AUGUST 2019
www.bmwmcq.org.au
OFFICIAL JOURNAL OF THE BMW MOTORCYCLE CLUB OF QUEENSLAND INC. Established 1958
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OFFICIAL JOURNAL OF THE BMW MOTORCYCLE CLUB OF QUEENSLAND INC.
The Committee President- Paul Hughes Ph: 0409 814 633 President@bmwmcq.org.au 1200 GS / 700 GS
Vice President - Richard Maher Ph: 0415 111 454 vpres@bmwmcq.org.au R 1150 R
Secretary - Tony Gray Ph: 0409 493 605 secretary@bmwmcq.org.au R 1200 GS (The Grey Ghost) R 60/6 Treasurer - John Eacott
Ph: 0428 383 826 treasurer@bmwmcq.org.au 2017 K1600GT 2016 R1200GS Tripple Black
Editor - Dave Hepburn
Ph: 0422 080 524 editor@bmwmcq.org.au R 1200 RT
Records- Greg Gaffney Ph: 0411424 219 records@bmwmcq.org.au R 1200 RT
Tools/Spares - Bill Luyten
Ph: 0438 123 747 tools@bmwmcq.org.au R1150 Rockstar - R1200 GS LC
Regalia - Don Grimes Ph: 0411 601 372 regalia@bmwmcq.org.au
This Issue - AUGUST 2019 Contents:Editorial . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 Committee Reports . . . . . . . . . . 5 BACK TO THE BUSH OCTOBER . . . . 6 CANE TOAD RALLY VENUE CHANGE. 8 SERVICE DAY . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9 General Meeting Minutes. . . . . 10 ON THE ROAD RECOMMENDATIONS. 11 CLUB RIDE AUST SUPER BIKES . . . . 12 BMWMCQ FRIGID DIGIT JULY 2019. 13 OF OLDER BIKES AND MADNESS. . . 13 ANNUAL BISCUIT RIDE. . . . . . . . . . 16 ALASKA PT1 - BOMB ALASKA. . . . . 17
BMWMCQ CHRISTMAS PARTY . . . . . 21 MEMBER PROFILE ROB WYNNE . . . . 22 IN HIS OWN WORDS - ROB WYNNE . . 28 FOR THE AIRHEADS . . . . . . . . . . . 29 AUGUST 2019 - SERVICE DAY . . . . . 32 BMWMCQ Supports. . . . . . . . . . . 34 ADVERTISING . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35 BMWMCQ Events Calendar 2018. 36 Cupla Adverts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38 CAMPING WEEKEND. . . . . . . . . . . 40
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Morgan and Wacker - FRONT Cover TeamMoto - BACK Cover
Caloundra Motorcycles Cafe2U - P.28 Good Wool Store - P.32 Munich Motorcycles - P.32 Northside Motorcycles - P.34
On The Cover
Rob Wynne enjoying the BMWMCQ Frigid Digit weekend. An event enjoyed by all participants with special thank you to Gary Bennett and Graham Healey for organising such a great weekend.....Editor
Club Details BMW Motorcycle Club of Queensland Inc.
2. Improving the service and availability of spare parts for BMWs in Queensland using the advantage of a united effort.
Address all correspondence to: The Secretary PO Box 3669 South Brisbane QLD 4101
4. Organising day trips, tours and outings.
ABN 30 351 243 651
Monthly meetings are held on the first Thursday of the month at the:
Geebung RSL Club
323 Newman Road Geebung 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.
3. Decreasing maintenance and running costs by mutual assistance on mechanical problems. 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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AUGUST 2019
Dave Hepburn
Editorial Editor’s Report
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was just about to wrap up the August edition of the BMWMCQ when I realised I had not written anything in the editorial. That was probably because I was having so much fun that things for me to write about slipped by me. That is not a problem as anything of note has probably already been reported by photo and the written word in Face Book. So this month my editorial page is going to the overflow of photos from the Frigid Digit event. Have a great month…..Dave
VENUE FOR BMWMCQ GENERAL MEETINGS GEEBUNG RSL CLUB 323 NEWMAN ROAD GEEBUNG MEALS OPEN AT 6.00 PM MEETING STARTS 7.30 PM
NEXT MONTH : 7.30PM 5 SEPTEMBER 2019
Committee Reports Paul Hughes
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AUGUST 2019
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President’s Report
hat a fabulous month we had in July. A superb service day turnout at Rob Wynn’s fantastic facilities and a great mixture of years of BMW’s having all sorts of work being done; including Charlie’s new to him 1200 GS triple Black. Nice bike Charlie. Big thanks to Rob and of course Bill for all the great organising. Next up was the Royal Hotel at Harrisville for lunch. A great setting that many of us enjoyed and a great ride there as well. Of course, after that was the 20th Frigid Digit with over 45 attendees. Fabulous route to a great lunch venue and then just a great night in the Mapleton pub, really interesting ride home. Much thanks to the organisers Gary Bennett and Graham Healey who work tirelessly to produce this top notch event. Many members: spanning all lengths of time, as members and year models of Beemers. Great event guys…. August promises to be even bigger leading off with the 11th Famous Biscuit ride of Maggie and George in Wallangarra on Sunday 11. The night before, over 45 members are gathering in Tenterfield, for a group dinner organised by Tony Gray. Of course there are many fantastic routes to take to both Tenterfield and Wallangarra. If you haven’t signed up yet contact either Tony Gray (secretary@bmwmcq.org.au ) or myself (on the Facebook page) and we will assist with any info you might need. Lots of Cafes in Tenterfield for leisurely breakfasts before we ride as a group up to Wallangarra for a 10.30 am feast of Maggie’s superb biscuits and baking. Not one to miss guys. At the end of the month Murray Brown and Bill Allen have organised a camping weekend at Cressbrook Dam. This will be a great night in very pleasant surroundings with lots of friends around the campfire (maybe even a drink or two). Hope you will all come along for this one. Details are in FB and on the web calendar. Also our usual monthly events starting with the coffee meet up at Wynnum Coffee Club and Drinks with Dinner if you like at the Morrison Hotel (Stanley Street) and our get yourself-there lunch ride to the UKI pub. A full round of activities with something for everyone we hope. Don’t” forget to mark in your calendars the Back to the Bush in Miles in late October and also the annual Christmas Party in Evans Head on Saturday December 7th. We have had a small take up on the safety course subsidy so far and considering the reported accidents lately I would like to see more members taking advantage of a brush up course etc: Never too old to learn new (safe) tricks. The club library is growing but can always do with more motorcycle related printed material that is of value to members. We are just adding a BMW coffee table books this month. The riding weather has been superb and the long range forecast doesn’t seem to have many changes to that, so get out and have a ride as often as you can. I find it settling for the soul and the mind. Hope to see you all at the August events and please… ride safe and take care.
Cheers Paul
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AUGUST 2019
BACK TO THE BUSH 2019
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his Caravan Park, as you enter town, has very comfortable air-conditioned cabins in various configurations. The cost is $89 per night. If you book for two nights i.e. Friday night and Saturday night the cost is $150.00 ($75 per night). Camping is also available. On the Saturday night in the Caravan Park, around a bonfire, the owners will prepare an open fire; cook a stew and provide a delicious desert, all for $10 cash per head. When I was here in May I found the meal to be delicious and the best value meal I have had for a long while. There will be a led ride departing the Saturday morning with: Morning Tea in Esk and lunch at the famous Woolshed Cafe (Mark Morrissey territory) or you can make your own way there in a small group or solo. Miles has very clear skies for star gazing, beautiful historical buildings, a very country hospitality pub and lots more to do. On the Sunday morning, a great little Cafe in a garden setting provides really beautiful breakfasts. So come and join us in a relaxed atmosphere for a great weekend in the QLD bush town. To book a Cabin Ring Donna at 07 46272165 at the Crossroads caravan and Cabins: Mention the club B2B event Overflow accommodation is also available very close by at: Western Downs Motor Inn 0746271211 Star line Motor Inn 0746271322
You will need to book the bonfire Stew dinner and pay cash direct on the day. It is Important to book this. I have to thank Cindy and Duncan for making this available from a section of their fabulous Rock Trip. Paul Hughes
Committee Reports
AUGUST 2019
John Eacott 12:15 PM 26/07/19 Cash Basis
Treasurer’s Report
BMW Motorcycle Club of Queensland Inc
Profit & Loss
February 1 through July 26, 2019 Feb 1 - Jul 26, 19 Ordinary Income/Expense Income Advertising Income Interest Received Membership Fees Total Income Expense Affiliation Fees Australia Post / Post Box Rent Computer costs Internet Services Software Expense Total Computer costs Gifts and Donations Government Charges Miscellaneous PayPal commission Postage Printing and Stationery Telephone Tools Expense Website Domain Expenses Website Hosting Expenses Website Maintenance
4,400.00 5.69 5,692.64 10,098.33 238.00 195.00 152.90 69.95 222.85 33.55 55.35 132.76 82.95 200.00 14.30 20.00 50.12 56.36 91.74 2,310.00
Total Expense
3,702.98
Net Ordinary Income
6,395.35
Other Income/Expense Other Income Donations Income Event income Regalia Sales Tools & parts sales
27.00 2,000.00 25.00 10.00
Total Other Income
2,062.00
Net Other Income Net Income
7
2,062.00 8,457.35
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AUGUST 2019
Greg Gaffney
Committee Reports Records Officers Report
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e are always looking for interesting places to go for our rides. We also would like to reach out to our regional members more. If you are a regional member within say 300 Kms of Brisbane tell us about a good local pub or other venue. We will have the added pleasure of catching up with you on the day.
