MotoGP stalwart Mike Trimby was presented with the Royal Automobile Club’s prestigious Torrens Trophy at the Pall Mall clubhouse in London last night. The award citation paid tribute to Trimby’s tireless work to improve circuit safety and represent the riders, teams and commercial side of MotoGP.

“Last year was another superb year for motorcycle racing and selecting a winner was no easy task,’ said former racer Barrie Baxter, Chairman of the Torrens Trophy Nominations Committee. ‘Steve Holcombe clinched his seventh World FIM EnduroGP Championship, Brad Ray was crowned British Superbike Champion, and Jane Daniels won the World Enduro Championship for the third time, making her Team GB’s best and most successful enduro racer.
 
“Finally we decided to honour the man known as ‘the King of the MotoGP paddock’. The Torrens Trophy celebrates an individual or organisation considered to have made an outstanding contribution to motorcycling in Britain. It therefore gives us enormous pleasure to award the 2022 Torrens Trophy to one of the biggest unsung heroes of British motorcycle racing.”
 
Trimby’s love affair with motorcycles and motorcycle racing started when he was a teenager in the 1960s. He started working as a mechanic for famed tuner Syd Lawton to fund the start of his own racing career, which included rides in the Isle of Man TT and the F750 world championship. In 1978 he was asked to organise the Macau motorcycle Grand Prix, a job he continued doing until 2011. He also launched the Racing and Sporting Show at Alexandra Palace, London, which became a must-do event for race fans.

Trimby became a major force in the world of Grand Prix racing following a long period of rider unrest in the late 1970s and early 1980s, which included rider strikes at the Austrian and French GPs and an attempt by three-times MotoGP world champion Kenny Roberts and others to organise a rival world championship. The main issues were safety and money.
 
In 1982 the top riders asked Trimby to represent them in their fight for better conditions. Four years later IRTA (the International Roadracing Team Association) was established to oversee GP racing’s next steps into the modern world. Trimby’s job changed from running a riders’ trade union to a body representing the teams. Today IRTA is still responsible for numerous areas of MotoGP. It works with rights-holder Dorna to contract the teams, organises the paddock and the grid and looks after facilities for non-European races.
 
From a technical, commercial and safety point of view, MotoGP has never been in a better place, largely thanks to the herculean efforts of Mike Trimby and his wife Irene. For four decades Trimby and IRTA have represented riders and teams in Grand Prix racing, while improving circuit safety, putting the races on TV, organising teams and making sure everyone gets paid. Quite simply, he’s the man who helped make MotoGP the hugely popular spectacle that it is today.

“I am surprised but honoured to receive this award,” said Trimby. “My achievements were made possible only by the initial support from the leading Grand Prix riders and subsequently the unity of the teams within IRTA, but none of this would have been possible without the partnership with Dorna, which started in 1992. Dorna CEO Carmelo Ezpeleta and his staff are equally passionate about rider safety.
 
“I also want to share this award with my wife Irene, who has worked with me at Grands Prix since 1982. Whatever achievements I am credited with would not have been possible without her support.”
 
Numerous racing luminaries were in attendance on the night, from great riders, including John McGuinness, Cal Crutchlow, Niall Mackenzie, James Toseland and Eugene Laverty through to Dorna executives, team owners and team principles.

“Mike is a key pillar in our sport and a very deserving recipient of this award,’ commented Ezpeleta. “He has been part of Grand Prix motorcycle racing for decades and in our time working together, I have seen the dedication he’s given to the paddock, which has made the sport better and safer than ever. I’m very happy to see his achievements recognised by the Royal Automobile Club and proud to continue working together to keep making MotoGP the best it possibly can be, for everyone – on track, in the paddock and for our millions of fans.’
 
Three-times World Champion Freddie Spencer was one of many racers to offer his congratulations. “It is truly great news about the well-deserved recognition the Royal Automobile Club is giving to Mike Trimby for all he has contributed to our great sport,” said Spencer. “I started working with Mike 40 years ago and today, as Chairman of the MotoGP Steward Panel as the IRTA representative, it’s a privilege to work alongside him in our mutual goal of providing riders and teams the opportunity to give the fans the safest, most exciting and enjoyable show in motorsport.”

