNT Sports. Highlights are on ITV4.
Moto Guzzi opened its new factory and museum this week. It cost €50 million. It is in Mandello del Lario, Italy. This marks the brand’s 105th year. The Moto Guzzi World Days 2026 event runs 3–6 September. There are factory tours, test rides and a mass parade on Saturday. Tens of thousands of Guzzi fans will attend.
Hero MotoCorp reported mixed August results. Total sales rose 2.65%. But this missed analyst forecasts. Scooter sales jumped 42.8%. Motorcycle dispatches fell 1.5%. This split shows urban riders are shifting to scooters for city trips. Motorcycle demand stays tied to rural income recovery.
Advanced riders are safer road users, ride longer, rider further, meet more people and enjoy a healthier, happier life!
Fill it in, keep it updated, when needed just hand it over to health care staff.
No delay, no sharing of data with private health companies, it’s YOURS, keep it safe!
7.30pm Treeton Miners Welfare Club
Arundel Road
Treeton
Rotherham S60 5PW
24th September 2026
Online Zoom Meeting
Details to be circulated
London Assembly wants ban on L-plate delivery riders
[Based on a news item from ‘Elevenses’, the news, views and biking tips webcast – find it at www.youtube.com/survivalskillsuk]
Doing the rounds last week was the report that L-plate moped and motorcycle riders could be banned from commercial food delivery work in London. This follows a vote in the London Assembly that calls on the Government to prohibit provisional-licence riders from doing commercial work, including food deliveries. The Assembly also wants changes to CBT, including a theory and hazard-perception test, and some kind of limit on endlessly renewing CBT certificates. Read more
Fresh Start: Decoding the Road Part 2
Two weeks ago I talked about the ‘Doppelganger’ ‘Geometric Road’ built by the engineer, and the ‘Perceptual Road’ constructed in our own brains, and how both co-exist. Riders never see the whole road but a shifting slice of it, from which the brain creates a working model; what the road is doing now and what it is likely to do next. Last week’s post was a very practical reminder about how rain at the end of a long dry spell can create a divergence between the grip level the rider expects and the grip level that actually exists, as a police rider discovered. Read more
Fresh Start: Decoding the Road Part 3
AN M6 FRAMEWORK BACKGROUND ARTICLE
As riders, we never see the whole road; we see a constantly-shifting slice of it, and our brains create a mental ‘Working Model’ using scraps of information — what just happened and what we can see now — to infer what’s going to happen in the next few seconds. Read more
Sussex Police donate ex-police bike to DocBike Sussex
Sussex Police has donated a former Roads Policing Unit BMW R1250RT to DocBike Sussex. Handing the bike over to DocBike regional manager John Allsopp, Chief Superintendent Marc Clothier said:
“We are proud to be supporting the work of Doc Bike by donating this former police fleet motorcycle. It ensures that the vehicle continues to have an operational and useful life beyond policing, and raises the profile of road safety for motorcyclists.” Read more
Microsleep – what it is and how it affects riders
Ten hours straight at the wheel. Then, total disaster. A taxi driver has just been jailed for causing death by dangerous driving after he experienced ‘microsleep’ at the wheel of his car. He veered into a layby and struck another driver who was just getting back into his vehicle. Read more
The History of Motorcycle Tests & Training
My recent post on the London Assembly vote to call on the Government to change the rules on delivery companies using motorcyclists on L plates kicked up rather more of a storm than I anticipated, I have to say. I expected the “great idea” and the “who’ll deliver my pizza” responses, and duly got those. But I confess I was surprised at the number of people who confidently stated ‘facts’ that were completely wrong.
Maybe I shouldn’t have been. Read more
Avoiding undertaking mistakes – your own and others!
