NEWS: TT TV COVERAGE ANNOUNCED

TT TV COVERAGE ANNOUNCED

ITV4 will again be broadcasting all of the best action and highlights from this year’s Isle of Man TT Races fuelled by Monster Energy.

Anchor presenter Matt Roberts will be joined by former racers Steve Plater and Cameron Donald. Both have enjoyed TT Mountain Course success with Steve Plater winning the 2008 Supersport and 2009 Senior TT Races while Cameron Donald was a double TT Race winner – Superbike and Superstock - in 2008.  Experienced Motorsport broadcaster Dave Moore will provide additional commentary on the race action.

ITV4’s TT coverage starts this year on Monday 27 May at 9pm with a look at the last lap of last year’s meeting – the final record breaking lap of the Senior TT. ‘One Three Five - Breaking The Barrier’ sees Dean Harrison and Peter Hickman look back at their epic duel on Senior Race Day and recreate how the 135mph barrier was broken.

The clock gets turned back on Tuesday 28 May at 9pm to what many believe was the greatest race of all time. ‘The Greatest Race - Hislop vs Fogarty’ tells the story of the 1992 Senior TT through interviews with Carl Fogarty and many others that were involved in this remarkable race.

The preview show on Wednesday 29 May looks at the remarkable track record of one of the most successful teams in TT history.  ‘TAS TT A Winning Formula’ looks at TAS Racing’s rise from humble origins in the Northern Ireland road racing fraternity to one of the most successful teams in TT history with 18 victories. Father and son, Hector and Philip Neill, talk through the years, from the early days of Hector Neill Racing to a top, factory supported team at the very forefront of British championship and road racing.

The ‘TT Preview Show’ on Thursday 30 May looks forward to this year’s meeting. The TV team catch up with Peter Hickman training in Texas and hear from last year’s fellow winners Dean Harrison, Michael Dunlop and Michael Rutter. Steve Plater takes to the water with Dean Harrison and Davy Todd as they go kayaking off the coast of the Isle of Man and the Birchall brothers Ben and Tom show that they are just as competent on two wheels as they are on three, swapping their sidecar for Mountain Bikes. With visits to the Honda Racing, Norton and Milenco by Padgetts Racing work shops to eavesdrop on their pre-TT preparations the scene will definitely be set for TT 2019 race week.

The on track action highlights begin in earnest on Friday 31 May with the TT Qualifying Highlights show which summarises all of the best qualifying action ahead of Saturday’s first Race day. All of the racing highlights will be captured in the race shows which are broadcast every night from Saturday 1 June to Saturday 8 June inclusive at 9pm, with many same day highlights shows.

Naturally, we'll be cheering on Held wearer Tom Weeden! www.held-uk.co.uk for more of our products and information on Held. 

Held Gear Care Tips: Gloves

GLOVES

General hints for professional care and cleaning of leather gloves

All unlined gloves are exposed to sweat, especially on the ball of the thumb and the fingertips. This sweat hardens the leather until it breaks. Held gloves are as sweat-resistant as we can make them, but you can extend their durability with the right care.

• Clean your gloves in tepid water using mild soap or special leather cleanser
• Wash in clean water afterwards to remove chemical residue
• Wrap the gloves in dry cloth and squeeze (no mangling!)
• Air-dry the gloves (no heating, direct sunlight or dryer)
• Do not use fabric softener
• Put the gloves on when still wet and clench your fists to mould them back into shape
• Put on the dry gloves and knead to make them soft
• Treat the gloves with a leather care product

General hints for professional care and cleaning of textile gloves and gloves with climate membrane

• Wash the gloves by hand with mild soap
• Wash the gloves with clean water afterwards to remove chemical residues
• Do not squeeze or mangle the wet gloves
• Air-dry the gloves (no heating, direct sunlight or dryer)
• Do not use fabric softener or bleach
• Do not dry-clean
• If only the inner lining of a climate membrane glove needs to be cleaned, you can use water with a little mild detergent on the inside of the glove without having to clean the (leather or textile) outer shell.

