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19 April 2012

Stephanie Rowe


We are pleased to announce our sponsorship of, one of our own, Stephanie Rowe.

Steph is competing in the British Sprint Enduro Championship (BSEC) on an AJP PR3 200 Special and is currently placed 3rd overall.

The BSEC is a national UK event but has a selection of some of the world’s top riders competing for honours. www.enduro-sprint.com

The BSEC gets very good coverage in all the national off road magazines and newspapers and with only 8 women competing in the women’s category there is far more coverage given to theses riders than in the various men’s categories.


We'll keep you updated with Steph's progress right here over the next few weeks.

Here are a few words from the lady herself on her recent rounds-

Round 1 & 2, Aldershot Feb 11-12th

The Saturday started at -10 degrees. So we knew we were in for a hard day. We were feeling nervous and didn't know what to expect. Having never raced before we were jumping in the deep end with a British Championship. We were not prepared as it all had happened last minute and therefore the bike did not arrive in time. AJP organised a demo bike for me to use as a bid to get me to the first rounds, so I had not even ridden the bike I was racing! The race was put off until 10am due to the freezing conditions in the hope that the snow would melt. I set out on the first lap, conditions still freezing and hit the first obstacle. It was a log and I promptly flew over the handlebars...5 minutes into the race. Unfortunately behind me another rider had already commited to going over the log and used my leg as traction. The pain was initally unbearable but I managed to keep going. The riding was tough and I was learning as I went. Some riders including the professionals pulled out of the race due to the harsh freezing conditions. I continued on, coming off many times and even crashing into a tree, at times I felt like giving up, I was in way over my head but I pushed on and managed to finish the weekend.

Round 3 & 4, Monmouth March 10-11th

The day started well with the sun shining...in Wales?!?!? We couldn't believe our luck. The bike had been built and taken to the race for me and I was looking forward to finally being on the bike I would be using for the rest of the season. I was feeling nervous as watching the previous years race videos, there was alot of motocross track with some tricky rock gullys. The bike felt fantastic on the motocross sections, and although daunting rock drops I managed to do well. Unfortunately on one of the laps I got the swingarm wedged between two rocks, I tried my hardest to free the bike to no avail. Spectators noticed I was stuck and gradually worked thier way down the steep gully to help free me. Mostly the weekend went very well. One of the riders didn't finsih due to crashing and breaking her wrist. I was pleased to finish and to keep getting essential points for the championship.

Round 5 & 6, Saints Well April 7-8th

We turned up to the race track in the middle of a welsh valley. I was finally feeling confident as I had been practising on the bike and we were finally prepared for the first time in the championship. I set out on the sighting lap and riders were warned of slippery conditions. The special test consisted of 5 large logs to cross one after another and rocks and tyres to cross. Racing intially started well until the heavens decided to open up on us. The slippery conditions turned from bad to worse and parts of the track were a mud slick. I struggled to get traction and one lap cost me a huge amount of time and energy. Luckily one of the marshalls pointed out that my tyres were no good and was surprised I had managed to get round the track on them at all. Paul Edmondson racing saved the day Sunday as they supplied us with some more aggressvie motocross tyres. The bike was transformed, I had much more grip and my confidence started to rebuild. I finished the weekend 4th...looking forward to the next rounds.

You can follow Stephanie on Facebook and Twitter –

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Big Brew Event


We're asking customers to ride out to us for the Big Brew in aid of spinal research.

We trying to raise as much money for this charity as possible, so join us on Saturday, 5th May, for a cuppa and something sweet in exchange for a donation...every penny counts.

Guy Martin, a British motorcycle racer and mechanic was lucky he wasn't paralysed when he broke his vertebrae in his back at the Isle of Man TT in 2010, but not every rider is as fortunate. In the words of Guy, "Taking part in The Big Brew can make all the difference to people living with paralysis.”
Everyone who takes part in the Big Brew will be entered into a free prize draw for them and a friend to meet Guy.

As well as getting into the free prize draw, you can enter into the Grow and Show competition by growing or creating your own sideburns.  The most outstanding will win a Focused Events Track Day on the fill Moto GP SIlverstone circuit.

We look forward to seeing you all soon.

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18 April 2012

MCNLive


Vines Motorrad supports MCNLive! Read below for more information on the event.

