www.bmwmcq.org.au
MAY 2019
OFFICIAL JOURNAL OF THE BMW MOTORCYCLE CLUB OF QUEENSLAND INC.
Established 1958
BMW Motorrad Australia is thrilled to announce the 2019 End of Financial Year Sale. For a limited time only, experience irresistible Ride Away Savings on selected models. These offers are strictly while stocks last at TeamMoto BMW Springwood. morganandwackerbmw .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 1200 GS / 700 GS
Vice President - Richard Maher Ph: 0415 111 454 vpres@bmwmcq.org.au R 1150 R
Secretary - Tony Gray Ph: 0409 493 605 secretary@bmwmcq.org.au R 1200 GS (The Grey Ghost) R 60/6 Treasurer - John Eacott
Ph: 0428 383 826 treasurer@bmwmcq.org.au 2017 K1600GT 2016 R1200GS Tripple Black
Editor - Dave Hepburn
Ph: 0422 080 524 editor@bmwmcq.org.au R 1200 RT
Records- Greg Gaffney Ph: 0411424 219 records@bmwmcq.org.au R 1200 RT & R 90 S Events -
Ph: events@bmwmcq.org.au
VACANT Regalia -
Ph: regalia@bmwmcq.org.au
This Issue - MAY 2019 Contents:Editorial . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 Committee Reports . . . . . . . . . . 5 S1000 RR MORGAN AND WACKER. . 6 JOHN EACOTT ARTICLE BMW CA. . . 7 General Meeting Minutes. . . . . 10 ON THE ROAD RECOMMENDATIONS. 11 CLUB RIDE ELTHAM HOTEL . . . . . . 12 CULLENDORE REVISITED . . . . . . . . 15 ON TOUR USA WITH CHARLIE . . . . . 16 BOYS DAY OUT - TONY GRAY . . . . . . 20
20th FRIGID DIGIT . . . . . . . . . . . . 24 FOR THE AIRHEADS . . . . . . . . . . . 25 BMWMCQ Supports. . . . . . . . . . . 28 ADVERTISING . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29 BMWMCQ Events Calendar 2018. 30 Cupla Adverts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32 DUST HUSTLE. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33 PHOTO GALLERY . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33
Advertisers
TeamMoto - Front Cover
Caloundra Motorcycles Cafe2U - P.28 Good Wool Store - P.32 Munich Motorcycles - P.32 Northside Motorcycles - P.34 Morgan and Wacker - Back Cover
O
n The Cover... Please refer to John Eacott’s article starting on page 7....Ed
VACANT
Tools/Spares - Bill Luyten Ph: 0438 123 747 tools@bmwmcq.org.au R1150 Rockstar - R1200 GS LC Sub Committee
• Dealer Liaison / Advertising - Don Grimes Ph: 0411 601 372 • Forum Moderator - Garry Hilton
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
MAY 2019
Dave Hepburn
Editor’s Report
I
t has been a great month all round and I will be, like many others, providing a report based mostly on photographs and I have received some great photos …special thanks to Paul Hughes, Richard Maher and John Eacott, Tony and Charlie. One piece of noteworthy news is Tony’s initiative re Accommodation Recommendations: a small column is provided on page 11… A lot is happening in May so please enjoy.....Ed
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 6 JUNE 2019
Committee Reports Paul Hughes
W
MAY 2019
5
President’s Report
hat a great month April turned out to be. The highlight was the club camping weekend at Cullendore. Great turn up and a very nice event it was. Perfect location with a great bunch of friends. It was so good Murray Brown announced Bill Alan and himself would be organising another one for August 31. Different location yet to be announced. Many thanks to life member Gary Bennett for organising another great event. Bacchus Brewery for Drinks and Dinner If You Like was another great idea put forward by Cindy and Duncan. It was a fun place: with seriously good pizza and a beer selection that rotates through 1000 different brews. We definitely will put this location back on the list in the future. The April club ride was a superb day of motorcycling. As always VP Richard’s rides had a good turnout and did not disappoint. Long day in the saddle over many kilometres and varying countryside that many have not seen before: Thanks Richard. May promises to bring even more wonderful times. The Ride to the Rock has a good number going and some others going along for various sections of the ride. Having lived at the Rock for nearly 6 years I can assure everyone it is a place not to be missed. Thanks again to Cindy and Duncan for organising. Drinks with Dinner If You Like is back at the Hamilton Hotel on a Friday night at 6.30 pm. Hope to see a few there. The May club ride is being led by Charlie Brown to Maryvale pub for lunch. Details will be released on Facebook and the web. The Club lunch ride is to Clifton and the wonderful O’Shanley’s Pub. I was there 2 days ago with some club members and the food and hospitality was first class. The Coffee meet up is back to an old favourite at the Cleveland Lighthouse Café: Something for everyone here. Hope as many as possible make the effort to catch up with club friends at these events. Don’t forget to let Gary Bennett know if you are attending the Frigid Digit in last weekend July. Places are filling quickly. The Club Library system is building and Jane Gray has taken on the role of club librarian. A list of available books will be in the journal and on the web with a request email service to be delivered and returned at the Club meetings. All offers of loaning books etc will be gratefully accepted and acknowledged. Don Grimes has taken on the dual role of Dealer Liaison and Regalia on the committee. Don will be soon taking orders for a rerun of GS T-shirt’s. Thanks Don. Once again I would ask members if they can acknowledge their attendance or non-attendance intentions re the club events: Makes it a whole lot easier to get the bookings right. We have quite a few new members attending events lately and I would ask all members to make them very welcome and steer them through all the usual requirements for rides etc. if you haven’t done it before it can be a little daunting at first. I trust you will have another great motorcycling month and ride safe. See at some of the many events or meet ups. Cheers Paul
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MAY 2019
Richard Maher S1000RR LAUNCH MORGAN AND WACKER
Committee Reports Vice President’s Report
Committee Reports John Eacott John was not in a position
to provide a Treasurer’s Report this month. However, he has suplied an article describing his activities on behalf of our club at the AGM BMW CA....Ed
E
very year the BMW CA Delegates get together in Melbourne for the AGM, an opportunity for car and bike clubs to share experiences, swap ideas and get some ideas (hopefully) for the benefit of clubs and club members. For those unaware, the BMW Club structure devolves down from BMW Clubs International through each country’s national club, to the respective state clubs: there are a number of protocols that BMW AG expect clubs to comply with and in return the clubs are approved to be known as BMW Clubs and use approved logos. The AGM was restructured a couple of years back to take place on Sunday and Monday (instead of Saturday/Sunday) to take advantage of BMW GA inviting us to their HQ in Mulgrave. This gives us all the opportunity to meet and hear from management within GA and create an excellent relationship with BMW GA: indeed we are the only country to have financial assistance from the national BMW Company. From this we get our PESP (Principal Event Support Programme) monies to encourage club membership. I was to fly to Melbourne and back but it seemed a waste of a perfectly good ride, so I set off on Battlestar Galactica for an excellent ramble via Murwillumbah, Grafton, Armidale, etc etc for a two day blat south. The return was even better, justifying the rejection of travelling by aluminium death tube.
