There are canyons, cowboys, idyllic beaches, bears, mountains, Californian vineyards, gun-toting policemen with grudges, glaciers, exploding volcanoes, dodgy border crossings and some of the most stunning open roads that a traveller could ever wish to see.

Sam will be book signing from 12pm until 4pm on Saturday 18th September.  There'll be rock music from the fabulous Steve McGill, celebs, t-shirts, and of course travel books!   Look out too for the raffle in aid of Motorcycle Outreach. Take to opportunity to check out Avon Tyres and Metal Mule gear. You'll also have the chance to talk to photography specialists from Robert White Photographic. Robert White is the sponsor of the launch and the team are hugely knowledgeable about your needs as motorcycling photographers.

Registration will remain open up to and including day ticket passes to the event, for a full line-up of all attractions and performing artists please see below.

We are going to open the raffle on-line with ticket sales commencing on Saturday 12th June 2010, the online raffle will be removed from web sale at 12'0'clock midday on Thursday 24th June. Raffle tickets can then be purchased at Thunder Rally from 12'0'clock midday on the 25th until 6pm on the 26th. The raffle will be drawn on the main stage..

For confirmation the first prize in the raffle will be a brand new Harley Davidson SPORTSTER XL883 LOW. The machine will be delivered in black for collection from the Afghan Heroes offices, in the Autumn of 2010. The winner is responsible for the purchase of the road-fund license and first registration fee.

This is a very special prize and the cut off times and dates will be strictly adhered to for complete transparency. You will be purchasing tickets for the Saturday evening draw, which will be drawn by a third party without any reference to the charity or its events management team. Unfortunately, no member of the Afghan Heroes team or its event team will be allowed to purchase a ticket. This limitation is imposed on Trustees and the Management of the Thunder Rally. This does not apply to Marshalls, Security or any other person involved with the running of the Thunder Rally, just the organisers.

1. Entry wrist bands will be posted on Monday 21^st June 2010
2. All merchandise ordered up to the 31st May will be despatched with the wrist bands
3. Any merchandise ordered in June will be available for collection at Thunder Rally
4. You are respectfully reminded that access to the racing surface is prohibited at all times, enter and you will be asked to leave the event permanently.
5. Gates will open at 12'0'Clock (midday) on the 25th June

THUNDER RALLY LINE-UP - FRIDAY 25^TH JUNE

GENERAL ATTRACTIONS

Over and above the main stage, the following will be available for your overall entertainment and enjoyment: -

• Stall Holders and Motorcycle Retailers
• Funfair
• The Army Rally Car
• Sale of Raffle ticket (Until 18.00 on Saturday 26th June)
• Sale of Afghan Heroes Merchandise

10,000 BOXES THAT SAY THANKS

Afghan Heroes has delivered on its first strategic mission. We can confirm that 10,000 boxes have arrived in Afghanistan in time for distribution to all forces on or before the 26th June 2010 (Armed Forces Day).

Founder Denise Harris has commented that the completion of our first key mission provides a fantastic morale boost for our forces and proves that we as a nation care passionately about our Troops.

Full Story

A group of volunteers spent the weekend packing 10,000 "home comfort" boxes that will now be delivered as a "thank you" to all British service personnel in Afghanistan. The specially-produced ammo-style boxes contain DVD's, Memory Sticks, lip balm, shower gel, Haribo Sweets, toothpaste, puzzle books and other items to remind soldiers of home. They have now been handed over to the Ministry of Defence which will deliver them to the front line as part of Armed Forces Day on June 26.

Around 150 volunteers from children to pensioners, army cadets and members of the military from all over the UK, gave up their time over the weekend to pack the boxes at a building donated for the purpose by the Bath and West Showground in Somerset.

Taking place over three days of the second weekend in September and first held in 1994, the 17th annual Ace Cafe Reunion Weekend & Ride With The Rockers celebrates the unique history, culture and style of Ace Cafe London and what it represents. The event acts as a focus in the motorcycling calendar for all those who are not only interested in the Ace Cafe, Ton Up and Rocker heritage, but also for many others who enjoy a weekend full of rock n' roll, motorbikes and fun!

Over the years, Ace Cafe London has forged lasting and strong links to the global motorcycling and rockin' community, which is reflected by the many visitors from overseas, one of the largest contingents being The Continental Run, which starts with a party at Cafe Hubraum in Solingen, Germany, before departing the next morning to cross Holland, Belgium and France, gathering numbers en route to the ferry, arriving at the cafe late afternoon, and culminating in an evening of rock 'n' roll!

The Brighton Burn Up & Ride With The Rockers, has been an integral part of Ace Cafe Reunions since 1996, and is a free, grand day out at the seaside on Brighton's famous seafront road, Madeira Drive. With trade and club stands, stunt displays, live music and special guests, it's an experience not to be missed!

