Category: Events and Shows

1. National Road Rally "The BEST excuse ever for a ride out" 6th & 7th July 2019

   Posted on 12:00pm Tuesday 1st Jan 2019

   Be part of one of the UK's BEST Biking Road Rallies... If you can ride a motorcycle and read a map, the ultimate biker's destination has to be The National Road Rally!

   With a range of entry levels there is a route for everyone, beginner to seasoned rider. Set your own target from 120 to 540 miles. Controls are situated countrywide so never to far from home. Why not make it a team effort and form a team with friends or fellow club members. Finish your ride at one of the multiple final controls positioned around the country.

   venue: Multiple Start Controls placed through out the country. See website for more information and previous years control matrix's.

   price: Pre-book: £30 per rider/£10 passenger - Closing date 19th June.

   www.nationalroadrally.co.uk

   ww.facebook.com/events/236664077200753/
   
   
   

2. The Legendary Harley-Davidson in the City Motorcycle Festival... Keeping the thunder alive!

   Posted on 12:00pm Sunday 16th Dec 2018

   2019 Festival Venue & Date Change

   The 2018 event was one of the most successful festivals ever held in Brechin, with approximately over 18,000 visitors over the entire weekend, as well as over 750 motorcycles of all types in attendance.

   It was the popularity of the event this year which required the Event Management Team to look at public safety, site capacity, traffic management and the general disruption the event caused to retailers and residents in the town centre during the Saturday element of the festival, with the Sunday element located on River Street for the first time, and feedback from residents was very positive.
   
   The Management Team has a duty of responsibility to ensure as far as is reasonable, the event is safe for all, and taking into consideration feedback from traders, the public and businesses in the town centre, the town centre location had reached capacity with no options to expand the festival site further.
   

   So after 7 years of being in the town centre, it has been decided to change the location of the event within Brechin. This decision was not taken lightly, and was done after consultation with Police Scotland, Angus Council and other relevant parties.
   

   From 2019, the festival in its entirety will be located in the River Street area, as this has the capacity to accommodate all elements, with the camping and caravan facilities nearby, as well as good parking facilities for visitors and ease of access for disabled. It was also felt that the relocation of the event would enhance awareness of this scenic area of the town, and accommodate future growth of more motorcycles, traders and visitors attending Brechin.
   

   The weekend long event has continued to grow in popularity, with the 40+ mile ‘Thunder Run’ one of the main attractions on the Saturday. Starting from Brechin Castle with the support of Lord Dalhousie, before riding through the town and touring Angus and returning to Brechin. There are no plans to change this element of the festival. Having successfully avoided clashing with other major events in Angus for the last few years, the festival was advised it would clash with the Glamis Extravaganza for the next few years if the proposed dates were left unchanged.

   Therefore, following discussions with Police Scotland, Angus Council and Event Scotland, the HDITC Festival will now be held on the weekend incorporating the first Sunday in July going forward.

   So for 2019, the event will be on the 6th & 7th July, in 2020 on the 4th & 5th July, and in 2021 on the 3rd & 4th July.
   
   www.hditc.co.uk
   
   
   

3. Unlock the secrets of great driving or riding at UK racing circuits with IAM RoadSmart’s Skills Days

   Posted on 12:00pm Wednesday 28th Nov 2018

   The 2019 schedule for IAM RoadSmart’s ever-popular Skills Days has been announced; the perfect way to sharpen up driving or riding skills in your own car or motorbike at top racing circuits around the UK.

   The Skills Days, run by the UK’s biggest independent road safety charity, take place from April to September at Croft, Mallory Park and Thruxton circuits – all tracks steeped in motorsport history.

   Skills Days are open to anyone with a full car or motorcycle licence, and any road-legal car or motorbike. You do not have to be an IAM RoadSmart member to take part.

   They involve working either one-to-one in a car, or in a very small group on motorcycles with a dedicated instructor. During a day that aims to be fun as well as safe, drivers and riders taking part can expect to learn new techniques and gain greater understanding about the capability of their car or motorcycle.

   Expect to learn about your own capabilities and that of your machine; entry, apex and exit points, how they vary from road to circuit; where to brake, when and how much to brake, how it feels in an emergency; controlled, progressive, smooth cornering; and how to use the accelerator or throttle to add stability to the car or motorcycle when cornering.

   Here is the full schedule of motorcycle days:

   Tuesday 9 April – Thruxton

   Wednesday 15 May – Mallory Park

   Tuesday 28 May – Thruxton

   Tuesday 18 June – Thruxton

   Tuesday 25 June – Croft

   Tuesday 9 July – Thruxton

   Tuesday 16 July – Mallory Park (ladies’ day)

   Tuesday 27 August – Thruxton

   Wednesday 11 September – Mallory Park

   Tuesday 17 September – Thruxton

   Here are the car days:

   Monday 8 April – Thruxton

   Wednesday 12 June – Mallory Park

   Monday 16 September - Thruxton

   Queen of Bikers and IAM RoadSmart ambassador, Maria Costello, will be leading the ladies’ motorcycle Skills Day at Mallory Park on 16 July.

   Maria has made more than 40 starts at the daunting Isle of Man TT and returned there this summer. She became the first woman ever to claim a podium at the 2016 Classic TT alongside 23 times TT winner John McGuinness.

   For five years Maria held the Guinness World Record as the fastest woman to lap the Isle of Man TT course, when she lapped the Snaefell mountain course at an average speed of 114.73 mph in 2004.

