The Heritage Motor Centre is delighted to host the National Bike Safe Show, a fantastic free outdoor family event dedicated to motorbike safety on Sunday 4th September from 10am – 4pm.  

Exciting highlights of the show include stunt rider Mattie Griffin performing some exhilarating motorcycle stunts plus displays of Manufacturers & Dealer bikes, Motorcycle Clothing & Accessories, Motorcycle Clubs, Mini Motos and a ‘Try before you buy’ scooter arena.

Visitors will also have the opportunity of riding for free on demo bikes including top names such as Ducati, Yamaha, Royal Enfield, BMW, Honda, Triumph and Suzuki (please bring both parts of your license). In addition visitors can enjoy refreshments and live music from three talented local bands. Younger members of the family can also enjoy entertainment such as a funfair and face-painting!

Emma Rawlinson, Event Executive for the Heritage Motor Centre stated “We’re delighted to be hosting the National Bike Safe Show at the HMC, the perfect venue for an event of this nature. If you ride a motorbike or scooter then this is the ideal show for you but even if you don't there is plenty for everyone to enjoy!”

‘BikeSafe’ is a nationwide police-led motorcyclist casualty reduction initiative that is run by the majority of forces throughout the UK. The Show is being organised in association with the Heritage Motor Centre, Sands Photography, The Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents, The Motor Cycle Industry Association and Institute of Advanced Motorists, Highways Traffic Management.

National Bike Safe is just one of many exciting and unique motoring events held at the Heritage Motor Centre in 2011. To find out more information please visit the website at www.heritage-motor-centre.co.uk

America’s top-selling and leading motorcycle magazine, Cycle World has announced its “10 Best Bikes of 2011” and among them awarded Italian manufacturer, Ducati, with “Best Open Streetbike” award for the Multistrada 1200 S Sport and “Best Cruiser” for the incredible new Diavel Carbon. 

It is for the second successive year that the game-changing Ducati Multistrada 1200 S Sport has won the “Best Open Streetbike” award, underlining the incredible success of the innovative 4-bikes-in-1 concept that has made it Ducati’s top-selling model world-wide.

Recognising the motorcycle’s design, Cycle World wrote:

“For the second year running, Ducati’s Multistrada 1200 S Sport has proven that its do-anything design, awesome on and off-road performance and category-leading features deserve recognition… Its tall adventure-bike stature puts its pilot in a comfortable and commanding seating position. Even in standard form, without the Sport’s excellent electronically adjustable Öhlins suspension, Ducati Traction Control, ABS and multiple-power-mode, ride-by-wire fuel injection, this Italian V-Twin is a sure winner. But with these weapons at its disposal, the Multistrada 1200 S Sport is one of the most capable and potent all-around machines we’ve ever tested.”

When unveiled at the Milan motorcycle show at the end of 2010, the Ducati Diavel represented a bold departure from the company’s sporting image, but the Bologna based manufacturer combined its sport technology and experience with elements of cruiser styling to present its own interpretation. This courageous, out-of-the-box thinking is something that has set Ducati aside from its competitors and enabled it to constantly redefine established sectors of the market.

Cycle World celebrated the Diavel’s challenge to the industry and wrote:

“Sure, you can go apehanger, floorboards or any number of more traditional routes in this most traditional of categories. Or you can say, Screw it! and let the focus groups focus on their navels. Ducati did just that, channelling the performance-minded spirit of classic American V-Twins like the Crocker and infusing it with garlic and other more modern powerful Italian spices (such as carbon fiber) to come up with one of the coolest, fastest, most fun motorcycles ever made, one that happens to be a “cruiser.”…it was impossible not to pick it as Best Cruiser.”

This important recognition mirrors the current success of Ducati in the US, where the famous Bologna brand has turned crisis into opportunity, with exciting product responsible for increasing its first half-year sales by 18.1% compared to 2010. In a market which has actually retreated by 8.8%, this clearly underlines the value of the award-winning Ducati Diavel and Multistrada 1200 as well as the Hypermotard 796, Monster 696 and 796 models. With the new Monster 1100EVO about to arrive stateside, Ducati are highly confident of their continued performance in the very important US market .