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Treasurer’s Report Sunday was a day of formal AGM in Melbourne, with reports from the executive, then splitting into car clubs and motorbike clubs for exchanges of reports. We take our session to the bar, the car clubs always take twice the allotted time which gives us ample opportunity to swap lies and war stories. Some of our members are Blood Donors but many who are may not be aware of the Red Cross Red25? We have a friendly rivalry with other motorcycle clubs and are currently second to the MCC Vic for donations over the past twelve months. If you are a donor and not registered, then maybe you can do so and add to our impressive tally of 96 lives saved since 1st April 2018. Much of the boring stuff has been passed on to our committee for consideration, but all members should also note that should they be visiting Germany and want to tour a BMW AG facility then we can arrange this via the BMW CA International Delegate. All those who have availed themselves have spoken highly of the VIP treatment they received in Munich and Berlin. Monday saw us relocate from our hotel, opposite the Flinders Street Station, to BMW GA in Mulgrave. I nearly got caught in the Vegan shutdown of Melbourne traffic, having turned out of the hotel straight into the just-formed traffic jam, only a hundred metres from the junction. Thank goodness for the BMW bike, a quick U turn across the tram tracks without falling off, and back streets out to the main roads! Unfortunately the Motorrad team were otherwise engaged on the 25th GS Safari so our presentations for the morning were very car-oriented, but we scored a look around the training facilities plus a look at some classic cars in storage along with the motorbike park where BMW GAs various demonstrators and odd police bikes are parked. Even a pair of new F850GS with a police pack: very innovative as this will give VicPol the ability to transit and then go off road all with the one bike instead of trailering a pair of motards before getting off road for their job.
Continued on page 8
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MAY 2019
Greg Gaffney
Committee Reports Records Officers Report
I
had a great weekend at Cullendore, however, I didn’t have the best night’s sleep. My sleeping bag didn’t cut it and I had no proper pillow. I’m used to going camping in the car and taking EVERYTHING required. I will say however, a good fire and a good bottle of port helped. Thanks again for organising Gary: Now looking forward to the Frigid Digit. Cheers Greg Below are the new club members for April 2019 Jim Brownett R100RS Wayne Griffiths F750GS Graham Chaff R1250GS Cameron Crawford K1600GTL
JOHN EACOTT’S REPORT CONTINUED FROM PAGE 7
Since the AGM was finishing early on Monday afternoon: the trip to Tallangatta beckoned, along with the wonderful Mansfield-Whitfield Road, Myrtleford, Yackandandah and a magic sunset to finish the day: see photos. I managed to get to Tamworth without much of any major highway, although I consistently muck up coming out of the Bylong Way and finish up via Muswellbrook and an extra 100km:
One of these days I’ll get it right but the Bylong is getting some much needed attention to the disgusting potholes that have plagued it for so many years. Still: some bad patches but worth it for the tyre shredding twisties.
Continued on page 27
Submissions for the Next Journal (JUNE 2019 Edition
Committee Reports
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MAY 2019
Bill Luyten
Tool’s Report
T
he Club held a Service Day at Rob Wynne’s place on the 31st of March 2019. 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 and BBQ. The usual Sausage Sizzle and drinks were provided for lunch ($27 was raised and will go to the RFDS). The club now has a brake bleeding tool which operates by suction and will bleed brake fluid from the brake caliper. This tool has also been used to calibrate the Vacuumate (electronic carburetor / throttle body balancer) so it’s a bit more accurate now.
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 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
n) closes on 15 MAY 2019 - Just soes y’all know!!!!!!
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Committee Reports
MAY 2019
Tony Gray
Secretary’s Report
BMWMCQ Meeting Minutes 4 April 2019 Venue: Geebung RSL Meeting Opened: Apologies: Minutes of Previous General Meeting: 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:
7.30pm Mal Cremer, Maggie & George R. John Eacott. John Allan. Tony Malone. Ron Durkin. Rosi Johnson. Accepted: Geoff Hodge
Seconded: Darryl Gowlett 34 Graham Chaff R1250 GS Rallye. Dave Pilcher (+Sam) R100RT (‘96) R650GS. Nil Nil JE at Clubs Aust AGM in Melbourne Nil Service Day 31 March. Gs 911 popular. Thanks to Rob Wynn. Thanks to Chris Lawrence for manning the BBQ. $27 raised for RFDS. Nil 233 Financial members. Club Ride this Sunday (RM) to Eltham NSW. 2 Letters out for Special Interest Vehicles Registration. Nil to report Found a winery between Boonah & Beaudesert. Future event site afternoon? Music on Sunday afternoon. Swiss Cafe at Mt Ommaney K&K. Throw Your Leg Over on FB. Leaving for long overseas bike trip. RM leading Sunday Club Ride. Back country roads to Eltham in NSW. Approx 300km ride. Thanks to Rob Wynn for hosting service day last Sunday. Saturday ride to Crows nest was very wet but small group of 7 attended. Jane Gray has volunteered to act as librarian for book loans. Canetoad. Bookings open now. A lot of cabins available. Cullendore Camping. Repeat of 2018 location that was very popular. Accessible on road bikes. Charlie Brown another movie night coming up at Laidley. Details to follow. To be put into calendar. Suggestion of an annual dinner. TBC. Suggestion to put names and recommendations for bike friendly pubs in the journal and also on the club website. (RM) MAP has been sold to business in Wodonga. Ron Durkin still selling Rokstraps. M&W gear on sale at present. 8.10pm, next meeting 2nd May.
ON THE ROAD RECOMMENDATIONS
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new initiative proffered up by Tony Gray to members is a list of accommodations encountered on members’ journeys and their evaluation of such fare for other members’ information. The first of the lists is below and will be updated each month: so if you have recommendations related to accommodation please pass that on to Tony who will collate and give to me to publish in the newsletter. It is anticipated that the feature will also translate to the BMWMCQ web site…..Ed LOCATION
PUB NAME
Uralla
Top Pub
Bathurst
Knickerbocker
Myrtleford
Railway
Omeo
Golden Age
Cooma
Alpine
$$$ ROOM TYPE 50 Selfone Contained 80 two 85 Shared Facilities 57
SelfContained Price/head for shared room 50 SelfContained Price/head for shared room 45 Shared one Facilities
APRIL IN ELTHAM JEGApr2019
Over the hills and far away We couldn’t have asked for a better day Through Beaudesert & the hinterland Fresh country air, feel your lungs expand Crossed the border through The Numinbah Rode by Uki & over Burringbar In Mooball we gathered to stretch the legs “More of that, Richard!” everyone begs Further on south towards Byron Bay But then we head off another way To Mullumbimby and Bangalow Lush rolling green spread out below
MEALS
BIKE STORAGE/COMMENTS
No Breakfast
Very bike friendly Pub. Excellent Restaurant. Safe Yard. If weather bad then can lock bikes in bottle shop after hours. Good bistro. Centre of town. Lock bikes in bottle shop but not until 9.45pm. Hotel has closed but good Motel with undercover parking in safe area. Dinner & breakfast options very short walk away. Secure gated lockup for bikes but not undercover. Excellent bistro meals.
