Insidebikes Review of the Year 2008
Added on Saturday, December 27th, 2008 by Carole Nash Editor | No Comments
Rossi: Another great year.
As 2008 comes to an end, Insidebikes takes a look back over an action-packed year in the world of motorcycles to review some of the major highlights and lowlights in the year that was.
2008 proved to be a difficult year for the government, with the credit crunch and record fuel prices proving to be just one of many big headaches for Gordon Brown and the heads of various quangos in 2008.
In July, pump-prices peaked at an all-time high average of 119.5p in July as rising oil prices, combined with the credit squeeze, meant that many motorists were left struggling with the increased cost of commuting.
The DSA, DVLA and APCO also had plenty to deal with this year, with the DSA in particular being forced to handle the debacle that was the introduction of motorcycle test reforms.
The introduction of a new advanced motorcycle, due for September 29th was postponed until the March 2009 after campaigners successfully argued that the number of facilities that were ready and capable of hosting the test was far from adequate.
In June, the House of Commons had to back down on Department for Transport claims that nearly 40% of bikers were dodging motorcycle VED, admitting that the figure was nearer 10% whilst the DVLA also backed down on its plans to introduce RFID tagging to Britain’s motorcycles.
ACPO were another quango to attract the ire of motorcycle groups after releasing a report that appeared to call for the prohibition of motorcycles on certain roads. The report, which was littered with factual inaccuracies and discredited claims, was slammed most heavily by the BMF with ACPO later seeming to back down on much of the report’s content.
It wasn’t all doom and gloom for motorcyclists as far as politics were concerned however. The introduction of SHARP helmet testing was a welcome move whilst Boris Johnson was elected as London’s mayor - potentially opening up the capital’s bus lanes to bikers as part of the latest drive to cut congestion.
Bikes have for a long time been seen as a congestion-busting alternative to the car and motorcycle sales figures seem to have largely defied the credit crunch in 2008 as sales held up well at a time when the car industry was in free-fall.
It was the growth in scooters and learner-legal motorcycles that kept dealers busy throughout the year, suggesting that more and more are turning to cheaper, greener motorcycling for their daily commute.
But whilst sales of scooters were on the increase, there was one scooter icon that came to an end.
The final Vespa PX rolled off the production line in August after 30 years of production and more than 20 million units sold, thanks in the main to new European emissions regulations which meant that the distinctive “waspish” sound will be all the less frequent in future years. Fans gathered in Brighton to give the PX a fitting send-off as we wait for the Vespa model that will replace the two-wheeled icon.
In the world of sport, James Toseland represented Britain in the MotoGP Championship but it was “The Doctor” Valentino Rossi who once again took title for a fifth time - his eighth title overall in a season that promised so much early on but, in the end, came to something of an anti-climax.
In the World Superbikes Championship, Troy Bayliss got the perfect retirement present with his third WSB title whilst in the British Superbike Championship, Shane “Shakey” Byrne returned to Ducati to dominate the BSB before leading a select group of riders into the World Superbikes Championship, including Tom Sykes, Cal Crutchlow and Leon Haslam.
The year wasn’t without tragedy however.
In May, Robert Dunlop, brother of the late TT legend Joey, was killed following a qualifying accident in the North West 200, aged 47.
In August, World Supersport rider Craig Jones was killed as a result of head injuries sustained in a fall and subsequent collision during his home race at Brands Hatch. After falling at Clark Curve, the final bend before the main straight, his head was unavoidably hit by the bike of fellow rider Andrew Pitt. Jones was airlifted to the Royal London Hospital before passing away in the early hours of the following morning, aged 23.
Also in August, Red Bull AMA U.S Rookies Cup rider was killed in similar circumstances aged just 14.
Looking ahead to 2009, the Carole Nash International Motorcycle and Scooter Show at Birmingham’s NEC offered all of the major manufacturers the opportunity to showcase their latest offerings with BMW, Yamaha, Honda, Suzuki and KTM attracting plenty of attention from bike fans and would-be customers.
Carole Nash were also on hand to support Nick Sanders on his Parallel World Tour as well as National Superstock 1000 rider Howie Mainwaring - both regular bloggers on Insidebikes whilst in the same year, retaining the title as “Britain’s Favourite Motorcycle Insurance Broker” in the latest RIDER Power Survey.
So there you have it, the highs and lows of 2008 in a nutshell. All that remains is to wish every Insidebikes reader a happy and safe 2009.
Loading ...
No Comments