THE BIKER GUIDE will soon be 5 years old and to celebrate we will be having 5 days of give aways, from the 8th January on our facebook page.

To be in with a chance simply 'like' us and join in here;
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BMF Show organisers The Mulberry Group have announced a brand new class at the BMF May Show (Peterborough Arena 16-18 May 2014) – Classic Motor Scooter.

Mulberry’s MD Martin Chick said “This is a fantastic opportunity for another sector of the great two wheeled fraternity to come and experience the BMF Show and at the same time will introduce our audience to the best of motor scooters” “The new class will allow those with rare, restored and pristine machines to show them off to the public and clubs who attend one of Europe’s largest outdoor motorcycle shows”

To find out more about the show and to register your scooter (or any other bike within the classes) simply visit: www.thebmfshow.co.uk and follow the link to Peterborough May Best in Show

Advanced tickets for the BMF Shows are on sale now and have NO booking fees, NO postage fees and NO admin fees – parking is FREE and under 16’s gain FREE access with a paying adult.

For more information about any of the BMF shows visit www.thebmfshow.co.uk. Or talk to the show organisers, The Mulberry Group, on 01869 277077.

A man from Liverpool accumulated 45 licence penalty points in November, according to figures released by the DVLA1  following an IAM freedom of information request.  The points were all for failing to disclose the identity of the driver or exceeding statutory speed limit on a public road, between 01 October 2012 and 20 June 2013.   This beats the previous record of 42 points.

The second-highest points total, 36, went to a man from Warrington, Cheshire, who was caught driving without insurance six times in less than two weeks, between 20 February and 2 March 2012.

Other notable offenders include:

· A woman from Lincoln with 34 points, who was caught speeding three times and failed to give information to identify the driver four times between 15 January 2012 and 26 September 2012.

· A female from Hull with 31 points, who was caught speeding eight times in two months, between 29 September 2011 and 29 November 2011.

· A man from Westcliff-on-Sea, with 30 points who was caught speeding six times in just two weeks, between 30 September and 13 October 2012.

Failing to give the identity of the owner, speeding, and driving uninsured are the most common reasons for points.

Of the top twenty licence-points holders, only three are women.

IAM chief executive Simon Best said: “Last September, the IAM highlighted a driver with 42 points on their license and we were told that more would be done to address the issue. Incredibly, we now have someone driving with 45 points.  DVLA must rapidly overall their systems and working relationships with the courts to ensure that the whole principle of 12 points and you are off the road is not undermined.

“Any suggestion that some drivers may be able to speed with impunity and then talk themselves out of a ban puts our whole approach to enforcement into question.  The police and the motoring public need to have confidence that those caught speeding or breaking other motoring laws will be dealt with equally.”

Ryan Farquhar returns to join John McGuinness and Gary Johnson in strong line up

One of the most successful Classic teams of recent years, Team Winfield, has confirmed its return to the Mountain Course in 2014 with an all-star three man attack on the Classic TT Races presented by Bennetts.

The team had mixed fortunes at the inaugural Classic TT in 2013 but Roger Winfield’s outfit will have one of the strongest teams on the Island in August with John McGuinness, Gary Johnson and the returning Ryan Farquhar riding in the Bennetts 500cc Classic TT and Motorsport Merchandise F1 Classic TT Races.

As per the 2013 event, 20 times TT winner McGuinness will contest the Bennetts 500cc Classic Race on board a 500cc Paton where he’ll be joined by Farquhar on an identical machine.

McGuinness will be hoping for better luck than he endured in 2013. Having shown early pace in qualifying, an electrical problem that plagued the team throughout much of qualifying returned on race day forcing him to retire from the race early on. Farquhar meanwhile has tremendous history with Winfield and the Paton machine having won the 500cc Classic Manx Grand Prix on no less than five occasions between 2007 and 2012.

37-year old Farquhar, who recently announced he was coming out of retirement to contest the Bikesocial.co.uk Lightweight TT Race, will also line up in the Motorsport Merchandise F1 Classic TT Race for Team Winfield where he’ll be joined by Brigg based rider Johnson. The duo will both compete on F1 Harris Yamaha’s with Johnson having ridden a similar machine in 2013, lapping at close to 118mph and running as high as third before being forced to retire.

Farquhar and Winfield also have previous form in the Classic Superbike category, the combination having won the corresponding race at the Manx in 2009 and 2011.

Commenting on his stellar line up for the Classic TT, team owner Roger Winfield said: “We are delighted with our riders for the Classic TT. We really enjoyed the first event last year despite not having much luck in the races themselves. But that is racing and we intend to come back stronger. I really felt for John who was desperate to win the 500cc Race last year. He’ll be the man to beat going back this time, but we have made his job a little bit harder, by recruiting Ryan to ride the other bike and his results on it in the past are there for all to see!”

He continued: “Gary did a superb job for us last year on the Yamaha. We have developed that bike significantly over the winter and both Gary and Ryan will have a race winning package for the F1 Race.”

Road safety charity the IAM is offering tips from Britain’s top advanced driver, Peter Rodger. Following severe weather warnings of storms over the coming days, the IAM is advising on how to drive in windy weather.

In the wind

· Strong winds can also unsettle your car and even change your direction of travel. Grip your steering wheel firmly and also be ready for the effects of the wind on other road users, particularly motorcyclists and flat-sided vehicles like lorries.

· Plan your journey – is there a route with less exposure to the weather and less risk of fallen trees?  Choose a sheltered route if you have the option.

· Strong winds are not constant, they are usually gusty so ensure you hold the steering wheel firmly.

· Overtaking high sided vehicles or driving past buildings can result in a sudden gust from the side as you clear.

· Give cyclists, motorcyclists, lorries and buses more room than usual.  They get blown around by side winds easily.  Even pedestrians can be blown about.

· Watch trees and bushes on the roadside - their branches can show you how strong the wind is.  Look well ahead, that way you don’t need to take your eye off the road and you can see any windy patches before you get to them.

· Go slow enough to cope with the gusts.  Wind can get under a car and reduce its handling and braking significantly.

· Keep an eye on what is happening to other vehicles – where they are affected will give you a pre warning.

· Go slowly enough to cope with the tree that has fallen right across the road, just round the bend where you can’t see it.

· Be careful of debris, try and have space beside you in case you need to dodge it.

In the rain

· Before you set off, set your heater controls – rain can makes the windows mist up in seconds. You don’t want to be fiddling with controls when you should be concentrating on the road.

· See and be seen. Put your lights on – as a rule of thumb, whenever you need to use your wipers you should also turn your dipped headlights on, and before overtaking put your wipers on their fastest setting.

· Keep your eyes on the road ahead and plan your driving so that you can brake, accelerate and steer smoothly – harsh manoeuvres will unbalance the car.

· Slow down. In the rain stopping distance is at least doubled. Giving yourself more space also helps to avoid spray, especially when following a large vehicle.

· If you have cruise control, avoid using it on wet roads – you need to pay more attention to the road surface conditions and alter your speed gently.