Freedom and adventure have been right at the heart of motorcycling’s unique appeal ever since the first riders disappeared down the nearest deserted back road in search of a fresh challenge.

Today, the desire to grab a jacket and escape everything for a few days on a motorcycle is as alluring as ever and is the inspiration for the Buell Ulysses Adventure Trek - a new experience offered by Buell Motorcycles UK.

Located in Mid Wales, the Buell Ulysses Adventure Trek offers motorcyclists the chance to enjoy the winning combination of miles of virtually traffic-free roads, thousands of acres of spectacular landscape as a backdrop for their trip, as well as the opportunity to immerse themselves in their riding.

When we launched our adventure sportbike, the Buell Ulysses XB12X, we wanted to find a way to share our own team’s great experiences riding the Ulysses with other motorcyclists, explains Buell UK and Eire managing director, Paul Stroud.Ê

The Buell Ulysses Adventure Trek is a two-day experience designed to ensure our visitors ride the pick of the best back roads and mountain routes this beautiful location has to offer.

Buell’s team of local guides have selected some remote forest trails, and even a few mountain streams to cross, just to make sure our guests enjoy some new challenges as well.

The Buell Ulysses Adventure Trek is run in partnership with Rider’s Edge, a highly-regarded motorcycle training academy based in Builth Wells.

Rider’s Edge has run a number of specialist courses for both learner and advanced riders for the legendary Harley-Davidson Motor Company for several years.

We’re delighted to be working with Jon Halliday and his team at Rider’s Edge, Paul Stroud added.

Jon and his guides offer first-class local knowledge and because of their professional rider training background they can inspire and help anyone trying this type of adventure for the first time as well encouraging riders simply seeking to further improve their skills.

The Buell Ulysses Adventure Trek is a two-day motorcycle adventure based in the heart of mid Wales.

The experience includes the loan of a Buell Ulysses XB12X adventure sportbike, hotel accommodation for two nights, guidance from a qualified motorcycle instructor and organised lunch stops as well as evening meals.

For further information about upcoming dates, pricing and bookings contact 0870 411 3541.

To take a closer look at the Buell Ulysses XB12X as well as the company’s highly-innovative and distinctive V-twin streetfighter and sportfighter motorcycles please go to www.buell.co.uk.

The 1203cc Buell Ulysses XB12X is a truly versatile adventure sportbike with the emphasis on ’sport’ courtesy of Buell’s trademark handling prowess.

Its broad, V-Twin powerband, fully adjustable suspension and rigid chassis make it a capable performer on urban streets, in the twisties or out on the open road and beyond. Comfortable, upright ergonomics and a wide seat provide all-day comfort for both rider and passenger.

The experience costs £395 per person and includes the loan of a Buell Ulysses XB12X adventure sport bike and fuel, hotel accommodation and meals for two nights.

Small groups of up to six riders will be guided by two qualified motorcycle instructors.

For further information and booking availability, contact the Rider’s Edge Team on 0870 411 3541.

(this article was taken from shropshirestar.co.uk)

Arai’s presence at the International Motorcycle Show moves up a gear this year with their sponsorship of the Race Paddock adding to an already extensive itinerary.

The stunning 2007 range will be available to view on stand P5 and customers visiting the stand can take part in the planned activity with regular racer autographs sessions, interviews and competitions taking place each day.

The Arai Race Service will be available both inside the Arai Race Paddock and also situated outside Hall 17 by the Motorcycle Show main entrance. This year the European Service team technicians will join the UK team to provide an extra service to all Arai customers. The Arai service, which started in 1984, plays a crucial part in not only looking after racers’ needs on a day to day basis but also providing a back up service to all Arai customers.

As last year Arai will sponsor the ‘Ride out’ Feature where people have the opportunity to not only try the latest bikes but also try the quality, comfort and fit of an Arai helmet, and regular slots on Jamie Whitham’s ‘How To’ theatre will feature Managing Director, John Wakefield, talking about helmet safety.

Special Arai guests to the show will be Colin Edwards and Randy Mamola - who celebrates 20 years of wearing Arai - along with WSB favourites Chris Walker and Craig Jones, Arai’s BSB line up of Leon Haslam, Jonathan Rea, Dean Thomas, Scott Smart and TT stars, Bruce Anstey, Ian Hutchinson and Guy Martin.

