H.O.G.® Chapter 6655
INSIDE Features 9 - Morzine Harley Days 12 - The Real Deal 14 - Go East 16 - The One Day Ride 18 - Swanning off to Swanage 20 - Wet Weather Riding 22 - Steel Horse Café
Regulars 2 - Director’s Cut 3 - Secretary’s Update 4 - Committee Roundup 5 - Ladies of Harley 5 - Between the Cover 6 - From the Front 7 - Cangen Cymraeg 8 - Cockers Bits 23 - Pete & Duncan’s Pump Stop 25 - Orchard Trust 27 - At a Glance
November 2013
Official Newsletter of the Great Western Chapter
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Director’s Cut
By Barry “Bazzzzer” Aggett
Hi All, With summer now a distant memory, it’s time to hunker down for a freezing winter which, as I get older, seems to last longer and longer! But at least it’s a festive time of year, unless you’re a humbug, and a chance to give presents to your loved ones. Now, as we know, the blokes when asked “what do you want for Christmas ” say “nothing really” with the usual apathy, so they end up with socks and pants or a tie and shirt set. So, come on guys raise your expectations and start your list now. There must be loads of shiny bike bits you’ll buy during the year, or what about some heated gloves or grips or at least heated underpants! On the other hand, the women know exactly what they want, a different sort of shiny bit, small enough to fit on a finger or maybe clothes, shoes or handbag, because a woman’s wardrobe is never full! All this choice leaves us blokes completely confused, which is why we leave the shopping until Christmas Eve, then panic and buy sexy underwear or a smelly box-set thinking that’s romantic! Of course, if you were one of the lucky three winners of the Compliance Voucher draw you got an extra pressie this year. Whilst on the subject of Christmas, I must mention our party at St Mary’s, so book your tickets now to avoid disappointment.
In early October, it was RTTW with about 15/20 bikes from GWC in attendance. A day for paying respect to those that have made the ultimate sacrifice and a very moving experience as Stewart Wallace and Paul Meegan joined me to lay a wreath on behalf of GWC. At the time of writing, Hoggin’ the Bridge 2013 is this coming weekend, and as you read this, was it a success ending up at Chepstow Racecourse or a split attendance with many going into Chepstow town centre? Or more importantly was the curry good! Also as you read this the 10th Anniversary dinner at the Hilton has come and gone, hopefully a fitting finale to our ten events with a few coming away with prestigious awards! Yes, I know there is still the LOH trip to London; how could I forget a weekend at home with my feet up! The deadline has now past for return of Secondary Officer nomination forms and since there were no new nominations the incumbents have agreed to serve another term. Well done guys, you know it makes sense! Many will already know that the Abertawe Cymru UK Chapter has been given the green light by H.O.G.® and will be up and running very soon. Congratulations to Andy Ball and Adrian Vaughan as Assistant Directors, Adrian also as Secretary, Graham Roach as Head Road Captain, Len Daly as Treasurer and Neil Lewis as Historian & Photographer. We wish you every success and look forward to many adventures together. I must add that Cangen Cymraeg carries on as usual, or I’m guessing my phone will start ringing!
With 2014 around the corner we need to focus on In RoadHOG last month my crystal ball must have some key events, one being our Hogs in the Hayfields been a little hazy because I predicted a victory for the rally, so if you’d like to be part of this planning, please GWC dance troop at the Blazin’ Cannons rally but feel free to come along to the kick off meeting at Ridshock, horror we didn’t enter! ers on the 16th November at 2.00 pm. That same weekend it was our team rideout to SwaLastly, a reminder that your completed Mileage Pronage with Andy RKK Kendall at the helm. A great ride gramme forms with dealer stamp need to be returned and the obligatory fish n chips on the seafront made to me by the end of November. for a successful trip, unless your name is Stu Scott! For full details of all our events please visit the webPoor Stu got to the far side of Norton St Philip, his site as this is being frequently updated as events firm first marshal point, to find a cut in his front tyre, so that was the end of his day and the expense of a new up and if you find anything missing please remind us, we’re only human! tyre! I guess I should also mention another marshal who had a bad day. Yes it was me, when I took a Barry “Bazzzzer” Aggett wrong turn at a roundabout and saw RKK and the Director entourage heading down the correct exit before I could turn around; don’t you just hate it when that Email: baznjac11@o2.co.uk happens! Home: 01291 620371 Mobile: 07907 351650
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Secretary’s Update
By Yvonne Roberts
Hi Everyone!
Darlow Lloyd was presented with his prize for having the nearest guess to the finishing time of the Firstly, as I didn’t receive Canoe Glide! any nominations for Secondary Officers by the deadline of October 15th, there was no need to send out voting papers this month. I‘d like to think that this is an indication that you are satisfied with the efforts of our present Committee! Since sending out membership renewal forms for 2014, I have already had an amazing response from members either sending or giving me their renewal forms! If you haven’t already done this, please complete the 2014 Membership Renewal Form, remem- A very surprised and pleased Paul Chivers having ® bering to sign the release part of the form at the bot- been told by Baz that he’d won a £100 H.O.G. tom, even if you pay by Bankers Standing Order. It voucher to spend at Riders! is a requirement of H.O.G.® that all Chapter members sign this form annually, so I cannot process your membership until I have received your signed form. Therefore, if your spouse or partner is rejoining the Chapter as a Full or an Associate member of H.O.G.®, they must also sign the release form. If you decide to change your method of payment for 2014 to a Bankers Standing Order, you need to take the Standing Order Form to your bank, or set up a Standing Order online, if you use electronic banking. Please do not send it to me! If you already pay by Bankers Standing Order you do not need to do anything, as the payment will continue unless you inAn equally surprised and pleased Bryan “Rattler” struct your bank otherwise. Sheppard being awarded a special patch for shakI will then send out 2014 GWC membership card(s) ing the charity bucket for hours each year at the with the next available issue of RoadHOG, or post it Bristol Bike Show! to those members who have opted for an electronic copy only. A Five or Ten-year membership patch will also be included for anyone qualifying for these. Whilst on the subject of membership, I’ve had several GWC members whose H.O.G.® membership has lapsed because they thought they had requested automatic renewal, so it’s worth checking. Our October Club nights were well-attended as always and you were generous in your support of our charity raffle. The total amount donated was £197, of which £108 was donated at the Cross Hands and £89 at St Mary’s. A very big thank you to everyone!
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Page 4 Meet two new members Diana and Robert Davies, who is an author!
Lastly, thank you to Anita for organizing her first “Hoggin’ the Curry” event, which was a great success, as always. Ride safe, Yvonne Secretary Email: yvonne.s.roberts@gmail.com Home: 01225 751017
Committee Meeting Round-up We caught up with Liz and Mike Denton who joined the Chapter earlier this year.
For September and October’s Meetings We commented on the success of the Go East tour in September, yet another of our 10th Anniversary events. We also thanked the Road Captains for their support in this. We finalized the details for the GWC Dinner/Dance and the LOH trip to London. With both of these events being well-supported, we anticipated that they too would be a great success. We agreed that Committee Members should assist in producing a summary of each of our 10th Anniversary events, to accompany photos chosen by Mark, in the special December edition of RoadHOG.
Welcome back to Alan Blatchford, a previous member who has just rejoined the Chapter.
Looking ahead to next year, Anita updated us on her proposals for activities for 2014, which include a varied programme of events as well as some rallies. We agreed with these proposals and that Baz should present the programme of events at our November Club nights. Stephanie updated us on her search for a new charity. I reported that I had received a number of membership renewals for 2014 and that GWC membership for next year was already looking good. The date of our next GWC Committee meeting was set for November 16th at 10.30am at Riders. A full copy of the Minutes is available on request to me, Yvonne Roberts.
You’ll be pleased to know that we have 321 members in Great Western Chapter at the time of writing. Yvonne We now have both LOH and H.O.G.® buffs in stock @ £14 and the popular micro fleeces from £15. Please check out our website for details of all our Merchandise and how to order items, or see me at our Club nights.
