Category: Random

1. National Motorcycle Museum - Busy Time At The Classic TT!

   Posted on 10:10am Wednesday 30th Sep 2015

   The National Motorcycle Museum had a particularly busy fortnight at this year’s Classic TT Festival, taking part in various high profile activities both on and off the track.

   They really did take the museum to the people with no less than 32 Norton’s from every era being transported from the collection over to the island for our huge “pop up” museum display. From 1906 through to the 1990s, a Norton race machine from every decade of the last century was displayed in what many visitors described as “the best display ever seen in a TT paddock”.

   One of the biggest highlights for many was the “Norton - The Rotary Years” – Parade.
   
   Whilst individual Norton rotary race bikes have appeared in parade laps around the Mountain Course - and, of course featured in race wins and podiums - never before had so many appeared at one time on the island. A sunny Saturday on 29/08/15 saw no less than 12 of the revolutionary machines, all owned by the National Motorcycle Museum, take to the 37.73-mile course.
   
   A whole host of famous names had the honour of taking part including some of the bike’s original riders including Trevor Nation, Steve Cull & Ian Simpson. Other riders included William and Michael Dunlop, Michael Rutter and Jamie Whitham.
   
   “The White Charger” that the late Steve Hislop famously rode to victory in the 1992 Senior was ridden by 23-time TT Race winner John McGuinness resplendent in replica Hislop leathers & helmet!
   
   Sunday 30/08/15 saw many of the museum’s ex-works rotary Norton’s appear once again on the short circuit at the Festival of Jurby with the likes of McGuinness, Rutter & Cull onboard.

   Team National Motorcycle Museum Racing had a challenging week with team rider William Dunlop posting a DNF in the F1 race on the team’s rotary Norton race machine. Museum Director James Hewing commented: “Team National Motorcycle Museum Racing’s entry to run a Norton rotary race machine in the F1 event was a huge challenge and we are obviously disappointed not to have finished. William Dunlop and the whole team worked tirelessly all week with William declaring the bike ‘wicked fast’. Everyone knows that there is no tougher place to go racing and feedback from race fans has been really positive”.

   The Museum film crew has created four short films from the event which include the paddock “pop up” museum, the rotary parade, the festival of Jurby and Team National Motorcycle Museum Racing. All these films will be available to view from early October on the museum’s new website www.thenmm.co.uk
   
   
   
   

2. Lucky Lottie gets her brand new bike and meets her biking idol‏

   Posted on 10:31am Tuesday 22nd Sep 2015

   Seven-year-old Lottie Trenchard from Southampton took delivery of her brand new Kawasaki KX65 at the MX Try-Out centre in Newmarket and got the chance to meet – and ride with – her ultimate biking idol, stunt extraordinaire and fellow Kawasaki rider, Lee ‘Pacman’ Bowers.

   Lottie has been riding pushbikes since the age of three without stabilisers and has been riding motorcycles since just before her fifth birthday. Currently part of the Tigers Childrens Motorcycle Display Team in Hampshire, Lottie takes part in up to 15 shows a year – all around the country – which involve riding in formation with the other ‘Tigers’ and jumping over ramps with willing volunteers underneath.

   To take the next step with her training, Lottie needed a bigger bike and also to learn gears – and her heart was set on a Kawasaki KX65.

   Having raised money to buy her new bike by organising sponsored walks and baking cupcakes, Lottie’s parents topped up her contribution so that Lottie could get her hands on her new bike ahead of the Tigers training season starting at the end of September.

   ‘I’m so happy that I have my new bike. I love it so much and have already been practicing my stunt skills on it. I can’t believe that Lee Bowers is here too to hand it over to me – he’s my favourite motorcycle rider. I’d like to be a stunt rider when I grow up, or a famous motocross rider or a World Superbike Champion. As long as I’m riding bikes I don’t mind!” said an excitable Lottie.

   “When we found out that she’d be meeting Lee and getting her new bike on the same day, Lottie asked me to make her a countdown calendar – she’s been very excited!

   “There’s nothing else she shows an interest in like she does motorbikes – she’s been hooked on them from a very young age even though myself and her dad don’t ride. As a mum, you want to make sure your child is safe, which is why the Tigers has been so great as I knew she’d be well looked after. As long as she is happy, then I’m happy.

   “It’s had a positive affect on her school life too – her concentration was a problem, but her teachers have told her it’s improved so much that she’s jumping up reading levels – something I put down to the practice sessions every Sunday from 9am to 4pm.” said Lottie’s mum, Annette Trenchard.

   Stunt rider, Lee Bowers, said: “It’s been so great meeting Lottie today and it’s fantastic to see young people on two-wheels as they’re the future – hopefully she’ll inspire more girls to get onto two wheels too. I’ve been out on track with her today and watched her ride, she’s got some serious skills already – I better watch out!”
   
   

   

3. Motorcycle owners wanted for to hear your thoughts on riding and bikes

   Posted on 9:00am Friday 4th Sep 2015

   On behalf of a major motorcycle manufacturer, MM-Eye would like to invite a few motorcycle owners along for a focus group discussion to hear your thoughts on riding and bikes. Your opinions will be greatly appreciated and all participants will each receive a monetary token of appreciation.

