HUSTLER H243 SPRING
10 Northeast 12 Events 14 Spring has sprung 18 Nomination 20 South Coast
AND MORE... MOTORCYCLE FUNERALS LIMITED
MY BIKES
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PAGE 26 WWW.SUZUKIOWNERSCLUB.CO.UK 1
Editorial
by The Editorial Team editor@suzukiownersclub.co.uk Front cover shot: Courtesy of BMF
Welcome to Hustler 243
Hello and welcome to the Spring edition of the Hustler, it is time to shake off the winter and get prepared for the biking season! In this issue there are some great articles, we hope you enjoy them. Thank you for all your submissions, they are a joy to read, please keep them coming in, the cut off for the next Hustler is 17th May 2017.
The Editorial Team
Join up online at: suzukiownersclub.co.uk for secure registration & payment.
Use a membership form, available at dealers and shows, send completed form to:
Suzuki Owners Club, suite 240, Divo House, 29 Belmont Road, Uxbridge, UB8 1QS By phone using debit/credit card please call: 07811407397 By bank transfer using the following details: Account: 20177822, Sort code: 20 05 74 For new members the reference should be: NM and your name. For renewals the reference should be: RNWL, membership number and your name. Please notify the Membership Secretary when paying by bank transfer. Please help us keep in contact with you. If your details change please contact us by post, via the website or email to: membershipsecretary@rocketmail.com including your membership number. Neither the Suzuki Owner Club nor its National Commitee are Necessarily in agreement with the opinions, views or suggestions expressed in this magazine. any such opions, views or suggestions are entirely the authur’s and publishing them does not imply the endorsment of the Suzuki Owners ClubCopyright. Suzuki Owners Club 2007. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form without permission of the Suzuki Owners Club. 2
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Chairman’s Report
by Pete Dibble (Bugman) chairman@suzukiownersclub.co.uk Welcome to your first edition of 2017.
We will soon be embarking on the annual Pilgrimage to Belgium, this year we are visiting the City of Mons, all are welcome and spaces are still available at the Congress Hotel and the Station Hotel. Your help and support is needed to assist Tink with this year’s shows programme and we are looking for help from members, as always your help is very much appreciated and needed in manning the Show Stand and you are generally rewarded for your time by getting free access and, where available, camping to enjoy the benefits of attending.
Firstly I would like to thank the editorial team in producing another sterling edition of the Hustler. As I write this we are already 2 months into the year, Heathrow has been nearly closed by heavy snow flurries that produced a very fine covering of snow, traffic in the local area as always ground to a halt. We have already had an NC on tour meeting and another is planned shortly, watch the forum for dates and locations, it will be at some point coming to a centre near you. My team, your National Committee are working away in the background with the day to day management of the Club as well as organising this year’s events programme.
I respectfully remind you all that this is your club, like most things you get what you want out of the club based on the amount of input you put into the club. We the National Committee are running the club as a small business, it is clearly working as the club is going from strength to strength and is financially self sufficient. Progress is ongoing, recent successes being he SOC Shop and the new more secure website. Until next time Keep safe, Ride safe, and I hope to see you all soon.
Regards, Peter aka Bugman Membership Sec Report
by Pete Dibble (Bugman) membershipsecretary@rocketmail.com Welcome to 2017 and the first Publication of the year. Just a quick reminder to all if you are in the process of Moving don’t forget to send my your new Details so I can update the database, I have received a number of returned magazines and emails regarding magazines not arriving and invariably it’s because People have moved and forgotten to update their personal details with us. 4
Since the Last Magazine Publication. New Memberships 28 Renewals 37 (Numbers Correct as of 15/02/2017)
We welcome all our New members and look forward to meeting you at an event, NC on tour or rally soon.
Ride safe, Peter aka Bugman Merchandising
by James Wiedenbruch (Rockhopper) merchandising@rocketmail.com Well here we are at the start of yet another year and my third in the post of Merchandising Officer and what I intend to be my last before I try my hand at another of the NC jobs. To that end if there is any members out there who would like to try their hand at this job I would be more than happy to explain the post and what it entails.
