11th February Club Night The Famous WAM AGM Eastham Ferry Hotel Ferry Road Eastham CH62 0AU
Issue No 192
February 2014
W I R R A L A D VA N C E D M OTOR C Y C L I S T S Group Council 2013 ~ 2014 Web Site
IAM Group 5115 http://www.w-a-m.co.uk
Chairman
Rob Tutchings
chairman@w-a-m.co.uk
Vice Chairman
Tim Brown
vicechairman@w-a-m.co.uk
Honorary Treasurer
Lindsay Boston
treasurer@w-a-m.co.uk
Membership
Luke Windsor 0797 907 1701
membership@w-a-m.co.uk
Associate Coordinator
Derek Jeffries 07957341692 Rob Cooper 0151 648 4503
associatecoordinator@w-a-m.co.uk
Honorary Secretary
secretary@w-a-m.co.uk
Events Organiser
Dave Spotswood events@w-a-m.co.uk
Newsletter Editor & Minute Secretary
Peter Lovatt
newsletter@w-a-m.co.uk
Group Shop
Martin Titley 0151 632 3570
groupshop@w-a-m.co.uk
Chief Observer
Mike Boston
chiefobserver@w-a-m.co.uk
Other Council members Ian Roberts Nina Jeffries Ken Smith Rob D’Cruze
CONTACT WAM
MAGAZINE TEAM:
Rob Cooper Coopers Upholstery The Old Bank Everton Valley Liverpool L5 0RH
Distribution: Magazine Dispatchers and the Post Office!
Editor: Peter Lovatt Duplication: Martin Titley
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Hi WAM members! As this is the first WAM magazine of 2014, I’ll wish you all a belated Happy New Year! Didn’t the WAM Christmas meal go down well at the December club night? With over 50 people there it was a well attended event. I think everyone there enjoyed the 3 course meal, and the best bit? No washing up to do at the end!! Thanks to Dave S and Nina for organising, and keeping track of who ordered what. OK, February is the BIG ONE for WAM; it’s our AGM. So put this into your diaries and make an effort to turn up to put some input into your club. The date is 11th February 2014. Don’t forget that we are always looking for new faces to join the group council. There are a few vacant positions this year, so if you think you have a few hours a month to spare, your help would be most appreciated. After all it is YOUR club! Please note!! Inside this issue is the Membership renewal form. Please note the change of Membership Secretary and therefore address!! Thanks to all who have contributed articles to the WAM magazine. It makes my life a bit easier, and the magazine a more interesting read. Thanks to Steve Lord and Steve and Jackie Gibbs for their contributions! And finally, CONGRATULTIONS to Tony Barber for passing the IAM Test Pete Here are a couple of pix from the December Christmas meal.
I’ll have more pix from the night. In next months issue, as well as the presentations made to members on the night.
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AGM NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that the 34th Annual General Meeting of Wirral Advanced Motorcyclists will be held on: Tuesday 11th February 2014 at The Eastham Ferry Hotel Eastham, Wirral to present their:1. Annual report and accounts for the year ending 31st January, 2013 for approval by the group Members 2. Election of Council officers - Chairman, Vice-Chairman, Secretary, and Treasurer 3. Election of other council members 4. Group Constitution 5. Any other Business Rob Cooper - Group Secretary Group No. 5115 All members, Associates and Friends of the group and their guests are invited to attend, BUT only FULLY paid up members of the Institute and of the group may vote
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AGENDA
Apologies for absence. 1.
Minutes of previous AGM. Any matters arising and approval of. (Resolution No.1) 2. Chairman’s annual report. 3. Accounts and Treasurer’s annual report. Details and approval of. (Resolution No.2) 4. Group associate scheme and membership report 5. Election of group council members: The following members retire in accordance with rule 6.(d) of the group constitution: Luke Windsor, Steve Walling, Colin Jones, Ian Roberts(?) Members for re-election in accordance with rule 6.(d) To be confirmed at the AGM The following member(s) offer themselves for election onto the Group Council: Cliff Evans, Carl Mason, Nicole Rigby (Resolution No.3) Election of Officers and the Group Council:*CHAIRMAN Tim Brown *VICE CHAIRMAN Ken Smith *HON.SECRETARY Rob Cooper *MEMBERSHIP SECRETARY Nina Jeffries *ASSOCIATE COORDINATOR Derek Jeffries *CHIEF OBSERVER Mike Boston *HON.TREASURER Lindsay Boston Council Members with portfolio * MINUTES SECRETARY Peter Lovatt *GROUP SHOP Martin Titley *EVENTS SECRETARY Dave Spotswood *NEWSLETTER EDITOR Peter Lovatt *MAGAZINE TEAM Peter Lovatt/Martin Titley *new* *GIFT AID COORDINATOR Rob D’Cruze *new* *RIDE OUT COORDINATOR Rob Tutchings Other Council Members RETIRING COUNCIL MEMBERS
Luke Windsor
6. Any Other Business Voting will take place on Resolutions 1 to 5 as detailed above. 5
Motorcycle Live 2013 On Tuesday 26th November 2013, a full coach load of WAM members and guests trekked down the M6 to Birmingham’s NEC to see this year’s Motorcycle Live. Yamaha had a large area and focused on the launch of their new MT-09 (exclusively reviewed in November’s mag by Nina and Derek). Our roving reporter Dave “Spotty” Spotswood asks for more details from the Yamaha Sales Reps but it all turns sour when he asks for a “test ride”!
