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WIMA National Rally

Disserth, Wales 10th – 12th June 2016

This year’s National is at Disserth Caravan and Camping Park, Howey, Llandrindod Wells, Powys LD1 6NL. Arrival is from noon on Friday 10 June, where you will be welcomed by Rally Officer Ann Weir, and collect your name badge and goody bag.

Tucked away under the watchful eye of St Cewydd’s on the one side and bordered by the babbling river Ithon, lies Disserth Caravan and Camping Park. Set amidst natural tranquillity, this compact sheltered level park has been accommodating travellers for centuries. Once it was an overnight stop for drovers heading for the Midlands and today it is an idyllic location for your caravan, motorhome or tent for a relaxing rest from the hustle and bustle of modern living or a base from which to explore the natural beauty of the Heart of Wales.

Friday evening: in the bar, meeting new and old friends and generally catching up.

Saturday: a Treasure Hunt around the local area, with a lunch stop planned, or of course, you can “do your own thing”. Evening will be back in the bar, with a quiz to kick the evening off.

Sunday: AGM in the meeting area, promptly at 10 am, followed by our usual raffle. Please bring a prize – NB small enough to be carried on a bike!

The Boardroom Bar is available from 11am to 11pm daily when the touring park is open and other customers are present. The bar is situated on the ground floor of the stone barn attached to the house. Access is through the conservatory and reception area. On offer is a  wide range of drinks from Welsh beers, lager and cider through to a wide range of spirits, including a collection of over seventy malt whiskies from around the world, to soft drinks and tea and coffee. You are welcome to just come and sit and read a book in comfort or enjoy a chat and a drink or plan your next adventure in the Heart of Wales.

WIMA news -February 2016Well behaved children are more than welcome if accompanied by an adult. Well behaved dogs on leads are very welcome. Owners must poop scoop. Upstairs there are tables and chairs and further seating if the bar is busy. The space is ideal for rallies and get togethers.

There is also a television upstairs where you are welcome to watch live sports events being broadcast on the freeview channels.

Evening meals and breakfast are available if ordered and paid for with your booking form.

There is no restaurant/café on site.

There is no accommodation available on site, but local B and B’s will make you very welcome.

Please mention the WIMA Rally when booking. You need to make your own reservations.

B&B Accommodation can be found 1.5 miles up the road, onto the main A483 towards Llandrindod. First place you come to is Holly Farm, under the railway bridge. A very neat cottage which has a twin room plus a double at £35 pp per night. Here there is also a cottage adjoining , normally self-catering but Mrs Jones says she will run that all in with breakfast provided at same price if people don’t want to cater themselves. NB the cottage has a steep staircase. Evening meal upon request. Mrs Jones, tel: 01597 822402.

2nd B&B 1/2 mile further on main road and fully recommended: Highland Moors, Sue & Jeff tel: 01597825151. Space13 rooms/30 spaces. A lot of hard standing for bikes. Large rooms price £70 per twin room, some have private bathroom for £78. Evening meal upon request.

Any questions, please contact Ann Weir rally@wimagb.co.uk

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Baskerville Hall

Horizons Unlimited will be presenting HUBB UK, June 16-19. What do Sherlock Holmes and Horizons Unlimited have in common? They solved a baffling mystery in the UK! For over a year, we have been searching high and low, sniffing out potential leads only for the trails to go cold. We’d like to say our quest brought us intrigue in the moors, but we found something even better: a new venue for HUBB UK 2016! Horizons UnlimitedThanks to the generosity of so many people in sending us suggestions and helping with venue scouting over the past year, we’ve secured Baskerville Hall for June 16-19, 2016.

We’re excited that the venue supports fantastic rider training including off-road courses plus lots of bush for ride-outs, and we have plans to use it… Coach Ramey Stroud will be back! Online registration is open now with early bird rates!

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Motorcycle Show

Ancient to Modern Motorcycle Show

Withington Village Hall, Hereford HR1 3PP

 

Sunday 1st May 2016 from 10.30am – 4pm.

Veteran Vintage, Classic, Modern, British, Japanese, American, European, Sidecars, Scooters, Custom, Off Road, Race and Trikes.

Including a Display of military motorcycles from WW1 onwards.

Entrance is free, but contributions welcome – all proceeds will go to the Breast Cancer Haven and Midlands Air Ambulance.

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Lady biker, Haji Japan 1960's
Lady biker, Haji Japan 1960’s

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Raffle

Tea, Coffee, Chocolate and Cakes

Hot Dogs and Bratwurst

Held in conjunction with the Leominster Classic Motorcycle Club

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WIMA International Rally 2016

WIMA Hungary is pleased to invite all WIMA members from all around the world to the WIMA International Rally 2016, to be held in Esztergom, Gran Camping from Monday 11th of July 2016 – Saturday 16th of July 2016.
The camping is located about 50 km North West from Budapest.

