Essex Advanced Motorcyclist Group
December 2018
Welcome to TUG Dear Members, In this issue we are delighted to present a riding history by Tony Seaman, which for an oldie like myself is pure motorbike porn! We very much miss John Tullett’s Observer Coordinator reports, which added a touch of gravitas to the generally frivolous editorial style, but John has contributed two articles to this issue (and if he can do it why not you?). I have no more Observer Profiles in stock, so to continue the grand old tradition of teasing our Chairman I have recycled Jill’s from last year. Yet again circumstances have kept me off my bike for most of this period; making the Events Report more of an Event-and-a-Half Report. The final copy date for the February TUG is 25th January 2019. That is assuming I get more copy, otherwise it will be a Diet TUG.
Chairman’s Piece
2
Full Member Rides
3
Test Passes
4
Membership Info
7
New Members
8
My Riding Life
10
Membership Form
22
Dates for the Diary
24
Picture Gallery
28
Slow Riding Day
30
Copdock Show
32
Events Report
35
Observer Profile
38
Further Training
42
Chris
Editor (TUG@eamg.org.uk) What’s happening next?
Log into www.eamg.org.uk, then
Runs and Rides Forum
And follow us on Twitter and Facebook.
Essex Advanced Motorcyclist Group Promoting Excellence in Motorcycling Since 1982
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CHAIRMAN’S PIECE December 2018 .Well November didn’t turn out too bad did it? The weather was warmer than expected with plenty of dry days, not that I’ve been out much as my recent house move has taken most of my spare time. Sue from Cannons was our guest speaker for group night bringing along an electric bike which caused some interest. She spoke of the new showroom in Witham and invited the members to try out the café and extended a 10% discount on all food purchased. I went there last Sunday, no problem with the discount and the food was good too. We also had a committee meeting last week and realised we are a victim of our own success! While the clubs full membership is still strong the increasing amount of associates, which is a fantastic result, means the funds are decreasing each year. We don’t want to put membership fees up so are looking at cost savings. To help we will be increasing the door fee to £2 from Jan 2019, it’s been £1 for over 20 years apparently! As you will know from the Round Robin, Simon has been very busy since he retired! His new business means he has not got time to carry on as Secretary and Graham Seeley was Co-opted onto the committee as Secretary with immediate effect. Thank you and welcome, Graham. And a huge thank you to Simon for taking the job on for a few months…2½ years ago and doing an excellent job. All the major positions on the committee have candidates for next year so I can stop begging for a while!
Can I wish you all an enjoyable Festive Season, and a healthy and prosperous 2019.
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Full Member Social Rides Richard Parker Well another year has passed and I'm still doing the Full Member Social Rides. That's about 14 years without a month being missed apart from for exceptional weather conditions. The article below published in the February 2018 TUG failed to seek out a replacement. I did get a few offers to do the odd ride but nobody offered to take responsibility for keeping these rides going each month. Has that changed? Please let me know or maybe I will a some point farm some of the rides out. Who wants to be a ride leader? When I joined EAMG around the year 2000 it was an IAM group and much larger than at present. I hadn't ridden for over 20 years so needed to get up to speed as not only had bikes changed but also the traffic, signage and restrictions. I passed the IAM test then went on to get a Rospa Gold. What to do now I wondered? How to keep an interest in the Group for myself and many others? There was the annual Super Sausage run but very few other organised ride outs so I decided to start Full Member rides each month. I chose to make it Full Members as Associates had plenty of opportunity to ride with their Observers and also as the Group was much larger a big turn out wouldn't fit into a cafe. That still applies. I posted my intention and on the first ride I had only one person turn up. That was Smurf. We rode to Milton Cambridge and back but thereafter numbers picked up and it was soon the popular outing it is today.
Why am I writing this? Because I've been leading these rides for many years and maybe there is someone out there dying to have a go. I won't go on forever but it would be nice to think the rides will. Start by sharing the task with a view to eventually taking it on fully. I still enjoy the role so I'm not anxious to step down yet but am mindful of the future and would hate to be holding someone back! Maybe we could try running two a month. Please let me know if this is your forte'.
