NEC BIRMINGHAM MOTORCYCLE SHOW 2017

I left the shores of Blighty back in 1997, but before that I used to regularly attend 2 brilliant Motorcycle shows back home annually, that was Earls Court in London and the NEC in Birmingham. The NEC is still banging out the shows and I feel the UK shows have more atmosphere and more Hands on for the public too.

I mean, you can still ride a trials bike or an Enduro bike at the event on a small course they set up for the public with help and advise as long as you like.

So, my Brother Mick informs me he is off to go to the show with some mates, as e also attends them shows, I asked him to take some pics.

They say a painting paints a thousand words? Not sure about a photo but no need for words else I will be here all day.

So here are a combination of photos I know you will enjoy, at least some of them for sure as they cover all tastes.

So look Below and see what you think.

Thanks Bruv.

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Happy Monday, Here’s some cool Video’s

Wow- Monday already and I guess it was a hard start for you lot today as it was for me too, and I think today I shall continue with a few more videos to try and help your workday fly by, or at least give you something different to look at on your lunch break etc.

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Below is a video from back in the day about road safety, always fun to watch as our machines have changed a lot , as well as the traffic speeds too.

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It is from Los Angeles in the 1960’s and boy, to see no traffic in the towns is weird these days, it also makes me laugh when the public service film and the AMA both tell you to. “Dress Neatly” as they want you to give a good impression to your neighbors. ha ha ha

 

And how about this, some rare footage called “Rode Safely” This was filmed back in 1955 in Liverpool, and its some cool footage to watch on a Monday and shows how things were so much different back then, compared to today’s traffic and Laws etc.

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I had to laugh at the “staged crashes” and the Old style of hand signals that have changed in the highway Code back home. This is as funny as hell to watch and I am certain that these 13 minutes will have you cracking up.

Onto part 2 now of “Rode Safely”

16 minutes of awesome footage, and for me this was thoroughly entertaining, showing me what Back home like in 1955, when there was only half a million Motorcycles being ridden on the British roads.

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Enjoy

Be safe out there but you don’t have to dress neatly OK? LOL.

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Women’s History Month !!!

July is National Women’s Motorcycle Month and I want to kick it off with a few cool shots of these lovely ladies and what they have achieved to get any sort of recognition to be as equal on the road as guys. My girl rides and we have some great Girl riders in our 59 club that I am stoked to have, I hope we get to see many more women on the road as we are all equal.

One in 10 motorcyclists is female, but the range of motorcycles out there doesn’t tend to cater for the average female rider that well. We’re talking seat height. Most men don’t worry about how tall a motorcycle’s seat is, but our female readers say it’s often the first thing they want to find out when they see a motorcycle they like.

Our top 10 encompasses new and used models but we haven’t just gone on seat height alone; we’ve tried to add variety by catering for different types of motorcycles, budgets, engine capacities and manufacturers. All the time, we’ve kept an eye on the bike’s weight too. Less weight is obviously more manageable, no matter what your size and stature.

So what is a typical seat height?

Let’s take three common motorcycles to give us an idea of seat height. Honda’s CBF125 has a seat height of 792mm, Suzuki’s SV650S stands at 800mm and Kawasaki’s ZX-6R has a seat height of 830mm. Generally speaking, cruisers have lower seat heights but their seats are often wide and these types of motorcycles can be heavy. Adventure-style motorcycles often have taller suspension to soak up bad surfaces but you don’t have to rule them all out.

How is seat height measured?

A motorcycle’s seat height is measured with the bike standing upright (not on its side stand) from the lowest point of the saddle to the ground. Manufacturers quote their seat heights in the specification panel of each model. We could only find one manufacturer (Buell, now bust) who quote their seat height based on the height of the seat with an ‘average weight’ rider onboard. So watch out for that.

Width matters

The outright height of a motorcycle’s seat is important, but the seat’s width matters too. Some motorcycles with a low seat height have a wide seat which spreads out your legs, making it harder to get your feet flat on the ground.

Is one-foot down enough?

When it comes to finding a motorcycle, you may try a few where you can’t get both feet firmly on the ground but you can get one foot flat. Is that enough? Well that depends on your strength and confidence. Most riders would be fine if they were told they could only put one foot down but confidence is the key. It’s okay to ride a motorcycle where you can only get one foot on the ground and doing so will open up a few more options for you to choose from, but it’s important to feel comfortable with the motorcycle you’re buying. So ask yourself: Is one foot enough?