New Members : Nic Lottering R1200GS, Margreth Van Aartsen F700GS
Greg Gaffney records@bmwmcq.org.au
Submissions for the Next Journal (SEPTEMBER 2019 Editi
Committee Reports Bill Luyten
Service Day
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he Club once again held a Service Day at Rob Wynne’s place. Beautiful weather and a great turnout of around 17 members headed over to Rob’s to play in his shed. Most of the bikes had the GS-911 connected for a check and clear the odd random fault code as well as resetting the service reminder. A few bikes had oil changed and others had Carbies balanced. Charlie brought along his latest and excellent buy (2012 GS) and did an oil/filter change. Charlie’s understandably happy with his purchase. Don (Advertising) found out the jumper plug under his GS’s seat could be plugged in to give his bike the “Enduro Pro” mode. Don was last seen heading for the Dakar. Thanks again to Rob for providing the great workshop, BBQ and the fillet steak! The usual Sausage Sizzle and drinks were provided for lunch ($34 was raised and will go to the RFDS)
Tools for loan
There are special tools available including the GS-911WiFi and 3 pin diagnostic tools.
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AUGUST 2019
Tool’s Report Special Tools
• Twinmax electronic carburetor balancer (Twin BMW engines) • Vacuumate (electronic synchronization 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) • GS-911 3 pin Diagnostic tool (for older bikes) • Tyre Pressure Monitor Sensor (TPMS) tool • Enduralast hall sensor tester • Brake bleeding tool (suction bleeding via the brake caliper) Club Tool Loan: $50 deposit (refundable) for GS911: Tools and spares can be picked up or brought along to the next meeting or Club ride. Contact Tools Officer Bill Luyten 0438 123 747 (wluyten@bigpond .net .au) or Club email: spares@bmwmcq.org.au
I have often said that if it’s got a wheel at each end and an engine in the middle then I will ride it. Well this one didn’t quite fit the bill having 2 wheels in front and an engine under me bum but it was a lot of fun. Rode it home for a mate after purchase (yeah…a likely story…Ed) - kept the dark visor down just in case! Tony
ion) closes on 15 AUGUST 2019 - Just soes y’all know!!!!!!
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Committee Reports
AUGUST 2019
Tony Gray
Secretary’s Report
BMWMCQ Meeting Minutes 4 July 2019 Venue: Geebung RSL Meeting Opened: Apologies: Minutes of Previous General Meeting:
7.30pm
Mark Mustchin. John Eacott. Jane Gray. Maggie & George R. Jim Boreman. Accepted: Geoff Hodge
Seconded: Charlie Brown
Number of Attendees: 32 New Members (Name & MC): Visitors: Returning Members: Treasurer Report: Editor Report: Tools Report: Regalia Report: Records Report: Events Report:
Secretary Report:
Dealer Liaison Report: Vice President Report: President Report: Other Events/Buy/ Sell/Swap: Past rides: General Business
Closed:
Perry Thomas (R1200GS LC 2013) Nil Nil
P&L tabled.
More articles always required.
Tools day 9.30am Saturday 20 July at Rob Wynnes’ place 61-63 St Jude’s Circuit Jimboomba. Search Glenlogan in Garmin rather than Jimboomba if using GPS. Not present.
245 Financial members. 5 new members in the last month.
Dinner at Tenterfield Biscuit Run weekend 10 August now up to 28 acceptances. 7.30am meet at Matilda Willowbank for ride to Aust Superbikes at Morgan Park. 38 people so far for the Frigid Digit. 3 cabins remaining. Lake Cressbrook camping weekend 31 August $8/head.
IN: BMWTC NSW June & July Newsletters. BCC General Info from Local Councillor. Notice from Club Laverda about show 21 July. World on Wheels Tour Itineraries for 2019. OUT: Invitation to 2020 Motorrad Rally to all BMW affiliated M’cycle Clubs. Letter to Southern Downs Regional Council advising of 2020 Motorrad Rally at Stanthorpe. Not present.
R1150RT loaner is the latest ‘acquisition’ being looked after. Going to France on Saturday 6 July until 17 August. Warning sent to the French Consulate.
Motorrad Rally Planning is well advanced. FB events - please upgrade ‘maybe’ if/ when you confirm as courtesy to the organiser.
Battery from Charlie, near new but bike (R1100GS) has now been written off. Boots from Stuart - Dri Rider Size 41 Euro, only used once, free to a good home. Poker Run. Popular event consensus, ‘Yes’ do it again.
M&W deal $150 voucher if you spend >$400. Thanks from Rosi to Jane for the quality of her poems each month in the journal. Laverda Bike Show not being supported with a club display as $10/head to put on display. Committee view was that those prepared to organise & set up a club display to help the events success should be admitted free. The event however is listed on the club events calendar. 8.25 pm, next meeting 1 August.
ON THE ROAD RECOMMENDATIONS
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new initiative proffered up by Tony Gray to members is a list of accommodations encountered on members’ journeys and their evaluation of such fare for other members’ information. The first of the lists is below and will be updated each month: so if you have recommendations related to accommodation please pass that on to Tony who will collate and give to me to publish in the newsletter. It is anticipated that the feature will also translate to the BMWMCQ web site…..Ed LOCATION
PUB NAME
Uralla
Top Pub
Bathurst
Knickerbocker
Myrtleford
Railway
Omeo
Golden Age
Cooma
Alpine
$$$ ROOM TYPE 50 Selfone Contained 80 two 85 Shared Facilities 57
SelfContained Price/head for shared room 50 SelfContained Price/head for shared room 45 Shared one Facilities
MEALS
BIKE STORAGE/COMMENTS
No Breakfast
Very bike friendly Pub. Excellent Restaurant. Safe Yard. If weather bad then can lock bikes in bottle shop after hours. Good bistro. Centre of town. Lock bikes in bottle shop but not until 9.45pm. Hotel has closed but good Motel with undercover parking in safe area. Dinner & breakfast options very short walk away. Secure gated lockup for bikes but not undercover. Excellent bistro meals.
Cooked Breakfast included No meals
No Breakfast No Breakfast
Very bike friendly Pub. Excellent Restaurant. Lock up garage just for bikes.
From the Pen of Jane Gray
“BIKER’S CODE” JEGJULY2019
Do you feel the need to get out & explore? A thirst for adventure, hungry for more Nervous excitement for what lies in store The call of the road too hard to ignore The thrill of the ride, be it short or long Those feelings of pleasure couldn’t be wrong Adrenaline surges ever so strong Throw your leg over & know you belong Out for the day or with a touring load Cut through the traffic to the open road Lungs expanding till you feel they’ll explode Adhering to the imaginary “Biker’s Code” “Fun at all times even if it should rain Safety comes first to avoid any pain Goodwill to others & from rage refrain Ride your bike often to help you stay sane”
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CLUB RIDE - australian superbikes BMWMCQ CLUB RIDE 7th July 2019
Australian Superbike Championship Rd. 4 at MORGAN PARK, Warwick, Qld. Glenn Allerton riding a BMW S1000RR Won the Championship in 2011 & 2014 Can this be his year to win again on the mighty BMW? And what about Troy Bayliss and his incredible return to ASBK in 2018 at the age of 50, how good will he be at his home track? It’s Round 4 of this great Aussie series right here in our back yard.
