www.bmwmcq.org.au
April 2017
OFFICIAL JOURNAL OF THE BMW MOTORCYCLE CLUB OF QUEENSLAND INC.
Established 1958
The Ultimate Riding Machine
NEW MODEL FESTIVAL!
SATURDAY APRIL 8 Some of the most exciting models to be released in 2017 have
come from within the walls of the BMW Motorrad factory in Berlin. To celebrate, we’re holding a New Model Festival on Saturday April 8th. We will have the whole 2017 model line up in store, plus offering test rides on our demo fleet. Lunch will be provided and it will be a day of fun, and everything BMW Motorrad. RSVP ON FACEBOOK TODAY. TEAMMOTO BMW GOLD COAST 48 Lawrence Drive, Gold Coast, QLD 4211 07 5554 2367 teammotobmwgoldcoast.com.au facebook.com/teammotomotorcycles
OFFICIAL JOURNAL OF THE BMW MOTORCYCLE CLUB OF QUEENSLAND INC.
The Committee President - Paul Hughes
Ph: 0409 814 633 president@bmwmcq.org.au R 1200 RT (90th Anniversary) + R 1200 GS (Wethead)
Vice President - Richard Maher Ph: 0415 111 454 vpres@bmwmcq.org.au R 1150 R
Secretary - Greg Gaffney Ph: 0411 424 219 secretary@bmwmcq.org.au R 1200 RT & R 90 S
Treasurer - Tony Gray Ph: 0409 493 605 treasurer@bmwmcq.org.au R 1200 GS (The Grey Ghost)
This Issue - APRIL 2017 Contents:Presidents Report 2017/2018 . . . . 4 Committee Reports . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 Club Venue & GM. . . . . . . . . . . . . 7 BMWMC PRETORIA South Africa. . . 10 A Poem by Jane Gray re the AGM. . . 11 Monthly Ride Report . . . . . . . . . . . 12 AGM Minutes 02 March 2017. . . . . 14 GM Minutes 02 March 2017. . . . . . 15 Sue Ferguson A Members Opinion. . 16 Service Day 12 March 2017 . . . . . . 17 Merv Bone Mates and Motorbikes. . 19 Tony Gray VJMC Tamworth . . . . . . . 21
Bill Allen ...A Hot Date. . . . . . . . . . 22 Proxy Form for GM 06 April 2017 . . 24 Profile ...Kelly Wicks. . . . . . . . . . . 25 Camping Weekend Peach Trees . . . . 27 BMWMCQ Supports . . . . . . . . . . . . 28 Camping Weekend continues. . . . . 29 BMWMCQ Events Calendar 2017. . . 30 Cupla Adverts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32 The Woolshed Classic. . . . . . . . . . 33 Editorial. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35
Editor - Dave Hepburn Ph: 0422 080 524 editor@bmwmcq.org.au R 1200 RT
Records Officer - Craig Brennan Ph: 0422 907 934 regalia@bmwmcq.org.au R 100 RT
Regalia - KELLY WICKS Ph: regalia@bmwmcq.org.au F 650 GS
Tools/Spares - Geoff Hodge
Ph: 0413 180 101 tools@bmwmcq.org.au F 800 GT + R 51/3
Tools/Spares - Bill Luyten
Ph: 0438 123 747 tools@bmwmcq.org.au R1150 Rockstar - R1200 GS LC
Advertisers Cafe2U - P.9 Good Wool Store - P.32 HydroTac(R) Lenses - P.28 Motorcycle Adventure Products P.28 Motorline Motorrad-Inside Front Cover
Munich Motorcycles - P.32 Shannons Insurance - P.34 Northside Motorcycles - P.34 Morgan and Wacker- Rear Cover
O
n The Cover...
I really like this photo which was put forward by Cindy: Taken by Hugo Penasco Compass Expeditions..I just love the varied composition and colours... Anyway its a great photo and its got bikes in it....Ed.
Events - David Whale Ph: 0407123483 events@bmwmcq.org.au R1200RT
Sub Committee • Dealer Liaison / Advertising - Don Grimes Ph: 0411 601 372 • Forum Moderator - Garry Hilton
Club Details BMW Motorcycle Club of Queensland Inc.
ABN 30 351 243 651
Address all correspondence to: The Secretary PO Box 3669 South Brisbane QLD 4101 Monthly meetings are held on the first Thursday of the month at the:
Moreton Bay Sports Club, 175 Boundary St., Tingalpa
A Club Ride is usually held on the first Sunday after the monthly meeting. BMWMCQ AIMS The objectives of the BMWMCQ are to increase the enjoyment of motorcycling by: 1. Improving the opinion of the public towards motorcycling in general and associated members particularly, by careful, courteous, considerate riding, especially when riding with the Club, and rendering assistance to all road users in difficulty.
2. Improving the service and availability of spare parts for BMWs in Queensland using the advantage of a united effort. 3. Decreasing maintenance and running costs by mutual assistance on mechanical problems. 4. Organising day trips, tours and outings. 5. Encourage and support Regional Ride Groups 6. Affiliation with other clubs/associations where such affiliation would be of mutual benefit. DISCLAIMER The views and opinions expressed in this Journal are those of each contributor and are not necessarily shared by the Editor, management, and / or membership of the BMWMCQ. The Editor reserves the right to refuse any advertising or delete any material which could be considered or interpreted as questionable, libellous or offensive, without consultation. WEB SITE Visit: www.bmwmcq.org.au
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APRIL 2017
Paul Hughes
I
Presidents Report 2017/2018 President’s Report
t has taken me a while to gather all my thoughts for this monthly report. There are several important issues being considered now as well as the usual club business on a monthly basis. I think I would like to start with the goal of the last committee and also the members of the new committee. A club that remains static, staid, singular or lives solely on history is doomed to an undignified end. Plenty of examples of that in this city alone. The club is a place where people of similar minds (BMW and other Motorcycles owners) can join in activities of all kinds to enjoy themselves. Rides, weekends away, social functions (coffee mornings, lunches etc.) and events (Christmas Party and anniversary celebrations such like). We need to have something for everyone. The members who enjoy rallies and long rides, camping out or staying in old (older the better) pubs need to be catered for and I believe the club does a good job of that. Thank you to Ron Durkin and the like for the BMW Classic site and the close companionship shown on that site. The club also has a rapidly growing group of new BMW Riders, with new models, new ideas, new needs and different tastes. This group is the more visual group. Both groups are important and both groups must understand and support the other group’s needs. BMW as a motorcycle marque has been in existence for 90+years and this club for 60 of those years. During this long reign a great variety of bike styles have been produced including single, twin, triple, four and six cylinders configurations either air or liquid cooled. There are devotees in our cub who will ague the advantages of their chosen one over a bottle of red or around a campfire until the small hours. Motorcycle ownership breeds great passion and we won’t always agree – who is right in an argument about the simple benefits of an Air Head compare to the technical wizardry but complexity of a K1600? As a club we try to cater for this great diversity and strive to offer a wide range of events throughout the year. This diversity is very likely to extend further as BMW release a range of models targeting the LAMS market. What as a club can we offer an 18yo first year rider? Surely these will be the enthusiasts of the future who we will look to continue the great traditions of the BMMWMCQ. You don’t have to do everything. Just pick want you want, but the Committee must provide as much activity as it can for everyone. Something every weekend, gives people who are time poor the opportunity to be involved. The club is growing, not as fast maybe as some others such as HOGS or Ulysses, but they have much bigger support groups than we do. The last 12 to 14 months has been about putting together programs that will attract new members and provide continuing activities to current members to keep them active. We are now at the next stage, which is to attract a larger membership whilst we continue to develop our programs and provide support to activities to ensure their success. Finances are a part of that equation. Without adequate finances, the club will not grow and will also leave itself at risk. Last year, we made the decision to future proof the club by eliminating the major cost item...Printing the journal. Less than 63 % of members requested a printed copy and quite a few of those also accessed the electronic copy. The electronic copy greatly improves the standard of the publication, colour (for Advertisers as well), better reproduction of photos and the future possibility of videos of interest. All in all, it is hard to not endorse the move based on that alone let alone the savings. The committee considered the continuing finances of the club; a number of unknowns where possible; less advertising support (except in minor cases not due to electronic distribution but more the economic situation in business), older membership base dropping out due to moving out of motorcycling, inflation costs, whether free access to meeting facilities would continue and whether membership would embrace the activity base. The committee therefore considered it prudent to wait a full 12 months before recommending any shift in membership fees. It is easy to drop fees (everyone loves a discount) but history tells us how hard it is to put them up when it is needed. The club utilises a reserve system for unknowns. This isn’t a new thing it has been there for many years. When considering how much that reserve should be, we considered what they might be needed for. Cash flow if the club finds itself in an operating loss situation (required to avoid insolvency); insurance excess if a claim is made under our three types of insurance as well as solicitor’s preparation fees etc.) Essential equipment failure (i.e. records or editor’s computer failures) planned expansion etc. The fund is $4000 less than what it was 1 year ago.
