The Peter Wilde Plate is awarded to the member who made the most significant contribution to SAM in 2025/26. This year it was awarded to Ian Corner for his work in developing our volunteer Trainee Observers. It is a vital role the helps SAM to continue its advanced training.
The SAM Committee is working hard to provide interest, education and support in our charity. They rely on member support. The small number of Committee members are fully committed and need more help to provide activities and events for members to enjoy. Despite asking members for support, the last AGM was attended by 20 out of 150+ members. The food bill came to £325, enough to feed 50 members, one-third of the total membership. There is now a question of whether Club Nights should continue in their present form, using the free meeting space at Treeton Miners Welfare. We will survey members for their opinion. One area we are looking at is increasing the number of club ride-outs at weekends and possibly other Summer rides too. Charity funds are insufficient to pay for food at these events. Spring and Autumn Breakfasts are popular with members, but again increasing costs mean that we may have to ask members to make a contribution to the cost. We will survey members on this suggestion. One item that will remain free is the SAM Christmas Party, so there is lots for members to consider. We all like supporting the SAM charity, so make suggestions for your own and let members of the Committee know. Thank you.
The most significant policy story this week is the UK motorcycle sector’s renewed push for licensing reform, with the Motorcycle Industry Association saying riders, retailers and industry figures want change that improves safety without erecting fresh barriers. The MCIA says the government has committed to an official review of motorcycle training, testing and licensing, framing it as part of a wider road safety strategy and a chance to make access simpler, fairer and more affordable.
That matters because the industry is still working through a difficult market backdrop. MotorCyclesData says the UK market recovered early in 2026, with 33,762 sales in the first four months and electric sales up 106.5% year on year, while its 2025 review said the market fell 18.3% to 94,389 units and electric two-wheelers still grew 19.8%. Those figures suggest a sector with pockets of momentum, but one that remains highly sensitive to policy support and consumer confidence.
On the event front, the Isle of Man TT is already shaping up as one of the summer’s biggest talking points, with organisers confirming the Red Arrows will return for a display over Douglas Bay at 19:30 on 4 June. The TT itself starts on 25 May with practice week, first races are due on 30 May, and the Senior TT is scheduled to close the meeting on 6 June.
Brand and marketing activity remains lively too. Harley-Davidson has released its 2026 events calendar across the UK and Ireland, including the Bike Shed Show in London from 22–24 May and BikeFest Killarney from 29–31 May, while its European Spring Rally in Senigallia ran from 30 April to 3 May. That sort of event-led campaigning shows how manufacturers are still selling the lifestyle as much as the machine.
For riders watching the wider calendar, Ducati’s World Ducati Week 2026 is adding a custom build competition for models from 2006 onwards, underlining how custom culture remains central to premium motorcycle branding. Even when the new-bike pipeline is quieter, manufacturers are using events, owner engagement and community identity to keep attention on their products.
The broader story this week is straightforward: motorcycling is being pulled by three forces at once — politics, market recovery and experience-led marketing. The policy fight over licensing could shape who gets into riding and how safely they progress, while the sales data suggests demand is there if the sector can convert interest into confidence.
If you want this turned into a magazine-style “lead, body and kicker” briefing with a sharper editorial voice, I can rewrite it in that format.
Congratulations to Bill Irving on passing his IAM Advanced Rider Test with a F1rst. Many thanks to volunteer Observer Andy Hewitt for all the guidance and training in advanced motorcycle riding given
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
7.30pm start for meeting at 8pm. Gives you time to catch up on what you’ve missed!
30th April 2026
Online Zoom Meeting
Details to be circulated
“Straight line roundabouts when safe to do so – with care”
Some years back, I was looking at the crash maps and was really surprised to discover just how many motorcycle crashes there are at roundabouts. But ask the average rider “where are you most likely to crash” and I very much doubt many would put roundabouts close to the top of the list. I suspect a few wouldn’t even give them a thought. The implication is that as risky places to ride, roundabouts really do fly under the radar. Read more…
Fresh Start: Junction
It’s Week Five in the ‘Core Skills’ series, where I return to the essential riding foundations and rebuild them from the ground up in a fresh way, using a brand-new structure too. Today we move from essential control skills to looking at interactions with other road users. It’s time for a Fresh Start look at junctions and intersections.
#freshstart, #coreskills Read more…
Is the motorcycle industry downsizing AND cutting prices?
Here are three pricing stories, all of which tend to confirm my own thinking that motorcycle manufacturers were getting seriously greedy on their new bike pricing, plus a more in-depth look at Harley-Davidson’s recently-reported product realignment.
First, Norton Motorcycles have confirmed a base price of £20,250 for the new Manx R V4 superbike, considerably lower than the old machine. The fully-redesigned bike now has type approval, and will go on sale from the end of May. The base-spec price is also £4745 less than a similar Ducati Panigale V4, which makes the Norton affordable if you are in the market for a top-end machine. But if you want to pay for exclusivity, the top spec Signature edition (whose signature isn’t mentioned) priced at £38,750. There will also be a ‘price on application’ ‘First Edition’ variant, which implies it’s still in the ‘if you have to ask, you can’t afford it’ bracket. Read more…
Honda aims to cut motorcycle fatalities by half…
…in less than four years!
Honda has set itself a very ambitious target — to cut global motorcyclist fatalities on its bikes by half by 2030, and eliminate them entirely by 2050. The key idea behind the strategy is actually quite simple: most crashes are preventable. Honda says around 94% of motorcycle accidents come down to human factors, not the bike or the environment.
So their plan address three fronts. Read more…
“Time is the school in which we learn…
…time is the fire in which we burn.”
That’s a line from Delmore Schwartz, an American poet. And it got me thinking about a topic I’ve been hearing a lot about recently; the idea that we can get a CBT certificate then wobble out in to traffic, hoping to survive long enough to learn enough to stay alive. Read more…
“The road ahead is empty”; A Biker Boobytrap
When we ride, we often look at the empty space ahead. It’s a very simple boobytrap. We treat “nothing is there now” as if it means “nothing will appear there”.
It’s a perceptual trap that many of us will have fallen into at one time or another. I’ve certainly done it myself. Here’s why. There are several cognitive biases at play: Read more…
Sheffield Advanced Motorcyclists – What you should know! Turn Your Brand Into a Lifesaver:
Put your advert here.
Every rider knows that the difference between a close call and a tragedy often comes down to knowledge, skill and awareness. By securing this advertising space, your business isn’t just reaching a dedicated audience—it’s actively helping to fund the Sheffield Advanced Motorcyclists (SAM).
Every penny of the proceeds goes directly toward advanced rider training and safety initiatives. You’ll be helping motorcyclists learn advanced riding 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.
Partner with us today.
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.
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.
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!
“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.
© 2026 Sheffield Advanced Motorcyclists. All rights reserved. All content in this newsletter, including text, graphics, and images, is protected by UK copyright law. We gratefully acknowledge the copyright of original publishers and creators for any third-party materials featured. All such materials are used with implied permission, from online publicly shareable URLs, or under fair dealing rules on information, education and public interest. Any such content is used solely for our purposes to educate and inform our readers. Material from other providers is not not used for any commercial purpose. All URLs link directly to copyright holders. The correctness and truthfulness of all such content is the sole responsibility of those providers No part of this publication may be reproduced or shared without prior written consent from the respective copyright holders.Sheffield Advanced Motorcyclists is a registered charity in England and Wales (No. 1089671).
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!
