· Contributes £7.2 billion a year to the UK economy

· Directly employs 65,500 people in more than 6,350 businesses (that’s more than UK call centres or taxi drivers)

· Can help ease congestion and ‘green’ targets for personal transport

· Meets social need through making personal transport affordable

www.mcia.co.uk

As part of 'Freedom Day' events, a 'British Bikers Protest' has been planned for Australia Day in London, where organisers have vowed to “protest for our rights to associate”.

Starting at the Ecuadorian embassy, to highlight the plight of Wikileaks founder Julian Assange, the group plan on converging on Australia House to protest the Newman government's Vicious Lawless Association Disestablishment Act. The group organising the protest has taken to Facebook to ask likeminded people to “please merge on the Australian Embassy in your country on the 26.1.14, on bike, foot truck or push bike in support of the victims of this horrendous law in a so called free country”.

Details for protests around the nation on January 26 are also set out.

One post in support of the group's plans came from Sacramento in California, where Robert Tabaldo, who said at a recent 'Biker Unification Rally', the “VLAD law in Oz” was discussed and the rally attendees were “100 per cent behind your cause. This is a global issue and we stand united with our Australian brothers,” he said.

The laws have continued to dominate the political narrative, three months after they were introduced.

Premier Campbell Newman, while still staunchly supporting the laws he spearheaded following a public brawl in Broadbeach last September, has softened his approach, admitting again that he doesn't like the laws and previewed their end. But he has repeated his belief that they are necessary to “keep Queenslanders safe”.

In response to the Australia Day protests, Mr Newman said they demonstrated “Firstly that there is a significant PR spin exercise being undertaken by criminal gangs and secondly that they clearly have significant resources and international links. It beggars belief that anybody in London could possibly understand the facts about what this legislation really involves or have any legitimate motivation to protest.

Opposition leader Annastacia Palaszczuk said the laws had made “Queensland a laughing stock”, but Mr Newman said it was the target of the laws who were to blame.

“The only people who are impacting our reputation are criminal gangs who continue to spread the lie that these laws affect innocent Queenslanders" he said. "These laws were supported near unanimously in the Parliament including all Labor MPs.”

Read more here

The Heritage Motor Centre is inviting families to enjoy a fun packed week of ‘Auto Science Live’ during the February half term. The event, which runs from the 15 – 23 February, features a range of free activities bringing automotive engineering and the science behind it to life. Included are family Story-telling tours as well as drop in sessions and workshops to inspire children of all ages. Every day children can get ‘hands-on’ and test their powers of observation with the Auto Science Trail.  There is something different going on every day.

‘Mad Science’ is brought to life on the Monday at 11am and 1pm for a 45 minute show full of cool interactive demonstrations and hands on activities where visitors can feel the power of what science is all about. Back by popular demand ‘Lego Technics’ takes place on the Tuesday from 10:30am – 3pm when children can design, build and test their own Lego Technic machines. They can then race them along the ‘Heritage Track’ with the fastest car of the day winning the title ‘Champion Designer’ as well as a prize.

Visitors up for a challenge can take part in Wheelie Lego on the Wednesday from 10:30am – 3pm. Children can become a HMC engineering apprentice for the day and try and engineer a Lego car to come down the ramp and travel as far as possible! ‘Auto Crafty’ takes place on the Thursday with some ‘hands on’ crafty activities from 10:30am – 3pm. To round off the week visitors can enjoy a fast and furious hour setting their lap time on the fun sized Scalextrix race track with Mighty Fast Friday from 10:30pm – 3pm.

Emma Rawlinson, Life Long Learning Officer for the Heritage Motor Centre stated “We are delighted to be hosting a week of family fun Auto Science Live activities with all of them designed to entertain but also educate. Not only do our activities include something for all ages, but all are free of charge!”

All activities are FREE of charge but normal Museum entry fees apply: Adults £12, Child £8 (5-16 years) under 5 free, Concessions £10 & Family £34 (2 adults & up to 3 children). Buy one day and get 12 months free if you Gift Aid your entrance. For more information about the HMC please visit www.heritage-motor-centre.co.uk or call 01926 641188.

Four times World Superbikes Champion Carl Fogarty and ex-British Champion James Whitham will be the special guests at the launch of the Shropshire and Staffordshire Blood Bikes service at the RAF Museum, Cosford.

