For Team Colin Appleyard/Macadam Racing with Doodson it was another weekend of mixed fortune at Oulton Park.  Three riders suffered engine problems during  Saturday’s  practice and then Deane Brown crashed out at high speed in Monday’s race knocking himself out.  Spirits were raised however when 125cc rider Ryan Watson took second and the first podium for the team in 2012.

In the Supersport 600 the Doodson Yamaha R6 boys Deane Brown, Kev Coghlan and Nikki Coates all struggled in qualifying due to the lack of track time caused by the troubles on Saturday. Coghlan bagged fourteenth on the grid whilst Brown and Coates could only manage 18th and 21st respectively. In the Sprint race later on that day Coghlan lost out on 13th by just 0.017 of a second whilst Coates had a spirited run through the field to take the last points in 15th. Brown lost out in a close battle for 16th but was pleased with his pace from deep on the start grid.

Coghlan started 11th on the grid for Monday’s Feature race and was hoping he could run with the pace setters. Unfortunately a poor start curtailed his ambitions but he battled back and missed out on tenth by just 0.1 of a second. Coates also lost out in his scrap for tenth with the Coghlan group of 5 riders, but came through to take two points and 14th. Brown tipped off at Old Hall whilst fighting for the last point places. Although knocked out, he suffered no major injuries and was just concussed. He will be raring to go at Snetterton in two weeks.

Reflecting on the weekend Coghlan said, “I struggled with setup all weekend. A misfire in qualifying left me with a poor grid position and I couldn’t run the pace of the front runners.  Another disappointing weekend but hopefully at Snetterton we can resolve the issues and turn it around.”

“A weekend to forget.” said Brown, “After missing the test at Oulton due to the injuries I picked up at Thruxton I was always on the back foot and the engine troubles on Saturday didn’t help.  Coming out again with nothing is frustrating for everyone and I want to repay the team’s hard work with some strong and consistent performances from now on.”

Speaking of his performance Coates said “Overall I felt I made the most of every opportunity and turned a poor weekend into something to be happy with. The troubles we had in free practice left me languishing in 21st after qualifying but to battle through to 15th was pleasing. The feature race saw me get another good start and there were about six or seven of us fighting for tenth. I was in 12th but got pushed back to 14th as the red flag came out.  It was frustrating as I knew I could move further up the field and the lap times I put in proved this.  We’re moving in the right direction and I’m positive that this can continue at Snetterton.” 

In the 125cc Championship young Scotsman Ryan Watson enjoyed opposite fortunes to those of his team-mates as he rounded off his weekend with an excellent second place.  After suffering a technical problem with the power-valve in the two qualifying session he was left to start in fifth on the grid and with work to do in Monday’s race. He got off the line brilliantly and was in contention for a podium from the outset. He had a race long battle with Cat Green before she seized up leaving him to cross the line for a well earned second place. Speaking afterwards he said, “I was quickest in free practice but a crash just knocked me back a little. Then having technical issues in both qualifying sessions left me on the second row which I was disappointed with. 

However, I got a great start and had a good battle with Cat until she broke down. Looking at my times I felt if I could have got away with the winner Luke Hedger early on, I could have battled for the lead.

Nevertheless second is a fantastic result and it’s nice to thank everyone with some silverware.”The need for a new engine meant Dan Kinloch missed the first practice but he came out in the second session to qualify seventeenth.  A light shower before the race made conditions difficult but Kinloch came through to finish 11th by just 0.071 of a second in a race stopped early due to a red flag. 

Afterwards the Scotsman reflected on his performance “After coming to Oulton earlier I was happy with the setup on my Yamaha R6. The engine difficulties we had were, however, frustrating for all.  I felt I was capable of getting on the front four rows but never got a clean run due to coming in and out of the pits trying to get the bike right. I got a good start from 17th however and continued to push forward throughout the race and take eleventh but it’s still not where we want to be.  We tested at Snetterton earlier in the year so we go there with some good data and high hopes”

Team Manager Robin Appleyard summed up the weekend. “Ryan’s podium was great and gave the whole team a boost but Dan is right we are not where we want to be.  It is, however, still early in the season and we will be looking for better things at Snetterton in two weeks’ time.”