On the main stage each day the ‘Arai Starz’ chat show will take place at 12.00pm with racers interviewed by Steve Parrish. Each racer has been asked to bring an item to the chat show to be auctioned at the end of their interview and proceeds from this will be added to the main Arai Auction event taking place on Sunday 5th November at 12.00pm conducted by Steve Parrish with Arai racers present.

This will be a unique opportunity to acquire some rare Arai items e.g. signed Mick Doohan Condor as used by Mick at the 2004 Goodwood Festival of Speed, visors signed by various racers and celebrities including one signed by American basketball player Michael Jordan, even the signed stand graphics will go under the hammer all for Riders for Health. A full list of items will be available to view on the Arai stand P5 before the event.

For further information about the 2007 Arai range or any show activities please contact 01782 569800, www.phoenixnw.co.uk

(this article was taken insidebikes.com)

BMW AT THE NEC
20 October 2006

The word from BMW GB on their new 2007 bikes at the NEC show which opens a week today;

BMW Motorrad’s X-factor on display at NEC motorcycle show

Visitors to this year’s International Motorcycle and Scooter Show at the NEC in Birmingham will be spoilt for choice when they visit the BMW Motorrad stand. A new single-cylinder model series will be making its debut, along with the latest four-cylinder sports bike to be introduced and a second offering from BMW Motorrad’s High Performance (HP) line.

Not content with already launching six machines so far in 2006 (R 1200 GS Adventure, K 1200 GT, F 800 S and ST, R 1200 S and R 1200 R) BMW Motorrad’s product offensive continues apace with its new G Series of motorcycles.

After their unveiling at the Intermot show in Cologne on 11 October this will be the first UK showing of the three new lightweight single-cylinder bikes. They are designed to attract new riders to the brand and will also see BMW Motorrad represented in entirely new model segments.

The Xmoto (supermoto), Xcountry (dual-sport) and Xchallenge (enduro) models offer young (and young at heart) riders a choice of machines to suit their preferred style of motorcycling. All three are based around the revised and improved 650cc single-cylinder engine from the F 650 GS, but that’s where the similarities end. Each has been designed to perform faultlessly in its chosen environment, whether it’s on the dirt, tarmac or a mixture of both.

A welcome surprise to four-cylinder BMW fans will be the introduction of the new K 1200 R Sport. Based on the world’s most powerful naked bike (the 163 hp K 1200 R) but with additional weather protection and styling from its ergonomically designed and wind-tunnel developed half-fairing, this new version offers the same levels of performance and excitement as the naked roadster but with increased rider comfort and long-distance capability.

The final exciting addition to the range is the awesome HP2 Megamoto. Weighing in at just 174kg, the second member of BMW Motorrad’s High Performance range of motorcycles uses a 110 hp Boxer twin engine in a stripped down, lightweight Supermoto chassis designed to give razor-sharp handling and class-leading performance in this category.

The stand will include a presentation of the incredible Race to Dakar TV series, with a display of the modified Touratech F 650 GS Dakar bike as ridden by Charley Boorman in the 2006 Lisbon-Dakar rally. As Show Ambassador, Charley will be present at the show and will visit BMW Motorrad stand on Friday 27, Saturday 28 and Sunday 29 October between 12-3pm each day.

On 2 November at 2.30pm and 3 November at 12pm the BMW Motorrad UK stand will have another special guest. The four-times World Superbike Champion Carl Fogarty will be signing autographs and promoting his new DVD, Phileas Fogarty, which documents his journey with wife Michaela as they rode across the amazing landscape of New Zealand aboard a BMW R 1200 GS and F 650 GS.

Hot off the press will be the new World of BMW Activity Brochure, which visitors can collect free of charge from the stand. As well as information, dates and prices for all the World of BMW Off-Road Skills courses and tours all over the world, details of BMW’s new Rider Training programme are also included. A selection of courses cover tuition for beginners all the way through Direct Access and advanced riding, and all are conducted at the dedicated World of BMW rider training facility in South Wales.

