Category: Random

1. 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 

2. 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”. 

3. WHY ARE OUR ROADS MELTING?

   Posted on 12:00pm Tuesday 3rd Jul 2018

   June’s heatwave has seen temperatures topping 30C in many parts of the country. This has caused some roads to melt. With the Met Office predicting that temperatures for July and August could be hotter than average more roads could find that more road surfaces are getting soft and sticky.
   
   Most roads will not begin to soften until they hit a temperature of around 50C. However, even a sunny day in the 20Cs can be enough to generate 50C on the ground as the dark asphalt road surface absorbs a lot of heat and this builds up during the day with the hottest period between noon and 5pm. With temperatures regularly reaching the high 20Cs, the bitumen in some road surfaces may soften and rise to the top. This makes the road surface sticky and more susceptible to pressure loads from heavy vehicles resulting in surface ridging and rutting.
   
   The response from local highway authorities is to send out the gritters to spread granite dust to absorb the soft bitumen and so stabilise the road surface and make it less sticky.
   
   “Drivers may be bemused to see the gritters out in the summer when they are usually spreading grit and salt during the winter”, said Howard Robinson, chief executive of the Road Surface Treatments Association. “However, this is effective standard practice for keeping a road surface safe during extreme prolonged hot temperatures.”
   
   He continued: "Asphalt is a bit like chocolate - it melts and softens when it's hot and goes hard and brittle when it's cold - it doesn't maintain the same strength all year round.”
   
   Following a heatwave in 1995, the road industry introduced a new asphalt specification introducing the use of polymer modified binders in hot rolled asphalt (HRA). These polymers raise the asphalt road surface softening point to around 80C which prevents it from softening under extreme hot weather. Other asphalt products such as thin surface course systems also normally contain polymer modified binders.
   
   However, such modified asphalts tend to be more expensive and are generally only used on heavily-trafficked roads. Robinson estimates that less than 5% of all the UK’s road surfaces contain polymer modified asphalt. On the other hand most surface dressings which are used to seal road surfaces and restore skid resistance nowadays predominantly contain polymer modified binders which will resist softening during periods of hot weather.
   
   “Localised melting of some roads is not surprising during this heatwave but they can be quickly treated and revert back to normal once temperatures decline,” said Robinson.

4. 'LIVE' In The Deep South: Silver Jubilee Tour

   Posted on 12:00pm Friday 29th Jun 2018

   2019 is H-C Travel's Silver Jubilee year - we've been organising tours around the world since 1994!
   

   To celebrate, let us take you to the very soul of American music and along some of the twistiest roads in the world. We've a very special 15 day motorcycle adventure for you 'LIVE' In The Deep South from Nashville to New Orleans.  
   
   We’ll ride America’s most famous stretch of road – the Tail of the Dragon – so good we ride it twice... Along the way is some impressive scenery – the Great Smoky Mountains, Cumberland Falls State Park and the mighty Mississippi River and Delta.

   We'll be submersed in blues, country, jazz, bluegrass, R’n’B, rock and roll, rockabilly and all shades in between.

   Your guide, Marc Sloan, is looking forward to taking you on this ride down musical memory lane. Here's a quick video intro from Marc

   

5. 90% of motorcyclists “concerned for safety” when riding next to other vehicles

   Posted on 12:00pm Friday 8th Jun 2018

   As summer hails the start of peak biking season, specialist motorcycle insurers Devitt Motorcycle Insurance Brokers has launched a new study to discover attitudes between car drivers and motorcyclists.

   Far from the speed-fuelled stereotypes often attributed to them, research shows that the top priority for more than two fifths (41%) of British motorcyclists is to stay safe on the road. Fewer than one percent (0.21%) said their goal was to ride fast.

   The results confirm that motorcyclists take safety on the roads extremely seriously. When riding closely to other vehicles, nine out of 10 motorcyclists (90%) say they are concerned about their safety. In addition, nearly three quarters (71%) of bikers claim car drivers are distracted. A further two thirds (62%) also consider drivers to be impatient on the road. 

   In comparison, the majority (61%) of drivers said their number-one priority was getting to their destination, with less than a fifth (19%) saying safety was their primary objective. While nearly half (48%) of drivers surveyed also felt that bikers were impatient, fewer than one in 20 (4%) considered motorcyclists to be distracted on the roads.

   Drivers also expressed concern about riding closely to bikers. A third of male drivers (67%), and even more female drivers (73%), said they were vigilant of their own safety when driving near motorcyclists. 

   Commenting on the findings, Tom Warsop, Head of Marketing at Devitt Motorcycle Insurance Brokers, said: “For many, motorcycling is a leisure activity which provides a great way to get out and about in the countryside, and to enjoy the good weather. In contrast, driving is more readily associated with day-to-day tasks, such as going to and from work, which may shed some light on why bikers are considered to be more focused than drivers.

   “However, there is common ground between drivers and bikers with regard to safety. The results also suggest that road users are stereotyping each other, despite the findings showing that both groups are concerned about keeping themselves – and their vehicles – safe.

   “In line with this, Devitt has prepared a list of core tips for drivers and riders alike to take each other’s perspectives. Taking just a couple of moments to appreciate the challenges and considerations of other road users can help us all in becoming more tolerant and to keep safety – not preconceptions –  as our number one focus.”