Photos: Courtesy of Ben Davies, SMARTFotos

After seven weeks without a drop of rain and a hosepipe ban newly in place, the wet weather returned to Kent with a vengeance at the weekend to welcome in the new British Superbike Championship season at Brands Hatch.All five Team Colin Appleyard/Macadam Racing riders were raring to go after promising pre-season testing but in the end it was the weather that was the winner. Cold, wet and windy conditions prevailed throughout the weekend and after last year when it was cracking the flags at Easter it was back to typical British Bank Holiday weather.With three riders in this year’s Supersport 600 class hopes were high at the start but due to the difficult conditions it proved to be a frustrating weekend. Experienced 600 rider Kev Coghlan ruptured a radiator in practise and crashed out which meant he had to start Sunday’s sprint race at the back of the grid.  With a drying track at the start he was making real progress on the narrow racing line when the race was red flagged because of a crash, leaving him in thirteenth place.

Deane Brown who has moved up from Junior Superstock and newcomer Nikki Coates were not so lucky and finished out of the points when the race was stopped. Nikki was particularly unlucky as he was storming through towards the end.

Monday’s race was, in the words of Manager Robin Appleyard, simply chaotic. Both Kev and Deane started on the fifth row of the grid and were making good progress in the wet when the race was red flagged for the first time. With fuel on the track it was an hour before the race could be re-started. It didn’t last long and after an eight bike crash coming off Druids’ Corner the race was stopped again and, with fuel still lying, it was deemed too dangerous to continue and this, in turn, led to the cancellation of the whole meeting. Half points were awarded with Deane in fifth, Kev in ninth and Nikki struggling in the treacherous conditions back in twenty-eighth place.

One race that did conclude however was the Superstock 600 where newcomer Daniel Kinloch also found the going difficult. He lacked a little confidence in the wet qualifying in twenty-second place before crossing the line in twenty-sixth place.

The big loser was young Ryan Watson who, after a great first season last year in the 125cc championship was looking to build on that success. He was in impressive form throughout practise and qualifying and would have started on the front row of the grid but with the race due to follow the Supersport 600 he never got the opportunity to fulfil his promising start.Robin Appleyard was left frustrated but philosophical, “It was just one of those weekends we have to put up with when racing in Britain. We have to knuckle down and prepare for the next challenge.”

That challenge comes very quickly as the next meeting is this coming weekend at Thruxton.

Photography courtesy of Ben Davies, SMARTFotos   

Team Colin Appleyard/Macadam Racing welcomes three new riders as the team heads for Spain for four days’ pre-season testing at the demanding Catagena circuit.

“We`ll have to start learning Gaelic,” joked team manager Robin Appleyard. “All five riders this year are from Scotland and Northern Ireland so we’re certainly doing our bit to keep the Union intact for a little while longer.”

Replacing Irishman Jack Kennedy in the Supersport 600 class the team is delighted to welcome on board highly experienced 600 rider Kev Coghlan. Kev who is twenty-three and hails form Perth shouldn’t have any problems with the Catagena track as he has been racing in Spain for the last four years.  During that time he has won the Spanish Championship and competed in the World Moto 2 Championship.

Appleyard commented, “Kev guested for us once or twice last season and it all worked very well. I am delighted he has joined us and I am sure his professionalism will rub off on the younger members of the team.”

Joining Kev in Supersport will be Deane Brown who moves up from Junior Superstock. At just eighteen Appleyard expects he will be one of the youngest in the class but is sure he is ready for the step up.  “Deane has been with us for five years now and has proved he has got what it takes to be a top  racer. Having finished fourth in his debut season in Junior Superstock he is more than ready for the fresh challenge of Supersport. I expect he will learn a lot from Kev.”

And along side the pair is newcomer Nikki Coates from Northern Ireland. Nikki too has international experience having raced in Spain last year.

“Nikki was due to join us last year, but ended up taking an offer to do the moto2 championship in Spain. He has won British 125 and Superstock races in the past and when he called asking to join the team we felt he would fit in well with our policy of developing promising young riders.”

All will ride Yamaha R6 machines.

Taking Deane’s seat in Junior 600 Superstock will be another newcomer Daniel Kinlock. The twenty-one year old from near Glasgow made his debut last season so he`s now looking to build on that experience and hopefully achieve regular rostrum finishes.

