MAG (Motorcycle Action Group) Colin Brown (Lobbying and Public Campaigns) commenting on the UN’s statement on motorcycling. This was widely reported ‘new’ statement is actually just a restatement of a previous UN declaration on road safety. Colin suggests that the UN statement suggests there should ‘alternative transport solutions’ to motorcycling. The UN statement doesn’t actually mean this interpretation! It continues to call on governments to ensure for better highway infrastructure, rider protection, enforcement, continuing education and training tor ALL road users. The intention of the statement is to develop better, more climate-friendly motorcycles. This is consistent with other UN policy strategies. It in no way suggests reducing the use of motorcycle transport, but actually promotes the use of powered two-wheel transport as part of a solution to increasingly crowded roads and grid-locked highways. Widespread press reports promoted the UN statement as positive support for motorcycling. This shows that motorcycling representative need to read the source documents and the intentions of statements, before publishing their rants about motorcycling. Any official statement needs to ‘clarify its intention’, before readers get the wrong impression.
SAM has supported the Whiteknights Yorkshire Blood Bikes for many years. Many SAM members have ridden, or still ride to support this vital NHS Voluntary Service. They are in need of supporters to take on all kinds of roles to support the out-of-hours service they provide. If you can help, contact them via their website. Thank you.
Tomorrow, Saturday 22nd August 2016, SAM Volunteer Observers will provide slow riding training at Meadowhall Retail Park. It will be greatly appreciated if SAM members could help supporting these Observers, chatting to Associates and allaying any nervousness. Perhaps even show how knowledgeable and skill our advanced riders can show off their own slow riding skills. Thank you.
The past seven days have delivered a mix of industry momentum, political pressure, new‑model intrigue and rider‑focused innovation across the motorcycle world. In the UK, the standout economic story remains the continued recovery of the new‑bike market. July registrations climbed 17.5% year‑on‑year, with 10,644 machines sold and adventure bikes leading the charge at 41.8% growth. Honda dominated the charts, with the CB1000GT topping the adventure category in its first month on sale, supported by strong performances from the PCX125, CB125F and GB350S. BMW continued its leadership in the premier classes with the R1300GS and R1300RT.
Politically, the Motorcycle Industry Association renewed calls for Government action on the long‑running rider licence review, arguing that progress is essential to sustain the sector’s growth and ensure L‑Category vehicles remain accessible transport options.
On the technology front, action cameras took centre stage with the launch of the Insta360 X6, a smaller, sharper 360‑degree camera offering 8K video, larger sensors and a hidden microphone designed specifically with motorcyclists in mind. This aligns with the broader trend of rider‑tech integration, with Cardo expanding its connected ecosystem to support Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, strengthening the link between bikes, smartphones and navigation systems.
Electric motorcycle development also made headlines as British manufacturer Maeving secured a £3 million government‑backed export deal to expand into the US and European markets while creating new UK jobs. Despite this, UK electric motorcycle registrations continued to fall, down 15.1% in July and 12.7% year‑to‑date, highlighting the persistent gap between innovation and consumer appetite.
In new‑model news, Yamaha appears set to introduce a new XSR900 SP, revealed through US registration documents suggesting a standalone model rather than a renamed variant. Ducati also secured approval for the 2027 Panigale V4 SP, marking the return of the SP badge and adding a new step between the V4 and V4 R.
MotoGP developments were equally significant. KTM successfully resisted proposals to reduce each rider to a single bike, ensuring the championship will retain two motorcycles per rider in 2027. Meanwhile, Ducati’s Silverstone review revealed Marc Márquez struggling for control of his right arm, raising concerns about his physical condition following surgery.
Rider culture and community engagement also saw positive movement. IAM RoadSmart funded free expert coaching for young riders at Thruxton, supporting 17–26‑year‑olds with track‑based training. Fowlers Motorcycles announced its centenary celebrations for 5 September, including a free open day and a chance to win a Suzuki GSX‑8S.
Finally, apparel innovation continues to blend everyday style with CE‑rated protection. RST’s new X Kevlar Tapered‑Fit Jeans exemplify the push toward casual‑looking gear that meets modern safety expectations.
