bike insurance
Competition Time
Dec 7th
With the season of goodwill fast approaching, what better way to celebrate than by giving one lucky person the chance to win £100 in vouchers for motorcycle accessories?
All you have to do to be in with a chance to win is to head on over to our competition page and answer the question by leaving an insightful comment or opinion.
Winter Riding – Keep it Safe
Nov 22nd
Rural Rides: hazards that lurk in the lanes in autumn and winter.
On bright autumn and winter days there are few things better than blowing out the cobwebs by blasting out of town and onto the UK’s high roads and by roads. However, rural routes require handling with care by motorbikers – especially if you’re more used to smooth city surfaces and fast A roads.
Image via Wikipedia
Bumps, pot holes & puddles: the size, variety and sheer number of lumps, bumps and potholes on back roads are a huge danger to the motorbiker. Be especially careful of routes that take you down lanes that are little more than tracks, which are probably seldom used (and then only by country folk in 4x4s or tractors). But it’s not just the tracks: there are plenty of relatively busy rural roads with real pothole issues. Fill That Hole is a cycle-based site but it’s aimed at everyone and worth checking out: it features maps and a simple way to report potholes.
Mud: city bikers are unlikely to be used to mud. At least, not in the quantities you may find on rural roads near fields. Despite campaigns and laws to clear up the stuff, (the Farmer’s Guardian points out that leaving mud on the road is an offence under the Highways Act) farm vehicles tend to drop the brown muck all over the place, making roads highly slippy and dangerous – never more so than during the sugar beet harvest (September to Christmas). So take extra care and go slower, especially on the back lanes.
Sun…: that low winter sun is a blinder so even if it’s cloudy when you set out, be prepared with decent shades for just-in-case. RX Sport offers a selection of good quality eyewear, including prescription sunglasses. Remember the sun can blind drivers, too, so ride with your lights on to be more easily seen.
… and Rain: Be especially careful in the rain on a rural ride, when relatively innocent looking puddles could hide nasty holes. Mud on the road is going to contribute to its slipperiness, too. Winter weather is unpredictable, so always have rainwear to hand. GetGeared offers a good selection of biker rainwear for men and women.
High hedges: the high hedges and banks on narrow lanes are a common and significant hazard. Not just for bikers, but also for the pedestrians and animals that share the road with vehicles. So take care and try to anticipate potential dangers – for example, slow down and toot the horn at blind corners.
Map it: even if you plan your route, even if you have satnav, it’s worth taking a good old fashioned map of the area so that when you get lost, you can have a better idea of where you are. Dash4it sell a wide range, including the OS Explorer Active maps, which are large scale (4cm to 1km) and weatherproof.
Blood Bikes
Sep 30th
Bikesure has a long history of working with some of the fantastically hardworking and seemingly tireless groups of volunteer bikers who give up their spare time to carry blood, organs and crucial medical supplies between our hospitals.
This crucial work frequently goes unnoticed, and even the patients who receive the benefit of the super-speedy, traffic-dodging deliveries would in all probability never know the part that this network has played in their recovery.
Aside from working with groups across the UK, such as the Severn Freewheelers, we were particularly pleased to hear that a local scheme was starting in Norfolk, and were more than happy to offer help with funding for their West Norfolk bike.
SERV (Service by Emergency Rider Volunteers) Norfolk are here to help the medics at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Lynn get their vital supplies of blood and plasma without having to rely on expensive private couriers or taxis. They have a team of 81 volunteer riders, who sign up for shifts. The service currently operates two powerful motorcycles, a BMW 1200 RT and a Honda ST1300 Pan-European, and provides cover from 7pm to 6am.
We know the value that this provides, and bikers appreciate more than most the medical professionals that they know they may one day rely on, so I was pleased to see that Honda had made a little film celebrating the Blood Bikers across the UK.
An excellent cause, so well worth finding your local organisation and offering of your time or money if you can.
http://www.bloodbikes.org.uk/
Greatest Road iPhone App
May 10th
Our previous list of our top 10 motorcycle apps for iPhone has proved a popular topic, and one of the new apps brought to our attention via the comments was Greatest Road
Greatest Road app for iPhone or iPod touch (http://greatestroad.com/) helps bikers worldwide find, rate, share and comment on sweet roads. Open the app, move and zoom the map to an area you’re interested in, and the app shows road stretches nearby. All roads and comments are added by other bikers. You can email directions to other bikers with iPhones, or send a gpx file to yourself or others to install the route on your dedicated GPS device.