Essex Advanced Motorcyclist Group Promoting Excellence in Motorcycling Since 1982
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CONGRATULATIONS Recent Test Passes
Alec Coleman
29th September 2018 RoSPA Gold (re-test) Examiner: Mick Jones Observers: John Tullett, Phil Jones, Jill Winn
Tony Seaman
19th October 2018 RoSPA Gold (re-test) Examiner: Mick Jones Observers: Graham Cooper, Andy Parnham
Paul Reynolds
20th October 2018 EAMG Observer (re-test) Assessor: John Tipper
John Tipper
1st October 2018 RoSPA Diploma (re-test) Examiner: Mark Edwards
r
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MOTORCYCLE TYRES AND TUBES RIDE IN RIDE OUT FITTED FREE
Car and Van Tyres
All Makes — All Sizes Vintage Classic Modern Road Off Road Race
AUTOSAFE GROUP 1ST CALL TYRESAVE—BIKERS MOTORCYCLES –ASG
Tel: 01621 856 888 Email: autosafegroup@btconnect.com
Autosafe Group—MOT Classes 1-2-3-4- 5-7
RIDEMASTER PO BOX 859 Aylesbury Bucks. HP22 9FJ
T: 0844 888 0999 F: 0844 888 4190
www.ridemaster.co.uk “If you have a crash and it wasn’t your fault we can manage your claim free of charge. That means we will represent you and communicate with your insurance company, the at -fault insurance company, your repairer and, most importantly, YOU to resolve liability in your favour and manage your claim until your bike is back with you, fully repaired. In the unfortunate event that a bike is damaged, bikers may not be aware that once their insurer is notified, the insurer will arrange for their approved repairer to collect their bike. This may not be ideal for a number of reasons, that’s why Ridemaster will work with your chosen local repairer where they know you and know your bikes’ history. Call Ridemaster first and we’ll take the pain out of a bad day.”
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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.
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 2019
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
(For more information on Full Member Training see page 42) This is in addition to the Full Member Fee
...£20.00
Membership
Number
Full
98
Associate
48
Social
2
Observer
16
Life
13
Total
177
Essex Advanced Motorcyclist Group Promoting Excellence in Motorcycling Since 1982
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New Members
Associate Members: Peter Jones Melanie Branch Steve Mariner Heidi Hill
Antony Williams Mike Smith Karine Merritt Cliff Hoy
The editor has viewing access to the membership database and hopes he has not missed too many people this time., or got their names too badly wrong. Sometimes it was not clear (to my old eyes) if a new member joined as a full member. Please accept my apologies if any of the above have the wrong status,
We wish you all heartily welcome to the Group, and hope that you can take full advantage of the wide range of training and social events which we offer, We all aim to be, not just better riders, but happy better riders!
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Essex Advanced Motorcyclist Group Promoting Excellence in Motorcycling Since 1982
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Tony Seaman My Riding Life. I suppose my first introduction to motorbikes was with a visit of a cousin who owned a BSA 500cc who took me for a ride up into Hornchurch. I was living near Roneo Corner at the time. At one point I asked him why he was moving about in the saddle, I am riding no handed came the reply. Those were the days of the cloth cap, goggles, DR coat and waders I was aged 13/14 at the time. Little did I know that this was to be a start of a lifelong association with motor bikes? It was while undertaking compulsory National Service (RASC) that I first started using powered biking by fixing a (Power Pak) (Geoff and I have something in common in this respect). This was an engine, carburettor and tank combined as a single unit that was clamped to the rear of a pushbike frame. I had bought it from the next door neighbour for £8, this had a roughened wheel running against the rear tyre that could be lifted or lowered as required. The only drawback was that when it rained the drive wheel would loose traction with the tyre plus you had to peddle while going up the steeper hills. I used to get home most weekends because as far as I was concerned National Service proved to be a waste of two years of my life. I arrived home one weekend to find that my father had bought me a BSA 350 cc girder frame bike (photo in Roy Hems article was the same model and his comment of poking a rod down the plug hole to set the timing brought a smile to my face as I had been there many times myself). This transpired not to have a regulator and therefore the battery/lights did not last very long. I took it to the local repair shop where they fitted a regulator this improved things but did not cure the problem completely. On the way back to camp at night I would ride on dip beam until the battery started to go and then turn onto the pilot, when a car came by I would hook in behind and use there lights to see the road ahead. On cold winter nights I would stop at the side of the road and push the bike for 50 yards so as to warm up before continuing on my way. It was during this period that I trained as a clerk (the instructor completing my typing test as I was too slow) Funny how things have changed over the more recent years in this respect. I then moved camp from Crowborough to Bedford and found myself in charge of a medical centre without having any previous medical experience apart from anything I gained in the boy scouts. The centre had on doctors or patience’s. That was until the Suez crisis unfolded when the centre became very busy. Outside of that period there was not a lot to do apart from bullshit and learn to skive. So I started to mess about with the bike and at one stage I
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decided to strip down the gear box, why I have no idea other than to see how it worked. At this stage I had no engineering knowledge or training whatsoever other than repairing push bikes. Well things did not go well as the box would only go into 2 nd gear after I had re assembled it so I took down the road to try and free it and it all locked up. On dismantling it I discovered that I had managed to twist the lay shaft in half. The two shafts layouts were very similar and I got it wrong. Thinking about it now the box must have had three shafts as the main one would have had a taper on one end for the mounting of the external clutch. With one of the other shafts being part of the kick-start mechanism. About that time someone on the camp offered me a 500cc 16H side valve Norton for £12 (girder frame) that I purchased. This was used to get me to and from camp. I spotted an advert in a local paper for a hand change gearbox for the BSA. Having got the box back to camp, thanks to the help of one of the other lads who had a very nice sports car, and having removed the end cover I realised that the fixings holes were the