Gloucestershire Constabulary will be hosting the National BikeSafe event for the third and final time this year.
The motorcycle show attended by bikers from around Britain will be held at Cheltenham Racecourse on the weekend of March 31 and April 1 2007.
BikeSafe www.bikesafe.co.uk is an initiative run by UK police forces to promote better biking and improve the safety of motorcyclists on the roads.
For the last two years, Gloucestershire has been the chosen police force to host the event and this year will be its third and final time. Next year the Metropolitan Police will be hosting the event.
Around 15,000 people attended in 2006 and organisers are hoping for an excellent turn out this year, Inspector Charlie Laporte said; “We had a brilliant time at the 2006 event, it attracted people of all ages and from around the country. The one thing everyone had in common was a passion for motorcycling.”
“We are hoping even more people will attend this year’s event so we can know that for the past three years we have managed to spread the message of safe biking to thousands and thousands of people.”
“This event is designed for anyone who has an interest in safe biking. If you regularly get on your bike or even if you are just thinking of getting onto two wheels again pop along to the show between 10am and 5pm, entry is free and you can find out about all the latest motorcycling gear and safety equipment.”
The line up at this year’s event is even better; there will be assessed rides available. Bikers will have the choice of the latest motorbikes from several major manufacturers including KTM, Honda, Yamaha, Suzuki, BMW, Kawasaki and Harley Davidson to ride out on or they can use their own.
People will be offered both verbal and written assessment of their ride and will be encouraged to undertake further training. (Remember to bring BOTH parts of your driving licence if you wish to go on an assessed ride.) There will be a display from eleven times British Trials Champion Steve Saunders.
There will also be a number of well-known bikers attending BikeSafe weekend to show their support for safe biking, they include; Ireland and Saracens rugby player, Shane Byrne who is a keen biker and Matt Llewellyn who is a British Superbike rider.
The Managing Directors of the major bike manufacturers will be the first to be heading out on an assessed ride at the start of the event. They have attended in previous years but thought it would be a great idea to test their biking skills on their own machines.
Entry to the event is free. There will be something for all the family, previous years have seen a climbing wall, displays from scooter and mini moto suppliers, inflatable racetrack and motorbike simulator, with police and air ambulance helicopters.
Honda will be running the ‘My first licence scheme’ again this year, this allows children under 16 to try a restricted 50cc motorcycle on a specially designed circuit.
The event will also be promoting the security of Powered Two Wheelers (PTW). PTW encompass all types of powered bike including motorbikes, mini motos and scramblers. Motorcyclists should always think, Tag it, Alarm it, Cover it, Anchor it & Lock it, to reduce the opportunity for a thief to take your ride.
Security is the owner’s responsibility and police advise you to get the best product you can in your budget, remember to always look for the recognised quality approved marks of ‘Sold Secure’ or ‘Secure By Design’. Exhibitors will be at BikeSafe selling various products from locks and chains to more sophisticated products such as alarms and tracking.
Scores of prizes will be given away in a free draw, in other years there have been vital crime prevention equipment, signed clothing donated by John Reynolds, VIP tickets to superbike racing at Donnington, Hein Gericke vouchers and VIP tickets to a James Toseland concert given away.
Inspector Laporte is keen for the main message of the event not to be forgotten, he said; “Whilst this is a great fun family event it is essential we do not neglect the main reason we are here and that is to promote safe biking. An unacceptably high number of motorcyclists are killed or injured on roads up and down the country every year. In Gloucestershire alone in the last year, 10 motorcyclists have been killed and 51 seriously injured.
We want to change that and help motorcyclists to improve their road skills, while also providing them with a great day out with like-minded bikers from across Britain.”
More information on the Constabulary’s BikeSafe initiative, as well as the 2007 BikeSafe weekend, can be found at www.gloucestershire.police.uk
Don’t forget to look out for the BikeSafe ‘Slapper bands’. The orange neon and green wristbands are being distributed around the county, so if you see bikes around the county/region with an orange/green band on the handles then it is an advert for BikeSafe 2007.
Issued by:
Katy Roberts, Cheltenham and Tewkesbury Divisional Press Officer
(01242) 276791