Presidents Report 2017/2018 Paul Hughes
APRIL 2017
5
President’s Report
The committee believed it essential to replace that in reserve and to hold approx. $20,000 reserve at any one time. This takes in most of the above-mentioned possibilities. We planned on that in this club year 2017/2018. My personal view is that this is essential to ensure the clubs continuation if something untoward or unforeseen occurs. The committee has a fiduciary responsibility to ensure the club is protected in these circumstances. So now we have the turning point. A group, sees quite rightly, that the committee has future proofed the major cost base of the club, and wants to redistribute that saving to members, as a fee reduction. The committee wants to use the funds in the short term to build back up the reserves and progress the goals of the club; i.e. growth of membership and more activities. So, which is it? That is a decision the club members will make on April 6th at the Special General Meeting. What is it going to be? Redistribution of savings? Or Reinvestment into the club? A simple choice for all to make. To assist both sides a simple financial model has been prepared to show how the committee generally feels the funds should be reinvested. It is at the end of this report. Please note the committee’s recommendation is that fees be maintained at present levels in the club year 2017/2018. The committee will then make a recommendation to members of any adjustment, either way, in plenty of time to be decided by the members at the next Annual General Meeting. I do realise there is more to this than just the ten dollars a year. I don’t believe that is a major deal or the real issue. This is more about the direction the club takes. I don’t need to spell that out to anyone, you can all see it clearly. I am now in my fourth year on the Committee. The Club, now more than any other time in recent history needs to decide what its future will be. That takes a lot of unity and goodwill on all sides. It also takes a leader, whose style and goals are accepted by more than just a majority. I have been told, quite firmly I am too “corporatised”. That may or may not be true, depends on what you think is required of The President. BUT it points out to me that I am not the right person to be leading the club at this time. I don’t believe I will be able to unify the membership and that will cause friction and further dissent. I therefore have decided I will resign from the Presidency and the Committee. The Constitution states the Vice President will temporarily take my place and the Committee will decide on new arrangements on the committee subject to the provisions of the Constitution. The decision is made no matter what the outcome of the vote at the SGM. I am sure it will all go well. I will offer any assistance I can to the committee and members on all occasions if asked. So, see you on the road (and at some of our great activities)
Paul
Projection of Use of Funds Audited accounts year ending Funds saved from Electronic Journal
Loss of $ 5058 ($1007 without depreciation) $10900
Committee proposed reinvestment for year 2017/2018 Repay Loan from term deposit $4000 repay 3 year loan Contribute to Club 60th Year Celebrations $2500 allow 2 functions subsidy Contribution for National Rally $1000 Safety program Subsidy (30 members at $30 head) $ 900 Member Recognition program $ 500 Events subsidy (minor items throughout year) $ 500 Additional Annual prizes at cost $1000 New Specialist tools required $ 500 Total $10900 Surplus on saved funds over projected usage $ NIL
Paul Hughes president@bmwmcq.org.au
Editorial can be found on Page 35
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APRIL 2017
Richard Maher
Committee Reports Vice President’s Report
D
ear Readers. I have been bestowed with the highest honour by the BMWMCQ. I have been awarded “Life Member” Status. I knew something was afoot in the ranks as people were casting furtive glances at me during club functions and ceasing their conversations whenever I appeared in their presence. I’m used to this happening but it seemed to be happening with increased regularity. I blame the K1600GTL. People have been looking at me differently since it’s been in the garage. For years I have had dirty motorcycles held together with bugs, baling twine and chewing gum. To suddenly appear on a shiny expensive motorcycle elevates one to the uppity classes of motorcycling. I’m not ready for that yet, so I was pleasantly surprised when Pres. Paul dragged me aside at a committee meeting and explained the situation. My first thought was that they had made a mistake and some-one was having a laugh. My second thought was of Steven Bradbury the Olympic skater who kept a cool head when his competition fell over in sight of the finish line, he kept it together and finished the race with an incredulous look on his face. Paul told me to stop dreaming as no one else was in the running, and I wasn’t knocking anyone over to get the chocolates… there were no chocolates either! I was truly speechless when told of this achievement, and humbled by the thought of joining Hugh Yorsten, Tony Malone, Noel Sopeer and Greg Dunne as “Lifers”. Thank You. I’m just happy being involved with a motorcycle brand that I love and the Club activities that go with it. Sure, sometimes it gets a bit fractious but we work it all out in the end and move on. If you put a group of 100 or so people together on a regular basis from a club of 300 members, you are always going to get 100 or so differing views. This is where we find ourselves right now. The Committee made the decision to change the Monthly Journal from a paper copy to an electronic copy. This was offered to the membership at the August 2016 General Meeting and voted for at that same meeting by the members in attendance. In hindsight we could have done this differently and communicated it a whole lot better to the membership. For this I apologise. I was being selfish here and pushing for the electronic journal. Andy McLeod and I were doing the Banging and Stuffing every month and honestly I was glad to see the end of the paper journal, my monthly wine consumption has returned to a normal level. Don’t get me started again about the Australia Post part of the Banging and Stuffing equation or my wine drinking my well go back to pre-December levels. No more “Banging and Stuffing” will also please the members who found the term offensive and sexist (no, I’m not kidding, this was a real issue) so the aforementioned term will never be uttered by me again, and we can please some of the membership with the elimination of this phrase. As you may be aware a motion has been put forward to reduce the membership fees in light of the reduced cost of producing an electronic journal. Pres. Paul is preparing two budget options based on the current membership fee and a reduced membership for the membership to consider prior to the April 6th General Meeting. This motion will be discussed and voted on at the April General Meeting. I would encourage the members who feel passionately about this issue to attend this meeting and join in the discussion. See you all on the 6th April. Thank you again, Richard Maher. “Lifer”
Richard please refrain from using the term “Lifer around an old “Screw”.........Ed. Richard Maher vpres@bmwmcq.org.au
Committee Reports Tony Gray
I
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APRIL 2017
Treasurer’s Report
Who has his Hand on the Money?
put my hand up at the AGM and defeated a vast field of 0 to win the Treasurers chair for 2017. I am stepping into the very big shoes of outgoing steward Bill Carson who has done a terrific job getting the club’s finances organised. Hopefully my year will just be a case of ‘steady as she goes’. For those who do not know me and Jane here is a short pin picture. I have been a keen motorcyclist since gaining my bike license in 1971 at age 17. Jane joined me on the back 3 years later but had a long hiatus off the bike while raising our 5 children. During the last 10 years we have enjoyed many long bike trips including several overseas trips. We are not ‘rusted on BMWophiles’ having bought our first BeeM in late 2009 – ‘Bumblebee’ was a ‘05 K1200S. ‘Bumblebee’ gave way to ‘The Gray Ghost’ a ‘07 R1200GS in readiness for our first BIG overseas trip in 2010. She has been a good and trusted servant having now covered close on 140,000K of trouble free service. We have a multinational garage with The Gray Ghost sharing ‘the shed’ with 2 Japanese and an Italian stable-mate (there is also my old Trials bike occupying a dark corner). My experience in club structures has mainly been with Athletics; being a life member of an Athletics Club and having served on the Board of Queensland Athletics. Other positions have been in motorcycle and sporting clubs and various School and Church groups. I look forward to serving the members of the BMWMCQ to the best of my ability.
Tony Gray treasurer@bmwmcq.org.au
Submissions for the next journal (MAY‘17 Edition) close on the 15th APRIL 2017 - just soes y’all know....... BMWMCQ - General Meeting First Thursday of each month at Moreton Bay Sports Club
T
he MBSC is located at 175 Boundary St., Tingalpa. Boundary Street has a set of traffic lights at its intersection with Wynnum Road to allow an easy entry and exit.
