Write your Will, Save a Life? Other news 31 March 2025 Two Wheels for Life, the charity which provides motorcycles for health workers in sub-Saharan Africa, is now offering a free will writing service. Applicants can write their will online, by phone and there’s even a limited number of face-to-face solicitor appointments available, all for free. All are provided by Farewill, the UK’s biggest will writing service. Now you might expect that Two Wheels for Life is expecting any successful applicant to leave them a healthy legacy, but apparently not. “It is not essential to leave us a gift in your will when using our free wills service,” reads a statement on the charity’s website, “but we’d love you to consider giving to Two Wheels after taking care of those important to
X Games Bans Electric Bikes Other news 24 March 202521 March 2025 Extreme sports event X Games, which features BMX, skateboarding and rally cross, has banned electric motorcycles from the freestyle motocross parts of its competition. The MX events aren’t races, but a series of artistic jumps and tricks performed indoors, with medals up for grabs. Three riders competed on Stark electric motocross bikes in the X Games last year, and two of them won medals. X Games letter to this year’s entrants stated: “Our current competition formats are designed around the performance and characteristics of traditional gas-powered bikes, which remain the global standard for elite competition.” It’s thought that riders of battery bikes have an unfair advantage, with better acceleration on the short approach ramps to jumps. But the organisers have not
Mutt Motorcycles Enters Administration Other news 21 March 2025 Mutt, the Birmingham-based manufacturer which made its name with retro-cool 125 and 250cc machines, has entered administration after a fall in demand caused it to make most of its 18 staff redundant. Administrators RSM UK Restructuring Advisory LLP were appointed on 3rd March. Speaking to MCN, RSM said: “The company experienced a period of difficult trading due to a decline in market demand. As a result, the business faced significant financial pressures and was unable to secure the necessary funding to continue operating.” They are reportedly talking to a number of firms interested in buying the bikes and parts stock, plus the Mutt brand. Mutt, set up by Benny Thomas and Will Rigg in 2013, had been something of a success story,
London Air Quality Improves Other news 19 March 2025 London’s air has become significantly cleaner since ULEZ (Ultra Low Emission Zone) was expanded to cover the whole capital in 2023, according to a study produced by the Greater London Authority – the study was reviewed by an independent panel of experts, chaired by Dr Gary Fuller of Imperial College London. The report found that London’s air quality was improving at a faster rate than that of the rest of England, with outer London boroughs and more deprived areas of the capital seeing significant falls in pollution. Small particle emissions (PM2.5) from vehicle exhausts were 31% lower in outer London compared to what they would have been without the ULEZ expansion – this takes into account the much smaller improvement which would
Agostini documentary hits the screen Other news 18 March 202518 March 2025 Giacomo Agostini, one of the greatest motorcycle racers of all time, is the subject of ‘Ago’, a new Netflix documentary which focuses on a career which saw him win world championship titles an astonishing 15 times. The film was previewed, with Ago himself in attendance, at Varese, Italy on 6th March, an event organised by MV Agusta. The MV connection is a significant one, since the legendary racer won countless events on the Italian multi-cylinder racers, against the likes of Mike Hailwood and Paul Smart. Across his career, Agostini took 123 victories including ten TTs. MV is keen to celebrate its link with Ago, as it nears its own 80th anniversary. It’s a piece of positive news for the company, whose move
MOT Cameras to combat fraud Other news 16 March 202519 March 2025 MOT testers could be required to upload a digital image of every vehicle they put through the test, in the latest attempt to fight MOT fraud. There have been cases of ‘ghost’ MOTs, where the bike, car or truck is given a test pass without even visiting the test centre. From March 2025 the agency is trialling a new digital image capture system, which should prove that the vehicle in question really was undergoing the test. “We want to create a level playing field where high quality testing is the standard,” said Chris Price, the Driver & Vehicle Standards Agency’s head of MOT policy. “Capturing images at the time of the test will help prevent fraud while ensuring MOTs are conducted
