Held Racer Report: Zoek Racing and Sean Neary, Brands Hatch

ZOEK RACING BRANDS HATCH INDY

 The two Zoek Racing riders, Sean Neary and Craig Currie were at Brands Hatch for round two of the Ducati TriOptions Cup at the weekend resulting in a second and fifth place for Lymm Rider Sean Neary and a 17th for Newark rider Craig Currie.

Sean Neary

Neary was up in the top four throughout free practice and qualifying and began the first of two 15 lap races from a second row grid position in fourth place. As the lights went out Neary got a good start and was up to second place on the first lap. He took the lead on lap three but was pushed back to second place one lap later when Rob Guiver took over the top spot.

Although he was never more than a few tenths away from the leader, Neary could not find a path through to snatch the lead on the short and tricky Indy circuit at the Kent venue and towards the end of the race decided to opt for a safe second place and 20 championship points sooner than make a risky move and perhaps throw it all away.

He said: “P2 in today’s race, I’ll take that! I really wanted that win but wins don’t come easy in this class! Big thanks to the Zoek Racing Team and all our sponsors for always backing me no matter what. I didn’t score any points in the first three races last year so it’s a big improvement!”

By the time the second race got underway the rain had arrived making for tricky conditions. Neary held the lead for a couple of laps but dropped back to finish the race in fifth place. He said: “ I racked up some more points in that race and its now on to my home round next at Oulton Park. Big thanks to the whole team and our sponsors. We just need some luck for Craig now.”

 Neary is currently third in the rider standings on 54 points.

Craig Currie was running in the top 15 during qualifying and began the first race on Saturday from the fifth row in 13th place. But despite running in a point scoring position through the majority of laps he was beaten back to 17th on the final lap by Waghorn and Hill who caught and passed him on the final lap.

Currie said: “Towards the end of the race I had a few issues with the bike so lost a bit of ground. But at least I finished the race and tomorrow is another day!”

Unfortunately the Newark rider was unable to take part in race two because of ongoing problems with the Ducati.

The next round is at Oulton Park in Cheshire over the bank Holiday weekend of May 5-7

pic credit Dave Yeomans

For more information on Zoek please click here

For more information on Held please click here

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

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

3-layer Gore-Tex jacket for all year round motorcycling

If you're looking for a jacket that can cut the mustard all year round- keep you warm and dry when it's horrible weather yet cool and comfy when it's hot then the Held Carese II is worth the investment!

Held Carese II GTX Gore-Tex motorcycle jacket RRP £569.99

• Gore-Tex 3 layer technology - waterproof for life!
• Breathable: Coolmax mesh lining, 3D air mesh panels
• CE-approved Held SAS-TEC shoulder & elbow protectors

A Gore-Tex enduro style motorcycle jacket constructed with advanced materials to offer you the best in performance and comfort for those long expeditions across Continents. The Gore-Tex liner is 100% waterproof and windproof providing perfect insulation, whilst maintaining its highly breathable properties.

Stay safe: CE-approved soft shoulder and elbow protectors from SAS-TEC come with the jacket, with the option to upgrade to a Quatrotempi back protector too. The outer also offers abrasion resistance in the event of a slide.

The internal laminated jacket is now useable You can take it out of the jacket and use it as a lone waterproof rain mac/jacket for those journeys off the bike - essentially it is buy one jacket, get a waterproof over jacket free!

Held Carese II GTX colour variations

 
Technical info:

• DU PONT Cordura 500 D outer
• Detachable Gore-Tex Performance shell LTD liner
• Waterproof, windproof & breathable
• 8 Air-Vent zippers front, back & in the arms
• CE 1621-1 SAS-Tec soft shoulder & elbow protectors
• Temperfoam at back, upgradeable to Quattrotempi CE armour
• Coolmax inner lining
• Longer cut for touring
• 4 outside pockets, 2 of which are waterproof
• Front fold-away chest pockets which act as air vents
• Rear pocket to store Gore-Tex LTD liner
• 3 inside pockets
• Internal mobile phone pocket
• Waist belt
• Hip adjustment
• Arm adjustment
• Soft Collar
• Connector zip
• Reflector inserts
• Front air vent panel

For more information on Held in the UK and an online catalogue & dealer list please visit www.held-uk.co.uk

NEWS: Burns Back On The Podium.