Motorcycle lowering tips

You don’t always have to fit a lowering kit, which has the adverse effect of altering the bike’s handling characteristics and potentially making your bike worth less on the used market. You can fit a lower seat, which a lot of manufacturers sell as a factory option but companies like Corbin, Wunderlich and Touratech also sell lower aftermarket seats. You could alter the seat yourself, cutting the foam to reduce the seat’s height and width. You could also look at footwear that gives you extra height. Boots like Daytona’s Lady-Star are a good option as they feature a chunky sole. You could also talk to your local cobbler about adding a thicker sole to your existing boots. A lowering kit, while effective, should be seen as a last-ditch option.

AS a man, have you ever wondered why you don’t see many women racers (or, if you’re a woman, wondered why there are so many male racers)? Is it because women don’t come equipped with the same number of arms and legs as a bloke? Is it because, in general, female brain chemistry predisposes the fairer sex towards skills not immediately associated with those required to win races? Either way, there are exceptions. And, as MotoGP commentators discover with depressing regularity, it’s utterly impossible to talk about female racers without coming across as patronising. But we’ll try. Here are ten of the most outstanding female competitors.

10. Beryl Swain, TT

The 1962 50cc TT is usually remembered for being Suzuki’s first TT victory, on a bike ridden by ex-MZ rider and defector Ernst Degner. But it also marked the debut of the first female TT rider, Mrs Beryl Swain, riding a 50cc Itom. She completed the two-lap race half an hour behind Degner, coming home 22nd of 25 finishers with an average of 48mph against Degner’s 75mph. Such was the concern for the safety of women riders, they were subsequently banned from riding the TT circuit until 1978, when Hilary Musson entered the TT Formula 3, coming 15th. Musson continued to race at the TT until 1985.

9. Patsy Quick, enduro and Dakar

The first Britain woman to compete in the Dakar in 2003 during which she suffered a serious crash, was left temporarily blinded before being rescued by a media helicopter and airlifted to a Cairo hospital for life-saving surgery. Undaunted, Patsy returned in 2004 only to be beaten by appalling weather, and then by mechanical breakdown in 2005. But in 2006 she finished the rally, the first British woman to do so. She currently runs a KTM-backed enduro riding school in Sussex.

8. Michelle Duff, 250 and 500 Grand Prix

Born in 1939 in Toronto, Canada, Mike Duff was a successful Grand Prix racer in the 60s, riding for MZ, Norton and Yamaha, winning three 250cc Grand Prix and finishing the 1965 season second in the 250cc championship behind Phil Read. At the end of 1965 Mike suffered a bad accident in Japan and spent six months in hospital. Returning to Grand Prix for two more years, Mike moved back to Canada at the end of 1967, continued national racing, and also began working as a motorcycle journalist. Married twice with three children, Mike wrote a book about his years in Grand Prix in 1982, called Make Haste, Slowly. Then, in 1984, Mike Duff became Michelle Duff. Invited out of retirement to ride in classic bike races in 2000 aged 60, Michelle crashed heavily at Spa in 2008 and gave up track riding. Now aged 74, Michelle still writes and lives in Ontario.

7) Katja Poensgen, 250 Grand Prix

German-born Katja first rode a bike aged 5, entered her first race at 16, got her first podium a year later, and won the European Supermono Championship at 19. That success helped propel her into Grand Prix where, in 2001, she achieved a career-best 14th place in the 250cc Italian GP at Mugello riding an Aprilia RS250. She retired from competition in 2004 and gave birth to a daughter in 2005 (interestingly, the only woman in the list to have had children, excluding Michelle Duff), but the racing bug has bitten again and Poensgen has been dabbling in racing e-bikes and even mopeds, as well as working with motorcycle clothing brands.

6. Laia Sanz, Trials, World Enduro, Dakar

Laia Sanz, born in Spain, is the current Women’s World Enduro Champion. She’s also won the Women’s Trial World Championship 13 times and the Women’s Trial European Championship ten times. In 2011, at the age of 25, she competed in and completed the Dakar rally, finishing 39th overall, but it’s hardly a surprise she knows how to handle an off-road bike; she started riding at three and was racing by the age of seven. Although her position as best female off-road rider in the world is, in 2014, coming under threat from our own Jane Daniels, Sanz continues to be the benchmark rider by which all women are judged.

5. Maria Costello MBE, TT and Irish road races

One of the most recognisable names and faces in racing, Maria has done more than anyone to promote women’s participation in the sport since her 1997 debut in the Honda CB500 Cup. Since then she’s raced in numerous short circuit series including World Endurance, European Superstock and many others – but she’s always focussed primarily on road racing competing extensively in Ireland and especially the TT, where she held the female lap record for many years, and the Manx Grand Prix. Costello has also written and published an autobiography and is currently promoting her women-only track days.