Secretary
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Ladies of Harley
By Jane Scott Hello Ladies,
Between the Covers
Well the month that we have all been waiting for is finally here and of Hi all and welcome to course let’s not forget it’s the November issue of the last event that celethe Great Western brates our 10 years of Chapter’s RoadHOG being a Great Harley magazine. Chapter, YES, it’s the So what’s between the London Theatre Trip. For covers this month? the ladies that are attending, you’ll have received all the details via email. So, not only am I looking forward Although the riding seato this but also, what is it the men say when they go son has now pretty well drawn to a close there’s away? - “what happens on tour stays on tour”, so it’s plenty to keep us in the mood and to wet our appehandbags in the middle girls, lol. tite for next year’s events. For a start, we have articles from Neil Lewis, who attended this years At the time of writing this article, us GWC girls have Morzine Harley Days, Philip Blake, who took on the been messaging each other, regarding the dress code for the Dinner and Dance, on what to wear, what challenge of the One Day Ride and survived, and shoes will go with the dress and then there’s the jew- not forgetting Stephanie’s coverage of the ’Go East’ ellery: my god, men do have an easy time – Anita I’m 10th Anniversary event. All excellent and all well sure you will have done us proud – well done mate x. worth a read. Enjoy your well earned break! On a more serious note Andy, our Safety Officer, At the moment I’m still riding my bike to and from has put together a very informative article on wet work and it’s been quite warm, but I’m sure saying weather riding. Reading Neil Lewis’s ‘The Real this I will upset the apple cart. Of course the clocks Deal’ rideout report it sounds like this is something are due to alter so it’ll soon be back to dark mornings that would have been very relevant to this particular and nights. I’m considering asking Duncan how much rideout. Glad you all made it back in one piece one of those all singing and all dancing headlights is guys. going to cost me! I may have a chance of seeing the We’re now at that point in the year where there is wild life if they’re as bright as they say. only one final 10th Anniversary event to look forWell it’s been a very good year and also an expensive ward to before we hit Xmas; well, at least the Laone It’s been great to attend as many events as finandies of Harley have. All the male membership has cially possible and all done for our enjoyment. Thanks to look forward to is a weekend of uninterrupted all xx. masculine bliss. Seriously, we’ll miss you ladies. 2014 isn’t far off and of course memberships will be I think I’ll sign off now as I’m starting to run out of up for renewal. So this is just a reminder that all steam. I thought of finishing with a witty cliché but Ladies that want to partake in any chapter events – on principle I avoid them like the plague. e.g. “Gurzels” will need to be either a Full or Associ® ate member of H.O.G. . All details are on the renewRide safe and keep the shiny side up. al forms or, if you need any further information, please contact me or any other member of the ComMark mittee. That’s all for now folks. Editor See You Soon, Email: macockwell@yahoo.com Jane x Mobile: 07900 496711 Ladies of Harley Email: janescott61@hotmail.co.uk Mobile: 07894 086626
(Note: Views expressed in the articles are not necessarily the views of the Editor)
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From The Front
By Alan “Big Al” Stokes Hi All,
So once again it’s time for my monthly diatribe about all things riding. I guess the first thing to say is, by the time you get this there will only be two rides left in 2013. So this is going to be your last opportunity to make an impact on the chapter rideout challenge. Once again this year it’s neck and neck and it will go to the final wire to decide the winner. Competition aside, please come along and support the last two rides being laid on for you. Both should be good winter rides so let’s get out there. On a different subject, last month saw me take a long weekend break in Gorey, Eire. We had a great time staying with our good friends Rich and Rachel Starnell who now reside in the Emerald Isle. It was very interesting to listen to Rich talk about how the Dublin Chapter approach rideouts and 2nd man drops in particular. A totally different concept from the Great Western and sometimes it makes you wonder if we attend different Road Captain courses. Anyway, as you would expect I did manage to fit in a brief visit to the Dublin dealership on the way back to the airport. Not as big as Riders of Bristol but well worth a visit if you are out that way. The coffee’s free for one thing. On the bike front, they did have a brand new Harley trike that I must say was quite impressive. They also carry all the usual merchandise and obviously I bought the obligatory t-shirt or two. And now onto the forthcoming rides …… Sunday 24th November 2013 – Steph Pocock & Team ‘Wild Wanderings around Wiltshire' This ride will start at the Little Chef services on the A350 leading into Chippenham. Those travelling by motorway, leave at the M4/J17 and head for Chippenham.
Lunch will be at the café located by Kemble Airfield, so there will be a chance to rest those weary muscles, grab a hot drink and have something to eat. The return will weave its way through the countryside and the ride will finish at the Compass Inn. This ride is classed a Level A ride on mostly A and B roads. Sunday 15th December 2013 – Big Al & Team 'Tinsel in Tetbury' For this ride, my team assures me we will be in full Scrooge mode (Bah Humbug) and there will not be a Santa suit anywhere to be found lol. That’s not to say if anyone fancies throwing on some red velvet they can’t. Please feel free to dress as you see fit. Still it will be good to see you turn out for the last Meet will be at the Compass Inn car park (M4/J18) at 10.30 a.m. Please be fuelled up ready to depart at 11.00 a.m. This will be the Chapters last ride of the year and will head through the Cotswolds for a lunch stop in Tetbury. The “Snotty Fox” is a biker friendly pub on the High Street, or there are a number of cafes if you prefer. The outward journey will take us through the Cotswolds and into Wiltshire on some scenic roads. We plan to spend an hour or so in Tetbury for lunch. The return journey will be a more direct route down the A434 and A46 where the ride will finish near to the M4/J18. This is classed as a Level A ride of circa 60 to 70 miles on A and B roads. For those last minute updates please call the “Hotline” on 08444 994508 and please keep a check on the website for changes. Please see below some guidance details of the rides: Level A - Short and easy below 100 miles round trip.
Level B - Fine for average riders but may be a bit Meet for 09.30 a.m. and be fuelled up ready to depart longer. for 10.00 a.m. For those travelling any distance fuel Level C – Can include some complex sections but is available at the service station adjacent to the Little mainly a longer duration. Chef. Until the next time, have fun and ride hard. Join us on a ride that will introduce you to the sights and roads of Wiltshire. We will travel through the Alan “Big Al” Stokes local villages and towns taking in points of Historical Assistant Director & Head Road Captain interest along the route.
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Cangen Cymraeg
By Greg Payne mentioned the forthcoming anniversary events and also urged members to submit their mileage forms before the end of October.
These months are flying by now and its time to pen my thoughts We also had a visit of a triumvirate on behalf of a about all things Cangen recently formed chapter west of Bridgend. WhethCymraeg. er it was a recruiting mission only time will tell but there were shortcomings in the financial induceFirst of all, about my ments. On a more serious note I know some article in last month’s GWC members have joined Abertawe Chapter RoadHOG about riding (me being one) and believe this will contribute to motorcycles in France. Some of you may have a healthy exchange of ideas and some crossnoticed I didn’t mention the need to carry 2 border rivalry in chapter events and rallies. I hope breathalyser tests. Well this was deliberate bethat Andy Ball and his team are successful in cause, although the requirement is still law, the their endeavours because I know it won’t be actual police penalties have been rescinded. So if easy. As for myself, I shall stay as a Road Capthey catch you without any, there is nothing they tain with GWC as being a RC in one chapter is can do about it (only in France). On the French demanding enough. theme, the journey from Bourge en Bresse via Gap to Port Grimaud (Route Napoleon) is in the I shall be attending the next GWC Committee top ten of all great motorcycling roads. So meeting and a decision on a fancy dress theme whoever is coming with myself and Ian should for our Xmas Party will be made, I hope. have a blast. As you may know, our own Charlie Gray has not On a personal theme, on my return home from been well for some time and this week (14th Octoattending a GWC meeting at Bristol, I broke down ber) I contacted Brenda about his condition and and my Ultra is at present being repaired at Rid- was informed that he had had an exploratory proers to fix damage caused by metal fatigue to the cedure for cancer and was awaiting the test reprimary fly wheel. Riders say they have never sults. I can only hope and pray these tests will be seen this happen before so it looks like there will ok as I have fond memories of Charlie and Brenbe a new washer upper in the café for a consider- da on our GWC adventures. ably long time. This being the reason my rideout So there we have it hope some of you will have to Big Pit has been postponed to November 10th. managed to make it on my Big Pit rideout on Cangen Cymraeg was well represented at the November 10th. Blazin’ Cannons Rally, Weymouth hosted by the New Forest Chapter. A well organised rally with Greg excellent accommodation (mobile homes). New Forest put on a dance routine and Rolling Hills a Cangen Cymraeg Rep. comedy song and dance. Both went down well but the expected Gurzels routine had to be cancelled as our singer complained that not enough liquid had passed through her pretty lips and she had a sore throat. Well the furore that occurred, when the audience found out, had to be seen to be believed and it only subsided when Ian Mead and Bryn Wiltshire walked on, in their flowing kilts and treated the crowd to some adult entertainment. Our meeting on the 9th October was well attended with some prospective new members. Bazzer
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Cockers Bits
By Anita Cockwell
Hi Everyone, Seeing as this is the November edition, we would have already seen off several GWC events by now, Hoggin the Bridge & Curry, our special 10th Anniversary Dinner & Dance and the Bridgwater Carnival. With all that behind us Mark and I are currently on our hols so we won’t be with you at Club night but will be thinking of you (well maybe?). I hope that if you attended any of the above events you really enjoyed yourself. It would be good to get some feedback from you on what you enjoyed and what you may not have enjoyed (hopefully nothing), so drop me an email or speak to me at Club nights. If we don’t know we can’t do anything about it. Just a quick note on 2014 events - I will be sending some outline information on these very soon so that you can see what we are planning, but a couple will need you to take action quickly. So please watch out for this update via email and Club nights. GWC Xmas Party 7th December 2013 St Marys, Pencoed. Lynne Avery and I are still selling Xmas Party tickets at £27 per person which includes a three course meal and disco, but don’t leave it too late. We are limited by St Marys as to the number of places, so please secure yours as soon as possible but we will need the full amount please of £27 per person. Fancy dress theme is ‘Historical Figures’ so get cracking on those costumes!
