Motorcycle Live 2018 Part 1 Copy
Read between the lines of the bike press and the general feeling is that 2018 has been a little bit thin when it comes to exciting new announcements. The suspicion is that the impending Euro 5 emissions and noise regulations (effective 2021) mean that...
An A-Z Guide to Motorcycling in France
ccidents – Those things that only happen to other people – hopefully. But if you do come across one be aware that there is a legal duty to “assist persons in danger” so theoretically you could be prosecuted if you don’t stop and help....
Does Suzuki Have a Future?
With the global economy about to swan-dive into depths not seen for more than a century and many European governments piling on the pressure to speed up the transition to zero-tailpipe-emissions motoring, many are arguing that motorcycling faces an...
Yamaha Tracer 900 GT Review
There are a lot of motorcycles that, on paper, look perfect. Ride enough bikes and apply a little critical thinking and you can start to spot the things you like and the things you don’t in each offering. Eventually, you build up a list of the best aspects...
Science of Being Seen – Part 6
Looked but FAILED TO SEE! Last time out I began explaining how in around one-third of all collisions, the bike was in a place the driver could have seen it but for some reason FAILED TO SEE the machine - a ‘detection error’ where the driver looked in the right place,...
Science of Being Seen – Part 5
Looked but FAILED TO SEE! The most common collision between a motorcycle and another vehicle happens at a junction, when the other vehicle (usually a car) turns across the motorcyclist’s path. It accounts for the majority of crashes in an urban area but is also a...
40,000 miles on a Triumph Street Triple R
Impractical, too small, no wind protection...a perfect all-round motorcycle? Has it really been six years? My RoadTrip report reckons so. It was the 5th of October 2013 when I signed the paperwork and rode away on my brand new Triumph Street Triple R....
Bullets, Camels, Elephants & Tigers (Part 2)
John and Patrick’s Indian adventure continues from our April issue: The next morning our departure was delayed due to lots of local families wanting to speak English and have their photos taken with us and the bikes. Eventually we left and rode on to...
Science of Being Seen – Part 4
‘RIDE BRIGHT’ or ‘THINK BIKE’ success? I’ve made a start on what the Science Of Being Seen - both the research and the presentation - is all about, and I mentioned a bit about the background context and just why I felt it necessary to put this work together. The...
Bullets, Camels, Elephants & Tigers (Part 1)
Having spent a lazy summer swanning around the Cotswolds, John Stevenson was getting bored. Patrick White, who was recovering from a serious illness, was also bored, having not been on a bike for nine months. Both wanting to extend their biking horizons,...
Unusual & Infrequent Maintenance
How many of you have ever actually looked at the section of your bike’s owner’s manual titled “Service schedule”? At best, you’ve maybe glanced at the long list, noted the intervals, and made a note to drop your bike off with your dealer or independent...
Science of Being Seen – Part 3
SMIDSY - there’s more than one driver error Thanks to decades of ‘Think Bike’ style campaigns which in essence tell drivers to “look harder” or “look longer” for motorcycles it’s not surprising that most riders believe that the SMIDSY results from poor driving skills...
Science of Being Seen – Part 2
Looked but Could Not See In the moments leading up to a SMIDSY, we can usually see the car. We can often see the driver. Ergo, we assume the driver should be able to see us ‘if he looks properly’. It’s the obvious, common-sense, conclusion. It may be obvious....
Is Motorcycle Journalism Broken?
A family relative recently advised me that they would be cancelling their subscription to a mainstream motorcycle magazine, commenting that they found my own reviews more useful and interesting than those written by apparently more experienced and...
A Different Type of Riding (Part 5: Putting it to the test)
Turns out an oversized scooter makes an excellent two-up touring bike. While I ride some motorcycles purely out of a sense of curiosity, newcomers to this site may not realise that, in many cases, I’m simply documenting the process by which I search for my...
Science of Being Seen – Part 1
Unless you’ve been under a rock, you’ve probably heard of ‘Biker Down’. It’s an accident scene management and first aid course delivered to motorcyclists by many UK fire services. It’s been adopted by the military too. There’s also a third pro-active safety module on...
Ups and Downs in the Picos de Europa
On the recommendation of Neil Kerr and others, and with some trepidation, we entered our 1934 Lion 600 outfit for this year’s Colombres Rally in October. How would we manage those mountain roads in the company of much more current machinery?Early on the...
