Biker News - Regularly updated

Welcome to our News section, where articles are listed below and if relevant within the categories on the right, just to make it easier for you to find what you wish to read...

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  1. Channel 4’s Hit Series Four Rooms is back and looking for more extraordinary items to feature in the second series.

    Our four top dealers are ready to part with their cash for something truly exceptional.

    From iconic memorabilia to beautiful or rare objects, or even the grotesque and macabre, your item could be bought for life changing amounts of money.

    If you own an item that you would like to show the dealers, we want to hear from you!

    To apply please call 0207 861 8499 or email a photo and description to [email protected]

  2. Motorcycle Live is back at The NEC, Birmingham from 19-27 November 2011 and the industry’s Get On campaign will once again be offering free two-wheel taster sessions to novice and born-again bikers. For visitors with no experience at all – or even those who have spent some time away and want to get back into biking – the Get On arena should be the first port of call.
     
    Occupying a secure area in hall 4 for the duration of the nine-day event, Get On will be offering riders over the age of 16 the chance to take part in a 20-minute taster session. Visitors can choose from a range of scooters and motorcycles provided by supporting manufacturers – and there will also be the option of electric scooters for eco-friendly future riders.
     
    All safety equipment will be provided and a fully qualified instructor will give a one-on-one briefing ahead of each session. Participants will then be introduced to the basics of biking as they ride a short and simple course to get a feel for life on two wheels. The Get On arena is always a popular attraction at Motorcycle Live and while walk-up appointments will be available, it is also possible to pre-book via  www.geton.co.uk. Simply enter the postcode for the The NEC (B40 1NT) in the ‘Book a free ride’ section and select Motorcycle Live as a training location.
     
    Having completed a taster session, participants can then find out everything they need to know about biking at the UK’s biggest interactive motorcycle show. Everything from where to do a CBT and how to get a full licence, to buying that first bike and getting kitted out and insured… Motorcycle Live offers it all. It is the best place to experience not only the practical elements of motorcycling, but also discover the freedom, fun and flexibility that life on two wheels brings.
     
    Children as young as five can also enjoy a free taster session with My First Honda Licence, which is designed to introduce aspiring young riders to motorcycling in a safe, controlled environment. They will be guided around a specially constructed street scene before receiving their very own printed mock-up licence – and as with every live feature at Motorcycle Live, it’s all completely free!
     
    The ticket price for Motorcycle Live 2011 is completely all-inclusive, meaning visitors can enjoy everything the show has to offer at no extra cost. Tickets are £16 in advance* for adults, £10 for seniors, £6 for children aged 6-16 and  kids under five accompanied by a paying adult go free. Visit www.motorcyclelive.co.uk or call 0844 5812345. Visit www.facebook.com/motorcyclelive or follow @motorcyclelive on Twitter
     
    For more information about the Get On campaign visit www.geton.co.uk – a one-stop shop of biking information. Get On is brought to you by the leading motorcycle manufacturers, dealers and other companies in the market, through the Motorcycle Industry Association (MCIA).

  3. IAM spokesperson Vince Yearley said: "Dangerous driving can result in anything from near misses to serious injuries. But the maximum jail term for dangerous driving must relate to the driving offence - not the consequences, however awful."

    The following figures represent the number of accidents caused last year by various types of dangerous driving activity (Department for Transport statistics):
     
    •           18,803 accidents were caused by careless, reckless or hurried driving.
     
    •           3,862 accidents were caused by aggressive driving.
     
    •           Aggressive, careless, reckless or hurried driving caused at least one death a day.
     
    •           5,858 accidents were caused by drivers impaired by drugs or alcohol, resulting in 160 deaths.
     
    •           A significant 32,525 accidents were caused by illegal manoeuvres such as exceeding the speed limit, illegal turns, disobeying traffic signals and disobeying rules pedestrian crossings.
     
    •           14 deaths and 139 serious accidents involved a stolen vehicle.

