DECEMBER 2019
www.bmwmcq.org.au
OFFICIAL JOURNAL OF THE BMW MOTORCYCLE CLUB OF QUEENSLAND INC. Established 1958
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2018
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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
Editors - Cindy & Duncan Bennett Ph: 0401 610 671 editor@bmwmcq.org.au Triumph Tigers 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 & Dealer Liaison
Don Grimes Ph: 0411 601 372 regalia@bmwmcq.org.au
This Issue - DECEMBER 2019 Contents:Editorial . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 Committee Reports . . . . . . . . . . 5 NATIONALS. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 SERVICE DAY REPORT . . . . . . . . . . 9 General Meeting Minutes. . . . . 10 ON THE ROAD RECOMMENDATIONS. 11 BMWMCQ EVENTS CALENDAR . . . . 12 TUMBULGUM lunch . . . . . . . . . . . 14 from the pen of jane gray . . . . 15 A VERY GS CHRISTMAS . . . . . . . . . 16 BIBLICAL . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18 TWO x FOUR x TWO . . . . . . . . . . . 21
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A HISTORY - QLD POLICE. . . . . . . . 29 WALL TO WALL RIDE . . . . . . . . . . . 31 BMWMCQ CHRISTMAS PARTY . . . . . 34 FOR THE AIRHEADS . . . . . . . . . . . 35 EFFIN’ C IV RIDE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36 ADVERTISING . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38 RACQ INSURANCE . . . . . . . . . . . . 42 BMWMCQ BOOK EXCHANGE. . . . . . 43
TeamMoto Gold Coast - P.41 TeamMoto Springwood - BACK COVER
On The Cover Sorry to our colour-blind readers, but it’s that time of year again, and the Christmas decoration competition entrants have come through with garish colours...
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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Editorial
DECEMBER 2019
Cindy & Duncan Bennett
Editor’s Report
W
ell, last journal for calendar 2019, and our 4th. Wishing we had the sort of experience and good humour maintained by Dave for such a long time, but he will always remain an inspiration to do well and keep the quality up. A month ago while working up in PNG a keen riding bloke I had just met said “those Queensland BMW club members do some amazing rides!”, yet more inspiration for all of us to contribute to one of the longest running and highest quality club magazines in this universe and most parallel ones. Thanks very much to all who have contributed for this and previous journals during 2019. See you on the road! Cindy & Duncan Gary Bennett sent through this photo of Hugh Yorston (our founding member) with a few of his extensive livery of vehicles, sent by his nephew in Scotland a couple of years ago. Hugh is sitting on his 557cc Arial with side car and the foreground is his Arial Square Four 1000cc. The Triumph TR7 is his as well.
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 DECEMBER 2019
Committee Reports Paul Hughes
I
DECEMBER 2019
5
President’s Report
t is always great to hear about our members travels by motorcycle and in the last 4 to 6 months there has been quite a few.
The Moto-GP always supplies plenty of opportunities to attend and also extend into various “motorcycling mecca’s”. Merv Bone apparently “washed his bike” every day for a while in Tasmania whilst Tony and Jane rode comfortably through the sleet in (perish the thought) a tin top. I had a wonderful trip down south with great friends and a very relaxing solo trip back home. All wonderful stuff. The Christmas Party is very close and those attending it are looking forward to a happy and memorable time in Evans Head. It is a great spot and many members spend time there throughout the year and not just at the Christmas Party. One of the yet unspoilt coastal villages, I wonder how long that will last? I am looking forward to seeing everyone down there on the 6th and 7th of December. The BMW PESP prizes will be drawn at the Christmas Party, good luck to everyone.
As in previous years there will be no January journal and the January general meeting will be a week later than usual on 9th January to allow for the festive season. Straight after that will be the annual Jolly’s Lookout Breakfast ride on 12th January. Tony Gray will lead a ride to lunch after breakfast, details soon. The January events calendar is a little shorter than usual due to the holiday period but there is still the staple diet of events. I know during the holiday break many will get together for exploratory rides that will help to set next years events calendar. Ride safe. The year has flown and we have had some sadness but also had some fantastic times and importantly some great riding. Thank you to everyone who has organised and partaken of club events. Thank you to the great committee who have had a fabulous year in the background steering the ship.
To you all and your family and friends, please have a Merry Christmas, Happy New Year and a very safe festive period. Enjoy. Paul
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DECEMBER 2019
T
NATIONALS
he countdown to the BMW Clubs Australia National Motorrad Rally “The Nationals� is on!
We are getting sponsors onboard for the National Rally and planning work is taking place to make this a memorable event for the Club. Registration cost will be $64.39 per person and includes Rally entry, dinner on the Saturday Night and breakfast on Sunday morning along with a welcome pack including Rally Badge and Sticker along with goodies from our generous sponsors. Registration bookings will open in late January 2020.
W W W
hen:
Long weekend of 2nd to 5th October 2020
here:
Stanthorpe, QLD. Command Central is the Stanthorpe Showgrounds
hat:
Displays; local led rides both road & GS; gymkhana events; movie night; Show & Shine PLUS MUCH MORE!
Accommodation options include camping at the Showgrounds, or your preferred style of lodging in or around Stanthorpe. A list of suggestions will be provided.
Committee Reports
DECEMBER 2019
John Eacott
1:25 PM 28/11/19 Cash Basis
7
Treasurer’s Report
Our accounts are solid and a check has been booked with an auditor after the end of our Financial Year, to be presented at the next AGM. We currently have Donations of $891 which we anticipate topping up to be able to give a four-figure donation to the RFDS before the club year is finished. Other income and expense generally relate to the 2020 BMW Motorrad Rally. The Miscellaneous expense of $651.31 relates to costs incurred for the Cane Toad Rally, the Biscuit Run, Poker Run, ICE Emergency USBs and various trophies.
BMW Motorcycle Club of Queensland Inc
Profit & Loss
February 1 through November 28, 2019 Feb 1 - Nov 28, 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 Computer costs - Other
4,400.00 248.45 10,042.64 14,691.09 238.00 195.00 152.90 1,001.20 89.00
Total Computer costs
1,243.10
Government Charges Insurance Brokers fee Insurance GST Policy fee Premium Stamp Duty Insurance - Other
55.35
Total Insurance Miscellaneous PayPal commission Postage Printing and Stationery Telephone Tools Expense Website Domain Expenses Website Hosting Expenses Website Maintenance
176.15 78.26 50.00 556.50 55.09 75.89 991.89 651.31 169.70 220.00 64.35 20.00 149.12 56.36 91.74 3,465.00
Total Expense
7,610.92
Net Ordinary Income
7,080.17
Other Income/Expense Other Income Donations Income Event income Regalia Sales Tools & parts sales
891.00 2,000.00 190.00 10.00
Total Other Income
3,091.00
Other Expense 2020 BMW CA Rally Other Expenses Total Other Expense Net Other Income Net Income
441.00 880.00 1,321.00 1,770.00 8,850.17
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DECEMBER 2019
Greg Gaffney
Committee Reports Records Officers Report
A
fter our very wet ride to Gympie recently I’m looking forward to a nice run down to Evans Head for the Xmas party. This year I must schedule in a visit to the Aircraft Museum to see the F111. I thoroughly enjoyed working on the F111s in the 70s.
