A number of high profile World Superbike riders are heading for the next round of the championship in Misano this weekend with their lap of the iconic TT Mountain Course still fresh in their memory.

Four of the leading contenders, Chas Davies, Sylvain Guintoli, Jonathan Rea and Tom Sykes, enjoyed a parade lap around the iconic 37¾ mile circuit in the break between races last Wednesday as part of the 2015 Isle of Man TT Races fuelled by Monster Energy.

Following the lap 2014 WSBK Champion Sylvain Guintoli, whose varied career has also included MotoGP and British Championship campaigns said:

"What an unbelievable feeling. That felt so fast. I had to push to follow the other riders. I looked down at one point at the speedometer and it said 170 and I thought that's not right and I even managed to outbreak myself at one point. What a track."

Isle of Man resident Jonathan Rea and his Kawasaki Racing teammate Tom Sykes were also on the lap. Jonathan Rea is no stranger to the track and has already enjoyed a closed road lap but it was a first time experience for Tom Sykes who said:

"I can see why all these riders are so in love with the place. I've never been round it and suddenly looked down and I'm at 170mph as I go through a village. I would have liked to go behind Milky (TT Rider liaison officer Richard Quayle) the whole way round as I felt I was riding blind when I wasn't behind him and was really relaxed when I was. We had a fantastic reaction from the crowd and it was a great experience. I only wish I'd been able to do a few more laps."

The Kawasaki pair will now resume their head to head at the top of the WSBK leader board in Italy. Rea has built up a lead of over a hundred points with race wins in every round but Sykes ended that run with double victory in the British round of the series at Donington Park.

The fourth WSBK rider to experience the closed road lap Welshman Chas Davies, the 2011 World Supersport Champion, said:

"There was so much to take in over one lap. It was like nothing else I've done. My respect levels for the road racers were really high before this but seeing this now, feeling the bumps they're gone through the roof. I'm currently on a safety commission for WSBK and we complain about a few bumps but it's fair to say my perspective has definitely changed."



Tom Sykes, Jonathan Rea, Sylvain Guintoli and Chas Davies enjoy an ice-cream at the Isle of Man Mountain TT course. 

The Heritage Motor Centre has everything all wrapped up for Father’s Day whether it’s a special day out or a unique gift for fathers and grandfathers that love British motoring. Not only does the Museum boast over 180 historic British cars to admire from Aston Martins to Minis and everything in between, but the nostalgic Banbury Run also takes place on Sunday 21 June. An added bonus is that entry into the Museum on that day is just £8 instead of the normal £12 entry fee.

Visitors on the day will be able to see over 500 Veteran and Vintage motorcycles ride out, starting and finishing at the Museum. The event, now in its 67th year, is the largest gathering of pre-1931 motorcycles & 3-wheelers in the world and a spectacle not to be missed.

If you are looking for a motoring gift then the Heritage Motor Centre has a range of exciting and unique products for every British marque of car available from their shop or online. The choice ranges from pewter models, books, DVDs, mugs and tin plaques to more personalised and bespoke gifts such as tax disk cuff links that can feature the registration number and production date of your father’s car or a Heritage Certificate for his classic car. Many more products are available to purchase from the Museum’s shop as the website has only a limited selection.

If pictures are a more suitable gift, then choose from thousands of British Motor Industry Heritage Trust archive photos using our online picture library - Motorgraphs. Available as a framed print, canvas or collage, you will find a wide variety of attractive historical images featuring famous makes 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, just the thing for that difficult-to-buy-for father or grandfather!

For more information about the Heritage Motor Centre please visit www.heritage-motor-centre.co.uk or call 01926 641188.

For the online shop visit www.heritage-motor-centre.co.uk/store.

For more information on Motorgraphs please visit www.motorgraphs.com

The Institute of Advanced Motorists (IAM) has revealed for the first time the true scale of drug-driving in the UK since new laws came into force – and showed that over 400 people a month have already been arrested for this offence.

The IAM made a Freedom of Information request asking every police force area in England and Wales for the number of arrests made for the new offence (of driving with a specified controlled drug in the body above the specified limit for that drug), since it was introduced on 2 March 2015.

The IAM’s findings show 902 drug-drive arrests in total were made by forces in England and Wales. On average police arrested almost one person every three days for this crime.