4. María Herrera Muñoz, Spanish CEV Moto3

A name for the future, 17 year-old María from Toledo in Spain is currently leading the Spanish CEV Moto3 Championship – the wildly competitive feeder class into MotoGP Moto3 – with a win and second place. A wildcard ride in Moto3 at last year’s Aragon MotoGP failed to show her potential when she crossed the line in last place. But the early season results with the well-run Junior Team Estrella Galicia riding a Honda Moto3 NSF250 shows she has plenty of pace, leading home a field of 19 other riders, all male, all teenagers, and all riding out of their skins. She got talent. A female Marc Marquez?

3. Jenny Tinmouth, BSB

As the 2014 season opener at Brands BSB showed a few weeks ago, the first and only woman racing in British Superbikes isn’t just a token female filling out the grid. Qualifying in horrible, slippery, wet conditions, Tinmouth took her TWR Fireblade to 17th place on the grid and left a trail of seasoned BSB regulars in her wake. Dry race-day results of 27th and 23rd places say more about the bike and set-up than her ability. Jenny has worked up through the classes since her debut in 2000 on a 125GP bike, and on the way has become the fastest-ever woman at the TT setting an outright lap of 119.9mph in 2010. Which is most definitely not hanging about.

2. Jane Daniels, World Enduro

If you think the dirt is no place for a lady, think again. 20-year-old Husqvarna-supported rider Jane Daniels is the UK’s number one female enduro rider, taking second place overall in the Women’s Enduro World Cup in 2013 and winning the final race in France, beating the champ and Dakar competitor Laia Sanz. Daniels kicked off 2014 with a second in the opening Spanish round of the WEWC, and finished 12th overall in the Expert class at the recent Tough One hard enduro at Hawkstone Park. Highly-rated by fellow male riders, she’s tipped as a talent to watch for in the future regardless of her gender.

1. Ana Carrasco Gabarrón, MotoGP Moto3

Ana Carrasco, 17, is the only current female competitor in MotoGP, riding a Kalex KTM in Moto3. Born in Spain, she started riding bikes aged three, competed in the Spanish MiniGP series and rode in the Spanish 125 Championship. She made her debut on the Team Calvo KTM at the start of 2013 aged 16 and took her first World Championship points in the Malaysian GP later that year. At the last race in Valencia she finished 8th while teammate Maverick Vinales won the title. So far this season, riding for a new Dutch team, she’s yet to score. Unsurprisingly, her motto is “A woman in a man’s world”.

Martin Lampkin Trials Icon Passes away.

When I was a kid I loved many Motorcycles, Obviously the TT bikes, any Road Racing, Drag bikes, but what we called Dirt bikes were a huge impact on my life, I loved trials riding but only has a little SL125 but could do unreal things on that only because I had the passion, will and determination to accomplish anything if it was up a hill, through some tree’s or through some rocks.

Sad to hear that Martin has passed away, my brother informed me this morning, only seems like yesterday i was using Blu-Tak to stick a poster of him up on my bedroom wall, much to my mum and dad”s annoyance.

My Heros of the Trials back then in the 1970’s and had poster taken from either motorcycle News or trials and Motorcross news were:

Mick Andrews ( TY250) Martin Lampkin (Bultaco),  Sammy Miller ( CZ), Rob Edwards ( Montesa), Jim Sandiford (Montesa).

God Bless you mate, plenty of wide area’s to ride now ya upstairs Martin.

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All great guys with skills I would never come close to ever even if I practiced 24 hours a day.

 

Martin and later on his Son Dougie really did dominate the trials world and as a teenager, I had Posters of these at home.

His family has stated via Trials Central:”It is with deep regret that we inform you of the sad passing of Harold Martin Lampkin, better known as Martin Lampkin, who lost his cruel year-long plus battle with cancer earlier today at the age of sixty-five.

“As the first ever FIM Trial World Champion back in 1975, Martin who continued right through to the present day to be a recognised and much loved figure within the motorcycle community the World over, passed away peacefully surrounded by his immediate family near to his hometown of Silsden, Yorkshire.

“Our thoughts and condolences are with his wife Isobel, his sons Dougie and Harry and other members of the Lampkin family, plus all his many friends motorcycling and otherwise at this sad time.

“Funeral details will be confirmed in due course.

 

 

“In the meantime, we politely request that the family’s privacy is respected during this difficult period.”

His son Dougie, who followed in his father’s footsteps to become a 12-times world champion motorcycle trialist, stated on his Facebook page:” Devastated to announce the news – my dad Martin Lampkin passed away this afternoon after year plus battle with cancer aged 65.”