Roasted Butternut Squash Soup, Herb Olive Oil (V) Or Ham Hock & Leek Terrine, Welsh Apple Chutney, Dressed Leaf Salad Or Tian of Melon, Fruit Compote, Orange Syrup (v) ~~~0~~~ Roast Pembrokeshire Turkey Paupiette, Sage & Onion Sausage Stuffing, Wrapped in Bacon, Roast Gravy Or Braised Leg of Welsh Lamb, Beetroot Mashed Potatoes, Lemon Thyme & Redcurrant Jus Or Pan Seared Fillet of Salmon, Tomato & Black Olive Tapenade, Saffron Sauce Or Walnut & Sun-dried Tomato Nut Roast with Mushroom Sauce (v) (All served with Seasonal Vegetables) ~~~0~~~ Traditional Christmas pudding, Brandy Sauce Bailey’s Or Cheesecake, Chocolate Sauce Or Fruit of the Forest Bavarois
Don’t forget to book your own hotel accommodation, details of which can be found on the GWC website under Activities/Xmas Party. Transport to and from these hotels will be available at a small additional “Cheers Cockers” cost. Activities Officer Just to tempt you here is the Xmas party menu so Email: accockwell@yahoo.com please let me have your choices as soon as. Mobile: 07702 073361 Catch up with you all soon!
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Morzine Harley Days The origins of this trip lie way back in 1981, when I got my first big bike (not a Harley, but it did start with an ‘H’) and a friend and I did a 3000 mile trip to Norway in his car. Already frustrated by the limitations of British roads and traffic, I wanted to take my own bike over to the Continent.
By Neil Lewis Of course, I had to visit the cathedral, one of the most famous in the world, and it was worth it, not just for the place itself but also to get out of the sun, which by now was cracking down at 35oC.
Fast forward to 2009, when – after a break from motorcycling of over 10 years – I bought my first Harley. The dream reawakened and I started planning a relatively straightforward trip over to Cologne and along the Rhine as far as Mainz, a roughly 1500 mile round trip. Two North American holidays on rented Harleys intervened, but then, just before Christmas last year, my wife met up with an old school friend who lives in Germany and the plan finally started to come together. Of course, it couldn’t be as straightforward as originally envisaged: Deb’s friend lived in the Black Forest and, for various reasons, I was going to have to pick Deb up in Switzerland, which put me a lot further south. However, as if to sweeten the pill, Deb spotted the advert for Morzine Harley Days in the HOG magazine and suddenly a whole new tour started to take shape. 3500 miles later, this is the story of that trip. Although I was a Channel Tunnel virgin, it all seemed pretty straightforward (if more expensive than expected), but having left home in blazing sunshine, emerging from the tunnel into dull grey cloud and the ferocious wind of north-east France came as a bit of a shock. An hour or so later I was safely tucking into a meal and the first beer of the day in Lille, and life was fine again. Next morning the clouds had gone, and I had a fabulous ride along the N2 and D966 down to Reims, where I stopped for a leg stretch in the city centre. What a lovely city, everyone was enjoying themselves having lunch or a beer in the dozens of street-side cafés.
Reluctantly, I decided not to carry on down the back -roads of France and opted for the autoroute from Reims to Dijon – probably a wise move, as it still took me over 3 hours to get to my next overnight stop. I did the same thing the next day, although it has to be said the A6/A40 had their share of scenery, including some impressive river crossings and spectacular sweeping viaducts which clung to the sides of the Haut Jura mountains hundreds of feet above the valleys below. Finally, off the motorway at Cluses and straight into a series of switchback curves that lasted all the way up to Morzine itself. I thought I was doing pretty well until a local Electra Glide went sailing past and disappeared into the heat haze – I blamed the luggage on the back! First impressions of Morzine Harley Days were quite low-key; despite all the warning notices on the outskirts, I managed to get close to the barriers and park up with no problem, and although there were already hundreds of bikes around there were no tailbacks or queues anywhere. But there was definitely a buzz I’ve never experienced at any British events. The whole town had been taken over by Harley Davidson; all the local shops were sporting (Continued on page 10)
Page 10 the orange & black H-D banners, bars and restaurants were offering all sorts of enticing Harleythemed specialities and there were hundreds of trade-stalls lining the streets. Yet although there were thousands of people milling around, ogling the bikes, shopping for bargains or just enjoying a beer in the sun, there was plenty of space to wander and plenty of time to do things at your own pace.
After a couple of hours it was time to head back down the mountain to the chalet where I was staying, some 30km away in Samoëns. Not only were the prices for accommodation in Morzine itself prohibitive, all places had been booked solid for the past 12 months or more. Luckily, I knew a couple who run a ski chalet and they put me up in 4-star luxury for the next couple of nights for the princely sum of 50 euros a night. The run back down the mountain was, if anything, even more fun than on the way up, possibly because I had the road pretty much to myself. A few cold beers and a burger at a local restaurant in Verchaix ended the perfect day on a high.
After a massive breakfast of local sausages and fried eggs I was ready for the day. Back up to Morzine without the luggage on the back. The place
was more crowded by now but I still managed to get parked up in more or less the same place as yesterday and there was the same relaxed feel to the event despite the increased number of bikes and people.
There was also a lot more going on, including a ride -in bike show, a Fender-sponsored stage where anyone could come and sing/play for the public (sort of karaoke on steroids!) and spontaneous entertainments courtesy of local acts who were performing wherever and whenever they found an audience. My favourite was a bonkers four-piece brass and drums outfit who absolutely nailed (murdered!) an instrumental version of Adele’s “Rolling in the Deep”, aided by some random bloke who suddenly emerged from the crowd to start boogying along with them, completely off his head! It had to be seen to be believed – if I can get the video sorted, I’ll send it to Chris Hardarse to put up on the chapter web-site.
The custom bikes were quite amazing, probably much more OTT than normally seen at UK events. There’s not enough space in this article to show them all so I’ll put up a gallery on the web-site for those who are interested. It wasn’t just those bikes in the custom show that were drool-worthy – there were hundreds just parked around the village that (Continued on page 11)
Page 11 could have won prizes at most British events I’ve been to, if only for their paint-jobs. Everywhere I went there were Harleys, lining the streets, parked on pavements, completely taking over the square outside the town hall.
Overall impressions of my first European event? I know there are lots of you who have been to rallies etc. on the continent so this is probably old hat to you all but I found Morzine bigger, busier and more exotic than anything I’ve experienced in the UK. Of course, part of that comes from it being in a different country and having to conduct most conversations in another language. But in the main I think the atmosphere and the excitement came from the scale of the event and the fact that, because it took place in mainland Europe, bikers came from all over to share the experience. For those of you who would like to get a flavour of what it was like to be at Morzine there are several good videos on YouTube, especially of the parade. The one I’ve found best for capturing the general feel of the event is at http:// www.youtube.com/watch?v=t_bm8AjgLaI
Would I go again? Most definitely – the next one is in 2015 and it’s already pencilled in the diary. But more importantly, it’s given me the taste for EuropeThe parade on Saturday was huge – thousands of an events – now all I have to do is find one that bikes, although surprisingly few flags, that took over takes place during the period I can take leave! A 15 min to pass any given viewpoint. The only time brilliant experience and one I look forward to repeatI’ve seen more bikes in one place has been Ride To ing. The Wall but in Morzine they were all Harleys (with a couple of exceptions!). You can imagine the noise! Because I had to get back to Samoëns for the night I reluctantly decided not to stay to see Zucchero that evening. I saw him backing Clapton at the Albert Hall some 20-odd years ago, so I knew just how good he is, but I didn’t fancy the hairpins in the dark so instead I took some local advice and rode up to a nearby horseshoe valley where there were six spectacular waterfalls ranged around 270 o – appropriately named (I think – my O-level French didn’t run to this) the Six Horse Tails. To end the day I called in at the Bar Le Savoie in the market square in Samoëns, a famous local biker haunt, for a late afternoon beer in the sun in the company of other like-minded souls. Next stop – the Black Forest! Neil Lewis
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‘The Real Deal’ Rideout Report
By Neil Lewis
Why is it that whenever I’m breakdown man it pi**es reason our glorious leader couldn’t get the hang of down with rain? Note to future rideout Road Cappronouncing this – maybe because if he applied the tains! same rules (silent ‘o’, silent ’in’) to his own name he’d be called ‘Sm’? Despite the weather forecast, a huge amount of time and effort had gone into researching and plan- By this time the clouds were nicely dark and low and ning this ride, a hardcore of 11 bikes and one very rain was threatening. After a quick vote, it was depretty-looking Sportster trike met up at Magor at cided not to stop for food here but to make the most some ungodly hour on a Sunday morning to tour the of it and crack on to the scheduled fuel stop at whole of South Wales and the Welsh Marches. Crossgates before the heavens opened. Our South African contingent decided to opt out at this point and get themselves a hot drink and grub inside in the warm. By the time the last stragglers were back from the loo (you know who you are – B...y A....t) and we set off into the gathering gloom the others seemed to have made a wise decision. We hadn’t got out of the car park before the rain began – it was the last time we saw a dry road all day! Last to arrive was Mark Chinnick on his brand new grown-up bike (a Breakout, complete with ‘Phat Booty’ rear tyre) which came in for lots of admiring glances and “gi’s a go” burns around the car park. Everyone was suitably impressed, although Greg Payne decided it wasn’t for him as the seat was so low he’d be riding with his knees up round his ears.
