Prescott Bike Festival celebrates engineering brilliance

Prescott Bike Festival celebrates engineering brilliance

Prescott Bike Festival takes place once again on Sunday 17th April 2016 at Prescott Hill Climb, near Cheltenham. The Festival prides itself on its diversity and celebrates engineering excellence; from rare, classic, modern, customised to hand built bikes and those of historic significance. This year the organisers have secured the most diverse motorcycles yet from the World's Fastest Shopping Trolley powered by a Chinook helicopter engine, the 'Warhorse' the World's Fastest Monowheel, a one-wheeled vehicle that the rider sits inside and travels up to 65mph! Plus the latest entry – the 'Scootsuit', a land speed contraption where the rider lies in a prone position approximately 6.5" inches off the floor, and has a 125cc scooter engine mounted to the frame, it can reach a speed of 70mph - the vehicle is currently being adapted for Prescott to take the corners.

Whilst this eccentric collection of machinery will be a spectacle to watch in action, the builders have really pushed the boundaries of engineering.

We are delighted to announce that iconic motorcycle builder and engineering genius Allen Millyard will join us once again, with not one but six of his projects. Allen likes to create things that people tell him can't be done; he is well known for the 'Millyard Viper V10' an 8.0-litre, 500bhp motorcycle that he built in 2009 using a V10 engine from a Dodge Viper sports car. The bike is handmade and up scaled to suit the size of the engine, and weighs 600kg. He has ridden it 6000 miles on the road including lapping the TT course, plus reached a speed of 207mph (half Throttle) on track. The bike has won numerous awards including 'Most over the Top' machine at Salon Privé Concours d'Elégance.

Millyards' home-built 'Flying Millyard' will also take to the hill. Despite resembling a classic 1920s sedate two-wheeled Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, this beast has a pair of cylinders from a Pratt and Whitney radial aircraft engine, and a 5.0-litre V-Twin, engine designed for an aeroplane, all other parts including the frame, forks and tank plus numerous bespoke parts such as the speedo and mixture control levers etc. were hand-made. It was completed in 2013 and has won numerous prestigious awards.

Earning him the 'Biggest Wow Factor Award' at Salon Privé was the Millyard crafted Honda SS100 V-twin, with two 50cc moped engines on a common crankcase. Even Soichiro Honda would surely have admired this early multi-cylinder effort, a deceptively standard looking V-twin made using the engines from two SS50 sports mopeds. The bike is believed to be the smallest road legal V Twin motorcycle in the world.

Prescott Bike Festival is a big celebration of man and machine with large displays of historic, modern and race bikes, plus a Paddock Specials Show 'n' Tell area and the unique opportunity for members of the public to take part in the spectacle by 'running the hill' or participating in a thrilling passenger ride experience.There's also a whole raft of entertainment too from live music, stunt shows, biker celebrity appearances and hundreds of trade stands, motorcycle manufacturers, dealer zone, motorcycle clubs, demo areas - what's more it helps to raise vital money and awareness for the Blood Bike charities.

There's so much to see and do:

Ride: You can ride the world famous Prescott Hill and be a Star of the Show, entries for 2016 are full but there's lots of General Admission tickets available and if you book in advance you save 20% on the Gate Price.

See: Get up close and personal with over 100 historic, rare, modern, factory race bikes, one off's specials builds and more.Lunchtime interviews in the Paddock with the riders and their bikes. Plus Club stands, Motorcycle manufacturers and more

Do: Take the ride of your life with a thrilling passenger ride experience in a Formula Two or Watsonian Squire Sidecar, a Morgan Three Wheeler, Grinnall Trike or Scorpion. The Army Reserve will be attending with a Man SV Recovery Truck and providing Career advice; plus visitors can try their hand on the climbing wall and Airsoft Rifle Range.

Meet: Come and meet our special 'biker' celebs includingJames Hillier, Lightweight TT (650cc) outright lap record, a member of the exclusive '132 club' and the 3rd fastest man round the TT course; Maria Costello MBE, former British Superbike and Isle of Man TT road racer Steve Plater; multiple British and Australian Supermoto champion, Chris Hodgson;; son of 'Mike the Bike' David Hailwood plus BSB rider Richard Cooper, Charlie Nesbitt and for something a little bit bonkers - Matt McKeown and his World's Fastest jet-powered Shopping Trolley! Plus lots more yet to be announced!

Watch: 'On The Edge' motorcycle stunt show - probably the best Trials Stunt Show we've ever seen. Plus the welcome return of the George Formby tribute act from the motorcycle film, No Limit? He'll also take to the hill on his 1920 'Shuttleworth Snap'

Buy: Bring lots of cash, with over 100 trade stands and all the motorcycle manufacturers there's bound to be something you like.

Plus:Live music by 1950s inspired rockabilly band, Josie and the Outlaw plus Chickenbone John and his custom guitars! And great food and drink throughout the day.

Prescott Bike Festival is a 'Must Do' day out for all motorcycling enthusiasts. What's more, all event proceeds of the event go to The Nationwide Association of Blood Bikes and Severn Freewheelers.

Gates Opens at: 08:30am, Track starts at: 10:00am, Festival closes at: 17:00.

Exclusive infield motorcycle parking for Pre-1990 motorcycles: limited numbers, advance booking essential.

Advance general admission tickets cost just £12 and are available online at: www.prescottbikefestival.co.uk

Free motorcycle parking, free motorcycle side stand puck and free helmet park for bikers
All details of exhibitors and celebrity appearances are available on the website.

Notes to editors:

Event Address: Prescott Bike Festival, Gotherington, nr Cheltenham, GL52 9RD, just 15 minutes from the M5.

About The Nationwide Association of Blood Bikes

The Nationwide Association of Blood Bikes is the umbrella organisation representing 24 regional blood bike charities, all providing a motorcycle based, free delivery service to the NHS; moving vital medical supplies, blood and pathology samples from medical centres and hospitals throughout the UK. NABB member groups are closely involved in the transport of frozen human milk from the donor to the milk processing banks. This has been a real lifesaver due to the necessity of very premature babies having intolerance to anything but human milk. Run entirely by volunteers, NABB member groups have over 1500 active members with a fleet of 120+ emergency response vehicles. All NABB riders are trained in the movement of medical essentials and operate from individual regional charities but with a common goal – to alleviate suffering and reduce the funding pressures on the NHS.

Severn Freewheelers is the regional Blood Bike group operating Gloucestershire, Hereford & Worcester and North Wiltshire. Over 70 volunteers help Severn Freewheelers carry out a much-needed service. Severn Freewheelers runs five BMW R1200RTs and a Honda ST1300; all are emergency response equipped and the members handle some 4,000 call outs per annum, covering 150,000 miles.

Media Contact: Rebecca Leppard, Eventageous PR Ltd on T: 01452 260063, email: Rebecca@eventspr.co.uk

Web & Social Media:

www.bikefestivals.co.uk

www.prescottbikefestival.co.uk

www.shelsleybikefestival.co.uk

Twitter: https://twitter.com/bike_fest

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Prescott-Bike-Festival/275941260263?ref=bookmarks

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Prescott Bike Festival is kindly sponsored by: Bikesure, Carole Nash, Blade Group, KTM and BMW Motorrad