 

Budapest

We have reserved the whole camping ground, so we have exclusivity for WIMA. In this camping there is enough space even up to 500 people. Accommodation is in shared bunk-rooms which will be allocated by the rally committee and will mix members from different countries wherever possible. The rally is open to all WIMA members with the option of bringing a guest. Husbands and wives, brothers and sisters, sons and daughters, male and female friends / partners are also welcome.

Registration will be through your National President only. Emails will be sent out shortly to all members with further information.

The price includes: 5 Nights’ accommodation, 5 breakfasts, 2 dinners, a full day barbecue – ox roasting with wine tasting and entertainment, Rally bag and Tshirt, use of swimming pool.
We have also arranged a coach tour to Budapest.
We have planned a week of fun and activities to show you some of the unique aspects of Hungary and it’s traditions. Please note that WIMA Hungary cannot be held responsible for loss, damage or injury sustained by persons whilst participating in this event and before and after the event.

Esztergom
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Ride & RUN for Charity

WIMA: Ride & RUN for charity is a WIMA fundraising event created by Anneli from WIMA Estonia and Åsa from WIMA Sweden with the purpose to raise money for The Motorcycle Outreach (MoR).

 

What, when and where:

We are going to run the Leiden marathon in The Netherlands on the 22nd of May 2016. There are different options and we invite WIMA members and friends to join us, the choices are full – or half marathon, alternatively 10k. All expenses are paid by the individual runner, all money collected will go to MoR. Wima Run Long Therefore, we invite all WIMA members and all our friends all over the world to contribute with money to our cause. More information regarding how to contribute with money will be posted shortly on our Facebook page and website.

What’s in it for you as a runner:

A weekend with friends in a beautiful part of the world. We plan to eat and drink, see some tulips, do some running and have a jolly good time. And hopefully we have raised a whole lot of money by then!

More information:

About the Motorcycle Outreach Organisation

About our fundraising event, on Facebook

And the website – more details here soon

About the region click here

About the marathon and how to enter click here

 

 

 

 

 

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Bike EXIF

Bike EXIF is one of the coolest bike websites around – featuring great custom builds, information for tinkerers and practical reviews of new gear. It is a bit specialised – and is designed primarily for boy racers but, looking at some of the custom built bikes is a treat – This three-wheeler is a great one:

It’s this incredible go-anywhere Moto Guzzi built in the early 1960s.3-wheel-motorcycle Designed for the Italian army, it’s sporting full-time 3WD, a six-speed transmission and a reverse gear.

It’s called the Autoveicolo Da Montagna (‘mountain car’) and it’s one of the most sophisticated military vehicles ever made. The design brief was simple: build a vehicle that could replace the mules used by Alpini troops for traversing steep mountain roads.

This example lives in a Russian museum called ‘The Motorworld by V. Sheyanov.’ Based near Samara in the southeastern part of European Russia, the museum is rammed with immaculately restored military motorcycles. But we’d take the Guzzi over anything else.

The restoration was carried out in Italy, though. It’s the work of maestro Costantino Frontalini, who runs his own museum for sidecars.

Click on the logo to go the the Bike EXIF site and see more bikes.

Bike Exif Logo

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British Motorcyclists Federation

Who are the BMF?

Formed in 1960 against ‘tabloid press tales’ of ‘leather jacketed hooligans racing around our streets’, the Federation of National and One Make Clubs (FNOMC) was established.

In 1965 the British Motorcyclists Federation (BMF) was formed to represent all motorcyclists. The BMF’s successful lobbying defeated such ill-conceived ideas as leg-protectors and the 100bhp limit restriction.

Today we are:

  • A member of government advisory groups.BMF Logo
  • Represented in Europe.
  • A well respected and powerful lobbying Group.
  • Organisers of the BMF Rider Training network
  • The Organiser of Europe’s largest outdoor motorcycle show

Join today

Campaigns
The BMF successfully campaigns on issues that directly affect the liberty, safety and security of motorcyclists’. The BMF educates and informs – from vehicle security to an online road defect reporting system.
The BMF is active in Europe through FEMA (Federation of European Motorcyclists Association) and FIM (Federation of International Motorcyclists). We lobby MPs, MEP’s, Ministers, Commissioners and Committees to ensure that your views and concerns are heard.