Cooked Breakfast included No meals
No Breakfast No Breakfast
Very bike friendly Pub. Excellent Restaurant. Lock up garage just for bikes.
Arrived at Eltham in time for lunch A fantastic ride with such a fine bunch A great day’s meander thanks to Richard M We hope it’s not long till we ride again
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MAY 2019
APRIL CLUB RIDE TO ELTHAM HOTEL
G
eorge & Maggie’s biscuit run has been the best attended monthly club ride over recent years. The reasons are obvious to any past attendees. While not offering the culinary pleasures enshrined in that run, any ride led by VP Richard is sure to delight. The April ride to the little known destination of Eltham in the northern NSW hinterland promised a feast of delightful hilly country backroads. The appointed 7.30am departure time from the Caltex at Richlands had those travelling from the Northside up with the chooks. We were all bright eyed and bushy-tailed however as 17 bikes followed Richard onto the Centenary Motorway for a short stint with Liele volunteering for the tail-end-charlie duties. Our course to the first coffee stop outside Beaudesert followed an unusual path for most via Greenbank and Bromelton entering the town from the west. The pre-arranged coffee stop was at the ‘Greener Grocer’ on the way out of town to the east.
There was plenty of undercover parking and a Sunday special running for a coffee with a B&E roll which hit the spot for those who had left home too bleary eyed for breakfast. The next stage promised to be a long one so just as well we were all well caffeinated.
CLUB RIDE - ELTHAM HOTEL
One bike dropped off at Beaudesert but three more joined so it was now 20 by my reckoning, three with a pillion on board. The next country road took us via Biddaddaba and into the Sunday maize of Gold Coast Harleys lining Canungra’s main street. There was one exception I noted, a very tastefully restored Gold Kawasaki Mach3 500/2 stroke: Just beautiful. I am sure fellow Kwakaophile Merv Bone didn’t miss it either.
CLUB RIDE - ELTHAM HOTEL
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Heading out of Canungra over the hills I was expecting the ‘usual’ right turn to Beechmont but no, clearly Richard had an eye on the watch and other plans as we continued on to Mt Nathan before cutting back for the very pretty run through the Numinbah Valley, past Natural Bridge and into NSW through undoubtedly one of the most attractive State border crossings in this wide brown land.
Anything with 2 wheels and an engine in between is fine with me. I have a sibling who even owns a scooter as does our ride leader. This group however was clearly pushing the pace as several had trouble keeping to their side of the double lines as they rounded a soft sweeper with the soles of their boots in clear view on highway pegs. One dude at least wearing shorts and many with bare flesh aplenty. I just don’t get it?
On this clear bright autumn day you could seemingly see forever. The run down to the valley floor and through Chillingham is always exhilarating before we took off along the north arm of the Tweed River towards Uki.
Anyway back to our ride. Richard had plenty of curves in the plan as we followed our way through Stokers Siding and over the Burringbar Range - now with a fixed speed camera in place - (bloody sacrilegious) before a brief comfort stop at the Moo Moo Roadhouse. Heading south we mirrored the Pacific Hwy while sticking to the adjacent Tweed Valley Way where the road got interesting and Richard unleashed the reins on his (borrowed) R1100GS (thanks Uncle Andy).
We passed a brace (flock, gaggle, herd) of Harleys heading in the opposite direction which cannot pass (pun intended) without comment. I have never owned a Harley but know many people who do and enjoy them immensely.
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MAY 2019
CLUB RIDE - ELTHAM HOTEL The road eventually joins the Lismore Road just outside of Bangalow from where it was a relaxed ride onto Clunes and a downhill run to the Eltham Hotel for lunch.
The Coolamon Scenic Drive loops through the hills from near Billinudgel into and beyond Mullumbimby. We had been warned at the ride briefing to avoid inhaling too deeply through this area as it is unlikely to be Marlboro fumes in the air. The road is narrow and twisty and our conga line was getting stretched. The Gray Ghost was hanging onto the tail of the 1100 as we descended to Mullumbimby when Richard came up behind Valentino on a 50cc 2 stroke scooter complete with P plate and resplendent in shorts, T shirt and joggers. Hearing the approach of the two boxers Vale flicked a quick head turn to the rear then proceeded to screw the throttle on the screaming little stroker. He entered a tight left hander with inside leg flailing in the breeze as if it was the last turn at Mizuno. I am sure we were all laughing inside our helmets.
The scenic drive continues past Mullumbimby along the ridge line with million dollar views of the coast north from Byron Bay. On this day it was just stunning.
Richard declared that we were 10 minutes later than he had estimated after his test run which is a brilliant effort: considering the nature of the roads we had just ridden. Everyone arrived safely and thoroughly exhilarated. This ride also had three new members/first club ride virgins, Graham, Graham & Cameron who had a great time and will be back for sure.
The return journey as is tradition is up to individuals to decide with most who were on a short leash heading up the highway home while the lucky ones went back via Lismore, Kyogle, Lions Road and Beaudesert and back to Brisbane. Our group of Paul, Cameron, Mark & Donna, Jane & me had a great ride with a Macca’s coffee stop at Beaudesert to unwind. It was close to 6pm with almost 500km on the days log by the time I turned the Gray Ghosts engine off so a long day but a very enjoyable one. Thanks Richard for putting so much planning into a route that I am sure will be revisited by many in the future.