Young Ryan Watson may only be fourteen and small in stature but he has already proved he has a big future in the sport. Last year in his very first 125cc Championship race at Brands Hatch, he notched up an amazing second place. He then went on to chalk up a number of other rostrum finishes. Some debut!

He obviously has much to learn particularly about riding in tricky wet conditions but the potential is clear for all to see. After finishing an impressive seventh in last season’s Championship his manager is now looking for him to be riding at the front.

On returning from Spain the riders will have further tests in English conditions before the first meeting of the season over the Easter weekend at Brands Hatch in early April.

Photo:  The team`s Scottish contingent (Left to right) Ryan Watson, Kev Coghlan, Dan Kinloch and Deane Brown.  Courtesy of Ben Davies, SMARTFotos

Over 300 motorcycle racing enthusiasts squeezed into Colin Appleyard’s two bike showrooms in Keighley and Leeds recently to enjoy 'An evening with James Whitham'.

The former motocycle racing legend and now TV pundit entertained the audience with enthralling tales from his racing days and more recently his experiences behind the microphone.  He was joined on stage by other stars of the track including Huddersfield born Tom Sykes and  former Grand Prix racer Alan Carter. Alan, who hails from Halifax,was once the youngest rider ever to win a Grand Prix race. Kawasaki factory rider Tom launched their exciting new 2012 models and officially opened Appleyard's new Kawasaki showroom in Keighley.

The event also saw the introduction of Team Appleyard Macadam riders for the forthcoming season. Joining existing team members Deane Brown and young Ryan Watson will be experienced SuperSport 600 rider Kev Coghlan and newcomer Daniel Kinloch who will compete in Junior SuperStock.

As part of the evening’s entertainment Whitham was interviewed by 16 year Jack Appleyard, son of Managing Director Robin. Jack who regularly takes the microphone at British championship race meetings has ambitions to become a sports commentator.

Commenting on the success of the two evenings, Robin Appleyard said, "We have run similar events over the last three years and they have all proved to be amazingly popular.  We're extremely grateful to James and the other lads for giving up their time, particularly Alan who stepped in at Leeds at the last moment. His highly amusing wit and repartee kept everyone laughing throughout both evenings."

The event was free of charge to attend but customers were encouraged to make a donation to the Yorkshire Air Ambulance and thanks to their generosity over £200 was raised.

PLACES MUST BE RESERVED TO GUARANTEE ATTENDANCE
Please see contact details below

UPDATE 10/01/12
LEEDS NOW FULL DUE TO HIGH DEMAND BUT PLACES STILL AVAILABLE AT KEIGHLEY

Friday 20th January
An Evening With Ian Hutchinson & James Whitham
(FULLY BOOKED)

Local lad & TT record breaking rider Ian Hutchinson will be joining us to talk about his riding career to date & his 2012 season, which sees his return to racing following a serious leg injury sustained at the Silverstone BSB round in 2010. He will of course be including his take on those famous TT wins.

Location: Colin Appleyard Motorcycles, Roseville Road,
LEEDS, LS8 5DR
Time - 7pm

Friday 27th January
An Evening With Tom Sykes & James Whitham

Kawasaki WSB rider Tom will join us to help launch our new Kawasaki franchise & to talk about his experiences so far & hopes for 2012. Tom will be interviewed by friend, funnyman & Eurosport commentator James Whitham who will no doubt thrown in a few tales of his own along the way!

Location: Colin Appleyard Motorcycles, Wellington Road, Worth Way,
KEIGHLEY, BD21 5AJ
Time - 7pm

Also joining us on both evenings will be Riders & Race Technicians from the Appleyard Macadam Race Team offering a behind the scenes take on racing.

As in previous years there will be snacks & refreshments plus the opportunity for pictures & autographs at the end of the evening.There will also be various goodies up for grabs in our prize draws!

Please feel free to pass this invitation onto your friends or tell them to like our Facebook page to see for themselves.

BOOK YOUR PLACE NOW TO AVOID DISAPPOINTMENT
Contact us via any of the following means to guarantee your place. IMPORTANT - please ensure you supply your full name, postcode, email & contact number PLUS the number of places you require.

