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Category: Random
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Mike Hailwood was honoured at the 2018 Motor Sport Hall of Fame Awards, which took place on June 4 at the Royal Automobile Club’s Woodcote Park estate. Hailwood’s widow Pauline was at the star-studded event, which was hosted by broadcaster Suzi Perry, to receive the award from his former Honda team-mate Stuart Graham. 
More than 40,000 enthusiasts from around the world voted for their favourites in a number of categories, with Hailwood topping a Motorcycle shortlist that also included TT hero Joey Dunlop and American world champion ‘King Kenny’ Roberts. Graham spoke warmly of his friend – nine times a Grand Prix world champion on 250cc, 350cc and 500cc machinery – entertaining the audience with memories of their time racing for the factory Honda team in 1966.
“When we went to Monza in September 1966, I’d got used to the ’bike and I found that, being small and light, I could pull a higher top gear than Mike and overtake him going past the pits. During practice, I’d asked him whether Curva Grande was flat and he casually said, ‘Oh yeah, no problem’. I went back out, wound myself up and finally did it. I came in, told him that it was a bit hairy but that, yes, it could be taken flat-out, and he said, ‘You silly little so and so – I was only joking!’
“Mike was so laid back and such a natural. He didn’t think too much about it because it all came so naturally. If you’d asked him how he did it, he wouldn’t have been able to explain it.
“It’s so difficult to compare different generations, but he was the best of our era. He was so versatile and could win on anything. When he came back to the Isle of Man and, in 1979, rode that RG500 Suzuki – on modern tyres and completely different to everything else he’d ridden – that proved beyond all doubt that he had exceptional talent.
“He was just such a lovely guy. We became friends because in those days there was a wonderful camaraderie between riders – we watched out for each other. No one had a bad word to say about Mike.”
Among the other awards to be presented on the night was one for Industry Champion, MotorSport Vision boss Jonathan Palmer receiving it from last year’s winner David Richards. As well as running famous venues such as Brands Hatch, Donington Park and Oulton Park, MSV has run the British Superbike Championship since 2008.
As has become tradition at the event, a range of machinery was demonstrated on the Captain’s Drive at Woodcote Park. Motorcycle collector Dick Shepherd provided the two-wheeled highlight by riding the ex-Hailwood Triumph 650 that won the inaugural Thruxton 500-mile race in 1958.
As well as honouring the great names from two wheels and four, the awards supported charity partner Mission Motorsport, which provides opportunities for servicemen and women who have been affected by military operations to take part in motor racing as part of their recovery and rehabilitation.
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Motorcycle Industry Statistics
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Motorcycle industry in the UK has been valued at over £5.3 billion
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According to DVSA statistics 220,000 motorcycle practical riding tests were conducted in 2017
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RideTo was listed this week as one of the ‘top 100 most awe-inspiring and fast-growth potential new businesses launched in the last three years’ in the Startups 100.
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In less than a year since launch, RideTo has more than 500 new customers a month and growing 40% month on month.
London based RideTo announced today they have raised £325k in a second round of funding. The funds will be used to continue expansion plans into all major cities across the UK, having already branched out to Manchester and Birmingham from its original London network. The Company will also be investing heavily into their platform, offering additional services and value to new motorcyclists. This latest round was led by Angel Investor and Money.co.uk Founder Chris Morling who was joined by the Chairman of Aspall and a small number of other Angel Investors.
RideTo, was founded by James Beddows, who, (like most Londoners) got fed up with his daily commute. In an attempt to avoid the busy and unsavoury underground, he decided to switch to riding a scooter which proved to be a challenge in itself. The market he encountered at the time offered little in the way of assistance to first time riders. The solution was RideTo, an intuitive and accessible online marketplace for new riders, which launched in June 2017.
Chris Morling added “There aren’t many sectors that are still waiting to be modernised, but RideTo has found one. The service that RideTo provides is overdue, and early results show that customers agree. It’s always exciting to be involved with a business that is genuinely disrupting a market. {Chris Morling, Founder - Money.co.uk}
RideTo have already helped 1000’s of new motorcyclists get on the road. They enable learner riders to easily book reviewed motorcycle training schools online and access a platform of motorcycle guides, learning resources and advice.