Tony Gray
CULLENDORE - REVISITED CULLENDORE HIGH COUNTRY Camping the Sequel
D
ue to popular demand we held a sequel to last years Cullendore Camping weekender. As sequels go, they are never as good as the original, but I must say that this one was every bit as good as last year. I didn’t need much convincing to return to Cullendore as it is became one of my favourite camping destinations and after a lot of work going on at home, I was looking forward to getting on my bike for the first time since Jolly’s Lookout breakfast ride in January. Some of us stopped at the Criterion Hotel in Warwick for a counter lunch, then onto the campground. Our hosts, Stuart and Wendy have created a fantastic campground and their eagerness to please certainly does not go un-noticed. It was held on the weekend in the middle of the Qld. school holidays but due to the size of this property, no other campers were in view of our large campsite. Murray Brown got a head start on us by arriving on Friday night while the rest of us straggled in around midday or a bit after. Tents popped up and little clusters of members chatting appeared all over the campsite. For people into camping, it was tent paradise with so many different designed tents, large and small, all fast to erect and easily transported on a motorcycle. As the sun began to fade behind the horizon it was time to light up the fire and this year without the help of Trent Smyth and his unique fire lighting skills, Greg Gaffney took on the role of ‘fire meister’ and he did a fine job. Dinner time: a favourite time of day for me when camping, to see all the different ways of cooking and what they bring to eat. Some used the gas BBQ provided while others used their own portable gas or fuel stoves and some just cooked on the open fire. After dinner everyone gathered around the fire, which provided some welcome heat as the temperature dropped below 10 Degrees. I threw some ‘coloured flames powder’ into the fire during the night for some visual entertainment. Last year most people were in their tents by about 9:30 but this year they started to thin out about 11pm. The sun rose on Sunday morning to another beautiful day and it wasn’t long before the campsite was abuzz with activity. Seeing that Carol Gilmore couldn’t join us this year, I felt that the responsibility of waking up
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Paul Hughes with some music fell upon me, so I played Cold Chisel’s ‘Khe Sanh’ outside his tent and got the same reaction that Carol got last year. I probably should have played ‘Cheap Wine’ or some AC/DC like Carol did the year before. One of the first to leave was Ron Durkin; I was told that he was up before sunrise packing up his tent with a torch. Ann and Michael Ahlberg had a great setup with table and chairs and were having breakfast when I was all packed up and doing the rounds, saying goodbye. When I got back to my bike they were packed up and ready to go. Super fast pack up and everything fit onto their 1200GS easily, they have a well-oiled operation. The buzz on the weekend was to make Cullendore an annual event, we could possibly do that, but that would mean I would have to do and extra camping weekend at the beginning of June so we can explore other great camping locations. I don’t think that would be too painful, so watch this space. I’d like to thank the 26 people who attended. It was a great representation of the clubs membership ranging from many “elders” through to very new members. Words by Gary Bennett #509 P.S. Camping weekends have made a great return and I would encourage everyone to login to the BMWMCQ Website Forum and go to the “Camp Cooking and Equipment” section and post what you take for meals and what equipment you use so others who haven’t caught the camping bug yet may be able to make better choices when purchasing tents and cooking equipment, so that everything will fit onto your bike. Then they too will be able to enjoy weekends like we have just had.
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MAY 2019
ON TOUR with Charlie Brown - Part 1
CHARLIE IN THE US of A
n a hot Saturday morning my American friend, Ted, and I, rode out of Stockton, in central California and headed south into the desert for a town called Wasco. A few days earlier I had arrived in San Francisco on the last leg of an around the world trip. I spent the night in a fire trap hotel opposite a multi-story car park in down town San Francisco. I was entertained for a while watching some of San Fran’s finest chasing a guy up and down the ramps in the car park. Strangely enough a couple of months later, after the big earthquake of 1989, I was sitting at home looking at the news of the quake. I could see the actual room I was in as the front wall of the flee pit was in the street and the bed was hanging over the street. I am pretty sure that quake caused about $300 of improvements to the hotel: More of earthquakes later. Ted had offered me the loan of one of his BM’s so I was on a R100/7 with a big fairing, radio and CB. I had visited the US some years before while serving in the RAAF and was now back to see more. At the start of a bike trip I always get a delicious feeling of anticipation and on this trip it was almost overpowering. It is something I enjoy and I hope never to lose it. Anyhow, off we went southward avoiding the freeways where possible, through Livermore towards San Jose. After San Jose we got on to Hwy 101 for a while before jumping on to Hwy 25. Hwy 25 winds through the Diablo Ranges and the countryside looked a lot like an Australian country road, complete with the very occasional clump of gum trees. Something was missing and I finally realised that there were no dead ‘roos. There was other road kill though. There is an old country song, “Dead skunk in the middle of the road”, there was, and it stank to high heaven. The road into the San Joaquin (pronounced San WA-keen) winds through a steep sided deep gorge and runs through the town of Coalinga. Coalinga is built on, and I do mean “on” the San Andreas Fault. The western half of the town is slowly moving north. This means that the town gets more earthquake activity than anywhere else in California. Consequentially the hills surrounding the town are alive with the sounds of seismologists and geologists tending their equipment. While filling the bike with fuel and myself with water I had a strange conversation with an old bloke about when he used to ride etc. etc. Back then bikes were real bikes, he pointed at the BM, and not this Jap Crap. The conversation or I should say his monologue got on to earthquakes. He stated that “California is gunna hav a big one soon. Its looooong overdue”. I should have gotten an Oscar for my performance of feigning interest and I just had to ask how he knew it was on the way. “Ma knee allas ackts up when a big one is a commin”.
His dog, er sorry, dawge was a blue heeler but as he said “this heayer is a Queensland cattle dawge, she cast me $1500”. Ted came out of the toilets and broke up the “conversation” by saying “Get lost yer crazy old coot”. If only I had thought of saying that earlier, I may have saved myself some brain damage. After a quick drink (it was 40 in the shade) we headed south into the San Joaquin valley leaving Coalinga and the old-timers trick knee. The valley is very flat and intensively irrigated. All types or crops are grown there including Garlic. A ‘B double’ had rolled coming out of a field and dumped the whole load on the highway. After trucks and cars had been over the spill all that was left was a paste that was like riding on ice. Now I love garlic but not smeared all over the road, the smell was bloody awful and hung on the bike for days. The water to irrigate these crops comes along massive aqueducts from the Sierra Nevada Mountains in central and north California. Most of the water goes to Los Angeles and San Diego and causes a lot of resentment in the north. In the dry years (1989) the northern Californians are contracted to supply the water and have “Water Wars”. There was even talk of the northerners blowing up the canals. The mind boggles with what George Lucas could do with that... “Not so long ago, in an aqueduct not far away: Princess Mitzi Gaynor got her dynamite out...” My mind kept jumping back to Reg saying... ”What have the Romans ever done for us...” We arrived mid-afternoon at Ted’s friend, in Wasco, John Martin. He was just as “out there” as Ted. The two of them have a competition to see who can find the sleaziest bar in their areas. That night John drove us over to Bakersfield to a bar he had found. As we walked in the mountain of a bouncer told us to leave ALL weapons with the checkout girl (I use the term loosely). I was surprised when both John and Ted handed over pistols. The “woman” looked at me and I told her that I didn’t have a weapon. I was immediately patted down quite thoroughly. Ted was laughing his head off and John said “just think Charlie, people pay good money for that”. The girl (again I use the term in its broadest) looked at John and said “Honey...people HAVE paid me good money for that!” The bar was just a besser block box, think Bobs Country bunker but with the chicken wire (read steel bars) around the bar. No chairs and the tables were bolted to steel plates that were bolted to the floor and to round it out there were 3 pump action shotguns on gun racks behind the bar. One drink and a couple of dodgy Taco’s later I insisted we go the bunch of rough looking Mexicans in the corner were giving us the Hairy Eyeball and I felt as welcome as a fart in a crowded lift: Much like Luke Sky Walker in the cantina scene from Star Wars.
