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

Talan Skeels-Piggins Castle Combe Report

Talan enjoying the sun and getting focussed

The weekend of 21/22 June saw Talan Racing attend the two day motorcycle race meeting at Castle Combe, with North Gloucester Road Racing (NGRR). The circuit has special meaning to Talan as it was the venue that saw him get back on a motorcycle having been paralysed. The staff and instructors helped Talan to overcome the difficulties that paralysis has for riding two wheels, then it became home to The Bike Experience charity in 2011.

Saturday began with a much needed free practice. Due to time constraints and work commitments, the Team had not been able to make a track day at the circuit to sort out gearing, set up and re-acquaint themselves with the whole layout. Within a few laps, Talan had remembered his way around and was dropping in lap times. The plan was to try and get as close to the previous years lap times as possible. At the same race last year, Talan had been doing regular track days and his confidence was high. This year is all about rebuilding that confidence after the near fatal accident last August.

The weekend had a number of positives for the Team. The first was a two day meeting at the circuit and the second was that NGRR had allowed Talan to race in the Pre-Injection 700’s & 1300’s as well, which meant another possible four races. He wouldn’t be scoring any points in the extra races, but it was valuable experience in starts and racing against more powerful machines.

In all the races on Saturday, Talan proved to be quick off the mark and quick on the opening lap. In one race alone he managed to overtake 15 other bikes on the first lap, something that surprised the riders and officials alike. The same went for Sunday, with lap times coming down to the 1min 25.8sec best set last year, and then dropping into the low 1.25’s before finally being taken to 1min 24.2sec. Confidence has certainly been restored!

Talan and his Performance of the meeting award

The performance put in by Talan and the Team was recognised by the officials of the NGRR with the ‘Performance of the Meeting’ Award being presented to Talan after the final Minitwin race of the weekend. Another bonus from the weekend was the appearance, at the Talan Racing tent, of none other than John McGuiness, who popped in to chat with Talan and find out a little bit more about the bike and how someone who’s paralysed can still ride.

John McGuinness and Talan talking bikes

Talan Skeels-Piggins is the only paraplegic solo motorcycle racer in the UK. Talan founded The Bike Experience- which gets disabled people back on to two wheels. www.tbex.co.uk. Talan wears Held Rider Equipment.

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

Held Titan Gloves- as worn by Gary Johnson, 2014 TT

Held Titan Gloves are probably the best gloves you can buy for track (and road!) use. Held gloves have won numerous awards, including 'best gloves' for many years on the trot from Motorrad Magazine, Europe's biggest selling motorcycling magazine. 

This very week Gary Johnson wore Held Titan Gloves when he won the Isle of Man Supersport TT on his Smiths Triumph. Gary was also wearing Held Titan Gloves when he had his crash at Ramsey Hairpin. Gaz is ok, a couple of broken bones. We were delighted to hear from him the next day, and in the Tweet (below) in which he described his Held gloves as 'unreal'. Thanks Gaz!

Held Titan Glove and Gary Johnson's Tweet

The Held Titan gloves are not cheap- RRP £249.99, but they simply are the best protection for your hands! If you do have an 'off', you'd probably want to be in the best gloves...

Here's the spec:

-Highly abrasion resistant Kangaroo leather outer, colour fast and sweat proof
Unlined
-Step seam construction to avoid pressure points and improve the 'feel' of the road
-Pre-formed crumple free palm
-Tunnel strap for a more comfortable wrist adjustment
-Visor wiper
-Carbon/GRP shells to protect side of hands and knuckles
-Knuckle shell with KEVLAR (branded fibre) ceramic polymer matrix coating
-Highly abrasion resistant Sting Ray leather panels backed with shock absorbing gel pads
-SUPROTECT special shock absorbing foam back and thumb
-Back, thumb, little and ring finger fully protected with KEVLAR

Here's some info:

The new Titan motorcycle racing gloves overcome the competition by fitting better, "outstanding" protection, excellent dexterity and a direct feel for the bike and road.

Titanium covered Carbon-fibre knuckle shells: The Carbon-Aramid shells are covered in Titanium for the best protection.

Side of hand reinforcement: Carbon-fibre shells with Sting Ray leather reinforcements keep your sides protected. 

Sting Ray leather innovation: Ball of thumb and knuckles are protected with highly abrasion resistant leather made from Sting Ray skins. These are backed with shock absorbing pads to ensure that a falling rider slides more easily and with less chance of fractured limbs.

Gary Johnson, IOM TT winner, using the visor wipe at 153mph!

 Safe construction: One of the most vulnerable parts of our hands are the little fingers which easily twist in an accident; As a result the Titan protects the little and the ring finger with KEVLAR all round and finger sleeves are slightly joined to reduce the risk of twisting (finger bridge).

Comfort all round: HELD use step seam machines when making the Titan gloves; Step seams mean there is no inner welt to the seam which creates a flatter surface with fewer pressure and abrasion points. And that gives you greater comfort and better control! In Europe, only HELD have the machinery to manufacture gloves with step seams. Real grip, astonishing control, amazing protection.

To see more about Held in the UK, and a list of UK Held retailers, please visit www.held-uk.co.uk

Held wearer Tom Weeden's NW200 experience

Tom Weeden:  Vauxhall International North West 200

Tom Weeden, the 20 year old up and coming road racer from Maidstone, successfully completed his debut International NW200 last weekend in Northern Ireland. At only 20 years old Tom was the youngest entrant to the event and was keen to make an impression in the Supersport class in which he was entered on his own Triumph 675 machine.

