BMWMCQ JOURNAL OCTOBER 2016

www.bmwmcq.org.au

October 2016

OFFICIAL JOURNAL OF THE BMW MOTORCYCLE CLUB OF QUEENSLAND INC.

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OFFICIAL JOURNAL OF THE BMW MOTORCYCLE CLUB OF QUEENSLAND INC.

The Committee President - Paul Hughes

Ph: 0409 814 633 president@bmwmcq.org.au 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)

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

This Issue - October 2016 Contents:Editorial . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 Sub-missions Deadline & Policy. . . . 4 Committee Reports. . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 Club Venue & GM . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 General Meeting Minutes . . . . . . . . . 11 Monthly Ride Reports . . . . . . . . . . . 12 Articles Stories and Reports . . . . . . . 14 Extended Touring Home and Abroad. 16 Future Event The Long Ride . . . . . . . 22 Product Reviews . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24 Imporrtant Announcement . . . . . . . 26

Extended Touring conmtinues. . . . . 27 BMWMCQ Support . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28 Warrego Riders Events Calendar . . . . 30 Cupla Adverts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32 Journal Advertising Rates. . . . . . . . . 32 Special Event November. . . . . . . . . . 33 Shannon’s Advertising. . . . . . . . . . 34 BMWMCQ Christmas function. . . . . . 35

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On The Cover...

P

hoto provided by Duncan and Cindy Bennett during their tour of Canada and the USA. It is Mt Cannon as seen from the GOING-TOTHE-SUN Road in Glacier National Park Montana USA...Mt Cannon is the pointy one...Duncan

Events - Cindy Bennett

Ph: 0401 610 671 events@bmwmcq.org.au F 700 GS

I T Officer - Garry Hilton Ph: 0412 045 356 admin@bmwmcq.org.au R 1200 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.

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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Editorial

OCTOBER 2016

Dave Hepburn

I

have to confess that the journal seemed to take ages to put together this time around. A fact that I determined was due to the extraordinary amount of time I spent on the bar room floor (the place where I have the computers set up) rolling around said floor laughing. If you don’t spill your coffee laughing, whilst reading Duncan and Cindy Bennett’s Part 2 description of their USA/Canada voyage… then you have No Soul.

I have had a great month putting together the Journal (lots of chuckles) and have been blessed by receiving a number of articles for inclusion in the said journal.

Unfortunately space and layout dictated that one of the articles set aside for November would have to be divided to fill the remaining white space…if I remove one page I have to remove four so I try to fill the white space accordingly. Sorry Duncan and Cindy but it was your part 3 of your Canada USA trip that was divided, mainly because your layout and picture placement made it the most viable choice for me.

However, the final part of the article will feature in the November Journal along with a significantly large Part 3 of Tony and Janes trip around Australia

Editor’s Report accompanied by a large quantity of great photos…all I have to do is match up the photos with their relevant descriptions. (Some wise ass told Jane I do like puzzles)

Anyway, I am looking forward to Back to the Bush #12 in Hervey Bay on 22 October…if I don’t see you before I’ll see you then.

Stay Shiny Side Up Dave

Dave Hepburn editor@bmwmcq.org.au

Image from motorcyclestonline.com

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

Submissions for the next journal (NOVEMBER‘16 Edition) close on the 15th OCTOBER 2016 - just soes y’all know.......

Committee Reports Paul Hughes

W

ell the committee has been pretty busy over the last few months with a few new developments that they needed to bed down.

Those developments have now come to fruition and I intend to announce them in this article.

This month has been super active for club activities. Bad weather has affected some travelling but isn’t it grand to see some of the most drought-affected areas of Australia under water, with more rain predicted.

Tony and Jane Gray have just toured the “Red Centre” (a place I called home for six years) and they report it is as green as. There are waterfalls on Uluru. That doesn’t happen very often, only twice in my time there.

A gentle Reminder…….Christmas Party payments are due by October 18. We have about 80 people indicating they are attending; we just need all of them to cough up. Remember you can stay anywhere in Stanthorpe and the club will provide transport to and from the venue for the party.

Hope to see a good role up for the B2B at Hervey Bay in late October. It will be a great weekend at a fabulous venue with multiple routes to get you there and back.

The committee has been considering the changes in demographics in our club and have noticed we have a bigger percentage of active riders than ever before in recent history. With that in mind we are now releasing a policy to assist in the safety aspects of those active riders.

In January 2017, a safety scheme will commence, to encourage members who are in their third year of financial membership to take safety training. It can be advanced rider courses, BMW Off Road Riding courses, motorcycle related first aid courses, etc. The course needs to be pre-approved by the committee and by a fully recognised provider.

Once a member has provided a satisfactory certificate of completion, a credit (amount depending on the cost of the course and pre approved by the committee) will be credited to the member’s next year’s membership dues. This initiative will allow members to upgrade skills, learn new skills and ensure their continued safety.

Also commencing in January 2017, the committee has decided that we should recognise and honour membership longevity. Many of our members have been active for many years (several in excess of thirty years) and we feel that needs to be easily identifiable.

Members, in lots of five-year groupings, will receive a recognition pin of their service that they can

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OCTOBER 2016

President’s Report proudly wear. The pin will be presented to each member at a General Meeting where a photo will be taken and then the photo be placed in a special gallery on our web page for all to see. Long-term membership of a club creates loyalty and strength of principle and we feel this is an important aspect that we should adopt.

Also we are making some changes to delivery of the Journal. We currently produce 11 monthly Journals each calendar year (no January journal) and distribution costs for this item have been mounting continuously. It will only become more expensive as we go on.

We have developed alternatives to the printed journal, which is our major cost factor, as approximately only half our members receive it, which we have been monitoring over the last few months.

The printed and posted version will cease after December 2016’s edition. February 2017 will see the new E-book version (with videos etc) and a downloadable PDF version will still be available to all members on the web site. You can read the E-book and benefit from the fantastic graphics and video’s etc or as always download a colour PDF version from our web page.

Contributor’s photographs will now be in rich full colour along with short videos of interest. Something we think is a vast improvement on the current expensive black and white paper journal. Please make sure The Records Officer has your correct email address.

The first two initiatives will be funded by the cost difference between the printed and Australia Post distributed version of the Journal and the E-book version, with all its improvements and visual enhancements, at a much lower monthly cost.

Lots coming up in October and November with B2B, coffee mornings at interesting and different venues (thanks to Cindy’s imagination), social nights, the National Rally, BMW Safari in SE Qld and of course club rides both formal and impromptu.

A club is only successful when there is activity for everyone. I would like to put out a bit of a challenge to everyone. Get involved.

On that note I would like to see a few more camping weekends put forward. A great fire and story telling weekend is still pretty popular with everyone I know.

See you all on the road. Ride safe.

Cheers Paul

Paul Hughes president@bmwmcq.org.au

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Committee Reports

OCTOBER 2016

Richard Maher

A

nother month and another wheeled object to work on or at least play with.

Noel eventually came and picked up his lovely K100R. I suspect he was planning on leaving it here long enough so I would cave in and offer him something other than bad advice. The “K” would nestle up nicely at night with its two and four valve cousins at the back of my garage. He was so close too; I was developing a soft spot for a shiny K100.

So, after the stress at losing the K from the number one position in the garage, I de-stressed by replacing it with a camper trailer.

A Camper trailer, with a tinnie on the top, fishing lines, crab pots, a pallet of fire wood and 15Hp Mercury motor on an engine stand. Also some 4wd wheels and several of those orange sand track things that help you un-bog your 4wd from sand. I could use these track thingies later, as the hole I was rapidly disappearing into was becoming larger the more I whimpered.

So the soft spot I mentioned earlier now has a thumb pressed firmly into it up to the first knuckle.

The thumb is attached to my wife who is applying Schwarzenegger amounts of pressure to this soft region in an attempt for me to find someone else’s garage for this contraption to expand.

“Technically it has two wheels” I feebly offered by way an explanation.

Show me which one of our bloody cars has a tow bar! She mentioned in a barely audible tone through half closed eyes.

How the hell did you get it in here? It’s higher than the opening of the garage door. And before I had even managed to provide another pitiful explanation on the sight that was two guys pushing a camper trailer and three guys walking a tinnie up the street, with a cattle dog wandering lazily behind.

“Don’t even think about buying a 4WD” These words where delivered like bullets exiting a high powered rifle.

How am I supposed to get my motorcycle past the Trailer? How are you going to get the mower out to the front yard? How is the dog going to get to her bed?

These were all valid points. Given time I would have figured out something ingenious. Thank goodness I had got rid of her father’s .22 rifle. She was just in the mood to load it with a saltpeter pellet and point it in the direction of another of my soft spots.

Vice President’s Report

Get rid of it…NOW!

I have been this close to death before. One time I swallowed the top off a highlighter pen and it got stuck in my throat. I could not breathe and panicked; a colleague thumped me on the back and out the cap popped. And here I am again, close to the same situation with no one to help me.

How the hell am I going to tell her there is a K1600 GTL coming in a few weeks to stay in the garage for six months whilst the owner is overseas?

