Scotland’s biggest and best motorcycle show returns to Edinburgh’s Royal Highland Centre this March with all the latest models, major manufacturers, and breath taking live action. The Carole Nash MCN Scottish Motorcycle Show, held on Saturday 9th and Sunday 10th March, is a haven for anyone with a passion for motorcycles.

Major bike manufacturers such as Triumph, Kawasaki, MV Agusta, KTM, Ducati, Suzuki, Victory, Honda, Yamaha and Harley Davidson will showcase their new models for 2013. Plus there will be exclusive offers from the dealers on new and 2012 motorbikes.

Thrill seekers can also enjoy stunt shows from the Wall of Death, Broke FMX and Kevin Carmichael in the outdoor Live Action Zones or head indoors to see The Inch Perfect Trials Display Team who will also host an additional ‘Try Out Trials’ arena where visitors over 16 years of age holding a DVLA motorcycle licence or an ACU licence can get advice and tips from the experts.

Top Biking Celebs Niall McKenzie and John McGuinness will be making an appearance over the weekend with Niall being at the show both days and legend John McGuinness appearing on Sunday, with more celebs to be confirmed so you will get to see your favourite superstar at the show!

If you like the older models then why not take a ride down memory lane in the Classic Bike magazine Classics Pavilion where you can find Scotland’s biggest collection of classic motorcycles spanning over 80 years or keep ahead of the trend in the Custom Zone hosted by the House of Custom. Plus don’t forget to check out the Knockhill Stage that will be jam packed with entertainment all weekend. 

Bag a bargain in the Bike Jumble and browse the Retail Village where a host of traders will be able to fit you out with new leathers, boots or helmet.

If you want to improve your bike’s appearance there’s a wide array of suppliers to help make your bike stand out from the crowd. For families with a tight budget the great news is that children under 15 go free and there’s plenty to keep them occupied with the Live action zone and fabulous bikes means the Carole Nash MCN Scottish Motorcycle Show is THE place to be for all things bike!

Why not make a day of it at the show we open at 9am until 5pm each day. Advanced adult ticket prices just £12 or £16 on the door. Senior citizen tickets are £7 in advance or £12 at the door. Kids under 15 go free when accompanied by a paying adult. Parking is £5 per car, motorcycles are free and secure helmet storage is available.

To book tickets call the 24hr ticket hotline on 0844 8540064 or visit www.scottishmotorcycleshow.com where you can find all the latest updates.

With just over 100 days to go to the 2013 Isle of Man TT Races fuelled by Monster Energy, demand for VIP Hospitality experiences and Grandstand tickets has reached unprecedented levels.

The 1000 seat Glencrutchery Road Grandstand posted sold out notices for all four race days in July of last year and tickets for the official 'Fanzones' around the course at the CregNy Baa (400 seats), Ballacrye (200 seats), Crosby Jump (200 seats), and the viewing platform at Rhencullen (100 persons capacity), are all now also seeing limited availability on several days. The Glencrutchery Road Grandstand has also sold all the available tickets for the final qualifying session.

Tickets for the traditional Senior Race Day Isle of Man bank holiday have always been in demand and they are also selling well for the other three race days. Due to demand, the TT organisers are now adding another 280 seat Fanzone Grandstand to be situated at the end of the competitors return road in Nobles Park, with fantastic views along Glencrutchery Road. The new Grandstand will open in time for the final two qualifying sessions on Thursday 30th and Friday the 31st May, with the Creg Ny Baa also opening two days earlier than originally advertised. Tickets for the new Grandstand will go on sale on Monday 18th February 2013.

The Isle of Man Government Department of Economic of Development has also upgraded its official VIP Hospitality offering for 2013 introducing a new 500 capacity luxury unit for this year's TT Races and the inaugural Classic TT, which forms part of the Isle of Man Festival of Motorcycling later on this year. The brand new, facility features a magnificent glass-fronted structure offering fantastic views of the riders as they finish.

Interest in TT VIP Hospitality experiences has been considerable, and despite the 65% increase in capacity for 2013, Senior Race Day is sold out with the Wednesday Race Day packages also close to a sellout. Packages for the Saturday and Monday Race Days are also selling quickly.

The new unit will play host to a number of additional events during this year's TT and Classic TT Races including the TT Preview Night on Friday 31st May and the MotoGP Mad Sunday Lunch on Sunday 2nd June. Former World Superbike Champion Neil Hodgson is hosting both events with only a limited number of tickets still remaining.

Tickets are also selling well for the newly formed Isle of Man Festival of Motorcycling which takes place in August 2013, with the two Classic TT Race Days already seeing significant interest in both Grandstand seats and VIP Hospitality packages. The venue will also feature a Classic TT themed party on Saturday 24th August and a TT Heroes Dinner on Sunday 25th August during the Classic TT weekend.

Fans can also get exclusive behind the scenes access to the press launch on 9th and 10th April and the Final Qualifying session on Friday 31st May at the TT itself. Both packages include exclusive opportunities to meet and interview the riders as they prepare for the World's biggest road racing event.

To reserve your tickets today visit www.iomtt.com or alternatively contact Regency Travel on 01624 694456 or Duke Marketing on 01624 640000.

It is with sadness that we report the tragic death of Ken Chaplin, one of the Biking worlds dearest friends, who was found in his tent at the Dragon Rally, Wales on Sunday 10th February.

A massive personality, who will be missed by many.

The funeral procession of bikes and trikes will be leaving Ken's home address, 114 Dialstone Lane, Stockport, Cheshire, SK2 6AQ between 3:00pm - 3:30pm on Friday (22/02/13) lead by the hearse and Ken's trike. There will be outriders to help minimise any disruption of the procession.  

The funeral service at Stockport Crematorium will start at 4:00pm and last about 45mins.  

