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Essex Advanced Motorcyclist Group
December 2016
Welcome to TUG Dear Members, Not only was there enough copy for this issue, but most of it arrived in good time. Furthermore it was all good stuff; members experiences and reminiscences. Information about standards, safety legislation and so on is very useful to have in TUG, and we will undoubtedly have more of the same in the future since we are all sober, concerned and responsible bikers, but it makes for dull reading for the Xmas issue. I am very grateful to all the new contributors. Copy date for the February issue is January 20th. A bit early, but my wife and I are off on a luxury train ride around Northern India the next week and everything has to be done and dusted before we leave. It is a tough old life! Chris
Editor
Chairman’s Piece
2
Test Passes
4
Membership Info
7
Observer Coordinator
8
New Members
14
Poets Corner
15
A Grand Day Out
17
Return to Biking
19
Membership Form
22
Dates for the Diary
24
Picture Gallery
28
R to B … continued
30
Then & Now
33
This & That
36
Events Report
38
Further Training
42
What’s happening next?
Log into www.eamg.org.uk, then
Runs and Rides Forum
And follow us on Twitter.
Essex Advanced Motorcyclist Group Promoting Excellence in Motorcycling Since 1982
Page 4
CHAIRMAN’S PIECE December 2016 As always, I'm pretty much the last contributor to get my article to the editor for inclusion in TUG, so please accept my apologies Chris. This time however I'm sure Chris will forgive me after having a great ride back from Bury St. Edmunds when we became separated from the main bunch on Richard Parker's run to Thetford. The run back was very enjoyable via Stradishall, Haverhill, Finchingfield and Great Dunmow and Chris was riding to a very good standard in the cold and changeable road conditions. It never ceases to amaze me that we only ever get a small percentage of the membership taking part in group rides. I don't know about you, but I like to be out on my bike at every opportunity and the various rides that we do in this group allows me to constantly re-examine what I do in my own riding. I like to watch the other riders in the group and see if there is anything in their riding that can help me progress and improve and I always have a smile on my face. There is no-one in this group or any other that can honestly say that they have nothing left to learn and these rides, whether they are social, Full member or Associate rides, are a great way to pick up tips and techniques without feeling that you are being observed. So why are they so lightly attended? Search me... I think they are fantastic. I joined this group back in 1984 and I'm still learning!! Last Group night saw the guys from Rapid Training come along and give their 'realistic' views on Advanced riding and I, for one, found their take on what we all do, very entertaining and also very informa-
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tive. As a member of the Observer team for some 30 years now, I have seen so many of the traits displayed in their presentation in the Associates and Full members I have trained and it brought back memories of the more 'interesting' moments of my time as an Observer. December's Group night, which will be at the Little Channels venue, is the Xmas quiz run by Chris Johnson with the aid of his family. It is always a really fun evening and I hope you will support it by being there! The December AGT on the 11th December will be the last one at the current venue at Moulsham School. From February 2017 - as we don't have an AGT in January - the new venue will be at Longmeads House, 12-14 Redwood Drive, Writtle, Chelmsford CM1 3LY. AGT's will still start at 09:30 am as usual, only the location is changing. On behalf of the EAMG Committee can I wish each and every one of you and your families a wonderful Christmas and New Year.
Ride safe, have fun Chris Remember, it's not how fast you ride but the way you ride fast!
Editor: We shall be publishing a map of, and comprehensive directions to, the new AGT location in the February 2017 edition of TUG. This will hopefully be available in paper form at Group Night on 7th February, and online before 26th January 2017, so you should be able to find the new location.
Essex Advanced Motorcyclist Group Promoting Excellence in Motorcycling Since 1982
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CONGRATULATIONS Recent Test Passes
John Haynes
Robert Spinks
Observer: Richard Parker Examiner: Mark Anderson
Observer: Phil Jones Examiner: Mark Anderson
5th August 2016 RoSPA Bronze
6th August 2016 RoSPA Bronze
Andy Davy
15th November 2016
RoSPA Gold Observer: Eddy Brazier Examiner: Mick Jones
Ian Saunders 6th August 2016 RoSPA Gold (retest)
Examiner: Mark Anderson
Alan Burke 25th June 2016
EAMG Observer (retest) Assessor: John Tullett
r
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T: 0844 888 0999 F: 0844 888 4190
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Page 9
Membership Information Dear Members & Prospective Members, The membership form is on the website or page 22 if you wish to join or if you are renewing. If you have paid up and haven’t received your membership card please let a committee member know. Also please remember to spread the word about EAMG, recommendation is such a valuable tool and current members are always the best advocates for what a good group this is.
Membership Fees for 2017
New Associate Members
...£55.00 (Includes AGT Training)
Associate Member Renewal
...£40.00 (Includes AGT Training)
Full Member Renewal
...£25.00
Social Member
...£25.00
Full Member Training
...£20.00
(For more information on Full Member Training see page 42)
Membership
Number
Full
93
Associate
28
Social
2
Observer
18
Life
12
Total
153
Essex Advanced Motorcyclist Group Promoting Excellence in Motorcycling Since 1982
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OBSERVER COORDINATOR John Tullett Promoting EAMG We had a very successful day at the Copdock Show on 2nd October. There was almost too much going on to check out all activities, particularly for everyone helping on the EAMG stand, but this is definitely a show that has something for everyone with an interest in bikes and well worth a visit. Remember to pencil Sunday, 1st October 2017 into your diaries for next year's event. As an independent Group EAMG has to work harder in attracting new members than certain other groups that are linked to national organisations. We rely heavily on word of mouth recommendations and also try to attend as many suitable shows as we can to help promote the Group. If you able to spare a little time by assisting on the EAMG promotional stand then your help will be greatly appreciated. Please let a member of the Committee know of your interest and you will be made very welcome.