MBSC is a short distance from the Gateway Motorway, North or South. The MBSC is at the very end of Boundary Street so keep going until you see the sports fields and the parking areas. Web address for the Moreton Bay Sports Club is - www.mbsportsclub.com.au
I look forward to seeing you there for our next General Meeting on Thursday 6th April 2017
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APRIL 2017
David Whale
T
Committee Reports Events Officer’s Report
here is an old adage that is invariably close to the truth; namely; “You can’t please all of the people all of the time but you can please a lot of the people a lot of the time” Having taken the reigns of Event Coordinator for some 3 months now, this definitely has been the case. In the past few months I have endeavoured to try and create events for all tastes. Some like it some don’t. It’s a bit like Curry! The beauty of it is, is if you don’t like Curry then don’t eat it. Our Saturday coffee mornings seem to attract around 12-15 people and therefore I see no reason to change this. I can’t remember anything in the constitution that says “Thou Shalt Attend”! Personally, I love this event. The Monthly lunch ride at the end of the month was designed to give another dimension to a Sunday ride with no full-on commitment to times of departure, route etc.; just a fun time with fellow members to catch up for a bite and a chat. The attendance at the Bribie Island Surf club was more than anticipated; many thanks to all those that attended. The March club ride was, by all accounts, a great day out with some 20 (don’t quote me) bikes in attendance. More “Back to the Bush” rides are planned in the coming months with Kingaroy in May and with any luck I’d like to organise one in July (Watch this space). Part 2 of Ian’s Ginger Beer Rum ride takes place in September and from the reports was a wonderful few days away and of course the Killarney Bonfire night. These are on Facebook already. I had to smile at the AGM when I was told that we’re becoming a ‘café racer club’. I did a bit of research on the subject. Back in the late 50’s cafés, Rock ‘n’ Roll and motor bikes were the norm. As a boy, I used to see the ‘Rockers’ on their bikes heading to the ‘Ace’ café near where I used to live in London. In those days the choice of coffee was “Black or white”. With the rider perched on his bike, sunglasses glistening in the sun, hair slicked back with Brill cream (No Helmets) and the engine revving with decibels that would frighten vampires, they were ready for the off. One of the gang would put a sixpence in the juke box. When the record started to play, the rider would set of at a devastating pace (such as the likes of the Triumphs, Norton’s of the day or a BSA could) on a given course and had to get back before the song ended. Ah, those were the days. Somehow, I can’t see us adopting that or see any resemblance to our events, but the romance of café racing can still be upheld in a more sedate fashion over a Cappuccino, pot of tea, Ice coffee and a bacon roll. Ride well, stay safe Dave
David Whale events@bmwmcq.org.au
Committee Reports Bill Luyten & Geoff Hodge
SERVICE DAY
T
he Club Service Day (and social Gathering) held on 12 March 2017 was enjoyed by all. The GS-911 diagnostic tool had a bit of a work out along with the new Tyre Pressure sensor tester troubleshooting Chuck’s GS. Thanks again to Howard Wilson for the use of his facilities at Mt Crosby. The proceed sformt he sausage sizzle (expertly cooked by Howard) will go to the RFDS (Flying Doctor)
Spare Sales at Cost Price
The committee has decided to not continue selling spares so when existing spares are gone they won’t be replaced. Tools however, will continue to be available. Contact: Tools Officers: Bill Luyten 0438123747 (wluyten@bigpond.net.au) or Geoff Hodge 0413180101 (ggilps2@optusnet.com.au) Club Tool Loan: $100deposit for GS911. Tools and spares can be picked up or brought along to the next meeting or club ride. The club now has a TPMS wake up tool which can wake up the bike’s tyre pressure sensors and report on the ID number, pressure, temperature and battery condition. The tool can also test Key Fobs that have remote functions such as alarm. Below is a list of the Club’s special tools and repair manuals. If what you need is not listed please check the web site ofr a complete listing.
Tools Hire / Spares / Sales Special Tools
Twinmax electronic carburettor balancer (Twin BMW engines) Vacuumate (electronic synchronisation of throttle valves up to 4 cylinders) Clutch alignment shafts (3 sizes) Compression gauge (cylinder pressure) Steering head bearing puller and seating tool Gearbox output flange puller GS-911 Wi-Fi Diagnostic tool (Wi-Fi and USB Version)
APRIL 2017
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Tool’s Report Repair Manuals K75/100 (Haynes) K100
R1100 Haynes R45, R65, R65L R45, R65 R50/5, 60/5_6, R75/5_6, R90/6 R60/7, R75/7, R80/7, R100/7, R100S/RS R60/6, 75/6, 90/6, 90S R80GS R50/5, 60/5_6, R75/5_6, R90/6, R90S (Haynes) R45, R50, R60, R65, R75, R80, R90, R100 (Haynes) K1200RS/GT/LT, ‘98-’10 (Clymer) K1200LT DVD R Series Oil Head DVD
Spares (Cost Price Sale) Filters - Air
K Series K1200 (LX628) x2 $16.00ea
Filters - Fuel
K & R Series in line (KL145) x4 $20.00ea
Brake Pads
520HF - R60, R75, R80, R100 x1 $27.00 ea G391ST - K1/100RS/1100LT, RS/1200RS, LT R80R, C/850/100/1100/1150 x6 $43.00 ea
Spark Plugs
XR5DC (K/R1100) Bosch Super x2 $10.00ea
Tools/O Rings
Oil filter removing tool - (OCS 1) K/R4V x5 $13.00ea
Bill Luyten and Geoff Hodge spares@bmwmcq.org.au
Want to serve award winning coffee at your next event ? Book a Cafe2U mobile cafe today by calling Kieran Doyle. #1093
Cafe2U Australia Redlands 0409 815 984
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APRIL 2017
Kelly Wicks
Committee Reports Regalia Officer’s Report
H
i, I’m Kelly and I am the Regalia Officer for 2017 (I hope everyone loves the colour PINK, if not you soon will). I ride a F650GS and have only been riding since June 2016. After the fantastic job that Julia did last year it will be very hard to fill her shoes but I am looking forward to the challenge. I have a few ideas for regalia this year but am always open to new ones. If you have any regalia needs (or need any advise on making your bikes prettier – for those of you who haven’t seen my bike it has plenty of pink accessories and pin stripping) please send me an email to the club regalia email address and I will get back to you as soon as I can or come and see me at the club meeting or any of the club events. Thanks. Kelly Wicks regalia@bmwmcq.org.au
Correspondence from BMW Pretoria South Africa From: Norbert Gehrmann <gehrmannnorbert@gmail.com> Subject: BMWMCQ Magazine Date: 10 March 2017 at 3:51:00 pm AEST To: president@bmwmcq.org.au Hi Paul, I discovered your great magazine on the web recently and it is really impressive. Just thought you and your team would like to know a little more about the BMW Club in Pretoria South Africa and the activities that are organized. Please see attached copies of our local BMW Club magazine. The web page is: https://www.bmwclubs.co.za/ I also arrange bike tours through South Africa as a qualified national tour guide. You are welcome to have a look at: http://www.due-south.co.za/ Looking forward to seeing you soon. Kind regards Norbert Gehrmann
For those of you who are interested; I also have their last two Club magazines in PDF format that I would be happy to forward to you, via email, on request......Ed. Craig Brennan
Records Officers Report
First report for the new committee year and I have little to report. Every month it is the same thing of members joining, renewing and leaving. There is just nothing to excite you, dear reader. I can however report that memberships are ticking along and things are going relatively smoothly. On the motorcycle front, things are going well. The old RT is ticking along smoothly and returning 5.2 l/100km. Got to be happy with that from a 38 year old carburetted motorbike. With the weather beginning to cool, I fully expect test that economy a great deal more in the near future. Enjoy your bikes everyone and see you around. Craig
Craig Brennan records@bmwmcq.org.au
Committee Reports
APRIL 2017
Greg Gaffney
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Secretary’s Report
I
’m looking forward to another fantastic year. I appreciate the multiple and varied activities the club offers currently. What an exceptional job Cindy and now Dave have done. I actually enjoy lead rides. I see them like a team sport. They foster cooperation and each participant has to ensure they don’t drop the ball. I have been a member for only about 2 years. I wish I had joined 40 years ago when I got my first R90S. I work in IT as a database consultant. I have a R1200RT and a R90S which I would like to start restoring this year.
