IAM’s head of riding standards, Peter Rodger, is advising on what to do following an accident.

• Check that you are safe and unharmed, and then check that of anyone else involved.
• Be careful – it’s easy to get focussed on the accident, and forget what else might be going – be aware of the possibility of other traffic still moving around
• If you are able, attend to anyone who is injured – if you have first aid training, great, but if not, don’t try to be a hero – dial 999 (112 will also work if you are more used to it) straight away and talk to the ambulance service.
• Remove the ignition keys from your bike, even if you just leave it for a moment.
• If the accident is really serious, don’t move anything (other than the ignition keys) unless absolutely necessary.
• Don’t remove a helmet unless you have to because the person inside it isn’t breathing.
• Get the details of any witnesses.
• If possible, get photographic evidence to show the position of the vehicles involved, the road surface (especially any contributing defects) and any damage to other vehicles as well as your own. If you do not have a mobile phone or camera handy, you could also do a sketch of the scene.
• Never ride away from the scene of an accident you are involved in without speaking to the other people involved or leaving your contact details. Give your name and the name of the owner of the bike (if different), address, registration number, details of any injuries and insurance company information. You should get all of this information for the other party also.
• If you don’t get chance to exchange details – perhaps the other driver/rider didn’t stop – you must report the accident to the police straight away, which must be within 24 hours. 

Rodger said: “Nobody wants to think about the possibility of being involved themselves, but it happens. It’s not a pleasant thought, but it’s important to be prepared in case it happens. Knowing what you must do and taking simple precautions can make things far easier and less stressful afterwards.”

Listening to the request of our clients, we have ordered 1 ft x 4ft pvc Banners, with eyelets, ready to hang outside your establishment to let passing Bikers know that you welcome them.
 
They simply say:
 
BIKERS WELCOME
 
They can be used all year or simply when you know that there will be many passing Motorcyclists in your area for Rallies, events or during the summertime... 

If you are interested please order via the website here:
 

Barbour has announced the launch of the Barbour International Authentic Motorcycle range, marking a welcome return to motorcycling for the British clothing manufacturer.

The wax cotton International jacket has been a mainstay of Barbour’s range since its original introduction more than 75 years ago. It has now been redesigned to accommodate CE-approved elbow and shoulder armour, and a Level 2 back protector as standard.

Manufactured in an 8oz wax cotton, Barbour’s International motorcycling jacket features a near identical specification to the original International, albeit with a new waterproof tartan lining and a reflective belt.

The jacket also features a dark red satin zip-out thermal liner, which can be removed on warmer days and, naturally, the International’s distinctive diagonal chest pocket, originally introduced in 1951 for quick access to maps.

To offer increased protection for motorcyc lists, Barbour has also developed wax cotton over-trousers that zip together with the International motorcycling jacket. The trousers also feature CE-approved armour in the knee and hip areas, as well as a waterproof lining.

Following its original launch in 1947, the International quickly became a firm favourite amongst motorcyclists, and in the 1954 International Six Day Trial more than 70% of competitors wore the jacket.

Ten years later, the International was worn exclusively by the American ISDT team, featuring Steve McQueen and Bud Ekins, the stunt rider who performed McQueen’s famous fence leap in The Great Escape.

Steve Buck, managing director of Barbour, said: “In recent years, traditional and classic motorcycles have become increasingly popular. Many of our customers told us that they prefer to wear traditional motorcycle clothing when out on their bikes, but that it needed to include protective armour. We have listened to our customers and we have created the Barbour International Authentic Motorcycle range that not only looks the part but also offers significantly enhanced levels of protection for the rider. The jacket and trousers are almost identical in design to those originally worn by riders from the 1940s through to the 70s, so our motorcycling heritage has been incorporated into these garments for a truly authentic look.”

The Barbour International Authentic Motorcycle jacket will be priced at £399.99, including elbow and shoulder armour and a Level 2 back protector. The trousers will be priced at £239.99 and will incorporate knee and hip armour. All the armour has been produced specifically for the Barbour collection by Forcefield.  Both pieces will initially be available exclusively through MotoLegends and will be on sale at the beginning of March.

www.motolegends.com

Entry for the 2013 Coventry Festival of Motoring is now open for clubs and individuals and organisers are aiming to attract hundreds of cars and motorbikes and their owners to take part in the event, which makes a welcome return to Stoneleigh Park over the August Bank Holiday weekend of Saturday 24th and Sunday 25th August.

