Bikers win right to use bays as long as they like

MOTORCYCLES can park in designated bike bays in Salisbury’s car parks for as long as they want, a leading councillor has announced.

Salisbury’s parking ambassadors have been told not to book motorcyclists who leave their machines in the free parking bays, even if they do overstay the limit set for car drivers.

Councillor Dennis Brown, portfolio holder for transport and the environment, told the Journal councillors and officers had carried out a review of motorcycle parking after Karen Randall was booked for leaving her motorcycle in Salt Lane for longer than five hours.

UK Bike Show Sees 144,870 People Through The Doors

The word from the organisers of the UK International Motorcycle Show 2006;

The International Motorcycle and Scooter Show at Birmingham’s NEC closed its doors today after eleven days of the adrenalin fuelled biking entertainment which has seen more visitor interaction than ever before.

Overall Show attendance dropped by 12% with final figures of 144,870 people passing through the doors.

This year’s Show has been more interactive than ever before, with the all-new Thunderdome Games Arena setting a new standard for live action motorcycle stunt shows - just one of the many features to have provided visitors with the opportunity to watch, ride on, and even learn about motorcycles at this year’s Show.

Happy 100th birthday Soichiro Honda!

On November 17th Honda released this press release:

Honda UK would like to wish a ‘Happy 100th birthday’ to Soichiro Honda – our founder.

Born on November 17th 1906, the son of a blacksmith and a weaver, Soichiro was fascinated by machines and how they worked. One of his earliest memories was being enthralled by the first motor car he had ever seen. He later said: “As the car rolled through our small village I turned and chased after that car for all I was worth. I could not understand how it could move under its own power. And when it had driven past me, without even thinking why, I found myself chasing it down the road as hard as I could run.” The young Soichiro may not have been able to catch the car, but it signalled the chasing of his dream: to build his own cars and motorcycles and win world championships with them.

Jack’s Euro Vision

FOR Elton, Holloway and Tansley read France, Italy and Spain.

After securing his first major domestic title, Wirksworth’s Jack Thompson is looking further afield to demonstrate his huge potential.

At the end of October, the 14-year-old wrapped up the YMSA Youth B Class title by a margin of 36 championship points over his nearest rival.

With the YMSA rated as one of the toughest trials series around, it was a significant victory.

The Dales’ testing courses attract the very best riders from around the UK and success in the YMSAs is arguably even more rewarding than in the British championships, in which he also performed well despite missing two rounds.

Dirt Bike Show 2006

Tickets are now on sale for Europe’s biggest off-road motorcycle show and the organisers advise visitors to book tickets in advance to save money and beat the queues, following last year’s record attendance figures.

This is the place to see the latest dirt bikes and quads from Honda, Kawasaki, Suzuki and Yamaha, alongside specialist European manufacturers including KTM, Gas Gas and Aprilia. BMW will be joining them for the first time, with their 175kg/105bhp BMW HP2 Enduro, while GoBlade will be showing their 28bhp electric moto crosser.

Harley Davidson Night Rod Scoops Special Award

Motor Cycle News (MCN), the UK’s leading motorcycle publication, has awarded Harley-Davidson’s stunning new VRSCDX Night Rod Special ‘Cruiser of the Year 2006’. This places the bike firmly at the top of a fiercely contested category and adds to the unrivalled collection of awards the iconic motorcycle manufacturer has collected over the years.

The Night Rod Special wasn’t the only Harley-Davidson in the ‘Cruiser’ category. The Fat Boy was also a finalist, with the Night Rod Special seeing off competition from Kawasaki, Yamaha and Suzuki. The latest bike follows in the tyre marks of the revolutionary V-Rod which previously collected three consecutive MCN awards in the category. The introduction of the new motorcycle ensures that the family continues to make history, demand attention and challenge rider expectation.

Bikers Reveal Favourite Routes

It’s official. Motorbike fans across the country have voted Scotland’s Glen Coe and the A82 as Britain’s favourite scenic biking route in a survey of over 1,500 bikers recently conducted by DVLA Personalised Registrations.

Bealach na Ba, situated just off the A696, and the stunning surroundings of the Heights of Kinlochewe found along the A832, were noted as bikers’ second and third most popular routes, positioning Scotland as home to the nation’s top three bike vistas.

Wales also proved a hit, with bikers nominating Horseshoe Pass on the A542 as their fourth favourite vista, closely followed by Shropshire’s striking Clee Hill on the A4117 which is the number one choice in England.