|
Wing Notes |
|
|||||||||||
|
Newsletter
of the |
|
|||||||||||
|
|
|
|
||||||||||
|
December
2008 |
|
|||||||||||
|
Ready for
the Christmas Party |
|
|
||||||||||
|
|
|
3 3 3 4 13 15 17 19 20 20 22 23 24 |
|
|||||||||
|
www.auswingriders.com |
Australian Wing Riders Association (Qld) Inc |
|
||||||||||
|
|
Wing Notes |
|
||||||||||
|
OFFICIAL MAGAZINE
OF THE AUSTRALIAN WING RIDERS ASSOCIATION QLD INCORPORATED |
||||||||||||
|
|
|
|||||||||||
|
EDITOR:.............Bevan Bradford Phone: 07 3822 3512 Mobile 0408 714 000 E-Mail: mail @ auswingriders.com Wing Notes is produced with the
object of keeping members informed about matters of interest to AWRA
members. A electronic copy of each
issue is available to every financial member of the AWRA. Copies are also distributed to selected
motorcycle dealers in the greater |
Submissions
for inclusion in Wing Notes should be with the Editor no later than the Friday
following the monthly meeting, i.e.: Friday after the 1st Monday of the
month. DISCLAIMER: Although Wing Notes will
endeavour to reproduce submissions in their original form it reserves the
right to edit submissions as it sees fit.
Views expressed in contributed articles in Wing Notes are not
necessarily those of the AWRA or the Editor.
Wing Notes is produced with care, in good faith and from
sources believed to be accurate at the time of writing. |
|||||||||||
|
|
|
|||||||||||
|
Management
Committee: |
Meetings: |
|||||||||||
|
President Bill Carter (07) 5564
8996 E-mail: carterbm @
bigpond.net.au |
Secretary Val Thomas (07)
3848 0498 E-mail: secretary @ auswingriders.com |
Meetings are held
on the 1st Monday
of every month |
||||||||||
|
Vice President Rob (Bear) Harriss
0409 052 218 E-mail: RHMRS @
iinet.com.au |
Treasurer Geoff Mead (07) 5529 5034 E-mail: meady @ auswingriders.com |
Next
meeting: |
||||||||||
|
|
|
|||||||||||
|
Luxury
Trike at |
Upcoming activities: |
|||||||||||
|
|
20th December Christmas lights ride, Qld 26th January 14/15th February Turtle Ride, Qld 14/15th February Wilson Promontory,Vic |
|||||||||||
|
A fire-fighter is working on the engine outside the station when he notices a little girl next door in a little red wagon with little ladders hung off the sides and a garden hose tightly coiled in the middle. The girl is wearing a fire-fighters helmet. The wagon is being pulled by her dog and her cat. The fire-fighter walks over to take a closer look. 'That sure is a nice fire truck', the fire-fighter says with admiration. 'Thanks', the girl says. The fire-fighter takes a closer look and notices the girl has tied her wagon to the dog's collar and to the cat's testicles. 'Little Partner' the fire-fighter says, 'I don't want to tell you how to run your rig, but I think if you were to tie the rope around the cat's collar, I think you could go faster.' The little
girl replies thoughtfully, 'You're
probably right, but then I wouldn't have a siren.' |
||||||||||||
|
|
|
The President Speaks…. |
|
The Secretary’s Desk…. |
|
|
Gidday all, Well, what a month it’s been. Bumper magazine this month. Special Christmas bonus issue. So many people have been busy writing
stories for me. It looks like my
nagging has finally paid off. A special thanks to Bill for his lengthy
contribution. Should keep you reading
well into the new year. Our Victorian
members have excelled, not just finding time to visit but to also write a story
in spite of all the travel and difficulties. What a year! We have just had a great Christmas
Party once again; planning is well underway for next year’s Therese and I are off to We will catch up with you all in the new year. Ride safe over the holiday period and don’t become a
statistic. Bevan |
Hi everyone, After a couple of reports that have been on time I
have once again slipped back to my tardy self and Bevan has had to send me a
reminder. It just proves that I would much rather be riding than writing. We have just had our annual Christmas party and it
was a great success. I really like The meal at the RSL was excellent, and the fact
that we had the room to ourselves really topped it off. I thought that we
would stay around there a bit longer after the meal, and maybe take in some
of the show, but the fact that so many bolted back to the motel for drinks in
the car park indicates how we would rather spend this time. It was great to see John and Steve come up from It just goes to show that anything can happen at
any time, even to the most experienced riders, and we all need to be
constantly vigilant. I urge all members to take special care over the holiday
period. We are right in the middle of the hot months now, so make sure you
have plenty of breaks, drink lots of water, and wear appropriate protective
clothing. Night rides could be the order of the day. Finally, Mary and I hope you have a safe but
exciting Christmas, and we look forward to seeing you next year Keep it up Bill
Carter |
Hello everyone, Our
festivities begin; it is the season to be merry! Another
year has flown by, and again it has been eventful and enjoyable. At
this time Thommo and I are investigating the introduction of a new club
shirt. Keeping the club colours of
course, but updating to a comfortable and smart polo style for all members –
boys and girls. Looking
forward to catching up with a lot of you at our Christmas week-end on Christmas
presents are being wrapped now, and surprisingly Thommo is not groaning too
loudly (I think he is looking forward to putting some of them together
anyway!) Our Secret Santa gifts are
safely wrapped, but I am still debating what to take for the Christmas
Hamper, and hide before Thommo eats it. Looking
forward to our Christmas holiday this year as for the very first time we are
flying overseas, spending 10 days in Christmas
wishes to you all, and have a safe and brilliant time during these holidays
with your families and friends. Get
your thinking helmets on and fill up our ride calendar for 2009 so we can
again enjoy your company and our wings. See
you in 2009, and keep our New Year Resolutions - this time! Ho!
Ho! Ho! Valerie and Thommo |
|||
|
Bill’s
Phillip Island
Adventure 2008 Well it finally happened. I can hardly believe it.