MCNLive! in partnership with Carole Nash, has been getting the biking season underway for years and the 2012 event is shaping up to be better than ever!

From the 20th– 23rd April 2012, the ultimate biker party MCNLive! returns to Butlins Skegness for a weekend of non-stop live entertainment and partying. With three days and nights of awesome live bands, DJ’s, comedy, amazing stunt shows, try & ride activities, trade stands, organised rideout and much, much more; it’s a weekend you’d be crazy to miss!

For the first time at MCNLive!, acts ‘From The Jam’ and OD Saxon will take centre stage, James Toseland’s Crash will headline once again on Friday night and back by popular demand, the one and only, Steve Ferringo. We’ve also lined up the UK’s best tribute acts so whether you like your music Under the bridge or you’re just Livin’ on a prayer we can guarantee we’ve got the tunes to make you go Radio Ga Ga. We’ve also got the infamous Fancy dress competition on the Saturday night, so start prepping your outfi ts as best win cash prizes.

When the hangovers have cleared it’s time to head outside and sample some of the top daytime entertainment on offer. You’ll need to head over early to guarantee a ride to the two most popular activities, the FREE MCN minimoto challenge and the FREE trials riding with the Mick Extance off-road experience. There are loads of other activities to keep you entertained –including the Bolddog Lings Stunt shows, Saturday’s rideout to Tattershall Lakes and new for this year - the Human Gyroscope, The Craig Jones Bike Skills Academy and the Bike Booth! If those sound too much like hard work you could always stroll around the Show and Shine bike competition, spend some money on the trade stands with Yamaha and BMW or watch the World Superbike race live from Assen on a big screen.

Prices start at just £99* per person for the whole weekend self-catering, or £145* including the eat-as-much-as-you-like breakfast and dinner buffet,which includes 3 nights’ accommodation and all the non-stop live entertainment throughout the weekend. We are currently running a further 15%*discount on all advertised prices which make the weekend even better value for money! Plus, it’s a brilliant chance to spend the weekend with likeminded bike enthusiasts. We’ve never packed so much into MCNLive! at Butlins Skegness – so be sure to book your ticket now. http://www.mcnlive.co.uk/

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17 April 2012

Ready to Ride Safer Motocycling


We'll be at Ready to Ride Safer Motocycling Show this Sunday 10am-4pm, at Haslemere Fire Station.

We'll have a selection of our new 2012 models on display; the new K 1300 S HP, S 1000 RR, G 650 GS Sertao, R 1200 GS Rallye, R 1200 GS Adventure and the K 1600 GT SE.

Come on down and support this event.

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12 April 2012

Charity Challenges

We have a few of our staff and family members taking part in upcoming charities challenges, many of which are close to their hearts. In the words of Dr. Seuss - Unless someone like you cares a whole awful lot, nothing is going to get better.

Keith Hunt and Chris Lamport – Neuroblastoma Society

Keith Hunt (Gatwick), Chris Lamport (Corporate) and a friend are attempting the ultimate triathlon, known as The Ironman Challenge. This involves the 26.22 mile marathon, 112 mile cycling and a swim of 2.4 miles, in support of registered charity The Neuroblastoma Society, whose slogan is ‘Fighting Childhood Cancer’. Keith lost his son to cancer at the age of 5 years but, had John survived, he would be celebrating his 21st birthday this year. Other events are also planned on the day including the dreaded skydive by Keith’s eldest daughter and some friends.

If you would like to help and support research into childhood cancer, please visit www.justgiving.co.uk then type ‘Keith and Caroline’ in the donation search box. For more information on the charity, please visit www.neuroblastoma.org.uk

Duncan Bell – Shaftsbury Young People

As always Duncan (Guildford Motorrad) will be running the London Marathon for his charity Shaftsbury Young People.

To support young people in care and in need to find their voice, to be healthy, to learn, develop and achieve and to gain an independent and positive place in society… Their mission statement tells all.

http://uk.virginmoneygiving.com/DuncanBell7

Sean Kelly (Redhill)

I am sure at this time of year you have many requests for donations surrounding the London Marathon…!

My son is running again this year for Children with Cancer UK charity and has asked me to drum up some support for him, as you will see from the photo and bio he is a perfect physical specimen for the task in hand…

http://uk.virginmoneygiving.com/AlfyFowler.