New Members :
Greg Gaffney records@ bmwmcq.org.au
David Tipoki R1200RT, Mark Taylor R1200GS
Submissions for the Next Journal (FEBRUARY 2020 Edition) close 25 JANUARY 2020
Committee Reports
DECEMBER 2019
Bill Luyten The Club held a Service Day at Rob Wynne’s place at Jimboomba on 9 Nov. There was a great turnout of around 20 members and their machines. 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. Thanks again to Rob for providing the great workshop, BBQ and donating some real good fillet steak! The usual Sausage Sizzle and drinks were provided for lunch ($37 was raised and will go to the RFDS). The club recently purchased a Compression Tester for those wishing to do a cylinder compression test.
Tools for loan
There are special tools available including the GS-911WiFi and 3 pin diagnostic tools.
Special Tools
• Twinmax electronic carburetor balancer (Twin BMW engines) • Vacuumate (electronic synchronization of throttle
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Tool’s Report • • • • • • • • •
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
Congratulations to Rob and Bill for organising and hosting such a successful and extraordinary Service Day!
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Committee Reports
DECEMBER 2019
Tony Gray
Travelling Secretary’s Report
This month I am extending a big thank you to Duncan for very capably filling the secretary’s boots (we are motorcyclists after all) while Jane and I have been enjoying ourselves at the MotoGP and touring Tasmania (read all about it in these pages).
When we take on the responsibilities of a committee position we do so with an understanding of what that responsibility entails, but we are all volunteers with other obligations (and pleasures lol) to fulfil. It is a great asset to this club that we have members like Cindy & Duncan who selflessly volunteer to cover gaps when they occur. Well done the pair of you.
BMWMCQ Meeting Minutes 07 November 2019 Venue: Geebung RSL Meeting Opened: Apologies:
7.39 pm Maggie & George, Tony & Jane G, Charlie Brown, Pete & Sue F, Steve & Rosie J. Minutes of Previous General Meeting: Accepted: Geoff Hodge Number of Attendees: 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:
Seconded: Duncan Bennett 32 Mark Taylor, 1200GSA Nil Paula, BMW sidecar Current liquid assets ~$30,000. P&L available. 32 booked for Christmas Party. Fish ‘n Chips ride Nov 10, leaving Yatala BP at 2pm. Cleveland Point Lighthouse roughly 5:30pm. Saturday 9 November service day at Rob W’s place. Compression tester available now 9-9:30 start. Heaps of water if anyone wants to wash their bike. Everyone awarded with a club badge. Clearing stock. 233 Financial members. 6 new members in the last month. Nationals website about to go live. Christmas Party Dec 7th. Café 63 Sinnamon Rd 16th. Lunch Tumbulgum 12:30pm NSW time. German Club 26th. Glen Hotel 29th Nov 6:30pm. Nil. Shannons meeting event. Room for more bikes. National Rally. 2 x sponsors signed up – Compass Expeditions and Shannons. Anita/Frank only ones to turn up at Hamilton Hotel. BMW shirts available – Cindy Bennett. Paul’s ride south described including Ural sidecar ride. Cane Toad 66 people turned up. Cover photo required, suggested Christmas decorated bike. 8:30 pm, next meeting Thursday 5 December.
ON THE ROAD RECOMMENDATIONS
A
DECEMBER 2019
11
n 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 list is below and will be updated each month: so if you have recommendations (or steer clears) related to accommodation please pass that on to Tony who will collate and give to me to publish in the newsletter.
LOCATION
PUB NAME
$$$
ROOM TYPE Shared Facilities SelfContained
MEALS
BIKE STORAGE/COMMENTS
Near Grafton
Ulmarra
Uralla
Top Pub
55 one 99 two 50 one 80 two
Breakfast included No Breakfast
85
Shared Facilities
Railway
57
SelfContained Price/head for shared room
Cooked Breakfast included No meals
Open but safe parking, good restaurant and location on the Clarence River. 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.
Bathurst
Knickerbocker
Myrtleford
Gympie
The Australian
80 one 90 two
Shared Facilities
No Breakfast
Narrabri
Tourist Hotel
50 two
Cooma
Alpine
45 one
Shared Facilities Shared Facilities
No Breakfast No Breakfast
Will allow parking undercover of Drive-Thru. Clean and close to town. Excellent bistro meals. Don’t even think about it, keep riding. Very bike friendly Pub. Excellent Restaurant. Lock up garage just for bikes.
More Service Day Photos...
BMWMCQ 2019 Events Calendar BMWMCQ Club Events Schedule DECEMBER 2019
12
Datee Thu 05
Sat 07 Sun 15 Sat 21
DECEMBER 2019
Start 7:30 PM
6.30 PM
Event Club General Meeting
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. RSL Club Evans Head NSW
Club Christmas Party 12:30 Club Lunch O’Shanley’s Hotel Ride Clifton PM 9.30 Coffee Café 63 at 63 Bowling St Enoggera Meet Up AM
Contact president@bmwmcq.org.au
president@bmwmcq.org.au president@bmwmcq.org.au president@bmwmcq.org.au
BMWMCQ Rides - Regular Meeting Places
DECEMBER 2019 BMWMCQ 2020 Events Calendar BMWMCQ Club Events Schedule JANUARY 2020
Date Start Thu 7:30 09 PM
Sun 12 Sat 18
Tue 28
7.30 am 9.30 aM
6.00 PM
Event Club General Meeting
Club Annual Jolly’s Lookout BBQ Breakfast Coffee Meet Up
The German Club
13
Details Contact Geebung RSL Club, 323 Newman president@bmwmcq.org.au Road, Geebung Qld….Meals from 6:00pm with meeting commencing at 7.30pm.
ALL WELCOME! Come and meet people who share a common interest. Jolly’s Lookout Mt Nebo president@bmwmcq.org.au More details to follow. Garage 25
president@bmwmcq.org.au
I Boatworks Drive Coomera
Gold Coast
president@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.
EXTRAORDINARY EVENTS CALENDAR
Nothing this month, so another Service Day photo after the BMW’s had run out:
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DECEMBER 2019
By: Duncan Bennett No.4171
As we members of the BMWMCQ regularly invade our state’s southerly neighbour New South Wales, the hole in the space-time continuum creates a major problem; they are an hour ahead and for lunch rides we risk accidentally getting there just as the kitchen closes.
TUMBULGUM LUNCHEON building crowd once we were inside. But no matter how many laps we did through the tavern, toilets, and bar area the BMWMCQ gathering failed to materialise. Then we found an empty table with a sign - Hughes 1:30pm. Foiled, there was nothing to do but accept that for the first time ever we were the first to arrive, and sit back and relax in the excellent atmosphere before the large crowd
The Tumbulgum lunch plan that didn’t survive first contact with the enemy daylight savings This time there would be no accidents, the lunch normally starts at the civilised hour of 12:30pm local time, well before the kitchen staff prepare to knock-off, so we cunningly left an hour earlier! Genius! So off we went via Tamborine Mountain, down into Advancetown, past Hinze Dam and Natural Bridge, and revelling in the change from 11am to 12 noon on the GPS - ETA 12:25pm. A small delay was caused by a homesick team member trying to escape back to QLD via the Tomewin Road, but Don wasn’t going to accept an AWOL and soon had the flock re-assembled for the run up Dulguigan Road and across the Tweed to Tumbulgum. There was a surprisingly light dusting of BMW motorcycles near the Tumbulgum Tavern, but we expected to find the usual
showed up at 12.30pm. Queensland time. An excellent lunch venue and day regardless of time errors, thanks to Prez Paul for organising.
