A Great British Triumph.

When Dave “Sharky” Barker took over as National President in 2009, he wanted to promote a younger, sportier image – British bike manufacturer Triumph were happy to oblige!

Past National Presidents have traditionally been sponsored by car manufacturers while in office, with Hyundai, Seat and Rover all having been kind enough to provide vehicles for the President in past years.

National President for 2009/2010, Dave "Sharky" Barker, (pictured below with his Triumph bike) took a different approach, with a view to promoting a younger, sportier image for the Round Table. British Motorbike manufacturer Triumph came on board with Dave's first bike, a Daytona 675 sports bike. Unveiled at the Eastbourne "Surf's Up" conference only a week after the deal was struck, it was decaled in Round Table livery.

Though Dave loved the bike, the practicalities of needing to transport a Dinner Jacket, Round Table regalia and paperwork, meant back to the drawing board, so Triumph provided a brand new Tiger 1050 ABS with a complete luggage system, to meet his needs! Dave's busy Round Table calendar meant he clocked up more than 5,000 miles in a matter of weeks on the new machine, and Triumph became a regular feature at many Charter Nights, as well as national and area meetings.

Andrew Wood, owner of Woods Motorcycles in Abergele, North Wales, has been a member of Abergele Round Table for 10 years, and worked with Triumph to secure the sponsorship deal.

"I am extremely proud to sponsor the Presidential bike, along with Triumph," he said. "When David, who comes from this area, got elected as National President, we thought it would be a great thing to do, and we are hoping to continue the sponsorship with future presidents.

"As long as National Presidents have a motorcycle licence, they can look forward to riding one of Britain's most iconic brands."

Andrew first developed a passion for motorbikes in his teens, and his obsession soon became his profession. Woods Motorcyles is now a 10,000 square-foot showroom in Abergele, housing hundreds of new and used bikes including brands such as Triumph, Ducati and Bimota. You can visit Woods Motorcycles online at www.woodsmotorcycles.com to view their latest stock, as well as request a demo or courtesy bike.