As they say at Tesco ‘every little helps’ so even a pound each would be gratefully received…

We wish all our Vines staff and family members the best of luck for their challenges and in their fundraising endeavours.

posted by Anonymous at

11 April 2012

April Motorcycle Events

Make sure you diarise our April events;
  • South London Motorcycle Show (21 April)
  • Ride it Right Display (22 April)
  • Ace Café Fueltopia ride out 29 April
Click here for more info on our events http://www.vinesbmwbikes.co.uk/events/

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04 April 2012

Motion Blindness


An interesting demonstration of why motorists don’t see cyclists or motorcyclist on occasions…….…..when you click the link, focus just on the green dot, and the other three dots disappear…scary!

Motion Blindness.

It works exactly like it says, and is one major reason people in cars can look right at you (when you're on a motorcycle or bicycle)---AND NOT SEE YOU. http://www.msf-usa.org/motion.html 

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03 April 2012

Goodwood

We rode out to Goodwood last weekend. Join us on our upcoming events www.vinesbmwbikes.co.uk/events/








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BMF Show

GS-riders can fight for their place in Team GB at a spectacular on and off-road competition to be held at the BMF Show on 18-20 May.

British BMW GS riders are invited to compete for the three available places in Team GB for the incredible, once-in-a-lifetime, International Final of the 2012 BMW Motorrad GS Trophy in South America.

The 2012 GS Trophy UK Qualifier will be held in partnership with the famous BMF Show over the weekend of 18-20 May at the East of England Showground in Peterborough. For just £150, which includes the £42 weekend camping ticket to the show, riders can join BMW Motorrad for an action-packed few days of enjoyable riding and entertainment.

Competitors will get to take part in a whole range of off-road challenges on the range of 2012 BMW adventure-sports bikes, as well as taking part in road-based sections on their own GS motorcycle. The whole weekend will be a hive of activity, with live music and entertainment laid on from dawn to dusk. Riders will be based in the dedicated BMW GS Trophy camp site alongside the other competitors, staff from BMW Motorrad and guests to the event. Friends and family are invited to join in the fun for the whole weekend with guest passes available for £50.

The weekend-long event, which is suitable for riders of all abilities and levels, will involve a host of fun and enjoyable on- and off-road riding challenges, as well as practical and navigation tests on the stunning roads around the region. Importantly, the event is not a race; instead the activities will reward teamwork, mental and physical abilities as well as riding skills.

As the weekend progresses, the prospective riders will be eliminated in a series of rounds until the final event on Sunday 20 May, at midday in the Main Arena, to determine the three winners. At this point the finalists will have to put their skills to the test in front of both the judges and the public, in a thrilling competition which will end with three lucky riders being named Team GB. The challenges and tests will be devised and judged by veteran Dakar rider and BMW Off Road Skills chief instructor Simon Pavey.

Simon Pavey, chief instructor at BMW Off Road Skills, said: "The GS Trophy is going to be bigger and better than ever. In 2010, we found three amazing riders who went on to win the tournament in South Africa. This year, we're going to have a bigger and more exciting event, held right at the heart of the BMF show. My team and I will put on a hell of a show, and hopefully find the 2012 GS Trophy champions, too."

Tony Jakeman, Marketing Manager for BMW Motorrad UK, said: "The 2010 BMW GS Trophy was a fantastic event for us, both to be involved with such an exciting adventure ride, and for Team GB to return from South Africa victorious. And for 2012, we're planning an even bigger and more exciting competition both here in the UK and in South America.

Riders can book a place in the UK Qualifying Event, which costs £150 per rider and £50 per guest by clicking here

To qualify for the event, riders must own a BMW GS motorcycle, hold a British passport and full motorcycle licence and be aged 21 or over. For the full terms and conditions of entry, please click here.

Riders should attend the event and participate in all the road-based activities on their own GS motorcycle and be prepared to camp for the weekend. BMW Motorrad will provide a selection of GS bikes for use in the Off Road Challenges.

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02 April 2012

Wear a hat day

Vines Group proudly supported Wear a Hat Day last Friday and raised £428.80 for this worthy charity.









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WSBK double podium


Haslam scores first ever WSBK double podium for BMW Motorrad
The best ever BMW World Superbike results were the reward for BMW Motorrad Motorsport rider, Leon Haslam, as a result of consistent performances at the 4.936km track of Imola in Italy today. The Brit picked up two hard fought third places to take to the podium in both 21-lap races. It was the kickstart to the season that he had hoped for, following an injury-marred start to the season at Phillip Island, and sees him move to 4th place overall in the championship standings, just ahead of team-mate Marco Melandri.

