Gareth is a former racer and a founding member of the Bike Shed club in London.
He has been filming for the past three years with producer Lucy Selwood.
They’ve interviewed nearly 300 bike builders, riders, journalists, artists and racers in Britain, Europe, Japan, Australia, The Far East, Africa and the US.
They’ve spoken to major manufactures Harley Davidson, Yamaha, Royal Enfield, Ducati and BMW.
They filmed at The Bike Shed in London and Paris, The Malle Mile, Wheels & Waves in Biarritz, The Trip Out, The Brooklyn Invitational, The Distinguished Gentleman’s Ride in London and New York, Indian Larry’s Block Party, Dirt Quake, Snowquake, The Malle Mile and The Trip Out in rural England, The One Moto Show in Portland, Mama Tried in Milwaukee, Mooneyes in Tokyo, and The Handbuilt Show in Austin.
Among the film highlights are riding a custom bike in the Sahara, flat track racing in dusty bowls and indoor arenas, ice racing in Wisconsin and in the Alps, and the American Wall of Death in the Texas sun.
They’ve shot dozens of cool custom bikes being ridden through the urban streets, the twisting mountain roads, through the rolling green countryside and the scorched flat plains.
They’ve filmed choppers, café-racers, flat trackers, sprint bikes, electrics, old school specials, urban brats, $100k+ beauties and $500 “rippers”.
Oil in the Blood will also screen at the Mama Tried Show this weekend (February 15-17) in Milwaukee, Chicago’s Logan Theatre on February 21, Petersen Museum in LA on April 5 with more US dates to be announced soon.
Despite a broken wiring loom, Lithuanian motorcycle adventurer Karolis Mieliauskas has successfully competed an epic ride to the coldest place on earth on a Yamaha Tenere.
We published an article in late January about his plans and many readers thought he was crazy to ride 1000km across Siberia in temperatures down to -60C.
Some even suggested the oil in his suspension would freeze!
However, Karolis emailed us to say he had completed the aptly named The Coldest Ride from Yakutsk to Oymyakon, one of the coldest habitable places on earth.
Mind you, it wasn’t -60C, but a relatively balmy -56C!
The Coldest Ride started on February 04, and was scheduled to finish on February 10.
However, Karolis reached his destination two days ahead of schedule, and celebrated with a dip in a frozen river, despite temperatures of -45C.
The endeavour was filmed and will be featured on the BBC Travel Show later in 2019.
Mind games
Karolis says his journey on a single-cylinder Yamaha Tenere across the Road of Bones was a research exercise into what he calls “active meditation”.
Basically, it’s a way of forcing the mind to meditate by subjecting the body to harsh conditions; in this case, the cold.
But for others it is an enlightening experience. Some even refer to an out-of-body experience when the mind takes control of the pain and discomfort, divorcing the rider from their body.
This is not his first or most epic ride in the cold.
In July 2016, he rode 11,000km from Vilnius to Vladivostok in 12 days and in March 2017 he rode 785km across the ice of Lake Baikal, the deepest lake in the world, with our support, camping gear or a satphone.
Crash witnesses are sometimes too scared of being sued to provide first-aid or assistance to crashed riders, says paramedic Michael Beak of First Bike on the Scene Australia.
“There is a lot of misinformation about the legalities of helping a crash victim on social media,” he says.
“I put in a lot of effort to reassure people during my courses that the chances of being sued is virtually zero.”
The First Bike on Scene course was originally developed by Paramedics working in the North West Ambulance Service (UK) in 2003/4.
“Due to the nature of their work and being bikers themselves, they realised the need for a medical emergency care course appropriate to the needs of injured motorcyclists,” Michael says.
He is now offering the course in Australia and is looking for like-minded paramedics to join him.
“What’s different about First Bike on Scene is that emergency response skills are delivered by registered operational paramedics only,” he says.
“So students are taught skills that are evidence-based medicine, world’s best practice and comply with Australian Resuscitation Council (ARC) Guidelines.
“Paramedics are the experts in pre-hospital emergency care. It’s what they train for, it’s what they do for the duration of their operational career.”
Paramedic background
Michael is a Mt Tamborine resident, Army Reserve medic of 10 years, Honda FVR750 rider and operational paramedic for 25 years.
