Category: Other

1. Win A Weekend In London To See Rock Of Ages!

   Posted on 12:00am Friday 22nd Jul 2011

   Ace Cafe London has teamed up with Rock of Ages - The Musical. Pick up a Rock of Ages postcard at the cafe, or from the Ace stand at either this weekend's High Voltage Festival, Victoria Park, London or at the cafe's Streetfighter & Stunt Festival, Brent Cross (Sunday 31st July) or at the cafe's Harley weekend (Thursday 25th - Sunday 28th August) to be in with a chance of winning two top price tickets and a nights stay at the Holiday Inn, Bloomsbury, Central London.
    
   In addition, pairs of tickets to the show are for grabs as prizes for "Best Harleys" on Warr's HD Nights at the cafe, from 6pm on the last Thursdays of July, August and September.
    
   The show, featuring 28 classic anthems, starring Justin Lee Collins & Shayne Ward, has been described as "Spinal Tap meets Rocky Horror", kicks off on Wednesday 31st August at London's Shaftsbury Theatre.
    
   www.rockofagesmusical.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. Motorcycle Theft Survey

   Posted on 1:02pm Friday 15th Jul 2011

   AFTER COST OF MOTORCYCLE THEFT PUT AT OVER £100m RESEARCH REVEALS LONDON BIKERS NEARLY FIVE TIMES MORE LIKELY TO HAVE THEIR BIKE STOLEN

   London bikers are most at risk of having their motorcycle stolen with those living in the South West of the capital suffering  theft rates nearly five times the UK average according to new data published by the UK’s biggest motorcycle insurance specialist.

   The publication of Carole Nash’s annual Motorcycle Theft Survey follows a warning from the Motorcycle Crime Reduction Group that bike thefts rates are rising and now cost an estimated £105m annually. It also follows reports that the Metropolitan Police’s Stole Vehicle Unit, one of the last remaining in Britain, is set to be disbanded following budget cuts.

   The survey pinpoints the nation’s hotspots by comparing the number of theft claims Carole Nash received against the number of bikers it insures in each area of the country.  The results show massive variations in risk with London boroughs occupying nine of the top ten worst hit areas.

   Bikers in South West London, who topped the table, were found to suffer a theft rate over 30 times higher than those in low risk areas such as Shrewsbury or Bath. Outside of London the highest rates were found in Huddersfield – the only provincial entry in the top ten – Edinburgh, Halifax, Dundee and Manchester. The highest climber in the league of 116 main postcode areas was Walsall, the West Midlands town leaping 71 places from 90th to 19th.

   To see how bikers fared in your area view the full league table.

   “We’ve been conducting this research for a number of years now and the London boroughs have consistently suffered the highest theft rates. The message could not be clearer to bikers in these high risk areas that they must minimise the dangers they face by investing in effective security devices and choosing sensible places to park” commented Carole Nash’s commercial director, Simon Jackson. “It also highlights the need for local authorities and private sector providers to increase the availability of dedicated secure motorcycle parking facilities.”

   The company said that whilst most bikers took sensible precautions against theft, some were less diligent. “At the end of the day a determined thief will move hell and high water to steal a high value bike, even dismantling a garage breezeblock by breezeblock. But a lot of thefts are simply opportunistic and some bikers are guilty of creating opportunity,” explained Jackson.

   The Carole Nash research comes in the wake of similar findings by the Motorcycle Crime Reduction Group which has reported that 50 percent of all thefts occurred in London. The MCRG - which includes representatives from the police, insurers, security companies and bike manufacturers - has expressed concern that motorcycle theft has increased. Analysing data from the Police National Computer it found that in 2009 nearly 26,000 bikes were stolen. “Compared to other automotive sectors motorcycle theft is rising, especially when taking into account the number of new machines being registered these days ” commented MCRG chairman, Kevin Howells. “Using PNC data, on average there are 77 motorcycles and scooters being stolen every day which creates a massive financial bill for riders, manufacturers, dealers, finance companies and insurers and can deter people from continuing to ride or even taking up two wheels, precisely at a time when the industry is working so hard to raise awareness and highlight the benefits including lower costs and convenience that biking offers over other forms of transport.”

