They’re calling it “The World’s Most Coveted Motorcycle.” Hyperbole? Maybe, but it’s still cool – and it could be yours.
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This legendary 1938 Vincent-HRD Series A Rapide is among the most coveted motorcycles in the world as both the original Vincent V-twin and the fastest motorcycle in the world in its day, knocking the Brough Superior SS100 off its perch.
This extremely rare prewar superbike is built from an original 1938 Rapide engine mated with an original 1939 frame, which has been correctly and beautifully restored by a renowned Vincent expert using OEM parts wherever possible. It’s a well-known machine in the Vincent Owner’s Club, one of 78 originally produced and the only one available at the moment, as few owners sell their prewar Rapides. They are the ultimate Vincent twin and among the most desirable motorcycles in the world.
The story of HRD-Vincent goes back to motorcycle racer-turned-manufacturer Howard R. Davies, who leveraged his racing success into a small motorcycle building business. Davies remains the only man to have won a Senior (500cc) Isle of Man TT on a 350cc (Junior) machine, riding for AJS in 1921. He built his own excellent sports machines from 1924, but quickly found himself in financial trouble and the H.R.D. brand was sold to a young Philip Vincent in 1928. Vincent’s father had made a fortune ranching beef in Argentina, and young Philip Vincent had ideas to incorporate rear springing for the chassis of motorcycles, which he patented, and had the opportunity to test with his own business. Calling his machines Vincent-HRD, he used JAP and Rudge engines in Vincent’s ugly duckling chassis design. It took Australian engineer Phil Irving to bring life and enduring fame to the Vincent-HRD company, designing a high-camshaft 500cc single-cylinder engine for the new Meteor and Comet models for 1934.
Within two years, the single was doubled up to become the 998cc V-twin Rapide model of 1936. It was the fastest production motorcycle in the world at the time with a 110 MPH top speed. The engine was the heart of the beast, and it was slightly let down by its choice of a Burman clutch and gearbox, but in truth only one British gearbox was designed to handle the 50 HP of the Rapide and it was owned by Norton at the time. Regardless, road testers and the few lucky owners were full of praise for the new Rapide, as it handled well and braked very well for the day, with two drum brakes on both the front and rear wheels—and, it went like a rocket.
This rare and most coveted motorcycle goes to Auction Friday April 30 at Mecum in Las Vegas. A once a decade opportunity to buy a majorly collectible, running, & museum quality Vincent Series A Rapide Twin. The link to the Mecum auction lot F183 for bidding is https://www.mecum.com/lots/LV0121-474902/1938-vincent-hrd-series-a-twin/
Original 1938 998cc engine with an original 1939 frame
Correct restoration completed by a renowned Vincent expert
Extensive use of original factory non-reproduction parts
Vincent Owners Club ‘VOC’ certificate
One of approximately 78 produced
Engine No. V1016 (Manufacture Date January, 14 1938)
MV Agusta is announcing a 30M€ share capital increase to support its 5-year business plan
aiming at the continuation of the worldwide growth of the Company. Bringing MV Agusta’s net equity to a total of 70M€, the initiative also marks the positive, final and early settlement of all its obligations under the composition with creditors on a going concern basis (“concordato preventivo in continuità aziendale” in Italian law). An uncommonly positive achievement which was made possible thanks to the relevant support of MV Agusta’s
shareholders.
Since 2019, when the Sardarov family became the sole shareholder of the Company, more than 150M€ have been injected into the business to support operations and the investments of the new industrial plan. MV Agusta is now in a very strong position to step-up the execution of its strategic plan, focusing on the development of the new engines and models, the brand’s expansion into new segments, such as adventure, electric recreational and urban mobility, as well as on strengthening its global sales network. The relaunch of a such as historic Italian Company is also having positive effects on the local community, helping to maintain employment levels, and contributing to the Italian economy in general during this 2020 – 2021 difficult period.