Triumph Factory Visitor Experience
Triumph has been around since 1902. In its heyday the company was one of the world’s most successful motorcycle brands, but following sustained periods of low of investment and the arrival of Japanese competition in the 70s, the business collapsed in 1983....
Five Go Mad in Spain
Aragon MotoGP 2019 Tour About a year ago a few biker friends and I were kicking around ideas for a European tour for 2019. My mates had done a few before, such as the MotoGPs at Assen, Catalunya and Misano. I started riding again in 2015 after a long break...
End of an Era
As we reach the end of the decade and another season packed with motorcycle shows has wrapped up it’s worth reflecting once more on where the last ten years have brought us, and where we might be going. The age of the superbike is over, and the age of the...
Girls On Top – Motorcycle Adventure
(Nobody said it would be a holiday!)by Dani Fiddaman and Steph Jeavons Hold My Beer! Two years ago, as Steph was getting close to the end of her journey around the world, she mentioned the idea of a new adventure. “Do you fancy riding to Everest Base...
Who wants to Wander the Wobbly Windies of Wild West Wales?
...and how about adding the wet! First Time Run Leader - Mark Melbourne The email arrived announcing the 39th 7Ws, and it was a welcome distraction. Now for the form. The usual stuff, but then questions about run leader and back marking. The simplest...
Picos de Europa (Gallery)
Many of us have spent time in the Picos Mountains in Northern Spain this summer - and you can see why! If you haven't, it may be time to consider them, 24hr ferry to Spain, stunning scenery and fantastic roads. Photos: Andy Sellers, Jane & Alan Bradford, Kathy...
One Bike to Rule Them All?
Motorcyclists, on average, own more than one motorcycle. Only truly hardcore automotive enthusiasts own more than one car, the financial and logistical constraints of the format conspiring to ensure that even most performance-oriented cars need to be able...
From Rookie to Advanced Rider
Until a few years ago, I had absolutely no interest in bikes. My only experience was riding my Dad’s old Puch Maxi 50cc moped just to get me to and from college for a year. Once I’d passed my driving test, I never gave bikes a second thought. I preferred...
Why do they do it?
Changing the framework of your mind! Elspeth Beard, you may have come to see her at the TVAM Seminar on 19th June - nearly 100 members did. Describing her as a remarkable lady is never going to do her justice! If you missed it, you missed a great...
How Slow Did You Go?
Sausage Fest & Slow Riding 2019A wet and windy morning at St. Crispin's fortunately gave way to a warm and sunny afternoon with many enjoying the slow riding, sausages and Kathy's ice creams. It was also time for members to bring their dogs out in force!First...
David Jacobi Müllenborn Trip 2019
So having dashed off a few lines about riding before, I wondered how hard it could be to write something to capture the happenings on the recent TVAM trip to Mullenborn - named after our past late Chairman David Jacobi who started it all back in 2009. The thing...
Saddlesore 1000
Chasing the Sun, G310 Charity Fun for Hampshire and IOW Air AmbulanceThe Saddlesore 1000 mile in 24 hour Challenge is described as an entry level event by the Iron Butt Association, so I thought to myself, “What better for an entry level event than an...
3Rs Returns to Ross-on-Wye
The weekend of the 9-11th August saw 30 riders and 1 pillion head to Ross-on-Wye for a superb weekend, staying at the Penyard House Hotel. The weekend promised good roads in good company with observed rides to those that wanted them. The weather, by...
We All Have A Story To Tell
We all have a motorbike story/journey to tell. Mine started in 1992 as an 11-year old going to secondary school for the first time and passing the motorbike shop with its mass of green Kawasakis outside. When I first saw a Ninja, I knew I would one day own one. Fast...
Garmin/BMW SatNav 6: Black Screen Disaster & Repair
A few weeks back, while planning my 7Ws routes and uploading to my SatNav 6, the screen went black and just wouldn’t switch on. Battery was good, external power good, it just wouldn’t turn on. Like laptops when they go wrong, you simply remove all power supplies and...
