Emergency Alert Test

On Sunday, September 7 at 3.00pm, the Government will be carrying out a national test of the Emergency Alerts System, used in emergency situations to warn the general public if there is a danger to life, including from extreme weather. Compatible mobile phones and tablets will receive an automatic alert, make a loud siren-like sound and vibrate, even if they are set to “silent.” This will last for approximately 10 seconds. If you receive the alert whilst driving or riding, you must not pick up your phone. It is illegal to do so. If you need to look at your phone, pull over somewhere safe and legal first. Further details of the Emergency Alerts System can be found  here including instructions on how

Ride4Brendan: A Night to Remember, A Cause That Continues

MJ's Version of the story... In May 2025, I received a random message from Bryan Cox, a complete stranger at the time, asking if I could do him a favour in helping organise something special. He was heading off on a pre-booked holiday and wondered if I could pull together a motorcycle escort for Brendan, his disabled son’s best mate, in giving him a grand entrance at his school prom. Brendan is an extraordinary young man living with quadriplegic cerebral palsy and scoliosis, needing 24-hour care but despite the challenges, his energy, warmth and resilience are nothing short of inspiring. From One Facebook Post to a Full-Scale Convoy What began as a single social media post quickly snowballed. Thanks to the power of the

Welsh Electric Motocross Centre to Go Ahead

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

Crated, Unused Yamaha XT500 Goes to Auction

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

Riding Into Representation: My Reflections on Women in Moto 2025

Each year Women in Moto becomes more than just a date in the biking calendar, it becomes a milestone. A marker of just how far the female motorcycling community has come and how much momentum we continue to build. This year’s event in August, the fifth annual Women in Moto and the third hosted at Uttoxeter Racecourse was a glowing reflection of that growth. It wasn’t just bigger in scale; it was deeper in spirit and as someone who’s followed this event since its early days at Tutbury Castle, I can say without hesitation: this is a movement that’s only getting stronger. What stood out most wasn’t just the electric atmosphere, the buzzing demo rides or the headline speakers, it was the

DVLA Updates Policies for the Registration of Repaired, Modified and Restored Motorcycles

Government moves to clarify rules for when riders need to notify DVLA of any changes to their motorcycles The Driver and Vehicle Licencing Agency (DVLA) has today (26th August) issued new guidance to some of its vehicle registration policies, making the rules around the notification of modifications to already registered motorcycles old and new more straightforward. These changes follow a call for evidence which National Motorcyclists Council (NMC) member, the Vintage Motor Cycle Club (VMCC) responded to with the support of the NMC. Organisations in the four-wheeled historic vehicle sector also responded. As a result, the DVLA is replacing its existing policies on rebuilt and radically altered vehicles with three new sets of guidance that will apply to all vehicles, regardless of

Pothole Partnership Raise Fresh Concerns

Pothole Partnership Raise Fresh Concerns as Summer Heat Fuels Pothole Problem The Partnership calls for urgent action amid rising incidents - A shock increase in pothole-related breakdowns attended by the AA last month has raised concerns for summer motorcycling Motorcyclists face an even bumpier ride this summer, according to The Pothole Partnership. July’s AA Pothole Index reveals a clear spike in incidents the AA was called out to caused by potholes, compared to the same period last year. While earlier in the year callouts for pothole damage to members’ cars had reduced, offering hope that the UK was turning a corner, the latest figures signal an unwelcome reversal, with a 2% rise over July 2024 figures (50,091 incidents compared to 49,081). Earlier optimism was

Highlights from BMF Connected 2025 by MJ

Community, Conversation and Motorcycling: Highlights from BMF Connected 2025 From Friday afternoon, 11th July through to Sunday 13th, Mallory Park Race Circuit hosted the first-ever BMF Connected event, a weekend-long motorcycling event that brought together riders, campers, families & exhibitors for a true celebration of biking culture. While the summer heat was intense and a few local events clashed, attendance wasn’t at full capacity, but what it lacked in crowd size it made up with a genuine powerful sense of community. Spread across the expansive venue the event made full use of Mallory Park’s unique layout. The centre circuit hardstanding housed a selection of stands and exhibitors ranging from motorcycle-themed art, clothing & jewellery, to tyres & motorcycle accessories, have a go

Welcome to the team MJ LadyBiker…

Who is MJ Ladybiker? MJ LadyBiker is a passionate UK motorcyclist with eight years’ riding experience, currently riding a Suzuki Gladius 650cc and has a deep commitment to the biking community and charitable causes, consistently supporting local events, not just during her time with the Staffs Lady Bikers but continuously appearing somewhere, supporting someone and always with a smile! MJ volunteered for five years as a team leader with the Staffordshire County Council 'Think Bike' campaign also helping to establish the Staffs Lady Bikers group. She actively supports events such as the Women in Moto show, the Stephen Sutton Ride Out, the Bike4Life Fest, and many more in and around Staffordshire. Just before stepping down from her volunteer role at Think Bike

Telford Police Tackle Illegal Off-Roading

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

New Town Next Door to Donnington

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

Pioneering road safety initiative to make motorcycling safer is underway

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

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