Timur Sardarov, CEO of MV Agusta Motor S.p.A., said: “One of my first objectives was to put an end to the financial stress the Company had been experiencing and lay the industrial and commercial structures for growth. Today all these objectives have been reached in full and now we can look at the future with renewed confidence while we continue to move from one successful product to another. This capital injection will literally boost our business on all fronts, from the design, development and production of new stunning bikes to the providing of world-class service to all our customers, to expanding our 3.0 worldwide dealers network. In 2021 we expect to exceed 100M€ revenues for the first time in our history and to triple our performance within the next 3 years.”
Massimo Bordi, Vice Chairman of MV Agusta Motor S.p.A., added: “MV Agusta is a great brand with a prestigious heritage. It’s always had very attractive products that everybody appreciates for their unique design, high performance and advanced technology. That’s why today I see a great potential in the Company, which hadn’t seen in the past years. We have finally created the conditions to allow MV Agusta write a new successful chapter in the history of motorcycling.”
Brembo has now acquired a 100% stake in the Spanish brake manufacturer.
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With this transaction, the Group expands its brand family and completes the range of solutions for motorbike braking systems.
Brembo has signed an agreement for the acquisition of a 100 percent stake in the J.Juan Group, a Spanish company specializing in the development and production of motorbike braking systems.
Founded in 1965, J.Juan is based in Gavà (Barcelona) and has three plants in Spain and one in China, manufacturing especially brake hoses, and a strategic safety component for braking systems that will complement the current range of Brembo products for motorbikes.
With this transaction, Brembo forges ahead with its path to become a trusted solution provider. The acquisition of J.Juan will enable the Group to complete its range of solutions for the motorbike braking system and to expand its brand family for the growing motorbike sector.
“We are proud to welcome J.Juan in the Brembo Group,” stated Alberto Bombassei, Chairman of Brembo. “This transaction is in line with our global strategy and follows the recent acquisition of SBS Friction in Denmark. We continue to invest with the aim of strengthening our motorbike core business. The addition of J.Juan is a great opportunity for us, as it reinforces our positioning as a company increasingly oriented to offering comprehensive, integrated and high-quality solutions to our customers.”
“We are glad to join the Brembo Group,” stated José Luis Juan, CEO of J.Juan. “The transaction will allow us to become part of a strong company with a solid global footprint that will support J.Juan’s development for the professional growth of all our employees and the benefit of customers.”
Under the agreement, the consideration for the transaction is currently estimated at €70 million, to be paid using available cash. The final price will be subject to the usual adjustment mechanisms envisaged for similar transactions. The enterprise value is €73 million.
The acquisition is subject to the approval of the Antitrust authorities, following which the closing is expected to occur in the second half of 2021.
Today I received the Freedom of @meaboroughcouncil which I am very proud of. Thanks to the Lord Mayor, Deputy Lord Mayor and all the Councillors that voted this motion. It’s so nice to be recognised for my achievements outside my sport
The covers are off Triumph’s supersport racer – a Daytona wrapped in Street Triple clothing.
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The unveiling of the new Triumph Street Triple 765 RS for the 2021 Quattro Group British Supersport season marks an important step in Triumph’s future racing ambitions. In partnership with PTR, racing as Dynavolt Triumph, the aim is to demonstrate the performance credentials of the 765 triple engine and Street Triple RS chassis in the most demanding environment of top-level competition.
Dynavolt Triumph, managed by Simon Buckmaster’s PTR team, is the ideal partnership for Triumph, with proven capability in Supersport race preparation, trackside operations and the ability to co-ordinate with Triumph’s in-house engineering department.
Former WSS British rider Kyle Smith and former British MotoStar champion, Brandon Paasch are the two factory riders who will wear the Dynavolt Triumph team colours in this historical return to official racing for Triumph Motorcycles.
