A stylish tribute to the singer-songwriter legend Johnny Cash is the latest motorcycle to be showcased in the new Customising, Culture & Harley-Davidson exhibition at MOSI (Museum of Science & Industry, Manchester).

The Get Rhythm motorcycle, named after Cash’s 1956 hit about a shoeshine boy beating the blues through music, is painted a sleek and understated black, in reference to the famous ‘Man in Black’, and includes musical details such as an oil tank in the design of Cash’s Gibson guitar, a custom leather seat dedicated to Johnny Cash and a vintage style fuel tank.

Get Rhythm is displayed in MOSI’s Customising, Culture & Harley-Davidson exhibition for the next month. The rhythmic sound of its v-twin engine also earned the motorcycle its name. Get Rhythm was customised from a 2004 Harley-Davidson 1550cc and is on display until the end of June as part of a rolling monthly programme of customised motorcycles from Shaw Speed and Custom of Sussex. Get Rhythm was commissioned by Johnny Cash fan Julian Grindall and was built by Neil Sefton of Shaw Harley-Davidson.

Owner Julian Grindall said: “For me & the creation of a Johnny Cash tribute bike was quite simple: the love of motorcycles, especially Harley-Davidson, and the music of an iconic performer and song writer. The title of the bike "Get Rhythm" was an obvious choice. This great song describes the rhythm of the shoe shine boy betting the blues and the rhythm of the Harley V twin, perfect.”

Customising, Culture and Harley-Davidson, which runs until 11 September, spans early Harley-Davidsons to the very latest in customised motorcycles, many of which have never been displayed to the public before. The exhibition is created by the Claridon Group and MOSI. It is the first time ever that an exhibition has showcased the historic and radical customs of Harley-Davidson® motorcycles, and the culture surrounding them. 

Over 30 motorcycles are featured in the exhibition, including models from the UK, Germany, Japan and the US. Each bike has its own story, from a rare 1909 model built in the first decade of Harley-Davidson’s production heritage,  to motorcycles used for the US military and police in the 1930s and 1940s, to the 1948 Ice Road Panhead, which defied motorcycle capabilities in conditions of minus 53 degrees, to complete an expedition to the Arctic.

The exhibition includes a section on customised Harley-Davidsons, such as the incredible Jaguar Bike, built by Polar Cycles/Massow, the Air Bike by Richard Taylor and the High Roller Trike (Abacus Studios). It also looks at the distinctive culture of Harley-Davidson, including the tattoos, music and film associated with this of this iconic brand.

All Harley-Davidson motorcycles are manufactured in Milwaukee, USA, but the almost endless array of available aftermarket parts and accessories worldwide provides radical customisation opportunities and enables owners to realise their own personal dream machine. A full list of all motorcycles in the exhibition is available.

Exhibition organizer Chris Scott of Claridon said: “We are delighted to have the “Get Rhythm” motorcycle grace the exhibition and are extremely grateful to Shaw Speed & Custom for not only loaning some of their amazing motorcycles but also working with us on the monthly rolling bike programme which will bring added enjoyment to visitors of the exhibition.”

Customising, Culture and Harley-Davidson runs until 11 September at MOSI, Liverpool Road, Castlefield, Manchester M3 4FP. Get Rhythm is on display until the end of June.

www.mosi.org.uk

The Honda TT Legends team is keeping its focus firmly on the positive elements of last night’s Albacete 8-hour race despite being forced to retire from the event in the final 50 minutes.

The team had performed an almost faultless race, saving valuable time during pit stops due to an excellent fuelling strategy. By the six-hour stage, it was leading cumulative pit stop time challenge. Steve Plater and John McGuinness were both showing pace and the team was sitting strongly in its target position of fourth with under an hour to go.

McGuinness was in the last seconds of his final stint when the Fireblade lost the back end on the in lap. He was uninjured but unfortunately it was impossible to bring the bike back to the pits to attempt a recovery and therefore the Honda TT Legends team was forced to retire.

