Category: Random

1. The Motorcycle Garage unit from Asgard receives the UK Locksmiths Association Accreditation

   Posted on 12:00am Tuesday 2nd Aug 2011

   The UK Locksmiths Association (UKLA) has awarded its security accreditation to the Motorcycle Garage Plus Storage Unit from Asgard Secure Steel Storage.

   The Motorcycle Garage Unit is manufactured and sold by Asgard and is one of the leading secure outdoor storage units for storing motorcycles, scooter, riding gear, clothing and accessories.  The storage unit has proved to be extremely popular amongst bikers, with thousands being installed in homes and housing estates across the UK.

   The Motorcycle Garage Plus unit went under rigorous testing by the UKLA to determine primarily the security that it offers, as well as the overall design, construction, accessories and options available.

   Tom Robinson from the UK Development Team at UKLA awarded the Asgard Motorcycle Garage Plus Unit with the accreditation saying; “Thanks for the product, really impressed by the standard.  Use the UKLA logo as a statement of our trust in your product".

   Asgard have welcomed this security accrediation for their product and will be working with UKLA in order to develop the range further.  Chris Raby, Head of Design at Asgard Secure Steel Storage said; “We are continuously looking at our product offerings and developing them further in order to provide our customers with the highest level of security from the Asgard Storage Range. We always welcome any feedback from our customers for our units and services”.

   www.asgardsss.co.uk

2. TV STARS IN MOTORCYCLE RIDE FOR HEALTH

   Posted on 12:00am Thursday 21st Jul 2011

   Red Dwarf’s ‘Cat’ and BBC MotoGP presenter lead charity ride on bright pink bikes from London to Southern Spain

   Viva Valencia!, the charity ride being undertaken by Red Dwarf’s The Cat, real name Danny John-Jules, BBC MotoGP presenter, Matt Roberts, and Steve Keys, now has an official website – www.motoventures.co.uk
    
   John-Jules and Keys, owner of the UK’s first Yamaha dealer, have been raising awareness and money for the charity, Riders for Health, by attending numerous events and shows on two bright pink Yamaha R1s over the past year. In October, the boys will be joined by Roberts to ride 1200 miles from Ace Cafe London to the Ricardo Tormo circuit, Valencia, Spain for the last race of the 2011 MotoGP championship.

   The new website will bring news, updates, photos and list events that the Viva Valencia! team are attending, but, more importantly, it will be a place for people to donate to the charity, either using the pledge button or buying one of the special T-shirts on offer.

   Riders for Health works by supplying and maintaining reliable transport for health workers to reach people in remote parts of Africa. Millions of people in Africa die from easily preventable diseases and the charity tries to prevent this by making sure these people can receive regular, reliable health care often for the first time in their lives.

   The ride, which will be filmed for a TV documentary, will leave on October 30th from the Ace Cafe on London’s North Circular and follow a route taking in France’s Champagne region, Dijon, Montpellier and Barcelona; giving the boys plenty of time to take in local culture.

   Once the team arrives in Valencia on November 3rd, they will be meeting up with local supporters of Riders for Health and then lead approximately 200 bikes into the circuit for a parade lap, followed by Spain's very own Day of Champions where, it is hoped, they will be auctioning for the charity some of the exclusive items they have gathered during their trip.

   Danny John-Jules, currently in Guadalupe filming the new BBC One series Death in Paradise, said: ‘I’m a huge bike racing fan and supporter of the amazing work that Riders for Health does for the people living in remote parts of Africa. The charity provides and maintains motorcycles so that doctors and medical staff can reach these people – basic, but essential and life saving. To be able to ride down to the Valencia MotoGP with a couple of mates and help this charity along the way is a fantastic way to spend a week!

   Matt Roberts will ride the 1200 miles on the specially painted Yamaha R1 that MotoGP world champion Jorge Lorenzo used during a parade lap at the 2010 Isle of Man TT:

   "As soon as Danny (John-Jules) and Steve (Keys) told me about their plan to ride to Valencia, I wanted in! I know it is going to be a long trip and the R1 isn't exactly built for comfort, but it's all for a great cause and I know there'll be plenty of laughs along the way. I'm also a big Red Dwarf fan so for me it doesn't get much cooler than riding with the Cat!"

   Visit www.motoventures.co.uk to donate and keep up with regular news.

3. Lady riders on the increase

   Posted on 7:57am Friday 9th Jul 2010

   The number of women taking to two wheels has increased significantly during the last eighteen months and this now represents a large proportion of moped, scooter and bike sales for the motorcycle industry.

   As a result of this trend, road safety officers in West Mercia and Warwickshire are actively promoting a series of free and subsidised “Take Control” rider assessment courses to women, in the hope that they will want to develop their riding skills.

   Director of Safety at the Coventry-based Motorcycle Industry Association (MCIA) Karen Cooke, has recently tried a Take Control course for herself and commented; “I have been riding motorcycles for 28 years and I am always nervous when anyone else analyses my riding technique, but my instructor was great and really put me at ease. Even though I have completed refresher training in the past, he still came up with some helpful suggestions and I was able to iron out one or two bad habits that naturally develop over time. I would encourage all moped and motorcycle riders to learn the Take Control techniques and particularly hope the increasing number of female riders will make a commitment to this sort of self improvement. There is no bravado, no test and no pressure and it helps you to become a safer rider“.                                                                                             

   Motorcycle dealerships are finding that women are buying a wider variety of machines from mopeds and scooters as a main mode of transport for commuting, to larger custom bikes and sports bikes, just for fun. Motorcycling now has a much wider appeal for both sexes, all ages and people from many different backgrounds.