The basis of the Dynavolt Triumph 765 is the Street Triple RS, a bike that has had significant global sales success and which is appreciated for it’s class leading handling and exhilarating, torque rich engine. Following discussion with MSVR and Dorna WorldSBK Organisation (DWO), Triumph are committed to helping establish a new Supersport formula allowing a wider range of engine formats to compete on level terms, thereby offering great potential for exciting racing which can feedback into the development of bikes that people can see in their local showroom.
Steve Sargent, Triumph’s Chief Product Officer explained: “We were offered the opportunity of testing the formula for expanding the Championship and see this year very much as a year for a proving ground for us to make sure we have a competitive bike. The ambition is to go beyond this and next year go into World Supersport, part of a longer term racing strategy and this is a key part in terms of developing a more road based racing class; so building something that you can actually go into the showroom, buy and ride and then convert into a race bike. I think, for a manufacturer like Triumph, that’s quite important.” Steve Sargent, about the competitiveness of the Street Triple RS, also added “We wouldn’t go into this project if we didn’t think that this is a bike that could genuinely compete. The Street Triple is a naked sports bike but it’s derived from the Daytona so we think, in terms of geometry, this is a really good starting point for a race bike. I think, as a starting package, you’ve got a chassis that really works and engine wise, we’ve got the 765 Triple. It’s an engine that we’ve been using in Moto2 for the last couple of seasons and I think the response we have had and the performance we’ve had will tell you that the engine, as a package, is something that is going to compete. Combining the two things together, the engine and the chassis, I think we’ve got a really good starting point”.
Regarding the expectation for the 2021 season, Steve concluded “Myself and Simon (Buckmaster) have talked about expectations and obviously neither of us are in this to do anything other than be at the sharp end. I know Simon is very much focused that way and I believe that we have a package that can deliver that; I believe that we have two riders who can deliver that and from the Triumph side, we want to demonstrate what a Triumph can do on the racetrack”
Simon Buckmaster, Dynavolt Triumph’s Team Principal also commented “I have to say, on behalf of PTR and Dynavolt and Triumph, I am really very proud of this machine and I really cannot wait to get started. I feel confident and slightly nervous; it’s a brand new project but we have to aim at challenging to win. That has to be our goal for the season.”
Brandon Paasch, Dynavolt Triumph Factory Rider #96: “Visiting the Triumph factory was an awesome experience, it’s amazing to see how much time and effort they put into every detail. That’s something that gives a rider an extra bit of confidence. It was also great to finally get to meet up and chat with the team and see the Dynavolt Triumph race bike! I’ve been thinking of this moment for months now, so to finally see everything coming together was so exciting! I’m fully focused on getting testing here pretty soon, and I can’t thank Triumph enough for all the hospitality and support! I hope everyone else is as excited about this opportunity as I am!”
Kyle Smith, Dynavolt Triumph Factory Rider #11: “I am keen to get started in what will be a new challenge for me in a new championship with a new bike. When I got the call from Simon it was a no-brainer. I can’t wait to start testing at Silverstone to get our base set-up. I have no doubt the new Triumph will be a good bike and having worked with the PTR crew in the past, I am confident we can be competitive”
The Dynavolt Triumph Street Triple 765 RS is scheduled to make its debut on track during the first official BSB Test, at Silverstone, 28 April 2021.
“Portimao was a special weekend but here I feel like everything is a bit quieter,” began the eight-time World Champion. “This is important, it feels like a normal weekend. It’s not like my physical condition are completely different, they are very similar, but I hope to ride in a better way from FP1 and my target is to hopefully be more stable with my physical condition during all the weekend. I have good and bad memories here, of course, but better memories than worse memories, so this will be important. There’s no target, no clear target, just ride the bike, have more kilometers, try to feel better the position of the bike. We know where our limit is now and it’s not with the bike or the tyres, it’s more about me. We know where the limit is and we know where we need to improve but we need time, days and kilometres on the bike.”
Happy birthday, Vespa, and here’s to 19 million more.
