www.bmwmcq.org.au
March 2017
OFFICIAL JOURNAL OF THE BMW MOTORCYCLE CLUB OF QUEENSLAND INC.
Established 1958
2017 NEW ARRIVALS. NEW 2017 MODELS NOW AVAILABLE.
BMW S 1000 RR
BMW S 1000 XR
BMW F 800 R
BMW R nineT
NEW 2017 MODELS ARRIVING IN MARCH.
BMW R 1200 GS Rallye X
BMW K 1600 GT
BMW S 1000 R
BMW R nineT Pure
With the new year comes an exciting new line up of motorcycles at Motorline Motorrad. Visit Ben, Ian and the newest member of the Motorline Motorrad team, Matt Eliott, to arrange your personalised introduction to the range and ride home on your dream BMW motorcycle. Motorline Motorrad 1-11 Old Chatswood Road, Daisy Hill - Opposite IKEA Logan M1 Motorway Exit 23 (South), Exit 24 (North) Tel: 3290 7000 motorrad@motorline.com.au www.motorline.bmwmotorrad.com.au
OFFICIAL JOURNAL OF THE BMW MOTORCYCLE CLUB OF QUEENSLAND INC.
The Committee President - Paul Hughes
Ph: 0409 814 633 president@bmwmcq.org.au R 1200 RT (90th Anniversary) + R 1200 GS (Wethead)
Vice President - Richard Maher Ph: 0415 111 454 vpres@bmwmcq.org.au R 1150 R
Secretary - Andy McLeod Ph: 0447 370 496 secretary@bmwmcq.org.au R 1200 GS
Treasurer - Bill Carson Ph: 0474 979 315 treasurer@bmwmcq.org.au K 1600 GTL (US of A model)
This Issue - MARCH 2017 Contents:Editorial . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 Committee Reports . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 Club Venue & GM. . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 Article: Merv Bone My Wants. . . . . 8 General Meeting Minutes . . . . . . . . 11 Monthly Ride Report . . . . . . . . . . . 12 AGM Resoluton David Whales. . . . . 14 AGM Resolution. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15 The Great Rum Hunt. . . . . . . . . . . 16 Dieter Harm: Where Rivers Run . . . 20 Mike Hannan The Bike is not the Adventure:. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22
Inportant Announcement . . . . . . . 26 AGM Resolution Rick Trenaman. . . 27 BMWMCQ Supports . . . . . . . . . . . . 28 Photo Overflow from Articles. . . . . 29 BMWMCQ Events Calendar 2017. . . 30 Cupla Adverts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32 Article By ROYAL . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33 Photo Overflow from Articles. . . . . 35
Editor - Dave Hepburn Ph: 0422 080 524 editor@bmwmcq.org.au R 1200 RT
Records Officer - Craig Brennan Ph: 0422 907 934 regalia@bmwmcq.org.au R 100 RT
Regalia - Julia Townsend Ph: 0416 112 620 regalia@bmwmcq.org.au Triumph Sprint GT SE
Tools/Spares - Geoff Hodge
Ph: 0413 180 101 tools@bmwmcq.org.au F 800 GT + R 51/3
Tools/Spares - Bill Luyten Ph: 0438 123 747 tools@bmwmcq.org.au R1150 Rockstar - R1200 GS LC
Advertisers Cafe2U - P.9 Good Wool Store - P.32 HydroTac(R) Lenses - P.28 Motorcycle Adventure Products P.28 Motorline Motorrad-Inside Front Cover
Munich Motorcycles - P.32 Shannons Insurance - P.34 Northside Motorcycles - P.34 Morgan and Wacker- Rear Cover
O
n The Cover...
Candid selfie by our President Paul pretenting to be leading the pack over Mt Panarama....he did have a most excellent adventure on this particular ride over several days of which this was one of the highlights....
Events - David Whale Ph: 0407123483 events@bmwmcq.org.au R1200RT
Sub Committee • Dealer Liaison / Advertising - Don Grimes Ph: 0411 601 372 • Forum Moderator - Garry Hilton
Club Details BMW Motorcycle Club of Queensland Inc.
ABN 30 351 243 651
Address all correspondence to: The Secretary PO Box 3669 South Brisbane QLD 4101 Monthly meetings are held on the first Thursday of the month at the:
Moreton Bay Sports Club, 175 Boundary St., Tingalpa
A Club Ride is usually held on the first Sunday after the monthly meeting. BMWMCQ AIMS The objectives of the BMWMCQ are to increase the enjoyment of motorcycling by: 1. Improving the opinion of the public towards motorcycling in general and associated members particularly, by careful, courteous, considerate riding, especially when riding with the Club, and rendering assistance to all road users in difficulty.
2. Improving the service and availability of spare parts for BMWs in Queensland using the advantage of a united effort. 3. Decreasing maintenance and running costs by mutual assistance on mechanical problems. 4. Organising day trips, tours and outings. 5. Encourage and support Regional Ride Groups 6. Affiliation with other clubs/associations where such affiliation would be of mutual benefit. DISCLAIMER The views and opinions expressed in this Journal are those of each contributor and are not necessarily shared by the Editor, management, and / or membership of the BMWMCQ. The Editor reserves the right to refuse any advertising or delete any material which could be considered or interpreted as questionable, libellous or offensive, without consultation. WEB SITE Visit: www.bmwmcq.org.au
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MARCH 2017
Dave Hepburn
Editorial Editor’s Report
A
nd so another year passes into posterity: gone, done and dusted, never to be seen again and so on and so forth. For me it was a good year full of fun and laughter, great rides, great company, great adventures, you know, as the Vikings say, “Every Day was a Good Day”. I like years like that. I have had a few that were pretty ordinary. We all have. I hope your year has been great also with many more to come. Over the years I have been a member of a variety of clubs and social gatherings and have always been very careful not to get too involved with the political manoeuverings and shenanigans that go on with in most organisations. For example, when I Joined the Ulysses Club and was looking to join a branch I was warned off one Branch as they were, in those days, known to be pretty feral in their club’s day to day activities. Against my better judgement, after my first year as a member of the BMWMCQ, I agreed to take up the position of Editor; a position that I have thoroughly enjoyed for the last 10 months, well that is up until a month ago. A month ago I became aware of a number of club members whom I had never heard of let alone seen in the last two years who came out from whatever dimension they had been hiding in to change certain aspects of the running of the club to meet their own needs. These are people, who, over the last two years, have never attended a general meeting, attended a ride, or offered to or provided assistance, to the club in any shape, way or form whatsoever. I have also become aware, by way of this month’s President’s report, that “Some members have said that he is “too corporatised” and we are just a “social club”. The top ten Social Clubs in Brisbane include, in no particular order: The Irish Club, Tattersalls Club, Public Services Club, Brisbane Club, Gardens Point Campus Club, Brisbane Catholic Social Club, Brisbane Women’s Club, Queensland Junior Motor Cycle Association, Council Club and the Brisbane Jazz Club. These are all very successful and highly respected “social clubs” and I would bet my life that they didn’t get to where they are today by NOT being “too corporatised”. Apart from being able to spruik to their mates over a jar or two that they are a member of the BMWMCQ what possible benefit of belonging to the club do they enjoy? I’ve thrown my hat into the ring to go another year as editor and as such will make it my mission for the year to actively seek out these people and try to understand their points of view. On a more serious note please be advised that the dates shown for Motorcycle Accident Management courses in last month’s magazine contained some date errors. This has been rectified in this edition. My most heartfelt thanks to all the members who have found the time to contribute articles for the magazine and especially to those that have started writing for the Journal again now that it is not as constrictive as it has been in previous years. I hope to hear from you all several times in the coming months. Remember the articles don’t have to be exclusively about BMW…. It’s all about life experiences…choices and preferences…share with other members who are stuck in their alternative dimensions.
Dave Hepburn editor@bmwmcq.org.au
Submissions for the next journal (APRIL‘17 Edition) close on the 15th MARCH 2016 - just soes y’all know.......