Better early to Tumbulgum than never
FROM THE PEN OF JANE GRAY
DECEMBER 2019
5 LINE FLIRTATIONS It’s amazing what pops into my mind When out riding & tucked in behind A ballad or ditty Serious or witty It all just seems to unwind So here are some for your pleasure To read in your moments of leisure Sit back & relax All fiction, no facts My trash just might be your treasure The old Bar-fly sat on his stool Sipping his drink & playing it cool You might think him slow But I’ll have you know He’s certainly nobody’s fool He loves his drink, there’s no doubt Especially his Lager or Stout He’d drink any beer With gusto and cheer As long as it wasn’t his “shout”! She once met a man called Olaf Who bought her a Martini & olive Her terrified taste buds Sensed the soap suds It tasted just like Palmolive!! A good Scotch is said to be mellow Like a smooth alcoholic jello I’ve not had the pleasure Though told in good measure By a very distinguished fellow Be careful when drinking Whisky It can oftentimes be a bit risky Too much or more You’re flat on the floor Enough could just make you frisky He had a big night on the Vodka He opened his eyes & “What the??” Obstructing his view
Were the Boys in Blue He was in the back of the squad car Years of pulling beers & serving Putting up with the banter & perving Do something wrong It wouldn’t take long For her stare to be very unnerving! There once was a lady called Bubbles Who sought to ease her troubles Right out of the blue She knew what to do Her drinks she turned into doubles Imagine a stylish young Gecko Who loved a glass of Prosecco Sometimes she would sip Or jump in for a dip Did it tickle her nose? Heck no! She so loved her Gin & tonic Her thirst for it something chronic It came in pink too But didn’t make her blue Now isn’t that somewhat ironic Deciding if she’ll be naughty or nice While sipping her Baileys on ice She rolls it around Then swallows it down Mmm?? Naughty with a little spice! Three sisters were drinking Tequila They were Priscilla, Camilla & Lilla One drank it neat Her heart skipped a beat Oh what a foolhardy sheila Once an old horse named Zachary Loved a good swig of Daiquiri Then one fateful day He lost his way Ending up at the local knackery
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16
DECEMBER 2019
W
A VERY GS CHRISTMAS
ell the entrants for the inaugural Christmas photos competition put in a huge effort and the panel of esteemed and experienced BMW decoration Judges had a difficult time making a decision.
Best “artistic” was taken by Frank Hills, entitled “A Queensland Christmas” Special mention goes to the winners Anita Wyndham, Mark Mustchin, and Rosi Johnson, the rest of the entrants didn’t meet the unpublished criteria and some didn’t even feature a BMW motorcycle, which resulted in disqualification and sending of the photos to the Queensland motorcycle police.
AND A HAPPY BOXER YEAR
DECEMBER 2019
Turning the lights off didn’t fool the Judges, those headlights are like dental records.
Took a while to realise that it wasn’t a random pigeon sitting on Rosi’s mirror
You’re not fooling anyone. It’s not a GS.
Why aren’t they displayed like this in the showroom? I’d definitely buy one if they were......
17
18
DECEMBER 2019
BIBLICAL
Gympie via the De Groot route. Wild guesses between 120km and 180km duly recorded, we were away and he ride organised by Sunny Coast Rider Group the bad weather experience was behind us. stalwart Richard De Groot went something like this: By: Duncan Bennett No.4171
T
The plan was to start from BP Glenview at 3:45pm and ride up to Gympie. Therefore, the weather was checked at the starting location – Brisbane – and at the finishing location – Gympie. All clear and likely a bit sweaty in Brisbane, and warm up in Gympie with a negligible chance of rain, like 30%, which is equivalent to zero as far as experienced weather app users are concerned. So the conclusion was that it was going to be unpleasantly warm, and clothing options were quickly reduced to only maximum airflow items, with wet weather kit excluded based on the results of the aforementioned weather app data analysis. The ride commenced for us after 2pm, plenty of time to get to the meeting point considering it was all afternoon freeway heading against the traffic. The clouds started to look a bit outside our data analysis expectations around the North Pine River bridge but seemed to merely threaten without the gumption to carry through. Until Caboolture, where the threat started to materialise like “The Man with No Name” flicking his poncho back from his Colt .45; the clouds showed the result would be inevitable. We went for the throttle at Beerburrum, but the firepower was overwhelming with extremely heavy rain and hail trying to hold us up before the blessed relief of the turn-off up the Steve Irwin Way into the warm embrace of Richard and Wendy under cover at the BP.
RIde Leader Richard and Already Drenched Ian Some disrobing and wringing out of socks were completed before preparation for the ride start, which included a competition to guess the number of kilometres from BP Glenview to the Australian Hotel in
Starting with more weight than Phar Lap Up through Eudlo, Palmwoods, Montville, Mapleton, and back down to Nambour and Yandina, Richard had chosen the best of the best hinterland roads. Things were looking very good with our advance, at least until we headed into Eumundi and the clouds ahead were clearly gathering for a counterattack. With heavy drops smacking amongst us, Richard decided that democracy was better than dictatorship and pulled over to offer a choice – those who wished to follow him could, those who were ill-prepared or illhumoured could blast up the highway to Gympie.
BIBLICAL Some token effort made by those with wet weather gear, hardened individuals like Huw and Liezel stayed the course behind Richard toward Cooroy while the rest of us took the freeway. We appeared to be sneaking behind the nasty clouds as they were headed east, so we were surely in for a quick and comfortable journey. But the highway heads north-west. And the next weather front was heading south-east. You do the math; we couldn’t do any math because our calculator was destroyed by the first wave of torrential rain.
Paul wondering where everyone had got to It actually didn’t start off that badly, the rain just got gradually heavier and the sheet of water on the road just got deeper, but the traffic moved along as normal. Then cars stopped on the side of the road with hazard lights flashing appeared, and underneath every bridge was jammed with vehicles, even boldly parking in the left-hand lane which didn’t amuse the trucks. The President took a leaf out of an olden day General’s book and was leading from the front, without realising that his troop numbers were rapidly dwindling behind him at every bridge. Eventually, huge gusts of wind and small lumps of vegetation were whacking us so it was time to pull up. The lightning was starting to look pretty bad as well and we’d already passed through a few “close ones”.
Helmet cam blurring due to high frequency shivers
DECEMBER 2019
19
Sitting by the side of the road getting hammered and utterly drenched was something I could only put up with for a few minutes so when the wind appeared to die down I decided to keep on, I’d also now realised why everyone was under the bridges – fear of giant hail. Maybe just around the corner the weather would clear instantly to a warm and balmy spring day and I could laugh at the drowning rats behind me – if only they’d gone another kilometre!
Never a bad time for a selfie The GPS said I had a mere 17km to go to the Australian Hotel. “Give me The Aussie or give me death” was my new motto, although I wasn’t really that committed to purely black & white options but “Give me The Aussie or give me a bus shelter” didn’t seem in keeping with the drama of the moment.
Coles Creek - Ground Zero, but on a nice day Although the rain couldn’t get heavier, the lightning strikes could. Somewhere near Coles Creek the gap between the strikes and thunder was down to less than a second, and the thunder could be heard quite clearly over Mylie Cyrus as she belted out an inappropriate Party in the USA over the Sena. And then suddenly the sky lightened (not lightninged) and the rain began to ease, and before I could say “[Redacted] me that was ugly” I was into the 80kmh zone and the
20
BIBLICAL
DECEMBER 2019
rain had stopped. The troubles weren’t over though, soon my teeth were chattering so hard with the cold (What happened to the weather app +30°C for Gympie? Did I have the wrong bloody Gympie?) that not biting off my tongue became the challenge.
dryer and consuming lots of warming reds and cooling beers in an effort to finally get the temperature right. The icing on the cake was my winning of the “guess the kilometres” competition (original ride route after some heated discussion, but it didn’t matter as I was closest to the final ride route k’s as well), and Richard awarded me a locally made wooden desk stand which now proudly adorns the Editor’s desk.