For many years I have wanted to go to Phillip Island Moto GP. Why? I don’t
know; just so that I could tick it off my ‘bucket list’. It was there, it was
exciting, ‘everyone’ else had done it, I wanted to be among those who said,
“of course I have been to ‘The Island’, (not to Every
other year I said I was going something got in the way. My kids birthdays,
both of them were born in October and their birthdays are 2 days apart,
(& 2 years apart). They both turned 21 in that period, and what sort of a
dad would I have been painted as if I didn’t stick around for that? Anyway, I
couldn’t afford to go to I
started the meticulous planning for this trip so long ago, you would think
that by the time I placed my Rs on the bike everything would have been
thought out and planned to the ‘nth degree. Yeah right. Right up until I got
to Mary couldn’t get the time off work, so I decided to
go on my own. I did invite anyone in the club that wanted to accompany me,
but in the end I didn’t have the time to sort through all of the applicants
and decided to do it solo. At least that way I had a 50/50 chance of winning
any arguments that arose. I don’t mind riding on my own; you can pick the
route, you can start when you want, stop when you want, eat when you want and
stay where you want. You always meet people at the rest stops and it forces
you to talk to interesting people that you may not do when you are in a
group. I decided to ‘rough it’ in the trackside camp
grounds rather than try to find accommodation away from the track. I can see
benefits for both methods, but I just wanted to experience all I could at the
track on this trip. Everyone had told me that what you miss in comfort, you
make up for in the atmosphere and experiences. Well I am here to tell you
that there was very little comfort and plenty of experiences but I will
elaborate on that later. So much for the planned accommodation, by the time I
got over the procrastinations and made the |
||||
|
booking there was no space in the Trackside camp
grounds, and only one grandstand left. I grabbed the grandstand seat in I knew I needed to prepare the bike, so I made sure
it was serviced with new plugs, filters, tyres, oil, and everything else was
checked. I also bought a new I also have an IPod that the kids gave me a couple
of years ago, and after several attempts to put some songs on it, I got my
son Robert to do it for me. It turns out that my Windows version is not
suitable for IPod – fantastic. |
|
|||
|
Of course that meant that I would need another
cigarette lighter jack to run it as well. I already had a cigarette lighter
jack in the top box for phone charging, but now I have two in the front
pocket for the IPod and the With Mary staying at home I knew I would have plenty
of room on the bike, so I didn’t need to take the trailer. Not that Mary
takes up much space, but just having an extra pannier, and the back seat to
load up filled me with confidence that I would be able to take everything I
needed. First mistake! The rule of space is this: “You will occupy every
square inch of space available with things that are impossible to leave
behind”. |
||||
|
I
decided to take my pup tent to camp in. I have used it before when camping on
my own, and even though I can’t stand up in it, I figured it was only for a
couple of days. I took a folding soft ‘esky’ to keep my milk cold when I got
down there, and so that I could make a cuppa in the morning, I took one of
those cheap stoves that take a disposable gas cylinder. They are great, if a
little big for the bike but I couldn’t justify the price of those little
hiker stoves. I took a ground sheet to go under the tent, and another small
tarp so that I could rig up an awning over the front of the tent. As
for clothing, I didn’t know what to expect, so I had to pack for the worst
conditions. As it was I didn’t pack anything warm to sleep in, and had to buy
a fleecy coat down there. As I was going to be away for |
|
|||
|
10 days, I originally thought that I would do a wash
or two to avoid taking too many clothes. In the end I packed enough undies
for each day of the trip, (I knew you were curious about that), and took
enough clothes to get through if I wore them until they fell off or broke. By
the trip home, I was causing an environmental disaster wherever I stopped,
and one café owner wanted me to pay for it to be deodorised and
decontaminated after I left. The end result was that I had both panniers full,
the top box full, a top box bag bursting at the seams, a tent/sleeping
bag/air bed/tarp etc roll on the back seat, and every little pocket, nook and
cranny, including my jacket pockets full to the limit. Unloaded, it would not
have fitted into a one tonne ute. I was still packing at So with all of that preparation done, I didn’t get
to bed early like I had planned, and after a fitful sleep got up to go early
the next morning. I travel a lot out west, and to avoid the hippity hops I
don’t like to be on the road at dawn or dusk. I wasn’t too worried on the
first day as I was planning to go up the Logan Motorway and The ride to The coffee smelt good so I went to Maccas to wait.
At the appropriate time I went back to ‘Hardly Normals’ only to be told that
they don’t stock IPod accessories. Great! I motored into town to find a Dick
Smiths and bought what I needed and received a surprise at the till to find
that it was on special and was cheaper than the ticketed price. Being a
techno whiz, it didn’t take me long to get it operating and with my IPod
singing over |
||||
|
the radio and the sun shining I was happily on my way
again. I had lost some time in Just out of After a great day’s riding I cruised into
Coonabarabran at about I pulled into Dubbo at The next morning with my belly full of cereal, eggs,
toast, juice and coffee I headed south again. I was pretty ‘chuffed’ that I
had covered about 900ks the day before, and thought that I would get close to
After a fantastic day in the saddle, I was cruising
along on the freeway towards The traffic on the freeway south of Once off the freeway, I thought that I would just
pull into the first decent pub or motel I saw. I was getting tired, and stressed
from the traffic, and starting to feel a little hungry. It was after You would think there would be motels everywhere,
but none that I could see. The only pub I saw had nowhere to lock up my bike
so I pressed on towards The Island. Finally, on the outskirts of Cranbourne I
saw a motel on a service road just below me, like and oasis in the desert. I
had to go a little further to turn on to the dirt service road, and lo and
behold there was an RSL only a couple of hundred metres from the motel. I
said |
||||
|
“thank you Lord” – a bed for the night, a few beers,
and a feed and I am in heaven. The motel owner gave me the last room he had
and when I told him how much trouble I had finding one, he said that I was
lucky as his was the last motel before A full bladder and an empty tummy woke me in my
outer Cranbourne motel the next morning. I decided I needed a good coffee and
a fat injection so after leaving the motel I headed back to central
Cranbourne looking for a big M. I was immediately impressed by the number of
bikes on the road, and when I got to the big M the car park was full of
bikes. I had seen small pockets of
bikes right from the start of my trip, but this was bike central and it
certainly increased my excitement level. Evie, (my bike), was popular and remained so
everywhere I went. When you go to a Ulysses function you are surprised by the
number of Wings, but during this trip there weren’t that many by comparison. The road down to The Island is very good. Much of it
is double lanes and you have to overcome the urge travel above the speed
limit. After all, the Mexican cops are notorious for booking people for only
a couple of ks over the limit. It is a great view down I found the booth where I had to pick up my tickets
and after an interesting discussion with a very nice young lady that could
barely speak English, I was able to pick up the necessary documentation and
head for the Highside Campground. It is about three to four hundred metres
across a paddock from the track, but about a kilometre by road track. The
camp ground is just a cow paddock that they mow and place some demountable
ablution blocks in, so it is fairly rudimentary. Being relatively early in the weekend, there were
plenty of places to set up camp, so after riding around I selected a place
that I thought would give me some protection from the |
||||
|
The couple next to me had driven down in a Hi Ace
van that they were sleeping in, and had an awning off the side for shelter.