Facebook - send a private message via our Facebook page
Email - t.cooper@colinappleyard.com
Call or text - 07989 858313 (please leave a voicemail with full details if the call is not answered)

Team regular Deane Brown will move into the highly competitive Supersport 600 class after making the transition to a 600cc in 2011, which followed 3 very successful years in the GP125 class. Deane rode one of the team’s Yamaha R6 machines in the Metzeler Superstock Championship and after making a very impressive debut, completed the season in 4th overall never finishing outside of the top 8 and achieving 5 podium finishes.

Irishman Jack Kennedy also made a flying start in the 2011 Supersport Championship however an unfortunate crash in extremely bad conditions at Thruxton resulted in an injury which led to three missed rounds. He finished the season on a high however with a very well deserved win at the Brands Hatch season finale. After amicable discussions and a lot of deliberation, Jack has taken the decision to head for pastures new in 2012 and the team wish him all the best.

The announcement of Jack’s departure generated a great deal of interest from a number of riders and the team are now pleased to confirm that a deal has been agreed which will see Kev Coghlan joining them for 2012. Kev, who has spent 3 very successful seasons competing in the Spanish CEV Series, has also made
appearances in a number of Moto2 and GP125 races in the Moto-GP Championship.

Kev will compete alongside Deane Brown in the Supersport Championship on one of the team’s new Yamaha R6 machines, currently being prepared at FW Race Developments by long standing Race Technician Will Robinson.

GP125 rider Ryan Watson will remain with the team for a second year and once again contest the GP125 Championship. 2011 was Ryan’s rookie year and even as one of the youngest riders in the class, he made an impressive start to his British Championship career by achieving 3 podium appearances and finishing 7th overall in this highly contested class.

For 2012 Team Appleyard Macadam will be receiving some greatly appreciated support the Doodson Insurance Group and are also pleased to retain long standing supporters including Yamaha UK and Express Forklift services. The team are one of the longest established in the British paddock and will have the distinction of fielding this very promising, all Scottish team.

Team Manager (ex GP rider and five times British Champion) Robin Appleyard, is delighted with the prospects and will continue with the team’s aim of developing young and talented riders.

Whilst registrations of new motorcycles may be down across the country one dealership is looking to the future in a very positive way with two new franchises.

Colin Appleyard Motorcycles has been appointed as a Kawasaki dealer to add to the company’s other main franchises in Keighley - Yamaha and Suzuki.

At the same time Sym Scooters are now available at both Appleyard branches in Keighley and Leeds.

Commenting on these latest developments General Manager Kevin Feeny said, “Kawasaki has an exciting range of bikes which will complement our other ranges very well to give our customers unrivalled choice. Sym Scooters is an up and coming name in the UK.  They are made in Taiwan and without doubt have Japanese quality, and with prices starting at just £1,099 they offer real value for money, particularly for young beginners looking to get started.  Basically they can get a new scooter for the price of a second hand one.”

Managing Director Robin Appleyard added, “Times may be tough but we are upbeat about the future. We have recently refurbished our Keighley showroom and will shortly embark on further improvements.  This together with the two new franchises is a statement of positive intent designed to make Colin Appleyard Motorcycles the destination dealer in the North.”

Additionally, in another move to boost sales, the company has added to its range of off road bikes by taking on the Yamaha Motocross dealership.

Colin Appleyard Cars has been appointed the first official dealer for Great Wall Motors for West Yorkshire.

Although new to the UK the Chinese manufacturer has been established since 1976 and is now the oriental country’s largest producer of 4 wheel drive pick-ups.  As its first move into Britain GWM has launched the Steed pick-up which comes with a   2.0 litre diesel turbo charged engine which is complemented by a six speed transmission. The new vehicle is available to view and test drive at Colin Appleyard’s Cornmill, Keighley and Leeds showrooms.

Commenting on the new appointment, Managing Director Robin Appleyard said, “We are really excited about this new franchise. Having checked out the Steed we were very impressed by the quality and high specification and, at a starting price of £14,000 plus VAT, we are sure it will sell well.”

Initially two Steed models will be available which will be followed by further additions to the range next year.

After battling their way through highly competitive regional heats and an arduous national final, two Colin Appleyard staff members have been crowned champions in this year’s Suzuki Guild Awards. Tony Stott, Senior Car Technician, at the company’s Ashton-under-Lyne branch won Suzuki Technician of the Year, whilst Matthew Butterfield, Senior Salesman at Keighley, picked up the Suzuki Salesman of the Year.

