A Warm Welcome Awaits

Calling all motorcycle enthusiasts! The UK’s biggest motorcycle show Motorcycle Live, in association with Bikesure Insurance, returns for 2021 from 4th – 12th December, and promises show-goers a fun-filled day out. Four halls of The NEC will be bursting with manufacturers, new products, opportunities to ride, and stacks of entertainment.

Motorcycle Live can’t wait to Welcome Back over 50 motorcycle manufacturers, hundreds of exhibitors, and thousands of visitors. Full of features and entertainment, Experience Adventure is bigger and better, where visitors can get a taste of adventure themselves or watch the professional riders at work. Learning to ride has never been easier with the return of MCIA Try Ride, in Association with MCN, and the popular Classic and Custom Zones are back.

There are nine Opportunities to get on two-wheels at the show including the Test Ride Zone for experienced riders, and a Kiddimoto track for our younger fans.

Manufacturers are also back in force, with BMW, Ducati, Honda, Kawasaki, KTM, Suzuki and many more all in attendance. Electric Boulevard is a brand-new riding feature designed to allow visitors to experience electric machines & technology.

Brand new 2022 models from over 50 manufacturers will be making their UK debut, with UK premieres planned during the nine days. The Black Horse Stage will be bringing the Atmosphere with racer and celebrity interviews, whilst riders go head to head with Question of Bikes, with team captains Neil Hodgson and James Whitham. Christmas! It’s the perfect time to tick off those presents for a motorcycle-mad loved one. Kickstart your Motorcycle Live journey today!

Motorcycle Live 2021 at The NEC, Birmingham opens its doors at 09:00am Saturday 4 December. Discounted advanced tickets are now on-sale and available from motorcyclelive.co.uk

The British Motor Museum has launched a new membership scheme as part of the Museum’s plans to engage with more audiences, share its collections more widely and become more financially resilient.

As home to the world's largest collection of historic British cars, the British Motor Museum is an independent Museum and registered educational charity which receives no central government funding. Income from membership will provide essential revenue for the Museum’s ongoing development, helping it to conserve and protect its fabulous collections of over 300 cars and millions of artefacts and items in the Archive. In return members will receive a generous range of exclusive benefits.

Members will have free entry to the Museum including all special weekend show days. They will also have exclusive opportunities to preview new exhibitions, to have a private Museum tour and attend the new members’ only events.    

‘Museum on the Move’ will be the first of these events and will take place in spring of 2022. An evening event, it will start with drinks and canapes in the Museum's stunning Sky Suite, where members will get the chance to meet and chat with specialists from the Collections Team, as well as fellow members who are passionate about cars and British automotive history. They will then be introduced to the selection of the Museum’s cars including ‘Huey’ the first Land Rover produced, 1904 Wolseley 6hp and MG Metro 6R4 prototype and get the chance to enjoy the sights, sounds and smells as the engines are fired up ready for them to take a ride. 

Jeff Coope, Managing Director at the British Motor Museum said “Becoming a Member of the British Motor Museum is a wonderful way to discover more about us and support our work. Members will be able to form a closer relationship with the Museum's collections and team as well as provide a vital source of income for the Museum. The Covid pandemic has been a tough time for the Museum and all attractions in general, this new membership scheme will help us ensure a bright future for the Museum.”

Membership is available from just £3.50 per month or £42 for a year. There are individual, joint and family memberships available as either a Member or Premium Member.

To find out more about membership of the British Motor Museum and the ‘Museum on the Move’ event please visit www.britishmotormuseum.co.uk/membership. For more information about the Museum please visit the website www.britishmotormuseum.co.uk  or call 01926 641188.

Team Gresini confirms its commitment to the Moto2 class of the MotoGP World Championship and next year will be at the starting blocks with two series rookies: Alessandro Zaccone and Filip Salac.

For Alessandro Zaccone, this is a return home as the Italian was already part of the #GresiniFamily in 2020 in the MotoE category. The twenty years old Italian is only 22, but with a wealth of experience on his side: he already raced with good results in the CIV, in the CEV and in the World Championship and he is currently among the title contenders in MotoE, with the title battle being decided this very weekend at Misano.

Filip Salac will be on the opposite side of the garage: another young rider (19 years old) who is ready to make the jump to the new category after three years in Moto3, in which so far he has been able to collect 108 points. His highlights have been a podium in Le Mans (2nd place) and a pole position at the Sachsenring.

Both riders will keep their traditional numbers, with the riders confirming #12 on his front fairing and Zaccone making his debut in the middleweight class with his #61. And this is not all, because starting from next season will have a new head of operations, as Luca Gresini will take the reins of the team in the intermediate class.


ALESSANDRO ZACCONE #61
“First of all, I’d like to say that I’m super happy to return to the track with Gresini Racing and especially in the Moto2 class. This has been my target for many years and I’m finally getting the opportunity I’ve been looking for quite a long time. I’m sure we’ll have the best package at our disposal, and I believe that racing with an Italian team like Gresini is the best way to enter this new category. I’m sure we won’t waste this big opportunity and I would like to thank the Gresini family for it.”