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Vespa celebrates 75 years and reaches the extraordinary milestone of 19 million units produced, beginning from the spring of 1946. The Vespa that celebrates the 19 million is a GTS 300 in 75th Anniversary Special Edition and was assembled in the Pontedera plant, where Vespa has been manufactured uninterrupted since 1946.
19 million Vespas translate into as many stories of guys and girls worldwide who have gained their freedom astride the most beloved two-wheeler in the world. Vespa has accompanied their lives and embodied feelings and the desire for freedom. Because Vespa is part of our culture. It is a protagonist in our lives, in the imagination of many generations of Italians, Europeans, Americans, Africans and Asians. Today, Vespa is one of those rare products that are consistently part of the landscape in our daily lives.
This extraordinary moment arrives as Vespa is experiencing one of the brightest times of its history. Sold in 83 countries on every continent, it is now the most famous and most loved two-wheeled vehicle in the world. For some time now, Vespa has far surpassed its function as an easy and elegant means of commuting to become a global brand, a symbol of Italian technology and style, capable of bringing millions of enthusiasts together in its name.
A range in constant evolution and consistently on the cutting-edge of technology, a unique style, transcending fashion and trends and skillfully reinventing itself whilst remaining faithful to its original values are just some of the reasons for a success that is measured in over 1 million and 800 thousand vehicles manufactured in the last ten years.
Halfway through the first decade of the new millennia, annual Vespa production was around 50 thousand units and, since then, constant and spectacular growth took it an excess of 100 thousand in 2007 and 200 thousand from 2018.
On the dawn of its 75 years, Vespa is more of a global brand than ever, one of the best known “Made in Italy” products, a true citizen of the world that is manufactured out of three production sites: Pontedera, with production destined for Europe, the Americas and all the western markets; Vinh Phuc, in Vietnam, which serves the local market and the Far East, and India, in the ultra-modern Baramati plant, opened in April 2012, where Vespas for the Indian and Nepalese markets are produced.
For its 75th birthday, Vespa introduces a special Vespa 75th series, available for Vespa Primavera (in the 50, 125 and 150 cc engine sizes) and for Vespa GTS (in the 125 and 300 cc engine sizes), limitedly to 2021.
The body of Vespa 75th takes on the brand new metallic Giallo 75th color which, designed expressly for this series, reinterprets colors in a modern key that were all the rage in the forties. The number 75 appears on the side panels and front mudguard in a more accentuated shade, creating an elegant tone-on-tone, as well on the front, where the traditional “necktie” is refined in a matte yellow pyrite color.
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A Unique History
Vespa was born out of the desire to create an innovative product for individual mobility. First a “motor scooter” was built on the model of small motorcycles for parachutists and then a prototype that revolutionized the concept that had dominated the classic motorcycling layout until then. A vehicle was created with a stress-bearing body, direct-drive, with the gear shift on the handlebar. The classic front fork disappeared in favor of a single-sided swingarm that made tire changes easier, and, above all, the frame disappeared, replaced by a stress-bearing body capable of protecting the rider from dirt and rumpled clothing. The Vespa design patent filing date is 23 April 1946.
From its first appearance – in a country where everything needed to be rebuilt but, partly for this reason, full of ideas, creativity and hope – Vespa represented the joy of living and racing toward the future and this is why it soon became an icon of freedom and emancipation for guys and girls all over the world. This wealth of Vespa’s values was accompanied throughout the years by a style and technology always on the cutting-edge in the various decades of its life.
After the years of rebirth, Vespa continued to strengthen its legendary status, fortifying its identity through the decades of economic prosperity and the generational renewal of the sixties. As cars and mass motorization spread, Vespa offered salvation from traffic, with the versions in the smaller engine sizes catering to the legendary world of youth which, precisely in those years, was gaining its space in society. And when, in the ‘70s, the signs of a growing ecological awareness arrived, Vespa was the antidote to city pollution, able to zip through traffic and easily find parking.
