Held Onesies!

It's fair to say that we've had a LOT of interest this week in our Held Onesie Competition, and where they are available from etc.

Held Onesies! 100% cotton, based on the 'Slade' race suit. RRP £66.99 (adult) £58.99 (youth) £41.99 (kids)

Here's the deal at the moment:

These were not actually supposed to come out until next year, but we've managed to pull out all the stops and fingers crossed a batch of adult-sized ones will be ready before Xmas- just! (The rest to follow early in the new year). 

No guarantees on that one though. It may be just after. They are however worth waiting for, and to all those that get ££s for Xmas here's a great idea for what to buy!! They are available, on a PRE-ORDER Basis from Held retailers GetGeared AND MotoCentral. Links: http://www.getgeared.co.uk/held-9695-slade-jumpsuit-onesie-red AND http://www.motocentral.co.uk/held-slade-onesie.html

Held Onesies! 100% cotton, based on the 'Slade' race suit. RRP £66.99 (adult) £58.99 (youth) £41.99 (kids)

Here's the official word on what they're like:

• Held motorcycle onesie: The perfect gift choice
• 100% cotton with quality badges & detailing
• Two pockets with an integrated hood for the perfect look

The quality you'd expect from Held: These onesies are proper. They're great quality and make the perfect gift for any motorcyclist. When you're fed up of buying them more gear for their bike, a onesie is the perfect solution. The badges and detailing is much better quality than you'd find on many high-street onesies and come on, they just look awesome. Nothing better for lounging around at home in, watching the racing in, etc!!

Here's those links again: 

http://www.motocentral.co.uk/held-slade-onesie.html

AND

http://www.getgeared.co.uk/held-9695-slade-jumpsuit-onesie-red  


AND NOW: Links are up from MotoCentral too to pre-order kids / youth sizes:

http://www.motocentral.co.uk/held-slade-onesie-infant.html

http://www.motocentral.co.uk/held-slade-onesie-youth.html

The 35,000 miles Held Gear test!!

Lands End to Lagos is an attempt to break the Guinness World Record for the longest journey in a single country by motorcycle. Trying to raise £20,000 for Medicin Sans Frontieres (MSF).

The challenge will ride from Lands End in England to Lagos Nigeria, solo and unsupported passing through 12 countries before embarking on the attempt to break the Longest Journey by Motorcycle World Record in Nigeria. The total mileage will be in excess of 35,000 miles (56,200 KM)

Key Facts

•       1 Man and Motorcycle (solo and unsupported)- Held wearer Omo Alokwe

•       2 Continents – Europe and Africa

•       3 Ferry Crossings

•       35,000+ Miles (56,200 Kilometres) – Land’s End to Lagos + WR attempt

•       12 Countries

•       Min Temp -2°C

•       Max Temp 49°C

Omo will be wearing Held and riding a KTM for this trip

Terrain – from the snow capped Pyrenees, through the Sahara desert to Tropical rain forests. The Held gear we've supplied is going to get a real workout!

Donating to Omo and the charity through JustGiving is simple, fast and totally secure. Your details are safe with JustGiving – they’ll never sell them on or send unwanted emails. Once you donate, they’ll send your money directly to the charity and claim Gift Aid on eligible donations by UK taxpayers. So it’s the most efficient way to donate – Omo raise more, whilst saving time and cutting costs for the charity.

Every single penny counts - nothing is too small!

So please dig deep and donate now.

Or, you can donate via your mobile, just text LELA50£1 to 70070 with your amount; for example to donate £1, text LELA50 £1 to 70070 from your mobile phone.

We'll bring you updates from Omo as we get them - he sets off on 29th November! You can follow Omo on Twitter via @landsend2lagos.

To learn more about Held motorcycle gear and accessories in the UK, including a list of stockists and our online catalogue please visit www.held-uk.co.uk

Boots ready to kick the ass of Winter (and the rest of the year too)

Conan Touring boot- RRP £229.99

Anyone old enough to remember Arnie as 'Conan the Barbarian' will know Conan stands for strong, durable and tough! ;) If there were any boots that will make me stop wearing and raving about my Held Shaku boots it's these! Boots that will certainly look after your feet, come rain, wind or shine as they say. 

Held Conan motorcycle touring boot- Available in just black too- no red bits :) 

Probably the best waterproofing in the world: The Outdry laminate membrane uses ground breaking technology to ensure that your boots are 100% waterproof. The Outdry membrane is laminated to the outer leather of the motorcycle boots. Usually in other waterproofing techniques there would be a separate membrane, it means that the rain would have to travel through the outer to the waterproof membrane and it would sit in between those two layers. That in turn means that your feet cannot breathe and they'd get cold! Outdry is laminated to the outer to ensure your feet can breathe and will be 100% dry and warm!