www.eamg.org.uk
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Full Member Training (FMT) The training day held on 23rd October was attended by six Group members, making it the most popular FMT of the year. John Tipper has subsequently developed a survey seeking the opinions of Full members, to ascertain their levels of awareness of FMTs and requesting details of any proposed changes to their format that the Group should consider, to try and build on this success. A simple anonymous questionnaire has been developed which has already been circulated via a Group e-mail message and will also be available in paper form at Group Night meetings over the next few months if anyone has missed it. Essex Advanced Motorcyclist Group Promoting Excellence in Motorcycling Since 1982
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EAMG & Social Media Most Group members will have visited our web site ( http:// www.eamg.org.uk/ ) and Forum ( http://www.eamg.org.uk/forum ) but did you know that we also have Twitter and Facebook accounts? Anthony Greenwood has been instrumental in developing and maintaining the Group's Twitter account ( https://twitter.com/ essexadvmcgroup ) and it is well worth a visit - more than 1,500 followers cannot be wrong! You should also find Anthony's article on Twitter elsewhere in this issue of TUG, which will hopefully become a regular column... EAMG's Facebook page was dormant for a while in 2015 but is now back up and running, so take a look at ( https://www.facebook.com/ EAMG.ORG.UK/ ) to see what is going on. Bikesafe London Training I am indebted to Simon Enticknap for supplying details of how to book a free Bikesafe London course. 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6.
Visit http://www.bikesafe-london.co.uk/ Enter your postcode Select from any participating London venue Click 'book a bikesafe course now' to view available dates Choose your preferred date Enter the voucher CET16 to claim your ÂŁ45 discount - making the course free
My booking in already in for the Romford location in January.
www.eamg.org.uk
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Bikesafe Essex and FireBike Training I included details of the Bikesafe Essex and FireBike training options in the October edition of TUG. However, with Bikesafe Essex booked as our speakers at the March Group Night meeting, I make no apologies for mentioning these training options again because if you delay until after the talk they will almost certainly be fully booked for 2017!
Accordingly, if you are interested in either or both options and want to get in ahead of the rush, you should register your interest now with the relevant contacts that can be found via these links: http://www.bikesafe.co.uk/locate-a-force/essex/bikesafe-workshops2014/ and/or http://www.essex-fire.gov.uk/RTC_Reduction/FireBike/Training/ Annual General Meeting
It is scary to think that February's AGM is fast approaching once more, when Group members will have the opportunity to stand for the Committee. It might be hard to believe at times but if you view EAMG's wide range of activities as the tip of an iceberg then the essential background tasks that must be performed to ensure everything runs to plan is the much larger section below water. So what is the idea of this analogy? Simply to try and illustrate that we desperately need more members who are prepared to take on and share out some of Essex Advanced Motorcyclist Group Promoting Excellence in Motorcycling Since 1982
Page 14
these tasks, working on the basis that many hands make light(er) work. Accordingly, if you have benefited from being a member of EAMG then why not consider giving something back to the Group by putting your name forward? Inevitably this will involves some time and commitment on your part but without sufficient numbers of volunteers who are prepared to put their names forward we would not have a Group! You do not necessarily need to take on one of the Officer roles; if you were to join as a General Committee member you will be able to provide valuable assistance in the running of the Group without having to take on specific responsibilities. Associate Group Training (AGT) Following on from the poor levels of attendance at September's AGT, which was held on the same day as the Essex Air Ambulance Run, we are planning something a little different for next year. Our outline idea for Sunday 10th September 2017 is that we will hold a 'standard' 20 minute roadcraft presentation and then Mick Hewitt will start his monthly Associate Social Ride from the AGT venue. The idea is that this might help to attract some additional Group members along to sample an AGT, without unduly delaying the start of Mick's social ride. We are also hoping to announce news relating to our 2017 AGT venue in the very near future! ---ooo0ooo--Should any members have any training related queries then please contact me on 01277 623860 (before 21:30 please), text 07570 992801, e-mail jtullett@eamg.org.uk or send me a PM via the Message Board.
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Essex Advanced Motorcyclist Group Promoting Excellence in Motorcycling Since 1982
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Welcome to New Members! Paul Chapman Andy Davy Kevin Farrell John Herring Roy Nunn Anthony Williams Luke Liveras Tony Bailey Paul Bernard Kim Wells Colin Digby
We apologise if you have joined recently and your name does not appear here. It can take a little while for the names to trickle down to the TUG editor but they will appear in the next issue. We welcome you to the Group, and hope that your membership proves instructive, worthwhile and, most importantly, highly enjoyable. The Group has a lot to offer besides excellent training and the more you avail yourself of the opportunities the happier we shall be!
www.eamg.org.uk
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Poets Corner The Lure of the Limerick
There was a young lady of Exeter So pretty that men craned their necks at her And one went so far As to wave from his car The distinguishing mark of his sex at her! On the bosom of young Abigail Was tattooed the price of her tail And upon her behind For the sake of the blind Was the same information in Braille.
