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THIS MONTH...

Bulldog Bash goes ahead

Stratford Council have rejected Warwickshire Police’s application for a licence review. It appears the application did not contain sufficient grounds to warrant a review to overturn last year’s decision, which had extended the licence until 2018. The Bulldog organisers are justifiably pleased with the announcement and now hope to work with police to ensure the safety and success of this year’s show at Shakespeare County Raceway on 6-9 August.

The organisers are investing heavily to bring visitors a bigger, better show for 2009, with headline music acts Motorhead, UFO and Oliver/Dawson SAXON all officially confirmed. Music updates just breaking cover include the line up for the Bulldog’s new Area81 stage launched at last year's show – The Area81 stage predominantly features up and coming bands, who have showcased at Bristol’s underground Area81 rock club – the line-up so far: Hellbound, Big Num, Zombie Met Girl, The Buffalo Kings, Voodoo Johnson, Fury UK, Desert Storm, Imicus, Somnus, Riot Noise, The Leftovers and Smackla. Turn to our events news on page 35 for more details.

Pay up, or say goodbye to pride and joy

Had your bike nicked? Want it back? Well it’ll cost you – about £260 and counting according to the West Yorkshire Police. And if you don’t pay up you can say goodbye to your pride and joy as it’ll ends up as a cube of scrap metal.

This was the disheartening experience faced by 20-year-old Dominic Boddy of Batley, West Yorkshire, who had his Yamaha SR125 stolen on May 24. The bike was recovered and Dominic was told he could have his bike back as long as he paid the £150 recovery fee. But this increases by £10 each day the bike is stored, and Dominic, who is unemployed, now faces a bill of £260. Failure to pay the costs within 14 days will result in the £700 bike being crushed, and a further charge being added to the bill.

Police have defended their actions claiming that most people can recover the costs through their insurance company and that if they were to waive the charges whenever a vehicle is recovered their budgets would suffer. Not much help to Dominic though as his insurance excess is £250 and he would be out of pocket either way.

Local MP Mike Wood has intervened and spoken to police and though he has confirmed he is taking up the issue he said it would be a long process which wouldn’t benefit Dominic in time.

Real Retro

Royal Enfield has given its popular Trials model the new fuel-injected, unit-construction engine for 2009, as well as some other new features.

Inspired by Royal Enfield’s outstanding successes in the International Six Days’ Trial, during the postwar years, glory days for British riders, the Trials model is designed to capture the sprit of the ‘unstoppable Bullet’ in a package that will be comfortable to ride on today’s roads.

The new EFI Trials model features braced ‘scrambles’ handlebars, alloy mudguards and matching bash plate, a new tail-light and solo seat. Updates for 2009 include vintage-style, block pattern trials tyres and a small luggage rack, for which an optional pillion seat pad is available. At the heart of the 2009 Trials machine is Royal Enfield’s new fuel-injected, unit-construction engine. This is light and efficient and produces 27.5hp in standard form while meeting the Euro 3 emissions requirements. The upswept sports silencer, with a heat shield, fitted to the Trials bike is shorter and lighter than the standard silencer and has been re-engineered to complement the engine management unit, allowing the engine to breathe more freely. The Trials EFI sells for £4499 OTR. See our first test on page 10.

• Contact 01386 700907 or visit the website at www.royal-enfield.com

Much more in the current issue of Motor Cycle Monthly >>

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Test controversy continues

It’s only been with us since the end of April but the new two-part practical test is fast becoming a farce. With 15 accidents in its first three weeks alone, the Driving Standards Agency (DSA) is under increasing pressure to review it.

It is the new EU-imposed swerve test that is the problem. Test requirements stipulate that learners must reach a speed of 50kph (31.6mph), then perform a swerve on special test centre tracks.

However, if riders brake and swerve at the same time, they are likely to come off the bike, particularly in wet conditions. This is dangerous and obviously ridiculous, especially given the fact that learners are taught to ride taking road conditions into account.