Cottage Industry Meets 21st Century Tech. Copy
Friday dawned warm and sunny on 28th June with a forecast high of 25C, so I was glad I had booked the day off work for a ride up to Castle Donington to visit the Norton factory. What a lovely set up and beautiful place to work. Our TVAM group of 23 in total, gathered...
Full English, -ish
A trip to the Norton factory meant arriving early at Beaconsfield Services for a full English - Norton’s surely nothing if not the full English? Park up, wander in, burgers, sushi and chicken galore; but egg, bacon, black pud and the rest, in grease with a crisp...
Europe for Beginners
Top Tips for First-Time Travellers Since returning from a European motorcycling adventure last year, I’ve been trying to figure out how to turn my experiences into an interesting article for the magazine. A straight-up ride report (“…and then we carved...
Hot Weather Riding Tips
Make sure all your helmet vents are open. The forehead is a major site of sweat glands (along with hands and feet). Take your lid and gloves off immediately when you stop.Airflow next to the skin is critical, so lots of vents and a loose fit works best....
Welsh Frolics
Well, despite the discouraging forecast, 8 hardy souls set out from the H Café in the drizzle to brave the Welsh hills. Upland roads were avoided as these would have taken us into the cloud, so we stuck to the valleys and enjoyed practising smooth riding...
Sammy Miller’s aka “Cake Heaven”
The Sammy Miller Motorcycle Museum is probably “one of the premier bike museums in the country in terms of the quality and provenance of the exhibits.” I wouldn’t know, I didn’t go in. I was very happy looking at the array of cute animals in the car park, and the...
Sunshine, Marshmallows & Chocolate*
It seemed like a good idea at the time, volunteering to help man the TVAM stand at the MCN Festival in Peterborough, with free camping thrown in. Kelly and I met up with Cheryl for the ride up to Peterborough, with Kelly agreeing to lead the way, as I can’t navigate...
3Rs go to the Yorkshire Dales (May 2019)
Say Cheese! Maybe a little bit of Wensleydale? Fantastic roads & scenery. Perfect amount of stops. The group I was allocated to was brilliant......lovely and thoughtful riders. Pleasure to be riding with them all. The best days riding I have had in a long...
Triumph Tiger 800 XRT
It’s safe to say that Triumph and I have had our differences over the years. My 2013 Street Triple R is the only motorcycle I’ve ever bought brand new, and the brand’s response to my textiles scuffing the paint on the tank within a few hundred miles was...
Triumph to BMW – What was I thinking?
I have been riding Triumph Tigers of various descriptions for 25 years. I have covered many thousands of miles on my various Tigers, and every time I have changed, I have used the opportunity to try other similar bikes and to be happy in my own mind that I was still...
A Different Type of Riding (Part 4: 2019 Yamaha T-Max)
It’s been a little while since I test-rode any new motorcycles as part of my search for a comfortable, relaxing, low-speed, two-up touring bike. I wanted something with a feet-forward riding position, that could carry two in relative comfort while being...
Dedicated Follower of Fashion?
BMW R1250GS Review Henry Ford is said to have opined that, should he have asked people what they wanted from a future transport solution they would have simply requested a faster horse. Apple famously made its fortune delivering products that nobody knew...
A Different Type of Riding (Part 3: 2018 Harley Davidson Sport Glide)
Those of you who have been following this mini-series will have discovered that while mid-capacity scooters tick a lot of practical boxes, they don’t provide a visceral low-speed experience to augment a sight-seeing tour through Scandinavia. Given that a...
Kiwi Caper
For years I’ve been hearing New Zealand’s a wonderful place to ride, I’ve got a standing invite from an old mate who lives on Waiheke Island and it’s summer there when it’s winter here. So it was always going to be a place I’d do a bike trip. Preparations...
A Different Type of Riding (Part 2: The Honda Forza 300)
Feet-forward riding position? Low-speed comfort, lockable luggage and epic fuel range? Surely there can be but one solution - a mid-capacity scooter! Scooters are much-maligned here in the UK, our past obsession with sports bikes often pointed to as the...
Yamaha Tracer 900GT
Do expectations always deliver? And just what is the true potential of the new Yamaha Tracer 900GT? Keith Yallop reports on his bike purchase of May 2018. After over 9,000 miles he asks, “Is this the ultimate jack-of-all-trades?” I have been biking for...