Ken's family have requested that there be no flowers, they would prefer donations to the NABD, collection pots will be placed in the entrance to the crematorium and at the pub later. After the funeral there will be a procession to the Town Hall Tavern in Stockport (be warned, it is a small pub and there is not much parking).

Donations can be made in person at the funeral or by calling NABD on 0844 415 4849.

Riders for Health, the official charity of MotoGP™, have added two new UK motorcycle shows to their events calendar for 2013: The British Motorcyclists Federation (BMF) Show,18th-19thMay, and BMF Tailend,14th-15th September, both to be held at the Peterborough Arena (formerly The East of England Show ground.

Riders will have a stand in the new Adventure and Overland Touring area with their off-road fundraising ride to Zambia.Experience Africa is not your typical off-road motorcycle tour. It is a once in a lifetime opportunity to see the inspiring work being done in Zambia by Riders for Health and see how motorcycles are saving lives in Africa.

Riders for Health have also launched a new raffle for 2013 to win a free place on Experience Africa in either May or November 2014. For your chance to win this incredible prize worth £4,800, visit Riders for Health’s stand at either of the BMF Shows held at Peterborough and buy a ticket for just £1.

Riders will also be selling raffle tickets at Carole Nash MCN Motorcycle Show,British Superbikes races, Day of Champions and the British MotoGP and World Superbike races at Silverstone. The raffle will be drawn at the BMF Tailend Show on 15th September.

The BMF Show in May is Europe’s largest outdoor motorcycle show, with over 40,000 people expected to attend over the weekend. The Tailend Show is the end of season party for motorcyclists and traders across the country.

Riders for Health will be joined at the BMF events by special guests and previous Experience Africa participants who will share their stories from the ride. Visit Riders’ stand in the Adventure and Overland Touring area to have a chat with the team and see a Yamaha AG200 on display. The motorcycles that are ridden on Experience Africa are the same bikes that health workers use to deliver vital health care in Zambia.

At the BMF Show in May, there will even be the chance to sign up for an outdoor practise ride on an AG200. Ride leader Gary Taylor will talk you through the basics of riding off-road and explain why the AG200 is so perfectly suited to the harsh African terrain. Spaces will be limited for the rides so make sure you put your name down early at Riders’ stand.

Riders have teamed up with the BMF in the hope of introducing many more people to the charities’ life-saving work. Riders for Health provide health workers in Africa with reliable motorcycles so that they can reach rural villages with vital health care on a regular basis. They teach health workers to ride safely in the difficult terrain and local men and women are trained to maintain the vehicles so that they never break down.

www.thebmfshow.co.uk

Forty years ago, the “Motor Cycles (Wearing of Helmets) Regulations 1973 (S.I., 1973, No. 180), dated 7th February 1973”, was enacted – the statutory instrument came into operation on 1st June of the same year.  

On April 5th 1973, the order for this regulation was debated in the House of Commons, with members from either side taking opposite views. Many considered this as a gross infringement of personal liberty.  However, during World War II, Dr Hugh Cairns, a consulting neurosurgeon to the British Army, recommended mandatory helmet use for British Service dispatch riders, who carried instructions and battle reports between commanders and the front lines via motorcycles.  

This recommendation was accepted the British Army and crash helmets became compulsory for all army motorcyclists on duty from November 1941.  

Cairns first became concerned about helmet use after treating the war hero T. E. Lawrence  - otherwise known as Lawrence of Arabia, for a fatal head injury suffered during a 1935 motorcycle accident.  

On 31st May 1956, a motion was introduced into the House of Commons “(Helmets to be worn by Drivers and Riders of Motorcycles). After a lengthy debate, this motion was withdrawn. 

However, eleven years later in 1962, in the Road Traffic Bill of that year, there was proposed (on Report) a new clause to give the Minister power to make an order such as the one (wearing of helmets), that had been made and was before the House.  

In the gallery at the House of Commons on that evening in April 1973, were motorcyclists listening carefully to the debate.  

Enoch Powell was noted for his oratorical skills, and for being a maverick. He was a champion of this cause, his powerful intervention in the House of Commons in relation to his opposition to the compulsory wearing of helmets by motorcyclists argued in favour of individual freedom. Although he was not the only MP to oppose this regulation, he was certainly the most eloquent.  

Moving onto the Religious Exemption of Sikhs to wear motorcycle helmets, during the debate in the House of Commons in January 1975, the MP responsible for this bill was Sydney Bidwell MP for Ealing-Southall.

The consequence of this exemption was that one man, Fred Hill was to provide impetus to the recently formed Motorcycle Action Group (MAG UK) to call for the helmet law to be rescinded.  

Fred Hill was born in Yorkshire and spent the war as a dispatch rider before becoming a Mathematics teacher after the war.  

Ian Mutch now President for life of MAG UK wrote about Fred Hill and explained his reasons for refusing to wear a helmet and the price this 'freedom fighter' paid.  

Forty years on, all riders (except Sikhs) are required to wear a helmet while riding a motorcycle in the UK and in fact in most countries throughout the world. Generally it is accepted that in a crash scenario helmets help to prevent injuries. Few people of principle remain from those days in 1973 when the imposition of mandatory helmet use was felt to be unnecessary because the vast majority (88%) of motorcyclists wore helmets anyway and it was felt that this was an abuse of legislative power and removed the freedom of liberties.  

The introduction of the helmet law in the UK was a defining moment for motorcycling because it established precedence for 'safety' legislation for this form of transport.  The latest of which has recently (2012) been enacted into law via the European parliament through the requirement for ABS brakes and mandatory headlights for these vehicles.  

Trevor Baird was the General Secretary of MAG UK. He resigned in 2008 and in his farewell speech to the Annual General Conference that year, said...

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