Sheffield Advanced Motorcyclists – Weekly Newsletter 11th July 2025
Table of Contents
Editorial
It has been another great week for riding. Occasional thunderstorms apart and the odd flooded road just meant a wait and diversions to explore. One thing we have learned recently is that it is not easy to pass the advanced riding test. We strive to provide the highest quality guidance and test anxiety can be a real issue for some riders. Fortunately, we are well used to helping riders show their best riding to an examiner. Where test anxiety gets in the way we have strategies for ensuring that Associate riders can learn to manage their discomfort and give a good performance. Sometimes test anxiety doesn’t seem to be an issue when training. Only appearing on the actual test. We offer practical help from retired examiners who can ensure the rider becomes just as confident on the advanced riding test as when they are out with their normal Observer.
We are getting a steady flow of bikers wanting to take advanced rider training. A shortage of Observers has caused short delays to the start of guided riding. So, if you are an advanced rider thinking there might be more you can do to help other riders, talk to Chris Lund (Chief Observer) about making a real contribution to helping riders, in our community, to improve their riding ability.
This week, I’ve been puzzling over a real problem in representing biker views. UK Government petitions, particularly for motorcycling issues are slowly getting less signatures. Whilst advocacy groups like the British Motorcycle Federation and the Motorcycle Action Group are making sterling efforts to ensure that motorcycling issues are understood by the Government, it’s an uphill struggle to garner sufficient support from the community. Most of the motorcycling petitions this year have failed to get enough signatures to trigger a Government response. This lack of support from the motorcycling community is only likely to leave us at the mercy of those voices that are prejudiced against our choice of transport. Most of the 1.4 million motorcyclists in the UK do not belong to a ‘representative’ organisation. You may be disappointed in the UK Government and have little faith in their willingness to consider our needs, but our future cannot be left solely to representative organisations. They need the support of all motorcyclists, so why not support your fellow riders? It’s the only way to secure our future. Just a thought.
The SAM website sports more photo galleries, so memories and of events, rides and places visited are there for everyone to see. They will trigger memories of riding friends, adventures, places visited and may give you ideas on what could be your next challenge. SAM members should remember that there will be NO SAM Club meeting in August. Weekly Saturday Meetings at Meadowhall Retail Park will go on as usual. ALL our events are published on the SAM website calendar and in you weekly newsletter. We are enjoying the fine weather to discover more places to ride. If riders stop long enough to take a snap we may have more photo galleries to share. There is the usual curated articles for you to enjoy in this week’s newsletter. Ride safe and happy reading.
Your success is our success!
Advanced riders are safer road users, ride longer, rider further, meet more people and enjoy a healthier, happier life!
For Your Diary
Meetings
Next SAM Club Night
1st September 2025
7.30pm start for meeting at 8pm. Gives you time to catch up on what you’ve missed!
Treeton Miners Welfare Club
Arundel Street
Treeton
Rotherham S60 5PW
Next SAM Committee Meeting
28th August 2025
Details to be arranged
Online Motorcycling News
General
It’s been a time of transition for Yamaha as of late. Most recently, there have been several switches in leadership. Earlier in 2025, the company acquired German e-bike company Brose’s drive subsidiary, e-Kit. At the time, it seemed poised to make larger moves in a segment it pretty much created several decades in the past.
But according to new reporting from Nikkei Asia, the tides appear to be turning. As you may recall, Yamaha pulled out of the e-bike business in the US at the end of 2024, while still remaining active in other international markets including Europe and Asia. Now, though, it appears that the company plans to remove itself from the realm of fully-assembled e-bikes in Europe as well, while continuing to retain a focus on this area in Japan. It’s unclear how soon this plan will unfold, however. Read more.
When most of us think of hydrogen power, our minds might drift toward buses or concept cars of the future. But deep inside the halls of MIT, a group of students is proving that the hydrogen fuel cell has two wheels in its future, too.
The Massachusetts Institute of Technology’s (MIT) Electric Vehicle Team (EVT), is already known for pioneering electric vehicle tech across cars and motorcycles, and has been doing so since 2005. This year, though, it has turned its attention to a new kind of zero-emission power: hydrogen. And rather than heading straight to the racetrack, the team is building something altogether different, a research-focused, hydrogen fuel cell-powered motorcycle.
The new bike isn’t just a technological testbed; it’s a first-of-its-kind, open-source hydrogen motorcycle platform, designed from the ground up for experimentation, modularity, and educational outreach. Read more.
