Want to get started on track? The guys at Bemsee are here to help

Published: 17 August 2017 Updated: 17 August 2017

1 of 1

Motorcycle racing is a dream for many people but it’s actually more accessible than you might think. The British Motor Cycle Racing Club, or Bemsee as it’s known, provides huge support to anyone wanting to get involved in road racing.

Bemsee was founded in 1909 at the historic Brooklands circuit and is the oldest motorcycle club in the world; it’s also one of the largest in the UK. It’s run ‘by Members for Members, by Racers for Racers’ and everyone involved – board members, officials, officers, clerks and marshals – works on a voluntary basis.

TOP STORIES

To get started you’ll need club membership (£35) and an ACU race licence (£48). Bemsee run an exclusive two-day Rookie Race School at Brands Hatch every February specifically aimed at new members, which includes the classroom-based ACU CTC (Competency to Compete) test and on-track BRA (Basic Rider Assessment) course. On successful completion they will send away for your race licence.

Bemsee’s Rider Development Programme is very highly regarded; each rookie gets paired up with an experienced Paddock Buddy and every race weekend begins with the opportunity to attend a Friday Test Day (£145), which includes instruction from an ACU-trained coach. The Bemsee paddock is incredibly friendly and people don’t hesitate to help each other out. A typical race entry fee is £270 and involves qualifying and two races on the Saturday followed by a warm up and two races on Sunday.

The club runs dedicated 600 and 1000 rookie classes, as well as rookie sections in Thunderbikes, Minitwins, 400s and Yamaha Past Masters classes. Thirteen to 18 year-olds can take part in the Kawasaki Team Green Junior Cup on Ninja 300s, which also has a senior series so that mums and dads (or anyone else) can take part on these novice friendly bikes too. Whether you’re an experienced rider looking for a challenge beyond track days or a teenager with aspirations of becoming the next rising star, Bemsee can offer all the support you need.

Visit Bemsee’s website for more here and if you want to promote your bike meet please email Sam.Williams@Motorcyclenews.com

Have a browse for your next bike on MCN Bikes For Sale website or use the MCN’s Bikes For Sale App.

By Justin Hayzelden

Products Editor, shed enthusiast and tournament winner. Justin has been a regular contributor to MCN since 2009, working as a road tester, roving reporter and feature writer. He has built up a wealth of experience in putting the latest machinery through its paces, as well as subjecting every aspect of motorcycle kit to the rigours of real-world riding. A lifelong two-wheel enthusiast with a deep passion for motorcycles, Justin first hit the streets at 16 on a Suzuki TS50X and has since owned more bikes than he cares to remember. A spell as a London courier saw him cut his biking teeth on some of the country’s busiest roads and as an instructor he has striven to give many a novice the grounding to do the same. Justin has ridden on four continents (so far), both as a solo rider and as a tour guide, tackling terrain from the perilous mountain roads of the Himalayas to rugged South African dirt tracks, sweeping North American highways and the glorious passes of the European Alps. He likes nothing more than an early start for a full day in the saddle and takes great pleasure in sniffing out those roads less travelled – to Justin, every bike is an adventure bike. When not testing products, Justin can usually be found in his shed, where he maintains, restores and rebuilds not just bikes, but anything mechanical that comes his way. He currently owns a 2010 Triumph Sprint 1050 ST, 1998 Yamaha TRX 850 and is running a 2024 Harley-Davidson Pan America CVO as a long termer.