Web tug oct 2013 by Nigel Barton

PROMOTING MOTORCYCLING EXCELLANCE SINCE 1982 Registered

Charity Number 1107703

The Committee

Chairman & Group Contact

Nigel Barton

nbarton@eamg.org.uk

Secretary/ Vice Chairman

Roger Wardley

rwardley@eamg.org.uk

Teri Olley

tolley@eamg.org.uk

Observer Co-ordinator

John Tullett

jtullett@eamg.org.uk

Webmaster

Graham Simpkins

webmaster@eamg.org.uk

Laura Windram

lwindram@eamg.org.uk

Treasurer & Membership Secretary

Magazine Editor

tug@eamg.org.uk Events Manager General Committee & Regalia General Committee General Committee & Twitter Moderator

Paul Scott

pscott@eamg.org.uk

Jill Winn

jwinn@eamg.org.uk

Keith Boyles

kboyles@eamg.org.uk

Anthony Greenwood

PROMOTING MOTORCYCLING EXCELLANCE SINCE 1982

Welcome!

Dear Members Welcome to the October Edition. I hope you have all had a pleasant summer’s riding. It is getting cooler out there but I reckon we can get plenty more rides in before the weather turns foul, so don’t forget the AGT on Sunday and keep an eye on the forum for any other rides and events. As you may know a new edition of the Roadcraft book has been released so I am really looking forward to some feedback back on that, hint hint observers……… Ride Safe Laura

The deadline for the next issue is the 22nd Nov

Chairman’s Piece

John Tullett

The Z800

Lube your chain ?

Diary (Pull Out)

Membership Form (Pull Out)

Coast 2 Coast

News n Stuff

Odd Pic’s

What’s happening next? Log into www.eamg.org.uk, then Runs and Rides Forum And follow us on Twitter.

PROMOTING MOTORCYCLING EXCELLANCE SINCE 1982

Here we are again autumn will soon be upon us the nights are drawing in and it is time to reflect on the year so far and time to give our bikes a good clean and prepare them for the winter for those that ride through it that is. My preferred method for making sure the bike survives the winter without becoming a rusty corroded fur ball is to clean, polish then cover the diskâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s and brake callipers with rags and apply a liberal coating of ACF50 applied with a spray gun around the engine, radiator and frame paying particular attention to the parts that are not easily accessible like under the tank and around the rear suspension linkage and swing arm pivot. I then remove the rags from the brakes and detail bolts calliper castings with a small paint brush dipped in ACF50. Lubricate all pivot points and cables and hey presto we are ready for those salty roads. The ACF50 does not wash off with normal cleaning as long as degreasers are not used just wash n wax or similar is used and maybe a re-application of ACF50 on the parts exposed to worse of the salt such as the front of the engine and exhaust headers. For those that have not used or heard of ACF50 it is a corrosion inhibitor that was developed for coating aircraft airframes, it is quite expensive but a little goes a long way. I buy and old fashioned quart at about ÂŁ40 and lasts two or three years applying it to three bikes, well worth the cost to protect you pride and joy from the effects of corrosion. I recently announced that I would not be standing for election as chairman in February 2015 but due to increasing pressure at work and less time to give to the 4

PROMOTING MOTORCYCLING EXCELLANCE SINCE 1982

group unfortunately I have decided not to stand for election next year. The last two years have been interesting and great fun but the time has come for someone else to take the rains and lead the group forward with some fresh ideas and enthusiasm so for those interested in putting something back into the group here is your opportunity, if you are interested or you know of someone who may be please contact me or any other committee member. Keep the shiny sides up Nigel Barton

PROMOTING MOTORCYCLING EXCELLANCE SINCE 1982

Membership Report Dear Members, We currently have a great number of associates which is really encouraging, so a warm welcome to any new members :) If you haven’t received your membership card please let a committee member know. Also please remember to spread the word about EAMG recommendation is such a valuable tool and current members are always the best advocates for what a good group this is.

Membership

Number

Full

135

Associate

Social

Total

180

Membership forms are downloadable from the clubs website or are in the centre of the TUG. Fees for 2013

•

New Associate Members £55.00

•

Associate Member Renewal £40.00

•

Full Member Renewal £25.00

•

Socials Member £25.00 FMT £20.00 (For more information on Full Member Training see page 54)

•

PROMOTING MOTORCYCLING EXCELLANCE SINCE 1982

Member - Mark Bass Test Date - 11th Aug 2013 Test Passed - Rospa (Silver ReTest) Examiner - Paul Roberts

Member - Andy Parnham Test Date - 16th Aug 2013 Test Passed - Rospa (Gold ReTest) Observer - Richard Parker Examiner - Mick Jones

Member â&#x20AC;&#x201D; Mark Dickason Test Date - 21st Aug 2013 Test Passed - Rospa (Gold) Observer - Guy Jones Examiner - Paul Roberts Member - Colin Childs Test Date - 6th Sept 2013 Test Passed - IAM Observer - John Tullett Member - Jane Houghton Test Date - 7th Sept 2013 Test Passed - RoSPA (Silver) Observer - Jill Winn Examiner - Paul Roberts