Essex Advanced Motorcyclist Group Promoting Excellence in Motorcycling Since 1982
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St Lawrence House 2 Gridiron Place Upminster Essex RM14 2BE
Page 19
A Grand Day Out By Rob Urand I don’t get too many Sundays free, but the Sunday of the August bank holiday weekend was one of them, so I decided to join ‘Richard’s Full Member Ride’; my first. Arriving at Sainsbury’s Springfield, it soon became apparent that there were two EAMG rides; Richard’s one, and, according to those gathered, a more sedate alternative; interesting! Introductions were made, and soon Richard arrived; details of the planned route filling the clear pocket in the top of his tank bag. At around 9.30am Richard gathered the dozen or so riders together for a pre ride briefing covering speed limits, ride etiquette, use of the marker system, our destination, and stopping points. The target was Uppingham, plus two other refreshment stops. Not having experienced the marker system before, despite riding regularly in small groups, I had checked it out online, mostly using the London Advanced Motorcyclists site. I made sure I knew what would be expected of me as a participant. We set off and maintained a lively pace. During the ride I rarely saw Richard as the run often became spread out. He occasionally would be seen off in the distance, an upright grey clad figure, sometimes with a bike or two immediately behind him, then cars, bikes, more cars, bikes etc etc. The route headed north past Finchingfield and on, across the Fens, using some lovely roads, some were narrow with tightish bends, but also many wider roads with miles of flowing bends to enjoy. Weather and temperature were just right. At junctions a stationary bike and rider would be spotted, indicating the correct route for us all to follow. Eventually I found myself behind Richard, and at the next junction he indicated where I should take up a safe position to guide the following riders. When all were passed, I spotted Geoff, our back marker, and re-joined just ahead of him, until it eventually became my turn again.
Essex Advanced Motorcyclist Group Promoting Excellence in Motorcycling Since 1982
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I found the system worked really well, and it allowed everyone to ride at their own pace, although it was also enjoyable to ride in a group where all had benefitted from a high standard of training. I certainly had; Richard had been my observer, and had somehow managed to get me through the RoSPA test. Other groups I ride with often have a greater range of abilities and experience, which slows rides down, and can create added hazards for all. The chosen stops produced some great food e.g bread pud pieces the size of a half brick, but very tasty. Bikes and riders having been refuelled, we left Uppingham just before 2.30pm. More great roads to enjoy, but darkening clouds soon began to appear. It all started to go wrong when, with rain falling heavily, and the prospect of soggy leathers, I stopped to don waterproofs. Although on a quiet, straight road, for safety I decided to pull off left onto some concrete in front of a field gateway. Opposite was a small junction at ninety degrees. I was alone at the time. Just prior to replacing helmet and gloves, the next rider appeared. I didn’t want him to stop unnecessarily so I gave a thumbs up, he immediately did a life saver and turned right, off the correct route. NO!!! As he sped off down the dead straight road I did a sort of star jump routine, hoping he would see me in his mirrors and stop; he didn’t. By the time I had got going, he was out of sight, not reappearing again for about five miles when the tight narrow roads gave way to the A6 south, and I managed to catch up with him. Not having seen any more markers, he had suspected he was off route. We stopped and planned a route home, eventually going our separate ways near Dunmow. Frequent showers occurred, and in some places there was plenty of surface water too. When I reached home at about 6.45pm I had covered 275 very enjoyable miles, so thank you to Richard, our ride leader, and Geoff, our back marker, for their sterling efforts throughout the day. Not to forget the other riders, who all played their part, and even included the odd character! Some were regulars, whilst others are rarely able to attend runs. Thanks all, for a grand day out.
Rob (aka Richard Branson!)
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Returning to Biking – A Summer of Training Andy Davy I got my motorcycle licence exactly forty years ago. I only discovered that as the BMW salesman pointed it out while photocopying my documents before I took one of his nice new bikes for a test run. But in truth, before 2016 I had not even sat on a bike for some 35 years. I don’t know precisely what triggered it, but something made me want a bike of my own again. That was despite the many horror stories of ‘born-again -bikers’ roaring off on their new machines to an untimely end: “it’s not the engine that’ll kill you, it’s the brakes” (etc). In view of that (and as part of the Faustian pact I struck with the wife) I decided I would definitely take it easy and start out as if I knew nothing about biking. Which in fact was not so difficult – bikes seem to have changed enormously since I last got on one, and the big tourer I rather fancied for myself appeared scarily large and unwieldy. I knew I couldn’t be trusted to just hop on the kind of bike I had in mind, so I started with a ‘Back to Biking’ course at Colchester Kawasaki. This involved a few hours on a Honda 125 (surprisingly similar to the first bike I’d had back in the ‘70s) before another session on a rather less familiar Kawasaki 650. I’m still amazed at how unnerving it was to leave the slow riding area and reach 30mph on a real road. The main thing I realised during the day was how much had changed since I had first learnt to ride (which seemed to include a lot of falling off). The instructor had to stop me mid-ride just to explain some basics (“Lifesaver? What’s one of those?”) His parting words as I left were: “for goodness’ sake take it easy”. It was clear that I was going to need some help if I was going to stay in one piece. After a couple of completely nerve-wracking test rides, courtesy of Cannon Motorcycles, I decided I really did like the R1200RT I had originally taken a shine to in the showroom. I plumped for a new, liquid-cooled model (even as a newbie I could tell how refined it is compared to its older brothers). During the weeks it was on back order I got busy: reading ‘Roadcraft’; watching any instructional video I could find on YouTube; buying some suitable riding gear; reading the RT’s manual from cover to cover; taking more ‘test rides’ at Cannon – most of which were spent in the Braintree Freeport car park, attempting slow riding and hard braking, and trying very hard not to drop the bike (I didn’t). I also made sure I booked myself some further training. My goal was to learn as much as I could to become a safe rider in as
Essex Advanced Motorcyclist Group Promoting Excellence in Motorcycling Since 1982
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short a timescale as possible. First up was a (free) Better Biking course with the Essex FireBike team. This was on the Sunday after I picked up the RT. ‘Mr FireBike’, Andy Stroulger, led the day with a thorough presentation (complete with horror movies) at the Kelvedon headquarters. It was both salutary and informative. The observed ride that followed neatly coincided with my first experience of riding in the rain – not something I had bargained for. At the end of my ride I got the usual tyro’s feedback about positioning, late braking and choosing a lower gear for corners, but both Lee (my observer) and I were broadly satisfied with my ride. “You’re not unsafe” was his overall summary, which was a relief. The surprise bonus from the day was that simply by attending I was also entitled to another day of free training – in fact, the FireBike people were more than generous – they offered me both a day with Mick Jones at Total Advanced Training and let me come to their Advanced Machine Skills course (of which more anon).
