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

 

+

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."

Local rider Barry Burrell back in British Superbikes

Team WD-40 are pleased to announce they are the latest contenders to progress into the MCE Insurance British Superbike Championship. This previous Superstock and Motostar winning team are set to compete in the Superstock 1000 with #40 Ben Young, Superstock 600 with #40 Tarran Mackenzie and make their highly anticipated debut in the premier Superbikes class with the exciting new addition, Bishop Auckland based  #7 Barry Burrell (sitting on the bike).

Burrell’s debut with Team WD-40 is really exciting, as he is returning to the MCE BSB grid with an already established history of scoring top ten finishes and his experience in the IDM (German) series, as he prepares for only his second full MCE BSB campaign.

For Burrell, who rode a full BSB season in 2012 with Buildbase BMW and a handful of races with Quattro Plant Kawasaki in 2013, the chance to join the burgeoning WD-40 team was hard to resist.
“I am really excited about the chance to work with Team WD-40 as this is a great team with some big aspirations. This is only my second full season in BSB and I can't wait to get out on the grid. The crew have been working hard behind the scenes ready for this year - their first in the Superbike Championship. I know that together we can push towards achieving our goals as we have a strong base to begin the season in the best possible way.”

Team owner Brent Gladwin concluded: “We are a relatively young team in the British Championship paddock but with the success of 2013 behind us we have big ambitions for the future. We have taken our time to announce our completed line up and we are pleased that we can now confirm our 2014 team. With our 3 riders, we have a perfect combination of experience, determination and tenacity. Team WD-40 has a strong package with the Kawasaki’s and our loyal partners, so I am delighted with how we are kicking off for 2014 and we are looking forward to another great season of racing.”

Please take the time to follow team WD-40 :- www.teamwd40.com Twitter @GRMotoSport, – FaceBook GRMotosport – Instagram TeamWD40

So its time to get out the WD-40 and show your support for Barry with the Blue & Yellow colours this coming season.

Best wishes Barry from the BikeWise ‘team’ and we look forward to seeing you on the podium this season.

You can follow Barry on his Facebook page : https://www.facebook.com/barry.burrell.16 or on Twitter at : @Ba77a

Photos 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, Durham for the first outdoor meeting of the year.

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 who were initially a little bit ‘ring rusty’, but soon got into a groove on a tight, twisty course

Many Thanks to all who helped on the day, with the signing on of riders, marshalling & helping to set up & take down the track

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

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

(click on the thumbnail image for the 17^th March 2014 to go to the full album of 558 pictures)

We had a fantastic 2013 season with all the club’s riders improving, giving the ‘oldies’ & parents & their families so much pleasure watching the skills that have been displayed

Next meeting will be at Karting NE (see website : www.bikewiseminibikeclub.org.uk) and we will be provisionally running at Carrville Park & Ride on Sunday 6^th April.

ITV4 to show MotoGP as well as BT Sport

ITV4 is to screen every round of MotoGP - the day after it is shown live by BT Sport. It is part of a deal insisted on by promoters Dorna to boost audience figures following the loss of the BBC.

The ITV Channel has built a formidable reputation in motor sport, it's coverage helping to restore the TT as a world event, and has recently poached commentator Toby Moody from Eurosport to front its BSB coverage.

The first round of this year's Championship, from Qatar on March 23, will be screened live by subscription channel BT Sport and fronted by Melanie Sykes. It is estimated that it will attract an audience of around quarter of a million compared with the million watching BBC coverage. But ITV 4, which is free-too-air, will add another half million.

The show will be an hour long, commencing 8pm on March 24, and will be a mixture of highlights and a full length showing of the race.

Bikers Guide to North Yorkshire

North Yorkshire’s Road Safety Partnership have just released the fourth edition of :

‘Bikers Guide to North Yorkshire’

The guide gives you information on staying safe on North Yorkshire’s roads.
Over the last 10 years, 155 bikers have been killed and 1,170 seriously injured on roads in North Yorkshire.