Carl said: “I am pleased to support the Blood Bikes service which do such a great job in delivering urgently required blood and other medical items to NHS patients, helping tosave lives.”

The newly formed Shropshire and Staffordshire Blood Bikes already have over 100 volunteer riders and supporters, ready to commence operations in support of the NHS this month with its first two specially equipped motorcycles.

SSBB Chairman Chris Powdrill said: “We are delighted to have Carl Fogarty and TV pundit James Whitham with us to support the official launch of the Shropshire and Staffordshire Blood Bikes, to be hosted by BBCRadio Shropshire’s Jim Hawkins. The emergency Blood Bikes service is a charity run entirely by volunteers, providing a vital service delivering blood and medical items which can save the NHS up to £300 per urgent delivery compared to thecost of using commercial couriers. SSBB is fortunate to have raised sufficient funds to purchase its first two blood bikes but will need six bikes to provide cover for the whole of Shropshire and Staffordshire.”

The SSBB launch event at RAF Museum Cosford at 2pm on 22nd January is open to everyone interested in the work of the Blood Bikes and coincides with Carl and James’ visit to Telford, where they will stage a leg of their UK chat show ‘Foggy and Whit - Givin’ it Gas’ at The Place later that evening. For full details of the tour visit www.foggyandwhit.co.uk

If you would like to be involved or support Shropshire and Staffordshire Blood Bikes, visit here

The Motorcycle Industry Association (MCI) is optimistic about motorcycle sales during 2014, after surveying its members, following Motorcycle Live.

Interest at Motorcycle Live, the Association’s flagship show, is traditionally a barometer which predicts sales for the coming year. Intention to buy a bike seems to be high, with Kawasaki’s exit poll showing this could be as many as nearly 50% of those visiting the show.

Figures released today, show that new registrations for December 2013 were 11.3% up on the same time for 2012. This follows increases for September 8% and October 6.7%, compared to the same time the previous year.

CEO of the MCI, Steve Kenward, explained that any upturn in the motorcycle market is a good indication that economic recovery is sustained.

“The motorcycle market in the UK has taken longer to pick up than the car market. The majority of our sales are to leisure customers, and so upgrading the bike regularly became a casualty of reduced disposable income. That seems to be changing from what our members are reporting with regard to intention to buy in 2014.

“Though the UK motorcycle market has fared better than mainland Europe, it’s been a tough few years, and those areas where there has been growth tended to be from new customers looking for more economical ways to commute."

General Manager of Kawasaki, Howard Dale explained: “This is our one chance per year to meet the maximum number of current, past and future customers. Just about every Kawasaki Motors UK head office staff member worked at the show during its 9 day run, and they were all unanimous in reporting that the reception to the stand, new machines, Kawasaki riders and attractions was overwhelming. New models were a particular draw.

“Perhaps the most encouraging and exciting thing to come out of the show for us was that an independent exit poll we commissioned to gain opinion on those leaving the Kawasaki stand told us that almost half of our visitors are ready to buy during the forthcoming 2014 sales season”.

Head of Honda Motorcycles UK, Nick Campolucci is optimistic for 2014 and beyond: “In a market which at present remains flat, Honda (UK) is seeing signs of improvement on the previous year. We are 3.9% up on sales volume (2013 vs. 2012) and 1% up on market share (up from 17.5% to 18.5% across all sectors, 2013 vs. 2012). These are of course positive figures and we are optimistic that there will be further improvements going forward, with the introduction of several new 2014 models in the coming months and modest growth in the total market in the coming years.

Yamaha’s General Manager for Sales and Marketing, Adam Kelley says they too felt interest at the show suggested confidence in the UK market for 2014 is well founded, “There was a real buzz both on our stand and at the show in general. The market is changing and we were particularly pleased by the interest level in many of our new models as well as the existing line-up both from existing and non Yamaha customers. It has left us with a more positive feeling about sales in 2014”.

Harley Davidson’s UK manager David Hackshall is looking forward to a particularly good year: “We had an amazing response at Motorcycle Live with our best ever level of customer enquiries driven through the Harley-Davidson stand team. This gives us a very positive outlook for the coming year.”