The cost of filling your tank could begin to increase from this month onwards, as fuel prices rise following tensions in the Middle East.
The news comes via the RAC, with its Fuel Watch petrol price monitoring system highlighting a 2p per litre increase in the price of petrol. The RAC states that the average price for unleaded petrol has gone up to 134.17p a litre, and it goes on to claim this means a 55-litre family car will cost £73.79 – an increase of £1.07 compared to the start of July. While that may sound like a small hike in the cost of fuel, given that we are just eight days into July – and that further increases are likely on the way – things could be set to get worse.
It goes on to say that supermarket forecourts still seem to be the place to go for the best value petrol (with only a 1.3p per litre increase on average), and that drivers in Northern Ireland still get the best deal on fuel, thanks to an average price of just 128p per litre. Read more.
Rider Health & Safety
Do you ride a motorcycle or know someone who does? If so, you’ll know that riding a motorcycle has some risks. In fact, statistics show that motorcyclists are much more likely to be involved in a serious or fatal accident than car drivers. This is why it’s important to take steps to reduce the risks and the Biker I.C.E. Card is one of the most effective solutions available.
The Biker I.C.E. Card is a simple, yet vital tool. It contains your contact details and essential medical information. In the event of an accident, emergency services staff can quickly access this information to help them decide on the right treatment for you. By carrying a Biker I.C.E. Card, you can ensure that emergency services staff have the information they need to take account of any ongoing health problems you have and any current treatments that you are receiving. This can make their job easier and your emergency care safer. Read more...
I’m getting old (aren’t we all), but still like to think I can keep up with the kids when it comes to tech and the like.
I can wrangle a non-booting Apple Mac, build a PC from scratch, clean the sensor on a digital camera, and swap the cam belt on a car, as well as all the bike-related jobs I’ve done over the years in this job. All of which, I like to think, puts me closer to European qualification than the relegation zone of the geek premier league.I’ve become a fan of tech in the bike world too. Yes, I know that some of the smart kit on bikes nowadays is a bit moot (I don’t think I will ever be able to trust a ‘slide control’ setup enough to slam open a 210bhp throttle leant over at 100mph on a race track). But stuff like sat-nav, Bluetooth headsets, trip computers, tyre pressure monitors, electronic suspension, cruise control and quickshifters are all right up my alley, as it were. Read more.
Autonomous buses and taxis are set to arrive on UK roads sooner than expected, as the Government announces plans to ‘fast-track’ the rollout of small-scale commercial self-driving services – but campaigners say the move could endanger motorcyclists.Plans to introduce these vehicles had previously been pushed back to 2027, but they’ve now been given the green light to launch by spring 2026 under new rules outlined in the Autonomous Vehicles (AV) Act. Announcing the plan, Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander said: “Self-driving cars could bring jobs, investment, and the opportunity for the UK to be among the world-leaders in new technology.” Read more.
Adventure & Touring
A tool kit is an unusually personal thing—highly subjective because what might be essential to one person could be excessive to the next, or vice versa. Your personal tool kit is also specific to the type of motorcycle that you ride, the riding you partake in and the distances you travel. There’s no worse feeling than realizing you have to postpone or cut an adventure short because you don’t have the right tool to fix your bike.
• No interest in working on your bike?
No one imagines they’ll be stranded by something as simple as a loose battery connection, or face the adverse effects of riding 1,500 miles home with a clogged air filter because they don’t have the necessary tools. With a little planning it’s easy to be prepared for these situations. Carrying at least a few basic tools is good practice, even if you never want or plan to use them.Read more.
You could ride through Mexico in a week. Charting the most direct route on Google Maps, you can put together a journey of 2,688 miles comprised of mostly well-paved highway, passing through much of the country but interacting with little of its culture, history, or the people that make it magical.
On the traditional Pan American North-to-South-America route, many riders devote a month or less to Mexico, a country that spans the same length as the west coast of the U.S., with a culture running back to at least 1,500 BC. Even this route misses more wonders than you can imagine: tiny Pueblos Magicos (“magic towns”) in the highlands, pristine stretches of unexplored coastline, and ancient pyramids tucked deep into the jungle. So, I opted to discard the traditional to focus on a more varied journey, one that would take me six months and cover over 9,000 miles. Read more.
After more than a 15 years of printing rider stories from every corner of the globe, it’s with a heavy, but optimistic heart that we announce the end of ADVMoto’s regular print magazine. Unless we garner enough support for an annual issue in the future, the Summer 2025 edition will be our last in physical form.
