Sheffield Advanced Motorcyclists – Weekly newsletter 30th May 2025
Table of Contents
Editorial
It’s Spring, so it has been sunshine and showers, bringing the temperatures down. The wind has been strong at times, particularly when passing open fields. The biker’s riding skills have to compensate for gusty breezes and wind pressure, to prevent it turning into an ocean-going yacht! High-viz jackets acting as either an anchor or foresail. Riding throughout the year helps riders to learn from the experience offered by different riding conditions.
The world of motorcycling continued riding this week. Racing events were really exciting and a record 311,797 number of visitors saw John Zarco win he French Grand Prix. The first time a French citizen has won the event since 1954. Meanwhile, the North West 200 controversy about interpreting the racing rules continues. On a happier note, Keanu Reeves has brought his Arch Team to the Isle of Man TT. The TT announced a change from Honda, to a 3-year official vehicle safety partnership with BMW Motorrad. KTM have been saved from bankruptcy by Bajaj Auto, aiming to develop into the high performance market. Voge are tackling the other end of the market with the DS625X for an on-the-road-price of £6,200. Buell, after 15 years, have returned to the UK with its big muscle bikes. In the meantime, Harley Davidson have caused controversy by agreeing financial restructuring and planning to focus on lighter and electric bikes aimed at younger riders.
The Bennetts BikeSocial website continues to provide a full calendar of events, meetups, ride-outs, races and TV programmes. SAM continues with our weekly meetups at Meadowhall Retail Park, the Club Night on 2nd June brings you Tom Killeen (i2i.co.uk). There is also a pie and pea supper for just £5. Clive Lewis is busily planning the end-of-Summer Weekend Ride. Three celebrity riders, supporting the Two Wheels for Life charity, made a 800-mile, coast-to-coast, ride on 125cc machines. Showing that you do not need a huge adventure bike to cover longer distances. South Korea have adopted the CBT course used in France, but with the same 16-hour completion time used in the UK.
Discussions continue on road safety regulations, helmet laws, rider licensing and education, highway infrastructure and plans to achieve the 2035/40 end of internal combustion engines. Honda are celebrating selling, since 1949, 500,000,000 units. That’s an average of 6,578,947 units sold each year. A great achievement in motorcycling history. The UK government offered a token £350,000 to motorcycle manufacturers to encourage the industry to develop electric bikes faster. Bike manufacturers are not waiting for endless discussions with politicians and civil servants. Producers are driving the market with new bikes, social media promotions and events to help travellers reach their chosen destinations in the most eco-friendly way possible. Ola electric has delivered their first electric bike, the Roadstar X, with swappable batteries and fast charging.
Ever thought why our Observers are some of the best riders in the UK? They have spent many years helping riders, from every part of our local community, become safer riders. Tuesday, June 10th, is ‘Ride to Work’ day. An international celebration of the economic and eco-friendly motorcycle transport for work, leisure, holidays and riding adventures everywhere. We never forget the Observers who point us on the way to an amazing, safer, riding life. Thank you 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
SAM Club Night Speaker: 2nd June 2025
Show you support for SAM at this really interesting event on 2nd June 2025. learn how specialised courses can transform your riding experience. You can develop more confident and safer advanced riding skills to use on the road. Focusing on clear explanations, understanding, and changing behavior, i2i aims to put some knowledge, skill and fun into your riding ability. Don’t miss out on the delicious Pie & Pea Supper. Just £5 and the chance to win a signed book in raffle raffle! The usual bottles of wine will still be available to be won. Tickets are available now from Clive Lewis, our SAM Social Secretary.
Chair’s Summer Ride 2025
Get ready for an unforgettable adventure with the Chair’s Summer Ride 2025! Following the incredible success of last year’s trip, we’re excited to announce that another thrilling journey is on the horizon. This exclusive event is open to ‘SAM MEMBERS ONLY,’ ensuring a unique experience filled with camaraderie and fun. Whether you’re a seasoned rider or new to the experience, this is your chance to connect with fellow members and create lasting memories. Stay tuned for more details as we prepare for an exciting summer ride that promises to be even better than before! Don’t miss out!