My brother suggested ringing her from a non-extradition country.

Richard Maher vpres@bmwmcq.org.au

Remember members, if you ‘log-in’ to our Club’s Web Site you’ll find our journal is in full colour -take a moment and have a look @ www.bmwmcq. org.au ‘Viewing Tips’ - PDF is best viewed as a Two Page Spread - Click on ‘View/Page Display and tick ‘Two Page Scrolling’Be sure both - ‘Show Gaps Between Pages’ and ‘Show Cover Page In Two Page Vew’ Are Ticked

Committee Reports

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OCTOBER 2016

Bill Carson

Treasurer’s Report

H

i everyone.

Everything is looking good from a finance point this month. For August, we received $1,491.35 in income and had $3,490.77 in expenses. Our accounts in July ended with $6,051.50 in checking and $18,461.93 in our BOQ

Investment account.

We have been approved for PayPal Here credit card transactions. This means we can now take credit cards in person with a card reader and for people that want to fill out the renewal application with their credit card.

That’s all for this month…

Bill Carson treasurer@bmwmcq.org.au

T

Photo Competition

here will be a photo competition as a part of this year’s BMWMCQ Christmas Party. Prizes are on offer in the following 3 categories and the photos must include a BMW bike of course!

1. Best photo taken on a Club Ride or at a Club Event 2. Best travel photo

3. Funniest/quirkiest photo

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 all there for our next General Meeting on Thursday 6th October 2016

The Rules: Maximum of 3 photos per entrant

• Please include a description of the photo when submitting • Closing date is 30th November 2016

• Committee members are not eligible to enter • To enter, email photos to events@bmwmcq. org.au preferably in high resolution

• An independent expert judge will decide the winners.

All entries will be displayed on the night on a rolling screen presentation.

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OCTOBER 2016

Cindy Bennett

Committee Reports Events Officer’s Report

G

reetings All;

A couple of highlights to mention for October, the Club Service Day 16th October and the following weekend is the final Back to the Bush for the year in Hervey Bay. Please note the below dates into your calendar as 2016 heads into the hectic last quarter:

BMWMCQ 2016 EVENTS

OCTOBER Saturday 1st Thursday 6th Sat 8th & Sun 9th Sunday 9th Saturday 15th Sunday 16th Wednesday 19th Sat 22 & Sun 23 Tuesday 25th NOVEMBER Thursday 3rd Saturday 5th Sunday 6th Wednesday 16th Fri 11th to Mon 14th Fri 18th to Sun 20th Fri 18th to Sun 20th Saturday 19th Tuesday 22nd DECEMBER Thursday 1st Saturday 3rd Saturday 3rd Wednesday 14th Saturday 17th

8:00am 7:30pm

Ride Leader / Contact Sunny Coast Riders Coffee Morning Monthly club meeting Kosciuszko Rally Monthly Club Ride - Vice Pres Ride Saturday Morning Coffee Run Club Service Day Social Dinner - Hamilton Hotel B2B #12 German Club

Coffee Club, Caloundra Richard de Groot Tingalpa Geehi Hut NSW BMW Club ACT TBA Richard Maher Hawkes and Crosby Anstead (Brookfield) 26 Mtn Vista Ct, Mt Crosby Bill Luyten Cnr Kingsford Smith Dve & Racecourse Rd Hamilton Cindy & Duncan Hervey Bay W'Gabba Tingalpa Coffee Club, Caloundra

9:30am 6:30pm

Monthly club meeting Sunny Coast Riders Coffee Morning Monthly Club Ride Social Dinner - Hamilton Hotel BMW Clubs Aust. National Rally Imbil Rally Horizons Unlimited Travellers Event Saturday Morning Coffee Run German Club

7:30pm 8:00am 6:00pm 6:30pm 9:30am

Monthly club meeting Sunny Coast Riders Coffee Morning Christmas Party Social Dinner - Hamilton Hotel Saturday Morning Coffee Run

Tingalpa Coffee Club, Caloundra Richard de Groot QCWT, Stanthorpe Cnr Kingsford Smith Dve & Racecourse Road Venue TBC

9:30am 10:00am 6:30pm 9:00am 6:30pm 7:30pm 8:00am 6:30pm

Italics font denotes event organised by other clubs

Cindy Bennet events@bmwmcq.org.au

Want to serve award winning coffee at your next event ?

Book a Cafe2U mobile cafe today by calling Kieran Doyle. #1093

Cafe2U Australia Redlands 0409 815 984

Richard de Groot Nigel Gill Cnr Kingsford Smith Dve & Racecourse Rd Hamilton Bright, VIC Imbil Leisure Riders Jindabyne, NSW Horizons Unlimited Harry's Diner Windsor W'Gabba

Committee Reports

S

Bill Luyten & Geoff Hodge

pares Sale at Cost price

The committee has decided to not continue selling spares so when these items are gone they won’t be replaced. Tools however will continue to be available.

Service Day

The club is holding a service day on Sunday 16th Oct at Howard Wilson’s place. His address is 26 Mountain Visa Court, Mt Crosby. Planned start time 0930 to 1000.

Oil-drain pans and oil disposal available, Howard has a workbench and vice for use. I’ll be bringing the club tools and the GS911 diagnostic tool will also be available.

We will be providing a Sausage Sizzle and Drinks for a gold coin donation.

Please contact myself or Geoff if you wish to attend so we have an idea of catering requirements.

Contact: Tools Officers Bill Luyten 0438123747 (wluyten@bigpond.net.au) or Geoff Hodge 0413180101 (ggilps2@optusnet.com.au)

Club Tool Loan: $25 deposit for GS911. Tools and spares can be picked up or brought along to the next meeting or club ride.

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)

Repair Manuals

Workshop manual - K75/100 (Haynes) Workshop manual - K100 BMW Workshop manual - R1100 Haynes Workshop manual - R45, R65, R65LS BMW Workshop manual - R45, R65 BMW Workshop manual - R60/7, R75/7, R80/7, R100/7, R100S/RS BMW Workshop manual - R60/6, 75/6, 90/6, 90S Workshop manual - R80GS BMW Workshop manual - R50/5, 60/5_6, R75/5_6, R90/6,

OCTOBER 2016

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Tool’s Report R90S (Haynes) Workshop manual - R45, R50, R60, R65, R75, R80, R90, R100 (Haynes) Workshop manual - K1200RS/ GT/LT, ‘98-’10 (Clymer) Workshop manual - K1200LT DVD BMW Workshop manual - R Series Oil Head DVD BMW

Spares (Cost Price Sale) Bearings

K Series front wheel x2 $8.00ea R Series Wheel/Swingarm (Not Mono) x6 $14.00ea

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 K Series Oil Filter ‘O’ Ring x6 $2.00ea R Series Oilhead Fuel Sender ‘O’ Ring x3 $3.00ea

Bill Luyten and Geoff Hodge spares@bmwmcq.org.au

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Committee Reports

OCTOBER 2016

Julia Townsend

Regalia Officer’s Report

H

ello Everyone,

For those that missed the club meeting in September, I have some new bucket hats, perfect for the warmer weather when the helmets come off. They were very popular on the night so if you want one, I suggest you make contact with me quickly. They are only $20.00 and come in sizes S/M and L/XL. I have also restocked the ladies pink t shirts. This batch is a relaxed fit and comes in a wider range of sizes so come and try one on if you haven’t got one already. I have them in sizes 12-24.

Also, it’s not too soon to start planning for Christmas so if you need some stocking fillers, you only have a couple more club meetings to come and get some regalia for your loved ones.

As usual, I will have my display at the monthly club meeting. So come and see me or send me an email: regalia@bmwmcq.org.au; text or phone me on 0416 112 620.

Julia Townsend regalia@bmwmcq.org.au

NAME BADGES $15.00 LADIES MAGENTA VIBE TEE (Embroidered with club logo) $30.00

MEN’S ELITE NAVY POLO (Embroidered with club logo) $40.00

MEN’S ELITE GREY POLO (Embroidered with club logo) $40.00

Craig Brennan

A

nother month gone and much to report. The credit card payment system is resolved and we are expecting to be using it in the very near future. A HUGE thank you to Bill Carson, (our illustrious treasurer) who has shifted mountains and battled recalcitrant bankers to achieve this result. I suspect I would have lost it dealing with these people. The bank’s changes to credit card payments had really thrown a spanner in the works and caused myself, as well as a number of

Records Officers Report members, quite a few headaches.

This payment issue is just one of a series of glitches that have reared their ugly heads this year. But the good news is that it has enabled Bill, to do a very thorough review of our website and membership system. We are expecting to begin to reap the rewards of his hard work, by having a more reliable membership system.

I’ve been away for a couple of weeks, with my beautiful wife, and much refreshed look forward to seeing you all in the near future.

