Greater than 30 years in the past, six motorbike lovers from Stockport and Manchester made a stand for bikers with disabilities who have been successfully banned from the street as a result of nobody made machines that they might experience safely.

They merely didn’t settle for that bikers with impairements may now not experience their bikes, scooters, sidecar outfits, trikes or quads, and so they determined to do one thing about it. 

They started a mission to adapt a bike for a rider who had had his decrease left leg amputated after an accident.

Bikesure encourages bikers with disabilities

Bikesure goals to get folks – younger, previous, ready bodied and disabled – on the street and celebrating their freedom

That’s why Bikesure sponsors True Heroes Racing, the UK’s solely motorbike race staff devoted to supporting wounded, injured and sick UK Service personnel and veterans.

Rob Balls, Bikesure normal supervisor, mentioned: “We’re delighted to work with True Heroes. These bike-mad ex-servicemen are a very inspiring group of individuals and Bikesure is proud to be related to them.”

The True Heroes’ purpose is ‘to interact, empower and encourage’ the disabled and deprived group via coaching, mentoring and help to allow them to take a full and lively half in aggressive motorsport.

The Nationwide Affiliation for Bikers with a Incapacity (NABD) can also be serving to bikers’ desires come true. Right here we take a better take a look at the sensible work they do.

A trike tailored for a wheelchair person. All footage courtesy of the NABD.

NABD: the way it all started

The six associates kicked off their mission by forming a charity, the NABD, and a fundraising celebration was organised. Different bikers with disabilities heard about it, received in contact, and requested if they might experience specifically tailored bikes too.

Inside 12 months, the NABD had greater than 100 members and had helped three bikers with disabilities get their machines tailored to allow them to experience independently and safely.

In these early days, every adaptation needed to be designed from scratch, and plenty of engineering issues needed to be mastered.

Trike tailored for a double leg amputee.

Motorcycle charity has now helped 12,000 bikers with disabilities

From this humble starting, the NABD was quickly a world chief within the subject of motorcycling for folks with disabilities. 

At the moment, membership has grown to greater than 9,000 members and there’s an ever-growing variety of affiliated golf equipment and companies all through the UK. This contains us – we now have a scheme providing members a reduction on their insurance coverage.

Up to now the NABD has helped greater than 12,000 bikers with disabilities to benefit from the freedom and independence of motorcycling.

The NABD has additionally been instrumental within the creation of motorcyclist assist teams for bikers with disabilities in Norway, Sweden, France, Japan and the USA and is frequently consulted on points referring to disabled motorcycling by the DVLA, Division of Transport, the Driving Requirements Company and the Highways Company.

Kliktronic gear changer adaptation for left leg amputee.

Grants supplied by the NABD

The NABD gives grants starting from £250 to £2,000 to assist with the price of particular adaptation work to bikes, scooters, motorbike/sidecar mixtures and trikes. 

The place obligatory the NABD may present grants to adapt bikes and trikes to swimsuit the wants of pillion passengers with disabilities. 

NABD Chairman Rick Hulse is happy to assist Bikesure’s Journey On marketing campaign.

‘In terms of motorcycling, a incapacity needn’t be a handicap’ 

NABD chairman Ruck Hulse mentioned: “There are only a few disabilities that can’t be catered for with the proper mixture of management variations and/or automobile modification. 

“From paralysis attributable to brachial plexus accidents to amputations, paraplegia, incomplete quadriplegia to cerebral palsy, MS and/or paralysis attributable to stroke – with the proper variations and somewhat ingenuity, relating to motorcycling, a incapacity needn’t be a handicap.”

The NABD continues to be a profitable campaigner for the rights and security of disabled bikers. 

He added: “We’ve got additionally been very profitable in guaranteeing motorcyclists with disabilities will not be unfairly penalised by automobile and/or licensing laws. 

“The NABD negotiated the Europe-wide exemption from MSVA testing for automobiles which can be particularly constructed for using disabled folks. 

“In 2019 the NABD negotiated an exemption that permits folks with disabilities to experience trikes and/or sidecar outfits on provisional licences. This happened on account of an NABD report for the Driving Requirements Company.

“Extra not too long ago the NABD, as very lively members of the Highways England Motorbike Security Group, have been on the forefront of enhancements to the Strategic Street Community in England to make the roads safer for motorcyclists.”

An NABD learner loner bike.

Big selection of variations for bikers with disabilities

There are a number of variations obtainable for bikers with disabilities together with:

• Thumb operated brake programs: permits rear brakes to be operated by hand for folks with leg amputations/disabilities. They’re additionally used extensively in ‘one handed’ controls for riders with an arm amputation, damage to the brachial plexus (the community of nerves that sends alerts from the spinal twine to the shoulder, arm and hand) or another incapacity that limits using a handTwin lever models for bikes and trikes
• Hydraulic to cable conversion kits
• ‘Straightforward clutch’ kits for riders with decreased energy or mobility of their arms
• Electrically operated ‘push button’ gear-changers, for riders with leg amputation/incapacity
• Specialised sidecar models and ‘full hand management’ variations for wheelchair customers
• Specifically constructed ‘full hand management’ trikes for wheelchair customers and bikers with disabilities affecting their stability
• Remotely operated side-stand variations, seating/again assist variations, modified pillion seat variations, throttle variations
• Journey from the wheelchair motorbike/sidecar mixture for wheelchair customers who can’t switch from a wheelchair to a bike or trike

You possibly can go to the NABD web site to apply for a bike adaptation grant. The charity additionally has a learner loaner scheme that may present bikers with incapacity tailored 125cc bikes to assist them take a Obligatory Fundamental Coaching (CBT) course

Clutch lever adaptation for left arm amputee.

Peace of thoughts cowl in your tailored bikes and trikes

Whereas the staff at NABD may also help and advise along with your bike variations, the staff at Bikesure will likely be delighted to seek out the proper insurance coverage cowl to assist defend your machine. 

As a specialist insurer of bikes and trikes with variations for the disabled, we are going to discover you an insurance coverage coverage that can match your wants. 

Name 0330 123 1028 for a swift no nonsense quote or request a callback at a time that fits you. NABD members have their very own devoted Bikesure quantity to name: 0800 089 0340.