Greg Gaffney secretary@bmwmcq.org.au
2017 BMWMCQ AGM At Moreton Bay Sports Club we gathered again Dinner & drinks then we all went upstairs Settled ourselves at the tables & chairs Soon it was time to cast our votes Andy as always busily taking notes President Paul has had a great year Performing his duties with lots of good cheer He’s back in the chair now, unopposed Refreshing the Club with things he’s proposed Richard’s Vice President spot was preserved He’s now a Life Member, so well deserved
From the Treasurer’s role Bill C sadly bowed out True recognition for his talents, without doubt Now Tony has the job of filling Bill’s shoes Reporting monthly on the financial news Thanks to Andy’s great note-taking we’re all up to date But Greg is now Secretary, we’re sure he’ll be great
Craig works hard keeping Records in order Thanks for continuing to be official recorder We’ve never looked better with Julia’s Regalia Pink shirts, hats & beanies, there’s not been a failure But she handed over to Kelly tonight Who’ll keep us well dressed & looking just right
Again Geoff runs Tools while Bill L runs Spare Parts Well attended Service Days, catalogues & charts Liaising & Advertising will keep Don busy once more Under his guidance our Club name will soar We thank Julia, Bill C & Andy for jobs well done And look forward to this year & continuing the fun
Jane Gray
Dave with an H is our Editor with flair Happy to keep finding great stories to share Cindy created Events that were fun But left on safari before her year was run David with a W saved the day So we can have coffee and weekends away
Advertisers - Do
you have any unusual or difficult service stories to tell? Remember the Dirty Wheels column that used to be in Wheels Magazine? You do! Great, send them in. Have any new products to tell people about? If you send me a short editorial style article simply listing the product and benefits, I will (space permitting) publish as close to your ad as possible with a pointer to your ad. Keep it brief and informative is all I ask. Ed.
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APRIL 2017
RIDE REPORT FOR MARCH 2017
U
Monthly Ride Report March2016
nfortunately there was no report submitted to me for the Club months ride to Crow’s Nest to partake in the celebration of the town being declared a motorcycle friendly community. However, there were a number of photos taken at the Esk gathering point and are reproduced, from Face Book for those of you who don’t subscribe to said electronic media…..Ed.
Monthly Ride Report - Photos
APRIL 2017
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APRIL 2017
Annual General Meeting 2 March 2017
MINUTES OF THE AGM March 02/03/2017
Opened: 7.30pm Apologies: Merv Bone, Paul Malcolm, Bill Carson, Mal Cremer, Rodney Kingmar, Geoff Hodge Acceptance of 2016 AGM Minutes: proposed - D. Whale, seconded – C. Brown President: Last year was very busy, many activities, increased regalia sales. The deposit account was moved to an account with a better return. Our insurance cover was finalised. The ride profile was changed to either a led ride, GPS route provided or destination supplied. The 3 B to B’s were very successful. Current membership numbers now 295. There have been great articles in the journal also. Many thanks must go to Bill Carson for his work on the financials. The Vice President did a great job organising the 100 years of BMW celebrations in the city and the Eagle Farm display. Our financial report arrived at 4.30pm but as a draft copy only. An outstanding amount of $4000 due a former club president, finally settled after 2 years of missing paperwork. Election of Officers: Alison Sayce will chair the election of committee members. Nominations President: Paul Hughes – nominated by T Gray. Seconded C Brennan. Position accepted. Vice President: Richard Maher – nominated and seconded prior to AGM. Position accepted Treasurer: Tony gray – nominated and seconded prior to AGM. Position accepted. Secretary: Greg Gaffney – nominated and seconded prior to AGM. Position accepted. Tools/Spares: Geoff Hodge and Bill Luton nominated and seconded prior to AGM. Positions accepted. Regalia: Kelly Wicks – nominated – Paul Hughes, seconded – Paul Atkins. Position accepted by show of hands. Editor: Dave Hepburn – nominated and seconded prior to AGM. Position accepted. Records: Craig Brennan – nominated and seconded prior to AGM. Position accepted Advertising and Dealer liaising: Don Grimes – nominated and seconded prior to AGM. Position accepted. Events: David Whale – nominated and seconded prior to AGM. Position accepted. Special Resolutions: First: Proposal – life membership for Richard Maher. Passed by a majority vote. Second: Proposal – To change from a full audit of accounts to a verification certificate audit. This allows us to pick and chose an accountant without the need for a special resolution to be passed. Passed by majority vote. Daryl Gowlett raised a point of order about presenting a Special Resolution within the AGM. This remains an un-resolved constitutional matter. A special Resolution is acceptable in an AGM as long as it has met all the pre requisites, such as 30 day’s notice to members. End of AGM: 8.15pm
Provided by Andy McLeod
Policy Regarding Submissions Submissions to the journal should be relevant to BMW motorcycles and or to the BMWMCQ and its activities. Articles or Letters to the Editor may or may not be published if space does not permit or if the content of the submission and or letter is not considered to be of interest to members or not in the interests of the Club, our sponsors or advertisers. Members are encouraged to use this, our journal; to express views, float ideas or make inquiries of other Club members on technical, organisational or other matters which may benefit the Club and its associates. Submissions should be kept to a reasonable length and maybe edited or published in part only, if the Editor considers it necessary. Note – submissions close on the 15th of each month! BMWMCQ Committee
General Meeting 2 March 2017
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MINUTES OF THE MARCH 2017 GENERAL MEETING
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Open: 8.15pm Apologies: Mal Cremer Rick Trenaman: Spoke of his membership fee reduction proposal. Copy in March magazine. Les Fitzpatrick asked if a$40 membership fee will cover the club’s running costs. A vote for a special general meeting was passed to have a vote on Rick’s proposal. Club running cost figures will be put forward to see if there’s support for Rick’s proposal and the other fee proposal outlined in the magazine. A special vote will be held at the next general/special meeting. If after examining the figures for running the club, it’s possible the fees could be less than $40. David Whale’s proposal: copy in March magazine. If Rick’s resolution is passed, then David’s point 1 is overruled. David stated that by reducing the club membership fee by $10, the savings would be miniscule on a daily basis. Point 3 of David’s proposal for country memberships was rejected by the members present. Ron Durkin spoke against David’s proposal for country membership. Ron also asked what does the advertiser get for his fee now that the magazine has gone digital and whether they’re getting value for money. New members: nil February minutes: proposed – Greg Gaffney, seconded – Dave Hepburn. Events: Coffee mornings – social quick chat. In the coming months, there will be an extra ride – Sunday brunch ride at end of the month. Calypso Bay – Jacob’s Well. B2B coming up soon. Not on web yet. This Sunday – lunch in the Crows Nest pub – we have a booked table in the pub. Looking for ride leaders. Ian Sayce suggested more weekend runs after the success of his rum hunt. We could have more weekends but we need more Organisers. Records: 295 members as of last night. Paul asked that members pay on their renewal date. Perhaps a return to a single renewal date. Editor: I’ve had a good year with the magazine. I can see more older members here tonight so perhaps some of you could write some stories for me for the magazine please. Treasurer: Bill’s very busy with his new job and apologizes for his non-attendance. Balance sheets available from the web. Tools: Service day at Howard’s on the 12th March. A gold coin donation for the barbeque and drinks. Vice President: I’ve retired! My new job has me taking pictures of exotic European sports cars. Charlie Brown: suggested we send a get well card for Geoff’s wife, Eileen. New website: Constructer did not finish developing the website. The current website is updatable, however, without a membership module, it’s not so good. We’re waiting for someone with a good knowledge of database construction to help out. Raffle: 1st – Charlie Brown, 2nd – Bill Luyton, 3rd – Howard Wilson, 4th – Andy McLeod, 5th – Craig Brennan, 6th Merle Menicke. Closed: 9.15pm
Provided by Andy McLeod
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he monthly Coffee Run is becoming very popular with around 24 members attending and growing…even the non-latte set enjoy the good company of like-minded club members….Ed.
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Sue Ferguson - A Members Opinion
A Club Member’s Opinion:
eing a club member can mean something different to each and every one of us. But all have a common love of riding/being on a motorcycle, and in this club a special love of BMWs. All current members have paid their membership and all rights of those members should be even.Of late I have read some comments that I have found offensive. I believe any member should just think a little before judging another: • Active or non-active. • New member or long time member. • On the Committee or not on the committee. • Attending meetings or not attending meetings. • Attending club events or not attending club events. • Writing articles for the magazine or not writing articles for the magazine. • etc, etc, there is more, but I don’t want to bore….. Every member is getting something out of the club or they would not continue paying their membership each year. • New members who do not participate in the club at the moment may not stay – or it may be just the start of a member who will be more involved in the future. • Long serving members who do not appear to be active, obviously still get something out of the club that keeps them coming back to renew each year. Some long serving members have been very involved in the past and may be again in the future. The club is ever evolving and so it should be. Somethings are still the same and have been for at least my 30 odd years and probably have been since the inception of the club. The committee members: Work tirelessly and mostly unthanked, put lots of hours in for free. They do a lot of work. The same people, over and over, do the organising of rides/magazine articles etc. The editor always asks for more articles, otherwise the magazine will be very small. Some members will put lots into the club, then eventually move away from the club. Some members will put lots into the club and then step back, but still stay in the membership. Some members will be silent in the club, but maybe they are our club’s future actives. So, if you don’t have anything nice or constructive to say to or about a member (who hasn’t done anything bad to the club), maybe you shouldn’t judge and keep your opinions to yourself. OK, this is off my chest now, I feel much better. Thank you, Sue Ferguson.