same as on my old box, this allowed me to bolt on the self-contained foot change mechanism housing from the old box and so I was back in business with a foot change operation again. I how had two bikes that at the end of my service I had to get home. Norton 16H side valve On returning home I went back to the employer where I had worked before starting national service. It was compulsory for companies to have to offer your employment back after you had returned from completing your two years’ service. On leaving school at 15 years of age with no qualifications it had been arranged for me to work at the Tetley Tea Company in Worship Street, London with the tea auction rooms being in Fetter Lane at that time. You might laugh but my mother insisted on accompanying me and sitting in on the job interview. Upon returning they offered me £5 per week as a wage but as the train fare between Romford and Liverpool Street was £5 per week it left nothing to live on so I was forced to move on. I went down to the local labour exchange in Hornchurch to ask what training was available and was shown a list of occupations from which I chose an oxy acetylene welding course. Do not ask why I picked that as I have no idea even to this day. This was the start of my engineering career that was to end, after taking numerous twists and turns and some dead ends during a live time of work, as a chartered civil engineering surveyor. The BSA I gave to the breaker yard and carried on using the Norton and rode a few long
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trips on that one but cannot remember what happened to it. I then graduated to a BSA B31 350cc with tele front fork and plunger rear suspension, (luxury). This was followed by a BSA A7 shooting Star sports bike with tele front fork and a swinging arm rear suspension (pure luxury). That bike was so highly tuned that I could tell as soon as the tappet clearances were out as it started to feel flat. The big end finally went on that one following an oil pump failure. BSA B31 350cc During one very bad winter, possibly 1962 I bought Velocette Venom with a Watsonian sports sidecar, that was great fun. I went to the Dragon rally on it, returning home on icy roads and down the then new M1 in the snow. But it was just so cold and we camped as well, I must have been mad. Never really liked camping ever since. This was sold in 1963 to purchase a 1962 BSA 500 DBD 34 Goldstar in clubman trim. This had clip-ons, resets pegs and a close ratio RRT2 racing gearbox with a 23 tooth engine drive sprocket that would allow you to reach 70 mph in first gear if you so wished. It was fed via 11/2� Amal carburettor. It also came with nonstandard Taylor Dow front forks these consisted of an aluminium top fork yoke with shortened stanchions, longer slider bushes plus improved damping. This improved the handling a great deal. 500cc Velocette Venom The 180mm twin leading shoe front brake that was supposed to be very good but was in reality pretty poor on my bike with no amount of time spent working on it making any difference. The bike was to be in my ownership for 23 years during which we had an eventful life together. It was shortly after getting the bike that I joined the East London BSA Owners club. During this period I was to use it for every day travel to work and for attending the BSA international rallies with the first one being held at Bergen, Germany in 1964. It was at this rally I was to meet Peter from the Vienna club who was to become a live long friend. There were many more rallies to follow. Also during the mid-sixties I started production road racing on the Goldie. Mainly at the bantam race meetings at Snetterton but also at Brands Hatch, Castle Combe (before bike racing was banned) as well as Mallory Park. You applied and received a racing licence each
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year. Your helmet required an ACU sticker to prove that it was up to standard and a set of one piece leathers. (A bit of a rare thing outside of the racing world in those days) and of you would go racing. I understand that it is somewhat different these days. During this racing period and for different race circuits you would change the gearing. To do this you changed the engine sprocket. I ended up with 19 to 23 tooth sprockets with a primary drive chain to match each sprocket as it made it so must Outside my house, ready for work easier and quicker to change the settings together with various carburettor needles and jets. At one meeting going down the hanger straight at Snetterton I had an indicated 118 mph on it (unfaired). But with the aid of “Tuning for speed by Bill Irvin” I had carried out some minor mods to the engine as well as spending hours sitting on the bike working out how I could streamline my body shape around the bike. Two of the thing I did was to cut and reposition the control levers inboard by and inch so that my arms were in line and hard up against the tank while going flat out. Another was to make a new bum seat out of fibreglass that allowed me to sit lower and closer to the frame. I do have one winner’s trophy but most of the races were won by Triumph dealer sponsored bikes. I was really only racing for the enjoyment. For the road I used a 19 tooth engine sprocket as it made live that much easier. (The layby rockers all used the 23 tooth engine sprocket). One other thing the engine did not tick over at stand still so you developed a knack of blipping the throttle just as the engine was about to stall. It was a bit slow getting off the mark but while others were changing up a gear you just carried on past. Kirby Motorcycle (BSA) Dealer from whom I had purchased the Goldie started road racing with some very nicely turned out 350cc AJS 7R bikes. Some of the riders that rode these were Bill Ivy, Mike Halewood occasionally, and Paddy Driver. During one season I helped in the paddock and at the TT as Pit man for Paddy Driver. One of the highlight of that TT was riding one of the race At Brands, No 76
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bike up to the start and what a revelation that was compared with my Goldie. They felt just so light and taunt. Another couple of memories from that time were of Chris Vincent riding his kneeler side car in first race of the season. He was to clear the deck for several seasons after that until the others caught up. Paddy Driver was the first to use a disc as a front brake on a race bike. There were not many The Hairpin, Snetterton cars of that period that had front disc brakes. I also went to the TT races as a spectator for a number of years and for a couple I offered to marshal as well. Those were the days when an advert for marshals would appear in one of the biking papers and you would apply and down came the various documents and of you would go. On getting there you just rode out each race day to whatever point you chose to marshal / watch the race. I am sure what with all the H&S regulations that things are a little different now.