ASBK Round 4 at MORGAN PARK
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n the 7th July 8 members of our Club attended Round 4 of the Australian Superbike Series at Morgan Park near Warwick. The day started off with a very light shower as I left Brisbane, but as I got closer to our meeting point at Willowbank it was all dry and showed promise of a beautiful day. We made our way along the Cunningham Highway and took the shortcut through Freestone, which brought us out on the outskirts of Warwick. It’s a great bit of road with very little traffic. It was a pretty easy run all the way to the track. There was a big crowd there but no action was missed as there were plenty of viewing points. Practice sessions were under way when we arrived and I was impressed with the layout of the track. The footbridge over the track was a bit of a P.I.T.A. as access was only when no bikes were on the track due to it being open air, but we got used to it. It was great to see (and hear) the old Superbike Masters from the ‘80s and 90’s racing around. The Blu Cru bikes were all Yamaha R3’s (300cc) and racing was similar to watching Moto 3. The Supersport class was similar to watching Moto 2, which were predominately 600cc 4 cylinder bikes with quickshift gearboxes.
The track has been resurfaced since last year making the track smoother and more consistent in regards to traction, so track records were broken. All the lower classes were very entertaining but the Superbikes were the stars of the day. Race 1 of the Superbikes was run before Lunch and the Ducati ridden by Queenslander Mike Jones was dominant winning this race from championship leader Bryon Starring riding a Kawasaki. It was a convincing win; the Ducati had a totally different sound and appeared to be unbeatable. Lunch time arrived and there was some great choices of food to eat, my selection was Pork Dumplings and it was just delicious. After lunch the second race of the Superbike Masters and the Supersport 600’s was run, then the main race of the Superbikes. A commentator was walking through the grid interviewing selected riders and she stopped to ask the championship leader how he intended to beat the apparent unbeatable Ducati, he replied that they had something up their sleeve. The race started and it didn’t take long to see what the tactic was, approaching Turn 5, the bikes in 2nd, 3rd and 4th crowded the leading Ducati, unsettling him into an error that ended with him overcooking the turn.
CLUB RIDE - australian superbikes The Ducati stayed upright but re-entered the track in about 13th place. What we witnessed after that was thoroughly entertaining, right to the chequered flag. Every lap the Ducati one or two bikes per lap and with the race being 16 laps everyone was wondering if he could get to the front again. Turn 3 under the footbridge was a tight turn than a downhill run to turn 4. Where the downhill run started the bikes were pulling the front wheel up while still cracked over. On one lap, the Ducati desperate to get back to the front had the bike cranked over, front wheel way up in the air and the back wheel in a power slide.
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The Ducati got the 3rd place and a spot on the Podium. Mike Jones riding the Ducati is a stand in rider for Troy Bayliss who usually rides this bike but broke some fingers in a high side in Round 1 at Philip Island. There was a little bit of jostling to get out but it didn’t take long and we were on the road heading home. It was a great day, I’ll do it again next year, but I’ll camp over night as there was a lot I didn’t see, namely the Trade Alley and viewing points around the other side of the track. Gary Bennett
BMWMCQ FRIGID DIGIT - JULY 2019 On the 27th and 28th of July 2019 BMWMCQ held its annual (20th) Frigid Digit. This was a great weekend away organised by Gary Bennett and Graham Healey and it was a great success. The weather was perfect: the route was varied and interesting and stayed away from Motorways: final destination was delightful….Mapleton. The venue for the Saturday night was the Mapleton Hotel and it was a great night with a bonfire (sort of) down in the camping area of the Mapleton Caravan Park. Once again our thanks go to Gary and Graham for such a stirling effort. Photos of the weekend are scattered thoughout the journal.....Ed
Continued page 15
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OF OLDER BIKES AND MADNESS
OF OLDER BIKES AND MADNESS
nce again I put fingers to keyboard to write about the perils of long term motorcycle ownership. As my K75c (1985) tipped over the 260,000 Km mark, my logbook indicated that it was time for a service. So off to the local bike shop I went with a list of things to be done. As some of you may recall, I had lined the fuel tank with a product called ‘Red Kote’ some years ago, to prevent corrosion occurring in my fuel tank. If anyone ever tells you that aluminium fuel tanks don’t corrode, tell them that is bullshit and come and have a chat with me. Anyhow, I reminded the mechanic that the ball valve in the fuel tank is stuck in the open position and that when the fuel tank is removed, it will leak fuel. I provided them with a length of rubber fuel pipe with a bolt stuck into one end and suggested to them that it would be a good idea to use it to avoid fuel pissing out all over their boots. When the bike was ready, I strolled along the street to the mechanic’s shop. Yes, I do live that close to a couple of bike shops. All appeared to be well and I was informed that they had managed to ‘fix’ the problem caused by my earlier stuff up. Why they hadn’t done so on earlier occasions is a bit of a mystery to me. I turned the ignition on, and indeed all seemed to be going and I took the bike for a short ride to tick the engine over and to get a feel for things and have a listen for the usual noises. Yes, the bike seemed to be as it should and when I returned home, I parked it in its usual place and put the trickle charger on it. I don’t get out riding much these days due to domestic circumstances, and so the bike spends a lot of time resting on the trickle charger. A few weeks later, I was making plans to go for a ride and I was checking the bike over and decided to make sure that it would start and then take it out for a short ride. I turned the ignition on and I got a surprise when the engine would not kick over. There was lots of noise. All the lights on the instrument cluster were working. The starter motor seemed to be going but the engine just would not start. I looked inside the fuel tank while trying to start the bike and I couldn’t see any fuel returning to the tank. The tachymeter was moving as long as the key was held in the start position, but there was no response from the engine.
Bugger: My first thought was that there was no fuel flowing to the engine and that the ‘fix’ the mechanic had done to the fuel tank had failed and that there was a blockage of some sort in the fuel delivery lines. I was ropable and went upstairs to change out of my riding gear and got into the car and went to do whatever it was that I was going to do. I cannot put into print what I was saying to myself at the time. At the first chance I got, I called the mechanic and told him that I was quite unhappy and told him what had occurred and arranged a time to get the bike back to the shop. I checked that the bike was definitely not going to start and so I organized a tow for the bike. Sixty dollars didn’t seem to be too much, given the circumstances and I got to have a good chat with the driver. The mechanic seemed to be quite perplexed with the situation and I barely contained my ire at what I thought was his incompetence. It was about a week later (they were quite busy) when I got the call to tell me that the bike was ready to be collected and that once again, all was well. The source of the problem was the battery! At this point, I have to return to an earlier time some five years ago when I last replaced the battery. I was getting pissed around by my usual battery provider who didn’t have a suitable battery in stock. Seeing as the bike takes a battery that will fit a ride on mower, it seemed rather strange that he didn’t have one. So I thought that I would try the local Battery World shop. Surely they would have something suitable I thought. This time I wanted to put an AGM battery into the bike as I thought that it would last a lot longer than the usual lead acid battery type that I had been using for the past twenty years or so. As it turned out, it didn’t. First warning: Don’t get a battery from someone who doesn’t appear to know what they are talking about or who seems to have no idea as to where the battery is going to be used or fitted. As it turned out, the battery (which cost a bomb) was about 5mm taller than the battery that it replaced and I only just managed to fit everything into position. The battery did its job quite well and in general I had no problems with it until the current incident of no going of the bike- itis. Now, returning to the present, I walked to the bike shop and had a chat with the owner. He informed me that the battery had failed.
OF OLDER BIKES AND MADNESS I had to quietly eat a very large portion of humble pie and pay him a fair whack of money. We discussed the situation and I told him that my battery charger / monitor didn’t give any indication that the battery was failing. I was told (and if anyone can confirm this, I would be quite happy) that battery trickle chargers only monitor voltage and not current capacity. He also told me that my bike’s charging system is probably not capable of properly charging a modern AGM type battery. It can do a decent job for a while, but as the battery ages, the charging system just doesn’t quite cut it. While the battery had the voltage to turn the lights on, activate the starter motor and turn the fuel pump on, it just didn’t have the current to start the engine. He asked where I got the battery from, and when I told him he said to me that he rarely advises against local businesses, but he strongly recommends staying away from Battery World, at least as far as motorcycle batteries are concerned. I now have a modern sealed lead acid battery in place. It cost about the same as the AGM battery did five years ago (I got all this information from the log book that I keep for the bike), so I can only wonder what an AGM battery would cost today.