Craig

Committee Reports Andy McLeod

OCTOBER 2016

11

Secretary’s Report

Minutes of the BMWMCQ General Meeting Thursday 08/09/2016 Meeting opened: 19.33hrs Members Present: 46 Apologies: Frank Hills, Graham & Liz Healey Minutes of Previous meeting: Proposed – Dave Hepburn, Seconded – Geoff Hodge In Memoriam: Roland Wetzig, a very active and well known club member passed away on Tuesday 24th August.

The members of the BMWMCQ extend their condolences to his family.

Reports: Coffee morning at the Indian Motorcycle Museum was a great success.

100th Anniversary of BMW on the 20th Aug, many bikes from the club were present on display in the city.

A new membership brochure was launched at the display.

The Frigid Digit was a great success. Thanks to Gary and Graham.

Events:

The Sat ride is to the Pitstop Café and then to the Ellespeed Dust Hustle.

10th Sept is the Long Ride, it’s a 1000kms ending in Tenterfield.

Christmas Party payments MUST be in by mid OCT or you don’t attend.

Back to the Bush/Beach is at Hervey Bay

The next service day is at Howard Wilson’s on the 16th Oct. Regalia: New item – bucket hats. There are some relaxed fit ladies pink T-shirts also.

Secretary: Membership forms are still coming in.

Records: All is going well. Not much more to report.

Editor: The E-book version of the Club Mag will be out tomorrow. Thanks to Dave for your great efforts.

Treasurer: The YTD Profit and Loss is a profit of $500. As the bank won’t accept credit card vouchers, we’re getting a Paypal credit card terminal for CC payments.

Vice President: If we have a member pass away then perhaps we withdraw their membership number from circulation.

The 100yr event was a successful day but the car club were very overzealous in their organisation of the event.

We have a member with a BM from the 40’s, 50’s and 60’s.

Tools: Thanks to Howard for hosting the service day. Oct 16 at 10.00am.

General Business: The Biscuit Ride drew a large number of members. Thanks to Maggie and George for the excellent biscuits and slices. Nigel Smith made an appearance. The 2 venue theme worked well.

Christmas party payments must be in by the 18th Oct or you’re not going. A bus has been organised to take people to and from the venue.

We won’t be displaying bikes at Octoberfest.

The National Rally is getting booked out very quickly.

Coffee mornings are very successful as a means of getting the members together. The next one is at Blue Sky Coffee, Newstead.

A member informed us that Ormiston House has Devonshire Teas on the weekend.

A suggestion was made to change the Hamilton Hotel venue for mid-week get togethers.

Drew’s trip to the Border Run was marred by contact with a kangaroo. Les presented him with kangaroo trophy.

Les popped the question to Kelly whilst away on the border run.

Raffle: 1st Allison, 2nd Geoff H, 3rd Chris -1, 4th Chris Meeting Closed: 20.45 hours

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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OCTOBER 2016

COW WEE ON MT MEE SEPTEMBER 2016 RIDE REPORT

Monthly Ride Report August 2016

he September club ride was designed to suit the Father’s Day schedule by avoiding the day altogether and riding on Saturday to align with the Ellaspede Dust Hustle, which in hindsight now appears rabidly anti-Motherite when recalling that the start to the Mother’s Day ride in May was begrudgingly only delayed a couple of hours to relieve overt domestic pressure.

Weather was a concern leading into the weekend, however the inch of rain on Friday night was confined to the hours of darkness, and a clear but windy day greeted the group of ten meeting for breakfast at 8am at the Pitstop Café at Mt Mee. As the group were aware, a start at the Pitstop is already most of a ride, which significantly reduces the ride leader’s planning requirements. Which follows on to the possible idea of monthly rides where the starting point is some place like the Mt Glorious Café, and the ride leader’s briefing duty is reduced to congratulating the group for making it to the end.

After a very good cooked breakfast and fortifying coffee in the cool climate, Geoff and Ron decided that they had fulfilled the intent of the ride, which left the remaining eight to travel on the advertised route to Petrie with the optional continuation onto the Dust Hustle at the Mick Doohan Raceway. Following the briefing, one bike that could be easily mistaken for a BMW 800GS and seven BMWs headed off toward Mt Mee and Campbells Pocket Road. Soon after leaving the café, the strength of the cold westerly wind across the paddocks was demonstrated by a distant cow spraying the ride leader and even partly misting rider number two with its number ones. With the bottle of Guess Seductive Homme unfortunately left out of the ride leader’s kit as Fortitude Valley clubs weren’t on the route plan, stopping to address the aroma wafting into the helmet was pointless so we charged on while making a mental note to avoid riding past any lonely bulls at slow speed.

Campbells Pocket Road was its usual conflict of encouraging hard riding down the narrow twisty descent, tempered by terrifying suspense coming into every blind left hand corner imagining a flat-bed truck carting loose bundles of razor wire would be coming the other way. With no razor wire shipments planned for Mt Mee that day, everyone made it to the bottom safely where a trial technique for keeping groups together on rides commenced. Rather than corner marking or requiring self-guidance on what was a fairly tortuous route with lots of corners, the basic philosophy was to ride at a pace suitable for the whole group, and make sure the rider behind was always in sight and not far back. This technique, coupled with

regular re-group mini-stops and slow-downs, managed to keep us all together until the end.

The September Ride Route

West Lindsay Road was fun with little traffic and lots of corners, leading onto Old North Road past Rocksberg and onto Caboolture River Road. A turn off through Moorina and onto Forest Hills Rd created some leading riders tension as there is a section which passes over a grid and through a paddock, but fortunately the property appeared to have de-stocked its lonely bulls. The route became more and more suburban the further south we went along Oakey Flat Road, before a final attempt to stay out of civilisation down the western side of Lake Kurwongbah and onto Scouts Road into Petrie.

Mark, Paul and Dave Whale left us at Petrie, with the remaining five brave souls deciding that the highway was not their way; rather the Ted Smout Causeway Bridge would provide the scenery highlights between Redcliffe and Sandgate. Traffic along Anzac Avenue was its usual static self in the climbing temperature, so with relief we finally hit the M1 and raced to Nudgee to arrive at the Mick Doohan Raceway to find Mark had already beaten us via a far superior route.

The Ellaspede event was a real hoot and a fun way to round off the ride with a few more members spotted amongst the crowds. An “about to be released” BMW R nineT Scrambler displayed its capability at regular intervals between races, although it did look a lot more secure on the straights than in the corners with the rider obviously imagining the awkward silence in the Motorrad office on Monday if he dropped it.

Monthly Ride Report - Photos

OCTOBER 2016

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Thanks to the ride (and breakfast) members Cindy, Ron, Geoff, Mark, Greg, Chris, Dave W and ex-WA BMW club now BMWMCQ David for a good day. A Special Mention to Paul, for providing the tail end Charlie role on his highly attractive and visible 1200GS.

All present and correct in Petrie

Remember, our journal is in full colour on the Club’s Web Site www.bmwmcq. org.au take a moment and have a look...

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I

OCTOBER 2016

MOTORCYCLE AND BOX TRAILER

have been going to submit an article for the magazine for some time but did not consider it would be of interest to other members.

I did write a four part article I think around 2005 on my trip around Australia on my BMW K 1200LTSE.

This is a photo shoot of my wife’s BMW R 26 1957 on a special trailer behind my LT at a Shannon’s German Day in Canberra.

There is a lot of interest in the set up and I enjoy the comments about it. On thinking of writing something I thought members would like to see something about the trailer.

I have included several photos of its construction and its variants.

I still have a camping trailer, a Tagalong, but camping tents and sleeping bags do not suit my age and body style.

The trailer is a fold up and along with the single bike attachment and a box trailer attachment provides me with the advantages of a bike trailer and box trailer. This advantage is that it folds up to a small package and will fit into the rear area of a Subaru Forester and takes up less room in the garage. This means I can go and pick up a bike and having not tow a trailer in one direction. Yes it takes a few minutes to assemble but if going to pick up a bike that was for sale and find it not suitable I leave it in the car and do not have to tow it home. The box trailer while smaller than a 6 x 4 it allows me to pick up other things.

I hope this is of some interest to other club members

Ian Hahn Member #68

Ian also provided me with the full article he wrote for SHAFT DRIVE LINES in June 2005.

Unfortunately, it was in PDF format that I was unable export across....any person wanting to view the article just email me on editor@bmwmcq.org.au and I will send you a copy...it is well worth the read.

Ed.

Articles Stories and Reports

Articles Stories and Reports

OCTOBER 2016

• BMW trained technicians; • BMW national service technician of 2006 (metro winner), Adrian Cash; • Log Book Service followed by BMW Motorrad Maintenance Schedule; • BMW software used for diagnosis; • Re-set service light, time & distance; • Great deals on the leading brands of motorcycle tyres.

Northside Motorcycle Tyres & Service 4/11 Paisley Drive, Lawnton Qld 4501 Ph: 07 3205 6505 Fax: 07 3205 6003 Email: northsidemctyres@bigpond.com Web: www.northsidemctyresandservice.com.au

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OCTOBER 2016

BEAR SPRAY…EH?