Darley Moor Track Day
Discover the thrill of advanced road riding at Darley Moor Centre, nestled in the stunning Derbyshire Peak District! Join us in 2025 for our new Road Skills Days, where you’ll enhance your riding techniques in a controlled circuit environment. Whether you’re a seasoned rider or looking to sharpen your skills, our expert instructors will guide you through a full day of classroom and on-bike training. Experience the perfect blend of safety and performance, and unlock the true potential of your motorcycle. Don’t miss this opportunity to elevate your riding experience—control is just a day away!
Meetings
Next SAM Club Night
2nd June 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
29th May 2025
Details to be arranged
Online Motorcycling News
General
Riding a motorcycle is not just a fantastic hobby or way of life, it’s also conducive to having a healthy mind.
In fact, a study that we carried out previously revealed that nine in ten riders report positive effects from riding their motorcycle when it comes to their mental health. Here we go through why motorcycling is a great option for your wellbeing.
Motorcycling gives you freedom
Getting on your bike and riding off into the sunset is tremendous for escapism. It allows you to take a break from your life commitments and any stresses you have, and allows you to jump feet first into an activity that requires all of your concentration. Read more…
Few people in England have been actively involved in the scooter scene longer than Peter Burley.
The 83-year-old bought his first scooter as a teenager in 1959 to ride to work from Woodford to Bishopsgate in the City of London.
It was the start of a scootering adventure that has taken him all over the UK and Europe, and he remains involved in the Vespa Club of Britain (VCB) and the Veteran Vespa Club.
“I’ll keep doing it for as long as I can, because I enjoy it,” he says, chatting at home in Chelmsford. “It’s given me so much pleasure and enjoyment, meeting a lot of people I’ve known for years, and new members too. Read more…
BMW has been taking a close interest in active aerodynamic systems for high-performance bikes in recent months—filing an array of patent applications for ideas including moving winglets and even active exhausts that encourage airflow in the right direction to improve cornering. The company’s latest idea, however, goes a step further by using a ducted fan to blow high-pressure air in whatever direction is needed to improve downforce or cornering performance.
The idea of using fans to improve aero performance goes back nearly as far as the use of wings on race cars. American racing legend Jim Hall was at the forefront with his Chaparral Can-Am cars back in the 1960s, and his influence can be seen in several of the ideas BMW has recently been working to adapt to motorcycles. He introduced movable wings with the Chaparral 2C in 1965, a concept that its successors built upon, and in 1970 switched to the idea of sucking air out from underneath the Chaparral 2J using two rear-mounted fans driven by a separate, two-stroke twin borrowed from a snowmobile, creating a partial vacuum under the car that pulled it down onto the track surface. Read more…
More than 530 motorcycles descended on Lincoln’s International Bomber Command Centre (IBCC) on May 18 for the annual InSpire Ride charity event, raising over £2500 for good causes in the process.
Taking place annually in memory of those that served in the Royal Airforce during WW2, this year’s run was used to commemorate the 80th anniversary of Operation Manna – a humanitarian mission that saw British and Canadian aircraft drop food supplies to starving civilians in the Nazi-occupied Netherlands.
Riders travelled in convoy to the Lincoln city venue from both a northern and southern meeting point, before being treated to a flypast of a Lancaster Bomber, courtesy of the Battle of Britain Memorial Flight team based at RAF Coningsby. Read more…
The Distinguished Gentleman’s Ride, a worldwide charity event that raises funds to support men’s mental health and cancer research, celebrated another successful year as more than 125,000 classic and vintage styled motorcycles in 1,038 cities took to the streets. The event took place in 108 countries on May 18, 2025, raising $7.3 million to contribute to a total of over $60 million raised since the event began in 2012. For the 12th consecutive year, the event was supported by Triumph Motorcycles.DGR, founded by Mark Hawwa, has been supporting Movember for 10 years. Movember is a leading charity for men’s health, with a focus on mental health, suicide prevention, prostate cancer, and testicular cancer. To date, the charity has funded over 1,250 project around the world and continues to encourage men to stay healthy in all areas of their lives. Read more…
I’m sure you’ve noticed that EVs aren’t exactly dominating headlines like they used to. In the US, the buzz has cooled a bit, especially with President Donald Trump back in the picture and starting to undo some of the EV-focused policies from the previous administration.