Impregnation

Well impregnated gloves are dirt and water-repellent. A wet upper causes a loss of heat. Therefore good impregnation protects also against cold. The upper is already impregnated when manufactured. As the impregnation loses the effect with use over time (when water does not roll off anymore), the gloves should be treated with a commercial impregnation spray.

To see our online collection for 2019 please click HERE

Held Gear Care Tips: Helmet cleaning

HELMETS

General hints for professional care and cleaning of helmets

Helmet: all clean and ready to go!

Helmet outer shell

Clean the helmet shell regularly with lukewarm clean soapy water or a micro-fibre cloth. Let the helmet dry, keeping it away from excessive heat, then polish the helmet with a soft cloth. Please avoid contact with solvents, such as paints, glue or fuel.

Visor

Clean your visor regularly with lukewarm soapy water and a soft cloth. Washing-up liquid is helpful to shift really sticky bugs. Also a wet cloth can placed on the visor until the dirt can be removed easily. Use a cloth or a clean towel to dry our helmet. Never use a hair dryer. Do not use any polish, window cleaner or solvents. These products could damage the coating of the visor and weaken its surface.

Detachable inner lining and cheek pads

Detach the cheek pads and the inner lining and wash them with mild detergent (baby shampoo is ideal) in hand-hot water. Rinse thoroughly, squeeze out the water, and let them dry slowly. Do not use a washing machine or spin dryer.

Non-detachable inner lining and cheek pads

Use lukewarm soapy water and apply with a sponge. After that, use clean water and dry slowly.

General hints for professional care and cleaning of mechanical parts

Metal zippers should be lubricated with candle wax, pencil lead or oil. Plastic zippers are maintenance-free.

Held Gear Care Tips: Leather

General hints for professional care and cleaning of leather

HELD apparel with leather or leather/textile construction.

Held's 'The Stan' stores his leathers like this- in a dry cabin, airing.

Each time using your garment, air it well and remove dirt with a soft brush and clean water. Do not store the products in air-tight plastic bags. Never treat leather with solvents or chemical products. Do not use a washing machine or spin-dryer for leather. We recommend only hand wash with tepid water (40°C) and leather detergent. Dry all leather products at room temperature and avoid direct sunlight, artificial heating or hairdryers.

Leather care

To slow the natural ageing process of leather (formation of tears, crazing, reduction in strength or waterproofi ng etc.), we recommend you use the following care products, available from Held retailers:

• Dubbin
• Leather-cream soap
• Nubuk protection

Remember that some treatments can change the original appearance of leather. You should not be concerned by this, since in use, the material and its characteristics will be improved by such treatment.

ATTENTION

When washing leather, it can lose some colour and the soft feel.

Held Gear care tips: Textiles

TEXTILE CARE

General hints for professional care and cleaning of textiles

HELD apparel of textile fibres

Garments produces from textile fibres and fabrics should always be cleaned to prolong its lifecycle. HELD textiles can be washed in the washing machine. However, please use mild textile detergents only, do not use fabric softener. Fill the washing machine no more than half -full.

IMPORTANT

Body armour (such as shoulder/elbow or special foam CE back protectors) must always be removed before starting the washing process.

Basic hints for using textile impregnators

Impregnation spray. Nikwax make similar, too

Each time you're using the garment, air it well and remove dirt with a soft brush and clean water. The fabric has to be clean and humid. The impregnation will be effected after washing. Please treat the product only outdoors or in well ventilated rooms. The effect of the impregnation develops best after a warm treatment with:

• Dryer: allowed maximum temperature see care label
• Hairdryer: 10-15 minutes with a distance of 20-30 cm
• Electric iron: Level 2, put under a cotton towel

The impregnation should be repeated accordingly to the number and duration of wet weather rides. You should re-impregnate waterproof textile garments after each wash to renew the natural roll off-effect of the outer fabric.

Held Over & Under Technology

Held Over & Under Technology

The portable and flexible solution for all weather conditions!

