Category: Events and Shows

1. CLASSIC MOTORBIKE SHOW WELCOMES COMET CLASSICS AS PRIDE OF OWNERSHIP SPONSOR

   Posted on 9:00am Wednesday 21st Oct 2015

   The Classic Motorbike Show, held at Birmingham’s NEC from 13-15 November, has welcomed Comet Classics as sponsor of its popular Pride of Ownership competition. Around 25-30 motorbikes and scooters will line up in the hope of being awarded ‘best in show’.

   Comet Classics, making its NEC debut, will also be bringing a selection of classic and vintage motorcycles from its Hampshire showroom and global distribution centre along with three American trucks including the 1951 Ford F1 pick-up from the latest series of Wheeler Dealers.

   Owned by Martin Webb and Ray Waller, Comet Classics started as a private collection is now a three-year-old business with over 100 classics motorcycles and petrol pumps in stock. Between them, Martin and Ray have over 80 years of automotive and motorcycle experience. Martin said: “We’re delighted to sponsor the Pride of Ownership competition and can’t wait to see the bikes at the NEC. There’s already a diverse line-up of entries submitted so the final display should be very exciting indeed.”

   As well as the Pride of Ownership, around 30 clubs will be fantastic displays of motorbikes plus the National Motorcycle Museum returns with its ‘Where Are They Now’ feature including special guests. There will also be a BikeJumble, the Ace Café and the ever popular vintage Wall of Death.

   Event Director Dan Nwaokolo added: “We’re thrilled to have Comet Classics on board. Martin and Ray’s passion for motorcycles is clear just by looking at the standard of their amazing showroom. I’m sure this year’s Pride of Ownership display will equally reflect the passion for classic motorbikes.”

   The 2015 Classic Motorbike Show will be held from 13th to 15th November at Birmingham’s NEC with tickets also offering admittance into the Lancaster Insurance Classic Motor Show.
   
   www.classicmotorbikeshow.com

2. Steve Parrish comes alive with Motorcycle Live

   Posted on 12:01pm Tuesday 20th Oct 2015

   On 28 November, former racer, current MotoGP commentator and Motorcycle Live’s resident stage host Steve Parrish has described the moment he first came alive on a motorcycle.

   Parrish reveals that he “borrowed” his brother’s 250cc Ariel Arrow and took it for a spin when he was just 11 years old. Despite running out of petrol and having to push the bike back home, he was hooked, and by age 22 had turned professional, winning the 1976 ACU Solo title in the British Motor Cycle Championship. He went on to win the Shell 500 title in both 1979 and 1980, and a Superbike title in 1981. To view the video click here.

   Parrish hosts the Black Horse Stage in the British Eurosport Entertainment Zone at Motorcycle Live, which will once again occupy the heart of show. Alongside James Whitham, he will keep the crowd entertained with interviews and chat shows, along with a variety of interactive games and quizzes such as the ever-popular ‘A Question Of Bikes’.

   Motorcycle Live 2015 will run from 28 November to 6 December. Advance tickets are on sale now, at just £17.50 per adult, £11 for Seniors and £7 for children aged 11-16* (kids aged 10 and under accompanied by a paying adult go free). There is also a £20.50 advance ticket, which includes entry to the show and a choice of Oxford neck wear worth £15. To book, call 0844 581 2345 or visit www.motorcyclelive.co.uk

3. VMCC Inaugural Scottish Veteran Run

   Posted on 12:00pm Saturday 10th Oct 2015

   The VMCC held its inaugural run in Scotland for veteran motorcycles ( manufactured prior to 1915) on Sunday 3 October starting at the Lion and Unicorn Inn at Thornhill near Doune, Stirlingshire. The  run attracted an entry of twenty three machines and followed a sixty eight mile route taking in Lochs Katrine and Ard. The earliest machine entered was the VMCC’s 1903 Dreadnought which was gifted to the Club by Harold Karslake affectionately known as “Oily”. He wanted the machine to be used and not languish in a museum and it regularly takes part in runs around the country. It was loaned by the Club to Dr. Alastair Alexander, their Area Representative for Scotland, for the inaugural Scottish run.

