Photos & Video online from last nights meeting of the BWMBC at Karting NE

Photos & video are now online from the meeting of the BikeWise Mini Bike Club on Monday 28th April 2014, at Karting North East, Warden Law, nr Sunderland.

A great nights racing on a dry Junior track.

To view the photos from the night please visit our Gallery page on the BikeWise Mini Bike Club website and click on the thumbnail image : http://www.bikewiseminibikeclub.org.uk/p/gallery.html

Video was taken on the night by club member Andrew Thornton with our Go Pro camera. Footage of this can be seen on our BikeWise Video Channel in the 2014 playlist or on the BikeWise Mini Bike Club website  on our video page :

http://www.bikewiseminibikeclub.org.uk/p/videos_10.html

Motorcycle pioneer finally honoured

The maker of what was regarded as the world's first superbike - the Brough Superior - a motorbike made famous by Lawrence of Arabia and playwright George Bernard Shaw is finally being honoured with two plaques at houses in which he lived in Nottingham.

Nicknamed the "Rolls Royce of motorcycles" in The Motor Cycle newspaper because of George Brough's attention to detail and quality, the Brough Superior SS100 motorcycle was built between 1924 and 1940 at his factory in the city's Haydn Road. Each machine was certified to reach 100mph (160km/h) and one was used to set a motorcycle land-speed record, when British racer Eric Fernihough reached 163.82mph (263.64 km/h) over a mile, in 1936, before hitting a speed of 169.79mph (263km/h), a year later.

George Brough chats with TE Lawrence, also known as Lawrence of Arabia, at the Brough Superior factory in Hadyn Road

The Haydn Road factory, where he worked his magic, and which was used to make Spitfire engines during World War Two, no longer exists and a small housing estate stands in its place. The Sheriff of Nottingham is due to unveil a plaque on the birthplace of George Brough at 10 Mandalay Street, Basford, before being driven in a Brough Superior car to a second venue at 101 Arnold Road, where Mr Brough lived when he was first married.

Terry Hobden, from the Brough Superior Motorcycle Club, who helped arrange the tributes, said: "George was an engineer, a showman, and entrepreneur.  Brough Superiors continue to capture the imaginations of enthusiasts and command high prices at auction, one of the vehicles which dated back to 1934 sold for £166,500 in April 2008. Of the 3,000 made there are thought to be about 1,100 models left worldwide that are still on the road, according to the Brough Superior Motorcycle Club.

However, in 2008, a British man Mark Upham bought the rights to the Brough Superior name and started building new bikes.The bikes live on and so does the name George Brough who will finally be honoured in his home city. "He set out to make something significantly different.

Save the date : Sunday 20th July 2014

Save the date in your diary….

The 20^th annual BikeWise show will be held at Police HQ, Aykley Heads, Durham on

Sunday 20^th July 2014

Our website at www.bikewise.org.uk will be updated over the coming weeks with all the things that will be happening on the day.

It seems a long time ago since our first BikeWise event on the 7^th May 1995 so lets have a great day for Northern ‘bikers’ and make the 20^th one for us all to remember.

Have any of you been to all of the BikeWise events ?

At our end we have Geoff Iceton,Andy Huddleston, Mick Alder & Bob Brown

If you have been to all the events drop us an email to durhambikewise@gmail.comTo download a poster please click on the image

NMRRC–Round 3 at Teesside

What a great days racing at Teesside Autodrome on Saturday.

The National Mini-bike Road Racing Championship (NMRRC) in conjunction with Motors TV brought the third round of their eleven round series to Teesside Autodrome.

Weather was perfect and there were eight classes of racing, from Mini Moto Junior 4.2 through to Open Pit Bike.

BikeWise Mini Bike Club were represented strongly by : Jake Hopper, Franco Bourne, Cody Johnson, Owen & Dylan Mellor, James Alderson, Andrew Thornton & Brad McCorkell throughout the days racing and it was good to see some of our other club members who were not racing down at Teesside supporting our riders

‘Many Thanks’  to Alan Lord of NMRRC for bringing his championship ‘North’ to Teesside and giving local riders (and riders from North of the border from the Scottish Mini Bike Championship) an opportunity to take part in a great days racing.

Footage from the event will be shown on Motors TV in the future and we will try & keep you updated with that, but until then take a look at photo’s from the event in our Gallery on the BWMBC website and then click on the NMRRC image.

If you wish to have any of the photos from this event please visit : http://www.photoboxgallery.com/bikewise and then order your photo’s direct from here.

Photo’s are sent direct to your address from Photobox & every photo you buy will give us a small commission which helps with the running costs of the BikeWise Mini Bike Club.

Good Luck to our riders over Easter

This weekend see the start of the racing season for quite a few members of the BikeWise Mini Bike Club with the first round of the Scottish Mini Bike Championship being held at Kartstart, Kirkcaldy on Sunday 20^th April  with racing starting at approx. 1230hrs.