Latest BSB National Superstock 1000 news from Held wearing racer Joe Burns:
 

The team arrived in Donington Park highly motivated from the last result at Silverstone and with the determination to maintain the progress made with the performance of Joe and the bike. 

Free practice took place in dry and bright conditions and despite a traction control problem Joe ended the session 4th quickest with a gap to the top position of 1.274 seconds, the team used the time between free practice and Q1 to locate and fix the issues with the traction control. Qualifying 1 was completed with Joe in 5th position, but more importantly closer to provisional pole, the gap being just 0.865 seconds.
Qualifying 2 was run in cloudy but dry conditions and once again Joe was 5th quickest, the combined results of Q1 and Q2 left Joe in 5th with a gap to pole 1.226 seconds, but more importantly grid positions 2 to 5 were covered by just 0.392 seconds! A close race was in prospect.

Podium for Joe at Donington- photo courtesy of Jon Jessop Photography

In the race Joe achieved a great start and jumped straight into 4th place which he held through the first corner, at which point the race leader made a mistake and fell off, elevating Joe to 3rd. As the race developed it was clear that the leading trio of O’Halloran, Jenkinson and Burns were pulling away from the rest, however Lee Jackson made a big effort to catch the pack and on Lap 9 he managed to slip past Joe, however this swop of positions lasted only one lap, Joe retook 3rd place and showed his race craft by defending and maintaining the place for the last laps of the race. 

After the race Joe said’ “This is a great result for me, the team and all my sponsors, particularly JG Speedfit, Refresh Recovery and EACS, the season did not start as well for me as I had hoped but we have put in a lot of work, and today is the result of that effort. It was a good race for me and I enjoyed myself hugely, there was no way I was going to let Lee Jackson past me again, once in 3rd it was my place! I leave here really excited about the last races of the season.” 

With this result Joe now lies 7th in the Pirelli National Superstock 1000 Championship.
The next race takes place at Silverstone 5th October.

To see more about Held motorcycle clothing and accessories in the UK please visit www.held-uk.co.uk, online catalogue too!

Held wearer Joe Burns: Superstock 1000 Cadwell report

The team arrived at Cadwell Park in a confident mood, testing during the previous week had gone well, and consequently a good result was a strong possibility. 

Joe Burns at Cadwell- photo courtesy of Jon Jessop Photography

In Free Practice Joe was 3rd quickest just 0.21 behind Jason O’Halloran, and 1.544 behind Danny Buchan, Qualifying 1 took place in bright sunshine later the same day, and initially all was well and Joe set 4th quickest time within 4 laps, however an unexpected rear shock absorber problem hampered the run, but he retained 4th quickest position despite only completing 6 laps, so a good result from the first day’s work. 

A brand new rear shock absorber was fitted prior to Qualifying 2 and once again Joe was ‘on the pace’ very quickly, he was just edged out of 4th quickest place by a late run from Hudson Kennaugh, just 0.014 seconds being the difference, so a 5th place start position was the result. During the qualifying run Joe was once again hampered by the rear shock absorber, which surprisingly showed the same problems he had experienced in Q1, a decision was made to switch to a K-Tech unit for the race. 

Overnight a new unit was built and installed in the bike, clearly this proved to be a good decision, during the Monday morning warm up on a damp track Joe simply rode away from everyone, setting the fastest time, 0.775 clear of the field. 

The weather forecast was for heavy rain, but this held off for the morning and the race was run in dry conditions, Joe started reasonably well, slipping one place to 6th a position he held right through the first 10 laps, but he was running very close to the riders fighting over 3rd place, however Cadwell is not an easy track for overtaking and Hudson Kennaugh seemed to be riding a ‘very wide’ bike! 