The sunshine and sweltering temperatures of our glorious summer were very much a fading memory as we set out along the M4 and then up the Wye valley to Monmouth. Even so it’s such a lovely biking road that the weather didn’t really matter. At Monmouth our trike departed in other directions while the main group headed, by way of the A4137 and A49, through Hereford and on to the first scheduled stop, the OK Diner at Leominster. For some
But the weather can’t stop the adventurous spirit and these roads were made for biking. Through Radnor (both of them), with a welcome fuel and food stop at Crossgates, extra layers of waterproofs on……
…….then down through Llandrindindrindindod Wells to Builth, where three of our number bailed out before the real bikers tackled Eppynt. I cannot name these lightweights for legal reasons, but they might in future be known as Mark Chicken, Barry Ah-gethome-early and Andy Kantdoitall. With numbers seriously depleted, by weather and the call of home comforts, those hardy few of us left laughed at the suggestion that we simply carry on down the A483 to Llandovery – we were there to (Continued on page 13)
Page 13 tackle Eppynt. As we climbed up onto the heights, the red flags were bending the flagpoles in the ‘breeze’ and the rain was a constant downpour. The visibility was down to 50 yards at times and the wind was a constant gale blowing unchecked across the tops of the hills. It takes a lot to shift someone of Greg Payne’s stature, riding the biggest bike HarleyDavidson produce, but watching him going sideways while heeled over into the wind was more like watching a red and orange yacht than a motorcyclist! Having successfully negotiated a 4x4 doing 20 mph in the middle of the road, who for some unknown reason was reluctant to get out of the way and let the bikes past, we tootled past a gang of horses tethered to a wooden bar while their riders took shelter in a roadside lean-to. Top marks to Steve, our Road Marshall for the day, who made sure he bridged the gap between both groups of riders in some really difficult conditions – it was very reassuring to see his yellow vest appearing through the rain and know that we hadn’t been abandoned to the elements! Coming down onto the A40 – normally one of my favourite biking routes – was something of an anticlimax after that wild experience but I must admit we were all quite glad to get to the West End cafe in Llandovery and relax in the warm over a hot drink, apple pie and ice cream!
pretty smug at this stage – I only had about 6 miles to go but I did feel sorry (not a lot!) for those from further east who had another hour on the road to get home.
All in all a memorable day out – I clocked 240 miles on the day and although the weather was pretty dreadful for most of the time, it was one of those riding experiences that stays with you for a long time. I think everyone who completed the rideout went home with a feeling of an adventure shared.
Neil
Finally, it was up over Black Mountain on the A469, tiptoeing round Cuckoo Hairpin before cruising down into Pontardawe and the official end of the ride. We managed to persuade a car driver, who was getting petrol, to take a couple of pics of the bedraggled survivors before each made their own way home in the rain. I must admit I was feeling
Go East Tour - Pork Pies, Having not been on a Peter & Yvonne trip before, I have to start by saying make sure you go on one as they are brilliant! From the Cross Hands our 42 bikes flew up to the Fosse Way and after a short comfort break in Stow on the Wold we rode through beautiful views, in lovely sunshine to Melton Mowbray to have a pork pie lunch. Refreshed and with the remains of what were giant pork pies in our panniers we continued through the Vale of Belvoir, slowing a little to take in the view of the majestic Belvoir Castle, only to find that we were being overtaken – yes just about all 42 of us overtaken – “By what?” I hear you cry – was it a sleek and shiny sports car or an emergency services vehicle on its way to a rescue? No it was a push bike!! OK I’ll give you it was a racing cycle and the chap was all in Lycra but even so a pushbike! You might be excused for wondering why some of us took photos of a Health shop when we were stopped at traffic lights whilst others of us blew raspberries and made rude gestures at it, but this was no ordinary health shop – it was where the PM Margaret Thatcher was born in Grantham. Some more glorious riding across beautiful countryside saw us checked into our hotel around 4.30 ready for a pint or two and to catch up on the day’s events. There were a few jealous looks when Greg’s lovely lady brought him a pint in the queue to check in! The Pride of Lincoln pub was overrun when most of us decided to eat there – well it was at the bottom of the hotel car park so where better!
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I will say there was a bit of a Health and Safety issue with the pub as RKK found out when he hit his head 3 times on the oversized lampshade on the down lighter for his table for two with Keith! After a good breakfast we saddled up and set off for the first of many fantastic stops on Day 2. Lincoln Harley dealership where bikes were admired and a few pennies spent (both types!). Then we saw Peter’s old primary school as we parked to have a mooch about the narrow streets of Lincoln and a look around the Cathedral which was very impressive. It did rain on us but that did not deter us. Unfortunately the Castle was under renovation ready for the 800th anniversary of the Magna Carta signing so it wasn’t on display, but we did see the gold post box dedicated to Paralympian Sophie Wells which was the first of these post-boxes I’d come across. The ride through the Wolds to what I think was my favourite part of the trip was lovely and we then had lunch at the Petwood Hotel which had served as the base for the officers of the 617 Squadron – the Dambusters. One bar is now a museum to them and I spent quite some time looking at the wonderful memorabilia and photographs. There was a map of the airfields in Lincolnshire during the war and I couldn’t quite believe the number of them – basically the county may as well have been one giant airport! As we rode on you could see the remains of them around the edges of fields of crops and overgrown buildings dotted around. Outside the hotel was the remains of a prototype ‘bouncing bomb’ and it was quite humbling to stand and look at it and think about what was achieved all those years ago. Then a short ride on we did a tour of the Battle of Britain Memorial Flight in 3 groups with super guides who patiently answered our questions and rounded us up when we were distracted by the vintage cars and the landing of a Eurofighter! Hearing about the training of the pilots who were privileged to fly these wonderful old girls and the exploits and bravery of the pilots in the war was very thought provoking and is something that should never be allowed to be forgotten, in my view. Our time ran out all too quickly and after a quick purchase at the shop I was (Continued on page 15)
Prime Ministers, Planes & Piers part of the trip – I was happy to oblige when Barney asked me to jump off before he parked up!. More health and safety was needed as the apple trees surrounding the pump room had attracted many wasps and those of us who decided to ‘scrump’ some apples had to fight for them! We also had a long queue for the only toilet and a debate as to the position that the seat should be left in! After an interesting talk about the history of the engine and a good look around we continued to the ancient wool town of Stamford for our lunch stop. As it was a beautiful day we made the most of the pavement seating and the park. Our next stop was at Rutland Water – the largest reservoir in England where you can still see the top of the village church – all that remains of the village that was flooded to make way for the reservoir. A lovely spot to visit and if you enjoy sailing it seemed perfect, based on the number of boats out on the water.
last back to the bikes – ‘sorry!’
Day 2 ended with what could have been seen as a parade along the Skegness seafront based on the number of people who stopped and watched us go by. Our hotel was at ‘the quiet end’ as Peter put in his tour guide, Our final stop before our hotel was Sycamore Harley but it was just a short walk down to the traditional pier, dealership where they laid on a BBQ, drinks and doughamusement arcades and fish & chip shops. nuts – a perfect welcome. There was quite a bit of retail Many were booked in for a curry at the hotel’s Bollywood therapy had, and Dave surprised us all, restaurant but not being able to have spicy food and it being Friday and at the seaside, for me nothing would do as well as himself, by buying a new bike! but fish and chips. So after a brisk walk on the pier I spent a lovely evening with my hubby, Dave and Jos eat- We had a minor inciing fish and chips and dancing to live music at one of the dent there with the local community poseafront establishments. lice officer who was The other hotel residents had a bit of a shock the next sent along following a morning as the queue for breakfast was huge and full of complaint of motorbeefy bikers, some a little worse for wear, and their quiet bikes parking on the Saturday morning started a little louder than planned I pavement! We had think! We established some toast makers and before hardly been there 10 long had an orderly queue of toast entering and leaving minutes at that point – the one machine at a pretty good speed and keeping boo hiss! delays to a minimum – thanks Anita you did a sterling job After our final night and another good breakfast we bekeeping the oldies sweet! gan our journey home with a stop at the Naseby BattleOur first stop was a visit to Boston and the Maud Foster field where Charles 1st was beaten by a pop group. Sevwindmill – an original working mill alongside the canal it eral photos of fields were taken and we re-joined the was named after. A group photo ensued – one of several Fosse Way to travel back to the Cross Hands and go our on the trip and we then continued through even more separate ways. lovely countryside to the Pinchbeck Engine House which Having developed a rather lovely cold and cough over required us to negotiate a rather gravel strewn narrow lane raised the weekend Barney and I took leave of the group at Stow and took a direct route home where a hot toddy between and my bed were top of my agenda. two deep water filled drains on the fenland – Hmm – not my favourite
Another 10th Anniversary event completed. Many fond memories and a lot of fun had. What comes next? The October Dinner/Dance – good job I got some practice in at Skeggy! Stephanie 15
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The One Day Run As I sit on the beach in Aruba, the sun is out, the beach is glorious and I'm in trouble! Apparently being drunk before lunch everyday on holiday is unacceptable and we are only on day three... I've been to the gym, looked at all the lovely ladies and the wonderful Mrs Blake is refusing to go back to the room. The holiday did not start well! You know at the beginning of a holiday the tour rep gets you into a room and starts telling and selling etc. I think this will need a distraction, so I go looking for a bar for a tray of beers. I find one - its closed , not open till 11 - what, Rep time sober? Panic, then rage sets in, so off I stomp to the meeting and start berating the rep and sounding like I am an alcoholic. In an emergency, caffeine will suffice. This is classed as bad behaviour, I'm in trouble with Mrs B - never mind. I'm bored, so decide to write something for RoadHOG about the One Day Run. What shall I call it? My balls were wet after an hours riding? No too crude. How about "There and back, a newbie's tale"? That'll do.
