Irish Motorcycle Association

24/05/2026

23/05/2026

THINGS DRIVERS DO WHEN THEY SEE THE POLICE.👮‍♀️

People who have been sitting one inch from the bumper in front for the last ten miles suddenly discover what a safe following distance is.

The car magically drifts backwards.
Space appears.
Physics returns.
Drivers immediately sit up straighter.

Both hands suddenly go back on the wheel.
Ten and two position.
Eyes forward.

Posture of somebody about to sit their driving test again after not opening the Highway Code for twelve years.

Music volume comes down.
Nobody really knows why.

The police car cannot hear your radio from three lanes away.

Yet everyone acts like loud music has somehow become illegal in the last twenty seconds.

Middle lane hoggers move back left as if they have suddenly rediscovered a long lost family member.

Then there is the speed check.
You know the one.
Eyes flick down at the dashboard.
Back up.
Back down again.

Just making sure the car has not mysteriously accelerated itself to 97mph without permission.

Some people even gently brake despite already doing the speed limit.

Now we have a chain reaction.
Brake lights.
More brake lights.
Even more brake lights.

Half the motorway now slowing down because Dave in the silver hatchback saw a police car and briefly lost all confidence in himself.

Then the police turns off at the next junction.

Instantly everyone returns to normal.
Safe distance disappears.
Lane discipline evaporates.
Speed slowly creeps back up.

It is like watching Cinderella leave the ball at midnight.

22/05/2026

* Update *

Lots going on behind the scenes for this year's annual Mass....it takes many hands to make this Mass run smoothly so if you wish to participate this year with readings and gifts, please message Eileen, drop a message here or she can be contacted on
086 1730 735.

Yours in Biking
UWMA Committee

21/05/2026

The Yamaha RZV500R is one of the most legendary and exotic two-stroke road motorcycles ever created — a machine that brought Grand Prix racing technology directly onto public streets during the wild 1980s performance era. 🏍️🔥🇯🇵

Built as the street-legal counterpart to Yamaha’s fearsome Grand Prix racers, the RZV500R became an instant icon among enthusiasts who wanted the closest possible experience to riding a real 500cc GP machine. ❤️⚡

At the heart of the motorcycle sits a savage 499cc liquid-cooled V4 two-stroke engine, inspired heavily by Yamaha’s championship-winning Yamaha YZR500 Grand Prix race bikes. The engine used Yamaha’s famous YPVS (Yamaha Power Valve System) technology to improve power delivery while still retaining the explosive top-end aggression two-strokes were known for. 💀🔥

And honestly, the riding experience was completely different from modern motorcycles.

Below the powerband, the engine felt relatively calm.
Then suddenly the revs climbed… and the RZV exploded forward with violent acceleration and the unmistakable scream of a high-performance two-stroke V4. 🏁💨

The Japanese-market RZV500R version was even more special than export-market RZ500 models because Yamaha reduced weight using:

Hand-welded aluminum frame
Lighter components
Race-inspired construction techniques

This made the RZV500R sharper, rarer, and significantly more collectible today. 👑🏍️

Visually, the motorcycle looked every bit like an endurance or Grand Prix machine from the 1980s:

Twin round headlights
Aggressive race-inspired fairings
Four expansion chamber exhaust pipes
Signature Yamaha racing colors

The bike carried pure two-stroke racing attitude even while standing still. ❤️🔥

During the 1980s, manufacturers like Yamaha, Honda, Suzuki, and Kawasaki competed fiercely to bring Grand Prix-inspired two-stroke technology onto the street. The RZV500R represented Yamaha’s ultimate statement in that battle. ⚡

Unlike modern superbikes loaded with electronics and rider aids, the RZV demanded respect and skill. No traction control. No riding modes. Just raw power delivery, lightweight handling, and rider bravery. ⚠️🏍️

Today, surviving RZV500Rs are among the most desirable Japanese collector motorcycles in the world. Enthusiasts value them not only for performance and rarity, but because they represent a completely vanished era of motorcycle engineering — when manufacturers built road bikes that genuinely felt dangerous, exciting, and mechanically alive. 💀❤️

Four cylinders.
Two-stroke fury.
Pure Grand Prix DNA. 🔥

The Yamaha RZV500R wasn’t just a motorcycle.
It was a street-legal racing experience. 👑🏁

19/05/2026

18/05/2026

17/05/2026

Some shots from the Distinguished ride today fro various locations.