The Death Ride Veteran© group - The Aussie Thanks very much to Richard for organising a true “experience” ride. It will become the stuff of legend, with the hail getting bigger and the lightning getting higher voltage at future Death Ride Veteran© reunions, and it will never be forgotten.
This sums up the feeling of arrival The distraction was to call Cindy who was still under a bridge somewhere, she’d been given a blanket by a lovely young lady in a RAV4 named Jen, who is from a family of hardy riders – her Aunt Trish the owner of the motorcycle gear and tattoo shop Everything But the Bike in Bundaberg. As Cindy was nestling into the blanket and chatting with Jen about the BOM radar, Richard, Wendy, Huw & Liezel turned up, and after about 20 mins watching the slowly lessening lightning, thunder and hail they headed off to join the pioneers at The Aussie. Pulling into The Aussie felt like being told that your numbers had come up in the Powerball. I’d made it, and all that was left to do was drip copious volumes of water throughout the hotel environs while checking in and getting settled. Soon Ian Nye joined me and sensible Marion who had arrived by car, and slowly the rest of the dripping and bedraggled crew trailed in, except for Huw and Leisel who somehow looked like they’d ridden to the hotel via a secret carpeted tunnel. The evening was spent loading and unloading the
Winners and survivors are grinners
TWO x FOUR x TWO By Tony Gray
2
019 was to present a bit of a different holiday scenario for Jane, me and the Gray Ghost (our well- travelled 2007 GS 1200). Peter & Jacqui our friends from the Isle of Man were coming south to visit our beautiful Island State and they are not motorcyclists (yes, such people do exist on the IOM). Fortunately the timing of their intended trip coincided with the MotoGP at Philip Island so a ride south on the GG followed by two weeks touring Tassie in a renta-KIA and then a return ride home from Melbourne fitted the bill. I had planned the route south with plenty of ups & downs, twists & turns so we got interest from President Paul (never one to miss an opportunity for a few days away on the bike) and Mark & Donna who were to visit Mark’s kids in Melbourne and latest addition to the family – a beautiful new granddaughter. The menace of bushfires was front page news in mid-October as it remains at time of writing over a month later. We set off on Friday with a beautiful run through the northern NSW hinterland then onto Casino when we came upon an RFS truck heading south.
Colour in Grafton The trucks locality home read RAPPVILLE a small community that had all but been destroyed
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a few days earlier with the loss of two lives. We gave them a ‘thumbs up’ as we slowly passed. For mile after mile on that road we were confronted with total devastation with fire having burnt up to the road on both sides. Grafton was a refreshing blaze of colour with its famous jacaranda trees in full springtime bloom. We left Grafton on the Nymboida road to Ebor but were stopped at Coutts Crossing as fire had cut the road ahead.
At the end of the dirt outside Dorrigo We backtracked to the Coramba Road with the intention of heading to Dorrigo on the Eastern Dorrigo Way (EDW). Now I will put my hand up here and take the blame for what transpired next. I have been over this EDW several times but infamously it is the road where Paul had fallen and broken his leg when the bike slipped out on a greasy & wet timber bridge. I assured the others that there wasn’t ‘too much’ dirt and it would definitely be dry so off we went. Unfortunately I took off BEFORE the EDW on a road that would have had Duncan salivating. This was definitely Farm Road territory. Occasionally there would be a short patch of bitumen to lull us into a false sense of security before returning to corrugated dirt. Suffice to say everyone was pleased to get to Dorrigo to refuel as the last of the day was dropping over the western escarpments. The ride in the dark into Uralla with plenty of hopping marsupials about was ‘interesting’. Paul’s powerful accessory lights paid for themselves there & then. That first beer at Uralla’s Top Pub certainly tasted good. We had booked in for test rides with URAL Australia in Uralla on the Saturday (they put the URAL back into Uralla. Get it?). They have been holding two of these ride days a year in Spring & Autumn and we all absolutely enjoyed the morning. The three boys had their first experience of riding
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TWO x FOUR x TWO sky behind Tuncurry. It is quite surreal being on a beach beside the beautiful Pacific Ocean with such a destructive bushfire so close.
Mark driving a lounge chair, Uralla an outfit and the two girls their first experience in a sidecar (Mark and I put our bums in the seat for one of those as well). My only previous experience in a sidecar back in the ‘70s had been with a rider who shall we say would not have passed any sobriety test – put it down to youthful stupidity from which I fortunately survived unscathed. It had been a less than positive experience. From memory I spent more time in the air than with the third wheel on the ground. The Ural isn’t a powerful animal and certainly not as powerful as that previous Suzuki ‘waterbottle’ but it fits its ‘go anywhere’ tag. Several of our ‘Port’ friends were overseas at the time of our trip but Steve & Darrell were out & about on a ride and joined us at the Top Pub on Friday night.
Catch up with Steve & Darrell at Beechwood After we had dispensed with the URAL experience, we all enjoyed a delightful run down the Oxley Hwy with lunch at Beechwood just outside Wauchope where Trish joined us after work. It was great to catch up with them all. We left the ‘locals’ and headed onto Forster for our second night with a massive smoke bank filling the
Fire behind Tuncurry Day three was a cracker of a day’s ride. We followed the coast road from Forster to Bulahdelah then inland to Booral, Stroud (top little coffee stop at Crepe Myrtle Tea House), Dungog, Gresford and Singleton. Fuelled up we hit the sublime Putty Road with lunch at the Grey Gum Café, then up through Colo to the famous Bells Line of Road (once a real hoot but sadly now very speed restricted and policed) and onto Katoomba with time left in the day for a short walk down to view the Three Sisters. We hopped on the courtesy bus for dinner and a couple of sherbets at the recently built Katoomba Services Club. Boy is it HUGE. I wonder if the hordes playing the pokies ever consider where the money comes from to build these social palaces?
Grey Ghost Gum Cafe Putty Road Monday saw us head across to Oberon then south through the quaint historic town of Taralga into Goulburn then continued south to join the Kings Highway for a short run into Braidwood
TWO x FOUR x TWO for lunch at the bakery (where else?). There is a nice partly-sealed road that skirts the Wadbilliga National Park in the foothills of the Snowy Mountains. It is a very pretty ride, the dirt is good and the road lightly trafficked so this presented a good alternative route into Cooma for our night’s stop at the Alpine Hotel.
The crew at Lake Jindabyne This is a popular biker’s rest with neat clean rooms, a good feed and lock up garage for the bikes. We only had a short ride day planned for Tuesday down to the coast so we did a loop ride in the high country to Jindabyne, Dalgety and Bombala then down the mountain to Pambula and onto our nights stop at Merimbula.
Putting on a show at Bombala
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This road (called the Mt Darragh Road to my knowledge) is not the most popular route to the coast but it is one that I like. There is always leaf litter through the heavily forested sections that requires care but there are plenty of twists & turns to keep a smile on your dial. We had our last night together before Paul left us at Merimbula to return home in time to attend the B2B at Miles. He would have been a ‘monty’ to pick up the longest distance award if he didn’t spend a night’s rest at home before proceeding to Miles.