By Phil Blake vices and company for the rest of the journey. Introductions are made, coffees drunk and we are off. This next section should have been a clue to the whole weekends riding, as we got close to the M25 it started to rain. As many people who have been riding for a few years know, there are several categories of rain storm. 1. I'll risk it, 2. can I make it to the next bridge? 3. oh sh*t will I stop and 4. my nuts are wet. It rained and rained and I think I got to a 3 at one point but eventually our illustrious leader Utility Tel ( I'm not worthy) decided enough was enough and lunch was the order of the day. As we pulled in and stopped so did the rain! On to Lowestoft, much improvement in the weather and a very enjoyable ride.
We got to Lowestoft had a quick shower and shave and then to the Harvester. Much to my disappointment no real ale!! A night on cooking lager won't be pretty. When in the presence of "royalty" always get the first round in and my early evening demise commenced I think after the 4th round. We decided we were eating There and Back, a Newbie's Tale where we sat, either for safety's sake or bone idleness. The One Day Run is basically a 500 mile trip from the Graham and Peter joined us for food and beverages furthest point East in the UK - Nesspoint, Lowestoft to and party we did! 11ish came about far too soon and the furthest point West - Lands End in Cornwall. the bar closes with little warning. Panic sets in, there is The planning all started in January. First get parental beer to be drunk! "Oh mighty leader what do we do?" I guidance from Mrs B and would she like to join us? I cry. Tel stands to his full height and bellows "to Tescos think her comment was "No chance, far too far." Ok, so Newbie!" (if this gets printed he will hit me). Off we I asked would she like a couple of days in Cornwall and stagger to Tescos, a beacon of hope. Real ale and GinI could pick her up on the way through? She said “Yes�, ger Ale is purchased but how do we open it? The cashsweet! Next book the Travelodge at Lowestoft, no wor- ier is supportive but unhelpful and the supervisor is ries, then book the Old Success Inn on the internet, getting twitchy about us drinking in the store. I promise I only to find it was full. Damn! Managed to book a B&B won't spill any, but the hint is taken and we leave. As a up the road, all sorted. last resort we ask the security guard if he has a bottle opener and from a pocket he produces a penknife and I can't remember ever doing this long a journey on a bottles are opened to smooth our journey across the Harley before, on a Ducati and a BMW definitely, but car parks. For another hour or so we squat on the not a Harley and a Wide Glide with luggage is always pavement outside the Travelodge and chill out. character building to ride, as there is a low speed wobble around 30mph which makes things exciting. Next day I'm surprisingly fit and well, back to Tescos for breakfast and arrange to ride with Graham and Peter to Eventually, the weather starts to improve and the rain is Nesspoint (dull), then Lowestoft seafront, which was getting warmer so I meet Graham, our illustrious organnot bad. On to Southwold and meet some of our fellow iser and leader, at a chapter meeting and explain that riders at the brewery. We have a walk round town, the Old Success Inn was fully booked but we will be lunch at the brewery and sit with a constant drip feed of down for the evening activities. Graham gives me a coffee and listen for Harleys to arrive. Loads arrived but puzzled look and says it was only showing fully booked only 2 more from Bridgwater show! Where are you because he had reserved them all for us!! Oh well, Bridgwater?? mental note, ask next time. That evening is a more sober affair as we have a Anyway Thursday arrives, I give the bike a quick once 4am start for the sunrise at Nesspoint. We get to the over and strap the luggage on and I'm off! Any journey end of the meal and its still a loud, fun affair, proving started in the dry is a good one, though it's cloudy and that alcohol is not always required for a few laughs. So threatening rain but still dry. I head over to Somerton me and Sue order a couple of coffees, my usual order across the Poldens, and pick up the A303 to the first Americano with a jug of hot milk. I think someone just fuel stop at Fleet services. As I didn't want to ride the kept hitting the espresso button, it was so strong. After whole 300miles to Lowestoft on my own I had arranged putting all the milk and 6 sugars in, I am completely to meet another of our illustrious leaders (I'm not wor(Continued on page 17) thy) Utility Tel and his wife Bev for coffee at the ser-
Page 17 wired, so hyper that sleep is gonna be impossible. I'm amazingly woken at 1.30am by a load of drunks trying to find their rooms. Revenge will be sweet in couple of hours when 15 Harleys fire up! The alarm goes off, a quick coffee and out to the bike. We head off to Nesspoint and are treated to a beautiful sunrise. We get chatting to a couple of Goldwing riders who have just ridden Lands End to Nesspoint through the night and have gone through some real lousy weather. Hope we'll be luckier! Off we set, the last to leave: me, Aussie Stu, Pete and our worshipful leader Graham. First stop is Newmarket Black Bear dealership, the clouds get more ominous by the mile and eventually the heavens open. Now gents, you know the feeling as your waterproof trousers slowly give in to the force of water and your nuts are slowly marinated in cold rain water. It's horrible and this is FXRG Harley gear, much disappointment! We get to Black Bear and the teas and coffees are in full swing and the burger van is frying up loads of bacon for breakfast, providing welcome sights and smells. The dealer staff take it all in their stride as puddles of wet gear lie everywhere. I fish out a wet phone and wallet from my FXRG jacket and head off to buy some bacon delights! Spirits are high and everyone is having a laugh, all knowing that there is still 400 miles to go. Next stop the Oxford dealership - what a journey!! We encountered all types of rain, from showers to stair rods. Graham chose the shortest possible route but my Sat Nav wasn't impressed. After 20 miles, my Sat Nav had given up shouting at me to turn round and was quietly sulking! We didn't gain any time, just saved about 30 miles, but it beat being soaked by the lorries on the M25. We get to Oxford and the rain stops and we were treated to more coffee and buns. The bad news was that a couple of riders had had mishaps. One was just a low speed slide but the other was a guy called Ned from Invicta, who had high-sided his Dyna! He was ok and had made it to Oxford but the dealer mechanics said he should not travel any further, so that was the end of the ride for Ned. Many coffees later, before we left Oxford, I explained to our trusty team of tail-end Charlie's that I was picking up the lovely Half Day Sue from Burnham. I say to the guys “we can catch you up” and Aussie Stu says “no mate sh* t sticks together, we’ll wait at Riders for you”. I ring Sue as we leave, she's still in bed!! I tell her people will be waiting and ask will she be ready? She says “yes” but at this point I'm starting to doubt this, nothing happens fast in Sue's morning! Nice easy run to Bridgwater, the weather eases and the rain is only short storms. Into Burnham, pick up Sue, she's ready with a coffee made! I fit the panniers, switch the intercom on. At least now someone will hear my singing!!
pours down. Time for a very large steak sandwich and a coffee of biblical proportions. The final leg of the journey was a fairly uneventful 100 miles. At this point I was glad to finally see signs for Lands End - those last few miles certainly felt a long way! We finally arrive at Land End to discover there will be no sunset. The weather is low grey cloud, high winds and heavy showers but there is the final stamp in the passport from Portland Bill and lots of hugging, cheering and silly photos! Then of to the B&B, dump the bike, have a shower, on with dry clothes and another coffee, just to settle the brain. We grab a taxi to the Old Success Inn and start to drink. Now my favourite tipple for a session is Doombar, a pleasant beer, easy to down in large quantities. But Graham says I need to try this H.S.D. Same brewery, slightly more aggressive... What does H.S.D. Stand for? High Speed Diesel. Sweet, sounds promising. Off I start with the H.S.D. After 2 pints I'm hyper. Generally, I don't drink a lot caffeinated coffee cos the lovely Mrs B gets fed up with me! But with drinking coffee since 4am then mixing it with H.S.D I'm totally hyper, free as a bird. We have a great night, the usual good food and good company. Next day we wake up to glorious sunshine, time to see a bit of Cornwall. Most were chilling at the pub so a quick breakfast and off to the Minack theatre first. It has a spectacular view, all built into the cliff and built by hand by a lady and her 2 gardeners. Well worth a visit if you are that way. Next stop was St Michaels Mount in Penzance. We just managed to walk over the causeway before the tide came in. Again spectacular views of Penzance bay, lots of history and things to see, also not a bad cream tea either! We still have our tourist hats on and decide to head to the Lizard, the furthest point South in mainland UK - 3 out of 4 ain't bad! We head back to the B&B and down to the Old Success Inn for more food and H.S.D. The next day we all say our goodbyes and the lovely Mrs B books us in the Old Success Inn for next year. I think she may manage a full day run next year?? Me and Sue, Graham and Peter decide on a route home. The weather’s not too bad, so some main road and cut across Dartmoor for a more scenic ride home. This is how changeable our weather is, it starts getting cooler the nearer we get to Princetown. Graham gives a sign for a brew and we pull in at this hotel and settle nicely in some big leather sofas in front of a welcome open fire!
