Best Biking Moments of 2015

First of all, I hope you've all had a good Christmas and New Year! I thought I'd start the new year off by reliving some of my best biking moments of 2015 as it was a relatively big year for me in terms of biking.

I started 2015 only being able to ride a 125cc motorbike as I only held a category A1 licence but in March, the opportunity finally arose for me to be able to complete my category A2 training and practical tests. As I had been riding for about 3 years at this point (having completed my CBT at 16), the on-road training was cut down as my instructors thought I had plenty enough road sense but just needed to be reminded of the test routes I could be taken on.
I'm happy to say that I passed both my Module 1 and my Module 2 tests without a hitch and with that, I could finally ride the Suzuki SV650 that had been sat in the garage since September!

Passing my A2 licence Mod 2 test

In August, I went on my first trip abroad on my own motorcycle so that was a great experience for me and also helped me with my group riding skills. We travelled to Ireland, partly to see the Ulster GP, the fastest road race in the world, and partly so I could get some miles down on my SV and who doesn't love a good family biking trip! Unfortunately, I didn't get to see Guy Martin due to his crash but the day at the races was enjoyed all the same. If you want to read more about my trip to Ireland, the link to Day 1 of my tour diary is here. I absolutely loved that trip - the people, the roads, the scenery and best of all, the weather were all great and I'm honestly not sure if it'll ever be beaten.

Riding through the gorgeous sun in Ireland

The next of my best biking moments of 2015, unsurprisingly, I have also written about. This year, I was extremely lucky and got to go and watch the British MotoGP in Silverstone (I'll leave the link to that post here). The atmosphere at Silverstone was wonderful and definitely something I will remember for a long time to come.

Bradley Smith and Scott Redding racing at Silverstone

Cadwell Park was another biking highlight as it gave me a whole day to really get to grips with the feel of the SV650 and how it rode in different conditions with grip and things like that. As I mentioned in the post I wrote about the day, I did learn an awful lot and I'd like to think it improved my riding also!

A damp session but my SV still performed brilliantly

 

So they are my top 4 best biking moments (not in any order other than chronological) of 2015 and I'm hoping for many more this year too. I'm currently trying to plan a trip to Germany for this Summer and so far that is shaping up to be a good trip!

What were your best biking moments of 2015? Or do you have any big plans for 2016? Let me know in the comments, via email or on twitter, links are on the contact page if you need them

Until the next time, ride safe
TFB

Round-Up - EICMA Releases

Hi,

So as I'm sure you've all seen, lots of dealers have been releasing their bikes new for 2016 and they were all on show for the first time at EICMA in Milan. Here is a round-up, with some pictures, of some of the new releases from BMW, Ducati, KTM and more.
Unfortunately, I haven't got pictures of everything but I'm sure if you search for some, there will be plenty around by the end of the week!

KTM: 
KTM have released a new 1290 Super Duke GT and have also updated their Duke 690 and 690R

1290 Super Duke GT

Ducati:
959 Panigale, XDiavel, Hyperstrada 939, Multistrada 1200 Enduro, Scrambler sixty2, Scrambler Flat Track Pro

Scrambler Flat Track Pro

Multistrada 1200 Enduro

959 Panigale

Scrambler sixty2

BMW:
R nine T Scrambler, R nine R, G310 R

R nineT Scrambler

G310 R in white

and the G310 R in blue

Suzuki:
SV650, GSX-1000R, GSX-RR

The SV is heading back towards it's old shape

Yamaha:
MT-10, MT-03, XSR700, XSR900

XSR700, based on the MT-07

XSR900, based on the MT-09 in Yamaha's 60th anniversary colours

R1-M

Kawasaki:
Ninja 300, ZX6-R, ZX10-R Winter, ER-6n, ER-6f, J125, Sugomi Edition Z1000/Z800

Triumph:
Thruxton, Thruxton R, Street Twin, T120, T120 Black, Tiger Explorer XC/XR, Speed Triple R/S

Thruxton R with a custom kit fitted

The new Speed Triple

Honda:
Africa Twin, CB650, CB500F, CB4, CBSix50

The long awaited Africa Twin

Concept adventure-styled scooter

Other notable ones that look to be nice looking bikes include the Aprillia RSV4 RFW Misano, the MV Augusta Brutale 800, the MV Dragster 800 RR LH and the Moto Guzzi V7 Scrambler.