Outer shell
full-grain cowhide

Lining
soft fabric lining (100% polyester)

Membrane
OUTDRY®-Membrane, water-and windproof, breathable (100% polyester with 100% polyurethane)

Held Conan motorcycle touring boot- Available in just black too- no red bits :)

Fit/features
gear-shift pad
velcro adjustment at calves
anti-slip sole

Protection
detachable GFK-Fibre shin bone protection
reflective sections
ankle protection
hard plastic reinforcement inside of boot
good adjustability of the inner boot
shin protector

Colors
black 01,
black-red 02

Sizes
40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47

Boot Height (for size 43)
32 cm

To browse our collection for 2015, find a stockist near you and learn more about Held please visit 

www.held-uk.co.uk

Cowhide, Kangaroo, Stingray- Explained!

Cowhide, Kangaroo, Stingray- Explained! "Made from cowhide! Made from Pittards leather! Made from Kangaroo Leather! Made from Stingray skin!"

Ever wondered what the difference is, and why? we take a look at the different products used in Held gear..


Leather

The traditional ‘go-to’ material for motorcyclists. While often not as practical or adaptable as textiles, leather still leads the way in abrasion resistance and, with the right care, is extremely durable. Leather garments should be fitted as tight as possible in order to firmly hold protectors in place. With wear, leather garments ‘break in’ and mould to the body. Held Rider Equipment uses the finest cowhide as standard, as well as kangaroo, goat, hairsheep and stingray leather in certain applications.

Held Street II Jacket- premium cowhide

TFL COOL™ leather

Revolutionary treatment for black leather which helps it reflect solar radiation in the same way that white leather would, keeping the surface up to 20°C cooler and the wearer up to 12°C cooler, without the impracticality of wearing light colours. 

TFL Cool leather on the left, not on the right!

Pittards leather

The hairsheep is a cross between a sheep and a goat only found in the mountains of some African countries. Its hide is soft and comfortable, like goatskin, but it has a more dense – and therefore hard wearing – structure which is ideal for glove making. Pittards are the leading producer of high-grade hairsheep leather. Moisture will cause normal leather to go hard, crack and shrink. We soaked two gloves in chemical sweat for 24 hours. The Pittards WR100 hairsheep hide glove was still very soft when compared to the cowhide glove of the same thickness. Plus it is also up to 30% more resistant to tearing and abrasion.

Held gloves with Pittard leather back

Kangaroo hide

Of the 48 species of kangaroo, many are protected. However the unchecked reproduction of largest breed has resulted in massive over-population and culls are therefore carried out under the supervision of the Australian government. Fortunately for motorcyclists, the hides make excellent rider equipment. 

Held Slade leather suit- with mix of Kangaroo and cowhide, with Titanium inserts!

Kangaroo hide is far more abrasion resistant than cowhide of the same thickness. This is because, unlike cows, kangaroos only sweat through their tail and therefore there are no pores in the hide. Kangaroo garments can therefore be lighter and provide more ‘feel’. Special tanning and drying methods mean kangaroo hide is resistant to moisture and so is less likely to loose its shape or degrade over time. 

Stingray skin

The most abrasion resistant material that is pliant enough to be used in the manufacture of gloves. Selected styles of Held gloves feature Stingray protection on the ball of thumb, knuckles and wrist, backed with shock absorbing gel pads in order to allow fallen riders to slide more easily with less chance of fractured limbs cause by rolling.When exposed to a 10 Newton load on an H22 friction wheel at Pirmasens testing Institute in accordance with DIN 53754, Kangaroo leather wore though after 4,000 revolutions, while stingray skin withstood a 20,000 revolutions.

Held Titan gloves- Stingray leather covered Carbon shell side & finger protection

For more information on Held in the UK, or to find your nearest dealer please visit www.held-uk.co.uk

Held racer news: TRAYLER ENDS SEASON ON A HIGH WITH TOP FIVE FINISH AT BRANDS HATCH

TRAYLER ENDS SEASON ON A HIGH WITH TOP FIVE FINISH AT BRANDS HATCH  

Jesse Trayler ended his Pirelli National Superstock 1000 Championship campaign on a high with a hard-fought top five finish at the Brands Hatch season finale.

Held wearer Jesse Trayler - It's been a smokin' season!

At his home round of the season the Colchester Kawasaki team had a tough start to the weekend, with changing conditions making it difficult to perfect the right set up. However a determined performance in qualifying saw him move up the order, but would start on the fourth row of the grid.

In the race Trayler pushed hard to carve his way through the pack and with a battling performance he had moved through to seventh and with some of his rivals crashing out on the final lap he moved to fifth to celebrate a strong finish to the season.

Trayler said: “The first day on track for free practice was very difficult with the tricky conditions, I am usually comfortable with wet weather riding but it just didn't happen. We had a few problems and we were way down the order after Q1! Luckily we got almost a dry Q2 on Saturday and I found a bit of form and we were twelfth on the grid, which was frustrating but much better compared to the day before!