Sadly the race was stopped on lap 10, due to an accident. Clearly if this not happened Joe had the pace to move up at least one and maybe 2 positions, his lap times being better in comparison to the riders in front of him. So 6th place was the result. 

After the race Joe said, “This weekend has been very good, a lot of positives for me, my team worked through the issues with the rear shock absorber and we made the right decisions to go to a different manufactures unit, I was disappointed that the race finished early as I could see that the rear tyre on Hudson’s bike was badly worn, and I knew I could pass him, but it was not to be.” 

Joe is now 9th in the Championship standings. 

To see more about Held in the UK, including our online catalogue, please visit www.held-uk.co.uk

Top selling airflow summer motorcycle trousers from Held

Available in black or grey and priced at RRP £119.99 these trousers are the perfect companion for warm days on the bike. The Held Zeffiro II come in short, regular or long leg sizes and gents up to 5XL & ladies up to D3XL!! With great protection, plenty of cool mesh material and optional waterproof inner pants. Spot on!

Held Zeffiro II Summer motorcycle trousers in black

The official word:

This is the updated version of our best-selling summer airflow trousers. Sharper looking than ever before. Large airflow panels ensure superior cooling during the summer heat. Equipped with soft CE Level 1 protectors at the knees and prepared for the addition of a CE hip armour. 2 outer pockets.

Held Zeffiro II Summer motorcycle trousers in grey

Technical info:

• 600D Heros-Tec Polyester
• Breathable inner mesh lining

Features:
• 2 outer pockets
• Airflow mesh panels at thigh, shin and back of leg
• Hem & waist adjustments
• SAS-Tec Level 1 knee armour, adjustable
• Hip upgradable with CE Level 1 armour

You can add a waterproof inner lining with item Held H626289D

To see our online catalogue and a list of UK Held retailers please visit www.held-uk.co.uk

What We Wear: The Held ST-6 full carbon helmet

The best way to start this blog about this great helmet is: 100% carbon helmet for under £270! Mine is the plain version, but it comes with colours on the black, too.

Held ST-6 full carbon motorcycle helmet for under £270!

It's light, it's strong, it looks great and it has plenty of features. But what's it like to ride in, across the entire year, over thousands of miles? Luckily we try and test as much of our gear as possible and this helmet has been a personal favourite of mine for over two years now. I'll talk about some bits that float my boat ;)

The Held ST-6 100% carbon helmet- MY first choice of lid

We've all got different shaped noggins, so choosing the helmet with the best fit is the most important factor, for me, anyway. One of the things that pleased me instantly about the Held ST-6 is the cheek pump system (See below). You can press away on the little button, just above where the chin sits and feel the helmet's insides pumping up, delivering a virtually perfect and reassuringly 'personal' fit every time you put it on. Taking it off is easy as a tiny button alongside the main one lets the air out before you take it off!

Held ST-6 cheek pump feature- perfect fit, every time

The visor comes Pinlock ready and Ive just fitted a pinlock insert that changes colour according to the light. Pinlock has made a huge difference  in terms of delivering crystal clear vision in any condition, as they always seem to. The helmet also has an integral drop down sun-visor, which has proved invaluable to me in those situations where the sun keeps appearing and disappearing!

One of the things I like most about this helmet is the easy visor change. No more broken side pods, and no hassle. I took the video below when I got the helmet and this video is the FIRST TIME I undid, and re-attached the visor. Easy!

Before I give you the official 'spec' for the helmet, below there's a photo collage I created to try and give you a feel for this awesome lid. I've covered about 5,000 miles in it, it's been comfy, easy to keep clean and caused lots of interest at bike meets. Very happy with it and certainly worth £269.99!