Service Day 12 March PHOTOS cont.....
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ll our thoughts are with Ellen and Geoff Hodge. Hope it is all going well mate. Paul Hughes
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ig thanks to Bill Luyten and Howard for today’s service day. Well done guys and thank you to Howard and his family for offering their home.
Service Day 12 March 2017 BMWMCQ SERVICE DAY The second Club Service Day hosted by Howard Wilson was staged on Sunday 12 March. Howard generously offered the facilities at his Mt Crosby home to the club with plenty of sheltered space to work on bikes. Bill Luyten our club’s joint Tools/Spares Officer had the entire club tools on site as well as stocks to nourish the hordes at the sausage sizzle. For those members who have never attended a service day and may be interested in what happens then don’t be nervous, come along and take a look. You will have the opportunity to work on your bike if you are so inclined, talk about and maybe learn a thing or two about your bike; meet other club members and enjoy a nice relaxed morning amongst like-minded individuals. This day did not see the major services undertaken at the previous day but there was good use of the club’s testing and diagnostic gear. The newly acquired electronic tester for the BMW tyre pressure monitors was used for the first time. Both airheads and oil-heads were given a workout but sadly no one has presented a wet head yet – maybe an indicator that bikes are heading in the same direction as cars and don’t need to be touched outside of their Gazillion KM service intervals. The service day is a long held and popular item on the club calendar and the club invests club funds to acquire those specialised tools that may be out of the reach of the average member – the GS911 diagnostic tool is a good example. The club has recently upgraded this valuable tool to the latest model that now also covers the wet-heads. The club also contributes the cost of the food and cold drinks (soft drinks or water) for a gold coin donation. Funds raised go our club beneficiary the RFDS. $35.60 was raised on the day. Many thanks to Howard Wilson & Bill Luyten for organising the day and to all those who attended. Tony Gray
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Ray Owen Bike ShoW 7 May 2017
Merv Bone..Mates and Motorbikes
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Mates and Motorbikes
ld mate Graeme said “What about taking the Z13 Kawa to Tamworth for the VJMC Rally (Vintage Japanese M/C National Rally) in March Merv”. The only thing on the calendar was the BM Club AGM, and the Sunday club ride. Why not I thought; the chance to see a couple of hundred Jap bikes from all over Australia; and a ride on my old bike, done deal. Thursday 7am met at Graeme’s place for our first days ride to Dorrigo NSW. Graeme was riding his US imported 1982 GL1100 Goldwing; John was two up and ride leader on his 1978 CB750/4 Honda; Garry on his 1985 R800RT and me on the 1982 Z1300 Kawasaki. John took us out through Tamborine, Beaudesert to Rathdowney and was going to go down the Lions Road but didn’t realise it was closed for repairs. We continued down the Mt Lindsay Hwy into Kyogle and stopped for fuel. I had forgotten how short the suspension and how heavy the Z13 was compared to my GS. The pace was steady and we were enjoying the scenery which is spectacular in northern NSW. From Kyogle to Casino then down Hwy 91 to Whiporie and a left into Lawrence which is named after Gary’s family then into Grafton for lunch. John asked if we had been to Glenreagh, nope never, so out through South Grafton onto the Orara Way down to Glenreagh and Nana Glen, just a great back road which leads into Coffs Harbour. A short ride along the Pacific Hwy to Urunga and turned right up the mountain to Bellingen. Anyone who went on Ian and Alison’s ride in January would know how much fun this section of road can be. Everyone had a little play here even Graeme on the Goldwing. Toddy gave me some good info on where to stay, The Heritage Hotel/Motel in the centre of town. Great value; a big room with an ensuite, a double bed, 3 singles, lounge, TV, all for $135 for 3 of us which also included brekky. Friday morning saw mist around town and nearby valleys. While we were packing the bikes a guy on a Triumph asked if we had been into the old mechanic’s shop across to road. Nope never, so over we went and back in time was the feeling, old stuff on the walls, fan belt hanging from the ceiling, 5 old motor bikes, BSA 350 Single, HD sidecar, Calthorpe and 2 others that I haven’t a
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clue about. The owner even started the single cylinder Triumph stationary engine because John asked if it still went. On the road and out to have a look at dozens of old rail carriages and steam trains that are in a large marshalling yard on the outskirts of town. The road up to Waterfall Way from Dorrigo must have been designed by an engineer who rode a bike, perfect sweeping curves up, down and through the hills. The steady pace meant we had time to enjoy the lush green countryside and some of the valley’s still had mist in them, just lovely in the crisp mountain air. The run along Waterfall Way to Armidale is also enjoyable with a quick stop to check out the waterfall near Ebor, I guess that is why the road is called Waterfall Way; Fuel at Uralla and onto the Bendemeer Pub for lunch. Tamworth by midafternoon and Graeme said the Oasis Hotel/Motel on the way into town was good value. It’s old, clean and at $60 for your own room per night, we took 3 rooms, I snore, Graeme goes to the toilet 3 times a night and Gaza is a light sleeper; the food and cold beers that night, very enjoyable. Saturday morning saw the gathering of bikes at the Tamworth Lookout before a 102 km ride which looped through Dungowan, Nemingha, Kooringal, Moonbi and Moore Creek, all good country back roads. Over 100 bikes on the ride and VJMC club members marked the corners, very well planned. The show and shine was held in the Paradise Tourist Park with over 220 entrants. We met up with Tony Gray who said “It is amazing what the Japanese produced in the 60’s, 70’s and 80’s, such a diverse variety of bikes, 1,2, 3, 4 and 6 cylinders; two and four strokes and turbo’s.”
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He is right and all of them were there. I found all the bikes I have owned there, except for the BSA Bantam. There was a ring in, an early R65 BMW, vintage yes, Japanese Nope. The pick for me apart from my Z1300 :) was a 1956 SA250 Honda Dream, beautifully restored and one of only 3 outside of Japan. Old mate Allan who led the ride on his 1971 Rickman Kawasaki with a very tricked up Z1 900 motor was another interesting bike. Ask Garry next time you see him what it is like to sit on. :) :) There was only 1 other Z1300 there, a crappy looking thing that came on a trailer from South Australia and it was an import from the USA. I saw 5 Honda CBX1000/6â&#x20AC;&#x2122;s there too. Just as the show was finishing a light shower of rain came and everyone decided it was time to call it a day. That night more rain as Garry and I enjoyed good food, cold beers, the live country band playing at the hotel, what more could you ask for. Sunday, clear skies, cool temp as we got away at about 6.30am Qld time; up the Moonbi range and onto Armidale. The New England Hwy, some say is boring but I find it a nice ride when it is cool or cold. By Glen Innes it started to warm up and by Ipswich hot, just under 600ks for the ride home for Graeme, Garry and I with all old bikes never missing a beat. Stats are , 4 days away with mates on motorbikes with a total of about 1400ks, fuel, food, booze, bed, $$$, who cares. Note from Garry, Lawrence Township is not named after my family, Mervâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s telling porkies.
Merv Bone 3663.