Sales have also plateaued, hybrids are gaining popularity, and many Americans still aren’t quite ready to make the leap to electric. But even with that shift in momentum, one thing is clear: the industry isn’t giving up on EVs. Far from it.
In fact, car makers and battery suppliers are still laying the groundwork for what’s next, and that includes a recent breakthrough from General Motors and LG Energy Solution that could have implications beyond the usual electric trucks and SUVs. 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...
NEW KIT: Oxford Beast disc lock
A solid disc lock is the first line of security defence, and the Oxford Beast definitely fits the bill. It’s a no-nonsense 1.3kg chunk of steel, with a cunning round design which is difficult for angle grinders and bolt cutters to get a hold of. Serious thieves might cut the disc, but even that’s tricky with the sheer size of the lock. It fits discs up to 8mm, has a 16mm hardened steel locking pin, and there’s a replacement key service from Oxford, too. Add a 22mm Beast Chain and it doubles up as a padlock to secure your bike to an anchor or solid point. Read more…
Motorcycle tracker firm, BikeTrac have located and recovered 25 stolen motorcycles in a single day – the biggest discovery in the firm’s history.
The eclectic mix of bikes were found after a BMW R1200GS using one of their systems was stolen from Richmond upon Thames and traced to a large container yard in Essex.
From there, the team tracked the container to Tilbury Docks, and after days of working with the port authorities and Metropolitan Police Organised Vehicle Crime Unit, the team were granted access to retrieve the adventure machine.“Gaining access to such a facility is extremely difficult, and without absolute cast iron proof that a stolen machine is in the area, access is rarely granted,” BikeTrac Sales and Marketing Director, Bill Taylor said. “Thanks to our Radio Frequency technology, that we can remotely activate, we were able to prove to the authorities that not only was the bike there, but exactly which container it was in. Read more…
Adventure & Touring
As the dust clears, I try to find my bearings and do a self-assessment. I’ve just finished skidding to a stop on a gravel road on the edge of nowhere. My Kawasaki KLR650 is lying on its left side about eight feet ahead in the middle of the road, but luckily is in no danger with the lack of traffic in Labrador. I feel okay—other than the adrenaline overload.
This open stretch of the Trans-Labrador Highway (TLH) is on a plateau and the strong gusts of wind combine with the crushed rock road surface to make the riding challenging. The road was freshly graded but deeply corrugated over the last 30–40 miles. And, when a strong gust blew from my right, I counterbalanced just before the wind suddenly dropped. Compensating instantly turned into overcompensating, which triggered several seconds of tank slapping before down I went. That’s it. But that’s all it takes.
Removing my helmet, I take off my gloves and check myself over. Nothing seems wrong, but when I move to stand up something isn’t right. My left leg feels strange and doesn’t respond normally. Instinctively I don’t move it and don’t try to get up. I know it’s broken and needs medical attention. There’s a satellite phone strapped to the back of my bike and, if I can get to it, I can call for help.
The tank bag is stocked with an emergency blanket for the cold, and an air horn that will hopefully scare bears away. All this runs through my head in less than a minute as I watch my riding partner’s dust trail disappear over the hill. Brian will be back. In the meantime I need to figure out what to do. Read more…
The Motorcycle Portraits is a project by photographer/filmmaker David Goldman, who travels the world making documentaries, and takes time out to interview interesting people in the motorcycle scene, wherever he might be. The result is a single exemplary photo, a geolocation of his subject, and a transcribed interview. The audio of his interviews can be found on The Motorcycle Portraits website.