The Held ST-6 100% carbon motorcycle helmet in all its glory

Now, the official word:

100% carbon outer shell
Soft outlast lining for climate control
Clear, Pinlock ready, scratchproof visor
Integral sun visor
Air-vents at front and chin
Quick-release ratchet fastening
Quick change visor
Integral pump system for perfect fit
Air vents at front and chin
ECE 22.05 certified

To see the full range of 
Held Rider Equipment in the UK please click here

Perfect for Summer, ladies and gents versions: The Held Tropic II jacket

Looking great! This is the updated version of our best-selling summer airflow jacket. And this version looks better and sportier than ever before. Large airflow panels front, back and on the sleeves ensures superior cooling during the summer heat. Equipped with soft CE Level 1 protectors on shoulders and elbow and prepared for the addition of a CE back armour panel. 2 outer pockets and 2 inner pockets. RRP £124.99

Held Tropic II in blue

Held Tropic II in black

Technical information:

Outer shell
• HEROS-TEC® 600D fabric (100% polyester) Lining
• Mesh lining (100% polyester)

Fit/features
• 2 external pockets
• 2 inner pockets
• Cool mesh material in front, back & arms
• arm adjustment
• Optional waterproof inner jacket (Art. Art. 6396)
• Soft collar

Protection
• EN 1621-1 CE-certifi ed soft protectors at shoulders & elbows
• Special foam padding at back
• Optional EN 1621-2 back protector
• Connecting zip
• Reflective sections

Held Tropic II in grey

Held Tropic II in red

To see this jacket and more browse our online catalogue please click here

One of our coolest Summer Retro leather jackets :)

The Held 'Harvey', has that awesome retro look!  Ready for summer riding and leisurely times off the bike, the jacket is vented and comes equipped with highly effective, subtle protective D3O armour. the jacket is lovely soft cowhide, ultra comfy the FIRST time you slip it on.

The Held 'Harvey' retro leather jacket- super cool!

Super-cool details! The perfect marriage of style and motorcycle function! This is simply a great looking jacket: A slightly worn look to make it real from 'Day 1'; This jacket keeps you safe on the bike and it's got the looks for on and off the bike.

Another colour choice of the the Held 'Harvey' leather motorcycle jacket

Technical info:

Outer Shell:
• Soft cowhide
Lining:
• 100% polyester inner lining
Fit/Features:
• 4 external pockets
• 2 inner pockets
• Zips also adjust ventilation
• Soft collar
• Stone-washed look
• Hip adjustment
Protection:
• Revolutionary EN 1621-1 CE-approved D3O adaptive shoulder & elbow protection
• Special foam padding at back
• Optional EN 1621-2 back protector
• Connecting zip

Another colour choice of the the Held 'Harvey' leather motorcycle jacket

To see more of the UK range for Held and a list of UK retailers please visit www.held-uk.co.uk

Super ladies textile motorcycle jacket

The Held Tamira motorcycle jacket for ladies

For several seasons the Held Hakuna adventure riding jacket has been a best seller for men. This is the ladies version. The jacket has a removable inner lining that is both waterproof/breathable and thermally insulated. With that lining zipped in, the jacket is waterproof and defends you against rain and wind-chill. Take it out, however, and you have a superb summer touring jacket with plenty of air vents. Multiple outer pockets make this practical for border crossings and the French motorways. The waterproof inner lining can be stuffed easily into a large pocket situated on the outer lower back panel. The back offers a protector pocket that can be upgraded with CE Level 2 armour from the Held range. RRP £269.99

Held Tamira ladies motorcycle jacket - rear view

Features: 

• 500D Polyamide
• Removable waterproof, breathable & insulated inner lining
• CoolMax mesh lining with 3D Air-Mesh panels
• 4 outer pockets and one external stuff pocket for the lining (back)
• 2 inner pockets & 1 mobile pocket (not suitable for Smart Phones)
• Airflow zippers on forearms, chest and back
• Adjustable waist belt
• SAS-Tec Level 1 shoulder & elbow armour
• Double sleeve adjustment

To see a list of Held Dealers in the UK click here

To see the rest of the Held range in our 

online catalogue click here

The Held 'Black 8' textile jacket- just £229.99

The Held 'Black 8' ref number 6328- RP just £229.99

What sets this motorbike jacket apart is the fabric it is made of: High denier usually means stiff and uncomfortable; Not so! The 750D denier Tactel fabric is clearly heavy-duty but through the addition of Tactel this is a hugely comfortable sporty touring jacket with trousers to match. What's great are the practical additions of 4 outer pockets and the comfortable soft collar. The reflective print panels are plentiful. The internal removable thermal lining adds protection from wind-chill. SAS-Tec 3D shoulder and elbow Level 1 CE armour come as standard and the back armour pocket can be upgraded with a Level 2 CE protective panel.