PROMOTING MOTORCYCLING EXCELLANCE SINCE 1982

Examiner - Dave Whitby

Regalia is now available to order please see Jill Winn for more details

Vo l u n t e e r s P r o m o t t h r o u g h t o o l f o m e m b e r s y o u a r e p le a s e d o

in g o u r o u t t h r in t r o , t h is y a v a il a b n â&#x20AC;&#x2122;t b e

g r o u e y e a d u c in e a r w le t o

R e q u ir e d

r g e

s h y s p m e m b e

a t v a r is a r e o u r g r n e e d y e lp m a n e a k t o r

io u s e a lly v o u p t o u r h t h e a c o m

v e n t s a lu a b le o n e w e l p . If s t a n d m it t e e

PROMOTING MOTORCYCLING EXCELLANCE SINCE 1982

Responses to

The next

tug@eamg.org.uk or

deadline

get in to the forum at

for TUG is the 22nd Nov 2013

www.eamg.org.uk Please ask for my address if you’d rather post me your article

R id e r ep or ts r equ ir ed , p lea s e s end to lwind r a m@ea mg .or g .uk I f you ca n’ t ma na g e a ny wor d s s ome p ho tos will d o :)

PROMOTING MOTORCYCLING EXCELLANCE SINCE 1982

Observer News â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Congratulations to Chris Olley who recently passed his initial assessment ride to become a Trainee Observer. If you are interested in putting something back into the Group by training to become an Observer and want to know more about what is involved please have a word with me or any other member of the Training Team.

Observer Coordinator Role â&#x20AC;&#x201C; One of the aspects of the Observer Coordinator role that I enjoy most is allocating new Associates and/or Full members to their 1-to-1 Observers, particularly when this leads to the member involved achieving their personal training objectives.

However, sometimes things do not go quite to plan and an individual might end up being deallocated and returned to me. In some cases this might be a simple incompatibility issue, where a trainee and an observer are not able to meet up at a mutually convenient time or location. At the other extreme an Observer might have been forced to return an individual who has failed to keep agreed appointments, without good reasons for cancellation.

PROMOTING MOTORCYCLING EXCELLANCE SINCE 1982

While the vast majority of individuals are highly appreciative of the hard work and effort put in by EAMG’s Observers, a small number of trainees do not seem to realise that Observers are volunteers who give up their valuable free time to assist other Group members and are not just sitting around with nothing better to do!

Clearly there will be occasions where it will be necessary to rearrange planned rides, for example in the event of machine failure, illness or potentially dangerous weather conditions (snow / ice / fog, etc.). In such cases please ensure that you notify your Observer at the earliest possible opportunity if you need to reschedule a ride.

Changes in work and/or family commitments can also impact on an individual’s availability. If you are presently allocated to a 1-to-1 Observer but have too many other commitments to be able to continue your training at present please ensure that you make your Observer aware of this - as it could significantly delay another Associate (who is available) from receiving training with the Group.

If you are an Associate member or signed up for FTFM and keen to train with EAMG but not in a position to commit to regular 1-to-1 rides, you will be very welcome to attend the AGTs held at Moulsham School on the first Sunday of the month, following the Group Night meeting on the first Tuesday of the month. Obviously you do not need to pre-book to attend AGTs - just turn up.

Motorcycle Roadcraft – A new fully updated version of Roadcraft was published on 26th August, to replace the previous edition dating from 1996. There are, as you would expect, numerous changes. For example, you will be pleased to hear that counter steering is now officially covered in Roadcraft! References to the European Goals for Driver Education, which provides a framework setting out the competencies that training should focus on to produce the safest possible drivers and riders, are also included.

PROMOTING MOTORCYCLING EXCELLANCE SINCE 1982

There is also a new chapter covering â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Emergency Responseâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;. Clearly, while it is potentially beneficial for civilian riders to have an awareness of how an emergency response vehicle will approach and negotiate hazards, you may only utilize these techniques if you have the necessary statutory exemptions in law. If you are in any doubt whatsoever about which sections of Roadcraft may be used by Group members please seek advice from your 1-to-1 Observer.

Should any members have any training related queries then please contact me via e-mail jtullett@eamg.org.uk or send me a PM via the Message Board.

John Tullett

PROMOTING MOTORCYCLING EXCELLANCE SINCE 1982

“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.”

RIDEMASTER PO BOX 859 Aylesbury Bucks. HP22 9FJ T: 0844 888 0999 F: 0844 888 4190

www.ridemaster.co.uk

PROMOTING MOTORCYCLING EXCELLANCE SINCE 1982

P. McKelvey & Co Chartered Certified Accountants Services available include: •

Statutory audits

•

Limited Company accounts preparation

•

Corporation tax returns

•

Sole traders & Partnerships

•

Sub-contractors

•

Self assessment tax returns

•

Capital gains

•

VAT returns

•

Payroll preparation & Employer returns

•

Management accounts

•

Free initial consultation

•

Fixed fees available

Telephone:

01708 220548

Facsimile:

01708 220616

Mobile:

07949 827309

Web:

www.pmckelvey.co.uk

St Lawrence House 2 Gridiron Place Upminster Essex RM14 2BE

PROMOTING MOTORCYCLING EXCELLANCE SINCE 1982

WWW.PROSPEEDPERFORMANCE.CO.UK BURNHAM MOTORCYCLE CENTRE UNIT 5 BURNHAM BUSINESS PARK SPRINGFIELD ROAD BURNHAM ON CROUCH CM0 8TE

01621 782 742 prospeedperformance@hotmail.co.uk A NEW MOTORCYCLE SERVICE CENTRE CONVENIENTLY LOCATED AT THE TOP OF THE ‘BURNHAM BENDS’. WE CARRY OUT SERVICING AND REPAIRS TO ALL TYPES OF MOTORCYCLE. OUR SERVICES INCLUDE: ALL MAKES OF TYRES SUPPLIED AND FITTED. WE SPECIALISE IN ‘RIDE IN RIDE OUT’ SINGLE SIDED, NO PROBLEM! WE USE THE INDUSTRY STANDARD ‘HAWEKA PRO BIKE II’ BALANCING SYSTEM ALSO, INNOVATIVE BALANCING BY ‘DYNA BEADS’ SUPPLIED AND FITTED SERVICING

OPENING HOURS

MONDAY-SAT 08.00—17.30 SUNDAYS

REPAIRS

10.00—15.00

LATE NIGHT THURSDAYS TO 19.30

PAINTWORK

CLOSED TUESDAYS PARTS Early drop off—late collection No problem! NUMBER PLATES (all types)

Collection and delivery available Our cafe will be opening in the spring and our location would make an ideal ‘meet up’ venue for ride outs etc. Come and enjoy a coffee and a bacon sandwich whilst we work on your bike! No parking restrictions and a large designated block paved motorcycle parking area. We are a Biker 2 Biker company and treat every bike as if it is our own

01621 782 742 prospeedperformance@hotmail.co.uk We look forward to seeing you soon!!!

PROMOTING MOTORCYCLING EXCELLANCE SINCE 1982

Released in celebration of 40 years of production,

The Kawasaki Z800 Over the past half decade or so, some bike manufacturers have gone into the doldrums, with few model upgrades or new released models. Others seem to have gone into warp drive, with continual model upgrades and frequent new model releases, Kawasaki, have gone with the forward thinking gang and seem to have had a flurry of new models over recent years.

So is the Z800 all new? Well not quite, but it certainly appeared at first glance to be, as for a number of years Kawasaki seemed to have continued to produce the old Z750, when a much needed replacement was long overdue.

My opportunity to take the new Z800 out for a play, came on an overcast and damp day, but the thought of a free test ride kept my spirits high. I set off from the dealership on the demonstration bike, with little expectation from the increased capacity four pot Japanese machine, especially as it was the E model (limited to 88bhp), as opposed to the full powered Z800 which comes with 110bhp.

Riding northwards on the back roads towards Bishops Stortford, the first thing I noticed on the Z800 was the sleek dash design, like a star ship enterprise control panel, initially I wasnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t overly keen, but I soon warmed to the design as it morphed seamlessly into the edgy design of the headlight assembly.

The dash sits out of view of your gaze, nice, but if youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re not careful you'll find yourself zipping along in excess

PROMOTING MOTORCYCLING EXCELLANCE SINCE 1982

of the legal limits, that’s when I thought... "Why didn’t they provide a head up display for this new-fangled starship?" but hey you can’t have everything.

The riding position I found very relaxed and with my hands outstretched on the wide bars, you can't help but dial into the little 800s willingness to positively attack bends.

Even though this was the restricted machine, in and out of bends, I had the bike buzzing along in the top 3/4 of the rev range, fun? YES, EXHILARATING? It could be. Though I’m told that the full powered machine is like riding the Z800’s bigger brother the Z1000 and that bike is an absolute hoot.

There’s no fully adjustable suspension on Z800, but from my ride, I don’t think it’s really needed, as the ride felt better than the suspension on a "budget" bike should and the front and rear do have adjustable rebound and preload.

The feedback through the bars was confidence building and on testing the brakes, I found little me almost, but not quite thrown over the bars, for they have real bite with phenomenal stopping power and at 229kg (from Kawasaki literature) this bike is no slim line ferret.

The only time I felt the bike a little weighty, was if I threw it harshly from side to side on tight bends, where I had to put conscious effort into the bars to pick the bike up. At 70ish mph along flowing A roads, the little Z800 handled the fast A roads with ease.

PROMOTING MOTORCYCLING EXCELLANCE SINCE 1982

On the twisty B roads west of Bishops Stortford, I found I never needed nor wanted, to go higher than second or third gear, using the revs of this free spirited E model to keep the bike settled but in the "power/grunt range", maybe I could have used mostly first or second, but I like to have mechanical sympathy and don't enjoy bouncing a bike off its rev limiter.

Heading back south, I rode onto the M11 and one good thing I find in riding unfaired machines, is that unless you have a neck like a mountain gorilla, you’re unlikely to be doing three figure speeds and face the risk of blue lights flashing in your mirrors.

I peeled off the M11 near Loughton and headed back into the urban quagmire of East London back towards the dealership, in town traffic, the Z800 was settled and in its element, it has good shove from traffic lights and first will see you reaching for 70mph, more than what’s needed for town work.

