newsletter www.bmwor.org.nz
february 2011
bmw owners register newsletter
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february 2011
president’s podium Well, here we are in 2011. Where does the time go? The National Committee meeting held in Wellington in early December was the first outside Auckland in more years than one could poke a stick at.
www.bmwor.org.nz Send editorial copy to: Garry Williams 177 Plateau Road Te Marua New Zealand 5018 editor@bmwor.org.nz
All other correspondence to: The Secretary BMWOR of NZ P O Box 109-245 Newmarket AUCKLAND 1149 NEW ZEALAND
PRESIDENT Peter Tibbs (06) 378 2242 president@bmwor.org.nz
SECRETARY David Thomson (04) 238 1505 secretary@bmwor.org.nz
TREASURER Jean Gibbons treasurer@bmwor.org.nz
EDITOR Garry Williams (04) 526 3417 editor@bmwor.org.nz
MEMBERSHIP SECRETARY John Wuts (06) 844 4751 membership@bmwor.org.nz
REGALIA OFFICER Malcolm & Sue Sargent regalia@bmwor.org.nz please note Any material intended for publ ication in the newsletter should reach the Ed itor no later than the 15th day of the month preced ing publication. The newsletter is an open forum for all members. Views expressed by members may not necessarily represent the views of BMWOR of NZ. Publication of all material is subject to the Editor's d iscretion. Photos are courtesy of article authors unless otherwise specified.
bmw owners register newsletter
One of the Executive’s goals for the year is to look at ways in which the running of the Register becomes more efficient, does not preclude other areas being represented at Executive level and returns better opportunities to you as members. I suspect that this will require the Executive and Area Reps to explore better forms of communication between those doing the work and those enjoying the benefits, thus leaving the business side of the Register to the Executive. With the support of a truly national Executive, we can identify and maximise more opportunities for Area Reps to be involved in social activities going on in their area from which they can communicate and provide a platform for greater member participation in activities within and outside their local boundaries. This requires a lot of work by your Executive and input from you in order to bring about necessary change to our current structure. We’ll require workshops that will include the Executive and Area Reps in order to develop a solid base to function from well into the future. There has been much talk about the Annual Rally of late. Now that the 2011 Rally has come and gone, I might take a brief moment to reflect on the event. As there will no doubt be much more on this event in the March newsletter, I will keep it very brief. We were treated to a little moisture here in the Wairarapa just prior, enough to take some of the heat out of the ground. It was just as well as for the three days of the Rally we were treated to typical Wairarapa weather. This was only surpassed by an outstanding event. Pictures and personal accounts of the rally will be published in next month’s newsletter. Ann and I would like to take this opportunity to thank all those who could attend and the organising committee and sponsors for sharing a fantastic time with us. Following the Rally, I was fortunate enough to ride some of the way with a contingent of Hawkes Bay riders as they headed for home. Two smoko stops on the way made for a great ride and time for a chat, as you do when out and about on the bike, before turning back and heading for home in Masterton. The time has now come for us all to start thinking about the 2012 Annual Rally, which will be based in Cromwell and providing many the option of staging their own tours to and from Cromwell. We will be able to read more about the 2012 Annual Rally in the newsletters from April onwards. Ann and I also recently took the opportunity to join in with the Rangitikei riders on their annual picnic ride. I hope someone who took part in the ride takes the time to write a piece for our newsletter. The ride and company were simply fantastic. We covered around 550kms, I suspect about 230kms more than those we had the pleasure to ride with. The Rangitikei ride was a great example of an opportunity to participate with other areas and I would not have missed it for quids. Why not take advantage of the events calendar to mix with other areas? Let’s not forget — Wheels down feet up. Peter T
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BMW Owners Register Risk Management Plan Introduction: The BMW Owners Register is an organisation whose members join together for rides to nominated venues and for other social occasions. The organiser nominates the destination and regrouping stages along the way, but otherwise has no influence upon the way that riders behave on the road. There is no element of organised competition in the rides. Rid ing Code: 1. All register members on register rides shall do so as ind ividuals responsible for their own safety and shall take into account the safety of others they encounter on the ride. 2. Register members are responsible for ensuring that their motorcycles are in a safe and legal cond ition, the minimum being to Warrant of Fitness standards. 3. Riders, pillions, and sidecar passengers where required, shall have as a minimum Standards New Zealand approved motorcycle helmets, and stout footwear, gloves and clothing that will be capable of protecting their body in the event of a mishap. 4. Register members are to go to the aid of any others suffering a mishap.
5. Ride organisers shall nominate the destination for the ride as well as any regrouping locations or other stops. The organiser is not responsible for other riders’ behaviour or safety. 6. Riders shall ride at a speed and in a way that is comfortable for them. Do not ride outside your personal comfort envelope. 7. If a rider is unfamiliar with the route, they shall arrange to follow another rider who does know the way and who travels at a comfortable pace. 8. Riders who decide to travel as a group shall adopt a staggered rid ing formation such that there is an accepted following distance to the rider immed iately in front. A reasonable following distance is indicated by a time of two seconds between riders for dry conditions, and longer for inclement conditions and on loose surfaces. 9. The Organiser and or the Register are not responsible for participants’ safety, and all participants participate at their own risk. All participants are aware that they are travelling on open public roads and are responsible for their own safety and compliance with all Road Rules and Laws.
events calendar ~ meetings and events, north to south bmwor national events Monday 14 February 2011 - Monthly National Committee meeting in the Anzac Lounge, Petone Working Men’s Club, 47 Udy St, Petone at 7:30 pm. Sign in noting BMWOR as your member club, take the stairs to the first floor, turn acute left and the Anzac Lounge is in front of you. If you’d l ike to have d inner first, the Campbell Terrace Bistro, located on the ground floor, is open from 5:00 pm offering a range of meals and snacks from $7 - $20. Monday 14 March 2011 - Monthly National Committee meeting in the Anzac Lounge, Petone Working Men’s Club, 47 Udy St, Petone at 7:30 pm. Sign in noting BMWOR as your member club, take the stairs to the first floor, turn acute left and the Anzac Lounge is in front of you. Saturday 2 - Sunday 3 April 2011 BMWOR RAG Rally, Taylor Memorial Lodge, Pokaka. Details and booking form on page 18.
other events BRONZ Ride Right, Ride Safe. A great way to get to know your new bike. Usually 3rd Sunday of the month at the Whenuapai Airbase. Contact Peggy on (09) 638-9227 or Finn on (09) 625-5533 for details. Learners - Rider Training & Basic Skills Testing for learner l icense, Thursday evenings @ A.M.C.C Club's premises in Ellersl ie. For bookings and information contact: Craig (09) 444 6261 Saturday 26/Sunday 27 February TT2000 South Island, a long d istance event for those who like to spend a lot of time in the saddle riding 2000kms over the weekend on some of the South Island’s best roads. Contact Mike Hyde at info@tt2000.org or visit www.tt2000.org for details and registration.
bmw owners register newsletter
Monday 28 February - A 5-day Historic Sheep Stations Tour spnsored by KTM. This is a route sheeted and self-guided adventure tour starting in Invercargill on February 28th and finishing on Friday March 4th in Methven. All inclusive price of $1990 per rider includes experienced guides and backup team, 6 nights accommodation, all ride day meals, luggage transport and support vehicle along with any land access and DOC fees. Numbers l imited by accommodation constraints and landowner preference. Contact Robbie Crickett on (03) 448 9582 or visit www.highcountry.co.nz Sunday 6 March - Bikes BBQ & the Blues. 11:00 am to 4:00 pm at Fort Takapuna Reserve, Narrow Neck, Devonport, Auckland. There is no restriction on entry and exit times and re-entry is permitted. There’s a nominal $10 entry fee per motorbike which enters you in a great prize draw, a free BBQ sausage and allows you to park in the event area and qualify for other spot prizes. Otherwise, there is NO charge for riders and pillions. Sunday 6 March - Ulysses Auckland Rescue Helicotper Charity Ride. Starts 10:00 am (arrive by 9:00 am please) from the NZ Bloodstock Centre, Karaka, Papakura off ramp. Route follows Southern Motorway - Harbour Bridge - A.U.T Akoranga Drive. food and drinks available at the Akoragna Campus. Enquiries to Jayne on (09) 296 1107. Buy a badge for $10, and/or a T-shirt for $20 and go in the draw to win vouchers from Motomail plus spot prizes. Monday 7 March - Southern Cross Road Rally. Start at Bluff, ride to Cape Egmont, then East Cape and finish at Cape Reinga on Friday 11 March. Entrants must complete the whole course in order within the alloted 1 hour time windows at each checkpoint. Entry forms and more information from Lee or Gail on (09) 416 5866 or email rustyinfo@rustynuts.co.nz or visit www.rustynuts.co.nz
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Saturday 26 March - Pukemanu Adventure Ride. One day ride covering approximately 300kms of gravel roads, sandy beach, farm tracks, forestry roads and some tar seal. The route is rideable two-up for a competent rider. The ride is open to all motorcycles with current registration and Warrant of Fitness. Comprehensive course notes are issued and all participants must attend a safety briefing and sign an indemnity form. Camping on site with meals provided. Contact Iona Gibbs on (06) 306 9868 or register at www.pukemanuadventureride.co.nz
bmwor area events northland Every Sunday - Meet 10.00 am at Burger King, cnr Western Hills Dr and Selwyn Ave, Whangarei to go for a ride. Sunday 6 February - Dinner at Ezumi Japanese Restaurant, 77 Bank Street, Whangarei at 7:00 pm. All welcome.