In the various eras it has seen, Vespa has always represented the cutting-edge of technology. Characterized by an extremely advanced stress-bearing body concept, still built entirely out of steel to this day, it marked the evolution of individual mobility. Today, the latest Vespa vehicles, equipped with ecological engines and technical solutions to support modern riding, represent the style synthesis of an evolution that has made Vespa design immortal, ensuring it is an icon of Italian elegance the world over.
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Brief Vespa Timeline
On 23 April 1946, Piaggio (founded in 1884) files the patent for “a motorcycle featuring a rational elemental and organic complex combined with frame and fenders and an engine hood covering all mechanical parts”. The Vespa is born. The motorized scooter with a 98 cc, 2T single-cylinder engine is built in the Pontedera plant, in Tuscany.
The Vespa 125 cc model is introduced.
TheUnione Italiana Vespa Riders, incorporating 30 clubs, is formed and holds its first convention.
Vespa begins production in German under a license agreement with Hoffman-Werke.
Vespa begins production in the United Kingdom under license to Douglas of Bristol and in France with ACMA of Paris.
TheVespa Club Europea is born in Milan to bring the clubs in Italy, France, Germany, Switzerland, Holland and Belgium together. Worldwide Vespa Club membership surpasses 50,000. There are more than 10,000 Vespa service stations around the world.
Vespa 125 is immortalized in the film Roman Holiday by William Wyler with Gregory Peck and Audrey Hepburn.
Vespa GS is the most elegant scooter ever built and marks a turning point for Vespa which, for the first time, exceeds the 100 km/h mark, adopts a 4-speed gearbox for the first time and mounts 10-inch wheel rims.
The Vespino is born – Vespa in the 50 cc engine capacity.
Vespa sales surpass 3.5 million.
The “Chi Vespa mangia le mele” campaign (Those who Vespa eat the apples) revolutionizes the advertising world.
1968. Vespa Primavera is one of the longest-lasting Vespa models and the vehicle of new generations all over Europe.
Vespa Primavera 125 – ET3 is the first scooter with electronic ignition.
Vespa PX is born in the three-cylinder “classic” 125, 150 and 200 cc versions. It would be the most sold model in Vespa history with more than 30 million units.
Four Vespa PX units participate in the Paris-Dakar, the most epic and grueling race in the world. Incredibly, ridden by Marc Simonot, one of them would go on to finish the race.
Vespa PK 125 Automatica is the first Vespa with an automatic transmission.
Vespa sales surpass 10 million.
Giorgio Bettinelli, writer and journalist, leaves Rome on a Vespa and reaches Saigon in March 1993. He would go on to accomplish several other feats: in 1994-95, also on a Vespa, he covered the 36,000 km from Alaska to Tierra del Fuego. In 1995-96 he travelled from Melbourne to Cape Town – over 52,000 km in 12 months. In 1997 he started out from Chile, reaching Tasmania after three years and eight months, having travelled 144,000 km on his Vespa and crossed 90 countries across the Americas, Siberia, Europe, Africa, Asia and Oceania. All in all, Bettinelli has travelled 250,000 km on a Vespa.
The new Vespa generation is born with the ET4 125 cc model. For the first time, Vespa adopts a 4T engine and automatic transmission.
The number of Vespas sold surpasses 15 million.
Vespa ET2 (50 cc) is launched.
Restyling and front disc brake for Vespa PX, the most sold scooter model in the world (over two million units from the time it was launched).
Vespa returns to the American market.
The return of the Vespone, Vespa GT 125 and Vespa GT 200 are born.
Vespa LX marks the return to Vespa’s most classic lines.
Vespa celebrates 60 years with the spectacular Vespa 60° special series that brings back the colors and style of the early Vespas.
Vespa 300 GTS Super is the highest performance and sportiest model in history.