We designed a detachable GORE-TEX® membrane, which can be worn under or over the main garment. Just detach the Membrane liner from the garment and put it back on over your
jacket or trousers.

THIS OFFERS YOU THE FOLLOWING ADVANTAGES:

In the default configuration, the GORE-TEX® membrane is worn under the base combination. It is firmly fixed to the base combination with zips and press studs in the form of an inner jacket or trousers. When worn this way, the membrane acts as a windbreaker and keeps the body warm. Ideal in dry, cool or changeable conditions. The outer and inner pockets remain easily accessible. 

In prolonged or heavy rain, the GORE-TEX® inner jacket and trousers can be detached from the base combination and quickly and easily put on over the base combination. This keeps the base combination clean and dry, and the body warm. 

If conditions are dry and warm, the membrane does not need to be worn. The inner jacket and trousers are supplied separately. The body is optimally ventilated and cooled by the airstream. This also reduces the weight of the clothing and increases comfort. 

When not on the road, the membrane jacket and trousers can also be worn as functional casual clothing and/or rainwear. This reduces the amount of luggage on long trips.

See our online collection, HERE

Held 2 in 1 Technology

Held 2 in1 Technology 

Exclusively from Held- Full flexibility and functionality in any situation.

With the AeroSec textile combination Held provides the answer to the question of the ideal clothing choice in changeable weather conditions. Thanks to the innovative membrane integration both jacket and trousers can be easily and quickly transformed from a summer combination to wind and rain protection in case of a change in the weather. 

For this purpose, the membrane jacket/trousers can be brought from the passive position (“breezy” chamber) from the back of the garment to the active, functional position in front (“dry” chamber) and worn as a second layer under the upper.

• Optimal comfort in varying weather situations, whether rain or sun.
• Direct ventilation of the body in “breezy” chamber
• Protection against wind, cold and rain in “dry” chamber
• The membrane is always at your fingertips and can be brought quickly to the appropriate position
• Perspiration can wick away from the body and the garment thanks to breathability of the membrane

MEMBRANE IN 'BREEZY' CHAMBER

• The membrane is located on the back of the jacket and trousers
• When wearing the jacket / trousers the front of the body is directly ventilated
• The back of the membrane is firmly connected to the outer jacket / trousers, the front can be moved in the active position by releasing the fixing

MEMBRANE IN 'DRY' CHAMBER

• The membrane is attached to the front of the outer jacket or trousers with press studs or zippers
• The membrane functions as the second layer within the outer jacket and trousers
• When wearing the jacket / trousers the body is completely surrounded by the membrane and protected from the weather

To browse our collection online please click here

Held Clip-In Technology

Clip-in Technology From Held: 

Flexibility and functionality in every situation

2015 onwards garments: look for the blue tabs on the inside- you're ready for clip-in!

Wearing the same apparel on hot summer days as in the transition period with single-digit temperatures? No problem with the Held Clip-in technology. All Held jackets and trousers,
which are equipped with the Clip-in feature can be retrofitted and upgraded with Held Clip-in products.

Just pop the clip-in garment into the main item of clothing and secure with the press-stud tabs!

On the specially coloured fixation loops, the Clip-in products are installed by press studs into the outer shell. With the blue coloured loops and press studs, the system is easily distinguishable from other fastening systems of the base garment like connecting zips, air-vents and removable membranes and linings. 

Example of the clip-in thermo top- this one is for ladies!

The individual Clip-in products can also be worn separately for any non-biking activity as leisure wear!

See our range online, here

Held Racer Report: Leon Jeacock, National Superstock 1000, Oulton Park

Leon and Geo E Davies & Smirk Racing returned to Oulton Park for the second time in the Pirelli National SuperStock 1000 Championship season. A real riders track that Leon enjoys and was looking to continue his recent run of good form and consolidate his top ten position in the Championship. Both free practices held on the Friday were in wet and rainy conditions. 

Leon excelled in both sessions and you could tell he was enjoying the conditions as he posted a fourth and a sixth in the respective sessions. The team and Leon were confident for the all-important qualifying session on Saturday morning. An outstanding performance by Leon saw him take tenth position on the grid for race one. Another good opportunity to score some solid points again. 