   John Macmillan of Lanark was the run organiser and said, “There seemed to be a demand for a veteran run and we were hoping for perhaps single figure entries but the response far exceeded our expectations. The riders came from all over Scotland and a number from England and Northern Ireland. A great variety of early marques such as BSA, Triumph, Scott, Douglas, James, Norton, Humber and Sunbeam were ridden on the day providing a memorable display of the once mighty British Motorcycle Industry in the early part of the twentieth century. The smallest machine entered was a 1914 175cc Calthorpe owned by David Clark of Forres.”
   Alastair Alexander said, “The Run was part of the VMCC’s strategy in Scotland to encourage the older machines to get back into regular use on runs and rallies. British veteran motorcycles were high technology in the early 1900s but today it takes a skilled rider to manage a machine with perhaps a single gear, a belt drive transmission, no clutch and primitive brakes. The Scottish veteran run demonstrated that a carefully chosen route tailored to machines of a similar performance appealed to VMCC members knowing that they could ride in safety and with confidence.”
   
   
   

   
   
   A 1905 Peugeot 500cc V-Twin

4. Jonathan Rea comes alive with Motorcycle Live‏

   Posted on 10:00am Thursday 1st Oct 2015

   As part of the build up to Motorcycle Live 2015, which comes alive at The NEC, Birmingham on 28 November, 2015 World Superbike Champion Jonathan Rea has described the moment he first came alive on a motorcycle.

   Fresh from his 2015 SBK title win, Kawasaki rider Rea reveals that his passion for motorcycling actually began on the dirt rather than the race track and at the tender age of just three years old, when his father put him on a motocross bike.

   Luckily for race fans around the world, Rea quickly fell in love with all types of two-wheel riding and his undeniable skill has seen him rise to World Champion. To view the video click here.

   Motorcycle Live 2015 will run from 28 November to 6 December. Advance tickets are on sale now, at just £17.50 per adult, £11 for Seniors and £7 for children aged 11-16* (kids aged 10 and under accompanied by a paying adult go free). There is also a £20.50 advance ticket, which includes entry to the show and a choice of Oxford neck wear worth £15. To book, call 0844 581 2345 or visit www.motorcyclelive.co.uk

    

5. National Motorcycle Museum - Busy Time At The Classic TT!

   Posted on 10:10am Wednesday 30th Sep 2015

   The National Motorcycle Museum had a particularly busy fortnight at this year’s Classic TT Festival, taking part in various high profile activities both on and off the track.

   They really did take the museum to the people with no less than 32 Norton’s from every era being transported from the collection over to the island for our huge “pop up” museum display. From 1906 through to the 1990s, a Norton race machine from every decade of the last century was displayed in what many visitors described as “the best display ever seen in a TT paddock”.

   One of the biggest highlights for many was the “Norton - The Rotary Years” – Parade.
   
   Whilst individual Norton rotary race bikes have appeared in parade laps around the Mountain Course - and, of course featured in race wins and podiums - never before had so many appeared at one time on the island. A sunny Saturday on 29/08/15 saw no less than 12 of the revolutionary machines, all owned by the National Motorcycle Museum, take to the 37.73-mile course.
   
   A whole host of famous names had the honour of taking part including some of the bike’s original riders including Trevor Nation, Steve Cull & Ian Simpson. Other riders included William and Michael Dunlop, Michael Rutter and Jamie Whitham.
   
   “The White Charger” that the late Steve Hislop famously rode to victory in the 1992 Senior was ridden by 23-time TT Race winner John McGuinness resplendent in replica Hislop leathers & helmet!
   
   Sunday 30/08/15 saw many of the museum’s ex-works rotary Norton’s appear once again on the short circuit at the Festival of Jurby with the likes of McGuinness, Rutter & Cull onboard.

   Team National Motorcycle Museum Racing had a challenging week with team rider William Dunlop posting a DNF in the F1 race on the team’s rotary Norton race machine. Museum Director James Hewing commented: “Team National Motorcycle Museum Racing’s entry to run a Norton rotary race machine in the F1 event was a huge challenge and we are obviously disappointed not to have finished. William Dunlop and the whole team worked tirelessly all week with William declaring the bike ‘wicked fast’. Everyone knows that there is no tougher place to go racing and feedback from race fans has been really positive”.

   The Museum film crew has created four short films from the event which include the paddock “pop up” museum, the rotary parade, the festival of Jurby and Team National Motorcycle Museum Racing. All these films will be available to view from early October on the museum’s new website www.thenmm.co.uk