Merv Bone..Mates and Motorbikes
Tony Gray adn others at VJMC Tworth
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VINTAGE JAPANESE MOTORCYCLE RALLY TAMWORTH
course aggregate bitumen even from close range. Fortunately it wasn’t a weekend so the traffic was very light. It took well over an hour for a road maintenance erv Bone picked up on a FB comment I made re crew to arrive and relieve me of my ‘marshalling’ dumissing the monthly club ride to Crows Nest in ties during which time we must have ‘saved’ at least 20 March as I was going to Tamworth for the VJMC Nanorthbound bikes. I left before the Police or Fire Crew tional Rally. Merv was also heading to the Rally so we arrived on site to clear up the mess. A sobering start to agreed to catch up in Tamworth. We both share a love the weekend. (and ownership) of ‘Old Jappers’ as they are affection Early Saturday under threatening skies I left ately known. Merv’s Z13/6 cylinder classic was making Bonville with 2 mates and enjoyed a ‘car free’ run up the trip but my ‘75 XS650 Yam is only a short haul treathe beautiful Waterfall Way from Bellingen to Dorrisure these days. My modern day classic ‘04 ZRX1200 go and on through the higher speed sweeping bends Kwaka was pressed into service for the trip. ‘Rex’ across the ridge line to Ebor. Riding roads don’t get doesn’t get to do the long trips he once enjoyed as Jane much better than that. The rain held off to Moonbi and I prefer the 2-up comfort and carrying capacity of where we stopped to check out a large group of Rally ‘The Gray Ghost’ our ‘07 R1200GS. Entrants who were on a morning ride out of Tam Rallies present a great opportunity to catch worth. I was greeted with a smell of petrol from a up with old friends, blow the froth off a few coldies weeping fuel hose. Just as I was trimming and refitting and talk BS well into the night. I planned a cruisy run the hose the heavens opened – Murphy’s Law at work through the Gold Coast hinterland on Friday down the again. backroads to Grafton and onto Coffs Harbour via Orara I caught up with a bunch of my old Melbourne Way for a roast dinner and bottle of red with my mate mates as well as Merv, Garry and their crew at the bike and his wife at Bonville. I stopped at the View Cafe at display in Tamworth. At the risk of being hung at the Hinze Dam just after 2 other riders had just dismountnext club ride I must say that the Japs during the ‘70s ed. They were still shaking after both experiencing a and into the ‘80s lead the world with innovation in ‘moment’ on the northbound run through the beautiful motorcycle design. They were not afraid to experiment twisties of the Nerang/Murwillumbah Road that skirts with offerings in 2 and 4 stroke form from 1 cylinder the edge of the Hinze Dam. They didn’t know what had to 6, with liquid cooling, automatic gearboxes, turbo caused the 2-wheel slides but knew they were lucky to chargers and even a rotary engine. Some failed (TX750 still be standing. I ride this road quite often and it needs Yamaha/Suzuki RE Rotary as examples) but this didn’t to be treated with great care. I had no idea of the abilistop the new models flowing. It was a great time to be ties of the 2 riders but the quality of the bikes they were a young motorbike rider and judging by the quality riding and their riding kit indicated they were both of the restored machines on display (and their grey experienced riders. I put it down to overenthusiastic haired owners) there are plenty of people wanting to riding. relive the days of their youth. About 8km down the road after leaving the We got away early Sunday morning after a big Cafe I came across a rider who had just dumped and night in overcast but beaut riding weather (20 deg in destroyed his CB1100 Honda Blackbird. Luckily be Glen Innes) for a spirited run home. With the benefit was also wearing good kit and was relatively of winning back that lost hour of daylight saving time unscathed. It didn’t take long to find the cause of all I was home just after lunch with 1350km covered. A this drama. It appeared that a 20 litre drum of oil had great weekend. ‘fallen’ from a vehicle and exploded across the northTony Gray bound lane. The 2 earlier riders must have just caught the edge of the oil but the Blackbird rider could have Photos displayed on page 20 and others pages been deeper into the corner and had no chance to stay upright. It was almost impossible to see the oil in the with the identifier of VJMRT
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Planning a ride?
Locally, interstate or overseas? Take the camera, jot down a few diary notes each day and send them in. Members always appreciate your articles. Please send to -editor@bmwmcq.org.au
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A HOT DATE…..KARAUH 2017
look forward to the Karauh River Rally each year as it a chance to have a four or five day ride, explore the country, enjoy the company of like minded people and attend the rally which is always popular and well run. As well the club generally picks up an award or two. This year was the 40th anniversary so we were keen to attend. It has a history of sometimes being a wet rally. We were in for a surprise! A few of us had checked out the weather forecast and it was going to be hot, however, the rally is in the middle of a state forest and has a creek running through the camping area so it should be cool!
This year there was a group of seven who planned on doing as many back roads and dirt roads as possible and two road riders who were also doing as many back roads as possible but leaving out the dirt. The dirt riders were Murray Brown (who planned the route and overnight stops in his usual meticulous fashion), Scott Foote, Phil Gresham, Bruce Avery, Justin Hardy, Gary Stirling and myself. The road riders were Graham Ball and Dave Osborne. Dave is still recovering from some repairs and had to take it a little easy so the dirt option was ruled out for him. The plan was for both groups to meet at the end of the day and stay at the same accommodation. I will write about the dirt riders. We met at Boonah Thursday morning and our overnight stop was to be Emmaville at the top pub. We travelled our normal well used route through White Swamp to Legume and then to Killarney for morning tea. We then headed to Dalveen using mainly dirt. At one stage Murray followed a road into a farm. Justin was wary and so was I and the group all stopped, watching Murray disappear. Justin eventually decided to follow Murray into the farm but after some time we did a U-turn and went back to find another route despite Murrays protests
Bill Allen......A Hot Date that the road did come out somewhere. We often visit farms or paddocks on our rides. When we arrived in Dalveen I found I had no rear brake pressure. I had thought after Killarney the brakes did not seem to be behaving normally. Gary knew of a motorcycle mechanic in Stanthorpe who has an older BMW motorbike on display so the group followed me there to see if we could get the brakes flushed and working again. I wanted them to continue on the route via Mingoola and Torrington, however most of them wanted to check out the mechanic. His name is Brad Wiseman and he is knowledgeable and very easy to deal with and after a quick transfusion soon had my brakes working again. He has a number of older BMW’s and other bikes. While we were there Bruce picked up a new battery as he was not confident in the condition of the battery he had in his bike. We then did a bit more tar then we had planned to get to Emmaville. At Emmaville Phil christened the group “Brown’s Cows”. A name that might stick I think. We had a good night and watched the Jimboomba riders come into town; they stayed at the low pub. We left early on Friday with Nundle being our destination. Leaving early is always a way to raise your attention levels quickly as the kangaroos are still present close to the road. We had a great run via Tingha, Bundarra, Kingstown, Watsons Creek and Bungendore Spur Road down to Attunga then into Tamworth for a late lunch. Part of this route to Attunga had been used for the 2005 BMW nationals rally and it is a great ride. During the day it had been getting hotter and hotter and we were all glad to get to Nundle. At Nundle some of us ended up with air conditioned rooms and others were to rely on fans to keep cool during what was to be a very hot night. At Nundle we were joined by Andrew and Tammy McLeod, Howard Wilson and Ron Durkin who made a late entrance. While we relaxed, we heard that all state forests were to close in NSW due to the fire and accompanying safety risk. This impacted in two ways, we would not be able to ride across the Barrington Tops to Gloucester and more importantly the rally was to be moved to the showground in Dungog with a forecast top temperature of 45. This caused some discussion and angst among our group, none of us wanted to camp in that temperature and we all eventually decided to head back to the tablelands on Saturday for some cooler weather and then head home on Sunday. Andrew, Tammy and Ron all continued to the rally.
Bill Allen......A Hot Date ....continued Saturday after a hearty breakfast (except for Phil who was asleep while breakfast was being served despite the fact that he had arranged the early breakfast), we left early rode up to Hanging Rock then turned left through the pine forests and made our way to Walcha for morning tea. The pine forests were very dusty and with no wind it was a slow trip through the forest. At Walcha a group decision was made to stay at an air conditioned motel in Tenterfield for Saturday night then head home early Sunday. As we headed to Uralla we were passed by Graham Healey and Gary Bennett who were heading to the rally in a tin top which was a necessary and very good choice. It was very hot by now and when you opened your visor it felt like a blow torch was being applied to your face. We had decided to ride to Armidale via the tar, and then head east to use the Wards Mistake route to get to Glen Innes. Wards Mistake is a great dirt ride. A couple of riders got caught out with direction changes after you came over a hill but everybody remained upright. We stopped for a rest under a tree and when we were ready to go again Bruce’s bike refused to start with the starter motor. We push started it and he headed to Tenterfield and we would catch up to him. He made it to about 30 kilometres out of Tenterfield; by then the battery had discharged itself completely. Bruce’s bike had been having charging issues over most of the ride. We waited till the NRMA arrived to take Bruce’s bike to the Tenterfield NRMA base which conveniently was over the road from the motel. We bought some beer, snacks and retired to a room where we were joined by Howard who had been busy cruising (ha ha) up the Oxley Highway. He was aiming to go straight home, however, wisely also choose to stay the night. Dinner was at Phil’s favourite Tenterfield eatery the Sing Wah where we all enjoyed a Chinese feast. After dinner we were made aware that the Tenterfield show was on so we walked to the showground and watched the car crash derby. Last car running out of about twenty five cars was the winner. We forced ourselves to have a couple of rum and cokes while we watched the derby. Sunday we had decided to start early at 6am Queensland time. We used the Mt Lindsay highway to Legume, then to Queen Mary Falls and down to Boonah for coffee before we all made our way home. Once again it was a great ride. We have previously been at Nundle aiming for the rally and returned home due to wet weather so this was a change. Thanks to all the members, I enjoyed your company and the mighty GSA clocked up a little over 2000 kilometres.