One last thing to report on which stills need some work doing is the Merchandising advert we want to put in the Hustler every issue which we hope will catch the all members especially the new members as they join. All that remains for me to say is keep looking in the shop and make sure you visit the truck when it’s out and about.
I’m happy to report that for a second year we had a fantastic time at the 2016 NEC with several of our lines selling out at the show as they did the year before. As always it’s hard to predict just what will and won’t sell but as I’ve already said just about everything sold very well to the point where we sold out on a few lines. A big part of the success must go towards the glass display case we hired which attracted the people in.
Regards, RH :-)
Hopefully 2017 will see the new club show truck being used to its full potential and getting the message out to lots of new members and lots more merchandise being sold. All that’s needed now is some new display cabinets that we can fold away which will complement all the other display material that is brought together for this year. At our most recent NC meeting it was put to me that we needed some more lady clothing lines so I have been looking around and hopefully this will soon be covered. As always keep an eye on our shop for new lines coming through, talking of which the shop is doing really well and if you have not had a look please go and have a good look round. 5
National Secretary
by Sue Carr (Gofer 750) ncsuzukiownersclub@rocketmail.com Hello and welcome to this issue of the Hustler, It is time to start thinking about getting the stored bikes ready for the biking season and for those who ride all year round to shed the thermals and start enjoying some good weather. This issue finds the nomination forms in prominence, there are a number of roles up for election and we still have a few vacant positions such as the Editor and Public Relations, if you would like more information about the roles please email me, we are looking forward to a great AGM. The invader Rally is scheduled for the weekend of 22nd - 24th September 2017, the AGM will held on the 24th September @ 11am, venue has been chosen and is: The Breighton Ferry, Breighton, Bubwith, Selby, East Yorkshire and YO8 6DH We look forward to seeing you all there and at the many events and shows during this summer. Keep it sunny side up.
Sue (Gofer750) Tech officer
by John Carr (jlcarr) techofficer@rocketmail.com Hello to All, Well it’s been very quiet time since my last report, only about 15 bikes but 1 interesting bike was a 1959 Suzuki Colleda 150. So that took a bit of digging out information about it but the gentleman is very happy with the result. Let’s hope things pick up for me and the club as it helps put a few more coppers in club funds, had a few tech questions over this time even for non Suzuki’s! That I find strange as our name is The Suzuki Owners Club, so till my next report let’s Ride Safe.
Membership Rates
John Carr Tech Officer 1 Year Single membership.............................................£25 3 Year Single membership.............................................£65 1 Year Joint Membership...............................................£30 3 Year Joint Membership...............................................£80 Forum only Membership....(non club member).............£10 International Membership..............................................£30 3 Year International........................................................£80 6
Touring
by Mark Seager (DarkStar) touring@suzukiownersclub.co.uk Firstly I would like to tell you about a law in France which is now in force, you must wear gloves while riding! I know it’s seems obvious but some people on a hot day don’t wear any so in an accident a nasty injury would be likely and potentially shorten your riding years. Easter we are off to Mons in Belgium which I’m looking forward to, a new town with lots to see 26/5/17 I’m looking at going to Dinant in Belgium which is a bank holiday weekend so an nice long break. Then 2/6/17 it will be the Loppem bike rally, I am planning to go again this year so will get details posted and looking forward to everyone signing up for this and any of our trips abroad trip. Ride safe,
Mark Touring Officer Treasurer
by John Carr (jlcarr) soctreasurer@rocketmail.com Things are going well with the club, with things like membership renewal and new members coming in, we still have plenty of advertisement coming in to us so that’s good.
Current Acc. Savings Acc. Charity Acc. PayPal Acc.
£1,948.39 £8.947.60 £254.00. £128.53.
We are still saving money by not going mad on getting things for the shows but we could do with a couple of display cabinets if anyone has got some they don’t need or they know somewhere they are going spare, please keep your eyes open, not to big say around 800mm in height and about the same in width, preferably with perspex not glass fronts and sides, so we can display our shows stock in.