The following is a portrait session with Marta Zajchowska, a motorcycling world traveler better known as half of a (former) globetrotting motorcycle duo, Look Around the Globe. David Goldman caught up with Marta in Warsaw, Poland, on Aug 14, 2023, and asked her a few questions about motorcycling. The following are her responses:Hello, I’m Marta Zajchowska. I think I’m better known in the motorcycle scene as a half of ‘Look Around the Globe.’ We are now here in Warsaw, in my flat. And about motorcycling: I’m a traveler, yes, I can say that. And I have ridden more than half of the world on a motorcycle. I started in 2015 as a full-time traveler. But for now, I’m staying here in Warsaw. So I decided maybe to quit long travels, and it’s not a full-time job for me now. Read more…
History & Custom
Spring Fever: Amazon Diesel-Powered Mini Bike
We weekend warriors set lofty goals for ourselves to show what we’re made of. We ditch the rattle cans for fancy coatings, put projects on hold until we can afford the best parts and push the MIG back in the corner to painstakingly lay TIG like dimes. But when I think back on the projects…
Read more »
In the 1960s, an obscure motorcycle brand called Tehuelche dominated weekend races on dirt and paved circuits in Argentina. Despite fierce competition from larger manufacturers (Rumi 125, Ducati 100, Honda Benly Super Sport 125, Mondial, Sterzi, Puch and Zanella 100), the Tehuelche won the South American Championship in three categories: 75, 100 and 125 cc.It had no real competition in South America until the more efficient two-stroke engines started appearing on the circuits. The challenge that the Tehuelche faced was the same as the one that eventually led to Honda pulling out of factory racing in the rest of the world, around the same time. Read more…
Kevin Williams
Turning right at a multilane roundabout
Ashley Neal’s most recent video came out the other day, and showed a learner rider being taken out on a roundabout by a car cutting into him by turning left from the right-hand lane, whilst he was going straight ahead from the left-hand lane. You can watch the actual incident here:
I’d suggest you do that before you watch Ashley’s analysis of what went wrong.
Here are some observations on the crash. Two years ago, I started an in-depth look at a road safety campaign in Warwickshire freely available Collisionplot map. When I looked at Rugby and its environs, what was very obvious was that the real crash hotspots were in two places. The first – not surprisingly – was in the town generally – the map revealed that’s where most crashes happened, and there were a worrying number involving PTWs and pedestrians. Read more…
Ducat’s MotoE racer gets a 8.2kg lighter battery
Despite claiming they have no interest in building an electric road bike, Ducati enter their third years as supplier of the machine used by all riders in the FIM MotoE World Championship.
And the latest V21L MotoE racer was due to be seen for the first time this season in the opening round at Le Mans in France at the weekend.
The machine gets a bunch of updates, including a longer wheelbase to improve stability under braking, a height-adjustable swingarm pivot, and a lighter back wheel. The electronics get an upgrade with switchable traction control modes. Read more…
Clutch cables – coping when it snaps
Last week I explained that by far and away the best solution to a snapped clutch cable is to use preventative maintenance – and change it before it fails. But life doesn’t always work that way. As I recalled last week, back in about 1986 or 87, I was riding down to the Bol d’Or 24 hour race in the south of France, knowing the clutch cable was on borrowed time, as it was starting to fray. Unfortunately, the cable had been out of stock at my local Honda dealers, and I had to head off hoping it would last the distance.
It didn’t. So how do you cope with a snapped clutch cable? Read more…
A Perpetual Motion motorcycle
Machines supposedly demonstrating perpetual motion have been shown off for centuries and recently I found this bike claimed to be “a wind and solar-powered electric motorcycle from China”. The article said it was “not a joke” and that it was “a real motorcycle powered (at least partially) by wind and solar energy” thanks to a roof-mounted solar panel and a wind turbine.
Well, since it’s not got a conventional petrol engine, the wind turbine and the solar power would have to contribute 100% to the vehicle’s motion, unless the rider is to paddle whilst riding Fred Flintstone style. Read more…
What is Victim Blaming?
An accusation that’s been levelled at me quite a few times when I suggest as riders we need to be proactive in securing our safety on the road, rather than passively assume that someone else has to take responsibility for keeping us out of trouble, is that I’m indulging in ‘Victim Blaming’.