Bill Allen
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Proxy Form for Motion on 6 April 2017
BMW Motorcycle Club of Queensland Inc. Proxy Form
I, ____________________________of _______________________________________________________ being a current financial member of the BMW Motorcycle Club of Queensland Inc. (‘the Club’) hereby appoint _____________________________ of _________________________________________________ or failing him/her _____________________________ of _____________________________________________ as my proxy to vote for me on my behalf at the Special General meeting to be held on April 6th 2017 at the Morton Bay Sports Club Tingalpa at 7.30 pm. I authorise my proxy to vote on the following resolution as they see fit.
“As there are no longer costs incurred by the club in the production of a paper monthly club journal; that the BMWMCQLD membership fee be immediately reduced to $40 per year for single memberships and to $60 per year for common /dual memberships.”
Signature:___________________________________ Date:________________________________
Profile..Kelly Wicks Club Regalia Officer
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i I’m Kelly and I am the Regalia Officer for 2017 (I hope everyone loves the colour PINK, if not you soon will). I currently ride a BMW F650gs. I have only held my RE licence since June 2016. I have a couple of reasons for wanting to ride my own bike. Firstly, I enjoy being a pillion but when you hit those nice quiet country roads with the flowing twisties the inner control freak in me wants to take control and ride my own ride. Secondly, when your loving partner says to you – “Hey honey, how do you feel about going to the border?” Make sure you ask which border first before answering – “Sure honey, why not, when?” Because the answer may well be – “August and it’s the S.A and W.A border for the 40th Anniversary of the Border Run and oh, by the way, we will be camping and it will be cold – very cold”. Those who know me know that if it gets below 25 degrees I am reaching for the jumpers, blankets and hot water bottles. So after being told ‘very cold’, I turned to my trusted google to see how ‘very cold’ actually is. To my horror the average temperature at the border in August was down to very low single digits. Where and how am I going to fit all my jumpers onto Les’s ‘Mothership’ (GSA) when (as those who know Les) has so much stuff on it already. I had no worries of being cold as I was breaking out in a sweat thinking about it all. So my one allocated pannier became half a pannier due to having to take cooking gear, sleeping bags, tent and all the other accessories that go with camping. As I had a bike but had yet to learn to ride it I approached Les with Doe eyes and stated “Honey, what if I ride my own bike to the border? Can I have a full pannier to myself?” Sure says Les, but only if you get your RE licence and at least 20 hours of practice in beforehand. So after asking several members of the club who was the best or what was the best way of getting my licence it was suggested that Stay Upright was the place to go. After a very intense two full days I walked away with my licence. Now the fun really began. After a few short trips around home (1st was to Boonah for coffee, 2nd was to Warwick for an overnight stay then several local trips – not quite 20 hours’ worth) we were set to go. I had two panniers fully loaded with a sleeping bag on top of each one and a tank bag (plus the required two water bottles strapped to the front) oh and a heated vest so kindly lent to me by Andy McLeod’s wife Tammy (Thank you so much Tammy, you saved my life and my relationship. Lol). I am very proud to say that I made it all the way to the border and back again with only having dropped my bike once (it is always a good idea to place ones feet on the ground after bringing the bike to a complete stop). A big thank you to Drew and Les; for all the patience of travelling with a nervous new rider.
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I know that I have a long way to go and so much to learn but that’s where belonging to such a great club and having such great friends around to gain the valuable knowledge from. So when I ride I am never alone as I have so many friends in my head reminding me of the things I need to do: Toddy – soft hands, always soft hands; Merv Bone – it’s ok to drag your arse around (meaning the back brake and slow riding/cornering); Alison – we’ve all been new riders and it’s OK to make mistakes and a good rider will take years to develop then when you think that you know everything go and do a refresher course. And finally Les for never yelling at me when I do make mistakes (just sudden outlets of breath that he had been holding onto followed with the phrase – jeeze!!! that could of turned to custard really fast). And that is how I came to ride – and loving every minute of it.
Kelly.
German Club Monthly Dinner 28/03/17
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really good night; which was enjoyed by all who attended; you really should consider joining us ….thank you all for a great evening…..Ed.
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IMPORTANT ANNOUNCEMENT
NATONAL COURSE DATES COURSE PRICE $85 PER PERSON QUEENSLAND 2017 BOOK NOW Jan 14 Mackay April 29 Mackay Jan 29 Townsville May 13 Bundaberg Feb 12 Cairns May 14 Rockhampton Mar 5 Gold Coast/Currumbin Jun 3 Brisbane/Grange Mar 11 Brisbane/Grange Jun 4 Brisbane/Ipswich Mar 11 Bundaberg Jun 10 Brisbane/Birkdale Mar 12 Brisbane/Ipswich Jun 11 Sunshine Coast/Kawana Mar 12 Rockhampton Jun 17 Gold Coast Mar 18 Brisbane/Birkdale Aug 12 Mackay Mar 19 Toowoomba Sep 10 Cairns Mar 26 Sunshine Coast/Buddina Oct 14 Bundaberg Oct 15 Rockhampton
Camping Weekend ..... Peach Trees
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hank You Murray Brown and Bill Allen A nice run via Delaney Creek loop and Villeneuve and only 105km from home too. My neighbour Mark had a great time and no one tried to sign him up. Noted; streaming roads on run down from Jimna to Sheep Station Creek. We dodged the wet bullet. Breakfast in Woodford was lovely and the bucketing and drenching rain over Mt Mee set the tone for great to be home feeling 15km later. Oh well then it was back to the real G/S work that afternoon. Mowing the Grass and vacuuming the alpaca /Sh.......! :-) Paul Malcolm
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BMWMCQ Supports
APRIL 2017
xplorer cutout
xplorer cutout our new adventure luggage setup! Hepco & Becker have upgraded their Xplorer cases to accommodate selected large Adventure bikes which have upswept or high exhaust systems. Xplorer Cutout features a regular 40Lt Xplorer on one side, plus a special 37Lt version on the other. This setup combines carrying capacity with symmetry. Not only that but this new system uses a dedicated pannier frame manufactured in stainless steel! Weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve got your luggage needs covered, especially with our great prices!
serious about setting up your Bike? so are M.a.p. and hepco & becker Hepco & Becker are now offering Engine & Tank Guards for selected adventure bikes in Stainless Steel (as well as their proven mild steel). The BMW R1200GSLC and the CRF1000L Africa Twin are the first up!
R1200GS LC Tank Guard has an updated design. This stainless version is independent of the Engine Guard. It can also be fitted along with BMW OEM guards. Increase your protection!
AUS & NZ importer
MOTORCyCLE AdvENTuRE pROduCTS (07) 3139 0387 www.Motorcycleadventure.coM.au/shop Order online from our webshop or through your local dealer
If one single donation can save three lives, imagine how many more could be saved if your group donated together. (Quote from Club Red web site.)