The Honda stand drew large crowds to see their new models plus the free coffee and biscuits. We had to go back twice to see the Honda range again because we didn’t see it
all first time round! Also, Tim had to be peeled off the Cross Tourer to let other punters have a go! A number of members shopped for bargains. 6
Bob shows Tim and Dave what he has picked up. Meanwhile Rob is considering the “Life Raft” option for the official Ride Out’s!
Spotty tries out for size KTM’s new monster bike, the Super Duke R…180 bhp and 189kg (dry)! This image was taken just before Dave
did a wheelie and ended up on the Triumph stand!
It was there that we bumped into Jan and Geraint from Dragon Motor Tours. Jan was very impressed with the new 1050 Sport… sorry Geraint!
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I’m considering the fur rug option for my Tiger 800 as well. I did ask about if there was a Tiger Skin option as well and that point, I was asked to leave the stand! All the other manufacturers had good sized stands including BMW who also had a section of bikes representing their 90 year history and there was much interest in the new GS1200. Chinese manufacturer WK also had a large stand…one to watch in the future perhaps? I really enjoyed the day and it was good opportunity to look at the new bikes being launched this year and pick up some accessory bargains. Many organisations were represented including Bike Safe and Blood Bikes. I was a bit disappointed not to see IAM there and I was expecting the show to be slightly bigger as well? Talking with other seasoned attendees, the show is smaller than previous years…a sign of the times perhaps? I’m pleased to report it was a trouble free journey both ways in a luxury coach supplied from Cass of Wirral and we sailed through the road works on the M6 when we all feared the worse. The biggest issue was finding a place for the coach to park at the NEC! A big thank-you to Derek for organising. Steve Lord.
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Wirral Advanced Motorcyclists & HMRC Gift Aid scheme WAM has been accepted by HMRC as a charitable Company. So what does this mean for WAM? In a nutshell, it allows WAM to reclaim, from HMRC, 25 pence for every £1 that a UK taxpayer pays to WAM by way of their membership subscription or certain other donations. Put simply, on a membership subscription of £20, WAM can reclaim £5 from HMRC. There is a simplified explanation of the effects upon, and responsibilities to, the taxpayer once you read the Gift Aid declaration, on the website links below:More information about the Gift Aid scheme can be found on the HMRC website at www.hmrc.gov.uk/charities/gift_aid/basics.htm
What does WAM ask of you? Well it's simple - to support your club if you can, by agreeing to allow WAM to reclaim Gift Aid from the tax that you have already paid to HMRC; at no cost to you! There is a form on the WAM website www.w-a-m.co.uk/giftaid.html www.w-a-m.co.uk/resources/Gift Aid Declaration for Past Present and Future.pdf If you are able and willing to provide a signed Gift Aid declaration that you do so by printing off, completing and either personally handing to Rob D'Cruze or posting it to him at: 34 Myers Road East Crosby Liverpool L23 0QZ If anyone has any questions or concerns, please speak to Rob when you see him or on 0151 928 6290. 9
WIRRAL ADVANCED MOTORCYCLISTS MEMBERSHIP RENEWAL
FULL MEMBER* £20 GROUP FRIEND £20
E-Mail Address: ______________________________________________________
__________________ (Fax)
__________________ (Mobile)
Bike: __________________
Telephone Numbers: __________________(Home)
Post Code: __________________
Address: ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________
Surname: ___________________________
PERSONAL DETAILS: First Name: _________________________
*FULL MEMBERS - MUST be a current full member of Wirral Advanced Motorcyclists AND a current member of the Institute of Advanced Motorists, if not, they are a Group Friend
TYPE OF MEMBERSHIP: (Please tick) ASSOCIATE £20
I wish to apply to renew my membership of Wirral Advanced Motorcyclists for the year 2014 and enclose a cheque - number:_____________ made payable to Wirral Advanced Motorcyclists for £_______. My details are shown below and I agree to these being held, in accordance with the Data Protection Act, on computer file. I understand that my membership fee is renewable annually.