He has been teaching first-aid for almost 30 years and started a first-aid training business (www.surefirefirstaid.com.au) eight years ago.
“Unfortunately, I have attended my fair share of motorcycle-related incidents,” he says.
Michael raced 250cc production and historic motorbikes in the late 1980s when he was a teenager and worked in Phil Beaumont’s motorcycle shop in Newstead, Brisbane.
“I was like a kid in a candy shop,” he says.
“I’ve crashed and broken a lot of bones in my years of riding, but when I broke my collar bone five years ago at walking pace on my Honda XR250 at a motocross park I was off work for 10 weeks and decided I needed a back-up plan.
“That’s when I decided to launch my own first-aid training centre and First Bike on the Scene is one of my specialty divisions.”
He says the courses are open to all riders and cost from $85 for the stand-alone course up to more advanced courses.
They will be launched in South East Queensland with the intention of spreading around the nation as registered paramedics are recruited.
The FBoS introductory course includes crash scene management, airway management, injury assessment, head and neck (c-spine) injury management, bleeding control, recognition of catastrophic bleeding, safe helmet removal in special circumstances, log roll and trauma CPR.
First responder tips for crashed riders
Michael says the most important feature of a first-care provider is that they take charge at a crash scene.
“Even if it’s ‘fake it until you make it’, you have to convince everyone present that you know what you are doing, be confident and, if necessary, even assertive. Then people are happy to follow,” he says.
“The other important thing is that they think about the danger of other traffic.
“There have been untold times I’ve been at a crash and you suddenly hear the locking up of brakes.
“A couple of times people have even skidded into emergency trucks. It’s like a moth to a light when they see the flashing lights. You go where you look.”
Q&A
Michael has offered to write about some hot topics involving crash scene management and crashed rider first-aid.
If you have any questions about how to manage a crash scene or help a crashed rider, please leave your query in the comments section below and he will respond.
Whether you want to transfer your private number plate from car to car, motorbike to another motorbike or in-between the two, all of these options are possible and the same rules apply for each.
As long as the vehicle is subject to an annual test there are no restrictions to transferring your number plate from one vehicle to another, whether it be a car, bike, van or anything in-between.
There are however, exceptions to this rule. Vehicles that do not take part in an MOT are not able to be part of the DVLA Cherished Transfer Scheme, meaning that their number plates cannot be transferred. Examples of these vehicles are tractors, milk floats and other specialist vehicles.
Transfer fee
The usual price to transfer a private number plate is £80, however the DVLA will charge you differently depending on whether your transfer is on a certificate or from one vehicle to another.
How to transfer a private number plate to a motorbike
If the number plate that you want to transfer is already on a vehicle then you will have to complete a V317 form and submit it to the DVLA, along with documents for both vehicles that are involved in the transfer. You will also have to ensure that both vehicles are taxed and have a valid MOT so that the vehicles can be moved to be inspected by the DVLA if necessary. Along with this, you will have to make sure you pay the correct fees in order for the transfer to take place.
If the private number plate is not already on a vehicle and instead on a V778 Retention Document or V750 Certificate of Entitlement, you can then transfer the plate directly to your vehicle. When checking the certificate, if it is not in your name or you are not a named ‘nominee’ then you will have to change the nominee name, which is free of charge. You can check the costs and instructions for the transfer process on both certificates.
How to transfer a private number plate from a motorbike
If you’re wanting to transfer a private number plate from a motorbike to another vehicle then the same rules apply. You will have to process your application through the DVLA to remove the registration from your motorbike and onto a different vehicle. But, if you don’t have another vehicle to transfer the plate over to, whether that be because you’re saving it for a new vehicle or wanting to sell the plate at a later date then this is also possible. You will have to put your number plate on retention using a V778 Retention Document which lasts up to 10 years and can be renewed at no extra cost if you continue to keep your plate on retention.
If you want to sell the plate on the same rules apply. You can do so through auction sites, the DVLA or private selling sites such as NewReg.co.uk. Both parties will have to have the relevant documents available to send off to the DVLA in order to meet the legal requirements for the transfer.
How long does the transfer take?
The process of a number plate transfer can take anything between 2-5 weeks from when you submit the documents to the DVLA. In order to ensure that there are no delays or set-backs to the process, read through everything carefully to make sure that there are no mistakes in your application. Once the application has been approved and the plate transfer has taken place, you are free to enjoy your new private number plate.
