THOUSANDS OF showgoers, including a Hollywood star, were out in the post-lockdown sunshine at the Stafford County Showground over the weekend of April 23 – 24 to celebrate all things motorbikes… and there was plenty to celebrate.

The International Classic MotorCycle Show always has loads to see and do, and this year was no different as the crowds packed in to see bikes, club stands, trade stands, world exclusives, book launches, live trails, firing-up area, Bonhams’ auction, the competition hall… and more special guests than you could shake a stick at!

Perhaps the most notable display was the world exclusive Mike Hailwood exhibit, featuring never-before-seen family memorabilia of the former champion. Guests were able to view these heirlooms, from his 1978 TT winner’s Dunlop cap through to his George Medal, awarded when Mike rescued Clay Regazzoni from his burning BRM at the South African Formula 1 GP. Talking of awards and winners, the class of 1978, which consisted of Alex George, Ian Richards, Phil Read and Chas Mortimer, were on stage across the weekend giving first-hand accounts of their racing careers and inside stories into the motorbike racing scene.

The Bonhams Auction was particularly nail biting with a very special ex-Reg Barton, Dick Knight, 1929 Brough Superior 996cc SS100 Alpine Grand Sport Sprint Special which sold for a staggering £220,000! And showgoers might also have even seen an A-list celebrity or two. Jason Momoa, best known as DC superhero Aquaman, was also there. Being a keen motorcycle enthusiast, Jason perused the show and examined the lots in the Bonhams Auction.

Event organiser Nick Mowbray said: “It was a brilliant weekend! We have received marvellous feedback from visitors and traders alike. The addition of the Hailwood display and the ‘Class of 78’ added something very special to a tried-and-tested format.”

MAVERICK VIÑALES ALSO FINISHES FP3 IN THE TOP TEN TO START FROM THE FOURTH ROW TOMORROW

NARROW GAPS FOR LORENZO SAVADORI

The Aleix Espargaró and 2022 Aprilia RS-GP duo proves yet again to be one of the most competitive in MotoGP, with the Spaniard once again putting in a stellar performance, finishing the Spanish GP qualifiers with the third best time overall at 1’36”933.
As happened one week ago in Portugal, this means that Aleix will be on the front row of the starting grid for the Grand Prix race scheduled for tomorrow and for which he has shown that his pace is on par with the best.

After a positive morning where he finished FP3 in fifth place with a time of 1’36”975, thereby going straight through to Q2, Maverick Viñales was unable to achieve the same feeling in qualifying, stopping the clock at 1’37”675, partly due to two yellow flags that voided his best attempts. Although on the fourth row of the starting grid, Maverick, like Aleix, can still count on the outstanding race pace he demonstrated in FP4.

Also on the rise is Lorenzo Savadori who, despite not focusing his weekend on pure performance, has still skilfully reduced the gap behind more experienced riders.

ALEIX ESPARGARÓ
"These were not simple qualifiers. To be honest, I wasn’t very optimistic. From the first session, I felt comfortable with the race tyre, but there were problems with chattering every time we attempted a time attack with the soft tyre. But today I really gave 110%. Usually it isn’t a good idea to take so many risks, but today this strategy paid off. It was extremely important to start from the front row because here in Jerez it isn’t easy to overtake, especially when the track get slippery in the heat. We can count on a good pace with the medium tyre. The bike is working well and running smoothly, so we’re confident and I can’t wait for the race to start!"

MAVERICK VIÑALES
"I’m disappointed with our performance in qualifying. It’s a pity to be on the fourth row because we had the potential to battle for the top spots. In FP3 we were fast and in FP4 too, we were competitive with the race tyre. With the used tyres I especially feel really strong. Unfortunately, in qualifying I did not find the same feeling and we still need to figure out why. I didn’t have much grip and I was unable to be fast. We’ll keep working hard for tomorrow and give it our all but it will undoubtedly not be an easy race."

LORENZO SAVADORI
"Qualifiers were better than in Portimão. With such narrow gaps, just a few tenths would have been enough to make a big step forward. In any case, I’m happy both for Aleix’s front row and for the new components that we are learning to use step by step."

The Touratech Travel Event 2022 will take place 27th - 29th May 2022. For three days, motorcycle travellers from all over the world will be celebrating at a top-class get-together. Joint excursions, test rides, workshops, multivision and film presentations, live music and last but not least the inspiring feeling of being among thousands of like-minded people, will make for an unforgettable weekend.   

With a tradition of more than 20-years, the Touratech Travel Event has established itself as one of the most important meetings of the international motorcycle travel scene. When the Adventure Company celebrates its annual get-together, adventure riders from Germany, Europe and even distant continents flock to the otherwise tranquil town of Niedereschach in the foothills of the Black Forest.
After a two-year mandatory break, the community's desire to celebrate together is naturally huge. That's why Touratech has put together an extra-attractive programme for the Travel Event 2022.

Test rides with many different brands
Around the show stage and on the event mile, adventure riders will be able to meet and exchange experiences over a cold beer, or at one of the international Street Food stands. Motorcycle manufacturers BMW, Ducati, Honda, GasGas, Husqvarna, Indian, KTM, Suzuki, Triumph and Yamaha will be on site with their show trucks and have plenty of the latest models on board for test riding. For the first time, Harley-Davidson will also be there with a huge US truck.

