Kettering’s pure road racer James McBride has decided to bow out of the sport he loves whilst on a high. In 2010 he won the inaugural Isle of Man TT Privateer’s Championship and amongst other superb achievements throughout last season he joined the elusive 130mph club at the Ulster Grand Prix.

McBride was awarded a commemorative 130mph medal at the Adelaide Motorcycle Festival in Belfast last weekend by road race legend Raymond McCullough. With a plethora of 2010 results under his belt McBride felt it was time to step back and let this be the final accolade.

McBride said: “I’ve been thinking about this for quite a while but I made my decision whilst travelling back home from the Belfast Bike Show. I have been truly really humbled and flattered by my Irish fans and sponsor support from the weekend but after receiving my award I felt it was time to retire my own efforts.”  

This doesn’t mean James is hanging up his leathers he is still keen to take part in the racing he loves, and should a suitable team offer appear from a competitive team looking to employ a very capable racer  he would certainly consider it. However running himself and keeping the team at a high level is a big job and one he wants to back off from.

He said: “To improve on last season’s riding I would almost certainly need a stronger budget and dedication from everyone involved, but life is getting busy right now in a number of ways and to retire my own personal efforts would free me up to cope. However it would allow room for improvement to my own riding performance with much less energy and focus spent on managing a team and more time to focus purely on my racing.  So be it if I don’t get to race much in 2011 but I am currently enjoying riding Enduro on my 450 Yamaha regularly and I will still structure a return to Macau in November.”

To better his 2010 season would take a lot of time and investment in new machinery as well as plenty of organisation to ensure McBride can perform at the high level he is used to. So as things currently stand McBride will be stepping out of the lime light and spending time with partner Dorothy and daughter Molly.

James would like to take this opportunity to thank all of his sponsor’s friends and family members whom have helped him achieve all the successes racing has to offer. These people have stood by from the early days in 1998 with the Club Championships which he won, to the lows of 2000 and 2008 where he was side lined through injury and now to the heights of 2010.

McBride finished on this note: “Without my sponsors, some of whom are no longer with us, today wouldn’t be so poignant in terms of racing for 13 consecutive seasons. Racing became an interest back then but spare money just wasn’t available and it took three to four years before support came along. I’m very grateful to anyone who has helped with costs or support from day one to year 13. I salute you all....”

The Motorcycle Industry Association (MCI) has published a new report aimed at encouraging the Government to recognise the place of electric powered two wheelers (e-PTW's) as part of its low carbon transport strategy.  

The report, titled 'Report on the Sector and Opportunities for Realising Government Objectives' was written in response to the omission of e-PTW's from the recent electric transport initiative called the 'Plug in Grant'. A key objective of the report is to brief Government on the potential for ePTW and to illustrate why is makes sense to include ePTWs in the 'Plugged in Car Grant' framework.

As the media spotlight has followed the Grant and focussed on electric cars, so the electric motorcycle sector has been left in a public awareness black hole.  For a sector that has terrific growth potential and can offer a key component in strategies to reduce Co2, this is not good news and something that the MCI is keen to see change quickly.

The Report outlines how e-PTW's can be included in the phase two roll out of the Plug in Grant and also how through strategic support of the sector, the UK can position itself as a world leader in electric technology and development.  Many of the e-PTW sectors leading voices and experts contributed to the writing of the report. This included existing major motorcycle brands, who are developing new technologies and also new market players and key individuals such as Victoria Atherton of Love2scoot, Alex Bamberg of Charge Point Services and Danny Tendler of E-City Wheels.

The MCI recognises that with the appropriate support, the UK e-PTW sector can become a strong and influential player in the development of a UK wide low carbon transport strategy, and that it is important that the sector develops its own voice and identity within the wider industry.  To this end the MCI has created a specialist group for the e-PTW sector within the MCI to give manufactures and importers, both from new and already well known existing companies, plus other stake holders a clear voice in developing a clean transport future.

Right To Ride’s Trevor Baird attended the official launch of Compulsory Basic Training (CBT) by the Environment Minister Edwin Poots at Parliament Buildings, Stormont on the 16th February 2011.

CBT will be officially introduced on Monday 21st February 2011 and will fundamentally change training requirements for those wishing to ride a motorcycle as a learner rider on public roads.

Mr Poots said the new training scheme was essential to improve safety for all road users and that, "Road safety is my top priority, and I believe that this initiative will help us to further drive down deaths and serious injuries on the roads. Biking can be a great experience, but ridden inappropriately, a motorcycle becomes a lethal weapon.”

The minister added that, "The introduction of CBT will improve learners’ riding skills because they will receive training in a safe environment before proceeding to ride on public roads. The evidence shows that the scheme will improve safety for both motorcyclists and other road users."

The introduction of CBT will mean that new moped and motorcycle riders will not be permitted to ride unaccompanied on public roads without valid CBT certificates. CBT can only be delivered by a registered Approved Motorcycle Instructor (AMI).

“However those with provisional motorcycle or moped licences issued prior to 21 February 2011 will have 12 months to either complete a CBT course or obtain a full motorcycle licence.”

 “If they choose the CBT course option they will be entitled to ride with L-plates for a period of two years or until they have passed their practical test.”