auckland note - Auckland rides start at varying times and/or places. Please read event notices carefully and, if in doubt, contact the Area Ride Organiser (Bwucie) on 09 268 1321 for assistance. There is a rider briefing 5 minutes prior to departure at which point riders are expected to be ready to go, with bikes fuelled and bladders empty. Every effort is made to ensure that details of events are correct at the time of printing. Please check the website at www.bmwor.org.nz for current information on events or contact the Area Rep or Area Ride Organiser if you have any questions. Sunday 6 February - Waitangi Day, so it will be the traditional Okoroire Pub Run. Golf clubs or fly-fishing optional, take your own gear ;-) Leaving BP, Southbound Motorway Service Centre, Papakura at 9:30 am. february 2011
Sunday 13 February - Little and local, south. After-match, grocery shopping then burn a barbie, Chez Crowther, for the Kerry Red Baron and Bwucie "almost birthday" bash. Leaving BP, Southbound Motorway Service Centre, Papakura at 9:30 am. Note: This run will incorporate a (gasp) d ismounted walk-through workshop session on road cornering, shiny side up. Monday 14 February - See how the other half l ive. Day ride to Wellywood for the Committee Meeting, back on Tuesday. Leaving BP, Southbound Motorway Service Centre, Papakura at 6:30 am, putting the tent up 'somewhere', aiming to come home starting maybe 4:30 am Tuesday, from 'somewhere'. Sunday 20 Febraury - Alternative to Paeroa Races for those who are convinced that the only proper seat for road race events is on the sofa at home, in front of the box, with a beer inya paw. A little and local ride suitable for all sorts of machines and/or riders; old ies, l ittl ies, new, born again, souped up, boyracers, girlracers, the worx. A picnic at Awhitu Regional Park, where the high tide happens to be at right around the time we'll be there. Sure, no surf, and lots of oyster shell on the beaches, but cooler than February's air temperature, I bet. Leaving BP, Southbound Motorway Service Centre, Papakura at 10:00 am. Sunday 27 February - Ulysses Waikato/ Child Cancer Foundation Toy Run. Leaving BP, Southbound Motorway Service Centre, Papakura at 8:30 am. This should put us on the road behind the Ulybods leaving Bombay at the same time, and avoid last year's confusion. It seems impossible to use all those toys but if you have been a member of CCF, either as a patient or caregiver, you will understand the toys go to benefit and support siblings as well as patients - there is no such thing as too many. Sunday 6 March - Ulysses Westpac Fundraiser. The Auckland Ulysses massive big charity run, in support of the Westpac Rescue Helicopter. Never know when you might need them yourself. Starting at Karaka Bloodstock Centre at 10:00 am, you will want to be there by 9:00 am to get your badge, tee-shirt, etc. Those that congregate at the finish can take a short ride to a cafe for lunch, location to be decided on the day. Sunday 13 March - Second annual Steve Bell Kuaotunu Ice Cream Challenge. Lunch (and body-surfing) at Whitianga, ice cream before completing the Coromandel Loop. Leaving BP, Southbound Motorway Service Centre, Papakura at 9:00 am.
waikato Sunday 20 February - Ride to Kawhia. Meet at Cambridge BP to depart at10:00 am. bmw owners register newsletter
Sunday 13 March - Okoroire Bike Shed ‘Eat and Meet’ ACC rider safety promotion. Make your own way to the Okoroire Hotel to arrive just before 12:00 pm. Go through Matamata to Tirau where SH 27 ends at the intersection with SH 1, turn left into Tirau and travel 200 metres. On your left will be two buildings shaped like a Sheep Dog and a Sheep (no kidding!), turn left at the Sheep onto Okoroire Road and travel 6.5kms to the Hotel.
nelson
bay of plenty
marlborough
Wednesday 9 February - Social night at Zeytins on the Strand, Tauranga from 7:00 pm. Please note that this is a Wednesday, not Friday!
Contact Area Rep for information on local rides.
Sunday 20 February - Club ride to Waitomo, meet at Shell Bethlehem at 9:30 am. Look forward to seeing you there.
Saturday 26 February - Weekend ride to Reefton. Meet at Goughs yard, Three Brothers Corner at 3:00 pm. Overnight accommodation your own responsibility. Sunday morning, a guided tour of the goldmine has been arranged. Lunch in Reefton then return to Nelson. Sunday 13 March - March ride to St Arnaud, note: postponed by one week.
canterbury Contact Area Rep for information on local rides.
otago/southland
east coast Monthly gathering at the Rose & Shamrock, Havelock North. Last Tuesday of each month from 6:30 pm onward. Sunday 13 February - ‘Round the Block’ ride - Napier - Taupo - Taihape - back to Napier via Gentle Annie Road.
taranaki Contact Area Rep for information on local rides.
Contact Area Rep for information on local rides.
new members The BMWOR is pleased to welcome our following new members: Darryl and Marleen Greenwood - Lower Hutt Neil Sharpe - Pukekohe
rangitikei
Murray Applegate - Rotorua
Sunday 13 February - Combined club ride with Well ington and Hawkes Bay members to Linton Army Camp to play with some big boys toys. All riders to meet at BP Linton 11:30 am sharp. Security requirements dictate that all riders must gain entrance to the camp as one group, so it’s important that you are at the meeting point early. If you snooze you lose!
Ian Reed - Wellington
Peter and Elizabeth O’Keefe - Porirua
Tuesday 22 February - Ride ‘n Dine. Details to be advised by email.
wellington Sunday 13 February - Ride to Linton Military Camp and, if we are lucky, maybe a ride in an Army LAV. Meet at BP Mana for a 10:00 am departure. Meet Ranigitikei and Hawkes Bay members at BP Linton, ride to Army Camp at 11:30 am sharp. No late arrivals will be permitted access to the Camp. Saturday 12 March - Overnighter to Opunake, Taranaki. Enjoy the sights and sweeping bends of the Surf Highway. Accommodation at the Opunake Motel, 36 Heaphy Road. Book your own, phone (06) 761 8330 or email opunakemotel@xtra.co.nz. Prices range from $120 for a cottage, $100 for a double and $35 for backpackers. Meet at BP Mana for a 9:00 am departure. Lunch en-route.
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Geoff Kelly - Hanmer Springs Mike and Lyn Amphlett - Hamilton Michael Wylie - Waikanae
A warm welcome to you all. We hope you’ll take part in many of your local and national events. Your Area Rep will be pleased to introduce you to other members in your area. Also, we welcome your contributions to your newsletter.
Cover: BMW GS riders in the company of Invercargill Mayor Tim Shadbolt at Bluff after riding 12 days from Cape Reinga in celebration of the 30th GS Anniversary. More about this adventure on page 11.