This decision hasn’t come lightly. Like many in our industry, we’ve faced mounting production and distribution costs that have become increasingly difficult to manage. From print production to freight and fulfillment, every part of the process has seen dramatic cost increases in recent years. At the same time, economic uncertainty has led to a noticeable decline in industry support, which once helped keep the gears turning behind the scenes. These colliding forces have simply made ADVMoto’s print magazine unsustainable in today’s climate. Read more.
It’s a cold day in April. It’s 3 a.m. and a light drizzle has been falling for the last couple of hours. Most sensible people are tucked up in bed, but on a two-and-a-half-mile long circuit in North-Western France, sleeping is the last thing on anyone’s mind.
As the bikes cross the finish line to complete their 418th lap, the countdown clock clicks over – just 12 hours to go!
This is EWC, the most extreme race series on earth and a spectacle like none other. Read more.
Having never witnessed any kind of road racing on the eastern side of the Irish Sea, I was keen to get my first experience of the North West 200, despite over the last couple of decades having promised myself that ‘I’ll go next year!’ after I watched each year’s racing on the television. Thanks to the good folks at Honda UK, and at Ballymena Honda, I had the chance to not only attend the event, but also do a bit of exploring of the area.
Leaving our digs just south of Coleraine (fantastic Chinese restaurant by the river, by the way), we headed north towards Portstewart, in the process heading the wrong way along the road circuit. Now, of course, this was the perfect time to take in a quick lap of the NW200 ‘Triangle’ running from Portstewart via Coleraine and Portrush, in much the same traditional fashion as circumnavigating the Mountain Circuit is part and parcel of attending the Isle of Man TT or, for that matter, any road racing circuit. It really is the only way to get some perspective on just how hard the competitors are riding, at any venue. Read more.
History & Custom
You might not know Sam Clercx’s name, but you’ve seen his work. He launched his career at the tender age of 15 as an intern at Ironwood Motorcycles, under the guidance of Arjan van den Boom. He’s had a hand in many of the amazing machines that have graced our pages—and he’s learned a thing or two, judging by this beautifully executed BMW boxer bobber.
“I was there with Arjan when he built the Mutant, and most of the other BMWs that put Ironwood on the map,” Sam tells us. “It was an extremely exciting time for me, as you can imagine. Most of my friends had jobs in supermarkets or cafés and I was helping build these amazing-looking and sounding custom bikes.” Read more.
Kevin Williams
What’s in my own toolkit?
Last week I covered some of the odd bits-and-pieces I’ve accumulated over the years that have helped me (and others I’ve been riding with) out of some tight spots. But what about the actual tools I carry? What are we likely to need to cope with the occasional roadside breakdown? Here’s what’s in my toolkit, which I swap from bike to bike, fitting all three of my machines.
It starts with the guts of an old Honda toolkit which came with my 400-Four all the way back in 1978. You may find some of these in your own on-bike toolroll, but I think these decades-old tools are better quality than new ones.
10mm / 12mm spanner
14mm / 17mm spanner
19, 22 and 24mm ring spanners plus extension sleeve
C-spanners for the rear shocks – one to fit the twin shocks on my 250, the other fits the monoshocks on my other bikes
plug spanners – once again two different sizes for the older and new bikes (which appear to be missing – I’ll have to search for those – they must be in the big tool chest)
screw driver handle with reversible bits
adjustable pliers
What’s happening? Coping with uncertainty
Riding a motorcycle means planning ahead. We need to read the road and make our plans. And our plans need to factor in the people on it too. But what happens when uncertainty creeps in?
My plan is simple – to turn left. But what about the truck driver? The slow and hesitant movement of that vehicle radiates uncertainty. Is the driver looking for a delivery entrance? If they are, I can’t be certain they’ve seen me, which way the trick will turn, or if it might even stop.
I’m not certain, so I keep well back, then pass slow and cautiously just in case the driver changes their mind.
I’m approaching a roundabout, but the sign is well-hidden. Taking a moment to check the mirrors ensures I’m not being followed too close. My plan is to turn right, but what’s happening up ahead? I can see what appears to be a flashing light on a police vehicle.
Even though it’s not blocking my exit, how are other drivers going to react? Might someone do a U-turn? Might a vehicle stop mid-roundabout when they realise there’s no route past the police car? Will drivers be distracted by the scene? Read more.