Magneto fails, Austria
It was a really enjoyable time but at times frustrating, but you learnt how the strip and rebuild your bike anywhere and everywhere. On one rally I even have the barrel of and on again at the side of the autobahn in Germany. The police stopped, took one look and drove off again. I managed to reassemble the engine complete with broken piston rings and after a push start we rode as far as the next service station where we called our friends who came and collected us and the bike. The con-rod had bent slightly causing the small end to fail following a partial seizure at a previous race meeting and all because I took someone else’s advice against my better judgement.
We then continued onto the rally in Italy, by hitch hiking with our friends saying that we would get our throats cut if we did. Somehow I had forgotten to pack the site address so having crossed the border we asked the local Italian police station for help and they came up triumphs. After the rally we got a lift back to where the bike was stored. I came home by train with the bike while my girlfriend travelled on the back of her parent’s combina-
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Essex Advanced Motorcyclist Group Promoting Excellence in Motorcycling Since 1982
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tion.
The problem with the magneto was that it be ok when cold but would refuse to start the engine when hot, the winding insulation was starting to breakdown but it did not show up on any testing rigs. In the end I had it all rewound and experienced no further problems. To get me home, Peter arranged for a replacement to be sent from Vienna that I fitted. The problem was at the time I was at the rally in Italy. Alan Gidley who had a BSA Lighting, pillioned me from Italy to the bike and having fitted the magneto we stayed overnight at a local hotel before returning to the rally the following day. It is at times like this that you find out who your true friends are. On getting home I removed the magneto and sent it back to Austria. In 1976 I bought a crashed Honda CB500K1 and rebuilt it with a new frame and forks etc. These brakes were absolutely awful in the wet as there was a large time delay before the pads started to work. This was cured by fitting English made sintered pads. In 1978 I bought a BSA 650 unit construction bike that was in bits to rebuilt. The bottom end had been rebuilt at the factory but as it was open I decided to have a look, just as well as there were wood shavings inside. We did use it on one rally but it vibrated a lot so I sold it. More recently I checked with DVLA that showed that it was registered in 2004.
Honda 500cc K1
BSA 650cc A65
I also had a BSA 750 triple (given to me by the father in law) to which I fitted a sidecar. The top was quite heavy to use so I fitted a shock absorber from the boot lid of an BMC Austin Princess to help. By now I was married and had a son. We did go to the TT in 1979 before I sold it to another club member in 1984 as I had no further use for it as we also had a daughter, with a car being the only practical option for the family travel. The Goldie was still in the garage but little used by that time due mainly to a very worn carburettor throttle slide that resulted in the spark plug sooting up at slow speeds.
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You were not called greasers for nothing as it was just the way thing were in those days as well as the Barber riding clothing that was available not helping as your hands were always black from the waterproof treatment. When it rained the leather gloves became wet with the black leather die staining your hands, ‘O’ for those happy days of motor bike riding. This may help to explain why I have no interest in renovating old bikes despite my sons attempt to persuade me differently. The Goldie was reluctantly sold in 1986 to a chap from Birmingham who said that he was going to restore it, not sure why as it was still running. With that an era of my life ended. Reg No VVW650 if anyone should come across it I would be interested in its following life. At one bike show I asked the gold owners club for help but they wanted ÂŁ25 to join the club and access to their records but as I was not that interested at the time I did not follow it up.
BSA A750 Triple and chair
In 1989 I purchased my first BMW bike a K75 (37k miles) from the old Ongar Motorcycles. This had a full (Ongar) fairing and panniers and was as smooth as silk to ride but the front brake could be a bit of a problem in the wet. This was to take me to and from work in all weathers between Chelmsford to Redhill (100 mile daily ride) at the time while the QE bridge was being built at Dartford, as well as on tour to Europe. During the nineties I joined a local cricket club and they had just started to tour during September in Eastern Europe. In 2001 I decided to go by bike to Prague while also visiting Peter in Vienna. Because of concerns over the safety of the bike as I tend not to use it for the duration of the tour I arranged my own accommodation that was on the outskirts of Prague. This turned out to be a private house. The bike was safe but the rest was a disaster, fortunately I was only there for three days during which I got a bout of food poisoning The K75, me, and a pair of Derry Boots, on the last day and was very sick but woke the first boots that never leaked! up the following morning in good health and so was able to start for home.