They were nice people and let me use their awning a couple of times when the
rain came. After getting set up, I went for a walk over to the
track to get the lay of the land and to find my grandstand. My seat in the
grandstand turned out to be fantastic. I could see the riders coming out of
Turn1, and all the way to Turn 4. I had a loud speaker not far from me so that
I could hear the commentary and a big screen TV directly opposite so that I
could see what was happening on the other side of the track. I don’t know why it was less popular that the other |
|
|||
|
side
of the track, but after walking around the track on Saturday and checking out
all of the positions, I thought mine was as good as any. It started out to be
a beautiful day so I was surprised when it started to rain. I didn’t have an
umbrella with me so when it started to spit I decided to make my way back to camp.
What the hell, it was sure to be just a passing shower – wrong! The
track and the camp grounds are on a hill of beautiful red soil – that turns
into ugly red mud that you could stick a space shuttle together with when it
rains. It sticks to your shoes and it won’t come off. The rain settled in and
I was grateful for getting set up in the dry. I wasn’t worried about the
rain, we had travelled around I
had no where to get out of it except my neighbour’s awning or my little tent.
People kept arriving, (they were |
||||
|
still
coming in on Saturday night), and the camp grounds were filling up. I could
not believe how rude people were as they set their camps up virtually in
other people’s camp sites. Some drunks in a big rented mobile home pulled in
behind me and they parked with their wheels amongst my tent ropes. We had an
interesting discussion where I explained that we would be swapping sleeping
arrangements and their motor home would not have a door if they knocked my
tent down. If that wasn’t rude enough, another mob showed up and pitched a
group of tents in among my neighbour’s camp so that they couldn’t get the
rear door of their van open. |
|
|||
|
With
the rain still pouring, the toilets & showers were a river of red mud.
The showers blocks had not been sited very well and because they sloped away
from the floor drains, the water didn’t run off the floor. This mixed with
the red mud and caused an ankle deep quagmire in the shower blocks. I kept
thinking how much Mary would have loved to have been with me now that she has
rediscovered her love of camping. During
the weekend the cleanliness of the ablutions did not improve, in fact there
were toilets overflowing, and was an absolute blight on the weekend. The
toilets and showers were not maintained to any level of hygiene, and
eventually |
|
|||
|
I had had enough. I marched up to site
management office and politely but firmly explained that their standard of
hygiene was less than a pig sty, and I thought they could probably do better.
I understand that there are difficulties in establishing a camp ground in a
paddock, and I also understand that the rain didn’t help, but that is no
excuse. They do this every year, (twice counting the Superbikes), and rain on
The Island is not uncommon so they should be better at it when people’s
health is at stake. I went back to my tent and crawled in
at about If Friday was miserable, Saturday and
Sunday were perfect. I got up Saturday morning with the sun shining and the
memories of yesterday’s battles fading, slowly. I decided to go for a ride
into I have to say that I love |
||||
|
The stores all stocked Moto GP gear,
and some had actually turned over their outside signage and entire floor
space to just selling a particular riders apparel and souvenirs. There was a
Casey Stoner Shop, a Valentino Rossi shop, a Chris Vermeullen shop and
others. I had a great time walking the streets, checking out the gear, and
enjoying all that the event has to offer. I was also able to pick up a
‘coolite’ fruit box for an esky as my soft one had leaked through my tent. I
was able to pick a nice warm fleecy polo top on special for $15.00 that made
my nights on the road a lot warmer too. After returning to the camp, I made my
way over to the track where I spent the day wandering the circuit, enjoying
my grandstand seat, and just soaking up the awe of the best precision race
riders in the world doing their work. The sun was shining, it was hot, and I
got burned to a frazzle, (don’t tell Mary). I met with Winston and Jan and it
was great to see familiar friendly faces. They told me that Lindsay was there
but unfortunately we were unable to catch up all weekend. I walked around the Trackside Camp
Grounds and was amazed at how elaborate some of the camps were. They
obviously get there early as some had erected their own grandstands – yes
grand stands, on the fence line, and one even had a pool table. |
||||
|
While walking back to camp after the day’s practice
sessions were finished, I heard someone call my name. It turned out to be my
old mate, Cameron, who is guilty of getting me back into bikes when I really
was not interested. He had come down with a group of mates in a bus and they
were playing up like second hand lawn mowers. It was great to catch up and
rehash old times, and it just demonstrates what a small world it is. They
were too wild for me so I decided to go for a ride around the island and
finish up in |
|
|||
|
They had the main street blocked off
and there were bikes everywhere. I rode around the barrier, did a U turn and
as I was getting off Evie, a motor cycle cop came up to me. I thought I was
in trouble, but he just wanted to talk Goldwings as he is going to buy one
when he retires next year. He was a nice bloke so I gave him our card and
invited him to call us when he gets his bike. There was entertainment and bands down
at the water front but I found a very nice Italian restaurant and enjoyed a
fabulous meal before returning to camp. The camp sites looked like a Bedouin
gathering with fires everywhere. Some of them had huge custom built fire
places and some just had a pile of burning wood. All night there were engines
revving, fire crackers and sky rockets going off, and hot air balloons made
from |
||||
|
garbage bags that went up hundreds of
metres glowing like full moons and drifted for miles. I thought one group of
idiots was going to burn the camp down as they clearly didn’t know how to
make the hot air balloons, and one landed in amongst the tents - three times.
