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Category: Other
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As a biker, you've experienced the enjoyment and freedom that comes with riding a motorbike. Thinking about giving life saving medical treatment to a fallen biker is probably not the first thing you think about when riding your bike. But having a plan on how to deal with a Road Traffic Accident (RTA) involving a motorcyclist could help to administer first aid or even save a life.
Let me introduce you to the 5 Point Plan (5PP).
 Point 1 - As a rider get trained in motorcycle first aid. Motorcycle first aid training, terminology and environment is different than the normal first aid at work. There are many organisations across the United Kingdom that cover this type of course. 
Point 2 - Carry a First Aid Kit. When you are dealing with a casualty that may have sustained a fracture or bleeding wound, not having a first aid kit at your disposal becomes very difficult when one has to improvise. There is no excuse by not having room on your bike as there are many different types and sizes available to cover all motorcycles.
Point 3 – Dealing with a Road Traffic Accident or Collision.
If you arrive on scene or witness an RTA involving a motorcyclist there is a set procedure to follow. This would be covered in a motorcycle first aid course however I will summarise the main points.
Ø Safety – You are in a high risk environment look after yourself, your casualties and any bystanders. Call for help 999 on landline, 999/112 on mobile.
Ø Check for immediate danger and protect the scene by using other motorbikes, cars or bystanders wearing hi visibility clothing.
Ø Check for casualties who need first aid assistance. Follow current first aid protocols which is Danger, Airway, Breathing, Bleeding or CPR, Defibrillation, Evacuation) on all casualties. Evacuation means being moved to hospital via ambulance to Emergency Medical Care (EMS). Some casualties may have hidden or multiple injuries, prioritise and treat.
Ø If you suspect major injury ie: Neck, Spinal, Fracture – Do not move them but treat in the position found. 
Point 4 – This is a contentious issue involving helmet removal.
Ø A motorcyclist who is breathing leave motorcycle helmet on and treat accordingly.
Ø A motorcyclist who is not breathing, you may need to remove his helmet. However, it takes 2 people to remove a helmet and only carryout this procedure if you have had suitable training in helmet removal.
Ø If your casualty is not breathing normally and you feel that you do not have the confidence to remove the helmet then “CPR Only” may be the only option. I would rather do something than nothing.
There are many schemes in the UK which advises not to remove the helmet ie: the crash card that inserts inside the helmet which carries vital medical information for the ambulance personnel. Some riders have a sticker on the helmet which states “Only to be removed by medical professionals”. Whatever system you use, this goes back to having some training in motorcycle first aid.
Point 5 – Don’t forget to “Reassure” the casualty or casualties. This sometimes is forgotten and to be honest, reassuring the casualty is all that is needed prior to the arrival of EMS.
Remember the 5 Point Plan. “Training, First aid kit, Get help, Don’t remove the helmet unless absolutely necessary, Reassure”
Article was written by KJ Training Solutions
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When I lived in Greece, working lots of hours, a bit stressed and without a tan, a Greek friend told me this story...
An American tourist is staying on a small Greek island and goes into a small taverna one evening. Takes a table outside and after a while orders a carafe of local wine and some plates of Greek mezes. The order is taken by a middle aged Greek man, who after a short time brings him his order and leaves the American to enjoy. During the evening a few locals and tourist come into the taverna, either to drink, enjoy the delicious Greek dishes from the small menu and/or see Kosta their friend, the owner of the taverna. The American leaves around midnight.
The next morning the tourist passes by the taverna and notices it is closed and so he finds another place to take morning coffee. Whilst he sits, watching the world go by, a little later he sees the Greek man from the taverna leaving the harbour in a small boat. 
The American sees Kosta return a few hours later, with a small catch of fish. He is surprised to see him back so soon as he presumes that the catch of fish is his food supply for the taverna for the evening. He passes by and asks if he had a good fishing trip. The Greek man says he had a great morning and was just going home to have lunch with his family, play with his children, take a siesta and see some of his friends before he opened the taverna for the evening.
The American ponders what he has seen and is a little confused by what he thinks is the Greek man’s lacking of business opportunities, so he returns to the taverna that evening to give the Greek some ‘free advice’.
He waits for Kosta to arrive at the taverna, thinking he will give his valuable advice, before the evening rush… He boasts "I run a very successful business in the USA and I could help you. This is what you should do - You should open your taverna for more hours and with the increase in profits after a while you could buy a bigger taverna and employ more staff. Then after a few more years you could buy a bigger boat, takes on some crew, fish more and increase your profit margins more. Then you could open another taverna, employ more staff and then you would be able to purchase another boat, more crew and increase your profits even more. In fact you could buy several boats and eventually you would have a fleet of fishing boats. Instead of just using your catch in just your taverna with these extra boats you could sell to other tavernas and restaurants, you could even export.”
The Greek man smiles and says “Then what would I do?”
“Well with all this extra income, you could leave this small island and move to Athens, and run a distribution centre for your expanding enterprise."
The Greek man smiles and says “Then what would I do?”