Next up was a longish trip to the National BikeSafe day at Rockingham Motor Speedway – mainly so I could experience another observed ride, this time with the police. (Also on offer was some time on the track with the California Superbike School, but that was definitely out of my league). The observed ride yielded some more useful pointers and the show itself was really helpful for picking up basic information on a variety of topics, like bike security and exotic riding kit like personal airvests. I also got my ears filled with gunge by Ultimate Ear and as a result now have some made-to-measure ear plugs (which are rather effective, by the way). A few weeks later I got a place on a proper BikeSafe day at South Woodham Ferrers, and found myself being followed by another copper on a bike. I probably don’t need to say how helpful a day out with Mick Jones is – I imagine many (most?) club members will have their own tales to tell. My personal high point was simply following Mick while he gave a commentary on his ride. His powers of forward observation were a revelation to me – I had no idea there were so many useful cues out there. But what I was most looking forward to was the Advanced Machine Skills day at Wethersfield Airfield. Although by now I had spent considerable time on my own,
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practising slow riding, emergency stops and attempting swerves, I knew that proper instruction was bound to help. Hearing John Tullett describe and recommend the day during my first EAMG Group Night further whetted my appetite. So, the following Sunday, after an early rendezvous at Finchingfield, ten of us (including a number of other EAMG members) headed off in convoy for Wethersfield, where we set up camp in the Essex Fire & Rescue Service training centre. Although billed as a FireBike event, the instructors were all from Hopp Rider Training. On the day we had Martin Hopp, Keith Dunn and David Halsall. Andy Stroulger introduced the day and stuck around to take pictures (lots of them) of everything we got up to. The formal training started (rather prosaically) with ‘how to pick up your bike’, demonstrated first with one of the instructor’s bikes, followed by a volunteer’s bike. I leapt at the chance. My reasoning was: “if I am going to go for it, it seems likely I’m going to need this skill at some point today” (and so it proved). The imposed rule for the rest of the morning was that no -one could use their front brake. For the whole morning. At all. For anything. On to slow riding. This was when we first got a taste of our instructors’ skills – in particular, David Halsall, who had brought an almost-new GS. It was breathtaking to see what he could do with it (including high speed wheelies for several hundred yards along the taxiways – thankfully not part of the day’s curriculum). The course taught us an ‘upright’ slow riding technique rather than counterweighting (as I had been practising). A set of (tiny) bollards had already been put out for us to (very slowly) weave around, the last group of which were impossibly close together (“don’t bother trying that set with the RT” I was advised, rightly). It was while attempting one of these slaloms that I stalled & dropped the RT on its side – suddenly the extra I had paid for those cylinder head protectors became worth every penny, as the bike appeared unscathed after its ill treatment. Of course this little event also provided me with another chance to demonstrate I could pick up the RT (I think I was the only one to get the extra practice). (Continued on page 32)
Essex Advanced Motorcyclist Group Promoting Excellence in Motorcycling Since 1982
All Full Member Rides will leave Sainsburys Springfield, Chelmsford, at 9.30am
Page 26
December 2016
4th 6th 11th 18th
Richard’s Full Member Ride Group Night (Xmas Quiz) Associate Group Training (AGT) Associate Ride
======== 2017 ======= January 3rd 8th 15th
Group Night - Natter Night Richard's Full Member Ride Mick's Associate Member Ride
7th 12th 19th 26th
Group Night - AGM Associate Group Training (AGT) Mick's Associate Member Ride Richard's Full Member Ride
5th 7th 12th 19th 26th
Mick's Associate Member Ride Group Night - Bikesafe Essex Associate Group Training (AGT) Observer Peer to Peer Ride (1701) Richard's Full Member Ride
2nd 4th 9th 15th ? 23rd 30th 30th
Full Member Training (1701) Group Night Associate Group Training (AGT) Super Sausage Run (to be confirmed) Richard's Full Member Ride Mick's Associate Member Ride North Weald Motorcycle Show (to be confirmed)
2nd 7th 14th 21st 21st 28th 28th
Group Night Associate Group Training (AGT) Observer Peer to Peer Ride (1702) France Day Ride (Geoff Preston) Richard's Full Member Ride Full Member Training (1702) Mick's Associate Member Ride
February
March
April
Diary 2017
May
(Continued on page 29)
www.eamg.org.uk
Building, Civil Engineering and Maintenance
Extensions - Garages - Loft Conversions
Block paving Driveways - Patios
All Types of Roofing
Carpentry - Brickwork
Water Main and Sewer Repairs and Renewal
Fencing - Replacement Windows (uPVC, Hardwood, Aluminium)
uPVC Cladding, Fascias, Soffits
Underpinning - Landscaping
Painting and Decorating Fully Insured (But not yet Needed!)
