Table of Contents
Editorial
What a glorious week! Although the weather is predicted to turn cooler again, the wonderful warm days last week were a joy for all our riders. With longer days it was time for longer rides to prepare for the biking holidays yet to come. Two members have been successful in becoming qualified advanced riders. Congratulations as they both become full SAM members.
Motorcycling advocacy groups continue to push for improved road safety measures for UK riders. Discussions have focussed on infrastructure, advanced stop lines at traffic lights and dedicated parking spaces. There has been a surge in marketing campaigns targeting Gen Z riders. Yamaha and KTM have launched social media initiatives, showing off their latest eco-friendly and affordable models. Electric motorcycles continue to attract more buyers with many using them for short distance commuting. Bespoke training sessions, in slow riding and emergency braking techniques, are aimed at helping younger riders build competence and confidence on the road. The current economic constraints on the UK economy see more young people solving their personal transport needs by adopting powered-two-wheel machines. With an 8% improvement in motorcycle sales, totalling 13,086 in March, Honda, BMW and Triumph are leading the way. This means there will be plenty of riders wanting to ensure they get the best out of their new rides. Time to take up the challenge of an advanced riding course.
Verge Motorcycles helped improve the appeal of electric motorcycles by officially achieving a Guiness World Record for the longest distance covered by an electric motorcycle on a single charge, 310.69 km (193 miles). Piaggio have shown off, a claimed industry first, 4D radar-based collision prevention system for motorcycles.
In the SAM Club, self-organised, small group rides continue to enjoy the dry roads. The AGM was attended by 28-members. The current SAM Committee members, with the exception of the Editor-Webmaster, were re-elected. The current Editor-Webmaster will continue to support the Committee in purely voluntary role. With a reduced number of Committee members, we would like to appeal to the 133 SAM members to help out. Thank you.
Finally, it’s National Young Rider Day on the 11th June 2025. If you meet up with young riders why not tell them about SAM and the value riding with motorcyclists who are dedicated to making the roads safer for all riders. Enjoy the good weather, ride safe and happy reading.
SAM Membership Renewal: If you haven’t paid your SAM fee for this year (2025/2026), then you can now find a link at the top of the front page to a post detailing the current cost and bank account transfer details. You can always pay by credit card any weekly Saturday Meeting at Meadowhall Retail Park, or at a monthly SAM Club Night. Thank you for your continuing support.
PS: The independent Judge’s comments on the entries to SAM Annual Photo Competition have been added below the gallery. Have a read and ponder the remarks for your 2026 entries!
Your success is our success!
Andre Chow
…is now a fully qualified advanced motorcycle rider.
(SAM Observer: Clive Lewis)
Julian Carter
…is now a fully qualified advanced motorcycle rider.
(SAM Observer: Ian Corner)
Advanced riders are safer road users, ride longer, rider further, meet more people and enjoy a healthier, happier life!
Steve Wilde receives the Observer Shield 2025
(presented to the Observer with the most advanced rider test passes.)
SAM Observers making our roads a little safer for everyone!
Chris Lund (Chief Observer) receives the Peter Wilde Plate
(The Peter Wilde Plate is awarded to the SAM Members who makes the most significant contribution to the charity).
Chris has managed and developed the SAM Observer team that provides the highest quality assured advanced rider training available.
For Your Diary!
Meetings
Next SAM Club Night
5th May 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
24th April 2025
Details to be arranged.
Online Motorcycling News
General
We’re pleased to announce that Bikesure will be sponsoring True Heroes Racing once again in 2025 as the team takes to the track for another thrilling season.
True Heroes Racing are the UK’s first motorcycle racing team dedicated to supporting wounded, injured and sick UK service personnel and veterans.
This will be the fourth season in a row that Bikesure has sponsored the British Superbike team. Upon announcing the deal, Bikesure’s Rob Balls said: “We’re thrilled to continue our sponsorship of True Heroes Racing again in 2025. Read more…
Back in March 2020 the Government published a consultation into proposals to make E10 the standard 95-octane petrol on UK forecourts – doubling the amount of ethanol allowed in petrol to the concern of many riders. Despite concerns raised by many respondents about the potential damage that E10 could cause to their vehicles the rules were pushed through into legislation and came into force in September 2021.