W

Duncan & Cindy - Canada & USA Part 2

e left Part 1 IPA in the USA (IPA=India Pale Ale) at the point of impending departure from the very budget motel in Lewiston Idaho on day six of the adventure to continue east on Highway 12. It is unlikely that any day of the trip had been so thoroughly scrutinised, analysed, Google Earthed and finally cointossed, due to the competing route options of Highway 12 via Lolo Pass, or the more northern St Joe’s River Road as they both end up in Missoula. Heads had come up, so it was Highway 12, which at least made the GPS and maps un-necessary because Lewiston is at one end and Missoula is at the other.

Some random trawling of the internet the previous evening by Cindy in the very budget motel, while I looked furtively out between a crack in the curtains expecting to see a drug deal go down on the handy surface of her 700GS BMW panniers, had come up with a nearby short road invitingly called the Old Spiral Highway. Motorcycleroads.com gave it 4.3 out of 5, with perfect scores for the scenery and the road quality, but a low score for amenities which are only required for those whose planning skills are at early toddler level as it is 11km long. And if you haven’t allowed enough fuel for the full 11km you can coast the whole way back down to Lewiston anyway, so it was happily added to the itinerary.

After lubrication of bike chains and departure from the very budget motel which had actually turned out to be comfortable and quiet, it was over the Clearwater River to the industrial area where a small diner was just opening for breakfast. The best soft poached eggs of the trip were accompanied by the never ending offers of more coffee, on this occasion politely refused after the first cup due to the lack of amenities for the next 11km. Once finished with breakfast and onto the Old Spiral Highway, the motorcycleroads.com scores were quickly confirmed and the relentless corners on the gradual gradient up the steep valley side received perfect 10s from both the 700GS and 800GS judges.

After lots of high fiving and photography at the top and trying to trace the path of the amazing road we had just come up, it was onto Highway 12 to resume the trek east. The Highway 12 follows the Lewis and Clark trail up the Clearwater River, then the Clearwater River middle fork, then the Lochsa River which forms the main valley rising to Lolo Pass.

Getting over Lolo Pass and the Bitterroot Mountains in the very cold autumn of 1805 was one of the greatest challenges faced by the explorers, who battled wet and freezing conditions for 11 days before reaching more hospitable terrain on the western side.

As is common in motorcycle travels, our timing of need for coffee and arrival in suitable towns sporting coffee vendors became slightly misaligned, resulting in a later coffee than would be absolutely perfect in the small town of Kamiah. The drive-through coffee vendor made up for the caffeine delay with a nice latte and cappuccino, and also provided exposure to some additional coffee technology that we had not previously experienced. The cappuccino came with the option of ‘wet’ or ‘dry’, meaning with more milk or more froth, and thin straws were provided as heat exchangers to ensure the very hot coffee could be controlled at the right temperature into the mouth by varying the vigour of the sucking.

Kamiah Idaho showing off latest coffee delivery technology and pink or red lawn chair choices

From Kamiah the road continued east through Kooshia where the Clearwater River splits into the south and middle forks, before hitting the interestingly named small town of Syringa which turns out not to come from the Nez Perce Indian word for “pointy stick which Medicine Man jabs in bum”, but is actually the Idaho state flower. Sometimes you need to research these things to get the facts rather than make assumptions.

Duncan & Cindy - Canada & USA P2

After Syringa, starts the real fun, a journey beside the beautiful Lochsa River on one of the 15 top motorcycling roads in the USA which commences with a sign stating; Winding Road Next 99 Miles. It is a great example of a US road built to very high specification; even though windy you could set the cruise control and sweep the beautifully cambered corners at the speed limit the whole way. The only challenge is getting the chameleon eyes working to watch the road and look at the beautiful river views at the same time.

As it was Saturday, there were a few locals set up on the occasional small patches of sand on the thin bank of the river for fishing and some even had a tent pitched on the bitumen road shoulder in one place, possibly to provide a discreet changing room or restroom as amenities were not part of the road build.

Easy access down to the river from the road is quite infrequent, resulting in having to scramble our way over large boulders to get a close up view of the clear rushing water. The large boulders did become quite helpful when it was time to find a room to have a rest in however.

Eventually the road climbed up out of the valley and we reached the Lolo Pass visitors centre at 1,600 metres, with some addition to wardrobe required with the significantly lower temperatures. Lolo Pass is at the Idaho and Montana border, so we had spent less than 24 hours in the narrow northern part of Idaho, even with putting the watch forward an hour to US Mountain Time.

The timing of the change in time zone, as always seems to happen when crossing into NSW from QLD in summer, meant that a planned late lunch suddenly became a “linner”. (The meal served between lunch and dinner at a time most restaurants are closed for preparation of the evening meal….I did not know that ...Ed.) The concern that no restaurants would cater for linner were calmed by a large buffalo burger in the Lolo Hot Springs tavern, where the friendly staff took turns asking if we wanted a refill of our half gallon cup of soft drink every time they walked past. As we were uncertain of the availability of amenities over the sweeping and downhill half hour

OCTOBER 2016

17

ride at 75mph into Missoula, we just stuck with the one.

Missoula turned out to be the second largest city in Montana behind Billings, so the accommodation options in the centre of town along the Clark Fork River were fairly extensive which was fortunate as it gets very crowded in the height of summer. Fortunately the Holiday Inn was booked out, so a more budget but very acceptable option in the same location was the result. As we’d had linner, we rejected the waitress’ advances with menus at Tamarack Brewing (where the Wi-Fi password was an encouraging drinkmorebeer) and stuck with a couple of pints of very nice IPA for me and some local wine for Cindy to keep the record intact and round out the enjoyable riding day.

The problem with the linner concept became obvious at about 8pm, when a dupper (I’m not going to even ask ...Ed.) of some take-away empanadas was required to achieve the three meals per day minimum standard.

The last day of the first week was a manageable 240km from Missoula to West Glacier, so the National Bison Range spotted on the way at Dixon did not stress the schedule, particularly as the rules at the visitors centre stated motorcycles were not permitted to traverse the bison circuit. Discussion with staff revealed that the reason was not because bison were prone to getting up close to vehicles; they had probably learned this wasn’t a great idea when they nearly became extinct in the 19th century, but because the road was gravel. Even though lumbering RV’s were entering the circuit behind us, we decided not to argue the point and show photos of some typical “roads” taken on our Off-Road Skills training on GS’s, and accepted the rules which were probably the natural result of some Harley rider’s over-confidence. We were directed to a small lookout behind the centre, as a bison had apparently been spotted out on the range that morning, which turned out to be true but left us feeling regret that we hadn’t packed binoculars.

As close as we could get to a bison, yet another black mark against Harley riders

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OCTOBER 2016

Duncan & Cindy - Canada & USA P2

Leaving the Bison National Range with a similar feeling to having just met Prince Andrew, we continued the ride north to West Glacier via the east side of Flathead Lake and Bigfork. Flathead Lake is the largest lake west of the Mississippi and is the liquefied result of an enormous ice-age glacier that became stranded between the mountain ranges on each side and the huge pile of glacial moraine it had pushed up in front of itself. Fishing is popular on the lake, but it does not actually contain any flathead as the name actually comes from the Flathead Indian tribe, who must have had their own language which made them unable to understand rude comments and jokes from other tribes. A bit like Harley riders. This thick-skinned local “deed poll is for sissies” attitude was again on surprising double-take display on the ride into Bigfork, where the Kuntz Family sign was observed proudly advertising their cherry farm. Photographic evidence is available by special request for the non-believers.

West Glacier was reached after 1pm, and a motorcycle-free rafting tour with dinner was spontaneously booked for 2pm with the Glacier Raft Company, giving us 40 minutes to find a budget hotel in peak summer, get changed for rafting, have lunch, and get back. It is amazing what you can achieve under pressure, we made it back with minutes to spare to join the raft group for a trip up the Flathead River in buses and a long trip down in rafts through a fun series of class one to class three rapids in glorious warm conditions. Temptation to have a swim along the calm sections between rapids was too much for some of our fellow crew members, although our Brisbane aversion to contact with anything cool meant that we later avoided the onset of hypothermia while those who had succumbed to temptation sat around in their wet clothes. A pleasant river-side BBQ and salads concluded the tour; however no alcohol was served so we were forced to wander around West Glacier tourist village until we found a pub with boutique IPA to keep the record going for one more day.

Up bright and early as usual the next day for the routine of discovering which phone/iPad/Sena communicator/camera had missed out on being recharged before deciding that 40% battery life might be enough for the neglected article, we prepared to set off on the road that had effectively set the USA itinerary and route. The Going-to-the-Sun road is iconic, and it is unusual in that its main purpose back in 1921 was to provide a scenic tourist road for vehicle traffic to move from one side of the Glacier National Park to the other.

The 80km long road engineering alone is spectacular, with nearly sheer slopes traversed through the mountains before reaching the highest point of 2,000 metres at Logan’s Pass. The road is closed for a significant part of the year due to very deep snow, which means that in summer the traffic can be horrendous. We left

early to get a clear run, however with a 5km backtrack required to unsuccessfully look for Cindy’s glasses which had tragically been left on her pillion seat at a photo stop, we ended up back in the maul of cars, RV’s, and tour buses. The winding road was one spectacular vista after another, resulting in many photo stops for fear of missing a potential “money shot”.

