Looking for owners of the following bikes to attend a focus group on Tuesday 16th July in London W.1. at 6.30pm.

Payment: £100 for 2 hours

Men & women aged 20 - 60

Ducati Panigale / Panigale S  BMW S1000RR  MV Augusta F4 1000 / 1000R  Aprilia RSV4

All bikes must have been bought from new and later than 2009.

For more information, please call Luci on 07940 520 224

As we have previously reported, there was a vote in the European Parliament on the 2nd July concerning the European Commission’s three proposals regarding the Road Worthiness Testing (RWT) package and relevant amendments.

The three proposals from the European Commission in the RWT package are: •Periodic roadworthiness tests for motor vehicles and their trailers •Registration documents for vehicles •Technical roadside inspection of the roadworthiness of commercial vehicles circulating in the Union.

The vote in the Parliament agreed on amendments to introduce RWT for motorcycles, whereas previously a committee of MEPs, the TRAN (Transport and Tourism), agreed to delete motorcycles from the proposals.

If the proposed regulations went through right now, this would see the mandatory introduction of RWT or Periodical Technical Inspection (PTI) a version of our MoT for motorcycles across Europe.

Although parliament had agreed to the three proposals, it was also agreed that these be referred back to the TRAN committee for reconsideration.

On the 8th July 2013 the TRAN committee voted in favour of a mandate to enter into negotiations with the Council and the Commission to head for an agreement on a common position for a vote in the European Parliament for the introduction of this legislation. However we do hear you cry what does all this mean, just hold on what about some plain language! What does this mean for UK riders?

The concern for riders in the UK is that the MoT test will somehow become a “Super MoT” with an associated rise in costs, even though the Commission’s proposal indicates that the RWT would be of a minimum standard across the European Union with member states free to introduce a stricter regime if they wish to do so.

At some stage anyway there could be the introduction of emission testing (this is dependent on the type approval legislation recently passed in which manufacturers will be obliged – from 2016 to declare emissions). However, in the UK our testing period is after three years (end of third year – beginning of the fourth year) then every year.

In Northern Ireland our MoT is carried out by a Government Agency, while in GB (rest of the UK) the test is carried out by independent testers who also in most cases also repair motorcycles. The RWT proposal aims to split these activities (see comments above from Jacqueline Foster on this specific proposal.

MEPs Vote

If you are writing to MEPs remember they may have voted against the amendments and proposal for Example in Northern Ireland our MEPs voted thus: Diane Dodds – Against – James Nicholson – Against – Martina Anderson – Abstained.

The Belgium riders organisation FBMC are organising a demonstration on the 14th September against the proposal. We are continuing our own lobbying as we are sure other riders organisations across Europe are.

In the grand scale of things, how will this proposal affect UK riders?  From where we are standing – not a lot – possibly it will mean at some point in time, the inclusion of emissions testing.  For the rest, our opinion has always been and remains that in Europe, each country has its own culture, history and way of doing things and if these countries prefer not to have RWT, that is their right.

Our view is that each and every one of us must make sure that our motorcycle is roadworthy and safe to ride. Whether this depends on a third party inspecting our pride and joy to ensure that it is “safe” or whether it is for us to do, it doesn’t really matter as far as we are concerned – in the end it is our own responsibility.

Read the full article on Right To ride EU 

In 2012 there were 33,303 reported road collisions on the Highways Agency network, causing lane closures, significant costs and delays for thousands of road users.

With many people driving to the airport and to their holiday destinations in the coming weeks, the IAM (Institute of Advanced Motorists), the RAC and the Highways Agency are advising on how not to become one of the unlucky ones who sacrifices time on the beach for time broken down. • All drivers are looking to get to their destination without delay – but following too close to other vehicles on the motorway is not the way to speed up your arrival. In fact, tailgating is far more likely to lead to a collision. Always try to maintain a two second gap between yourself and the vehicle in front of you. • If you are being tailgated, there are steps you can take to help prevent their bad behaviour becoming your burden: try not to react by accelerating, braking or swerving suddenly - this will reduce your car control and probably annoy the other driver. Remain calm and check your mirrors frequently to monitor the situation around you. • When driving on the motorway in the UK, you should consider the left hand lane your ‘base’. There are no set speeds for each lane, so on an empty motorway, you should always drive on the left, using the other lanes for overtaking slower vehicles. Many motorists stick to the middle-ground of lane two to minimise their lane changes, but this is not best practice and could irritate other drivers,.

IAM chief executive Simon Best said: “More than 33,000 people crashed on England’s motorways and major “A” roads in 2012 – the equivalent of the entire population of West Somerset."