ON TOUR with Charlie Brown - Part 1 More of the Taco’s later. The next day Ted went back to Stockton and John took me flying. He owns two aircraft; a four seater Cessna and a two seat Citabria (say it backwards). The one thing I love more than riding is to fly, and this flight was tops. Before I joined the military in the late 70s I used to fly sail-planes in S.A. As we flew across the valley towards the pacific coast the local crop dusters tried to ‘bounce’ us. John had warned me of this and I had a great time as we were going in ever decreasing circles and John yelling “Talk to me Goose”. GREAAAT FUN. John broke me up by saying “Man, that’s better than sex” After we had despatched a couple of crop dusters to their low flying Valhalla we flew over the Californian valley were we were greeted by a couple of Californian Condors that were working the thermals. We kept our distance and John reported their sighting. They are the one of the world’s rarest birds. We had lunch at Pacifica then flew up the coast past the Morrow Bay nuclear power station and on to Hearst Castle at San Simeon. Then back over the valley to Wasco. John let me fly for a while and it felt good.
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The next day I headed back into the desert heading for the coast with the promise of another fine hot day. I had no idea that 6 hours later I would be feeling the cold greatly. I rode over the plains past vast fields of flowers and stopped at McKittrick to cash a traveller check. The bank staff were cock-a-hoop that an Aussie visitor was in the bank and looking at the town. It was probably the most exciting thing to happen to it since a crazy old coot and his Queensland Cattle Dawge left town.
Anyhow, just up the road on Hwy 58, is an Exxon oil field and there are thousands of pumps working away. A bit further up the road I stopped at the place that Ted told me about. There is a fault line and the black stuff bubbles up out of the ground and flows along the ground for a bit. The road to the coast was very boring until I turned off onto Hwy 1 at San Luis Obispo. The temperature had dropped to about 18c. I rode north until San Simeon where William Randolph Hurst built his Castle. Continued on page 18
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ON TOUR with Charlie Brown - Part 1
I took the tour which is run by the National Parks and it was worth every cent of the $10. Everywhere you looked there was money staring back at you. Back down in the car park there were a couple of full dress Gold Wings identical down to the number plates, Wing 1 and Wing 2: Only in America.
The rest of the highway north was good but by the time I got to Monterey I was feeling pretty ordinary. I found a tent site at Sunset Beach State Park. The ranger was from Perth and was going home in the next week to give birth. I put the tent up; it was about 16.00, lay down and was out of it until the next morning. A small side note, Ted who has NEVER had a day off from his business, and John were both sick as well: The dodgy taco’s strike back? The weather next morning was fine and promised a good days riding. I was feeling a lot better and very hungry so I hit the first hash joint I could find. Suitably refuelled both bike and self I rode over the coastal ranges through the redwood forests. I went to the San Jose BMW and had a yarn with the people there. I didn’t feel very welcome so I got on the Freeway and headed to San Francisco.
Just before San Fran I rode past the town of Brisbane. San Francisco is a funny sort of city, with lots to do and see. Across the Golden Gate Bridge I rode and up on to the Golden Gate Viewpoint on Conzelman Rd in the Golden Gate National Recreation Area. I wanted to get a photo of the bike, bridge and a ship going under said bridge. There was a line of 4 ships coming in and every time the ship got to the bridge a bus full of Japanese tourists would infest the view. I finally got it and rodeback across the bridge and headed to Lombard St. I had always wanted to see the street after hearing Bill Cosby talk about it and seeing it in “The Love Bug” (oh my misspent youth!). I rode to the bottom and parked in a no stopping zone and sprinted across the street and took a photo. I got back to the bike and was just about to go when a gigantic shadow fell over me and the bike.
I turned to be confronted by a giant black policeman who smiled at me and said “MAN YOU IS SOOOO BUSTED”. A bit of quick talking by me and he gave me “60 seconds to git your ass gone”. “Needless to say I “got me ass gone” pretty quickly. I had to get out of San Fran as I had to get to Yosemite to meet up with RTO. I rode east, over the Bay Bridge. Towards Stockton on the 580 hwy: At Manteca I got onto route 120 and went through places like West Oakdale, upper Oakdale, Oakdale, and yes you guessed it Oakdale ( I needed fuel ). The pretty bland scrub of the plain gradually gave way to scattered pine trees. At Chinese Camp the road ran alongside a lake until Moccasin then left and er, up. Twisties for a while then sweeping corners through the pine trees all the way to the park entrance. In the US there is a charge to enter a National Park. The charge is $5 for cars but it’s only $2 for bikes and is good for seven days, probably the best value for money in the US. Yosemite National Park is one place that exceeds the hype built up around it.
ON TOUR with Charlie Brown - Part 1
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I had a couple of hours before meeting Ron and Margaret so I rode up to the West entrance at Tioga Pass, altitude, HIGH! (9945 feet or 3030m): The road down to the valley passes through a couple of short tunnels and puts you at the banks of the Merced River. I met up with RTO and Margie and we set off for a trip round the valley. Yosemite is a beautiful place but it can get very crowded. We had a quick look then headed up to the high country and took a camp site at Tuolumne Meadows and set up for the night. I had to be back in Stockton to do some work so I could ride north. 10. Golden Gate again There are some pretty amazing things in Southern California. Hearst Castle is worth a visit and shown just what can be done when money is no object. San Francisco was a ball. The cable cars a must do and if you have time there is always Alcatraz in the bay. One thing though as I was told many times, “ If you drop your wallet you’d better kick it all the way to San Jose before you pick it up.” The best was Yosemite- I fully intend to return and stay a couple of weeks. In the next instalment I will tell of my trip north and another much less pleasant brush with the law. So… Here endeth the lesson.
Charlie Brown
The camp-site is at 2600m so it was a bit cold. RTO and Margie were heading to Death Valley and on to Las Vegas. I rode with them (they had a car) up to the pass. Ron took a couple of photos of me at the pass then they headed down the hill and on to Death Valley. At 9945ft Tioga Pass is the highest road in California open to the public. The scenery in the high Sierra was right out of the old western/pioneer movie s and I wouldn’t have been surprised to see a wagon train trekking along with John Wayne at the head. There is no way that I can convey the feeling that Yosemite gave me and I was sad to leave.