Ace Cafe Reunion line-up:

Porky's Hot Rockin (Friday 10th), Daddy Slick Shift, Hot Doggin, The Daytonas and The Polecats (Saturday 11th) at the cafe, plus Lights Out and The Jets performing at Brighton (Sunday 12th), with DJ's  Dave Crozier & Bill & Jimmy Guntrip spinning the wax throughout the weekend, and it's all free! 

www.acecafeevents.com

The warmer weather has started, the World Cup has kicked off and as the first signs of summer are underway the MCI can reveal that motorcycle-related tourism expenditure in the UK is around £569 million, supporting approximately 13,250 tourism jobs. 

A survey carried out for the industry by GHK researched the impact of bikers on the tourist industry and found that the average motorcycle tourist is spending around £380 per annum taking into account food, drink accommodation and other services.

The South West is currently getting the most out of motorcycle tourism receiving 17.3% of the total spend. The South East (11.2%), London (11.2%) and the North West (11.1%) are the runners up.

Motorcycle usage is very seasonal and is twice as high between May and August as it is between December and February.  This is likely to be because it is more enjoyable and safer to ride during good weather conditions, but is also likely to be indicative of the strong links between motorcycling and tourism.

Hoteliers, restaurant owners and other tourist related organisations could be getting more money from the bike pound, especially as since last year more people have been choosing to stay in the UK for their holidays. There is also an untapped market in European tourists, who currently come to the UK in much smaller numbers than UK riders travel abroad.

Providing secure parking, advertising as bike-friendly and extending promotion in the right areas could easily increase the number of motorcyclists and capitalise on a growing market.

Number of Visitors - 23,000 international riders visit the UK  compared to around 100,000 independent riders from the UK who take tourism related motorcycling trips abroad each year, so with the right promotion and marketing there is a lot of potential to attract more non UK tourists.

Current Spend of Overseas Tourists - Overseas motorcycling tourists are estimated to account for £17 million of motorcycling-related tourism (2008 prices) - which gives rise to an additional net additional economic impact at the national level.  This excludes expenditures of overseas visitors at UK sports and leisure events.

Supporting Jobs - The total tourism spending associated with motorcycling supports more than 13,000 tourism jobs in the UK, of which approximately 400 are supported by expenditure from overseas 'motorcycling' visitors.

Steve Kenward, MCIs CEO commented, ' This survey has shown us that the UK tourist industry is making important financial gains from motorcyclists. At the moment, there are certain areas in the UK that are seeing bigger gains, but there is a huge untapped market for the tourist industry to tap into.

"Currently, we only receive about one quarter of the number of riders that travel abroad from the UK, so we should be looking to attract more overseas visitors as well as improving the ' tourist' experience for British motorcyclists. Providing secure parking, offering discounts for groups, creating links with sporting events and generally offering a bike- friendly environment will lead to longer stays, more spending and happier customers."

Motorcycling road safety initiative RideSafe BackSafe is urging any motorcyclists planning a long distance tour this summer to be properly prepared and plan ahead. It is estimated that nearly 1.5 million people in Great Britain own a motorcycle. The highest number since the early Eighties and many of them will head off for European holidays on two wheels during the next few months.  

Motorcycling holidays or ‘tours’ require as much preparation as any other holiday, as RideSafe BackSafe Communications Manager, Emma Kelly, explains;  “ Everybody going abroad needs to take the basics, such as a valid passport, tickets, suitable travel insurance and so on, but there is much more to it for motorcyclists. Wearing the right protective clothing, servicing the machine before hand and travelling light are all important. We know of a few incidences of motorcyclists being injured, simply as a result of luggage and straps working loose, getting entangled in the rear wheel and causing them to crash. Securing luggage properly, keeping the centre of gravity low by how you pack the heavy items and adjusting tyre pressures for a fully laden bike are just a few of the unique prerequisites for safer travel on two wheels “.

Some motorcyclists will organise just one or two holiday tours a year and the way the bike behaves with a rider and a pillion passenger and holiday luggage on board can be unfamiliar. The RideSafe BackSafe team are recommending that owners visit their local motorcycle dealership to take expert advice and ensure that they have covered everything from headlight adjustment to suspension settings.                                                                                                         

Emma Kelly continues;  “Motorcycling enthusiasts will regularly just hop on and enjoy a short ride-out during the summer months, but taking a week to ride up to 2,000 miles across five countries and mountain ranges is an adventure that needs careful planning“.

For more dedicated road safety advice and to view a 25-point Motorcycle Tour Planner, go to www.ridesafebacksafe.co.uk