Small Bikes on the Rise

Smaller, cheaper sub-500cc bikes are soaring up the sales charts, according to the latest detailed sales figures from DfT and DVLA. For the first six months of 2024, sub-500s took five of the top ten seller spots for over 125cc machines. Triumph’s 400cc single was the star performer, with the Speed 400 grabbing second place (1135 sales in January-June 2024) and its Scrambler 400X cousin in fourth (1000 sales). The Speed 400 actually outsold BMW’s new R1300GS, though the evergreen R1250GS remained best seller overall, at 1324. Other smaller bikes in the top ten were the Royal Enfield Meteor 350 in seventh place, the Honda ADV 350 in ninth and Enfield’s Himalayan 452 in tenth. That was backed up by MCIA sales

90 Year Barn Find

We’ve heard of barn finds, but this is something else – Charterhouse Auctions is planning to offer a bike that’s been in uninterrupted storage for over 90 years! Maybe the term ‘barn find’ is pushing it a bit, but the British Motor Traction, built circa 1900, was loaned to the Science Museum in 1933 by the owner’s family, who recognised it even then as an historic machine. Did it ever go on display? We don’t know, but soon afterwards the Museum put the bike into store, and there it stayed until Charterhouse was recently commissioned to put it under the hammer. Charterhouse boss George Beale said: “Whilst it is amazing to think this bike has been hidden away for all these decades,

New Petition to Ban Unsafe Bike Kit

Paul Varnsverry, the highly respected motorcycling clothing expert, is launching a campaign aimed at eliminating uncertified and potentially unsafe bike kit, currently being imported into the UK and offered for sale online. Varnsverry, Technical Director of clothing consultant at  PVA-PPE, is started a petition aimed at alerting Government to the dangers of untested kit. In conversation with MCN, he praised the efforts of Trading Standards in the last three years, in checking bike shows and high street shops for sub-standard kit. But he added that clothing offered online is attempting to circumvent these checks. “I started noticing a significant number of vendors selling untested, non-certified clothing,” he said, “using social media to bypass the usual checks and balances put in place

SOME LIGHT AT THE END OF THE POTHOLE…

POTHOLE PARTNERSHIP REVEALS IMPROVING PICTURE ON NATIONAL POTHOLE DAY • The AA attended 643,318 pothole related incidents in 2024, down compared to previous year • Partnership urges councils to make permanent repairs a priority over temporary fixes • Drop in pothole incidents coincides with rise in repair costs • Pothole damage costs drivers whopping £579m The Pothole Partnership is calling for more permanent repairs and greater use of innovation and technology on National Pothole Day (15 January) to reduce vehicle damage and injuries to cyclists and motor cycle riders. One year after launching, The Pothole Partnership is also supported by the British Motorcyclists Federation, IAM RoadSmart and TyreSafe. comprising of The AA, British Cycling, JCB and the National Motorcyclists Council and other supporting organisations, have welcomed

Ariel Motorcycle Production Ends

Ariel motorcycle production has ended. That might be a surprise to those who associate the name with Britain’s glory biking days of the 1930s and the ‘50s, but for the last ten years, Ariel has been building the Ace, a VFR1200-powered super naked bike. Designed as a two-wheeled equivalent to Ariel’s lightweight Atom sports car, the Ace was a striking design using a trellis aluminium main frame and high tech girder forks. Power came from Honda’s 1237cc V4 from the VFR1200, mated to the optional DCT transmission – with 175bhp, it gave the Ace stunning performance, but the end of VFR production seems likely to have influenced Ariel’s decision to end production. The last customer bike, finished in Gulf colours, was

Staffordshire Police Use Bikes to Combat Thefts

Staffordshire Police have been fighting bike theft by equipping specially trained officers with drones and Honda CRF300L off-road bikes – and the new strategy is working. Operation Transom, put into action on Sunday 15th December, saw officers from three Staffordshire units – Park Hall Country Park, Werrington and Bucknall – target areas where anti-social riding had been reported. Inspector Becci Price said: “On many occasions the actions of those involved have not only been anti-social but also reckless and criminal. Riders risk injuring themselves, other road users and pedestrians. They will be dealt with accordingly through disqualification, arrest and prosecution.” Operation Transom worked by using the CRF-mounted officers as deterrent patrols and a drone for additional information. Two stolen bikes were

Suzuki GSX-R to Return?