PART 2 OF CHARLIE’S ON TOUR USA WILL BE PUBLISHED NEXT MONTH
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BOYS DAY OUT
worked in Melbourne for a few years in another life and remain good friends with several bike riding mates from those bygone days. We gather together at the MotoGP most years and at least every 2 years for what my beloved calls ‘another boys trip’. This year it was to the high country and those beautiful motorcycling roads of the Victorian and Australian Alps. The geographically closest of the group lives just south of Coffs Harbour but he was unavailable this year due to work commitments so I had three days of my own choosing before meeting the others at Myrtleford on the northern foothills of the Victorian Alps. My steed for this ride was Rex my 2004 ZRX Kawasaki 1200 as the Gray Ghost was having a well-earned rest at home after her recent four month tour of Europe. SEQ’s hot summer had well and truly stretched into autumn so it was with jacket vents wide open that I set off south in search of cool relief. Familiar roads took me to Grafton and the first bit of pleasant bend-swinging as I tackled the Gwydir Hwy to Glen Innes. The temp dropped as the altitude climbed so by the time I pulled into the Caltex servo on the New England Hwy it was time to zip up the vents. From Glen Innes it was a short but pleasant ride watching the speedo to my overnight stop at the Top Pub in Uralla. I have introduced other club members to this place and it is a very bike friendly pub where you are bound to meet other bikers. This time was no exception. I met ‘Pogo’ a one legged biker who was not going to let the loss of a leg to a drunk driver in 1979, curtail his love and enjoyment of motorcycling. He is a very keen rallyist and proudly related how he had carried the ‘sacred pudding’ (a special guest at the club’s 60th anniversary dinner last year) from one rally to its next rally engagement. Pogo now rides a Polaris Trike after having enjoyed several outfits over the years. Day two highlight was the Bylong Way which tracks through the valley from Denman in the east to Ilford passing through the small historic towns of Rylstone and Kandos along the way. Put this one on your bucket list. It is a testing ride with lots of variation and sections of very poor surface but very enjoyable and scenic. My overnight stop was Bathurst with a mandatory lap of the Mt Panorama circuit which always brings back great memories of Easter Bike Races from the ‘70s.
BOYS DAY OUT - Tony Gray I took a fairly straight run to the Victorian border on Day three through Cowra, Young and Wagga
Wagga to Albury. The country was extremely dry not unlike the drought affected parts of S-W and Central Qld. I had a bit of time to spare so went exploring the banks of Lake Hume before crossing the State border on the historic steel truss Bethanga Bridge to the aptly
named small village of Bethanga. There are lots of tricky, steep backroads in this area (some unsealed) which provided a bit of fun before
BOYS DAY OUT - Tony Gray I found my way onto the main Murray Valley Hwy. More fun was had on the Kiewa Valley Hwy and the C534 country road that links the Kiewa Valley Hwy to the Great Alpine Road and onto Myrtleford for the planned rendezvous. My riding buddies for the next five days in the high country had assembled on an eclectic mix of motorcycles. In ascending order from oldest they comprised: 1971 R75/5 BMW (Greg), 1981 GSX 1100 Suzuki (Damien), 1999 Triumph Sprint 955 (Peter), my 2004 Kawasaki ZRX1200, 2010 Moto Guzzi Breva 1100 (Ian) and 2015 Aprilia Tuono V4 1000 (Phil). We headed out of Myrtleford over to the Kiewa Valley Hwy enroute to Mt Beauty for our first coffee stop. In another case of ‘it’s a small world’ club member Paul Jacobsen found me in a coffee shop (where else?) after spotting Rex parked next to the R75. Paul has been working and riding in the area and fully supported our intention to ride the delightful Omeo Hwy to Omeo. He classes some sections of this road as the best in Australia and it is hard to disagree. First we had to cross the Bogong High Plains and Falls Creek, a road that has always been denied me as it is often closed due to
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the unpredictable mountain weather. My wait was worthwhile as this is a great ride across the mountains and not as busy as the alternate route over Mt Hotham (also a great ride). The real fun started however when we joined the Omeo Hwy at what is ‘officially’ known as WTF corner. Plug ‘WTF corner Glen Valley Victoria’ into Google Maps for confirmation. The name says it all, you have been warned. The 40+ km run into Omeo from WTF corner may just be the most fun you can have on a motorcycle. The corners are tight and constant but the surface is good and sight lines generally excellent allowing the full road to be used.
We had intended to ride back over Mt Hotham the next day but opted to return along the Omeo Hwy through Mitta Mitta and onto the Murray Valley Hwy. The weather was damp early but cleared so we could still enjoy the twisties almost to Mitta Mitta where the rain again set in for a while. Our destination for the night was Tintaldra on the Victorian side of the Murray River which actually lies in NSW. NSW got the better of that border negotiation. Farran’s Lookout on the last section of road from Towong to Tintaldra is a compulsory stop.
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BOYS DAY OUT - Tony Gray
There are views across the valley to Mt Kosciusko which change with the seasons. It is a beautiful spot. Sadly the Historic Tintaldra Hotel where I have stayed previously has closed with its future in some doubt. We stayed at Betty’s B&B across from the Pub and Betty is a real character.
In her 93rd year she is very sprightly and a great orator spruiking her home grown bush poetry at the drop of a hat. An ancestor of Irish convicts she took her six children out of Cronulla to the high country over half a century ago and has never left. When you look around the beauty of the area her decision is entirely understandable.
There is a small store and local museum adjoining the B&B which she runs with help from one of her daughters. The wet weather at Tintaldra was not our only concern as predicted gale force winds at our next planned stop at Thredbo caused a change of plan. We opted for Cooma as our next stop being at a lower altitude and hopefully away from the high winds. The rain set in for the night so we delayed our departure until 9am by which stage the weather had cleared but the roads were wet. Our route took us to Walwa past a couple of recently departed Wombats and several very much alive wallabies and kangaroos. To say our senses were on high with the wet roads and abundant roadkill and wildlife would be an understatement. We crossed the border at Jingellic and then tackled the cracking rolling road onto Tumbarumba. There is a large timber mill at Tumba and this road normally carries a lot of timber trucks but this was Sunday so relatively traffic free. Tumba also boasts one of the best bakeries around so well worth a visit. We had intended taking Elliot Way up to join the Snowy Mtns Hwy at Kiandra but discussions with a local at the bakery caused a change of plan. ‘Old mate’ said there had been a couple of bad accidents over recent days as the wild Brumbies had been drawn to the gullies dotting the Elliot Way for feed in the dry conditions. They were prone to shoot up out of a gully totally hidden until point of impact - not a pleasant thought on a bike. We took the prudent decision and made a longer journey to Tumut and then rode the length of the Snowy Mtns Hwy to Cooma. Now I’m no Brumby expert but the quantity and size of the horse droppings on and along the road made me think these beasts must be the size of elephants with very loose bowels. These deposits were fresh too so we stayed very alert.