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february 2011
area reports northland Compliments of the season to everyone from the North. Not much to report, I went to Ulysses Christmas dinner held at Mike and Lorraine’s property on the north side of Whatatiri mountain. What a spectacular veiw and an awesome feed was had by all. That same weekend I camped at Ross and Sara’s, what a beautiful place. Darryl has accepted the position of 2IC for the Area. This year we are going to try something a little different. Every second month we are heading to a different restaurant recommended by different members. The first one will be Ezumi Japanese Restaurant, 77 Bank Street, Whangarei. This is Snow and Cath’s idea so therefore we go to their choice first on Sunday 6 February at 7:00 pm. Ray and Ann will be given next choice for April 3, also at 7:00pm. Recently, I went out to Onerahi airport with a couple of others to try out some bikes AMPS brought up. Thats about it from me this month. Regards, Mac
auckland roadside workshop A roadside workshop will be incorporated in the Auckland ‘little and local’ ride on Sunday13 February. The format will be really simple, you’ll get OFF your bikes and walk a couple of corners and analyse them to death, considering: * how to observe * where to best place the bike, both to complete the corner comfortably and to be defensive * what to do if you “cook” things or have another form of “buggah” moment. Participation is very welcome from Klingons or BMWOR members outside the Auckland cachment, if you want to join in. Contact Bruce on (09) 268 1321 if you have any queries.
bmw owners register newsletter
Auckland chaos theory of parking at the Twin Bridges, Waihi Beach
auckland NOTE! OUR AUCKLAND MEETING IS AT THE NORMAL TIME, NORMAL PLACE, 14 FEBRUARY, VINTAGE CAR CLUBROOMS, 39 FAIRFAX AVE, PENROSE. MIX AND MINGLE FROM 7:30 PM BEFORETHE 8:00 PM MEETING. ROB HARGREAVES IN THE CHAIR (refer last paragraphs below). Busy, busy, busy. Apart from work, of which there has been far too much while many others were on holiday, the wheels have turned very, very frequently on the weekends and much ice cream has been sacrificed to the small god of motorcycling. Our 19 December ride was called off because of a cloudburst, which didn't stop two adventurers heading off to Wharepapa South for lunch regardless. I keep forgetting to ask Tony or Campbell just how wet they got, but the memory of a rainy day has faded as the weather has been glorious since then. Another ride was shortened when one of our number took an excursion into the blackberries, an incident which concerned a few of us because the rider couldn't put a finger on where he had made the mistake that caused him to come unglued. After some cogitation, and recognising that we are all fallible humans (except the Editor and me, and I have some doubts about him), I have arranged an open "corners" workshop to be incorporated in one of our upcoming rides. It will be a 6
brainstorming session, off the bikes, at the roadside, analysing a couple of corners to death to try and remind us all that what seems simple is made up of a myriad of observations, decisions and control inputs. The lack of any one component in that process could result in your bike being shiny side down, and you in a ditch facing disgrace and derision! You thought we'd all be sympathetic? YEAH, RIGHT! Auckland used to flag organised rides over the summer holiday period in the BC (Before Crowther) years but, as I elect to work through so I can take my leave in February or March, I've just kept the rides going and people have been happy to come with me. Even on New Year's day we had nine bikes for a little tootle up through the Twin Bridges to Kaikohe and home through the Waipoua Forest - 600+ kilometres of great riding. Rider-In-Charge doesn't know how wide his bike is! Photo courtesy of Arne Rohde.
february 2011
We have saved a bit of money to offset the cost of fuel by picnicking on a few rides instead of café lunching. In fact, most seem to be quite happy to stretch out under a tree by a beach and eat sarnies - it certainly doesn't seem to affect the quality of the repartee at all. Oftentimes the wit is sharper than the cutlery. I am writing this the day after an outing to Waihi, which had a bit of everything. A pleasant ride down apart from me getting all confuggled by the new road layout to connect to the approaches for the new Kopu Bridge and heading for Paeroa instead of Whangamata. My faithful followers trailed me through (yet another) ‘ewe’ turn and off again in the right direction. I'll make shepherds of them all eventually, the amount of ewe turning I create. We got over the Kopu - Hikuai Hill before it started to melt but before we got anywhere near Whangamata the road started to develop black stars and from then on the eyes were working overtime to try and avoid the worst of it.
At Waihi, I led everyone to Flat White Café, where we left the nonswimmers to have their lunch with Arne, who just happened to be lurking there. The rest of us headed off to the Surf Club for (more) sarnies by the beach. I came home avoiding as much of the main roads as I could, which meant I also inadvertently avoided most of the gas stations so a couple of us got to the Mercer Service Centre running on 'E' for enough. A poor cage driver was trying to get his late model BMW to fire up after he'd tanked up and it wasn't even trying to sound interested. Poor fella was hot, stressed and getting annoyed. I'm sure he wasn't amused when I told him his car was German rubbish and that I wouldn't consider owning one of them then immediately threw my leg over my own Bavarian Money Waster, punched the button and rode off. A couple of kilometres further and we were busy getting outside (yet another) Pokeno aftermatch ice cream. I am not sure who will write this report for the March newsletter. Rob Hargreaves, who has far better
networks than me with the Register’s "old guard", is assuming the mantle of Auckland Area Rep. This is an evolutionary rather than revolutionary arrangement. I will continue organising the rides and encouraging my cronies to ride safely, have fun and eat copious amounts of carrot cake and ice cream. I'm also going to establish an "Auckland Blog" (thought I would have had it running by now, but it's been a crazy busy few weeks). This won't be particularly grandiose but it will record the events that take place at the Auckland meetings, for the benefit of those that don't attend, and it will have RSS links for the benefit of those who use News Readers. Depending on our availability, either Rob, me or both of us may contribute to future Auckland Area reports. Rob will have to carry a lot of the weight of the monthly meetings being as they are on a Monday and finish way after my normal bedtime. They tend to make me feel sleep deprived for the rest of the week and I'm getting too long in the tooth for that. (Everybody say, "Ahhhh! Poor old Bwucie.") Now that there are two of us involved, I can quote the two Ronnies, "It's goodnight from him, and it's goodnight from him." Keep the shiny side up. Luv 'n' xxxxxx Bwucie and Rob
waikato Best wishes for 2011, I hope you all had a good break over Christmas and New Year. A new year is always a harbinger of change. I will be overseas for some time this year, it would be a good time for a new Area Rep to take over in the Waikato. If you’re interested give the President a call. If you like long weekends away, make sure you get yourself on Peter Lyner’s (Bay of Plenty Area Rep) email list. These weekends are a lot off fun and I’ll certainly be going on some of them. Make it the “Long Way Round” for 2011. Cheers Jan
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bay of plenty With Christmas behind us, I would like to you to look at the proposed weekend rides for 2011. These rides are described in my Area Report in the December/January newsletter. Please let me know what rides interest you and those that don’t, they are not set in concrete yet. I have cancelled the Masterton weekend we were to have on 19/20 February due to lack of interest. Hopefully this won’t be the trend for this year. I spent a week travelling around New South Wales in the first week of January on a rental F650GS twin along with riding buddy Steve Hards. We flew into Sydney and hired the bikes from Bikescape then rode north by as many back roads inland as we could find almost to Brisbane where we got rained off. I can thoroughly recommend this area of Australia along with the Snowy Mountains of Victoria. Great roads, great scenery and great people. If you are bored riding the same roads at home, treat yourself and try some new roads overseas. Our last social night in December was held in conjunction with Clive Dominy’s 30/30/30 GS rider group and went very well with very good attendance. I take my hat off to those of you who entered the challenge and won, well done! Peter
rangitikei The Rangitikei 2010 Christmas function involved a ride to the Bent Horseshoe Café in Tokomaru on 12 December. After a stop at Thomson’s Motorcycle Museum in Palmerston North, where we spent about an hour admiring a wonderful collection of vintage motorcycles and assorted memorabilia and listening to Peter Truter recounting some of the history, we made our way to Tokomaru. After enjoying the Manawatu sunshine and partaking of a few ales and wines, we were treated to a traditional kiwi BBQ with a very pleasant musical backdrop from a band of local musicians. Once the main course was done, we handed out “Awards” where most members were duly honoured for some achievement (or indiscretion) in the past twelve months. All in all a good time was had by all. bmw owners register newsletter
For our picnic club ride in January I thought that given everyone was still in holiday mood, and trusting that the weather would be pleasant, we should have a ride up the Wanganui River and stop at the restored Kawana Flourmill and Waterwheel for a picnic lunch. A group of 10, including four pillions, met at the Shell service station in Sanson. We were very pleased to welcome President Peter and First Lady Ann. I shall need to refer to them as such to avoid confusion with our own Peter and Ann Truter who were also on the ride. Others included Mark and Karen Greer, Max Charlton, Dom (guest) and Joy and I. We headed off about 10:30 am on what started out as an overcast day but developed into a very sunny albeit a little windy day later. We stopped at Upokongaro to regroup before heading up the Wanganui River Valley Road. Some stunning scenery made up for the narrow twisty road and we arrived at the lunch spot about 12:30 pm. Following some delicate bike manoeuvring to ensure our steeds remained safely in an upright position, we headed down the short, steep track to the flourmill. It was here that the day’s fun began. Those of advanced age (and proud owners of ‘Woolworths’ bladders) were intrigued to discover that the ablution facility consisted of one traditional and rather aromatic long drop. After a good look around the flour mill and a peek through the windows of the restored Miller’s Cottage, we settled down for lunch. First Lady Ann discovered that it is not such a good idea to freeze a carton of Fresh Up in the hope that it will have thawed and thereby provide a chilled and refreshing lunchtime drink. You guessed it, the drink was still semi-frozen and, much to everyone’s amusement, Ann was reduced to ‘milking’ the contents of the carton into her and President Peter’s cups. It was about then that Max imparted his handy hint that if you want to keep a drink cool you chill it then wrap it in wet newspaper. Works a treat. Over lunch it was suggested that we continue on up the valley to visit the historic settlement and church at Jerusalem about 9 kms away. With the knowledge that the road was possibly unsealed for about the last 6 8