While the team is obviously disappointed with the result of the race, the progress made during the second round of the 2011 Endurance World Championship cannot be underestimated. The Honda TT Legends will now move on to more familiar territory – the Isle of Man TT from 30 May-10 June – before taking part in the Suzuka eight-hour race in Japan in July.

Neil Tuxworth, race manager

We have made an awful lot of progress with both the bikes and the team. The fuelling, the brake pads and the tyres are all working well, the team has bonded and the riders are doing a great job. We were only an hour from the end and we were within our target position of top four so we have many positive things to take away with us. Most importantly, we are thankful that John is ok.

Steve Plater

We’re disappointed but that’s endurance racing. We were setting a good pace and holding fourth position with one hour to go when John had an unfortunate crash. This year is a big learning curve for the team and we’ve learned a huge amount again this meeting. We are more competitive than we were at the Bol d’Or which we’re happy about and we aim to move forward at Suzuka.

John McGuinness

I am massively disappointed. We’ve had a good weekend as a team and things were looking good in the race. I was holding the fourth spot and only had one or two laps to go before handing the bike back to Steve, but in the end it didn’t go our way. All we can do now is use what we have learned for Suzuka - and of course look forward to the TT.

Ducati today announced a new rider training scheme that will give people a chance to learn to ride on a Ducati.
 
The ‘Ducati Rider Training’ scheme will see 13 locations across the country with each of these locations consisting of a dealer and training facility partnership.

Each training facility has been carefully chosen for their ability to provide high training standards expected from a Ducati supported scheme. All training facilities will be linked to a franchised Ducati dealership to enable Ducati dealers the ability to offer a full service from training to purchase.

Initially the training will take place at one of authorised training facilities on 125cc motorcycles before moving onto the training school's bigger bikes and then relocating to the Ducati dealership where the training company will progress the rider on to the Ducati Monster 696. All training will be tailor made to an individual’s ability and previous experience and the pricing of each course will reflect this.

Riders over the age of 21 may take their full licence on a bike of 46.6bhp or above (The Ducati Monster 696 is an ideal bike for this). Once they have reached the required standard, all full licence training will be conducted on the 696 and will cover all aspects of riding in both town and country. They will be under the guidance of a fully qualified instructor with a radio link using a bike-to-bike radio. Upon successful completion of the practical motorcycle test they will be able to ride any size Ducati without waiting for the end of a two-year restriction.

To sign up for Ducati rider training, potential riders can call either the participating Ducati dealer or the training centre quoting ‘Ducati Rider Training’.

The ‘Ducati Rider Training’ scheme gives potential motorcyclists a more accessible route not only to rider training but also to the Ducati brand and the chance to learn to ride one of the most iconic bikes of modern times.

Debbie Wiggins, Marketing Manager for Ducati UK commented on the new scheme, 'Ducati UK is committed to introducing new people to not only motorcycling but also the Ducati brand. For many people their ambition is to learn to ride and ride a Ducati. This scheme encompasses both these aspects and makes the dream come true with a simple call to one of the 13 dealer/training facility locations. We hope to expand the number of locations next year once the scheme has been established.’

For further details of Ducati Rider Training and contact details of participating training facilities and dealerships visit www.ducatiuk.com

Date: Monday 30th May 2011
Depart Cafe: 10.30am
Route: A406 - A13 - M25 - A2 - M2 - A299 to Margate Seafront
 
The 4th annual Margate Meltdown is the most recently established of Ace Cafe London's free to attend major ride-outs.
 
The ride-out from the cafe to this popular seaside resort in Kent is held each year on occasion of the annual Spring Bank Holiday. Margate's seafront and harbour is given over to motorcycles, diverse club and trade stands, a stage and live entertainment from Noon with rockin' band "The Sunsetters" and DJ Bill Guntrip.
 
Margate's famous amusement park, Dreamland will be open and back by popular demand, is the return of Carter's Steam Fair with their paramount Chair-O-Planes having received a complete restoration in recent months.  These are the second large ride the Carter family took on the road back in the early days of being showmen and believed to have originated from Europe during the early 1920's!
 
Dreamland is open from 11am and is free to enter.
 