The 95 Alive partnership want this booklet to help you avoid having a mishap

To view/download the booklet please click on the image

Next Meeting of the BikeWise Mini Bike Club

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

Sunday 16th March at Carrville Park & Ride, Durham.

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

The forecast for the weekend is looking good but please check the website 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.

Wrap up warm, bring some hot drinks with you and hopefully we’ll all be smiling on Sunday night….

ACU Training Course for Road Race Licence Applicants at Darley Moor

As part of the ACU’s ongoing policy of rider development and education, and in line with requirements as laid down in the 2014 ACU Handbook, all first time applicants for Road Race Licences must undergo a classroom training course and a basic riding ability test.

The purpose of the classroom course is to ensure that you understand the basic safety and organisational requirements to participate in road racing. Before any new licence can be issued, you must satisfactorily attend the course and pass the multiple-choice test.

In addition to this course all applicants for a Road Race Licence must undergo a Basic Rider Assessment Course to show you have the ability to rider a mototorcycle. To take part in this course you must have the use of a motorcycle, but not necessarily a racing mototorcycle, and a full set of protective clothing. You can ride any motorcycle for the Basic Riding Ability Test it does not have to be a Racing Motorcycle. The motorcycle should not have any race numbers showing during the test.

The ACU Training Course and Basic Rider Assessment course will be held on a Friday at Darley Moor Sports Centre Ashbourne, organised by the Darley Moor Club. The classroom course will start at either 10.00am or 2.00pm and with Basic Rider Assessment test taking place immediately before or after the classroom course. . Course dates are listed on the booking form.

To book a place on the course please complete the attached form. The fee for the course includes the course notes and the test itself. The cost of the two part course will be £120.00. Please note if you are under 17 on the day of the course then the cost of the course will be £90.00.

If you are under 17 on the day of the course then your Parents or Legal Guardian must accompany you to both the Classroom Course and the Basic Riding Ability Course. If you are under 18 on the day of the course your Parent or Legal Guardian must accompany you for the Basic Riding Ability Course.

Course dates for 2014 are:

Friday 28th February
Friday 4th April
Friday 7th March

Further dates to be added

BOOK ONLINE AT Darleymoorstore.co.uk!

or…

Download Competitor Training Application

Download Competitor Training Application (Sidecar)

Please complete and return the Booking Form to:

Darley Moor MCRRC Ltd
Anvil House
Derby Road
Old Tupton
Chesterfield
S42 6LA

Ben Hur Rally 2014

Lanchester Centurions Motorcycle Club present the 19^th Ben Hur Rally on the 9^th –11^th May 2014 at Newbiggin Farm, Lanchester, County Durham DH7 0RF

The Ben Hur Rally has, for many many years, been a favourite & core weekend for bikers on the rally calendar. Due to licensing restrictions, there is a strict 499 limit to ticket sales.

Now in our 22nd  year on the road in 2014, the Lanchester Centurions are proud to have hosted our 18th rally on the 10th -12th May 2013.  It was a massive success (and the weather was kind...thankfully).  The club would like to thank all the bikers who came along and helped make it the hoot that it was. 

Many thanks also go to; the bands & DJ Bob Rock who gave it their all, to FX Productions for a stonking PA & to the traders.  To Farmer Pete we simply extend our ongoing gratitude for his  work on & preparation of the site this year.  You all help keep The Great North Air Ambulance Service in the Northeastern & Cumbrian skies.

Bands for 2014 have been sorted, the best PA is sorted, the village is on standby for the onslaught & the finer details (like bogs n bins n badges n minibuses n tees n traders n food n .....) are being worked on to make sure you have a blast.  LCMCC hope to see you at The Ben Hur ... and in many fields through the season & beyond.

THANKS FOR YOUR SUPPORT!

Please visit the Centurions website for further details : www.lanchestercenturions.net

World Superbike Season starts this weekend

Tom Sykes starts the defence of his WSB title this weekend at Phillip Island in Australia.

