Category: Random

1. Eisenberg returns to Pendine Sands, Carmarthenshire 22-23 September to contest his Motorcycle Record

   Posted on 12:00pm Saturday 22nd Sep 2018

   International ACU MADMAX Team Rider Zef Eisenberg returns to Pendine Sands, Carmarthenshire, this weekend (22-23 September 2018) to contest his World Sand Record title.

   On 13 May 2018 Eisenberg raced into the record books, when he secured the outright sand record at Pendine Sands, hitting 201.572mph (324.3 km/h) at the Straightliners Top Speed event. At the time no one in history, car or bike had ever exceeded 200mph at Pendine.

   This weekend Eisenberg will be racing his famous 350bhp super-charged Suzuki Hayabusa dubbed ‘The Green Monster’ and will be supported by the MADMAX engineering team, who have precision designed and engineered the bike to command high speeds on sand.

   Eisenberg said “Its notoriously difficult to race on sand, and the bike behaves so differently than on tarmac. At higher speeds you risk bike losing grip or the front wheel digging into the sand which throws riders. You also can’t prepare for what the surface is like until the tide goes out. . . you often dodge giant washed-up jellyfish or being an MOD beach - bullet shells! There’s also a short time frame to do the runs before the tide rolls back in, or the thick sea mist - it certainly is real challenge, but makes record breaking all the more glorious”.

   With several top riders vying to beat Zef's record, competition is fierce. In preparation for this weekend his Hayabusa now boasts a more powerful engine and he feels more prepared than ever to defend his Sand Racing title. Last weekend he successfully set 4 news records at Elvington including the flying start quarter mile, flying start kilometer and flying start mile, plus he broke a UKTA British record and set a new personal best top speed of 229.8mph.

   Eisenberg continued “Pendine Sands has such an illustrious history of land speed racing, it’s always a privilege to race in the footsteps of land speed legends in the hope of securing records”.

   Pendine is considered the holy grail of land speed, where the best racers in the world have tried to set records. The beach has hosted record-breaking attempts since 1900s. The firm, flat surface of the beach created a race track that was straighter and smoother than many major roads of the time. Motor Cycle magazine described the sands as "the finest natural speedway imaginable".

   The first person to use Pendine Sands for a world land speed record attempt was Malcolm Campbell. On 25 September 1924 he set a world land speed record of 146.16 mph (235.22 km/h) on Pendine Sands in his Sunbeam 350HP car ‘Blue Bird’.

   Each year throngs of racers and spectators continue to swarm to the beach in the hope of record breaking, and the speeds have been creeping up each year.

2. New study reveals the UK’s most desirable bikes… but what does Carl Fogarty think?

   Posted on 12:00pm Tuesday 4th Sep 2018

   No-one can argue about what the oldest, fastest or most expensive motorcycles are - but how do you define something’s collectability? What makes one motorbike cooler, or more iconic than another?
   
   There are plenty of lists online which claim to show the best of the best - but by comparing those claims with what people are actually hunting for and admiring online, Bikesure have produced a definitive set of Britain’s most collectible bikes.
   
   Using Google search data to get inside the minds of the UK’s bikers, Bikesure examined whether the motorbikes we often see in lists of the best, fastest and most stylish rides are actually as desirable as they seem.
   
   Bikesure’s final list reveals the 11 most searched-for and in-demand motorcycles in the UK, including:
   
   · Honda Gold Wing
   · Kawasaki Ninja
   · Ducati 916
   · Triumph Bonneville T120
   · Norton Commando
   
   Each bike is accompanied by commentary from four-times World Superbike Champion Carl Fogarty, who gives his view on whether each one deserves its place – and whether there’s anything missing:
   
   “If I was choosing a bike for this or had to say what’s missing, I’d go with a Yamaha HRD 250 LC or 350 or the Honda RC30. The Honda in particular was way ahead of its time and dominated everything for a few years in circuits like the Isle of Mann TT”
   
   To see the findings in full, head here
   

3. Riding History: 3 Women Who Changed the Face of Motorcycling

   Posted on 12:00pm Friday 31st Aug 2018

   Take a minute and picture a motorcyclist... Maybe you conjured a long-haired outlaw like Jax Teller from Sons of Anarchy. Perhaps you visualized Ewan McGregor and his motorcycle adventures abroad. Or possibly you thought of the last motorcyclist who shot past you on the Interstate.
   
   But chances are that you thought of a man—not a woman.
   
