Adelaide Insurance Services sponsors “The Adelaide International Kells Road Races” 15 – 18 July 2010, again & guarantees sponsorship to 2012.

Adelaide, Northern Ireland’s long-standing premier motorcycle insurance broker – are back as the title sponsor again. Their Founder/Director and biking enthusiast Sam Geddis said, “We’ve such confidence in this event and so for the first time we’ve agreed to invest in it for several years, rather than renewing the sponsorship annually.”

Another first! This weekend has been extended to include Thursday 15 July with a football match in Kells County Meath between the Kells Cougars (from County Antrim) and the Kells Soccer Club of County Meath. Plus the Rugby Team from Armoy are traveling down to take part in a rugby match with the local team in Kells, County Meath. Everyone is very welcome and can also enjoy a vintage classic bike and car display at the Heritage Centre and a Mini Moto Display in the town as added attractions.

The “Charity Classic Bike Run” in aid of the Irish Wheelchair Association, traditionally marks the start of the “Adelaide International Kells Road Races” festival on the Friday evening, 16 July and there’s a tremendous atmosphere whilst spectators view the bikes at the start outside the Railway Bar in Kells County Meath. Riders complete a lap around Kells Town and two laps of the racing circuit. To add to the atmosphere we are hoping to have a busking competition in the afternoon on the streets of Kells.

Part of this event is the 115 miles “Adelaide Kells to Kells Ride-out” from County Antrim to County Meath, taking place for the third time on Sat. 17 July. The 2009 ride-out raised £4400 for charity. Between 2008 and 2009 almost £10 000 was raised for charity. The ride-out starts at “Kells Community Centre” in County Antrim where the village festival starts at 10am and includes:

- A vintage motorcycle display;

- BikeSafe assessments;

- FREE barbeque;

- And various other attractions.

The ride-out leaves for Kells, County Antrim at 2pm via Sprucefield, Lisburn.

For the first time the Honda 50 Club are taking part. For those who’d like to stay over in Kells, County Meath for the “Adelaide International Kells Road Races” on Sat 17 and Sunday 18 July, camping facilities are available. The “Kells to Kells Ride-out” ends at the Fairgreen, Kells, County Meath where there’s plenty of fun for the whole family including world stunt rider Mattie Griffin! Tony Lynch, from The Kells MCRC is organizing the entertainment for the Fairgreen Kells and the Ride-out is organised by: http://www.quayvipermcc.com

On Saturday 17 July, the road racing practise session also commences and culminates with the first two “Adelaide International Kells Road Races” in the late afternoon, in Kells County Meath. It’s road racing all day Sunday 18 July guaranteeing a top class field of international road racers and competitive racing. For more information visit: http://www.kellsroadraces.com


Adelaide supports two riders on the motorcycling trip of a lifetime!

Author and adventurer Geoff Hill is off on his latest big bike adventure with fellow writer Colin O'Carroll: 15,000 miles around Australia: They set off on the 28 February 2010 from Adelaide, Australia and you can read all about it on the http://www.adelaideadventures.com website, regularly updated with daily blogs, photos and footage about the journey as it progresses. It’s sure to make you laugh. Geoff, who's already ridden from Delhi to Belfast and Chile to Alaska for the best-selling books “Way to Go” and “The Road to Gobblers dead”, is facing his mightiest challenge yet: the wombats of Oz. Sponsors Adelaide Insurance Services, whose Director, Sam Geddis came up with the idea of starting and finishing the epic trip in Adelaide, fell in love with the idea of the adventure so much that he's joined it for the first three weeks with his wife Gloria on a Triumph Sprint.

After Sam and Gloria head home from Sydney, Geoff and Colin will circumnavigate Australia on a pair of Tiger 1050s, taking 10-12 weeks to cover the 15,000 miles of the legendary Highway One before the road is decommissioned.

With them will be film makers Matt Curry and Gareth McGrillan, producing a TV series which BBC and Channel 4 are already interested in.

Highway One came into being with the Federation of Australia on New Year's Day 1901, and is due to be decommissioned, in the same way as Route 66 was, in 2010.

The longest national highway in the world, it covers practically every major inhabited part of Australia.

It includes large capital cities, busy holiday resorts, dramatic coastlines, forests ranging from tropical through to temperate gum forests and giant karri stands. Scrubland, deserts and huge tropical swamps are some of the variety of landscapes en route.

Ironically, since the road is just about to cease to exist, in recent years it's become a journey imbued with romance in the same way as Route 66.

Since Geoff has only been to Perth before, and since Colin was born in Northern Ireland and grew up in Australia wrestling sharks, snogging kangaroos and riding dirt bikes, the series and book will be written from two contrasting and equally entertaining viewpoints: Geoff as a relative first-timer and Colin revisiting the land of his lost youth. Blackstaff Press is publishing the book in October 2010, provisionally titled Oz: Geoff and Colin's outrageous Antipodean adventure.

"It's the wombats that worry me most," said Geoff. "Apparently they go to sleep in the middle of the road because it's nice and warm, so if you're stupid enough to ride at night, you hit this furry speed bump.

"They're saved by a layer of cartilage on their back which protects them from dingo attacks, but you end up down the road in a heap of wreckage."

Geoff's first travel book, Way to Go, on two great motorcycle journeys - from Delhi to Belfast on a Royal Enfield and Route 66 on a Harley - was published in April 2005, was the Mail on Sunday's book of the week, was nominated for UK travel book of the year and has been reprinted six times.

The sequel, The Road to Gobblers dead, on a ride from Chile to Alaska along the 16,500 miles of the Pan-American Highway with former Isle of Man TT winner Clifford Paterson in spring 2006, was published in spring 2007 and went straight to number seven in the paperback best sellers list.

His next book, Anyway, Where Was I? Geoff Hill’s alternative A-Z of the world, was published in September 2008 and also went straight into Waterstone's best sellers list.

Adelaide Insurance Services are backing the trip with the help of the Institute of Advanced Motorists and Plantec, with Triumph providing the bikes, Schuberth the helmets and Etihad flying the team out and back. Follow the adventure on http://www.adelaideadventures.com


Who are Adelaide Insurance Services?

Formerly part of the Charles Hurst Group, Adelaide was established in 1991 in Northern Ireland and is now part of the Irish Life and Permanent Group. Adelaide specialises in motorcycle insurance UK-wide and in the Republic of Ireland.

Staff commitment is a cornerstone of Adelaide’s success.

Adelaide received the ultimate accolade when they were voted the “UK’s favourite motorcycle insurance broker for 2008”. This annual Rider Power survey by Ride Magazine is the largest survey of its kind in the UK, surveying over 8000 bikers and Adelaide took first place for customer service and scored the top rating for claims handling resulting in obtaining the overall number 1 ranking at the “UK’s favourite motorcycle insurance broker for 2008”.

“Motorcyclists are not just a side line for Adelaide – as they are for many insurance brokers. Over the years we’ve grown a unique understanding of their needs by listening and acting on motorcyclists behalf.” Sam Geddis, Adelaide Insurance Services.

Adelaide has always striven to be socially responsible in the conduct of business. We’ve been actively involved in road safety since 1997 when we began working with the Police Service in Northern Ireland to promote BikeSafe, which provides a critical appraisal of motorcyclists’ riding skills through a short, free assessment of ability in key areas. http://www.bikesafe.co.uk Many bikers who successfully complete the BikeSafe assessment go on to complete the IAM safety test with further discounts on their insurance. http://www.iam.org.uk (Subject to insurers’ normal acceptance criteria and minimum premium.)