For free no-obligation quote, phone Clint on
01621 828276 (Office) 07836 277223 (Mobile) Domestic and Commercial Work Undertaken Insurance Work also Welcome Member of The Federation of Civil Engineering Contractors Flagstaff Farm, Green Lane, Althorne, Essex, CM3 6BQ
Page 29
June 4th 6th 11th 18th 25th
Slow Riding Day Group Night Associate Group Training (AGT) Mick's Associate Member Ride Richard's Full Member Ride
2nd 2nd 4th 9th 16th 23rd 30th
Maldon Motor Show (to be confirmed) Mick's Associate Member Ride Group Night Associate Group Training (AGT) Observer Peer to Peer Ride (1703) Richard's Full Member Ride Full Member Training (1703)
1st 6th 13th 20th 20th 27th
Group Night Associate Group Training (AGT) Beachy Head Ride (Geoff Preston) Audrey & John's Cotswolds Ride Mick's Associate Member Ride Richard's Full Member Ride
5th 10th 10th 10th 17th 24th
Group Night Associate Group Training (AGT) Essex Air Ambulance Run/Show Mick's Associate Member Ride Slow Riding Day Richard's Full Member Ride
1st 3rd 8th 15th 22nd 22nd 29th
Copdock Show Group Night Associate Group Training (AGT) Observer Peer to Peer Ride (1704) Full Member Training (1704) Mick's Associate Member Ride Richard's Full Member Ride
July
Group Nights @ 19:30, AGTs @ 9:15 am
(Continued from page 26)
August
September
October
Diary 2017
(remainder of 2017 will appear in the next edition of TUG)
Essex Advanced Motorcyclist Group Promoting Excellence in Motorcycling Since 1982
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Picture Gallery ■ Picture Gallery ■ Picture
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Gallery ■ Picture Gallery ■ Picture Gallery
Essex Advanced Motorcyclist Group Promoting Excellence in Motorcycling Since 1982
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(Continued from page 23)
The training moved on at a quite a pace. Next up was swerving – the principal skill I had wanted to get from the day. We had some helpful illustrations of the dynamics of precession (look it up) and how as bikers we all use it to our advantage. Despite the clear illustration, some of the group appeared unconvinced as we headed off for practice (maybe it was just nerves). We were taken to another line of tiny cones, this time set further apart. Both David and Keith demonstrated a series of left-right swerves around each of them – again, very impressive to watch. In particular, observing from the ‘target’ position (i.e. in the line of fire) it was fascinating to actually see the front wheel kick off to the left a split second before the whole bike snapped over to the right (and swung away from us). Then it was our turn. We were encouraged to vigorously practice each time we worked our way back after trying the cones. I really went for it – after all, I was here to learn. It’s amazing what a bike, even a beast like the RT, will do when you push it (no pun intended). We then went on to try swerves around a live target – in this case Martin Hopp, who on occasion had to live up to his name.
As a treat before lunch, a set of cones was set out for a high(er) speed slalom. This required us to zig-zag from one side of the wide airfield taxiway to the other, going as fast as we could and trailing the rear brake into the turns to really sharpen them up. We were asked to arrange ourselves in speed order after the instructor. With my ‘go for it’ mentality I decided I would follow immediately behind him and try to keep up, which, by and large I was able to. This was such fun. The cones were left out over lunch, so some of us took the opportunity to have a go on our own (or, in my case, to chase Andy Stroulger and his FireBike around the course). My technique must have been improving as I started getting the pegs down on one or two of the turns. The afternoon reintroduced the front brake, as we were first shown and then had the chance to practice emergency braking, both how to do it and how not to. Part of the explanation had all of us on hands and knees to really understand the difference between trailing and leading brakes. There was plenty of burning rubber after David disabled the ABS on the GS and demonstrated both front and rear wheel skids. After each demo, we all had several goes to achieve the same effect. Those of us with ‘always on’ ABS couldn’t experience the skidding, but we were firmly en-
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couraged to brake as hard as possible to ensure the ABS really kicked in. I was happy enough with my ‘no holds barred’ emergency stops (from as fast as 80mph on one occasion), and even happier to hear that my rear wheel had been off the ground for several feet during my final attempts (news to me). All in all, the day was both hugely enjoyable and very instructive. The fact that (in Essex) you can get this training for free is also rather remarkable. If you’ve not had the chance to go, I can thoroughly recommend it. A day or two later, I found myself at Mallory Park, on an IAM RoadSmart Circuitbased Skills Day. Not free this one, but good value nonetheless. I had come in the hope that it would allow me to develop my cornering skills – I wasn’t out for a ‘track day’. As they said in the briefing: “here you get the chance to tackle each corner over and over again, with nothing to block your view and no chance of oncoming traffic”. There was a heavyweight safety briefing to kick off the day, after which we were clustered into small groups, broadly in order of the confidence we had in our own skills (i.e. scale of brass neck). There were four riders in each group, allocated to one instructor. The pattern for the day was a 20-minute briefing, 20 minutes on the track and 20 minutes to debrief/rest/rehydrate etc. before it all took place again. There were about fifty riders altogether (plus the instructors). The smaller groups were organised into three large groups that went out onto the track at separate times (hence the three 20-minute windows in each hour). In all everyone had six opportunities to get out and practice, interspersed with six different briefings on Roadcraft, course etiquette, motorcycle dynamics and so on. The Mallory Park track had been configured to include as many corners as it could offer, from long sweeping curves to a hairpin (which I grew to love, despite the inside concrete wall one has to hug on the way round). The early excursions were at a nursery pace, following the instructor like ducklings as we built up familiarity with