Leon in action at Oulton Park. Photo: Neil Pidduck

Making a great start in race one Leon made three places up on the opening lap and was riding well within himself and a good pace. Just off the leading group he held seventh position until late in the race when he slipped to eighth place and took eight points. 

Confident of another good result in race two bad luck struck Leon and the team. Starting eighth in race two he made another great start and was up to fifth place on lap one and looking forward to moving further up the field. Lap three Leon felt a problem with the rear of the Suzuki and was losing grip badly and as he came in the first corner on lap five Leon crashed out finishing the weekend with a DNF, a result that his efforts certainly didn't deserve. 

The final round at Brands Hatch in a months time certainly cannot come quick enough for the team to finish the season on a high. There is of course the small matter of Leon racing in the Dutch Superbike Championship very soon in Assen! 

Held are pleased to support and supply Leon Jeacock and Geo E Davies & Smirk Racing. 
To learn more about Held in the UK please visit 

www.held-uk.co.uk

Held Racer Report: Leon Jeacock, National Superstock 1000, Cadwell Park

The latest round of the Pirelli National Superstock1000 Championship was held at the highly challenging Cadwell Park, Lincolnshire. Leon and the Geo E Davies & Smirk Racing team were looking to continue the good form at a circuit that isn’t a particular favourite of Leon’s. It was going to be a tough weekend but at the end a fruitful one for rider and team in more ways than one.

Leon Jeacock, Geo E Davies & Smirk Racing

Free practice one went well for Leon as he found a good set up and put in competitive

lap times and took eighth fastest in the session. The team and Leon were pleased with the result and knew they had more to come with some changes to try. Session two went even better and he went significantly faster and finished in tenth position, confidence was soaring in Leon and the team for the qualifying session to be held on the Saturday. Leon went faster still in the sole qualifying session, despite this with the class being ultra- competitive he set a time good enough for tenth, a great effort by all.

Enthused with his weekend so far Leon was looking forward to the race and as he lined up tenth he knew he had the pace to take a good result. Dropping to eleventh on lap one then fell a further place back on lap two to twelfth place, Leon though was playing the long game and as the race went on he was running a good pace and on lap nine he jumped up two places to tenth and was closing in on ninth at the end of the race.

Leon said after “Overall we had a great weekend, in the top ten fastest in all sessions at a track that is my least favourite, we as a team are now looking forward to the next round at Silverstone with relish”

Held are pleased to support and supply Leon Jeacock and Geo E Davies & Smirk Racing. 
To learn more about Held in the UK please visit 

www.held-uk.co.uk

ANNOUNCEMENT FROM SCHUBERTH

MOTORCYCLE CLOTHING SPECIALIST HELD ENTRUSTS ITS NEW HELMET COLLECTION TO SCHUBERTH TECHNOLOGIES

Two well-established companies with strong traditions are intensifying their collaboration. For its 2018 helmet collection, Held Biker Fashion will be drawing on SCHUBERTH’s technology and design. No less than five new Held helmet models are based on the successful SCHUBERTH sports, adventure and touring helmets.

Held helmets made by SCHUBERTH – bikers can look forward to this double promise of quality in the coming season. 2018, five SCHUBERTH helmet models will be added to the collection of the prestigious Held brand. The helmets “made by SCHUBERTH“ will be available in 14 different versions and will be perfectly matched to other Held products in terms of colour, decoration and features. The choice of models perfectly supplements Held’s current range in the fields of sports, adventure and touring. Based on SCHUBERTH’s R2 and SR2 helmets, Held will be offering its H-R2 Ride and H-SR2 Race versions. The Held H-E1 Adventure helmet draws heavily on the successful SCHUBERTH E1. The H-C3 Trip and H-C4 Tour touring models from Held are based on the SCHUBERTH C3 Basic flip-up helmet with a proven track record as demonstrated by over 100,000 helmets sold worldwide and the ultramodern SCHUBERTH C4 flip-up helmet.

