Taking a Pitstop with Go Karts and more in Halifax

Well I can truly say I just met my local hero, Mr Adrian Woods, MBE. Sat at his desk in a NZ All Blacks rugby shirt, with one of his fledgling schoolkids, Adrian just gave me some of his valuable time to explain how PitStop 2000 Ltd came to be, how it came to be, and why.

5 minutes into our conversation I realised the true extent of PitStops work. Not just go karting, not just a schoolkids dream day-trip or evening social event .. so so much more.

Started as a short term project to reduce car crime in North Halifax, PitStop is currently renovating the large Bridgefield Mill which sits inbetween the Calder and Hebble rivers, Calderdale, West Yorkshire. Adrian heads a large network of "people from all walks of life" whose common ground is being actively concerned with the well being of struggling local young people. PitStop provide re-education with an element of fun and security. They also provide accreditation for each youngster, which automatically gets the schools interested as credits mean exam results mean funding.

In case you hadn't heard, KO2 are now taking the bread and butter route (chip butties) and are basing their UK core activities in North Yorkshire, hoping to do some of the same but with dirt-bikes, under Adrian's sound advice. We'll be providing activities to kids who simply need a push in the right direction, not a push out the door.

This is Adrian with some of the local youngsters handy work .. a terraced bird house BRILLIANT..! .. only in Yorkshire (and thats coming from a Lancashire lass!)














PitStop also have the kids building the go-karts from scratch, servicing them, there's a fantastic music room with professional mixing equipment and drum sets, a large social kitchen area (soon to be finished) where the kids can cook healthy varieties of home grown dishes, soups etc. There's European exchange trips, camping trips, a carpentary workshop, beehiving, organic farming with even a trackside allotment for growing vegetables that the kids can take home to astounded parents, some of which wouldn't even think to provide their kids vegetables, let alone grow them. Bilberrying locally they even invented the "instant cheesecake; take 1 ginger biscuit, smother in greek yoghurt and then balance as many bilberries on as you can. Eat .. in one go if possible!" All these activities count towards ASDAN and other youth achievement awards including Duke of Edinburgh's.

Partnered with West Yorkshire Police, the European Commission's Youth In Action Programme, Nokia's Life Routes Scheme and many other community initiatives, Adrian is available on 01422 311 299 if you want to get involved.

Right now, in this economic downturned climate, is EXACTLY when to help others.
Every Child Matters .. Worrrrrd !

News of electric bikes and UK initiatives

All's been quiet for a while with lots of boring bureaucratic, governancy type stuff to fill my days with but I'm back with news of bikes like Santa Cruz's Zero, shown here in Jay Leno's ridiculously full garage (.. apologies for the annoying loading ad!!!)

So thats electric bikes .. mainly because I'm working with TTXGP now to help pay the bills, promoting the worlds first electric TT Race.

So far as KO2 goes there's been MUCH MUCH going on behind the scenes with some bread and butter initiatives in planning for the UK, which should help us get the international events secured.

We'll update shortly but keep in touch via the Facebook group and website.

Technorati Tags: electric, TTXGP, zero, KO2, kenya, adventure biking, bike tour

Medical supplies to Kenya

This weekend I was on the Isle of Man with TTXGP, the worlds first zero emissions superbike race, which is creating quite a media frenzy!































(photos courtesy of Dave Collister, Photocycles.com, Isle of Man)

I was also on the island to accept another 9!!! boxes of donated medical goods, surplus from the 101 TT Incident Boxes which Marshals have with them in case of emergency. The Motorsport Medical Services, under the watchful eye of Dr. David Stevens, control all medical support for the TT roadracing events; the TT Festival, and will do so for the TTXGP event.