We made it up to Logan’s Pass in late morning to find the car park was absolutely chokkas, however as we were on motorcycles we found a spot within 3 yards of the visitor’s centre quickly enough to inspire looks of envy bordering on hatred from the sweating four wheelers who had walked about 1 km uphill from the overflow car park.

Glorious views were observed in every direction from the short walking circuit, before a quick exploitation of the conveniences in the centre and mounting up for the descent. The ride down the eastern side past the beautiful Saint Mary Lake which featured in the Forrest Gump movie was a lot faster than Tom Hanks could manage it running, as it was lunch time and we hadn’t even had a coffee. A bite to eat in Saint Mary, then it was south to Two Medicine Lakes which had been recommended by a friend as beautiful as other areas of the park and far less touristy.

A wrong turn accidentally took us to the town of Browning, where Cindy dropped her GS to celebrate reaching the most easterly point of our motorcycling journey, before commencing the journey back west to East Glacier town and into Two Medicine Lakes. The lakes are ringed and protected by the high mountains to the west, and as it was now quite hot and still we needed little encouragement to take the boots off and destroy the pristine aura of the scene by paddling around in the shallows cooling our sweaty feet. We kept close to the boots just in case bears were attracted by our sweet smelling socks and we needed to make a quick escape.

Duncan & Cindy - Canada & USA P2

The last leg of the day was north following an Alaskan 1200GS rider and his companion Triumph 1200 Explorer rider to bid the USA goodbye and get into Alberta, Canada at the Chief Mountain border crossing. The GS rider barely acknowledged or spoke to the Triumph rider, so I took pity and struck up a conversation with the oppressed species who said he was very happy with it. I didn’t even bother asking the GS rider because of course he was happy. The crossing took 1 minute, and mostly entailed discussion with the Canadian official about how beautiful it was (the scenery, not my 800GS even though I could see he was mentally riding it). After the usual disappointing immigration procedure of watching him select a random blank passport page and putting a small stamp right in the middle, we rode the short distance for the planned overnight stop at the Prince of Wales hotel in Waterton happily reminiscing on the fact that we had managed a week in the USA without a break in the IPA theme.

Waterton Lakes National Park is just the Canadian end of Glacier National Park, and is equally spectacular. The Prince of Wales hotel looks a bit like a cross between the Norman Bates’ Psycho house and the hotel in The Shining, but the views from the hill over the lake valley and the mountains were well worth the high season prices. The hotel had actually been built in the 1920’s to entice American visitors to cross the border as they were suffering under prohibition and could not legally get boutique IPA in Montana.

After a legal IPA and a snack to commemorate this historical precedent we walked the kilometre or so down to the Waterton town which was small but complete with tame deer and loads of squirrels wandering about on the lawns. After the inevitable failure to find stickers of the US or Canadian flags for our helmets back home, we headed back to the hotel for bed and a lesson rammed home by a small boy next door that 1920’s hotels were not particularly well sound insulated. Lucky there was no TV.

OCTOBER 2016

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Riding day No.9 was one of the highlights of the holiday. We left Waterton reasonably early in spite of a breakfast waitress who seemed easily distracted by shaggy dog trekking stories from some other patrons, and headed north. We bypassed the town of Beaver Mines even though I consider any visit to a mining town likely to be highly educational and headed west along Highway 3 through the historic mining town of Frank, which became history one night in 1903 when an 80 million tonne section of the mountain above it failed. The rock slide dimensions are huge, and the highway and rail line run through narrow cuttings in the field of huge boulders which still contain most of the bodies of the estimated 70 – 100 people believed to have been in the slide’s path.

At Coleman, we filled up with fuel, gathered luncheon provisions, asked questions regarding the dirt Highway 40 heading north, ignored the obviously wrong answers from locals that it was only 30km of gravel, and headed off. The road condition was very good, mostly hard packed but with occasional corrugations and newly laid beds of gravel that made the bikes drift about on tyres with low off-road tolerance. We were on our own in the forests with very little traffic, which brought the bear-o-phobia thoughts to the fore.

I had already been guilty of coming over a rise and assuming the large brown animal on the side of the road was a grizzly inspired by The Revenant only to find it was a disinterested cow.

The fascination with bears had been building since first contact with warning signs, bear-proof bins and other anti-bear paraphernalia such as the widely advertised bear spray. Cindy was the bear guru of the party with her “if it’s brown lie down, if it’s black fight back”, but as she always rides at least 200m behind me and had lost her glasses, it was likely that she would unhelpfully ride past the huge and brown-but-nearlyblack grizzly bear playing with my corpse.

Regrets about not having bear spray meant that bear attack scenarios were running wildly and I was mentally practicing how I would do a calm U-turn upon contact with an enraged animal, get the bike across the road to protect Cindy, give her urgent yet positive reinforcement via the intercom to turn around, and together we would show the charging grizzly the futility of challenging BMW motorcycles by spraying it with gravel as we accelerated away. So contact with an elk after coming around a sharp corner had not been practiced at all, resulting in synchronised soiling by self and the very large animal which fortunately got off the road incredibly quickly and pranced up the hill into the trees.

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OCTOBER 2016

Duncan & Cindy - Canada & USA P2

Cindy risking assault by pretending to be a black bear

The actual distance of the Highway 40 and the Range Road 51A gravel roads turned out to be 105km, with glorious scenery and just enough traffic to frighten grizzlies away. Once we reached the end of the dirt, there was a very wide open space at the Cataract Creek snowmobiling car park which provided wide panoramas in all directions with enough time to detect

bears, throw our lunch of sandwiches and chips to distract them, and remount the GSs for a quick get-away.

`Having finished eating the distractions, we got back onto the bikes and joined the bitumen part of Highway 40 which is known as the Kananaskis Trail, probably because it goes to Kananaskis. This road is a scenery assault for most of the way up to Highway 1, with the Rocky Mountains just to the west forming the border between Alberta and British Columbia and demanding constant stops to take photographs.

Although we had been denied bears, as we rode around a corner in convoy with some other head-swivelling motorcyclists, a flock of Big Horn Mountain Sheep raced from a grassy knoll toward us.

The personal response to a charging mob of sheep was mixed; one moment accelerating to escape, the next slowing when the thought that they were bloody sheep kicked in, and repeat. Fortunately we got past the sheep before it had looked too obvious to the large crowd in a nearby RV park like we were trying to escape. Passing a sheep intently grazing on the bitumen a bit further on while lush grass was only metres away did not initiate a review of their lowly position on the intelligence spectrum, who knows what they were capable of doing.

Two of Canada’s most feared animals, the grizzly bear and the deranged Big Horn Mountain Sheep

Duncan & Cindy - Canada & USA P2

As we had missed out on coffee due to over 200km of riding without any form of café appearing, we called into the skiing and activities resort of Kananaskis to right that horrible wrong. After a calming cappuccino and skinny latte and checking the route to ensure we probably didn’t need to purchase bear spray just yet, we continued to the end of Highway 40, made a westerly turn, and headed toward Canmore and Banff. We still had 30 seconds left on our 24 hour National Parks Canada pass that we had purchased to enter Waterton the previous day, so we righteously took the unmanned “already have a valid pass” lane on the Highway 1 checkpoint, and subsequently wondered why everyone else didn’t. Arrival into the physically small town of Banff was the opposite of the rest of our day, cars and tourists were packing the place, and after some confusion by Google Maps as to the precise location of our hotel on the main avenue, we parked the bikes in an underground car park where the already expired National Parks passes were out of sight, and checked in.

The evening was spent preparing for our second rest day by lying on the bed doing absolutely nothing, eased by some pre-loading on IPA and an 8 beer sampler selection and a giant pretzel at a boutique brewery restaurant. The week since Seattle was toasted as a complete success, the bikes had performed flawlessly, we had seen some truly spectacular country, and had a great time seeing off the usual challenges of riding motorcycles without issues. The last third of the trip still to come had some big Canada questions, but none was bigger than would we finally need to buy bear spray, eh?

End of Part 2 Duncan and Cindy Bennett

Tony & Jane Around Australia Part 2 - Northern Territory NEW TERRITORY – THE NORTHERN TERRITORY

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n 15 July with 4173km under our wheels we crossed the NT border just outside Camooweal.

For Jane and me it had been a 10 year hiatus since our first trip to Darwin and for the Grey Ghost it was virgin territory.

The weather had cleared since we left the Gulf and the speed signs displayed a big 130 so all was good. There are wide gaps between stations around here and our first day was no exception. We had 261km to cover after lunch at Camooweal before the next fuel stop and our camp for the night at the Barkly

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Homestead Roadhouse.

These roadhouse stops are a veritable oasis in the wilderness providing fuel, food, drink, accommodation and entertainment. Next morning took us to the Three Ways Roadhouse where Jane thought it fitting that the Grey Ghost deserved an NT sticker to adorn her otherwise clean panniers. Three Ways is the junction of the Barkly and Stuart Highways and for us a change

in direction – north towards Darwin.