The prestigious competition attracted over 400 entries in each category from Suzuki dealerships all over the country. The top eight winners of the regional heats then competed in a day long final which included on-line assessments, role play, a trade knowledge competition, and an “on button” quiz.  As well as picking up Virgin Experience vouchers worth £500 the winners were jetted off to Valencia and enjoyed two days off road driving in the Spanish mountains.

Tony is not the only Ashton member of staff to taste success recently, for earlier in the year Sam Fenton won the Suzuki Apprentice of the Year Award.

Commenting on the company’s success Managing Director Robin Appleyard said, “To have three winners in such a tough competition is an amazing achievement. Tony’s knowledge of Suzuki cars is second to none. Over the years he has reached the final twelve times and has now won it on four occasions. Hearty congratulations to all three.”

For Matthew this is his second national Suzuki win in a matter of months. Earlier he was a member of the Keighley Quiz Team who stormed to victory in the Suzuki National Quiz final after winning through three regional heats. He was joined by fellow team-mates Dave Scott, Sales Manager, Nicola Lloyd, Administrator and Don Sperduto, Warranty Control in beating three other Suzuki dealers from both the North and South of England. For the team of bright sparks this is the second time they have tasted success having also won ten years ago when the quiz was last held.

Tony’s win tied in nicely with the Ashton Dealership’s move to a purpose-built new showroom on a prime site in the centre of town close to Asda.

General Manager, Andrew Ogle, is delighted with the move. “This new showroom is very well laid out with much better facilities for customers. Both new and used cars are prominently displayed and there are separate parts, valeting and MOT departments.”

As well as Ashton-under-Lyne and Keighley, Colin Appleyard also has Suzuki car dealerships in Huddersfield and Shipley plus multi franchise motorcycle showrooms in Keighley and Leeds.

Following the amicable departure of Jack Kennedy from Team Colin Appleyard/Macadam Racing for 2012, the team look forward to announcing a new rider before the end of November to ride alongside Deane Brown, who is due to make his Supersport debut in 2012.

Having spent two and a half years with the team, Jack continued to develop resulting in numerous podium finishes and a debut victory for both Jack and the team in the penultimate race of the Supersport Championship at Brands Hatch.

Robin Appleyard, Team Manager commented "I spoke with Jack this morning regarding 2012 and he felt it was time for a change. It has been a pleasure working with him over the past couple of seasons and I feel both he and the team have progressed during that time. The team wishes Jack all the best in the future. We will continue our talks with the other riders on our shortlist and hope to make an announcement soon."

The highlight of what turned out to be a weekend of steady results by all three Team Colin Appleyard/Macadam Racing riders at Silverstone, was, without a doubt, Deane Brown’s clinching of the Dave Jefferies Memorial Cup for Under 18 SuperStock 600 riders.

Earlier the young Scot had endured two difficult qualifying sessions, and struggled to get the Yamaha R6 set up to his liking, ending up a disappointing fourteenth on the grid. However, he rode well and battled hard to eventually claw his way up to finish seventh.  This result leaves him in fourth place in the overall Championship but with a chance of sneaking third in the final round at Brands Hatch.

Afterwards Team Manager, Robin Appleyard said, “Deane has performed consistently all season and fully deserves his cup win.  Unfortunately on Sunday there was just too much traffic around to make a real impact. It is the penalty you pay for starting in the middle of the pack. This is an area he has to improve next season, and the results will come. He has the pace!”

It was a similar story for his SuperSport Irish team-mate, Jack Kennedy, who also rode well in the first of his races after a messy qualifying, leaving him in eleventh. From an average start, he worked really hard showing he was coming back to the sort of form he showed at the start of the season before his big crash and long lay off, eventually finishing 7th.  His lap time put him on the front row for the second race and a real chance to get away at the front of Sunday’s main race. Unfortunately on lap 3, whilst battling for the lead, the crankshaft broke.

His manager commented, “It was a real pity for Jack and the team. We are all determined to get back on the rostrum before the end of the season. The results don’t show it but he is getting back to some real form. Roll on Brands.”