So as you can all see we are still doing well, but ideas would be helpful to us all.
Just to keep you all informed that our PLI has just been renewed and the cost for this, this year is £1077. So you may see a drop in our monies.
Things like this are taking up a lot of our time and we do not want to let things slip but there’s only so many hours in the day and most of us do work a full time job as well, so people if you can help please do.
If anybody would like to help out on the NC we would be very grateful as it seems the most of us on the NC are not just doing our job but other ones that we have had to take over, so we are not just doing 1 job but a few.
Now for the important bit.
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John Carr Treasurer
London Centre
by John Carr (JLCarr) techofficer@rocketmail.com
Hello to All. Like most centres over the winter period we at the London centre have not done much, we did not even have a Xmas dinner this year because of commitments all of us had over the Christmas period. But we still managed to meet up for our centre meets at the White House pub in Stockley Park, this year we are going to do the rounds of meeting in different places, like next month its going to be the Ace Cafe, back to our old meeting spot. Then next month who knows it may be somewhere like the cafe up on the Dunstable downs but if we do change venue’s we will put it on the forum for people to see, let’s hope things like the weather starts to improve so we can all get out there on our bikes (unlike me who uses it every day) and start to enjoy ride outs and the camping weekends coming up. So till later. Ride Safe and watch out for the nutters.
John Carr. London Centre Secretary.
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Heritage
by Danny Broughton heritage@suzukiownersclub.co.uk Hi again everyone. Whilst also with my begging bowl out, can I also ask if there are any old A5 Hustler binders out there please? We really want to maintain the “period” feel to the archive wherever possible, and there are none left at all, and I’m hoping that there may be a few older ones out there with members, maybe even with a few copies of missing Hustler editions out there too! ;-). We have a small budget to facilitate postage or delivery costs if required. You can contact me through heritage@suzukiownersclub. co.uk if you can help.
Well several months into the role now and we seem to have made quite a productive start to the archive project. Through a combination of member donations, auction site finds, and social media opportunities, we are starting to amass a small, but growing, archive of the club’s history. It’s probably appropriate to give a quick summary of items to date to start with, so here goes; We currently have; 22 different pin badges, including a few Invader Rally badges. 2 machine badges circa late 70’s early 80’s. 6 assorted trophies including BMF and CMM shows. Assorted Czech Centre items. A reasonable collection of old Hustler magazines which I will elaborate on further. We are currently holding around 34% of our old magazines, with a few more to catalogue. I am particularly keen to get as many of these as possible, as they represent not only our club’s history, and past members, but indeed the changing face of motorcycling since 1973, and significant achievements like the Maudes Trophy.
Finally a massive “thank-you” to Les Bensley for his large donation of items, of which a number are from our friends in SOC Czech Centre. We hope to have a selection of club Heritage regalia and memorabilia at selected shows and events going forward as the archive grows.
It is this area that we could really use your help please. We have a lot of our earlier editions, and most of the more recent ones too, thanks to a variety of sources, but we do have some large gaps that need filling.
The sun will soon be shining and the temperature rising, and I look forward to meeting more and more of you all at centre meetings and shows and events over the spring and summer.
Danny B
If you are able to help fill any of those gaps please, it would be a massive help. 9
South Coast by Laura Dyer ( Laurad) southcoast@suzukiownersclub.co.uk Happy New year to everyone. I hope that you all had a good Christmas also. The Reading Toy Run at the start of December seems such a long time ago now, but what a great event it is! Meeting at Boy Blues for a bacon sandwich and chat before dressing up in our Christmas outfits to go the the ride start point. With nearly 2000 bikes at the event it is HUGE. It is well organised and the entire community come out to line the route and watch the spectacle. Donating our Christmas presents at Barnardo’s school at the end of the run. This year the special guest was Gogglebox’s Vicar. The Wickham Square boxing day meet was its usual busy time with the square packed with all types of vehicles. Always a super look around and then into the Kings Head for a hot drink and get together. Into the New Year we met a little later in January than we usually do, but none the less Loomies was busy and we were blessed with our friends coming from far and wide to join the centre meet.