  4. The Heritage Motor Centre, in conjunction with local design agency Box Clever Marketing, has been shortlisted for a prestigious national award for its conference brochure and e-brochure.

    The Centre is among the final four for the Best Brochure – Venues/Destinations category in the Meetings Industry Marketing Awards (MIMA) 2011. The HMC has been shortlisted alongside the Hong Kong Tourism Board, Jersey Conference Bureau and Victory Services Club in London. All the award winners will be announced at the Park Plaza Riverbank London on Monday 17 October.

    The HMC and Box Clever Marketing have successfully developed an integrated campaign with the tagline ‘an ideal blank canvas for conferences, meetings and events’. The campaign focuses on the Centre’s unique selling points including the expert and personable team, the large amount of conference space, the central location, positive quotes from clients and that delegates can look round the Museum for free. The project was so successful it even expanded into the reception area to improve communication, increase bookings and occupancy and maintain the day delegate rate during the economic downturn. The success of the campaign is reflected by occupancy rising by 7%, confirmed bookings from new customers increasing by 25% and the e-brochure on the website receiving 100's of views per month.  8% of confirmed bookings so far this year have come via online sources compared to 5% for the entire 2010.

    Penny Tyler, Marketing Officer at the Heritage Motor Centre stated “We are thrilled to have been shortlisted for a national award. We hold conferences for blue-chip clients ranging from O2 and Hewlett Packard to Tesco and Virgin but we are still relatively unknown for the fantastic and diverse range of conference facilities that we have. We are competing against key global destinations for this award but the fact we have been shortlisted proves the calibre of the creative talent that there is here in Warwickshire”.

    Justin Woodman, Managing Director of Box Clever Marketing, said he was proud to have been involved in a campaign which has received national recognition. “Our ethos is to dig deeper than any other agency to deliver commercial return on investment to our clients. We carried out significant research before we developed the creative concepts and ideas to hit the conference targets and grow the conference business”

    The HMC is a dedicated conference and exhibition centre conveniently located off junction 12 of the M40 in Warwickshire. The Centre offers over 20 stylish meeting rooms for 6 - 600 delegates with internal and external exhibition space and outdoor event space licensed for 5000 people. Set in 65 acres, the Centre also boasts a meadow for team building, two 4x4 off-road tracks, 2000 free car parking spaces, and external hard standing (9700sqm), ideal for marquees and outdoor events.

    www.heritage-motor-centre.co.uk

  5. The museum at Barber Motorsports Parkway in Birmingham, Alabama is a "must see" for enthusiasts.  Its collection of over 1200 vintage and modern motorcycles and race cars is world renowned, and its annual Vintage Festival draws huge crowds excited to honour the motorcycle and its associated legends.  

    At this year's Festival, Ace Cafe London is unveiling to America the recently published book Ace Times - Speed Thrills and Tea Spills, a Cafe and a Culture.  This beautiful, copiously illustrated 312-page hardback, packed with personal recollections, is the definitive history of the cafe from its opening in 1938 to the present day, and includes the story of other venues and cafes, like the 59 Club, the Busy Bee, as well as featuring the fastest motorycles, the loudest music, the iconic movies and the distinctive clothing and styles of the Ton-Up era.  Burn ups, press hysteria, rock n' roll riots, police baiting, Mods and Rockers, pirate radio, and loads more besides, all unambiguously revealed. Author Mick Duckworth, along with Mark Wilsmore, will be present signing copies of the book and undertaking special Q&A sessions.

    The Ace is also hosting a number of other special programmes and activities during the Festival including a display of vintage bikes, the fastest of which being the legendary "Hogslayer" with its extraordinary powerplant of two Norton engines! Live music will be performed by the "Cigar Store Indian's" and Velocity Channel's "Cafe Racer TV" will be there to capture every moment!

    The 7th Annual Barber Vintage Festival, Birmingham, Alabama, 7th - 9th October 2011 October.

    www.acecafeusa.com

    www.ace-cafe-london.com

    www.barbervintagefestival.org