Among those members of racing management offering their good wishes was Lin Jarvis, Managing Director of Yamaha. “This is a much-deserved reward for Mike’s enormous contribution as the CEO of IRTA,” said Jarvis. “Mike and IRTA have done a great deal towards the safety of the riders, the organisation of the paddock and putting in place a real structure behind the scenes of the MotoGP world. It’s the real backbone of the Championship.”

• 2021 The Crescent Yamaha team for winning the riders’, teams’ and manufacturers’ titles in the FIM World Superbike Championship.
• 2020 Emma Bristow for claiming her seventh consecutive FIM Women’s Trial World Championship.
• 2019 Peter Hickman for his three Isle of Man TT victories and for setting the world’s fastest road race lap record of 136.415mph at the Ulster GP.
• 2018 Tai Woffinden for being the most successful British speedway rider in history.
• 2017 Jonathan Rea MBE for being the first rider to win three consecutive World Superbike Championships.
• 2016 MotoGP racer Cal Crutchlow for being first British rider to win a premier class World Championship Motorcycle Grand Prix in 35 years.
• 2015 Eleven-time TT winner Ian Hutchinson for his outstanding determination, courage and overcoming adversity to win multiple TTs.
• 2014 Shane ‘Shakey’ Byrne for becoming the first man in history to be crowned British Superbike Championship on four occasions (2003, 2008, 2012 and 2014).
• 2013 Tom Sykes for being crowned the 15th World Superbike Champion, the fourth from Great Britain and only the second rider to win for Kawasaki in the series for 20 years.
• 2008 World Superbike Champion James Toseland was awarded the Trophy for his immense contribution to raising the profile of motorcycle racing in this country.
• 1998 Ian Kerr of the Metropolitan Police for 20 years of tireless work in promoting safe and responsible motorcycling.
• 1989 BMW in recognition for its contribution to motorcycle safety through the development of its anti-lock braking system.
• 1981 Dave Taylor MBE for his vast contribution to motorcycle road safety.
• 1980 Transport and Road Laboratory.
• 1979 Lieutenant-Colonel Fredrick Lovegrove OBE.

The Torrens Trophy
The Royal Automobile Club has always had a close association with the motorcycling world.  The Club formed the Auto Cycle Club in 1903, which went on to become the Auto Cycle Union in 1947.  The first motorcycle race was held on the Isle of Man in 1905 for cars – two years before the first Tourist Trophy for motorcycles. 
 
The Torrens Trophy recognises an individual or organisation considered to have made an outstanding contribution to the cause of safe and skillful motorcycling in the United Kingdom, or to have made an outstanding contribution of technical excellence to further the cause of motorcycling in the UK, or to have shown outstanding skill in international motorcycling sporting events in the United Kingdom.
 
The Torrens Trophy was first awarded in 1978 in memory of Arthur Bourne, a motorcycling journalist who wrote a column under the name ‘Torrens’. Arthur Bourne was also a Vice-Chairman of the Royal Automobile Club. It is awarded only when the Club feels that the achievement justifies it.

The Club’s Torrens Trophy Nominations Committee consists of Chairman and ex-bike racer Barrie Baxter, Royal Automobile Club Chairman Ben Cussons, double World Champion and past Torrens winner James Toseland, well-respected motorcycle journalist and TT winner Mat Oxley, commentator and former racer Steve Parrish, Club member Robert Bourne (son of motorcycle journalist Arthur Bourne, in whose memory the Trophy is awarded) and Queen of Bikers Maria Costello MBE, who has held the Guinness World Record for being the fastest woman to lap the Isle of Man TT course.
 
About the Royal Automobile Club
The Royal Automobile Club was founded in 1897 and its distinguished history mirrors that of motoring itself. In 1907, the Club was awarded its Royal title by King Edward VII, sealing the Club’s status as Britain’s oldest and most influential motoring organisation.