With its ever-expanding range of products and experiences there truly is something for everyone on the BMW Motorrad stand this year, which can be found in Hall 19 at stand number T228.

For more information on the International Motorcycle and Scooter Show, including ticket sales, please visit www.motorcycleshow.co.uk or call 0870 352 2006.

(this article was taken from insidebikes.com)

The word from the organisers of the British Supermoto series, which has a round at Three Sisters circuit near Wigan this weekend;

The British Supermoto Championship is gearing up for a thrilling double-header this weekend at the Three Sisters circuit in Wigan with Matt Winstanley and Christian Iddon renewing old rivalries in SM1 while the Red Bull KTM Junior Euro Cup will add an international flavour with some of the best young riders in the world on show.

Recent date changes have meant that the penultimate rounds of the Championship will run back to back at the Lancashire venue with a full programme of racing on both Saturday and the Sunday. Local radio station WishFM 102.4 will also be on hand in another first broadcasting live throughout the Saturday from pitlane.

In the SM1 class KTM mounted Matt Winstanley has more than a two race points buffer on nearest challenger Ady Smith with Jay Smith a close third. At this stage of the season the big bike class really is Winstanley’s to lose and with Aprilia rider Christian Iddon coming back into the fold from world championship duties there is sure to be some fireworks from the two great rivals. Throw into the mix top South African rider Craig Venske along with the two Smith’s it promises to be some of the best racing of the year.

In SM2, Winstanley has been totally dominant having nearly wrapped up the championship at the previous round at Langbaurgh. Second and third though is still very much to be decided with David McKee, Ricky Higgs and young Chris Hodgson all within a few points.

It’s in the Junior SM4 class where the racing has been the closest all season with just five points separating the main protagonists of Ryan Blandford, Lewis Cornish and Oliver Harrison.

The other main drawcard for the weekend will be the Red Bull KTM Junior Euro Cup which is making its first visit to these shores and will share the billing with the British Championship. The Cup features 28 of the best young riders aged 15 to 21 from 10 European countries.

British hopes will rest with a strong rider line-up consisting of Chris Hodgson, Richard Blakeman, Oliver Pope and Gino Rea. The fifth rider Lee Cunliffe a Wigan local has been sidelined following a recent accident which left him with a broken leg.

In the most recent round at St Wendel in Germany Hodgson had a tough first race but came home the highest placed Brit in ninth while in the second race Rea took a sensational victory which sees him move upto seventh in the overall standings.

For further details on the British Supermoto Championship and the Three Sisters double-header please log on to the series website www.britishsupermoto.com.

(this article was taken from insidebikes.com)

Honda’s stunning new machines for 2007 will be seen for the first time in the UK at the annual International Motorcycle and Scooter Show at Birmingham’s National Exhibition Centre.

The show - which runs from 27 October to 5 November - promises to be one of the best ever, with a host of attractions, including Honda’s My First Licence Scheme and the presentation of the Bennetts British Superbike title to Honda’s Ryuichi Kiyonari. But for many it’s the bikes that make the show and Honda’s seven new machines will be the most popular draw.

Perhaps the most popular of all will be the all-new CBR600RR middleweight sports bike. This promises to be the most advanced 600cc machine in the Supersports class. The CBR600 - which celebrates its 20th birthday in 2007 - is completely new from stem to stern and features a host of technological advances handed down from the MotoGP championship-winning RC211V in preparation for its blistering assault on the roads and tracks of Europe next year. The CBR600 series of machines has won the last five World Supersport titles and the last four British Supersport titles.

Another popular middleweight undergoing a complete re-design is the Honda CB600F Hornet. One of the original middleweight ’streetfighter’ machines, the

Hornet has become a cult classic since its launch back in 1998. This all-new bike features a motor developed from the 2007 CBR600RR’s and a chassis completely redeveloped to give lighter weight and a sportsbike’s ‘mass centralisation’, leading to much sharper handling. But the biggest changes are the looks. The original Hornet led the way when it came to aesthetics in the middleweight naked class and the new Hornet will lead the way once more, with its more aggressive, minimalist and thoroughly modern lines.