Last year’s Festival was the first to take place at Stoneleigh, having previously been held at Coventry’s War Memorial Park, and was hailed as a huge success.  Over 1000 classic vehicles took part, with around 600 of them on the flagship Sunday morning Historic Vehicle Run through Kenilworth, Leamington and South Warwickshire. 

Over 30 car and motorbike clubs mounted impressive displays and 20,000 visitors enjoyed the weekend’s events at Stoneleigh Park. This year’s Festival is set to build on the success of 2012, with the return of the Future of Transport Expo, showcasing some of the region’s most exciting vehicular innovations, as well as a buzzing programme of entertainment, shopping and competitions planned throughout the whole weekend. 

The Show & Shine and WheelSkills precision driving contests will also return for 2013, having been hotly contested in their inaugural year.

Anyone who would like to take their car or motorbike on the Festival of Motoring Historic Vehicle Run can apply online at www.festival-of-motoring.co.uk  Entry costs £22 for cars and £11 for motorcycles, and will remain open until Friday 10th May 2013, or until all places are filled, whichever comes soonest. As well as the car run, the other integral element of the Festival of Motoring is the many and varied car and motorcycle clubs who display throughout the weekend, and entry is now open for clubs who would like to take part in the event.  Display space for clubs is free of charge, and can be booked now by downloading an application form from www.festival-of-motoring.co.uk

Gary Hall, Chair of the Coventry Festival of Motoring Organising Committee said: “We had a great time at Stoneleigh Park for the 2012 Coventry Festival of Motoring and we’re planning for the 2013 event to be even bigger and better, with lots of motoring-related festivities across both days of the Festival.  I would urge any classic car or bike owner to log onto the Festival website and get involved in this wonderful event.”

Now firmly established as the number one motorcycle show in the North of England and with a month to go before the doors open at EventCity on 23rd & 24th March, The Manchester Bike Show looks set to break all records in 2013. 

We have already increased the total floor area of the event by 62.5% from 10,000 sq m to 16,000 sq m and confidently predict that every single square metre will be filled with motorcycle related content. In floor area alone this makes The Manchester Bike Show at EventCity second only to Motorcycle Live! at the NEC in November, other regional motorcycle events simply pale in comparison. 

Here are a few reasons why:    

One of the things the visitors loved last year was the sheer number of bikes on display and this year we will have even more.  To date we have 35 clubs bringing 325 display machines and a further 50 privately entered bikes.  These include classic bikes from the dawn of the motorcycling era, British classics of the post war era to modern Japanese Classics, Streetfighters, Custom Bikes, Off Road and Racing Bikes.  No other indoor modern motorcycle show has anything like this on offer, a motorcycle show with motorcycles on display, not rocket science is it?

Our roots reach deep into the motorcycling community with stands from British Motorcycle Federation, Motorcycle Action Group, Blood Bikes North West, THE BIKER GUIDE, Youth bike, National Association of Bikers with a Disability, The Bike Channel, Real Radio XS, Full Throttle magazine  and many, many more.

All the main manufacturers will all be represented from Triumph, BMW, Ducati, Yamaha, Suzuki, Honda, Kawasaki, Aprilia, MV Augusta, Moto Guzzi, Victory, Benelli. 

Come and talk to dealers from across the north of England about the latest hot models in the showrooms.  Our retail village now has around 75 individual companies taking stands with motorcycle clothing, leathers, helmets, touring companies, tyre manufacturers, insurance companies and many others all taking stands dedicated to keeping your bike where it should be, on the road. 

Don’t forget it is free to park at EventCity as it is right next to the Trafford Centre, just 5 mins drive from J9 & 10 of the M60 motorway so spend all day with us without watching the clock, combine the show with a shopping trip or simply come on your bike and join the outside display in our dedicated bike park.   

Advance ticket sales are running 40% up on the same stage last year when just under 10,000 visitors came through the doors over the weekend (we count heads not feet). 

To book your tickets, avoid the queues and save 25% on the normal admission price with no booking fee and no premium rate number call Bradsons on  01749 813899 or book on line www.bradsons.co.uk If you pay by card on the day we won’t charge you a transaction fee either!

www.manchesterbikeshow.com