This is a psychological and social phenomenon, a response to an incident in which it’s the victim of a crime or harmful act who is held partially or entirely responsible for the harm they suffered. Victim blaming shifts the focus from the perpetrator’s actions to the victim’s behaviour at the moment of an incident, by suggesting that the victim could have prevented the incident through different choices or actions. Read more…
Turning right at a multilane roundabout revisited
Last week I commented on one of Ashley Neal’s videos. It showed a learner rider being taken out on a roundabout by a car cutting into him by turning left from the right-hand lane, whilst he was going straight ahead from the left-hand lane.
I have to say I didn’t fully agree with Ashley’s analysis which seemed to say that the rider’s admittedly poor choice of lanes – he’d moved prematurely to the left lane – confused the driver of the car. I understood his point of view that the rider hadn’t followed the Highway Code’s advice, but the fact is that it remains the responsibility of the road user exiting the roundabout cutting through another lane to make sure that lane’s actually clear of traffic. Read more…
Whiteknights Blood Bikes
Our rider Craig went on a relay earlier this month.South Yorkshire Safer Roads Partnership
Heading to #wembley to watch Sheffield United play Sunderland AFC in the #playoffs2025 final tomorrow?
Have you checked your car is in good working order?
Follow the FLOWERY checks to keep your plans in place.
No-one wants to miss kick-off!
Travel safe everyone – could the next stop for Sheffield United be the Premier League?
#sheffieldissuper #blades #sheffieldunited #Sheffield #championship #breakdown
Sheffield United Fan Services
Sheffield City Council
South Yorkshire Police
South Yorkshire Fire & Rescue
South Yorkshire Mayoral Combined Authority
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? 
Summer-long experience delivers guided road trip alongside road safety education
Collecting points en route, participants will see some of Scotland’s most spectacular scenery
A new initiative combining treasure-hunt style car road trips around the picturesque Scottish Highlands and an educational approach to road safety with the chance to win a £50 voucher per challenge launches on Monday 19th May, by the UK’s leading road safety charity.
IAM RoadSmart Experiences offers both members and the wider public a combination of sightseeing on some of the most spectacular drives around a beautiful part of Scotland with interactive ‘treasure hunts’ and test their knowledge of road signs, the highway code and road traffic laws. The Highlands Experience will run throughout the summer offering participants flexibility to plan their trips, with the winners announced in the Autumn once the event closes. 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…
A provisional deal on EU driving licence rules introducing a mobile licence and driving disqualification for reckless drivers was approved in the European Parliament’s Committee on Transport and Tourism (TRAN).
A revamped EU driving licence rules, agreed by Council and Parliament negotiators, led by EP rapporteur Jutta Paulus (Greens, DE), in March 2025, seek to contribute to road safety and EU’s digital transition.
Digital driving licence
Under the provisional agreement a digital driving licence, available on a smartphone with EU-wide digital wallet technology, will become the main format in the EU. However, MEPs managed to ensure that drivers will continue to have the right to request a physical driver’s licence. Read more…
SOME LIGHT AT THE END OF THE POTHOLE
POTHOLE PARTNERSHIP REVEALS IMPROVING PICTURE ON NATIONAL POTHOLE DAY
- The AA attended 643,318 pothole related incidents in 2024, down compared to previous year
- Partnership urges councils to make permanent repairs a priority over temporary fixes
- Drop in pothole incidents coincides with rise in repair costs
- Pothole damage costs drivers whopping £579m
The Pothole Partnership is calling for more permanent repairs and greater use of innovation and technology on National Pothole Day (15 January) to reduce vehicle damage and injuries to cyclists and motorcycle riders. Read more…
FEMA
A provisional deal on EU driving licence rules introducing a mobile licence and driving disqualification for reckless drivers was approved in the European Parliament’s Committee on Transport and Tourism (TRAN).
A revamped EU driving licence rules, agreed by Council and Parliament negotiators, led by EP rapporteur Jutta Paulus (Greens, DE), in March 2025, seek to contribute to road safety and EU’s digital transition.
Digital driving licence
Under the provisional agreement a digital driving licence, available on a smartphone with EU-wide digital wallet technology, will become the main format in the EU. However, MEPs managed to ensure that drivers will continue to have the right to request a physical driver’s licence. 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… 
BMF Joins Forces with regional police forces, Liverpool City Council and the National Vehicle Crime Reduction Partnership (NVCRP) to deliver enhanced parking security for motorcyclists travelling to next week’s TT races.