Will post up again as soon as I can but until then, ride safe
TFB

MotoGP - The Final Round, Valencia 2015

Hi guys,

Hope you are all well! As I'm sure many of you know, it is the final round of the 2015 MotoGP World Championship this Sunday at Valencia and there are only 7 points between the top 2 in the championship standings so I thought I'd make a bit of a post about that.

Following the explosive race from Sepang, tensions are almost definitely at an all time high in the MotoGP paddocks this week and with Valentino Rossi only 7 points ahead of Jorge Lorenzo and starting from the back of the grid due to the penalty points he received as a result of the Sepang Clash, it's sure to be a battle right down to the last corner!

The usual Thursday press conference has been cancelled following all riders and teams being called into a meeting by the Permanent Bureau. Part of me believes it was a tactful arranging of the meeting so that no repeats of last week's press conference with accusations being thrown about can occur.

I don't think any of the boys can be discounted from this with the tight nature of the track meaning that the raw power of the bike is not going to be a dominating factor, giving the Open Class riders such as Jack Miller and Nicky Hayden a chance to get involved in some battles as well as racing for competitive finishes.

So, I think we all know this is going to be a highly competitive race with lots of action and for an idea of who is going to win the championship, these are the permutations of where Rossi would need to finish in relation to Lorenzo for him to take that elusive 10th World Title:

Lorenzo 1st -> Rossi 2nd
Lorenzo 2nd -> Rossi 3rd
Lorenzo 3rd -> Rossi 6th
Lorenzo 4th -> Rossi 9th
Lorenzo 5th -> Rossi 11th
Lorenzo 6th -> Rossi 12th
Lorenzo 7th -> Rossi 13th
Lorenzo 8th -> Rossi 14th
Lorenzo 9th -> Rossi 15th

With the free practice sessions starting tomorrow, I think all eyes are going to be on the differing pace of the various riders but Valentino Rossi does have a tough weekend ahead of him as he has got to battle his way through all of the other riders before he reaches the front riders who will undoubtedly be Lorenzo, Marquez and Pedrosa in one combination or another.

Moving away from the Rossi vs Lorenzo showdown now, I feel that it is important to mention the fact that Danny Kent, a Brit, only needs to score 1 singular point in Sunday's race for him to win the Moto3 Title. He has raced fantastically all season and definitely deserves the title so let's keep our fingers crossed for him on Sunday that he can fight a good fight and gain that championship.
In Moto2, Zarco has already wrapped up the championship so now there are only battles for the other positions in the standing - congrats to Johann!
Also, Maverick Vinales has taken the title of Rookie of the Year in MotoGP after a fantastic season where he has been battling almost solidly within the top 15 if not the top 10.

Sunday not only marks the end of another season but also the end of an era as Nicky Hayden leaves the MotoGP paddock for the last time after announcing his move to World Superbikes. Hayden, coincidentally, was the last rider to beat a points deficit entering the final round to go on to win the Championship and it was also a battle against Valentino Rossi. Foreshadowing perhaps...?

Who are you rooting for? Are you #ForzaVale or #VamosJorge - let me know in the comments or on Twitter! Whatever happens though, it's sure to be an exciting end to a brilliant season.

Ride safe,
TFB

Martin Hopp Better Rider Training Day - Cadwell Park

On the 9th September, I attended the Martin Hopp Better Rider Training Day at Cadwell Park. The photos taken on the day arrived recently and I've finally had a chance to sort through them and get the day written up for you.

But first, a bit of background info. Martin Hopp is a qualified instructor at Der Nurburgring and also holds the RoSPA National Diploma as a Qualified Instructor of Advanced Motorcycling. In 2001, Martin and his son, Richard, formed Hopp Rider Training and they have a team of instructors who range from IAM Senior Observers and RoSPA Tutors and Instructors to flat track racers and road racers to motocross, trials and endurance riders.

On the day that I went on, we had seven 30-minute sessions on the track at Cadwell with 4 sessions in the morning with an instructor in a mini group of about 5 people and then 3 sessions in the afternoon which were more open with free lapping.

1st session out, coming out of Barn corner

Just before entering the Mountain

In one of the sunnier afternoon sessions

Heading to the apex of Mansfield

The day is for anyone whether you've never ridden on a track before in your life or you're an experienced rider and speaking to people there who have gone almost every year since HRT started, they always learn something and take something away from the day to help them ride as a progressive rider. The day is also done in road bikes so nobody is on slicks or anything like that and that means you get a great range of bikes from small SV650s like mine to bigger bikes such as 1200 GSs.