Mark was tempted to have a row at Mallacoota The rest of us continued around the coast to the rarely visited seaside village of Mallacoota just across the State border in Victoria. Jane had seen this little town featured on the ABC’s Backroads program a couple of years ago and had a hankering to see it in the flesh. There is only one road in which covers 22km from the junction on the Princes Highway. It is a beautiful place on an inlet from the Tasman Sea and where the Genoa River empties. Mallacoota has a slow pace of life dominated by holidaying campers along the southern shore of the inlet. We weren’t staying so returned to the highway and onto Lakes Entrance at a closely watched 100km/hr as we were now in Victoria in MotoGP week – a major hunting season for the Victorian Police Highway Patrols. There were plenty of bikes in town all heading in the same direction. Next day we passed through Bairnsdale as the motorcyclists were assembling for the Barry Sheene Tribute Ride to the Island. We parted company with Mark & Donna as we each headed to our respective Melbourne destinations. Jane and I rode down to PI on Friday morning with some of my old Melbourne riding mates and true to form the heavens opened to welcome the thousands of motorcyclists on our annual
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TWO x FOUR x TWO but it has been as high as twelve. It is boisterous but a lot of fun. I camped the first two years of the MotoGP at Philip Island in 1989 and 1990 then on principal I refused to go to Sydney’s boring Eastern Creek for the ensuing six years. Following a return to its rightful home at Philip Island I have attended most years.
They like their coffee in Mallacoota pilgrimage. If you have never been to this event then do yourself a favour and go at least once. There were several club members that I know were there this year including Steve, Merv, Dennis & Phil but I am sure there would have been others as well. This was Jane’s second trip (also there in 2017) and she remains the only female who has been welcomed to the digs our mob use at Cowes.
The girls relaxing at Lakes Entrance This place is getting pretty run down but is owned by a friend of a friend and is super convenient. There were only seven staying this year
Our spot on Turn 11, Phillip Island This year I was glad not to be camping as the wind really howled and the rain poured down on Friday and Saturday nights. I know from experience that the hardy souls at the campground would have been suitably satiated with alcoholic beverage to ward off the worst that nature had to offer. Jane and I had a great time sitting at our preferred spot on the fence on the outside of Turn 11. Don’t tell anyone as we don’t want to get crowded out in future years lol.
Getting off PI on Monday morning
TWO x FOUR x TWO Jack Miller getting onto the podium certainly made for a very happy crowd crammed onto Gardiner Straight for the presentations. We returned to Melbourne on Monday morning and left our gear with the Gray Ghost at a mate’s place while we headed off to meet our International guests at Tullamarine Airport and the next stage of our holiday in Tasmania. We have to admit to being a little bit envious of Merv & Dennis and their mates who were boarding the Spirit of Tasmania with their bikes and headed to the Apple Isle.
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base, Merv said they had experienced some pretty average weather while we had been enjoying excellent conditions. One should never get too cocky. High winds and rain awaited us in the northwest then hail, sleet & snow bombarded us as we headed down the west coast. We passed very few motorcycles on the road but we did pass a bevy of international veteran Bentley cars on a rally. Some had rag tops and open sides so not the most comfortable in those conditions. Our merit award however goes to a lone young Queensland cyclist who sought refuge in the café in Waratah during one of the sudden but fierce hail storms. The poor lad was near hypothermic and admitted that he had under-planned and under-prepared for such springtime conditions. Welcome to Tasmania. It truly is a wonderful place to visit especially on a motorcycle so add it to your bucket list.
Springtime in Tasmania at Waratah Every trip to Tasmania, and there have been many for the pair of us over the years, is different. The only consistent aspect is the inconsistency of the weather. I won’t go into too much detail of the two weeks we spent there as we were in a car and this is after all a quality motorcycle tome.
Ed Intervention: Tony “wishes” he was on the GG We started in Hobart and did an anticlockwise traverse having first dispensed with the Huon and Tasman Peninsula. Merv, Dennis and their team started in Devonport off the ferry and likewise went anti-clockwise. When we touched
The Black Spur, a favourite Dandenongs ride We flew back to Melbourne on Armistice Day, posted a parcel of excess gear home, picked up the Gray Ghost, and headed out of traffic-clogged Melbourne into the Dandenong Ranges. Some of the old favourite riding routes from my time living there in the early noughties were covered on our way to Mansfield. We avoided the Great Alpine Route as very high winds were predicted. We got tossed around at much lower altitudes so the high
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exposed ranges would have been dangerously uncomfortable. Next day the winds had not abated as we traversed east to Beechworth, Tallangatta and Corryong past Lake Hume and along the Murray Valley. We kept to the valleys due to the winds and headed north to Tumbarumba, Batlow, Tumut and Cootamundra for the night.
Marysville Bakery, a Black Saturday Survivor Between Batlow and Tumut, we had a rather uncomfortable incident. Now to set the scene, on this rather pleasant day we were both wearing full touring jackets and summer weight gloves. My gloves are cuffed but on the underside of my throttle hand there is usually a very narrow section of exposed flesh. The generously sized hand guards on the GS provides additional protection. From Jane’s position in the co-pilot chair she is protected by me from any direct frontal attacks by flying objects. I was riding along with my normal level of attention on an otherwise benign country road when the attack happened. They flew in from about the 10 o’clock position coming in from the sun to avoid detection. The first kamikaze pilot took Jane out with a direct helmet hit that threw her head back. I was momentarily distracted by the sudden movement from behind when the main attack hit. He swooped in at speed ducking below the handguard avoiding my glove flap and jacket sleeve to deliver his lethal load into the small section of exposed skin below my wrist. Oh, this guy was good. I let out a yelp and flung my right arm into the air shaking it vigorously. ‘I’ve been hit’ I cried out to Jane as I steered the Gray Ghost with my left hand trying to keep in formation. Close inspection revealed a black barb still protruding from my arm and red swelling already apparent. Days later the pain had subsided and the red
TWO x FOUR x TWO swelling had been replaced by a black bruise. I do not know what form of attack bombers these were or where they came from but I swear from this day on when travelling through that area in spring time I am going to gaffer tape my jacket to my glove.
The Don in Coota at Captain’s Walk Cootamundra is Don Bradman’s birthplace and there is a museum at his childhood home to record the life of the world’s greatest batsman. Coota’s association with cricket extends to the Cricket Captain’s Walk in Jubilee Park where there is a life-sized bronze statue of ‘The Don’ in typical cover drive stance together with bronze busts and career records for every Australian Cricket Captain. Interestingly the bust of Michael Clarke who retired in 2015 does not bear any career record – are they expecting a comeback? Could he be like our recently departed Prime Ministers and require a stake through the heart to kill him off? I hope not. If you have any interest in cricket then this is well worth a visit. We were keeping a close eye on the bushfires and had decided to head inland away from our preferred routes through the New England Tableland. Our next stop north was at the cherry capital of Young and we were in picking season so there were roadside stalls aplenty – pity Jane doesn’t like cherries. There is a site just on the edge of Young which marked a major event in
TWO x FOUR x TWO Australia’s Colonial History. Young was originally called Lambing Flat and was a significant gold mining site. It was here in 1860/61 that organised riots by the mostly European & American miners violently drove their Chinese counterparts from the goldfields. The site is now a very tranquil and serene reflection on modern Australian/Chinese relations. We were the only visitors there so it was very peaceful.