That was more than three years ago, and the kerbsides aren’t littered with broken vehicles struck down by damaged fuel systems. But that doesn’t mean E10 is suited for every bike on the road and there’s still no shortage of confusion over whether it’s safe to use or not. Read more…
Electric motorcycle firm Verge have set a new Guinness World Record for the longest distance travelled on a single charge by a motorbike – clocking up 310.69km (193 miles, in old money) around suburban London with their TS Pro model.The feat took place on 22 March and saw riders Sam Clarke and Sara Sloman spend just over 16 hours in the saddle navigating England’s capital, taking in the city’s usual cocktail of congestion, traffic lights, and pedestrian crossings – all on a single tank of electrons. Read more…
According to data provided by the Motorcycle Industry Association (MCIA), March saw 13,086 new machines registered.
While still in the red, with numbers down 22.1% year-on-year, March’s registration volumes represent a steady improvement on the market dip of roughly a third reported in both January and February (compared with 2024’s figures). Sales are expected to pick up further over the coming weeks.
Dealers are beginning to see momentum return as leftover non-Euro 5+ stock, pre-registered before the January cut-off, starts to clear, and the traditional spring surge gets underway.“Looking ahead to April (and with the weather on our side), we forecast the new bike market to return close to the volumes seen in previous years, provided the unfolding trade war does not worsen over the next few weeks.” Read more…
Dozens of bikers are set to attend the third annual Yorkshire Ride ‘Owt taking place May 22, 2025 which will raise money for the Yorkshire Children’s CharityYorkshire Children’s Charity funds grants, interventions, and life-changing projects for kids living with disabilities, illness, or poverty – without a scrap of government funding. “Events such as our Yorkshire Ride ‘Owt are the perfect way for bike enthusiasts to have a day full of amazing food and good company, all while raising significant money for a great cause,” said charity founder Charlotte Farrington. 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...
Motorcycle safety tech is evolving fast, and Piaggio Fast Forward (PFF) has joined the fray with what they call the industry’s first 4D radar-based collision prevention platform. PFF is a subsidiary of Piaggio – the parent company of Aprilia and Moto Guzzi.
With motorcyclists being 28 times more likely to be involved in a fatal crash than car drivers, the team at technology-focussed PFF aims to reduce risks with their new Rider Assistance Solution (RAS).
The system uses high-resolution radar to detect hazards multiple times per second, running algorithms to assess risk and issue alerts.
First introduced on the Piaggio MP3 with a rear-only sensor, RAS made its full debut on the Moto Guzzi Stelvio, where it now offers blind spot monitoring, lane change assist, forward-collision warnings, and following cruise control. Read more…
The marriage of the early 20th Century “safety bicycle” and a simple engine created the motorcycle template as we now know it. As such, at their design core, motorcycles are simple, efficient devices, a trait they’ve possessed for over 120 years. But it takes more than efficiency to ensure the survival and evolution of any consumer product. The secret other ingredient is that motorcycles feed us on some essential levels, from the joy of being in motion, to rewarding us for problem solving, to promoting social interactions, to building a skillset that “normal” folks don’t possess. Read on for seven reasons you might want to ride a motorcycle. Read more…
With gasoline prices forever elevated, fuel efficiency is always something motorists think about. Thankfully, motorcycles are already a great way to stretch each gallon of fuel, making them a smart choice for budget-conscious and economy-friendly riders alike. This report highlights the top five most fuel-efficient motorcycles available today, helping you maximize mileage without sacrificing performance. Read more…
Policies to limit vehicle speeds to 20 mph are widespread in England, the UK and Europe. These policies aim to improve road safety, including through reducing road traffic collisions.
There is strong evidence that 20 mph limits and zones are associated with reduced road casualties and fatalities. After Wales introduced a default national speed limit of 20 mph on restricted roads, casualties on 20 mph and 30 mph roads in Wales declined by 24% in April to June 2024 compared to the same period in 2023 (before the national default 20 mph speed limit was introduced). Read more…
This approach discourages riders from entering corners at high speed and high lean angles. The aim is SIFO – ‘slow in fast out’.
You enter corners on a closed or light throttle. You are at a steady speed and a modest lean angle. You can turn tighter towards the apex when you see it’s safe.
When you can see a clear exit, turn tighter and briefly increase your lean angle to turn the bike. Pick the bike up again on a smooth, continuous throttle after the apex. This minimizes the chance of a slide or high side.
If you’ve misjudged the radius of the corner, or your entry speed, you can instantly turn tighter. You can also do this if you meet an unexpected hazard. Or just stay wide for longer if it’s safer. You have options and escape routes. Read more…
Adventure & Touring
Living in Washington, and being too late in the season for another trip to Alaska or Mexico, I took a trip on the WABDR running south to north the first week of October. The first leg of the route is a great warm-up beginning at the “Bridge of the Gods” near Stevenson, where you will be led north through the heavy forest canopies of Western Washington.
