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1–5 SEPTEMBER 2021 - Salon Privé Week is renowned as being a celebration of two-wheeled machinery as well as four, and this year Blenheim Palace will host the world debut of a unique and hugely significant motor bicycle. Over the course of its long and illustrious history, Triumph became one of the most recognisable of all marques thanks to legendary models such as the Speed Twin and Bonneville, while screen icon Marlon Brando famously rode a Thunderbird 6T in The Wild One.
Having been producing bicycles at its Coventry factory since 1889, Triumph moved into the world of motor bicycles at the turn of the 20th century and was a pioneering force in the burgeoning British motorcycle industry. Siegfried Bettmann and Moritz Schulte were responsible for the design, which used a 3/4hp 172cc Minerva engine from Belgium. A rear band brake was employed, and an eccentric crank to enable the rider to adjust the rear chain. The Triumph motor bicycle was launched in September 1901 for the 1902 season. By the outbreak of The Great War the marque's reputation for quality and reliability was well established, leading to substantial orders for military use. The example that will be on display at Blenheim Palace as part of the Salon Privé Concours d’Elégance is the very first Triumph motor bicycle ever made and actually dates from 1901. Its appearance represents a unique opportunity to see this historic motor bicycle – the forerunner of all subsequent Triumphs – in public for the first time since 1937. The prestigious Salon Privé Concours d’Elégance presented by Aviva takes place on Wednesday 1 September, and will feature two classes – Exceptional Motorcycles and Exceptional Competition Motorcycles. Previous class winners have included renowned motorcycle builder Allen Millyard, who has claimed multiple Salon Privé awards. His exquisite Honda SS100 V-twin is a previous Best in Show winner, and in 2019 his Velocette MAC V-Twin received the Most Spectacular Motorbike award from the event host, the Duke of Marlborough. Millyard will return this year with his Kawasaki Z1 Super Six. This beautifully engineered machine uses a six-cylinder engine that is based on the standard Z1’s double-overhead-camshaft four-cylinder unit, and uses original Kawasaki parts. Everything else on the motorcycle is standard, giving a subtle end result that looks like something the factory itself could have produced.
The judging panel for the Concours d’Elégance includes some of the most respected experts in the motorcycle world. Writer and consultant Somer Hooker will be joined by broadcaster Henry Cole, historians Dennis Frost and Mike Jackson, along with former racer Steve Parrish. The Motorcycle Awards Ceremony will take place at noon on Thursday 2 September with judges, owners and the Duke of Marlborough present. A new addition for 2021 is the introduction of a motorcycle parade to open the event on the mornings of Wednesday 1 September and Thursday 2 September. Entrants will start outside the show field, then parade through the grounds of Blenheim Palace and into place on the elegant South Lawn. There will also be the opportunity for motorcycle entrants to take part in Tour Privé for the first time, on Tuesday 31 August. The 100-mile route will depart from the Great Court at Blenheim Palace and travel through the spectacular Cotswold countryside, with a luncheon stop at Grittleton House in the picturesque village of Grittleton, Wiltshire. Elsewhere on the South Lawn, Thornton Hundred will be among the brands showcasing their latest designs. The British company’s line-up will include the ‘World’s Fastest Bobber’ – a 202bhp technological tour de force– and a 2021 Triumph Bonneville Bobber Black, both are a Salon Privé debut.
‘We’re thrilled to be welcoming the first-ever Triumph motor bicycle to Blenheim Palace,’ said Salon Privé Concours Chairman Andrew Bagley, ‘and there will be a real buzz around it considering that it hasn’t been seen in public for more than 80 years. With more exceptional motorcycles already being entered into the Concours d’Elégance, this year’s event is shaping up to be a memorable celebration of motoring in all its forms.’ Some of the world’s most famous brands have chosen Salon Privé as the perfect location for a global, European or UK debut, while a brand-new element for 2021 – Salon Privé TIME – will feature the world’s leading watchmakers. With a programme that includes Ladies’ Day presented by Boodles on Friday, the Salon Privé Club Trophy presented by Lockton on Saturday, and Sunday’s Classic and Supercar event, all the elements are in place for another unmissable Salon Privé Week.
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The British Motor Museum is to host the Electric Vehicles Festival on Saturday 7th August. The Show, which began in 2019, will give visitors the opportunity to see hundreds of electric vehicles on display. All Fully Pure Electrics (BEV) are welcome to join the show for a celebration and display their vehicles including Electric Cars, E-Commercials, E-Bikes, E-Buses and E-Coaches.
Key exhibits will include a Harley-Davidson Live Wire Electric MotorCycle and a Citroen AMI which is only making its second UK public appearance. The Ardingly Ifield Solar Challenge Team will be at the Festival as part of their tour from John 'o' Groats to Brighton along with the Cambridge University Solar Challenge Team. MG Motors UK will be showcasing their facelift MG5 and MG-ZS EV that made its second UK appearance at the Festival in 2019. There will also be an electric boat ‘Silent Adventure’, and Tommy Tesla. Eco-Classics, an electric vehicle conversion company, will be bringing along something new and Streetbikes will be showcasing their Zero Electric Motorcycles. Finally #EV Twizy Park will be making a comeback celebrating the Renault Twizy!