Daniel, the creator has got in touch to let us know of some exciting new developments with the latest version, Greatest Road 2.0, which integrates with Apple’s Notifications so that at various points in the app you can keep track of what’s happening with the routes you like.
Customers get an alert whenever a comment or rating is added to a favorite route, one they’ve commented on previously, or one they’ve added.
He says “Now that we have the app wired up with Notifications we’ll be experimenting with other ways to strengthen the “speaking with your buddies” feel.”
You can get the app through iTunes via http://bit.ly/GRgetit and the app is available in English, German, Italian and French.
But that’s not even the best bit, because, for a limited period, the app is being offered completely free of charge. This is the kind of app that the biking scene could really do with, and it needs a thriving user community to do well, so if you like the idea of exchanging great ride-outs with other bikers, and you have an iPhone, you need to download the app now!
I just wish there were an Android version…
Here are some more details from their press kit
Greatest Road helps motorcycle riders find and stay updated on the best roads based on recommendations from other bikers. Pick an area on the map and see all the good stretches right in front of you. Other bikers provide comments and star ratings of the road based on criteria such as Fun, Scenic, Curves, etc.
Add your own route in minutes or add comments or star ratings to what’s already there. Post your favorites on Facebook. Email the ride to friends with iPhones, iPads, iPod touches or even just standalone GPSes. Export *any* route to TYRE or other computer software that uses GPX!
Want to find a new place to ride this weekend? Going on a road trip? Visiting other parts of the country or world? This app works anywhere you can see a map and get directions in the built-in Maps app worldwide.
When you’ve picked a stretch to ride, a single tap switches you over to the built-in Maps application to help you navigate along the way. Support for other navigation apps will be added over time. Greatest Road is not a competitor to the great, in-motion, navigation apps available on the App Store. It is complementary, helping you to choose the right place to go before hitting the road.
Vantastic Trials with Dougie Lampkin
Feb 24th
If you are into trials bikes in any way, you’ll probably already be a massive fan of Dougie Lampkin. The legendary enduro and trials rider must have one of the largest trophy cabinets in the world, but he is not averse to showing off a few stunts, and has teamed up with his sponsors, Nissan, to promote their van range.
Nissan are presumably aware of the high correlation between van drivers and bikers. What they may not realise is that van drivers who ride bikes tend to be an excellent risk. We can speculate as to why – they need their license for work, so they ride sensibly – and as bikers, they are more conscious of vulnerable road users. Whatever the reason, as part of the Adrian Flux group, Bikesure customers qualify for an additional discount when they buy van insurance from Adrian Flux.
Get your own Tron Lightcycle
Dec 16th
Fellow geeks of my own age will remember the original TRON movie with a great deal of fondness, and if they are anything like me, will be itching to see the new TRON:Legacy movie, which is hitting cinemas about now.
I watched the original TRON again just the other day, and was pleasantly surprised at how well the effects have held up over the intervening 28 years – the abstract, high concept graphics force you to take them on their own terms.
Without doubt the highlight of the original were the amazing lightcycles, which streaked across the computer grid in a beautiful and deadly race.
They appear again in Legacy, and now, for the right price, you can get your very own.
That price being $55,000. And you’ll have to go and get it from Florida.
Parker Brothers Choppers have taken the awesome V-Twin engine from a Suzuki TL1000R and mounted it into a steel and fibreglass body which faithfully recreates the lightcycle aesthetic. It even required an innovative braking system to maintain the look.
According to the makers the ride is comparable to any other sportsbike, although your posture is very much ‘superman’.
In keeping with the futuristic theme, you can opt to have your instrumentation displayed via an iPad docked into the bike.
Here is the Parker Brothers’ video
Going Commando
Oct 8th
Every so often we are reminded of the inherent good natured cameraderie found between bikers. And when the shared love of motorbikes brings a whole family together, beautiful things can happen.
This heartwarming video shows how two brothers steal their dad’s beaten up Norton Commando, fix it up without his knowledge, and give it back to him for Christmas. Just as well their dad didn’t start an insurance claim, or there may have been some explaining to do.
If you fancy doing this, don’t forget the classic bike insurance.
Get On and Ride
Jun 8th
We’ve been asked to pass on some info about this year’s Get On events taking place at dealers up and down the country. This free event is aimed particularly at first time bikers, or those who are considering their first steps into the world of biking, but seasoned bikers will get something out of the day too, as there is tons of great info and offers on some top kit available from the participating dealerships. Newbies get the opportunity to have a ride for free.