The Club’s early years were focused on promoting the motor car and its place in society, which developed into motoring events such as the 1000 Mile Trial, first held in 1900. In 1905, the Club held the first Tourist Trophy, which remains the oldest continuously competed for motor sports event. The Club promoted the first pre-war and post-war Grands Prix at Brooklands in 1926 and Silverstone in 1948 respectively, whilst continuing to campaign for the rights of the motorist, including introducing the first driving licences.

Today, the Club continues to develop and support automobilism through representation on the Fédération Internationale de l’Automobile (FIA) and the RAC Foundation while promoting its own motoring events including the Club’s London Motor Week and the RM Sotheby’s London to Brighton Veteran Car Run.

The Club also awards a series of internationally recognised trophies and medals celebrating motoring achievements. These include the Segrave Trophy, the Torrens Trophy, the Simms Medal, the Dewar Trophy and the oldest trophy in motorsport, the Tourist Trophy.

 

This is your chance to put Triumph's 2023 line-up to the test, riding one of the latest models on exciting local routes with our expert test ride team.   

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• MAHLE Powertrain and Vepro agree partnership to accelerate development of sustainable solutions for motorcycle and light-vehicle sectors
• Decades of combined experience builds on the UK’s continued growth as a centre of excellence for motorcycle development
• Capitalises on MAHLE Powertrain’s unrivalled facilities, including world’s first motorcycle dyno to operate in climatic and altitude test cells

MAHLE Powertrain and Vepro, an engineering consultancy with decades of experience in motorcycle and light vehicle development, have agreed a technical partnership that will build on the United Kingdom’s continued re-emergence as a centre of excellence for motorcycle development and manufacturing. The partnership will accelerate the creation of innovative solutions to the challenges faced by OEMs across the globe, particularly to drive mobility for a sustainable future. This is work MAHLE Powertrain excels at, with their Northampton facility equipped with the world’s first motorcycle dynamometer that can offer climatic and altitude testing.

“World-famous and storied brands are increasingly choosing to base their development efforts in the UK, and together that makes us well placed to offer the complex range of services that motorcycle and light vehicle producers need,” said John Hollingworth, Sales and Marketing Director at MAHLE Powertrain.

“This year is shaping up to be an excellent year for the British powered two-wheeler and light-vehicle industry,” said Neil Wright, who founded Vepro after more than a decade working for global brands including Triumph Motorcycles. “That’s thanks to the rise of small, enterprising brands and start-ups, but also the return of famous marques such as Royal Enfield, Norton and BSA as they develop their R&D centres, often in the same area where it all began more than a hundred years ago. We’re delighted to be joining forces with MAHLE Powertrain to ensure the support these manufacturers need is always on their doorstep as well as offering support to OEMs further afield.”

Vepro’s experience with full vehicle development is perfectly complemented by MAHLE Powertrain’s expertise with vehicle powertrains, both for traditional internal combustion engines and eMobility. At the company’s state-of-the-art vehicle and battery development centre in Northampton, a purpose-designed mobile motorcycle dyno can be set-up in the facility’s various test chambers. There it can recreate climatic conditions ranging from -40°C to +60°C, humidity ranging from 10% to 80%, and simulate altitudes up to 5,000m (16,400ft).

This unique capability drastically simplifies the development of powered two-wheelers by moving testing to a safer, more controlled environment, away from the challenges and dangers of the real world. By simulating such a broad range of environmental conditions, calibration and verification work can be completed in much shorter timescales, and without the need for expensive and time-consuming international testing regimes.

Lab-based testing also allows for greater repeatability and is particularly important when calibrating products for markets such as China where emissions standards are now among the most stringent in the world.

Standards for motorcycles and light vehicles generally lag behind those of passenger cars. That creates an opportunity to maximise the use of MAHLE Powertrain’s decades of experience in these sectors as technologies developed for larger vehicles filter down throughout the industry.

All motorcyclists are well aware of the benefits of traveling on such a mode of transportation as a motorcycle. However, not everyone chooses this type of recreation. Why is this the case? For example, there are other fascinating activities, such as playing in gambling establishments with casino first deposit bonus uk. Several other factors can deter even the most avid motorcyclists.