Like all of its products, SCHUBERTH will also manufacture the new Held helmets exclusively in Germany. “Held and SCHUBERTH share the passion for highest quality and top service. We are extremely delighted that these two well-established brands will be marketing this attractive new helmet collection together. Every discerning motorcyclist, who is not prepared to compromise in terms of quality, safety and design, can look forward to Held helmets made by SCHUBERTH,“ said Jan-Christian Becker, CEO of SCHUBERTH. Markus Held, Managing Director of the Allgäu-based clothing specialist, commented: “We collaborate specifically with manufacturers who strive for the same high standards of quality we do and complement the Held product range in a way that makes sense. We are very pleased that, with SCHUBERTH, we have a perfect partner. The visually and technically modified Held models fit perfectly into our 2018 collection and round off the portfolio of high-quality Held products.“

The new “Held made by SCHUBERTH“ helmet collection celebrated its world premiere at the EICMA in Milan from 7 to 12 November 2017. From the start of the 2018 season, the new helmets will then be available from specialist retailers



About SCHUBERTH: Helmet manufacturers SCHUBERTH are based in Magdeburg, Germany. They have been designing and manufacturing high-end head protection systems since the early 1950s. With its wide range of innovative products, the company is a world leader in motorcycle and motorsports helmets as well as in protective helmets for industrial, fire service, police and military use. For more information please visit www.schuberth.com


FOR MORE INFORMATION ON HELD IN THE UK PLEASE VISIT WWW.HELD-UK.CO.UK

Held Racer Report- Wigley Racing, Assen Superstock 600

Assen TT Race Report

We had the long journey over to Holland last weekend for the 11th round of the season as we attended the famous TT Assen circuit. The first free practice session of the weekend proved to be somewhat of a learning curve as it was the first time Kurt has seen the circuit in 6 years. We had a progressive session catching up with those who attended the circuit last year and improving lap times right down to the last lap.

Held Gloves wearer Kurt Wigley

 FP2 proved to be better still, following a change of gearing and amendments to the suspension setup after the initial session of the weekend. This weekend we had the support again of Mupo who worked with the team between sessions and in pit lane helping to find the best setup and overcome any problems that arise. The session came to close with a P11 finish and a new personal best lap time 2.5 seconds faster.

After FP2’s big steps in the right direction, we were all feeling confident for the Saturday morning qualifying session. The session began in damp conditions so we hit the track on wet tyres to get started, after the first stint Kurt had made his way up to P2 and with a dry line rapidly appearing he was forced to pit and change to drys. Following a 4 minute pit stop, Kurt headed back out at which point he had fallen back down to mid-teens. The lap times began to drop and Kurt moved up into P10 where he then began his fastest lap of the session. After a green first two sectors the session was brought to an immediate stop in the final stages as on the exit of a fast left turn he hit the damp edge of the circuit launching him over the handle bars. Kurt didn’t sustain any major injuries, however, the bike had rolled several times on the tarmac smashing the rear wheel and ripping off the clocks.

Race 1 was later that day therefore the team worked flat out to get the bike fixed within 3 hours in a bid to make the start. It was close but they pulled through just in time for a very wet sprint race. After a delayed start due to the downpour, the race was soon under way. Kurt made his way up to P6 on the opening lap but as the race progresses he began to struggle and lost a few positions due to the beating he withstood earlier that day. As Kurt began to regain the lost positions, an overtaking maneuver put him off line for the hairpin resulting in him crashing out on the exit when the rear broke traction. The incident was minor and the only damage was a dented pride as Kurt picked up his own bike off the track side and pushed it through the gravel.

Kurt was determined not to let the weekend conclude on a bad note despite qualifying P15 after the unfortunate end to race 1. As the red lights went out he headed straight to the inside of the circuit for the first turn and began to push forward whist everyone was bunched up. As the field began to spread out, Kurt battled through to the front of the group he was in before bridging the gap to those in front. After a tough race the day came to a close with a P8 finish even following a position penalty due to exceeding track limits.