Credibility – fundamentally, it’s about trust Last time out I was talking about a question every one of us ought to be asking ourselves every single time we watch, hear or read something making a claim: “Is this statement backed by good evidence? What evidence supports it?”
And I went onto defines the differences between a claim (a statement that asserts a factual relationship), an argument (which pairs the claim with supporting reasons or premises) and counter-claims which challenge the original claim with their own assertions.
I talked about how there is frequently a ‘web of belief’ which offers other strands of evidence which hang together in support of a claim. And this is what credibility is all about – it’s fundamentally about the extent to which we feel justified in accepting a statement, source, or person as reliable and worthy of belief. It’s about trust.
So what gives an argument credibility? What should make us place trust in it?
Here’s a very simple example. If we define a motorcycle as having two wheels, and we observe a Harley-Davidson has two wheels, then a Harley-Davidson is a motorcycle. Read more.
Insight powers foresight
You’ve probably experienced one of those moments when something doesn’t feel quite right, when your ‘sixth sense’ alerts you to a threat, but you can’t quite put your finger on it. I have and it’s what I call ‘Spidy Sense’ after the tingle that Spiderman gets when the bad guys are in the vicinity. As I understand it, this is usually the result of prior experience, a specific instance where something untoward happened, and the link between the specific situation and threat has burned itself into our brains. The brain detects a similar situation… Read more.
Whiteknights Blood Bikes
Here are our statistics for June 2025.
We covered 8880 miles responding to 278 call-outs.
We believe we have saved the NHS in Yorkshire over £14,000 in out-of-hours transport costs.
If you are inspired by our remarkable voluntary service please consider becoming a Whiteknight.
We are especially recruiting in South Yorkshire this summer.
We would like to hear from potential Riders for Blood Bikes and drivers of our Blood Response Car.
We offer flexible volunteering on a shift basis. For further information dm through Facebook to send your contact details.
You could also email us at: info@whiteknights.org.uk
We’d love to have you on the team.
Thank you.
#bloodbikes #nhs #NHSJobs
Whiteknights have today completed another Donor Milk relay.
Handover from Sam from Northumbria BB at Scotch Corner and then to Craig of Merseyside and Cheshire Blood Bikes at Hartshead Service.
A pleasure to work with you gents! Mike from Whiteknight’s north team.
South Yorkshire Safer Roads Partnership
Every death and serious injury on the road is a preventable tragedy. Yet, on average, five people die every day on the road in the UK and 82 are seriously injured (10-year average from 2013-2022). This has to change. Help us by sticking to the rules of the road. Brake, the road safety charity
Motorcycling Organisations
IAM RoadSmart
Has it been a while since you passed your Advanced test? 
Responding to today’s DfT speed compliance data, published this morning:
IAM RoadSmart Director of Policy and Standards Nicholas Lyes said: “Excessive speed is one of the biggest causes of fatalities on our roads, which resulted in more than 300 deaths in 2023. These latest figures on speed compliance paint an improving picture on 30mph-limited roads. However, the proportion exceeding 20mph limits remains astonishingly high. This further shows that speed limit changes alone are not sufficient and that enforcement and traffic-calming measures in these zones are imperative.” Read more.
Are you aware of the OAP framework when out riding? 
ACEM
Developed through collaboration with high-quality training schools and leading research institutions, a new evidence-based guide for motorcycle trainers targets the most frequent accident scenarios.
Assen (The Netherlands) | 30 June 2025
The European Motorcycle Training Quality Label launched the comprehensive Instructor Guidelines for advanced voluntary motorcycle training, last Friday at the Assen TT Circuit, one of the most iconic motorcycle racing weekends. The Guidelines are a key component of the large-scale European promotional campaign “Learn – Ride – Enjoy – Repeat” by ACEM, the European Association of Motorcycle Manufacturers and FIM, the Fédération Internationale de Motocyclisme. Read more.
Motorcycle Industries Association
MCIA has today published the new vehicle market data for the month of May 2025. This includes Mopeds, Scooters, Motorcycles and some other specific sectors of the wider L-Category vehicle types.
New registrations for the month of May have again shown some improvement albeit still negative at minus 12.3% which is 2 percentage points better than April and significantly ahead of the now “year-to-date” market of minus 20.4% compared to 2024. Read more.