Vespa 946 is highly exclusive model dedicated to aesthetic and technological perfection, the name of which recalls the year that the scooter symbolic of Italian elegance was born – 1946.
The legendary Vespa Primavera returns, produced in the 50, 125 and 150 engine sizes, it renews the legendary Vespino.
Vespa Elettrica is born, a modern work of art with a technological heart, destined to change the mobility segment. Completely silent and easy to ride, and produced entirely in Pontedera, it represents the revolutionary and contemporary soul of a brand that has always been ahead of its time, consistently at the cutting edge, while remaining faithful to its values in terms of style and technology.
Vespa reaches 19 million units produced and celebrates 75 years with the Vespa 75th special series that dresses the GTS and Primavera families in new elegance.
This is an amazingly fast birthday period. Between the first two Rookies rounds, Diogo Moreira turned 17 on April 23rd, David Alonso 15 on April 25th, Noah Dettwiler 16 on April 26th, Daniel Holgado 16 on April 27th and Daniel Muñoz turns 15 on April 28th.
“No matter what bike you buy, you’ll drop it at least once.” We’ve all heard the saying, and being honest (come on guys and girls!), we’ve all done it at least once. Parking lot practice, coming to a stop at a red light, getting a sudden gust of wind when you’re setting off, the bike and you have gone down at least once. Often, these drops are the source of some good-natured laughs, a little bit of embarrassment, and a lesson in humility learned.
Yet, not all drops happen at low or no speed. What happens when you come across, or witness, a drop when going 100 KPH? What if you are doing a long-distance tour and come across someone that has cut their hand trying to fix the battery lead under the hood of their car? Having first aid knowledge is definitely a plus, but having a ready-to-go first aid kit is the best kind of preparation for these scenarios.
First Aid Kit Limitations
Carrying Size
In a car, you can realistically carry a full aid kit, with everything and anything you could possibly need in an emergency or aid situation. On a motorcycle, unless you have a dedicated top box or pannier for a kit, there is a significant size limitation. Often, a motorcycle first aid kit is the kind you can fit into a pocket of your jacket, in your backpack, as a pack around your waist, or sometimes strapped down over your pillion seat.
It also means that you have to be prepared for the most common types of injuries that may require first aid. You cannot realistically carry a spinal board on a motorcycle, and while spinal concerns may be common in accidents, it’s often more important to stop bleeding and help the patient through shock setting in.
Injuries You Expect To Encounter
The most common types of injuries experienced by motorcyclists are not major traumatic injuries like broken bones and major cuts. In fact, the most common type of injury is either a burn, via sunburn, accidental contact with the exhaust pipe, et al, or an eye injury, from riding with the visor cracked open or fully open with sunglasses that are not road protection rated.
You can also expect scrapes and cuts from quite literally hitting the road, although the severity is often dictated by the road surface and the speed of travel. In the worst cases, you can expect to encounter fractures, breaks, and lacerations.
With this in mind, let us examine what really should be in your motorcycle first aid and/or trauma kit.
First Aid Kit Contents
Image courtesy of Road Guardians. The Basic Kickstart Kit, including almost all of the items listed below in a small pack you can wear around your waist
Firstly, we at MotorBike Writer must give our heartfelt thanks to Road Guardians First Aid Training For Motorcyclists for their invaluable assistance in helping build out this list. We highly recommend checking to see if a similar first aid for motorcyclists course is available in your area.
Basics
The first thing in any first aid kit, no matter the size, is at least two pairs of nitrile gloves. Protecting yourself from bloodborne diseases, as well as having a somewhat sterile field of treatment, is priority one. If you cannot safely perform first aid, it may be an extremely tough call, but you have to look after yourself first.
On the subject of sterility, having a small squeeze bottle of hand sanitizer that carries an anti-microbial rating is key. Make sure it is at least 60% alcohol, and if possible, be waterless so it cleans quickly and doesn’t stick around on the hands.
