Biking news for ALL our advanced riders, their family and friends
Editorial
Christmas is here and doesn’t it feel different this year! In spite of all the disruption, the SAM Committee hopes that nothing will spoil your celebrations. So, to SAM Club members, their family and friends, have a very happy Christmas and let’s all look forward to better times.
Now on with this week’s newsletter! Over the Christmas and New Year period it will be up to ad hoc groups of SAM Club members, our Observers and their Associates to decide when and where to ride. As always, ride well and ride safe. All SAM Club events will be published on the SAM Calendar. Simply go to the SAM website and press the Calendar menu at the top of the home page. We didn’t hear from anyone about the current ways in which we communicate with members so, for the time being, we’ll carry on doing the same thing, i.e. putting everything in one place and emailing links to the information on the SAM website. This keeps it simple and everyone can find out what is going on!
There’s a warning that following some of the ‘unwritten’ rules of UK motoring might get you into trouble. We hope that by now every SAM member is familiar with the new Highway Code Rules and will adjust their riding skills to cope with the new expectations of pedestrians and other priority road users. Some of these rules, e.g. when turning into a side road, giving priority to pedestrians waiting to cross the road, will challenge your advanced riding skills at times.
South Yorkshire Safer Roads Partnership/Fire and Rescue are running campaigns against driving whilst impaired by drink and drugs. They are promoting the FREE DVSA RideFree e-learning modules. In addition, they are encouraging P2W riders to layer up against the cold. There is also a very cute couple of puppies to check out.
On the web this week we found, for anyone stuck for a present for your favourite biker, a very reasonable Bikers Christmas Gift Guide. This also gives some money-saving tips too. The UK Government has done another u-turn with the Department of Transport dumping the plug-in grant subsidy scheme for electric powered two wheelers. Well, it might leave a bit more room for the 4-wheel juggernauts that everyone seems to be driving. It does send the message that 2-wheel electric transport is not part of the climate crisis solution. In the USA, Senators are complaining loudly about the increasing costs of electricity and the $158 billion that President Biden is adding to the national debt to support electrically powered transport. In comparison the UK Government’s efforts are pathetic.
There’s a great video of someone building a model engine. You can also read about all the bikes featured in the Matrix films. If that doesn’t pique your interest, then how about the Curtiss Motorcycles first production model of an electric bike. It’s only £87,000. Now that might be a great Christmas present for some lucky biker!!
Anyone interested in SAM activities can find them, including the SAM and Survival Skills newsletters, on the SAM website. Read, enjoy and share your Club’s newsletter with ALL your friends and family. Until next week…
Merry Christmas everyone. Stay healthy and ride safe, Ed.