kms, Mark and Karen decided that they would head back leaving eight of us to carry on. I should explain now that of the five bikes that set tyres to the unsealed road only two were of the GS genre, President Peter and me on our 1200GSs. The others, Peter and Ann Truter (R1100RT), Max (K1200RS) and Dom (ex police R80RT) all deftly navigated the short, unsealed distance admirably though. After exploring the old historic church and grounds, a unanimous decision was made (well, by the males in the group!) that since we had come this far it would be silly not to continue on up to Pipiriki and over to Ohakune for a well deserved coffee. Things were going great until we got to Raetihi and my good wife, Joy, asked exactly where we were. Needless to say she was somewhat shocked to learn we were this far north. Anyway, on to Ohakune and a much needed refreshment stop. Another group discussion took place over coffee and we decided that Fields Track would be the most interesting route home, after all who in their right mind would negotiate SH1 on an end of holiday Sunday!! As we turned onto Fields Track (led by yours truly) a bright orange signpost on the side of the road went unnoticed. However, it was replicated several kilometres down the road and said “Road Closed between 29th December until 10th January due to storm damage repairs” (remember today was the 9th!). President Peter’s leadership skills came into play. “Follow me” he declared and we rode off into the unknown in his wake. After negotiating a few ‘not too severe’ road works we arrived at “The Hole in the Cliff”. We made a slight detour down a river track to get a closer look at this manmade spectacle before travelling over SH4 (the Paraparas) and on to Fordell before arriving in Palmerston North at about 6:30 pm. We said our farewells after what everyone agreed was a fantastic day’s ride. Overall we did roughly 350kms during the day and I have heard from President Peter that he clocked up a creditable 550kms for the day. My thanks to all who came on the ride, it was certainly a most enjoyable day. Robin february 2011
east cape Hello to all in the BMWOR. By way of introduction as the new Area Rep for the East Coast area, we are Derek and Karina Nowell-Usticke, farmers on the Napier-Taihape Road about 20 minutes in on the Napier side of the Gentle Annie. I am one of these born again bikers aged 46. I have a long association with BMW, although mainly with cars. One cannot go past German engineering. If any members happen to have a mishap on the Napier-Taihape Road, please call us on 06 8742447. I signed up to the Register in June 2010 and decided to go to the AGM. Things I think gelled there for me. We have not had an Area Rep for the East Coast for quite some time and the Register is faced with an ageing membership in a motorcycle market that is increasingly ageing as well. What I would like to do is give this position 12 months of effort, see if we can attract more members and have a bit of fun. For god’s sake, these are the best motorcycles in the world. Our December ride saw us meeting at the Bay View BP as we do for all northern rides. I had thought we would have very few members turnout but we ended up with eleven, only one with co-pilot in the form of Dave and Margaret on their PD. This man knows every back road from Gisborne to the Rimutakas.
The ride home was disappointing, well to me anyway, with everyone scattering and doing their own thing. Apart from the safety issues around making sure everyone gets home, surely one reason for belonging to a bike club is riding together. Still, I’m looking forward to the next ride. Derek
wellington Happy New Year from Wellington everyone. Our Christmas function was hosted at the Masterton Club in December and members enjoyed a great afternoon of fun and feasting in glorious conditions. The region hosted the Annual Rally in Masterton over the New Year break. I for one enjoyed myself, the weather was fantastic and people appeared to be having a great time. Thanks to all involved in making the event such a memorable one. We have some great rides planned for the year. We start the year with a visit to Linton Camp with our friends from Rangitikei and the East Coast regions in February, followed by our annual overnighter in March, this year to Opunake in the Taranaki region. Look forward to seeing you all at some stage. Dave
Got photos? Our resident BMWOR archivist, Paul Edlington, maintains the Register’s photo albums of members and events and would like more member contributions to the social fabric of our community. What you can contribute? We welcome all photos (electronic or printed) from members, in particular from 1999 onwards, for the Register’s photo archives. Please include the DATE, the PLACE and the NAMES of any people in the photograph. How can I send photos? You can digitalise your old photographs (present pictures are fine too!) and email them to pauledlington@xtra.co.nz or hard copies of photos can be sent to: Paul Edlington
It was a lovely day for a ride apart from the fresh seal, it does tend to make horrible noises in the disc brakes. Lunch was at Café 487, just south of Wairoa, a great place to stop that looks out over the river.
61 Rosedale Rd Browns Bay Auckland 0632 Hard copies will be returned if a self-addressed, postage paid envelope is included with the original.
Wellington members enjoying the ambience of an outdoor setting at Masterton Club for their Christmas lunch.
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photo archives
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february 2011
otago/southland Quite a lot of riding done since my last report as we all try to make the most of summer. Our 12 December Christmas ride was a great success with 14 bikes and 17 people riding into Kaka Point on a lovely day. This is always a very popular ride and it’s easy to see why. The roads are great and “The Point” provides excellent service and food, plus a novel seafaring ambiance and wonderful views out to sea. As usual, we had a mix of bikes with airheads, oilheads, and Ks all being represented. It was great to catch up with some members we haven’t seen for a long time and to welcome newcomers who are about to join.
much, the icing on the cake being Murray’s R1150RT winning the Plowright Trophy for first place in the concours d’elegance. The Wellington region did a wonderful job with the Rally and deserves all our thanks. Next year it will be Otago/Southland’s turn to host the Annunal Rally, which will be in Cromwell. More details will be in upcoming newsletters. In the meantime, it’s back to the more mundane with day rides. Our first of 2011 will be to Arrowtown for lunch on Sunday 30 January. Barry Otago/Southland members gather for a preChristmas ride to Kaka Point.
After lunch and a yarn, it was back on the bikes for the return home, mostly on different roads.
BMW MOTOR CYCLE TOURS & HIRE F650GS - R1200R Daily and long term hire rates available. We are a small niche company, operated by bikers, hiring late model machines to experienced riders. Our tours range from:
An Otago/Southland contingent of Murray and Jeanette Petherick and me made the trip to the Annual Rally in Masterton and what a great rally it was! We all enjoyed ourselves very
* 1 day Northland Coromandel
or
* 3 days East Cape * 5 days North Island * 14 days New Zealand. Tours can be guided or self-guided.
Letters to the Editor This was our first Annual Rally with the BMWOR and, I have to say, we loved it all. Roy and I left Wellington at 11:00 am on 1 January, decid ing that the somewhat inclement weather would clear so we didn’t bother putting on our wet weather gear. Unfortunately, the rain really set in half way over the Rimutaka Hill and never gave up until after our arrival in Masterton. We stayed at the Chardonnay Motel and the owners were very helpful and dried our wet gear out for us. We recommend this motel to other travellers. The evening at the Masterton Club, open just for Register members, was a wonderful way to meet new people, and our meal was really good. One chef, two waitresses and one barman achieved a mammoth task by feeding and watering us all. The Solway College staff were friendly and helpful also. Trish, the Hostel Adminstrator at Solway College, even joined us on the two road rides as a pillion. I’m sure it made her weekend memorable too! We chose to lunch at the Gladstone Vineyard on the first day and met up with the rest of the group at the Gladstone Inn later. The weather was perfect for long chats in the garden there.
bmw owners register newsletter
We were very lucky to have the Solway College chef cooking the evening meals at the Rally. We enjoyed really great food and it’s so good to be able meet with other Register members in relaxed, jovial surroundings. Monday’s 400km road ride was an unbel ievably well planned trip, full of sweeping corners and roll ing hills, surrounded by awesome countryside. The pointing system was used and, I have to say, this makes the travelling so simple and straight forward without all the stopping and starting waiting for everyone to catch up. Anne Tibbs did a fantastic job as ‘pointer’ from the back of Peter’s bike and David Oldershaw was our permanent ‘tail end charlie’. Congratulations to you both for keeping it simple and safe for us all. On arrival for lunch at the beautiful Oruawharo Homestead it was great to see every one arrive safely, and empty trailers (no break downs in either the road or the GS groups). Our lunch was also a great meal, provided by very attentive staff, that we ate outdoors in the big gardens under huge trees. This huge historical home has a colourful history, which was told to us by the manager Peter Harris. Well worth the visit.