“Typically in the last round of the year after good starts in all the races, I got a poor one! I didn't really make any places up off the line but I managed to pass a few riders throughout the race and make a few positions up. I had a feeling there was going to be a few crashes throughout the race due to the tricky conditions and the fact everyone would be going hammer and tong since it was the last one of the year. I happened to be right and made a few more places to pip fifth from seventh on the last lap due to a few riders misfortunes and crashing out.

“It was a good recovery from twelfth on the grid and considering how poor the weekend started off for me it was a relief!

“I'd like to say a huge thank you to my dad for all his hard work this year, it's been just me and him at the track all season getting the job done and he has done a sterling job. A massive thank you to Nick Morgan at MSS Performance for building me a lovely ZX10r which has to be the best bike I've ever ridden, and also to Colchester Kawasaki for their involvement.

"Also a big thank you to my sponsors for making this year happen on which has been a tricky on our budget! They include Leonard Brooks, Colin Sweeney, Linxcel, Held leathers and Shark helmets.”

To learn more about Held Rider Equipment in the UK please visit www.held-uk.co.uk

NEWS: FREE Motorcycle Live Tickets for GSX-R owners

Free show tickets for Gixxer owners!

Suzuki is giving GSX-R owners free tickets for this year's Motorcycle Live as part of the GSX-R 30th anniversary celebrations taking place over the course of the show.

A selection of classic GSX-R models from the past three decades will form the anniversary display, which also includes the winning bikes from Suzuki's competition that invited owners to get their GSX-Rs involved in the display too.

An original GSX-R750F will also be rebuilt and restored to its former glory on the Suzuki stand throughout the event.

Suzuki GB Marketing Manager Rob Cooper said: "The GSX-R 30th anniversary celebrations are going to be a real highlight of this year's Motorcycle Live, and inviting owners to come to be involved is our way of thanking all of our loyal customers for their support over the years. GSX-R is arguably the most recognisable brand in modern motorcycling and is responsible for sportsbikes as we know them today. We're looking forward to marking 30 years of such an iconic range of bikes with everyone that comes along."

Suzuki's GSX-R display can be found on stand 4E15.  GSX-R owners wanting to claim their free ticket go to www.suzuki-gb.co.uk/gsx-r. More show information at www.motorcyclelive.co.uk.

To learn more about Held motorcycle gear in the UK, including leathers, gloves, boots, helmets and accessories please visit www.held-uk.co.uk. 

Held- German Quality, realistic prices.

Held Racer Update: Jesse Trayler, National Superstock 1000

TRAYLER AND MSS COLCHESTER KAWASAKI RETURN WITH TOP EIGHT FINISH AT SILVERSTONE

 
Jesse Trayler and the MSS Colchester Kawasaki team returned at the penultimate round of the Pirelli National Superstock 1000 Championship at Silverstone, pushing into an eighth place finish ahead of the season finale at Brands Hatch in two weeks' time.

Trayler had been sidelined from action since a crash at Cadwell Park but the team came back ready to battle it out, qualifying on the fourth row, but fighting hard in the races to secure an eighth place for the Colchester-based team.

Trayler said: “It was a pleasure coming back at Silverstone after what has been a difficult six weeks since Cadwell. Financially it was just not at all possible to be back at Oulton Park after a huge crash at Cadwell.

 “The weekend started off slowly in practice and it was just a case of me dialling myself back in after no time in the saddle since Cadwell Park, checking the bike was good and not being too hot headed and throwing it up the road again! In Q1 we were near the sharp end again but Q2 was a bit frustrating as I'd gone 0.5 quicker and dropped four places back!

“The race got off to a mega start and I was up inside the top 10 from the start and I moved up to eighth after some fallers. It was just not possible for me to go with the group ahead as I just did not have the pace in me again just yet.

“I'm happy with the weekend after the disasters we've over came since Cadwell and to be somewhere near straight away. I'd like to take this opportunity to thank Nick Morgan of MSS Performance for doing such a sterling job putting the bike right again and getting us back out there. As well as Leonard Brooks for their continued support this year they have been fantastic and very loyal.

“Hopefully we can go on to the final round at Brands Hatch now where last time there I stuck it on the podium with a s spot, I'd like to finish off on a good note and repay everyone with a top result for all their hard work.”

Want to know more about Held Bike Gear in the UK? www.held-uk.co.uk for our online catalogue, information, care tips and a list of UK stockists!

Held Racer update: Tom Weeden - Olivers Mount Gold Cup 2015

Tom Weeden - Olivers Mount Gold Cup 2015

Tom Weeden ended his 2015 road racing campaign with a weekend of highs and lows at the International Olivers Mount Gold Cup last weekend. The rising 21 year old pure roads racer was in high spirits going into the meeting on the back of a successful two weeks out on the Isle of Man for the Manx GP, where he walked away with an 8th and 6th place finish in the Junior and Senior races and a personal best average of 118.1mph around the 37.73mile course. 