Why this rideout is not supported more by the chapter I do not understand. Its a challenge and great fun but is easier than going to the Benelux rally. A 1000 mile round trip over 5 days without the ball ache of ferries/ The guys are waiting at Riders and off to Plymouth we tunnel, driving on the wrong side of the road and its go. After a mix up at a fuel stop, we find ourselves all cheaper! Thanks Graham and Hilary for organising a back together again. The closer we get to Plymouth the great weekend! cloudier it gets and as we pull into the dealership. It Phil
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Swanning off to Swanage
“It started with a Kiss” (Errol Brown)! Well actually it started with a test ride, then 25 years of derision for Harleys came to an end and I bought an Iron 883 because it looked as far from a Harley as I could imagine. I have owned bikes since I was 14 and they have always been from the major manufacturers, save a brief sojourn with GAS and that was a short lived love affair. So what’s all this got to do with Swanage? Well, every day my work route takes me past the Cross Hands and I have seen the bikes gathered in the car park. I thought it was time I got back into group riding and a club culture after 10 years away from leading and being heavily involved in BMW GS clubs. I still have, and will no doubt never be without a GS, but the time to dip my toe into the HOG culture had arrived with, middle age, a test ride and no doubt series 4 and 5 of “Sons of Anarchy”. Meeting at McDonalds was a strange feeling, akin to being back at school on the very first day. All the old lags were there hanging around looking cool and you felt like the new fella on the block (or car park at least). Back patches were de rigueur as were open face helmets and the smell of Vance and Hines in the morning. Register, tea, quick introduction to some of the assembled bods -The Wide Boy (Nigel?), Mark, Alan as well as many others who assembled in front of RKK Andy for a ride briefing. So much has changed since the heavy hand of the HSE and litigation culture has swept the land. We duly listened to the briefing and agreed, albeit in silence, to be in charge of and responsible for our own riding (following a ride leader and with a Tail End Charlie in place?)
By Andy "Taff" Melton The group passed through Keynsham (spelt KEY…for those that remember this) and on to the Globe Roundabout, west of Bath and then on to Warminster services. The Macky D’s tea had taken effect and the prospect of no other pull-over until the tea stop near Shaftesbury meant a quick dash to the bushes for some quick bladder relief. The weather was holding and we made great progress along quiet roads towards Shaftesbury. There was an obligatory tea stop en route, at a drinking hole called Ollie n Nics, where we met up with Bazzer, etc. After a short spell of mutual admiration of the bikes gathered there and the comparison of a 48’s tank to all others (they are too small) another short leg of the journey passed without any drama. Greeted by the Welcome to Shaftesbury sign and the dribbling’s of a short lived rain shower, it was a quick blast from here to Corfe and Swanage. The sea air beckoned and at a major crossroads, marked by the road marshal’s, Alan pulled alongside and almost confirmed my fears of Harley riders as he had the Village People and YMCA blasting out on the stereo. Way too scary! The group had pretty much reformed as we came through Corfe and the sound of the pipes reverberating off the buildings was joyous. How the hell Harleys get away with this, whilst rice rockets are pounced on by plod if they emit so much as a damp fart, has never failed to baffle me (sorry folks, couldn’t resist it). Swanage was busy as ever, even though the season was coming to an end. We managed to figure out that parking three to four bikes in a parking
(Continued on page 19)
Page 19 of YMCA at points along the way (still not sure this sounds right though - will never mention this to the rest of my none HOG acquaintances). Thank you to Andy RKK and the outriders and Tail End Charlie for a great day out and looking forward to more Chapter rides in the future. Sorry that many of the names in the report elude me but as a first time ride virgin with a memory like a colander, it will take a while to get to grips with them all. The incident with the turnstile, the 20p and the
space allowed us to park for free, or at least confuse the hell out of any interfering blue-capped warden that happened upon the collective two wheeled array of chrome and tassels. The customary hunt for the ultimate fish and chips ensued and group fractions split to confirm that they had found the best of three bikers, that no doubt is still confusing the the batter and spuds on offer. The BLUE CHIPPY was the one we chose and the food was not disap- CCTV operators of the public conveniences, will go un-published. What goes on in Swanage stays in pointing. Swanage - until it is released on YouTube to haunt The departure time was bought forward to 2pm and us all. we left on time via the road we came in on to meet the A352. Turning left for Dorchester we stopped for Andy “Taff” Melton petrol at a station with no card services working, so the early departure time had paid off already. The route back wound its way along A and B roads and the highlight for those of a certain disposition was ogling a man waving his penis and a club on a hillside - it takes all sorts. Podimore services saw some of the group split early while the rest of us stuck to the planned route that sort of meandered back to Macky D’s at Brislington, with no further dramas. A great day out, good to be back in a pack, riding with the drop off system in perfect working order and the sound
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Wet Weather Riding Tips
By Andy Kendall
If you ride a bike in the UK you're going to get caught out more than once in a while, so developing wetriding skills should be high on your agenda. And there's no secret to it: the key to swift, safe riding in the wet is no different to that in the dry - you need to be smooth, relaxed and confident. Those three things are the building blocks of good riding no matter what the conditions. If you find it's necessary to make significant changes to your riding in the wet, in order not to feel like you're constantly about to crash, there's probably something that needs addressing with your riding overall, not just when the heavens open. The trouble with modern suspension, brakes and tyres is that they are so good that many basic riding errors are masked or can be got away with in the dry. But once it's wet there's only so much a set of decent tyres can do, and heavy-handed steering inputs or clumsy throttle and brake control will manifest themselves as confidence-shattering twitches, slides or crashes.
the initial squeeze of the lever; too much too soon will have the brakes grabbing and locking the tyre before the forks have time to settle and transfer weight forward, where it can help generate grip.
Rest your hands on the bars without gripping them tightly, and making sure your elbows, shoulders and neck are loose and free to move. Also your hips need to be relaxed, and the balls of your feet on the pegs (except when rear-braking or changing gear) for better feel and control. This body-wide looseness is important in the dry but all the more so in the wet.
Ultimately you won't be braking quite as hard in the dry as you would in the wet, so with reduced forward weight transfer you might benefit from using more rear brake than you would in the dry. Practicing and getting a feel for rear wheel lock-ups is a useful exercise too (providing you don't have ABS or linked brakes), and once again will give you more of a chance of a dealing with a panic lock-up, wet or dry, should it occur.
And don't tense up. If your arms and shoulders are relaxed, and your hands not gripping the bars too tightly, you'll have a far better feel for front tyre grip. In the dry, on a decent road surface with no bumps or cambers, it's possible to practice bringing a front tyre to the point of locking without risking a crash. In fact, it's surprisingly easy, but if you're going to try it make sure you're going in a dead straight line and there are no vehicles coming up behind you. It's best done carrying a bit of speed, too. The faster you're going, the more slowly things happen and the more inclined the bike is to want to keep going ahead if the wheel does lock, rather than fall over on its side.
In the dry, a front tyre just starting to lock-up will make a tearing sound; in the wet it's more of a 'whoosh' - unless the surface is polished smooth, in which case there's virtually no noise at all. Practicing rear brake skids is a handy skill to learn too, and again will give you more chance of dealing with a panic lock-up, wet or dry, should So relax and be smooth - which is easier said than done if it occur. the thought of riding in the rain scares you rigid. Getting a feel for tyre grip in the dry will give you better LOOSEN UP feel for and advanced warning of an imminent lock-up in The first thing to sort out is you: to ride smoothly, wet or the wet. Be aware that the line between gripping and slipdry, you need to be relaxed and supple on the bike, not ping is more sharply defined in the wet than it is in the dry, rigid or tense. Sat in your normal riding position, let your- and if a wheel is going to lock you'll probably have less self almost slump down in the seat. Don't try and sit too time to react, but some feel for the signs is better than upright, with your back straight or rigid. none.
If the bike does slide or twitch, any movement of the machine is amplified if you're locked rigidly to it; by staying loose and flexible on the bike, most slides you experience will usually sort themselves out quickly and without drama. It's maybe easier said than done, but with time and wet weather experience your confidence should grow. BRAKING The best way to brake hard in the wet is the same as in the dry: squeeze, don't grab. Any sudden shock of force will break traction, but by easing progressively more force into the braking system it's possible to brake surprisingly hard in the wet.
TURNING The mistake many people make in the wet is by riding too gingerly. By tip-toeing round corners on a closed throttle and as good as upright, generating virtually no cornering forces, your tyres will barely grip the road at all and the bike will feel unbalanced, nervous and twitchy. It's a downward spiral for nervous wet weather riders.