Guided road tours and adventure bike training
For those who prefer to travel with their own machine – no problem. On all three days of this mega-event, there will be guided tours along the dream routes of the Black Forest. Or how about a little adventure bike training? You can also do that at the Touratech Travel Event. Impressions of the breathtaking manoeuvres that can be accomplished on a motorcycle offroad are to be had free of charge during the show rides with the spectacular Touratech conversions.

Workshops and factory tours
Valuable practical know-how can be picked up at workshops on topics such as tyre fitting, GPS navigation or travel preparation.
Those who want to upgrade their adventure bike on the spot will find numerous special offers in the Touratech Shop during the Travel Event. At the same time, the popular second-choice sale will be taking place, where high-quality parts with minimal defects can be purchased at a favourable price. Exciting insights into the manufacture of Touratech products will be revealed during the factory tours.

Show stage with thrilling acts
In the evening, the action will be concentrated in the area around the big show stage. On Friday evening, Dieter Schneider will report on his 130,000 motorcycle kilometres around the globe under the motto "Soul trip around the world".
There is a novelty in store for the Saturday evening: the Touratech stage will morph into a cinema. Instead of a classic multivision show, motorcycle traveller Daniel Rintz will be presenting his gripping film, "Somewhere else together".
Afterwards there will be live music. Those who prefer it quieter can end the day with like-minded people around a campfire.

Free camp ground
A large camping meadow will be available for customary overnight stays, the use of which is of course free – as is admission to the event.

Further information - Go click

ABR Festival confirms their best-ever speaker roster

• ABR Festival returns to Ragley Hall Estate on the 24-26 June 2022
• Organisers promise a packed festival schedule including masterclass sessions, off-road schools, greenlane rideouts, live music, and more
• The festival will welcome a star-studded line-up of adventurers and motorbikers
• Over 40 guest speakers to appear across five stages
• Headline names include Ted Simon, Elspeth Beard and RyanF9
• A packed programme of talks, presentations and workshops scheduled for the ABR Masterclass Tent

The ABR Festival returns for their fourth year this June at the Ragley Hall Estate in Warwickshire. The event promises to deliver the greatest ever celebration of adventure biking, with three packed days of riding action and festival entertainment.

The festival is set to welcome thousands of like-minded riders, all looking to enjoy the loaded schedule of masterclass sessions, off-road riding schools and live music, as well as the AX41 Adventure Trail – an exclusive 20km off-road trail through the magnificent Ragley Hall Estate.

In addition to the countless riding opportunities on offer, ticket holders will have the chance to rub shoulders with some of motorcycling’s most recognisable and respected riders. The festival will welcome the industry’s biggest names, in what will be their best-ever speaker line-up to date.

Organisers have recently announced that over 40 headline speakers will show at this year’s event, across a total of five different stages. Visitors will be able to hear from their biking heroes with the likes of Elspeth Beard, Lyndon Poskitt and Chris Scott already confirmed.

Undoubtedly the star name appearing at the festival though is iconic motorcycle explorer, and travel writer, Ted Simon. Regarded as the ‘Godfather of Adventure Biking’, Ted will be making a rare UK appearance, speaking about is extraordinary four-year, round-the-world tour in 1973. Upon his return, Ted wrote his first book ‘Jupiter’s Travels’ which cemented his place in history as one of the most important, and respected, adventure travellers ever.

Ted’s original Triumph Tiger will also be on show, which has been kindly lent to the event from the Coventry Transport Museum for the weekend.

In addition to the already packed roster of adventure motorcycling legends will be The Missenden Flyer, MotoBob and RyanF9 – arguably three of motorcycling’s most recognisable faces on YouTube.  RyanF9 will make the trip over from his native city of Vancouver to attend the festival – delivering a series of YouTube and content based workshops, a must-see for any aspiring motorcycle content creators.

Ticket holders will be able to meet and hear from these inspiring riders across the five stages on site including the Ténéré Speaker Stage, The Harley-Davidson Campfire and the ABR Masterclass Tent. The latter will present a full timetable of talks, presentations and workshops from biking experts. Sessions will provide a greater insight into the world of adventure biking, designed to help visitors leave a more knowledgeable and informed rider. A schedule of sessions is available to view on the ABR Festival website, but masterclass highlights include, ‘How to Upgrade & Adventurize Your Bike with Steve Able’, ‘Which Tyres to Use and When with Bridgestone’ and ‘Finding Legal-To-Ride Green Lanes with the TRF.’

Commenting on the recent speaker line-up announcement, ABR Festival founder, Alun Davies said, “This year’s speaker line-up will be our best yet. Our ambition was to assemble the great, the good and the amazing from the world of adventure motorcycling. By all accounts we’ve done that…and I’ve booked a front row seat.”

Weekend tickets for the 2022 ABR Festival are available to purchase for only £129 and include three-day access to the festival with two-nights of camping. Tickets can be purchased directly from the ABR Festival website at www.abrfestival.com