For the first time the Festival will incorporate a mini arena with presentations provided by Octopus Electric Vehicles throughout the day. The festival is also the perfect place for those thinking about going electric. There will be an array of different makes and models on display as well as the opportunity to talk to the owners and find out what convinced them to take the plunge and go electric.
Jeff Coope, Managing Director at the British Motor Museum said, “The future of Electric Vehicles (EV) and events such as this is very important to the Museum and the evolution of EV technology is an important story for us to tell. We have already invested in 10 electric charging points for visitors and event organisers to use, with the infrastructure to support more. This has attracted public events such as the EV festival but also corporate EV events and product launches for many of the large motoring manufacturers. This is only the start of our EV journey”.
Exploring the future of the car is particularly important to the Museum. In 2019/2020 the Museum hosted a topical and thought provoking exhibition entitled “The Car. The Future. Me” which sparked much debate amongst its visitors.
Show tickets cost £14.50 per adult, £9 per child, £12.50 per concession and £40 for a family. All tickets for the show must be pre-booked. For more information, please visit the website www.britishmotormuseum.co.uk or call 01926 641188.
For more information about the Electric Vehicles Festival visit www.electricvehiclesfestival.com
For more information on Electric Vehicles see here
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The world’s top footballers can easily earn eight-figure sums in a single year, and most are not shy about spending it just as quickly. The likes of Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi are famous for their multi-million dollar car collections. But there are some footballers who prefer to get their kicks on two wheels. Let’s meet them.
Sweden’s most famous export since IKEA seems to have been around forever. He’ll be turning 40 next year, but is still plying his trade at AC Millan – indeed, only a cruciate ligament injury ruled him out of Sweden’s Euro 2020 dates, in a tournament that first introduced him to an international audience back in 2004.
Zlatan loves his toys and recently bought himself an exclusive Ferrari Monza SP2. But he’s first and foremost a biker, and took delivery of the first Softail Harley Davidson VRSCF V-Rod in all of Scandinavia.
Striker, TV pundit and all-round cheeky chappie Ian Wright has loved bikes ever since he was a teenager. Battling poverty in his teens and early 20s, he little suspected that his dream of riding from one side of the United States to the other on a Harley Davidson would one day become a reality, but that’s exactly what he did for his TV series Wright Across America.
Wright has eight children, two of whom have followed in their father’s footsteps and become professional footballers. Eldest son Shaun Wright Phillips, who played for England and Manchester City, shares his father’s Harley fascination and has been involved in several high profile charity rides.
Wayne Rooney
The former England skipper can be a polarising character, and has courted plenty of controversy over the years. But while the press will talk at length about anything salacious, you see less said about the many great charitable projects he’s been involved in.
One such initiative saw him fulfil a lifelong dream in getting a custom builder to create a one-off chopper style bike to his own specification. It included a special diamond-encrusted paint job that featured the famous WR10 shirt, and the man himself signed the fuel tank. The finished article was sold at auction for more than £100,000 and all proceeds were donated to a children’s charity.
Last but not least, we reach football’s most famous biker. Barely a day goes by without Becks being snapped riding one of his collection of customised specials near his home in the Hollywood Hills. Like the good American he has become, Beckham has several Harleys in his fleet. But he has not forgotten his roots, and the former England and Manchester United star also has an unshakable affection for Triumphs.
In 2015, he appeared in a documentary called David Beckham into the Unknown, in which he rode his personal favourite, a modified Triumph Bonneville T100 into the deepest, darkest depths of the Amazon, accompanied by a group of friends. He described the bike as: “part desert sled, part Scrambler, part classic Bonneville.”
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The wealthy love their toys and the creativity of some leads to some incredible innovations in the recreational industries. Even during the pandemic and increased emissions regulations, motorcycle sales were staggering at times posting double-digit percentage growth over the previous year. Boat sales also followed this trend where sales dropped in March 2020 when COVID restrictions hit, but rebounded to post one of the best years ever. Without the ability to seriously travel, people either hit the road on their bikes or took to the water for enjoyment.
For yacht owners, cruising from South Florida to the Northeast is an annual migration that happens in early summer with destinations like the Hamptons or Newport, Rhode Island. Others spend the year island-hopping through the Caribbean, moving from marina to marina with family and friends in tow.
For motorcycle owners that are part of this yearly, seasonal activity, this presents a challenge as to how to bring your bike with you during your on-water adventure. Many yachts have large spaces near the transom of the boat, but these are often devoted to an extra cabin for crew, water toys, or storage. While most are large enough for a motorcycle, getting one down to the swim platform creates too many challenges.
One custom motorcycle builder has gone above and beyond to create a solution for one of their clients. The “Lauge Jensen Tender” is a safe and elegant way to store and transport your motorcycle while cruising on your boat, assuming its got a large enough deck to handle it. Many motor yacht have large cockpits and decks that stretch 18 feet wide or more making it possible to install this portable garage.