Despite a difficult start to the first race for Leon, he worked hard to claim his first ever Imola podium. The British rider, who was eager to establish himself among the frontrunners for title contention, dropped to 6th position on track from 4th on the grid after running onto the grass on the opening lap.

However, Leon quickly recovered, and set about chasing down the leading pack. By lap 4 he had passed fellow Brit, Jonathan Rea, at Acque Minerale for fourth position and set about chasing down Max Biaggi. With just five laps remaining, Haslam passed his rival and the pair swapped places several times before Haslam maintained the advantage aboard the S 1000 RR. He held on to 3rd position until the chequered flag for his first podium of the season.

Race two was a repeat performance for Haslam, again passing Biaggi for third position on track, this time with 8 laps remaining. He set about hunting down fellow Brit, Tom Sykes in second, after an intense battle Haslam achieved third place at the chequered flag.


Team-mate Marco Melandri also suffered an early setback in race one, running straight on into pit lane on lap 2. However, not disheartened he rejoined at the back of the field and focused on those in front of him and bravely fought his way through the pack at his home circuit of Imola, urged on further by his home crowd. He clawed his way back to sixth place, battling to the very end, with a last lap fight to the line with Juan Lascorz.

Race two was more difficult, with Marco initially working his way into 5th position and fending off the chasing pack for a third of the 21-lap race. However, Melandri was battling with a chattering issue on his bike due to warmer track conditions. He was pushed back to 10th place and he was unable to improve on his position by the end of the race.

BMW Motorrad Italia Goldbet SBK rider, Ayrton Badovini, snatched two points from the Italian event by sneaking into 15th place in the final laps of both races. Team-mate Michel Fabrizio failed to finish either race. The opening round of the Superstock 1000 class was a very successful one for BMW as well.

BMW Motorrad Italia Goldbet SBK rider, Sylvain Barrier, got the season off to a promising start with an impressive ride that saw him move effortlessly through the field to claim the first win of the season and the championship lead. Markus Reiterberger of Team Alpha Racing narrowly missed his first podium in this series only by one tenth, finishing in a strong fourth place on his BMW S 1000 RR.


Leon Haslam: “It has been a good weekend. We had a good first race and managed to get a podium position which was my first in Imola. I made a mistake in the beginning and third was the best result we could get. In 2010, Max beat me in the world championship here in Imola, so it was nice to win that fight for the podium. In race two I got a better start, but the top three got away again. I managed to catch up and I really did feel that I could beat Tom, but in the end I made a few mistakes again. Every time I pushed, I got a little bit of chatter and lost my line.

Overall, we are making progress and it is quite clear in which areas we still need to improve, but I am really happy with the first double podium for BMW. We definitely made some good steps and a big, big thanks to all the guys at BMW. For sure we will have some celebration tonight, but not too much, as we are testing tomorrow. My ankle was a bit sore after the second race, but for Assen I should be 100 percent fit again.”

Marco Melandri: “I think I could say that it was a negative day for me. In race one, we have been struggling with the gearbox and I went straight. Afterwards I was working hard to catch up. My pace was not too far from the top three guys. In race two I had quite some issues with chattering, like it was the case at Phillip Island. I could not push properly, and I destroyed the tyres so much more than in race one. I could not do anything. We do not know yet why the bike is changing. We will work on this tomorrow and I hope that we are able to make some steps forward.”

Bernhard Gobmeier (BMW Motorrad Motorsport Director): “It was an extremely exciting race Sunday. We are very happy with how Leon managed to fight his way back from the not ideal positions he had right after the start. He gave everything, found a very good rhythm and was with the very top speed wise. This shows that we are on the right way. On Marco’s side, we were not able to fully solve the chattering issues. We will work on this intensively in the next days and will hopefully solve it for the next race. The work of the team is outrageous on both sides, and the crews are doing a great job. We just need to find a solution for the technical issues on Marco’s side in order to be able to provide him the best tool.