For 125cc rider, Ryan Watson, riding the Silverstone Grand Prix track for the first time proved to be a real challenge. He started well during Friday’s practice but then during Saturday’s second qualifying session the bike’s engine seized, denying him much needed track time. He eventually qualified fifteenth and then got boxed in at the start of the race and could only make up a couple of places to cross the line in thirteenth place.  This result leaves him seventh in the Championship standings which for a young thirteen year old in his first year of racing at this level is quite an achievement.

Robin Appleyard commented, “This was a tough week end for Ryan, but is all great experience, and he continues to develop quickly all the time.

The final meeting of the season is at Brands Hatch in a fortnight’s time.

Two weeks ago it was young Ryan Watson who claimed a rostrum place for Team Colin Appleyard/Macadam Racing but at Donington Park on Sunday it was the turn of SuperStock 600 rider Deane Brown to climb on to the podium.

It was a busy weekend for the Scot as he had two races; the first on Saturday evening, which had been postponed from Oulton Park.  His confidence was high all weekend as the Donington track, with its flowing corners, suits his style.

Saturday morning’s qualifying started off showery, but it cleared up for the afternoon session which enabled him to qualify on the front row of the grid in fourth place.

The start of the first ten lap sprint race did not, however, go well and at the end of lap one he found himself back in eighth position. He then quickly got his act together and worked his way up to cross the line in third.

Sunday’s race turned into a real dogfight during which Deane had a number of big comings together including with rivals Keith Farmer and Connor Behan.  Not one to be intimidated, the Scot battled it out and was up scrapping for second, before settling for a hard fought third.  This result leaves him fourth in the Championship and with just two rounds to go second is well within his grasp.

Afterwards his manager, Robin Appleyard commented, “If Deane races for another thirty years he will never have to work harder to get a third. Let’s say none of those boys are shy, and he showed true grit and character out there and fully deserved his second rostrum of the week end..”

For the Team’s SuperSport rider Jack Kennedy it was a mixed weekend.  A lack of dry track time due to the wet weather during Friday was frustrating, as was the team`s testing of a new rear shock from K tech, which left him struggling for rear grip. Nevertheless he qualified seventh before finishing a fighting fifth in Saturday’s sprint race, and just ½ a second of the last podium spot.

After consultation with K tech, and some major changes for  Sunday’s warm up, which he felt helped grip, Jack started Sundays race from the front row in a positive mood, looking for that first rostrum spot since his big crash. Unfortunately his race ended abruptly on the first lap when his engine blew.

After his success at Cadwell, Ryan Watson was hoping for a repeat performance in the 125cc race. However, being small and lightweight the blustery conditions did not suit him, and his confidence was knocked further when, in the wet weather during Saturday morning’s qualifying, he went down in a big high-sider. He was also new to Donington so the weekend was a learning curve for him.  He eventually qualified twelfth and went on to finish tenth in Sunday’s race picking up a further six Championship points to leave him in sixth place overall.

The Team now moves on the Silverstone in a fortnight’s time for the penultimate meeting of the season.

Team Colin Appleyard motocross rider, Sam Winterburn rode well at this weekend's ACU BYMX Championship, using his head and winning Race 1, and taking second in Race 2 (he was leading, but unfortunately had a coming together with a 250 rider). Race 3 saw Sam make a poor start but he managed to keep second place for the entire race.

This gave Sam enough points to take second place in the 125cc ACU BYMX Championship. This is a fantastic result for the first year, we are all very happy for Sam and his family as they have all put a lot of effort into this years racing.

Well done, Sam!

After nearly two seasons of road racing, Sam Ludgate is making a welcome return to trials over the winter months. As many of you will know, Sam is an accomplished trials rider and ended the 2009 season as British expert B champion.

Kevin Feeny of Colin Appleyard's had this to say "Sam emailed me stating he was looking to ride some trial over winter but wasn’t ready to give up racing just yet. After a telephone conversation it was agreed, Sam would ride a 280 GAS GAS Pro for Colin Appleyard’s and ride the odd national, Scott Trial and selected centre events. I just hope he remembers to take the right kit and doesn’t forget to stand up and not sit down!"

Combined with the existing ride away for £1 deposit with 0% APR finance offer currently available on the entire range, customers benefit from a large price saving, with the added advantage of interest free finance too.

