Figures from the Motor Cycle Industry Association (MCI) reflect the resilience of the motorcycle market in the economic downturn, ending 2008 just 4,866 registrations short of 2007.

A total of 139,715 motorcyles, mopeds and scooters were registered in 2008, only 3.4 per cent down on 2007. The figures for December showed a 19.1 per cent decline to 6,706 registrations for the month. The UK car market plunged 11.3 per cent last year.

Beneath the headline figures, some significant trends are emerging. Mopeds ended the year 1.5 per cent up, suggesting increasing ‘utility’ use by commuters and those with relatively short journeys. Scooter registrations were also 1.1 per cent up, and the adventure sport and touring categories increased by 5.7 per cent and 8.6 per cent respectively.

“With a robust performance very close to 2007, the motorcycle market and industry is providing further evidence that powered two-wheelers offer a credible and very affordable transport option,” said the MCI’s Sheila Rainger. “We will all continue to face financial pressures in 2009, and with rail fares increasing by as much as 11 per cent and incentives such as bikes being able to use bus lanes, motorcycle use is more relevant and practical than ever.”

Consumer needs have moved towards the wider use of motorcycles for practical everyday purposes, as well as fun and freedom. This is reflected in a fall in market share of the high performance supersport sector which now accounts for under 17 per cent of the market.

The year’s top selling model was the Honda CBR 1000RR, but as further evidence of motorcycling’s relevance, five of the best-selling models of the year were small-capacity motorcycles, mopeds and scooters with engines of less than 125cc. The biggest-selling manufacturer in 2008 was Honda with 20,107 registrations, followed by Yamaha (17,031) and Suzuki (16,132).

Sheila Rainger added: “There was a big increase in motorcycle tests in 2008, and dealers selling new and used bikes to people taking to two wheels for the first time. The industry is well-placed to offer people a cost and congestion-busting alternative for everyday transport and this year, we will be campaigning hard to urge people to join in, as well as working to increase safety and transport provisions for motorcyclists.”

Marshals attend the biggest events on the motorcycling calendar. Without marshals these high level races cannot run and that is why they are essential within the racing world. If you take on a marshalling role you could very well find yourself trackside at world motocross, MotoGP, World Superbikes, British Superbike or some straight forward club racing. You are guaranteed the best vantage points, you will be close to the action and get to meet the riders although they may not be feeling very talkative!

Being a marshal is a very responsible position and to make sure you know all you need to carry out your duties safely, the ACU Motorcycle Marshals Association is running a number of training days early this year.

The training course, which is completely free, will take you through different aspects of the job from fire training, flag theory and practical, medical training, to incident theory and practical. By the end of the day you will be competent in the basic skills needed to be a marshal ready to get out and help make motorcycle sport happen.

The ACU Motorcycle Marshals Association is delighted to announce the following dates and venues for marshal training days:

Sunday 8th February 2009 – Donington Park

Sunday 15th February 2009 – Lydden Hill

To book the above courses and set yourself up as a marshal for 2009 please contact Michelle Haynes on 01788 566405 or email [email protected]

It is with huge regret that Big D's will be closing on Sunday 8th February.

Due to mounting debt that in the current financial climate that no-one is willing to wait for.

All memorabilia both within the pub and outside, including the 8ft Alien, will be auctioned off on Sunday 8th February @ 4pm.

The Biking community will be very sad to see Big D's close and wish Big D and Rosie all the best for the future.

We keep a close eye on crash figures and we’ve discovered eight stretches of road in the Derbyshire countryside where bikers are regularly coming to grief:

So why is this happening?

It’s not down to dark and stormy nights – that’s for sure. Most of these crashes happened on fine, dry days.

What did these crashes have in common?

Well, many of them happened on bends and the most frequent factors were loss of control, high speeds and bikes overtaking other vehicles.

For as little as £50 you can have a day’s training.  The ‘Bike Plus’ scheme is a specially designed one day rider development session to make you a safer, more confident rider. 

There is no test to take, just practical training to improve your riding style.  You have passed your test.  Now ‘Bike plus’ will help you use that freedom safely!