New Year's Honours for bikers

Motorcyclists get recognised by Her Maj

COLIN Appleyard heads the list of motorcyclists to get a mention in the New Year's Honours list – gaining an MBE for services to motorcycle racing.

The Yorkshire-based car and bike dealer has run Colin Appleyard Racing for 22 years, bringing on young British talent in the British GP125 and Supersport 600 championships.

Other bike-related honours include an MBE to Graham Shaw, Assistant Chief Driving Examiner, for services to motorcycle safety. Agnes Cadger, secretary of the Scottish Classic Racing Motorcycle Club, was awarded the British Empire Medal.

More tenuously, Ewan McGregor has become Ewan McGregor OBE for services to drama and charity. His Long Way Round around-the-world ride supported the likes of Unicef – for which he is an ambassador – Macmillan Cancer Support and, of course, Riders For Health. You could say that Obi gets an OBE...