   Mike Quinton, IAM RoadSmart Chief Executive Officer, said: “Skills Days are all about advancing the ability of drivers, riders and their machines, guided by experts in a safe controlled environment.

   “We will help you unlock the secrets of getting the best from your car or bike, how to handle your machine to the best of its capabilities, without risking yourself or people around you. Safe driving can also be fun driving and our Skills Days are the key to that.

   “Launched at the Motorcycle Live event at the NEC this week, Skills Days are flying out so book soon.”

   Motorcycle days are £149 per rider (full day). Car days are £135 a driver (half day).

   For more information visit our dedicated web page on Skills day here: https://www.iamroadsmart.com/skillsday or call our booking hotline on 0300 303 1134.

4. Motorcycle Live hailed a success as over 100,000 bikes fans enjoy the show

   Posted on 6:00pm Sunday 25th Nov 2018

   Motorcycle Live 2018 saw 103,702 bike fans enjoy nine days of action-packed, interactive two-wheeled entertainment, during a show that has been hailed a success by exhibitors and visitors alike.  

   The event was packed with brand-new metal from over 40 of the world’s leading manufacturers. Much of the 2019 machinery on display had been launched just one week previously at EICMA in Milan, while Kawasaki, Norton and CCM chose Motorcycle Live to unveil never-seen-before 2019 models to the bike-mad crowd. 

   The brand-new Moto-Cirque arena debuted with a spectacular live stunt show combining FMX, street bikes, BMX and dance – all taking place in total darkness aside from meticulously-coordinated LED lights and lasers set to an awesome soundtrack.

   "What a show, we've had an amazing week", said CEO of Norton Motorcycles, Stuart Garner. "It's the biggest show we've ever done and we've had the biggest footfall we've ever seen on the stand, so a huge thank you to the organisers for making it happen. It's been a record show for Norton and we hope everyone has enjoyed it as much as we have."

   "We have broken the European record in terms of sales at shows, so Motorcycle Live has been really successful," said Peter Riley, managing director of Airvest Ltd/Helite UK. "That is obviously fantastic, but what has been the real joy about this year's show is the people that have visited the stand to tell us how our product has saved their life. It's moments like that that make coming to the show absolutely worthwhile."

   Motorcycle Live 2019 will take place at The NEC, Birmingham from 16-24 November – save the date!

5. Suzuki to rebuild first ever RG500 at Motorcycle Live

   Posted on 12:00pm Sunday 4th Nov 2018

   Suzuki will restore arguably the most important racing motorcycle it ever produced at this year’s Motorcycle Live – which takes place at Birmingham’s NEC 17-25 November – with the rebuild of the G-54, the precursor to the iconic XR14 and RG500 machines that went on to take Suzuki and Barry Sheene to world championship glory.
   
   
   

   The bike will be rebuilt over the first weekend of the show and fired into life on Monday 19 November, before being stripped and rebuilt again over the final weekend ready for a second start up on Sunday 25 November, giving visitors two chances to see the iconic machine being built.

   The restoration will be carried out by former Grand Prix technician Nigel Everett. Everett worked in Grand Prix racing from the early ‘70s through to 1988, when he setup Racing Restorations, working with the likes of Sheene, Mick Grant, Kevin Schwantz, James Whitham, Roger Marshall, and John Reynolds. He also worked with Suzuki in World Superbikes from 1995 to 1997. Also present over both weekends will be legendary Suzuki technician Martyn Ogborne and former Grand Prix ace Paul Smart.

   Suzuki GB’s aftersales co-ordinator, Tim Davies, said, “I think this is the most excited we’ve been for our Motorcycle Live feature build, and that’s saying something as we’ve managed to do some really cool projects in the past, from restoring a Kevin Schwantz RGV500 to building a brand new TL1000S from parts. But this bike – the G-54 – is a really rare and really special thing. It paved the way for Suzuki’s return to Grand Prix racing and spawned the bikes that took Barry Sheene to world championship glory and was raced by some incredible riders in its day. It is probably one of the most important bikes from our history, so to not only be able to restore it using our Vintage Parts Programme but do so with the likes of Martyn Ogborne and Nigel Everett is really special.”

   The G-54 concept was born in May 1973, five years after Suzuki withdrew from Grand Prix racing following regulation changes by the F.I.M. But, after competing in the smaller 50cc, 125cc, and 250cc classes, Suzuki had decided to make a return, this time in the premier 500cc class.

   The bike – where G denoted Grand Prix use only and 54, strangely, stood for 1974 – was designed and built under the stewardship of Makoto Hase and Makoto Suzuki, who had previously been tasked with converting the GT250, GT500, and GT750 machines into the TR250, TR500, and TR750 race bikes. The project pulled in staff that worked on the two and three cylinder 50cc machines, the twin and V4 125cc machines, plus the square-four 250cc machine.

   Barry Sheene got his first taste of the machine in November 1973, but to help keep the weight down the G-54 employed an open cradle chassis with no lower chassis rails beneath the engine. However, despite finishing second in its first ever Grand Prix at Clermont-Ferrand in April with Sheene aboard, by June the chassis had been replaced with a conventional double cradle design. It was raced by Sheene, Paul Smart, and Jack Findlay that year.

   The bike will be built and displayed on Suzuki’s stand throughout the show, located in Hall 2.

   For more show and ticket information, click here. For information on Suzuki’s Vintage Parts Programme, click here.