Riders Rights.
The BMF is one of the largest rider group’s in the world. As a non profit organisation run by elected volunteers we rely on our members for funding and support. We provide motorcyclists no matter what they ride a voice through specialist lobbyists and a network of volunteers across the UK.
Our objective is to safeguard the rights of motorcyclists from the unnecessary interference by European, National, Local Government and anti-motorcycling campaign groups.

Membership
As a member you will be part of an organisation with over 80,000 members made up of individual members and affiliated clubs making the BMF a powerfull voice in campaigning to safeguard the rights of motorcyclists. In addition a range of member benefits can quickly repay your membership fee – befefits such as preferred insurance rates, hotel and ferry discounts, touring advice and even our own Visa credit card to help you pay for it!
Member’s receive the BMF’s bi-monthly magazine ‘Motorcycle Rider’ with the latest road tests, interesting articles and campaign news.
The BMF also has a large number of Corporate Members drawn from all corners of the motorcycle industry who support the bmf in all that we do.

Click here to see the BMF Member Benefits.

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Rideouts and Coffee

Although it seems as if the weather has changed and winter is here, it doesn’t mean meeting up with mates or riding out for coffee and cakes has to stop. In fact, for a number of us, riding happens all year round and only gales and monsoons stop the fun.
So, I’m asking for ideas of good winter rides. Probably not as rides in the summer during which we meet up and go for a long leisurely ride through the countryside. But nice, warm, hospitable places where we can meet friends and get dry and warm around a hot mug of something. Coffee and Motorcycles

 

Check out the monthly meetings agenda on our upcoming events pages.

 

So, let me have your thoughts on good places to head for during these winter months. If it is too dark and cold to go out at night, find a few weekends to meet up and reminisce about summer rides and plan next years adventures! Let me have your thoughts on what you would like WIMA to try to organise for all members.

See you soon!

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Ladies in Ladakh

IND-Ladakh LadiesJoin global adventurer Tiffany Coates on the first ever women only motorcycle tour to the highest motorable pass in the World

If you just want one reason to take any motorcycle tour in the World, then riding our Ladakh High Roads Adventure over the world’s highest pass, Khardung-La, is surely good enough.

But our Ladies in Ladakh tour is more than that!

The scenery is truly spectacular, the riding will enthrall you and the culture will fascinate you. If you’re a seasoned adventure rider, then adventures don’t get much bigger than this. And if you’re not, then Ladies of Ladakh is the PERFECT tour for you to gain in confidence and knowledge. We call this tour a ‘soft’ adventure, with a bit of glamping, some ‘local’ roads, but also some lovely hotels, good restaurants, easy days and some free time.

For the whole two weeks, Tiffany will be on hand to regale you with stories, advice, knowledge and encouragement. We’ll be offering some basic maintenance tips when in unfamiliar places, some relaxing down time (maybe a spa if that’s your thing!), opportunities to exchange experiences with other riders, retail therapy unlike any other, Q&A sessions, and the chance to absorb the Muslim and above all Buddhist cultures of India’s far north..IND-Ladkh Ladies 1

Literally, ‘Land of many passes’, Ladakh is situated in the northernmost part of India, bordering the Karakoram Range and Tibet, and is surely one of the last unspoiled ultimate destinations. Part of the ancient Silk Route to the Orient, closed to outsiders until 1974, Ladakh also contains the world’s highest motorable pass, Khardung-La (5605m, or 18,380 ft). Our tour crosses the Tibetan Plateau and follows the Indus River Valley. We cross several major passes en route, including the world’s highest and second highest, traversing three distinct Himalayan ranges. The roads are mainly tarmac, often with little traffic, and sometimes a real  feat of engineering – blind bends, vertiginous drops and a pun at every turn courtesy of someone at the Border Road Organisation with a sense of humour – ‘Be easy on my curves’ and ‘Divorce speed’ being but two examples.

We like to sleep comfortably, and we want to make sure you do too. So, our hotels and guesthouses are surprisingly good, clean, spacious and comfortable. Our camps provide en-suite tents with beds, and you dine in the dining tent, with waiter service. We even offer room service in some. And all at about 5000 m altitude!
Temperatures are subject to rapid changes on this tour, and the climate will vary. While riding we must be prepared for these changes. On the high passes and Tibetan Plateau we can expect anything from warm sunny days to rain, sleet or snow, with nights cool to cold but rarely reaching freezing point. Our tour date is designed for optimum weather conditions, but mountains are mountains, and they don’t come any bigger than the Himalayas
Highlights

  • World’s highest motorable pass, Khardung-La
  • World’s 2nd highest pass, Taglang-La
  • World’s 5th highest pass, Lachulung-La
  • Simla, historic capital of the British Raj
  • Lamayuru monastery
  • The hanger loops (112 consecutive hairpins, each one carefully numbered!)
  • The Nubra Valley
  • 2 weeks with Tiffany!