What a great day. Sunday morning I rang the motel in Cranbourne
and booked a room for the night. I was desperate for a good hot shower, a
clean toilet, and a warm bed. That done I packed up my camp, all except a
filthy red mud stained tarp that I donated to the cleaners. I decided to move
my bike closer to the exit so that I would be ready for a |
|
|||
|
The day’s
racing in all classes was spectacular, exciting, and everything that you
would expect a world class event to be. I can’t imagine why they would be
considering omitting the 250s as that was the closest race of the day. To say
that Valentino Rossi is a rare talent is a gross understatement. He rode his
way from 12th position to overtake Nicky Haden for second with only a couple
of laps to go. Casey was magnificent and well deserved his win, as no one was
going to catch and pass him on that day. As soon as the victory lap was completed, I bolted
for my bike. It was very congested, but not too difficult getting out of the
track and I was grateful to join the horde out on the road off The Island.
They convert a two lane road to three lanes by using part of the |
|
|||
|
oncoming lane and the verge, and that
is marked with a blue line. Of course the bikes convert the extra two lanes
into four, and you have to keep your wits about you as some want to duck and
weave. The ride from The motel was a welcome sight, and
after long shower, a feed at the RSL and a good night sleep, I was ready for
the trip home. Before pointing the headlights north, I wanted to visit with
Chris Jeffrey to thank him for the support that Reg Jeffrey Honda gives our
club, and to pass on our condolences for the passing of his dad. He was
delighted to see me and he said that he was very pleased to continue his
support. He was especially complimentary of the efforts of John Gilbert as he
works to promote the Goldwing marque in I decided to go home via It was pretty cold and as the day went
on I started to think about where I would stay the night. The highway passes
Orbost but when I saw the turnoff sign at about |
||||
|
The next day was very cold and after
setting off at about |
|
|||
|
I stopped the bike to take some
photos, have a snow fight with myself, (I lost and didn’t talk with myself
for ages after that), and roll around in it. Actually the rolling around was
accidental. I set the camera up on the timer, and when I raced across the
road to get in the photo I tripped and fell. Bugger. Ever seen the pictures
of people that take timed photos? Supercilious “I was always here” grins on
their faces? Well mine had the added dimension of suppressed pain, as I was
considering myself very lucky not to have broken my arm. I never even
considered encountering snow when planning this trip and it really was a
highlight. I cruised into |
|
|||
|
around and generally taking in the
sights before having lunch in a huge city shopping complex. While there, I
decided to head back to western Three bikes went past me at a
reasonable pace, so I decided to use them as “ice breakers” and tucked in
behind. Not close enough to be grouped with them, but close enough that if
they encountered any uniforms or cameras I would be warned. That worked well
and we made very good time. Along the way, I was getting hungry and saw a big
M at Goulburn. When I pulled in at the Big Merino near Macca’s to get fuel, I
saw a big bakery that was calling me and couldn’t resist. Well worth the
stop. The signs on the freeway kept
referring to I had it in mind to get home the next
day, but I had a couple of places I wanted to visit first. I had wanted to
ride Out came the map over lunch and I
planned a route from Armidale over to Grafton and back up the This road varies from sweeping bends,
tight corners, and switchback twisties as you travel up and down the range a
couple of times. It is a sensational bike road with no gravel and fantastic
scenery from farm land to rain forest. A Commodore came up behind me so fast
that I didn’t see him until he blasted past me at warp speed. Within seconds
I had lost sight of him even on the long straights. I thought he was in a
hurry, but I caught up to him just outside of Grafton travelling like he was
in a funeral procession. While travelling through the farm
lands, a guy on a sports bike passed me in similar fashion and I thought that
would be the last I saw of him. To my surprise I caught him as we started to
climb the range, and whether by choice or ability, he didn’t pull away from
me. He out accelerated me on the straights but I caught him in the corners
which is unusual. I thought he would out accelerate me on the straights and
blow me away in the |
||||
|
corners. By spotting the corners on my
After refuelling both me and the bike
in Grafton, the rest of the trip up the No matter how good the time away is,
there is no place like home with the familiar surroundings and the people
that you love. I was grateful to arrive home safely with wonderful stories to
tell. This has been a long story for the mag, but Bevan is always chasing
stories so I hope this helps. If you are still awake I hope you not only
enjoyed my story, but are inspired to get on your bike and do some touring
too so that you can write your own. Keep it up. Bill Carter |
||||
|
A Tale of Two
GoldWings This is a true story. Once upon a time, there was a Yellow
Goldwing parked in its usual spot in the garage, all rugged up, cosy and
warm. One day Ruby the Goldwing, which
had some surgery done, came over to stay and convalesce, since daddy couldn't
pick her up for a few days. So, she stayed for a couple of days and nights. Mummy was a bit concerned that My Wing
and Yelo 1 had to sleep in the garage together but we assured her that they
would be alright. We did hear some metal
tinkering on a few occasions, but thought nothing of it as we have wing
chimes under the back |
|
|
|
patio next to the garage. When Daddy came to pick up Ruby, we
were all aghast. The two had nested and produced! Yes, two small red eggs and
a larger yellow egg, they hadn't hatched yet, and according to the size it
will take some time. We all stood in wonderment at such a marvel. Marg and John Brak (Silly
old farts will do anything for a laugh) |
|
|
The
trip of
a lifetime. This is going
to be sooo good! This trip is so sneaky almost like a kid doing something
secret and looking forward to the big surprise at the end! It all started off
very well. Full of excitement and anticipation just like when you were a kid
(I suppose we still are at heart). It all started on |
|||||
|
Silly me what a thought! And I said, well, why not?