Saturday proved to be the ideal conditions for Weeden as the rain came down strong in the morning. Tom favours wet conditions around the Olivers Mount circuit as it levels out the playing field against the top TT riders on far superior machinery. John McGuiness, Bruce Anstey, Michael and William Dunlop, Ryan Farquhar, Dean Harrison, Lee Johnston and Ivan Lintin who have all either won or been on the podium in Isle of Man TT races were in attendance. Racing against the big factory backed teams, the privateer “Dad and lad” team would have their work cut out for a top 10 finish amongst an extremely high quality field of riders.

Practice boded well for Weeden as he went 3rd fastest in both the 600cc category and the practice for the main event – the Gold Cup, in very tricky wet conditions. Tom followed this up with a brilliant 2nd position in the 600cc qualifying session to place himself in the centre of the front row for the race later that day. Unfortunately he made a slight error on his final and fastest lap in the Gold Cup qualifying session running slight wide at the end of the back straight. 

He ended up in 5th missing out on 4th place by 0.1second from William Dunlop. This didn’t deter Weeden, he knew if he got off the line well he could battle it out with the big names. He still had several top class riders on 1000cc machines behind him, whereas Tom was riding his own teams 2011 spec Triumph 675 with a huge a power deficit and considerably less electronics aids. 

The rain had subsided a little by the time of the first 600 race, but wet tyres were still the only option as it remained wet under the sections of track that were covered by trees. After getting off to a decent start, Tom held 3rd place half way through the first lap. Daley Mathison crashed out of the lead at Memorial Hairpin and Tom took the opportunity in the ensuing chaos to drive past Lee Johnston who had been tangled up in the crash although remained upright himself. 

This put Weeden into the lead. It didn’t last long however as Tom took a particularly tight defensive line into the Mountside Hairpin. By over defending his line to block anyone shooting past on the inside on the brakes Tom made the already extremely tight and slow hairpin even tighter. The front tyre gave way at the apex of the corner sending Tom and his bike sliding down the track. Fortunately it was a very slow crash and both Weeden and the bike were unscathed barring a broken footpeg. 

Understandably he was quite annoyed with himself after crashing out of the lead but remained positive for the next and last race of the day – The Cock o’ the North main race that was cancelled last time at Olivers Mount due to an oil spillage covering most of the circuit.

Starting from 6th on the grid Tom didn’t make a great start and dropped a position into the first corner to demote him into 7th at the end of lap 1. On lap 2 Mark Goodings ran wide at Drurys hairpin allowing Tom to move back into 6th before closing in the other Goodings, Mick. He remained calm and passed Mick on the brakes around the outside going into Memorial bend at the end of the back straight. On the 5th lap Ivan Lintin crashed out in front of Tom promoting him into 4th position. He pulled out a gap on Mick Goodings and cruised home into a creditable 4th place which made up for the earlier disappointment in the 600 race. 

The sun came out for Sundays day of racing, which meant it would be difficult to match the pace of the TT riders on far superior machinery. The organisers decided to make the riders requalify for all races as conditions were completely different and probably also because a few of the big names hadn’t qualified for the main race. A slightly unfair decision but there was nothing Tom could do about it so had to bite his lip and forget his qualifying positions from Saturday. 

The track was still wet in places but Tom decided to run dry tyres for the 3 lap requalifier as the wet tyres would be destroyed in a couple of laps and the team simply cannot afford to do that. A few of the team riders decided to go with wets or inters and Weeden couldn’t match their pace through the wet sections of the circuit.  He went 9th fastest in the 600cc session after making an error on the final lap and running over the curb, losing a chunk of time in the process. 

In the Gold Cup qualifying session Tom felt he was being held up by the riders in front of him on lap 2 so he sat up and allowed a gap to form so he could get one fast lap in on the 3rd and final lap. Unfortunately he made a slight error going into the final Farm Bends section of track and ran onto the grass on the exit. This washed out the front end causing him to hurtle into the bushes at a fast pace. Fortunately the bushes offered a relatively soft landing and once he had crawled out of them he realised the bike wasn’t too badly damaged either. 

Full credit to the Held leathers/gloves, Daytona boots and LS2 Helmets that Weeden uses which allowed him to walk away from the high speed crash with not a single mark on him and ready to compete in the rest of the meeting. After sitting up on his 2nd lap he lost a lot of time and only posted the 15th fastest time. Despite this he had still out qualified a few of the TT superstars who were then proceeded to be slotted in front of him on the grid, again making a mockery of the whole qualifying process.  Tom was due to start the Gold Cup race in 18th position and wasn’t particularly pleased about it after originally qualifying 5th on Saturday. 