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Second warning: Listen to your mechanic, especially after they have proven themselves correct on more than one occasion and don’t just jump to conclusions. It will save you money in the long run and stop you making a goose of yourself. Just to check the bike out afterwards, I rode out to Mungindi to visit the missus, as she was living there for a while. It’s a thousand kilometre return ride and the bike went like a dream, even though my aged bum suffered a bit. Getting to Goondiwindi and seeing 98 octane fuel at $1.78 was a bit of a shock. I had to put 91 octane into the tank at Mungindi though. It was either that or diesel in that town as they are the only fuel options. Back at Goondiwindi and the 98 octane price had not decreased in the past couple of days, and so it was a fill up with 95 octane and that got me home. A good thing about the older K bikes is that they seem to be able to handle just about any sort of fuel for a short time. Anyhow, that’s all for now. At least until the next incident occurs that motivates me enough to put fingers to keyboard. This bike just won’t die and I strongly suspect that it has a decent chance of outliving me.
The Pink Panther 339
Continued page 24
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AUGUST 2019
BMWMCQ ANNUAL BISCUIT RIDE
SUNDAY 11 AUGUST 2019 10:30AM TO 12:30PM CORNER OF NEW ENGLAND HIGHWAY AND MARGETTS STREET WALLANGARRA
he Clubs 11th Biscuit Ride by Maggie and George. This year we are going to Maggie and George’s new home town. We will be partaking of Maggie’s famous biscuits and cakes, at the Park in Wallangarra, at approx 10.30am. Some of us will be going to Tenterfield on the Saturday, staying overnight and having a group dinner in town (venue to be advised, Tony Gray is organising). Book some accommodation in Tenterfield and come and join in a group ride on Sunday morning to Wallangarra. Alternatively, you can ride down from Brisbane on Sunday Morning (3 hour ride). This is always one of our best attended events. Please indicate if you will be attending so Maggie has some idea of how many biscuits!!! WILL BE REQUIRED. Also please indicate if you will be joining us for dinner in Tenterfield on the Saturday night. There are many different and interesting ride home routes. This will be a great event and the biscuits and Cake are just awesome.
I
f you are attending the Biscuit ride, as in all previous years, you will need to bring: a cup/mug, spoon and hot water if you want tea/coffee. So it’s time to get out your thermos, camp stove or Jetboil. Everything, apart from hot water, mug and spoon is provided.
ALASKA PT1 - Photo Bomb Alaska
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Alaska Part 1 Photo Bombe Alaska
hen asked by friends why we were going to ride Alaska, it was appropriate to re-work the classic George Mallory 1923 quote about climbing Everest – “because we think it’s almost certainly there”. We had never really considered the endless wilderness of the most northerly US state as a motorcycling destination, particularly due to my memories of reading about early explorers in the Yukon literally going mad with the relentless swarms of mosquitoes in summer. The likelihood of congress with huge and hungry grizzly bears didn’t add much additional comfort during the unfounded perceptions development stage, but when the opportunity to be cold and miserable and itching all over presents itself then we rarely take a backward step, unless we know that’s what it will be like in advance. Several points worked very favourably for the Compass Expeditions True North Alaska tour; firstly, our daughter Kate is working in Canada so it enabled a visitation, secondly, the tour was being led by Bayne Morison our calm and fun Compass support vehicle driver from Africa, and thirdly, it was a “first time” tour so we would be like Hillary and Norgay, sure lots of people will ride Alaska with Compass, but we will always be the first.
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our first companion for the trip – Patrick of Perth – while loitering around the baggage carousel. Off to the Lakefront Hotel, we were forced to deposit the luggage and take a groggy trip into town due to the late check-in time of after 3pm. A wander about the fairly compact city centre, a coffee at the Hard Rock Café as a substitute for beer which would have caused immediate unconsciousness, and we were back out to the hotel to unpack, take a walk, and try to battle through until a reasonably civilised time to have dinner, drinks, and get to bed.
Lake Spenard Anchorage with Lake Front hotel behind
Spoiler Alert: The True North Alaska Tour GPS Log
So off we went via Canada’s airline to Vancouver on Friday 7th July, deliberately toughening ourselves up in economy as it is always worse than anything that can possibly happen on the tour, including being attacked by a bear. A brief stopover and then onward to Anchorage, vigorously waving our USA visas at any officials standing between us and the aircraft, which were required due to our trip through Sudan during the Cairo to Cape Town expedition. Arriving into Anchorage just before lunchtime, we met
Tour day -2 was all about cultural immersion, commencing with a wander up the road to a nearby classic American Diner for breakfast and starting the process of USA food intake calibration. Using the eggs in the pictures for benchmarking the scale, it was obvious that the standard menu meals of pancakes, waffles, hashbrowns, eggs, bacon, ham, sausage, biscuit (i.e. bun), and gravy with optional sides of grits, beans, and bizarrely fresh fruit need working up to. Instead, a “do it yourself meal construction” approach was taken with selection of only certain items to bring the calorie intake down from 1976 Elvis to a more sustainable John Goodman. A trolley bus tour of Anchorage was on offer, and our guide Bracken did a great job pointing out the key features and history of the town and the surrounding areas. The airport and Lakes Hood and Spenard are worth a mention – Alaska is not overwhelmed with Continued on page 18
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roads, so aircraft are owned by a lot of the population to get to the remote settlements and cabins. The stop at the little dirt strip at Lake Hood showed a constant stream of light aircraft taking off and landing on their fat tundra tyres, while seaplanes relentlessly did the same on the lakes and large jets regularly from the international airport. Air Traffic Control has a vending machine with Red Bull, Monster Energy, and Rockstar drinks, very popular for the controllers to mentally stay on top of the confusion.
the precise office location wasn’t obvious, and the assumption that a line-up of Segways surely must appear by 10:59am was incorrect. 11am came and went and so the back-up plan was to hire bicycles. A mere $50 gave us both bikes for 3 hours, enough time to do 11 miles out to Kincaid Park past the airport according to the staff on duty. Clutching detailed maps with random crosses drawn for where we might see moose, we hit the road past the still mysteriously quiet Segway office region and headed west along the Turnagain Arm coastline, encouraged to keep up a good pace by the mozzies who swarmed in like pre-teen Taylor Swift fans every time we slackened off.
You’d better believe it
An ingrained event in the history of Alaska mentioned in all the museums in the state was the 1964 Good Friday earthquake of 9.2 magnitude – the strongest ever recorded in the US and second strongest in recorded history. Areas of most of the major towns of Anchorage, Seward, Valdez, Cordova, and Homer as well as numerous other smaller settlements were destroyed, particularly where buildings and suburbs were on soil which liquified. The popular earthquake park just west of the Anchorage city is based on the suburb of Turnagain Heights, which slid down toward the sea and was never re-built. After our rampant tourism, we went back to the hotel and started to come across some of our tour group – mostly recognisable by Australian accents, lack of children, chiselled features, and carrying large beverage containers. Dinner was with several tour members at Today’s Pizza next door to the hotel, which seemed appropriate at the time because it was today then. Repeated warnings about “meth heads outside” from a concerned yet strangely repetitive and addled patron added to the local colour, fortunately we knew a secret back route to the hotel so could avoid making new local street friends. Day -1 had a Segway tour thrown up as the preferred option. Finding the Segway tour office was a challenge, there were billboards, posters, signs and flyers everywhere advertising an 11am departure but
Pre-tour bum toughening out near Earthquake Park
All distances in Alaska are in miles, which tends to result in gross under-estimation of distance by the metrified peoples. 11 miles? That sounds like bugger-all even for those who hadn’t been on a bike since a 2016 magpie terror attack near home. 18 kilometres? There is no way we could ride that far in 1.5 hours including stops for moose photos, snacks, and application of five coats of Bushman’s. Two hours in and we’d slogged up the brutal hill not shown on the two-dimensional map in Kincaid Park to the 11 mile mark, fortunately manned by a street food vendor selling water and interesting hotdogs. The plan to pedal furiously downhill on the return journey and coast most of the way back was destroyed by pedestrians with small randomly orbiting dogs, but we still made good time even with stops for moose with calf photos, re-hydration, and 3 more coats of Bushman’s, arriving back only 10 minutes late after a huge 36km. 6.7mph is nothing, but 11kmh is a jolly good effort. Back to the hotel with the quads seizing on the complimentary hotel shuttle ride, we enjoyed some deserved IPA and house wine-style refreshments and introduced ourselves to more chiselled tour members in the bar before the official tour briefing and dinner.