Martin Lampkin was born 28 December 1950.

He competed in a variety of off-road motorcycle events, but specialized in observed trials competitions, winning the inaugural FIM Trial World Championship held in 1975.

My heroes of the trials era were a Family named Lampkin.

 

His family has stated via Trials Central:”It is with deep regret that we inform you of the sad passing of Harold Martin Lampkin, better known as Martin Lampkin, who lost his cruel year-long plus battle with cancer earlier today at the age of sixty-five.

“As the first ever FIM Trial World Champion back in 1975, Martin who continued right through to the present day to be a recognised and much loved figure within the motorcycle community the World over, passed away peacefully surrounded by his immediate family near to his hometown of Silsden, Yorkshire.

“Our thoughts and condolences are with his wife Isobel, his sons Dougie and Harry and other members of the Lampkin family, plus all his many friends motorcycling and otherwise at this sad time.

“Funeral details will be confirmed in due course.

“In the meantime, we politely request that the family’s privacy is respected during this difficult period.”

His son Dougie, who followed in his father’s footsteps to become a 12-times world champion motorcycle trialist, stated on his Facebook page:” Devastated to announce the news – my dad Martin Lampkin passed away this afternoon after year plus battle with cancer aged 65.”

Martin Lampkin was born 28 December 1950.

He competed in a variety of off-road motorcycle events, but specialized in observed trials competitions, winning the inaugural FIM Trial World Championship held in 1975.

 

He was the third son in a Silsden motorcycling dynasty and began riding motorcycles at an early age.

His older brothers Arthur and Alan Lampkin were successful motorcycle racers and became members of the BSA factory racing team in the 1960s. In the early 1970s, Lampkin established himself as one of the top competitors in motorcycle trials, gaining the attention of Francisco Bultó, the owner of the Bultaco motorcycle company. Bultó offered him a job as a member of the Bultaco factory trials team and, in 1973 he won the European trials championship as well as the British trials national championship. The European championship was considered to be the world championship at the time, as the sport of trials had yet to develop outside of Europe.

In 1975, the European championship was upgraded to world championship status and Lampkin claimed the title to become the first-ever trials world champion. He continued to experience success in the world championships until 1980, when the Bultaco factory began to experience financial troubles.

Lampkin then joined the SWM factory team until he retired from professional competition in 1982. Besides his European and World Championship titles, Lampkin was also a four-time winner of the Scott Trial (1977, 1978, 1981, 1982), a three-time winner of the British trials national championship (1973, 1978, 1980) and won the grueling Scottish Six Days Trial three consecutive times (1976, 1977, 1978).

 

 

After retiring from competition he supported his son Dougie in his successful career.

 

DIRT QUAKE

Dirt Quake is an awesome event for anyone to attend if they have a motorcycle,  this is held on the Eastern side of the United kingdom in a town called Kings Lynn in Norfolk. This is the flatland part of the UK and how do I know that, I went to school in the next county in Suffolk and used to go to Kings Lynn to watch the speedway there as I was an Ipswich witches fan and they were rival teams, the Kings Lynn Knights were their name but changed back to their original 50’s name the Stars.

 

So, in this quaint Saxon town you can now hear the rumble of a different tune, and thats road motorcycles in a cool event aptly named Dirtquake.

Below is the trailer for Dirtquake 2 but then we have shots that I have taken from the internet, via face book and the bike shed back home in the UK  and also friends sent me some pics  to try and show what goes on there.

 

We need it here in So-Cal as it would be a blast, no attitude, just fun.

Enjoy!

 

Dirtquake 3 has just finished and they had a great time, along with The Ilse Of Man Marvel “Guy Martin” has a go and enjoys it.

 

Use any bike and get some good tires and have a go.

 

So just some cool photos and vids to look at today to help you through the Hot times here that we are having weather wise.

 

 

There are some really cool photos that I saw on The bike Shed and Facebook and just thought that you may not have seen them and to try and keep you lot updated as to what goes on back in the UK and all over the globe for that matter in the Motorcycle fraternity.

I really like this event as nobody cares what you look like, its to have fun and in fact, they encourage you to go out on a limb and just have fun.

 

 

 

 

 

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Scott Summers Photography — with Guy Martin.

 

Ian Heartfield of the BSMC…

Scott Summers Photography — with Guy Martin.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Scott Summers Photography — with Maxwell Paternoster.

 

 

 

With Ross Sharp.

 

 

 

 

 

With Ame Pearce and Vikki van Someren.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Guy Martin of T.T. Fame even gets in on the race and loves it.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Hope you enjoyed the blog, we need something here at the local speedway like Costa Mesa, it would be Epic.