Table of Contents
Editorial
Despite many SAM members being away on riding holidays, last Saturday was still very busy down at Meadowhall Retail Park. The relative merits of new bikes were discussed. The Editors reading process for planning the weekly newsletter was also a topic of discussion. Steve Ellis, our regional ASDM (Area Service Development Manager), after a very busy week testing advanced riders and drivers, spent the morning helping our latest Observers progress their training. Our new Associates were keenly discussing the next stage of their journey toward becoming advanced riders. Our membership secretary, also the Whiteknights Blood Bikes manager was having a fabulous time riding in the German alps. Thursday riders were looking forward to their forthcoming trip riding the Scottish Borders. Fran (SAM’s Chairperson) discussed organising an evening’s ride out in July. Clive Lewis (Social Secretary) will be conducting a survey of SAM members on whether they would be interested in a two-day ride to North Yorkshire. Staying in overnight accommodation and riding home the following day. Details of the survey will be circulated shortly. There will be no Club Night in August, we are all away riding!
The estimate for the number of motorcyclists killed or seriously injured were released this week. Everyone is applauding the drop in casualties. Fatalities were down from 351 (2022) to 319 (2023). Whilst the 9% drop is to be welcomed the reasons for it, at this point, are unclear. The final figures will be published in September 2024. When reading the data, it occurred to me that forewarning road users of potential danger spots might be helpful. Integrating CrashMap data, to display on sat nav devices, might be worth considering. Signalling accident hotspots in real time, before you get to them, might be a way to help motorised and pedal cycle road users take extra care. Just a thought.
This week 20,000 bikers helped to show how the vast majority of motorcyclists behave. No arrests, no arguments, no trouble. Just a ride, of sincere admiration and respect, to honour fellow biker Dave Myers. Bikers like Si King and Dave Myers, with their quiet, occasionally mischievous banter, serve motorcycling so well. Even in passing away, we remember, with deepest respect, Dave’s calm, reassuring voice, showing us all that quiet and respectful conduct helps us to be accepted as a valued and valuable social resource. Thank you Dave. Rest in peace.
The NMC, MCIA, IAM, BMF and many other motorcycling safety organisations promote their political manifestos ahead of a general election. It is only a very tiny minority of motorcyclists that misbehave. The rest of us, will continue to promote safer riding in our communities; and, selflessly go on serving our chosen charities. This is how we honour the memory of those riders who showed us the way. Ride safe everyone and happy reading.
Ways to stay in touch with your Club!
It’s really easy to stay in touch with your Club! We provide emails, a website and use social media accounts for you to contact us. All of which is free of any cost to the Club. If you are not getting the Club information circulated, or simply want to tell us something, just let us know at sam-editor@iam-sheffield.bike. We’ll be happy to ensure that we stay in touch with you. You can also now sign up for Club emails on the SAM website.
Next SAM Club Night
Chair’s Summer Ride??
7.30pm for an 8pm start
Treeton Miners Welfare Club
Arundel Street, Treeton
Rotherham S60 5PW
Next SAM Committee Meeting
26th June 2024
Details to be arranged
Online Motorcycle News
General
Taiwanese electric scooter giant Gogoro has been on a quest for world domination for several years now. And it’s slowly but surely making its way to all corners of the globe. The company has established a strong presence in the majority of Asia, and is now developing a foothold in South America. The latest news surrounding Gogoro’s expansion comes to us from Colombia, where the company has partnered with leading fuel and lubricant specialist Terpel. Through the latter’s Voltex brand, Gogoro’s battery-swapping infrastructure will make its way across Colombia, starting in the nation’s capital Bogota. Read more
MCIA lay out plans for motorbike industry following general election call with motorcycling manifesto
The Motorcycle Industry Association (MCIA) have revealed their ‘Powered Light Vehicle Manifesto’ encouraging politicians from all political parties to actively support the motorbike industry.