Example: GSX1250FA
Cash price: £7,994
September Only Price: £6,739
Deposit: £1
Total amount of credit: £6,738
35 monthly payments: £187.16
Final payment: £187.40
Total amount payable: £6,739
APR: 0% typical

With every 2011model included, customers will benefit from the largest possible price reduction, be it the actual capacity or the designation if this is greater. For example, a Bandit 1250 customer benefits from a £1,255 reduction during September as the capacity of the model is 1255cc, whereas an Intruder M1800R customer would enjoy a saving of £1,800 despite the actual capacity being 1783cc.

View our entire Suzuki road bike range.

Terms and conditions apply. The 2012 V-Strom 650 is not available on this offer, but is subject to the Ride Away for £1, 0% APR finance offer. Offer ends 30th September 2011

For the three Team Colin Appleyard/Macadam Racing riders it proved to be a mixed weekend.

Star of the show was undoubtedly young 125 cc rider Ryan Watson who grabbed his third podium finish of the season.  Clearly the extra testing session he had put in on the Lincolnshire track paid dividends for, after a difficult practice session in the wet on Saturday and problems with the bike during Sunday’s first qualifying, his weekend just got better and better. In the final session, and with bike sorted, he put in one of his best qualifying sessions of the season, ending up sixth, and on the second row of the grid.  Come Monday’s race, he got a good start and was soon in fourth.  There he stayed for the rest of the race continually hounded by a group of more experienced riders with local track knowledge, but he never faltered, continually lapping faster and keeping the group at bay. With two laps to go one of the leading three dropped out leaving the group battling for the last podium spot it was then Ryan put in his fastest lap of the race to finish a great third.  His reward, besides sixteen championship points, was his first TV interview with Tony “a face for radio” Carter.

His delighted team manager, Robin Appleyard, commented, “This was a really mature ride from Ryan.  He was under pressure for much of the race but kept his nerve and maintained perfect lines throughout.  His place on the podium was well deserved.”

For the team’s SuperSport rider Jack Kennedy it proved to be a more difficult weekend. Just coming back from injury it was hoped Saturday’s free practice would provide valuable track time in dry conditions.  Unfortunately it was wet and miserable but then in Sunday’s qualifying he pulled out all the stops to qualify fourth on the second row of the grid.

In the sprint race that followed he didn’t get a great start and found himself boxed in before forcing his up to third place. Unfortunately with two laps to go an electrical fault caused the engine to cut out and he had to pull off the track.  With the fault sorted he started Monday’s race sixth on the grid.  However, once again he didn’t get a great start and had his worked cut out battling his way back up to fifth.  Unfortunately all the hard work was undone on the last lap with a mistake and he crossed the line in seventh place.

Afterwards his philosophical manager said, “Cadwell is a very physically demanding track and not ideal for someone coming back from the sort of injuries Jack sustained, and certainly the results were not just rewards for Jack’s and the whole team’s efforts.  Before Donington we’re hoping to get in an extra testing session so he can get some much needed miles under his belt.”

Following the horrendous crash Deane Brown’s SuperStock 600 race was cut short. Earlier he had struggled to get going during qualifying and started the race back in twelfth place.  He eventually forced his way up to sixth before a “big moment” pushed him back to eighth.

“Deane never really got going this weekend, and we have to sort qualifying out. Starting on the fourth row is always going to make life tough in the race, it is so competitive”, commented Robin.

The pit lane at Superbike meetings is a close-knit community where everyone knows one another so as news spread of Ben’s death it was left devastated.  Speaking for everyone connected with Team Colin Appleyard/Macadam Racing, Robin Appleyard said, “A young life has so tragically been cut short.  Our thoughts and deepest condolences are with Ben’s family, friends and team at this difficult time.”

The next meeting is at Donington Park on 9th-11th September.

The new Sherco bikes will be on demonstration throughout the day with kick off time around 9.30am. The full range of 2012 bikes will be available throughout the day so get in touch with us to book a ride on your weapon of choice.

As well as you having the opportunity to give the new bikes the once over, the MRS Sherco team will be demonstrating their skills throughout the day and it is safe to say that you are guaranteed to have a fun day out!

Please note, you'll need to bring your own helmet and riding boots along if you're testing one (or all) of the Sherco bikes.

Please contact Kevin or Paul on (01535) 606311 or by email to book your place now, and stick the weekend of 29th October in your diary - it promises to be a cracker.

