Nationwide roadside rescue and recovery operator Start Rescue is warning bikers they must take a moment to check their pride and joy before taking to the road, with more than 40 motorcyclists hurt every day on UK roads according to Department for Transport.

The DfT’s shocking statistics show that despite only accounting for one per cent of traffic on UK roads, motorcyclists made up 20 per cent of road deaths in 2020. Fortunately, fatalities are much reduced from 1979 when over 1,000 bikers lost their lives; in 2020 that figure was down to 285. Lockdown has reduced these figures further but with spring upon us, bikers are once again taking to the roads.

Start Rescue recognises that many accidents are caused not just by other motorists’ poor motorcycle awareness on the roads, but also by motorcycle owners’ poor maintenance and neglect of their machines. With summer approaching and the roads starting to dry out, many bikers are opening their garage doors and dusting off their precious two-wheeled steed.

Lee Puffett, Managing Director of Start Rescue, said: “We’re blessed with some great roads in this country, but too many bikers are left stranded by poor preparation. While Start Rescue can help recover a broken bike and rider, it’s better to be prepared. A mechanical mishap on a bike isn’t just inconvenient – it can be dangerous for the rider and other road users.”

Lee continues: “Storing a bike in a lockup or garage during winter is a sensible way of protecting it from the elements (particularly road salt) but it doesn’t guarantee reliability once the weather warms up. Old batteries can fail, even if they’re disconnected. Trickle charging can recover some batteries, but a new replacement guarantees starting on the button (or kick-starter).”

Lee understands that most bikers take great pride in cleaning and polishing their pride and joy, but there are other benefits: “A good clean can highlight any problems hidden by dust – such as leaks and perishing rubber seals or pipes. Likewise, any corrosion that’s starting to take hold will be obvious with a sponge rubbed across it. Give the chain some spray lubrication after a clean to preserve it.“

Start Rescue urges all bikers to check their tyres carefully. Firstly, the legal tread requirements for motorcycles over 50cc are a minimum of 1mm around the tyre’s entire circumference and across the centre ¾ width of the tyre. For mopeds less than 50cc, all grooves of the original tyre tread must be visible. Start Rescue recommends replacing tyres well before these limits for the sake of safety, but also because the penalty for insufficient tread depth and/or poor general condition can be up to £2,500 fine and three penalty points per tyre. If the tread depth is OK, check for any unusual or uneven wear, eg a bald patch. If the tyre itself is OK, check the pressures are correct.

Finally, consider a refresher course for safer riding. Lee says: “While it’s easy to be dismissive of road rules, accidents often hurt your loved ones more than they hurt the rider - be a safer rider for them. BikeSafe (www.bikesafe.co.uk) is a police-run scheme for post-test training. The content covers attitude, observation, cornering, overtaking, filtering, junctions, group riding, hazard awareness and the system of motorcycle control.”

Checklist for mothballed motorbikes:

• Check tyres: pressures, cracking, tread
• Check brakes – renew old fluid, check pad thickness & disc condition
• Damper condition – any leaking/bad seals, stanchion pitting and scratches
• Frame corrosion/cracking
• Check all lights
• Check fluid levels – oil, coolant, brake fluid
• Lubricate the chain
• Consider a service if the bike has been stored a long time

Editor’s notes:
www.startrescue.co.uk is a trading style of Call Assist Ltd, which is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority and has been providing breakdown services on behalf of many brands for the past 23 years. Call Assist currently services more than 2 million policyholders through a large network of approved recovery agents throughout the UK and a further network in Europe.

Accident statistics taken from the following publications:
www.gov.uk/government/statistics/reported-road-casualties-in-great-britain-provisional-estimates-year-ending-june-2021/reported-road-casualties-in-great-britain-provisional-estimates-year-ending-june-2021

www.gov.uk/government/statistics/reported-road-casualties-great-britain-annual-report-2020/reported-road-casualties-great-britain-annual-report-2020

Check out and be part of the 21st century at Ace Cafe London from 9am to 5pm on Saturday 28th May 2022, when the Ace is hosting the annual Electric Vehicle Owners Meet.

Join us on the day for expert advice, or if you simply want to take a closer look at the latest vehicles

If you wish to display your e-vehicle on the day, please email us at [email protected]

EV rider/drivers may wish to note that there is a Charge Point at the Ace.

The Birmingham 2022 Queen’s Baton Relay will visit the British Motor Museum on Friday 22 July as part of its route around Britain. The Baton will spend 10 days in the West Midlands during its final journey through England this summer. During its time in the Stratford-on-Avon District, the Queen's Baton Relay will also visit the Recreation Ground in Stratford-upon-Avon after visiting the British Motor Museum.

Birmingham 2022 is hosting the 16^th official Queen’s Baton Relay – a journey which brings together and celebrates communities across the Commonwealth during the build up to the Games. The Queen’s Baton Relay will provide the opportunity for communities to experience the excitement for Birmingham 2022, as the 11 days of showstopping sport nears ever closer. The Queen’s Baton Relay is set to travel the length and breadth of England for a total of 29 days, before culminating at the Opening Ceremony for Birmingham 2022 on 28 July.

Jeff Coope, Managing Director of the British Motor Museum, said: “We feel very privileged that the Queen’s Baton Relay will visit the Museum on the morning of the 22 July. We are looking forward to celebrating the arrival of the Baton and will be working with our local community and visitors to give it a warm welcome, including hosting a special parade of British iconic cars and a display of Royal Cars that we have in our prized collection.”