Itinerary

DAY 1 ARRIVE DELHI. After your overnight flight, we will greet you personally upon your arrival and drive you to our hotel in an A/C minibus. Relax and refresh after your long international flight. This evening we’ll take you to a restaurant for dinner, hopefully with a traditional Indian dance show. Metropolitan Hotel.

DAY 2 DELHI – PARWANOO (250 km by coach). Today we rise early to breakfast and head for Parwanoo in our A/C minibus, out of the congested city and humid plains in comfort, along the busy Grand Trunk Highway. Climbing through the jungle foothills of the Himalaya we reach the tiny hillside town of Parwanoo and our comfortable hotel by about 4 pm. Here you’ll meet the tour team and motorbikes and get to know them at our pre-dinner briefing. Timber Trails Resort.

DAY 3 PARWANOO – SIMLA (100 km). A late breakfast and we’ll hold a briefing to cover safety precautions, touring style, road conditions, and check of personal equipment, with time to select our bikes and become familiar with starting procedures, control layouts and bike handling. Our first day’s ride is a fantastic start to the tour, along the beautifully lush and twisty roads of the Himalayan foothills to Simla, where we will have time to explore this colourful bygone capital of the British Raj, a strange mix of half-palatial/half-timbered, with shops selling whisky and umbrellas. Eastbourne Hotel & Spa.DAY 4 SIMLA – MANDI (200 km). We wind our way out of Shimla on the small back-roads through towering pine and fir forests. Descending the knife ridges, we encounter dense jungle and terraced hills not unlike Nepal. Our hotel in Mandi overlooks the fast flowing mighty Beas River. Visco Resort.

DAY 5 MANDI – MANALI (110 km). Since the beginning of time Kullu Valley has been known as ‘The Valley of the Gods’. We enjoy one of the most spectacular days of motorcycle touring anywhere in the world today as we run the cliff hanging highway along almost vertical walls of jungle and cascading waterfalls of the Beas River Valley. An all-too-short ride brings us to the mountain resort town of Manali, with plenty of time to explore the shops and markets. Our hotel sits between apple orchards and a deep forest just outside the hustle and bustle of the town. Negis Mayflower Hotel.

DAY 6 MANALI (free day). A rest day to explore the markets, temples and Tibetan refugee camps of this bustling mountain town before our ascent of the high passes to Ladakh. Negis Mayflower Hotel.

IND - Ladies 78DAY 7 MANALI – KEYLONG (125 km). Think of the Alps and let your imagination expand and go wild, this is the Rohtang-La! After a hearty breakfast we start to climb right outside of town, up the most beautiful alpine road on earth. Though not that high a pass for the Himalaya (3978 m), it is certainly one of the most spectacular. We’ll lunch on top and descend to the Lahaul Valley to meet the Chandra River and our hotel in the Lower Market with its views across the river to the monastery. Tashi Delek.

DAY 8 KEYLONG – SARCHU (115 km). Crossing the Rohtang Pass we’ve entered a whole new world; Tibetan Buddhist monasteries hang off precipices. Noticing how dry it’s becoming as we climb toward the Tibetan Plateau, we run the entire length of the Lahaul Valley heading for our next high pass, Baralacha-La (4892 m). From there we descend to our luxury camp at Sarchu.

DAY 10 SARCHU – TSOKAR LAKE (100 km). Like a scene out of ‘Fantasia’ our day begins with a climb up the Gata Loops, 21 dizzy switchbacks on excellent surface, towards our third pass, Lachulung-La (5066 m). Descending through a moonscape gorge we arrive at the military post called Pang and then on to our luxury camp at Tsokar Lake.

DAY 10 TSOKAR LAKE – LEH (175 km). An early start up more hairpin curves out of Pang brings us to the Tibetan Plateau and what is called the More Plains, 44 km of wide valley filled with nomads and yaks, flat as a table, with massive glacial peaks either side. Taglang-La is the world’s second highest motorable pass at 5328 m (17,582’) with views of all creation from the top. Descending countless hairpin turns we enter the beautiful Miru Gorge, razorback ridges of every colour rock with tiny villages set among green/gold fields of barley. We’ve entered Ladakh, the last Shangri-La! Our hotel is possibly Leh’s finest. Oriental Hotel.