Most motorists hate covert speed detection by police, yet they seem to be finding more and more sneaky ways to cover themselves while operation radar units and speed cameras.
Gold Coast rider Gary Lynn confronted the cop photographed in the bushes above on the Nerang-Murwillumbah Rd last Sunday.
“Don’t they realise their presence on the roads will do more than hiding in bushes?” he asks.
“It’s blatant revenue-raising at its finest.”
Both sentiments are shared by many motorcyclists and drivers in multiple opinion polls.
Even the Queensland Police Union says unmarked and covert speed cameras should be banned as they do nothing more than raise government revenue.
We ask: “How would the officer in the bushes feel if he clocked a speeding rider on his hand-held TruCAM laser digital camera and the rider crashed and died further down he road?”
And how would the rider’s widow feel when she received the offence notice in the post a few days later knowing a police officer could have pulled over her speeding husband and saved his life?
It was followed by another post showing what a rider thought was a car parked in a private property with the boot up and a speed camera located inside. It could not be verified as a covert police camera.
Is covert detection legal?
Well, yes and no. It depends on the state and how the speed detection equipment is deployed.
We asked police in every state for their policies on covert speed detection and most replied.
Victoria Police say mobile speed cameras are “not deployed in a concealed way”, but didn’t answer questions about handheld devices and cops hiding in bushes.
South Australia Police say they make “no apologies about using covert, camouflaged cameras to detect dangerous road behaviour”.
WA Police basically told us it was none of our business: “We use various tools to assist in our traffic enforcement capabilities. We will not be providing details of specific tools or methodologies.”
NSW Police say they “use a range of enforcement strategies to assist in reducing road trauma”. But, like the WA cops, they say it’s none of our business.
“For operational reasons it would be inappropriate to discuss the guidelines surrounding these strategies. If riders and drivers observe the speed limits then they have nothing to be concerned about,” they say.
Queensland Police using covert TruCAM laser speed camera
Yet the Queensland police website clearly states: “It is not the policy of the Queensland Police Service to deliberately conceal speed cameras.”
Dissenting views
It’s not just motorists who don’t like covert speed detection devices.
Queensland Police Union president Ian Leavers says these “sneaky” devices do not reduce the road toll nor stop motorists from speeding.
“Getting a ticket in the mail up to a month after speeding when you can barely remember even where you were back then, has no effect and is quite rightly cynically viewed as revenue raising,” he said.
RACQ technical and safety policy spokesman Steve Spalding says they also prefer a visible police presence.
“Our members have repeatedly told us that over the years, they much prefer to see a police officer use a marked vehicle, not just for speeding, but for all of the other problem behaviours that we see on the road,” he says.
MUARC report
However, motorists, police unions and motoring groups are fighting a losing battle against covert speed detection.
Mobile speed cameras were originally introduced to reduce speed at black spots. NSW still has very prominently signed fixed and mobile speed cameras, Western Australia is now trialling more visible speed cameras and England is going all-out to make the cameras much more visible.
However, Queensland has removed the signs warning of mobile speed cameras and a report by Queensland’s auditor-general found they are not always deployed at the right time, in the right location, or in the “right mode” (not covert enough).
The report says only 16.3% of mobile deployment hours is covert because police want to avoid perceptions of revenue-raising.
It recommends that a high percentage of covert deployment would prompt a general deterrence to speeding.
Professor Cameron agrees: ”… if you’re trying to affect speeding all the time then the best idea is to make sure the cameras aren’t predictable or apparent and to operate them covertly,” the professor says. “The idea of being conspicuous is really in the wrong direction.”
The Sheene helmet will cost $899 when it arrives in March 2019, but you can pre-order now to ensure you don’t miss out on the limited-edition model.
It is part of the extensive X3000 range led by a $999 limited-edition tribute to the legendary 15-time world motorcycle champion, Giacomo Agostini. There are also 10 colour choices ranging in price from $599 in solid colours to $699 for multi-colours and $799 for the Gloria.
The Barry Sheene X3000 is highlighted by the iconic lucky number seven that became Barry’s trademark on the track as well as the quirky Duck on the crown of the helmet all tied together with the infamous black and gold graphic.