Committee Reports Paul Hughes
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MARCH 2017
President’s Report
ell it has been a busy year. I believe we have seen some improvements over the last twelve months that will put the club in a sustainable and growth oriented pattern. The Committee has worked very hard throughout the whole year and I am sure you will agree all areas have had improvements. I would like to take this opportunity to thank every one of those committee members. Their support has been absolute on our one goal, to have a more active, fun and inclusive club. I would be remiss in not singling out Bill Carson, who has worked tirelessly to fix up the finance section and corporate governance of the club. Bill has a busy life with all his personal commitments but he has gone about the role of treasurer brilliantly. Bill’s life now includes full time employment and with the other commitments he has decided to stand down this coming year as Treasurer. The next Treasurer will be thankful for Bill’s hard work this year. Julia Townsend has taken regalia to new heights, doubling sales, without filling our books with unwanted and out of date stock. Thanks, Julia I know it has been taxing at times. Andy McLeod has had the unenviable job of Club Secretary. Thanks for all the good work Andy. These three members have decided it is time to stand back from the committee for a while and just enjoy all the activities. I thank them for all their effort. Cindy Bennett (who is having a ball in Kenya at the moment) did a fantastic job on our expanded activities base. Dave Whale has stepped into that role (Cindy resigned due to her extended globe-trotting), firing on all cylinders. Dave Hepburn has shown what it is like to be a transformation editor in the digital age and has added immense value to our Journal. Bill Luyten and Geoff Hodge have helped many people with tools, spare parts and advice. They have managed to reduce our old spare parts levels that have sat there for a very long time and worried our auditors. Well done guys. Richard Maher has, as always, been working away in the background, organising 100 year celebrations and joint displays very successfully. Richard is devoted to the club and I thoroughly recommend to you the special resolution at the AGM to make Richard a life member. He deserves it several times over. These people, to the best of my knowledge intend to stand again. Based on their track record, I would recommend your support of them carrying on for another 12 months. I have enjoyed the year as President because of the people above and our members support. Anyone who has been President of this club will tell you it is not necessarily an easy job. Decisions have to be made in various areas that don’t necessarily have unanimous support, but are for the overall good of the club. None the less they must be made. Feedback is essential to the role; having said that, decisions must be made in the club’s best interest. Some members have said that I am “too corporatized” and we are just a “social club”. I have seen the effects first hand of this sort of thinking in clubs. We are relaxed but we need to conform to the requirements of the day under the laws and conventions that govern us. Corporate Governance is not a monster to be avoided, but a process that ensures we come out the other side smelling of roses. Our club is well governed and sustainable for the future. Our activities feed our memberships needs and wants. I believe that is the goal of any President. In this edition of the journal you will see several advices of special resolutions that are intended to be tabled at a General Meeting in March (after the AGM). If there is sufficient support (based on the constitution) shown at the March meeting, a Special General Meeting will be called and held immediately prior to the April GM. I urge you to think carefully about the proposals and what the future will require for our club. March has an activity every weekend and that is one of our goals. Various trips throughout the year are already organised and planning is underway for our 60th birthday and National rally in 2018. I suggest you get amongst it and have some fun. See you on the road. Paul
Paul Hughes president@bmwmcq.org.au
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MARCH 2017
Richard Maher
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Committee Reports Vice President’s Report
ello Readers. Never a dull moment in this office I have to tell you. Since we last spoke I have given up full time work. I then promptly had a Birthday. I was unemployed for a day before deciding to start my own business. On the first official day of my business, I ordered some business cards and did about twenty minutes’ work on my website. I then had a three-hour lunch. All approved by management, of course! Day two was Valentine’s Day. So my lovely wife provided me a front row mosh pit ticket for Bruce Springsteen. I took the loaner K1600GTL and pumped out Springsteen tunes liberally infecting the suckers sitting stationary in cars in the late afternoon traffic. The good folk at the concert venue saw me entering the parking lot: frankly how could you miss a K Bike with all lights and speakers cranked to Number 11. They directed me to the premium parking position several paces from the front door. I returned the favour by letting them know they could advise Mr Springsteen’s management the 1600GTL and I were in the house and ready to start screaming. I had a lazy start to Wednesday and decided I needed a holiday, so I punched out, diverted the business phone and headed south on Thursday. I would have taken one of the shop motorcycles south. However, the temperatures were nudging 40 degrees and having ticked off another year on the planet just a few days prior, I decided on a more comfortable alternative. That alternative had an upside; someone else’s car and a functioning air-conditioning system. The downside of course is being ridiculed for turning up at a remembrance event for a deceased friend and fellow motorcyclist in a CAR. I comforted myself by consuming reasonable quantities of fine wine in his honour. I continued to provide myself comfort by stopping off in both the Orange and Mudgee regions to stock up on wine on the return trip. Eventually it will cool off in Queensland and I look forward to sampling some of the bottles that managed to survive the journey home. The topic of wine is never far from my heart, or lips for that matter. I have seen some creative methods of transporting wine on a motorcycle over the years. The missus and I had a well known Korean car that held two bottles of plonk in the coffee cup holders, pure serendipity! I have seen two bottles of red neatly fitted inside 80mm PVC downpipe with a screw cap end. Wine bottles fit comfortable inside Aussie Post approved cardboard tubes for one, two or three bottles, and can easily be attached to your ride of choice without spillage. I have seen motorcycle jackets fitted to take a wine bottle under the arms. A friend found a specially designed system to fit over your motorcycle tank allowing two bottles on each side. Purely for balance you understand. He also had a tank bag designed with a hole in the top to take his Jack Russell. That didn’t work so well as the dog just hid inside the bag and refused to come out. Wine in casks should be discouraged in most cases, but the last Alpine Rally I attended I took a cheeky little Yarra Valley Merlot in a two litre cask. Cask wine sort of labels you as having a small problem with the drink, but it also means you have a practical side. You can use the empty bladder as a pillow to rest your swollen head as it pounds itself to sleep in the dirt usually just a few feet from your open tent and sleeping bag. I’ll leave you with a few pics of actual BMW motorcycles ridden by their actual owners to the Abercrombie Caves week-ender in southern NSW. If you look closely you can see some empty wine casks in the background. I think they might be mine.
Other Photos can be viewed throughout the Magazine....Ed.
Richard Maher vpres@bmwmcq.org.au
Committee Reports
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MARCH 2017
Bill Carson
Treasurer’s Report
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i everyone. The fiscal year is over! All documents were submitted to the auditor on 3 February 2017. Hopefully they will complete their work prior to the AGM! Finishing the year in January, we received $1,576.94 in income and had $5,877.22 in expenses. A large portion of our expenses, $4,051.14 to be precise, in January were depreciation. The depreciation is for our Club assets we have like computers, software, tools etc... Our accounts in January ended with $3,584.73 in checking and $14,727.17 in our BOQ Investment account. We have repaid a $4,000 loan in January and we no longer have any liabilities. According to our records, we have total assets worth $29,019.68 as of 31 January 2017. Our auditor will be confirming that and it should be available at the AGM. I thought it would be appropriate to share in a little detail of our income and expenses prior to the AGM. Our two primary income streams are from membership and advertising in our Journal. Currently, we have 187 single members and 60 dual members (total of 307 members) which is $13,250 in annual dues. In 2016 we had $5,050 in advertising income. We also bring in some revenue from our Regalia sales. Our primary expenses have been the cost of printing and mailing our Club Journal. As I am sure most are now quite aware, we have made a significant change by going to digital only. The next committee along with membership should decide where the money should be spent. Paul has already organized and had approved the safety training course which will take some of the money.
Year
Printing 2014 $ 7,982.26 2015 $ 7,445.30 2016 $ 7,033.50 2017
Postage $ 2,679.44 $ 2,851.54 $ 2,530.50
Total $ 10,661.70 $ 10,296.84 $ 9,564.00 $ 710.34
Reduced
$ (364.86) $ (1,097.70) $ (9,951.36)
Reduced %
-3.4% -10.3% -93.3%
I have appreciated being on the committee for the past two years. Thank you for allowing me to serve you. I have become quite busy with my new job and decided that I will take a break from being on the committee this year. I wish the next Treasurer and Committee all the best.
Bill Carson treasurer@bmwmcq.org.au
BMWMCQ - General Meeting First Thursday of each month at Moreton Bay Sports Club
T
he MBSC is located at 175 Boundary St., Tingalpa. Boundary Street has a set of traffic lights at its intersection with Wynnum Road to allow an easy entry and exit.
MBSC is a short distance from the Gateway Motorway, North or South. The MBSC is at the very end of Boundary Street so keep going until you see the sports fields and the parking areas. Web address for the Moreton Bay Sports Club is - www.mbsportsclub.com.au
I look forward to seeing you there for our next General Meeting on Thursday 2nd February 2017
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Committee Reports
MARCH 2017
David Whale
Events Officer’s Report
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’day all, Well. February has been quite busy with a great ride thanks to Tony and Jane. It took me on some roads that I never knew were there and a good lunch in Kilarney. March is also a full month with hopefully something for everyone. There’s a camping weekend and the usual Saturday coffee morning run as well as the Monthly club ride and the Sunday Brunch ride and the end of the month. More Details will be on Facebook later. Let’s enjoy the first month of Autumn and look forward to some ‘cool’ cooler events.
Ride well....Stay safe..... Dave
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David Whale events@bmwmcq.org.au
Article: Merv Bone.... My Wants are Many..My Needs Are Few
fter my trip to Tazzie in October 16, I decided it was time to pension off the Yellow GS for a later model. The old GS was running well, almost 140,000 trouble free ks, still looked good and did everything I needed in a bike. I needed another bike that I could keep for 7 years and put 100,000 ks on. December saw Motorline offering 0% finance on any new BM. A chat with Kalene (wife) about using their money not ours and there I was talking to Ben about a new R1200GS water cooled. Time to talk money, “What employment do you have Merv”? “Say…wot, self-funded retiree Ben”. “Sorry can’t get funding, not working”. Bugger never thought about that, oh well, the new GS was a lot of money. A week went by and I thought I should take the water cooled GS for a test ride having not ever ridden one, so off to Motorline and a quick ride up the freeway, around Mt Gravatt lookout and back. A nice bike with heaps of get up and go, electronic gadgets for this and that, most of which I will never use. The down side; a very noisy exhaust and lots of rattles/noise coming from motor which didn’t impress me much. Ben mentioned that ear plug stop most of that, maybe I should use them more often.