And he said what? Are you fair dinkum? And I said, well, why not, let’s do
it. What’s stopping us? So on it went. We stewed over it for a few days, and
then the perfect plan was hatched! But something’s don’t go to plan. So on Dec 11th, with great excitement, as I hardly
slept at all, We travel along, very pleasantly I might add. The
weather was cool to mild, overcast, no rain, and no wind – just perfect. The
boys were all chatting and having a good time. At about 1.00 pm we were about 30 klms South of Forbes
and John B said on the CB “Is this a rough road?” and John G said “Yes it is
rough” I could feel a bit of a sway, John B said “ It doesn’t feel right”
John G came along side and said “ The back tyre was going flat.” So up the road to a safer spot, our lives
changed forever. After much fiddling around with plugs and “Here, try
this”. “Do you want me to have a try” and “Shit, I need |
||||||
|
my glasses”. “Where does this go?. “Have you done
this before?” As an outsider and the only female in the man’s world – it
would have been quite hilarious if it weren’t for the seriousness of the
situation. Anyway, a successful temporary fix was made to get to Forbes. Our
plan was to get to Dubbo where the Honda people could get a tyre or if the
fix was OK – to Bris for a new tyre. Many options were thrown around, then
there was the dilemma of accommodation and where will we get to? The tyre
pressure was maintained and topped up in Forbes and it was a unanimous
decision to go on to Dubbo! Up the highway about 15 K’s, John B kept saying,
“I’m not happy with the tyre, it doesn’t feel right, |
|
|||||
|
there’s
a wobble, but it disappeared at 100 K’s. So we kept going, just as we were
about to pass a semi trailer, we heard a loud “Bang” the bike did a BIG
wobble – fish tailed a bit and John B did a fabulous job at front braking and
bring the bike to a stop – upright – on the gravel siding. He’s my hero –
sigh!!! There was a two foot tear in the side wall of the tyre. Then the real
fun started. Trying to get a new tyre in Forbes at So
in the end Steve and John G kept going north. We waited for the bike pick up
and headed back to Forbes where we booked a motel. The tyre well – it had to
be freighted from It
had begun raining overnight and continued for all the way home. Every now and
again I could feel a wobble, but easily controlled by my hero. We rode all day and finally got to the northern
aspect of Melb just on dusk about |
|
||||
|
|
We got to about 15 K’s from home. There was road
works on the freeway. We had just passed a tray truck and we were in the left
lane where the lanes had been altered and the previous white diagonal white
lines that accompany an “Off Ramp” lane had been obscured with black paint.
Not a good combination with wet water from the sky! The rear tyre (the new
expensive one) lost it on these areas and we lost it well and truly. The rear
end (my end) threw me off when the back did some wild wobbles. It’s funny how
quick things happen in slow mo. I can remember rolling and rolling and hopping that I wouldn’t get run over
by any cars. The truck that we just passed stopped and protected me as I had
rolled into his lane. The bike ended up way over in the right lane;
inconveniently |
|
|||
|
bringing
all traffic on the Monash Freeway to a halt. John was somewhere – he got up
rather quickly and saw me doing my rolling act. Pity he didn’t capture some
action shots – now this is Marg flying thru the air, and another of her
landing, this is the bike sliding across the road. Oh yes, this is me landing on Marg, opted for the soft landing
approach. People seemed to be every where talking on their mobile phones –
what would we have done without these wonderful inventions! The raining was
still P…ing down, we were in our wet-weathers, but every one else was getting
wet!! All I wanted to do was get up. I just needed some help – my helmet was
so heavy. The Ambo’s were coming; I just had to lie there – in the |
|
|
|||
|
rain,
in the dark, on the freeway, on a rainy Friday night. I just wanted to rest –
NOT. John was Ok – pumped full of adrenalin. The ambos’ and police came. Lots
of questions. Breath test, off to the Hospital for a check; make sure the
parts still worked OK. All is good.
Brave John is hurting, but doesn’t let on. It’s
not until much later that you realize the gravity of it all. Marg Brak |
|
||||
|
FarRide for a Photo – Clint does
a solo 1600km in a day. As some of you already know, I enjoy riding the
‘Wing. Lots. As well as AWRA, I belong to another group
called FarRiders. To belong to this
group you must attend a FarRide, which consists of riding a minimum 1000km to
be at a certain place and time. FarRiders are loosely affiliated with the American
Iron Butt Association which has as its minimum distance to belong set at 1000
miles in a day. Easy for them, they have
much better roads. No problem to do
that distance on four-lane superslabs that do go for 1000 miles. The Australian equivalent is named the Saddlesore
1600 and it is quite an achievement on our roads. We also play a game called FarTag, where one member
photographs his bike in front of a prominent landmark. Other players then vie to be the first to
post on the website, a photo of their own bike in the same position. They then have the privilege of selecting
the next FarTag location. The whole of
The game started with a photo of the main gates of
Amberley airbase. “Great,” I thought,
“slip out there, get a shot then maybe go down to somewhere like Wallangarra
on the border for another shot. Easy.” We planned to go that weekend, but late Friday night
there suddenly appeared a photo of someone else’s bike at Amberley,
accompanied by the same bike at a landmark near Coonabarabran. Dammit! But I wasn’t to be put off so I set out on Monday
morning, after a final check of the site.
Not taken yet. Hope no one
does. I also have a Leaving home at The South of Moree I ran in to my first rain of the day,
but I had on a semi-proof jacket and was on a GoldWing, so as long as I kept
going I stayed pretty dry. Through Narrabri and I only had the mind-numbingly
boring Pilliga stretch between me and my target. The target, or Tag, was a big billboard
depicting the planet Saturn. It is one
of several billboards set along the highways heading away from the Siding
Springs observatory. They are set to
scale and thus Saturn is about 45 kilometres from the observatory and
therefore about 5km outside Coonabarabran. So turning off the Newell onto the Oxley, one can
easily see the big billboard with the big planet with its rings. Pull up – take a photo with the bike in
front. But wait – something is
wrong. Looking at the photo in my
viewfinder, it was somehow different from the one on the website. Sure – it was a billboard of Saturn, but
the background was wrong. I was sure
the website photo had lots of trees surrounding it, but behind this sign was
nothing but ploughed field. Had I gone
completely wrong and ridden all this way for nothing? Then I remembered – this display of planets on
billboards actually spreads out in all directions from the |
|
||
|
observatory,
so people travelling from any direction can get the idea of the massive
distances between our solar system’s planets.
