Snake Pass, the legendary A57 running over the Pennines, and a bikers’ perennial favourite, is to get safety upgrades worth £7.6 million, with some of the improvements aimed at motorcyclists. We reported on this story back in October 2024, link here, when Derbyshire County Council announced that the iconic stretch of twisty tarmac might have to face closure. Several landslips had undermined the road’s structure, and the Council said it just didn’t have the cash to repair it. Now the Department for Transport has come up with the money, part of a near-£10 million package which focuses in two roads in northern England – the A583 Blackpool Road as well as Snake Pass. Part of the funding is going to new

Surrey Police have stopped 407 motorcyclists during Operation Downsway, an annual summer campaign across Surrey and Sussex to cut down on illegal riding and driving. Although it’s not just about noise, the bikers were said to have been stopped for issues including loud pipes and speeding. We don’t know whether they were prosecuted or just cautioned, but it’s still a pretty big number. Surrey Police Chief Inspector Karen Coyne told BBC South East: “We want to stop these riders and actually speak to them. Officers enjoy doing it because it’s a chance for them to be really proactive.” She added that 394 car drivers had also been stopped as part of Operation Downsway, which targets five main offences: excess speed, not

A £1.5 million off-road riding centre in Powys has finally got the go ahead, after two planning permission refusals and a six-year battle which was finally settled by public enquiry. “This is a win not just for our business, but for Powys,” said Phil Wilding of Nightfly Limited, which is the developer behind the scheme. But one thing sets this off-road centre apart from the others – it is designed primarily around electric off-road bikes. It’ll also include a purpose-built motocross centre, seven holiday log cabins and upgraded site infrastructure. The site – Rhydblawd Farm, near Builth Wells – has been hosting motocross for over 30 years, but the new centre represents a significant change, and a shift to electric power. After

We all have dreams of finding an old bike with very few miles – or even zero miles – on the clock, but what about a 40-year-old Yamaha XT500, still in its crate with all the original wrapping and padding intact? That’s what RM Sotheby’s is offering at auction on 18th October in Munich, Germany – they’re expecting it to fetch around 25,000 euro (£21,500). The XT is a 1986 model originally built for the French market and was supplied to Leuridan Motos et Cycles, a dealer in Paris. It’s a late example of the 500cc single – the XT was first launched in 1975 and production ended only three years after the crated bike was made – but it’s become

Police in Telford are the latest force to adopt off-road bikes as a means to tackling illegal off-road riding. According to West Mercia Police, there’s been an increasing number of complaints in the area about trail bikes and quads being ridden on footpaths and in parks. Operation Spree is aimed at combatting the illegal riders, with off-road machines supplied by West Midlands Police and support from the National Police Air Service, which can spot and track riders from the sky. “We’re taking this issue to them directly,” Sgt David Williams told BBC Radio Shropshire, “as opposed to waiting for a call and nobody being available.” He added, “Telford is mainly built up of close communities. So they’re riding on pavements around

Donnington Park, one of Britain’s most historic race circuits, could have over 4,000 new homes next door housing an estimated 10,000 residents, if plans submitted to North Leicestershire District Council are approved. The new development, named Isely Woodhouse, could also include three schools, shops and hotels. Of the houses, 1200 would be classed as affordable, which ticks a key government policy aim – everyone seems to agree that we need more housing, especially at the lower end of the market. The question is how Isely Woodhouse would affect Donnington Park. Would some of the new residents complain about the noise? On the plans, the closest part of the development to the circuit is listed as ‘mixed use/employment’ rather than residential. But

A pioneering new road safety initiative that is designed to make motorcycling safer has been introduced in North and Mid Wales. PRIMEs (Perceptual Rider Information for Maximising Expertise and Enjoyment) are innovative road markings and signage that aim to help motorcyclists make safer decisions when approaching and negotiating bends in roads. Following a highly successful trial in Scotland — where over 32,000 motorcyclist journeys were analysed across 22 sites — the Welsh Government, in partnership with the North and Mid Wales Trunk Road Agent (NMWTRA), has rolled out PRIME markings at four key sites in North and Mid Wales. These are: • A487 Pantperthog, Gwynedd • A5 Coed Bwlch, Rhysgog, Llangollen. • A483 North of Llanbadarn Fynydd • A483 Glascoed Hall, South of Newtown. Evidence shows that

The Imps Motorcycle Display Team appears to be on pause, having cancelled all future performances with immediate effect. Although there’s no indication what the cause might be, but a statement on the group’s website stated: “A recent review of the organisation has brought to light several critical areas that need attention before any future activity could even be considered.” It went on: “These are not easy fixes. They require time, care and thoughtful reflection. To press on regardless would risk compromising the very standards and values that made The Imps what they are today." The Imps is an East London-based charity, set up by the late Roy Pratt MBE in 1970, to train children aged between five and 16 to learn

UK motorcycle dealers are not having a good 2025 so far, with new sales in June 2025 falling by 18.6% compared to the previous year – the year-to-date figures are down by 20.1% (figures supplied by the MCIA). And it’s affecting everything from mopeds to superbikes and giant adventure tourers. However, the UK trade can console itself with the fact that it is not alone – motorcycle sales across the major EU markets (with the exception of Spain) are also on a downward trend. In France, Germany and Italy ¬– which together with Spain and the UK make up the five biggest bike markets in Europe – saw sales slump in the first half of 2025 compared to the same period

Energica, the Italian electric superbike manufacturer, may have been saved. The company, which has been making electric bikes since 2010, was declared bankrupt in October 2024. In early July 2025 we reported that a possible new investor was in the wings, but it was all a bit vague. But according to a video posted on the official Energica YouTube channel in mid-July, a rapid restructuring of the company was due to be complete in about 60 days. Energica Global Sales Director Stefano Benatti said in a statement: “The news is true, Energica is resurging...The judicial process undergoing the sale of Energica has received an offer with a significant deposit from investors based in Singapore...If the process comes through successfully, the same

The Women Riders World Relay (WRWR) is coming back in 2026, and opening up to thousands more than before, thanks to an app. The original relay, which took place in 2019, saw a succession of female motorcyclists all over the world carry a physical baton over 60,000 miles through over 100 countries. The BMF’s own Louise Hillier took part, helping carry the baton from Cornwall to London. The 2026 WRWR will be different, with a virtual baton based in an app, open to all women riders Hayley Bell, founder of WRWR, told MCN: “We wanted to build a tool that could include everyone. Women bikers have been crying out for a voice, this is the tool to use it. One of

Thefts of powered two-wheelers of all types totalled 2064 in June 2025, slightly down (by 72) compared to May. According to statistics compiled by Bennetts, and sponsored by Datatool and BikeTrac, this overall figure hid some big regional variations, with some police authority areas reporting an increase in thefts. In Warwickshire, thefts soared by 76% (up from 21 in May to 37 in June) while Hampshire (from 53 to 80) and Staffordshire (50 to 71) were also hard hit. Some areas saw huge percentage increases, but this was down to the small number of cases involved – thefts were up in Northern Ireland by 700%, but only because the eight cases in June dwarfed that of May, when just a single