Want to see more about Held motorcycle gear in the UK? Visit www.held-uk.co.uk

Held Racer Report: Zoek Racing, Ducati Tri-Options Cup, Silverstone

ZOEK RACING SILVERSTONE


The two Zoek Racing riders Sean Neary and Craig Currie were at Silverstone for the penultimate round of the Ducati Performance TriOptions Cup resulting in four good results for the team.

Neary from Lymm in Cheshire was running in the top four throughout free practice and qualifying and despite a crash in the dying seconds of qualifying he put the Zoek Racing on the front row in third position for the start of race one.

He said: “I am happy enough with third in a very wet qualifying session. I was unfortunate to crash on my last lap and although I am ok the bike is a bit poorly. I am so sorry for the lads who have a lot of work to do on the bike in preparation for the first race tomorrow but we should be good to go. Thanks to Maxton for helping get our wet settings sorted.”

As the lights went out for the start of the first race Neary got a good start and was first away but Joe Collier was quick to overtake him on lap two. But it was all in vain as the rain started and the race was red flagged. At the restart over five laps in wet conditions Neary slotted into third place but was demoted to fifth on lap two. He was briefly passed by David Ferns and Sam Middlemas but Ferns retired and Neary was able to overtake Middlemas on the penultimate lap to cross the finish line in fifth place to pick up 11 championship points.

He said: “It was not the best of finishes in fifth place. I started well chasing Joe but then the rain came and the race was stopped. In the wet restart we just couldn’t get the bike to do what we wanted so had to just salvage some points. Thanks to the Zoek Racing boys for all their hard work rebuilding the bike after my crash in qualifying.”

Starting the second race from the front row of the grid in second place, Neary got the hole shot into the first corner and led the race for the first two laps before being overtaken by new champion Joe Collier. Although he was matching Collier’s times for most of the race he couldn’t find a way past him and the pair pulled clear of the pursuing pack to cross the finish line some eight seconds ahead with Neary finishing in a fine second place to pick up 20 championship points to take his total to 161 and move up to fourth in the rider standings. The final round is at Assen on October 1,

He said: “I really tried for the win but wasn't to be. Still I am happy enough with P2. So grateful to the Zoek Racing Team who worked so hard after I crashed on Friday. I have a good bit of bruising but that serves me right for pushing in qualifying when I didn't need to; also thanks to all the sponsors and Craig Currie for helping to salvage the season.

Meanwhile Newark Racer Craig Currie was making a return to racing following his withdrawal from the last round at Thruxton with a recurring shoulder injury. Although still very sore Currie decided to complete qualifying and if he felt ok was to race. He qualified for a sixth row start to the first race and was running in 24th place when the race was red flagged for rain. At the restart the wet conditions suited Currie as the pace would not be so hot and he completed the five lap dash in a commendable 17th place.

Starting the second race from the eighth row Currie got an amazing start, moving through from 24th to 17th on the first lap. He then moved up the field as far as 13th before fading slightly to complete the race in 16th place, just outside a point scoring position. He is now in 11th place in the rider standings on 52 points with one round remaining at Assen on October 1,

pic credit Dave Yeomans

We're pleased to support Zoek Racing. To see more about Zoek recruitment please click here

To see more about Held in the UK please click here

Held Racer Report: ZOEK RACING BRANDS HATCH INDY

ZOEK RACING BRANDS HATCH INDY

Sean Neary's bad luck continued at Brands Hatch when he crashed out of third place in the first of the two races in the TriOptions Ducati Cup championship but he made up for his mistake by recording a fourth place in the second encounter on Monday. Zoek Racing teammate Craig Currie took 11th in race one and ninth in the second 15 lap affair.

Qualifying for Neary went well and he qualified for a front row start as third fastest rider. As the first race got underway Neary got away well and got the hole shot into Paddock Hill Bend. But on lap three Rob Guiver demoted him to second place and two laps later Joe Collier went past leaving him down in third place. The pace was hot on the short Indy circuit and on the eighth lap Sean made a mistake and went down at Druids Hairpin his race over.