HydroTacÂŽ Lenses
www.stickonbifocals.com.au
Ph: 0418 573 677
If you have enjoyed reading the stories in this and previous editions, you may be surprised to know that they were written by members just like you. Therefore you can be assured others would like to hear your story. Send your stories and pictures or requests for help to editor@bmwmcq.org.au
Camping Weekend ..... Peach Trees ..cont
APRIL 2017
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BMWMCQ 2016 Events Calendar
BMWMCQ 2017 EVENTS BRG APRIL
Thursday 6 Sunday 9
Wednesday 19 Saturday 15
Tuesday 25 Sunday 30 MAY
Thursday 4 Sunday 7
6:30pm
Hamilton Hotel dinner meet
Kingsford Smith Drive Ascot
7:30pm TBA
9:30am
6:30pm 7:30am 12:00
7:30pm TBA
Wednesday 17
6:30pm
JUNE
Saturday 20 Tuesday 30 Thursday 1 Sunday 4
Saturday 17
Wednesday 21 Tuesday 27 JULY
Thursday 6 Sunday 9
Saturday 15
Wednesday 19 Tuesday 25 AUGUST
Thursday 3 Sunday 6
Saturday 19
Wednesday 16 Tuesday 29
SEPTEMBER Thursday 7 Sunday 10
Saturday 16
Wednesday 20 Thur 21-Sun 24 Tuesday 26
Ride Leader / Contact
9:30am
6:30pm 7:30pm TBA
9:30am
6:30pm 6:30pm
7:30pm TBA
9:30am
6:30pm 6:30pm
7:30pm TBA
9:30am
6:30pm 6:30pm
7:30pm TBA
9:30am
6:30pm 6:30pm
Monthly club meeting Monthly Club Ride Sat Coffee Run German Club
ANZAC Day Ride
Tingalpa TBA
Woolloongabba Change due to Anzac Day clash TBA
Sunday Lunch Ride
TBA
Monthly Club Ride
TBA....THIS IS NOT MOTHERS DAY THIS YEAR
Hamilton Hotel dinner meet
Kingsford Smith Drive Ascot
Monthly club meeting Sat Coffee Run German Club
Monthly club meeting Monthly Club Ride Sat Coffee Run
Tingalpa TBA
Woolloongabba Tingalpa TBA TBA
Hamilton Hotel dinner meet
Kingsford Smith Drive Ascot
Monthly club meeting
Tingalpa
German Club
Monthly Club Ride Sat Coffee Run
Woolloongabba
TBA
TBA
Hamilton Hotel dinner meet
Kingsford Smith Drive Ascot
Monthly club meeting
Tingalpa
German Club
Monthly Club Ride Sat Coffee Run
Hamilton Hotel dinner meet German Club
Monthly club meeting Monthly Club Ride Sat Coffee Run
Hamilton Hotel dinner meet Horizons Unlimited Meeting German Club
Woolloongabba
TBA
Biscuit Ride
George & Maggie
Kingsford Smith Drive Ascot Woolloongabba
TBA
Tingalpa TBA
Kingsford Smith Drive Ascot Boonah horizonsunlimited.com Woolloongabba
BMWMCQ 2016 Events Calendar OCTOBER Thursday 5 Sunday 8 Saturday 21 Wednesday 18 Tuesday 31 NOVEMBER Thursday 2 Sunday 5 Saturday 18 Wednesday 15 Tuesday 2 DECEMBER Saturday 2 Thursday 7
7:30pm TBA 9:30am 6:30pm 6:30pm 7:30pm TBA 9:30am 6:30pm 6:30pm 7:30pm
Monthly club meeting Monthly Club Ride Sat Coffee Run Hamilton Hotel dinner meet German Club Monthly club meeting Monthly Club Ride Sat Coffee Run Hamilton Hotel dinner meet German Club Christmas Party Monthly club meeting
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Tingalpa TBA Duncan & Cindy TBA Kingsford Smith Drive Ascot Woolloongabba Tingalpa TBA President TBA Kingsford Smith Drive Ascot Woolloongabba Tingalpa
Italics font denotes event organised by other clubs
REGULAR EVENTS PER MONTH 1st Thursday of month General Meeting 3rd Wednesday evening of the month North-side Dinner (Hamilton Hotel) 3rd Saturday of month Saturday Morning Coffee Run Last Tues of month Southside Dinner (German Club) -was 4th Tues previously Last Sundayh of the Month a Lunch Ride
Warrego Riders Calendar Warrego Riders General Ride Information To Be Continued Next Month or so I am told............ Ed.
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APRIL 2017
A Couple of Adverts................
Call now for our frEE parts CataloguE
Genuine & Aftermarket parts (from 1955 onwards) • Accessories • Australian Agent for Hepco & Becker Luggage Systems and Crash Bars Electronic Ignition Systems Unit 5&6 / 9 Hayden Crt Myaree, Perth, 6154 Western Australia
www.munichmotorcycles.com.au TrAde enqUiries WelCoMe (open till 7pm est.)
??? SMOOTH OUT YOUR RIDE ???
We’ve got you covered. GENUINE AUSTRALIAN
SHEEPSKIN SEAT COVERS
Phone: 08 9317 3317 Fax: 08 9317 3359 email: munich@iinet.net.au
ADVERTISING SPACE AVAILABLE
From business card to full page, all sizes are available. The BMWMCQ journal is distributed to members throughout Queensland and is also displayed in QLD dealerships. In addition, copies are sent interstate to other BMW affiliated Clubs. Get your message out to people who own, ride and restore BMW motorcycles. Rates are below. Phone your requests to Don Grimes - Ph: 0411 601 372 Colour - Back Cover
Good Wool Store Pty Ltd 49 Queen St BERRY 2535 P 02 4464 2081. F 02 4464 3344
www.goodwool.com.au
Advertising Rates 2015
$2,000.00
Colour - Inside Front Cover
$1,500.00
Colour - Inside Back Cover
$1,250.00
B & W - Full Page Inside
$800.00
B & W - Half Page
$450.00
B & W - Quarter Page
$250.00
B & W - Business Card $100.00 All advertising should be related to motorcycling in general. The committee reserves the right to reject any advertising that is deemed inappropriate, in any way. Advertising content can be changed at any time (monthly in the journal and any time on the web site) provided the advertisements reside on the advertiser’s server. All journal ad changes must be submitted by the cut-off date specified on the Events page. All journal ads are to be supplied by the advertisers in PDF format.
The Woolshed Classic
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• BMW trained technicians; • BMW national service technician of 2006 (metro winner), Adrian Cash; • Log Book Service followed by BMW Motorrad Maintenance Schedule; • BMW software used for diagnosis; • Re-set service light, time & distance; • Great deals on the leading brands of motorcycle tyres.
Northside Motorcycle Tyres & Service 4/11 Paisley Drive, Lawnton Qld 4501 Ph: 07 3205 6505 Fax: 07 3205 6003 Email: northsidemctyres@bigpond.com Web: www.northsidemctyresandservice.com.au
Editorial
35
APRIL 2017
Dave Hepburn
I
Editor’s Report
have enjoyed my time as Editor of the BMWMCQ Journal for the last 10 months but the last two months....... not so. I have always avoided joining clubs because of the “Politics” clubs tend to attract, not unlike militant unions, which I also avoided. I have been a member of the Ulysses club for many years but also avoided joining a branch. As a result of a sudden rush of blood to the brain but more likely “I’m retired and want something to do” situation I took up the position of Editor, an event that, in the last two months I wish had not come to pass. In the last year I have seen the activities of the Club increase threefold with various changes to how rides are managed and events undertaken. These have occurred as a result of strong leadership from the committee and support from a small group of dedicated club members organising rides, the Events Officers organising a variety of activities and an increase in club members attending these events. Then I made the colossal mistake of suggesting that the Journal go to an electronic copy only. There are compelling reasons to go electronic and it is interesting to note that many of those that claimed ignorance of matters electronic media certainly manage to handle Facebook efficiently. There were savings to the club’s budget and we had the capacity to post any item that we thought would be of interest to club members at any time without further cost. Then the faceless members of dissent emerged from the woodwork to criticise the committee and question their operational integrity and generally suck the enjoyment out of motorcycle riding unless you are into their riding style…you know Iron Butt, Marathon riding such as Border to Border and weekend camp outs. I say faceless because I have not seen any of these people over the last two years. All well and good; except most of the club members aren’t interested in these activities or the “Politics”. This was not about saving $10 per person per year….this was something entirely different. I mean think about it, $10.00…you can’t get a packet of cigarettes for $10.00. I am not up to speed with BMWMCQ politics but I find the behaviour of some of the members; who have not contributed in any way whatsoever for the last two years; and more to the point, those who have held office on the committee in the past and should know better and how difficult it is to please everyone all the time, very offensive. This is a personal insult to me when you consider that at the last AGM, held 17 March 2017, every person currently holding a position on the committee was voted into that position without one dissenting vote against them. That gives the committee the Mandate to continue to operate as per previous conditions. If this minor group of members want to run the club then have them nominate for a position on the committee and express “their” views through “their”own committee members. The actions of these people are such that they have expressed a vote of no confidence in the old and recently newly appointed committee and as such I have to re-evaluate my position as editor. I have no desire to be part of an organisation that is so keen to return to the old ways and “politics”; think Gold Coast split; and not embrace a new and exciting year for the club. Oh and by the way, I have come to the conclusion that, whilst there has been very little provided to me by members of the club to publish in the journal over the last month, there is a plethora of photos and comments being published on Face Book. Therefore, I content that we no longer need a Journal or an editor and that we use Face Book for all our communications.
Dave Hepburn editor@bmwmcq.org.au
2017 NEW ARRIVALS. NEW 2017 MODELS NOW AVAILABLE.
BMW S 1000 RR
BMW S 1000 XR
BMW F 800 R
BMW R nineT
NEW 2017 MODELS ARRIVING IN MARCH.
BMW R 1200 GS Rallye X
BMW K 1600 GT
BMW S 1000 R
BMW R nineT Pure
With the new year comes an exciting new line up of motorcycles at Motorline Motorrad. Visit Ben, Ian and the newest member of the Motorline Motorrad team, Matt Eliott, to arrange your personalised introduction to the range and ride home on your dream BMW motorcycle. Motorline Motorrad 1-11 Old Chatswood Road, Daisy Hill - Opposite IKEA Logan M1 Motorway Exit 23 (South), Exit 24 (North) Tel: 3290 7000 motorrad@motorline.com.au www.motorline.bmwmotorrad.com.au