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The K75 was traded in at Cannons while they were in Chelmsford in 2004 (75K miles) for a 1994 K1100LT (12K miles) with ABS. This bike was lovely in the winter but a sod in the summer due to the heat from the engine. In fact it was almost impossible to ride at anything above 18 degrees C. I ended up introducing an air flow system via two ports in the front of the fairing. This made life more tolerable and in the winter I blanked them off. In 2006 I undertook a 7400 miles tour via Austria to see Peter again before continuing to follow the coast line around Spain up through the centre of Portugal back into Spain and up through France to Calais and home. I raised £1340 that was split between the Essex Air Ambulance and Farleigh Hospice. I have mentioned my friend Peter. We have had some adventures together over the years as well as climbing mountains. Below was just one of them. New Year 1974/5 we went over to Austria and on getting there we learnt that Peter had arranged for us to spend the New Year’s Eve up in a mountain hut. Well thing did not quite work out as planned and we were to spend a comfortable night in the hut before making our way down the following morning to celebrate the turn of the year in the hotel.
Boiling snow to drink
Home made snowshoes
Outside the hut
In 2011 the K1000LT was traded in for a new R1200RTSE. But again I had to make some minor changes, the brake peg was extended and I made some bar risers to make it more comfortable. I toured a lot on this bike going down as far as Macedonia on one occasion and over the Romanian Fagaras Mountains a couple of times. It was in 2012/13 that I joined EAMG and was assigned to Geoff and then later I moved to Graham. In September 2014 I
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gained a ROSPA Silver. This is the first opportunity I have had to thank both Geoff and Graham for helping to knock some of the rough edges from my riding and to thank everyone else for making me so welcome as well as providing some very good ride outs. I recently rode out with my son who had also been a member for a time and had taken instruction although due to work and family commitment he was unable to complete the course. But I have to say that having followed him you can definitely see the system at work so my thanks to the assessor who took him under his/her wing. The R1200RTSE was traded in at Lind (WGC) in September 2017 (46k miles) for my current bike R1200GSTE. At the time of purchase they wanted £1k for a set of panniers plus another £90 for the top box adaptor plate so that was a non-starter. We then moved onto the built in Sat/Nav mounting and £599 for the BMW unit, followed by £250 for a set of lower engine bump bars so they lost out on those as well.
K1200R TSE
To overcome these points I removed the existing cradle and made a mount to fit onto the supplied mounting bar so as to fit my existing TomTom400 plus a handlebar mounted isolating switch. Why you might ask do I need one, well if you have ever rode with a group even though they may have the same Sat/Nav unit you will find that sooner or later there will be a divergence among them and I have found that it is far easier to just turn my system of rather than have it continually trying to redirect me from the course the rest are taking. I then reset it at the next stop. For example TomTom and Garmin do not use the same maps and that at times can cause a problem and it also depend upon how each unit parameters are set. I purchased a suitable small box from Solent Plastics for £35 that is just big enough for my bits and bobs I like to have with me and made a mounting plate to match the BMW rack. A tank bag was another problem as I could not find anything suitable for my needs. I solved this by using my existing bag and making a moulded pad out of silicone glass filler, covered with leatherette to fit the top of the tank and fixed the bag to that. I have also been very fortunate in having been given a pair of throw over bags and a 50litre roll bag as well, so I am now set up for weekends away or long tours, my thanks to Richard and Chris. The engine bump bars are from a polish company named “Heed” at £110 these have proved to be a solid made piece of kit that almost fitted themselves it was so easy. The gear change lever was another item that I found needed adjusting by adding another 20mm to the peg.
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Plus I have installed another socket to run the pump as the on bike cambus system will not allow it. Since having the bike I have caught and broken off one of the rear indicators (ÂŁ54) to stop this happening again I made and fitted a pair brush guard from 6mm stainless steel rod. I have also had to reassess my riding under layers and have decided to stay with the walking layer method as opposed to the modern electrical equivalent now available because it is easy to pack and can be useful in the evenings while on tour as well as not putting extra loading on the battery/electrical system. Currently the bike has done 5.8 K mile. I now have a bike that I am comfortable with and look forward to many happy riding miles. A couple of people have commented that I am riding better on the GS than on the RT well all I can say is that I am not riding any differently than before as far as I am concerned or maybe is it that I am finally back on a modern day version of the Goldie for an oldie.