Chinese Memorial Gardens, Young Next stop north was Cowra where there is another memorial, this time in the form of a Japanese Garden. The wartime breakout of Japanese POWs’ from an internment camp resulted in a far more violent outcome than the earlier affray in Young. History records that 4 Australian soldiers and 231 Japanese were killed during the breakout. An area of interest to us was the Soldier’s Memorial in Cowra where the Cowra Ladies Club planted 465 trees in two adjacent avenues in 1917 representing all of those soldiers from the Cowra District who served the country in WW1, one for each soldier. This type of tree memorial can be found all over the country and is a fair reflection of the esteem in which the troops were held. It also reflects the very high attrition rate of the soldiers that impacted these communities enormously. The Cowra tree memorial is the largest of which I am aware. Our way north took us through Canowindra, Molong, Wellington and onto Dubbo sited on the ‘infamous’ Newell Highway. I don’t like the Newell – never have and never will. I couldn’t avoid the next 60km to Gilgandra but that was enough. I have bitter/sweet memories of Gilgandra which is where my young brother had a motorbike accident back in 1974 en route to Tasmania. During the next week while he was receiving hospital treatment
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before being flown home to Brisbane, I spent time in the local biker’s pub and got to meet some real characters. Those boys certainly played hard. A pub departing trick for them was to gun the throttle on their (mostly Triumph) motorcycle towards a T junction at the end of the road to see if they could take the bend. Surprisingly most did. The alternative was a trip through the grass in a horse paddock. I dare say a few of those boys probably never made it out of their 20’s.
Street sculpture in Gulargambone We left Gilgandra on the Castlereagh Highway which has a section recorded in the Australian Silo Art Trail. These art works painted on grain silos began in WA but now dot the country with the most famous stretch located in the Victorian Wimmera District. Water Towers have now received the artists brush and it was these that we would see along the way. Gulargambone has a beauty as well as many examples of street art both in painted and sculpture form. It is very impressive. Coonamble has another painted water tower and it was here that we called it a day. The country out there is dry, very dry.
Street art Gulargambone
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TWO x FOUR x TWO It is an eclectic shop dispensing fine coffee and food as well as gifts & homewares. The standard of the fitout as well the wares would not be out of place in inner city New Farm. Kate the owner and her many helpers are all locals including farmers wives. We thanked our hosts when we were leaving and were asked where we were from. We were thanked by the ladies “for coming out to see us”. A nice touch at the end of an enjoyable breakfast.
Water Tower art The Castlereagh River (part of the Murray/ Darling System) has not seen a drop of water in a very long time. One of our daughters had recently been through Walgett and told us about a great café there so we left Coonamble early for the 115km ride into Walgett for breakfast. En-route we were treated to mobs of emu as well as cockatoo, galah & currawong taking flight at the sound of the approaching GS. Stone’s Throw Café is on the main intersection in Walgett opposite the PO which itself is next to the Police Station & Courthouse.
Dry country between Coonamble and Walgett
A coffee oasis in Walgett Moree was awash with green gardens which was a real shock after what we had been riding through but we were told there were no water restrictions as Moree draws water from the Great Artesian Basin. We had decided by the time we had lunch in Goondiwindi (picking up the hour we lost a month earlier) that we may as well push for home. Another painted silo in Yelarbon and a bushfire closure of the Cunningham Hwy were our only interruptions on the 800km ride home. All up the Gray Ghost covered 5,240km and we did another 2,600km in Tassie in the renta-KIA so a great trip seeing some amazing country. Now to start planning the next trip!
Making a shadow on the Darling Downs.....
A History of QLD Police Motorcycles The Queensland Police Museum’s Georgia Grier (a curator of the museum, and a rider) has very kindly allowed the BMWMCQ to reproduce the following From the Vault article: n February 1925 Police Commissioner William Ryan purchased the first police motorcycles – three Harley Davidson motorcycles with attached sidecars. By late 1925 police motorcycles were being used to advantage by Detectives and FingerPrint Experts to get to places not served by public transport.
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By 1938 there were 38 motorcycles in the police fleet, made up of Royal Enfield motorcycles with side cars; English AJS 1000cc and BSA 1000cc V twin bikes. By the 1960s Nortons, Triumphs and a few BSA Lightning bikes were in use.
Constable Imeson works on his Norton motorcycle at Petrie Terrace Depot garage, c1960. 1927 Harley Davidson motorcycle and side car, photograph taken in the grounds of the Petrie Terrace Depot, Brisbane. Image No. PM0013 Courtesy of the Queensland Police Museum
In 1936, as the number of cars and motorcycles increased, the old stables at the Petrie Terrace Depot were converted into the police garage. This building still exists and is located in The Barracks development, at 61 Petrie Terrace, Brisbane.
Image No. PM0436 Courtesy of the Queensland Police Museum
Safety helmets for police motorcyclists were introduced in 1957.
Constable Bill Purcell on his 1965 BSA (Lightning) motorcycle at Coronation Drive, Milton, 1966. Image No. 1755 Courtesy of the Queensland Police Museum
The opening of the first Police Garage, converted from the old stables at the Petrie Terrace Depot, 1936. Image No. PM0123 Courtesy of the Queensland Police Museum
In 1975 there were 104 motorcycles patrolling the state.
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A History of QLD Police Motorcycles
Highway Patrol Police Officer on his Honda CB750 motorcycle, c1975. This type of motorbike was used between 1972 and 1978. Image No. PM1758 Courtesy of the Queensland Police Museum
As of November 2005 the service maintained a fleet of 87 Honda motorcycles to perform traffic, general, ceremonial and special operations, across the state. In 2006 the Service offered police officers a choice between the new Honda ST1100P or BMW R11500P and the new models that superseded them. Today motorcycle officers ride on either BMW or Yamaha bikes.
Senior Constable Geoff Robson riding his BMW K100 TIC police motorcycle, 1991. Image No. PM1436 Courtesy of the Queensland Police Museum
Editor: Now we’re through the mediocre marque stuff, Georgia also provided some more relevant images from the archives:
Senior Constable Dave Walsh riding a BMW K1100 Police motorcycle. Circa 1996 Image No. PM2551 Courtesy of the Queensland Police Museum
Police Motorcycle BMW 1000 Image No.1782
The article is available in full at: https://mypolice.qld.gov.au/ museum/2013/10/08/from-the-vault-a-historyof-police-motorcycles/ If you are assisting with or making enquiries at 200 Roma St Brisbane, drop in to the police museum 9am to 4pm Mon - Thurs and the last Sunday of the month (Feb - Nov) 10am to 3pm.
WALL to WALL RIDE - 2019 By Dennis Greenfield
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round the second Saturday of each September there is a little motorcycle ride happening all the way down to our nation’s capital. It starts at a special place in each state where a gathering occurs in honour of some special people. Those people are special because they have paid the ultimate price and given their lives for their community. I am speaking about a Wall of Remembrance where the names of too many men and women are written. These men and women proudly served their State as Police Officers. Each year a specially made wooden baton is used as a transport medium for the name of any police officer who has lost their life whilst performing duty. The baton is hollowed out and is designed to carry documents inside. A baton has been made for each state and territory of Australia. The ride this year began at 9am on Wednesday 11 September at the Brisbane City Botanical Gardens. This is the location of the newly built “Wall” which bears the names of Queensland Police Officers who have died whilst on duty. This ride is an important fund raiser for Police Legacy who assist and care for the families of the fallen officers. A memorial ceremony was held at the Wall and attended by various members of the Queensland Police Service, Union officials, Police Legacy representatives and the participating riders. After the ceremony and a short chat was had with old friends over a quick cup of coffee, we were off.
There was a formal parade of marked police motorcycles which started from Parliament House and then went along Alice Street to the Motorway. This group was closely followed by the participating riders on their various shapes and sizes of motorcycles.