It also has the likeable larrikin’s signature painted on the back.
The fibreglass helmet is engineered in three shell sizes with a vented visor, leather and suede fabric, removable and washable interior, anti-scratch visor with micro-opening system and a double-D chin strap.
Barry Sheene history
Here is a history of Barry as supplied by Australian AGV distributors, Link International.
A true rockstar of the sport, Barry Sheene became a household name quickly taking the sport of motorcycle racing into the living rooms of people across the world. Even if you weren’t interested in motorcycle racing you were interested in what Barry Sheene was doing and his antics on and off the track. Known for his likeable demeanour and sex appeal Barry was envied by men and wanted by women, rarely ever photographed without a female companion by his side. He married a Penthouse cover girl Stephanie McLean who became his “lucky charm” as she attended nearly all of his races as a time keeper.
Barry went on to win two consecutive world titles in 1976-1977, a feat that had not been accomplished by a British rider at the time. A series of near fatal accidents threatened to derail his career but the attitude and determination that was Barry Sheene prevailed.
Barry was a dedicated showman who made time for his fans and enjoyed meeting and interacting with the people who supported him and came to watch his races. Barry’s larrikin personality lead to many headlines in the press over the years including the two fingers he used to show behind his back while racing again accomplished racer “King” Kenny Roberts.
Barry Sheene
In 1984 after unsuccessfully trying to reclaim his title as world champ Sheene retired to Australia in the late 1980’s seeking a warmer climate to aid his recovery from injuries and arthritis. It was here he pursued business ventures and even worked for the 9 Network as a commentator of the World Motorcycle Grand Prix and also appearing in Shell ads with the legendary Dick Johnson.
It was here that Australian riders and fans set in stone their love for Barry Sheene, as his sense of humour struck a chord with the Aussie population. His knowledge and opinions helped shape Australian motorsport today with many riders, racers and teams receiving a helping hand from the motorcycle racer including Mick Doohan and Garry McCoy. Sheene was inducted into the MotoGP hall of fame and in 2017 was inducted into the motorsport hall of fame with his former engineer and sister accepting the honours.
(Contributed post for our eco-friendly UK readers)
With air pollution responsible for some 50,000 deaths a year in Britain, electric vehicles may just be the future. However, their expensive price tags and charging mishaps mean that many people avoid them completely.
Electric cars may be well-known, but electric motorcycles are now enjoying their day and come with all of the torque and speed of your typical petrol or diesel motorcycle. The future is as exciting as it is eco-efficient!
Current laws
UK law currently states that, should an electric motorbike be limited to 15mph, include a motor with an output of 250 watts or less and have pedals, the vehicle is legally an electric bicycle. Therefore, anyone aged 14 and over can ride it.
However, if an electric motorcycle is instead restricted to 30mph, UK law deems this vehicle a 30mph 50cc petrol scooter. This means that, while riding it on motorways would be legally out of the question, anyone aged 16 or over can ride it if they have a Provisional moped licence. Electric motorbikes capable of topping 30pmh are treated as small motorcycles, and riders must hold a valid CBT certificate.
In 2015, the UK government agreed to align electric motorcycles with cars in regards to grants. This meant that, in total, £7.5 million was made available to slash 20% off the purchase price – capped at £1,500 – of an electric bike.
Electric motorbikes of the now
Kalashnikov electric motorcycle
There are several impressive electric motorcycles on the current market. The Kalashnikov IZH boasts a range of almost 100 miles from just one charge with a maximum power of 15kW; the vehicle was even utilised by Russian police during last year’s World Cup. The vehicle will now be used for police duties at mass-participation events.
For now, vehicles such as the Kalashnikov and those similar may be aimed at police duties – but, as with electric cars, electric motorcycles are available in various shapes and sizes.
What the future holds
Electric vehicles still suffer from a huge amount of depreciation – but, with air pollution levels rising, action needs to be taken. For this reason, it’s likely that we’ll see an influx of electric motorcycles on our roads in the foreseeable future.
Such models, still with all of the speed of a traditional motorcycle, include the Vectrix Electric VX1 model. This award-winning e-scooter is capable of 100mph and has a range of 280km from a single charge. Furthermore, as the motorcycle can be purchased with different-sized batteries, you can purchase the ideal size for you and so lessen the impact on the environment.