Closer to home the NMRRC are hosting Round 3 of their championship at  : Teesside Autodrome, South Tees Motor Sports Park, S Bank Rd,
Middlesbrough TS6 6XH on Saturday 19^th April 2014 – practice begins at approx. 0930hrs with racing from 1200hrs

The next meeting of the BWMBC will be held at Carrville Park & Ride on Sunday 4^th May with signing on at 10000hrs for a 1030hrs safety brief / start

Karting NE (Warden Law) will be holding their usual Mini Moto evening on Monday 28^th April and we have been able to secure an additional evening on Monday 5^th May where we will be guaranteed  time on on big track between 1800 & 1900 hrs in preparation for the 2nd round of the Scottish Championship which will be held there on the afternoon of Sunday 11^th May.

So lots of info and lots of riding for our Mini Bike Club members.

Good luck to you all from the ‘BikeWise team’

Durham Police K9…. Easter

Many of you will be aware of Durham Motorcycle Sections annual BikeWise Easter Egg Run...
This is a hugely popular event, that, with assistance from the force's motorcycle section, regularly sees up to 1,000 motorcyclists enjoying a 'closed road' ride from Durham to Darlington Memorial Hospital and then back to University Hospital of North Durham, where easter eggs and toys are donated to the respective children's wards, and a generous amount of money is raised for a nominated charity.

This is actually a hugely popular national initiative, supported by motorcyclists from all backgrounds, with a common goal of making Easter a bit more enjoyable for the children who can't be at home to enjoy the festivities.
Unfortunately, this year sees the first time since 2005 that  our motorcycle section are unable to host the event.
We at the Dog Support Unit have, for a long time, enjoyed a good relationship and affiliation with our bike section, and a few of the unit are regulars at the Easter Egg Runs.
With this in mind, we have decided to try and keep the tradition going by hosting our own Easter event, still with the children's wards in mind, and hopefully continuing with the great public support and interaction with ourselves and the organisation, that has been built since 2005.

We obviously wouldn't be able to coordinate the 'closed road' ride, so the following has been proposed :

From Monday 14th April 2014, please drop off your Easter eggs / toys / donation (voluntary) at any of your local Police stations, including HQ reception at Aykley Heads or with us at the Dog Support Unit.
Make sure all items are clearly marked for the 'Dog Support Unit (DSU) Easter Event' so that we can collect them easily at various times throughout the week.
If possible, please drop us a quick email at durhampolicek9@gmail.com to tell us where you have left your gifts.

On Saturday 19th April a couple of our handlers and dogs will visit the children's wards at Darlington, Bishop Auckland and Durham (UHND) hospitals to hand out your gifts and give the children and families a chance to meet and play with  some of our friendlier dogs and learn about their work.
A representative from 'BikeWise' will also be with us as they are generously donating some money to some of the wards.
There is also to be a special visit to the stroke ward at Bishop Auckland, in recognition of the assistance given to a colleague who sadly and very recently passed away.
We'll see how this year turns out, but there is every chance this will turn into a fabulous annual event for our unit.
All suggestions are welcomed ...!

Please spread the word and here's looking forward to brightening up Easter weekend for some poorly kids.
This year's nominated charity is PawsUp

Some other dates for your diary :
Sunday 18th May 2014 -
Durham Constabulary Dog Support Unit's annual 'DOGWISE' event. At Haughall College campus, Durham. 10am - 4pm.
More details to follow at a later date.

Sunday 20th July 2014 -
Durham Constabulary's annual 'BIKEWISE' event. Police HQ, Aykley heads, Durham.
More details to follow at a later date

Mugen Announces 2014 TT Zero Motorcycle

McGuinness & Anstey to ride in TT Zero…

Shinden San race bike developed by Mugen, with drive system provided by Mission Motors is powered by 100 kW electric motor and 370V lithium battery pack.

Mr. Shin Nagaosa, President of M-TEC Co., Ltd., today announced the release of the new contender from TEAM MUGEN for victory at this year's Isle of Man TT Zero Challenge class, to be held during May and June.

M-TEC originally created the in-house TT Zero project as a means of developing and initiating their young engineers in the emerging technologies that are fast becoming prevalent in all forms of modern motorsport, and competed for the first time at the Isle of Man TT in 2012. Since then with two consecutive second-place finishes under their belt the team is gunning for a victory in 2014 with an all-new challenger, "SHINDEN SAN".

The development for this year sees a new oil-cooled 3-phase brushless motor that is increased in power output while at the same time is lighter and reduced in size. The team has taken the opportunity afforded by this new layout to increase the battery capacity over the 2013 machine and installed new control systems take advantage of the performance capabilities.
Also with SHINDEN SAN the engineers have used the data gained from previous years racing and testing to optimise the aerodynamics of the machine and adopted newly-developed suspension in order to maximise the speed potential.