After talking to several club members and reconfirming my own thoughts I decided the way to go was a late model twin cam oil/air head. All planets aligned and by the end of December I had parted with my money on a Blue 2011 R1200GS with less than 20,000ks on the clock. I had reduced our overall spend by about $7,000 so Kalene was happy. January came and picked up the bike and then went off on a week’s holiday down to Kirra leaving the new bike home alone, well not quiet the Blue Kawa Z1300 was keeping it company. A week of cleaning, polishing, including the tyres and the bike was ready for its first outing. Ian had organised the Ginger Beer ‘n Rum weekend so I joined the group at the BP Blacksoil at 7.30am. About 10 bike maybe, as we headed off up the Brisbane Valley Hwy through Lowood then all the back roads to Gatton. Flagstone Creek and up the range, popping out at Preston. As we went through Leyburn the bike turned over 20,000ks and was running well. On to Karara and the Cunningham Hwy before turning left onto Cement Mill Road which is a great back road but keep your wits about you, sharp bends, dips, and cattle grids and at night roos by the millions. As always Ian takes you on a wonderful mystery tour with great back roads and this was no exception and the best thing was no dirt to blemish my freshly polished tyres. We arrived at the Glenlyon dam for lunch, more fuel and plenty of water as the gauge on the dash was showing 36C. I use to say, its hot or bloody hot etc. but now I can say “it’s 36C, hot hey”. Alison pulled in and said “my back tyre is going flat”. Yep she got another one. Like magic Toddy, Les, Ian had tools, pumps, repair kits out and like a welloiled race team had the tyre repaired and ready to go in no time at all or should I say, no time flat :) :). Continued on page 19
Committee Reports Bill Luyten & Geoff Hodge
SERVICE DAY
T
he Club will hold a Service Day at Howard Wilson’s place at Mt. Crosby on 12Mar17 (Sun) Start 0930 to 1000.
There will be a sausage sizzle with gold coin donation with proceeds going to RFDS (Flying Doctor). Howard’s address is 26 Mountain Visa Court, Mt Crosby. Oil drain pans and oil disposal available. There are special tools available (see below list) including the new GS-911 diagnostic tool. One useful feature of this tool is resetting the service reminders.
Spare Sales at Cost Price
The committee has decided to not continue selling spares so when existing spares are gone they won’t be replaced. Tools however, will continue to be available. The club now has a TPMS wake up tool which can wake up the bike’s tyre pressure sensors and report on the ID number, pressure, temperature and battery condition. The tool can also test Key Fobs that have remote functions such as alarm.
Contact: Tools Officers: Bill Luyten 0438123747 (wluyten@bigpond.net.au) or Geoff Hodge 0413180101 (ggilps2@optusnet.com.au)
Club Tool Loan: $100deposit for GS911. Tools and spares can be picked up or brought along to the next meeting or club ride. Below is a list of the Club’s special tools and repair manuals. If what you need is not listed please check the web site ofr a complete listing.
Tools Hire / Spares / Sales Special Tools
Twinmax electronic carburettor balancer (Twin BMW engines) Vacuumate (electronic synchronisation of throttle valves up to 4 cylinders) Clutch alignment shafts (3 sizes) Compression gauge (cylinder pressure) Steering head bearing puller and seating tool Gearbox output flange puller GS-911 Wi-Fi Diagnostic tool (Wi-Fi and USB Version)
MARCH 2017
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Tool’s Report Repair Manuals K75/100 (Haynes) K100
R1100 Haynes R45, R65, R65L R45, R65 R50/5, 60/5_6, R75/5_6, R90/6 R60/7, R75/7, R80/7, R100/7, R100S/RS R60/6, 75/6, 90/6, 90S R80GS R50/5, 60/5_6, R75/5_6, R90/6, R90S (Haynes) R45, R50, R60, R65, R75, R80, R90, R100 (Haynes) K1200RS/GT/LT, ‘98-’10 (Clymer) K1200LT DVD R Series Oil Head DVD
Spares (Cost Price Sale) Filters - Air
K Series K1200 (LX628) x2 $16.00ea
Filters - Fuel
K & R Series in line (KL145) x4 $20.00ea
Brake Pads
520HF - R60, R75, R80, R100 x1 $27.00 ea G391ST - K1/100RS/1100LT, RS/1200RS, LT R80R, C/850/100/1100/1150 x6 $43.00 ea
Spark Plugs
XR5DC (K/R1100) Bosch Super x2 $10.00ea
Tools/O Rings
Oil filter removing tool - (OCS 1) K/R4V x5 $13.00ea
Want to serve award winning coffee at your next event ? Book a Cafe2U mobile cafe today by calling Kieran Doyle. #1093
Cafe2U Australia Redlands 0409 815 984
Bill Luyten and Geoff Hodge spares@bmwmcq.org.au
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Committee Reports
MARCH 2017
Julia Townsend
Regalia Officer’s Report
H
ello Everyone,
You may well laugh given that you are probably sitting in air-conditioning as you are reading this but I am about to take delivery of some very stylish beanies. These beanies are new to the regalia range and I will have them at the next club meeting. You will need a beanie before you know it and at the bargain price of $20.00 I know they will be snapped up pretty quickly. As usual, I will have the regalia range at the club meeting so come and see me for all your regalia needs. Cheers, Julia
New stock has arrived
MEN’S ELITE NAVY POLO (Embroidered with club logo) $40.00
New stock has arrived
New to regalia
UNISEX BUCKET HAT (Embroidered with club logo) Sizes S/M & L/XL Navy $20.00
CABLE KNIT BEANIE (Navy) (Embroidered with club logo) One size fits all $20.00
Julia Townsend regalia@bmwmcq.org.au
Craig Brennan
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nother year gone by, where did it go?
Records Officers Report
The AGM is coming up and that means the usual stampede of people rushing to get their preferred position on the management committee. But you can relax, because there are plenty of positions for you all. I have very little to report, as records are not the most endearing of subjects to the majority of people. The memberships keep coming in and I keep posting them out. Sometimes Australia Post even delivers them. So short and sweet, check that your membership is up to date, or you won’t have a say at the upcoming elections. Look forward to seeing you at the next meeting. Craig
Craig Brennan records@bmwmcq.org.au
Committee Reports Andy McLeod
MARCH 2017
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Secretary’s Report
Minutes of the BMWMCQ General Meeting Thursday 02/02/17
Meeting Opened: 7.37 pm Numbers Present: 43 Apologies: Trevor Crossley, Bill Carson, David Whale, Graham Healey, Ariella, Rob Wynne. New Members: Andrew Douglas – 1200GSA, Steve & Rose – 1200GS & 1200R Minutes of December 2017 Meeting: Proposed - Dave Hepburn, 2nd by Mark Muskin. Events: The Sunday ride is the 1st Sun after the general meeting. Anyone who has an idea for a Sunday ride please speak up. Regalia: There is a lot of regalia for sale. Julia has doubled the regalia income during her tenure. See her after the meeting. Records: We have about 300 members. Remember when you renew you membership to sign the disclaimer on the back of the form and mail or hand in the completed paper form. Editor: The first electronic magazine is out. Thanks to all who contributed articles and pics last year. Tools: (Bill), Service Day is the 12th March at Howard Wilson’s. Let me know if you need any of the clubs tools. If you plan to change your oil, please bring a container to take it away. Specialised tools like the GS-911 can be hired out for a week with a deposit of $100. Vice President: All I said is in the journal. President: The club safety programme is open to members with 2 or more year’s membership. See the last gen meeting notes on this programme. The March meeting will be the monthly gen meeting followed by the AGM. Allison will chair the AGM. Nomination forms must be in the PO Box by the 1st of March. Treasurer: Bill sent the accounts to the auditors this morning (02/02/17). We have a net loss of $5156.74 mainly due to write offs including a $4000 loan that was repaid to a club member. Activities: Thanks to Ian, Allison & Toddy for a great rum hunt weekend. We need more new people to come up with and run events instead of the usual suspects. We’re also looking for GS ride volunteers. Club Rides have 3 formats: a led ride, a plotted GPS route & a ride where the destination only is provided. Then it’s up to the member/s to choose which option. Bill Allen & Murray Brown have organised a camping weekend for Sat/Sun, 18/19 March at Peach Trees Campsite near Jimna. It’s a bring your own EVERYTHING weekend. There are toilet facilities. To cool down there’s a creek to swim in. The Sunday ride, organised by Tony Grey, is the fruit and vegie run through the Laidley Valley meeting at Rosewood at 8.50am then off to Killarney for lunch via Ma Ma Creek and the New England Hwy. There will be a couple rehydration stops on the way. Allison thanked all those who attended the Rum Hunt for making it such a great weekend. Don’t forget the 22/23 July for the Killarney Bonfire Night. There’ll be another Rum Hunt about the 22nd of Sept in Bellingen. General Business: Charlie B asked if there will be unwanted email adds from Issu the provider of the clubs E-magazine. He was informed there won’t be any unwanted advertising. The idea of travelling overseas and borrowing/hiring/lending/being lent another club member’s bike to travel around on and then reciprocating when that member wants to come to Aust and travel around was raised with some interest shown by those prepared to lend their bike. Raffle: 1st – Mal Cremer, 2nd – Peter Ferguson, 3rd – Tiny, 4th – Les Fitzpatrick Closed: 8.24pm
Advertisers - Do
you have any unusual or difficult service stories to tell? Remember the Dirty Wheels column that used to be in Wheels Magazine? You do! Great, send them in. Have any new products to tell people about? If you send me a short editorial style article simply listing the product and benefits, I will (space permitting) publish as close to your ad as possible with a pointer to your ad. Keep it brief and informative is all I ask. Ed.