The goods are for the ArrowWeb Hospital, in the Embakasi division around Nairobi which was established to help the community of an estimated 798,000 people plagued by poor health and living conditions. The project to improve the hospital is being ran online using the Netherlands-based NABUUR "virtual village" system where volunteers can simply log in from home to assist. The Kayole-Soweto project involves, specifically for this project, the input of over 60 professional members (including myself) from Canada, United Kingdom, Australia, United States, Poland, India, Uganda, Tanzania, Malaysia, South Africa, Netherlands, Kazakhstan, Thailand.

This is becoming a reasonably high profile project since we are soon to be assisted by Stanford University's Ken Banks and his Frontline SMS Rural Health Initiative which utilises the power and reach of mobile internet to aid hospitals to monitor and treat rural patients. With donated laptops & recycled cell phones Ken & josh Nesbit are enablingrural health effective SMS-based communications networks for rural medical operations.

When I first contacted Kenya Airways back in 2008 it was to ask them to transport 2 boxes of medical goods. Fortunately we now have 11 boxes of items such as airway devices, bandages, plasters etc. and they are currently negotiating the logistics while TTXGP has already transported all 11 boxes to their warehouse in London, ready for delivery to Heathrow and Kenya Airways handlers. We're nearly there, Bram!

Technorati Tags: takeaction, NABUUR, NPSL, kenya, Frontline SMS, TTXGP, AVIF

Hard Roads

NEC's TT Day, with the TT Marshals Association was my port of call December 6th. We were sharing a stand with the Isle of Man's Tourism Board & Duke Marketing who were being helped by riders passing on videos of the TT Races alongside Long Day Down & Round adventures, Charley Boormans recent epic journey from Ireland to Sydney "By Any Means", Classic Bike videos and much more.



The stand was overpowered by a huge picture of Gary Johnson airborn through Rhencullen during this years TT Race. In only his second ever road race (NW200, 2008 being his first) GaryJohnson topped any newcomer ever with a best TT lap of 122.85mph(Superstock). Apparantly he jumps the furthest and highest at BallaughBridge too!

The stunning photo was the work of renowned photographer Stephen Davison. I had the pleasure of flicking through his new book with him, and sharing his hilarious insider-commentary. "Hard Roads" is an unforgettable testament to the sport& himself, aCounty-Antrim-born roadracing fan & a man MCN call the 'the world'snumber one pure roadracing lensman'.



In the book Stephen "captures the essence of the sport with incredible photographs and accompanying text; the all-consuming passion; the incredible skill and speed; and, always, the spectre of death on the horizon." I don't need to remind you it would make a fantastic Christmas present too!

road racing, TT, KO2

Horizons Unlimited Calendar 2009

The HU 2009 Calendar just arrived at my door and I am totally buzzing from the photography. Bikes are exciting enough but using them to go see the world .. wow!

Horizons Unlimited is ran by Grant & Susan Johnson, London, UK-based Canadians. The site is a hub of motorbike travellers all sharing their journeys & much much more. For pure inspiration drop by, and for daily inspiration buy the calendar, featuring prize winning photography from the members.



(First Prize 2008 Winner: Tyson Brust, Canada; of Jose Rodriguez, riding the rim of Guagua Pichincha volcano, Ecuador)

Horizons Unlimited support KO2 & vice versa .. we're all bikers here!

kenya, enduro, calendar, Horizons Unlimited

LingMAO .. the Bionic Adventure Biker

Check out these mental videos by Adventure Spec's Dave Lomax, "Jasper" and friends, all about getting ready for a trip.

adventure biker, kenya, KO2

Norway also available

We're in the final planning stages of the 2009 Kenya enduro and are now also able to offer Norway tours. Horizons Unlimited founders Grant & susan Johnson have wonderfully offered a link to their 1996 trip if you want to read up on whats on offer, as well as seeing :


This was taken of their bike at midnight at the North Cape.


This is the awesome Frithjof Fure/Fjord, Geiranger, care of the Tourist information site.
Contact us if you'd like to plan a tour.

KO2, motorbike, tour, Norway, Horizons Unlimited