Pavement Parking Ban on the Way? Other news 22 February 202429 February 2024 The Local Government Association (LGA) is calling for new powers to ban pavement parking, which is already illegal in London – Scotland passed new legislation to prevent it in December 2023. But in England, there’s no specific ban in place as yet – the actual rules vary from place to place, though you can be prosecuted for obstructing a path. The Government held a consultation on banning the practice in 2020, but this was never taken further. Now it’s back on the cards. Councillor Darren Rodwell, transport spokesperson for the LGA, said: “Pavement parking is one of the biggest complaints for pedestrians but three years on (from the consultation) councils outside of London still do not have the powers they need
Caught on Camera Other news 20 February 202429 February 2024 Devon and Cornwall Police have reprimanded nearly 10,000 drivers and riders for offences on the road thanks to Operation Snap. Set up in 2019, the system invited members of the public who had spotted on-road misdemeanors to upload footage from dash cams and helmet cams to an online portal. It received more than 6000 videos in 2023 alone. “More people are using dash cams and helmet cameras than ever before,” said the force’s Head of Road Safety, Adrian Leisk. “But also more members of the public are now aware of Op Snap and understand that they have the power to do something about poor driving.” Bikes and cars overtaking on solid white lines, tractors passing cyclists dangerously close and drivers using phones
Adventure Bike Claims 600-Mile Range Other news 18 February 202429 February 2024 What’s a decent fuel range on a motorcycle? One hundred and eighty miles is pretty good and anything over 200 miles excellent. But how about 600 miles between refills? That’s the claim for Reiju’s new Aventura 500, which was first shown to the public at the EICMA show in November 2023. The Aventura’s USP is a twin-fuel tank set up with total capacity of 40 litres, which at an average 68 mpg really would give a theoretical range of 600 miles. Otherwise, there’s little remarkable about the Aventura, which is yet another entrant to the mid-size adventure bike market. The engine is made by Loncin of China, a copy of Honda’s very familiar 500cc parallel-twin as used the CB500 line up,
Veterans Ride to Cyprus Other news 16 February 202428 February 2024 Four 60-something ex-servicemen are all set to ride from the UK to Cyprus to raise money for the Armed Forces charity Help for Heroes. Trevor Burden (60), Alan Sands (61), Fred Ball (66) and Rupert Miller (63) – all from Hampshire and Dorset – will be making the 5000-mile road trip in June. All served in the Royal Hampshire Regiment and have been friends ever since. “This was about us having the experience of a lifetime,” said Alan Sands. “Sharing it would be a statement of our friendship and a reminder of the camaraderie of when we served as young men. But it has now become more than that. It’s about all the veterans who gave so much for this country. We
University Hydrogen Bike Project Other news 13 February 202428 February 2024 Hydrogen as an alternative fuel may have its detractors, but a German-Czech consortium is now developing a fuel cell motorcycle aimed at inner-city deliveries. If pictures of the prototype are any guide, then it really is more motorcycle than scooter. Two German companies based in Saxony are developing the fuel cell stack, which takes the place of a battery but supplies electricity to a motor in the same way. The Czech Technical University is involved in building up the complete bike, which the consortium aims to have up and running in 2025 as a demonstrator which meets European approval standards and certification. The participants say that fuel cells offer a longer range and shorter refuelling times than a battery-electric system. However, hydrogen’s
Retail Giant Expands Motorcycle Sales Other news 12 February 202428 February 2024 Trago Mills – the south west-based retail discounter – has expanded its motorcycle offshoot. Trago2Wheels, which launched nine years ago, initially concentrated on 50cc and 125cc bikes and scooters from Lexmoto, going on to add Sinnis, Sym and Keeway to its stable. Now, as well as mid-size bikes from Voge, the retail giant has become the UK distributor for Italian-made SWM. It could be a significant milestone for Trago2Wheels, which claims a different approach to traditional motorcycle dealers. Trago Mills, set up 55 years ago, has grown into a West Country institution, employing over 1000 staff across four giant stores in Devon and Cornwall, plus a more recent addition in Merthyr Tydfil. Discount prices and a massive range of goods (“diamonds
