From a press release issued by BKS Press Office: British-owned leathers manufacturer BKS has signed a deal to become the Official Clothing Supplier to the 2008 British Superbike Championship. The agreement, which covers the supply of clothing to staff in the world’s leading domestic series, will be the brand’s first move into production of non-leather items. BKS will also become a technical partner to the series in an effort to further improve rider safety in motorcycle racing. All crash damaged clothing will be assessed by BKS staff following accidents during racing and testing. Results and recommendations from the analysis will be made available. The information will also be used to further improve the quality of BKS retail products. The BSB agreement is the brand’s second sponsorship deal within a month. In January, the Northamptonshire-based Frank Thomas Group announced its acquisition of BKS and revealed MotoGP contender James Toseland as its ambassador. He is the first ever professional racer to wear BKS leathers on the grid and will be the only sponsored rider in 2008. A replica of Toseland’s Yamaha race suit will be available for sale as part of a limited edition product range in the summer in 52 UK dealerships nationwide. For further information about selected dealers and availability, please visit www.bks52.com Steven Franklin, Chief Executive of the Frank Thomas Group: “We’re really excited to be associated with the British Superbike Championship. Our ambition with BKS is to establish a British brand as a world leader in its category and prove that we can rival the Italians in the style and quality stakes. Our relationships with the top British rider and the leading domestic series help to position us perfectly. “The technical partnership is also of great interest. Although many of us would like to think that we could be the next James Toseland or Leon Haslam the reality is probably very different. If we can use information from BSB to produce clothing that achieves the highest safety standards for top level racing, we know that our consumers can have total confidence in our retail products.”