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For bookings or further information contact: John Mortimer m 021 936 114 p +64 (0)9 478 9956 e john.mortimer@ridewithus.co.nz
The return journey was as exciting as the first half with more back country roads and wonderful scenery. Our final Rally meal that night was a BBQ cooked by the Solway College Board of Trustees in the school grounds. Again, the food was plentiful and the company wonderful with lots of laughter. To the Rally Committee who worked so hard, a huge THANK YOU from us both. We are looking forward to Cromwell next year. Cheers Denise and Roy Carr
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GS Anniversary Ride Words: Garry Williams In February 2010, Justin Ryan, Canterbury member and general good sort, started on about it being the 30th Anniversary of BMW’s GS model and that there wasn’t much happening in New Zealand to celebrate such a milestone. The year before, mad bugger that he is, Justin cycled from Cape Reinga to Bluff (straight down SH1 mind you) and thought that doing it again over a couple of weeks on a GS, keeping off the main roads as much as possible, might be just the ticket – and we should invite as many people with GS bikes as we could find. It’s a big ask to take several weeks away from jobs and family and, having had a bit of involvement with BMW Safaris of old and other such adventures, there was also a thought in the back of my mind about just how hard it is organising this type of thing for others. I didn’t think Justin would get a lot of starters but I offered to help with a route for the lower half of the North Island if he went ahead. To prove me completely wrong, Justin ran a survey on his blog site and suggested I run an article in the BMW Owners Register newsletter to gauge interest. There was certainly a lot, in fact over 80 responses, with a few from the US, UK, Australia and Germany. What the hell, we set a date of Sunday 14 November to start at Cape Reinga and started planning how we’d get everyone to Bluff around the time of the Burt Munroe Rally later in the month. We also decided to run it as a fund-raiser to make it really worthwhile, our goal to raise $20,000 for the Westpac Helicopter Rescue Trust. It didn’t take long to realise the plan was to ride many great roads and tracks I’d ridden at one point or other over the last decade. To do them all in 12 days was an opportunity to good to miss, so I signed on as a starter for ‘top to toe’. As it happened, because I had done much of the route we were taking, I ended up leading quite a bit of the trip. bmw owners register newsletter
With lots of tasks divvied up between helpers, it didn’t take too long for the route to get sorted, preferred accommodation arranged and other activities sketched out for where we planned to stop. There was no charge to join in; anyone who wanted to come was just left to invite themselves, sort out what bits they wanted to do, make ferry bookings, sort accommodation and anything else they required. Good thinking! We got sponsorship for ‘give aways’ and other various bits and pieces sorted over a couple of months, our fundraising site set up and media releases out; trying to drum up as much awareness and support we could to make this a worthwhile fundraising event. And, all of a sudden, it was time to go! The ride north South Island riders Justin, Jeff Louwman, David Caesar, Stuart Caulder and Mark Taylor turned up at our place in Upper Hutt on the Thursday evening so we could set off north with Ian Reed and his partner Kelly, also from Wellington, early on the Friday morning. We’d planned two days to get up to Cape Reinga. We covered 733 kilometres on the first day, crossing the wind farm at the top of the Tararua Ranges and, because Justin had never been that way before, the Forgotten Highway from Stratford to Ohura, stopping off at the Whangamomona Hotel of course. After drinks, we charged across to and up SH3 to Malcolm and Sue Sargent’s place in Te Kauwhata for the night. Our fantastic hosts put on a great BBQ for us, with a well stocked fridge adding to the occasion. Malcolm has the ultimate house/garage combination, 1/3 house and 2/3 workshop! The next morning we were expected at Experience BMW in Auckland for a BBQ breakfast and, just before leaving, Mike Amphlet from Hamilton arrived. We bade farewell to Sue (Malcolm joined us for the ride to Auckland) and set off to take on the dreaded Auckland traffic. We tried to stay together as best we could, a pretty poor effort really, but by the time we came back through Auckland later in the week we were a well organised bunch.
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Many riders joined us here; some for the day, others for a few days and others making up the core group of riders intending to finish in Bluff, including Ian Sowden, Colin Jackson, Mark Roberts, Rod Russell, Nigel Everett, Pete Rogers and Cliff Jones. As Justin had never seen Tane Mahuta, we shot up SH16, took a left at the bottom of the Brynderwyns and rode through the Waipoua Forest between Dargaville and Kaikohe. While the tree is mighty impressive, it’s the road in and out that’s special, especially as we only encountered about five cars the whole way. After crossing the Hokianga Harbour at Rawene, and a spirited run over the Mangamuka Hill, we got to Rosco Pennell’s place north of Awanui at about 7:00 pm. We got a great reception from him and Raewyn and friends, Tim and Sharon Brody and Grahame and Elaine Irving up from Auckland, and Dora, a visitor from Hungary. All were involved in the preparation of a fantastic three course meal for 20 or so hungry riders. The night ended with a long briefing including how the ‘corner man’ system of Lead Rider, Sweeper and Tail End Charlie worked. We were interrupted when Keith Dore (also from Christchurch) turned up having had bike problems near Hamilton. Luckily he was ‘loaned’ an R1100GS while his R80 was repaired. On Sunday morning, we left Rosco’s for the short run to Cape Reinga where we met up with Alex Allen and Tim and Jim Denham to start our journey proper. The best bits It was a moving scene at Cape Reinga with 23 bikes, their riders and those riding pillion gathering at the base of the lighthouse for a blessing from Ngati Kuri elders before heading south on our first leg of about 198 kilometres, a quiet day to ease everyone into it. Quite a few of the guys didn’t have much off road experience (or none at all) and a few asked if I’d show them the basics before we got onto 90 Mile Beach. So, just before Te Paki Stream, I took a brief Adventure Riding 101 course; how to pick a bike up (going to need that one), setting up, how and why you stand february 2011
Adventure rider training 101
Justin and Garry view Lake Waikaremoana
on the pegs, etc. It paid off too. One of the most pleasing aspects of the whole trip for me was to watch these guys apply what they were learning and grow in confidence and capability over the next 12 days.
willing everyone was to help each other out. We were forming quite a close knit team by then.
We are blessed to have such great riding in New Zealand and we had just the best weather. We had two days where it rained down south, a hail storm in Kurow and copped some snow on top of the Dunstan Ranges. Otherwise it was hot and sunny, especially up north. Each part of the country held its own attractions for me. In the Far North it was mainly the feeling of freedom on 90 Mile beach and the roads around the Hokianga Harbour, simply stunning! We stopped for brunch at the Helena Bay Gallery and Café. It is the nicest place I’ve ever stopped to eat; the view from the deck up the valley is outstanding. The Waipu Caves are amazing and all the gravel on the western side of the Brynderwyn Hills was just outstanding. The evening will also be memorable as motorcycle racing legend Graham Crosby dropped in for a chat at the Leigh Sawmill Café. Closer to Auckland, the entry to Muriwai Beach at Rimmers Road was really hard work for some. The sand is very soft and the dune to get to the beach requires some commitment. It was the first real challenge of the trip but showed how Garry and Graham ‘Croz’ Crosby
bmw owners register newsletter
From the Bay of Plenty, we enjoyed absolutely stunning riding through the Pongakawa Valley and around the central lakes. Lake Rotoma looked especially gorgeous and it was sublime riding in the Urewera National Park around Lake Waikaremoana, with a dip in the lake at the end. Man it was hot! Waihi Road, up over one of the Landcorp stations, afforded amazing views from the top of the Panekiri Range on our way down to Napier. Todd, from Motomart, had bought another 17 riders up to Napier to meet us and it was great to have such a large contingent join us for the last leg of the North Island. The Hawkes Bay offered up Middle Road from Havelock North, great gravel to Porangahau, a brief stop at the Wimbledon Hotel, lunch at Waihi Falls and more stunning gravel across the Puketoi Range via Coonoor and Pori Roads on our way to Wellington. A couple of the Wellington riders joined us for the top of the South Island, and Peter Bates joined us for the rest of the trip. You can’t argue with a ride over Queen Charlotte Drive on arrival in the South Island. It’s not a bad way to warm up your tyres with 360 corners in 40 kilometres before the second GS bike park - Muriwai Beach
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‘challenge’ of the trip, the old Maungatapu Road from Pelorous Bridge to Nelson. Some found it quite tough going. I suspect this will be the part of the journey that people will remember and talk about for a long time yet. Heading south on Rainbow Station was just fantastic. There was just enough rain (first of the trip) to keep the dust down too. North Canterbury’s Pyramid Valley is very scenic and it’s here you’ll find Macdonald Downs Station, alternative access to the stunning Lees Valley Road over to Oxford. As always, Lees Valley was just gorgeous with some very fast gravel. Further off the beaten track toward the top of the Rakaia Gorge, the ride across Glenfalloch Station (despite a couple of punctures) and neighbouring Lake Heron Station followed by Mackenzies Pass and a ride across Black Forest Station was the highlight of the trip for me. The view from the summit was outstanding. We were lucky with the weather; it held out all the way to Lake Benmore before a cracking hail storm. Danseys Pass was brilliant despite a very chilly drizzle. I’ve never seen the road in such good condition and the grip on the freshly laid limestone was just phenomenal. Any day in Central Otago is a good day. We enjoyed a cut lunch provided by our hosts in Waipiata at the base of the Poolburn Dam on the trip across the southern end of the Rock Justin gets a wake up on Lake Heron station
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Bikes lined up during a visit to Waipu Caves (Photo courtesy of Peter Zink)
and Pillar Range (on the Old Dunstan Road) before heading onto Clyde and over the Nevis. As Tail End Charlie I saw a lot of the Nevis valley and some bikes got dropped in its 25 fords. Some were deep too; Justin’s bike took a bath and wouldn’t start again afterwards. He had it sorted in half an hour or so but it did require a roadside oil change shortly after. Another highlight was the barge trip from Sunshine Bay taking the bikes across Lake Wakatipu to Walter Peak Station in the morning. All the riders, except four of us, were left in Queenstown to relax and catch the 1:00 pm water taxi across the lake. The 2 hour barge trip was cool, with Skipper Phillip giving us the run down on local history. It’s an amazing ride out to Mavora Lakes from Walter Peak Station. It’s a well swept gravel road with long straights, very hot though with a lot of dust. Highlights from the Southland leg included following the Aparima River from the Takitimu Ranges across the main road then down the western flank of the Taringatura Hills. We enjoyed brilliant Southland scenery all the way down to Otautau then through Gropers Bush to Riverton, the oldest town in New Zealand, for afternoon tea. We travelled the last 37 kilometres to Bluff in the company of Mayor Tim Shadbolt and the press contingent from the Southland Times (and in the rain). Tim was on a Triumph Bonneville, but that’s okay. Ian and Stuart, slightly confused.