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MARCH 2017
THE SALAD BOWL RUN
Monthly Ride Report February 2016
he traditional January Breakfast ride to Jolly’s Lookout had been run and done so it was time for a ‘proper’ extended ride in February. SEQ (and large parts of Australia) was in the grip of a heatwave so probably not the best time for a ride but never underestimate the determination of motorcyclists to pursue the lifestyle we all love. Jane and I had tentatively put our names down to organise and lead this ride pending resolution of some family matters that may have clashed. Enter President Paul with a persuasive plea and we were ‘in’. For those who have never organised a club ride and may be wondering if they could/should volunteer then here is a pen picture of what is entailed (from our perspective, others may be different). First and foremost is to make the ride interesting and to avoid extended dirt road sections. Also great if you can include ‘roads less travelled’ so that participants can try something new or not visited for some time. We all have our favourite routes but we try to avoid the most popular biker routes as they can be very crowded on a Sunday. Do a trial run over the intended route to confirm time constraints and have the courtesy to introduce yourself to the proprietors of the planned coffee and lunch stops. It is important to make them aware of the forthcoming invasion. In our limited experience these people will welcome you with open arms at the prospect of you directing 25 odd (some quite odd) caffeine depleted and ravenous bikers into their establishment on an otherwise quiet Sunday. If you are GPS literate then prepare a GPS route for distribution on the club’s FB and website prior to the run. If, like us, you are technically challenged in that regard then help will be at hand in the club somewhere. President Paul is our technical consultant. OK so back to the February ride. We planned an early start to get us through the lush Laidley Valley before the day really heated up and then a climb up the range on an old favourite road to cooler (ha, more on that later) conditions on the southern Darling Downs. We chose three options to accommodate members joining the ride from different directions. We were very pleasantly surprised with the strong turnout for the 7.45am departure from the Kenmore Caltex. Julia happily volunteered for the role of Tail End Charlie but we did not employ the ‘corner marker’ system for the straightforward 32km run through the leafy western suburbs before regrouping at Colleges Crossing. No one had been lost so we continued onto the Warrego Hwy to the second meeting place at BP Blacksoil. More members joined so 21 BeeEmm’s plus the red Triumph and Ducati of Julia and Charlie and Cee’s Black Suzuki set out at 8.30am for the 22km ride through Walloon to Rosewood.
Harry’s Cafe in the centre of Rosewood was a top choice providing copious quantities of good coffee and some eats in prompt fashion. There is also a public carpark directly across the road so safe off street parking for all. To say we took over the cafe would be an understatement. Plenty of craic and storytelling at full volume. Great stuff. At the rider briefing George made a top suggestion to vary the traditional corner marker system. I had been concerned at leaving corner markers out in the heat for any length of time. George’s suggestion overcame that dilemma. The system works on a ‘buddy system’ where the rider in front slows at a junction or intersection until he/she is satisfied that the next following rider in our group has seen the turn. The following rider should use their indicator to signal to the rider ahead that ‘YES’ they had seen the turn. This process is repeated along the full line of bikes. On this day the system worked faultlessly. No one was left standing on a corner and no one was lost. Well done George. From Rosewood we passed through Grandchester, skirted Laidley and Blenheim and took in the views from Laidley Heights; went through Forest Hill and Gatton before another secondary road took us through Tenthill then onto the Gatton/Clifton Road for a rehydration stop at the Ma Ma Creek store. A few of the riders continued on for a faster run up the twisting range road from the store. The availability of the GPS maps allows riders to choose to leave and re-join the group as they desire. Everyone throughout the day paid me the courtesy of letting me know what they were doing so that I could keep a check on numbers and make sure we didn’t miss someone who may have run into a bit of trouble. Well done to you all. After the brief stop and suitably rehydrated we enjoyed the twisty run up the range then across the plains to our second rehydration stop at the Freedom Servo on the outskirts of Allora. Those who needed to top up their fuel did so here. The ‘expected’ cooler weather in the higher altitude of the Darling Downs did not eventuate. If anything it just got hotter but the humidity was noticeably lower so that was much appreciated. Our last leg into Killarney took us on secondary roads through Goomburra, Freestone, Yangan, and Tannymorel. We had parked the bikes and were lined up at the Bar by 12.30pm having covered just under 250km from Kenmore. The staff and food at the Killarney Hotel always make the trip worthwhile and they really appreciate our business. There was plenty of good banter at the pub and everyone had enjoyed the day despite the mercury showing about 34 degrees. The formal organised club ride finished at Killarney.
Monthly Ride Report - Photos Various return routes were organised over lunch with the majority choosing the Falls Drive via the Head road down to Boonah, a distance of 72km. I love this road albeit better going up rather than down, but it must be treated with great care. The 4 wheel drive set also like the road and in places it is barely wide enough for a bike to pass one of these behemoths of the road. The two concrete causeways were both running some water with the second crossing (closest to Boonah) carrying deeper water and a mossy bottom…. ummmm. The Gray Ghost racked up just under 410km for the day with others reporting closer to 500km so a longish day but the earlier start ensured a ‘not too late’ finish. Thanks to all who participated.
Tony Gray
Photos by Jim Campey
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Annual General Meeting 2 March 2017
Resolution Re Membership Fees
Dear Members, I write to inform you all that I shall be putting forward a proposal to be debated and voted on at the forthcoming special general meeting, once the members have been given correct notice in accordance with the constitution of the BMW Motorcycle club of Queensland (hereinafter known as ‘The Club’). During the last financial year, the club has made an operating loss of circa $1500 and If there had not been a sufficient back up funds the club would technically have been insolvent. Operating a club or corporation needs secure financial stability to ensure that it can cope with foreseen and unforeseen circumstances and we cannot rely on sponsorship and advertising alone as many in this economic climate are cutting back and making cost savings. Ignoring these facts is irresponsible to say the least. It is therefore imperative that we ensure that the club is on a firm financial footing not just for the short term but the medium to long. At present the membership fees are $50.00 per annum (0.96 cents per week) for a single member and $65.00 ($1.25 per week) for joint membership. Operating with limited funds is a recipe for disaster and financial collapse not to mention poor fiscal management. Any reduction of fees in this current financial situation could well be detrimental to the club as a whole and makes no commercial sense whatsoever and moreover leaves the club vulnerable to any external circumstances that may occur. My proposal is 3 fold and maybe voted on as a whole or 3 parts 1. 2.
The Membership fee for single members remain at $50.00
That the joint membership should reflect to 75% rule and be at the correct rate of $75.00 This brings us in line with section 6 (2) of the constitution. This represents an increase of 19 cents per week making the total of $1.44.
3. The introduction of a Country Membership. Any member living at least 150 kilometres from the centre of Brisbane (CBD) would be eligible. The fee would be $30.00 with no voting rights A member living such distance has the right to pay the full fee and have full voting rights as per the constitution. I look forward to seeing you all in March Ride well, stay safe. David Whale 22/02/2017
Policy Regarding Submissions Submissions to the journal should be relevant to BMW motorcycles and or to the BMWMCQ and its activities. Articles or Letters to the Editor may or may not be published if space does not permit or if the content of the submission and or letter is not considered to be of interest to members or not in the interests of the Club, our sponsors or advertisers. Members are encouraged to use this, our journal; to express views, float ideas or make inquiries of other Club members on technical, organisational or other matters which may benefit the Club and its associates. Submissions should be kept to a reasonable length and maybe edited or published in part only, if the Editor considers it necessary. Note – submissions close on the 15th of each month! BMWMCQ Committee
Annual General Meeting 2 March 2017
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Country Membership Resolution Map
150 Kilometre Radius from Brisbane CBD
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Ian & Alison and The Great Rum Hunt
THE GREAT GREAT GREAT RUM HUNT
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OT AGAIN! Said George........ Australia Day Long Weekend – January 2017 Brisbane – Inverell – Foster – Bellingen - Brisbane. My word – this weekend was epic – felt like a 4 week break from reality not a mere 4 days. Thank you to everyone who joined in for some, or all, 4 days. 29 Participants in total! Thursday morning started with a reasonable size group of people and bikes fuelled and ready for departure prior to 8 am – woohoo. We did an entire 100m on the highway before heading North West – yes, we were heading South for Inverell for the night. Mark Loring joined us en-route up Flagstone Creek from the Toowoomba area. The day warmed up quickly and it was a relief to reach Glenlyon Dam for lunch. The bikes had a cooler stop than us, sheltering under the trees!
As were turning into the caravan park my bike was behaving very strangely (not rider/heat problem) and taking the second corner it was blindingly obvious that I had a flat tyre. AGAIN!!! Ian was waiting (im) patiently for me to roll up to the one and only fuel pump and was equally disbelieving that I had ANOTHER flat tyre. Oblivious to all this, George parked his bike close behind mine – I asked him to give me some room as we needed to repair my punctured rear tyre, and he said – loudly – with force – “WHAT
– AGAIN?” . Yup – I seem to be a puncture magnet. Luckily my entire, well-rehearsed tyre repair team were on hand, so with Ian managing the process, and Les happy that Toddy was in control, he set to repairing the rather large c-shaped cut an animal bone put in the tyre. It took 2 attempts to fix and re-inflate. I lost – well, the tyre - a bit of pressure over the afternoon, and necessitated a direct ride to Inverell. No one kept to the original planned route – I like to think it was team support, but the oppressive heat was enough to put off the hardiest traveller. Merv headed home at the Dam, after spending the morning with us, taking the souvenir from my tyre home for safe keeping and presenting it to me at the next Club meeting. The tyre repair team kicked in again at the motel, assisted by more helpful souls, and many a bawdy joke about my poor tyre and the repair process! Boys!
