Driving Seat: Motorcycling: Ssshhh... here comes the ENV.

Byline: WILLIAM LEECE

I'M A sucker for the slightly oddball when it comes to bikes. After all, you've probably got to be some sort of oddball to ride one in the first place, but then it's the oddities that make the world go round.

Oddest bike of the year so far must surely be the world's first purpose-built hydrogen-powered motorcycle, unveiled this week.

The all-British team behind the pioneering ENV bike, which has a top speed of 50mph and a range of at least 100 miles, said it demonstrated the potential of new fuel cell technology.

On a full tank it runs continually for up to four hours on its hydrogen fuel cell, which can be detached and used to power anything from a motorboat to a small home. The bike, launched at The Design Museum in London, is virtually silent and its emissions are almost completely clean.

It has no gears, and according to its designers Seymourpowell, feels more like a quick and responsive mountain bike than a motorcycle.

Seymourpowell director Nick Talbot said: 'ENV is light, fast and fun. It has good ground clearance, great off-road suspension travel and a very carefully considered power-to-weight ratio.

'I have ridden motorbikes for years and in the process of designing the bike I have become a convert to fuel cell technology.'

Other firms have adapted existing models of cars and bikes to use hydrogen power, but creators Intelligent Energy claim their ENV (Emissions Neutral Vehicle) prototype is the world's first purpose-built fuel cell motorcycle.

It certainly looks like a real bike. So much so that the designers admitted this week that it might have to have artificial noise added to make it sound like one too. You can't win, it seems THE annual motorcycle spring meeting at Hoghton Tower in Lancashire has come forward a fortnight this year, avoiding an awkward clash with the other big classic bike event ofthe season, the International Classic Bike Show at Stafford.

Hoghton Tower is a spectacular fortified manor house a few miles to the east of Preston, with a mile-long approach drive that rises some 400 feet and is the venue for the spring runs.

As in previous years, the meeting on April 10 has been designed as a family day out, with plenty on offer for those looking for a break from the sprint sessions. There'll be singing and dancing in the Great Barn to Captain Cooper's Motley Crew, an Irish Folk Band, children's entertainment a hog roast, barbecue and bar. It was, after all, at Hoghton that King James 1, so impressed at the joint of meat served up by his hosts, promptly dubbed it 'Sir loin' - a name that has stuck, and set a benchmark for catering at the Tower ever since.

Meanwhile, the main event is open to all comers on two or three wheels, on any type or age of motorcycle.

Get it right and you could even crack the eight-second barrier - this will involve a terminal speed of 120 miles an hour - an awe-inspiring feat considering the steady uphill gradient.

Many traditional names can be seen on the day, Ariel Leaders, AJS, Matchless, Manx Norton, BSAs, Triumph and many more.

The doors open at 9.30am, with the competitive runs starting at 12.30pm and, if the weather permits, all machines have a minimum of three competitive runs.

The Tower is signposted from Junction 3 of the M65. Admission to the sprint meeting is adults pounds 7, and children under 14 years accompanied by an adult go free. Group bookings in advance (ten or more tickets) are adults pounds 6. And if you can't make the sprint, it's a worthwhile day out anyway and, obviously, pretty bike-friendly.

Details: 01254 852986.

There is, incidentally, an excellent informal guide to sprinting on the Thundersprint website www.thundersprint.com

CAPTION(S):

A helmetless Nick Talbot puts the ENV though its paces