David is already an avid Arctic explorer but this will be his most difficult expedition to date and will fulfil his personal dream of reaching the North Pole. He will be joined by a small team of explorers and the expedition will be led by legendary explorer Rune Gjeldnes.

The expedition will require tremendous physical effort and will see David crossing 110km of ice-fields, including thin and pack ice, and freezing open water which is 4000m deep below the ice. The team will also all be carrying rifles in order to defend against any polar bears that might show an interest in the explorers, as they will be very much outnumbered on the open ice.

As well as being a personal challenge for David, he will also be raising funds for two charities that are connected to his work in the motorcycling world. The two charities that will benefit from the challenge are Riders for Health and BASIC, Brain and Spinal Injuries Centre.

Riders for Health provide staff, training and motorbikes to provide remote African communities with professional healthcare services and David wants to raise money for them to be able to open a new centre in one of the poorest African countries – Zimbabwe, as well as providing a new fleet of motorbikes and fully trained staff.

BASIC is another brilliant charity that will benefit and is very much linked to the motorcycling world. BASIC offer practical support to families who need to look after a family member who has severe spinal or brain injuries as the result of a motorbike accident. The money raised by David would help BASIC to open a specialist gymnasium to help in the rehabilitation of those injured and help with their ongoing care.

As the Chief Executive of a specialist motorcycle insurance company, Carole Nash Insurance Consultants, these charities are very much close to David’s heart as they are directly tied to his work.

Carole Nash provides a number of specialist insurance policies for motorcycle riders including those for classic and modern bikes, multi-bike and female biker insurance. They are one of the most popular motorbike insurance brokers in the UK and Ireland and as well as providing motorcycle insurance they also have a variety of other insurance options including car, household and travel insurance.

where can i insure this?

The specialist in motorcycle insurance Carole Nash, has announced the launch of a new insurance service aimed at two equally niche markets.  Motorhome and Military vehicle owners will now be able to insure their vehicles through Carole Nash who say it is a natural progression for the company.

It is indeed a natural progression for Carole Nash who have provided support and sponsorship for bike racing at various levels over the last decade or more. At grass roots level many of the competitors and spectators at biking events drive and ‘live’ in such vehicles  while they are attending events.

A twelve strong team has been trained to spot the issues when dealing with cover for motorhomes and military vehicles which the insurer says are highly specialised.

Commercial director Simon Jackson says that these type of vehicles are driven by passionate enthusiasts and the vehicles they drive are more about lifestyle than transport.

The Road Respect campaign identifies the worst and most frustrating driving habits following a survey that found a third of UK motorists ‘get mad’ with other road users at least three times a week.

Top of the list of complaints is motorists who drive to close behind, or tailgating as it is often called, something that irritates 72% of us.  Second on the list and upsetting 68% is motorists who use mobile phones while driving, particularly annoying when employing the one hand on the wheel and one hand on the mobile position.

Being cut up infuriates the same percentage of motorists as driving while on the mobile, while making a turn without indicating follows closely annoying 65% of us.

A lot further down the scale, 48% are angered for not being thanked when giving way to other drivers and 45% hate anyone who drives too slowly, or significantly under the speed limit.

Not surprisingly 70% of us believe that we drive with due respect to other road users most of the time, but only 20% say they drive with respect and courtesy at ALL times.

over 50's biker

With recent research showing that 21% of motorcyclists in the UK are 50 or over, it is no surprise that Saga have just launched an insurance package aimed squarely at that market.

The policy offers full cover against loss, damage and theft of their machines and includes 60 days minimum EU cover. Add-ons include personal accident cover, legal expenses and helmet and leathers cover.

The majority of over 50 motorbike riders say that riding a bike gives them the freedom to feel the thrill of the open road, with a quarter using a bike as an alternative to a car to make financial savings and 17% who use their bike to get to and from work.

Carole Nash claims to have already captured around 50% of the Irish motorcycle insurance market from it’s base in Dublin and Commercial director Simon Jackson, insists the opportunities in the Republic are ‘very significant’ with the rapid growth of the internet in the country. Around half the population of the Republic of Ireland having internet access.

Carole Nash have been among the leading insurane companies offering motorcycle insurance in the UK for many years, they are now owned by French insurance company Groupama. The company has managed to increase it’s year on year profits in difficult times, 2008 pre tax profits grew by £1.3million in 2008.

New insurance lines such as helmet and leathers cover and Personal Accident cover have contributed to the increase in profits.

During the week that saw much of the UK covered in snow, claims were up by 45%, compared to the same week in 2008, causing Sainsbury’s to comment that it is one of the busiest times they can remember for car insurance claims.

While drivers were as usual urged to stay at home and not make unnecessary journeys, many of those that did venture out on the roads appear to have paid dearly for it.

Greater London postcodes featured in eight out of the top ten highest risk areas, with North West London being the area of highest risk, with riders in this area over five times more likely to have their machine stolen than the average rider.

Outside of the capital Liverpool has the worst record, with those living in Liverpool’s ‘L’ postcode over two times more likely to have their motorcycle stolen than the UK average.

Preston has joined the highest risk postal areas, but among the safest places to own and keep a motorcycle are Hereford, Galashiels, Perth and Isle of Man.

Carole Nash urge motorcycle owners to enhance the security on their machines, this will not only reduce the premiums but also the ever growing risk of theft.

The survey also found that for the second year running the most stolen machine in the UK is the Honda SCV100 Lead, a scooter. Theft claims for scooters and mopeds have increased along with their popularity in recent times, and remain the easiest of targets for motorcycle theft.