Race One
1. C. Checa (ESP) – Ducati; 2. T. Sykes (GBR) – Kawasaki; 3. Leon Haslam (GBR) – BMW Motorrad Motorsport; 6. M. Melandri (ITA) – BMW Motorrad Motorsport; 15. Ayrton Badovini (ITA) – BMW Motorrad Italia GoldBet; DNF – Michel Fabrizio (ITA) – BMW Motorrad Italia GoldBet

Race Two
1. C. Checa (ESP) – Ducati; 2. T. Sykes (GBR) – Kawasaki; 3. Leon Haslam (GBR) – BMW Motorrad Motorsport; 10. Marco Melandri (ITA) – BMW Motorrad Motorsport; 15. Ayrton Badovini (ITA) BMW Motorrad Italia GoldBet; DNF – Michel Fabrizio (ITA) – BMW Motorrad Italia GoldBet

Points
1. Checa (75); 2. Biaggi (71); 3. Sykes (69); 4. Haslam (68); 5. Melandri (46), 23. Badovini (2)

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R 1200 RT leads the way

R 1200 RT leads the way as BWM Motorrad takes nine RiDER Power Awards

The BMW R 1200 RT has taken the top honours in RiDE magazine’s annual RiDER POWER Survey – the biggest customer poll of its kind in the UK motorcycle industry. This is the fifth time in a row a BMW motorcycle has won the highly prized accolade.

The R 1200 RT won three of BMW Motorrad's nine awards (the most won by any one manufacturer). The survey went on to praise models from across the range, including the 'Best Sport Tourer' K 1300 S, 'Best Trailie' R 1200 GS Adventure and 'Best Half-Faired Middleweight' F 800 S .

BMW Motorrad was also named winner of the prestigious overall ‘Best Brand’ award for the second consecutive year, which combines votes for the reliability, dealer support and overall satisfaction categories.

The iconic boxer-twin R 1200 RT tourer, described by the magazine as “without question the most successful motorcycle in the history of Rider Power”, took the ‘Overall RiDER Power Winner ’ award. The title praised the RT’s extreme comfort and dynamic handling, the charismatic boxer engine at its heart and the huge range of options and extras.

2012 marks the third time that the RT has taken the top award – coming second on the other two occasions to BMW’s own K 1300 S. The R 1200 RT also topped the ‘Best Tourer ’ and ‘Best Wind Protection ’ categories in the 2012 survey.

Colin Overland, editor of RiDE magazine, said: “It's an excellent result for BMW but it's also interesting for what it tells us about biking and bikers in 2012. The BMWs that did particularly well in the voting include a sportsbike, sports tourers old and new and an adventure bike – demonstrating that passion and enthusiasm are spread across biking styles, and aren't confined to the latest, shiniest products.

"Here at RiDE we share our readers' enthusiasm for these bikes, but the point of RiDER Power is that we stand back and hand the megaphone over to them. The top 100 is brimming with highly desirable machinery, but the bikes that have scored highest are those that aren't just good in a few areas – they're good across the board, and excellent in many respects. For instance, the K 1300 S (placed 2nd) and the winning R 1200 RT get four or five stars for everything.”

In addition to the R 1200 RT’s three awards, the K 1300 S, last year’s overall winner, took ‘Best Sport Tourer’ and ‘Best Brakes’; The R 1200 GS Adventure won ‘Best Trailie/Supermoto’, the K 1200 GT won ‘Best Headlights ’ and the F 800 S won ‘Best Half-Faired Middleweight ’.

The survey further praised BMW’s S 1000 RR supersports bike, declaring it one of the most reliable motorcycles in the country based on owners’ experiences. BMWs also placed highly in the ‘Lowest Running Costs’ category, with all three of BMW’s F 800 models placed in the top five.

Adrian Roderick, General Manager of BMW Motorrad UK, said: “BMW Motorrad always values customer feedback; to receive such positive recognition in the UK’s most important survey is truly gratifying. The R 1200 RT has taken the top prize for the third time, which is a huge achievement, but to have the S 1000 RR and F 800 S praised shows that BMW Motorrad is strong across the whole spectrum of motorcycling. Winning the ‘Best Brand’ Award for the second year running is great recognition for the hard work our Dealerships and staff put in to ensure the best possible experience for owners.”

Full details from the RiDER Power survey are available in the May issue of RiDE magazine, on sale now.

For further information about BMW Motorrad motorcycles and products please visit www.vinesbmwbikes.co.uk.

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