First up was the Gold Cup race, by now dry tyres were the right call with only a few wet patches remaining under the trees. Weeden needed to get off the line well from so far back and he did just that. He went into the first corner aggressively and got past several riders into turn 1.  John McGuinness then went down in front of Tom giving him an extra position and 3 laps later so did Michael Dunlop. He kept his head down and caught a pack of riders. Unfortunately with the extra power of the 1000cc bikes it made it difficult to force a pass as he lost too much time along the straights and on the torque out of the hairpins. 

Tom found himself in 12 place with one lap to go. He forced his way past Jamie Coward on the brakes into turn 1 but was too far away from the riders in front to make a move. Weeden put in his fastest lap of the race in on the last lap to pull a gap and defend his 11th position to the line, eventually taking the chequered flag with a 2 second gap to 12th position. It was a case of making the best of a bad situation after a difficult qualifying process. 

With one race left of the season, Weeden was determined to make the 600 race a good one. He got a lightning start from 9th on the grid to slot into 7th on lap 1. Dan Hegarty slotted past on the second lap to demote Tom to 8th. He remained calm and passed Mick Goodings on lap 3 to briefly return to 7th before Lee Johnston went through on the next lap. Tom couldn’t match the pace of Johnston who quickly got away but clung on for long enough to bridge the gap that had formed to Dan Hegarty in front.  

Tom passed Hegarty and Bruce Anstey to move into 6th at the end of lap 5. The pack was starting to draw in William Dunlop and James Cowton in front for the battle for 4th. Unfortunately for Tom, Hegarty made a brave pass on him on the brakes into turn 1 causing him to sit up mid corner and lose a bit of time. 

Weeden tried to chase Hegarty down but wasn’t close enough on the last lap and had to settle for 7th place. He was happy enough with the result considering the class of the field, but felt a top 5 could have been possible. 

That’s the season complete for Tom. He is still undecided on whether to compete at the Manx GP again and go for glory or move up to the TT and also the Ulster GP. Ultimately it all relies on funding but wherever he ends up he’d  like to secure a ride on a Supertwin bike for the 2016 to add to the track time available at race meetings. One thing’s for sure, he’ll be back at the Olivers Mount circuit that he loves where he is hoping to secure more podium finishes. 

Want to know more about Held motorcycle gear in the UK, including a list of stockists and and online catalogue? Check out www.held-uk.co.uk

What We Wear: Held two-piece Stint / Turn leathers

I wanted some leathers that would just about match any style of motorcycle - from Cruiser to Sports to Naked to Off Road. The Held 'Stint' Jacket and 'Turn' Trousers do just that. Plenty of old school black leather with a healthy hint of modern.

In fact, the leathers, looking at first glance sporty, seem to blend in very nicely with all styles of bike, just as I'd hoped. 

I've had these now for around a year and they fit like a pair of old slippers! Having said that, typical of the usual style from Held they were so soft and supple that they took minimal breaking in. 
 
The 'Stint' Jacket

With Zip air vents on it, Kevlar stretch panels and a mesh liner I've found this Jacket very comfortable this Summer. Last Winter I also wore it with some waterproofs over the top which did the trick in terms of keeping out the wind.

I've slipped a SAS-TEC protector in the back and love the fact that it's two piece- I can zip up the trousers to it for that one-piece feel, or mix it with some Held Crackerjack Kevlar
Jeans. Perfect for every ride!

Held 'Stint' black leather motorcycle Jacket - RRP £419.99

The 'Turn' trousers

Held 'Turn' black leather motorcycle trousers - RRP £349.99

The 'Turn' trousers zip nicely to the Jacket and also have Kevlar stretch panels in the places you need them most. This also allows a very pleasant flow of air to, well, areas that benefit from a flow of air ;)

Here's the official pics of the two items: 

 Summary

Great fit, exceptional comfort, plenty of SAS-TEC protection built in, the ability to mix n' match with other gear, the feeling of a one-piece when zipped up and the 'character' to blend in nicely with any style of bike. I've covered a few thousand miles in them so far and I love 'em!

Blood Bikes Manchester recruiting tomorrow!!

Blood Bikes Manchester will be hosting a volunteer rider recruitment day on 31 August 12-4pm at: 

Inner Circle Training
Meyer Street,
Stockport 
SK3 8JE.

Blood Bikes Manchester has been operating for three years, making free deliveries of urgent blood, samples, medication, records and donor breast milk to NHS hospitals and other health charities such as St Ann's Hospice. It's manned by volunteers who are out every night, weekends and bank holidays clocking up the miles on their purpose-designed fleet of blood bikes and saving about £145,000 for the hospitals they support.

www.bloodbikesmanchester.co.uk

Held Racer News: Cadwell Park and Jesse Trayler

TRAYLER AND MSS COLCHESTER KAWASAKI ENDURE CHALLENGING CADWELL

held wearer Jesse Trayler and the MSS Colchester Kawasaki team had one of their most challenging weekends of the season so far in the Pirelli National Superstock 1000 Championship at Cadwell Park last weekend.