Honda’s ever-green VT750 also gets a major overhaul which brings the bike technically up-to-date while enhancing its classic good-looks. In comes an updated motor now featuring fuel-injection, while the aesthetic changes include a larger

21-inch classically spoked wheel, dual shotgun mufflers, a shorter, upswept rear fender and a seating position which is more comfortable for all, thanks to a lower seat height and a new handlebar position.

Honda’s new SH300i scooter is a direct descendant of Europe’s best-selling SH150i/125i. Thanks to a fuel-injected 279cc four-valve single-cylinder motor, the SH300i has the best performance in its class, while keeping the practical elements of carrying capacity and practicality that the SH series is famous for. Handling is similarly self-assured, thanks to the motorcycle-like 16-inch ‘big’ wheels, meaning that handling is much more stable.

Honda’s CBR125R was the best-selling motorcycle of 2005 and this popular machine now comes with a host of improvements, including fuel-injection, a catalytic converter and an exciting new look, courtesy of new bodywork, to make the CBR125R look even more like its bigger sportsbike brothers.

Honda’s popular Varadero range also benefits from big improvements in 2007. The 1000cc V-twin version and the single-cylinder 125cc model now come with a frugal and environmentally friendly fuel-injection system with catalytic converter, as well as new-look bodywork.

At the NEC show for the second year in succession, Honda’s ‘My First Licence’ scheme teaches the road-users of tomorrow about motorcycles and motorcycling, respecting machinery and other road users, but above all it’s about staying safe and giving youngsters an early understanding of the rules of the road.

During the course, children are taught to ride a Honda CRF50 motorcycle around a closed course in complete safety and experienced instructors are on hand at all times. As well as teaching the youngsters the basics of how to ride a motorcycle, inclusion of road signs and other road furniture means they learn to respect the rules of the road as well as recognise any potential dangers. As well as getting their very own ‘licence’ to show that they’ve attended the course, each child participating will be given a ‘My First Abus’ Lock (while stocks last) to ensure their bike at home is kept safe and secure.

(this article was taken from easier.com)

Honda have released pictures and info on the 2007 Hornet 600 model, which has funky new styling, mass centralisation to improve the handling, new `400/4 tribute’ exhaust and a tweaked version of the CBR600RR motor.

The new styling certainly improves the Hornet’s image, with a mix of aggressive curves, angles and an exhaust system which echoes the sweeping curvaceousness of the old 400/4 system of the 70s. Groovy baby.

The Hornet also has a new box section swingarm, a new monoshock at the back, plus 41mm USD forks improving suspension at the front of the bike. There’s a bigger 19 litre fuel tank - hopefully that doesn’t mean that the new Hornet is even thirstier on fuel than the old one.

The Hornet 600 gets anti-lock braking as standard, plus the HISS security system. Accessories include a tank pad, fly screen, seat cowl, heated grips, raer hugger and a tank bag. The new bike will be avilable in March 2007, and there’s no word on pricing yet.

(this article was from insidebikes.com)

BMW have teamed up with Focused Events;

Get ‘Focused’ with BMW Motorrad

BMW Motorrad has teamed up with Focused Track events to give riders the chance to experience the thrill of riding a range of BMW bikes on the race circuit. The events are taking place at various racetracks across the UK throughout October 2006, with further dates planned as part of the 2007 World of BMW Activity programme.

BMW Motorrad has launched a new range of sportier, more dynamic bikes over the past 18 months and the best way to truly appreciate and enjoy these machines is to discover their potential on some of the UK’s best circuits, such as Brands Hatch, Donington Park and Cadwell. Through hard work and attention to detail Focused Events has become the premier operator of motorcycle track days in the UK. As such they were the obvious partner for BMW Motorrad.

Customers taking part in Focussed Events track days can choose from the F 800 S middleweight twin, the R 1200 S sports boxer, the K 1200 R naked roadster or the K 1200 S superbike. Focussed Events’ team of experts will be on hand at all events to ensure riders get the most from their BMW Motorrad on-track experience.

The 2006 events will take place at the following venues and dates:

10 Oct 2006 Brands Hatch 13 Oct 2006 Oulton Park 22 Oct 2006 Cadwell Park 4 Nov 2006 Oulton Park

(this article was taken from insidebikes.com)