On wheeling the machine into the dealership, just on a hundred miles covered, I was surprised at the realisation of how comfortable and relaxed riding a naked bike can be. It rather surprised me, as normally I feel more at home cosseted within the confines of a fairing. Who knows, one day maybe I’ll have one, but for now, I’ll stick to faired bikes.

In conclusion, the Z800 feels like a lot of bike for the price, as there’s nothing you need to do to upgrade it, it has decent suspension, nice Led rear lights, modern clocks and sleek sharp edged fairing design, what more can one want? I think its direct competitor would be Triumph's Street Triple.

I’d suggest that if you’re considering a middleweight sit up and beg machine, you should ride both the full powered Kawasaki Z800 and Triumph Speed triple back to back, before choosing what's right for you.

Let the boxing-match begin….

PROMOTING MOTORCYCLING EXCELLANCE SINCE 1982

EAMG Members are you looking to renew your bike, car or household insurance? If so why not try Carole Nash, you maybe able to earn the group a donation. Please use the number below and quote the reference number

0800 083 4422 Quote Ref 1460

Motorcycle Courier Rapid collection and delivery of urgent packages and documents to anywhere in the UK

•

Professional, bespoke service available 24/7

•

Immediate, no obligation quote

If you can’t afford a helicopter 2b Transport is the next best thing!! www.2btransport.com ALL MAJOR CREDIT/DEBIT CARDS ACCEPTED

PROMOTING MOTORCYCLING EXCELLANCE SINCE 1982

WHY LUBE MANUALLY, AUTOMATIC IS THE WAY TO GO For some time now, I had been considering fitting an automatic chain oiler to my little Er6, as manual lubrication can be tiresome/mucky and on a recent trip to the continent, I was reminded of just how tiresome it is to have to remember to lubricate my chain each day. I came across a German chap who had an unknown Cameleon oiler on his machine, which he assured me was both efficient and easy to operate, as well as being easy to adjust with little fuss or hassle.

What immediately came to mind as this chap in pigeon English enthusiastically set about trying to explain his automatic chain oiler to me, was that though I tend to go over my chain once every two to three days religiously to keep it in good order, and I’m sure you all go over yours at frequent intervals too, was how tiresome it is to always manually lubricate. It also reminded me of the frequent times I see dry chains, sagging chains and more which clatter past me as I ride along, and I’m not talking about slight lack of attention here either.

Having used various vacuum controlled oilers in the past I wasn’t overly convinced, but the nice German chappy assured me that the Cameleon oiler was much more simple and only required a simple electrical connection to operate, this got me interested and for the remainder of my trip, the thought of going back to automatic chain lubrication became ever more appealing.

So on my return to Blighty, I set about looking for a local supplier of the Cameleon oiler I’d seen in Croatia, alas after much time spent at a computer

PROMOTING MOTORCYCLING EXCELLANCE SINCE 1982

screen and on the phone, I gave up and decided Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;d ask the manufacturer. After initial contact, CameleonHYPERLINK "http:// www.cameleonoiler.com/" Oiler Canada kindly sent me one of their units to try out and after much delay due to TNT inefficiencies, when I finally managed to remove the unit from the clutches of TNT, I was pleasantly surprised by the compact size of the unit and its quality feel, what amazed me most was that for the price of a manual oiler, you can get a fully electronic oiler and it doesnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t require removal of plastics, tank or more to install.

After reading the Cameleons installation instructions, I was rather positive that in order to function, the unit did not require me to cut into a vacuum line and that the oiler only required a switched electrical supply for me to tap into for power.

In the pack, you get the electronic main unit with reservoir pipe work, power cables already connected and flexible pipe/screws and brackets, along with a bottle of seriously sticky E190 gear oil and after confirmation from Cameleon, I was advised their oil has been specifically mixed with various additives for the use on a motorcycle chain. Also in the pack, were installation instructions and stickers to advertise the unit.

PROMOTING MOTORCYCLING EXCELLANCE SINCE 1982

With a little thought prior to installation, fitting the unit is a simple affair, I spent as much time looking at my little er6 and of how to route the pipe work and locate it, as I did installing it. I chose to locate my unit on an exposed part of the rear sub-frame and modified a bit of rubber mount for some old heated grips to cradle the oiler in place. You could also hide the unit away, but I thought that if/when I want to adjust it, I’d rather be able to just press the units adjuster button without removing my seat, than faff about on a cold morning in the confines of my garage.

Once installed , a quick check of the electrics confirmed all was tikkedy boo and I then proceeded to route the flexible oil feed pipe down the side of the frame and behind the sub frame rear peg assembly, carefully cable tying it into place. After that, I connected the flexi pipe to the semi rigid pipe which I ran down the underside of the swing arm and then clamped it in place using a hollow piece of rubber I found just to make it look good “Vanity is my middle name” don’t you know!

At this point, I went over the instructions (a novelty indeed for me) just to make sure I primed the unit and adjusted it correctly prior to ridding off into the sunset. You can program the unit to your preferred feed rate depending on your bike, riding style and riding conditions, it’s as simple as ABC and it takes a maximum of 15 seconds is all. A check every few weeks just to see all is working well (don’t forget your daily visual checks) is all that’s needed and

PROMOTING MOTORCYCLING EXCELLANCE SINCE 1982

One thing Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve missed is that if your thinking of fitting an automatic oiler, do clean your chain thoroughly first and be patient when you first install the Cameleon oiler, as it may take a little time for the oil feed to initially show itself.

Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve now been using the oiler for the past two months and having covered over 4,000 miles with the Cameleon, I find it both an efficient and virtually maintenance free unit and can highly recommend it to anyone as an option for your machines. Jaques

PROMOTING MOTORCYCLING EXCELLANCE SINCE 1982

All Full Member Rides will leave Sainsburys Springfield, Chelmsford, at 9.30am Diary 2013

2013 Jan Feb

8 27

Group Night (natter night) EAMG Full Member Ride

Group Night EAMG AGM & Reveiller Rides

Associate Group Training

EAMG Full Member Ride

Mar

5 10 17 24 30

Group Night ( Race Night, guests welcome ) Associate Group Training EAMG Full Member Ride Observer Peer 2 Peer Super Sausage

April

2 7 14 27-30 28

Group Night Associate Group Training Full Member Training Reveiller Rides (Green) 4 day TBA EAMG Full Member Ride

May

5 EAMG Full Member Ride 6 Graham Childs Cornwall run details TBA 7 Group Night 12 Associate Group Training 19 Observer Peer 2 Peer 25/05-04/06 Reveiller Rides (blue) 11 day Scotland 26 Geoff Prestons day trip to France

June

2 4 9 16 16 22-25 23 30

Full Member Training Group Night Associate Group Training Slow Riding Day at Ford Dunton Boyz Toyz, Hylands House, Chelmsford Reveiller Rides (Red) 4 day TBA EAMG Full Member Ride Observer Peer 2 Peer

July

2 7 7 12-15 14 21 27-31 28

Group Night Associate Group Training Battlesbridge Classic Bike Show Bikers Retreat Wales EAMG Full Member Ride Full Member Training Reveiller Rides (Green) 5 day TBA Geoff Prestons run to the Norwich Aero Musuem

August

4 4

EAMG Full Member Ride Museum of Power Bikemeet

PROMOTING MOTORCYCLING EXCELLANCE SINCE 1982

6 Group Night 11 Associate Group Training 12 Associate Social Ride 18 John & Audrey’s Boys & Girls ride Cotswolds 24/08-03/09 Reveiller Rides (Blue) 11 day TBA

September

Geoff Preston’s Beachy Head run

Group Night—MCT 8 Associate Group Training 13-16 Bikers Retreat Wales 22 Observer Peer 2 Peer 29 Slow Riding Day at Ford Dunton 29 EAMG Full Member Ride

Battlesbridge Motorbilia Day

October

Group Night– Rapid Training 4-8 Reveiller Rides (Red) 5 day TBA 6 Associate Group Training 13 EAMG Full Member Ride 20 Full Member Training

November

EAMG Full Member Ride

Group Night

Associate Group Training

EAMG Full Member Training

Group Night (Quiz Night)

Associate Group Training

December

Group Nights @ 19:30, AGTs @ 9:15 am

August

Diary 2013

PROMOTING MOTORCYCLING EXCELLANCE SINCE 1982

Our Trip to Wales This years September run up to Bikers Retreat in Wales proved to be a wet one. As soon as we all set off from Brentwood it was raining, we left in two groups as a fairly large number had formed. With three punctures on the way the crafty pluggers were put into good use and we eventually arrived at bikers in dribs and drabs with varying degrees of cold wetness. A warm welcome and great dinner soon made us forget all that and look forward to the following days riding. Saturday consisted of the usual stunning roads and a visit to the Ponderosa café, which had a car park full of all sorts of bikes and bikers, it’s always great to see such a variation of people that probably wouldn’t normally get together.

Sunday was a bit of a wash out so a visit to the slate mines at Corris was on the cards for a few of us that didn’t fancy riding any distance in the strong winds and rain, and what a treat that proved to be. A really enthusiastic guide called Mark showed us around some of the tunnels and caverns equipped with helmets, head torches, ropes and battery packs. It was a fantastic way to see the man made slate mine (well it’s a quarry really) and really appreciate the hard work that went into extracting the slate. We spent two hours down there and I think if we hadn’t been in bike gear we could have quite happily spent another two, it’s well worth a visit.

PROMOTING MOTORCYCLING EXCELLANCE SINCE 1982

Once back at bikers everyone made damn sure Jill knew will hadnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t forgotten her birthday over dinner which seemed to result in some strange dressing up, check out facebook for more on that. Monday saw some of the group begin their journeys home. We were staying on at Bikers another two nights and then heading down to Builth Wells so we said our goodbyes and went fully into relax mode. A nice walk followed by a short ride round the southern loop was a pleasant way to spend the day. On Tuesday we chickened out of the bike thing again and went to Ffestiniog in the car, we had intended to visit the electric mountain but it seemed that everyone else had the same idea as the tours were all sold out. So we had a pleasant walk around the slate museum which is free and then went onto Betws-y-Coed for a bit of retail therapy and lunch.