Dieter, Paul & Carolyn and friends were waiting for us, and the re-union was on! We organised a BBQ dinner and the Motel managers were wonderful hosts again, providing us with dessert and cake!
Many tall tales told in the Cottage, before and after dinner and the storm; Australia Day fake tattoos applied – thank you Paul & Sue – my blue wig passed around for silly photographs, and many of us brought to tears of laughter. The life experiences of some of our club members would make for a great book – some of it unprintable me thinks.
Ian & Alison andThe Great Rum Hunt
Waving goodbye to Paul & Carolyn & co the next morning, Ian took us on the side streets – over DIRT, just to get the day underway! So now we had bikes that had been drenched overnight (read wet seat and trousers – yuk) and now a layer of mud! Ah well! The group split mid-morning, for me to get new tyres in Tamworth. Chief tyre repair expert Toddy and I headed to Tamworth, passing Thunderbolt’s Rock. http://www.visitnsw.com/destinations/country-nsw/ armidale-area/uralla/attractions/thunderbolts-rock
Ian and the main group had a healthy breakfast in Uralla, while my bike got shod with new Pirelli Angel Tyres. I had steered away from them in the past, given there were other options in the market, and they are at the top end of the $ scale, but I’m loving them. They were my only option at the only shop we could find open on a long weekend, so happy days.
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This bike shop warned me that they do nothing to the tyres others than fit them, so after my exuberance on new tyres and resultant oops a few years ago, I was very cautious. Lucky for me the tar was rough and uneven and they wore in quite quickly (smiley face). We regrouped within minutes of each other a few hours later (at a pub with a/c) and to the disappointment of many, tore outta there and had a late lunch stop in Gloucester. For those who have not ridden with us before, it was becoming obvious that food and drink have little relevance in ride leaders’ Ian’s life – it’s all about the ride with fuel stops where absolutely necessary! Winding down the range into Gloucester there were repeated warnings about oil on the road, none of which I could see, and I was nursing new tyres – grrrr - and then – off to the left was a rolled truck in the bushes! Must have been super scary for the driver – one can only imagine. Phew. Word has it there was a speed camera in a Nissan Navarra - hope no souvenirs received in the mail by anyone?” From there it was a dash to get to the ocean at Foster and cool off. Richard and Wendy arrived a few moments before us, and were being noisily assisted with parking the bike by the owners’ dog. As it turned out, she helped round each of us up to our parking bays, doing circles of joy with each successful attempt. It was exhausting watching her. And noisy. Some of us got into the surf promptly, while others found shade and cool refreshments watching the surf. As it happens, much laughter and even more tall tales told and as the sun set we moved two tables over to our reserved dinner spot. It was fantastic that fellow riders from the Port Mac area had relocated to Foster Toncurry, and were able to join us for supper – love the company car, Squid. Lovely to see you both, Sharon and “Squid”. A short walk back to our rooms and with the a/c’s rattling it was time to rest our weary bodies. Breakfast was at the beach shack – most people opting for a solid breakfast knowing Ian’s modus operandi, and yup, after attempting to get the perfect magazine cover shot, we were off! Today was another tick off my bucket list – “Gingers” – my excitement offset the motorway section – spit; cough; ugh. As we met up with the group of 4 (Darrell & Trish, Steve & Meredith) from Port Mac, I was hearing reports over my radio that the road was closed due to an oil spill – noooooooo. Luckily for us the spill was very obvious, albeit lengthy – 15-20km’s? which probably wasn’t a bad thing, helping us hold back the horses. After a quick pit stop, the balance of Gingers was waiting, and I think everyone had great fun in their own way getting to the café.
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Ian & Alison and The Great Rum Hunt
From there the ride to the next servo was great fun for me – my bike is awesome – think I might have mentioned that already? Maggie commented that despite Ian’s best efforts he commented that the XR outpaced him (Very big smiley face). I also noted that I had managed to wear in much of the width of my new tyres, so happy about that too. We headed for lunch at Urulla, where the group had breakfasted the previous day, and caught up with Richard and Wendy again, both with huge grins, having had an excellent ride that morning. Comments from others at lunch tells of the mood. “slow corners and fast straights”; Warwick - “the Oxley is a motorbike theme park”; “been to Kentucky but no horses” says Trish; For Dieter who HATES rain – “love the fine weather”. Steve had a buttock clenching moment – decided he didn’t want to be a bush ranger and hide in the long grass at the side of the road, while Meredith was happy to have lunch – and at a reasonable time! Sebastian aka Bob was certain the best was yet to come, and for Toddy “Oxley Oxley Oxley” Meanwhile Richard and Wendy were still grinning – Wendy saying like the morning felt like a quick half hour ride and Richard musing over the 365k done that morning. Even the cups had a story to tell “A negative mind will never give you a positive
And so it was that we rode down Waterfall Way, the temperature and humidity rising by the metre, and into Bellingen. H and Jo from Port Mac, and Kelly were already in town, as were George and Maggie, and yes – the party was on, on the deck of the Hotel. And from there – well – let us say – we completed our mission to find the (alchoholic) Ginger Beer and Jamison’s, the preferred tipple of one of the waitresses at #5 the previous year.
Dinner with friends and laughter – and more laughter. Life doesn’t get much better than that.
life”; “Go the extra mile … it’s never crowded”; “The measure of intelligence is the ability to change”; “It’s ok to live a life others do not understand” And yes – Sebastian was on the money – the best was still to come. The ride that afternoon was just spectacular – brilliant roads and scenery, cooler weather – I found myself singing “the hills are alive” Sad, Yeah.
Ian & Alison and The Great Rum Hunt Heading back to the Federal, there was a live band playing, and there was some foot tapping and dancing. One of our club members happily danced the night away, keeping us on the sidelines amused. It all ended at 11 pm and it was time to rest our aching stomach muscles from laughing. The next morning most headed off in their own time after breakfast, while our much smaller group diminished over the day.
It was a really pleasant ride home – another long, hot but pleasurable day. All in all – almost 2,000km in 4 days. I cannot begin to thank everyone for their company – it was a really excellent 4 days break – 2 weeks on and I still smile looking at the photo’s. People joining and leaving the ride at various intervals – always someone different to chat to when we stopped, really enhanced the weekend. THANK YOU!
Alison Sayce
No! Thank you and Ian Alison for a truly great weekend away form the cares of the world...and we get to do it all again, well the Bellingen bit in September....already booked accommodation..Ed.
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Article: Merv Bone .....WANTS continued........
The offending tyre deflator was not a nail or screw but a bit of road kill bone. (See photo) picked up as Alison entered the dam, lucky it was not at speed. Time to farewell the group that was overnighting at Inverell. It was 1pm as I headed out past the roadkill and I noticed that the gauge gave a reading of 388 KS fuel range. I thought it low as my old GS was good for about 430 KS. Back the way we had come and turned right for Stanthorpe and enjoyed the back country road as the temp started to cool, 31C or not as hot as I entered Stanthorpe Township. Onto the New England Hwy to Warwick when I was stopped by the Police, no not speeding, I don’t do that. The road was half closed while a tow truck was recovering a caravan that was in a million bits. Warwick to Brisbane on the Cunningham, boring I know but it’s been a long hot day travelling some 674ks. What I found out about the new bike compared to the 2004 GS: A much better seat, Twin cams give a bit more get up and go but at a cost, 60ks less to the tank. That may improve as I put more KS on it, still not run in yet (20,000ks). The exhaust note slightly louder but bearable and a quiet motor, no rattles. The suspension is electrically adjustable on the move, I put it on soft and enjoy the ride. The dash has tyre pressure sensors so you can see a reading even if it is in bars not PSI. A big red warning sign if you getting a flat tyre. Outside Temp so I know it 36C. Both bikes had ABS, only used twice on the old bike. Once was a test to see what happens. A must on all bikes I feel. There are other safety features no doubt that I have not yet found but I’m from the old school, use your brain, be in the right place at the correct speed and you don’t need all that stuff.
Merv Bone 3663
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Dieter Harm...Where Rivers Run
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ituated next to the Barcoo River, Blackall is a great place to experience some outback hospitality. A session in the artesian waters at the Aquatic Centre was perfect to refresh the body after a day in the saddle. An added bonus was discussing the arthritis issues plaguing all the Grey Nomads floating about. Presumably this was to compensate for their vans plaguing my progress all day? Accommodation was at the excellent Barcoo Hotel where a drink & feed will exceed the room cost. They have even given up on bikers using the carpark and direct you straight to the lawn in the beer garden for stabling. It was whilst waiting for a meal, that I noticed a tourist brochure suggesting local scenic drives including “Where Rivers Run”
This is also the entrance to Idalia National Park. Just outside of Yaraka is the Mount Slocombe Scenic Lookout which provides great 360 degree views of the area. You can also pick up 1 bar of Telstra service here. The destination for this trip was Lawn Hill Gorge, originally via Blackall-Longreach-Winton. After a few coldies, the journey would now detour along the Barcoo, Cooper and Thomson Rivers to become Isisford-Yaraka-Windorah-Jundah-Winton. Isisford is on the Outer Barcoo made famous by Paterson’s Bush Christening poem “On the outer Barcoo where the churches are few, And men of religion are scanty, On a road never crossed ‘cept by the folk that are lost”. This seemed appropriate given the way the GPS was behaving. There is an Interpretation Centre in the main street with fossil exhibits, dinosaur style crocodile models (Isisfordia duncani), good coffee and air-conditioning. The fuel outlet is NOT in the main street, but down near the school and uses a dinosaur style credit card machine for either 95 or diesel. I took the Emmet Road to Yaraka which was ~100km of gravel in bad need of some grading. I had a look at the River Road which follows the Barcoo but it looked too soft for me. If you like the beach and playing in sand it is probably an option. I was having sufficient entertainment on the gravel and was glad to finally hit the tar on the Blackall Rd at Emmet.
