Category: Random

1. Biking Destinations for Road Trips

   Posted on 9:00am Thursday 1st Apr 2021

   The UK is blessed with some fine roads that are perfect for bikers, and they are also lucky that there are many friendly bunkhouses and hotels. The list of biker friendly pubs is not too shabby either. Sometimes though, it is nice to know that there might be some other entertainment available on a trip.

   The last year saw many travel restrictions that curtailed long journeys, or even unnecessary short ones. So, it seems that now restrictions are loosening and the lockdowns are once again over, it might be time to get back on the road if you haven’t already.

   Here are some ideas for destinations, some of the roads are included but of course, half the fun is making up your own route.

   Choosing a destination for a bike trip

   For some, the journey is everything, but for others, the destination is of as much importance too. One of the most enjoyable things about travelling around the UK is that there is something for everyone.

   Some people enjoy travelling between the big cities, while others prefer the country roads, discovering new areas, making new friends in out-of-the-way pubs and/or head to Wales to the Snowdonia National Park.

   Not too far from Snowdonia is Wales’ highest pub, the Sportsman’s Arms, in Denbigh by the moors. This is the fun of choosing destinations for a bike trip, as long as time allows, you can just keep adding more on.

   Cat and Fiddle / Forest Distillery    

   While on the subject of the highest pubs, the Cat and Fiddle was built in what is now the Peak District National Park back in 1813. It was the second-highest pub in the UK, and now has the honour of being the highest distillery instead. 

   The A537, or Cat and Fiddle Road, will take you from Macclesfield to Buxton and has been a popular route for bikers for years.

   Brighton & Hove

   It is nearly sixty years since the Mods and Rockers met and clashed in Brighton. Now it has been joined to Hove and been named as a city. While many of the roads around the seafront and centre are becoming pedestrianised, the place is still worth a bike trip. 

   Brighton itself is home to the British Airways i360 observation tower, the Royal Pavilion, and of course, Brighton Pier. No trip to the city is complete without a stroll down the pier, a bag of chips, and a few quid in the arcade.

   The north and south Lanes offer the chance to amble around window shopping before stumbling on one great pub after another. When it comes to eating, there is no end of choice, and no one could fail to find something they like.

   The Game of Thrones

   This trip doesn’t technically involve any entertainment destinations, more it happens to visit several sites that were used in the filming of the Game of Thrones TV show.

   For any serious fans of the books and show, and those who also enjoy stunning scenery, then the Antrim Coast Road in Northern Ireland is a must. 

   Traveling from Belfast to the Giant’s Causeway means taking in a wonderful route. Along the route, you can visit sites such as Dunluce Castle. Before you head off, download the app from the Official Northern Island tourism website. This will show all the Game of Thrones filming locations along the Causeway coast.

   Summary

   There are far more worthy destinations in the UK than could fit into this article. For those who love a bit of seaside and kitsch, then Blackpool might be for you. For others, Edinburgh can offer culture and some fine modern restaurants.

   Head through the home counties and take in towns like Marlow and Henley-on-Thames. There are fine pubs along the Thames and plenty of sightseeing to do. 

   Or, now the weather is here perhaps a longer trip is due. Head to Cornwall for a few days of biking between towns and discover beaches, coastal paths, and great sights such as Minack Theatre, and Padstow Harbour.

    

    

    

   article supplied by Dennis Hamming - SERPTrust - Unpaid for

   Sent article for publishing - did not pay, then Sent abusive messages, very unprofessional and dishonest - avoid www.serptrust.io

    

2. Manchester doubles amount of motorcycle parking, and it’s FREE

   Posted on 12:00pm Tuesday 23rd Mar 2021

   The number of dedicated parking places for motorcycles in Manchester car parks has more than doubled – and they are all free! A review of motorcycle parking within the city showed that demand for parking exceeded the supply, and as a result a considerable number of motorcyclists were parking unofficially, and sometimes illegally.   

   There are now 127 dedicated motorcycle spaces; a mixture of on-street (63 spaces) and covered car parks (64 spaces), and full details are available on the council’s website at: https://secure.manchester.gov.uk/info/500346/city_centre_parking/332/motorcycles    

   The measures were informed by consultation with various motorcycle community groups and organisations such as the British Motorcycle Federation and Motorcycle Action Group. They told us that having spaces in car parks and on the ground or first floors, making sure they were well-lit and having CCTV coverage was important, along with anchor points or rails for chaining bikes to. All of these suggestions have been adopted.   

   A grace period informing motorcyclists of the new provisions will run from 12/03/21 – 6/05/21, where motorcyclists who are parked illegally will receive an information leaflet informing them of the new parking provisions across the city centre.  During the grace period motorcyclists will not receive a parking ticket. However, after the grace period ends, MCC will enforce penalties (£70 penalty, discounted to £35 if paid within 14 days of issue) for motorcyclists parking in the wrong place. This includes designated cycle parking spaces and racks. Motorcyclists can park in a normal pay and display bays anywhere across the city, provided that they purchase a pay and display ticket. It is advisable to write 'M' for motorbike and the registration number of the bike on the ticket before attaching this to the motorbike, to discourage theft.  

   A motorcycle parking policy will be produced in order to finalise and formalise the changes.

   

3. What’s Happening in the Electric Scooter and Motorcycle Market?

   Posted on 12:00pm Monday 22nd Mar 2021

   What’s Happening in the Electric Scooter and Motorcycle Market?