   There are 8.4 million motorcycles registered in the United States—a tiny number compared to the 264 million registered cars and trucks. Motorcyclists are definitely a subculture and a heavily male-dominated one at that. Only 14%–about 1.18 million—of the motorcycles on American roads are registered to women. The American Motorcyclist Association encourages more women to try motorcycling if they are interested. As the AMA’s Managing Editor Jim Witters notes, “there's always room for more riders.”
   
   "Women riders should be as common as women drivers." 
   –Maggie McNally, Chair of the American Motorcyclist Association. McNally is the first female chair of the AMA in its 94-year history.
   
   But numbers aside, women motorcyclists simply haven’t broken through in the American popular imagination. That doesn’t mean there are no motorcycle heroines. In fact, there are many female motorcyclists who deserve broader public attention for their taboo-smashing derring-do and their insight into the souls of two-wheeled conveyances and the people who ride them. Three of them are particularly worthy of celebration: Lois Pryce, Melissa Holbrook Pierson, and Bessie Stringfield, three riders who took very different journeys on what Pierson calls “the perfect vehicle.”
   
   One English woman rode outward across whole continents and forged personal connections in remote and forbidden countries. Her vulnerability and good humor were her strengths.
   
   Another rode inward through her own psyche to understand the allure of motorcycles and the people who ride them. Her fearless and honest introspection were her guides.
   
   Their spiritual ancestor rode onward to confront the institutionalized racism and sexism of Jim Crow America. Her powerful faith and personal toughness were her allies.
   
   Read the full story here 

4. Book News | Suzuki Motorcycles | NOW AVAILABLE!

   Posted on 12:00pm Saturday 18th Aug 2018

   The definitive history of the two-stroke Suzukis, from little known machines hardly seen outside Japan to the triples that took on the world. The book covers all major markets and uses stunning contemporary photography gathered from all over the world to help owners and enthusiasts establish authenticity or simply take a trip down memory lane.

   Researched and written in Japan with the full co-operation of the factory, here in definitive detail is the story of the two-stroke Suzuki bikes – a series of models that put the company on the map, helping it to survive a difficult era that saw hundreds of Japanese motorcycle makers reduced to just four.
   
   Successful immediately, the two-stroke models defended Suzuki's honour on the tracks as well as in the showrooms, handing the company numerous world championship titles. The series has now been all but killed off, but this title helps celebrate an era when the two-stroke was king, concentrating on the 1950s through to the late-1970s.
   
   Go click for more details 

5. Pets compete to become the face of British motorcycling

   Posted on 12:00pm Wednesday 1st Aug 2018

   A new competition has been launched for bikers to share two of their greatest loves – motorcycling and animals. The Britain’s Best Biking Buddies competition aims to sniff out pets of all shapes and sizes to discover the UK’s ultimate, four-legged biker fans. 

   Open to animals of every species, animal-loving riders have until 8^th August to enter. The winner will be the biking pal which receives the most votes in true ‘pup-idol’ fashion.

   The competition was launched following a survey by Devitt Insurance Services Ltd. to discover the public’s attitude towards motorcyclists. Findings revealed that less than 1% of road-using Brits considered bikers to be friendly. Moreover, just 2% considered motorcyclists to be approachable, while nearly half (47%) labelled bikers aggressive and intimidating – points of view the company hopes to turn on their head.

   The new campaign celebrates cherished pets, many of whom travel with their owners everywhere. To support less fortunate pets, Devitt has also announced it will donate £500 to animal charities to provide additional funds for animals who are most in need.

   Commenting on the competition, Head of Marketing at Devitt Insurance Services Ltd., Tom Warsop, said: “Motorcyclists all over the country are enjoying this year’s exceptionally good weather – but it’s not just humans enjoying the ride. Pets from all over the country are riding down a street near you!

   “Motorcyclists can often be portrayed negatively. In reality, though, Britain’s biking community is just like everyone else –  mad about their pets.

   “While all entrants to the competition are certainly adorable, it’s also essential to bear in mind safety when taking animals out for the ride. In line with this, we have produced an essentials guide to riding with pets which covers how to introduce animals to motorcycles, and the legal requirements for travelling with a hairy biker, too.”

    

   Entries for Britain’s Best Biking Buddies competition are open to all until 11:59pm 8^th August. After this time, entries will close, but voting will be open for the public to crown their winner. Entries can be viewed here by selecting “vote for your winner”.