A Different Type of Riding (Part 1)
It may come as no surprise to many of you that not everyone wants to ride everywhere as fast as possible. It certainly puzzled me for quite some time.My entire riding career has been spent in the pursuit of optimising, improving and developing both my...
Through Northern Europe & The Balkans to Athens
The usual winter time discussion over a beer: where can we go this year that would be memorable and that we haven’t been before? How about Athens?International trips are easy to plan with Booking.com, magazine articles, Google maps distances, talking with...
Motorcycle Live 2018 Part 2
Continuing Nick Tasker’s review of the Motorcycle Live event held last November at the NEC... DucatiWe had all the big reveals last year so, for 2018, the Italian firm have tried to make as big a deal as possible about mid-cycle refreshes to their existing...
The Royal Enfield Himalayan
Remember when the Dacia Sandero launched in the UK? It made a big splash in the automotive press and even beyond; an actual, proper car for just £6,000. With the competition priced close to three times that amount it was no surprise that a lot of people...
Reading Toy Run 2019 (Gallery)
Christmas cheer for the kids of Barnardo's 1,528 motorcycles with 447 pillions attended the Reading Toy Run this year. The run which goes from The Amec Foster Wheeler building (now called Wood Group plc) to High Close School, the Barnardo’s school in Wokingham is in...
Are You Fit to Ride?
So when do motorcycle riders have to take an MOT ? Well never. Unless you reach a certain age or have a declared medical condition you probably have never had someone check out your suitability to go riding. Providing your license permits it you can merrily throw a...
Winter Riding
This is one of a series of articles on advanced riding techniques that appears in the Club's monthly magazine, Slipstream. This month we look at winter riding and the conditions which dictate some different thinking when out on the road with regards to your riding,...
To the Land of Wallace & Gromit
One Year after joining TVAM, I find myself heading North with thirty-odd, like- minded souls for a 3Rs adventure in Yorkshire to put into practice everything I have learned over the past 12 months. The skies are blue and the roads are dry and as we meet up...
Riders Ride (November 2018)
Continuing our Rider’s Rides! Each month we feature a TVAM member and their bike, talk about why they chose that model, what they use it for, as well as what they like and dislike about it. Want to see your bike featured? Get in touch at pressofficer@slipstream.org...
All Bikers Great and Small
TVAM 3Rs – Up North Edition, October 2018 As summer began to fade into memory and autumn took hold, 30 hardy TVAMers gathered in Oxford for a 3-day trip to the Yorkshire Dales. Smaller in scale than 7Ws, but no less ambitious for fun, 3Rs is TVAM’s...
The 7Ws Smile Says it All! (Gallery)
A short time ago, my husband returned from his first training trip to Wales. He raved about it so much, saying it was a great confidence-booster weekend, exactly what I needed to build up my own confidence and suggesting that I go on the next trip. “Good for him,” I...
Intermot 2018
Intermot, the Cologne International Motorcycle Show, has one key difference when compared to the other European bike shows - it only runs every other year. For one reason or another I’ve kept missing my window of opportunity, but this time I was finally...
3Rs Yorkshire Weekend
The second trip for the 3Rs team took a group of 30 TVAM members to the Yorkshire Dales over the weekend of 19-21st October. Smaller in scale than 7W's but no less ambitious for fun, 3Rs is TVAM's bi-annual trip taking Associates Full Members, Trainee Observers and...
7Ws #37 in Wales
It really was a glorious 7Ws #37 over the weekend 28th - 30th September in sunny Wales. Much was learnt and digested by the 60+ riders who attended. We had the pleasure of the company of Sean Westlake, an ex police motorcyclist who has supported our Observers at their...
Sausage Fest & Slow Riding
TVAM held their Sizzling Sausage Slow Riding Social afternoon on August 19th in blazing sunshine after the regular St Crispin's monthly meeting. Over 100 members enjoyed the wide range of sausages on offer from the charcoal BBQ including South African Boerewors,...
Breakdown Insurance – Are You Covered?
Many of us have breakdown cover to deal with those situations when things don’t go quite as planned. Most of us who ride bikes also know it’s important to ensure your cover includes recovery in case of an accident as, let’s face it, bikes tend to ‘fall over’ more...