Trayler and the MSS Colchester Kawasaki team had high hopes for the Lincolnshire circuit, but a tough qualifying session put him down the grid and fighting back. The Essex-based contender was moving back through the field, before a crash ended his run.

Trayler said: “After a successful test at Cadwell a couple weeks ago I was really confident going into the weekend that we could score a top result. Unfortunately this wasn't to be and I was hampered all weekend with bike problems, so I only managed five laps in Q1 and didn't even make it out for Q2. It really left us on the back foot and I started a low 28th on the grid.

“I got another belter of a start again on the restart after a red flag. After three laps I had climbed up to 13th and started to close a group of riders down! Sadly though my bad luck wasn't done for and I had a huge highside at Charlies.

“I'd like to say a massive thank you to my team and everyone that helped all through Saturday trying to get the bike running properly, especially to Nick Morgan who just didn't give in and also to Richard from Dyno jet that runs the BSB Dyno. Also my dad that always makes things possible. It just wasn't to be this weekend and now we just need to regroup, put the weekend behind us and crack on with getting ready for Oulton Park now.”

If you want to learn more about Held in the UK 

please visit www.held-uk.co.uk

Held Race News: Joe Burns, Thruxton, National Superstock 1000

Joe Burns - Race Report Thruxton, (Round seven)

Only one week ago Joe Burns came on board with IN Competiton Racing to compete on our new Aprilia RSV4RF in the Pirelli Superstock 1000 class in the British Superbike Bike series. We are absolutely delighted with Joe’s performance this weekend. 

Joe Burns, National Superstock 1000. Photo: Chris Brown, @visordownphoto

He came out strong from the beginning, leading FP1 most of the way only dropping to second on the last lap. Unfortunately qualifying didn't go so well meaning Joe had to start from 14th on the grid. 

During the race he was as far back as 15th but he battled hard and put in a great second half of the race to finish a very credible 7th position and was only 0.3 seconds off the fastest lap of the race, this is a fantastic achievement considering the small amount of time he has had on the bike. 

We would like to say a big thank you to everyone that has helped get us out this weekend, special mention to Edward Allingham, Ian Newton, Adrian Gorst, Dave Lewis, Ruairi Grimes and of course our sponsors that have come on board with this new project. Really looking forward to Cadwell Park to see what progress we can make!

To learn more about Held motorcycle gear in the UK, including a list of UK stockists and an online catalogue please visit www.held-uk.co.uk

Held Race News: Trayler climbs the standings to 4th!

TRAYLER MOVES UP THE STANDINGS WITH MSS COLCHESTER KAWASAKI

Held wearer Jesse Trayler overcame one of his toughest rounds on the Pirelli National Superstock 1000 Championship calendar at Thruxton to claim a hard-fought eighth place and move up to fourth place in the overall standings.

Superb season for MSS Colchester Kawasaki rider Jesse Trayler

Trayler and the MSS Colchester Kawasaki team had a challenging start to their weekend before qualifying on the fifth row of the grid, but this didn't faze the Essex-based contender and he delivered one of his best performances of the season to fight through to eighth place.

Trayler said: “Thruxton for me, I knew was going to be tough after struggling to find any pace at all there last year. So this weekend I knew I just had to be realistic. After a bit of a disappointing end to qualifying in 15th I knew I had work to do and it was just a case of salvage operation and try push through for some points! I knew my race pace was going to be better and actually the times weren't far off and I was only 0.9 off pole! 

"I got another good start which helped then I got a bit beaten up and pushed back mid-race. Come the end though I'd managed my tyre well and a gaggle of riders in front started to come back to me and I successfully passed them to come home in eighth and push myself one place forward into fourth in the championship! So a job well done I think come the end of the weekend at Thruxton! 

"I would like to say a massive than you to the guys at MSS Performance, Colchester Kawasaki, Linxcel, Leonard Brookes, Held Leathers and Shark helmets for their support for this season and also to a few other individuals that have kept faith in me and helped me progress this year especially."

If you'd like to learn more about Held in the UK, including an online catalogue and a list of UK stockists please visit www.held-uk.co.uk

Held Race News: Podium for Tom Weeden at Olivers Mount

Tom Weeden Olivers Mount Cock o’ the North 2015

Tom Weeden was back in action last weekend at the Olivers Mount Cock o’ the North road races in Scarborough. After a successful week at the North West 200 back in May, Weeden couldn’t wait to get back on the bike and back to the Olivers Mount circuit. Unfortunately the meeting had to be reduced to one day due to an issue with the Scarborough council; despite this the team still made the long journey up in order to get some track time before the Manx GP in August.