   Elon Musk has a personal aversion to motorcycles. He tells a story of a “nearly fatal” accident which has put him off the transport. Tesla’s main focus, and where they’ve made their name, has been four-wheel cars. The technology they’ve developed in their pursuit of excellent electric vehicles means it probably wouldn’t take much for them to eventually be a significant name in the electric scooter and motorcycle market should they decide to enter into it. For now, though, there are other people making up the landscape.  

   Investors

   One motivation for the development of electric two-wheelers is transport within cities. With many global cities looking to pedestrianise centres and reduce air pollution, electric scooters and bikes are attracting the interest of start-ups and businesses like Uber. There’s long-term interest in the development of this technology should cities and nations opt to fundamentally change transportation normalcy then it should pay off. It’s the natural tide-change which businesses seek to push or benefit from. The same happens in every industry. One example would be online casinos. Investors went in early online casinos and online casinos invested in helpful technology. It’s an industry which began to pop up in the 1990s with the advent of the internet and grew well but steadily. 

   It seems that Lime, who Uber have invested in and to whom they sold their intellectual property to develop the technology, are interested in the electric scooters, especially, and their function as a rental transport.

   For the electric motorcycle, there’s a middling demand. Yes, there is obviously scope for them to be used as a primary vehicle, one which commuters use or people use to go to the shops, etc. Despite this type of transport receiving criticism and scepticism for how far they can take, they will, in general, always get the rider far enough. Ewan McGregor and Charley Boorman proved that. However, primarily, motorcyclists use them for joy. They are a hobby, as much as anything. They are part of an identity. Electric motorcycles do not have the turn of speed nor the music of a fossil-fuel powered one. This is one area which might need some creative marketing beyond the obvious turn towards environmental concerns. 

   Manufacturers

   As for those actually making the scooters and bikes, Harley Davidson, Honda, and Yamaha take the majority of the market share. These are household names. Indeed, Harley Davidson’s image as a chopper offers an interesting contrast to the above image of riding for joy. Their products, though, are expensive. It’s roughly $30,000 for one of their electric motorcycles. This is out the price range for a lot of customers. Honda and Yamaha, with KTM and Piaggio, are looking to standardise equipment and technology, including swappable batteries, to help consumers and the market.

   This is where the market currently has its issue. Everything, so far, is too expensive for the manufacturers to consider mass-producing vehicles and there’s not quite the fully developed need for them quite yet, but it will likely all be available and recognisable soon.

    

   article supplied

4. Touratech 2021 catalogue

   Posted on 12:00pm Monday 15th Mar 2021

   Just in time for the season, Touratech presents the 2021 catalogue. The opulently equipped work presents a huge selection of products from the areas of motorbike accessories, rider equipment and suspension for adventure bikes.
   
   „New ideas for motorbikes“ - This slogan is also the programme in the 31st year of Touratech‘s company history. The over 800-page 2021 catalogue opens up a fascinating world full of products for adventures to the motorbike traveller.
   There is a huge range of parts for the current shooting stars among the adventure bikes, such as the Yamaha Ténéré 700 or the KTM 790 Adventure, as well as for the perennial favourites of the scene, above all the BMW R 1250 GS and the Honda Africa Twin. The new Tiger 900 models from Triumph and newcomers like the KTM 890 Adventure are also in the catalogue. The F series from BMW, numerous KTM models and proven adventure bikes of various types are also included.
   Touratech‘s product range includes aluminium luggage systems from the ZEGA line, soft luggage, protectors, seats, windshields, suspension components, rider equipment and numerous accessories that open up new horizons for adventure bikers on and off the road.
   Many innovations around the popular Compañero touring suit, the Aventuro helmet line or the Destino boot portfolio can be found in the catalogue, such as the Evo version of the popular Destino Touring boot with the new HDry membrane.
   The completely new Compañero Rambler touring suit, made of three-layer laminate, once again sets standards in terms of ventilation and safety. With its new ventilation concept, the successor to the popular Compañero Boreal offers all-season riders a completely new level of comfort.
   Complemented by fresh designs of the Aventuro Traveller or Aventuro Carbon 2 helmet models, Touratech will again offer the entire range of equipment for the demanding touring rider from 2021.
   There are also a number of innovations in the field of technical equipment. The newly developed Defensa hand protector system ensures the best protection for the handlebar armatures in every crash and will be available in various versions from spring 2021.
   New products around the Waterproof Extreme soft luggage system round off the luggage portfolio and are the prelude to a firework of innovations that will be launched in 2021.
   The absolute innovation Touratech Connect opens the way to digital adventure. The combination of hardware and app allows a huge wealth of vehicle data to be displayed on the smartphone. Whether lean angle, number of bends, braking power or acceleration performance - users have all the data on their mobile phone.
   The product range of the in-house suspension division Touratech Suspension has been further expanded. High-end shock absorbers, fork cartridges, replacement springs and steering dampers are now available in different versions for even more motorbike models. In the new web shop, the enormous variety of products is clearly presented.
   
   The digital version is already available in different languages.
   German
   English
   French
   Italian
   Spanish
   
   The printed catalogue 2021/22 is available free of charge at the end of March.
   Preorder here

5. Breakout for Ben raises £159k on the road to £1million

   Posted on 12:00pm Friday 5th Mar 2021

   Automotive charity, Ben, announces that its 10-day virtual active challenge, Breakout for Ben, has raised just under £159,000 - an amazing total that will help address its £1million fundraising shortfall.