FILIP SALAC #12
“I’m extremely happy to join Gresini Racing, a team I consider among the best in the paddock and one that has plenty of experience in this category. Honestly, I can’t wait for 2022 to begin in order to make the jump into the new category. It means a lot to me, with MotoGP getting a bit closer. I will give my best to show what I’m capable of.”

NADIA PADOVANI GRESINI – TEAM OWNER & TEAM PRINCIPAL
“I’m very happy to announce that we will again be on track next year in the intermediate class with two strong and young riders such as Alessandro Zaccone and Filip Salac. It was important to confirm our presence in Moto2, a historical class for Gresini Racing which will see Luca Gresini as Team Manager. We strongly pushed for this project, and I must thank the whole Gresini Racing team for the huge work done during these months that allowed us to confirm Moto2 alongside MotoGP.”

#CiaoFausto❤️

White Motorcycle Concepts, the British company aiming to set a raft of new world land speed records with its revolutionary electric-powered motorcycle at Bolivia’s Salar de Uyuni salt flat next summer, has successfully completed the initial trials of its ground-breaking WMC250EV high-speed demonstrator.

British Engineering company completes initial trials of WMC250EV
Focus switches to high-speed running as bike development ramps up
WMC continues to engage with potential partners ahead of record attempt
17th September 2021, Northampton: White Motorcycle Concepts, the British company aiming to set a raft of new world land speed records with its revolutionary electric-powered motorcycle at Bolivia’s Salar de Uyuni salt flat next summer, has successfully completed the initial trials of its ground-breaking WMC250EV high-speed demonstrator.

Ridden by company founder and Chief Executive Officer Rob White, the carbon-fibre prototype ran without fault during its shakedown test at Bruntingthorpe Proving Ground and has now completed a comprehensive full system pass off. The programme now moves on to the next phase of its multi-stage testing schedule including runs at a higher-speed range.

The WMC250EV, which is capable of reaching speeds of more than 250mph in final trim, featuring market-disruptive technologies including WMC’s ultra-low drag system V-Air. This innovative system uses a large duct at the centre of the bike which forces air through the vehicle, reducing aerodynamic resistance by 70% compared to a conventional motorcycle. The positive implications for this technology across the automotive industry are wide-ranging and extensive.

The bike also features a D-Drive motor unit that powers the front wheel, which in turn makes it possible to harness regenerative braking energy. In its final powertrain configuration the WMC250EV will feature an 800v high voltage system, but for the early testing phase it is using a low voltage (60v) system that produces 100kw. It is anticipated that in world land speed specification the bike will be two and a half times more powerful.

A key element of WMC’s initial phase of its process-driven programme, supported by multiple world leading motorsport businesses, was to successfully correlate the Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) data of the 300kg vehicle with the results of a real-world test. With this box ticked and various other avenues of development uncovered, the team will continue its methodical testing programme ahead of next year’s world land speed record which will include a British record attempt in early 2022.

WMC continues to engage with potential partners ahead of its ground-breaking record attempt. If successful, the WMC250EV could change the way motorcycle manufacturers approach vehicle design through the next decade because of its vastly reduced CO2 emissions and the possibilities it offers for accelerating the essential decarbonisation of the motorcycle industry globally. Indeed, the Northampton-based company is working on road-going projects and its patented technologies are already being incorporated into road-going variants. An announcement with further details on this is due in October.

“We are delighted with the progress made so far with the WMC250EV,” said White. “We were encouraged by the great reception the launch of the bike received in June, and the high level of interest that the project has gained subsequently. This is a completely bespoke motorcycle, so for it to run cleanly straight out of the box is fantastic.

“We are taking a measured and controlled approach to our testing programme to ensure no stone is left unturned and given the results we have gained to date my confidence is building all the time that we will be successful.”

WMC testing will continue through the rest of 2021, with regular updates posted on its social channels, before embarking on its world land speed record build-up programme early next year.

Roadshow to promote new Ducati London store   

Test rides of 2021 Model range
Ducati is set to return to the capital later this year with an all-new Ducati London store.

To support the arrival of the new store, Ducati UK will be bringing their Roadshow and demo fleet to the Bike Shed from Saturday 25th & Sunday 26th September 2021, 9am-5pm.

The Bike Shed Motorcycle Club in Shoreditch is a mecca for motorcycling culture and the perfect place to announce Ducati’s arrival in London. Its unique combination of café, bar, restaurant, and event venue, make it the ideal destination to spend time exploring the 2021 Ducati range.

And there is plenty to explore with Ducati’s range of motorcycles. From the urban Monster to the globe trekking Multistrada V4 S. Although the Monster and the Multistrada are the headliners for 2021, there is so much more to try. There will be the Superbike range including the Panigale V2 and V4 S, the less track focused SuperSport, the Hypermotard, the stripped down V4 Streetfighter, as well as the cruiser options of the Diavel and XDiavel.

Demo rides will be led by outriders to guide them through the London traffic and on to the test route. Test rides will be 45 minutes long. Riders must have held a full UK motorcycle licence for a minimum of 2 years.

For more information on the Bike Shed and its location visit www.bikeshedmoto.com