The Annual South Coast Centre Awards for attendance were presented. Male 1st – Steven Pranckevicius -PK Male 2nd – Alan Everest Female 1st – Julie Seager Female 2nd – Sue Everest Well done to you all, thank you for your support at the centre events and indeed in the club. We also awarded a 10 year badge to Alan Hancock. Thanks again for your support and commitment and lastly we have handed over the baton of running the centre to Steven – PK. He is full of enthusiasm to grow the centre and the club, keen to get people involved and in touch, so if you are anywhere within say, 50 miles of Loomies cafe, West Meon please get in touch through the lines of communication in the club. I know PK will be reaching out to you all soon. We hope to continue to see everyone.
Most recently we have had our New Year get together, another great event to come along to, blessed with 15 of us around the table it was great to catch up with everyone. Besides a few flu’s and colds everyone survived Christmas and had a good time. Everyone’s families are well and members plans for 2017 sound good. We had our raffle with over 30 prizes to be won there was something for everyone... and everyone won something. (phew) we are grateful for the centre members support with this as it is our biggest fundraiser.
Happy riding.
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Metzler Roadtec 01. UPDATE
Well I’ve had these tyres on the bike for around 11 months and done about 10 thousand miles on them and I reckon I’ve got a couple thousand miles left on them. Even with all this bad weather we have had frost, loads of rain and even the snow we had they have not batted a bit with their performance. So I’m thinking to myself about getting these tyres when I need to change them, I cannot fault them at all with the punishment they have been through over the last few months even though I’ve always used another maker’s tyre and have So this is the end of my tyre test report for stuck with these for years, but as I have said a now, but may give you all an update as to new set of these are going on my Strom. when I have to change them. I would like to thank Metzeler for give the club Till then please all ride safe. the opportunity to do a road test on these tyresand John Carr hope they think of us again in the future. Suzuki Owners Club
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Northeast
by Kev Close kevclose253@gmail.com
Well the winter “close” season is over and the bikes are out of hibernation. The only thing to report in this issue is our New Year party. A great party night with our resident “Suzukioke” Steve Goth on the decks. A cracking fundraising effort with the funds going towards our camping weekend at the end of May. I have posted a list of all the events we have planned so far, lots of great days out planned, all welcome.
Hope to see you out enjoying your bikes
Kev Close (NE Centre Sec)
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2nd - North East Centre meeting Heather Lad 7.30pm/ride beforehand 3pm for 3.30pm for more info email Kev: kevinclose253@gmail. com 2nd - Loomies and GOODWOOD 10am-12 lunch time. Come along and say hi, grab a cuppa or a breakfast. We will then be riding on round to Goodwood aerodrome café. Hoping for the good weather. Through the back lanes. watch a few planes and have a cuppa. 1st Sunday of the month. A warm welcome awaits all at Loomies which is located on the A272, A32 crossroads. Contact PK: southcoast@suzukiownersclub. co.uk 9th – London Centre meet at the Ace Café Ace Corner North Circular Road Stonebridge London NW10 7UD Meeting at 11am for breakfast and a good chinwag 9th - Prescott bike festival. We will be meeting at Cheverly Services M4, J13 we will be meeting here 10.00am for a 10.15am leave. This looks to be an excellent day out. There is so much going on that you are bound to have a great time www.prescottbikefestival. co.uk/whats_on . Probably ‘one of the finest collections of engineering excellence in one Paddock and a great day out for all the family to enjoy in the beautiful setting of the Prescott Speed Hill Climb. Our 2017 featured Club is NORTON – massive Paddock display, Parade Runs, featuring the very best from this classic British motorcycle. Expect to be wowed!’ £15 entrance fee. 9th -.Stafford Centre Ride out to the Winking Man Meet at 10am at The Old Smithy 8-10 Castle Street Eccleshall ST21 6DF For more info contact Jim: stafford@suzukiownersclub.co.uk
14th – 17th Belgium at Easter: Staying at The Congress hotel, Mons Van der Valk. Avenue Melina, Mercouri 7 Mons 7000. See forum posts for more information.