In addition the results that have come through have shown there is little consistency in testing and arrests across England and Wales, with figures ranging from 200-plus in one police force down to zero in others.

The Metropolitan Police recorded the highest number of arrests, with 214 in just over two months which equates to three drivers every day since the law was changed. Next up was Northumbria Police with 97, then Cheshire Constabulary with 70, Sussex Police with 58 and South Yorkshire Police with 55.

At the opposite end of the scale Leicestershire Police, Warwickshire Police and Gwent Police have yet to make any arrests at all for this offence in the first two months of its existence.

A full list of results from each police force is at the end of this press release.

The new laws introduced in England and Wales on 2 March set limits at very low levels for eight drugs commonly associated with illegal use, such as cannabis and cocaine. Eight prescription drugs were also included within the new law including diazepam, methadone and morphine.

Police are able to use a "drugalyser" to screen for cannabis and cocaine at the roadside. Even if a driver passes the roadside check, officers will still be able to test at a police station for ecstasy, LSD, ketamine and heroin as well as other drugs.

According to the 2010 North Report which looked at the prevalence of illicit drug use among drivers in Great Britain, drugs could be a factor in as many as 200 deaths every year, and six per cent of drivers aged between 17 and 39 claimed to have driven at some time whilst under the influence of drugs (quoted in reference 1).

Sarah Sillars, IAM chief executive officer, said: “I am sure the majority of law abiding drivers would like to know why there is such a variation in the data we have received from police forces. It would be unfortunate if some people got the idea that some areas are softer on drug-driving than others.

“It is very clear from our survey that the new drug driving law has just scratched the surface of a much bigger issue. It would seem Sir Peter North has been proved correct when he said there is a significant drug-driving problem which is out of all proportion to the number of accidents reported to the police. We are delighted that the legislation has been introduced and people are being caught.

“We have reached a point where drink-driving has become socially unacceptable, particularly amongst younger people. We now need a sustained campaign to back up the police enforcement effort and ensure drug-driving is seen in exactly the same way. The effects of driving under the influence of drugs can be devastating.”
Here is the full table of the numbers of drivers caught by each police force in England and Wales:

Police Force/Drug driving arrests/Time period monitored (from-to)

Avon and Somerset /12/2 March-6 May
Bedfordshire/4/2 March-18 May
Cambridgeshire/10 /2 March- 1 May
Cheshire/70/2 March-17 May
City of London/3/2 March-12 May
Cleveland/21/2 March-28 May
Cumbria/No response
Derbyshire/No response
Devon and Cornwall/12/2 March-13 May
Dorset/No response
Durham/23/2 March-4 May
Dyfed-Powys/5/2 March-30 April
Essex/Not available (see reference 2)
Gloucestershire/No response
Greater Manchester/26/2 March-11 May
Gwent/0/1 April-30 April
Hampshire/32/2 March-18 May
Hertfordshire/15/2 March-30 April
Humberside/10/2 March-30 April
Kent /20/2 March-5 May
Lancashire/10/2 March-11 May
Leicestershire/0/2 March-21 May
Lincolnshire/3/2 March-30 April
Merseyside/24/2 March-30 April
Metropolitan/214/2 March-11 May
Norfolk/5/2 March-5 May
Northamptonshire/4 /2 March-30 April
Northumbria/97/2 March-30 April
North Wales/34/2 March-20 May
North Yorkshire/4/2 March-31 May
Nottinghamshire/20/2 March-30 April
South Wales/8 /2 March-30 April
South Yorkshire/55/2 March-30 April
Staffordshire/No response
Suffolk/11/2 March-30 April
Surrey/43/2 March-7 May
Sussex/58/2 March-30 April
Thames Valley /4/2 March-6 May
Warwickshire/0/2 March- 30 April
West Mercia/18/2 March- 30 April
West Midlands /11/2 March-1 May
West Yorkshire/9/2 March-29 April
Wiltshire/7/2 March-8 May

ENDS

Reference 1

Motolegends, the Guildford based retro clothing specialist, has recently created a replica of the customised Triumph Bonnevilles that David Beckham and his pals rode up the Amazon last year.

The bike is going to be given away at the NEC later this year, in a free prize draw.

Many people assumed that the bikes they rode were Triumph’s latest Scrambler model; and that was because, like the Scrambler, those bikes wore a high-level, off road, Arrow exhaust.