Held wearer Sean Neary

He said: "My nightmare start to season continues as I crashed out of third place. Sorry to my team and sponsors who don't deserve that. They are a brilliant team and great people. I can't get the bike setup how I want it at the moment. I've done enough testing so it's my own fault. Will start p2 tomorrow so will give it another go!"

On Easter Monday Neary started the second race once again from the front row and was third away but was soon pushed back to fourth as the riders headed towards Druids for the first time. Although he remained in close company to the top three he was unable to make a pass on them and as the race wore on the top four riders pulled well clear of the pursuing pack. He was embroiled in a close battle for position with Jonathan Railton and Phil Atkinson but finally had to settle for fourth place.

"After crashing in the first race I was always just going to bring it home safe this time. I didn't feel too confident as still not happy with the set up so didn’t really push it. At least I have picked up some points and we intend to go to Oulton on Thursday for a test to see if we can find out what the problem is."

Held wearer Craig Currie

Meanwhile Newark rider Craig Currie rode a steady race in the first encounter from a fourth row grid position to secure a good, safe 11th place. In the second race he again started from the fourth row and this time was circulating in 11th place over the first four laps before moving forward to 10th on lap five. He remained in 10th place throughout the final laps and was elevated to ninth when Taryn Skinner crashed out on the last lap.

Craig said: "I enjoyed that last race and am delighted to have picked up ninth place. I am now 10th in the championship on 21 points and am really happy with that. I am aiming for a top 10 end to the season this year so am on course so far."

The next round is close to home for Neary at Oulton Park, over the May Monday weekend of April 29/May 1.

pic credit Dave Yeomans


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

To see what Zoek is all about please click here

NEWS: YAMAHA PROVIDES TRACK-DAY TEST RIDES

YAMAHA PROVIDES TRACK-DAY TEST RIDES

Yamaha Supersport Pro Tour 2016

The new Supersport Pro Tour arrives in the UK this month and introduces a test ride opportunity for supersport and track-day riders. The Pro Tour carries a fleet of demonstration YZF-R1 and YZF-R6 machines that are available for riders to test ride on the race track.

The Pro Tour track rides will give an opportunity fully to explore the performance of these race-developed machines with free instruction provided by professional riders. The tour will visit Oulton Park, Silverstone and Donington Park and to take up one of the free supersport test rides you simply need to join one of the three chosen official trackdays at these iconic circuits.

The public is being asked to sign up for one of these trackdays today and then book a demo YZF-R1 or YZF-R6 for one of your sessions at:

13 May 2016    Oulton Park    MSV Trackdays    0843 453 3000  
 www.msvtrackdays.com

16 May 2016    Silverstone GP    Silverstone Trackdays    0844 372 8329    www.silverstone.co.uk

21 May 2016    Donington Park    Focused Events    0845 026 7272   www.focusedevents.com

Looking for some new motorcycle clothing or accessories? Have a look at Held! Click here for our website

NEWS: BMW TYCO RACE REPLICA LIMITED EDITION

BMW TYCO RACE REPLICA WILL COST £21,000

BMW Motorrad UK is bringing out a striking limited-edition Tyco Race Replica that will include almost £3000 worth of performance parts and will cost £21,240.  

BMW says it is the highest specification S 1000 RR ever offered by BMW Motorrad UK.

Bearing the iconic blue, red and white livery, the Tyco BMW Race Replica will be limited to 75 models.

As well as cruise control, heated grips, alarm, and a host of performance parts as standard, buyers will be able to specify factory-fitted Dynamic Damping Control, Dynamic Traction Control and Gear Shift Assist Pro as optional extras.

The Tyco BMW Race Replica, pictured here with Ian Hutchinson, is available to order immediately at BMW Motorrad Centres. 

Story seen on www.britishdealernews.co.uk

Looking for some new motorcycle gear this season? Have a look at www.held-uk.co.uk 

German Quality Gear, realistic prices

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

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.

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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.”

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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. 

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