K1200 GSTE ready for our journeys together
Essex Advanced Motorcyclist Group Promoting Excellence in Motorcycling Since 1982
All Full Member Rides will leave Sainsburys Springfield, Chelmsford, at 9.30am
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December 2nd 4th 9th 16th January
2018
2019 Sunday, 6th Tuesday, 8th Sunday, 13th
Mick’s Associate/Member Ride Group Night (Xmas Quiz) Associate Group Training (AGT) Richard’s Full Member Ride Richard's Full Member Ride Group Night - Natter Night Mick & Alan's Associate/Member Ride
February Sunday, 3rd Tuesday, 5th Sunday, 10th Sunday, 17th
Richard's Full Member Ride Group Night - AGM Associate Group Training (AGT) Mick & Alan's Associate/Member Ride
Sunday, 3rd Tuesday, 5th Sunday, 10th Sunday, 17th Sunday, 24th Sunday, 31st
Richard's Full Member Ride Group Night Associate Group Training (AGT) Mick & Alan's Associate/Member Ride Observer Peer to Peer Ride (1901) Full Member Training (FMT 1901)
Tuesday, 2nd Sunday, 7th Sunday, 14th Tuesday, 16th Saturday, 20th Sunday, 21st Sunday, 28th
Group Night Associate Group Training (AGT) Richard's Full Member Ride Bob's Midweek Ride - Krazy Horse Cafe (Bob Cowl) Super Sausage Run (to be confirmed) Mick & Alan's Associate/Member Ride Observer Peer to Peer Ride (1902)
Sunday, 5th Tuesday, 7th Sunday, 12th Sunday, 12th Tuesday, 14th Sunday, 19th Sunday, 26th
Richard's Full Member Ride Group Night Associate Group Training (AGT) Essex Motorcycle Show, North Weald Bob's Midweek Ride - Rye (Joe Johal) Full Member Training (FMT 1902) Mick & Alan's Associate/Member Ride
Sunday, 2nd Sunday, 2nd Tuesday, 4th Sunday, 9th Tuesday, 11th Sunday, 16th
Richard's Full Member Ride Slow Riding Day Group Night Associate Group Training (AGT) Bob's Midweek Ride - Southwold (Neil Bullock) Mick & Alan's Associate/Member Ride
March
April
May
Diary 2019
June
(Continued on page 29)
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Building, Civil Engineering and Maintenance
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For free no-obligation quote, phone Clint on
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July
Tuesday, 2nd Sunday, 7th Sunday, 7th Sunday, 14th Tuesday, 16th Sunday, 21st Sunday, 28th Sunday, 28th
Group Night Maldon Motor Show Associate Group Training (AGT) Richard's Full Member Ride Bob's Midweek Ride - TBC Observer Peer to Peer Ride (1903) Mick & Alan's Associate/Member Ride Full Member Training (FMT 1903)
August Richard's Full Member Ride Group Night Associate Group Training (AGT) Bob's Midweek Ride - TBC Mick & Alan's Associate/Member Ride Audrey & John's Cotswolds Ride (to be confirmed) Richard's Full Member Ride Group Night Associate Group Training (AGT) Essex Air Ambulance Run/Show Slow Riding Day Bob's Midweek Ride - TBC Mick & Alan's Associate/Member Ride Observer Peer to Peer Ride (1904) Group Night Associate Group Training (AGT) Copdock Show Richard's Full Member Ride Bob's Midweek Ride - TBC Full Member Training (FMT 1904) Mick & Alan's Associate/Member Ride Group Night Associate Group Training (AGT) Bob's Midweek Ride - TBC Richard's Full Member Ride Mick & Alan's Associate/Member Ride Richard's Full Member Ride Group Night - Xmas Quiz Associate Group Training (AGT) Mick & Alan's Associate/Member Ride
Diary 2019
Sunday, 4th Tuesday, 6th Sunday, 11th Tuesday, 13th Sunday, 18th Sunday, 25th September Sunday, 1st Tuesday, 3rd Sunday, 8th Sunday, 8th Sunday, 15th Tuesday, 17th Sunday, 22nd Sunday, 29th October Tuesday, 1st Sunday, 6th Sunday, 6th Sunday, 13th Tuesday, 15th Sunday, 20th Sunday, 27th November Tuesday, 5th Sunday, 10th Tuesday, 12th Sunday, 17th Sunday, 24th December Sunday, 1st Tuesday, 3rd Sunday, 8th Sunday, 15th
Group Nights @ 19:30, AGTs @ 9:15 am
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Picture Gallery ■ Picture Gallery ■ Picture
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Gallery ■ Picture Gallery ■ Picture Gallery
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Slow Riding Day - 16th Sept. John Tullett We were fortunate with the weather for our second slow riding day of the year - dry and pleasantly warm without being too hot! It was really pleasing to see so many new faces amongst the 13 who signed up for the training and to welcome new Associate Declan Graham. Activities covered included:- emergency braking; straight & offset slaloms; figures of eight; swerve manoeuvre; one-to-one advice and the slowest rider race. We ended up sharing the main test track with Skid Bike UK and, after segregating two areas of track, this worked out well with none of our trainees inadvertently deciding to emulate this activity using their own bikes. The slowest rider race was run over two heats with the two slowest riders from each going forward to the final. Heat one saw Mick Hewitt (slowest at 25.53 secs) and Paul Reynolds qualify for the final. With Roy Nunn (slowest in 23.58 secs) and Harry Squibb making it through from heat two. The final saw a very close finish with Roy (in 25.48 secs) just holding off Mick for the win and snail t-shirt. Roy wanted a brightly coloured t-shirt and, as you can see from Chris Johnson's recent Group Night picture, this should fit the bill! Thanks to Jill for ordering the t-shirt. Thank you to Ford for the use of their test track, Graham Simpkins for arranging our booking and all Observers who helped out on the day.