I found the whole day really enjoyable and I definitely feel like I learnt a lot and was getting faster and faster during the sessions. If anyone wants to know more about the Martin Hopp days, I will leave a link here for you to have a look at.

If you're nervous about going on a day like this, thinking everyone will be massively experienced or you don't think you'll be fast enough for the track, do not worry because it isn't like that at all! Everybody is there to learn how to be a better on-road, progressive rider which comes with being able to correctly read the road and the corners and adjust your speed accordingly.

I'm going to leave this is as a pretty short post after the lengthy Ireland Tour Diary but if you want any more info on the HRT days, feel free to get in contact via email or Twitter.

Until then, ride safe
TFB

Ireland Tour 2015 Diary - Day 6 - Rosslare to Pembroke to Home

This is the final instalment of the Ireland Tour 2015 Diary and it sees us completing the full circle back to home. If you missed Day 5, click here to have a gander at that and if you've got any questions about the trip at all - where we stayed, the ferries, the Ulster GP, the bikes, the luggage, the roads - either leave a comment or check out the contact page and get in touch through email or Twitter.

Tuesday 11th August

After rising early and checking in at the port, we enjoyed breakfast in one of the many ferry cafes as the sun rose higher marking one last beautiful day to end our trip on.

Once full from my bacon baguette, I wandered around the ship for a bit before going to sit with the majority of the group on some sofas we seemed to have accquired. The nex 2 and a bit hours were then filled with sleeping, dozing and the occasional shift of position.

During the crossing, all of us fell asleep for a period of time which shows that late nights and early morning with lots of riding and fresh air in between can catch up with you and catches up quick when you finally stop.

21 sleepy bikers

Upon docking in Pembroke, there was lots of hugs and goodbyes as over the route back we would all be splitting off to go our own way home.

We headed back mainly on quiet-ish A roads back towards home which were the best surfaced roads we had all ridden on in a while and slowly we all split until I was in a group heading back across the country of about 8 bikes rather than 19. We stopped for a late afernoon snack at Llanwrtyd Wells which also is where the annual bog-snorkelling championships take place. Three other members of our group caught up with us there so joined us for our cafe stop.

There wasn't quite enough chairs in the area we were sat in however so one of our group ended up sitting on a child's chair next to the table with all of the colouring crayons on which resulted in a beautiful drawing of one of the guys' MT 09 Tracer...

A designer's drawing of a Yamaha MT09 Tracer..

After that we carried on homewards, entering England a little while later. The ride home was largely uneventful apart from when we got closer to where the majority of the group lived so we started to split off further and waving seemingly randomly on the dual carriageway draws some amused looks which always makes me smile.

We (mum, dad and I) arrived home at around 7pm absolutely shattered but also pretty proud of what we'd achieved. Well I was proud of myself at least, seeing as it was my first big trip on the SV650.

Somehow, we managed to get great weather for the whole trip apart from one evening of rain on the way back to the hotel from the Ulster GP and the roads (despite me moaning about the condition of some of them), the hotels and the restaurants/pubs we found were all great but what really made the trip for me was the people that went with us. The atmosphere was always joyous and the good times really did just keep coming.

The planning is now in the pipeline for the next trip away, just need to save up the money now!

Until next time folks, ride safe
TFB

Ireland Tour 2015 Diary - Day 5 - Dublin to Rosslare

Today's diary follows the last day of the group's trip in Ireland as we head down to the port town Rosslare, if you missed Sunday's diary you can read that here.

And on with the diary..

Monday 10th August

We got a mini lie-in today which was definitely needed but still not long enough! In the morning, about half the group decided to ride around the peninsula but I was in the half that decided to stay at the hotel and relax for an extra half an hour.

The group then headed to south to Rosslare on yet more small, winding roads down the coast around Dublin Bay before heading inland to the Wicklow Mountains and onto the fantastic, if slightly uneven, Old Military Road.

We then joined Sally Gap - which is another brilliant road and a definite must-do if you're in the area - and passed the most gorgeous spot where we had to stop and take in the views along with taking a few photos too!