ALASKA PT1 - Photo Bomb Alaska
A nice seeded mustard is the perfect antidote for rattlesnake sausage bites
After an emotional reunion with Bayne at the briefing, formal introductions were made and general information was given by tour leader Justin, and luggage was issued including 60 litre soft bags to avoid people bringing huge hard cases (and being deservedly murdered by Bayne after a few days packing the support vehicle), and two panniers for each bike.
The rollcall of tour members was:
Justin Sain (1200GS) – Compass tour leader Bayne Morison – Compass support vehicle driver Nic (1200GS) and Margreth (700GS) – Brisbane Australia Tim and Karen (700GS) – Hobart Australia Bruce and Maureen (1200GS) – Launceston Australia Peter and Maxine (1200GS) – Bacchus Marsh Australia Alden (1200GS) and Jan (700GS) – Green Mountain Falls CO USA Mike (700GS) – Colorado Springs CO USA Patrick (Vstrom 650) – Perth Australia Richard (V-Strom 650) – Roma Australia Jake (800GS) – Adelaide Australia Trevor (800GS) – Kilmore Australia Cindy (700GS) and Duncan (800GS) – Brisbane Australia
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Day 1 commenced at a civilised hour, with a short trundle up the road in the van to Motoquest to get the bikes. The fleet was extensive, but only well-used hard-core adventure bikes were available to ride given the plan included the infamous Dalton Highway to Prudhoe Bay. The ride group was relatively experienced, so everyone set to work getting the bikes bespoked to suit their comfort levels. After a quick test ride around the car park, all was ready. The first day was of roughly 365km distance south down to Homer. Immediate scenery overload occurred, as it is virtually impossible to avoid riding toward/alongside imposing snow-covered mountain ranges in Alaska. We motored through Portage, had a brief stopover at Canyon Creek to read up on some gold mining history, lunched at Kenai Lake, paused at the Soldotna drive-thru bank, and had an excellent coffee experience along the coast of Turnagain Arm at a pro-biker establishment. A stop near Ninilchik on the beach overlooking the Arm with the distinctive and active Iliamna Volcano and Mt Redoubt off in the distance satisfied the budding photographers, finishing the day with a ride past Anchor Point to Homer Spit and Land’s End Resort.
A nervous hush fell over the Motoquest crowd
My Klim pants bring all the boys to the yard, damn right, they’re better than yours
The spit holds a mixture of tourists and fisherman, and a short walk had us back into a plethora of dining options.
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Captain Pattie’s Fish House seemed likely to have Halibut on the menu, and although the admission of wanting a wine or beer with the meal resulted in relegation to the restaurant section with almost no views across the bay, a good IPA and wine confirmed our sensible choosing.
Becoming delirious from lack of caffeine, we eventually made it into Ulmer’s and made the necessary purchases.
Half-way along the Homer spit death march we’d given up and started to build a new home
Just in case anyone thinks they can drive further south in Alaska
Day 2 was designed to force the motorcycle fledglings from the led tour nest, cruelly we had to organise our own activities or do nothing at all. Cindy’s 700GS side stand was a priority as it caused the bike to lean over precariously, making it hard to get upright before riding off. A check of the maps indicated that it was a mere 4 miles into Homer proper and the promising sounding Ulmer’s Drug and Hardware where surely both duct tape could be purchased for the side stand and strong stimulants could be purchased to increase motivation to fix it. Organising a water taxi guided tour for the afternoon on the way; we dourly headed off up the spit to town. Although 4 miles sounds quick and easy, 6.4km doesn’t but we were so immersed in the imperial system of measure by this stage we didn’t think to do a conversion. Another problem was that the spit is just barren sand and rock, and the end is always in sight and never appeared to be getting any closer, with our misery rubbed in by passing Holland-America Cruise Liner free shuttles. Beginning to stagger from lack of stimulants, we finally made it to the end of the spit, only to discover that we had another 2 uphill miles to go to get into the actual town proper.
Sensibly catching a taxi for the return journey, in 10 minutes we’d covered the 6 miles/10km back to the hotel and prepared ourselves for the water taxi tour in the afternoon. We met up with Richard O’Roma and Patrick O’Perth who had also booked the tour and hit the docks, eventually finding the taxi which took us over to the other side of Kachemak Bay. First fauna on the list were otters, lots of otters. Otters are a lot larger than we’d thought, reaching well over a metre in length and eating a lot of seafood which makes them about as popular with commercial fishing people as a Harley rider in any situation involving human beings. Next on the fauna list were puffins, seen in group numbers rarely observed by our guide. These sightings were considered a positive harbinger for future bear sightings.
Hopeful Hypothesis: Otter + Puffin surely will = Bear
Three hours later, after staring at every inch of the magnificent coastline and mountainsides look-
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BMWMCQ Christmas Party
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BMWMCQ CHRISTMAS PARTY SATURDAY 07 DECEMBER 2019
The Club Christmas Party is being welcomed back to the delightful coastal retreat of Evans Heads. We will be dinning on the veranda next to the river with just a fantastic outdoors setting in exclusive use. Dinner will be a two course Christmas fare at $45 per head with a cash bar: Nibbles prior to dinner with drinks
Accommodation The Bowlo Cabins have once again offered a discount price for bookings at the following prices. 6x Hotel Style Cabins @ $108/night (Sleeps 2, King Bed – can be split, 4x 1 Bedroom Cabins @ $143/night (Sleeps 4, Queen Bed – can be split, sofa bed available on request, 6x 2 Bedroom Cabins @ $179/night (Sleeps 6, Queen Bed – can be split, 2 single beds, sofa bed available on request, 2x 3 Bedroom Cabins @ $233/night (Sleeps 8, Queen Bed – cannot be split, Queen Bed – can be split, 2 single beds, sofa bed available on request, Please ring Zac at the Bowlo on 02 6682 4343. to make bookings. Essential to mention you are part of the BMW group to get discounted price. Also The Pacific Motel has nice rooms and their direct booking number is 02 66824318 Paying for dinner Please pay $45.00 per head by bank transfer to the clubs Bank account BSB 124001 AC 10243020Please ensure to add in remarks your name and the number of pax you are paying for. Once you have deposited the correct amount. Please EMAIL treasurer@bmwmcq.org.au stating details of your deposit. This is an essential component of your booking. We have been here before and had a fabulous time so make sure you book your accommodation early and follow the dinner venue booking directions closely. There will be a group ride down on back roads. Some people will go down for two nights, some only on the Saturday. If you’re short of time it is only a short run down the dual carriage freeway to Evans Head.
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ALASKA PT1 - Photo Bomb Alaska
ing for bears and only the guide thinking he caught a glimpse of a black bear’s bum as it ran into the bush, we returned to Homer. A nice IPA in the Salty Dawg while nervously looking at the thousands of flammable $1 notes pinned upon every possible space, and after first making the necessary modifications to Cindy’s side stand the clock said it was a suitable time for dinner and bed. But not until we’d heard details of the Team Tasmania’s flight out to unfairly see bears in plague proportions.
a few spectacular IPAs and dinner. A nice stroll back via the waterfront, a few more drinks with Nic and Margreth in Chinooks restaurant next to the hotel, and the conscious period of the day came to an end.
One of these words is not like the others. That’s right, it’s A which is an indefinite article!
Our mark forever in the Salty Dawg Bar, until it inevitably burns down Day 3 was a partial backtrack north then a
drop south-east to Seward. A coffee at Kasilof, and we were fortified for the journey back to Kenai Lake which had now become the traditional southern Alaskan lunch venue. On the subject of backtracking, the Alaskan road network is a loop around Palmer – Healy – Fairbanks – Tok – Glennallen, with a sparse set of dead-end roads coming out of this loop, one going north, and the rest heading in other directions except for west – there are no roads out to Nome. Hence: the plethora of planes to reach much of the state. So backtracking becomes an accepted practice in Alaskan travel, but at least not much is missed and any photo regrets can be resolved on the return journey. Coming into Seward was scenery on steroids, with lakes, snow covered mountains, and even glaciers making the ride down to Resurrection Bay one head swivelling distraction after another. The town is named for William Seward, the US Secretary of State who in 1867 bought Alaska for $7.2 million, equivalent to 2 cents per billion mozzies which is extraordinary value. Once ensconced into the warm bosom of the Holiday Inn Express, it was a stroll down through the marina area into town proper and into the even warmer bosom of the Seward Brewing Co establishment for
Seward scenery collage Day 4 was solid and relentless backtracking
to Anchorage on the way to join the virus body loop proper and finish at Talkeetna. More scenery from the opposite side was experienced up to morning tea at Alyeska on Turnagain arm, strangely including a dead whale high and nearly dry on the mud near Portage. Bayne was already anticipating the mass food disposal at the end of the trip, resulting in over-consumption of chocolate snacks, but at least we were well energised for some fairly un-inspiring riding up through the Anchorage ‘burbs. After a bit of dispersion through Anchorage and calm re-grouping, we made our way into Eagle River for lunch. We don’t expect to be taken to a vegan café specialising in kale – kombucha dishes, but nor do we expect the complete opposite – Pete’s Barbeque.
