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PRESiDENT’S REPoRT
Tony Gray President’s Report
Jane and I have just returned from an 11 day tour around South East Australia. You can read about our travels in this journal. The 2022 year has presented plenty of problems for our community with the seeming never ending rain and flooding. We are a pretty resilient lot however and the number of our club members who are currently traveling or just returned from trips is very impressive. The spirit of adventure is alive and well in the BMWMCQ. The Covid pandemic may have fallen off the front pages but it is still of concern when traveling. We noted far more sensitivity to the virus in Victoria than we see here in SEQ and Mark Mustchin sadly contracted the virus during his organised ‘dirty’ ride from Sydney to Melbourne. The other aspect of club life that is alive and well is the maintenance and restoration of BMW Motorcycles. This is part of the Club’s DNA and it is great to see and hear of the work being undertaken in the sheds around the State to keep our bikes running and presented so impressively. The next club service day is on 18 June so a great opportunity to come along and see & chat with like-minded souls. After my most recent experience with another punctured tyre I will be bringing along an old tyre and set of tools & repair plugs for anyone wanting to practice in the safety of the shed and under guidance. It is preferable to have some experience before having to put your repair kit to work for the first time on the side of the road. In that regard I have spoken previously about the ‘Spirit of the Road’ among motorcyclists. The wave to passing riders on the open road helps to support this code. Sadly this was not on display during our recent tyre problem outside of Corryong in Victoria. With the bike on the road verge and gear being removed there were 2 motorcycles that passed – one a BMW GS1200 in both directions, the other a fully loaded KTM on tour. Neither slowed or sought reassurance that we were OK. We were OK and didn’t require assistance but these riders didn’t know that. You may not have any technical knowledge or be carrying tools but you may be able to help a fellow rider via your mobile phone or going to the next town for assistance. Please remember this when out on a ride. It has been mentioned previously that BMW will be celebrating its centenary as a motorcycle manufacturer in 2023. It will be a huge year for the marque. Your committee has started to think about ways that we may celebrate this milestone during 2023. We will need plenty of hands and minds to organise different events so I am putting out a call to all members to have a think about how you might be able to contribute. It’s never too early to start planning so if you have an idea you would like to share then don’t be shy, let us know. Also that bike restoration project that has been gathering dust in the shed now has an incentive to get going – we will definitely have a major concourse event so we will be looking for a wide range of definitive models from the past 100 years – if you have an R32 sitting in the shed then we would love to hear from you. On a sad note Jon, the elder brother of our popular Events Co-ordinator Mark Mustchin, has passed away. I am sure you will all join me in offering Mark and the Mustchin family our condolences at this sad time.