With the Isle of Man TT races taking place from Monday 26 May to Saturday 7 June, the BMF is helping to fund enhanced security measures for racegoers on their motorcycles stopping off in Liverpool to enjoy the city, before they continue to the Isle of Man by ferry.
“Op Needle” is a multi-agency initiative, coordinated by Liverpool City Council, designed to prevent theft of and from motorcycles, and to identify, disrupt and bring to justice anyone involved in motorcycle theft. Read more…
To increase recycling targets, the European Commission wants to expand the scope of the End-of-Life Vehicles directive to include motorcycles.
The European Union is in the process of revising its End-of-Life Vehicles (ELV) Directive, legislation that dictates how vehicles are recycled, reused, and disposed of when they reach the end of their life. The proposed changes for a new regulation are part of a broader push towards a circular economy. But there’s a catch for us motorcyclists: for the first time, motorcycles may be included under these strict regulations. This move has triggered alarm bells across the riding community, and for good reason.
The European Commission wants to expand the scope of the End-of-Life Vehicles directive to include motorcycles (L-category vehicles), as well as increase recycling targets, implement stricter battery disposal rules for electric vehicles, and shift more responsibility to manufacturers under Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) policies. Sounds good for the planet, right? Not necessarily, at least not when it comes to motorcycles. Compared to cars and trucks, motorcycles need far fewer raw materials and produce significantly less waste. Including motorcycles in the directive will not give meaningful environmental benefits, but it will create regulatory headaches for riders, especially hobbyists and restorers. Read more…
Motorcycle Action Group
A Cruise That Shattered Assumptions
My recent cruise along Norway’s coast was meant for fjord-gazing and respite, a break from the grind. But when your job is your passion—advocating for motorcyclists at MAG—your mind never rests. In Norway’s clinical, twee port towns, polished like tourist traps, I hunted for bikes. On a coach trip from Olden, our Scottish-born guide shared a local farmer’s quip: “In winter I milk the cows, in summer I milk the tourists.” The jest rang true amidst the postcard-perfect quays, thronged with visitors. Read more…
Norway’s Electric Car Triumph
Norway’s electric car success is a marvel, funded by oil wealth in a twist of irony. In 1960, Norway’s GDP per capita was £4,000, trailing the UK’s ~£5,500 (adjusted). The 1969 Ekofisk oil and gas field find transformed it into an energy titan, boosting GDP per capita to a projected ~£47,000 by 2025, double the UK’s ~£23,000. Oil profits, channelled into the £1.4 trillion sovereign wealth fund since 1990, yield ~£70 billion in interest annually, supporting lavish EV policies through state budgets bolstered by fund returns. Since 1990, value-added tax exemptions (capped at £35,000 since 2023), no registration taxes, and free parking in many cities have made electric cars cheaper than petrol ones, driving 91% of new car sales electric in 2023 (83% full battery electric the rest hybrids). Norway has 477 charge points per 100,000 population over four times the UK’s 117. I saw electric Porsches (£80,000 in Norway post-subsidies, ~£120,000 in the UK), their presence screaming wealth. Read more…
The Motorcycle Action Group (MAG) has announced that 5th and 6th July will be marked as Riders’ Resistance Weekend, a two-day national event with demonstrations across the UK. This weekend of action is in direct response to growing anger within the motorcycling community. The Government’s continued dismissal of riders’ concerns, and especially its plans to phase out the sale of ICE motorcycles, has sparked widespread frustration. MAG is organising regional demonstrations throughout the UK to give riders a powerful opportunity to take a stand. 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.
Young motorcyclists will be given the chance to gain advice and guidance from experts, and have their questions answered, at an online event taking place next month.
The Warwickshire Road Safety Partnership is partnering with the National Young Rider Forum (NYRF) to host a free session for young motorcycle riders taking place on 11 June 2025.
The hour-long event, which kicks-off at 6:30pm, is aimed at those aged between 16-24 years who may be thinking of, or already riding, powered two wheelers of up to 125cc. 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…