A mechanical arm, similar to what is used to put a yacht tender into the water, actually unloads the motorcycle right from your boat, to the dock. And away you go!
Another major British boat builder, Princess Yachts, employed a company called CJR Fabrication to develop a Motorcycle Display Unit, or MDU for short, for their 30-Meter Superyacht. The MDU was constructed of stainless-steel and toughened glass, but also was designed to be aesthetically pleasing as well. To suit the look of the Princess 30M, CJR mirror-polished the metal structure, as well as painted some of it with a white gel finish to match the color of the fiberglass on the yacht.
This particular yacht owner wished to continue riding his new Lauge Jensen Viking custom motorcycle as he traveled abroad. Another requirements included the need to be able to see the motorcycle at all times. The MDU was placed on the forward deck of the boat with the three toughened glass panels facing out, so all could easily see the bike.
No matter what the obstacles may be between you and the road, with enough creativity, ingenuity, and resources, anything is possible.
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Nobody can deny the fact that motorcycles are not only cool and fun to drive, but also more fuel-efficient. Yet, similar to driving a car, it can be dangerous if you are not careful, but I suppose you already knew that. Still, people who are true motorcycle enthusiasts won’t let fear stop them from enjoying a good ride, as their love for these vehicles is far greater than any type of fear that they might feel. What they will do, however, is find out more about how to stay safe and protected on the road.
In fact, they will do whatever they can in order to find out how to enhance their overall riding experience and make it as great as it could possibly be. Riding a motorcycle is not about going from point A to point B. It is actually about thoroughly enjoying the ride and everything that comes with it, which is precisely why every rider focuses on making that ride as enjoyable as it can be.
If you are one of those people who love motorcycles and if you are thinking of taking a road trip soon, then you probably know what I am talking about. There are all kinds of preparations to be made and all kinds of things to be packed before setting off. I have a question, though. Have you perhaps thought of packing a bottle of CBD oil for the road? In case you don’t know what this is and why you would even need to pack it, continue reading to find out.
CBD oil is a product made using the cannabis plants. Don’t worry, though, I’m not suggesting any psychoactive substances, since CBD oil is actually made from Cannabidiol, which is known to be the non-psychoactive cannabis compound. I suppose that this was your first concern when I mentioned cannabis, which is why I had to address it right away and tell you that there is absolutely no reason to worry, as this product cannot get you high. Another thing that speaks in favor of this product’s safety is the fact that most manufacturers use pure
Another thing that speaks in favor of this product’s safety is the fact that most manufacturers use pure cannabidiol from hemp while making it, instead of some other cannabis plants. As you might already know, hemp contains rather low amounts of THC, which means that the plant itself isn’t psychoactive. Consequently, even if there were traces of THC in your product, by accident or on purpose, the amount that could be contained inside wouldn’t be enough to produce any psychedelic effects. So, the best thing to do is search for products made of hemp if you want to play it safe.
Now that we have cleared that up, let us continue to our main topic for the day. I have already mentioned above that you might start thinking about taking a bottle of this oil with you for your motorcycle ride. Yet, you are probably confused as to why you should do that in the first place. Well, as it turns out, CBD oil can be rather good for motorcycle riders and now it’s time to learn why. That way, you can decide for yourself whether this is going to be your riding companion or not.
Helps Them Stay Alert While On The Road
As already explained, motorcycles are a bit more dangerous than cars, meaning that you will constantly need to be on alert and that you should never lose your focus while on the road. One small mistake made by lack of attention can lead to accidents and injuries, which is certainly something you would much rather avoid. In addition to taking all the safety measures in order to protect yourself on the road, you might also want to think about using CBD oil to help you stay completely focused.
It’s perfectly normal for riders to get tired after a while and the best thing to do is stop your motorcycle for a while, stretch your legs and wait for the energy to return to you. Yet, if you feel that you are running out of energy and that you are having a hard time staying alert, but you need to reach a certain destination, then you’ll be lucky to have CBD oil on your side. This product can increase your alertness and thus allow you to be completely focused during the whole ride.
Makes The Ride More Enjoyable Be Reducing Anxiety
Few things are worse than dealing with anxiety while riding. You definitely need to constantly be attentive while riding, but this doesn’t mean that you should be overwhelmed and anxious. CBD oil works towards relieving you of anxiety and thus making your whole journey much more enjoyable.
Helps Recover More Quickly From Certain Injuries
If you happen to injure your joints or your muscles during a ride, you might find yourself unable to continue the journey until you’ve recovered. The good thing is that CBD oil can lead to a full recovery more quickly. It will reduce your pain and have an overall positive impact on your joints and muscles. Cyclists are also happy about this.
Helps Deal With Sore Muscles
Even if we take injuries out of the equation, chances are that your muscles might get sore from sitting in the same position and riding for a long time. Well, once again, CBD oil can be of enormous help in such situations. Simply put, it can help soothe your sore muscles, which is certainly rather significant for every rider.
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