WING NOTES
Newsletter of the
October
2002
Australian Wing Riders Association (Qld) Inc.
P O Box 652, Ipswich
Queensland 4305
Management Committee
President
Bevan Bradford (07) 3822 3512
E-mail:
Bevan.L.Bradford@mainroads.qld.gov.au
Vice President
Larry Fisher
(07) 5499 0348
E-mail:
doumay@bigpond.com
Secretary/Treasurer
Brent Storey
(07) 3812 0523
E-mail:
awraqld@myaccess.com.au
Meetings held 1st Monday
of every month:
Next Meeting
4th November
2002
at
Coorparoo RSL Club
45 Holdsworth Street, Coorparoo
7:30pm
Wing Notes
October
2002
OFFICIAL NEWSLETTER OF THE AUSTRALIAN WING RIDERS ASSOCIATION (QLD) INC.
EDITOR:.............Clint
Lovell
Phone/Fax:
(07) 3398 3437
E-Mail:
clint@lovell.com.au
WING NOTES
is produced with the object of keeping members
informed about matters of interest to AWRA
members.
A copy of each issue is posted to every financial member of the AWRA.
Copies are also distributed to selected motorcycle dealers in the greater Brisbane area.
Submissions for inclusion in WING NOTES
should be with the Editor no later than the Friday following the monthly meeting, ie: 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.
What’s Inside
| Ø | The Editor’s View & Secretary’s Desk |
| Ø | President’s Report |
| Ø | Ride Report (Thommo's Trek) |
| Ø | Test your Knowledge |
| Ø | Ride Report (A Dirty Weekend) |
| Ø | Member Profile (Turbo) |
| Ø | Not The Shame File |
| Ø | Ride Calendar |
| Ø | Pictures |
| Ø | Meeting Minutes (Sorry, Members Only) |
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Clicking on any of the Logowings will return you to this menu |
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The
Editor’s ViewHi All
Any peace and quiet this club has previously had on rides is about to be shattered. The Lovells now have a CB. We finally located one at a reasonable(?) price and after a few tribulations, it is installed. Will someone please tell me what idiot at Hondaline decided the four CB control wires would be the same colours as four wires already in the left handlebar harness and used for indicators and lights. Weird!
Back to the job at hand, trip report this month from Val and Ray, and a short but scary run Charleen and I did recently. Turbo tells us his story and there’s even a photo. Brace yourselves.
Thanks to those who contributed. I’m always looking for more.
Contributions can be emailed to clint@lovell.com.au or posted to 47 Breslin St, Carina, Qld 4152. Photos and slides can be scanned and returned.
Clint
From the Secretary’s
Desk
Other commitments have unfortunately prevented me from attending the last couple of rides and, regretfully, I’m going to miss this month’s weekend ride to Texas as well. School holidays sees me heading in the other direction, on a weeks holiday to Townsville to see the other half of my extended family.
Missed the last meeting due to the ‘flu. Just my luck, last days of winter and I get the dreaded lurgy!!! Thankfully it only lasted a couple of days.
On the club scene side of things, a relatively quiet month. New members in our ranks this month, which is always good to see. As I have said before, whilst we have a core of cadre members, new blood is always welcome.
Brent
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From the President
I’m in trouble again. It’s Sunday night and I was should have had something to the Editor by Friday night. It’s the hassle of trying to think of something of interest or thought provokingly original to write about. The idea being that out there in member land, someone might actually read what I have written and be provoked into responding with their opinion..
I’d been out on a ride all day and arrived home to Therese telling me that Clint had rung for my article. “No worries,” she tells him, “Bevan will e-mail it when he gets home”. Where was I? Well, it was supposed to be a couple of us out riding the route for my December ride but after a call to Lionel on Saturday about a maintenance issue, the scope of the trip changed completely. How about a day of historic motorcycle racing at Morgan Park near Warwick? Sounds good, a chance to revisit my old stomping grounds.