   Communications Manager for the Safer Roads Partnership in West Mercia, Katy Jenkins explains; "Just ten years ago, most women wearing leathers and a crash helmet were presumed to be pillion passengers, but that is simply not the case now. We even know of a few ‘women-only bike clubs. They are often more receptive to advice and more willing to learn and we have a variety of half-day and full day courses that can be tailored to the needs and level of experience of every lady“.

   Take Control rider training costs either £30 or nothing at all, depending on the course you select. It is available to anyone who lives in or travels through the counties of Shropshire, Worcestershire, Herefordshire and Warwickshire. Instructors will usually travel to where clients live or work and ride on their local roads or regular routes.

   More information can be found at www.takecontroltraining.co.uk

4. New Government Statistics Show Motorcycle Safety Improving

   Posted on 8:03am Tuesday 29th Jun 2010

   New statistics released by the Government show that as the number of motorcycle miles travelled has increased the number of casualties and fatalities has actually fallen, indicating that more miles travelled does not mean more accidents. (1)

   
   This has been the ongoing trend since around 2002, when the link was broken between the year on year number of motorcycles in use compared to the number of casualties per annum. The figures show that motorcycle traffic rose by 2 per cent but the number of motorcycle casualties was 4 percent lower than in 2008. The number reported as seriously injured fell by 4 per cent to 5,350 and there were 472 motorcycle user fatalities in 2009, which was also 4 per cent lower than during 2008.

   
   Improving motorcycle safety has always been an important part of the industry's agenda and the MCI works closely with the Government and other relevant bodies in the motorcycle community to find ways to improve safety in a number of ways.

   
   The Police BikeSafe scheme; intelligent enforcement, engineering improvements and the commitment from trainers to improving standards, have all contributed to a safer motorcycling environment. 

    

   Steve Kenward, CEO of the MCI, said, "Although there is still a strong concern about the number of motorcycle casualties, the fact remains that year after year motorcycling continues to get safer in terms of the likelihood of having an accident. The reported fall in motorcycle fatalities during 2009 is welcome, but we can not be complacent about this - there are simply far too many people dying in accidents -  and we still have much more work to do. The MCI and the rest of the motorcycle community will continue to work hard to improve safety and ensure that we get full Government support for a more rounded approach to road-user safety. The full integration of motorcycles into mainstream transport policy and local transport plans, which the Government is now backing, can only help maintain and improve on this reduction in casualties and needs to be a key priority along with improvements to rider training delivery and participation."

    

   1) Transport Statistics Bulletin - Reported Road Casualties Great Britain Main Results: 2009  - Department of Transport

5. Guest comments on your website

   Posted on 9:07am Thursday 25th Mar 2010

   We just wanted to share with you a very easy marketing tip, which if used will not only increase your SEO* on the internet and visitors to your site, but ultimately should increase the response levels.  

    

   Review websites  

    

   In recent studies of buying habits it has been discovered that users of the world wide web are now more likely to be swayed towards using one business/product than another because of recommendations rather than price. If you look at sites such as Trip Advisor, Review Centre, Holidays Uncovered, Mobile Phone UK and Test Freaks, these are sites which are mainly ran on the contributions from the general public on the reviewing of or simply rating of (usually out of 5 or 10) a business/product.   Recommendations are also used when you buy from e-bay, as the Sellers feedback is paramount to their success. Sellers strive to ensure that they have no negative feedback so as not to deter future customers.   In fact they are all around us, from choosing which movie to watch, what restaurant to eat in and where to holiday and stay.

   
   So as the general public are now putting trust in the views of someone that they do not even know, I suppose this only emphasizes how important word-of-mouth is. It has always been one of the most credible forms of advertising because a person puts their reputation on the line every time they make a recommendation and that person has nothing to gain, but the appreciation of those who are listening.  

    

   So, what can you do to make sure your potential ambassadors of your business recommend it to others?   Simple...Guest comments on your website!  

    

   Many of you will have accumulated books of guest comments over the years and some of you already have included these on your web-sites, however it is imperative that they are included on a specific page which can easily be found, i.e.: In the top bar, named simply Guest Comments. These comments should be typed out and displayed in a easy to read manner. It is also possible for a page to be included onto your web-site where guests can leave there own comments, so freeing your time on this project.  

    

   Not only will new visitors to your web-site read these comments and make decisions from what they read, but by including such information it helps with search engines finding your web-site and so increasing your SEO, naturally and at no cost other than your time.  

    

   For example...   If you included the following statement onto your site:  

    

   'I recently stayed at a wonderful place in the Yorkshire Dales; The Rose of Sharon B&B. It was close to the local village of Hawkes where there is a great Biker cafe, which we visited on the Sunday and found Motorcycles from all over the UK, including some great guys from the local Motorcycle club, Bikers are Great MCC. The owners, Sandra and John (Bikers themselves) were on hand to help us with information about the local area, where to visit and which routes to use. A fantastic breakfast was served, which we only just made as our bed was so comfortable we did not want to get out!  A drying room and secure parking only help to make this a very Biker Friendly place. Highly recommended'   From the above, in time search engine will pick up on the words used and when someone searches for the following the web-site should be found;

   • Yorkshire Dales B&B
   • Hawkes Biker cafe
   • Yorkshire Dales Biker cafe
   • Bikers are Great MCC
   • Biker Friendly place
   • Biker Friendly Yorkshire B&B
   • Motorcycle UK Friendly
   • Secure parking Hawkes

     If you would like an example of a web-site who has done this well sent over to you just let me know.   

    

   THE BIKER GUIDE   Bringing the Biker Community together!  

    

   www.thebikerguide.co.uk

    

   * SEO: Search engine Optimisation