Prior to his return, the young Irishman had last week completed a successful testing session at Oulton Park and couldn't wait to get back to competitive action. Before his crash at Thruxton he was lying second in the championship and battling at the front in every race. It was clear from the outset at Brands that he was a little bit rusty qualifying down in tenth. In Saturday's race he didn't make a particularly good start, getting boxed in and finding it difficult to make progress. A problem with the exhaust in the final moments of qualifying had caused the bike to lose power. A last minute replacement was found for the race and despite the bike lacking vital punch Jack nevertheless still managed to cross the line in ninth place.

The start of Sunday's main Supersport race was interrupted by two big crashes in the early laps. Jack thankfully managed to avoid any problems and on the second re-start got away well and was quickly up to third place. He rode a fairly lonely race before being caught by the following pack as tiredness set in and his lap times dropped off. Jack hung on in to finish fourth just 0.004 seconds from a rostrum place!

Commenting after the weekend's events Jack said, "It was great to be back racing again. I'm shattered but feel I made progress over the weekend although I am gutted that I just missed the rostrum in the second race. I can't wait for Cadwell"

For his teammates the weekend was not as rewarding as both crashed out in their respective races.

Deane Brown qualified fifth for the Superstock 600 race; this was after a few changes had been made to get the bike's setting right. Although he didn't get off to a good start, he fought his way up to fifth and continued to battle for a rostrum place. Unfortunately struggling for grip from his rear tyre, this was then the cause of his downfall as he lost the rear end coming out of the Surtees Corner and slid off.

Commenting after Deane's unfortunate non-finish Team Manager Robin Appleyard said "I'm extremely unhappy with the inconsistency of the tyres. After nine laps they were still like brand new so I've sent them back to Pirelli for checking. Everyone works hard all weekend, and then you get given year old tyres and end up with no points plus a big crash bill! It's extremely frustrating."

Young 125cc Championship rider Ryan Watson didn't have the best of qualifying sessions starting Sunday's race from eleventh on the grid. Keen to make amends he made a blinding start, his best of the season so far, and was quickly up to fourth place but unfortunately on lap three the crankshaft broke as he dropped into Graham Hill bend, spitting Ryan off, luckily uninjured. Once again Ryan showed what great potential he has, and is maturing as a rider every weekend.

Next up for the Team is the August Bank Holiday meeting at Cadwell Park where all the riders will be hoping to gain as many points as possible to increase their Championship standings.

Photo courtesy of Ben Davies SMARTFotos

Team Colin Appleyard/Macadam's Jack Kennedy was back on his bike for the first time today following a crash at Thruxton earlier in the season that has left him out of action due to vertebrae damage.

The young Dubliner who was lying a strong 2nd in the BSB Supersport Championship before his accident, made the trip to an initially moist Oulton Park today before he continues his resurgence on Friday at Brands Hatch.

During a break for lunch at the Cheshire track Jack commented, "It's great to be back on the bike and especially to be able to move around freely without any pain.  I'm looking forward to being in the thick of it at Brands Hatch this weekend as I need to elevate myself up to the sharp end from my current 8th position".

Team manager Robin Appleyard whose father Colin was present at the test said, "Today is all about assessing Jack's fitness from a racing point of view and everything appears to be fine.  Jack now needs to get back on the pace very quickly in order to regain his fight for the title".

Colin Appleyard Motorcycles are pleased to welcome Mark Cartwright who joins the motorcycle sales team at their Leeds site.

Mark, a motorcycle enthusiast himself with a garage full of his bikes, boasts a wealth of knowledge having worked at both the Harley Davidson and Honda dealerships in Leeds. Initially joining Eddy Wright’s, which then became Leeds Harley Davidson, Mark spent a few years on the Harley side of the business before moving over to Honda.

Commenting on his move Mark said “I’m looking forward to working with Colin Appleyard’s, a well known name in the motorcycle industry. It’s a positive move to join such a well established dealership and I hope to see a few familiar faces following me.”

Mark would like to invite his former customers to call in for a coffee and promises to offer everyone a good deal on all their sales and servicing needs (although we’re not sure he’s told Colin yet!) The dealership on Roseville Road, Leeds carries a great choice of new and used motorcycles, parts, clothing and also offers quality all makes servicing and MOTs.

Please feel free to pay Mark a visit - Monday to Friday 9am to 6pm and Saturday 9am to 5pm.