The Italian city of Modena has also created its own range of eco-friendly, electronic bikes, with Energica’s EsseEsse9 being one of the best. This model is capable of speeds up to 125mph and can be fully charged in 30 minutes.
If you’re considering investing in an electric motorcycle for business use, keep in mind that this kind of vehicle can be worthwhile for solo trips and shorter journeys while you save your car for more ambitious journeys where its use is strictly necessary.
As a business owner, you can find the best prices for fleet insurance to put your traditional vehicle and eco-friendly motorbike on a shared premium. In doing this, you can save money on not only fuel but also time.
The road safety expert who advocates wire rope barriers, lower speed limits and mandatory hi-vis vests for riders, and alcohol interlocks and electronic rider aids on bikes has been honoured with a special award.
UNSW Sydney Professor Raphael Grzebieta has been honoured with the 2019 Kenneth A Stonex award in recognition of his lifetime contribution to reducing run-off-road injuries and transport deaths worldwide.
“In other words, any changes to current designs of road barriers will have almost no effect on reducing rider fatalities and serious injuries,” he says.
Prof honoured
Professor Raphael Grzebieta
The annual Stonex award was presented by the US National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine’s Transportation Research Board’s (TRB’s) Roadside Safety Design Committee AFB20.
It honoured the Prof for “identifying the leading causes of roadside fatalities and injuries and developing mitigation techniques using full-scale crash testing and computer simulation”.
WRB supporter
The Professor says he has “long advocated for installing nation-wide wire-rope barriers”.
“When wire-rope barriers are installed with rumble strips on rural roads, there is an 80 to 90% reduction in fatalities and serious injuries,” he says. Sweden halved their fatalities when they installed these barrier systems in 2000.
“Victoria has now installed 1200km of wire-rope barriers on rural roads to reduce their rising fatality count in 2016. They just recorded their lowest ever road fatality count (in 2018).
“Other states and in particular NSW are still lagging behind terribly. They are simply not investing the same scale of money to have a real effect on deaths and serious injuries.”
Victoria’s road toll in 2018 was 214, compared with 259 in 2017 and 290 in 2016 when they started installing wire-rope barriers, he says.
The Prof says the barriers have been controversial with motorcyclists because of misinformation.
They have also supported a petition by widow Jan White, whose husband, Phil, aged 60, died when his bike unavoidably hit a dead kangaroo on a 110km/h slightly sweeping bend of the Calder Highway in Victoria on November 5, 2017.
Phil and Jan White
Phil hit four support poles on the WRBs next to the road.
Prof Grzebieta helped launch a $1 million project examining motorcycle impacts into roadside barriers and how motorcyclists could be better protected in collisions, particularly with W-beam barriers.
“We disproved all of the myths promulgated by motorcyclists, providing strong support for continued installation of these lifesaving barrier systems,” he says.
“Sweden saw a 40 to 60% reduction in motorcycle fatalities.”
However, WRBs are banned in Belgium and Norway, not supported by the Netherlands government and have never been used in Germany or other European countries, except Poland, Iceland, Romania, Sweden and the UK to a lesser extent.
Speed freak
Professor Grzebieta also says the award recognises his research into the reduction of speed limits on highways, suburban and high pedestrian active streets.
“The speed limits throughout Australia, in particular NSW, WA and NT, are much too high,” he says.
“In NSW, the limit on parts of the Newell highway are 110km/h where there are no barriers installed. The speed should be reduced to the survivable limit of 80km/h unless median and roadside barriers have been installed.
“Also the speed limit in residential streets, the CBD and high pedestrian active areas should be 40km/h, preferably 30km/h, in line with best practise European countries that have half the Australian fatality rates,” he says.
“The Australian default speed limit for suburban roads is currently set at 50km/h.”
In a paper he co-wrote with his UNSW Sciences colleague Professor Jake Olivier, presented two weeks ago at the TRB’s annual meeting where Professor Grzebieta received his award, Professor Grzebieta said the reduced speed limits he proposed were commonly used by countries such as Sweden, Netherlands and the UK, which had the world’s lowest road fatality rates.