Lots of team changes and livery changes will make the start of the racing season spectacular to say the least.

Eugene Laverty and Alex Lowes start team up with Voltcom Suzuki, whilst Johnathan Rea & Leon Haslam remain with PATA Honda.

Chaz Davies is now on the factory Ducati 1199 Panigale R, whilst Christian Iddon moves up into superbikes on the Bimota BB3 Evo.

Checkout the coverage on Eurosport this weekend : Season Preview, Superpole and then the two superbike races and the supersport race.

MCN Fantasy Racing has not started yet although MCN assure us it will be available before the first Moto GP, which is at Qatar on the 23^rd March and we will notify you of the BikeWise League Pin Number as soon as its launched.

Enjoy the racing season

For further info on World Superbikes please visit : http://www.worldsbk.com/en/

Congratulations to BWMBC members

What a great weekend for members of the BikeWise Mini Bike Club (BWMBC).

Members and their families travelled up to Scotland to receive their awards at a presentation evening for the Scottish Championship from Niall & Tarran Mackenzie.

Five of the eight classes were won by BWMBC members and on the night Franco Bourne won the Best Newcomer of the Year award and James Alderson was awarded the Craig Jones Trophy.

A good portion of the trophies on the table headed South over the border and back to Durham

Polini UK and Scottish Championship organizer Alan McIntosh said

“ that was some result for you against the auld enemy”

BWMBC with assistance from the DAAC, will once again be hosting a round of the Scottish Championship at Karting North East (Warden Law) on Sunday 11^th May 2014.

To see the final standings for the Scottish Championship  : PLEASE CLICK HERE

“Well done”  from the BikeWise ‘team’, to all the riders and their families, for all the commitment you have shown throughout last year and to the fantastic results that you have achieved, .

Looking forward to some more great results in 2014.

John McGuinness inducted into the Motor Sport Hall of Fame

BikeWise supporter and TT legend John McGuinness has received a top award.

Twenty-time Isle of Man TT winner McGuinness, has been inducted into the Motor Sport Hall of Fame after attending a ceremony at the Royal Opera House in London's Covent Garden last week.

McGuinness joins 28 other automotive legends in the Hall of Fame which includes Ayrton Senna, Michael Schumacher,Enzo Ferrari & Niki Lauda  but the Honda UK rider is only the third motorcycle racer to achieve this accolade following Giacomo Agostini and John Surtees.

“I can’t believe it, it’s been an amazing journey. I was first put on a motorbike when I was three-years-old by my dad, and I’ve come a long way since then. To see my name up there with so many greats of our sport is just a massive honour," said McGuinness.

McGuinness continued: "I never honestly thought I would be standing here with 20 wins; if I get one or two more, that would obviously be fantastic, but if I don’t then I’ve still had a great career, and it certainly won’t be through any lack of trying!”

"I’m nearly 42 and I look pretty average, but in my head I feel pretty good. I’ll carry on for one or two more years yet. I felt a bit nervous to be honest, there are so many champions on four wheels and two, but to see my name up there with the greats is a massive honour.”

“If I were to be honest, I was at this event a bit nervous to stand with so many world champions on two and four wheels on the stage. It is a great honour to see my name with all these sizes on this list, " as he reeived the prestigious award from the hands of John Surtees”

The 41-year-old was inducted into the Hall of Fame alongside Formula One driver Alain Prost, motorsport engineer Ross Brawn and 1976 F1 Champion the late James Hunt and received his award from motorsport legend John Surtees

Congratulations for a well deserved award  John, from the BikeWise ‘team’

Northumbria Blood Bikes goes live!

Official start of the Northumbria Blood Bikes service begins today,  with their first agreement signed at Queen Elizabeth Hospital, Gateshead.

Regular service starts today and continues every day, 7pm-7am, and throughout the weekends.

