Motorway Service Areas are charging up to four times the high street price for basic food and drinks, according to research conducted by road safety charity, the Institute of Advanced Motorists (IAM).

Essentials such as a 500ml bottle of water cost £2.09 (95 pence on the high street in London) while the cheapest cheese sandwich cost £3.99). 

On the high street, the everyday shopper can expect to pay 25 per cent less than a service area user. At a popular high street newsagent, a standard size Mars bar costs £0.79 and a pack of Walkers crisps is priced at £0.95).

Motorists are dissatisfied with the value for money available at Motorway Service Areas but are left with little choice when making long trips around the country.  When asked to rate the price of food and drinks at Motorway Service Areas, more than half of respondents (51%) rated them unreasonable.

The survey also found that sixty-five per cent of respondents are most likely only to stop at Motorway Service Areas just to use the toilet facilities1.

Price comparisons include: • A medium white coffee - £3.09 (£2.10 London high street) • A standard sized Mars bar - £0.95 (£0.79 London high street) • A pack of Walkers crisps – £1.05 (£0.95 London high street) • 500ml bottle of water £2.09 (£0.95 London high street) • A basic cheese sandwich - £3.99 (£1.00 local high street)

London offers the most expensive white coffee at £3.09, while generally prices were around £2.50.

Fifty-four per cent of respondents consider the price of petrol at Motorway Service Areas unreasonable.

With petrol prices averaging about ten pence per litre more than at off-motorway forecourts the IAM is calling for a complete review of motorway prices, together with filling stations being forced to advertise their and their competitors fuel prices, as is the case in France.

The research also revealed that from one Motorway Service Area to the next, the price of petrol can vary by up to 10p per litre.

Cost of petrol per in pence per litre: • Hopwood Park M4 – 144.90 (132.9 off motorway2) • Corley M6 – 144.90  (131.9 off motorway) • Michaelwood M5 – 142.90 (135.9 off motorway) • Strensham M5 – 142.90 (133.0 off motorway) • Pont Abraham, Wales M4 – 141.90 (133.9 off motorway) • Forton M6 – 141.90 (133.9 off motorway) • Sarn Park M4 – 133.90  (131.7 off motorway) • Heston Services M4 - 144.90 (132.8 off motorway) • UK average at supermarkets £1.313

IAM chief executive Simon Best said: “Motorway Service Areas are supposed to be for motorists eat, drink and freshen up. It’s very important to have a break every two hours and these costs will put people off stopping. Tired motorists pose a danger to themselves and other road users.”

“17,000 people every year break down on the motorway simply because they have run out of fuel, which can cause lane closures and delays for everyone.  High petrol prices will put people off filling up.  Forcing stations to advertise their competitors’ prices would drive costs down.”

French privateer racer, Bruno Langlois, takes Ducati Multistrada to 1205 category Pikes Peak victory
•Fourth successive category win for Ducati Multistrada

Borgo Panigale (Bologna, Italy), 02 July 2013 – The Ducati Multistrada has taken victory in the famous Pikes Peak “Race to the Clouds” event in Colorado for the fourth year in succession with a spectacular win this time for French privateer racer, Bruno Langlois.

Langlois, whose career history includes titles from the Championnat France de Côte in 1985 and Champion de France Promosport 750 in 1990, continues to compete at home in France, but after whetting his appetite with a third place at Pikes Peak last year aboard a Ducati Streetfighter, vowed to return for the victory.

With a helping hand from Ducati West Europe and his local Ducati Dealer, Moto Prestige, Langlois secured the use of a standard 2013 Ducati Multistrada 1200 S Pikes Peak – built and named to celebrate the Italian manufacturer’s first win on the mountain - and took the 1205 category win.

The Pikes Peak International Hill Climb, or "Race to the Clouds", is situated in a range of the Rocky Mountains, 16km west of Colorado Springs and races from a start line altitude of 2,862 metres (9,389ft) to a finish line at 4,300 (14,100ft).

Langlois used Ducati’s highly awarded Multistrada 1200, which features a unique “4-bikes-in-1” character by combining the technologies of Ride-by-Wire, Ducati Electronic Suspension, Ducati Traction Control and ABS into the four Riding Modes of Sport, Touring, Urban and Enduro. The modes, which can be pre-programmed with personalized settings, enable the rider to transform the motorcycle at the touch of a button, even while riding. This touch-button versatility was further enhanced for 2013 with the introduction of Ducati Skyhook Suspension, now proven perfect for the Pikes Peak event as well as impressing Multistrada owners all over the world.

Victory at this year’s “Race to the Clouds” has highlighted the passion and determination for Ducatisti such as Bruno Langlois to embrace the Ducati brand and prove their talent in exciting and memorable events such as Pikes Peak.