The not so good bits
Thanks a bunch
Injuries on any ride are never a good thing. Unfortunately Mark had an off at the Waipapakauri exit from 90 Mile Beach and broke his collarbone; back to Christchurch on the first day by other means for him sadly.
My thanks go to Justin, who was just so determined to make this happen, and the guys (and girls) who took the time to come with us. A better bunch of people to ride with you could not ask for. We had loads of help from people like John Nicholson, adventure organiser extraordinaire, who helped out with the route in the Far North and Darryl Rowe-Mitchell from Mount Motorcycles who suggested a route from Tauranga to Napier; unfortunately neither was able to join us on the ride. Rowan Parkes from Wellington sorted and led the Napier to Wellington section, Sam Rowntree helped out and led from Picton to Glenfalloch Station and David Caesar arranged everything from Queenstown to Te Anau, including the barge that got the bikes over Lake Wakatipu.
Nigel had a pretty spectacular off on the old Maungatapu Road and was sore enough, and his bike not well enough, to call it quits and head back to Auckland. Suffice to say for some, not a great choice in attempting the Maungatapu (despite it being in the category of ‘best bits’) when an alternative route was offered; it took us more than four hours to do 35 kilometres. Several of us spent a lot of that time picking up other bikes and riding different bikes to the summit (then walking back to get our own) - it was about 30 degrees that day! Punctures! I got two in the space of about 1 km heading into Glenfalloch Station. Of course, it just happened to be one of the days I was Tail End Charlie and being at the back you’re pretty much on your own if things go wrong. I had the tools and fortunately the know-how, but it took time (and it was raining) and I didn’t get to dinner until about 9.00pm. I got two more over the next two days but got great help from McLarens Machinery in Ranfurly and O’Kanes Garage in Mossburn respectively, neither of whom would take money for the assistance. Good one! A most excellent bunch - cheers!
BMW New Zealand’s John Glasswell, Area Manager Motorcycles, and the BMW dealer network really got behind us with fantastic support during the trip. We did approach BMW Motorrad Australia for support but all we got was, “It just sounds like a bunch of guys going for a ride”, which, let’s face it, was pretty much it. We also enjoyed the support of the BMW Owners Register of NZ and over 20 businesses; too many to list here, but thanks to all. Of the 17 adventurous souls who started at the top with the intention of getting to Bluff, 16 made it. At one time we had more than 45 bikes on parts of the journey. We covered 3,539 kilometres from top to bottom (just over 6,400 kilometres for the round trip), met some amazing characters on the way, saw much of the country that not a lot of other people get to see, made some new friends and donated over $16,000 to the Westpac Helicopter Trust. Would I do it again? With these guys, in a heartbeat!
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that a previous owner had taken to the ball fitting welded to the righthand rear of the frame for mounting a sidecar with a hacksaw, didn’t even bother to clean up the site with a file or grinder, splashed a bit of paint over the stub and left it there. Sacrilege! I would have to deal with that later.
ressurection of a fine motorcycle words/photos: Folker Liebenow An outfit at a rural fair in Germany almost identical to Stephen’s, with an R75 engine and gearbox, except of course the sidecar is on the right.
It all started with the 2005 BMWOR 30th Anniversary Rally in Auckland. I had, in the previous year, looked at a 1954 R51/3, a bike identical to one I owned in the late 1950s, but it was far too expensive for my more moderate means. I guess they are getting pretty rare these days. When I spied an Earles-fork-sprung BMW sidecar outfit at the gathering of bikes outside Experience BMW’s former Newtown premises on the 240km ride to replicate the first ride of the Owners Register in 1975, I went over to the good people standing next to it and talked to them, as you do. They were Stephen and Heidi Pope, Register members from Maungaturoto, north of Auckland. We exchanged contact details and, to cut a long story a little shorter, Stephen had one project too many in his shed. It was a 1964 R60/ 2 with matching frame/engine numbers in 1000 bits, mostly in boxes. This was the bike I had lusted after as a young man, when I did in fact own an older R51/3, and many of my mates had this current model. I later had the opportunity to ride and appreciate R60s extensively during six years in the NSW Police Force.
spot! Stephen led us into his spacious shed where his outfit and other BMW bikes and parts of bikes resided. Inspection showed that the R60 was as complete as could be ascertained from an examination of the boxes, checking for things like two wheels, headlight shell and brackets (they are referred to as ‘ears’ in the German parts catalogs I have since obtained!), seat, mudguards, etc. It was obvious that there were no exhaust headers but a nice pair of Kiwi-made stainless steel mufflers of the correct pattern was included in the deal. We had previously agreed on a price. After removing the rear wheel from the frame, the 200kg of bits and pieces were packed into the boot and rear seat of the old Mercedes 350 SE and we journeyed home to Hawke’s Bay. The following day I unpacked my treasure trove we’d travelled so far to bring home. There were parts everywhere! I took notice that upon first inspection the frame had looked very good, but it became obvious
I repacked everything, storing sensitive mechanical components in boxes and coated in oil, for future attention. My first task was to contact ‘BMW Tradition’ regarding details of this particular bike. It turned out the bike was made on 8 May 1964 and exported to Pratts, the BMW dealers for Melbourne, Victoria, Australia on the 11th of that month. No amount of research reveals when and by whom it was brought to New Zealand but it was last registered in 1979 to someone in Karamea. That was the beginning of what was to be a long journey to getting the venerable bike back onto the road. There were many parts to be sourced and their suppliers to be found, special tools to be made and/ or obtained, other parts to be reconditioned or restored to often asnew condition. ‘BMW Tradition’ was totally forthcoming in supplying me, at no cost, with a complete set of workshop and repair instructions and specifications, including special tools needed, as well as the complete owner’s instruction manual. Through acquaintances I found websites specialising in the /2 BMWs and was able to import some ingenious special tools made by an expert in the Earles-fork BMWs – he ran a dealership and repair shop in the ‘60s – from the United States. Other sites that dealt with these models were located in Germany, as one might expect, and being a native speaker certainly helped, even though I have next to no technical language having learnt most of that in Australia and later in New Zealand.
The treasure trove, spread out on a blanket on the front lawn.
My wife Prue took some convincing that this was the right thing for me to do as I would be retiring at the end of that year and money would be in shorter supply. I must have convinced her because in early April 2006 we motored up to Maungaturoto – what a beautiful bmw owners register newsletter
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Prue and I had planned a trip to Germany and UK for May 2007 to visit our respective relations and our son in London so I had to juggle and argue to buy some parts while in Germany. Frankfurt, where one of the businesses (Ulis Motorradladen) is located, was one of our ‘visit my cousins’ destinations. As an aside, we visited Northern Ireland, where our daughter-in-law’s father, who came to New Zealand as a four-yearold, was born, again for visiting the relations. The highlight was attendance at the Northwest 200 where New Zealand’s Bruce Anstey won three out of the four events he entered and of course we paid tribute to the late and great Joey Dunlop at his statue in his hometown of Ballymoney. Money was a little short after our return but I none-the-less completely disassembled both engine and gearbox in order to have the casings, heads, rocker covers and remaining covers, which were visually very badly affected by weathering, sandblasted, treating them with silicone spray and a further surface protection upon completion. The gearbox input shaft had splines worn so thin you could literally cut yourself on them but I was not able to procure a new one at the time. So the old shaft had to be built up and ground to suit the new clutch supplied with the bits – a perfectly sound solution. New bearings and seals were no problems, all bearings and seals used by BMW at that time being standard items.