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Even some Harley’s. The ride moved south in a close group along the motorway towards the Gold Coast, with the final destination being Canberra. The general format of the ride is two abreast in staggered formation. After a fairly brief ride we pulled up at Chinderah, just past Tweed Heads. There is a little place there where some nice food was organised and we all had our first break and some lunch. Onward to our next stop at Ballina. Most were booked in at the Ramada, although others were scattered throughout the town. A gathering was organised at the bar of the Ramada Hotel and meals were available at the dining room. The following morning breakfast was organised with special parking outside the Ballina Police Station. The Lyons Club had set up a food stall with some very nice cooked breakfast items. A coffee van was also on site.
At this stage we had 7 or 8 marked police motorcycles leading the ride as we had been joined by a couple of NSW police. The main group headed off via Casino to Grafton for a fuel stop and coffee. A few others found some different winding back roads to muse on for that leg of the trip. Tamworth was the second overnight stop where most grouped for dinner and a few drinks at the Longyard Hotel. Another pleasant evening to catchup on some new and past events with old mates and new acquaintances. The following morning the formal group travelled down the main highway to Sydney. This is the standard route in order to participate in the NSW ceremony at The Domain where their state Wall of Remembrance is located. That evening there was the usual function at the Porterhouse Irish Club in Surry Hills. This particular pub is very cosy and appears to be quite old. I bet it would have some very interesting
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stories to tell. The Surry Hills Police Station yard also had a secure parking area available for all participants to park their motorcycles. The morning begins in the Sydney Domain where the Queensland riders gather with a very large contingent of NSW riders for their state ceremony. The sight of such a huge number of motorcycles is quite overwhelming. After the state ceremony the departing parade began. The NSW police provide a full escort from the Domain to the freeway outside the city. There are traffic officers throughout the city area and certain priority travel is given to the Wall to Wall riders.
Along the freeway at various locations groups of uniformed police officers alongside marked police vehicles stood to attention as the parade passed. The run continued all the way to Goulburn Police Academy where a hot lunch with various dishes was provided at the last stop before Canberra. Another short stint down the highway took us to the assembly point at Canberra Epic Centre. This is the nominal gathering point in preparation for the parade and a chance to meet and greet other riders. There is a small display of motorcycle things together with a few other displays. A significant stall this year was the Royal Australian Mint stall. They were selling coins depicting Police Remembrance. At the time the parade is called all participating motorcycles are ridden out onto the roadway where we lined up for the big parade. We queued up four abreast in a line of around 2,300 motorcycles. The traffic was
WALL to WALL RIDE - 2019 held up by the local police and we had a clear path from the assembly point to Canberra’s National Police memorial.
For the privilege of participating in this parade there is a registration cost which is around $85. This goes to the police legacy fund of your choice. This fee includes a participant’s armband, a cap and t-shirt for the ride and early-birds receive a token coin which may include some complementary refreshments along the way.
Well after a three-day ride to get there we were finally riding in the parade. The bikes set off from the assembly point on Northbourne Avenue near the Epic Centre, led by a contingent of police motorcycles. We travelled straight down to town and across the bridge to Parliament House. Turning right onto Parliamentary Drive we did a left-hand circuit around to Kings Avenue where we crossed the second bridge over the lake. The parade then entered the memorial area and the bikes almost filled the large grasslands adjacent to the ceremony. At the ceremony a representative of each state and territory police service is called and their baton is placed in a line. The name of any member contained within the baton is read out. The ceremony this year included a special song written for police officers of Australia. After the proceedings were
WALL to WALL RIDE - 2019
completed, we all headed to our accommodation for the evening. This year I managed to get my brother Bradley onto a bigger bike and come along to experience the occasion. Our dad was a motorcycle policeman and whilst my brother was never in the police, he certainly rode motorcycles. The opportunity for some “twisty’s” on the way down from Brisbane was very tempting with my new 1200GS so I chose to bypass the Sydney stop this year and go via Bathurst. It was a great ride through the Bylong Valley Way and quite a few small towns were seen along the route. The Bathurst track was a high priority and provided a somewhat interesting experience. Disappointingly the speed limit is only 60.
As all good things must come to an end, we then had to ride home. I chose to return via Lithgow as the zig zag railway was on my bucket list. Brad was also interested in the history of the Lithgow small arms factory. As we rode through Goulburn we decided on a change of track and headed the back way up to Oberon and then on to Lithgow. The scenery through the valley between Goulburn and Oberon is quite pretty and there are one or two interesting corners along the way. On arrival at Lithgow we were met with around
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30 degrees of heat and some of the layers came off. We hopped into the motel and revved up the air con. After unloading Brad and I headed up the mountain to check out the railway. It was getting dark at that stage and we were keeping an eye on the rain clouds and kangaroos. Down to the firearms factory for a quick look, but unfortunately the museum was closed. Then onto the usual place for dinner. When we got back to the motel a gentleman from the next room told us that it would snow the next morning. As we were standing in 30°C heat we just thought we should laugh and smile. Of course, that was very funny given our experience in Queensland with this type of weather. Well we were certainly corrected! That morning, on looking out the window we both had a jaw drop moment. Lucky we had covers for our bikes. There was snow everywhere - the cars in the car park, roofs of the houses in the street and our bikes of course. We walked outside and with hands extended saw snow flakes fall onto our palms. Sure was a WOW moment. Well, it was short lived. As we loaded up and departed the temperature was at 2° C as we rode off. Unfortunately, the snow changed to rain and the temperature for a short moment went to 1°C.
All part of riding a bike everyone says. But 1°C is still cold and rain at that temperature is not very comfortable. Luckily it warmed up to 7°C by Bathurst. It was still raining however and quite heavily I might add, for the whole 400 km to Tamworth. One bonus was that my very heavily bug covered bike was now spotless. Tamworth was a great stay and Brad and I got home to Brisbane the next day after a very worthwhile and memorable ride. How far we travelled is uncertain, but the Wall to Wall is a great ride and we are both looking forward to next September.
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BMWMCQ Christmas Party
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.
FOR THE AIRHEADS - and they are many
DECEMBER 2019
MMM BOXERWORKS AIRHEADS GROUP PAGE
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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. This month, we’ve left the never-ending story of ATE swinging callipers, and Mark has done one about carb rubbers: https://www.facebook.com/Boxerworks/videos/2428484854065690/ https://www.facebook.com/Boxerworks/videos/2587018748251183/
Here is a link to Motobob for the new awesome looking R nine T/5 : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OAfPZFi7H3g
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NOVEMBER CLUB RIDE - EFFIN’ C IV
By: Duncan Bennett, member No.4171
T
he Effin’ C (Fish & Chips) 2019 was ride No.4 of the series, which already puts it past Pirates of the Caribbean and Die Hard and keeps it level with Toy Story. Still a bit of riding to do to catch up with Rocky though. This year’s effort was a “sort of” repeat of Effin’ C 1 and 2, with the starting point on the endless acres of concrete at the BP Staplyton a.k.a Yatala. At precisely 2:00pm ± roughly 10 minutes after a confusing series of words were spoken (a.k.a a briefing), the fair-sized group of 17 riders mounted and made their way under the M1 to Stanmore Road.
Support vehicle ready to fix the Harleys The first target was the giant Tamborine roundabout, entering from the north-east and exiting from the south-west. A fire truck with full emergency sirens and lights got into the convoy, reminding us all of the bushfires flaring up all around the district, but fortunately not on our path to Canungra. I had slowed near Boyland, not to see if I could spot any, but to ensure that we could roll through Canungra in a tight bunch as no doubt the place would be swarming with blinged-up Harleys and sports bikes as it always is. Riding slowly through in formation, I think we were the only motorcycles in the nearly empty town
– highlighting the effect the bushfires just over the range at Lower Beechmont had on the weekend warriors.