Yaraka has a population of 30 and the Yaraka Hotel is an absolute bush pub gem. Nick runs the bar/ kitchen and his Dad Chris is the owner. Rooms were $40 or free camping out the back. The RFDS were running a clinic when I arrived, so I settled in at the bar and picked up on all the local health issues. For a dollar coin donation, Griffo (60 year old truckie) runs the town 14-seater bus up Mount Slocombe for sunset tours. I bailed out due to concerns about the bush telegraph sending Brokeback Mountain style rumours of Griffo & I drinking chardonnay and holding hands as the sun set. The bar had really filled after RFDS flew back to Charleville, some of the overnight travelers returning from Music in the Mulga, some nomads and some council people. The Yaraka has outdoor style
Dieter Harm...Where Rivers Run cushioned sofas in the beer garden and everyone basically watches the sunset, star gaze a perfect night and get hammered. A fine dining experience is also advertised, but you probably need to hold hands on the sunset tour? Nick runs off-road motorbike tagalong tours to historic mine sites and waterholes and I highly recommend this pub for a good time. The road to Windorah is about 150km of reasonable gravel before picking up the sealed Quilpie Road. This is also the entrance to the Welford National Park. Welford comprises permanent waterholes and heritage listed pise homesteads. The natural attraction of Windorah is the Cooper Creek which is where the Barcoo and Thomson Rivers combine (and perhaps the Yabby Races?). There is a 12km nature drive from the edge of town to Cooper Creek with sufficient botanical information on birds & plants to keep you happy for years. The Cooper played a significant role in the exploration of this area (think Burke & Wills etc.) and ruins, historical sites abound everywhere. Sitting on approx. 250 kg of bike, surrounded by a harsh environment of vast sandy creeks bounded by blacksoil plains, you really do pray the Beemer Quality Control got it right. I always carried 8 litres of water in the Esky but it was constantly being used up in such a dry hot environment. Provided you like flies, mozzies and there is no rain, there is good camping by the Cooper.
Heading via Jundah & Stonehenge (all sealed) we are now following the Thomson River which will lead you back to Longreach. Most of the chat in the
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Jundah Pub was about yellowbelly, opals and miserly Grey Nomads. Stonehenge was a weird place; there were stones (pebbles) but nothing like the English counterpart, more of a local stitch up? It backs onto the Thomson River and provides access to Lochern National Park and links to the Jundah-Winton Road where Larks Quarry (more dinosaur fossil action) is located. If you like millions of flies and thousands of mozzies, definitely camp Bladensburg National Park outside Winton. You will have a ball. It was then on to Lawn Hill via Cloncurry on all sealed sections to Gregory Downs. The 140km gravel section to Adels Grove is largely sealed to the Century Mine and is well maintained. Adels Grove is a tropical oasis with a range of accommodation, meals and drinks overlooking the pristine Lawn Hill Creek.
The gorge is about 12km away and provides spectacular scenery and wildlife The upper gorge will require approx. 80m of canoe portage around the 4m high Indarri Falls but is well worth the effort. The waters at the waterfalls are crystal clear though the spitting of the Archer fish becomes tedious after a while. There are good quality Amenities, Information Boards and canoes available at the Gorge. It is worth noting there is a 3km blacksoil plains section on the way to the gorge which becomes exciting when Huey is around. It appears the Adels Grove people maintain the main access road using gravel road base whereas I can DEFINITELY confirm that National Parks just run a blade over the blacksoil in their section. Lawn Hill Gorge is definitely worth experiencing.
Dieter Harm
Planning a ride?
Locally, interstate or overseas? Take the camera, jot down a few diary notes each day and send them in. Members always appreciate your articles. Please send to -editor@bmwmcq.org.au
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Mike Hannan: The Bike is not the Adventure
ike others of my age I have seen the motorcycle morph from a cheap form of transport to a lifestyle product with myriad forms and variations. Tourers, sports bikes, a-half dozen sub-categories of dirt bikes, street fighters and café racers are all competing for our dollars. The latest fad is for bikes called “adventure”. These, apparently, are used to have adventures, or so the gushing articles in motorcycle magazines would have you believe. These articles test new hightech adventure bikes by riding them one-up without luggage and sliding them around corners as though they were “trail” bikes (those under 35 may have to seek guidance from an older soul for a definition of trail bike). Now, my wife Jo and I are no strangers to adventures on motorcycles. We have been having them together for more than 40 years and over the last 10 years have ridden in excess of 200,000km outside Australia through more than 40 countries over all types of roads. We have always travelled two-up and we never ride with a group; group travel being the reason we have buses. We often give talks on our travels and a common question seeks advice on what is the best bike to take on an adventure. Our answer is always the same: it is not about the bike! Any bike will do, we say, just get on with it. Our argument is simply that if you are relying on the motorcycle to make the adventure, then you have missed the point completely. You make the adventure. The motorcycle just comes along for the ride, so to speak. Against this background those road tests seem so bizarre as to have been written on another planet. Having said that, our experiences, both good and bad, have shaped a view on what works best in the places we go for adventures. This little article is an attempt to synthesise 10 years of good and horrid experiences into a few pithy recommendations that might be of interest to others. It is, naturally, an entirely personal opinion, based on our particular circumstances, so don’t feel compelled to agree with any part of it, but all of the issues described here have happened to us or a traveller friend. A simple and true story will serve to illustrate a number of important considerations in any bike you take on an adventure. Our story takes place in the Peruvian city of Arequipa where we arrived just on dark. We had planned the way-in carefully to avoid getting lost. We always do this, because wandering aimlessly in a South American city is a sure route to insanity. Arequipa isn’t a big city but we knew that doesn’t matter. The density and confusion of the traffic are the same in cities of all sizes; it just goes on further in bigger cities.
Notwithstanding our detailed route plan, when we arrived at the edge of the city the main road was blocked for repairs. The detour ran one way uphill at a slope of about 12% and along a narrow road flanked by two stone walls just wide enough for a single vehicle. There was a further complication. This was a side street and it was cobbled in large river stones. We spent more than an hour crawling up the hill at a slow walking pace. Fully laden I needed 3000 rpm to pull away but the pace was too slow to allow me to fully engage the clutch. The old trick of letting the car in front roll ahead and then closing up in a burst doesn’t work under these circumstances. As soon as you let a gap appear, cars and minibuses push past you and fill it in. Perhaps the most worrying feature of the road was that there was nowhere to pull off. We were stuck in the traffic flow and our problems didn’t end there. The altitude was nearly 2400m so the air was thin and the only fuel we had been able to find was 87 Octane. Fully loaded, the bike weighed more than 450kg so the cobbles were a nightmare at walking pace and the thin air sapped my strength as I fought to keep it from bouncing onto its side. We crawled forward slipping the clutch and within fifteen minutes the stench of burning friction material was nauseating. To make matters worse, the lack of air flow through the oil cooler had the engine up in the red zone. Low octane fuel just made the overheating worse. We pressed on because we had no choice and eventually made it to a flatter, wider section of road where we could pull over and let the engine cool. We sat in the gutter until the nausea and exhaustion passed. So, it wasn’t a great night but it did highlight a few issues with adventure motorcycles. One of the more interesting is that of gear ratios. Gear ratios on bikes are a compromise but that compromise doesn’t account for the extremes that an adventure might place on a bike. The requirement differs in different places. The US demands gearing with a high speed bias and set of sticky tyres. South America requires gearing with a low speed bias and adventure tyres. Bikes differ and some are a better compromise than others but there is no doubt the closer you get to maximum load, the less likely it is that any particular compromise will work. In this area, chain drive bikes are a better proposition than Shafties. They allow you to easily alter the final drive ratio and affect the compromise between high speed running and slow speed work depending on load and likely conditions. The world is not made up only of country roads and many of the places you must see are in highly populated and often chaotic cities. Big cities can be bedlam and very dangerous. Big bikes are a nightmare in big cities.