However, to begin with, let us analyze everything step by step. Perhaps the following arguments will convince some to change their attitude and use the motorcycle as a recreation from everyday life on weekends, and not just as a means of transportation to and from work.

Contact with Nature   

Covering kilometers on two wheels, our body receives much more stimuli from the environment than when driving a car or other means of transportation (not counting paragliding or other even more extreme means). The proverbial «wind in our hair» and the feeling of «freedom» are not just empty slogans, but are among the most important reasons why I put this mode of transportation above others.

One of the senses that work very strongly when driving is the sense of smell. Because is there anything more pleasant than the smell of a forest on a spring morning, or the smell of mountains on an alpine pass? In addition to the sense of smell, we sense all atmospheric factors, such as:

· Temperature

· Humidity

· Wind

· Rain

· Fog

· Etc...

For some people, atmospheric factors beyond our control are unacceptable when traveling. After all, it's better to set the AC to 21 degrees and enjoy the views seen from behind the glass.

Our sense of hearing also gets a lot more information, provided we have a civilized exhaust that meets any noise standards.

The sense of balance, while driving on a winding road, gets so much stimulus that our brain starts producing incredible amounts of dopamine. As a result, it has a huge impact on our state of mind.

The sense of space is also indescribable. It is impossible to feel this, being enclosed in a «can». Just think how many more sensations there are to remember after such a vacation.

Saving

A trivial matter, perhaps, because, after all, we do not go on vacation to save money, but to relax. However, the fact is that riding a motorcycle is much cheaper in terms of all tolls (highways, scenic roads, expressways), ferry crossings, tunnels, bridges, and so on. Parking fees are also much lower or nonexistent. And if we add it all up together, we find that we can extend our vacation by two or even three more days.

Also, the money saved can be spent on another, no less interesting and exciting entertainment – a game of casino no minimum deposit uk. In addition, it is an ideal option not only to relax and rest from a hard road but also an opportunity to earn real money.

Mobility

With a motorcycle, we can not only go faster, but we can get into places where an ordinary passenger car can't or won't. Of course, it depends on what kind of equipment you are driving, but even riding a chase bike you can drive a piece of light gravel or terrain. In most resort towns, the problem of driving into the center and looking for a parking spot disappears.

The problem of standing in traffic jams also disappears, which during the vacation season greatly improves the comfort of travel. In addition to these obvious issues, local law enforcement officers look at people traveling on a motorcycle differently from those traveling by car.

Minimum luggage  

Some consider this a plus, while others consider it the biggest problem. Well, because how to pack all the essentials for a two-week trip? There are no major problems if you ride solo. More gymnastics is required if you're going for two. Well, after all, it fits to take «so many» things that «may» be needed.

From personal experience, many people know that only the essentials are useful during such a vacation:

· Underwear

· Flip-flops

· A pair of shirts

· Jeans

· Sweatshirt

· Sneakers

There is no need to take a whole closet of clothes and shoes with us because we only use 25% of what we take with us during our vacation anyway. Besides, we can always buy ourselves something from a local store or simply wash it, and the problem is solved.

If we plan the whole trip well, we can also predict exactly what things we will need and what we will not need. If we plan to sleep in guesthouses, then we drop a lot of things that we would have to take with us, choosing the option of spending the night at campsites or campgrounds. So proper planning helps a lot in taking only the necessary things

Unforgettable adventures

Somehow it's the case that every ride, tour, or, finally, motorcycle trip, is an unforgettable adventure. Something always happens, we always encounter some interesting situations. Sometimes someone runs out of fuel, or a license plate falls off, or someone gets lost, and so on. You bring back a whole lot of such memories from every trip.

Answer the question yourself, how many times, while on vacation somewhere, have you thought: «as if it would be great to ride this road on a motorcycle»? Or: «someday I will come back here on a motorcycle»? There's nothing easier than going on vacation on a motorcycle, and if there's a problem with luggage or space for the kids you can always take the motorcycle with you on a trailer. However, this is already a topic for a separate article.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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