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the course. At each outing however, more control was handed over to individual riders and by the end of the day people were free to set off at their own pace (following the careful briefings on track overtaking). Anyone needing particular help during the day could be allocated an individual instructor. There was a track speed limit of 90 mph imposed for the day, which was enough for me, but I doubt many of the more experienced riders stuck to it. And, in case you are wondering, I didn’t drop the RT this time. In fact only one rider came off, hurting just his pride (and probably his bank balance). What I discovered with the RT was that its ‘Shift Assistant Pro’ (i.e. clutchless gearshifting) is perfect for the track (which makes sense as that’s what it was originally developed for). I think I expected more individual skills instruction during the riding and debrief, and that more of the day’s experience would be directly applicable to road riding. For instance, my question to the instructor about whether we were supposed to take a racing line or emulate what’s in Roadcraft left him a bit flummoxed. In reality, there was only one line – the fastest – and key turn in and apex points had been marked using cones beside the track. So although I had not come for a ‘track day’, that is in effect what it became, as I started to tear around the circuit as fast as my skills would allow. (I thought I was doing pretty well, but seeing someone on an identical RT fly past me a couple of times made it clear the bike could achieve a lot more than me). Would I still recommend the IAM day to others? In a word, yes. Although it wasn’t quite what I had imagined, it had a very similar benefit to the day at Wethersfield – it gave me much greater confidence in my abilities and those of the bike. I had heard that (despite appearances) the RT can be a very nimble mount. Both of the skills days gave me the chance to discover that for myself, and in a safe and supportive environment. Bearing in mind my original goal was to learn as much about riding safely as quickly as I could, each of these courses has taken me forward in leaps and bounds. Information about the training offered by the Essex FireBike team can be found here: http://www.essex-fire.gov.uk/RTC_Reduction/FireBike/Training/ (They also have a page on Facebook that has pictures from all their recent courses. Just search for Essex FireBike) Information on the IAM Skills Days can be found here (you may need to wait for this page to be updated with their 2017 courses): https://www.iamroadsmart.com/
campaign-pages/end-customer-campaigns/skillsday
[Editor: On November 15th Andy took his test & gained a RoSPA Gold]
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Then and Now By Ian Hunter My association with motorcycles since 1956 has been an intermittent affair (“on & off” wouldn’t be the right phrase to use here). I learned to ride along the banks of the River Roding at Wanstead on a pal’s 125cc Bantam. During my last year at school I was the only one to attend by powered vehicle. It was a 25.7cc Cyclemaster motorised wheel that replaced the rear wheel of my pedal cycle. It had a throttle lever on the right handlebar, a sort of disengagement (clutch) on the left. I did a lot of miles on that. Cycle brakes in those days weren’t very clever either! I later bought my friend’s Bantam and took my test on it at Leytonstone in 1955– a few times round the block and an emergency stop when I saw the examiner step into the road holding up his clipboard! That BSA did me proud as I rode it very regularly from Romford to Huntingdon during my two years’ National Service in the R.A.F. Changing spark plug & magneto points was a regular fix for problems.
On moving to Colchester in 1961, after some time with a NSU Quickly moped I became a full time ‘cager’ with an Austin Somerset, followed by a Ford Zephyr 4. About 1965 I bought a 1959 700cc Royal Enfield Constellation or Meteor with a double adult chair attached. A great outfit, my three young daughters in the sidecar and their mother on the pillion. This was our sole means of transport for some time (See old photo). After that it was a 1949 Austin 16 – wow- leather seats (cracked & split!) huge headlamps, running boards and awful rod brakes! That was replaced after a while by slightly more modern cars.
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Around the mid 60s I bought a ‘Step through’ Honda C50 – I used that for commuting and shopping – a great workhorse although I always wished that I’d gone for the C70 or C90.I rode that for some years before selling it on for £15! Years went by and I decided that with retirement looming fast I would get a scooter for running about locally so that my wife & I could then just have one car between us. In 2003 I bought an almost new Honda 250 Foresight scooter. It seemed brilliant except that when trying to overtake at 66mph there wasn’t much left in reserve. A bigger machine was called for! In the summer of 2006 I found my present Honda 600cc 50HP Silverwing advertised on e-bay; this entailed an adventure journey to view & test ride it in Liverpool – a long way from Essex- and bring it home. Realizing that I now had a seriously fast bike (theoretical top speed 110mph!) I decided to take steps to improve my riding skills. I was fortunate having had advanced car-driving training in my work so it was mainly bike-handling that needed some serious attention.
A search of the web indicated that Essex Advanced Motorcyclists Group (EAMG) might meet my needs so I went along to their January social meeting at Chelmsford. I was made most welcome by a bunch of guys (and girls) who were driven with a desire to improve the riding skills of themselves and others. This seemed too good to be true – for £50 a year as an Associate member I was able to have at least two 1 to 1 training sessions a month for as long as I wished with no pressure to take any test. One Sunday meeting each month was Associate training day where, after an hour’s theory instruction on varying aspects of advanced riding, I would ride out followed by an ‘Observer’ (as the instructors are called). Usually about 60 – 90 miles with
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occasional stops for words of advice and refreshment. I had some mixed feelings; I was disappointed when I realised how little I knew but delighted to know that I was steadily improving. On top of this I was also allocated my own local Observer who would take me out on similar training runs every few weeks. This gave me a chance to put in some practice at what I was being taught and also brush up on the Highway Code and the Police riders’ manual “Roadcraft”. I was delighted to be told, after a check-run with a senior observer, that I was considered ‘test-ready’ which allowed me to apply to the Institute of Advanced Motorists. This I did and two weeks later, feeling like a kid doing an exam, I took the reasonably exacting test which I passed. This was nine months after starting training. I feel that this has probably improved my survival chances by some 85%. I shall be eternally grateful to EAMG for that. I would urge all riders, however expert they might consider themselves, to have a go at advanced training via one of the numerous IAM, or similar, groups. (It can also help with insurance premiums too!) Since then I have continued to enjoy the freedom of two wheels for local use, days out and a Revellier Ride with John Tipper in France. I count my blessings.