   Jackson agreed saying: “Much of the bill is borne by insurers and, ultimately, by bikers in the premiums they pay so it is in all our interests to tackle the theft problem”.

   He offered a range of tips to help reduce theft risk and minimise insurance costs.

   • Spend as much as you can afford on insurance approved security devices like ground anchors, tagging systems and immobilisers. As well as helping protect your machine they should earn you a welcome discount on your insurance (Carole Nash offer up to 10 percent off).
   • Garage it. If you can, try to keep your bike out of sight in a locked garage. If you must leave it on a driveway fit a ground anchor and use a cover.
   • Be careful where you park.  With too few designated secure motorcycle parking facilities, the onus is on you. Choose a well lit, highly visible public area, preferably covered by CCTV. 
   • Lock it to an immovable object. Organised thieves often simply lift bikes off the pavement and spirit them away in the back of a van. Don’t make it easy for them – secure your bike to an immovable object using a hefty lock, and use an ear-splitting alarm that’ll rattle their cages.
   • Whenever possible keep locks and chains off the floor – this will prevent thieves from smashing them on tarmac or concrete with a lump hammer.
   • If there are a few of you riding, lock your bikes together. There’s safety in numbers.

   The Carole Nash survey also revealed which types of bikers suffered the highest theft rates.  Perhaps unsurprisingly scooters and mopeds were most favoured by thieves. They were almost twice as likely to be stolen as tourers which were least at risk of all motorcycle types.

4. Bikersbase in Portugal

   Posted on 12:00am Monday 4th Jul 2011

   Alan & Sharon, two enthusiastic Yorkshire bikers, have spent the past few years working on their venture in Portugal aimed at Bikers, to provide a dedicated touristic motorcycle centre in a wonderful area, surrounded by some fantastic roads and historical towns.

   After previously running Bikersbase in Scotland, they purchased property and land with the sole purpose to create another succesful destination for touring Motorcyclists. With various issues with local contractors, Alan & Sharon have been steadily working and can now provide en-suite rooms, camping spaces, fully equipped workshops, very secure motorcycle storage and an essential bar!

   Also planned are self contained cottages, dorm and more en-suite rooms.

   Accessed just off the main IP2 highway, south of Portalegre, centrally placed and idea as a base to explore this fantastic biking area.

   www.bikersbase.com

5. The Prince of Wales meets Legion’s leather clad Riders

   Posted on 12:00am Monday 20th Jun 2011

   Ninety members of the branch brought their bikes to the lunchtime reception hosted by The Prince of Wales. The motorcycles created an unusual spectacle as they were parked up in the garden of Clarence House. The Prince of Wales tried one of the bikes out for size, revving the engine as the owner pointed out some of the bike’s finer features.

   After the reception The Riders Branch Chairman, JJ Jarvis, said:

   “We are honoured that The Prince of Wales has recognised the activities of the branch, including the role we take in paying respects to those who have lost their lives on active duty.

   “The branch has over 4,440 members, and although they could not all attend, the recognition received today is for the contribution every one of them makes.

   “It was a privilege to meet The Prince, who was very enthusiastic about our work and motorcycling. We left him an open invitation to join the branch as an honorary member anytime.”

   The branch is the second largest of the Legion’s 2,800 branches. Members, including ex and current serving personnel and civilians, are brought together through their passion for motorcycling and support for The Royal British Legion. 

   Branch activities include fundraising for the Poppy Appeal (£150,000 this year), raising the Legion’s profile at motorcycling events and joining with the people of Wootton Bassett to pay respects at repatriations through the town.

   

   The Prince of Wales tries one of the Riders Branch bikes for size at a reception at Clarence House

   www.britishlegion.org.uk