RUPTURED BUDGIE RALLY 2019
Fortunately the terrain is very open with good sight lines unlike the Elliot Way and we did not see a Brumby. The Alpine Hotel in Cooma is another favourite of mine and very bike friendly with clean cheap rooms, secure bike storage and a great feed. Our best man on the tooth, Damo, tackled the pork knuckle on offer and was defeated. It would have been twice the size of those big offerings at the German Club. Not perturbed he carved off the meat and filled a doggie bag that he was still eating 2 days later. Damo has an iron constitution indeed. While unloading the bikes in Cooma Phil noticed the back tyre on the Aprilia was starting to show patches of its reinforcing belts and was well overdue for replacement. He phoned around and booked it with a large dealer in Canberra for new tyres. Phil left the party and joined us that night in Merimbula after covering an extra couple of hundred km. The other five of us continued onto Bombala where there just happens to be another great bakery. Do you see a pattern emerging here? There are several great options to get down to the Coast along this section of the mountains. The most famous and popular is Brown Mtn down to Bega and that is a great ride with some very testing corners. Not as well-known is the Imlay Road further south which links the Monaro Hwy with the Princes Hwy south of Eden. This is a more open road with more great sweepers but is home to the logging trucks so requires care. We chose the 3rd option, a little known road from Bombala down through Cathcart and Wyndham to Pambula. The first section of this road is open then tightens as it drops to the coast. There was a lot of leaf litter but a very exciting ride was had by us all.
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We spent a very relaxed two nights in Merimbula with some bike maintenance, surfing and just chilling out. We had a luxury 3 bedroom unit which when split between six was a great economic self-catering option. Time came to go our separate ways as I headed north along the coast after saying our farewells while the others headed south. Unlucky Phil picked up a nail in his spanking new Pirelli Corsa rear before he had even got to Eden. Murphy’s Law had struck once again as I had been carrying a patch repair kit and pump but the puncture happened just after we had separated. Phil had the tyre patched in Merimbula after an RACV arranged flatbed truck ride but was later advised by a dealer in Melbourne that the tyre was ‘toast’ and had to be replaced (again). This was a very expensive nail. I struck major roadworks on my run through Tathra, Bermagui and up to Bateman’s Bay, the official holiday destination for thousands of Canberra public servants. ACT numberplates outnumber NSW ones
Continued on page 26
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THE 20th FRIGID DIGIT !!!!!
MYSTERY WEEKENDER FOLLOWING A PROUD TRADITION OF OVER 23 YEARS, 3 “BEST ORGANISED RIDE AWARDS”, TOTAL DISTANCE TRAVELLED OF MORE THAN 6,300km, MORE THAN 640 PARTICIPANTS AND 14 DESTINATIONS.
BMWMCQ PRESENTS
THE 20th FRIGID DIGIT The Tradition: A Mystery Weekender on the last weekend in July, travelling on great motorcycling sealed roads to a destination within 2.5 hours from Brisbane and guaranteed to be cold. Camping and Cabin accommodation. Enjoy each others company at social gatherings at morning tea, lunch and in the evening and cap the night off with some warming liquids telling yarns around a campfire. Some previous destinations have included, Queen Mary Falls, Jondaryan, Esk, Goomburra, Binna Burra, Bunya Mountains, Stanthorpe and Kilkivan. This Year: It’s on again (27~28th July) and the location will be revealed on Ride Directions handed out on the morning of departure or on the GPS Route emailed out the night before. The ride directions will guide us, via morning tea and lunch stops, to our mystery destination. With lots of cabins available this year, it has the potential of being largest turnout since 2009. A venue is close by for the evening meal and social gathering. So be quick to book and get your winter woolies ready, because it’s going to be a lot colder than Brisbane and hopefully we can match last years sub zero temperature. Camp Details: Camping costs $27 per tent (1 or 2 people). Excellent amenities with hot showers and fireplaces. Cabin Details: $130~$160 for 1 or 2 people. Linen is included. Each cabin has an ensuite and kitchenette. There are two cabins set aside for lone riders Contact:
Gary Bennett on 0411 784279 or gbennett777@gmail.com
FOR THE AIRHEADS - and they are many
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MMM BOXERWORKS AIRHEADS GROUP PAGE Each month Mark will endeavour to provide a couple of links to his instructional videos on dealing with all matters pertaining to BMW Airhead Motor Cycles. These are the three links this month to Facebook Video’s:
https://www.facebook.com/Boxerworks/videos/1180881572068917/ https://www.facebook.com/Boxerworks/videos/208079190099264/ https://www.facebook.com/Boxerworks/videos/1969793313343960/
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
Overland Magazine Issue 11 Overland Magazine Issue 19 The Touring Motorcycle Jeff Ware & Kris Hodgson
VIDEOS
2 x On Tour with Compass Expeditions DVDs
JANE GRAY
Club Librarian
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in this part of the world. The road from Bateman’s Bay to Canberra appropriately called the Kings Highway is paved in the manner of all ACT roads even though it is in NSW - read into that they are better than we in the rest of the country have to endure. I stopped in Braidwood for lunch where surprise, surprise I found another great bakery. I left the Kings to head north past Goulburn onto Crookwell. There was a little bike friendly pub at Laggan east of Crookwell that I wanted to check out for future reference. What I was not prepared for was the 28km of new bitumen that links Laggan to Taralga. This little section of road has only recently been sealed and is now a continuous string of 70/80 km posted sweepers. Get in quick before other people find out about it as I had it all to myself. I continued onto Oberon then cut across to Lithgow skirting along the rim of the magnificent Blue Mountains as the temperature started to drop and the light drained from the day. Next morning I left Lithgow as the town started to wake for a fresh ride along the very special Bells Line of Road. My reward for suffering the cold start was a road devoid of other traffic or patrol cars. It is a beautiful road with some magic views. I left the road at Kurrajong before it descended to the cesspit that is the traffic chaos of greater Sydney. I joined the Putty Road at Colo for the open section of this famous motorcycle road. Disappointingly large sections of this road have been downgraded to 80kph. This is just ridiculous. The Grey Gum Cafe got my money for a late breakfast and coffee and a chat with many other bikers who gather at this establishment like ants to a picnic. After the Grey Gum the Putty tightens up in the real fun part of the road. It is always a hoot to ride. I refuelled at Singleton then headed straight out of town onto Gresford and Dungog where large sections of the road are a patchwork of repairs preparing me for the expected goat-track of Bucketts Way (pronounced with an F). The last few km of road was totally torn up and being fully resurfaced - what was happening? Was there a state Election - oh yes there was. Was this cynical pork-barrelling? Yes of course. I turned onto Bucketts and it was smooth - yes it had been relaid: unbelievable! This road justly had a reputation as possibly
BOYS DAY OUT - Tony Gray
the worst in the country and had been ignored for decades by Local and State Governments alike. I am happy to report that while not perfect (there is still work to be done) the road is now a delight. Coffee at Roadies Cafe in Gloucester (another tradition) and a run up Thunderbolts Way with a stop at Carson’s Lookout for the magnificent views before cruising onto my last night stop at the Top Pub Uralla for a well-earned Tooheys Old. Maybe it was because Bucketts has been resurfaced
but Thunderbolts now seems decidedly second rate and in need of major repair. It was traditionally a delight after having survived Bucketts. Rex passed a major milestone 11km out from Walcha when he rolled over his speedo from 99,999.9 to 00,000.0. Day 11, the last of the trip, dawned clear and cool for the 60km run into Guyra for breakfast. From there it was steady on the throttle along the N-E Hwy through Glen Innes to Tenterfield before turning onto the Bruxner for a delightful run down the range. There was a long hold-up while road crews felled dead trees along the road edge caused by the recent bush fires that raged through these mountains. I was enjoying the ride so continued to Casino
BOYS DAY OUT - Tony Gray
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then turned to Kyogle where, yes, there is another favourite bakery for lunch. The last leg took me along the recently upgraded Lions Rd and through Beaudesert to home. Interestingly the worst driving I saw on the trip was leaving and returning through Brisbane traffic. It really is terrible with frequent examples of ignorant or incompetent driving. I arrived home just after 3pm local time having picked up an hour crossing the border. Total mileage for the trip was 4,473 km. This was a great ride over great roads with great company. It doesn’t get much better than that.