By riding confidently and smoothly, and actually generating some degree of braking and cornering forces, you make grip for yourself that otherwise won't be there. Sounds crazy? It works. Gently slide your finger across a smooth surface and it will glide across; push down with Squeezing progressively doesn't have to mean squeezing increasing force and it starts to grip. Of course there's a slowly. With practice it's possible to apply smooth, pro(Continued on page 21) gressive braking force quickly. The most important bit is
Page 21 limit to this, but up to that limit you get more grip than you'd otherwise have. If ever you're going to force yourself to relax, now is the time to do it. Once again, smoothness is the key. Any sudden load, be it from turning, braking or accelerating will shock a tyre into breaking traction, and turning in too suddenly, with too much turning force too soon, can have the front sliding. It may be no more than a nerve-wracking twitch or small slide, or it could have you on your ear. Instead, by squeezing the tyre into the road it will find grip. That initial turn-in is perhaps the riskiest time in the wet, and to get the load off the front tyre you should be looking to get back on the throttle as soon as possible. We're not talking about accelerating out of the turn yet, rather using a neutral throttle (to maintain a constant speed) or gently positive one (very gradually building speed) to balance the bike and pull it through the turn. The other things you use to pull you smoothly through the turn are your eyes. Wet or dry, your eyes should be working together with the throttle to guide and drive you through every corner. Turn in, look through the corner to where you want to go and use the throttle to pull you to your exit. Cornering on a closed throttle isn't the way to go wet or dry, and in the rain the bike will feel horribly nervous and unbalanced. Providing you slowed down enough before turning in, there should be no reason why you can't get back on the gas almost as soon as you're off the brakes. ACCELERATING Throttle control is the most important skill to master. Any sudden application of force will break traction and the throttle is no exception. A big handful will get the rear spinning all too easily in the wet; progressively winding it on will give drive and traction. What you want to be doing is matching engine rpm to throttle opening at all times. By that we mean you should be winding the throttle open progressively. If you stop opening it further you'll stop driving forward; roll it off and you lose drive instantly. Don't crack the throttle two-thirds open at low rpm in a high gear on the exit of a corner and wait for the engine revs to catch up. While many riders err to safety in the wet and go for the low revs/high gear option to avoid wheelspin, it's easy to get lazy with the throttle and open it wider than necessary.
But cambers and surface irregularities can have the rear wheel slewing sideways and out of control surprisingly quickly, so be careful. SLIPPERY WHEN WET No surprises here. White lines, cat's eyes, manhole covers, overbanding and metal marker studs are all best avoided in the wet. Diesel too, obviously, but for once the rain can help us out here since it's often more easily spotted in the wet; heavy spills will appear as an oily rainbow pattern on the road surface. Highly polished, sun-baked patches of tarmac can be hellishly slippery when wet too, even in a straight line when braking or accelerating, so be wary. The age-old mantra of 'you go where you look' applies as much or more in the wet than at any other time. If you can see a smooth line avoiding slippery obstacles, visualise that line between them, follow it with your eyes and you should track safely through. If it's too late to avoid riding directly over something the two most important things to avoid doing are the two things many people find they do first: tense up and shut the throttle. Doing either - or both together - is more likely to have the front tyre sliding than anything else. The key is not to panic. Stay relaxed, look over and beyond whatever it is you're about to hit and keep a neutral or gently positive throttle. If the throttle is open it's very hard to lose the front end in most situations, wet or dry. If your reactions are quick and smooth enough you can even roll the throttle off as the rear tyre crosses over the hazard beneath you, but don't worry if you can't time it right. If your vision is fixed well ahead and you're using a gently positive throttle opening, the back might spin momentarily but, providing you're crossing over nothing bigger than a manhole cover, it should grip and come back into line. If you're on the brakes rather than driving forward when unavoidable slipperiness looms, releasing lever pressure as you pass over the hazard should be enough to avoid a lock-up. By looking well ahead and focusing on what's coming next, any slides or twitches tend to feel like they're happening behind rather than directly beneath you. How tightly you're turning at the time also matters. In some cases it's preferable to pick the bike up a little in order to straight-line over whatever it is you're about to hit, but the danger is that panic-induced tension and target fixation to the outside of the corner will have you heading off in that (unwanted) direction.
Even at low rpm, many bikes have enough torque to spin the wheel if the throttle is opened too far. If the wheel breaks traction, the engine is free to spin up to match the throttle position, which it will do very quickly indeed. If the throttle is open far enough, the engine will keep building The three keys to riding well in the wet; relax, be revs even as you're rolling it off. At best you're risking a smooth, and look well ahead. And enjoy it. You're nasty, out-of-control fishtail, possibly into oncoming traffic; riding your bike, aren't you? at worst, you're heading for a highside. Once the bike is upright it's surprising just how much wet grip can be found on a good road surface. But while it used to be the case that once a bike was going in a straight line you could use as much throttle as you liked, many modern bikes have more than enough power to spin up in the wet in the lower gears even when bolt upright.
Andy Safety Officer Email: andy.kendall@virgin.net Mobile: 07905 397474
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Muffins in Monmouthshire
By Mike Sage Back outside I took in the scene of bikes coming and going and general bon home, (is that right?) between riders. In fact I was approached by a couple of Cangen Cymraeg riders and had a good chin wag without the need for an interpreter! Sorry guys my memory is sh.. a shambles, forgot your names! The ride back via Raglan, Devauden and Chepstow was fine but not such a great road as the outbound trip. You could, of course use the Wye Valley.
So this isn’t meant as an advert, it’s a recommendation - definitely a good destination, or rest break on a longer ride. (It’s about Now some of you will know about this place but I bet 42miles from Riders, Brislington.) A great use of an old boozer which is growing a reputation as a biking there are plenty of members who don’t. haunt. On a sunny Saturday afternoon and with passport and inoculation card in hand I thought I’d ride across I’m sure there are plenty of you out there that know of other suitable venues, why not share them with the border to a cafe people have been telling me us. This took me 5 minutes to write and if I can do it about, the Steel Horse Cafe near Abergavenny. then it can’t be hard! Leaving Chepstow I took the excellent biking road the B4235 to Usk with plenty of tree-lined sections and lots of technical bends. One in particular, with a reducing radius and lots of Armco, needed extra concentration. All good fun though and virtually deserted. Turning right at the Three Salmon PH in Usk the road continued in the same vein towards Abergavenny. The Steel Horse is located at the T-junction with the old Raglan Road in the village of Llanvihangel Gobion and is obviously a renovated old pub. There were about 30 bikes in the roomy car (bike) park, a mix of sports bikes and tourers, but thankfully no idiots doing doughnuts and wheelies. Plenty of riders were enjoying coffee and cakes etc. outside at the picnic tables, in the sunshine. It certainly wasn’t crowded though. Inside I got a nice welcome and found that there was an extensive menu of just the right sort of things for bikers. I chose the coffee and a Terry’s Chocolate Orange muffin, both very good. The interior is bike themed with a Norton Cafe racer on display, biking photos, maps of the Principality, mags and a large screen TV showing bike racing. Free WiFi too.
Page 23
Peter & Duncan’s Pump Stop Sitting outside the Mughal Spice, it was earily bereft of the sound of V-twins, though a rideout by the Weston Scooter Club did its best to drown our conversations and poison us with 2-stroke fumes.
October seems to have been rather a quiet month, aside from our usual club nights. Today it was “Hoggin’ the Bridge”, or rather, “Hoggin’ the Mughal”! Our GWC curry lunch seems to have come round again very fast (yes, our perception of time passing really does speed up as we get older ) Usually, for the start of HTB day, the brass monkeys As always, the food and company were excellent. are about in abundance and everyone is hoping for sunshine to warm us up while hanging around at Severn View Services. Having done 10 of these, missing only one in 2006, I was thinking how amazing it is that it has nearly always been sunny. The big exception was in 2006 when it poured down. Ironically, as everyone was assembling at Severn view, Yvonne and I were flying to New York from Bristol and had a birds-eye view of the misery, through the torrential rain! Well, this morning at 7.00 a.m. it was chucking it down in Wiltshire, accompanied by rumbling thunder. The rain kept up until it was time to go; so, big question – bike/car? Well car it was, and the same decision for a good few of the Chapter, although plenty of bikes as well. Sod’s law, of course, by the time we were all in Chepstow cen- Many thanks to Cockers and Bazzzer for the organitre (NOT the Racecourse!), the sun was shining sation. warm and bright. How many GWC members did the official HTB ride, I have no idea. A few people mentioned to us that they had gone up to the racecourse to take a look, early on, and it was all rather dismal. What a pity it has come to this. Anyway, whatever happens with HTB, the Mughal Spice seems to be a firm GWC annual fixture. The embryonic Abertawe Cymru UK Chapter (well, Abertawe H-D) were doing HTB, so hope it all went well for them. At the October Cangen Cymraeg club night, along with Bazzer, I snapped the lineup of 3 (Continued on page 24)
Page 24 Abertawe Primary officers:
depressing! I have to confess that Yvonne and I will be doing our usual transatlantic escape in January, this time back to gorgeous San Diego and the Pacific coast (sea, beaches and sunshine) with a Harley, for a couple of weeks, of course. Back here, in 2014, following the alleged success of the “Go East” tour, we are planning on doing a repeat format long weekend, this time of “Peaks, Lakes and Dales”. Could be a bit of fun - want to come? Anyhow, before that we have a few bleak months of either not riding, or wearing decent winter gear and giving our bikes lots of preventative TLC. Cue Duncan! -
Andy Ball (Assistant Director), Adrian Vaughan (Assistant Director/Secretary), Len Daly (Treasurer), although I failed to capture Graham Roach, their Head Road Captain. Excellent news that they are all retaining membership of GWC as well, and that they see great opportunities for synergy between the two Chapters. Talking of other Chapters, I’ve not mentioned our twin Chapter, Western Slope (Colorado) since some of us met up with them in Grand Junction and Fort Collins this summer. Last month they did their 2 nd “Infidel Ride” of 450 miles in 9 hours – not bad!