Events
April
15th – Minibike Racing Round 2! Watch Andy Race the track. Number 724. http:// www.britishminibikes.com/2016-championship. Teesside Autodrome, South Tees Motor Sports Park, South Bank Road, Middlesbrough TS6 6XH 17th – North East Centre Ride out to Craven motorcycle museum. Meet Bowburn 9.30 for 10am for more info email kev: kevinclose253@ gmail.com
23rd – Stafford Centre Meet starting at 12pm at The Old Smithy 8-10 Castle Street Eccleshall ST21 6DF For more info contact Jim: stafford@suzukiownersclub.co.uk Come along for a chat and a cuppa!
30th – North West Centre Ride Out to Three Sisters Race Circuit, Please see forum for details
May
7th - North East Centre meeting Heather Lad 7.30pm/ride beforehand 3pm for 3.30pm for more info email Kev: kevinclose253@gmail. com
7th – South Coast Centre meet at Loomies and AMBERLEY BIKES DAY. This will be a short meeting at Loomies today as we will be riding off to Amberley museum and heritage centre for a vintage bikes day. We will be leaving Loomies at 10.30am so just time for a cuppa then off. Contact PK: southcoast@suzukiownersclub. co.uk 7th - Stafford Centre Ride out to the Snowdon. Meet at 10am at The Old Smithy 8-10 Castle Street Eccleshall ST21 6DF For more info contact Jim: stafford@suzukiownersclub.co.uk
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8th – Minibike Racing Round 3! Watch Andy Race the track. Number 724. http:// www.britishminibikes.com/2016-championship at Whilton Locks, Whilton, Daventry, Northamptonshire NN11 2NH 11th – 21st: Staffs centre ‘Last Long Ride’ 11th May start at Penzance and finishing 21st May at Eccleshall for more information please see the forum. 13th – South Coast Ride out to Biggleswade to see the Shuttleworth collection of aeroplanes. This is a fair ride out so we will be meeting at fleet services for 10am for a 10.15 leave. This looks to be a superb collection and a great day out. Contact PK: southcoast@suzukiownersclub. co.uk 14th – London Centre meet at the Dunstable Downs Café. Meeting at 11am for breakfast and a good chinwag 14th North East Ride out Moffatt, Scottish Borders etc. Meet Bowburn 8.30 for 9am for more info email Kev: kevinclose253@gmail. com 27th - Minibike Racing Round 4! Watch Andy Race the track. Number 724. http://www. britishminibikes.com/2016-championship at Dengemarsh Road, Lydd, Kent TN29 9JH 26th-29th North East Camping weekend at The Heather Lad 28th Sun Camping weekend ride out, meet 10am Heather lad, a great bank holiday camping weekend with entertainment, ride out and fun! Northumberland coast for more info email Kev: kevinclose253@gmail.com 28th - Stafford Centre Meet starting at 12pm at The Old Smithy 8-10 Castle Street Eccleshall ST21 6DF For more info contact Jim: stafford@suzukiownersclub.co.uk Come along
for a chat and a cuppa!