It this one was 5km outside the town, maybe there was another one 5km
the other side of town. Needed to
check as I had a vague memory of seeing something out that way on my many
drives through the area. So with the
fuel gauge reading very nearly |
Wrong Photo |
||
|
empty I headed through the town and sure enough,
about 8km to the south, there it was.
Another Saturn billboard with surrounding trees, just like the photo
on the website. I parked the bike and took a couple of shots. Job done.
No it wasn’t. I still had to
get this photo on the website before anyone else as well as supply another
photo of my bike in front of another landmark. In to town and I found their only internet
café, but sadly it wasn’t capable of taking the photo from my camera. I could keep looking or just head off and
hope to make it home before anyone else beat me to it. |
|||
|
I
refuelled and headed back up the highway, but turned off at Moree with a plan
in mind. Let’s not make it easy for
the next player. I headed northwest
towards St George. Crossing the border
into the Sunshine state, I ran in to rain and this was to stay with me for
the rest of the trip. Don the wets,
stow the iPod in the fairing pocket out of the weather and just RIDE. |
Right Photo |
||
|
Just before St George is the Nindigully Pub. A goodly landmark. Take the photo and get a refreshing coke at
the bar. I did have to explain my
journey to a few inquisitive folk in the pub.
Most thought I was nuts, but a couple gave a knowing smile and
nod. Good to see someone understands. Back on the road and I headed east back towards
Goondiwindi. The weather closed in and
I was now riding in driving rain. It
looked very black towards the north so I decided to return via I finally arrived home at |
|||
|
pretty
much guessed what my new photo was going to be. It was now up to someone else to ride out
to Nindigully to take away my FarTag.
But it was still pretty wet out there. So
my day was successful. I had travelled
1670 kilometres in 18 hours 30 minutes at an overall average of 90kph. Good enough to be a SS1600. And |
New Photo |
|
|
|
was my “saddle” sore? You betcha. To complete the story, my Tag was claimed less than
a week later when a girl rode up from Clint |
|
||
|
Victorian Overnight Ride
15-16 Nov SATURDAY The November overnight ride for the Victorian group
was to Yarram in Gippsland Victoria, the day started close to home with the
start point just up the road from our place so this meant for a slow start
for the morning, with only a few of us to meet at the start point as some
others had gone to see Andre Rieu and Steve had a birthday party the night
before and was a little slow at that time of the morning. With every one
ready to go we headed out over some roads we had not travelled as a group
before. The road is a very dangerous road with a lot of bike deaths throughout
|
|
|
the year we took our time and headed up into the
mountains towards Warrendyte and then on up a road that had bend after bend
with sheer drops on the left until we made it to King Lake we then turned and
headed to the morning tea stop of Healsville, with our stomachs full and all
coffeed out we headed across to the highway which meant we had to cross the
back of the Dandenongs through Gembrook and again this meant more twisties one after the
other and across one part of the road which I would say would have to be the
smoothest road in Australia and more bends as the wings waltzed there way
down the hills to the highway and finally some straight road to our stop at |
|
|
Yarragon. At Yarragon we met up with John and Marg
fresh after their sleep in and still fired up from Andre Rieu concert.
(Wiggles for adults) The next short run was the main highway to the turn
off to the Tarra Bulga National park which saw us strike some wind as it
swept across the plains, once in the NP we were sheltered from the wind and
found ourselves inside a tropical rain forest with a very narrow road leading
us further into the forest to a beautiful spot amongst in the NP called
Balook where we stopped for an ice cream. After the ice-cream we made our way
down the mountain to Yarram for the night. With
the bikes packed away for the night the usual |
|
|
gathering of the clan before dinner where the ride
of the day was discussed and tall stories exchanged. The motel we stayed at
could not have been better for us as they supplied dinner for us with two
courses and a home cooked roast you could not ask for anything better. After dinner we all retired except for a couple that
still had some more stories to tell. SUNDAY Today we arose to an overcast day with the threat of
rain, with every one ready to go after breakfast we got the hell out of
Yarram as the clouds started to open and rain started to come down, the ride
continued around the coast and the continued desire to get to |
|
|
higher ground where the clouds where blue and it
looked warmer. As the miles went under our wheels we finally topped some
hills and the sun came out and finally it stopped raining and the warmth of
the sun came through it. We headed back across the highway up into the
mountains and some more bends to Walhalla the old mining town that only got
electricity in the last 15 years with
lunch and a good break taken we then headed for home, along the highway again
to complete a full circle for the ride. A special thanks to the Association for the funds
for the dinner and your support for our overnight ride. |
|
|
NOTICE Don’t forget, membership fees will be
due at the end of February. Notices
will be sent to those members who have email addresses listed. All members are required to complete a
renewal notice so membership information is up to date. The renewal form will be in next month’s
magazine or on the website. |
|
|
Pot
Luck at
Ormeau. We are off to a wings social in the X Trail, and
must admit we do feel a little guilty.
But it is a necessary evil, apart from the storm weather forecast, we
have an esky dominated by alcohol and someone (Thommo) determined to consume
most of it tonight! Surprisingly we are the first to arrive at Meady’s
and it is an excellent venue to party.
We settle in easily with Phil and Vicki, and Bevan arriving soon after
us, and last but not least Bill and Mary making up a very small group. Apart from the obligatory stories being
spun, we had a fabulous Juke Box to add to our entertainment. We discovered lots of interesting music, plenty of
memories and certainly added to the fun of the night. Too much food of course, even though Thommo
resorted to having jelly snakes in his bread roll – yuk! However, we had a visit from a local possum
who seemed fascinated with our smorgasbord – only to run off with some of the
bread roll and a little apple. Luckily the stories stay where they start at these
events, and for all those who couldn’t be there – tough, we talked about you
anyway, and you missed another great night with your friends. It is such a great way to spend a Saturday
night/morning – yes we made it to the wee small hour of the morning. Except Bill and Mary who left with the
story that they had to be home for their dog (Hmm). Of course we made our We luxuriated in the sleep in, and we were all slow
to respond Sunday morning. We had to
hustle Meady into action, and with his usual zeal he started the breakfast
cook-up for us. It was huge and I am
truly amazed that we were able to enjoy another meal after all the food (and
alcohol) consumed the night before?