Funny how progress changes things. When I was a lad, Morgan Park was a small dirt circuit mainly for saloon cars. The only thing between the spectators and the cars was a four strand wire fence. I was vaguely aware that the circuit had been sealed at sometime but what changes. First up the approach road had been upgraded to double lane, in through the gates and on the left is this great fenced of area for a dirt bike track.. So what you say. Well, I helped build the first dirt track around the trees and the creek by hand, and the occasional stick of dynamite and assisted in running the first informal meetings. Next, there was this great polocrosse field that was build for some Australian championships a few years ago. Had heard of it but never seen it. Then, where there was just open country, here’s a full drag strip. Then the fondly remembered circuit. No more grassed paddock area for FJ’s, FC’s and EH’s, no corrugated tin toilets. Here is this bitumen circuit, covered concrete pit areas, brick toilets, dirt and tyre safety walls, the lot. Fantastic, nothing like I remembered, and it shows that nostalgia just ain’t what it used to be.
But I digress, the real reason we were there was for the bikes. And what bikes. Single and twin Triumphs, BSAs, a Matchless, Bultacos, Lavardas, Ducatis, Hondas Yamahas, Suzukis and Nortons and even an Ariel Square 4. Not just bikes, but sidecars that stretched the imagination, a Vincent HRD, double engined Triumphs, Honda fours, absolutely fantastic to see. Most of them as old, or older, than me. What was so great? Well I am a Honda man, four cylinders and six, but I still reckon nothing beats the sound of a twin cylinder motor cycle with open exhausts in full cry followed by the smell of 100 octane racing fuel. Sure took Lionel, Larry, Dave and I back to the old days of circuit racing. The best part? Well that was the guys riding them, most of them our age and while they were keen to compete and win, they were obviously more about enjoying and relishing in the pleasure of using these old motorcycles somewhere near their limits.
Who said nostalgia wasn’t what it used to be!
Keep the shiny side up.
Bevan
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Report on Thommo's Trek on Sunday 18th August 2002.
Phew! What a relief, clouds and showers have disappeared and we have woken up to beautiful blue skies and sunshine, our ride is on!
Traditionally, the Thomas' arrive at
the Loganholme Garage meeting spot second last, with 6 bikes waiting for us,
and as we have just fuelled up John Spick arrives, and we are all systems go
sharply at 9 a.m. We cruise along the highway until turn-off No. 49 and we
head for the hills towards Numinbah Valley soaking up the views, and I still
marvel at people who live out in the country on acreage. All that mowing, and
riding horses instead of bikes!
We arrive at Hinze Dam for our morning tea at 10.15 a.m. and to meet up with
new faces (for us) Barb & Syd on a Valkyrie, and Robyn & Paul on a black Gold
Wing. Nothing compares to that cuppa and biscuit and great company in a
picturesque venue, what a tough life? Helmets on - we take-off at 11
a.m. and we are now winding our way through more scenic roads
towards
our next destination Stokers Siding. We come out on the highway at
Murwillumbah, and heading south we almost trick a few people with our Stokers
Siding turn-off! Not saying that our indication is a little late, but we
are trying to remember this trip from almost 12 months ago. This is an
interesting find out in the hills, a small township nestled around a railway
siding, and even more importantly, a fantastic pottery shop. This is our
little diversion to extend our ride before going onto lunch, and allowed the
men to have a break.
Then it is a short ride up the highway
to the lunch stop at Tropical Fruit World. Refreshments over we depart at
1.30 p.m. and we wind our way down the hills - over and under the new bypass -
looking for our next sight-seeing stop called Timber Tops. Now - helmet
intercoms are very good for the radio, music cassettes and news, but not when
the driver and/or Navigator are trying to remember which way to go! Luckily,
or unlucky for Bill & Mary - without a C.B. - they do some very clever
cornering right behind us, and Chris is our co-navigator letting everyone know
which way we have turned!
Another pleasant break, checking out art, crafts and furniture but with no spending this time. Ray flatly refuses to put a timber Bar on the ‘Wing.
Now we start our homeward stretch back onto the highway, and we head north turning off at Tumbulgum over the Tweed River and another pleasant ride along the ridge to admire those glorious coastal views. We are making for Point Danger as our final farewell before heading for home. However, when we do pull up at Point Danger it is blowing a gale and the National Parks have closed off a large section of the area, so we huddle around at the kerbside and we bid a fond farewell to our newest riders - Barb & Syd, Robyn & Paul who both live along the Gold Coast, and the rest of us head for home.
Onto the highway we go, Ray & I peel off at Helensvale as we call into my brothers for another coffee, and wish you all a safe trip home. Another great day on the ‘Wing.
Thank you to everyone who came along for our long planned-for trek, and we will do our utmost to plan another ride before another twelve months go by!!
‘Wings forever - Ray & Valerie