June 4th - North East Centre meeting Heather Lad 7.30pm/ride beforehand 3pm for 3.30pm for more info email Kev: kevinclose253@gmail. com 4th – South Coast Centre meet at Loomies meeting from 10-12. to include final camping weekend plans. Contact PK: southcoast@ suzukiownersclub.co.uk . 9/10/11 – South Coast Camping Weekend at the Fox and Goose, Greywell, The Street, Greywell RG29 1BY England, Hook, RG29 1BY. This is great get together weekend. This is a nice pub hidden away in a little village. The camping is free. There is a nice selection of drinks in the pub and the food is always excellent. We will be riding out from the pub on Saturday to go out to NELSONS DINER and then on to CROFTON PUMPING STATION. Then on Sunday if anybody fancies we can nip out for a coffee at the departure lounge before home. Contact PK: southcoast@suzukiownersclub.co.uk 11th - London Centre meet at the Greenford Motorcycle Museum. Meeting at 11am for breakfast and a good chinwag 11th – Stafford Centre Ride out to the Ponderosa Café. Meet at 10am at The Old Smithy 8-10 Castle Street Eccleshall ST21 6DF For more info contact Jim: stafford@suzukiownersclub.co.uk 18th - Stafford Centre Meet starting at 12pm at The Old Smithy 8-10 Castle Street Eccleshall ST21 6DF For more info contact Jim: stafford@suzukiownersclub.co.uk Come along for a chat and a cuppa! 18th – North East Ride out, Southern Lake District, Meet Bowburn 9.30 for 10am for more info email Kev: kevinclose253@gmail.com
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July 1st – 8th Week long trip to the Granary, Quimper. Luxury self catering farmhouse with swimming pool, bbq and gardens, lots of space to rest and relax and tons of sightseeing to do! See forum for details. 6th - Minibike Racing Round 6! Watch Andy Race the track. Number 724. http://www. britishminibikes.com/2016-championship at Stragglethorpe Lane, Nr Stragglethorpe NG32 3JE 2nd - North East Centre meeting Heather Lad 7.30pm/ride beforehand 3pm for 3.30pm for more info email Kev: kevinclose253@gmail. com 2nd – Loomies and then onto Aldershot Museum. Meeting at Loomies for the usual time 10-12 and then a meander on up to Aldershot museum for a wander round. Contact PK: southcoast@suzukiownersclub.co.uk 16th - Stafford Centre Meet starting at 12pm at The Old Smithy 8-10 Castle Street Eccleshall ST21 6DF For more info contact Jim: stafford@suzukiownersclub.co.uk Come along for a chat and a cuppa!
16th - North West Centre Ride out to Ravensglass and monthly meet, see fprum for details
Events
24th- Minibike Racing Round 5! Watch Andy Race the track. Number 724. http://www. britishminibikes.com/2016-championship at Llandow Trading Estate, Llandow, Cowbridge CF71 7PB
21st – 23rd Barry Sheene Festival at Oliver’s Mount. For more information please contact Tink: shows@suzukiownersclub.co.uk 23rd - Durham Police Bikewise, Aykley Heads Durham from 9.30am
August
5th - Minibike Racing Round 7! Watch Andy Race the track. Number 724. http://www.britishminibikes.com/2016championship at Whilton Locks, Whilton, Daventry, Northamptonshire NN11 2NH 6th – North East Centre meeting Heather Lad 7.30pm/ride beforehand 3pm for 3.30pm for more info email Kev: kevinclose253@gmail. com
11th – 13th Stafford Camping Weekend at Chetwynd Deer Park, Newport, Shropshire, TT10 5EH A great weekend with lots to see and do, craft stalls, cars, bikes and lots more. For more information please contact Tink: shows@ suzukiownersclub.co.uk 20th North East Ride out to Holmfirth, Yorks Dales, meet Bowburn 8.30 for 9am for more info email Kev: kevinclose253@gmail.com
16th – South Coast Ride out to Tangmere aviation Museum. Meeting at Eastern Road services at 10 am leaving 10.15 arriving at 11am for those wanting to meet us there. Contact: southcoast@suzukiownersclub.co.uk
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Spring has sprung but are you and the bike ready…?? by James W.