The American replies “Well with all this hard work, you would have people working for you who could run your successful business, so giving you more free time for you to enjoy life”.
The Greek man asks, "My friend, how long will this all take?" To which the American businessman replies, "15-20 years."
"But what then?" The businessman laughs and says, "That is the best part! When the time is right you would sell your company and become very rich. You would make millions."
Kosta smiles and says “Millions! And then what would I do?”
The American joyfully announces "Then you would retire. Move to a small coastal fishing village where you would sleep late, fish a little, play with your children, take a daily siesta, stroll into the village and see your friends”.
The Greek man still smiling, looked up and said, "Isn't that what I'm doing right now? I am already rich”.
My thoughts…
We live in a world in which to some being successful is everything – but what is success? Too many it is measured by your job title, the car you drive, the control you have on others, the plush offices you work from, rather than how happy and healthy you are.
Is having more material things really a successful life? I know that some of the happiest times in my life (and the most lessons learnt) have been when I had a low income job and lived very basically; however I had a happy and healthy life, surrounded by friends, family and life.
In the story above, the businessman measures success by his own expectations, wealth, materialistic life and status. It is a thought process of many in this day and age that "The person with the most new and shiny toys wins”. I myself was once crititzed for have a very out of date phone (it only made calls and sent texts – shame on me) by someone who had hand-made boots, expensive suits, the latest mobile phone and dined in fine restaurants, smoozing to get business, however was in lots of debt to have this lifestyle and had not had a holiday in years. He was not happy when I pointed out that even though my brick of a phone was embarrassing for him, it did not bother the locals when I was on my last holiday a few weeks previously.
In the past few years I have seen a few people who have a great business, which is run on a very basic budget and idea. These include a chap on a beach in Cuba who drives up and down a beach in a little truck, selling Pino Coladas to all-inclusive guests for £6. At first you would think - How can he sell those to people who are on All-inclusive? Then he pulls up and you watch him make what was 'the' best Pino I have 'ever' had. Made in front of you from fresh pineapples, laced with quality rum, sprinkled with fresh coconut and served to you while you lounge on a white sandy beach. I think he made an average days wage for a Cuban in 2 hours one day. Was he happy? What do you think? Not only was he happy but his job involved meeting people who were happy and pleased to see him.
I also read recently of a business which had two very nice shops in affluent areas of Cheshire selling hade-made chocolates, with high rents, wages, vat, etc., who was closing (on the verge of bankruptcy) who had wished he had stayed in the small factory outlet he started from, selling to others, rather than run his own shops, which he had done as he felt it was the way forward and would make his business more successful. On the surface this man was rich and successful, however the reality is the man on the beach is Cuba is richer.
I have in the last few months had conversations with a couple of people in business which I find interesting to compare. One told me he was shutting his business for a few weeks as he did not want to go over the level for which he would pay vat, mainly for the extra work involved so he was jetting off to Australia for a couple of months. Another who was just starting and wanted to be known as a 'Director' of a business, so rather than start small and grow (making sure his business idea would work) he was going into lots of debt to start, taking legal advice, getting plush offices, getting suits hand-made and dangerously presuming that he was already a brand to compete with Coca-Cola! I did want to share some words of wisdom with Mr Director, however remained tight-lipped and wished him well, just as I wished 'Mr I am off to Oz for the winter' a great trip AND I meant it.
There is a danger in waiting to live the life that you really want to live, when you could actually do it now, by making a few sacrifices or by not just succumbing to the pressures of today’s sociality of materialistic possessions and job titles.
As Christmas draws nearer I am reminded of the best Christmas present I had as a child, (as an adult only Mr S's pressie of a Lonely Planet book of Thailand with a plane ticket inside comes anyway close) which probably gave me a lot of my thought processes and not be materialistic... I wanted a new red and gold bicycle and so my father bought a 2nd hand one, stripped it of the colour, rubbed it down and then spray painted it in the colours I wanted, bought new wheels, saddle bag and a brand new shiny bell. I loved that bike - and did not even think that it was not new, I was just so happy that my father had made that much of an effort.
So do what makes you happy, trust your instincts and never presume that your own expectations of life and possessions are what will work for others.
Right, I’m off to the pound shop…
SJ R-S written circa 2015
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Road trips give you the freedom to travel for whatever reason you want, visit many places along the way, and take in the scenery as you are going. It’s awesome to combine a motorbike trip with other hobbies and interests.
Here is a simple UK road trip for football fans. It takes you through some of the UK’s major cities, with each offering a solid dose of football madness. You can adjust the trip as you see fit, adding stops and destinations. If you support a specific team, then you will want to add their hometown to the route, so that you can visit their stadium and catch a home game.
Main Destinations
The main destinations for this motorbike road trip are London, Liverpool, Manchester and Glasgow. Here’s why:
London – London has more football clubs than any other city in the UK. There’s Arsenal, Spurs, Chelsea, Crystal Palace and more. London is also home to Wembley Stadium, the largest stadium in the UK and the second-largest in Europe. You can take tours of the stadium for £19 per person, exploring the stands, tunnels, press conference rooms, and ending with the ‘Exhibition of Champions’, showcasing 56 years of European football.