ALASKA PT1 - Photo Bomb Alaska
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As we were customers and therefore always right, any sullen staff attitudes were fully accounted for in the final tip tally.
The fleet heading north from Seward
To imagine Pete’s Barbeque, think of a 17th century coal mine with a few neon signs installed or the disturbing basement in the Silence of the Lambs movie during a power failure. We were in a land of perpetual daylight, except for the hour or so we spent on Day 4 inside Pete’s Barbeque. The food was fantastic, and once we had all evolved into blind hairless moles the atmosphere was excellent fun. The stage was used to store numerous lawnmowers, which seemed especially odd as there was no lawn, and vacuum cleaners which looked to be caged vacuums as there was no evidence they’d ever run free range out in the bar area.
Sneaking through the Talkeetna rail yards in search of beer Day 5 started with a breakfast and gathering
for a trip to the Talkeetna airport for a Denali flyover. The weather looked okay-ish, but as Talkeetna is a long way from Denali hope for a clear view went unmentioned in case it put a curse on the tour. Once out in the plane and on the way, the clouds disappeared, and we were treated with some of the most spectacular scenery imaginable. The plane doesn’t go up to 20,000ft and therefore all the flying is below the peak of Mt Denali and through the valleys and glaciers.
Mt Denali from the south
Tuning up the eyes for the Alaskan winter in Pete’s Barbeque
The cultural immersion complete, it was back on the bikes in the increasing heat for the push up the highway to Talkeetna where we had a two night stay planned at the Swiss Alaska Inn on the edge of the town. Once changed and refreshed, we took the shortcut out the back and over the Anchorage to Fairbanks railway line to the touristy little village filled with restaurants, bars, craft shops, and adventure tour booking offices. The Denali Brewpub was the venue of choice for dinner, however we managed to completely de-rail serving protocols by moving into and out of different staff zones on the verandah to avoid the sun or sit with tour friends.
With universal agreement that the Denali experience had been right up there with the best ever, and after a wander about the town and a light lunch we moved onto the next activity – ziplining. The Denali Zipline Tour includes 9 ziplines and 3 suspension bridges, so took up a fair part of the afternoon with Peter and Maxine and Margreth joining us. No photos were taken because we left all our loose gear behind, anything falling would be lost in thick jungle forever so decided against. The tour was excellent, even though long periods were spent on apparently flimsy platforms while less confident group members sometimes had to be pried from the tree branches to get them onto the next line.
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ALASKA PT1 - Photo Bomb Alaska
Mt Huntington with the razor sharp French ridge in the foreground
Looking down the 4.5km wide Ruth Glacier
Creating terror amongst naughty children since 2013
After all the activity, the day was declared a raging success and the railway line was crossed once more for dinner and some well-deserved drinks at the Mountain High Pizza Pie restaurant which was rounded out with the Blue Flags and Black Grass band playing a few catchy numbers. Back to the Swiss Alaska Inn, our laundry was sorted out and bags repacked for the next stage of the trip – the daunting push to the very top of North America at Prudhoe Bay.
End of Part One
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CLUB MEMBER - ROB WYNNE
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CLUB MEMBER PROFILE ROB WYNNE
ob would be very well known to the longer serving members of the club, especially those associated with the venerable airhead BMWs, and to those members who have attended any of the recent service days. Rob has hosted several of these days at his sprawling property just outside Jimboomba where the wide expanses and vast shed provide an ideal venue to work on the bikes and have a chat over a sausage sanger. Rob often attended the dinners before the club meetings at the previous venue at the Moreton Bay Sports Club. Very sadly that venue had no wheelchair access to the first floor meeting room so Rob had to quietly go home after dinner. Thankfully that situation does not exist at our current meeting venue at the Geebung RSL. Rob is a larger than life character and wonderful attribute to the club. I have never seen Rob without a smile and his enthusiasm for life is infectious. Rob was an adventure rider with a love of the airhead BMW’s long before Ewan and Charlie put GS BMW’s on the world stage with their well supported trans-continental adventure rides. Rob and his mates undertook unsupported rides of epic proportion through the harshest country on offer in Australia. The most challenging of these rides across the Simpson Desert and along the Canning Stock Route were linked to the famous Off-Centre Rally (OCR), a biennial affair originally hosted somewhere off the centre of Australia
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(hence the name) but more recently also hosted at remote sites closer to the Coast. My understanding of the criteria for the selection of the site is that it must be at a remote location in Australia, have a minimum of 200km (or was that 200 miles or 100km?) of dirt and it must have fuel and beer. The last rally in 2018 was at Mt Dare near the Northern Territory end of the Simpson Desert. This was the second Rally staged at Mt Dare which also hosted the 1994 event. On that occasion Rob & his mates crossed the Simpson Desert to attend. There is a link to a story written by one of Rob’s ride buddies (Kevin Devine) of their traverse of the Canning Stock Route in 1996 to attend the OCR that year. This is a true adventure riding story. The bikes of choice were all well used GS BMWs packed to the gunnels with fuel and supplies.
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CLUB MEMBER - ROB WYNNE
BMWMCQ
A Quick Glance in the Mirror
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n the “2018 06 Journal” I published a list of Past Presidents, but the following are some interesting facts about the history of committee positions, which don’t include the position of President.
Two members stand out for holding a committee position the most and they are, Richard Maher (life member), who has been on the committee for 11 terms and Ron Durkin (RTO) who has served a total of 10 terms.
The club member who has spanned the most amount of years as a committee member is Andy McLeod, who has been on the committee for a total of 9 terms covering 30 years. An interesting coincident is that Tony Malone (life member) has also been a committee member for 9 terms and both Tony and Andy were committee members for the first time in the same year, 1987. Tony
has been a committee member spanning 24 years.
Researched by Gary Bennett #509 From old Club Journals
These guys had no 4WD support vehicle so they carried everything required and solved whatever problems arose – like fixing a broken frame in the middle of nowhere with the tools they were carrying and materials scavenged from the surrounds.
These pictures show Rob’s bike loaded for the Canning ride and then fitted with a dual seat and homemade panniers for the ride home after partner Sue had joined him in Darwin. Rob’s life took a terrible turn for the worse in 1999 when he had an accident on his enduro bike that left him with a broken spine and a future in a wheelchair. Rob’s story in his own words of that fateful day on 23 May 1999 and its aftermath trails this story. Undaunted by this monumental life changing event he has not taken a backward step and still enjoys life to the fullest including his great love of motorcycling. His first foray back into the breeze was via a ‘traditional’ VW engined trike which took him in 2008 to his first OCR since his accident.
CLUB MEMBER - ROB WYNNE The remote venue was Lorella Springs in the NT where Rob’s triumphant entry to the Rally stunned many friends and seasoned rally goers. The feat was considered impossible by many but showed the motorcycling world that Rob was not one to accept defeat. The trike lasted for 11 years but it had its limitations and didn’t fully satisfy Rob’s requirements. He returned to his great love for BMW airheads and acquired an R100 GS BMW outfit. He then set about replacing the conventional sidecar with a custom built frame made locally by Alan Duff at his home engineering shop in Brisbane. The mount points carry over from the first sidecar so the outfit can be converted back to its original form if ever required. The new ‘chair’ is fitted with remote handlebars and controls so that Rob can ride the outfit from his wheelchair secured on the sidecar platform on the LHS of the bike. The outfit is not registered to carry any person on the conventional motorcycle seat.