The ‘new’ engine, newly bored barrels with new pushrod tubes and seals.
Again, all new bearings were installed as well as new seals, also new pushrod tubes and seals for them. The only non-standard item thus far had to be larger studs to hold the cylinder barrels to the crankcase, as some predecessor had probably stripped the originals out of the crank case, instead of installing helicoils. Aw well! Among the parts bought from Ulis Motorradladen was a ball fitting to replace the one butchered as mentioned earlier. I had neatly ground the old one off its site and welded on its replacement – you’d never know! The frame was then sandblasted and powder coated in black.
In the meantime I had looked on the internet at many pictures of what an R50 or R60 should look like when they’re all done - bike porn, as Prue used to say. Both bikes are visually identical, with the exception of the cooling fins, the R60 fins coming to a point front and back, compared to the R50’s rounded shape. To that extent I downloaded one particular picture of an R69S in Dover White, a colour BMW used on some of its cars at the time. It was one of just a few to be exported to the US in that colour and a print of this is on the corkboard in the kitchen to remind me of what the final result should be.
The front fork, handle bars and steering damper (assembled on blankets on the kitchen table). The whole assembly makes a fine picture.
The engine rebuild proceeded at the same time and went relatively smoothly but I found I needed to use the German Language section of the manual much more as the English section translation had some curious turns of phrase I found hard to cope with, concerning particularly the installation of the crankshaft. The newly re-conditioned gearbox ready to be closed.
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The front brake back plate is now clean (left) and the frame and final drive has newly welded sidecar mounting fitment (right).
By late 2007, I had done most of the work to put together a rolling chassis, ready to install the gearbox – engine unit. The external of the back plate of the front brake assembly had been painted black by a previous owner. Why? I don’t know, so was stripped and cleaned, new bellows for the universal joint of the drive shaft were installed and the whole thing started to look a bit like Mr BMW would have wanted it to look. A trip to Australia later in 2007 put most further work on the backburner, particularly as Prue wanted her slice of the cake in the form of a new horse and a vehicle to pull the float,
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the old Mercedes being too good to wreck for that work; they weren’t made for that, they were made to cruise the Autobahn at 180km/h! Early in 2008 it became clear that all was not well with Prue and she died from primary liver cancer in late November 2008, leaving me shattered and really not being able to get anything constructive done at all during 2009. In December/January 2009-10 I took a trip to UK to celebrate Christmas with our son and to Frankfurt/ Germany to be at my only remaining aunt’s 95th birthday, again stopping at Ulis Motorradladen, where I was
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just in time to see a beautifully restored R68, BMW’s sports bike of the day and only some 300 made, being loaded into a little truck, Italybound. They love their BMWs there. Talk about salivating! I took the opportunity to buy a set of exhaust headers, which arrived at home before I did. As one might expect, not all aspects of the restoration went smoothly. When I first tried the kick starter, necessary for little things like turning the engine over for tappet adjustment in the first instance, the lever would not return to its start position. After removing the gearbox
february 2011
and opening it up, I found that the gasket fitted between the end cover and the casing was too thin, causing the quadrant to rub against the gears. Talk about fine tolerances! I made a new gasket from thicker gasket material I had. Problem fixed. Once everything was assembled and back in the frame, I found that the clutch would not disengage. A check up in the workshop manual showed a drawing, which I hadn’t noticed, of a set of spacers fitted when a 9mm friction plate is used, none when it is the 7mm variant. Of course I had the 9mm variant and no spacers. Out with the gearbox, i.e. remove rear wheel, then mudguard, final drive with brake linkage first. Sounds simple, and it is, but it takes precious time. Disassembly of the clutch next and then measure and scrounge 25mm x 2mm flat section steel from my neighbour. Accurately make six identical spacers with neat holes, necessary for balance, and reassemble everything in reverse order. This time the clutch works! So, on with the final drive and all the other bits and I am another step along the way. Whew! I had ordered a new cover from Ulis for the dilapidated seat, and it comes with the strap. Someone before me had had it re-covered, very unauthentic and poorly done, no
bmw owners register newsletter
Newly covered seat, with strap!
strap. The metalwork was quite rusty and the original foam had deteriorated badly and needed to have its contour re-sculpted. Removal of the old upholstery was easy and cleaning up the frame structure went well. I undercoated and painted it with good quality automotive black and it was ready to go to the upholsterer. I had already had business dealings with an upholsterer I would trust. I gave him pictures of a couple of wellpresented original looking seats I
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had downloaded and was very pleased with the final result, particularly after I fitted the aluminium decorative strip and the strap, all part of the original look. Ulis even sent me a second hand ‘Denfeld’ maker’s plate, visible at the rear of the seat, for that authentic look. I’m approximately 75% of the way through this resurrection. The bike is at the auto electrician at the moment prior to its first run since 1979. I’ll let you know how that goes.
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bmw owners register newsletter
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february 2011
register business Minutes of the National Committee meeting held 13 December 2010 at the residence of the Secretary, 36 Halladale Road, Papakowhai, Porirua. Meeting commenced: 8:00 pm Attendance: 18 Members. Apologies: 5 Members. Welcome and opening statement from President Peter Tibbs: Peter welcomed members to the first of the National Committee meetings to be held in Wellington. He explained that the recent appointment of a Wellington based President and Secretary necessitated the change of National Committee meetings from Auckland to Wellington. Minutes previous meeting: The Minutes of the meeting 8 November 2010 as published in the December newsletter were confirmed as a true and correct record. (Gibbons/Tibbs). Matters arising: Nil Correspondence: Correspondence includes new membership material, bills to pay and overseas BMW Club magazines. Magazines were available for perusing at the meeting. Garry Williams enquired why the mail was not being redirected to the Secretary. David Thomson advised that the Treasurer was handling redirection of the mail and that system appeared to be working to interested parties’ satisfaction. President’s report - where to from here? President Peter presented his view on the future path of the Register. He sees the role of the Register as being to promote events for members that are fun and about riding motorcycles, not being bogged down in process. He is keen to make full use of the Executive in managing the day to day affairs of the Register. He wishes to get Area Reps together annually to share ideas and vision. He sees a need to continue the move towards a fully nationwide executive structure, supported by the Constitution. Some new expense will be incurred in getting Area Reps and the Executive together during each year. He hopes that the National bmw owners register newsletter
Committee will support such initiatives. The National Committee discussed the benefit of President Peter putting forward a budget for these activities, which can then be considered prior to the incurring of such expenses. Jo Buckner questioned whether proposed meetings of Reps and the Executive could be facilitated through the use of technology. President Peter responded that in the first instance he is keen to have face to face meetings, after which technology might be appropriate to conduct distance meetings. Treasurer’s Report: A full report was received from Treasurer Jean Gibbons. Noted (Morris/Buckner). Bank Account balance Term Deposit
$4,792.61 $45,939.10
Treasurer noted PayPal as requiring further work before it meets the needs of the Register. Referred to National Executive for action. Editor’s Report: Editor Garry Williams commented that he has plenty of material for the magazine for the next 2-3 months. He is looking to place some of his material on the website and not replicate it in the Newsletter, where appropiate. Membership Report: Membership Secretary John Wuts provided a written report. (Noted Thomson/ Croasdale). John reported that it has been a quiet month for renewals and new membership. President Peter and John are investigating the purchase of a laptop for the Membership Secretary to run the membership database. The licence for the database runs out in 2013. National Committee approved purchase of a laptop, in principle, with final costs to be brought back for approval. Regalia Report: Regalia Officer Malcolm Sargent provided a written report. (Noted Thomson/Boyes). Malcolm reported that he has a good stock of all items except key rings. The process of purchasing regalia via the website is being streamlined, which will benefit everyone. As well as regalia, he has been involved in supplying stickers for the 30 year GS ride and he has some of these
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stickers in stock – they look great and he recommends all GS riders purchase 1 or 2, or a dozen! The National Committee noted that Malcolm also printed Annual Rally signs as well as the GS Anniversary Ride material at no cost to the Register. The Committee expressed its thanks for his generosity and expertise. Annual Rally Report: Coordinator David Thomson gave a verbal report on planning for the 2011 Rally. General Business Report on proposed Federation of Motorcycle Clubs: Wellington Area Rep Dave Oldershaw attended the initial meeting, on behalf of the Register, called by the Ulysses Club to discuss the formation of a national forum to speak on motorcycle matters. This move arose from the ACC issues of last year and the perceived need for a lobby group. There is to be a second meeting in February, which will be attended by Dave and President Peter Tibbs. The National Committee authorised Dave and Peter to speak for the Register. Garry Williams commented that the proposed forum undermines the work of BRONZ and the Register will eventually need to decide whether it wants to affiliate itself with such a forum. Until such time as terms of reference are sorted out it is still too early for the Register to investigate further. Roy Carr asked if the Register had any specific opinions at the moment to take forward. Garry responded that at the moment the discussions are only about the formation of such a lobby group. Annual Calendar: Secretary David advised that he was investigating the best way to run an ongoing 12month calendar of events. Each Area Rep has her/his own method of promoting events, and perhaps there was opportunity for all planned events to be included in a national document for display on the website. Website: Garry Williams advised that the main issue is the “shop” feature, specifically setting up a “PayPal” account. He has a contact willing to demonstrate our “not-for-profit” status, which should meet PayPal’s compliance needs and that should solve our problems. He believes we february 2011
will then be free to relinquish our Eftpos facility on expiry of the current contract. New host, DOMAINZ, and contractor Dave Cohen have done an excellent job with the upgrade and we have met our commitments to BMW Clubs International requirements with the latest changes. North Island RAG Rally: President Peter is organising the RAG Rally. Dates confirmed as 2/3 April 2011, the last weekend of daylight savings, and to be held at Pokaka, same site as last year. Cost to be confirmed before advertising in the next newsletter. 30th GS Anniversary: Members expressed an interest in how the 30th GS Anniversary celebrations went. Garry reported that he heard the 30-30-30 ride being run out of the Bay of Plenty was a huge success. The off-road ride from Cape Reinga to Bluff was outstanding and an article would be forthcoming in KiwRider in Febraury or March. There has also been a request from Clubs International for material and they will be running an aricle in the first Clubs International newsletter of the new year. Members suggested it would be good to see an article in our own newsletter. Garry is to oblige. AGM 2011: The Executive is looking at whether the Rugby World Cup will impact on the availability of accommodation in Taupo in October. If it looks OK, Taupo will be confirmed as the site of our AGM again. Venue for Future Meetings: Options for a permanent meeting place are being considered by President Peter. Aiming to be in place for the February meeting. Meeting closed: 9:40pm.