Having ridden with the team in the previous two years TT Zero events John McGuinness will be returning with TEAM MUGEN, bringing with him once again his brilliant track record and expertise on the mountain course, and this year he is joined by the highly experienced Bruce Anstey, himself a nine-time TT winner.

With this talented rider line-up, and the experience and development gained in 2012 and 2013, the aim of the team is for SHINDEN SAN to raise the bar to a new level with a target at the same time, of course, to achieve victory.

Be Prepared for the TT Races ..

  May 24th – June 6th 2014

Photos & videos online from Sundays meeting of the BWMBC

Many Thanks to all the riders and their families who turned up on Sunday at Carrville Park & Ride.
Although it was cold & damp we had a brilliant meeting and we all had smiles on our faces when we finally packed up.
Some great riding by all our riders

‘Many Thanks’ to all who helped with Signing-on, setting up the track & marshalling on the day.

Many Thanks to John Attle for coming along and taking photos on the day which are now online via the gallery page :

http://www.bikewiseminibikeclub.org.uk/p/gallery.html

Videos were taken on the day via our Go Pro  camera by the Scott Cummings , to view, visit either the Video page on our website or our You Tube Channel : http://www.youtube.com/user/DurhamBikeWise

 

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BikeSafe Durham: Workshop Dates for 2014 now available

We will be running BikeSafe workshops from our new operational base at Cleveland and Durham Specialist Operations Unit, Spennymoor Police Office, Wesleyan Road, Spennymoor, DL16 6FB.

The following dates are planned for 2014 :

Saturday 26^th April,

Saturday 17^th May,

Saturday 28^th June

Saturday 2^nd August

The days will be run from 9am – 5pm and will consist of classroom work on the morning followed by an assessed (2:1) ride in the afternoon with a Police Observer.

The total cost for your BikeSafe workshop is £20 and this will include your lunch, tea/coffee and you will also receive copies of the Highway Code and Police Motorcycle Roadcraft.

BikeSafe Durham workshops are designed to help you 'Bridge the Gap' to further Advanced Training.

If you subsequently join Durham Advanced Motorcyclists and work through their Skills for Life package to Test standard, then you will receive a £75 refund towards your training from the Durham Road Safety Partnership.

Places on these training days are limited, and priority will be given to riders who have not undertaken any further advanced training.

In order to book your 2014 BikeSafe Workshop you will need to contact National BikeSafe on 08444 151206 or alternatively use our link button on our homepage and visit the BikeSafe website www.bikesafe.co.uk

For further details please contact PC Jim Gratton on james.gratton@durham.pnn.police.uk

Next meeting of the BikeWise Mini Bike Club

The next meeting of the BikeWise Mini Bike Club will be on  :

Sunday 6th April at Carrville Park & Ride, Durham.

Usual start time of 1030hrs with signing on from 1000hrs.

The forecast for the weekend is unsettled so please check the website (www.bikewiseminibikeclub.org.uk) 

or Facebook/Twitter on Sunday before traveling if you have any doubts.

If we need to cancel due to adverse weather we will post on the above and also send out an email to members.

Fingers crossed for some good weather on Sunday

Helmsley motorcycle safety day

North Yorkshire Police are holding an engagement event for motorcyclists in Helmsley this Sunday, 6^th April 2014.
Police advanced motorcycle officers who operate the rider improvement scheme "Bikesafe" and representatives from the Institute of Advanced Motorists will be on hand to provide advice to riders who want to improve their skills.
All the staff attending the event are motorcycle riders or have biking experience themselves. The team will be based in the market place between 10am and 4pm.
Riders will also be able to pick up a copy of the Biker's Guide to North Yorkshire which has been produced by the "95 Alive" York and North Yorkshire Road Safety partnership and provides invaluable advice about riding in North Yorkshire, highlighting hazards and high-risk locations on the most popular riding routes.
The event will also see the North Yorkshire premier of a new film to support a campaign which highlights the risks of riding while tired and the effects of rider fatigue.
Sergeant Andy Quaye who is organising the event said: "We welcome responsible bikers to the county and recognise that the vast majority are responsible and considerate in their riding. If riders want to improve their skills, we are more than happy to speak to them about how they can do this. Having been on a Bikesafe course myself I can't emphasise enough the value of this type of post-test training.
"There is growing evidence to suggest that rider error due to fatigue-related lapses in concentration is a contributory factor in a number of bike accidents, and the results can be anything from a spoiled day, a ruined holiday to a wrecked bike or even the ultimate price itself.
"Bikers are vulnerable road users and in North Yorkshire, over the last three years around 70% of collisions where a rider has been killed or seriously injured, the rider was at fault.
"In order to reduce biker deaths and injuries we need to raise awareness of this fact and provide extensive information about how riders can improve their skills, which is what our event is all about. Anyone who is interested is more than welcome to pop along and have a chat with us about how to improve their skills."