I can honestly say Farmyard Party 2015 was one of the best.

We had over five thousand of you loyal people turn up from all over the country to enjoy the bands, comedians, bikes, beer and fires. The Riders' Rights Marque was rocking all weekend and Jonny Awsum had people in stitches at The Smacked Arse Comedy Show. It was great to see so many people carrying the party on in Crusty's Tent too. Thanks to all the MAG volunteers – by all the positive feedback received, they did a fantastic job! For those of you wondering how the person airlifted from the site on Saturday morning is doing, we are told they are doing well now.

All the marshals who could stay for a well-earned bite to eat and some beers had a great night on Sunday night judging by the sore heads on Monday morning. The Farmyard strip down team worked like Trojans to get us home on Thursday leaving the site spick and span.

Well, moving on to Yorkshire Pudding... This rally looks like it's going to be another busy one. We have two tent with music at this year’s Pudding, we will have the usual big marquee with the bands and DJ rocking out on Friday and Saturday night along with an outstanding comedy show on Saturday afternoon. The Back Street Heroes team will be having the ride in custom show and the local ladies of Escrick will be baking cakes to raise funds for the children’s play group. The CMA will be selling tea’s and coffees 24 hours a day for those who need refreshment or just some company through the night. The CMA work hard keeping people warm and refreshed whilst raising money for charities.

Our all new small but perfectly formed real ale tent will have acts on both Friday night and Saturday night with the Farmyard Crusties regulars Scott Dangleberry playing Friday night and the Guiseley Brothers playing Saturday night. This tent is going to be a laid back affair with a chilled out up close and personal atmosphere.

Remember we have limited capacity on-site at Escrick Estate and that this is a ticket only event – so please book your tickets to avoid disappointment. Tickets are online until the 26th of July and by post until the 17th of July. All tickets are available on a prepayment only basis. Full event details here. 

As always, our events are held on behalf of Riders' Rights throughout UK and Europe. No Cars, No Vans, No Pedestrians, No Excuses

Whilst it's that strawberries and cream time of year and the perfect weather for home bike rallies, now is a good time to plan your winter rideaway! Here at H-C Travel we have a superb range of small group, guided and self-guided motorcycle adventures in some amazing locations.

To inspire you, we have picked a selection of 3 contrasting guided rides in 3 continents:

• Cape Classic Tour, South Africa in late October/November 2015 (last few places remaining)
• Kerala Tea and Spices Adventure, India in Feb and March 2016
• New Zealand On the Beach Tour, January and March 2016 (new tour date added for Easter !) 

Call us on +44 1256 770775 or email or visit  H-C travel and we will answer any questions or help provide further inspiration for your next adventure!

Jessopp, like Johnson, will be having his first taste of the Classic TT as he looks to expand his knowledge of the Mountain Course and the Yeovil rider showed his capabilities at this year's TT Races when he took a best finish of 14th in the PokerStars Senior Race. Competing at the TT for just the second time, the 29-year old also lapped at 128.461mph to become the 23rd fastest rider of all time.

Jessopp will campaign a TYS/CMB F1 750 for the team, a combination of Kevin Pearson's Team York Suzuki and Craig Brookes' CMB Motorsport. Brookes will be Jessopp's crew chief where he'll be assisted by new team member Rob Acomb and ex-Mark Buckley mechanic George Serc and newcomer to the team, Rob Acomb.

With sponsorship from York Suzuki Centre, C&A Brack, The Old Ebor Pub, York Digital Image, Maxcestay York, Motul Oils, Maxton Suspension and Race Products Direct, the bike is built around a 1992 ZXR750 Kawasaki with assistance also coming from Mistral Racing. The machine will be one of the most competitive on the grid in the hands of Jessopp who is scheduled to test the bike later this month.

Speaking about making his Classic TT debut Martin commented:

"I have been really keen to get involved in the Classic TT for a number of reasons, not least for the extra track time it gives me whilst I am still learning the course. The TT went really well this year and I think we should not be too far away at the Classic TT on the Team York Suzuki bike. I'm very grateful to the team for giving me the opportunity to get involved and I am looking forward to getting back to the Island in August."

Scotland has some of the best roads and scenery in the UK so if you fancy the experience there are two great opportunities coming up in the autumn being organised by the VMCC’s Auld Reekie Edinburgh (ARE) Section.