bmw owners register newsletter
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february 2011
Roadside Assistance for your Motorcycle Journey On offers a 33% saving to all BMW Owners Register members. Visit www.journeyon.co.nz click on the “buy now” icon and enter the code BMWOR in the Promo Code box or give Journey On a call on 0800 888 247 for more information.
interisland travel BMWOR members receive a discount when travelling on the Interislander* If you’re planning on crossing the Cook Strait, whether it’s on a bike or in a car, then contact your Area Rep, the Secretary or the Editor for the Register’s group booking reference number. Quote this reference when you make your booking through Interislander Groups. Phone 0800 878 898 or email groups@interislander.co.nz during normal business hours. * discount not avaialable during peak season from 16 December to 31 January.
bmw owners register newsletter
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february 2011
marketplace
Marketplace is a service for members of BMWOR of NZ. Advertisements will be accepted from members, commercial traders and non-members when it is considered in our members’ interest to do so. No charge is made for Marketplace advertising. The Ed itor and Executive reserve the right to reject or mod ify any advertisement considered inappropriate and take no responsibility for errors or omissions, the quality of items, claims made, or for any transactions that ensue. Advertisements run for 3 months from the date first published unless otherwise arranged with the Editor.
bikes for sale ______________
wanted ____________________
F650GS - (2005 twin spark). Everything you want for both offroad and/or touring. Complete with ABS, heated grips, full Givi luggage (panniers and top box), Touratech wide foot pegs and screen guard, after market exhaust (sounds great) plus custom lockable storage container replacing the second exhaust, Scott Oiler and near new tyres front and rear. Only 57,175 kms and maintained by a qualified BMW mechanic for the past few years. Mint cond ition, want $10,500. Based in Christchurch. All enquiries to Julia at wolakota.jule@gmail.com or 021 02568876 (2)
R1100S - (1999). The classic sports boxer, resplendent in black, complete with genuine BMW panniers and tank bag. Only travelled a mere 38k from new. Good tyres, maintenance free battery, fitted with superb Corbin seat and Remus stainless steel exhaust system. Original seat and exhaust also available. Maintained by Mount Motorcycles and has been in the present ownership for nearly 8 years. Comes with original tools and owner’s manual. $10,000. Contact Neil Barnard on (07) 3048774 or email barntech@farmside.co.nz (1)
R1200GSA - (2006). One owner, 28000km, excellent condition, new WOF Exp 1/11/2011, registered until 31/8/ 2011. ABS, heated grips, phone/radar mount, new rear tyre, just serviced, BMW service history, a great bike. $20,000. BMW alloy panniers may be availible by negotiation. Contact Phil on (03) 313 3144, 027 222 5156 or pbohnenn@yahoo.co.nz (2)
apparel for sale ____________
BMW R90S - for restoration project. Any condition but must be complete. Phone Bruce on (07) 308 5828 or email: brucetaylor@xtra.co.nz (3) BMW X Country in good condition. Contact Julia on 021 02568876 or email wolakota.jule@gmail.com (2) Switch cluster - for left hand side (has dip/high beam, left indicator and horn) for 1995 R1100R, chassis number 0363208. Please contact Revti Verma at revsue@xtra.co.nz or revti@nelsonfn.co.nz or cell 021 460 298 (2) F800ST Panniers - or one only. Condition not important, would consider slight damage, only for that once a year trip to Paeroa Street Racing weekend. Contact Ray on (09) 4361344 or email raycott@orcon.net.nz (2)
parts for sale _______________
Draggin Jeans - near new (worn twice) woman’s size 18. Cost $254, selling for $200. Contact Denise on (04) 568 7661 (1)
Brand new - RH side fairing (blue) and underbelly cover (black) suit 1997 - 2003 K1200RS. Any offers to Ray on (09) 436 1344 (2) or email raycott@orcon.net.nz
On occassion Star Insurance sell parts from insurance wrecks through Trade Me. Take a look at the Star Insurance website www.starinsurance.co.nz for details.
BOB & MAXINE’S BACKPACKERS, TE ANAU 20 PATON PL (OFF ORAKA ST AT START OF THE MILFORD RD) Opened November 2006. The best backpackers in Te Anau. Superb views of Mt Luxmore. 3 bedrooms with 6 bunks each. BMWOR price $27 per person 1 twin bedroom with ensuite. BMWOR price $37 per person 2 high class double rooms sharing a bathroom. BMWOR price $45 per person Huge common room with satellite TV and log burner. Big fully equipped kitchen. Heat pumps supporting the log burners. Owners are long term BMWOR members. Garage available on request for your bike. bmw owners register newsletter
Phone: (03) 931 3161 Email: bob.anderson@woosh.co.nz
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february 2011
bmw owners register newsletter
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february 2011
625 New North Road, Kingsland, Auckland 0800 RIDEBMW (0800 743 3265) Contact Henry on (09) 845 6723 or 0274 330 650 a/hrs
Registered at NZ Post Wellington as a magazine
BMWOR of NZ | P O Box 109-245 | Newmarket | Auckland 1149 | NEW ZEALAND
area representatives NORTHLAND Iain (Mac) MacLean 027 237 8197 northland@bmwor.org.nz
WAIKATO Jan Titulaer 07 824 6997 waikato@bmwor.org.nz
RANGITIKEI Robin Wood 06 355 0911 rangitikei@bmwor.org.nz
AUCKLAND Rob Hargreaves 09 533 8283 auckland@bmwor.org.nz
BAY OF PLENTY Peter Lyner 07 548 0506 bayofplenty@bmwor.org.nz
EAST COAST Derek Nowell-Usticke 06 874 2447 eastcoast@bmwor.org.nz
Ride Master - Bruce Crowther 09 268 1321 027 499 2034
TARANAKI Valma Kuriger 06 756 8821 taranaki@bmwor.org.nz
WELLINGTON Dave Oldershaw 04 477 6773 wellington@bmwor.org.nz NELSON Graham Rogers 03 528 8182 nelson@bmwor.org.nz
MARLBOROUGH Ross Williams 03 578 6136 0274 369 486 marlborough@bmwor.org.nz CANTERBURY Warren Taylor & Alexis (Lex) Bone 03 313 0929 Warren 027 434 5122 Lex 027 256 0677 canterbury@bmwor.org.nz OTAGO & SOUTHLAND Barry Richardson 03 448 8681 otagosouthland@bmwor.org.nz
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