PROMOTING MOTORCYCLING EXCELLANCE SINCE 1982

Wednesday saw us making our way to Builth Wells via Pedine Sands to visit Babs in the Museum of Speed, itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a funny little place but well worth taking the time to see if you are down that way and entry to the museum is free. Babs is appropriately looking over the seven mile stretch of beach that she broke the land speed record on, the 27ltr car reached 171.02 mph in 1926 ! We arrived in Builth Wells late in the afternoon to find ourselves in an extremely pleasant B n B called Bronwye. The owners were very welcoming despite our scruffy biker appearance which was nice. The rooms were spotless and really comfortable, there was even space to park our bikes out of sight. Builth Wells proved to be a really nice place to be, the locals were very friendly and the pub nearest the B n B called the Greyhound served good beer and very good food.

PROMOTING MOTORCYCLING EXCELLANCE SINCE 1982

On Thursday we took a walk along the river Wye while it was drizzling before heading out on the bikes as the rain eased off. Nigel wanted to do a couple of the mountain roads which I must admit to being a bit worried about. The first one from Beulah to Tregaron was quite scary, single track with steep inclines and very tight off camber turns. The scenery was worth the effort though and on the second one between Devils Bridge and Rhayader we had the pleasure of seeing some red kites up really close which was lovely. Later on that day we tried the B4358 from Beulah to Newbridge on Wye which was a great biking road not very long but full of twists and turns :) On Friday we had to reluctantly trundle home, so as we were in a different spot to usual in Wales we decided to try the A470 south followed by the A479 and then onto the A40 towards Oxford where we then picked up motorway to see us the rest of the way back. Not the most exciting route maybe but the A40 is not all dual carriage way so the journey is nicely broken up and we got home early enough to wash our bikes before dinner so it canâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t be all bad. All in all a very relaxing break in good ol Wales Laura

PROMOTING MOTORCYCLING EXCELLANCE SINCE 1982

MOTORCYCLE TYRES AND TUBES RIDE IN RIDE OUT FITTED FREE

Car and Van Tyres

All Makes — All Sizes Vintage Road

Classic

Modern

OffRoad

Race

AUTOSAFE GROUP 1ST CALL TYRESAVE—BIKERS MOTORCYCLES –ASG Tel: 01621 856 888 Email: autosafegroup@btconnect.com

Autosafe Group—MOT Classes PROMOTING MOTORCYCLING EXCELLANCE SINCE 1982

1-2-3-4- 5-7

Coast 2 Coast

So ere I am. sitting on a sunny beach. Thumb twiddling. Restless wondering wots guna be a nice trip 2do this year. When me little old brain sez .. Hey Spider u luv'd doing coast 2 coast in 2006 so lets do it again. It starts a a bit like those personal adverts . Ho hum. So i sticks down the outline on da club notice board and lo an behold peeps start saying yep I am ah going Spidey. okee dokey by me. Cutting to the chase me and AndrĂŠa rode to Stansted to meet others. Wont mention I took a wrong turn getting there. Goes past the same place twice. Whistle whistle. Oh I do luv riding the long way. We all duz the meet and greet. Just about to make a call and rocket Ron turns up a bit late. Wot a god send he was. Keeping the ride going at a good pace. The ride up was as good as good can be. Avoiding the A1 and doing the scene routes man. yeah peace brother. Weather wise its looking like rain. Ian Morton the headmaster puts his new wet gear on. But it don't happen. After Brewers fare pit stop 4 breaky. We get the wheels moving. Onwards and upwards . We find the camp site. Every thing ok. Meet up with 1 other guy that is staying in a b&b called big G. Man did he play ketchup all weekend. Tents up and a few mug shots from mark snapping away. We head off to the beer shop. I thort the pub was pucka. Food looked good. Lady at camp site sez not very good. bita rival stuff me thinks going on init. Jumps in a mini bus and hits the good old goth gaff of Whitby. Well its gota be fish and chips on a Friday. So hi ho a munching we wil go. Rings big g on the way and he gets there after us and cant get in. Lesson 1 stick with the in crowd. anybody know that song. I'm in with the in crowd. Opps I diverted. Over the next pub and soon the mini bus is taking us back. Why is it my air bed had to have a puncture. Andrea saves me by giving me one and 38