Take a look at the photo. It’s one really lucky pedestrian standing there, barely looking up in time to realising the car in the inside line isn’t stopping to let her finish crossing. You can see how close the car came to hitting her. I dare say that plenty of readers are now shaking heads and muttering about poor driving standards. Read more
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Sheffield Advanced Motorcyclists – What you should know!Turn Your Brand Into a Lifesaver:
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Every rider knows that the difference between a close call and a tragedy often comes down to skill and awareness. By securing this advertising space, your business isn’t just reaching a dedicated audience—it’s actively funding the Sheffield Advanced Motorcyclists (SAM).
Every penny of the proceeds goes directly toward advanced rider training and safety initiatives. You’ll be helping motorcyclists sharpen their skills, stay upright and return home safely. It’s a rare opportunity to boost your brand’s visibility while championing a life-saving cause. Let’s make the roads safer, one mile at a time.
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“Great bunch of people. Improved my riding skills to another level. Their training is very much based on keeping the rider safe” Stephen
Added to our training work we train NHS Blood Bikers, support other charities, promote motorcycling as a cost-effective, eco-friendly urban transport solution. We also provide public education on the role of motorcycling in our community. Meet us, 9am any Saturday at Meadowhall Retail Park, Attercliffe Road, Sheffield S9 2YZ. You can help us by advertising your services in our newsletter, sponsoring young riders and sharing this newsletter. Sponsors/advertisers should email: sam-editor@iam-sheffield.bike with ‘Sponsorship’ or ‘Advertiser’ in the subject line. Thank you for your support.
34SP.com supports our charity with FREE web hosting. Over many years they have consistently provided WordPress updating, advice on hosting management and technical advice. The company makes ongoing efforts to reduce the digital carbon footprint, noting that high web traffic significantly impacts emissions. To combat this, their Manchester data centre utilizes renewable energy and follows circular IT practices through hardware recycling.Beyond infrastructure, they invest in ancient woodland restoration and global climate projects via Ecologi. These efforts are independently verified by The Green Web Foundation, aiding clients’ ESG reporting. Furthermore, the company integrates social sustainability as a Living Wage employer, blending environmental conservation with ethical local business practices to provide greener hosting solutions.
YOUR registered charity can benefit from FREE web hosting too!
Google provides approved Non-Profit organisations with Google Workspace apps. This help SAM’s Trustees to manage communication, meetings and supports our advanced motorcycle training and education to increase road safety. We also support our advanced riders to become volunteer NHS Blood Bikers.
The SAM charity is an Associate Group of IAM RoadSmart. This means that our highly skilled and experienced volunteer Observers, are trained to deliver the nationally recognised, quality assured, advanced rider training curriculum.
IAM RoadSmart is the UK’s leading road safety charity. We are recognised and trusted by the UK Government, insurance companies and other road safety organisations. We enable and monitor IAM Groups to deliver our quality assured, nationally recognised, advanced rider and driver training. Our role is simple, yet vital – to make journeys safer for everyone who uses the road.
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Riding a motorcycle comes with risks. In an accident, motorcyclists’ injuries are likely to be more serious than those of other road users. To reduce these risks, the Biker I.C.E. (In Case of Emergency) Card is a simple but essential tool for riders. It’s easy to use and convenient to carry. It can be folded to fit in your wallet and handed to anyone who needs it, not just accident responders.
The Biker I.C.E. Card contains all necessary information. It has contact information, important health, medical and doctor’s details, a list of medications and your doctor’s contact. If you’re in an accident, emergency services can use the card to quickly understand your health and medical needs t0 provide you with the best care possible.
Just fill in your email address below. We will keep you updated of any design changes. The card is given as FREE public service that you can use and share as many times as you like. You simply add details like your NHS or travel insurance numbers, as these can help emergency responders access your healthcare records or handle costs when travelling abroad.
Sheffield Advanced Motorcyclists, well known for our quality assured advanced rider training, support the use of this card. It can be a critical safety tool. While training improves road safety, the card ensures you get the right help should things go wrong.
Download your Biker I.C.E. Card NOW, for safer rides and peace of mind!