Tom Weeden: 3rd behind Lee Johnston and Dean Harrison

The rain came down heavily on Sunday morning, much to Tom’s delight after his success in wet conditions at the Spring Cup. After the first few groups had gone out for morning practice the rain started to come down too hard to continue. The organisers decided to call a delay of an hour for the rain to pass with Weeden’s 600 session being the first back on track. 

As forecasted the rain died down after an hour and Tom was out for the 3 laps of practice he would get to reacquaint himself with both the bike and the track before qualifying. Weeden took it easy in the wet conditions, short shifting and not taking any risks and was pleasantly surprised to see himself 4th fastest on the timesheets.

The track had begun to dry for qualifying and it would all be down to tyre choice. The nature of the Olivers Mount circuit meant parts of the track would be dry but the parts under the trees would still be wet. After a lot of nail biting and deliberation on what tyres to go for, Tom decided to go for an intermediate in the front and a heavily worn wet rear that he didn’t mind destroying which had been saved for a moment exactly like this. 

The call proved to be perfect with Tom taking two laps to get used to the tricky conditions without using up too much of the rear tyre on the dry parts. Then on the 4th and final lap Tom found himself a bit of space on track and put a quick lap in fast enough for 3rd position on the grid, 2.2 seconds faster than 4th position and only 1 second off of pole. 

The track had mostly dried up for the first 600cc race, full dry tyres being the choice for all on the grid. Tom’s once trademark flying starts have been something he’s been missing this year so he was hoping to at least consolidate third position into turn 1 front the front row. Unfortunately this didn’t happen, Weeden dropt to 7th into turn 1 after getting beaten up a bit off the line. He moved into 6th halfway through the lap but the front pack had begun to pull away. At the end of the first lap the red flags came out due to an incident that needed clearing, giving Tom another chance to sort his start out. 

The start was better in the rerun but still far from perfect, Weeden was in 6th but this time right on the tail of the chasing pack. On lap 2 he moved into 5th when a rider in front crashed causing Tom to take evasive action. The race continued and Weeden found himself behind Daley Mathison trying everything to find a way past. On the last lap Daley showed Tom half a gap at the end of the back straight and he didn’t need asking twice to come through into 4th. With half a lap to go Ivan Lintin had an off in front of Tom leaving him to take 3rd position. 

This boded well for the remainder of the meeting in which Tom had one more 600 race and then the main Cock o’ the North race. Unfortunately though an incident in which a sidecar spilt oil over a large proportion of the track caused a lengthy delay. Despite even getting the fire brigade to come and clean the circuit it was deemed too unsafe to continue due to the amount of oil covering the circuit. On a road circuit with very limited run off rider safety has to paramount and we respect the unfortunate decision to have to call an early end to an already shortened meeting. 

Looking at the positives Weeden can go to the Manx GP with himself and his bike in one piece and on the back of another great podium result at Olivers Mount. 

If you'd like to learn more about Held Motorcycle gear in the UK please visit www.held-uk.co.uk for a list of UK stockists and our online catalogue

Held Race News: Trayler 2nd at Brands

TRAYLER CELEBRATES PODIUM FINISH FOR MSS COLCHESTER KAWASAKI 

Jesse Trayler celebrated his first podium finish of his 2015 Pirelli National Superstock 1000 Championship at his home round of Brands Hatch last weekend, claiming a hard-fought second place, missing out on the win by just 0.0678s.

Jesse Trayler celebrates 2nd place

Jesse had got off to a flying start from the second row of the grid and was posting consistent times to hold third as ahead of him the leading pair in the standings, Alastair Seeley and Josh Elliot were scrapping for the lead. This gave Jesse the opportunity he needed and he closed the deficit over the closing laps and in a position to pick up the pieces.

Jesse was determined to hold on to his podium finish and looked set to claim third until Elliot crashed out on the final corner, promoting him to second place for his first podium finish of the season.

Trayler said: “We have been building up some good momentum leading up to Brands Hatch GP at the previous two rounds with good results. The weekend got off to a good start in practice and after qualifying fifth on the grid we knew we had a good pace for the race on Sunday. Myself and Mike at K-Tech worked really well to get the handling better after each session with just a few changes over the weekend, and for the race the bike was really consistent the whole way through.

Jesse Trayler on his way to second in the National Superstock 1000

“I got another good start and was up into fourth. The first few laps were banzai with some really strong lap times coming straight away. I was happy to hold third place strongly the whole way through unbeknown to me that I actually had a big gap over fourth come the end when I kept seeing +0 on the pit board!

“The last few laps were exciting as Alastair (Seeley) and Josh (Elliot) started to come back to me and I was catching them at quite a rate due to them tripping one another up battling for the lead. It was just out of reach for me on the final lap to be in a position to do anything about them and I think it was just as well I kept my nose clean with Josh sadly crashing out on the final corner on the last lap.

