Make the most of summer: Part two

There may be 17 hours of daylight at the moment but we know your biking time is precious – you don’t want to waste it going to the same old bike meets and shows. Which is why MCN’s team of experts have brought you this definitive guide to 2016’s must-do events.

From riding mopeds up the Alps, watching grasstrack in Lincolnshire, and dancing on tables with BMW in Bavaria, if you’re going to go anywhere with your bike this year, make sure it’s to one of these…

Austrian Grand Prix, August 12-14

New on the calendar for 2016, the Red Bull Ring could well deliver some of the closest racing of the year. And with it being a brand new race, it’s completely up for grabs, so expect some strange results – and maybe even a high-profile wildcard or two.
Inside line: Riding through undiscovered yet stunningly beautiful mountain roads to a MotoGP race where anything could happen – what could be better?
Best for: KTM fans. The Austrian manufacturer will have their own grandstand and will be demonstrating their new RC16 MotoGP machine.

Contact: www.motogp.com/en/event/Austria
Entry: From €95

The Ramsgate Rev-Up, August 14

The Ramsgate Rev-Up is a celebration of classic, vintage and post-modern road and racing bikes. Held at the coastal town’s Undercliff Road next to the sea, on a clear day you can see over the Channel to the cliffs of northern France – the perfect backdrop for a day mooching around motorcycles. Ramsgate is my home town so I’ll be there watching with an ice-cream.
Inside line: The Rev-Up is just around the corner from Ramsgate’s bustling  harbour, which has an almost St Tropez feel to it on a sunny August day.
Best for: A great chance to see a vast collection of old and new road and race bikes in south east Kent.

Entry: Free

Ladies Day, August 21

The Ace Café gets taken over for one day a year by lady riders, who turn up from all over the country on all manner of machines. Last year’s event saw the car park full to capacity, with bikes spilling over onto the surrounding pavements and footbridge. 
Inside line: Being able to spend an afternoon chatting with like-minded, bike-loving ladies really is a great way to pass the time. 
Best for: The grub is great at the Ace Café: chilli and chips go down a storm but, be warned, it does get busy so queues can be a bit lengthy.

Contact: www.ace-cafe-london.com
Entry: Free

Dawn to Dusk Enduro, August 27-28

The Dawn to Dusk is one of the UK’s top enduro events. You don’t have to be a pro to enter and can even compete as part of a team with your mates in relay style. There aren’t many events where complete novices can find themselves side-by-side (if only for a split second) with international pros. There’s a six, 12 and 24-hour event to choose from, so take your pick!
Inside line: If you’re going for the 24-hour enduro then… good luck!
Best for: D2D attracts around 5000 spectators, so you can definitely go to watch, but why not join in with the 500 riders instead? 

Contact: www.dawntoduskenduro.com
Entry: From £60

Lincolnshire Poacher, August 28

Grasstrack has fallen from the public eye in the past 20 years, but remains a great grassroots form of racing with an alluring simplicity. A group of blokes, a bike each and a field to race around. For salt-of-the-earth hard racing, there’s little better.

The Poacher is run on a massive 1000-metre oval and will bring together the country’s best grass racers on both 500cc speedway-like solos and the earth-trembling sidecars, which rip the grass to shreds with their screaming 1000cc sportsbike motors.
Inside line: To get the full sense of speed you need to stand by the entry to one of the two corners. 
Best for: A rideout to the coast (Skegness is five miles away) mixed with the chance to experience something different.

Contact: www.superspeedtrack.com
Entry: £20 adults, children (12-16) £5, under-12s free