For more info visit : http://www.northumbriabloodbikes.org.uk/

Four more for the album

Dunkin Donuts in Florida !!	Chattanooga PD - Harley D…
Two pictures from Crete in 2013 – Thanks to Ian Squire

Four more pictures in our album : ‘World Police’ which contains pictures of Police Motorcycles from all over the world.

To view these and other albums please CLICK HERE

If you’re out and about and take any pictures of Police Motorcycles please send us a copy to durham.bikewise@gmail.com and we’ll publish them in our albums

Mobile Phone–you can live without it

SORN Rules have changed

NOT everything about motorcycling is about riding – there’s a huge number who get just as much from tinkering in the garage and as a result proportionally more motorcycles are off-the-road than cars.

December 16^th, 2013 was the date that the rules regarding SORN (Statutory Off Road Notification) changed to make life simpler

In the past, those of us with long-term ‘projects’ had to re-apply for SORN every year to prove that the bike didn't need taxing and, more recently, isn’t subject to compulsory insurance rules.

From the 16^th December, however, a SORN will remain active indefinitely – tell the DVLA once and you only have to get back in touch with then when the bike is finally going back on the road.

SORN doesn’t pass with ownership, so if you sell or buy a project, the new owner will need his own SORN on it, and the same applies to things like changes of address, but otherwise it’s one little annual job that’s no longer needed.

As part of the same changes, it won’t be necessary to provide proof of insurance when you re-tax your bike after December 16. That’s because a while ago it became illegal to own an uninsured vehicle (that isn’t SORNed), and insurance is automatically checked by computers on a rolling basis, eliminating the need to produce paper ‘proof’ when applying for VED.

Next Meeting of the BikeWise Mini Bike Club : Sunday 12th January

Yabba Dabba Do..... Sunday weather forecast is looking (cold but) good so we are planning to run our first meeting of the BikeWise Mini Bike Club at Carrville Park & Ride tomorrow morning.

Signing on from 1000hrs, with safety brief/start at 1030hrs.

If existing members haven't yet renewed their ACU licence, then please bring the paperwork with you as it was due for renewal on the 1st January !!

If you have any doubts about the weather in the morning then please check the website : www.bikewiseminibikeclub.org.uk  as we will post any cancellation notice by no later than 0915hrs

Scottish Mini Moto Championship 2013

The Final round of the championship has now been run and below are the names of the winners of the respective championship classes

Junior A : 1 – Ross Maguire,  2 – Declan Connell, 3 – Adon Davie

Junior B : 1 - Rishon Hickey (BWMBC), 2 – Jack Hoy (BWMBC), 3 – James McLaren

Junior C : 1 - James Alderson (BWMBC), 2 – Andrew Thornton (BWMBC), 3 – Sam Graham

Feathers : 1 - Rishon Hickey (BWMBC), 2 - Jack Hoy (BWMBC), 3 - Ross Maguire

Lights : 1 – James Alderson (BWMBC), 2 – Lewis Rollo, 3 – Steve Paterson

Middle : 1 – Andrew Thornton (BWMBC), 2 - James Turner, 3 – Sam Munro

Heavy : 1 – Stuart Anderson, 2 – James Williamson, 3 – Gary Dick

Open : 1 – Declan McGilvery, 2 - James Alderson (BWMBC), 3 – Andrew Thornton (BWMBC),

Some fantastic results for all our BikeWise Mini Bike Club Riders, who have won five of the eight championship classes, including the BikeWise sponsored Junior B class.

‘Many Thanks’  to the Durham Agency Against Crime (DAAC) for their continued support, together with Alan McIntosh (Polini UK), who sponsored Round 6 of the Championship, which was held at Karting North East, our local track where most of our club members were able to participate in the championship.

Thanks also to Ron Hogg, the Durham Police and Crime Commissioner, who attended the event and showed great support and enthusiasm for the club & its riders & also to the Auto Cycle Union (ACU) who provide the framework and background support to enable us to run the club.

Final standings in the championships are shown below and it is really good to see so many names of riders from the BWMBC.

We can’t wait for the 2014 season to begin