Irish scenery rarely disappoints

The valley at the bottom of the waterfall

Some of the bikes glistening in the sunshine

Taking in the scenery

Once we got to the bottom of the pass, we stopped at a small cafe (it definitely makes a roaring trade from anyone coming from or going to Sally Gap) for a light bite to eat and an ice cream. We then headed back out towards the coast line to get to Rosslare. The roads were definitely better surfaced than the Old Military Road but, then again, that really doesn't take much beating!

When we eventually arrived in Rosslare we ended up having a bit of a ride around Rosslare due to not being able to find the B&B in which we were staying, including a brief trip to the port. We definitely knew we'd gone the wrong way then! We settled in and showered before getting ready to enjoy our final night in Ireland.

We walked for about 15 minutes back away from the town to a pub someone had spotted on the way in and later scouted out as a group for some food as our hotel didn't serve food. However, they said they couldn't fit us all in so we walked to the one next door instead who said "21? No problem, give us one minute to check if we can do that" and then took us to the back of the pub where we filled the little room minus 2 tables who looked a little put out by us all arriving - I'm still not sure why we look so intimidating. Maybe it's just the power of numbers.

The pub was absolutely excellent in getting us all served at roughly the same time and the waitress was amazing remembering basically perfectly what everybody had ordered. Although, in saying that, the majority of the group did order fish and chips.

After dinner, we stayed in the pub for a few drinks as one big group to enjoy our last night in Ireland and the stories were flowing and the laughter just kept going and going. It was a brilliant night to end a brilliant trip.

Stories and laughter made the last night Ireland a fantastic night

The ferry was at 8am in the morning which mean one last early start so that we could head home. The final instalment of this diary will follow our journey home to complete the route.

Until then, ride safe
TFB

Ireland Tour 2015 Diary - Day 4 - Antrim to Dublin

Hi guys!

Just in case you missed the diary for Day 3 you can click here to have a read of that first. Today is the penultimate day in Ireland and was an absolutely lovely ride. Enjoy!

Sunday 9th August

Another early start began the penultimate day of the Ireland part of the trip. Today, we were headed across the border into the Republic of Ireland and on to Dublin. After splitting up slightly to ride in smaller groups, we started the day riding towards Tandragee via a road that took us next to Lough Neagh down some very small, single track roads that provided some lovely views of the lake. (which I don't actually have any pictures of.. you'll just have to believe me on that one!)

We were headed to Tandragee as we decided to visit the Tayto factory as it is in a castle and you can go on a tour around it. Tayto are a crisp and snack manufacturer in Ireland and seem to be the equivalent of Walkers. However, we didn't factor in that it was Sunday and therefore the factory was not open to tourists and no tours were running. So instead of doing that, we did a quick search to determine if there were any cafes nearby we could go to instead that would be open on a Sunday.

We found the Scarva Visitor Centre and stopped for some cake and coffee there. The visitor centre was in a beautiful spot right by a canal and park. We sat outside under the awning and unsurprisingly, rearranged the tables and chairs so that we could all sit in huge group earning some disapproving stares from the cyclists who were sat there after having the same idea as us.

Some people decided to have soup or a panini but with this sign outside, it was rude not to have a slice of one of the delicious home made cakes!

Scarva Visitor Centre

We then split up again and headed to the Spelga Dam along the Spelga Pass where the whole group seemed to be stopped to take photos of the dam showing me, once again, that you're never too far behind despite what you might think! The roads up to the Spelga Dam are made to be ridden along with the easy sweeping bends allowing you to take in the views as you ride.

Spelga Dam

The slightly unfinished car park for the visitor centre..

Beautiful views as ever in Ireland

Photo opportunity = everybody off the bikes!

Upon entering the Republic of Ireland, there was no obvious border and the only indication was the change in road signs from the UK ones to Ireland's signs with the Irish names written underneath on direction boards.

We arrived at our hotel for the night in the late afternoon which was just outside Dublin near Howth and Baldoyle. We had some debates about whether to go to Dublin for dinner, to one of the towns nearby or stay in the hotel and go to either the bar or the restaurant for food.

I was among the 9 people that decided to go to the restaurant in the hotel and after a relatively posh dinner full of laughter and story-telling, we headed back to the bar for a couple of drinks before going to bed.

Day 5 was our last full day in Ireland and saw us heading to Rosslare via Sally Gap before our ferry on Tuesday morning. Even more gorgeous Irish scenery is on the way, keep your eye out!

Ride safe,
TFB