Lois Pryce and her Revolutionary Ride
Lois came to speak to TVAM on Wednesday 12th April in her usual ebullient manner and gave us a very entertaining and informative evening about her time in Iran, with the overriding emphasis on the wonderful hospitality of its people. A good turnout from the club, with...
IN PURSUIT OF FUN – ANDALUSIAN STYLE (April 17)
January can be bleak in England, so in pursuit of fun and sun I flew to southern Spain. I have often wondered what trail biking is like – it looks so different to road riding. The bikes are different, and so is the kit. The places are very different and...
THE LONDON MOTORCYCLE MUSEUM (March 17)
It’s a Sunday morning in early November when everything’s suddenly tinged sharp white and it’s official - summer’s gone. The Ducati rattles as I watch her clocks reflecting engine and grips warming. It was my sixtieth a couple of weeks ago and Associate...
Riders Ride (March 17)
Welcome to Rider’s Rides! Each month we’ll feature a TVAM member and their bike, talk about why they chose that model, what they use it for, as well as what they like and dislike about it. Want to see your bike featured? Get in touch at pressofficer@slipstream.org...
London Motorcycle Show (March 17)
The London Motorcycle Show is the one I almost never think I’ll attend. Coming just a couple of short months after the trinity of Intermot, EICMA and Motorcycle Live, it’s always going to suffer a little bit from show-fatigue. Whereas the big...
Is this Spring?
The sun was (nearly) shining on Sunday for the February St. Crispin’s meeting but the warmer weather brought members out, with 240 bikes in the car park and 8 first timers welcomed by the Meet & Greet team. Spring could be a few weeks off yet but the popular Green...
Riders Ride (February 17)
Introducing a new feature here in Slipstream: Rider’s Rides! Each month we’re going to feature a TVAM member and their bike, talk about why they chose that model, what they use it for, as well as what they like and dislike about it. Want to see your bike...
DIY Heated Jacket
A few years ago I found myself commuting about an hour each way through the winter and, as the weather got colder, I started to think about electric-heated jackets. Something all heated jackets seem to have in common is that they’re quite expensive, and I’m a...
MY NEW YEAR’S EVE WITH THE BOYS IN BLUE
Last November I sat down with my Associate for a run debrief over a cup of tea in the Fox and Hounds. We got talking about his day/night job as a Police Sergeant stationed at Bracknell. I mentioned to him that one of my ambitions in life was to ride in a...
Zero DSR Review
It seems that the world is changing faster than we think. With technology in electric vehicles constantly getting better, owning an electric vehicle is becoming more viable by the day. On my daily commute, I see more and more fully electric cars. I first...
A Steamy Evening with the IAM
On Wednesday evening, over 70 Associates, Full Members, TOb’s, Observers and even a prospective member, crammed into a small meeting room at the Coppid Beech Hotel in Bracknell to hear Shaun Cronin talk about the latest developments occurring at the IAM - now of...
STREET 750 PASSES WITH FLYING COLOURS! (January 17)
Published: 27 November 2016 in MCN By Alison Silcox Office manager and centre of the MCN universe What a cracking way to round off my year of riding the Harley-Davidson Street 750, I’ve just passed my IAM Advanced riding test and I’m pretty chuffed. I took...
CAFE REVIEW New Forest Minstead Village Shop and Tea Room (Jan 17)
Some time ago, I had the pleasure of joining a Mark Spittles’ group run through the New Forest. It was one of those memorable rides and my introduction to exploring the ancient commons and medieval woodland with the wild ponies and cattle. The contribution made by the...
Motorcycle Live 2016 (Jan 17)
Another year, another Motorcycle Live - the final of the big three European winter bike shows, and the one most likely to attract TVAM members. After all, Birmingham is a far shorter drive than Cologne or Milan. For some, it’s simply a great...
MCN Success in December with TVAM
Alison Silcox claims to be the centre of the MCN universe as she’s the office manager and also a regular contributor to the weekly publication. Back in March when she decided to was time to improving her riding skills she turned to TVAM and Alie Ball, one of...
Yamaha MT10 Review
In 2009, Yamaha broke from accepted form by equipping their range-topping litre bike with a cross-plane crank, delivering the sound and power delivery of a V4 in an inline four package. For bikers bored with more than a decade of howling exhaust notes it was a breath...