Has the death of the sports bike been exaggerated? Toshihiro Suzuki, President of Suzuki Motor Corporation, has hinted that the EICMA show in November 2025 could see a significant sports bike launch for the company. Speaking to Motorcycle News in late December 2024, he said: “We cannot tell you the detail, but we think it’s important to bring supersport motorcycles to the market, adapting to the new regulations...We think it’s important, because it’s Suzuki’s heritage.” The reference to ‘heritage’ is significant, because it could signal the return of a four-cylinder GSX-R – Suzuki’s current sports bike offerings are limited to the single-cylinder GSX-R 125 and GSX-8R parallel-twin. The GSX-R fours were iconic models for Suzuki in the past, allowing it to own

New Year Message from the Chair

After an eventful 2024 , what with the change of Government and a new array of Ministers to inform, persuade and guide about Motorcycle matters, we head into 2025. The work has already begun, with the BMF holding a Breakfast event, with our partners in the National Motorcyclists Council, at the House of Commons, attended by MPs and officials. The officials are important, as the collective memory of government, who we need to influence and guide as to what’s important to riders. We are particularly keen to agree a national motorcycle strategy, as a coherent way forward to improve rider’s environment in safety, infrastructure and sustainability as a form of transport. Let’s never forget that biking is the most environmentally sound form

AGV Researches Recycled Motorcycle Helmets

Dainese, owner of AGV Helmets, has announced the world’s first helmet recycling scheme, using recycled materials from end-of-life lids to help make new ones. Currently, all old helmets, whether crash damaged or simply having reached the end of their useful life, go to landfill or incineration, and manufacturers are now looking for less ecologically damaging means of disposal, of which recycling is an attractive option, possibly saving costs on using all-new materials for every new helmet. The research and development project, for which Dainese is currently building a new factory, appears to address two issues: the recycling of plastics in existing lids, and the design of new ones to make them easier to recycle when the time comes. The company is

Honda and Nissan in Merger Talks

Honda is in talks with Nissan and Mitsubishi about a possible merger, in a move which would create a $54 billion company, number 3 in world car sales. Honda already co-operates with Nissan on electric car technology but increasing competition from Tesla and Chinese EV manufacturers and the possible increased import duties of the incoming Trump administration, is forcing the three Japanese giants to consider a full merger. There’s no mention of motorcycles in the press coverage surrounding the announcement, which was made on 16th December. But there’s reason to believe that such a large-scale merger would be good news for Honda’s motorcycle division. Neither Nissan nor Mitsubishi currently builds powered two-wheelers (the latter offered a scooter called ‘Silver Pigeon’ in

CCM Bounces Back with new bike plans

Bolton-based CCM, one of Britain’s few motorcycle manufacturers, gave a glimpse of its future model plans at Motorcycle Live. The company, founded by Alan Clews in 1971 and run and owned by the Clews family for much of its existence, was taken over by Pitalia Capital in 2022, which until now has continued with the existing line-up of 600cc road bikes. CCM’s Managing Director Jason Broome, who took over the top job in May 2024, has said that new engine platforms will be introduced over the next three years. The first new bike will be the Project X adventure machine, which was unveiled at Motorcycle Live and is due to go on sale in May 2025. With a distinctly retro look

Bike Clubs urged to go digital by Federation of British Historic Vehicle Clubs

Britain’s classic vehicle clubs – for motorcycles, cars and commercial vehicles – are being urged to take on digital technology to combat falling memberships. Many clubs are faced with ageing demographics and a need to attract a new generation of younger members, but some are still relying on traditional methods such as printed magazines and local events. Writing in Historic, the magazine of the Federation of British Historic Vehicle Clubs (FBHVC), digital expert Will Jefferies said: “In today’s digital world, a strong online presence is essential to attract new members. Without it, clubs may struggle to engage younger audiences who prefer digital platforms.” Will Jefferies went on to recommend automated software for admin tasks such as membership renewal, freeing up club volunteers

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