But, in fact, the starting point was nothing other than a humble Bonneville.

Motolegends acquired their donor bike, a 2001 model, from a local ex-policeman. Even though it was over 10 years old, it had been meticulously looked after, and so presented an excellent starting point for the project.

The build was actually incredibly simple, and although the end result is quite dramatic, the work is well within the scope of any budding ,‘bike-shed’ mechanic.

Part one was the strip-down. Off came the mudguards, the indicators, the rear grab rail, the exhaust, and so on.

What was left was treated to a matt black paint job that included the wheels, fuel tank, engine casing, cylinder head and, handlebars on.

The wheels were re-shod with Metzler Karoo 3s as per the original bike; rubber fork gaiters were added, the seat was re-trimmed, and a new rear mudguard and number plate holder was fabricated.

The pièce de résistance, and the most expensive single part on the bike, was the Arrow exhaust. But it only comes in a metal finish, so it was sent off for a black ceramic coating. A bracket was fabricated, to allow it to hang correctly off the side of the bike.

Final touches involved moving the rear brake master cylinder to a new location, as the rear brake positioning couldn’t have been at all convenient on the original bikes.

Discrete indicators were then fitted front and back. On the Amazon bikes there were no rear indicators; just front ones.

The end result is a bike that somehow seems more than the sum of its parts.

There are hugely complicated and intricate builds out there that sometimes fail to hit the spot. This bike is simplicity itself, yet has an undeniable wow factor to it.

With the baffle removed, the bike sounds far better than a Bonneville has any right to. Being lighter than the original, it handles well, and the Metzeler tyres give a purposeful look, without any real detrimental effect as far as rideabilty and comfort are concerned.

The bike was built by Phil and Graham at FCL in Cranleigh. Including the original bike, parts, paint labour and so on, the build came in at around £10k, although some specialists are demanding £16,000 or more for similar replicas.

It’s got to be said that, close as the bike is to Beckham’s, it’s not a slavish reproduction. But it’s certainly not far off!

The only part that proved totally elusive was the small, under-handlebar mirror that the Amazon bikes sported. If anyone knows where it’s from, Motolegends would like to know!

Beckham fan or not, there’s no denying that the bike has an ineffably cool, laid back vibe to it.

And all it takes, if you want the chance to lock it away in your shed, is for you to give your name and address to Motolegends. To enter the competition, just click here.

The bike will be given away at the end of the NEC show this November.

Jerez gears up for party of the year as Bonnie Tyler and Toseland provide soundtrack to landmark event.

With the first ever World GP Bike Legends just around the corner, southern Spain is soon to be gripped by festival fever as an amazing mix of racing and rock and roll blasts into Jerez on 19-21 June.

As well as unmissable races that will feature the legends like Kevin Schwantz, Freddie Spencer, Wayne Gardner and Loris Capirossi, there will be music legends closing the show on both Friday and Saturday nights.

World famous tribute acts will hit the stage on Friday, as The ZZ Tops and QueenMania blast out some of the best known songs of all time from ‘Sharp Dressed Man’ to ‘We Are The Champions’ – a fitting theme tune to World GP Bike Legends!

The event kicks into top gear on Saturday night when double World Superbike Champion James Toseland takes to the stage with his eponymous hard rock group before Bonnie Tyler blows the crowds away with her incredible repertoire of legendary hits.

With live music headlining the evenings, there’s plenty more to keep fans entertained throughout the day. Shows from Trials World Championship riders Marcel Justribó and Jordi Pascuet plus a comedy motorcycle show ‘No Limits’ will undoubtedly draw attention, and there will be static displays of both classic and modern bikes.

Thanks to all this off-circuit action the riders will be keen to put on a special show, and with the spectacular list of entries below fans are sure to leave Jerez smiling.

The full list of confirmed riders is as follows: •Freddie Spencer
•Wayne Gardner
•Christian Sarron
•Didier de Radiguès
•Kevin Schwantz
•Graeme Crosby
•Steve Parrish
•José Luis Cardoso
•Carlos Cardús
•Loris Capirossi
•Juan Garriga
•Ángel Nieto
•Jorge Martínez
•Carlos Lavado
•Tadayuki Okada
•Phil Read
•Manuel "Champi" Herreros
•Hubert Rigal
•Niggi Schmassmann
•Michael Neeves (Guest Rider)