Mike Hannan: The Bike is not the Adventure The closer a bike gets to its maximum all up weight (about 460kg for a big GS) the harder it gets to manage, and, the slower you go the harder it gets. Cobbles and other poor road surfaces create a special kind of hell in many places. Chaotic traffic is not the only place that size and weight are a disadvantage. Sand and loose gravel are almost unmanageable on a big, fully loaded bike. Air cooled motorcycles require a constant flow of air over the cooling fins of the motor to keep them within operating temperature. Oil cooled Beemers fall into the same camp. If there is no air flowing through the oil cooler, the bike gets hot regardless of what else is happening. The overheating problem described in this story has happened many times in many places. Sometimes the temperature is exacerbated by low octane fuel or by high altitude but, whatever the causes, I make a point of changing the oil every time I have an overheated engine. Friends with proper liquid cooled bikes don’t have this problem. They can sit and idle in heavy traffic for hours and this is an important advantage. These problems are exacerbated by low octane fuel and this is a common problem in many places where you might like to have an adventure. Often, the best gasolina you can buy is about 85 octane (in Siberia we ran our bike on 71 octane for a few days). If your bike is designed for 95 Octane, you are bound to have trouble with lower octane fuel. Resetting the bike’s computer does help (a little) but the bike will be hard to start, won’t idle and will detonate badly under any load. In general, the newer bikes are worse than older models probably because they rely on higher compression ratios to achieve horsepower and emission standards. There are other issues that need consideration. Tyres for exotic bikes are very hard to get in many places. There will probably be a dealer in the capital city that stocks 160 width rears but the newer 170 size is likely to come on special order. Regardless of availability, the cost will be eye-watering and you may end up stuck for a week, as we did, in a little village on the edge of nowhere without an espresso within 500km. Unusually sized or special parts are also an issue. BMWs are renowned for the special sizes of their batteries. An OEM battery (the only option in most places) delivered to the north of Peru costs $US80 for freight on top of the $US335 cost of the battery. A friend, unwilling to pay this price, bought the smallest car battery he could find, fitted it into the right hand pannier and wired it into the bike’s system with some cable purchased along with the battery. The cost was $US65 and the motor cranked like the devil. Better, however, to have an easily replaced battery.
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The same principle can be applied to many other parts on a motorcycle; common good, rare bad. Everything breaks and you can’t carry every spare. The more complex the bike… the bigger the drama of a failure. As an example, in 2007 a replacement ABS and power assistance unit for our bike cost €2,300 in Spain and took a week to come from Germany. The list of technology inflicted misery is a constant subject of conversation for travellers but the point is simple: complexity isn’t helpful for the type of riding you do on an adventure. The final issue is engine power. Thinking back over two hundred thousand kilometres all over the world, I can’t think of a single time when I went to bed dreaming of a more powerful motorcycle. I recall many times I wished for less weight and size, but not a single case when I wanted or needed more than our bike’s modest output. The reason for this is that “out here” you ride to stay alive first and foremost. Nothing else matters, there is no place for fancy riding and those guys who wrote all those articles in the motorcycle magazines about drifting around corners just don’t get it. There are many other lessons gathered by me and other travellers, each one a little tale about what helps and what hinders. They form a core of conversation wherever in world travellers gather. But, it seems to me they are only important to those who have lived them, for the bike is not really the important thing in a motorcycle adventure. Your adventure is a personal thing and you adjust it to the machine you have. You ride to account for its strengths and weaknesses and learn to deal with its failures with patience and good humour. But, if that is not a very satisfactory ending, let me summarise the ideal that comes from the personal experience of Team Elephant. If you are riding one-up, take a mechanically simple single-cylinder machine of not more than 650cc. Make sure it is as light as possible and fit it with minimalist luggage that doesn’t increase its width beyond the handlebars. For two up, a multi-cylinder 650cc will do and if you need to carry camping gear as well, an 800cc model will be just fine. Anything bigger is a liability you don’t need. Don’t buy for the latest technology. It isn’t important. Look for proven reliability in a design that has been around for a few years without major revision. Steer away from too many special parts or special fasteners. Obviously, liquid cooling that can maintain temperature at idle is very important so don’t leave home without it. But if you are hooked on the technology or certain quirky features, buy whatever floats your boat and adjust your journey to suit. Oh, in that case, take plenty of US dollars and a sense of humour with you!
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Mike Hannan: The Bike is not the Adventure
Julian rode his 125cc Honda all the way to Ushuaia in southern Patagonia. A bike like this might seem a bit small to some, but it was reliable, easily carried the weight and was easy to pick up when it tripped over.
Loading the bike onto and off boats might not seem important back home, but in many places it is the only option. The heavier the bike the more it costs to load and the greater the chance of an accident.
All this just to change a clutch. This is way too complicated for many adventures.
Big bikes are a big problem when they go over in the soft stuff.
Mike Hannan: The Bike is not the Adventure
Steve and Janet have been travelling for two years non-stop on their 800cc Triumph. This is the largest size bike we recommend for two-up travel.
A pair of 650cc Kawasaki KLRs belonging to Canadians Les and Catharine. This shot was taken in Puno, Peru. This size bike is the largest bike we recommend for one-up travel. However, these two bikes have lost some of their size and weight advantage through over-packing.
The bigger the bike and luggage, the more it costs to ship. Elephant costs as much as a business class ticket.
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These ageing Africa Twins are still a good choice two-up and work well one-up if you keep the luggage weight down. Each of these Dutch riders has more gear than we carry for two.
The German owner of this KTM was a photographer with the need to carry a lot of gear. He has kept the bike as small as he could (he was a large fellow) and fitted oversized luggage. The bike had no problem hauling the load and he still had a relatively light package.
Sometimes it is the simple things that get hard with a big bike. Having ridden on to this ferry, rolling it off backwards over a slippery ramp was a challenge.
MIKE HANNAN
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IMPORTANT ANNOUNCEMENT
NATONAL COURSE DATES COURSE PRICE $85 PER PERSON QUEENSLAND 2017 BOOK NOW Jan 14 Mackay April 29 Mackay Jan 29 Townsville May 13 Bundaberg Feb 12 Cairns May 14 Rockhampton Mar 5 Gold Coast/Currumbin Jun 3 Brisbane/Grange Mar 11 Brisbane/Grange Jun 4 Brisbane/Ipswich Mar 11 Bundaberg Jun 10 Brisbane/Birkdale Mar 12 Brisbane/Ipswich Jun 11 Sunshine Coast/Kawana Mar 12 Rockhampton Jun 17 Gold Coast Mar 18 Brisbane/Birkdale Aug 12 Mackay Mar 19 Toowoomba Sep 10 Cairns Mar 26 Sunshine Coast/Buddina Oct 14 Bundaberg Oct 15 Rockhampton
Annual General Meeting 2 March 2017
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Resolution for Membership Fee Change
Dear Committee, Can you please publish this letter in the March 2017 Journal as I intend to put forward a motion for acceptance of / tabling of a special resolution to reduce the annual membership fee. By publishing this letter it will give people some time to think about this proposal & give them the opportunity to discuss at the March 2017 General Meeting.
Background...
When the club membership fee was raised to current fees of $50 single / $65 Common address, there was much discussion and angst for some members with respect to the fee increase... The argument for the increase in membership fee at the time was to cover the burgeoning cost of printing the monthly cub journal. The general membership at the time considered that a hard paper copy was desirable and a critical membership communication medium, thus the decision was made by membership vote to adopt the fee increase and retain a printed monthly journal. As the decision has now been made that the magazine / Journal be only available in soft copy via the web, we are effectively paying for the magazine twice if we desire a hardcopy. We pay once with our membership fee and then again in personal printing consumable costs when we print out for the leisure of reading away from the internet. Our President has already advised via the club web forum that the cessation of printing the magazine monthly saves the club approximately $9700 per year, therefore I do not believe that the fees currently charged are representative of the services received by all members now that the paper based magazine is no longer in production and available to the broader membership.
Special resolution to the Committee for tabling and vote at a Special General meeting (SGM):-
“As there are no longer costs incurred by the club in the production of a paper monthly club journal; that the BMWMCQLD membership fee be immediately reduced to $40 per year for single memberships and to $60 per year for common /dual memberships.” The proposed membership fees comply with the fee structure detailed in the Constitution; Section 6.(2) “Common address subscription rates; ie: receiving only one magazine per household; shall be fixed at seventy-five percent of the prescribed fee per member in that household.” At the moment membership fees do not comply with this constitutional requirement. Yours Sincerely Rick Trenaman Member #108 24/02/2017
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BMWMCQ Supports
MARCH 2017
xplorer cutout
xplorer cutout our new adventure luggage setup! Hepco & Becker have upgraded their Xplorer cases to accommodate selected large Adventure bikes which have upswept or high exhaust systems. Xplorer Cutout features a regular 40Lt Xplorer on one side, plus a special 37Lt version on the other. This setup combines carrying capacity with symmetry. Not only that but this new system uses a dedicated pannier frame manufactured in stainless steel! We’ve got your luggage needs covered, especially with our great prices!
serious about setting up your Bike? so are M.a.p. and hepco & becker Hepco & Becker are now offering Engine & Tank Guards for selected adventure bikes in Stainless Steel (as well as their proven mild steel). The BMW R1200GSLC and the CRF1000L Africa Twin are the first up!
R1200GS LC Tank Guard has an updated design. This stainless version is independent of the Engine Guard. It can also be fitted along with BMW OEM guards. Increase your protection!
AUS & NZ importer
MOTORCyCLE AdvENTuRE pROduCTS (07) 3139 0387 www.Motorcycleadventure.coM.au/shop Order online from our webshop or through your local dealer
If one single donation can save three lives, imagine how many more could be saved if your group donated together. (Quote from Club Red web site.)