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This & That Dave Iszard I'M SLICK AND TYRED OF THIS. Well not really, us motor cyclists usually like a good debate about what tyres to fit. What one person finds works well on his bike will not always be agreed with by the owner of a similar model. Of course it depends on how you are using your bike, tearing about at the weekend will be different to commuting through the week. It's a grip or mileage choice. I recently bought a bike that was fitted with Cheng Shin tyres and at the point of buying I pointed out that he had fitted s- t tyres. Mildly hurt by my comment he said, " they are perfectly adequate for the bike". Well he may be right if, a) it's not raining, b) you don't dare lean the bike more than two degrees. At the prescribed pressure for the bike they felt spongey and as I wheeled the bike along they squeaked on the road. Gradually upping the pressure the handling got mildly better but I had lost confidence with them, they had to go. New Avon's arrived and were fitted in the time-honoured manner of tyre levers and soapy water and a degree of wrestling on the garage floor. I was surprised with the lack of substance in the Cheng Shins; they were barely more than inner tubes with a tread on. The inner tube and the tyre together just about did the job, Taiwanese, don't you know. ZIP TIES. I was in Aldi and spotted a pack of varied sized zip ties for £4.50. Anyone who fiddles with bikes will get through many zippies in a life time and this pack was going to last me forever and ever. Should you not want to lash out £4.50 for hundreds of zippies you can do what I still do. Armed with a small electrical screw driver you can visit most urban telegraph poles and find a number of cable ties that previously secured a sign or advert. The paper signs (offering a reward for the return of 'Tibbles' or telling of a car boot sale,) that were washed away by the elements weeks ago will now produce a crop of available zippies, You just need to prise of the little locking tab up, with practice it becomes easy and like me you will have more zip ties than you will ever have use for. [Editor: W hen I read this I was starting to think "“Poor old Dave! What a lot of effort to save himself a few pence" when I remembered that I walk along the street picking up the very useful stout rubber bands
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which have been abandoned by the postmen, so I stopped thinking "“Poor old Dave" pretty damned quickly!] SMOKE GETS IN YOUR EYES Some vehicles are diesel powered, some use petrol. 99.9% of bikes are petrol driven, but Simon filled his old Norton with diesel (easy mistake). Not wanting to waste fossil fuel and with a little room left in the tank he diluted it with petrol. Surprisingly it started, but ran badly, was a job to get going and smoked like an old lorry. Nothing new there then! What a way to treat an antique, and what about the poor old Norton? [Editor: My friend John did this to his Honda 400/4 nearly forty years ago. The smoke was really impressive then. Actually, if Simon likes riding old bikes which generate a lot of smoke, he could just buy an Ariel Leader and save himself all that hassle with diesel]
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Events Report Chris Johnson I fear this will be a shorter report than usual, since I had a nasty bout of 'Cannot be flu because you have had the jab, but otherwise indistinguishable' and missed three rides. Additionally, because of my wife's illness on 25th September, I had missed Richards ride to Rushden. I am really sorry about this because it seems to have been a real corker. I shall quote Richard's brief summary of the outing. "Its a pity CJ wasn't on this ride. He could have filled his
TUG column twice over! Well it was a great ride back without incident, well, except for Doug and Maz taking the wrong turn within 100 yards of the cafe but then that's only to be expected! The ride out was a nightmare of obstacles. In spite of my best efforts we again got mixed with the Associate ride and got in the middle of a huge cycle race with support vehicles and horse boxes. Once on the A507 heading for the A1 Services I thought it would be plain sailing but, no, I failed to mark where the A507 goes sharp left and, yes, someone went straight on the 'local road' and took over half the group (lesson learned). After a longer than usual coffee stop everyone was ready for the easy bit A507 A600 A6 to Rushden but, no, the A507 was closed at Shefford and we diverted through the town filtering past miles of slow cars. Unfortunately someone turned left in the town and took most of the group the wrong way but left no markers so poor Paula our sweeper was eventually on her own. After a long wait on the A600 the front group moved on to Rushden where eventually the rest turned up in dribs and drabs except for Paula who through no fault of her own had been abandoned and had to be given directions home by phone". There must be something about Rushden because the last ride to it which I attended was ... not without incident.
The first ride I actually attended in this period was Mick & Alan's 'Relaxed' ride on the 23rd October. It was billed as a 125 mile run out to the Le Hague farm shop, a little past Newmarket. Although the day started out very chilly, there was plenty of sun and we had fourteen bikes (five of which were Harleys!). After the FMT which was also assembled at Sainsburys had moved off we set out on what was an interesting stitch-up of familiar roads. The Farm Shop Cafe turned out to be very good although I noted, to my chagrin, that my Welsh Rarebit Brunch seemed to be smaller than any of the other meals chosen. Afterwards I was privileged to get a rare peek at what Stephen 'Bottomless Panniers' Green keeps in his top-box. It was a very large slice of exquisitely packaged gateau. With nose
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thoroughly out of joint I rummaged in a nearby skip until I found a grubby paper plate on which was an even grubbier half-eaten sandwich. I tried putting this in my top-box, but it wasn't the same. Unfortunately the top-box photos did not come out very well. On the way back on the A1017 there was a slow HGV with a long tight queue behind it; not readily overtaken if the 'relaxed' group was to be kept together. Mick re-routed us to take in the hooligan Weathersfield Road, and the Boreham Bends; always welcome although at a relaxed pace one does not get the full benefit of them. I made the total distance 110 miles, and it was a most enjoyable run. By the time of Richard's ride to Old Buckenham (between Bury St Edmunds and Norwich) on 30th of October I was in no condition to ride a bike, so I have to rely on Forum posts for information. Despite the fog 24 riders turned out for it; double what Richard had expected, which led to a frantic warning call to the lunch venue. There is little reference to the ride itself, apart from the poor visibility and the high riding standards observed! I infer that the destination was Jimmy's, at Old Buckenham Airfield, and everybody got served eventually although it was a bit of a tight fit. There is a museum on the site so I guess there was stuff to look at when not feeding. The ride distance was 180 miles, they got back home before 17:00, and they seem to have enjoyed themselves. Audrey acted as sweeper. The photo was posted by Stuart Gray on Facebook, and shamelessly nicked for TUG. I then proceeded to miss the Rapid Training talk at Group Night (always a highlight) and Mick's Relaxed Run to Royston Wyevale Garden Centre on 13th November, about which I unfortunately