I first had a close look at the outfit in Mark Morrissey’s Boxerworks shop where Mark was doing the engine work and fitting a rather special gearbox. A German based company, Motoren-Israel, has engineered a reverse gear adaption to the conventional 5 speed BMW airhead gearbox. The blurb on the company website states that ‘The gearbox gets an additional device; the reverse may only be inserted while idling.’ There is a lever on the RHS of the gearbox which when raised engages first gear in the reverse direction. Push the lever back down and conventional first gear is re-engaged.
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Unfortunately Rob rides the outfit from the opposite side to this lever so a good old bush solution was required. This involved a length of fencing wire to get within Rob’s reach. A fine piece of German engineered alloy and a bit of Aussie improvisation blended together to make the whole thing work. Rob is now able to ride independently and attend his much loved rallies. Another love of Rob’s is the good old country tradition of the B&S Ball. He has a string of tags from these events hanging in his shed. He even managed to get a couple of his care nurses along when he was hospitalised after his accident. Now that you know a bit about Rob get up and say g’day if you see him at a club meeting or event, he doesn’t bite.
Tony Gray
Rob’s story, in his own words, of that fateful day on 23 May 1999 and its aftermath starts on page 28
ROB WYNNE - IN HIS OWN WORDS couldn’t do it so pulled back onto the track behind IN HIS OWN WORDS but him. He then slowed and pulled off to the left and I was
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WRITTEN 23RD MAY 2009
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years ago today I went for a bike ride that would change my life forever. The weekend started off with a night at the Calamvale Hotel with friends from work. I remember it was a rainy night as we all met in the bar and gathered in a booth for a night of drinks, laughs and bad singing. As the night progressed we all made our way into the club area until around midnight when I decided to go home dropping off a mate on the way. Saturday morning I was up early to meet the blokes from the Beaudesert Motorcycle Club to start setting up a National MX track on my property which over the years would attract up to 270 competition riders from all over Australia. The race was named the Steel-horse Natural Terrain and ran for about 5 years before its demise. It was while I was down at the track I got a call informing me that one of our work friends was walking home from our night out and was hit by a car in the pouring rain and tragically died. Understandably I was shocked and left the track and went to a friend’s place to see them. All of us in disbelief, he was so young and we were having a great time never knowing we’d never see him again. On the Saturday afternoon I loaded up my bike so as to get an early start Sunday to go to a ride at Silverdale just north of Aratula. There I met up with Steve, Mark, Dave and Mark and we geared up headed out on the Enduro loop stopping at a couple of the hill climbs to watch. I had done 2 loops of the track and just got back when Charlie arrived. I helped him unload his bike and we all geared up again for my 3rd loop. I was out front of our group with adrenaline pumping while I’m tailing another rider that wouldn’t pull over to let me through. I was darting between trees and rocks off the track to try and get around
thinking he was finally letting me past when I saw why he was slowing. There was a log across the track which I’d been over twice before but had forgotten all about it this lap. The log was about 18 inches high and I knew I was going too fast to stop before it so I decided the only way was to try and jump the bike over it. I pulled a wheel-stand just as I got to it to get the front wheel over and was hoping the back suspension would soak up the sudden impact. Well it didn’t and bottomed out completely and then because I was standing, the seat came up and punched me into the air. At this point everything turned to slow motion and I was thinking while I was flying through the air like Superman, “this is gonna hurt” but little did I know at the time that that was the instant my spinal cord had been broken. I must have blacked out for an a moment cause the next thing I remember was lying flat on my back looking up at the sky. I wasn’t in any pain and tried to sit up but was unable to because I’d lost the use of my stomach muscles. I then reached down to my thighs and touched them but because I’d lost feeling below the break it was as if I was touching someone else’s legs even though I knew they were mine. I also thought my knees were still up towards my stomach but that was the last thing my brain would’ve remembered before the break. Now here’s the interesting part. You’d think panic would be your first reaction but I was calm, I’d realized straight away that I had broken my back and just wave my hands in the air to show my mates I was alright and told them to get the Ambulance. I still remember looking up at my hands still with my gloves on while I was waving. Steve helped me get my helmet off after he’d checked I was OK to do so and as I was wearing a camel back, I said to rip the end off it and let the water out so I could lie flat on the ground. For some reason I
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FOR THE AIRHEADS - and they are many
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MMM BOXERWORKS AIRHEADS GROUP PAGE Each month Mark will endeavour to provide a couple of links to his instructional videos on dealing with all matters pertaining to BMW Airhead Motor Cycles. These are the three links this month to Facebook Video’s: https://www.facebook.com/Boxerworks/videos/351145412488665/ https://www.facebook.com/Boxerworks/videos/662519510883054/ https://www.facebook.com/Boxerworks/videos/888493374819474/ https://www.facebook.com/mark.morrissey.96/videos/10219638550375035/
The above video by Mark (5035) really is a must see...very informative
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AUGUST 2019
ROB WYNNE - IN HIS OWN WORDS
took my tool bag off before doing this loop and lucky I did as I would’ve been lying on it. I had cracked the mouth piece of my helmet and nearly ripped the peak off and totally destroyed the left shoulder guard on my body armour which saved my shoulder from serious harm, it pays to wear the right gear. Someone rode back to the parking area to get the St Johns Ambulance to tell them what I’d done and because I was in a remote spot on the track it took ages for them to get out to me. Steve was supporting my head while the others directed the riders around me. I could still see bikes riding past while I was laying there. The St Johns people arrived and he used his pen to prod my skin to see if I could feel anything, I couldn’t and that’s when he said CareFlight was on the way to airlift me to hospital. It sounds strange but while I was lying on the ground I was already planning my life in a wheelchair. I was still calm and I didn’t really say much as I lay there looking up at the clouds, I didn’t even ask when the helicopter was getting there because I didn’t want to hear if it was going to be a while. About an hour and a half had past and the pain had really started to set in, I suppose my body was in shock even if I wasn’t. By this time it was getting harder to breath and as I looked up at the clouds in silence I was wondering if this was the end, a lot goes through your mind at this time. CareFlight arrived and straight away got me on the green whistle which didn’t help with the pain at all. I remember the paramedic had a Scottish accent and while he was attending to me got a few people to slowly roll me onto my side so he could check my back which was quite painful; this also was a chance to get the split stretcher under me. The helicopter had landed about 100m away because in the case of a spinal injury, any ground movement can cause damage. I was carried to the helicopter and placed inside and strapped down for my 20 minute flight to PA Hospital. All up I was on the ground for around 2 hours and am grateful to my mates for being with me. A Television crew had also landed and I’m not sure if I made the news or not, I never asked. We landed at the pad at the PA Hospital and I was ferried down to the casualty ward. At some stage I was put on morphine for the pain so my trip through casualty was a joyous one, well that’s what it seemed like at the time.
I was joking with the doctors and nurses while they were going about their procedures and I do remember getting a CT scan but it was mostly a blur. My Mum and Brother saw me later and I said all was fine but I knew they were hurting and felt helpless. My main focus was not on me but the ones around me, I wanted them not to worry so I would make them feel at ease and joke about something. Because of my injury all I saw was the ceiling everywhere they took me and then later that night I finished up in the Acute ward in the Spinal Unit which was to be my home for the next 4 months. I had broken T8 and had a small crack in my neck, not sure which one, so I was to lie still for the next 4 weeks. I’ve always had a very active mind and body so now my mind had to twice the work to make up for it. I was in there for about 5 days with constant stream of friends coming to see me but at the time I was very weak and had to ask them to wait a while before visiting me. Once I’d been moved into the ward where I shared a room with 3 other spinal patients I gave the OK for visits again. From what I’d been told, where I worked was a very sad place on the Monday with two tragedies in one weekend, everyone was in disbelief of what had happened and even the blokes out on site who I used to work with were shocked to hear the news. So there I was, looking at the ceiling and figuring how to get back riding again so I was working out in my head the best way to get a sidecar setup on my bike. When my bike mates came in we’d always talk about it and came up with heaps of ideas. I had a television at my bed so I was watching dirt bike videos and movies daily cause there wasn’t anything else I was allowed to do and while watching TV you weren’t thinking of your injury and helped pass the days quicker. I learnt how to eat from a dinner plate on my chest with a mirror above me that sometimes ended up messy. After 4 weeks I was able to roll onto my stomach and I did this for 2 weeks before I was sat up into a wheelchair. Now, I can tell you that lying down for 6 weeks really changes your body, all your insides get very used to it so when I was vertical again the room wanted to spin. The first time up was about and hour before I went back to bed but this time got longer each day and as soon as I could I got into the gym to build up the muscles again. A good friend Pat Brennan had visited me while I was still confined to bed and later was shocked to hear died while driving his truck so my first time out of hospital was to his funeral. When I arrived back I found that I’d been moved to my own room with a double bed and it was close to Acute so the nurses would turn up my stereo so they could hear some music in there. It was still another month before I’d get to see home again when I went out for a day visit to see what modifications I needed to make.
