Ever wondered which was the best city in the UK for motorcycling? According to a study by the AA, it’s Plymouth. The AA looked at a number of parameters: number of bikes per 10,000 people, the average price of petrol, number of filling stations per square mile, the number of rainy days each month and the number of MOT stations per 10,000 people. Plymouth topped the list thanks to boasting nearly 300 (actually 296) motorcycles per 10,000 people, charging an average £1.54/litre for fuel, having 0.83 filling stations per square mile, an average 12 days of rain a month and 13 MOT stations per 10,000 people. Derby was runner-up, with fewer bikes (181 per 10,000) but a greater concentration of MOT stations,

German universities are teaming up with rider training schools from across the EU to improve safety through better tuition. 36 schools have signed up to work alongside the Ludgwig Maximillian University of Munich, the Wurzburg Institute of Traffic Sciences, the Institute of Motorcycle Safety and Traffic Accident Research at TU Dresden – all of the schools already have the European Motorcycle Training Quality Label. The group will use accident analysis to train motorcycle instructors in the cognitive and riding skills necessary to avoid accidents, and its research will be offered to all training schools, free of charge. Jesper Christensen of the Fédération Internationale de Motocyclisme (FIM) said: “Modern scooters offering advanced safety training are embracing a stronger approach towards cognitive skills

Yamaha is setting up a battery swapping operation in Germany, in anticipation of this market growing in Europe. Battery swapping is already well established in Taiwan and other South East Asian markets, where electric scooter manufacturers such as Kymco and Gogoro have literally plugged into swapping systems. The idea is that riders turn up at a swap hub and exchange their low battery for a fully charged one, which could be handy for those who can’t charge at home. Yamaha’s new enterprise, ENYRING GmbH, is based in Berlin and aims to offer a closed-circle system of recharging, re-using and eventually recycling lithium-ion batteries. Initially it’ll be servicing electric bicycles but is expected to extend to scooters and motorcycles later. Jim Freeman, Chair

Traditional chrome plating for new vehicles could be banned in the EU this year if planned legislation goes ahead. The new law targets hexavalent chrome plating, the traditional method which is linked to lung and nose cancer as well as posing a risk to the liver and reproductive system. As well as the human health risks, waste water from the process can damage the environment if not treated beforehand. The California Air Resources Board (CARB) is also planning to ban the process in 2027. However, it’s unlikely either of these bans will see the end of chrome bits on bikes. The EU proposal targets new bikes only, so the parts and accessory industry should not be affected. There are also alternatives

Dave Myers, one of the Hairy Bikers, passed away on 28th February, aged 66. With his long-time friend Si King, Myers was part of the highly successful TV chef duo, whose programmes became prime time favourites. The pair would invariably ride their bikes to a location, cook up a feast, and everyone would have a good time. Dave Myers also reached a new audience in 2013 when he took part in Strictly Come Dancing. In a statement, Si King said: “All who knew Dave are devastated at his passing. His beloved wife brought him such happiness as did her children, Iza and Sergiu, who Dave loved like his own. Personally, I am not sure I can put into words how I

A Parisian councillor is calling on the City Council to ban motorcycles and scooters from riding through the French capital between the hours of 10pm and 7am. According to French news source, The Connexion, Pierre-Yves Bournazel describes the late night/early morning noise of powered two-wheelers as a “scourge” for the city’s inhabitants. Not surprisingly, in a city in which thousands use a bike and or scooter as primary transport, the suggestion is a tad controversial, though even Msr Bournazel accepts that there would need to be exceptions for commuters and those required to ride on two wheels at night, such as the Gendarmerie. Jean-Marc Belotti of the FFMC (the French equivalent of the BMF) probably spoke for many motorcyclists when he pointed

Bonhams Auction at the Classic Motorcycle Show at Stafford 20-21 April 2024, is one of the landmark events in the classic bike calendar, and this year looks like a humdinger, featuring everything from a JMC Norvin (estimate £18-22,000) down to a Corgi folding moped (£1000-2000). Star of the show will undoubtedly be ‘Tinker Toy,’ the outrageous 48-cylinder Kawasaki built by Simon Whitelock in 2003. Designed specifically to capture a Guinness Record (you’ve guessed it, motorcycle with the greatest number of cylinders) the bike’s engine consists of 16 Kawasaki KH250 three-cylinder engines, linked together and arranged in six banks of eight cylinders. With a total capacity of 4.2 litres the biggest Kawasaki motorcycle ever runs, rides and is road legal. “It’s not

The Yamaha R1 and R1M could be reaching the end of the road...as a road bike. Yamaha has announced that it won’t be updating the iconic one-litre sports bike to Euro5+ emissions regulations, which means that it can’t be legally registered for the road in Europe, or the UK once existing stocks have been sold. You might ask, why has Yamaha decided not to update such a milestone machine as the R1? The story behind all of this isn’t just ever-tightening emissions regulations – Euro5+ requires more sophisticated onboard diagnostics, durability, and noise tests – but that the sports bike market has changed hugely since the R1 was first launched back in 1998. Twenty-six years ago (yes, that’s how long ago

Two-wheel-drive motorcycles have been tried before, with cumbersome, complicated chains or hydraulics transmitting torque to the front wheel as well as the rear. Electric motors of course, make this a potentially simpler process, and the UBCO 2x2 utility bike has been offered for a few years, aimed at farmers, land managers and the like. Now French brothers Henri and Olivier Rabatel have entered the fray with a two-wheel-drive commuter motorcycle, the Motowatt W1X. The two motors – one in each wheel – offer a total of 34bhp, though Motowatt’s publicity refers to the bike as rideable on an A1 licence, for which it would need to be restricted to 11Kw, though that’s easy enough to do. It certainly looks practical for