Tony Gray
john eacott’s article continued from page 8
A notable sight through NSW, were the mobs of cattle out on the Long Paddock. It seems to be a ‘green drought’ as many paddocks seem quite green, but closer examination reveals a very thin cover of fodder. Hopefully things will improve for them with some decent winter rains.
So what do we BMW MCQ members gain from this extravaganza: (ho ho) and membership of BMW CA? Of course, we must be a member in order to be a BMW Club, but as part of the wider International brotherhood all members can benefit from the contacts available through BMW CA. Our bi-annual BMW CA Motorrad Rally is another gathering of likeminded BMW owners, next year we shall host the 2020 BMW Motorrad Rally at Stanthorpe under the umbrella of BMW CA: see you there?... John Eacott
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ADVERTISING & BMW SUPPORTS
ADVERTISING & BMW SUPPORTS
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BMWMCQ 2019 Events Calendar
BMWMCQ Club Events Schedule MAY 2019 Date Start Thu 7:30 02 PM
Sat 04 Sat 18 Mon 7:00 06 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. Grand Tour Ayres Rock Planning commenced in January. All welcome.
Committee Coorparoo RSL, Meeting 45 Holdsworth St, Coorparoo Mon Public Labour Day Qld - May Day NT 06 Holiday Hamilton Hotel, 442 Kingsford Smith Fri 6.30 Drinks Drive, Hamilton. Come and enjoy a social 10 PM with night Dinner if You Like Sun 9.00 Club 9.00 AM FOR A 9.30 AM DEPARTURE 12 AM Monthly BP SERVICE STATION BLACK SOIL to Ride the Maryvale Pub for lunch Sat 9:00 Coffee Ride Lighthouse Bar and Cafe - 237 Shore St 18 AM Cleveland Sun 12:00 Lunch Ride O’Shanleys Irish Bar and restaurant 26 Noon 54 Cnr Fisher and Clark St Clifton QLD 4362 (121km) Tue 6:00 German Brisbane German Club, 416 Vulture 28 PM Club Social Street, East Brisbane. Come along and Dinner enjoy the company of your fellow Club members.
Contact president@bmwmcq.org.au
Cindy and Duncan Bennett
president@bmwmcq.org.au president@bmwmcq.org.au
Charlie Brown Committee president@bmwmcq.org.au
events@bmwmcq.org.au
BMWMCQ 2019 Events Calendar
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BMWMCQ Club Events Schedule JUNE 2019 Date Start Thu 7:30 06 PM Sun 09 Mon 10 Fri 14 Sat 22 Tue 25 Sun 30
TBA 7:00 PM 6.30 PM
Event Club General Meeting Club Ride
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. Tony and Jane Gray POKER RUN Details to be advised Coorparoo RSL, 45 Holdsworth St, Coorparoo The Glen Hotel 24 Gaskell Street Eight Mile Plains
Committee Meeting Drinks With Dinner If You Like 9:30 Coffee Ride Preece’s at the Jetty AM 155 Redcliffe Parade - Redcliffe 6:00 German Brisbane German Club, 416 Vulture PM Club Social Street, East Brisbane …Come along and Dinner enjoy the company of your fellow Club members. 12:00 Lunch Ride Rick’s Garage …14 Margaret St Noon Palmwoods
DATE Fri Sat Sun 1719 May 2019
Contact president@bmwmcq.org.au
Tony Gray president@bmwmcq.org.au president@bmwmcq.org.au
president@bmwmcq.org.au editor@bmwmcq.org.au
president@bmwmcq.org.au
EXTRAORDINARY EVENTS CALENDAR TIME
All Weekend
EVENT
DETAILS
BMW OWNERS CLUB SOUTH AUSTRALIA
PELICAN RALLY 2019 BIENNAL Rally which will be held at CAMP KEDRON on the Banks of Lake Bonney riday to Sunday 17th to 19th May 2019… more details will be posted closer to the event
CONTACT
BMW OWNERS CLIUB SA PO BOX 193 NTH ADELAIDE SA 5006
32
MAY 2019
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.)
Phone: 08 9317 3317 Fax: 08 9317 3359 email: munich@iinet.net.au
??? SMOOTH OUT YOUR RIDE ???
We’ve got you covered. GENUINE AUSTRALIAN
SHEEPSKIN SEAT COVERS
ADVERTISING SPACE AVAILABLE
From business card to full page, all sizes are available. The BMWMCQ journal is distributed to members throughout Queensland and is also displayed in QLD dealerships. In addition, copies are sent interstate to other BMW affiliated Clubs. Get your message out to people who own, ride and restore BMW motorcycles. Rates are below. Phone your requests to Don Grimes - Ph: 0411 601 372
Good Wool Store Pty Ltd 49 Queen St BERRY 2535 P 02 4464 2081. F 02 4464 3344
www.goodwool.com.au
DUST HUSTLE - MAY & SEPT
MAY 2019
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MAY 2019
PHOTO GALLERY
AUSTRALIAN Super Bike Championship
MAY 2019
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BMWMCQ CLUB RIDE 7th July 2019 Australian Superbike Championship Rd. 4 at MORGAN PARK, Warwick, Qld.
Glenn Allerton riding a BMW S1000RR Won the Championship in 2011 & 2014 Can this be his year to win again on the mighty BMW? And what about Troy Bayliss and his incredible return to ASBK in 2018 at the age of 50, how good will he be at his home track? It’s Round 4 of this great Aussie series right here in our back yard. See our facebook page or Club Website for more details or contact Gary Bennett 0411784279
BMW Motorrad Australia is thrilled to announce the 2019 End of Financial Year Sale. For a limited time only, experience irresistible Ride Away Savings on selected models. These offers are strictly while stocks last at Morgan & Wacker BMW Motorrad. morganandwackerbmw .com.au