The Baton will arrive at the Museum at approximately 9:53am, leaving 20 minutes later. Members of the public are encouraged to come and line the Museum’s main driveway to watch the Baton and parade of British cars. There will also be a special Gaydon Gathering of 200 British classics which spectators can view whilst the Baton entourage goes into the Museum for a private demonstration of STEM activities by the Museum’s Learning team and the STEM ambassadors from MOD Kineton.

The Museum itself will stay closed to the public until 11am but, after the Baton has left (approximately 10.30am), it will then open its doors to spectators of the Queen’s Baton Relay event offering a special discounted entry for the day of £10 for adults and £7 for children. Inside the Welcome Gallery visitors will be able view a display of vehicles from the Royal household including the first bespoke Royal Land Rover state review car, one of the fleet of vehicles used for HM Queen Elizabeth II’s first Commonwealth Tour in 1953/4 and a 1971 Rover P5B, the personal property of HM the Queen but on long term loan to the Museum. 

More information about the Queen’s Baton Relay event at the British Motor Museum along with how to reserve FREE spectator tickets and QBR Gaydon Gathering tickets will be available shortly on the Museums website www.britishmotormuseum.co.uk/whats-on. For more information on the Queen’s Baton Relay, visit www.birmingham2022.com/qbr

• From Florence to Sydney, passing through New Delhi to Rio de Janeiro, #WeRideAsOne connected more than 13,000 enthusiasts in the most iconic locations of over 40 countries around the world
• The event, organized by Dealers and Ducati Official Clubs, reached its climax during the parade that saw Ducatisti riding through their cities, while sharing passion and enthusiasm for being part of the community
• Given the great success of the event, #WeRideAsOne becomes a fixed appointment in the calendar of the Ducati community each first Saturday of May

Borgo Panigale (Bologna, Italy), 13 May 2022 – The first edition of #WeRideAsOne, the exclusive event organized by the Bologna-based motorcycle manufacturer, concluded very successfully. Saturday 7 May, the community of Ducatisti from every city met to celebrate together the passion for Ducati in all its shades.

The event was organized thanks to the synergy between the Ducati Dealerships and the Ducati Official Clubs, who customized the program of the day, each in line with their own territory and culture, giving rise to unique events. A total of 224 dealers from the Ducati network, supported by 120 international Ducati Official Clubs, made #WeRideAsOne possible.

More than 13,000 of Ducatisti colored the streets of the cities of over 40 countries around the world riding their Ducati and Scrambler Ducati bikes. The highlight of the event was the parade, which involved many enthusiasts riding through the most evocative streets and squares of their own cities: Florence, Paris, Miami, New Delhi, Rome, Rio de Janeiro, Sydney, Valencia, New York, Kuala Lumpur, Dubai, Singapore, Seoul, Hangzhou, Bangkok and Ingolstadt are just some of the cities where #WeRideAsOne was successfully celebrated.

The global appreciation of this first edition pushed Ducati to add #WeRideAsOne to its calendar as a fixed annual event. Every first Saturday of May, Ducati Dealers and Ducati Official Clubs will invite Ducatisti to gather in their cities for a day of fun and happiness.

#WeRideAsOne was also an opportunity to warm up the engines for the upcoming big Ducati party, the World Ducati Week planned from 22 to 24 July at the Misano World Circuit "Marco Simoncelli". Tickets can be purchased on the Ducati website.

Visitors can celebrate two of Britain’s much loved small car marques when the British Motor Museum hosts the ‘National Metro & Mini Show’ on Sunday 5 June. This popular show is regarded as the main event of the year for owners of Metros, classic Minis, and modern MINIs to come together. Hundreds of these popular cars will go on display outside the Museum for visitors to admire.

Those that want to get into the competitive spirit can enter several competitions and awards such as a Concours including novice classes and a fun 'Show'n'shine' where entrants get to judge each other's cars. There's also plenty for families to enjoy including the mesmerising Mini Stunt Shows from Stunt Drive UK which is a real crowd pleaser. Hot meals, sweet treats and refreshments are available at the Junction 12 Café or ice creams and burgers are available outside.

Tickets for the show include entry to the Museum and Collections Centre, giving visitors the chance to see over 400 cars from the collection including the last Rover 100 produced which is signed by 1200 people involved in the Metro production, along with the very first Mini ‘621 AOK', the very last classic Mini produced at Longbridge ‘X411 JOP' and the Monte Carlo Rally winning Minis of 1964, 1965 and 1967.

Tom Caren, Show Manager at the British Motor Museum stated “The show aims to bring both marques together in a fun way no matter what their age or condition. If you, your parents, or grandparents owned a Mini or Metro, then the displays are sure to bring back a sense of nostalgia. Popular with enthusiasts, this show is also a great hit with families with plenty of entertainment for our younger visitors!”

Camping is also available on Saturday 4 June for those that want to make a weekend of it. Advance show tickets cost £14.50 per adult, £9 per child, £12.50 per concession and £40 for a family. Anyone wishing to enter their Mini or Metro into the show can do so online for just £9. This includes entry to the show for the driver and one passenger. Additional tickets are available to purchase if extra passengers are required.

To find out more information about the show please call 01926 895300 or visit the website at https://www.britishmotormuseum.co.uk/whats-on/national-metro-and-mini-show