Yamaha Tracer 700
In many ways, the development and subsequent announcement of this motorcycle was an inevitability. More and more manufacturers are embracing platform sharing as a way to reduce both the costs and risks of bringing an extended range of models to market. After the...
Spanish Raid (October 2016)
What a trip! It all started with an email earlier in the year from Alan Mossman, informing us of an upcoming trip in September to the Picos de Europa in Northern Spain. We have been on a handful of trips with the bike in in the past couple of years but this...
The wrong kind of salt (October 2016)
Trying to achieve 400mph on two wheels was never going to be easy. Racing the Isle of Man TT or the Dakar Rally is hard, but they’re more about endurance and consistency than they are about breaking new ground. It’s all been done before and you’re following in brave...
Honda NC750X DCT Review
I rode this bike’s predecessor, the NC700X, back when it first launched in the UK in 2012. There have been several minor changes since then, not least the engine growing 50cc and 7 horsepower. But this year Honda, dramatically restyled the whole 750 lineup, eschewing...
Magical Mystery Ride
Get in touch with your local team to see what they are planning and buy your ticket from the web shop.
Death of the “Counterpart Driving Licence”
What’s happening? The paper part (headed Counterpart Driving Licence, D740) of your 2-part licence ceases to have any legal meaning on the 8th June 2015. The DVLA say you should destroy it. Everyone else (AA etc.) says keep it safe just in case. Instead of recording...
New Blood Bikers Video
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mi1zWjKgEro
7Ws #30 Spring 2015: 10th – 12th April 2015!
Yes, the next 7Ws will be held in the Spring from 10th to 12th April, and will be the 30th time that this fantastic event has run. Even more opportunity to improve your riding standard and build your TVAM network. Watch out for some special celebratory touches......
Richard Tickner Charity Skydive – thanks to all my sponsors.
Many, many thanks to all those of you who made a donation to the Thames Valley Air Ambulance fund and I sincerely hope that you never need to cash it in. The sponsorship came to £550. Well worth the jump. If you are looking for a different speed thrill then skydiving...
Last days for Loomies
Latest is that Loomies has been saved with new owners taking over. Long live Loomies!
“Never Too Good” Episode 4: Nobody’s Too Good
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ExFXSjyHMk0
“Never Too Good” Episode 3: Roadcraft
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Geh-IseipVU
“Never Too Good” Episode 2: Look Lean Roll
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=npJyX7X3iLY
“Never Too Good” Episode 1: Back to School
The video is part one of the Department for Transport’s latest “Think!” campaign. World Superbike Rider, Chaz Davies, joined comedian Alan Davies and eight regular riders to undertake further training to improve their riding skills on the road and prove you’re never...
New THINK! campaign – Never too good (Trailer)
The video is the trailer for the Department for Transport’s new “Think!” campaign. World Superbike Rider, Chaz Davies, joined comedian Alan Davies and eight regular riders to undertake further training to improve their riding skills on the road and prove you’re never...
7Ws #29 – Autumn 2014
DANCE OF THE SEVEN VALES (including Ebbw and others) After 28 previous attempts you would think they could get it right, wouldn’t you? And I expect they could if it wasn’t for the rest of the bunch, who always, but always make it difficult by screwing something...
7Ws #28 – Spring 2014
7Ws #28 SPRING (ALLEGEDLY) After a round of meetings (a.k.a. tea drinking marathons) the usual suspects had arranged room allocations, routes, run leaders and back markers. So we were all set. On this trip there were added refinements – coloured armbands and parking...
7Ws #27 – Autumn 2013
7 verses, 7Ws and many, many thanks Being somewhat deranged I stand often accused And as I mature I become more confused But it’s to the following who, last weekend, I credit for ‘driving me right round the bend’! (so to speak) Thanks to the run leaders and back...
7Ws #26 – Spring 2013
A very different kettle of fish After a ropey start with Stalag 17 at Victoria Wells having gone bust, preparations had gone really well. Chris had found a new venue able to take sufficient numbers - up to eighty peeps at one stage. There was a new computerised...
What Not To Wear
Hot summer days; I love them. It must be five years since we had some repeatable dry, warm weather when we actually wonder whether we may be too warm with all this biking kit on. But in the last three weeks I must have seen well over twenty riders with no gloves. I...