But we did, and we will have to seriously diet next week – again. It was originally planned to do a rekky ride up the
north coast, but due to the local storms we volunteered to call into the
Harriss’ and assist with either cleaning up or helping to fix the broken
fence. The storms had caused havoc in
Rosewood and surrounding farms, and Bear and Jayne had suffered both at their
work place and home. So, after hopefully
leaving Meady’s place reasonably tidy we said our good-bye to another enjoyable
wings social. Thank you Geoff for a
brilliant week-end, your hospitality is both generous and very much
appreciated. We drove out to the Harriss’ with the very serious
intentions of doing real work for them. Huh!
We arrive to find Jayne doing some efficient gardening, and Bear owns
up that he and the neighbour had repaired the broken fence earlier. They just want to relax, they are exhausted
– so what do we do? Bevan arrives on
his trusty blue steed, our daughter Tory arrives and we make ourselves at
home for – dare I say it – more food, LUNCH!! So we have completed our social week-end – now we
really must go home and try and motivate ourselves to do some of our own
chores – do we? I am not telling! Until next time Cheers from Valerie & Thommo. |
|
NOTICE At the December meeting, it was
decided that we would change meeting venues.
Future meetings will be at the Breakfast Creek Wharf Seafood
Restaurant, To find the venue, use UBD Map 140, Reference
F19. There is street parking in front
or the car park is accessible off A benefit of the venue change is the
ability to have a meal, which we haven’t been able to do at New Farm
recently. We will also benefit by
having a separate room in which we can eat and hold the meeting. Many thanks to the New Farm Bowls Club
for the use of their premises for our past meetings. |
|
Victorian
Ride to
visit Santa in QLD In the early hours of a Thursday morning three Goldwings snuck
out of Melbourne with the purpose of heading as far north and using every
hour of daylight saving we could to be as close to Bribie Island for the
clubs Xmas party. This ride was covered in secrecy as the planning for it
only happened on short notice. The cool early morning ride out of The trip was proceeding as planned with all
necessary human functions happening on fuel stops, made for a very quick trip
and it was planned to be well into NSW or QLD by night fall, however this all
came to an end just north of The next morning saw us up early and on the road
forging our way across through With a few quick hellos and a trip to the local
watering hole to gather some refreshments the pool was starting to look good
and this is where the afternoon ended, in the pool. The Xmas celebrations continued over the Saturday
with great company and catching up with the rest of the QLD crew. The
Saturday saw us take a quick trip to the Eumundi markets and some great
orange juice was needed as the day was getting hotter and hotter. The dinner on Saturday night at the Bribie island
RSL was a very good night again of catching up with those members that came
on the Saturday afternoon and saw us back at the motel in the traditional
circle telling tall stories and having a good time with great like minded
people. During this day a phone call from John B told me about his mishap on
the Monash Freeway which put a bit a dampener on the trip as the last thing
you want is good mates to go down, luckily he and Marg are OK and will be
back on YELO 1 soon. Sunday morning saw us head out at 0500am and head up
over the mountain to Toowoomba, the air was fresh and excellent morning for
riding the intention today was to get as far south as possible during the
trip Steve and I discussed taking Thunderbolts way as we did not wish to go
via the Newell Hwy again as West Wylong seems to get us every time. With
decisions made we made our way down Thunderbolts way with some beautiful
views up and over the mountains we side stepped The next morning was a bit later start with us
getting on the road at 06.30 and heading straight down the hwy to home with
us reaching John G |
|
AWRA Christmas Party 2008 Christmas comes but once a year and so does our
Christmas party. Sure, we’re off to
the RSL at It’s Therese’s last work day and that means a
luncheon so she can’t be home before |
|
|
Arriving at the motel, we were greeted by every one,
either around or in the pool. Bags
unloaded, grabbed a cold one and joined in.
We are surprised to see John Gilbert
and Steve O’Neil are here as well as Frans and Jeanie. Good to see them all. John relates the tale of John Brak but has
not heard whether the tyre arrived or whether John and Marg will be still
coming or going back home. Friday night and most of us took a walk along the
shoreline and found a fish and chip shop then back to the foreshore to eat in
the cool breeze coming across the passage and watching the mainland
lights. Then it’s back to the motel
for a chair circle in the car park, a few more drinks, a port or two and we
hear that John and Marg headed back home and are currently in casualty being
checked over after the accident.
Eventually everyone retires to bed to continue tomorrow. |
|
|
Breakfast is where you find it. Some head back up to where we were last
night, some eat at the motel and some just head out for a ride to the Eumundi
markets. After breakfast, Therese and I decide that a run to
the markets might be a good thing so we head off to catch up to the
others. Another hot day and a hot ride
into the wind. First time at Eumundi
markets and they are big. We do some
Christmas shopping and have to allow for how we will fit it in to get it
home. After lunch we head back to the motel and spend the
afternoon in the pool and do the best I can to get rid of the stubbies I bought
with me. No room to take them
home. The swim cools everyone down and
by evening everyone is getting into party mode. |
|
|
We wait while three buses arrive to pick us up and
head for the RSL. Having a room to
ourselves, a set menu and table service for the meals and drinks makes for a
much better night than previous years.
Unfortunately the evening breaks up a bit early as the first group
head out to catch a bus. Our table exits last however the first group is
still waiting so a quick decision is made by some to walk back to the
motel. I don’t know how far it is,
between two and three klms I guess, but if Thommo could do it last year, we
can do it again this year. It was a
pleasant walk along the shoreline with a bit of a breeze. A bit of a worry when it started to spit
but it didn’t rain, just cooled us down. Back to the motel and at first it was a circle under
the awning but there wasn’t a lot of room.