"A collision or breakdown on the way to the airport is a sure fire way to get your summer holiday off to a bad start. Just a few steps and precautions will ensure you’re digging out your swimsuits sooner rather than later.”

Steve Crosthwaite, head of the Highways Agency’s National Traffic Operations Centre said:

“Crashes and the delays they cause lead to even greater frustration when the roads are already busy with holiday traffic."

“If the journey to the airport, ferry or beach is a miserable one it can really shatter the holiday mood. We encourage people to spend a little time before they set off checking the traffic and weather conditions so they are prepared and allow adequate time for their journey, including breaks."

“And if there is an incident on our network we will be doing all we can to inform road users and to get everyone safely on their way again.”

RAC technical director David Bizley said: “We know from the RAC Report on Motoring 2013 that the biggest 'stress points' for motorists relate to the behaviour of other drivers. Seventy-four per cent of drivers we surveyed said they get stressed or angry because of people who drive too closely to them and 59 per cent get annoyed by drivers who don’t pull over from the outside lane of the motorway to let other vehicles go by. These are two bad driving habits that we could well do without.”

www.iam.org.uk

ITV has confirmed that it will screen a two-hour special covering this year's inaugural Classic TT meeting on the Isle of Man. North One TV will produce the programme, which will be aired on ITV4 on Wednesday 28th August from 9pm. The show will also be distributed globally to many of the international broadcasters already showing the award winning TT highlights packages, including Discovery Velocity in the USA and Network 10 in Australia.

Matt Smith, one of ITV Sport's leading presenters, who currently hosts Uefa Cup Live and Champions League shows, will anchor the show. Established TT Races presenters Steve Parrish, James Whitham and Steve Plater will join him as co-commentators.

The two-hour show will cover all of the Classic TT Races from the two race days including the blue riband 500cc race, the 350 and 250cc Race and the Formula 1, Formula 2 and Formula Classic race. The races will feature a stunning array of machines ridden by leading TT stars going head to head with Classic racing specialists

TT 2013 race winners John McGuinness and Michael Dunlop will be reprising their head to head in the 500cc Race while other TT stars that have signed up to take part in the meeting include Bruce Anstey, Conor Cummins, William Dunlop, Guy Martin, Cameron Donald, James Hillier and Gary Johnson who will battle experienced classic racing specialists including Olie Linsdell, Chris Palmer, Chris Swallow, Alan Oversby and Roy Richardson.

The riders will be appearing on priceless machines from iconic marques such as Paton, Matchless, Norton, MV Agusta, BSA, Moto Guzzi, Ducati, Vincent, AJS, Aermacchi and the established Japanese manufacturers, Honda, Kawasaki and Suzuki while the world renowned Yamaha Classic Racing team will also be participating in their first and only competitive race meeting before being disbanded.

Away from the racing, a number of motorcycling legends and former World Champions are scheduled to appear in the Classic Racer Classic TT 'Lap of Honour' which will also feature in the TV programme. Topping the bill will be fifteen-time World Champion Giacomo Agostini, who will be also be appearing in a special parade lap with John McGuinness recreating the 1967 TT Races, while world champions Freddie Spencer, Carlos Lavardo, Steve Baker and Kork Ballington, who will all be on the Island during the event, will also feature in the show.

Neil Duncanson, Chief Executive, North One TV, commented: "We'll be looking to really get under the skin of the event and capture the thrilling sights, sounds and action. We won't just be looking at the racing but will be producing a number of features that cover all aspects of the festival. There's a huge amount of content packed into a short period and with so many great racing names past and present, the challenge will be to fit everything into a two hour show."

Laurence Skelly, Political Member, Isle of Man Tourism, commented: "This is a great platform to profile both the inaugural Classic TT and the Isle of Man worldwide. It will also assist us in achieving our long term commercial revenue objectives for the event and help to generate additional visitors to the Isle of Man."

Apparently there was a lot of chat last night on free radio, as someone thought they had sunstroke on Sunday as they saw Santa riding down the M54 on a motorbike, then the Teletubbies on a trike.

Well they were correct as Shifnab were doing their 5th 155 Mile Sponsored Fancy Dress Café Stop ride, in aid of the NABD (National Association for Bikers with a Disability) and the Orthotic Department @ Gobowen Hospital.

Approximately 33 motorcyclists took part on the hottest day of the year so far, some wearing fantastic costumes over their leathers & melting inside, but it was worth it, as so far they have raised about £1,000 for the two very worth while causes with more money still being donated by companies and the general public.

For further information or to make a donation please call 07584 449483 

Shifnab were doing their 5th 155 Mile Sponsored Fancy Dress Café Stop