We had chosen the iconic Daly Waters Pub as our next stop some 600km after the Barkly. This is a very popular stop not only for its WW2 and early explorer histories but for its pub grub, entertainment and atmosphere. No, Jane didn’t contribute a bra to the collection. We caught up with people we had met the previous night and this was to become a common occurrence. The Grey Ghost always caused a comment or two and we would have people coming up to us saying how impressive she was and they had seen us somewhere previously. She can be a real tart.

The WW2 history of the NT has been well documented and there are myriad signs to abandoned airstrips and military infrastructure. Mataranka captures a lot of passing traffic noted for its hot springs and being the ‘birthplace’ of the famous Australian novel ‘We of the Never Never’.

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OCTOBER 2016

Tony & Jane Around Australia - NT P2

We pushed on to Katherine where we stayed for a couple of days and took in the beauty of the Nitmiluk (formerly Katherine) Gorge. This was another tick off our bucket list which lived up to the hype. We pushed on to Litchfield NP which we had visited on our previous trip. There has been a lot of improvement to the park in those 10 years – there is even public Wi-Fi available at Wangi Falls which is the most popular of the swimming places in the park.

I have a cousin who lives on the edge of Kakadu NP who generously wined, dined and accommodated us for a few days while we explored the park and its surrounds.

We can confirm that they do grow plenty of big crocs in these parts and you would be certified if you thought it wise to go for a dip. The wetlands in Kakadu was another bucket list item and again it did not disappoint.

We slipped into Darwin for an overnighter and were impressed by the development that has taken place in the old wharf area below Government House.

Again the WW2 history of the bombing of Darwin is well displayed and draws a lot of tourists. It is worth commenting on the large numbers of (mainly) European tourists, backpackers and casual workers we struck in the north. Clearly the sparse, warm, casual, relaxed north of Australia is a magnet for those raised in a congested and ever more dangerous Europe. The message we received often was that the young workers wanted to stay and who could blame them.

Backtracking for the first time south to Katherine we visited the Commonwealth War Cemetery at Adelaide River where those who lost their lives in the many (64) Japanese bombing raids on Darwin are interred. The presentation and maintenance of the cemetery is a credit to the War Graves Commission.

We have visited many on the Somme in France and I have visited Bomona in PNG and they all exhibit the same standard of care. Lest We Forget.

The long trip south then west along the Victoria Hwy was to take us out of the NT and into WA. Along the way we stopped at the very picturesque Victoria River and then Timber Creek. Along the Barkly, Stuart and Victoria Highways we had been seeing a lot of military hardware on the move. As we neared Victoria River we passed a convoy of (unusually) dark green military vehicles adorned with Left Hard Drive logos and the USMC emblem. We chatted to a couple of the lads who said they loved being in Australia – understandable given some of the other available options around the world.

We crossed over into WA after 3197km and 11 days where we really enjoyed some of what the Territory has to offer.

Tony and Jane Gray

Tony & Jane Around Australia - NT P2

OCTOBER 2016

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OCTOBER 2016

Michael and Ann Ahlberg going to Europe

Roaming Dingoes on a BMW in Europe

A

fter more than 18 years on the Harley Springer and 230,000 k, 140,000 k in Oz and the rest in NZ, Europe and North America, we decided for something radically different. With only 7000 k on the speedo, it was first registered Nov 2013. It’s not a grey Ghost but it’s Violet, it is our 2012 BMW R1200 GSA.

Whatever you ride, it’s great to try something different when you next buy. The height on Violet takes getting used to, sometimes tippy-toeing when parking, don’t stop where there’s a dip (like on a servo exit), reverse in when parking and there’s often no chance to reverse if there’s slightest incline that way. Those cylinders are also in the way for some foot-pushing manoeuvring sometimes as well, but it’s all just a matter of getting used to.

Then there’s the performance, it’s an impressive screamer. Easy on the throttle, cause this thing takes off like a rocket. No wonder computerisation assists with controlling this beast. The sound is great too, like a growling Bear. Maybe it’s just us but the seat is not comfortable for 1000k rides like on the Harley, I guess that’s why they sell comfort seats. On the other hand, the computerised suspension is pure magic; going over a V-drain, pot-hole or a speed bump is no drama, but just like riding on a cloud.

Let’s not forget the SBS brakes and its different modes. I’m sure there’s a high chance it’ll save my life once or twice. The 33 litre tank and just 5-5.5 litre per 100 k takes all worries away when remote cruising. I wished we’ve had that in Alaska or the Texas outback rather than a 16 litre tank and 8 litres /100 consumption. All in all we’re both happy with Violet.

One purpose with getting this bike was for our second Europe trip next year, when we expect to be better prepared for dirt roads or off road riding. This time we’ll go down France, Spain, Portugal, Morocco, Spain, back to Italy, Rome, Greece, Croatia and the Adriatic area. We’ll spend more time in Austria, Czech, Germany, Poland this time and like last time, head for the midnight Sun Rally, Gällivare, in the Arctic Swe-

den by end of June. We’ll also head to the very top of Europe, Nordkapp, and re-visit Lofoten and the Norwegian Fjord lands. Then we’ll have a whole week this time in Ireland and more days in Scotland. Otherwise we’ll just take some time at the favourite areas of last time.

We’ll ship Violet at end of February (don’t want to risk having to wait for her) and she won’t be back until probably October. We’ll leave mid-April and return mid-August. So we’ll have to give many apologies for our absence. Also, due to all leave reserved for our trip and so much planning ahead, we’ll be scarce on rides and meetings up until we travel. Like our once fellow European travellers, Tony and Jane, we’ll keep you posted from key locations in Europe.

Ride Safe

MICHAEL AHLBERG AKA ROYAL

T

his month I received an email from a BMWMCQ member whose email tag was ROYAL….. I was intrigued and followed up with the following discussion.

The web sites provided by Michael really are worth a look….. Of course we are not talking about a BMW but

the Royal Enfield Interceptor……… Ed.

On 02/09/2016 11:59 am, “davehepburn” <davehepburn@optusnet.com.au> wrote: Thanks Michael, I will certainly put it to good use....is there a story behind your ROYAL....moniker....

Cheers Dave Hi Dave.

Royal, a story, yes for sure.

Well in 1975 there were nobody riding Harley in our Sweden. The BMW of the time was a bit utilitarian.

The only performance bike which fired me up in looks, sound and handling was the RE Interceptor 750 UK bike. The most beautiful bike to me and still is. All were riding Honda 750 and Kawa Z900’s in my club, the Gefle Hunters MC. When mates referred to me, it became just Royal. 3 years later, Ann built her

Extended Touring - Abroad Interceptor from spare parts of two bikes.

We still have three of them. 2-69’s and one -70 (last year). One I imported from Minnesota in 2013.

Extremely rare collectors these days. In Glasshouse Ulysses, HOG Brisbane, Rockhampton and Melbourne; members only know me as Royal.

Here’s the USA import http://www.ozemate.com/olof But the Interceptor website I built in 2001 really says it all: http://www.ozemate.com/royal The brand specific discussion group I set up now has 414 members worldwide and over 19.000 discussion posts.

Cheers Royal I meant to give you the Interceptor web site not http://www.ozemate.com/royal It should have been http://www.ozemate.com/interceptor But you are welcome to look at both.

Cheers Michael

MIKE HANNAN – TEAM ELEPHANT

W

ell, what a stuff up!

I sent out the first issue of our Blog last week and then discovered that the distribution lists for Blog has disappeared. This probably happened when we rebuilt the computer after the last trip. In the end, only about 30 of our 200 regular contacts got the email.

I have now rebuilt the distribution lists as well as I can. I am not sure how well I have replicated the last lists but this is a start. So, if you don’t know who Mike and Jo Hannan are and have never heard of Team Elephant, then you may want to reply and have me remove you from the list; or not. Also, if you know someone who should be on but hasn’t got the feed, please let us know.

Likewise, if you don’t want our weekly blog for any reason, just send us a reply and we will take you off the distribution.

So, to the story; this week we have recovered our motorcycle, The Elephant, and had a few days wandering around rural Panama to shake down the bike and ourselves.

Next week we return to Panama City then press on to South America. After that it gets sketchy.

The Second Blog is here: http://www.travelpod. com/z/team-elephant/6/1474338237 .

You can link to Blog 1 in this series from the bottom of Blog 2.

Also, you can go to our website here: www.elephant-travel.org .

25

OCTOBER 2016

The site has links to ten years of adventures in other places.

Regards all, Team Elephant

27 September 2016 Hi all and welcome to the first-timers.

The link to the latest Team Elephant Blog is here: http://www.travelpod.com/z/team-elephant/6/1474979667

We have just arrived in Cartagena, Colombia and will be here for a few days (to get our land-legs back) before heading off to explore the country. We are both in good health and excellent spirits which is rather amazing for two very poor sailors!