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Remember to pencil our planned 2019 dates into your diaries - Sunday, 2nd June and Sunday, 15th September.
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27th Copdock Motorcycle Show - 7th October 2018 John Tullett
This year the Copdock Show clashed with October's AGT, which required some careful planning to split available Observers between the two activities. Unfortunately, Mick Hewitt was forced to change his plans to attend the show at the last minute when he had to stand in to provide the AGT roadcraft talk!
The show was very well attended and a good number of existing and potential members visited the EAMG stand for a chat. The new gazebo and feather flags looked very smart!
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There was a lot going on at the show with various demonstrations (including Dougie Lampkin, the Two Brothers stunt team & Bolddog Freestyle Motocross team), numerous dealers and traders, a large autojumble, various owners clubs, etc., etc.
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If you have not been to the show before I would definitely recommend that you should include it on your 'to do' list. One useful snippet of information I picked up from the BMW Club stand was the dates for 2019's Rider Perfection road bike only track days!
Thank you to everyone who helped out on the stand including: Steve Devine (who transported the gazebo - and has also done this for all 2018 events!); Audrey & John Tipper (who brought along John's SP1 track bike); Alan Burke; Ian Brady; and Jaques de Klerk. Next year's show will be held on Sunday, 6th October. Yes, you've guessed it, clashing with the AGT again!
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Events Report Chris Johnson It has not been a great period for rides in general, and for me in particular. The first run was to be Mick and Alan's relaxed outing to the Hillcrest Nurseries CafĂŠ on 14th October. I was up at 06:30 for it, but fortunately checked the forum before I set out and discovered it had been cancelled because of the foul weather forecast. It was actually a really miserable day, and I think Mick may have taken the previous run when nobody turned up because it was wet to heart. Richard's run on 28th October was ostensibly to Oundle, but was switched to Grafham Water as a shorter run because of anticipated Arctic conditions. One of the joys of having a new grandchild was that I had contracted an adult version of the hand, foot and mouth virus which was afflicting infants at the time. I had hoped to be recovered for the run. It was not to be. In the event 8 bikes turned up in the rain and cold, but the skies started to clear and by lunchtime the roads were reportedly drying. They made good progress on the way back and arrived early at the Regiment Way McDonalds. Colin and Mick acted as back markers. Mick and Alan's next ride on 4th November was to be another attempt to go to Hillcrest. That was not to be, but for all the right reasons. It was a greyish morning and, having arrived in good time, I was astonished as more and more people turned up for the ride. Chris Reed. The Tippers. It was becoming a gathering of the great and the good with only a couple of the Associates for whom these rides are really meant. Once we were up to 25 bikes the destination had to be switched to the larger venue at the La Hogue Garden Centre. There were two groups; the traditional one with Mick and Alan and a super 'fast' group led by John Tipper with Stephen tailing. I was directed to join that one. Have people not noticed what a wimp of a rider I have become lately? The route out seemed to be unusually heavily plagued.with roadworks and diversions until at Haverhill, after only 30 miles, my old friend the tyre pressure warning popped up. I waved Stephen past and pulled into a petrol station to make a repair. It was a very small, very sharp tack; so small that it was almost impossible to get the nozzle of the Stop'n'Go tyre plugger into the hole,
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and the mushroom plugs failed to inject cleanly. I need to add an augur to my kit to handle this sort of situation. Stephen came back to see what had happened to me but I told him that I intended to return home, since you are disinclined to ride briskly with a plugged tyre and it would have been a damper for everyone had I continued. Thanks to the wonders of interbike radio I do not think John's group was significantly delayed. I eventually resorted to my fallback Crafty Plugger to fix the tyre. My trusty little electric pump slowly but surely brought me up to pressure, and a bit beyond, just in case. It was a good repair and the next morning when I took the bike to InMoto for service, and chain and sprocket replacement it had lost no pressure. I asked them to put an officially approved plug in the tyre to keep it legal. When I picked up the bike again the following evening (and had paid an eye-watering bill) I was halfway home when the tyre pressure monitor kicked into life and told me I had 7psi in the rear. I didn't believe it, but when I got home I found it was true. The next day when it was light I sprayed soapy water over the wheel and there was air leaking from the spokes. They had b*****ed the inner sealing belt. You will remember my problems with that belt and InMoto from the last Events Report (and possibly others longer ago). There was a real sense of deja vu as over the next ten days I fielded the normal reports of failure, increasingly in-depth consultations with KTM, and suggestions that I might need to buy a new rear wheel. Eventually I picked it up. Apparently there was grit under the belt which had stopped it seating. I discretely refrained from asking how the grit had got there. Anyway I could now finally go out on runs again. Yes ... and No.