The date for your diary is Saturday 19th June, and the motorcycle industry is hoping for Britain’s largest ever biking open day at showrooms across the country. The aim is to encourage bikers and non-bikers alike to find out more about riding and will offer them the chance to win a variety of amazing prizes. Any biker who brings along a non-biker friend will be entered in to a draw to win some great prizes such as on and off-road riding holidays in Italy and Spain as well as kit from top brands Arai, Weise and BKS.
For those that have never ridden before, they will have the opportunity to find out more about motorcycling and sign up to Get On’s free one hour taster session to experience riding for real. Anyone who signs up will be in with the chance to win a selection of iPads, iPod Nanos and digital cameras.
The National Dealer Open Day is being run by Get On which aims to get more people out on to the open road on two wheels. It offers free rides to anyone over the age of 16 who can register and sign up on their site www.geton.co.uk. 65 dealers across the UK are taking part in the day offering prizes and motorcycling information.
In today’s economic climate, and with increasing traffic congestion and environmental concern, travelling by bike and scooter makes sense for more and more people, so events like this are a great way of helping people consider whether they can swap their metal box for the freedom of two wheels. And with some extra special moped and scooter insurance rates available for new riders from Bikesure, there’s every reason to take someone along and change their outlook on life.
Bikesure Photo Shoot 2010
May 27th
A couple of weeks back, we had a photo shoot to grab some images for our press advertising campaigns featuring Bikesure staff. Philippa was one of our models for the day and this is her report on her experience in front of the cameras.
The night before… I thought that picking out clothes for the shoot would be the easy bit. I thought wrong! Heels or flats, leggings or jeans, t-shirts or jumpers? So with the clock ticking and still undecided, I packed it all.
The day of the shoot… Waking up in the morning, I was still wondering if I’d packed the ‘right sort of clothes’. Too late now I thought to myself, as I was already running late for work, but somehow found time to throw some more clothes into my already over packed overnight bag.
Arriving at work, the first thing was to check with Sarah and Zavanah to see what they had brought with them. While doing this Grant casually walks by looking slightly more groomed than normal I must say. It wasn’t until later, when he went back for a touch up, I realised he was wearing eyeliner, yes eyeliner.
The time came for me and Zav to get all made up, hair done, make up done, just left with what to wear… In this time, I needed to pop back down to the floor, feeling a little embarrassed all dressed up I tried to make it swift. To boost my confidence a bit more I was greeted with Minty’s kind comment of ‘Do you look like a hooker?’
All ready to go, we made our way outside. Grant was just finishing his shoot and looked like he was loving it! The eyeliner had stayed on well and his smile was as cheesey as ever.
My turn… I walked over to the custom bike and perched awkwardly up against it. The first few shoots I was looking like a rabbit in car headlights but after a minute or so soon started enjoying it. Zav’s was up next. Whilst watching I could feel a slight ache in my jaw from all the ‘try not to make it look but it really is’ fake smiling. Zav looked like she was enjoying herself too and being a bit of a natural in front of the camera looked a lot more comfortable than me. That was until a false nail fell off, don’t panic the photographer said, we can photo shop that in. So, one nail down, we carried on and he snapped away.
With the first part of the shoot over, we made our way back inside for ‘look no. 2’. Joining us was a Mr Millward, needless to say he didn’t hang around for any make up. Leathers on and he was out.
All ready for the next shoot, we made our way outside again. In the spotlight was James looking like a pro in his biker gear. It appears he opted for the ‘mean’ look. I heard the photographer blurting things like “more happy” at him many a time. By this time the sun was going in, and in true British weather style, the wind picked up too. But like professionals we carried on.
Next up was Pete. Looking lovely in leathers, posing with his bike and sporting a huge smile he was like the perfect model. I’m sure he’d done this before. While Pete was grinning away, the big man himself strolled in. Not feeling too excited about having his own photos done, he happily took the mick out of the other lads.
Zav and me where back up, this time with Millwards bike. Seeing his face while we climbed on his pride and joy, while trying not to knock it over or scratch it with our shoes was, in a word, priceless.
Kev. Firstly find a jacket that fits. It appears Kev had been taking tips from James and decided that the ‘cheese look’ wasn’t for him either. The photographer had a bit of an awkward one here, making sure Kev didn’t appear taller than the building and dealing with his comments. “You look more like a gardener than photographer mate” didn’t go down too well. After Kevs solo shots, I joined him in what looks like a father daughter type picture. I think the word uncomfortable would pretty much describe how we both felt.
After a busy morning we headed in for lunch. Sandwiches, crisps, mini pizzas and orange juice, just what we all needed.