There are still a few addressees we haven’t got right after the stuff-up on Blog 1 but I hope we have most of you sorted by now. If this is your first Blog for this series, the previous two are linked from the bottom of the page and the series from previous years can be linked from the right side of the page.

Kind regards to you all,

Mike and Jo (Elephant is still at sea)

Duncan & Cindy - Canada & USA Part 3a

Don’t Pay the Ferryman

W

e left Part 2 Bear Spray, Eh? at the point of commencing our Banff rest day, which turned out to be the only day of the trip that the motorcycles were not pressured into taking us anywhere. Laundry normally takes precedence over all other rest day activity, but fortunately a full express service was discovered and utilised to allow ordinary tourist responsibilities to be met. The assumption that Banff is only a winter skiing town was thrown out with the first foray out of the hotel, and into the large crowds of tourists with accompanying bus and car traffic on Banff Avenue.

Souvenir shops were already doing a busy trade, and the tour buses were lining up to take the throngs to nearby attractions. With breakfast out of the way and the laundry on its express wash and fold journey, we chose a walk up the nearby Tunnel Mountain to get away from the milling masses, mainly because the time to get up and back aligned almost perfectly with the scheduled completion of the laundry service.

Continued on page 26

26

OCTOBER 2016

IMPORTANT ANNOUNCEMENT

eBOOK VERSION BMWMCQ MONTHLY JOURNAL

W

E ARE PROVIDING AN ELECTRONIC VERSION OF THE BMCMCQ JOURNAL FOR YOUR VIEWING PLEASURE THAT WILL GIVE YOU ACCESS TO A MORE COMPLETE VIEWING EXPERIENCE. ALL PHOTOGRAPHS WILL BE IN FULL COLOUR AND WE WILL HAVE THE ABILITY TO INCLUDE VIDEO CONTENT. TO ENSURE THAT ALL MEMBERS HAVE ACCESS TO THE eBOOK, IT IS NECESSARY THAT WE HAVE YOUR CORRECT EMAIL ADDRESS. FORWARD YOUR CORRECT EMAIL ADDRESS TO records@bmwmcq.org.au AS SOON AS POSSIBLE TO ALLOW US TO PROVIDE A LINK TO THE eBOOK Ed. Duncan & Cindy - Canada & USA Part 3a continued

Cindy on Tunnel Mountain enjoying the +50°C turnaround from her February 2014 Banff experience

Signs warning about bears were again prevalent, so talking was very loud but not particularly

tactful as it was believed unlikely that a bear would attack on the basis of holding a differing opinion, although the topic of BMW F800GS versus Triumph Tiger 800XCx was avoided just in case.

Having summited and taken in the panoramic views, it was back to the town to admire the neatly folded laundry before stuffing it all violently back into the panniers, and then meeting up with work colleague Chris who had ridden out from Calgary on his Harley Davidson Sportster to see us. Chris’ wise wife Sally, considered travelling on the back of a Harley Davidson, to have the same comfort ranking as Shackleton’s 1916 whale boat voyage from Elephant Island to South Georgia Island, so came out in the car.

Over a very good boutique IPA or two and a nice meal, Chris mentioned that he had a recent and very real experience with a bear while mountain biking alone on a forest trail, so imparted some very valuable information on bear psychology and surviving an encounter.

Duncan & Cindy - Canada & USA P3a

A key point learned was, that bears are like social media users and are not particularly switched on to their physical surroundings and so are easy to sneak up on. Like twitter users, the bear’s response to finding someone challenging them is either aggressive attack, or looking down their nose before pointedly ignoring the challenger.

It turns out that bear spray is a bit like capsicum spray rather than bear strength Aerogard, if you are deploying it you have done the equivalent of tweeting #allbearsrideharleys, and you are now way too close.

With bear etiquette now understood, and deciding bear spray wasn’t really necessary, the following morning we conducted a chain lubrication and basic maintenance ceremony on the bikes to celebrate our reunion and headed off west. The original route plan had been to mimic the best elements of the 2015 Tony and Jane Gray Ghost journey and head up to Jasper then work south and west via Lillooet to Kamloops, but we had experienced tourist crowd overload in Banff so decided southern BC might be a bit quieter.

A rookie mistake of not filling up before leaving Banff led to a brief detour into the village of Castle Junction, which had the twin attractions of a bald eagle in a nest on the bridge over the Bow River, and a pre-electronics petrol bowser which demanded the customer fill up and then pay inside.

The only fill and pay inside petrol bowser in Canada was discovered at Castle Junction

With Cold Chisel set up to play Bow River via the Sena to amuse the bald rider on the return crossing of the bridge, we rolled across the Trans-Canada Highway and down the Kootenay Highway 93 via some very picturesque mountain country and the over the border back into British Columbia. A meeting with a Vancouverite on a brand new totally-kitted-out-for-adventure 1200GS triple black at the Mt Shanks photo stop re-

OCTOBER 2016

27

sulted in staring disbelief as he described how his wife had told him he had worked hard all his life and helped her to raise three kids, so it was time for him to buy the bike of his dreams and just ride off for two weeks.

Even if a Latino pool boy back at home taking a break from a Calvin Klein modelling career was missing a yet important detail in the story, looking at the awesome bike we knew he was still a winner.

The road follows the path of the Kootenay River between the mountain ranges before finding a tight gap to jump over to the next valley which contains the town of Radium Hot Springs, where coffee was required to be purchased under the Caffeine and Banana Bread Consumption Act (2016).

A guard of honour was provided by mountain goats as we entered the town, and a relatively well-behaved and calm Big Horn Mountain Sheep was grazing on the nature strip which as we pulled up outside the café for the statutory cappuccino and latte. We kept an eye on it, but it appeared that BC sheep are significantly less deranged than their Alberta cousins.

After meeting the requirements of the Act, and not particularly tempted into exposing ourselves to the hot springs, which contain a radioactive decay product of radium called radon, we mounted up under the unwatchful eye of the sheep and rode on.

After leaving the mountains, the temperature continued to slowly climb in the flat river valley as we rode south. We passed the town of Fairmont Hot Springs which according to local naming convention must contain the decay product from an old Ford, before reaching the skiing and mining town of Kimberley for the planned lunch stop. The main reason for visiting Kimberley was because it is Cindy’s younger sister’s name and there was a requirement to purchase named souvenirs, but it had also been considered as the stepping off point for the off-road shortcut west over Gray Creek Pass to Kootenay Lake.

After a stroll about the pleasant quasi-Swiss/ Austrian/German town with the temperature still climbing, we decided to give the Yodelling Woodcarver shop a miss and went in to Chef Bernard’s Platzl Inn. A shared cheese fondue (see page 29...Ed.)was voted one of the best meals of the trip, with the giant pretzel in Banff just edging it out because it came with a boutique IPA. By now the temperature was nearly equivalent to a Brisbane summer, and with Gray Creek Pass featuring on dangerousroads.org due to the 16% grades on dirt roads to reach the top at 2,000m, the decision was made to keep going south to re-join the Highway 3 which we had last seen at Coleman in Alberta and then head west. The sign saying that we were passing out of Mountain Time and into Pacific Time joyously added another hour onto our day, but having another really hot hour of riding just wasn’t

28

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OCTOBER 2016

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Send your stories and pictures or requests for help to editor@bmwmcq.org.au

Duncan & Cindy - Canada & USA P3a that well received. Upon arrival into the small town of Creston just south of Kootenay Lake and only 10km from the USA border, the results of the riderâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s referendum regarding whether we should stop at the nearest ice cream shop were announced, with a resounding YES winning the day.

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tap including a couple of boutique IPAs, so with the extra hour available transferred from riding to drinking and the temperature outside forgotten it was declared a good but sweaty day.

Koots Motorcycle Shop in Creston featuring a quote by the Dalai Lama

And so we must leave Duncan and Cindy and their adventures in Canada and the USA....The final part of their adventure willl feature in the November Journal....Ed

Snapchat worthy lunch in Kimberley causing bulging neck veins

One of the thrilling unknowns of riding in totally unfamiliar territory is that place names on maps may represent a population of tens of thousands, or almost none. While quenching with a lemon sorbet, review of the BC map showed lots of named places we could push on to with our free extra hour, but no idea whether we would find a large resort town with 24 hour winery tours, or a burned out barn with a Big Horn Mountain Sheep on reception. With putting the sweat-soaked jacket back on rapidly approaching an act of valour worthy of a mention in despatches, Creston morphed into the dayâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s destination with the Creston Hotel the excellent lodgings of choice. Fortunately the Creston Hotel bistro had a range of good beer on

30 Date

21 Aug

18 Sep

16 Oct

OCTOBER 2016

Time 8.00 am to 5.00 pm

Ride

Tambourine Full day

8.00 am to 4.00 pm

Nanango Go Karts Full day

7.00 am to 12.00 pm

Blackbutt Pie Run Half day

Warrego Riders Calendar 2016 Description

It’s getting a little warmer! Toowoomba, Laidley, Mt Walker, Boonah (smoko), Canungra, Beechmont, Mt Tambourine, Tambourine (lunch), Springfield, Glamorgan Vale, Atkinson Dam, Murphy’s Creek, Toowoomba – All bitumen and about 500 km for the day

A mornings ride up to Nanango via Goombungee, Hayden, Quinalow, Maclagan (smoko), Maidenwell (alternate smoko if required) Kumbia, Nanango Arrive just before lunch – an afternoon of non-competitive laps – no racing please ;) and then a leisurely ride back to Toowoomba. Home by 4.00 pm

A half-day ride with a dirt option. We’ll leave the North St BP together at 7.00 am and all meet at Blackbutt for smoko (NOTE – an departure hour earlier than usual).