The CBT course has three modules:

• introduction and practical training, for example touch and feel
• practical riding (either off-road or on-road in a safe environment) and preparation for on-road riding (theory)
• practical on-road riding

Right To Ride also welcomed the continued recognition by the department that, “It should be noted that half of all motorcyclist casualties are caused by other drivers.” The department has also encouraged motorists to give extra consideration to motorcyclists through campaigns such as the 'Underneath' campaign where drivers are reminded to look out for bikes when overtaking, at junctions, when turning right and when emerging onto main roads.

At Right To Ride we have been reporting over the last year on the proposals for CBT and along with the British Motorcyclists Federation have had our views represented on the stakeholder group that has delivered the CBT scheme by David McMcGuckin from Ballymena Rider Training.

We believe that initial rider training in whatever form it is presented, is crucial for novice riders. CBT will provide “off road” and “on road” training elements, giving new riders the basic instruction of how to handle a motorcycle on public roads.

There will be a cost to this of course, but we would expect that this cost will be kept to a level that is affordable. 

For more information see Right To Ride on CBT

Four times World Superbike Champion Carl Fogarty will take on an ambassadorial role with Ducati to promote and support the Rapid Solicitors Ducati 848 Challenge.

Carl became a supporter of the 848 Challenge last year when he rode an 848 on a parade lap at the Oulton Park British Superbikes round to help promote the series. Since then Carl has taken a keen interest in the 848 Challenge and is honoured to become an ambassador for the series.

Fogarty will make a number of appearances at British Superbike rounds as well as possibly one or two at the overseas rounds at Assen and Monza. He will be on hand to give advice and mentoring to the 848 Challenge riders and pass on his knowledge of the seven circuits that the series will visit. As well as sharing his experience with the 848 Challenge riders Carl will also be available to present trophies, media interviews and personal appearances.

Carl commented on his new ambassadorial role with Ducati and the 848 Challenge ’I am very pleased to be asked to be involved with the 848 Challenge and pass on my experience to the riders and also hopefully help some of the young and up and coming guys. The 848 Evo is a fantastic bike and the Challenge should produce a great spectacle at every one of the eight rounds.’ 

The 848 Challenge starts at Brands Hatch on the 23,24,25 April where Carl Fogarty will be on hand to calm early season nerves, pass on commiserations and congratulations and present trophies to the winners.

The full 2011 Rapid Solicitors Ducati 848 Challenge calendar is:

Round 1    23,24,25 April    Brands Hatch    BSB
Round 2    13,14,15 May    Assen, NL
Round 3    28,29,30 May    Thruxton    BSB
Round 4    9,10 July        Monza, IT
Round 5    5,6,7 August        Brands Hatch    BSB
Round 6    27,28,29 August    Cadwell Park    BSB
Round 7    3 September        Castle Combe    New Era
Round 8    23,24,25 September    Silverstone    BSB
   
For further information regarding the Ducati 848 Challenge and series entries please contact: Jason Boswell, Series Coordinator: [email protected]

Thee KillSpills campaign, founded in 2003 to counter the menace of diesel spillage and particularly the danger it presents to motorcyclists, has come to an end.

Announcing the end of the campaign, the KillSpills team leader Stephen Edwards said that the increased pressure of his ‘day job’ coupled with family domestic needs meant that he could no longer give the campaign the time and resources it needed.

Although sponsored and supported by the BMF since 2005, (and from 2008 also by the IAM) the small volunteer KillSpills team remained just that and it is to their credit that they achieved so much in raising the profile of the spilt diesel menace.

Highlights over the past seven and a half years included the annual London KillSpills Rally, at one time attracting over 7500, riders converging on Parliament with regular reports and petitions taken to the Prime Minister’s office at 10 Downing Street.

Thanks to KillSpills, the Highway Code now includes a section on the danger of diesel spillage and due to the Highways Agency support, leaflets and guidance were issued to fleet operators and drivers. The DfT also came on board and commissioned and funded a study into best practice on cleaning up diesel spills.

The high profile campaign also presented annual awards to companies who had done the most to lessen the risks and improve awareness of diesel spills. Recipients included big fleet operators, ASDA and Sainsbury’s, and TruckProtect, the makers of an innovative and now widely adopted anti-spill device. Awards were also presented to the Highways Agency and to the DfT in recognition of their work on the topic.

Speaking on the announcement, KillSpills founder, R1 riding Stephen Edwards, a 45 year old Accountant from Lancashire said: “This has been an extremely difficult decision for me but I’ve come to the end of my personal road on this. We’ve achieved so much and I’ve enjoyed what we’ve done, but this is it, I really can’t do any more. My thanks go to my team and the many people who have helped us along the way and of course to the BMF and IAM whose support has been invaluable.”

For the BMF, spokesman Jeff Stone said:  “From the day I first met Steve way back in 2003, I was impressed by his enthusiasm and professionalism and was pleased to be able to offer BMF support. The BMF have battled the diesel menace for years and gained some improvements, but Steve raised the bar and by concentrating on this single issue gave it a whole new dimension. Motorcyclists owe a lot to Steve and the KillSpills team.”

The BMF will continue to lobby on the diesel spills issue as part of its broader campaigning programme.

See www.killspills.org.uk for more on the campaign.