DAY 11 LEH (free day). Today we take a much- deserved rest in the ancient capital of Ladakh. Like a shining green emerald nestled in the stark setting of the Indus Valley, Leh is a mixture of old and new buzzing with shops, cafes, markets and activity. Viewed from the hilltop palace ruins, Leh looks medieval, but downtown, it’s all systems go. We are free to explore Leh town on our own or just relax in the hotel’s lovely gardens. There is an optional afternoon ride to explore the monasteries and upper valley with views of the Indus River and Stok mountain range below. Oriental Hotel.

DAY 12 LEH – LAMAYURU (130 km). Rested, we make for Lamayuru, a 10th century monastery at the head of the Indus Valley. The road sweeps alongside the river, over barren desert, through mud-walled villages set in shocking green fields, finally to the base of an immense gorge. No way out but up, we start the climb on what’s known as the ‘hanger loops’, 112 improbable hairpins and, like a dream set on the moon’s surface, Lamayuru floats into view. Monastery Hotel.

IND - Ladies 1314DAY 13 LAMAYURU – LEH (130 km). After breakfast and a visit to the monastery we take the road back down the hangerloops, to the village of Alchi. Another monastery, humble on the outside, hides some of the rarest works of Tibetan Buddhist wall paintings anywhere in Asia. We reach Leh early afternoon and the comfort of our hotel. Oriental Hotel.

DAY 14 LEH – NUBRA (60 km). The day you’ve been waiting for. Conditions permitting, we’ll ride the 26.5 km to the highest  motorable pass on Earth, Khardung-La (5605 m, 18,380’). After the last 14 km of rocky road, we will join an elite few motorcyclists that have stood on top of the world! The views over the mountains of Tibet to the north, the Karakoram Range, K-2, and back down to the Indus Valley and Zanskar are simply indescribable! Then over the top and into the Nubra Valley Nubra Valley Hotel.

DAY 15 NUBRA – LEH (50 km). After a leisurely late morning coffee in the garden, we have the option of visiting another monastery, described as the ‘Potala of Ladakh’: Tikse is only 20 km from Leh and houses the largest statue of the future Buddha anywhere in the Himalaya. The views from the rooftop down the Indus Valley are a stunning contrast of river, green fields and barren high desert. We’ll hold our Farewell Dinner tonight to say our goodbyes. Oriental Hotel.

DAY 16 LEH – DELHI. Possibly the most exciting mountain flight you can have, retracing our entire route at 9000 m, and taking only an hour and a half! The Himalaya glaciers unfold beneath us as we pass mountain range upon mountain range on our way back to the low plains and our hotel in Delhi. We’ll take you out to dinner before you prepare for the journey home. Metropolitan Hotel.

DAY 17 DEPART DELHI. After breakfast this morning our tour ends, transfer to Gandhi International airport is in an A/C car or coach. Your return flight will arrive in the UK later this evening.

Total distance    c. 1300 km

Ladies in Ladakh with Tiffany Coates
Dates Rider Passenger Sgl rm suppl.
18 Jun – 04 Jul 2016 £3,195.00 £2,795.00 £595.00
22 Jul – 07 Aug 2017 £3,195.00 £2,795.00 £595.00

 

Any questions? Please click here   Ready to book? Please click here

Tour price includes: 13 days Royal Enfield 500 Bullet; fuel, oil and maintenance; 4WD air-conditioned jeep support vehicle, trailer and spares; group leader with medical kit/training; Enfield mechanic and local guides; tours/guides listed; airport transfers; all entrance fees to monuments / parks / reserves; 16 nts hotel accommodation; all meals; soft drinks/bottled mineral water on tour; road maps/information packets

Price excludes: Flights, travel insurance (both available from H-C Travel); US$500 refundable security/damage deposit to pay locally in cash; visa (c. £90); alcoholic beverages; laundry service; tips / gratuities

Taj Mahal Extension Tour We are able to offer  tour to the Taj Mahal, which can be taken before or after our High Roads Adventure: 2 days, incl. 1 nt in 5* hotel in Agra, private car/driver/guide, entrance fees to Taj Mahal, Agra Fort and Fatehpur Sikri, £295/person twinshare.

Visits to wildlife reserves can also be arranged.

 

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Build a Bike

Motorcycle Outreach (MoR) was voted the official charity of the Women’s International Motorcycle Association (WIMA) at its 2014 annual rally, in Zakopane Poland.  The Presidents of the 15 nations present at the AGM took on the task of raising £2000 for MoR’s latest project “Build A Bike”.

mock up poster frame on chest of drawers, interior

WIMA aim was to raise £2000 to provide another motorbike for a fantastic new project based in Sonega, South Tanzania. The fantastic news is that we are now well over that target ! There has been a range of great fundraising; from especially commissioned art work, to baking, to harassing fellow revelers in pubs !

 

Read MORE by clicking here