Corrosion protectant - I thought this month I would talk about bikes that will still be ridden during the next few months and how to protect them. SALT, the fatal word to any piece of metal and which has to be one of the worst problems to try and overcome during the winter months. There is a corrosion protectant on the market called ACF50 which does a great job and is designed to protect your bike from the winter elements including road salt. Application is easy and should be applied to a clean dry bike (please read the instructions for application and removal). Once dry, road dirt and salt sticks to the protectant and not to your bike, giving you piece of mind through those dark damp winter months. This is a must for all year round bikers and their pride and joy. You could still use it, even if you don’t intend to ride through the winter, as not all of us have nice dry garages. If there is a dry day, it means you still have the chance to ride your bike and not worry. If you wish, we can valet your bike and apply ACF 50 for £69. Just give Mike in service a call and Darren will lovingly valet your pride and joy for you. Once again, Safe Riding
One of their regular rideouts, from Grand Junction, is the hundred or so miles to Moab, Utah. Next September a few of us GWC members (26 to be precise) will be having another of our fun-filled twinning meet-ups in Moab and maybe beyond. Next Saturday, beside its being our penultimate 10th Anniversary event (our Dinner/ Dance at the Hilton) the clocks go back to winter time. That says it all, winter, short days, cold, salt on the roads blah blah;
Peter and Duncan @Riders
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Orchard Trust
By Kathryn activity holiday at the Calvert Trust in Exeter – in-
Hello everyone, Well, it’s been a busy few weeks at Hilltop. All the old carpet has been ripped up and replaced with new carpet, so they are cosy and warm there now, ready for the winter. John has been in and replaced the old bath and shower with nice new modern ones and also retiled the bathroom and the service users are already reaping the benefit. While this has been going on, the service users and staff have coped very well - so well done everyone! Kim, supported by Amanda, really enjoyed her day out at Weston and talked about nothing else for days afterwards. Jamie and Layla have enjoyed many hours in the sensory room, using the projector which you bought Hilltop, along with their lights and music. Hilltop has recently welcomed a new Deputy Manager, Liz, to their team and also said goodbye to Kon, their Domestic Helper, who will be greatly missed. Hilltop recently had a new, very independent resident move in unannounced - but he had to reside in the garden, as it was one of the local deer!
cluding building his bed outdoors! Graham and Chris had a holiday in Spain and had a wonderful time – they went on an aeroplane, took part in a dolphin show, wore their funky shirts and even got to learn some of the lingo - Hola!
Several tenants from Kimberley Drive and Morelands have been on holiday recently. Lindsay enjoyed his holiday in Dawlish, particularly a visit where he got to hold an owl and Dan enjoyed his
(Continued on page 26)
Page 26 The kiln you bought for us is now wired in at the Learning Centre, though not quite in use yet as we had to do some extensive risk assessments to cover all eventualities! The students have been to see the kiln and are very excited about using it.
practitioner. Scott later added “the bounce has been fun but more importantly it raised funds for new and specialist equipment needed to support people during therapy sessions” (he did also add that his legs were like jelly afterwards too!). Anyone interested in using the facility can contact the Swim Gym on
01594 860615. The sponsored Snowdon Trek last month by staff from Offa’s Dyke raised an amazing £500! Chris B, from Offa’s Dyke had a lovely time recently, with a trip to the Royal Albert Hall for an organ gala with his family and Brian from Offa’s Dyke and we now have a photo of him abseiling for the first time at the Calvert Trust (and smiling too!). We’ve had treats from students at the Learning Centre this week. One group did a ‘sandwich and muffin round’ (the banoffee muffins were very good!) and then later in the afternoon, the 'Working Together/Setting up an Enterprise' Group made some delicious cinder toffee and came round selling it! Ymmm! Scott successfully completed a 1 hour sponsored bounce on 14th October in our Swim Gym. He was raising funds for equipment to support hydro and rebound therapy sessions at the swim gym facility and raised a fantastic £300. Students from the Learning Centre went along to support and encourage Scott, who is a qualified Rebound Therapy
We have several events in our Orchard Trust diary coming up, to which you are all invited: Sevenoaks have arranged a Race Night to raise funds for their sensory garden. This will be on 22 nd November, at 8 pm at the George and Millbrook Lodge, Aylburton, near Lydney. Please ring Julie Evans at Sevenoaks on 01594 810055 for more details. Our Orchard Trust Carol Service will be held on Sunday 8th December at 2pm at Christchurch Church, followed by refreshments for everyone. ‘Santa’s Grotto’ will be on 15th December when the Training Office will be transformed into a magical grotto for Santa and the Lodge will have craft stalls, refreshments and activities for children. Please ring the Admin Office on 01594 861137 if you would like to book a time slot to bring children to see Santa. Thank you everyone for your support and very best wishes from everyone at The Orchard Trust. Kathryn The Orchard Trust
At a Glance - 2013 GWC Activities Calendar Contact Anita Cockwell if you have any other events you would like to see listed. Tel: 01761 471385 or mobile: 07702 073361 or e-mail: accockwell@yahoo.com For further details on any event listed visit “What’s On” on the GWC website. Date
Chapter Events
Organiser
Asst Director/ Head Road Captain Alan Stokes 07766 237242
Club Night
Bazz Aggett
Cross Hands Hotel, Old Sodbury
13th
Club Night
Bazz Aggett
St Mary’s Hotel, Pencoed
23rd/24th
10th Anniversary
Jane Scott
LOH weekend trip to London
24th
Ride Out
Steph Pocock‘
‘Wild Wanderings Around Wiltshire’
26th
Natter Night
Bazz Aggett
Ferry Inn, Beachley
7th
Xmas Party
Anita Cockwell
St Mary’s Hotel, Pencoed
10th
AGM
Bazz Aggett
Cross Hands Hotel, Old Sodbury
11th
Club Night
Bazz Aggett
St Mary’s Hotel, Pencoed
15th
Ride Out
‘Big Al’ Stokes
‘Tinsel in Tetbury’
December
For Sale - Brand New Unopened Harley Parts Fairing Lower Magnetic Doors (p/n: 57100198) Fits ‘83-13 Electra Glide models. £35 Fairing Lower Box Liners (p/n: 58714-06) Fits vented fairing lowers prior to ‘14. £20 Chrome Indicator Bezel (p/n: 74562-98) Fits ‘96-13 Electra and Street Glides. £10 Bar & Shield Radio Faceplate (p/n: 77143-07) Fits H-D Advanced Audio System. £10 Chrome Speaker Trim, Front (p/n: 74604-99) Fits ‘96-13 Electra and Street Glides. £20 Chrome Speaker Trim, Rear (p/n: 74584-99) Fits ‘98-13 Electra Glides. £20 Headlight Extension Ring (p/n: 69627-99) Fits most ‘83-13 Touring models. £25 Smoked 7" Windshield (p/n: 57185-05) Fits ‘96-13 Electra and Street Glides. £90 Bar & Shield Windshield Trim (p/n: 59133-99) Fits ‘96-13 Electra and Street Glides. £60 Chrome Saddlebag Mounting Brackets (p/n: 90200666) Fits ‘09-13 Touring models except FLHX and FLHXSE/2/3. £45
Front Fork Air Baffle (p/n: 58520-79TC) Fits ‘80-13 FLT, FLHT, FLHX and FLHR models. £15 Contact Mark on tel: 07900 496711 or email: macockwell@yahoo.com
FOR SALE Weise two piece storm suit, worn once in the dry, fitted with removable body armour, no tears, snags, scuffs or marks, purchased for my son for about £225, who has decided to not take up riding after riding with me as pillion for about 8 years, he is 5' 11" of medium build, specific sizing not indicated on the suit so buyer would need to try on first, I am asking £125, will donate 10% to chapter charity if I get the right price. Tel: 01179799737 or 07527102979
Director Barry Aggett 07907 351650 Asst Director/Treasurer Peter Roberts 07540 164157
12th
Steve Proud
Sponsoring Dealer Duncan White 0117 9588777
Details
November
Committee Contacts
Secretary Yvonne Roberts 01225 751017 Webmaster Chris Harding 07801 562011 Activities Officer Anita Cockwell 01761 471385 Safety Officer Andy Kendall 07905 397474 Editor Mark Cockwell 07900 496711 Photographer/Historian Tony Yendle 07787 551612 Ladies of Harley Jane Scott 07894 086626 Charity Co-ordinator Stephanie Evans 07983 259752 Cangen Cymraeg Rep Greg Payne 07976 913004 Rally Co-ordinator Tony James 07940 895921
Road Captains Barry Aggett, Mike Brake, Paul Bromhead, Nigel Garnett, Simon Griffiths, Paul Groom, Chris Harding, Martin James, Ian Johnson, Andy Kendall, Andy Kendall, (RKK), Ian Mead, Greg Payne, Dave Pocock, Stephanie Pocock, Dave Roberts, Mike Sage, Darren Sharp, Jane & Stuart Scott, Alan Stokes, Tony Yendle.
Road Marshals Tony Cole, Steve Crook, Neil Lewis, Steve Link, Neil Prescott, Bryn Wiltshire.
All details on GWC web site www.greatwesternhog.co.uk
RoadHOG is printed by the Woodside Press