This first leg ends near the small logging town of Packwood, where you’ll begin the longest stretch of pavement along the WABDR. This isn’t a bad thing as it will take you along Highway 12, one of the scenic highway passes, towards the east side of the state where you will rejoin the dirt for your northern treks.
The second leg is my favorite, being the most technically challenging (there are less challenging alternates for lesser skilled riders and bigger bikes). It was impossible to stop smiling as I shot along the backroads ranging from well-maintained forest service roads to forgotten jeep trails. Read more…
I’ve spent the last six years travelling the world via motorbike. When I left home in the south of England, I had no idea of where it would lead me. With a one-way ticket to India, I’d figure it out from there. Being an extreme sports and motorbike fanatic, some would say it was inevitable I’d end up travelling the world this way. But after a while, I started seeking something outside of the usual road trips—something you aren’t likely to find on a tour or in a magazine article… the next level.
Indonesia was a country that had never been high on my must-see list, but it turned out to be the best place I ever visited. I landed in Bali, found a Kawasaki KLX150, and set off looking for any dense forests, jungles and anything that looked like it would be fun. However, after locating one jungle trail, the deeper I got into it the more I began to panic. Although I was enjoying every minute of the experience, fear got the best of me and I decided to head back to base. It was a pattern I’d repeat several times before re-evaluating my approach.
Realizing I needed a better plan, I decided to get a newer and more reliable bike and do an east-to-west trip on as many rural trails as I could locate. I found a 2017 Honda CRF150, had it bored out to 200ccs and rode it for the duration of the four-month trip. I packed only a first aid kit, waterproof jacket, and a few basic tools along with a compass in the tank bag in case my phone died. Then, using Google Earth I looked for any hint of jungle or mountain trails, jotting them down for a rough path to follow, and off I went. Read more…
If there ever was a cultural touchstone that got more folks into adventure riding, it was Ewan McGregor and Charley Boorman’s original Long Way ‘Round documentary. It was, and still is, one of the most fun motorcycling pieces of art to ever be put to film, as the two friends took two BMW GS on a grand adventure circumnavigating the globe.
I still watch it every so often, and I can still recall the budding sense of “I want to do that one day” that it gave me when it launched nearly two decades ago.
And in the interim years, the two friends have rejoined for a handful of other adventures. They’ve done the Long Way Down which saw them leave Scotland for South Africa, and the Long Way Up, where the pair used a couple of prototype and heavily modified Harley-Davidson LiveWires—and a prototype Rivian—to travel from the southern tip of Argentina to the United States. Read more…
History & Custom
Every scratch on this 1955 BSA Gold Star tells a story
Every motorcyclist grows up dreaming of the bike(s) they will ride one day. But how many of them end up owning the exact machine that sparked their passion when they were young? Very few, but that’s the story behind this well-worn 1955 BSA Gold Star. The bike’s current owner used to spot it on the…Read more »
Kevin Williams
Recalibrating cornering safety Part Two
In one way at least, cornering is simple. There are only two outcomes in any corner. We get it right. Or we get it wrong. What’s more difficult is ensuring we gather as much information about the corner as we can, then we process it in order to come up with a sensible decision about how to ride around it.
So this week, let’s look at the relatively simple task of deciding ‘how fast’ to approach and enter the corner. Read more…
In one way at least, cornering is simple. There are only two outcomes in any corner. We get it right. Or we get it wrong. What’s more difficult is ensuring we gather as much information about the corner as we can, then we process it in order to come up with a sensible decision about how to ride around it. Read more…
Rediscover the Ride Part 5 – Smarter gear use
This series started with a look at some dodgy advice from the Haynes Manuals US website claiming that: “first gear is primarily used to transition your motorcycle from a rest to a start”. Even for a novice rider, this isn’t sound advice and today we’re going to look at a very different approach to figuring out how the gears work – by exploiting the revs, rather than simply changing up almost as soon as the machine is rolling.
First of all, I’d recommend you reacquaint yourself with last week’s exercises – Read more…
What WAS going through the rider’s mind?
Usually, it’s easy enough to figure out the most likely cause of a motorcycle crash, but this one left me completely baffled. Obviously enough, the car stopping in front of him created the problem but why didn’t he see it slowing? It’s not like the driver braked suddenly, or there wasn’t a big enough gap between them?
I can only assume the rider was distracted and simply did not see what was happening right in front of him. Read more…
Data and interpretation – what’s the difference
The difference between data and interpretation is fundamental in research, and it’s certainly important in areas like motorcycle safety where decisions can have real-life implications.