Launched on May 30, the 11-page document follows the announcement of a UK general election on Thursday, July 4 – a move which was officially set in motion by Prime Minister Rishi Sunak on May 22. Read more
The latest industry trend: electronic clutches. Last November, at EICMA, Honda became the first motorcycle maker to bring to market an electronic clutch. Debuting as an option on the CBR650R and CB650R, Honda’s E-Clutch combined elements of its Dual Clutch Transmission technology with quickshifters to allow for up and down shifting with without needing to use a clutch lever, but otherwise using a regular gearbox and foot shifter. Read more
Biker deaths on the decline | Industry experts respond to falling fatalities amongst UK motorcyclists. Motorcycle industry experts have expressed their delight at the declining number of road deaths amongst bikers, with the latest government figures suggesting a drop of 12% between 2022 and 2023. The figure represented the largest decrease of the four main road user types (car occupants, pedestrians, motorcyclists, and pedal cyclists) with fatalities dropping from 350 to 306 between the two years. Read more
Approximately 20,000 bikers were present on the tribute ride for Dave Myers which led them to Myers’ home town of Barrow-in-Furness. The ride began in London, and the trail of motorcycles is estimated to have stretched for around 16 miles from front-to-back. Cumbria Police had urged motorists to maintain care while driving on what was called ‘Dave Day’ in anticipation of the large number of bikers making their way firstly to, and then home from, Barrow-in-Furness. It said after the ride that it had made no arrests. Read more
Safer Riding
How to Choose the Right Windscreen for Your Motorcycle. Looking for a motorcycle windscreen? We’ll cover the ins and outs of picking the proper windscreen for you and your motorcycle. Motorcycles are visceral machines, and that’s a major part of why we like them. We’ve got the wind in our hair and nature whizzing by our side, delivering all the sights, sounds, and smells we can handle. Heck, we’ve got the bugs in our teeth to prove it! Some riders prefer to take it all in, while others look to windscreens for an added layer of protection when out on the open road. Choosing a suitable windscreen can dramatically improve the riding experience for various reasons, but what’s the right one for you? We’ll tackle windscreens head-on, covering everything from size, shape, and color to help you make the most informed decision possible. Read more
So many of us dream of owning a motorcycle. Whether you want to buy it for your everyday vehicle or you want to head away touring, there are so many reasons to buy your dream motorcycle. However, many people underestimate the importance of gear they also need to buy along with it. You need to make sure you are buying the right gear for you. Here is how to choose the right motorcycle gear for your riding. Read more
A LOT MORE GOES INTO MAKING MOTORBIKE KIT THAN YOU MIGHT THINK. We went to Spada’s UK HQ to chat with design and development boss James Kent about the process of bringing motorbike kit from sketch to the shop shelf. Read more
Gel Seat Giving Some More Miles
Touring & Adventure Travel
Mud… love it or hate it, we all should still know how to ride it. Mud is one of the more challenging surfaces for ADV riders. It is unpredictable and often hides rocks and roots. However, with the right skills, these challenges can be turned into fun rides. Read more
Passing Rosarito Beach on Highway 1 is the moment stress melts away. The headache of crowded southern California interstates, the border crossing, and the packed streets of Tijuana (with Google navigating, of course) disappear when you finally see Baja’s western shore for the first time. I had planned my entire winter, week by week, around training for the Morocco Desert Challenge, a fantastic coast-to-coast rally spanning eight days and roughly 1,500 miles of the Moroccan Sahara. The year before, I had entered, never having previously raced a motorcycle. Needless to say, I came in last place. For now, the goal was to obtain as much seat time as I could handle in preparation for next year. A friend shared a mass of tracks he had collected from riding in Baja, so I was set to discover the peninsula at full throttle. As I rolled down the coast, I decided to take a momentary detour and call an acquaintance from the 2019 Baja Rally. Read More
History & Custom
“That” Build: VLXAFL-5 Build Series Part 8
ARFA: A RETINA-SEARING DUCATI 900 SS BY STICKY’S SPEED SHOP
When a rough 90s Ducati 900 SS with upgraded suspension appeared on Marketplace at a price too good to ignore, Matt Coulter of Sticky’s Speed Shop jumped in the van. He factored that, with a minor tidy, the Ducati would make the perfect daily runner, with the potential to pull double duty as a track…READ MORE »
Whiteknights Blood Bikes
South Yorkshire Safer Roads Partnership
New Rider Hub:
Kevin Williams
Elevenses 435 Sun 9 June – motorcycle news, tips & views
in today’s show… estimated 20,000 bikers head out on ‘Dave Day’ ride… Yamaha’s vehicle test data ‘incorrect’ rather than ‘falsified’… Peugeot lose appeal in Piaggio copyright infringement case… police run bike course on Shetland… Tuesday 11 is Ride to Work day… Aussies get motorcycle designed to monitor state of roads… Michael Dunlop tops TT wins… Repsol and Honda to end partnership… battery swap service launched in Singapore… Benelli’s top-selling 500 adventure bike updated… sidecar outfit gets 38 litre T-55 tank engine… in-depth today: another campaign aims to remind motorists to ‘think bike’ – why, when it’s not worked in half a century…Read more
Staying loose – body-shifting part 1
For the last couple of weeks, I have offered some advice on riding posture. The reason was I felt a response was needed to an online article that suggested that we all needed to be “in a racing crouch to steer effectively”. I’m pretty sure that was not actually the advice that was attributed to a highly-qualified instructor – my guess is that whoever edited the article got the wrong end of the stick. Read more
BMW pull plug on Vision DC Roadster e-bike
[Expanded from a news item in Wednesday’s ‘Elevenses’ live webcast]
The more I hear the top management of European companies talk, the more I’m convinced there’s a degree of behind-the-scenes collusion in their statements on the future of electric motorcycles in order to push back against the ‘end of life’ dates being adopted for ICE engined motorcycles using fossil fuels. Read more
Out-riding the Limit Point
This video – shot near Belfast after the NW200 races – has been all over the internet so I think it fair to use it. One comment I saw was “best know the road before winding it on”. I’d say that even if we ‘know’ the road, we can’t possibly know what’s happening the other side of the Limit Point – something I discussed just a few days ago. So we need to keep our stopping distance ‘well within the distance we can see to be clear’. Read more
The simple art of ‘observation’ isn’t so simple!