The attempt at a shower stops and it was back into the large circle in
the car park. The world’s biggest
lolly bag starts doing the rounds accompanied by a bag of Eumundi Kettle
Popcorn. If you haven’t tried this
popcorn you don’t know what you are missing.
Best popcorn I’ve eaten. Once everyone arrives and are settled, apart
from someone who settled into bed instead, Val produced the Secret Santa
sacks and the fun began. Soon there
were gifts being unwrapped, presents compared and tested for the
entertainment of those still very young at heart. |
|
|
That was everyone present of course. Following the entertainment was the social part of
the evening with the story telling, drink sampling, port tasting and the
farewells to our NSW and Vic cousins as they were intending to hit the road
while everyone else was still in bed. Early Sunday morning, John and Steve hit the road at
Sorry to those who missed the weekend, but as usual
it was a good time with friends and what more can you ask for. See you there next year Bevan |
|
AUSTRALIAN WING RIDERS ASSOCIATION (QLD) INCORPORATED
|
|||||
|
Date |
Start Point |
Destination |
Ride /
Social Event |
Ride
Leaders |
|
|
20 December Ride |
Shell Nudgee Time TBA |
|
Clint and
Charlene’s infamous Xmas Lights Ride. Tour the suburbs
viewing the best displays of Xmas lights |
Clint and Charlene |
|
|
18 January Ride |
TBA |
TBA |
Ring Phil NOW to
get in for this much sought after ride. |
TBA |
|
|
26 January Social |
TBA |
Bevan and Therese’ Address on website |
Don’t miss this
celebration of |
Bevan and Therese |
|
|
13, 14, Extra Ride |
BP Nth – Caboolture |
Bundaberg Turtle Sands Caravan
Park, Mon Repos Beach |
Mon Repos Turtle Rookery. Learn about and see the turtles laying eggs
and the hatchlings heading for the ocean. |
Bevan and Therese |
|
|
RIDE COORDINATOR: Phil Merlo – Tel: (07) 5533 7260; RIDE DATES: Unless
otherwise arranged, rides will be on the 3rd Sunday of the month SOCIAL DATES: Social rides are the
following weekend, with other social events as announced through the year. RIDE
LEADERS: Please check the details of your ride and let
me know of any changes. Ride leaders are also asked to organise 2
raffle prizes for their ride. Suggested value approximately $10.00 each.
Raffle tickets will be made available from Val Thomas. IMPORTANT: Even if you have not finalised the details of your
ride, just supply the start time & location, the general direction of the
ride, and the meal arrangements. Please
provide a short pre-ride briefing that outlines the basic safety precautions
that we in the AWRA like to observe when riding in groups, and a little about
the ride and the rest stop locations. |
|||||
|
PERSONAL
RESPONSIBILITY ON RIDES: · Each
motorcyclist is responsible for at least the following; · The
roadworthiness of your vehicle (including trailer) · That
you are in a fit condition to control the vehicle, (including trailer) · Make
sure you have a full tank of fuel before departing on a ride. · That
you ride in a considerate manner that does not endanger, or unnecessarily
inconvenience other road users. · To
be correctly attired for safe motorcycling. · To have fun and enjoy the day, and the company. · Ride at your own skill level
and respect the road rules. Monthly and social rides are for the enjoyment of
members and guests. They are not race
or competition events. Thanks for all those
that have offered to organise rides and socials; that is what makes this club
so great. If you are yet to conduct a
ride or organise a social, please start to plan something so that when your
turn arrives you will be ready. You don’t have to wait to be asked, just let
me know. |
|||||
|
|
|
||||
AUSTRALIAN WING RIDERS ASSOCIATION (QLD) INCORPORATED
VICTORIAN
RIDE CALENDAR |
||||
|
Date |
Start Point |
Destination |
Ride /
Social Event |
Ride
Leaders |
|
18 January Ride |
|
|
Follow Ken ride |
Ken |
|
14/15 February Overnight Ride |
Start point: Reg Jeffrey Honda |
Toora |
Overnight ride to Wilson Promontory Day 1 will be from Melb to the Prom with
an overnight stay at Toora and then Day 2 will be a rtn to Accommodation would be cabins at Toora
caravan park , dinner BBQ or at local hotel http://www.tooratouristpark.com.au |
JohnG |
|
15 March
Ride |
Start point: Reg Jeffrey Honda |
Ferntree Gully |
Kalkallo to Ferntree Gully via Yea Euroa Marysville http://www.motowhere.com/maps/route/KalKallo-to-Ferntree-Gully-the-scenic-route |
Craig |
|
19 April Ride |
|
|
AWRA AGM. Qld ride |
JohnG |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
RIDE COORDINATOR: John Gilbert – Tel: (03) 9803 0243; RIDE DATES: Unless otherwise arranged, rides will be
on the 3rd Sunday of the month SOCIAL DATES: Social events as announced
through the year. RIDE LEADERS: Please check the details
of your ride and let me know of any changes. IMPORTANT: Even if you have not finalised the details of your
ride, just supply the start location, the general direction of the ride, and
the meal arrangements. Please
provide a short pre-ride briefing that outlines the basic safety precautions
that we in the AWRA like to observe when riding in groups, and a little about
the ride and the rest stop locations. |
||||
|
PERSONAL RESPONSIBILITY ON RIDES: ·
Each motorcyclist is responsible for at least
the following; ·
The roadworthiness of your vehicle (including
trailer) ·
That you are in a fit condition to control the
vehicle, (including trailer) ·
Make sure you have a full tank of fuel before
departing on a ride. ·
That you ride in a considerate manner that
does not endanger, or unnecessarily inconvenience other road users. ·
To be correctly attired for safe motorcycling. · To have fun and enjoy the day, and the company. ·
Ride at your own skill level and respect the
road rules. Monthly and social rides are for the enjoyment of members and
guests. They are not race or
competition events. Thanks for all those that have offered to organise rides and socials;
that is what makes this club so great.
If you are yet to conduct a ride or organise a social, please start to
plan something so that when your turn arrives you will be ready. You don’t
have to wait to be asked, just let me know. |
||||