Data refers to raw facts or information collected through observation, measurement, or experimentation. In the context of motorcycle safety, data might include: Read more…
Sorting the Staggers
On the very first page of the handbook of the Institute of Incorporated Highway Engineers there’s a line that says: “The road should be capable of being read like a book”. So in theory, reading the road should be easy enough.
One of the ways those engineers pass us information is via road signs and markings. And certainly learning to understand road markings and road signs seems a simple enough task. Most of us just open the back of the Highway Code and memorise the meanings of the signs markings. Some of us will have studied a bit harder and practiced for the DVSA’s Theory Test. Read more…
Whiteknights Blood Bikes
Whiteknights Yorkshire Blood Bikes release their stats for March 2025.
With 283 urgent call-outs and 11 national relays we believe we saved the NHS just over £14,000 in transportation costs.
Thank you to people who have donated to us during March.
#bloodbikes
Today we’ve partnered with Greater Manchester Blood Bikes to participate in an urgent relay.
Pictured are Andrew & Alan at the handover. Well done gents!
South Yorkshire Safer Roads Partnership
Scooter safety: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? 
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If just one van driver adopted ‘eco-driving’, they would save more than £500 a year on fuel and tyres
For large fleets of drivers, the savings could run into the hundreds of thousands Read more…
Are you aware of the OAP framework when out riding? 
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…
The National Motorcyclists Council (NMC) is today renewing calls on the Government to move much further and faster on its commitment to improve roads maintenance. The call comes as the Asphalt Industry Alliance (AIA) publishes its latest annual report. The 2025 Annual Local Authority Road Maintenance Survey Report reveals that the backlog of carriageway repairs in England and Wales has reached new heights at almost £17 billion, while roads are only surfaced, on average, once every 93 years. More than half (52%) – equivalent to around 106,000 miles– of the local road network is reported to have less than 15 years’ structural life remaining. Almost a third of these – 34,600 miles or one in six of the total – may only have up to five years life left. Read more…
The National Motorcyclists Council has called for a full and proper consideration of motorcycling within transport policy as part of its response to the Department for Transport’s (DfT) ‘Call for Evidence: Integrated National Transport Strategy: a Call for Ideas’.
Ultimately, integrated transport should be about choice, not just favouring one or two modes of transport over others. The NMC feel that the forthcoming strategy should extend and enable individual choice, so that the full range of options are available and supported for those who seek an alternative to the car. Statistics reveal that the majority of motorcyclists are regular commuter or utility transport users, with over a million who ride regularly, often in conditions that leave them more vulnerable on the roads than should be the case. Read more…
FEMA
The Council of the European Union and the European Parliament reached a provisional political agreement on the update of the driving licence directive and on the implementation of driving disqualifications in the EU.
Driving licence.
This update of the directive will have an important impact on the issuing of driving permits throughout the EU, updating the minimum requirements related to fitness of drivers across the EU, harmonising rules regarding probationary periods for novice drivers and creating a scheme for accompanied driving with a licence obtained at the age of 17. Read more…
The United Kingdom may no longer be part of the European Union, the British motorcyclists are certainly still part of the European motorcycling community. FEMA has strong bonds with the riders’ organisation BMF, the British Motorcyclists Federation and with the National Motorcyclists Council (NMC), which is the coalition of organisations that work on motorcycling issues in the UK. Here are some of the current issues: Read more…
British Motorcyclists Federation
Paul Varnsverry, the highly respected motorcycling clothing expert, is launching a campaign aimed at eliminating uncertified and potentially unsafe bike kit, currently being imported into the UK and offered for sale online. Varnsverry, Technical Director of clothing consultant at PVA-PPE, is started a petition aimed at alerting Government to the dangers of untested kit. In conversation with MCN, he praised the efforts of Trading Standards in the last three years, in checking bike shows and high street shops for sub-standard kit. But he added that clothing offered online is attempting to circumvent these checks. 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.
Look after your bike/moped and it will look after you. Carrying out a few simple checks before each ride could save your life. Use POWDERS
Petrol
- Do you have enough for your journey?
- Is the reserve tap off?
- Check there are no leaks Read more…
Ride into the season
Oi Oi! Riding season is well and truly upon us! 😎
The nights are getting lighter and the days warmer. Happy days!
But at this time of the year, it is important to always wear the gear and make sure your bike is in tip-top condition.
Click the boxes below to find out more. You might just learn something 😉 Read more…