HydroTacÂŽ Lenses
www.stickonbifocals.com.au
Ph: 0418 573 677
If you have enjoyed reading the stories in this and previous editions, you may be surprised to know that they were written by members just like you. Therefore you can be assured others would like to hear your story. Send your stories and pictures or requests for help to editor@bmwmcq.org.au
Photo Overflow from Articles and Such
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BMWMCQ 2016 Events Calendar
BMWMCQ 2017 EVENTS BRG
Ride Leader / Contact
MARCH
Thursday 2
7:30pm
AGM & Monthly club meeting
Tingalpa
Saturday 11
9:30am
Sat Coffee Run
TBA
Sunday 5th
Wednesday 15 Saturday 18
Sat 25 - Sun 26 Tuesday 28 APRIL
Thursday 6 Sunday 9
Wednesday 19 Saturday 15
MAY Thursday 4 Sunday 7
TBA
6:30pm
8:00am
6:30pm
7:30pm TBA
6:30pm 9:30am
6:30pm
7:30pm TBA
Wednesday 17
6:30pm
JUNE
Saturday 20 Tuesday 30 Thursday 1 Sunday 4
Saturday 17
Wednesday 21 Tuesday 27 JULY
Thursday 6 Sunday 9
Saturday 15
Wednesday 19 Tuesday 25 AUGUST
Thursday 3 Sunday 6
Saturday 19
Wednesday 16 Tuesday 29
9:30am
6:30pm 7:30pm TBA
9:30am
6:30pm 6:30pm
7:30pm TBA
9:30am
6:30pm 6:30pm
7:30pm TBA
9:30am
6:30pm 6:30pm
Monthly Club Ride
Hamilton Hotel dinner meet Overnight camping trip 9th Far Cairn Rally German Club
Monthly club meeting Monthly Club Ride
Hamilton Hotel dinner meet Sat Coffee Run German Club
Monthly club meeting Monthly Club Ride
TBA check face book events Kingsford Smith Drive Ascot Bill Allen & Murray Brown Tottenham NSW Woolloongabba
Tingalpa TBA
Classic Riders Group
Kingsford Smith Drive Ascot
Woolloongabba Change due to Anzac Day clash
Tingalpa
TBA....THIS IS NOT MOTHERS DAY THIS YEAR
Hamilton Hotel dinner meet
Kingsford Smith Drive Ascot
Sat Coffee Run German Club
Monthly club meeting Monthly Club Ride Sat Coffee Run
TBA
Woolloongabba Tingalpa TBA TBA
Hamilton Hotel dinner meet
Kingsford Smith Drive Ascot
Monthly club meeting
Tingalpa
German Club
Monthly Club Ride Sat Coffee Run
Woolloongabba
TBA
TBA
Hamilton Hotel dinner meet
Kingsford Smith Drive Ascot
Monthly club meeting
Tingalpa
German Club
Monthly Club Ride Sat Coffee Run
Hamilton Hotel dinner meet German Club
Woolloongabba
TBA
Biscuit Ride
George & Maggie
Kingsford Smith Drive Ascot Woolloongabba
BMWMCQ 2016 Events Calendar SEPTEMBER Thursday 7 Sunday 10
Saturday 16
Wednesday 20 Thur 21-Sun 24 Tuesday 26 OCTOBER Thursday 5 Sunday 8 Saturday 21 Wednesday 18 Tuesday 31 NOVEMBER Thursday 2 Sunday 5 Saturday 18 Wednesday 15 Tuesday 2 DECEMBER Saturday 2 Thursday 7
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9:30am
Sat Coffee Run
TBA
7:30pm TBA
6:30pm 6:30pm 7:30pm TBA 9:30am 6:30pm 6:30pm 7:30pm TBA 9:30am 6:30pm 6:30pm 7:30pm
Monthly club meeting Monthly Club Ride
Hamilton Hotel dinner meet Horizons Unlimited Meeting German Club Monthly club meeting Monthly Club Ride Sat Coffee Run Hamilton Hotel dinner meet German Club Monthly club meeting Monthly Club Ride Sat Coffee Run Hamilton Hotel dinner meet German Club Christmas Party Monthly club meeting
Tingalpa TBA
Kingsford Smith Drive Ascot Boonah horizonsunlimited.com Woolloongabba Tingalpa TBA Duncan & Cindy TBA Kingsford Smith Drive Ascot Woolloongabba Tingalpa TBA President TBA Kingsford Smith Drive Ascot Woolloongabba Tingalpa
Italics font denotes event organised by other clubs
REGULAR EVENTS PER MONTH 1st Thursday of month General Meeting 3rd Wednesday evening of the month North-side Dinner (Hamilton Hotel) 3rd Saturday of month Saturday Morning Coffee Run Last Tues of month Southside Dinner (German Club) -was 4th Tues previously
Warrego Riders Calendar Warrego Riders General Ride Information To Be Continued Next Month or so I am told............ Ed.
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MARCH 2017
A Couple of Adverts................
Call now for our frEE parts CataloguE
Genuine & Aftermarket parts (from 1955 onwards) • Accessories • Australian Agent for Hepco & Becker Luggage Systems and Crash Bars Electronic Ignition Systems Unit 5&6 / 9 Hayden Crt Myaree, Perth, 6154 Western Australia
www.munichmotorcycles.com.au TrAde enqUiries WelCoMe (open till 7pm est.)
??? SMOOTH OUT YOUR RIDE ???
We’ve got you covered. GENUINE AUSTRALIAN
SHEEPSKIN SEAT COVERS
Phone: 08 9317 3317 Fax: 08 9317 3359 email: munich@iinet.net.au
ADVERTISING SPACE AVAILABLE
From business card to full page, all sizes are available. The BMWMCQ journal is distributed to members throughout Queensland and is also displayed in QLD dealerships. In addition, copies are sent interstate to other BMW affiliated Clubs. Get your message out to people who own, ride and restore BMW motorcycles. Rates are below. Phone your requests to Don Grimes - Ph: 0411 601 372 Colour - Back Cover
Good Wool Store Pty Ltd 49 Queen St BERRY 2535 P 02 4464 2081. F 02 4464 3344
www.goodwool.com.au
Advertising Rates 2015
$2,000.00
Colour - Inside Front Cover
$1,500.00
Colour - Inside Back Cover
$1,250.00
B & W - Full Page Inside
$800.00
B & W - Half Page
$450.00
B & W - Quarter Page
$250.00
B & W - Business Card $100.00 All advertising should be related to motorcycling in general. The committee reserves the right to reject any advertising that is deemed inappropriate, in any way. Advertising content can be changed at any time (monthly in the journal and any time on the web site) provided the advertisements reside on the advertiser’s server. All journal ad changes must be submitted by the cut-off date specified on the Events page. All journal ads are to be supplied by the advertisers in PDF format.
Article By Royal: Roaming Dingoes Tour Europe 2017
The February meeting was the last meeting for me before September. At 2 March, we’ll be on our way to Mad Max II Rally in Silverton-Broken Hill (wasteland NSW) for movie locations, artefacts, movie actors, stunt men and re-enactors with their vehicles and costumes. There will also be a live band travelling with us, for evening entertainment. Then we fly to Europe 11 April. In 2012 we rode the Harley in Europe 3 months and covered 22 countries and 28,000 kilometres. This time we’re also taking a few days in Africa, followed by Greece and the extreme north tip of Norway. Our GS is called Violet and will be checked in for shipping on the 8th February. The container ship leaves on 11 February for London (Southampton) and we’re using Bikes Abroad as agent. With re-loading in Singapore, we’ve allowed plenty of margins for delays and contingencies, so we can be sure to start touring on the 12th April. First we’ll head down to Casablanca via Paris and Lisbon. Then, via Rome, on the very best MC roads, through dozens of countries on the Balkan Peninsula, Greece, Romania, Croatia, etc. We didn’t cover all the Alp favourites in 2012, and have several passes to ride in this area before heading to Austria and neighbouring countries up to the Baltic. We hope to get Visa for the Russian enclave state of Kaliningrad (next to Poland). An overnight ferry will take us from Finland to the green grass of the old homeland Sweden for a scenic ride up to Gällivare, north of the Arctic Circle and the Midnight Sun MC Rally as enjoyed last time. We’ll continue even further north this time in the Arctic zone to the Cape where Europe comes to an end, Nordkapp (North Cape). From there we’ll enjoy the roads south along the very scenic fjords and the arctic Lofoten peninsula, another favourite from last time. The entire Fjord land down the whole Norwegian coast is the crown jewel of our trip and not to be missed if you ride Europe. After sightseeing Berlin and Paris/Versailles we’ll ride some of England’s coastline and over to Ireland.
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This time we’ll spend more like 5 days looking for Leprechauns. Ireland and Scotland were also high on our list of favourites from last time. We expect to line up next to Trump and others in the wax museum London and ride the London Eye before returning on the 15th of August to the best country on Earth. The trip should include about 34,000 kilometres with an average of about 340 kilometres per day on travel days, which will be most of them. Our next BMW meeting will be the first Thursday in September. We’ll maintain the latest info on one web site with map updates, notes and links etc. http://www.ozemate.com/dingorun Please accept a standing order of apologies at the meetings until we get back.
Michael and Ann AHLBERG (Roaming Dingoes)
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• BMW trained technicians; • BMW national service technician of 2006 (metro winner), Adrian Cash; • Log Book Service followed by BMW Motorrad Maintenance Schedule; • BMW software used for diagnosis; • Re-set service light, time & distance; • Great deals on the leading brands of motorcycle tyres.
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Photo Overflow from Articles and Such
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The Ultimate Riding Machine
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