Overall, the week reflects a sector balancing strong market growth, political advocacy, technological innovation and community investment—while navigating ongoing challenges in electric adoption and rider safety.
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!
Monday 7th September 2026
Treeton Miners Welfare
Arundel Street
Treeton
Rotheraham S60 5PW
See SAM website calendar for more details.
Anyone can twist a throttle.
It takes real skill to master the bends
Saturday 22nd August 2026
27th August 2026
Online Zoom Meeting
Details to be circulated
See SAM website calendar for more details.
Giving back is a great feeling.
You can held by volunteering.
I’ve not failed – just found 10,000 ways that won’t work
This quotation, attributed to Thomas Edison, is supposed to remind us that persistence is key to success. It popped up on a feed the other day suggesting that riders should apply the same approach. And that immediately triggered my false-logic alarm. Read more
Injuries from e-scooters worse than from motorcycles
A new study that analysed more than 15,000 injured motorcycle riders and cyclists treated at major trauma centres in England and Wales between 2020 and 2022 found the total included around 580 e-scooter riders, who suffered disproportionately severe injuries. Read more
Fresh Start: Decoding the Road Part 1
Over the past five months I’ve put a lot of effort into my ‘Fresh Start: M6 Framework series which took a fresh look at motorcycling in all its aspects. In sixteen major articles (plus several ‘explainers’), the M6 Framework organised the knowledge behind motorcycle control, perception, and decision‑making. It explained why riding works the way it does. And it threw light on the reasons why riding sometimes doesn’t work the way we expected. The M6 Framework offers riders a modern approach to motorcycle safety that focuses on human performance within the complex, unpredictable environment of the road. Read more
More news of Ducati
Over the last few weeks, rumours began circulating that Ducati could be sold by parent company Volkswagen Group. Then I mentioned in the last Elevenses show that an Italian company named Patritalia has announced that they have made a €2.5 billion bid for Ducati, with the aim of bringing the company back into Italian ownership. Read more
How ‘AI Slop’ morphed into code for “I don’t agree”
Do you remember the days before AI — artificial intelligence? It seems like a long time ago now, since AI has appeared almost everywhere. It’s not too surprising that there’s some pushback against it, and not just because of the images of AI-driven ‘terminator’ machines taking over the world. Some of its output just isn’t very good. Read more
Reversing the maths on SMIDSYs
Colin Brown’s been very busy on YouTube recently, and his latest video [at the time of writing] is a self-confessed rant on the problem that some people within road safety think ‘motorcycling doesn’t fit’ within the safe system scheme. Colin, not unreasonably, points out the flaw in this argument. If the safe system scheme can’t accommodate motorcycling, maybe it’s the safe system scheme needs to change, and not motorcycling per se. Read more
Coming soon Fresh Start | Core Skills M6 Framework
WHAT IS THE ‘FRESH START’ CORE SKILLS MATRIX?
The ‘Fresh Start’ Core Skills Matrix is the foundation of the M6 Framework — sixteen essential motorcycle riding skills organised into a clear, logical structure.
Instead of scattering knowledge across dozens of disconnected topics, the Matrix brings everything together in four rows that reflect how riders actually experience the road.
The Matrix
Row 1 — Controls: Braking, Steering, Throttle, Balance
Row 2 — Situations: Junction, Roundabout, Corner, Overtake
Row 3 — External Factors: Surface, Weather, Grip, Risk
Row 4 — Internal Human Factors: Attention, Fatigue, Attitude, Learning
Repeating the same errors? Try something new!
Last week I wrote about Thomas Edison’s famous observation that he hadn’t failed 10,000 times, he’d simply found 10,000 ways that didn’t work. For some reason, several people seems to think I was talking about repeatedly failing the motorcycle test. I wasn’t, I was talking about making scattergun changes to riding in the hope that one of these random new ideas might turn out to be right. 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 skill and awareness. By securing this advertising space, your business isn’t just reaching a dedicated audience—it’s actively funding the Sheffield Advanced Motorcyclists (SAM).
Every penny of the proceeds goes directly toward advanced rider training and safety initiatives. You’ll be helping motorcyclists sharpen their 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.
“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.
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!
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.
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.
© 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!