New Rider Hub – Film Series Other news 12 March 2025 The New Rider Hub has launched a new Highway Code film series, designed specifically for young and new riders aged 16- 20 riding in an urban environment! Our goal is to highlight the most important signs, rules, and regulations from the Highway Code that are crucial for your safety. Each short film will highlight the importance of specific Highway Code signs and show you how to follow them in real urban environments. By understanding and following these rules, you'll not only protect yourself but also contribute to the safety of everyone on the road. Most importantly for you, by staying on top of these rules, you'll not get fines and points on your licence, keeping you on the road without any legal
£500 Electric Grant to Continue Other news 28 February 20255 March 2025 The Government has extended the £500 grant for buyers of new electric scooters and motorcycles for another year, as part of a package which saw support for electric vans and taxis also continued. The grant’s future was in the balance, having been cut from a maximum of £1500 in 2021 and ended for 50cc-equivalent two-wheelers in April last year. But buyers of electric A1 (125cc-equivalent) and bigger electric bikes up to £10,000 will continue to receive £500 off the retail price into 2026. The move is a recognition that the electric motorcycle and scooter market needs encouragement to expand. Sales of electric off-road bikes and moped equivalents are developing, but remain tiny for larger road machines. Another factor could be that
£1 million bike Sold at Auction Other news 24 February 202525 February 2025 A new world record was set at the Mecum auction in Las Vegas recently, when a bid for just over £1 million was accepted for a 1915 Cyclone V-twin. It’s said to be the highest amount ever paid for a motorcycle in a public auction - £1,062,070, if you want to be exact. The Cyclone, a sought-after American vintage bike, helped make the Mecum auction set a new gross world record for a motorcycle auction as well, at £21.2 million. Other top-dollar bikes sold on the day were a 1938 Crocker V-twin (£710,000) and an 1898 De Dion (three-wheeler) at a ‘mere’ £133,000. Proving that older bikes still command top prices, all but one of the top ten sales were pre-war
Manx Grand Prix Goes Large Other news 21 February 202525 February 2025 The Manx Grand Prix is returning to its traditional two-week format, after it was reduced to a single week, post-Covid. Race goers, hoteliers and licenced victuallers were not best pleased, with the historic event cut to five days of practice sessions followed by a single weekend of racing. Add in the Isle of Man’s notoriously fickle weather, and it looked like the MGP was destined to shrink – 14,229 spectators turned up last year (down from just over 16,000 in 2019). But for 2025, the fortnight-long MGP is back, with all four races taking place over the late August Bank Holiday weekend, followed by five Classic TT races and a parade lap. The extended timetable should also give more flexibility to
Self-Healing Road Surface under Development Other news 12 February 202518 February 2025 A pothole which heals itself sounds like a road user’s daydream, but international research teams at Swansea University and Kings College London reckon it could come true. The teams have added tiny plant spores soaked in recycled oil to bitumen, which mends cracks as they form by fusing the asphalt back together. In laboratory tests, small cracks were self-repaired within an hour of first appearing. When the road surface is compressed (as by passing traffic) it squeezes the spores’ oil, which softens the bitumen enough for it to flow into small cracks. Potholes begin when minute cracks form, allowing water in. With the cycle freezing and thawing, plus the weight of passing traffic, eventually these grow until the bitumen collapses into
Motorcycle Law Scotland Announce Series of Motorcycle Safety Roadshows Other news 5 February 202518 February 2025 Scottish bikers will get the chance to learn more about survival skills at a series of five roadshows run by Motorcycle Law Scotland. Each show last three hours, with talks from Police Scotland Road Policing, Biker Down, IAM RoadSmart, Motorcycle Law Scotland and Eric Hill, Chair of the Society of Road Safety Auditors. Q&A sessions will allow riders to quiz the panel as well. The roadshow will visit five cities over five days in February: Glasgow on Monday 17th, Edinburgh (18th), Dundee (19th), Aberdeen (20th) and Inverness (21st). The series was organised by Motorcycle Law after two successful similar events were held in Elgin in February 2024. All shows start at 6pm, finish at 9pm, and entry is free with donations, all