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Please return this form together with your remittance to:
DO WANT TO RECEIVE A PAPER COPY OF THE WAM MAGAZINE please indicate your preference YES / NO go to http://www.w-a-m.co.uk/newsletters.html for online version
Signature: ____________________________________ Date:__________________
I agree / do not agree to my details being held on a computer file.
Date of Expiry of IAM Membership: __________________
IAM Membership Number: __________________ Date of Test Pass:_________________________
REMINDER: Subscriptions are due at the AGM in February and MUST be paid by 30th April at the latest.
Nina Jeffries 2 Ikin Road Bidston Wirral Merseyside CH43 7XU
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IMPORTANT WAM DATES Observer Course Please email Mike our Chief Observer on chiefobserver@w-a-m.co.uk for more info There is an Observer Course taking place on Saturday 8th March
The Observers day is at the Cheshire Lines Birkenhead, Address and the Car Park entrance is from Shore Steet Cheshire Lines building Canning Street Birkenhead CH41 1ND
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Fixed Length Course 1 dates 2014 15th March Week 1
Introduction to the course, Objectives, Explain about Roadcraft, Demonstration ride.
22nd March Week 2
The 4S' Safety, System, Smoothness, Speed
29th March Week 3
Positioning, Observation, Corners and Bends, Over takes, Limit points
5th April
Week 4
Town work, Motorways
12thApril
Week 5
Corners, Bends, Revision period
19th April
Week 6
Assessment rides for test and de-brief *******************
Possible future Events:please contact events@w-a-m.co.uk for more info or to confirm interest Another ride out to RAF Cosford
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STEVE AND JACKIE’S TRIP TO CROATIA AND ITALY We have never been active members of WAM, joining 2 years ago after moving to Frodsham due to family commitments. We were both members of SLAM where Steve participated in Observing IAM courses for 6 years. Steve had full intentions of continuing his Observing duties but has found the travelling back to work and other family necessities time consuming, leaving no time to commit to observing. So we enjoy and support the social side of WAM, hangers-on really.
We had been on a few European tours with SLAM members in the past and thoroughly enjoyed them and felt that with the move to Frodsham, we wouldn’t ever do another. But in November 2012 an e-mail arrived from Pino and Jane proffering a trip to Dubrovnik and Sorrento, - we quickly changed our minds! Both are places we’d always wanted to go to, and this trip had the Dalmatian Coast Road and Amalfi Coast thrown in! So at the beginning of September, off we went with Pino and Jane and John and Cath for a 20 day, 3200 mile trip. We took the ferry to Rotterdam, then 6 days to get to Dubrovnik via Holland, Germany, Austria, Slovenia, Croatia and a tinsy bit of Bosnia that, when you get a larger scale map, can be seen to divide Croatia in two. Then we crossed by ferry to Bari in Italy, rode across to Sorrento, and then worked our way up to Lake Garda and Bolzano. There we put the bikes on the Autozug train for a nice kip on the way to Dusseldorf, and thence the ferry back to Hull. Jackie’s GSXR 1000 (Gixxer) had a clogged air filter by the time we got home, while Steve’s Triumph Tiger 1050 (The Tiger), Pino’s FJR (two-up) and John’s 1200GS Adventure (two-up) were ready for another round. Holland On disembarking at Europort, all the riders were breathalysed at passport control (not the car drivers!) I don’t know if they thought we’d been drinking more than the car drivers, AND we had our IAM badges proudly displayed. How dare they! A grey Holland seemed like one large motorway interchange, and was swiftly dispatched, pausing only for the best cherry pie 13
ever at our first stop. On the way back, Holland seemed a lot nicer, as we made our way by back roads as close to the Rhine as we could get, sometimes on the top of the dyke. Germany We entered Germany in torrential rain. Luckily, two periods of a couple of hours were all the rain we had on the trip. This batch kindly stopped just as we got to Bonn and made our way down the Rhine, with our first wursten at Konigswinter. After an overnight at Koblenz, we continued alongside the Rhine – incredibly impressive, with its huge volume of water, busy shipping and fairy-tale castles perched on sheer crags. The good road and light traffic allowed us to appreciate it. As a bonus on the way back in the autozug, we opened our train compartment curtains at first light to find we were back alongside this same stretch of stretch of the Rhine, giving a different and more leisurely perspective, as we ate our breakfast on the train unencumbered by protective clothing. Leaving the Rhine, we entered the Odenwald. This was great, hilly, twisty biking country and, it being Sunday, we were not alone! Then we followed the Neckar River (with our most expensive lunch of the trip, Red Deer casserole at Burg Hornberg). Then on into another hilly bit, the Frankischer Wald, before arriving at the interesting little town of Nordlingen, where stork’s nests on the roof hinted that we were moving southwards.