I was now finished for the day, but the afternoon pretty much went the same way. Zav and Chelsea did some fluxbabes shots and I think everyone was pretty happy with the end results.
All in all it was a very enjoyable day, everyone was in good spirits and the rain kept away.
Bikesure do the Great East Anglian Run
May 21st
On the 2nd of May 2010, 12 representatives from Bikesure all ran 10km in the Great East Anglian run for local charity Tapping House Hospice.
The runners and riders for this event were, Kyle “Minty” Benefer (me), Jon “Turbo GT” Mellish, Lee “Booboo” Boughen, Pete “Zilla” Sanctuary, Jon “Ladies Man” Howlett, Peter “Blockhead” Millward, Philippa “Model” Rowing, Robert “Texas Ranger” Walker, Jason “Never ran in my life” Masters, Robert “Skinny Twin” Botting, Thomas “TJ” Warner, and Matthew “Long Legs” Sopp.
In not so perfect preparation for this event, myself and a few other members did absolutely no training whatsoever. In fact the night before the run a few of us and a couple of loyal supporters gathered round my gaff for Fifa, a few beers, and a Chinese. Here is some picture proof…
So as we all woke up on the Sunday morning, with a small hangover and a full belly, we all decided to meet in our local McDonalds for breakfast. Only joking, that would be ridiculous. We decided that we would all start the race in the same area, and keep together as a team. This lasted all of about 20 metres past the start line, where a few of us, not naming names, Blockhead, started walking and we got split up.
Speaking for myself I was very pleased with my initial effort. I got through the first 3km without stopping to walk. Bearing in mind I weigh nearly 16 stone I don’t think my knees could take much more of a pounding. At least that’s what I keep telling people. So as the hordes of serious runners came flying past me, my fellow lazy swine, Jon Howlett, tapped me on the shoulder just as I was about to start running again, and pleaded with me to wait for him. So begrudgingly I did, because I’m nice like that.
So after our easy stroll for 5 minutes, I looked back and saw a geriatric gentleman dressed up as a tomato. At which point I turned to Jon and said “I ain’t get beaten by no tomato, fool”. We quickly started off on another run, and 30 seconds later we hit the wall again, only to find the old boy tomato go straight past us without a bead of sweat on his face, and a cheeky little wave as if to say, see you at the finish line boys.
Not even half way, Jon says to me “My feet hurt. I think these trainers are giving me blisters”. I look down to see parts of his shoes hanging off. Probably not the best footwear if you’re running 10km. So I ask him “Did you find them in a skip on the way up here?” Only to find out that he borrowed the shoes from his Step-Dad, who only uses them for his gardening. Seeing as Jon is such a “Ladies Man” and far too “Trendy” (these are his words by the way) he doesn’t own a pair of running shoes, and therefore had to improvise. Maybe his fashionable plimsolls would have been a better choice.
As we’re doing our best to get round the course, we have our loyal supporters Bunts and Dyer standing around with their tins of Strongy, geeing us up at various different stages of course. This for me, had no positive input at all. I started to wonder, why am I putting myself through so much punishment, why am I not standing with Bunts and Dyer with a Strongy in my hand. Then I remember that Soppy is to blame for arranging this whole fiasco.
Revenge is a dish best served cold, and when I get some energy back, I will have my vengeance.
Anyway back to the race. Jon is now running around in just his socks. He hasn’t yet thrown his shoes in the bin where he found them, as he fears he may have a backlash from his Step-Dad for losing his favourite gardening shoes.
I’m going to miss out the middle section of the race as there was really nothing interesting happening. Unless you like to watch, unfit, lazy, fat people struggle a lot. The end of the race couldn’t come round soon enough, and I knew I had a big finish in me. We was in the final 150 metres and by this point I couldn’t be bothered to wait for Jon in his socks any more. Such a whiner.
Anyway, so I started picking up the pace and I was passing all the stragglers and some of the spectators started to cheer me on to the finish. I felt like a million dollars I was nearly there. Finally I had done it. Finished the hardest thing I’ve ever done in my life, and collapsed flat on my face. Probably shouldn’t have sprinted that last 100 metres. Doesn’t matter anyway, I don’t have to do that ever again.
I completed it, in my eyes, in a very respectable 1 hour and 8 minutes, with no previous training and a few beers the night before. I walked straight past Linford Christie and went to find my fellow Bikesurians to bask in our glory.
This is us after we finished…
And this is how we celebrate…
On a serious note. I think we all enjoyed doing the race, and we all felt a lot better about ourselves and it made us even closer as friends and a team. Most importantly we raised a lot of money (over £600 and counting) for a very worthy cause.