Founder of RideTo, James Beddows said: "Learning to ride currently has too many barriers and inefficiencies, for beginners it can be a mind-boggling experience. We believe technology can play a large part in making the process safer and more accessible for new riders” {James Beddows, Founder - RideTo}
About RideTo
RideTo is making it safer and easier to experience the joy of riding a motorcycle. We’re the UK’s fastest growing platform for new riders to find the best training, bikes and gear supported with expert advice.
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I used to like the idea of being spontaneous and also did not fancy using a sat nav however once you have tried to get a room somewhere to find you cannot get one as they are full due to a local festival, over priced (Italy circa 2001, 11 pm in a roadside motel style @ €175 comes to mind) , you cannot find one (sounds strange I know but there are miles and miles of nothing in parts of Germany - well apart from excellent scenery) and to book into somewhere and find it awful, we now do as above - i.e. find a final destination and plan route around it.
We use a combination of Biker Friendly accommodation on www.thebikerguide.co.uk and if there is nothing in the area we want we also look on booking.com.
We did a trip a couple of years ago with the final destination being Colditz Castle, which you can stay in. Went in July for 3 ish weeks with everything booked, set into sat nav and you know what - thank goodness as it rained everyday but one. We would set off with the next place in the sat nav - take off route when we wanted and arrive at destination stress free.
We stayed at some great places, travelled fantastic roads and routes, ate well, found our way easy even with the many roadwork diversions and would pass by others at the side of the road battling with a big wet soggy map to find their way. We did also pack a map as back-up or to look at a vaster area on a larger scale, however we are happy to say it return dry and not soggy.
I think once you have used a sat nav on a big trip which gets you to destinations easy, gets you out of a diversion and back on route, helps you navigate/find food and petrol, you wonder what you did before the United States military released the technology for GPS!
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Suzuki is pleased to announce that, in partnership with Motorfinity, it will continue to support the UK’s armed forces, veterans, NHS and emergency services personnel in 2018, offering up to £500 worth of genuine accessories or merchandise when purchasing a new model from its on-road range.
To claim their discount – which runs in conjunction with any other Suzuki or dealership offer, including the current low-rate finance campaign that allows customer to choose from a two, three, or four-year deal and an APR to match – members of the emergency services or armed forces simply need to present their Blue Light Card or Defence Discount Service Card to their chosen dealership at the point of sale.
Suzuki will offer a discount based on a model’s capacity, giving £250 worth of free accessories or merchandise away with bikes up to 250cc, £350 up to 650cc models, or £500 with bikes over 650cc.
Those that qualify for the offer include serving and former police officers and staff, fire and rescue personnel, and NHS staff and ambulance personnel, as well as those working in the prison service. Serving and veteran armed forces personnel along with reserve forces, spouses and partners of serving members, MoD civil servants, NATO, and Cadets over 16 years of age also qualify.
Ian King, Suzuki GB business development manager, said, “Every day our armed force and members of our emergency services put the lives and wellbeing of others ahead of their own, so it’s only right that we offer these brave men and women a reward when they choose to buy a new Suzuki. Many members of both the emergency services and armed forces are motorcycle riders, and hopefully this offer shows our appreciation for their hard work and dedication.”
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On the 1st - 2nd September 2018, the third Isabena Rallye will take place, around the beautiful Isabena Valley. 
It doesn’t matter if you drive a Enduro motorcycle, a sport motorcycle or a touring motorcycle or how much experience you have. The slogan of the rallye is: 2 Days of Fun!
The rallye is for motorcycles only and the participant will ride mostly on paved roads.
Further more we will organize some special tests as well as some off-road sections which will require your skills, but also require a pinch of luck. Perfect are motorcycles with which you can easily ride a 200km day trip through this unique part of the Pyrenees, as well as a few kilometers on simple off-road tracks.
The rallye will be organized in a way so that you can finish in a good position even if you don’t like to ride the off-road sections or the special test.
For the final we will set up another tricky challenge with our own off-road motorcycle for the top riders.
Isabena Rallye Trailer
www.isabena.eu
Article supplied by Camping & Bungalowpark Isábena
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