“We have been in the top five the past two meetings and it was so nice to finally top it off this weekend with a strong finish and my first podium in the Superstock 1000 class for MSS Colchester Kawasaki. It is so nice to repay everyone with this result for their hard work and commitment to get to this level now and be up the front, and I feel I can continue to do so.”

If you'd like to see more about Held in the UK, including our online catalogue and a list of stockists please visit www.held-uk.co.uk

Held Race news: TRAYLER SCORES SEASON BEST RESULT IN SCOTLAND

TRAYLER SCORES SEASON BEST RESULT IN SCOTLAND 

Held wearer Jesse Trayler - 4th at Knockhill

Held wearer Jesse Trayler edged closer to his first podium finish of the season at Knockhill last weekend as he continues to battle for the top three in the Pirelli National Superstock 1000 Championship.

Trayler and the MSS Colchester Kawasaki team have been working hard to close the deficit in the previous rounds and as the season hit Scotland the team continued their building momentum, qualifying on the third row of the grid to battle through to fourth place.

Trayler said: “After not riding at Knockhill since we were there in 2014 on different suspension this year, it was just a case of trying to suss things out to start with and get the bike working without it trying to chuck me off! Qualifying was mediocre for me in Q1 but track activity was hampered come Saturday for Q2 so we didn't manage to get on track and try the changes we had made.

“For the race I got another solid start from eighth on the grid, there were a few crashes throughout the race which helped bump me up a couple of positions, but  I am delighted to continue our form coming to Knockhill and another step closer to that podium! The changes we gambled on helped and paid off for the race which made life a little easier on the bike too. I'd like to thank my Team MSS Colchester Kawasaki and also my sponsors, it was good to repay everyone with another solid result. I'm really looking forward to Brands Hatch GP in two weeks time, a track that I love that's also local to me.”

If you'd like to know more about Held motorcycle gear in the UK please visit www.held-uk.co.uk

Held Race News: Knockhill – Round 4 – Sean Neary

On the up! Race report from Held wearer Sean Neary, Ducati Tri-Options Cup:

Sean Neary

It felt like a year had passed between Donington and Knockhill so I was eager to get racing again. If I’m honest, after the issues we have encountered at the last 2 rounds I was at an all-time low after Donington Park. The Paraplus Team work so hard alongside me and we really don’t deserve the luck we have had (Violin just about now!) We get our bike prepped by reputable companies the same as the other teams in the championship however someone is trying to test me to the limit! However always remember rule number 1. NEVER GIVE UP!

Paul Nolan from Charlestown has taken over the management of the team since Donington which has really allowed us to turn the corner. He entrusted Ducati Coventry/JHP Racing with the task of repairing the engine after Donington Park. With Paul’s help it also takes the pressure off me and allows me to focus on riding rather than managing the team. I CAN'T THANK Paul and JHP enough for the work they did with the bike as it has been transformed. I was also much more relaxed going into the weekend without the usual running about. (Paul did this instead!!!!)

Qualifying – Position 13th

Qualifying was held in difficult conditions. The track had a few damp patches and light drizzle during the session which is always a mental test. After the recent run of luck I didn’t want to risk crashing in the conditions so 13th was the result. 5th row start is less than ideal however we made some drastic changes after the qualifying session which transformed the bike. Nigel from Ducati Coventry changed the geometry of the bike by 16mm which may not sound like a lot but trust me it is like riding a completely different bike.

Race 1 – 9th

The first lap was absolute carnage! A few near misses and I then settled down into a rhythm. Although I am never happy finishing 9th I was pleased to finish a race with the bike in one piece. Furthermore the bike felt fantastic which gave me great optimism for the forthcoming races.

Race 2 – 6th

Sean Knochill hairpin

I really enjoyed this race. Sean Gilfillan nearly crashed coming out of the hairpin on the 2nd lap which meant I lost around 2 seconds on the group in front due to taking evasive action. Fair play to Sean as I have no idea how he stayed on!! I was gaining on the group in front during the closing stages however I didn’t have enough laps to make up any further time. The bike was great and I could feel my confidence coming back with each lap. I just need some time on the bike now to get the best from it. The drastic changes have improved the bike immensely however it’s completely different to ride in every aspect so I just need to continue working on this.

To finish both races and have a bike capable of winning is a great feeling. I know I can compete for race wins as I have done this before and we are on our way back. It really has been a tough period but I want to thank my loyal sponsors for sticking by me and also the lads in the team who work faultlessly as they want the results just as much as me. I really do feel humbled that I have such support and I can’t wait to repay the faith. We will test now before Cadwell so we can be up at the sharp end come the race in August.

I go away on holiday to Cyprus on 18th July which is my first holiday in four years. I can’t tell you how much I am looking forward to this and it will mean I am even fresher for the next round!

Once again thank you so much for all those that keep the faith in me.

Sean #10

We're proud to support Sean Neary! If you want to read about Held in the UK, including an online catalogue and a list of UK stockists please visit www.held-uk.co.uk