Dirt loop will go via Murphy’s Creek, Ravensbourne, the Bluff and Blackbutt – Luke will add a few interesting detours – nothing too technical, but will be interesting none the less.

Road riders all bitumen via Esk, the Dams, Gregors Creek and Blackbutt.

Return will be back roads to the west of the smoko stop – great twisties, but there is 3 or 4 km of dirt – decisions can be made on the day and there will be options to avoid this if required

Ride Leader

TBC

Reg – (TBC)

Ray (TBC) and Luke

In case you didn’t know – Ray likes pies

19-20 Nov

18 Dec

7.00 am Sat to 5.00 pm Sun

Weekender Narrabri

10.00 am to 2.00 pm

Christmas party

An overnighter into central NSW, staying at Narrabri. The ride will definitely include the Narrabri – Bingara Rd, Copeton Dam, Ashford Rd, Glenlyon Dam, Cement Mills and a whole lot more. A bitumen ride with roads guaranteed to blow your minds. Cabin Park accommodation (camping available if you’d prefer)

Keen for ideas here. One consideration is the Queensland Auto Museum at Hampton. The owner would be keen to host us and can put on a great BBQ with all sorts of salads and extras.

Can cater for BYO drinks and the museum is really well worth a look. Cars and plenty of bikes! It would be outside, but under cover. May be a bit warm, but think it could be a good option. Any other suggestions happily received and we can put it to the Coffee Night committee for a decision. Regardless, keep the date free. We’ll go for a ride for a couple of hours in the surrounding area – details to be provided.

Also, don’t forget the Brisbane Ride Group’s Xmas party in Stanthorpe – will be a beauty.

Dave

Dave

I’ve contacted the Nanango Go Karts and they would (of course) be pleased to have us. The perpetual trophy is up for grabs – won by the Warrego Riders last year. Two in a row is on the go!

Warrego Riders Calendar 2016

OCTOBER 2016

31

Keep the following in mind for the rest of the year: September – Nanango Go Karts – yeeeehaaaaa. A competitive favourite when it’s a little warmer.

October - An overnighter into central NSW, potentially staying at Narrabri. The ride will definitely include the Narrabri – Bingara Rd, Copeton Dam and a whole lot more. A bitumen ride with roads guaranteed to blow your minds.

November – Another Blackbutt pie run? Or a half-day ride elsewhere.

December – Brisbane ride group Xmas party in Stanthorpe, Warrego Riders function to be held as well – location and venue to be determined and advised.

There will be regular off road rides between monthly rides (as well as at least one camping overnighter) Luke and Dave will keep you posted on these.

Warrego Riders General Ride Information

A

ll rides depart the BP service station on the corner of Ruthven & North Street at the nominated time – please be in attendance a minimum of 15 minutes early for a ride briefing.

The above calendar is a guide. Rides may be modified or changed – notice will be provided.

Members, associate members and guests welcome on any roadworthy motorbike.

Corner marker system used.

Gold coin donation for the RFDS encouraged.

All rides communicated and managed through the Warrego Riders Facebook Group – please feel free to join. An Event will be created a fortnight prior to each ride – we ask you to confirm attendance through this.

The monthly coffee night will be held at the Toowoomba Sports Club at 7.00 pm on the Tuesday prior to the ride.

All welcome to join for dinner, a drink, a chat and to discuss the next ride and general matters.

The next quarter’s calendar will be posted on Facebook, the BMWMCQ Journal and the Warrego Riders website in September 2016. If you have any ideas for rides, please let us know!

Please feel free to contact Danny Bemmerl – 0431 041 612 or danny.bemmerl@ergon.com; or Dave Pidcock – 0427 329 008 or r1200dp@gmail.com with any queries.

Look forward to seeing you on a ride.

Dave

32

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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

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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.

Special Event November 2016

B

OCTOBER 2016

33

BMW CA NATIONAL MOTORRAD RALLY BRIGHT, VICTORIA 11TH – 14TH NOVEMBER 2016

MW CLUBS AUSTRALIA (CA) is the conduit body, which encompasses all state car and motorcycle clubs in Australia.

Each year, through the assistance of one of its state clubs, sponsors a national event. Traditionally, this has been organized by one of the car clubs. However, in 2014, the ACT BMW Motorcycle Club offered to and ran a successful rally at Lake Cargelligo, NSW. Congratulations are due to the ACT Club for running an event that was enjoyed by all. Since that time, CA has indicated that this national event should be shared between the car and motorcycle clubs on a revolving biennial roster. So when nominations were called for the 2016 motorcycle event, our own BMWMCCVIC was quick to volunteer and offer Victoria as the host club. A small group of members convened to put this all together and this is their story (to date).

Whilst every state or territory in this great nation can boast of many fabulous locations for a rally, we in Victoria are specially blessed with options. When deciding on a destination for a National Rally, consideration was given to the following major factors; • • • • •

The options in the region for various top quality road and off-road (GS) rides.

The ride to the destination for not only our Victorian members but also for those of you travelling from all other states/territories. Remember, this is a national event.

The destination. Somewhere where there are many other attractions apart from great rides. A town that welcomes visitors and caters for them.

Adequate and attractive accommodation options for different requirements (camping, bunk house, shared cabins and motels).

In general, a fun place to visit and remember.

Bright, ticked all the boxes for our selection criteria and was favoured by all. The time of year was also critical and many factors had to be considered. Weather was critical and late spring is a wonderful time in the Ovens Valley, tucked up under the High Country. After the football season (whichever code) and before Christmas rush and school holidays. Mid November was an obvious choice.

To date, the organizing sub-committee has been hard at it with a lot of arrangements already in place. We have secured firm accommodation options and have planned out many rides, which will be offered as options, both on and off road. The traditional Rally Dinner will be held on Saturday evening and Sunday evening will see an adventure film night offered. In addition, for a limited number (based on first registered, best dressed), there will be an ‘off road training’ course offered on Saturday morning for those who wish to brush up on their skills. Part of this training will be an afternoon GS ride on dirt roads where the professional trainers will ride with the trainees and help fine-tune their techniques.

The main function of this early notice is to encourage those of you who need time to plan your workplace around dates, to plan for the rally timeframe. It is an “All weekend program”. Registration is in Bright, from Friday afternoon (11th Nov) to and including breakfast on Monday morning (14th Nov). For most, this will mean having the Friday and Monday made available for travel to and from.

We will be sending timely bulletins out to each club as well as using the BMWMMCVIC website, forum and Facebook page with notices and reminders of updates. Expect to see notices and flyers in your representative club notices and websites during April, registrations will open electronically on July 1st and close on September 25th.

A special note on accommodation. When registering, you will be able to elect to look after your own accommodation or to book accommodation being offered. We have secured accommodation based on motel and camping grounds. The camping grounds offer a range of options from tent sites, to shared bunk house sites, to various cabins that contain rooms for couples as well as shared single rooms. Some of these will be single beds and bunks but we will not be allocating anybody to a top bunk. That will be for gear.

We are looking forward to bringing you a wonderful event and very enjoyable time in Bright, in November. For those who have not been to Bright before, you will be amazed at what a beautiful and place it is and what it offers as a premium destination for a motorcycle rally. We encourage you to bring your partners. There are many activities available for non-riding partners such as golf, wine tours, walking, food and cheese tours etc….

Put the date in your calendar now. Book your workplace days off and start building ‘Brownie points’ on the home front. Bright, in November will be a blast.

Jack Schmidt 0414 460 295 Rally Co-ordinator, BMWMCCVIC.

34

OCTOBER 2016

OCTOBER 2016

35

You are invited to the 2016 BMWMCQ Christmas Party!

Date: Saturday 3rd December 2016 Time: Bus pick-up 6:30pm for a 7:00pm dinner Venue: Qld College of Wine Tourism, Stanthorpe

Cost: 3 course dinner is $45 per head

A bus to and from the venue has been arranged and the cost is being covered by the Club!

Pick up from Top of Town and other accommodation venues in Stanthorpe.

Please rsvp by return email, payment options as per below: PayPal - payments@bmwmcq.org.au

Direct Deposit - Acct Name - BMW Motorcycle Club of Queensland Inc.

BSB 124 001 Account 10243020 Reference - First and last name

Cheque or cash – please see Cindy Bennett at a monthly club meeting.

PAYMENT MUST BE RECEIVED BY 18th OCTOBER 2016 SO WE CAN CONFIRM NUMBERS TO THE VENUE.

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