The Auto-Cycle Union (ACU) is the governing body of

motorcycle A motorcycle (motorbike, bike, or trike (if three-wheeled)) is a two or three-wheeled motor vehicle Steering, steered by a Motorcycle handlebar, handlebar. Motorcycle design varies greatly to suit a range of different purposes: Long-distance ...

sport in

Great Britain Great Britain is an island in the North Atlantic Ocean off the northwest coast of continental Europe. With an area of , it is the largest of the British Isles, the largest European island and the ninth-largest island in the world. It ...

, including the

Channel Islands The Channel Islands ( nrf, Îles d'la Manche; french: îles Anglo-Normandes or ''îles de la Manche'') are an archipelago in the English Channel, off the French coast of Normandy. They include two Crown Dependencies: the Bailiwick of Jersey, ...

and the

Isle of Man ) , anthem = " O Land of Our Birth" , image = Isle of Man by Sentinel-2.jpg , image_map = Europe-Isle_of_Man.svg , mapsize = , map_alt = Location of the Isle of Man in Europe , map_caption = Location of the Isle of Man (green) in Europ ...

, but excluding

Northern Ireland Northern Ireland ( ga, Tuaisceart Éireann ; sco, label=Ulster Scots dialect, Ulster-Scots, Norlin Airlann) is a part of the United Kingdom, situated in the north-east of the island of Ireland, that is #Descriptions, variously described as ...

.About the ACU (official website)
Retrieved 14 September 2015

History

The ACU was founded in 1903 with the name of the Auto-Cycle Club, as a branch of the Automobile Club of Great Britain (later to become the

Royal Automobile Club The Royal Automobile Club is a British private social and athletic club. It has two clubhouses: one in London at 89 Pall Mall, and the other in the countryside at Woodcote Park, near Epsom in Surrey. Both provide accommodation and a range ...

). Its aim was to develop motor sport through clubs and arrange touring facilities for members. The ACU acquired its current name in 1907,Second page of history at acu.org.uk
Retrieved 26 May 2016 the same year that the ACGB became the RAC. ''From page one of the Auto-Cycle Union Official Pocket Handbook, 1964'':"''A long look at the ACU''". ''Motorcycle Sport'', UK monthly magazine, September 1964, pp.340-342, 355-356. Accessed 16 September 2015

Auto Cycle Union: Founded in 1903 as a Branch of the Royal Automobile Club to protect the interests of Motorcyclists and to encourage the Sport and Pastime of Motorcycling, and since 1924 has existed solely for the purpose of encouraging and controlling the Sport.

In 1904 it was a founding member of the

Fédération Internationale de Motocyclisme The Fédération Internationale de Motocyclisme (FIM; en, International Motorcycling Federation) is the global governing/sanctioning body of motorcycle racing. It represents 116 national motorcycle federations that are divided into six regiona ...

. The ACU is currently (2020) administered from offices in

Rugby, Warwickshire Rugby is a market town in eastern Warwickshire, England, close to the River Avon. In the 2021 census its population was 78,125, making it the second-largest town in Warwickshire. It is the main settlement within the larger Borough of Rugby w ...

, UK. As at January 2021, some hundreds of ACU-affiliated motorcycling clubs are listed by the ACU in 21 regions within mainland

(England, Scotland and Wales), plus 49 x 'Non-Territorial' Clubs, 6 'Recognised Associations', and 35 'Recognised Promoters'.

Motorcycle sports

In its capacity as governing body for motorcycle sports, the ACU covers: grasstrack (

track racing Track racing is a form of motorcycle racing where teams or individuals race opponents around an unpaved oval track. There are differing variants, with each variant racing on a different surface type. The most common variant is Speedway which ha ...

), enduro,

motocross Motocross is a form of off-road motorcycle racing held on enclosed off-road circuits. The sport evolved from motorcycle trials competitions held in the United Kingdom. History Motocross first evolved in Britain from motorcycle trials competiti ...

road racing Road racing is a form of motorsport racing held on a paved road surface. The races can be held either on a closed circuit or on a street circuit utilizing temporarily closed public roads. Originally, road races were held almost entirely on publ ...

(Including

Supermoto Supermoto is a form of motorcycle racing held on race tracks that alternate between three kinds of track surfaces: the hard packed dirt of flat track, the irregular jumps and obstacles of motocross, and the paved tarmac of road racing. Superm ...

, Motorcycle drag racing, Motorcycle sprint racing,

Hillclimbing Hillclimbing, also known as hill climbing, speed hillclimbing, or speed hill climbing, is a branch of motorsport in which drivers compete against the clock to complete an uphill course. It is one of the oldest forms of motorsport, since the firs ...

, Pocket Bike and Scooter), speedway and

trials In law, a trial is a coming together of parties to a dispute, to present information (in the form of evidence) in a tribunal, a formal setting with the authority to adjudicate claims or disputes. One form of tribunal is a court. The tribun ...

Tourist Trophy (TT) Races

The ACC was involved in the running of the TT races from their inception. The

1911 Isle of Man TT The 1911 Isle of Man Tourist Trophy races took place for the first time over the ''Isle of Man TT Mountain Course''. The whole organisation of the races was given over to the Auto-Cycle Union (ACU), which announced the use of the longer mountai ...

was the first of the TT races to be organised fully by the ACU.

Safety

For many years (circa 1947-1982), with the RAC, the ACU ran a motorcycling training scheme for motorcyclist road users, which was the precursor to the modern Compulsory Basic Training courses. For motorcycle racing, the ACU stipulates that a race competitor training course and a basic rider assessment must be passed before a Road Race Competition Licence is issued. The ACU also governs the safety standards for personal protection equipment worn during racing. Only motorcycle helmets which meet ACU standards and display the appropriate ACU sticker can be worn in 'speed' competitions.ACU Handbook 2015/Road Racing2.pdf- see Section 14.2 p.298, at acu.org.uk
/ref> The majority of quality helmets sold in the UK now feature an ACU Gold sticker and many riders choose these for everyday use in preference to those that meet the more basic BS6658:1985 legal requirement.

Footnotes

External links

*
Catalogue of the ACU archives
held at the

Modern Records Centre, University of Warwick The Modern Records Centre (MRC) is the specialist archive service of the University of Warwick in Coventry, England, located adjacent to the Central Campus Library. It was established in October 1973 and holds the world's largest archive collecti ...

{{Authority control Motorcycle safety organizations Motorcyclists organizations Organisations based in Warwickshire Rugby, Warwickshire Sport in Warwickshire Sports governing bodies in the United Kingdom 1903 establishments in the United Kingdom National members of the FIM Motorsport organisations in the United Kingdom