The third most vital thing in your first aid kit is a set of trauma shears. You can find these at most medical supply stores, where they may also be labeled as paramedic shears. You want ones that are at least inches long. They are designed with a flat bottom to be slipped under clothing, leathers, and the like, to cut away said clothing or leathers to allow access to potential injury and trauma.
A first aid field guide, a small first aid book, or even a cheat sheet that is laminated to protect against the weather is always helpful. In the heat of the moment, while you may be remaining calm externally, your mind might be racing, and having a quick lookup can ensure that you apply first aid correctly.
Having a syringe of sterile saline is recommended, but not fully necessary, to wash out (irrigate) any deeper cuts or surface abrasions, getting rid of the dirt, and cleaning the wound for treatment
Heavy-duty ziploc or even freezer bags are extremely useful for putting biohazardous material such as used gauze, used gloves, et al in to keep them separate from sterile areas or as part of the post-aid cleanup.
A collapsible rescue breathing mask is important in today’s world, especially with the pandemic. These masks will cover the mouth and nose, and often will have a one-way flutter valve in them to allow your breath to pass through, but not allow any return breath to prevent contamination.
Cuts & Abrasions
Since abrasions and cuts may be encountered anywhere, the first thing to really take care of is having a variety of bandages. Along with an antibiotic ointment either in a small tube or single-dose tear packs, everything from some regular bandaids, at least four butterfly bandages/steri-strips/adhesive sutures, and four large 4×4 packaged, sterile gauze pads are the priority.
It is also recommended that you carry a few folded paper towels in a ziplock bag, as these can be used to wipe away blood or other fluids to get to the site of the bleeding. Once the cut or site of bleeding is identified, then using the gauze pads to put pressure on the cut is advised.
If there is room in your kit, a tourniquet is recommended as well, one made of a strong strap with some kind of handle to turn the tourniquet tight. This is to be used for the most serious of blood injuries such as an open amputation, and it’s always better to have one and never need it, than to need it and not have it. It’s better to prevent someone bleeding out and they lose a limb than for them to die. Harsh truth, but the truth nonetheless.
Burns & Insect Bites
Believe us, you’ve never pulled over and parked by the side of the road as fast as when a wasp gets in your helmet. Even then, you’re probably going to get stung a few times, so here are some items you should carry.
Most importantly, if there is room in your kit, an EpiPen is highly recommended, and it should be changed out when it is close to expiring. Many people who have major allergies or anaphylactic reactions will have an EpiPen on their person, but if you identify such a reaction, having an easily accessible EpiPen, instead of searching that person for theirs, can quite literally mean life and death.
Due to how commonly people get a sunburn, an accidental heat burn from touching a hot part of their bike, or even an insect sting, some burn gel and/or sting relief gel in your kit is one of those things you will use more often than not. A small tip, aloe vera-based gels, or those fortified with aloe vera extract, work extremely well here.
As well, having some instant cold packs designed for first aid kits will be immensely useful. These are the little folded packages that you squeeze one side to break open a vial inside, and due to the chemical reaction taking place, it gets very cold, very quickly. One of these applied to a minor burn or major sting will bring quick relief, as well as reducing the stress the patient is experiencing.
Breaks, Fractures, and Sprains
It is human nature to extend the hands in front of us when falling or flying through the air, so that the “least important” part of us, the arms, take the brunt of an impact, protecting the head and torso, the so-called “life box.” As part of this natural instinct, arm, wrist, and hand fractures are quite common non-life-threatening injuries, as are collarbone breaks.
In terms of first aid, having a few triangle bandages can be extremely helpful. These bandages can be used as slings, can be wadded up to be padding, can be rolled quickly to form bindings for splints, can be used to tighten gauze, can be used as tourniquets in extreme situations, and are generally just damned useful. While air splints are a bit too large to carry in a motorcycle first aid kit, if the patient’s motorcycle has suffered severe damage, a triangle bandage wadded up inside a front fairing, with two more bandages tying an arm down to that fairing means you have a makeshift split. Triangle bandages are literally the Swiss Army Knife of a first aid kit.
