Snake Pass Safety Planning Update — What Riders Need to Know Snake Pass (A57) - the scenic but challenging road linking Sheffield and Manchester, remains the focus of new safety planning work following recent government investment aimed at reducing collisions on this high-risk route. New Planning and Design Work Begins Local authorities have now started formal planning and design work on potential safety improvements along Snake Pass, using funding made available through the Department for Transport’s Safer Roads Scheme. This work follows earlier confirmation of national investment to tackle collision rates and improve safety on some of the UK’s riskiest routes. Sheffield City Council has approved the use of £267,700 for feasibility and preliminary design work on improvements between Coldwell Lane and the Derbyshire

In October 2025, the UK’s leading police-led motorcycle safety initiative, BikeSafe, celebrated its 25th anniversary, marking a quarter of a century dedicated to reducing collisions and improving rider skills nationwide. Since launching in 2000, BikeSafe has played a significant role in rider education, providing practical workshops aimed at improving road awareness, hazard perception and on-bike decision-making. The programme has supported thousands of riders during its 25-year history and remains an essential part of the UK’s rider safety framework. A National Partnership Built on Safety BikeSafe is delivered by trained police motorcyclists across over 30 police forces in the UK and is supported by the National Police Chiefs’ Council (NPCC). The initiative was developed in response to concern over motorcyclist casualty rates and has

🏍️ Star Bikers 47th Charity Toy Run: Stoke-on-Trent Rides for Christmas Cheer On Sunday 30th November 2025, Stoke-on-Trent witnessed one of its most cherished traditions - the Star Bikers 47th Annual Charity Toy Run. With around 2,000 motorcycles taking part, the streets came alive with the roar of engines, festive spirit and the generosity of bikers determined to make Christmas brighter for children who might otherwise go without. The Route and Atmosphere The run set off from the bet365 Stadium at 11am, winding its way through Trentham, Blurton, Weston Coyney, Bentilee, Baddeley Green, Milton, Sneyd Green and Northwood. Along the route hundreds of local residents lined the streets, many holding out carrier bags filled with toys for bikers to collect. The atmosphere was

British motorcyclists – we’re always being told – are getting older every year. Our average age is now between 54 and 57, a huge difference from the 1960s and ‘70s when most motorcyclists were under 30. Writing recently in British Dealer News, marketing consultant Dan Sager points out that that the youngsters of Gen Z (born between 1997 and 2012), “are less interested in riding bikes than any previous generation,” and that the number of teenagers taking their Mod 1 bike test has plummeted, presumably put off by the high cost of getting a licence and rocketing insurance premiums. The current situation is not helped by the Government's official position of having "no policy to encourage greater use of motorcycles"; an approach

If you thought Chinese bike manufacturers still restricted themselves to cheap ‘n cheerful scooters and 125s, think again. There’s now a whole raft of Chinese-made mid-range machines, and one of them – the Voge DS800X Rally – was the top selling adventure bike in October 2025, even out-numbering BMW’s evergreen R1300 GS. Of course, October is a quieter time of year for bike sales, but there’s no denying the upward swing of Voge sales in particular. In a market down 14.7% in the year to October, sales of the Chinese brand were up by 165% (from a low base). The DS800X also topped the 750-1000cc segment overall. Alongside Voge, CF Moto (one of the first Chinese mid-size bikes to come to Britain)

Electric motorcycles will be exempt from eVED (extended Vehicle Excise Duty) the new electric vehicle mileage charge, which is due to come into force in April 2028. You might have missed it in the small print of Chancellor Rachel Reeves’ Autumn Budget, but battery bikes will not be expected to pay the 3p/mile charge when it comes in. The reason given is that, along with electric vans, buses and HGVs, the market for e-motorcycles is deemed to be at an earlier stage than that for electric cars and needs more encouragement. Electric bikes will start paying conventional VED from April 2026, albeit at the lowest rate of £26 for a year. There was more good news for petrol bikers in the Budget

If your thoughts are already turning next year’s summer holiday, then Rome could be a good choice, with a new museum dedicated to Hondas opening there soon. The Honda Classic Museum will showcase the legendary oval-piston NR750 as well as a whole collection of historic Honda road and race bikes. Not only that, but the collection will be rotated on a regular basis, to keep it fresh. The museum is owned by Honda Moto Roma, said to be the largest Honda dealer in Europe, and judging by the collection of Honda bigwigs who turned up for the official opening on 26th November 2025, it’s seen as a significant moment for the company. Mr Okuda, President of Honda Motor Europe and Mr

Mental Health Motorbike (MHMB) Advocates for the mental health benefits of motorcycling at historic Men's Health Strategy unveiling with Prime Minister and Health Secretary 10 DOWNING STREET, LONDON, UK – November 20, 2025 Mental Health Motorbike (MHMB) is the country's first dedicated national free mental health support service for the motorcycling community. They are proud to announce their participation in the official unveiling of the government’s first-ever national Men's Health Strategy. Founder Paul Oxborough and MP Natalie Fleet (Bolsover) met with Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer and Secretary of State for Health and Social Care Wes Streeting at 10 Downing Street on November 19, 2025, to discuss the critical role MHMB plays in addressing mental health challenges within the UK's 1.5+ million

Suzuki GB has announced an ‘up to ten-year warranty’ cover on all of its new bikes. Not only that, but the cover will be transferrable to subsequent owners, so effectively it will apply to 2026-on used machines as well. When the standard three-year/unlimited mileage warranty is over, the bike will be covered for an extra seven years or 70,000 miles, whichever comes up first. The only stipulation is that it must be serviced at a Suzuki dealer every year, but even that has a loophole – if a used bike has a gap of more than 250 miles or 14 days in its service history, the warranty may be reinstated, if the machine is then serviced and gets a health check

Driving test rules are being changed in a bid to reduce waiting lists and prevent slots being sold at inflated prices. In recent years we’ve seen a flurry of online ‘bots’ booking the sought after slots automatically. These are then sold on to learner riders/drivers for up to £500 by private companies. The standard fee is £62 for a weekday slot, or £75 for an evening or weekend, but some learners appear to be willing to pay the inflated fees, just to avoid the long waiting list. New rules announced by Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander mean only learner drivers will be able to book test slots themselves. Instructors will no longer be able to book tests on their behalf and a

🏍 Remembering in Red: The 2025 Ring of Red Ride Sunday, 9th November 2025, the motorcycling community once again came together in a powerful act of remembrance. Thousands of riders joined the Ring of Red Ride around the M25 and M60, donning red to form a moving poppy in honour of the UK’s armed forces. A Tribute Framed by Autumn Against a backdrop of crisp autumn skies and falling leaves, riders from across the country gathered at designated meeting points from 10:00 am before setting off on their clockwise routes at approximately 13:30. Wearing red gear, displaying poppies and flags with many accompanied with pillion passengers, participants transformed the motorways into a living, moving tribute. The turnout once again reflected the strength, unity and

National Men Make Dinner Day: Ride Out, Cook In – 7 November 2025 Category: Lifestyle & Culture | Region: UK-wide Every first Thursday in November, National Men Make Dinner Day invites men to take charge of the evening meal—no BBQs, no takeaways, and no excuses. It’s a light-hearted nudge to get more men into the kitchen, especially those who usually leave the cooking to someone else. This year, we’re giving it a motorcycling twist. Picture this: your partner heads out for a solo autumn ride, soaking up the golden leaves and crisp air, while you stay back and tackle dinner duty. Whether you’re a dab hand with the frying pan or just figuring out how to boil pasta, it’s all about effort, humour,