National Motorcycle Dealers Association
“The new car market in June has considerably grown, with a 6.7% increase in registrations.” said Sue Robinson, Chief Executive of the National Franchised Dealers Association (NFDA), which represents franchised car and commercial vehicle retailers in the UK commenting on the latest SMMT new car registration figures.
In June, a total of 191,316 new cars were registered, an increase of 6.7% from the same period last year. Sales to private buyers were up by 5.9%; fleet registrations were up by 8.5%. Read more.
National Motorcyclists Council
The National Motorcyclists Council (NMC) has welcomed news that the Department for Transport (DfT) is considering options for reviewing the current training, testing and licensing regime. The NMC, along several motorcycling organisations and other road safety stakeholders were told the news by the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Transport, Lilian Greenwood MP who attended a round table meeting of the Government’s Motorcycle Strategic Focus Group on January 20th to discuss licensing and other aspects of motorcycle safety and policy. Read more…
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News that ‘End of Life’ (ELV) EU laws are set to be extended to motorcycles within the EU has led to several reports in the UK motorcycle media expressing concern and alarm about ELV regulations in the UK. The NMC is today clarifying the situation – that currently the UK’s own End-of-Life Vehicle regulations do not apply to motorcycles and neither will the new proposals being debated in Brussels – unless the UK decides to independently revise domestic ELV regulations. Read more.
FEMA
The UK government changed its rules about driverless cars and wants to ‘fast track’ pilots of self-driving taxi and bus-like services.
The government was originally aiming to introduce these cars to British roads in 2026, then the date was changed to the second half of 2027. The government now says it is introducing an accelerated framework for small autonomous ‘bus and taxi like commercial services earlier.
The British National Motorcyclists Council (NMC) is not happy with this decision and expresses its concerns: the Government’s proposal to ‘fast track’ pilots of self-driving taxi and bus-like services could risk compromising motorcycle safety unless the Autonomous Vehicles Act and its key ‘Statement of Safety Principles’ is fully implemented first. Read more.
British Motorcyclists Federation
Self Driving taxis must not be ‘Fast Tracked’ until a full set of motorcycle focussed safety principles are in place as part of Autonomous Vehicles Act.
The National Motorcyclists Council (NMC) is today expressing its concern that the Government’s proposal to ‘fast track’ pilots of self-driving taxi and bus-like services could risk compromising motorcycle safety unless the Autonomous Vehicles Act and its key ‘Statement of Safety Principles’ is fully implemented first.
This month, Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander, announced that ‘the government will fast-track pilots to spring 2026, introducing self-driving commercial pilots on England’s roads.
Firms will be able to pilot small scale ‘taxi- and bus-like’ services without a safety driver for the first time – which could be available to members of the public to book via an app – before a potential wider rollout when the full Automated Vehicles Act becomes law from the second half of 2027.’ Read more.
Petition:
Implement a strategy to protect motorcyclists from imports of unsafe clothing
We want the Government to implement a national strategy that protects motorcyclists from imports of unsafe clothing.
7,133/100,000 signatures
Motorcycle Action Group
Merseyside Police, in collaboration with Liverpool City Council, Liverpool BID Company, Lancashire Constabulary, Isle of Man Constabulary, the National Vehicle Crime Reduction Partnership (NVCRP), the Motorcycle Action Group (MAG), and the British Motorcyclists Federation (BMF), celebrates the continued success of Operation Needle, which significantly reduced motorcycle thefts during the 2025 Isle of Man TT Races (May 26–June 7). This established annual campaign ensures a safer experience for motorcyclists traveling through Liverpool, a key transit hub for the world-renowned event. Read more.
New Rider Hub
What is Ridefree?
Ridefree is an award-winning enhancement to compulsory basic training (CBT), consisting of pre-course eLearning modules. Its aim is to help you prepare for your CBT and riding on the road.
How can it help me?
CBT should be an enjoyable experience. But there’s a lot to learn, and it’s normal to feel anxious about your first bike ride. The good news is that Ridefree will help you become a better and more confident rider…Read more.
Welcome to our Highway Code film series, designed specifically for young and new riders aged 16- 20 riding in an urban environment!
Our goal is to highlight the most important signs, rules, and regulations from the Highway Code that are crucial for your safety. Each short film will highlight the importance of specific Highway Code signs and show you how to follow them in real urban environments. By understanding and following these rules, you’ll not only protect yourself but also contribute to the safety of everyone on the road. Most importantly for you, by staying on top of these rules, you’ll not get fines and points on your licence, keeping you on the road without any legal hassles. Read more.