As breaks and fractures are the most common type of injury that can send someone into shock, having an emergency blanket or two in your kit is vital. These can be used as makeshift rain covers, are designed to reflect body heat back into a body with the shiny side, and can also be used as a treatment blanket if you need to sit someone down on the ground and prevent them losing body heat to cold or damp grass/mud/etc.
Useful Extras
It is highly recommended to carry a ziploc bag that is nicknamed “the small pharmacy.” In this bag, clearly identified, should be anti-diarrhea tablets, antihistamines, antacids, regular or extra-strength over-the-counter painkillers, and a few packs of water-soluble electrolytes you can mix in with water or take straight from the package. Not all first aid is direct and dealing with broken bones and cuts. On a long, multi-day motorcycle ride, diarrhea can dehydrate you very quickly, and having electrolytes to replace the ones lost is vital.
If you can squeeze it into your kit, having a couple of 2 inch wide rolls of gauze is another one of those “you never know” types of items. They can be used to wrap burns, hold gauze pads in place, help tie splints, and generally just be useful.
A few glowsticks are extremely useful, especially in multiple colors. These can be used for everything from emergency light to work by at night, to signaling traffic away from an accident scene. If you have multiple colors, having green, yellow, and red as those colors can help with triage, with green as OK, yellow as a concern, and red as emergency aid needed.
Especially in Australia, having a good pair or two of tweezers in your kit is important. Stings, bites, and nasty plants abound, so being able to pull plant spikes, spider mandibles, stingers, or even the odd splinter from your skin quickly is important.
Summary Checklist
Image provided by Road Guardians. The Rebel Kit, which has everything you could possibly need in a first aid kit that will fit in a backpack or pannier/top box on your bike
While this may sound like a hell of a lot of stuff to fit into a small bag, you will be surprised at how many items can be folded flat, naturally lay flat, or can fit around each other in such a kit. In fact, all of these items will slide into a kit small enough to be slid down the outside of a camelback, or tucked into the front pocket of an adventure riding jacket.
The Checklist:
Essentials
Two (2) pairs of Nitrile Gloves
Anti-microbial, >=60% alcohol hand sanitizer
Trauma shears
First aid guide book/field guide/cheat sheet
Syringe of sterile saline for irrigation (if possible)
Collapsible rescue breathing mask (with one way valve if available)
Regular bandaids
Four (4) butterfly bandages (can substitute adhesive sutures or steri-strips)
Four (4) sealed, sterile gauze pads, at least 4 inches square
Paper towels folded flat in a ziploc bag (for wiping/fluid cleanup)
Burn and/or sting relief gel (Aloe vera based or infused highly recommended)
Instant cold packs (we recommend at least two or more, as space allows)
Three (3) or more triangle bandages. The most useful multitool in your kit
Two (2) emergency blankets if possible, one (1) if not
Really Nice To Have
In-date and sealed EpiPen
Tourniquet with handle and strong strap (if possible)
Heavy-duty ziploc/freezer bags for biohazardous waste and post-aid cleanup
Aprilia is one of the most victorious brands in motorcycle racing history, having won an astonishing 54 world titles in its young career, 38 in World Championship Motorcycle Grand Prix racing, 7 in World Superbike and 9 in Off-Road disciplines. With 294 Grand Prix wins, it is the European brand that has won the most races in World Championship Motorcycle Grand Prix racing. Many of the riders who have made motorcycling history in the last few decades have made their debut on the bikes from Noale. These World Champions include Max Biaggi, Loris Capirossi, Alex Gramigni, Valentino Rossi, Jorge Lorenzo, Casey Stoner, Manuel Poggiali, Marco Simoncelli and Alvaro Bautista.