Working closely with our chosen charity for this event, the Royal British Legion Riders Branch (RBLRB), the town and Thanet District Council, Margate not only has everything that a great ride-out requires, it has a great beach and plenty of heritage to include a legacy from the 1960's that is of world renown relating to motorbikes, scooters and the Mods & Rockers that rode them!
 
www.acecafeevents.com

Police are urging motorcyclists travelling to and from the North West 200 next week to use all their road craft to stay safe and stay alive on roads across Northern Ireland.

Motorists can expect increased number of traffic patrols on our roads across the North Coast area during race week, with the aim of ensuring the safety of all road users.

Inspector John Millar, Road Policing officer, explains: “In recent years a number of people lost their lives while either travelling to or from this sporting spectacular, or to one of the many events that take place throughout race week. This is something that all bikers need to take note of, and is why road safety has got to be everyone’s number one priority.

“It is very easy to get caught up in all the excitement that the races bring, and it is this excitement, and the anticipation of seeing professional racers do their thing on closed roads that supporters and enthusiasts need to suppress if they want to stay alive when travelling on open roads.

Do not try to emulate any of the riders taking part in the North West 200 as it is simply not feasible or safe to do so.

Don’t think that you can get away with just driving safely on roads around the race circuit.

You must drive safely at all times whether you are en-route to the North coast from Armagh, Ballymena, Belfast, Carrickfergus, Derry, Enniskillen, Limavady, Portaferry, Newry, or indeed anywhere else in Ireland.

“I would also remind motorists that there will be more motorcycles out and about during race week, and that they need to be more alert to the presence of bikes on the roads, and particularly at junctions…THINK BIKE.

“Motorcyclists have a major role to play when it comes to road safety.

Use dipped headlights day and night, and consider sounding your horn to alert others to your presence as necessary.

Ride responsibly and don’t take foolish chances.

You only get one life; make sure it doesn’t come to an untimely end…BIKESAFE and STAY ALIVE,” concluded Inspector Millar.

Ride It Right Comments

Ride It Right the motorcycle safety initiative says all good sound advice for riders and drivers.

However regarding using dipped headlights: All bikes produced by the major manufacturers have since 2002 had their dipped headlight hardwired so that they come on automatically, there is no switch to switch on or to switch off the headlight. So although you may think your headlight is on, remember to physically check that it is.

Also do not rely on other vehicle drivers seeing you because you have your headlight on or you are wearing reflective or bright clothing.

Also don’t think that having your full beam on will make you more visible, you may make it harder for other vehicle drivers to calculate your distance and speed as you approach.

You may even “mask” the rider behind you, especially if you have fitted more powerful bulbs or High Intensity Discharge Xenon headlights (HID-Xenon) that can cause glare and dazzle other road users.

Meanwhile if you get the time book into one of the Bikesafe assessments that are on offer during race week.

www.rideitright.org.

Bikesafe

Police are encouraging motorcyclists of all ages and abilities to take part in their ‘Bikesafe’ assessed ride-outs during the NW200 race week.

The ride-outs will be held at the start/finish area of the North West 200 motorcycle races situated on the coast road between Portrush and Portstewart from Tuesday 17 until Friday 19 May. Assessment slots can be booked on-line at www.bikesafe.co.uk.

Bikesafe paddock opening times will be:

Tuesday 17 May 10.00am to 5.00pm

Wednesday 18 May 9.30am to 6.00pm

Thursday 19 May 3.00pm to 9.00pm

Friday 20 May 9.30am to 9.00pm

There is £10 administration fee, payable on-line, for the Bikesafe ride-outs and they are operated on a first come first served basis. Motorcyclists are provided with a unique opportunity to have their riding and road craft assessed by an advanced police motorcyclist. During the ride-out, the advanced police motorcyclist assesses machine knowledge, hazard awareness, junctions, cornering, overtaking and security. The assessment is not a test, nor is it training, it provides advice and an assessment of a rider’s capabilities, and it is open to all, from the complete novice to the experienced motorcyclist. STAY ALIVE – ‘BIKESAFE’.