PROMOTING MOTORCYCLING EXCELLANCE SINCE 1982

i feel happier. Then I found another one and had to fix that. It was a brand new air bed. Un opened. but 2 pin holes spaced equally apart. Smells of my ex wife work as she picked it up for me. After the fan fare of noizes and sum zzzzzzz up we get ready for the main day. They are at the start. And they are off. Its Spider out in front. Being chased my head master followed up by photo Mark. They take the first corner. Its a tuff one, But spider holds the lead as he leans over a bit and they get out the farm gate. Now rocket Ron has rung me cos he took off b4 us to do a road he fancied and saw an accident. People turning back. I thort it wud be clear when we got there. Long an short of it we turned around. Now always have plan b up yer sleeve matey or make out you look like you know what your doing. Now as this is a scenic tour. lets do some senery. Heartbeat country is well nice. So we plough on till lunch by a really nice place for a pit stop. lovely ladies serving us. The guy in the b&b not a club member would not filter. Even wen traffic was not moving . So i asked big G about it. Explained the situation and he sed no prob i will see you there. After that there was no more traffic probs. Now my favourite bit of the ride was grassington. Ask posh Tony and smoking Bill they go up that way a lot. He even bought a house up there. smoking Bills m8 lives in a Tardis. that's another story tho. Grassington is up and down hills, through the picture postcard towns and landscape fields. Rivers oh you get it. Bloody lovely. I wanted to stop but time was against us. A detour by Mr plod did not help. Cos of sum accident. Right we need to spend dosh on fuel or push the bikes. I finks petrol sounds good 2 me. Well i say petrol, but Mick. Now known as diesel Mick decides to try out diesel in his beemer. now I know they are known as tractors. Don't mean they run on that stuff tho . He told me later what happened. We press on leaving him there as agreed. AA 2 the rescue. We get to the bit which is worth dying for. Well maybe not dying. Hard Knots pass. Two of the steepest roads in good old GB. The road shuts in the winter. Blind bends and adverse camber add to the thrill. Sam had a go at leading wen i asked him if the road was clear for me to pull out from a blind bend. He thort i wanted him to lead it. So i followed for a bit and asked him. I went back in front then a few min later no body was behind me. Andrea had hit a pot hole and that was off number one. No damage to bike or her. was there any more offs. Well i aint telling. Time was getting on. Looks like rain. Just as we get over the pass my sat nav looses the plot. Cheers sam u saved us. As we get to camp site its getting PROMOTING MOTORCYCLING EXCELLANCE SINCE 1982

dark. Wind was going for it. We went past big G. No time to stop. Never see him again. Thort he wud come on to site. Tents up beer food and fun followed. Chats about the ride and all enjoyed it. Diesel Mick found a shop. Got a pump for ÂŁ2 and some off roaders took over the job of getting the wrong fuel out. They knocked on a couple of doors and put it in cans. Hows that ! Even my bed stayed up. Ear plugs needed in tent. Wow that wind was something else. On the ride home. I said if anybody wants to split sit on motorway etc. feel free. The first part of ride was ace a mondo. Then sum wanted motorway. Ron had to shoot off for family stuff. Headmaster went. So did all the others at some point. They all got back b4 us and all got a soaking. Andrea stuck with me and we rode a lot of a or b roads. On a 400 mile ride I think that's really good for a lady to do them sorta miles. She deserves a pat on the back for doing that ride. We got home last about 9.40 I think. Happy and content. I done the whole trip in leathers. 4 got to pack over suit. Luck was on my side as I never got one bit of rain on me. Cheers everybody you was a great bunch. One big happy family. Ride safe spider.

PROMOTING MOTORCYCLING EXCELLANCE SINCE 1982

Living with the Tiger. Having now owned my Tiger 1050 for one year ten months and four days I thought I would give you an insight of the first few months of ownership. My first thoughts when I pulled away from the dealers were, this is lovely, a brand new bike, dry roads and the sun is shinning what more could I ask for? Well more Rev’s wouldn’t go a miss, the sales mans words still fresh and ringing in my ears telling me to keep the rev’s below 3500 for the first 100 miles, I thought this is going to be hard, very hard. I managed 10 miles, and then jumped to the next stage of max 5k revs until 300 miles… I had heard of rumours about 1050 Tigers using oil if not properly run-in, well I wasn’t thrashing it so I just got on with enjoying the ride. Just 5 days later I was back at the dealers for the first service, I had to get the initial miles out of the way so quickly because I had a trip to France booked for the very next day. Service completed, cash paid, I rode towards home the long way round. I was feeling rather excited about my first trip away on the Tiger and you know that feeling you get when you think things can’t get that much better? That’s how I was feeling, until, the bike momentarily cut out then started again then cut out once more. With my clutch pulled in I rolled to a stop, went to put my heel on the side stand and could not find it, it was already down. I got off the bike to find the spring that holds the side stand up had fallen off and the side stand had just simply dropped to the ground and cut the ignition then restarted when it bounced back up off of the road then cut out again…. I was not impressed. Fortunately I had prepared my bike early for my trip to France, this included putting 5 or 6 cable tie’s under the seat (just in case), I simply used 2 of the cable ties joined together to hold the stand up. It was 4:15 pm and the dealer was 20 miles away, I called them to explain what I needed and they agreed to take a spring off a new bike for me so I needed to get there in 45 minutes, easy…. Spring replaced I was off home to pack for my early morning start. The trip to France was absolutely fantastic, I was getting more used to the bike as the miles piled on but what I really wanted to do was try the Tiger on the Nordschleife /Nurburgring. How happy was I (?) when the organiser of the trip suggested that I lead a group to the Ring, I did not hesitate. The next day we were there, all I can say is the Tiger performed reasonably well for what is a relatively heavy bike. Ok, the brakes are not super sport standard nor is the suspension and the engine at times needed a little more oomph but I did enjoy my laps.