The next run was Richard's ride to Watton in Norfolk on the 18th November. When I got the bike out the temperature was 3.5C so, despite having been put onto the trickle charger the night before, it refused to start. No problem. I have stuff to handle this. I got the compact battery booster out of
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top box. Removed seats, clipped it onto battery, and the bike started immediately. Put back main seat, and then the rear seat refused to clip back into place. I tried removing and replacing the seats a dozen times to no effect. Perhaps the fabric was just too stiff in the cold. By this time it was too late to get to Chelmsford for the run. Irritatingly when the day had warmed up a bit there was no problem. It appears they had 19 bikes for a very enjoyable 150 mile ride, although on the way back into the low sun people felt that vision forward was a bit difficult. They just managed to fit into the single cafe which was open at Watton. Colin and Jim acted as back markers. Richard had another impromptu run today, 24th November, but with TUG to be delivered to the printers by the end of the day there was no chance I could attend that. Colin Digby posted a picture from it which I have stolen and posted below. Looks good; certainly better than slaving over a computer.
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Observer profile Jill Winn When and why did you develop an interest in riding a motorcycle? I first became interested in bikes when a group of lads hung around at the bottom of the school field when I was 15yrs old. I was more attracted to the bikes than the boys! How old were you when you first rode a bike? I was 15, it was an Yamaha RD350 and belonged to my boyfriend. He taught me to ride and I often took him pillion. None of this on public roads of course! Of the bikes you’ve owned to date, which was the favourite, if there was one? I would have to go back to my youth. Each bike I owned was my favourite at the time. The FS1-E, then Suzuki TS250 I passed my test on the day before my 18th birthday. Maybe not the Honda CB550K3 though. The favourite by far was ‘humphrey’ my beloved Yamaha XS850 which I had to sell when I needed to get to work in the snow that was back in the early 80’s. Move on 20+ years and my back to biking choice was a CBF1000, have to love that bike ‘Roxy’ she looked after me in many uncomfortable moments! Then ‘Bob’ the Tiger 1000, and ‘Wilf’ the Versys 1000, and recently ‘Roxy 2’ my BMW X1000SR
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If you were given the opportunity to own any bike on the market which would it be? Very happy with my current choice What is your favourite motorcycle related gadget? My heated jacket and gloves, as I get older I seem to feel the cold more. Where is your preferred place to ride in the UK? I’ve not ridden as far as I would like in the UK but Wales never disappoints And, overseas? Again not been far but hoping to over the next few years
If you were offered the opportunity to go on an extended bike tour who, family members aside, who would you choose as a riding companion? I don’t have anyone in particular, but I have made some great friends through EAMG. I guess the most important thing is that they know where they are going because my navigational skills are rubbish! How would you describe to a non-rider the attraction of riding a bike as opposed to driving a car? When you’re on a bike you feel the road, the bends, the weather….isolated but in a group. Part of an elite club where every other biker whatever you ride respects that you are a biker When do you intend to give up riding? When health stops me. Describe your scariest moment on your bike!
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I’ve told this story before…….Full member ride, I found myself separated from the rest of the group. I was riding a spirited ride on a long straight when the car coming towards me turned right across my path. Time slowed almost to a stop, I remember thinking ‘If I avoid the car and head for the ditch no one will know why and there will be no one to blame’. I had an argument with myself as to where to aim, because if I was going to have an accident that car was not driving away from the scene… ….over the bonnet? But the wheel and engine is hard - or the softer option of the passenger door but having the roof to contend with? Luckily the car stopped suddenly leaving me just enough room to swerve round the front of it and ride on….
‘Humphrey’
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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
31st March, 2019
19th May, 2019
£45.00
28th July, 2019
20th October, 2019
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 - 2019 Membership Secretary
Observer Co-ordinator
Paula Hockey
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 Printed by Colchester Press. 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
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 .. Inclusion of adverts is not to be construed as EAMG endorsement, although most advertisers are excellent, but seek personal recommendations.Text Š EAMG 2018 Illustrations Š EAMG 2018, except where indicated otherwise. Group material may be reproduced provided acknowledgement is given to EAMG and the original author.
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Essex Advanced Motorcyclist Group Promoting Excellence in Motorcycling Since 1982