Technical information

Components:
• DuPont 750D Tactel fabric
• Windproof, waterproof & breathable with Humax® Z-Liner
• Breathable inner mesh lining
• Removable inner thermal lining

Features:
• 4 outer pockets
• 2 inner pockets and 1 mobile phone pocket (not sized for Smart Phones)
• Airflow zip vents front and back
• Waist & sleeve adjustments
• SAS-Tec 3D Level 1 shoulder & elbow armour (EN1621-1)

• Back armour pocket upgradable with CE Level 2 armour (EN1621-2)

Why not add the trousers that match- the Held 'Gamble' just £189.99

View our online catalogue here

The Held gloves that Moto2 racer Gino Rea wears for wet sessions

Super fast Brit Gino Rea has chosen Held Race-Tex gloves to wear in this season's Moto2, wet sessions. For dry sessions he'll use the Held Titan / Phantom II gloves!

Racer Gino Rea's choice- the Race-Tex GTX Gore-tex waterproof sports glove

These summer motorcycle racer gloves are waterproof, but not prepared to give up the handling and feel of proper sports biking gloves. The key to these motorcycle gloves is simply this: They are a proper road and racer glove in every detail; the bonded version of Gore-Tex (called 'X-trafit') means that they are absolutely waterproof for the life of the glove, and the waterproofing does not alter the grip and dexterity.

Technical information
• Colourfast Kangaroo palm
• Cowhide and Kevlar backing on back of hand
• Perforated cuff & finger walls for airflow
• Gore-Tex X-trafit for absolute waterproofing
• Flat seams finish on fingers
• Superfabric panels

• Reinforced edge of hand

• RRP £169.99

You can see more information and colour choices on page 203 of our online catalogue. Click here

Warm in Winter and great all year round..

The Held Hakuna Jacket has served me well over the last 3 years- standing around on a chilly bonfire night, riding in the rain, riding in the cold, riding in the warm. It has proven to be a real all-rounder. Good value too with an RRP under £300.

Held Hakuna - a great all-round motorcycle jacket

Take on the world with confidence in this cutting edge touring jacket. It's mega warm when it's cold - but this jacket also has AIR-VENT zippers in the front, back and arms, zip off side panels, and a concealed AIR-VENT channel underneath the front zip for extra cooling when the going gets hot! With dupont CORDURA outer shell, COOLMAX mesh lining, and HUMAX Z-Liner membrane it is the ultimate in comfort for the long way round, down or up! It also packs a punch with KNOX CE armour at the shoulders and elbows, TEMPERFOAM at the back, upgradeable to CE armour. If you are after style, comfort and protection in a jacket that can take on continents and win, this is THE jacket for you!

Specifications:

• DUPONT Cordura shell (100% Polyester)
• COOLMAX mesh lining
• HUMAX-Z-Liner membrane
• KNOX CE armour at shoulders & elbows
• TEMPERFOAM at back, upgradeable to CE armour
• 4 outside pockets
• 2 inside pockets
• Back pocket
• Zip-off side panels
• Double arm adjustment
• Waist adjustment
• Waist belt
• Stretch panels at shoulder
• Soft collar
• Air-vent channel underneath front zip
• Connector zip
• SCOTCHLITE reflective panels

Note: Jacket is only waterproof while the HUMAX climate lining is zipped in - With no lining attached, the jacket maximises air-flow and remains shower resistant.

For more information on Held in the UK please visit www.held-uk.co.uk

Held wearer Joe Burns: Disappointment turns to joy at Silverstone 200.

This weekend Silverstone was the scene for the Moto GP Hertz British Grand Prix and one of the support races, the Silverstone 200, this is run as two 100Km races and allows entries from BSB, Superstock 1000 and Superstock 600.