PROMOTING MOTORCYCLING EXCELLANCE SINCE 1982

Riding the Tiger home from France I realised that I had made the right decision in purchasing this bike. I was comfortable even after 350 miles, the luggage did its job without looking to old man ish. I had covered a mere 2k miles in just 2 weeks. Since the France trip I have come to the following conclusion, The Tiger handles well for such a large bike, The fuel consumption of 46.2 mpg is acceptable to good. The finish on both the paintwork and engine is very good. Tyre wear is not an issue @ 8.5K front 5K rear. It still looks modern/sharp and far better than the BMW GS Old men like the Triumph Brand. White is the new Black!!! Below is a list of gripes, the cost of the servicing to be the biggest gripe of all. 1 the front Brake lever span is to large even when adjusted 2 the side stand lets the bike lean over too far for my liking. 3 the rear seat does not fit properly and had worn a hole in the fabric (now fixed) 4 the top box lock/catch jams, very annoying at times 5 the front lights are not at all very good 6 the screen produces far too much wind noise (the Triumph touring screen was worse) 7 the cost of servicing is higher than my BMW S1000RR sports bike. 8 the rear suspension is not good enough for 2 up riding especially when luggage is added. Living with the Tiger is not all bad and I have to say my opinion of the overall package is still very good. Will I change it? Maybe, but what would I choose next?

Thanks to Phil for letting me recycle this article

PROMOTING MOTORCYCLING EXCELLANCE SINCE 1982

First I would like ‘SMIDSY’ incident where someone pulled out in front

to wish

Colin Snow

a speedy

recovery, following

bacon_motorcycle@btconnect.com www.baconsmotorcycles.co.uk

Open 9am-6pm Mon to Sat

PROMOTING MOTORCYCLING EXCELLANCE SINCE 1982

News n Stuff courtesy of trader daily news

PROMOTING MOTORCYCLING EXCELLANCE SINCE 1982

Wanted A new editor for TUG I am planning on handing it over to a willing victim at the next AGM (Feb 2014) so if you are interested or know anyone that I could bully into it please let me know :) I have enjoyed working on TUG but I donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t think it is good for one person to do it for too long and would like a little spare time back to do other things. If anyone wants to know more about what is involved then I will be more then happy to help. I can be emailed at the usual places or talk to me at group night. Look forward to hearing from you Laura PS Donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t worry if you are new to the group either as it has proved to be a great way to get to know people

PROMOTING MOTORCYCLING EXCELLANCE SINCE 1982

C J BARDWELL Contractors Flagstaff Farm, Green Lane, Althorne, Essex, CM3 6BQ Telephone: Office 01621 828276; Mobile 07836 277223; Fax 01621 828113 BUILDING, CIVIL ENGINEERING AND MAINTENANCE EXTENSIONS - GARAGES - LOFT CONVERSIONS BLOCKPAVING DRIVEWAYS - PATIOS ROOFING (ALL TYPES) CARPENTRY - BRICKWORK WATER MAIN AND SEWER REPAIRS AND RENEWAL FENCING - REPLACEMENT WINDOWS (upvc, hardwood, aluminium) UPVC CLADDING, FASCIAS, SOFFITS UNDERPINNING - LANDSCAPING PAINTING AND DECORATING FULLY INSURED (BUT NOT YET NEEDED) For free no-obligation quote, phone Clint on 01621 828276 (office) 07836 277223 (mobile) DOMESTIC AND COMMERCIAL WORK UNDERTAKEN INSURANCE WORK WELCOME

Member of The Federation of Civil Engineering Contractors

PROMOTING MOTORCYCLING EXCELLANCE SINCE 1982

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 £45.00

Sunday 14th April 2013

Sunday 2nd June 2013

Sunday 21st July 2013

Sunday 20th Oct 2013

Contact John Tipper, Email: jtipper@eamg.org.uk

PROMOTING MOTORCYCLING EXCELLANCE SINCE 1982

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 - 2013

Membership Secretary

Observer Coordinator

Teri Olley

John Tullett

tba

jtullett@eamg.org.uk

PROMOTING MOTORCYCLING EXCELLANCE SINCE 1982

Additional Membership Fee

Contribution to Observer

ÂŁ20 pa

ÂŁ10 per ride 53

Looking to take up the chairman’s position ? It maybe worth having a long think about as it seems to have some strange side effects...

ESSEX ADVANCED MOTORCYCLISTS GROUP

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Laura Windram, Editor University of Essex Printing Services, contact Hannah 01206 872822 for more information. Please mention EAMG when replying to advertisers - it identifies you!

Disclaimer and Copyright Notice: The articles published herein do not necessarily represent the views of the Essex Advanced Motorcyclists Group. They are the opinions of individual contributors and are published with a view that free expression promotes discussion and interest. Any spelling or grammatical errors are the responsibility of the editor and a society that pays footballers more than teachers. Inclusion of adverts is not to be construed as EAMG endorsement, although most advertisers are excellent, but seek personal recommendations.Text © EAMG 2011. Illustrations © EAMG 2010, except where indicated otherwise. Group material may be reproduced provided acknowledgement is given to EAMG and the original author.

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Buying or Selling? phone ...

USED BIKE SPECIALIST Unit 2, Court Industrial Estate, Navigation Road, Chelmsford, Essex, CM2 6DN

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MOTORCYCLES BOUGHT, SOLD & EXCHANGED Always 50 machines in stock — see:

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PROMOTING MOTORCYCLING EXCELLANCE SINCE 1982