Austria Next day we entered Austria, and suddenly there were ski-resorts and waitresses in Bavarian costumes. After a couple of lower Alpine passes for practice, we went over the mighty Grossglockner (or Gloss Nocker, as the Hairy Bikers recently had it). For Pino and John, this was third time lucky: the Bikers Point at the top was clear and we got great views even though some of the higher peaks were in cloud. On the way home, some German bikers told us they failed to cross a few days
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after us, as it was closed by snow. Slovenia After our overnight at Dollach, we crossed a few more low passes and followed the valleys of the Drau and Gail. It was a truly stunning morning, with fantastic mountain scenery and good roads. By lunchtime the temperature was over 300C, and pretty much stayed there for the next 10 days. We crossed the Wurzen Pass into Slovenia, and then over the very nadgery, 50-hairpin Vrsic Pass into the valley of the Soca river. There was a big gathering of Harleys in the area (Pino thought this was an annual meet at Villach) and we were overtaken on the hairpins by Harleys with both male and female riders! Some had Austrian number plates and “Big Mountain Chapter” patches, so we can only blame their passing us on them having lots of practice, as we all know Harleys can’t brake or handle! The Soca Valley was a brilliant sweeping road with little traffic and fantastic mountain views. A lot of the riders we met were on circular routes through here and then back via Italy into Austria again. This day was for us the best biking of the trip. It was topped off with a stay in the old town of Ljubljana and the best veal fillets of the trip. Do we seem to be mentioning food a lot here? It certainly was a major feature of the trip. Passing through so many countries, we felt obliged to sample the local cuisine and wines as much as possible! Croatia Crossing to Croatia the next day, we hit the Dalmatian Coast Road at Rijeke. The views, out to sea, down onto the beaches and inland to the towering limestone peaks were stunning. The road, however, was pretty busy. Multiple roadworks ensured that the traffic travelled in tight bunches, and there were many tourist coaches and campervans. Why do old people feel obliged to buy these things and drive them along the world’s most beautiful roads at 25mph? In addition, someone had gone mad with the Euro traffic manual in one hand and white paint in the other (they joined the EU only in July). Any stretch of road that was not dead straight had a solid white line, and any junction, even for a dirt track in a field, had a reduced speed limit. Dubrovnick old town from top cable car station 15
We found ourselves starting to envy the sunbathers and the yachties! We took the ferry across to Pag Island, where the traffic was much lighter, the views to the mainland fantastic, and we got another nice boat trip on the way! That night’s hotel was by the sea, so a first swim in the Adriatic, and the trip’s best fish dinner (and, Jackie maintains, the best fish of her life!!) Onwards to Dubrovnik, we passed through Bosnia uninsured and hence very carefully. You can’t get insurance for Bosnia in Britain, and there is much misinformation on the internet about this! The customs officials just waved us through. We had a couple of days sightseeing in Dubrovnik. It has a brilliant old town and coastal setting, with lots of adventure sports, as well as the culture. Folk around our hotel seemed to be mostly Brits. We had a long wait for the night ferry to Bari, and Jane and Cath spotted a supermarket from which they produced an impromptu picnic, as we watched the Italian navy lower the flag on their tall-ship training vessel moored nearby. The ferry to Bari was well described by John and Cath as “like a refugee ship” most of the passengers seemed to travel on deck, and were clustered wherever you went, sleeping on any flat surface. We had (relatively) posh cabins. Italy We landed in Italy at 8am, and hit the road, heading south to Matera, within 20 miles of the sea at Italy’s “instep”. Then we headed into the mountains, with great views of hills and reservoirs, and soon had our first encounter with road quality in the mountains. Presumably due to the weather conditions, the road had formed into waves, parallel with or diagonally across the road. In the most severe cases, the road had cracked across the troughs of the waves. John decided that this improved Jackie’s handling of the hairpins, as all her attention was on avoiding the next divot! The Amalfi Coast Road We reached the other coast at Salerno early on Saturday afternoon, and it was incredibly busy and well over 30 degrees C. The local riders are not terribly patient in traffic, and we were overtaken both by the Ducatisti and the local scooter riders. They have a different System in the Amalfi area: • • • • •
Give information: everyone knows I’m coming through! Position: Any 6 inch gap. Speed: Full throttle Gear: No need to twist and go; just pin it open! Acceleration: Already flat out.