Held wearer Joe Burns

The team arrived with a bike that was rebuilt following the Cadwell Park race meeting and Joe set to work in free practice and then qualifying, the result being 13th fastest and 11th fastest respectively. 

Race one on Saturday afternoon ended very quickly for Joe, after just two laps the clutch failed, the first mechanical DNF of 2013, there seemed to be no obvious cause for the problem so a new clutch was fitted and the bike prepared for race 2.

Grid positions for race 2 are set by the fastest time set by each rider in race 1, this left Joe with a starting position of 16th on the grid. With 5 laps to go he was 4 seconds behind Hudson Kennaugh who was holding 7th place.

Joe set out to close the gap and at 1 second per lap he was right behind Hudson as they crossed the line, an excellent 8th place being the reward, plus a lap time that was 2 seconds faster than he has previously achieved at this circuit.

The team left Silverstone happy with the result, looking forward with enthusiasm to next weekend at Donington Park and of course the race meeting on 6th October at Silverstone. 




For more information on Held motorcycle leathers, motorcycle boots and motorcycle gloves please visit www.held-uk.co.uk

Tough Day for Held wearing Joe Burns at Cadwell

Following the Oulton Park round at which the team broke Park Ferme regulations, we were required to appear before the stewards to explain our reasons, the end result was a loss of 50 championship points and a suspended 6 month racing ban.

Joe Burns getting some air at Cadwell

 Not the best start to our weekend at Cadwell Park, however Joe put all the event behind him and was 3rd quickest in his free practice group, Saturday qualifying was neither wet nor dry, and as the forecast for Sunday was dry we elected not to run in qualifying 1. 

As forecast Qualifying 2 was run in bright dry conditions and if Pirelli had not supplied tyres that proved to be too hard Joe would have been in his usual top 5 position. Sadly this was not to be, he experienced handling problems that dropped him to 15th on the grid. 

The tyre problem affected several riders with the worst problem being a delamination of the tread on a rear tyre. 

Race day was sunny and dry, Joe rocketed off the grid gaining two places before the first corner, by the end of lap 2 he was up to 11th place, a position he held for most of the race. Cadwell Park is a difficult circuit on which to pass, and Joe found that where he was carrying a lot of speed into corners he was being blocked by riders in front of him who were on the racing line but slower. 

Sadly the red flag came out on lap 9 of the scheduled 15 laps, just as Joe had taken 10th place. 

Post-race we stripped our engine as requested by the scrutineers and as expected no irregularities were found, our bike has been fully compliant to the regulations for the whole of this season. 

Simon Andrews was subsequently disqualified for making an unfair manoeuvre that resulted in another rider crashing, this moves Joe into 10th place in the results, making him 9th overall in the championship standings.

For more information on Held, the motorcycle gear chosen by Joe Burns, please visit www.held-uk.co.uk

Fantastically flattering ladies leather motorcycle jacket

Fabulous functional motorcycle leather jacklet with soft D3O armour! We've have managed to create this leather jacket that is sporty and rider oriented- The 'Katy'. The leather is soft but substantial. The cut is flattering. The expansion panels on the leather jacket make the outfit perfect in terms of comfort. Black & White also available. RRP is just £269.99.

Flattering and fucntional- The Held 'Katy' ladies leather motorcycle jacket

This jacket goes with the 'Eboney' trousers, pictured below, retailing at around £249.99.

'Eboney' - Ladies leather motorcycle trousers

Here's the specifications of the jacket:

Outer shell
• soft cowhide

Lining
• detachable sleeveless thermal liner
(100% polyester)
• breathable mesh inner lining (100% polyester)
Fit/features
• 2 external pockets, 4 inner pockets
• internal cellphone pocket
• 2 hip adjustment zips
• soft collar

Protection
• revolutionary EN 1621-1 CE-approved
D3O™ adaptive shoulder & elbow protection
• special foam padding at back
• optional EN 1621-2 back protector
• Connecting zip

Sizes Ladies34, 36, 38, 40, 42, 44, 46D
Colours
black
black-white

For more on this combo check out pages 34/35 of our online catalogue: Held Online Catalogue
 

Product focus: The Held 'Sarina' ladies motorcycle jacket

This awesome ladies motorcycle jacket, retailing at just £179.99, looks equally at home on or off the bike- with an excellent fit around the curves with the superb lattice belt, a fabulous feel to the jacket with the beautiful denim and wonderful detailing leaving it looking very stylish.