The weekend of 5-6 September will be the occasion of the Sixth Scottish Gathering for veteran and vintage motorcycles and held in the Rosetta Holiday Park, Peebles. The Gathering is the premier event in Scotland for pre-1931 motorcycles. There will be a social run on the Saturday afternoon followed by an evening get together in the, on site , Hayloft Bar and the main run will start on the Sunday morning from the Rosetta Park. Regs. are available from Ralph White on [email protected] or 0131 334 4144.

ARE Section is breaking new ground with the Auld Reekie Classic Run on Saturday 19 September.

The venue is the Boathouse Bistro on Loch Leven in Kinross, Perthshire. The run, of over ninety miles, is open to all machines up to 1990 but is designed for riders of the later classics from the 1970s and 1980s. Alastair Alexander , Area Rep. for the VMCC in Scotland and ARE Chairman, said “ARE Section has been very active in recent years trying to encourage the older bikes with the Scottish Gathering (pre-1931) and the Demob Runs (pre-1950). The new Classic Run is aimed at widening the appeal of the Section and the Club to the riders of younger motorcycles. There is a myth that the VMCC is just about older British bikes but any motorcycle made before and including 1990 is eligible for our events. The Section hope that will be a strong entry of the later classics and especially Japanese bikes and to this end will be issuing invitations to all the old bike clubs in Scotland to get involved. So please tell your pals about it and encourage them to come along.” Regs. are available from George Plumb on [email protected] or 0131 333 3336. Both of the Runs are open to non-members at no extra charge.

RIDERS DEFEAT DRIVERS IN TEST RETAKE

Bikers regularly find themselves on the receiving end of drivers' fury for their alleged reckless behaviour on British roads. All an unfair situation, if we are to believe the findings of new research.

To mark the 80th anniversary of the first driving test, motorcyclists went head-to-head against car drivers as they were subjected to a retake of the theory exam by specialist insurance brokers Carole Nash. The results found that when it comes to road knowledge, two wheels are definitely better than four.

Based on the official DVSA quiz, it has revealed that those who own a motorbike licence fared better than their four-wheeled counterparts in 76% of instances – and more shockingly, that nearly one in five (16%) motorists would potentially fail their test were they to retake it, as opposed to only 6% of bikers.

The research has highlighted road sign recognition as a major concern. Given eight to identify, car drivers finished behind riders in six categories and whilst 83% of bikers were able to correctly identify all eight test signs, only 67% of car drivers were able to replicate the feat.

When it came to other areas of road safety, motorcyclists beat car users eight times out of ten. For instance, 92% of riders knew the correct answer to the question "When may you cross a double solid white line in the middle of the road?" (to pass a road maintenance vehicle travelling at 10 mph or less) as opposed to 71% of car drivers.

Rebecca Donohue, Head of Marketing for Carole Nash, said: “Motorcyclists scored so highly because they must have their wits about them at all times. It's certainly an exhilarating way to travel, but it can also prove risky unless you are fully aware of everything around you and the rules of the road at all times. But more importantly, our study revealed that a rather considerable proportion of car drivers still do not know how to interpret and react to certain everyday road situations involving motorcyclists – something we believe should be addressed as soon as possible."

Only 34% of car drivers were able to accurately point out the sign indicating that special care should be taken when overtaking a slow-moving motorbike.

Additionally, four out of ten car drivers failed to showcase their understanding of why one should allow extra room when overtaking a motorcyclist on a windy day (the rider may be blown across in front of your vehicle). Unsurprisingly, riders scored very highly for both questions (89% and 95% respectively).

The Motorcycle Industry Association (MCIA)'s Safety and Training Director, Karen Cole, said: "Many motorcyclists are also car drivers and what this survey shows is that experiencing the road using different modes of transport makes you a safer road user. This endorses the idea that motorcycling should be encouraged as a long-term strategy to improve road safety. This was one of the main proposals explored in a policy document written jointly by the National Police Chief’s Council (formerly ACPO) and the MCIA. It also supports our call for a single theory test for drivers and riders.”

Following a preliminary round of research conducted last year, Carole Nash introduced a new policy entitled 'Bikers Only Car Insurance', whereby the company is guaranteeing not simply to match but to beat motorcyclists’ car insurance renewal quote, based on the premises that they make safer road users.

Take the test yourself here