Riders will be able to get expert safe-riding tips, legal advice and guidance on safety gear from three of the top experts in these fields at the Ulysses Club The Road Safety Forum.
Liz de Rome (second right) monitors motorcycle gear testing
“This will be an informative forum and, as I know these presenters personally, also a very entertaining couple of hours, “ Dave says.
The forum is open to Ulysses Club members and the general public who attend the Annual Rally Open Day on Thursday February 28, 2019, at the Mornington Racecourse, Victoria.
Forum cost is $15 for adults, children 5-16 years $5, under five years free.
Road Safety Forum experts
“Tim will be giving us all the latest of our legal rights as motorcycle riders and what they have been fighting for on our behalf,” Dave says.
He provided the following details on Kenn and Liz.
Kenn is a specialist road safety engineer and accredited trainer with 18 years of experience in road safety in Australia, the USA, Asia and New Zealand.
During his time at VicRoads, Kenn held a variety of positions including Senior Road Safety Engineer, Motorcycle Safety Coordinator, Team Leader Road Safety Projects and Manager Program Development.
Kenn is recognised as a world leader in motorcycle safety infrastructure and has had roles advising the Australian, New Zealand, Philippines and Colorado Governments on the subject.
While at VicRoads Kenn spent years managing the Motorcycle Safety Infrastructure Program. In this time, over $25 million were invested in Victoria on infrastructure improvements to specifically reduce road trauma for motorcycle riders.
Kenn is a licensed rider, accredited trainer, assessor and Senior Road Safety Auditor. In 2017, Kenn led a team that won a Prince Michael International Road Safety Award for the Making Roads Motorcycle Friendly training package.
Dr Liz de Rome has worked in motorcycle safety research and strategic planning for almost 20 years. Liz developed the first Australian motorcycle safety strategic plan for the Motorcycle Council of NSW including their unique website to provide riders with evidence-based information about motorcycle safety.
Her Gear Study was a world-first cohort study of motorcycle crashes to investigate the effectiveness of motorcycle protective clothing. Her results established strong benefits in injury protection but also exposed high levels of failure with many garments found to be not fit for purpose.
Liz has been a long-time advocate for a star rating scheme for motorcycle protective clothing and has led and now manages the Australian and New Zealand Motorcycle Clothing Assessment Program – MotoCAP. Her other work includes the Good Gear Guide and the development of Victoria’s new motorcyclists’ graduated education and licensing scheme (M-GLS).
Liz is Senior Research Fellow, Motorcycle Safety at Deakin University in the Institute for Frontier Materials. She is a member of the National and State Executives of the Australasian College of Road Safety and the US Transportation Research Board sub-committee on Motorcycles and Mopeds.
It’s been a horror start to the year for motorcycle fatalities in Victoria with 12 riders now dead after two more crashes today(Sunday, February 10, 2019).
Latrobe Highway Patrol officers are appealing for a witness to come forward after a fatal motorcycle collision in Mirboo North this morning.
Police are also investigating a motorcycle crash that claimed the life of a man in Buckland this afternoon.
First fatality
In the first incident, police believed a motorcycle was travelling north-east on the Strzelecki Highway when it collided with the rear of a red Mitsubishi sedan waiting to turn into Darlimurla Road about 10.50am.
The driver of the Mitsubishi was not injured and stopped to assist at the scene.
It is believed the motorcycle then collided with a white Toyota 4WD which was travelling in the opposite direction.
The female driver and her male passenger were not injured and also assisted at the scene.
The male rider, who is yet to be formally identified, died at the scene.
Police are investigating the circumstances surrounding the collision and are hoping to speak to a man who stopped at the scene and was driving a white 4WD northbound on Strzelecki Highway.
The Strzelecki Highway was expected to remain closed between Mirboo North and Thorpdale for some time.
Anyone who witnessed the collision or who has dash cam footage is urged to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000 or submit a confidential crime report at www.crimestoppersvic.com.au
Second fatality
In the second of the rider fatalities, police say the motorcycle was travelling along Buckland Valley Road when the rider left the road and crashed into an embankment about 1pm.
The rider, who is yet to be formally identified, died at the scene.
Anyone with dash-cam footage is urged to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000 or submit a confidential report online at www.crimestoppersvic.com.au.
Our sincere condolences to the families and loved ones of the deceased riders.