Held wearer Tom Weeden

 
As a newcomer to the meeting Weeden was required to wear an orange bib for the practice sessions and had to complete 5 initial sighting laps behind an instructor to familiarise himself and the other newcomers with the 8.97 mile road circuit. Tom went out for his newcomers laps on Tuesday and set about making the most of the session to learn the circuit at slower than race speed. Once those 5 laps were over Weeden was straight out in first Supersport qualifying session. 

At higher speeds Tom instantly started to realise the bike had too much weight bias on the front tyre over the bumps of the NW200 circuit. He pulled in and made some changes to soften the rear and allow the bike to squat more to bring some weight to the rear and make the bike more comfortable to ride over the bumpy sections. Tom pulled in once more to make further adjustments before deciding he’d found a good setting and was ready to start putting some solid laps in. After a total of 6 laps, with only 3 being proper flying laps, Tom went 36th fastest out of the 49 riders in the Supersport class which he was relatively happy with considering it was his first ever time on the NW200 circuit and he had only completed 3 flying laps.

Tom Weeden- youngest NW200 competitor

Tom had a day off on Wednesday which he chose to use as day to see a bit of the Northern Irish coastline, taking the time to visit Joey’s Bar, the Joey / Robert  memorial gardens and Dunluce Castle. After his day off on Wednesday Weeden was back out on track on Thursday morning for the second of the two Supersport qualifying sessions prior to the first race that evening. 

Tom put a total of 8 laps in the session, with 4 off them being flying laps. He had pulled in to make a gearing change late in the session, but quickly realised this was a huge mistake as there was only 1 minute left in the session and he had lost the last chance of another flying lap. After realising his error he went straight back out to get 1 further lap in and decided to change the gearing prior to the first race. Live and learn. Weeden posted the 39th quickest time after knocking a further 5 seconds off of his 1st qualifying time. It was also in this session in which Tom posted his fastest recorded speed of the weekend at 164.2mph. 

The sun stayed out for the first Supersport race and it was  the perfect conditions for Tom to make his NW200 race debut in. From the front row of the third wave of riders Weeden made a great start and slotted behind Nuno Caetano going into Primrose Hill and the York hairpin. Tom got the drive coming out of the Mill Road Roundabout and got past in the slipstream before Station Corner. He kept his head down and tried to gap the riders behind him whilst they battled it out between them, unfortunately one rider tagged on to Tom as they broke away from the field behind.  Irish roads regular Sam Wilson passed Tom mid race and gapped him as Weeden made a mistake on one of the corners, losing the slip stream in doing so.  

Tom started to draw him back in, putting his fastest lap on the last lap of the race in the process but just wasn’t close enough at the end of the 6 lap race, crossing the line half a second behind Wilson. On the corrected time Tom had finished 24th out of 49 starters which he was over the moon with considering it was his first ever race at the International NW200 and it was a grid where any of the top 15 were potential race winners. 

Tom had another off day on Friday, and after ensuring the bike was fully prepared for the race on Saturday both Tom and his Father/Mechanic Steve went on a cultured tour arranged by the circuit pastors. They took in a few sites and stops along the tour and learnt a bit about the history of the beautiful Irish coastline. The tour culminated in a beef carvery at the Lodge Hotel which certainly set Tom right for the race the following day, a great day was had by all and the team would like to express their thanks for the invite.

Tom Weeden- one to watch!

The Final Supersport race on Saturday was fortunately the first race of the day at 10.30 in the morning. Tom was pleased with this as it meant he didn’t have to cope with the butterflies all day and could just get out and get the job done. Weeden awoke early on Saturday to overcast skies, very much a contrast to the weather they had been blessed with for the previous week. 

There had been a few showers prior to the start of the race which made tyre choice the talk of the grid. Weeden decided to run full intermediate tyres as he knew the Dunlop inter would last the race whether wet or dry. It seemed he’d made the perfect decision after 3 or so laps. Tom had made a brilliant start again from the front row of the 3rd wave of riders and set about finding where the grip was and more importantly where it wasn’t. He quickly separated himself from the rest of the pack and was exactly where he wanted to be in those kinds of conditions – with clear track in front of him. 

The track seemed to be drying and playing into Tom’s hands however after the 4th lap the rain started to come down heavier, playing more into the hands of the riders who went for at least a full wet front tyre. Weeden had a few “wake me up” moments, out of the seat on the exit of Metropole on one lap which assured Tom he should take a step back and ride for the finish. Running no pit board he had no idea what position he was in but maintained his consistency in a somewhat lonely race. That was until the red flags came out on the exit of Mathers Chicane on the 5th lap where an incident between the two race leaders, Alastair Seeley and Lee Johnston at Metropole caused the race to be finalised after the 5th lap. That placed Tom in 20th position on corrected times, which he was more than happy with.

All in all the week went exactly as planned, Weeden taking his time to learn the circuit and get up to pace before securing two solid top 25 finishes on a very strong International grid at the first attempt.

Tom now has his sights on going out to the Isle of Man for the TT on his road bike to get some more laps in prior to his second visit to the Manx GP this year. 



Held UK are pleased to support Tom Weeden. To see more about Held please visit www.held-uk.co.uk