   The event will last 2.5 hrs and will take place:

   Date: Saturday 19th September 2015 
   Time: 15:00 – 17:30 
   Location: near Birmingham

   We are looking to speak with people who own one of the following models:
   
   Harley-Davidson Iron 883
   Yamaha XJR 1300
   Honda CB1100
   BMW R Nine T
   Moto Guzzi V7 (any variant)
   Ducati Scrambler

   If you own one of these models and are interested in participating, please send an email to [email protected] with the following information:
   
   • Model owned
   • Year of purchase
   • Contact telephone number

   Spaces are limited for what they anticipate will be an interesting occasion, where you will have an opportunity to share your views on a future range of motorcycle products. 
   
   Previous events have proved very popular, so please contact Karen ( [email protected]) at your earliest convenience to avoid disappointment – this is a first come, first served registration.

4. Mediocre museums, ringside comedy gold and grandiose cathedrals

   Posted on 10:00am Monday 24th Aug 2015

   Upon saying our toodaloos to Leanne and Calvin in El Tule, we tootled off with the mountains and volcanoes flirting in our periphery onto Puebla—70 miles southeast of the capital. As well as the city, Puebla is also a Mexican state and the Spanish word for ‘seed that a gardener sows’. Might as well kill three birds…Meeting overlanders Chloe and Toby (from Carpe Viam), with whom we’d become acquainted at Overlander Oasis at an Air B&B apartment there was both a respite and a splurge for the month. Jason’s eye had just been all but taken out by a firework, unlucky lad.

   Indulging in the apartment’s amenities such as: the swallow-me-whole-and-leave-me-here-forever sofa, coffee machine and double bed with en suite, set the mood to be a comfortable and convenient one. Just as well because a mind-bogglingly abstract tour around a museum in the afternoon left me uninspired and my brain aching—post a couple of hours of failing to fathom what the heck I was looking at—much to Chloe’s amusement and Toby’s surprise. Thank Karma it was free entry that day.

   Clearly far more cultured city folk than we were, Toby arched his perplexed brow and asked inquisitively “Well if you’re not museum people, what kind of people are you?” ‘Oh that’s easy!’ I mused. “We’re outdoorsy types, anywhere there are big open spaces preferably with wildlife,” I conveyed in a smiling tone. “Oh.”
   
   Read more here

5. Ladies Day‏ - FEMALE MOTORCYCLISTS ATTEMPT TO SET A NEW WORLD RECORD

   Posted on 10:00am Wednesday 12th Aug 2015

   Hundreds of lady bikers will be gathering  at the Ace Cafe in North West London on 16th August 2015 in an attempt to create a new world record for the largest number of female motorcyclists meeting together in one place.
   
   Between 400 and 600 women aged 24 to 65 years are expected to ride to the meeting, coming from as far afield as Ireland, North Yorkshire, Dorset and Wales.  In September 2014, 221 Australian women on 190 bikes set a record for being the most women riding motorcycles at once.  

   The world-famous Ace Cafe London has agreed to host the event on their annual Ladies Day and confirmed sponsors include Circuit of Wales, Mike Dawson Racing, Oval Motorcycle Centre (OMC) and Woodridge Motorcycles. OMC and Mike Dawson Racing will be in attendance on the day.  Mike Dawson and his team will be offering free suspension advice and basic suspension adjustments and the Team from OMC will be offering free 9 Point Safety Checks.  

   There will be a charity fund raising raffle, with prizes including Moto GP tickets, bike services, tyres, biketime suspension set up, workbench time, Motorcycle Maintenance training courses and Ace Café goodies.  The charity to benefit from the day is The Hospice of The Valleys, whom Circuit of Wales support.

   The meeting is the brainchild of bikers Nimisha Patel from London and Sherrie Woolf from Wales. They are keen to raise awareness of the increasing number of women riding motorcycles, particularly for bike and clothing manufacturers in the hope of seeing improved product ranges aimed at women. “When shopping for protective clothing, the female section is usually lacking in options and often the quality is lesser than the male counterparts. Sizing is also a huge problem that could be resolved with quite simple solutions. The assumptions are very frustrating with many ladies leather trousers not having the Velcro area to attach knee sliders. It’s time to realise that women are no longer just sitting on the back of the men’s bikes, we’re buying our own and using them for touring, off-roading, track days and commuting, just like the guys!” quotes Sherrie Woolf.   

   Karen Cole, Safety and Training Director at the Motorcycle Industry Association (MCIA) and a long term rider herself explained:  “We believe the industry’s Get On programme has been instrumental in bringing more women into motorcycling.  40% of people who took a free ride with Get On were women, according to survey replies from nearly 9000 people. 

   Get On made it easy for women to try motorcycling for the first time.*Social-media has surely played a part in bringing women riders together in the past few years. The proliferation of female biking groups on Facebook has meant women riders can easily find friends to ride out with locally.  As a result, small informal groups have been springing up across the country, which obviously helps generate and sustain interest in riding.”  Pages have been set up on social media sites to share news of the event and organise logistics. Even celebrity bikers are spreading the word, including James Whitham and Maria Costello, herself an ambassador for ladies in the sport of motorcycle racing.  “We hope that even more women will hear about the record attempt in the lead up to the event so that we can get as many lady bikers together as possible on 16th August. It will be a great opportunity for women to meet, share information and hopefully encourage more ladies to get involved with bikes.”

   For further information about the event, please contact Nimisha Patel and Sherrie Woolf on [email protected]

    

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