Kawasaki H2R takes to the Skies Other news 6 February 202428 February 2024 We’ve heard of motorcycle-engined cars, and even boats, but helicopters? Well, not only has Kawasaki built a ‘copter powered by the supercharged H2R power unit, but it really does fly. The company has form here in any case – Kawasaki Heavy Industries already builds a line of conventional choppers from the small BK117 to big twin-rotor military machines. This latest unmanned addition (a work in progress as yet) has adopted the 326bhp version of the H2R’s 998cc in-line four, and according to Kawasaki it can lift 200 kg at sea level, or just half that in the more rarified air at 3100m above sea level. The engine runs at a constant speed, so the H2R helicopter doesn’t sound much like a
Welsh 20mph Limit Update Other news 3 February 202428 February 2024 It’s three months since Wales adopted a default 20mph speed limit in previously 30mph limits, and early findings indicate that average speeds have reduced since, though we don’t yet know what the effect on casualties will be. Although not a blanket speed limit (local authorities are free to retain the 30-limit if they think that 20mph is too slow) the 20-limit has affected many stretches of road. An independent report by Agilysys and TomTom has studied traffic speeds on 310 miles of roads in 10 town and city areas which have seen a reduction in the speed limit to 20mph. The results should be treated with caution as rather than measure the average of all traffic, the analysts tracked the speed
Curtain Down on Brighton Speed Trials Other news 29 January 202429 February 2024 Brighton Speed Trials, thought to be the world’s longest running motorsport event, has finally come to an end, with no events planned in the foreseeable future. Organised by the Brighton & Hove Motor Club, with the motorcycle entry run by the Sprint Section of the VMCC, it was first held in 1905 and soon became an annual fixture in Britain’s motorsport calendar, with cars and bikes measured over a standing start sprint along Madeira Drive on Brighton seafront. Many well known names have competed on the famous quarter-mile – Sir Malcolm Campbell, Stirling Moss, Noel Pope and Trevor Nation all sprinted cars or bikes here, against the unforgettable backdrop of Madeira Drive’s ornate terraces on one side, and Brighton beach on
Stabilisers to Keep Big Bikes Upright? Other news 25 January 202429 February 2024 Tall, heavy motorcycles – especially adventure bikes – can be a challenge for riders with shorter legs or less mobility. Get it wrong at low speeds, and 250kg of expensive motorcycle topples over, usually taking the pilot with it – potentially expensive, certainly embarrassing and not a great thing for rider confidence. Some manufacturers have looked at how a big, weighty bike can be kept reliably upright at low speeds, but apart from the odd low-seat option, nothing has reached the market. But now Chinese brand Voge has patented an idea for hydraulically-operated stabiliser wheels, which might just work. The application shows a pair of tiny wheels (probably only suitable for sub-walking pace) mounted on arms which pivot just ahead of
Cheaper Cornering ABS from Bosch Other news 24 January 202428 February 2024 Bosch has developed lighter, cheaper versions of its high-tech riding aids such as lean sensitive ABS and traction control, and for the first time these are being applied to sub-400cc bikes such as the Indian-made TVS Apache RTR 310, which uses the latest version of Bosch’s MSC (Motorcycle Stability Control). The 2024 KTM 390 Duke (also made by TVS) is also fitted with the new-generation kit, with a Bosch 3D inertial measurement unit (IMU) which integrates various functions via the MSC. Interviewed in MCN, Geoff Liersch, head of Bosch’s Two-Wheeler and Powersports unit highlighted the safety benefits of making these systems available on cheaper bikes. “It’s pretty simple for me,” he said. “I would like to see 100% MSC systems on
Indian Mid-Range Bikes coming to UK Other news 22 January 202428 February 2024 The giants of the Indian motorcycle industry are planning an assault on European and UK markets. As a result, we could see a new generation of bargain-priced mid-range bikes on British roads. An article in trade magazine British Dealer News pinpoints Bajaj, Hero and TVS in particular. Until now, they’ve all been selling bikes to the West ‘under the radar,’ by building machines for Western brands. Think the BMW G310GS (built by TVS) and Triumph’s 400 plus the smaller KTMs (made by Bajaj). Royal Enfield of course, has been a slow burn Indian success story in the UK for many years. All are attracted by selling their mid-size offerings to Europe for fatter profit margins than they get on the home