Managing Director of Ducati West Europe, Thierry Mouterde, said: “We are very happy to have been able to help make this victory happen for Bruno. As a passionate brand, we were impressed by his determination to win Pikes Peak and we knew that the Multistrada 1200 has a proven track record there. We would like to congratulate both Bruno and Moto Prestige, our Ducati dealer in Ajaccio, for the great work they have done.”

Ducati Motor Holding S.p.A – An Audi Group Company

Founded in 1926, Ducati has been producing sport-inspired motorcycles since 1946. Their motorcycles are characterised by “Desmodromic” performance engines, innovative design and avant-garde technology. Covering several market segments, Ducati's range of motorcycles are divided into model families which include: Diavel, Hypermotard, Monster, Multistrada, Streetfighter and Superbike.

These authentic icons of “made in Italy” are sold in over 80 countries around the world, with concentration on the European, North-American and Asia Pacific markets. Ducati competes in both the World Superbike Championship and, with an official team, the World MotoGP Championship. In Superbike Ducati has won 17 Manufacturers' titles and 14 Riders' titles and in 2011 passed the historic milestone of 300 race victories. Ducati have participated in MotoGP since 2003, and took both the Manufacturers' and Riders' titles in 2007.

After yesterday’s European Plenary session at the Parliament in Strasbourg for the vote concerning the Road Worthiness Testing proposals from the European Commission, FEMA (Federation of European Motorcyclists’ Associations) as the representative of their members, i.e. European Riders’ Organisations, has released some information on what happened in the vote.

Similarly SMC (Swedish Association of Motorcyclists) and FFMC (French Federation of Angry Bikers) have released independent information for their members and respective motorcycle communities in their own countries.

Several of the rider organisation representatives were present at the vote in Strasbourg including, Morten Hansen (NMCU), Eric Thiollier (FFMC), Dolf Willigers (MAG NL) and Chris Hodder (BMF).

However,  the final vote by the EU Parliament on the amendments, which brought motorcycles back into mandatory RWT, was  postponed and referred back to the TRAN committee (Transport and Tourism) committee, chaired by UK MEP Brian Simpson, to begin discussions with the Council of Ministers and the European Commission.

The European Commission’s position is to include motorcycles within RWT, the Council of Ministers deleted motorcycles from their position, TRAN had also deleted motorcycles with a compromise to look at the statistics within three years to see if RWT for motorcycles is necessary either to mandate or leave this decision to member states. For example in the UK we already have RWT,  commonly known as the MoT and this would not change.

Although Chris Hodder (Government Relations) from the BMF, has stated that this (the vote to include amendment 117) is a defeat but at the same time, not a victory for the European Commission, we would consider that this is all part of the parliamentary procedure.  In other words, it isn’t over until the Barber Shop Quartet (or in this case the Barber Shop Trio i.e. the Commission, Parliament and Council ) join together in harmony!

As the EU Parliament has said, “Parliament adopted amendments to the Commission proposals on Tuesday which it wants to be the basis for negotiations with Council with a view to agreeing the revised legislation at first reading.”

At Right To Ride we are rounding up information from all our sources and will have a full report on the vote on Road Worthiness Testing and its meaning for motorcyclists.

View the article and what others are saying on Right To Ride EU

THE team behind some of Britain’s biggest and best motorcycle shows is consolidating this year’s programme before further expansion in 2014.

Classic Bike Shows, organiser of events such as the International Dirt Bike Show and the International Classic MotorCycle Show, had planned to launch a new event this September in the garden of England – the Carole Nash Big Kent Bike Show.

But, having already taken on successful new events at Lanark and Newark over the past year, the decision has now been made to reschedule the Kent launch for 2014.

The Kent County Showground in Detling will remain as the venue, with the delay allowing for planned renovation work to get underway at the location, meaning enhanced and redeveloped facilities will be in place when the much-anticipated weekend arrives.

Exhibition manager Nick Mowbray said: “Having expanded our portfolio of events in the last year, we have taken a decision that gives us the necessary time to inject the kind of quality into the Big Kent Bike Show that is expected of us by our visitors.”

A two-part course designed for riders who want to enhance their skills and take their riding to the next level, working towards the DSA Enhanced Rider Certificate, a national DSA qualification, which is recognised by most leading Insurance companies and could earn you a discount on your premiums.

PART ONE: A one day course at the Heritage Motor Centre

·         Welcome and safety briefing / Morning Coffee

·         Theory including Collision causation factors and the main areas where bikers crash.

·         Basic machine checks

·         Slow riding and machine handling

·         Cornering techniques/principles

·         Lunch (one course including Tea or Coffee)

PART TWO:  Mutually agreed assessment on another day

·         Dedicated two hour assessment ride out on a 1;1 basis

·         Debrief from assessment

·         DSA Enhanced Rider Certificate.

Price: £105.00 per person

24 August & 5 October 2013, 9:30am -5pm

Includes hand outs and guidance to take away, limited to 12 places.

www.heritage-motor-centre.co.uk