What’s written on Piano Rock? Off up the goat track, a miracle occurred, and we weren’t split up by the traffic lights and all got through to the top of the range together where the normally magnificent views to the west were mainly of smoke haze. Not stopping, we continued through Mount Tamborine and Tamborine North before plunging down the Tamborine Mountain Road, the first time I’ve ever done it without being stuck behind a car. At least until the Cedar Creek Falls where we got stuck behind a car, which caused us to slow down but also gave us the opportunity to answer a John Eacott trivia question – what song is written on piano rock? That fact picked up by the less blind, we scooted down the hill and back into the giant Tamborine roundabout with the age-old question of how Tamborine had got north of Tamborine North still unanswered. Entering from the south-east and exiting to the north-west, in a few moments we reached Rest Stop 1 at the Tamborine School Park. This has been done up since the early Effin’ C rides with good facilities and plenty of shade to stand about in while having drink and date slice refreshments laid on by Cindy. Remounting after a small re-briefing, we kept on the Waterford Road
NOVEMBER CLUB RIDE - EFFIN’ C IV for a bit and turned off into “room for a pony” country up Plunkett Road and past the closed Tank Rides to meet up with Quinzeh Creek Road. Happily bypassing Logan Village, we popped out in Waterford and re-grouped before the trials and tribulations common to all Effin’ C rides – fish and chips come from the sea (not many know that most chips come from Tasmania so come to QLD via a boat) and to get to the sea we have to cross the M1. This time it was faultless with precision corner marking where required, and the riding through the Shailer Park hilly ‘burbs was free of traffic and excellent fun. A short way up Bryant’s Road and we reached Rest Stop 2 at Skinners Park on the Logan River, where the remnant snacks and water were consumed, accompanied by general chit-chat.
Chris finding the Logan River hysterical Once we’d waited for the traditional lucky third corpse to float by on the Logan River, we were back on for the final push to the 2019 Effin’ C venue of Cleveland Point. The route was opposite to previous rides in the series, this time we went north up West Mount Cotton Road rather than south, experiencing the winding road from a whole new perspective and having to power up the incredibly steep bit rather than soil one’s self plunging down.
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A bit of a reverse south to get to Woodlands Drive and more room for ponies, we were into the home straight, fortunately still reasonably well bunched up to avoid anyone getting sucked into the giant Old Cleveland Road roundabout vortex and spitting out into a different universe such as Wellington Point. A cruise up the spit and we pulled up at the point which has been recently done up and now includes a lot more car parking to compensate for the crowds that are drawn to one of the best places on Moreton Bay for a traditional fish and chips. At high tide that is.
Bloke with a mullet let straight through to the front Many thanks to all those who attended the ride and the consumption of marine-sourced dinner, we are already looking forward to Effin’ C V. And a sunset (ignore the Triumph):
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ADVERTISING SPACE AVAILABLE
From business card to full page, all sizes are available.
The BMWMCQ electronic journal is distributed to members and interested parties throughout Queensland and basically anywhere that has the internet. In addition, the journal is issued to other BMW affiliated Clubs.
Get your message out to people who own, ride and restore BMW motorcycles. Phone your requests to Don Grimes - Ph: 0411 601 372
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Experience pure riding pleasure with 0% p.a. interest and 3 equal payments over 24 months when you finance a selected new or demonstrator BMW Motorrad Bike with a BMW Financial Services loan.* Finance an eligible new or demonstrator BMW Motorrad Bike on a 24 month BMW Financial Services loan. Pay a third of the ride away price as an upfront deposit with no further repayments until 2020, when you will pay the next third in month 12 of your contract. At the end of your contract in 2021, you can decide how to settle the final payment.
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The RACQ have indicated their interest in becoming sponsors for The Nationals, and the RACQ Media Advisor Claire Banfield has kindly provided some information on the insurance services they can provide for motorcyclists. We’ve also added in a few of our own “experiential” reminder photographs of why insurance is important.
T
he Royal Automobile Club of Queensland (RACQ) has proudly insured motorbike riders for more than twenty years, providing comprehensive insurance and assistance services for members who like to explore our great State from the saddle. We know it’s the magic of the bike that makes every trip an adventure, and that each bike is unique in its own ride. This is why we offer two types of motorbike insurance: 1. 2.
Traditional Motorcycle Insurance Classic Motorcycle Insurance.
Traditional motorcycle insurance Our traditional motorcycle insurance provides competitive cover for motorcycles, cruisers, scooters and tourers and ensures you will be covered for the weather events that shape the region, including flood, storm and fire, as well as theft, accident or vandalism. This includes covering your new
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motorcycle for 14 days, if it’s similar to the motorcycle you’ve just sold. We also pay up to $750 to replace and recode stolen keys and locks and up to $500 for emergency repairs to ensure that you get back on the road as soon, and as safely, as possible.
An RACQ Assessor checking a motorcycle at the Eight Mile Plains Facility Classic motorcycle insurance If you’re a motorbike enthusiast who cherishes taking their vintage and luxury bike out on the weekends or for special road trips, our comprehensive classic motorcycle insurance could be more suitable for you. This policy caters for enthusiasts of all types including owners of touring/cruising bikes, sports bikes, naked, café racers and scooters. However, this policy does not cover your bike for daily commuting or if it’s driven by a rider under the age of 25. Our team will work with you to tailor a policy that fits you and your bike’s needs.
More than just two safe wheels Motorbike insurance with RACQ brings more than just protection while you’re on the road, it also gives you access to member discounts and benefits. This means you can contact our experienced and passionate motoring team with any queries you have about your motorbike, purchase cheap movie tickets
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and holidays, receive discounts on other policies, and much more. To find out about how RACQ can assist members of the BMW Motorcycle Club of Queensland, please reach out to our team at 07 3845 4851.
See, it’s not just Triumphs that crash!
Where does that bit go?
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 Issue 22 Overland Magazine Issue 25
Spoke too soon.... Overland Magazine Overland Magazine The Touring Motorcycle
Issue 26 Issue 27 Jeff Ware & Kris Hodgson
2 x On Tour with Compass Expeditions DVDs
The Club has taken up the initiative of a book exchange facility via the Club. The initive is being overseen by Jane Gray and you can communicate with Jane via email at: library@bmwmcq.org.au Arrangement can be made with the librarian as to pick up & drop off procedures and we would anticipate this occurred at the monthly Members meeting.....Editor
INTEREST FREE FINANCE*
INTEREST FREE FINANCE
Experience pure riding pleasure with 0% p.a. interest and 3 equal payments over 24 months when you finance a selected new or demonstrator BMW Motorrad Bike with a BMW Financial Services loan.* Finance an eligible new or demonstrator BMW Motorrad Bike on a 24 month BMW Financial Services loan. Pay a third of the ride away price as an upfront deposit with no further repayments until 2020, when you will pay the next third in month 12 of your contract. At the end of your contract in 2021, you can decide how to settle the final payment.
BMW Motorrad
See the team at TeamMoto BMW Springwood for more details. *Offer available while stocks last, and applies to the listed models ordered and delivered between 1.10.19 and 31.12.19 and financed by BMW Australia FinanceLimited (ABN 78 007 101 715, Australian Credit Licence 392387). New and demonstrator vehicles only. Cannot be combined with any other offer. Excludes fleet, government and rental buyers. Conditions, lending criteria, fees and charges apply. BMW Financial Services reserves the right to change or withdraw the offer without notice. +Subject to meeting lending criteria at the time of refinance.
TEAMMOTO BMW SPRINGWOOD 59 Moss Street, Springwood (07) 3442 1397 teammotobmwspringwood.com.au