ROB WYNNE - IN HIS OWN WORDS I also made a visit to the bike shops around slacks creek to thank them for their support and bought a new helmet while I was there cause I knew I’d be riding again one day. I went into work to see all my friends there to help break the ice, people were unsure how to approach me because of what had happened so it was reassuring for them when they saw me getting around and having a laugh with them. The nurses and doctors were great and it felt more like home than a hospital in the spinal unit, I even introduced 2 of the nurses to the BnS scene when I took them to their first one at Beaudesert. Four others came out to the farm while I was still a patient and had a great time camping on the river. After 4 months it was time to go home so it’s customary that on your last day you get taken out to lunch with a few other patients so I chose the Breakfast Creek Hotel. We all headed off in a maxi taxi to have a lunch that was to keep me in hospital for another 4 days, must’ve been in the salad but I was the only one to get sick. I eventually got home and life has just got better from then on………..
Arriving at Lorella Springs NT August 2008, a lot of people said I’d never make it but they don’t know my determination, with my Wheelchair strapped on the side, I made a grand entrance. 140km of Gravel, Corrugations, Deep Sand and Creek Crossings couldn’t stop me and seeing the amazed looks on people’s faces when I arrived was priceless.
AUGUST 2019
Life is Great…. Rob Wynne
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AUGUST 2019
JULY CLUB SERVICE DAY
The July service day was staged on a Saturday morning - a change from the traditional Sunday timeslot. The change seemed popular with over 17 bikes in attendance (their riders were there as well). The venue was again at Rob Wynne’s home just on the outskirts of Jimboomba a short distance off Beaudesert Road. Rob’s place would be close to an ideal setup for this event as there are no close neighbours to worry about noise, a BIG shed with plenty of space to work and a wide concrete apron for the BBQ and chat. The bikes ranged from airhead, oilhead to wethead with some K bikes as well. A new bike was welcomed to the ‘Club Fleet’, Charlie Brown’s 2012 R1200GS Triple Black, which replaced the old R1100 that was written off in a recent accident. It was good to see Charlie back in the saddle and very proud of his new steed. Work done on the day included oil & filter changes, timing and throttle body adjustments, GS911 program checks and general bike familiarity. Even if you don’t have any work to do on your bike these service days provide a chance to observe and learn, help others or just have a chat about bikes. They are a great opportunity for club members to bond. Thanks go to Bill our hardworking Tools Officer for organising these regular days, managing and supplying the tools and manning the BBQ. Our special thanks to Rob for providing such a great venue and for being a very accommodating host. Tony Gray
AUGUST 2019 - SERVICE DAY
AUGUST 2019 - SERVICE DAY
AUGUST 2019
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AUGUST 2019
ADVERTISING & BMW SUPPORTS
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AUGUST 2019
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AUGUST 2019
BMWMCQ 2019 Events Calendar
BMWMCQ Club Events Schedule AUGUST 2019 Date Start Thu 7:30 01 PM
Event Club General Meeting
Sat 3 Sat Sun 10 & 11 Thu 15
Coffee Morning Club Ride
Sun 25
9:30 AM All Day 6:30 PM
Drinks with Dinner if you like 12:30 Club Lunch PM Ride
Tue 27
6:00 PM
German Club Social Dinner
Sat & Sun 31 & 1
All Day and Night
Club Camping Weekend
DATE
Details Geebung RSL Club, 323 Newman Road, Geebung Qld….Meals from 6:00pm with meeting commencing at 7.30pm. ALL WELCOME! Come and meet people who share a common interest. Coffee Club Wynnum 70 Bay Terrace Wynuum 11th Annual Biscuit Ride Corner of New England Highway and Magetts St Wallangarra Morrison Hotel 640 Stanley St Woolloongabba
Contact president@bmwmcq.org.au
president@bmwmcq.org.au president@bmwmcq.org.au
president@bmwmcq.org.au
Mt Warnin Hotel UKI - 1497 Kyogle Road president@bmwmcq.org.au Uki NSW 2484 editor@bmwmcq.org.au Brisbane German Club, 416 Vulture Street, East Brisbane …Come along and enjoy the company of your fellow Club members. A limited amount of parking is available in the club carpark however, if this is full, parking is available on Duke and Linton Streets. Lake CressBrook - Murray Brown and Murray Brown Bill Allen are arranging another camping Bill Allen weekend for us all. $8 per person pay on arrival...camp fire and hot showers..it will be a great weekend.
EXTRAORDINARY EVENTS CALENDAR TIME
EVENT
DETAILS
CONTACT
BMWMCQ 2019 Events Calendar
AUGUST 2019
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BMWMCQ Club Events Schedule SEPTEMBER 2019 Date Start Event Details Thu 7:30 Club General Geebung RSL Club, 323 Newman Road, 05 PM Meeting Geebung Qld….Meals from 6:00pm with meeting commencing at 7.30pm. ALL WELCOME! Come and meet people who share a common interest. Sun TBA Club Monthly TBA 08 Ride Fri 6:30 Drinks with The Glen Hotel 24 Gaskell Street Eight 13 PM Dinner if You Mile Plains Like Sat 09:30 Coffee Ride Café 63 at 68-72 Pickering Place Enoggera 21 AM Tue 06:00 German Club Brisbane German Club, 416 Vulture Street, 24 PM Social Dinner East Brisbane …Come along and enjoy the company of your fellow Club members. A limited amount of parking is available in the club carpark however, if this is full, parking is available on Duke and Linton Streets. Sun 12.30 Club Lunch Kenilworth Hotel – 18 Elizabeth St 29 PM Ride Kenilworth QLD 4574
Contact president@bmwmcq.org.au
Greg Gaffney president@bmwmcq.org.au president@bmwmcq.org.au editor@bmwmcq.org.au
president@bmwmcq.org.au
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AUGUST 2019
A Couple of Adverts................
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We’ve got you covered. GENUINE AUSTRALIAN
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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
Good Wool Store Pty Ltd 49 Queen St BERRY 2535 P 02 4464 2081. F 02 4464 3344
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BMWMCQ FRIGID DIGIT - JULY 2019
AUGUST 2019
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AUGUST 2019
CAMPING WEEKEND AUGUST 2019
CAMPING WEEKEND 31 st AUGUST 2019
P
aul Murray and I have confirmed the venue for the camping weekend as Lake Cressbrook near Crow’s Nest. It has a camp kitchen in a covered area, hot and cold showers, plenty of camping area with a number of sites being able to hold more than one tent. Camping fees are $8 per person pay on arrival. We intend to have a good campfire going as it should be reasonably cold. It is a bitumen road all the way to the camping area: Numerous ways to get there including dirt routes from Esk and Toogoolawah. Bill Allen
BMWMCQ BOOK EXCHANGE BOOKS AVAILABLE
Race to Dakar Charley Boorman Extreme Frontiers Charley Boorman (Racing Across Canada) What If I Had Never Tried It Valentino Rossi (The Autobiography) The Road to Mali Craig Carey-Clinch No Room for Watermelons Ron & Lynne Fellowes Great Motorcycle Tours of Europe Colette Coleman A Motorcycle Courier in the Great War Captain W.H.L. Watson Australia Motorcycle Atlas With 200 Top Rides (6th Ed) Herma Maps Overland Magazine Issue 11 Overland Magazine Issue 19 Overland Magazine Issue 21
Overland Magazine Overland Magazine Overland Magazine The Touring Motorcycle
Issue 22 Issue 25 Issue 26 Jeff Ware & Kris Hodgson
2 x On Tour with Compass Expeditions DVDs
The Club has taken up the initiative commenced by Cindy Bennett and that is a book exchange facility via the Club. The initive is being overseen by Jane Gray and yoou can communicate with jane vis email at: mailto:library@bmwmcq.net.au Arrangement can be made with the librarian as to pick up drop off procedures and wew wouold antici[pate this occurred at the monthly Memebers meeting.....Editor
BMWMCQ FRIGID DIGIT - JULY 2019
AUGUST 2019
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