Superb Held 'Sarina' motorcycle jacket for ladies

The jacket has a removable thermal lining with a soft collar, and vents on the chest and back for the warmer rides!

Here's the full spec: 

• Highly durable denim look outer shell fabric
• Detachable internal thermo lining
• Waterproof, windproof and breathable Z-liner membrane
• Cotton lining
• Reflective panels
• Soft D3O CE armour at shoulders & elbows (EN1621-1)
• Specialist foam back pad, upgradeable to CE armour (EN1621-2)
• 6 outside pockets
• 2 inside pockets
• Internal mobile phone pocket
• AIR-VENT zippers at front & back
• Sleeve cuff adjustments
• Waist side adjustments
• Soft Collar

You can see the full description and more pictures on page 113 of our online catalogue, here 

 

SUZUKI ROADSHOW COMES TO HELD DEALER KC SUPERBIKES

Suzuki GB's summer-long test ride roadshow enters the final month this weekend, as popular local dealer KC Superbikes take part in the nationwide dealer event on Saturday 3 August.

A wide variety of models from the 2013 model range will be available to test ride on the day, as Held retailer KC Superbikes test ride fleet will be bolstered by an additional fleet of demo machines provided by Suzuki GB.

Buy Held from KC Sueprbikes

Models available to test ride include the iconic Hayabusa and the legendary GSX-R1000, as well as the popular V-Strom 650 adventure bike and the award winning GSR750.

Also available to test ride is the newly launched Burgman 650 Executive luxury scooter, the award-winning Inazuma 250, the GSX650F and GSX1250FA tourers, the SFV650 middleweight naked and the M1800R performance cruiser.

KC Superbikes' Robin Mumberson said, "With Suzuki bringing along even more bikes to test ride, there really will be something for everyone, and no better chance to take a test ride. We've also got 20% off Suzuki clothing on the day too. We're really looking forward to seeing everyone who comes along."


A great chance to browse some Held Bike Gear whilst your there!
 
To book your test ride, call KC Superbikes on 01228 525024 and find them at 27 Church Street, Caldewgate, Carlisle, Cumbria, CA2 5TJ.

For more information on Held Rider Equipment please visit www.held-uk.co.uk

Testing race for Held wearing racer Joe Burns at Brands Hatch

 

Held wearing Joe Burns, currently 3rd in National Superstock 1000

Once again the English Summer delivered a hot race day, qualifying 1 and 2 took place on Saturday and Joe finished the day 2nd fastest behind Adam Jenkinson, a very satisfactory result. 

Joe did not get the best of starts and fell back into 4th place, however by lap 2 he had recovered to 2nd place and began to reel in the leader James East, on lap 5 Joe was in a great position to take first place, but East missed a gear causing Joe to touch his bike. The resulting damaged brake lever caused Joe to lose time, he could not brake as he would normally. 

This incident allowed Hudson Kennagh to take the lead and then Tommy Aquino passed Joe to take second place, with an ill handling bike Joe lost time to fourth place man Tristan Palmer with the net result that on Lap 14 Joe lost 3rd place, a great disappointment for him. 

Following the race Joe said; Brands looked to be one of my stronger circuits and I was pleased to qualify 2nd, the result is not what I expected, however I am glad that I finished in fourth and only dropped one place in the championship standings, it is very close with just 12 points between me and 1st place. 

Held wearer Joe Burns- not far off the lead!

The result drops Joe into third place in the championship, the gap is now 11 points to 2nd and 12 to 1st, at this stage of the season it is looking good. A satisfying result, the next race takes place at Oulton Park August 9/10/11.

To find out more information on the Held gear Joe Burns wears please visit www.held-uk.co.uk