Liverpool – Liverpool FC overcame expectations to beat Chelsea in the UEFA Super Cup last year, making them the reigning champions of Europe in just about every way.
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Liverpool FC are top of domestic and European
football at the moment, making the city one of the best destinations for your
motorbike road trip.
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Fans can take a full tour of Anfield Stadium, including the Liverpool FC and Steven Gerrard Collection museum at the end. If you’re really into it, then you can even stay at the Bill Shankly Hotel, a dedication to the team’s former manager. Liverpool city is also home to Everton, who have just as much history though not as many honours.
Manchester – Manchester is home to two very successful football teams: City and United. As such, this is a city that is full of football pride. You could visit the Old Trafford Stadium (or Etihad if you prefer Man City), check out the National Football Museum, and even stay in the Hotel Football. If you can get to Manchester for derby day, then you’re in for a real buzz! You don’t have to get tickets to enjoy the game; the bars and pubs will be rammed.
Glasgow – You could skip out Glasgow to keep your road trip short, but keeping it in lets you see much more of the UK’s finest scenery. The drive up from Manchester to Glasgow is, for the most part, spectacular. Detour through the Lake District, where you can find plenty of biker friendly accommodation to stop off, and then head up into the wilds of Scotland. Glasgow is home to one of the fiercest football rivalries in the UK: Rangers Vs Celtic. You can also visit the Scottish Football Museum.
The Route - See here
The beauty of any road trip is that you can plan your own route, so don’t be afraid to tamper and go where you went to go. You can also take on this trip in either direction, starting in London or Glasgow. Starting in London and ending in Glasgow will leave the best scenery till last, but true football fans may want to finish off with the Wembley Stadium tour.
From London, you can take the M40 up towards Birmingham, then the M56 North, turning off on the M62 to Liverpool. The same motorway, the M62, will take you from Liverpool to Manchester. You can then take the M61 and M6 North to Lancaster.
Around Lancaster, you have the opportunity to change up the route and see the nicest National Parks the country has to offer. I recommend the Lake District, turning off near Kendal to take the stunning A591 straight through the Cumbrian Mountains, rejoining the route at Carlisle. From there, it’s the A74 and M74 to Glasgow, again through beautiful scenery.
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The British Motor Museum has everything all wrapped up for Christmas whether it’s a day out admiring over 300 British classic cars or a thoughtful and unique gift! The Museums gift voucher includes 2 admission tickets and a souvenir guidebook as a memento. The gift, which is attractively presented in a red envelope, costs just £25+p&p, a saving of £6.
Treat someone by signing them up to one of the motoring related workshops which run in the spring and autumn. These include ‘Is a Classic Car for you’ and ‘Living with a Classic Part 1 & 2’ all ofwhich are aimed at those who wish to buy or own a classic car. There’s also a range of motoring photography workshops for beginner’s right up to lighting and home studio workshops.
Heritage Certificates are an ideal gift for anyone who owns a cherished classic car and are available from just £43 plus P&P. The Certificate is an official ‘Certified Copy of a Factory Record’ showing the car’s specification as it left the production line. Details are taken from the original production records created by many of the leading British motor manufacturers. Dates, in order to get delivery before Christmas, are 1 December for UK first class or 24 November for the USA, Canada, and EU & Western Europe.
The Museum’s online shop also stocks a range of motoring gifts from DVDs featuring marque specific archive footage including Triumph, Austin Healey, BMC, Mini and many more - to novelty motoring themed items. If pictures are a more suitable gift then choose from thousands of British Motor Industry Heritage Trust archive photos using the online picture library – www.motorgraphs.com. Available as a framed print, canvas or collage, you will find a wide variety of attractive historical images featuring famous marques such as Austin Healey, Triumph, MG, Rover, Land Rover, Austin, Morris, Riley and Wolseley. There are also attractive advertising posters and colourful scenic pictures from the 1950s to the 1980s.
To find out more about the British Motor Museum and gift ideas please visit www.shop.britishmotormuseum.co.uk. For more details on the Heritage Certificates including a full list and date range of cars that can be provided visit www.britishmotormuseum.co.uk/archive/heritage-certificates
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Mitas, part of the Trelleborg Group, will introduce the all new custom cruiser tyre range named: CUSTOM FORCE, at the EICMA exhibition, held from 5 to 10 November 2019, in Milan, Italy. The new range will be on display at the Mitas booth in Hall 9, Exhibition stand I73.
Mitas CUSTOM FORCE features all the important characteristics of a high-performance custom cruiser tyre: durability, stability, comfort and an attractive design. Entry into the Custom cruiser tyre segment represents a new chapter in the Mitas journey to becoming a full range motorcycle tyre manufacturer.
The new range has been extensively tested under the most strenuous conditions possible in the U.S. as well as in different countries across Europe, to ensure the best performance.
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