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have no details. However, after successfully managing a six mile run to get the KTM MOT'd the following Tuesday, and desperate for a ride, I decided to skive off for the day and tag along on 'Big Bob' & Graham's midweek social ride on the 16th November to Newmarket. It didn't quite go as planned. I had allowed myself the best part of two hours to get to Chelmsford, but the M25 was locked solid (3 vehicle crash), and I did not arrive at Sainsburys until 10:05, just after the ride had departed. Since the M25 problems had caused a five mile tailback on the A12 I was not keen to go straight back home, and decided to make my own way to Newmarket. The roads were greasy and there was a lot more traffic than one is used to at weekends. However, five miles outside Newmarket, at the B1052/ B1061 junction short of Dullingham, five riders joined from the right ahead of me. They might not be the Mid-Week Ride, but they rode neatly and were the best I could hope for so I tagged on. At Newmarket they did turn out to be the EAMG guys (minus Graham, who had business elsewhere), and I joined them for lunch at the Bull. I was still a bit nervous about the prospect of a slow ride back home from Chelmsford (rightly so, the M25 was still blocked, but this time from a tanker crash) so I did not return with them but made my own way to the M11. This was a shame, since the roads were drying out and the ride back with the group would have been much more fun. Here endeth this regrettably brief events report.
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Further Training Opportunities for Full Members Have you ever wondered if your riding skill is still as good as it was when you passed your IAM or RoSPA Test? Is your RoSPA Retest fast approaching and you feel you’d like a refresher to check that bad habits have not crept into your riding? We are all only as good as the day we are actually riding our bikes. How good our riding was last year or even last month may not be as good as we think it is; complacency can be fatal. EAMG provide two Further Training Schemes for Full Members:
Full Member Training (FMT) – One-day training courses available four times a year Further Training for Full Members (FTFM) – Assignment to an Observer for 1 to 1 training These courses are provided to check riding skills haven’t deteriorated, for those wishing to take a higher grade of test such as RoSPA or for those preparing for qualification as an EAMG Observer. Full Member Training Four FMT Courses take place during ‘summer time’ between March and October. Participation is entirely voluntary and those taking part do not have to join each ride. Training is for your benefit and enjoyment; it is not a mandatory requirement that you go on to take a RoSPA test. To ensure the highest possible standard, Observers undertaking this training will hold a current RoSPA Gold certificate. You will not be riding in one large group. Where possible you will be riding with an Observer and one other Full Member giving you the opportunity to have a 'rest' while your partner is being observed. Every effort will be made to match your riding experience, ability and aspirations with your partner, any miss matching being addressed at the first refreshment stop. The routes, approx. 200 miles, will cover a variety of roads and include several debriefing stops and two refreshment stops. Joining details will be sent by email or post a few days before the event. Events this year:
Joining Fee
2nd April, 2017
28th May, 2017
£45.00
30th July, 2017
22nd October, 2017
Contact John Tipper, 8 Carlton Ave, London N14 4UA. Email: jtipper@eamg.org.uk Tel : 0208 360 8590
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Further Training for Full Members You will be assigned to an Observer and rides will be arranged on a one to one basis when mutually convenient. Although not mandatory, unlike FMT, the training will be structured as preparation for a further test such as RoSPA. To apply to join this scheme: Apply to the Membership Secretary either at membership renewal or during the season. You will be asked to pay an additional Membership Fee (details below). Your Application will be passed to the Observer Co-ordinator who will assign you to the first available Observer. Where feasible, geographical location will be considered. You will be expected to pay the Observer a contribution (details below) towards fuel costs. Participation must be renewed annually.
Name: Address:
Post Code:
Tel:
Email:
Riding Experience:
Aspirations:
Typical annual mileage:
Machine:
FTFM - 2017 Membership Secretary
Observer Co-ordinator
Jill Winn
John Tullett
membership@eamg.org.uk
jtullett@eamg.org.uk
Additional Membership Fee
Contribution to Observer
ÂŁ20 pa
ÂŁ10 per ride
Essex Advanced Motorcyclist Group Promoting Excellence in Motorcycling Since 1982
Chris Johnson, Editor University of Essex Printing Services, contact Hannah 01206 872822 for more information. Please mention EAMG when replying to advertisers - it identifies you!
http://www.eamg.org.uk Affiliated to the British Motorcyclists Federation Registered Charity Number 1107703 Essex Advanced Motorcyclists Group Ltd, Registered Office, St Laurence House, 2 Gridiron Place, Upminster, Essex, RM14 2BE Registered in England & Wales, Registration No. 5258261
Disclaimer and Copyright Notice: The articles published herein do not necessarily represent the views of the Essex Advanced Motorcyclists Group. They are the opinions of individual contributors and are published with a view that free expression promotes discussion and interest. Any spelling or grammatical errors are the responsibility of the editor and a society that pays footballers more than teachers. Inclusion of adverts is not to be construed as EAMG endorsement, although most advertisers are excellent, but seek personal recommendations.Text Š EAMG 2016. Illustrations Š EAMG 2016, except where indicated otherwise. Group material may be reproduced provided acknowledgement is given to EAMG and the original author.
Essex Advanced Motorcyclist Group Promoting Excellence in Motorcycling Since 1982