Ace Cafe London has teamed up with Rock of Ages - The Musical. Pick up a Rock of Ages postcard at the cafe, or from the Ace stand at either this weekend's High Voltage Festival, Victoria Park, London or at the cafe's Streetfighter & Stunt Festival, Brent Cross (Sunday 31st July) or at the cafe's Harley weekend (Thursday 25th - Sunday 28th August) to be in with a chance of winning two top price tickets and a nights stay at the Holiday Inn, Bloomsbury, Central London.
 
In addition, pairs of tickets to the show are for grabs as prizes for "Best Harleys" on Warr's HD Nights at the cafe, from 6pm on the last Thursdays of July, August and September.
 
The show, featuring 28 classic anthems, starring Justin Lee Collins & Shayne Ward, has been described as "Spinal Tap meets Rocky Horror", kicks off on Wednesday 31st August at London's Shaftsbury Theatre.
 
www.rockofagesmusical.co.uk

Red Dwarf’s ‘Cat’ and BBC MotoGP presenter lead charity ride on bright pink bikes from London to Southern Spain

Viva Valencia!, the charity ride being undertaken by Red Dwarf’s The Cat, real name Danny John-Jules, BBC MotoGP presenter, Matt Roberts, and Steve Keys, now has an official website – www.motoventures.co.uk
 
John-Jules and Keys, owner of the UK’s first Yamaha dealer, have been raising awareness and money for the charity, Riders for Health, by attending numerous events and shows on two bright pink Yamaha R1s over the past year. In October, the boys will be joined by Roberts to ride 1200 miles from Ace Cafe London to the Ricardo Tormo circuit, Valencia, Spain for the last race of the 2011 MotoGP championship.

The new website will bring news, updates, photos and list events that the Viva Valencia! team are attending, but, more importantly, it will be a place for people to donate to the charity, either using the pledge button or buying one of the special T-shirts on offer.

Riders for Health works by supplying and maintaining reliable transport for health workers to reach people in remote parts of Africa. Millions of people in Africa die from easily preventable diseases and the charity tries to prevent this by making sure these people can receive regular, reliable health care often for the first time in their lives.

The ride, which will be filmed for a TV documentary, will leave on October 30th from the Ace Cafe on London’s North Circular and follow a route taking in France’s Champagne region, Dijon, Montpellier and Barcelona; giving the boys plenty of time to take in local culture.

Once the team arrives in Valencia on November 3rd, they will be meeting up with local supporters of Riders for Health and then lead approximately 200 bikes into the circuit for a parade lap, followed by Spain's very own Day of Champions where, it is hoped, they will be auctioning for the charity some of the exclusive items they have gathered during their trip.

Danny John-Jules, currently in Guadalupe filming the new BBC One series Death in Paradise, said: ‘I’m a huge bike racing fan and supporter of the amazing work that Riders for Health does for the people living in remote parts of Africa. The charity provides and maintains motorcycles so that doctors and medical staff can reach these people – basic, but essential and life saving. To be able to ride down to the Valencia MotoGP with a couple of mates and help this charity along the way is a fantastic way to spend a week!

Matt Roberts will ride the 1200 miles on the specially painted Yamaha R1 that MotoGP world champion Jorge Lorenzo used during a parade lap at the 2010 Isle of Man TT:

"As soon as Danny (John-Jules) and Steve (Keys) told me about their plan to ride to Valencia, I wanted in! I know it is going to be a long trip and the R1 isn't exactly built for comfort, but it's all for a great cause and I know there'll be plenty of laughs along the way. I'm also a big Red Dwarf fan so for me it doesn't get much cooler than riding with the Cat!"

Visit www.motoventures.co.uk to donate and keep up with regular news.

As from Wednesday 3rd August, the Motorcycle Evenings will move to The Events Area at Hatton Country World, just a mile down the road.

Following an in depth review of The Waterman business and various safety issues, we have reluctantly concluded that the large number of motorcyclists we welcome on Wednesday evenings during the Summer make it impossible for us to give our increasing number of midweek diners a consistently pleasant experience. We cannot accommodate both and our primary concern has to be our core restaurant customers.

The shops and farm village at Hatton Country World close at 5:30pm, so motorcyclists will enjoy exclusive use of the venue. The events area already hosts a number of car rallies and charity events.

In addition to the existing catering and toilet facilities, we will also operate an outside bar and BBQ.

We look forward to seeing you at the Events Area on Wednesdays from 3rd August.

Johnnie Arkwright @ Hatton Estate

www.hattonestate.co.uk