Action groups, including the British Motorcyclists' Federation, Motorcycle Action Group and the Driving Instructors' Democratic Union, are concerned that the test has been brought in without enough consultation or consideration to riders. Rob Booth from the Academy of Safe Motorcycling is among those calling for concessions in wet conditions. He recently described how the controversial swerve test is carried out: “You ride a curved circuit, achieving a speed of 19mph (30kph). As you come off the top of the curve you have to accelerate though an electronic speed-measuring device and you need to be doing 50kph (around 31.6mph). You then swerve off either to the left or to the right, depending on the layout, to avoid two blue cones, coming back in and braking to a halt in a stop-box.

“We’re looking for concession on the actual day that you do the test, if the surface is wet, because that’s what we would normally do in wet weather – we would allow double the distance to stop. Unfortunately, we’re not getting that concession. We’re not against the test, we’re just against people getting injured and damaging school bikes, because they cost a lot of money and we can’t train without them.”

The Driving Standards Agency maintains that the new test is designed to be more challenging but not more dangerous, and that riders who have trained and practised enough should be able to pass.

There is also concern about the introduction of the new test itself, before adequate test facilities are up and running. Training schools and test centres without the facilities now required are being forced out of business, so riders will have to travel as far as 140 miles, whatever the weather, to take their tests.

Ian Mutch from the Motorcycle Action Group says: “At a time when so much emphasis is rightly being put on the need for good training to prepare new riders for the road, it is ironic that we should be prematurely adopting a new regime that is going to make fresh problems rather than curing old ones.”

Much more in the current issue of Motor Cycle Monthly >>

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Bid to reduce UK accident figures

YA national road safety organisation is working towards a further drop in traffic casualties with a new focus that aims to engage with everyone.

Earlier this month, the Local Authority Road Safety Officers’ Association (LARSOA) relaunched itself as Road Safety GB in an effort to reach out to every individual across the UK.

Alan Kennedy, road safety section manager at Durham County Council, has taken over as chairman of the newly renamed organisation and said it wished to broaden its sphere of influence and become a familiar name to families everywhere.

Mr Kennedy said the organisation, which represents local authority road safety teams across the UK, believed that if the number of road deaths and injuries was to significantly fall, everyone, from young children to pensioners, had to play their part.

“At some time in our lives, virtually all of us will be affected by the fall-out from a road crash,” said Mr Kennedy. “Even if we are not involved ourselves, we will know people such as friends, family or work colleagues, who are injured or die as a result of a crash. Making our roads safer is a challenge for all of us, not just road safety professionals. We are all in this together. While LARSOA has served us reasonably well, it’s a clumsy name that is hard to pronounce and remember. It’s well known within road safety circles, but almost unknown outside the profession. Our re-brand is much more than a change of name. It signifies our intention to go out and engage with everyone.”

Road Safety GB will be campaigning on four key issues, namely driver behaviour, particularly in young motorists, impairment through drink and drug driving, motorcyclists and vulnerable road users, such as cyclists, pedestrians and the elderly.

The new website can be found at www.roadsafetygb.org.uk

Much more in the current issue of Motor Cycle Monthly >>

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QUICK LINES

Turnin’ heads
This beautiful Belstaff Bonnie sidecar outfit by Altamura Concepts of Surrey proves that British craftsmanship and engineering are alive and well.

Its unique combination blends the limited edition Belstaff Bonneville, built by Triumph (in Hinckley), with a hand-built Watsonian GP 700 sidecar (made in the Cotswolds).

Prices for the Watsonian GP 700 sidecars, similar to the one pictured, start at £3385 (colour-matched paintwork is an optional extra). A full factory-fitting service, with tuition for novice drivers, is also available. Contact Watsonian-Squire on 01386 700907 or visit www.watsonian-squire.com

Design house Altamura can be found at 01276 61650 or at www.altamura.co.uk

Man reports son missing
Jacksonville, Florida; When Shawn Ivory felt police were not going to put much effort into recovering his missing motorcycle, he decided to try another tactic to raise their interest – claiming his one-year-old son had been abducted!

Ivory, 37, claimed he was attacked by thieves, who stole his motorcycle and abducted his child. After an intensive two-hour search, deputies found Ivory’s son safe with his mother. It transpired that Ivory had told the unnamed woman to take the child out of day care to make it look like he was missing.

Ivory has been charged with filing a false police report, which is a first-degree misdemeanour. The woman has not been charged. The motorcycle is still missing.

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