“The observation stuff you do really made me think. I thought [insert name of high-profile advanced training school run by ex-police bikers] covered it all but that was like a 5 on the scale where what you do is a 10. I never realised you could get so much information as you ride!” Read more
What does Scotland have planned to reduce bike crashes?
[Based on the in-depth piece in yesterday’s LIVE Elevenses webcast – biking news, views and biking tips webcast]
And the short answer is “much the same as ever”, it seems. Read on for the longer, more considered, version.
I’ve been meaning to get around to this particular story for a while, since the meeting minutes from Transport Scotland’s Road Safety Framework Motorcycle Focus Group – held on 7 March 2024 – appeared in my newsfeed at the end of that month. But as it happens, it dovetails well with the item from the previous Sunday’s Elevenses (and posted on Monday) when I talked about the problems of motorcycle crashes on the North Coast 500, the route that circumnavigates the north of Scotland. Read more
In today’s show… girl fights for life after Hackney ride-by shooting… 15 year old bike thief who killed 7 year old detained for 64 months… 15 year old Aussie dirt champion succumbs to her injuries… police return stolen bikes to German tourists on IoM… Czech tourists bikeless after theft in Edinburgh… MAG vow election ‘move on motorcycling’… ‘hilarious’ video of biker towing skater… TT – from riding challenge to spectator spectacle… Michael Dunlop switches bike, goes faster, wins 26th TT… Voge 900 DSX twin in showrooms… in-depth today – what’s Scotland doing about bike crashes – much as usual it seems…Watch here
Motorcycling Organisations' News
IAM RoadSmart
Explore more about our volunteers –
Nick originally joined IAM RoadSmart as a Trustee in March 2020 and over the last four years has become an established and reliable Board member and his elevation to Vice Chair will ensure continuing support for Chair Stuart Donald QPM. Read more
National Motorcyclists Council
The National Motorcyclists Council (NMC) NMC has today launched an important campaign which aims to put motorcycling on the map in parliamentary constituencies in advance of the General Election.
A ‘Motorcycling Matters’ manifesto and campaign website has been created by the NMC’s members, which sets out in simple terms what motorcyclists need the post-election Government to deliver for motorcycling. It presents a manifesto for a positive vision for the future of transport and the role of motorcycling within this. There are seven key themes… Read more
FEMA
Free Motorcycle Parking In Designated Places In Oslo
Back in 2016 the old government decided to close down the free parking spaces for motorbikes in the town, despite intensive complaints from the users, led by NMCU. The feeling for all motorbike drivers was – most naturally – that motorcyclists were no longer welcome in Oslo. Over the years, and especially after the election last year, the CEO of NMCU, Arild Lind, has been in contact with several members of the local Progress Party (Fremskrittspartiet) on this matter. Read more
Spanish Riders And The Transport Ministry Work For Motorcyclist-Friendly Guardrails
Juan Manuel Reyes, the president of the Spanish motorcyclists’ association ANM – a member of FEMA – held a meeting with Mr. Álvaro Navareño, Technical Director of the General Directorate of Highways and his team. In this meeting, work was done on improving the criteria for installing Motorcycle Protection Systems on Metal Safety Barriers, popularly known as ‘guardrails’. Read more
British Motorcycling Federation
WANTED – We try to have a MHFA sitting on on every session for our Mental Health First Aid courses. We do this to offer support to our learners as the course content can be difficult for some people. We have a great team of volunteers helping us, but we need a few more. Could you spare the time to help us? The courses are all weekdays and most run from 6pm to 9.30pm. We sometimes run daytime courses which are 9.30am to 1pm.
New Rider Hub
The National Young Rider Forum is delighted to be working on the development of a good quality, motorcycle specific hazard perception test tailored to the needs of young riders.
The project has been funded by The Road Safety Trust and will be carried out with the expertise of Dr Victoria Kroll and Dr David Crundall of Esitu Solutions, a spin out company from Nottingham Trent University. Read more
Working in a gig economy delivery job offers plenty of flexibility in terms of hours and schedule.
To become a gig economy delivery rider on a motorcycle or scooter you will need to complete the CBT course along with meeting the requirements of the company you choose to work for, this often includes a minimum age and UK residence or right to work.
To take the CBT Course you will first need either a UK Provisional Licence or UK Driving Licence. You can apply for a UK Provisional License on the DVLA website here. Read more