All the gear all the time? It didn’t look like it! But it was hard to blame them in that heat!
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We parked up in the garden of our hotel in Sorrento. Next day we discovered that if you park your bike touching so much as a single leaf of a tree, the ants will march across the bridge and attempt to nest under your seat and tank! We had two free days in Sorrento. We took a boat trip to Capri, and the next day rode up Vesuvius, followed by a second go of the coast road as it’s that good. Central Italy From Sorrento we made our way up the spine of Italy, spending two nights at L’Aquila and three at Siena. The roads were fantastic, like central Spain with walled hill towns and castles, lakes and gorges. We were aware that L’Aquila had been struck by an earthquake in 2009, but were shocked at how much of the devastation remained. Most businesses were closed, with our hotel and the restaurant being a couple of the few newly built buildings. Nearby was the highest mountain in the Appenines, the Gran Sasso D’Italia. It stayed in cloud so we made the assent by cable car and found it was blowing such a hoolie at the top we didn’t stay. Siena Siena is reputedly second only to Florence for its medieval buildings and art. We’ve not been to Florence, but Siena certainly is a feast for the senses. Vehicles are banned from the narrow streets, and finding the hotel and parking was interesting, and a good test for the English of the local police. We chilled out there for a couple of days, getting some culture and eating ice-creams in the Piazza. We’re trying to avoid too many mentions of food, but the hotel had panforte as part of the breakfast – a nougat-like cake, which is a must for breakfast! That evening Steve had it as a dessert, with honey and ewe’s milk cheese.
Misano Jackie and I split from the group in Siena to go and watch Cal win the MotoGP at Misano. Well, that’s what we went for anyway. We rode across to the east coast, a really enjoyable ride through the mountains, where, being Saturday again, all the local bikers were out. As we pulled up for a coffee, two locals on Guzzis were so impressed to find Jackie on the Gixxer that they bought us both a coffee, and en17
thused about their favourite roads. If only we’d had the time! We stayed at Cattolica, for a last dip in the Adriatic. It was a bit like Blackpool but was 5 minutes from the GP track. We had the Brembo mechanics staying at our hotel, but failed to pick up any gossip. A great day at the GP; arrival and parking were organised chaos, with what it says on your ticket apparently of little relevance. Sadly the Brits did not do too well, but we really enjoyed the atmosphere. We had to make a swift departure to ride 180 miles up to Lake Garda to be reunited with the rest of the group. The last 50 miles were the second batch of heavy rain of the trip, on the motorway north. Lake Garda The rain was soon forgotten when we saw the location of our hotel, bang on the shore of the lake. We woke next day to see the sunrise over the mountains behind the lake from our balcony, and we all met for breakfast on the Lakeside. Brilliant! So began the last real day of the holiday, as we made our way up the west side of Lake Garda, with spectacular views of the lake and mountains, sometimes through rock windows in the many short tunnels. After a coffee, we headed up into the mountains for the last few twisties and amazing views in the fringes of the Dolomites. We had lunch at Molveno, in a fantastic setting by its lake set among the mountains. After Slovenia, this was our second best biking day. Then it was on to Bolzano to load our bikes onto the train. Names to Conjure With! On our trip we took in parts of the Romantische Strasse, Idyllische Strasse, Jadranska Magistrale, Via Appia and Amalfitana. On the return to Rotterdam, we even did a bit of the Route Industriekultur. The twisties were greatly enhanced by being so designated! Reflections It was the trip with everything: alpine roads, stunning mountain and coastal scenery, culture, great food and drink, great company, mostly hot sunshine, swimming in the Adriatic, riding up a volcano, going to the GP, great food, taking our bikes on boats and trains! Did we mention the cream tea at Ampleforth College? It made us glad we’re bikers, and we’re very grateful to Pino and Jane for that invitation and for planning and organising another top holiday!! Steve and Jackie Gibbs 18
WIRRAL ADVANCED MOTORCYCLISTS
Diary of Events www.w-a-m.co.uk *************************
February 11th Club Night - WAM AGM *************************
March 11th Club Night - Dave Rees (Wirral Road Safety) *************************
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DISCLAIMER:-
The articles published herein do not necessarily represent the views of the Institute of Advanced Motorists Ltd, or the Wirral Group of Advanced Motorcyclists. They are the opinions of individual contributors and are published with the view that free expression promotes discussion and interests. So you have been warned. Interested in doing the Advanced Car Test? Wirral Advanced Motorists are the people to see. Go to www.wirraliam.co.uk