Ok, so just maybe Spring may not have moved as far forward as we would all have hoped by now, but hopefully it’s not far away as already the first events of the year are fast approaching. If you followed our easy to follow steps in the last issue on how to put your bike into winter hibernation then what you need to do now to bring it back to life will be easy to do. If you didn’t, then you may have a few extra things to do. First thing you will need to do is un wrap the bike carefully especially if you suspended it on a frame to take the weight of the tyres and suspension. Once this is done, then give the bike a good once over checking for any damage or deterioration that may have happened over the winter months. It’s always best to start from one end and work your way through methodically. Check all hoses, cables, connections, nuts and bolts and treat any signs of rust now. Hopefully nothing will have taken up residence so check all those nooks and crannies. I still smile at a letter I read that was from a biker who was desperate to fathom out why his bike was suddenly at a loss for power only to find out a field mouse had built his winter nest in the bikes air box….!!. Check your tyres for any signs of dry cracking, contamination and re inflate to their correct inflation levels. If the tyres had the bikes full weight sitting on one spot for the last few months then check to ensure no visual flat spots have developed which will show themselves once the bike starts moving again.
If you didn’t change the oil and filter when the bike was put to bed, then now’s the time to do it. Otherwise check all fluid levels and their condition be they coolant or brake fluids. Better still replace all the fluids and start the season with new.. Carry out a visual check on all the bikes oil seals and where possible work them such as the suspension seals. 18
Where fitted, check and clean your chain and ensure it is at the correct tension. Lubricate and don’t forget to re fill your automatic oiler if you have one fitted. Hopefully you will have removed your battery and kept it in a cool dry place with a trickle charger connected so that it is in the best possible condition to get you moving once more once re fitted. However, if you left it in situ then remove it and give it the once over and check for damage caused by frost. If you have one, then use a meter device to check its condition. Check everything electrical and that it works and that all the wiring and connections are in good condition. Check the fuel is okay, if you added a fuel protector then all should be ok, otherwise drain and replenish with new. Don’t be tempted to 50/50 mix the old and new to save money, remember it’s old for a reason and won’t do the engine and performance any good.
When all is done then start your engine and let it tick over for a good 10 minutes so that everything warms up and any problems, if any, will start to show. Don’t be tempted to skip this bit and race it down the road. Don’t forget to give the whole bike a good clean and polish when all the checking is finished. The final bit of advice is about you the rider, just like the bike you have been laid up so your reactions and riding style may have dulled. Take time to get used to the bike again and re learn all those little quicks it has. Don’t forget to check all your clothing too and that all important helmet.
Finally!! Enjoy
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2017 Nomination form
All sections must be completed for this form to be officially accepted. Applicants must be a full member at the time of election and must remain a member whilst in office. Signature of the candidate together with the details of the proposer and seconder must be completed in all cases. I(Print name) ......................................................................................................................... Of (address) ......................................................................................................................... ............................................................................................................................................... Membership number....................................... Hereby confirm that I agree to be nominated for election to the following position as a full member of the National Committee of the Suzuki Owners Club. (please tick to indicate the position for which you wish to be nominated). I am aware that if I am elected as a member of the National Committee. I must remain a fully paid up member of the SOC and that if I fail to keep up my membership I automatically remove myself from the position that I hold. o o o o o o
Attendance Trophy Merchandise National Secretary Show Co-ordinator Technical Officer Treasurer
Signature of candidate ............................................. Date....................................................
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2017 Nomination form
Candidate Name ........................................................................................ Proposer Print ............................................Membership No .................... Proposer Signature ...........................................Date ............................... Seconder Print ............................................Membership No .................... Seconder Signature ...........................................Date ............................... All nominations for National Committee positions must be submitted on this official form and reach the national secretary at the address below no later than 17th May 2017. All Nominees must attend the SOC AGM in person so that successful candidates can take their official roles immediately and to allow the members present to see whom they are voting for. Would all nominees prepare a statement to why they are suited to and what skills they can bring to the role that they are applying for to be printed in Hustler 244. Return to: Suzuki Owners Club Suite 240 Divo house 29 Belmont Road Uxbridge UB8 1QS
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ANOTHER TAKE ON BIKES: Reproduced by kind permission of Stuart Jefferies of The Guardian newspapers.
The Reverend Paul Sinclair shouts to me as we race through the Leicestershire lanes on a brilliant spring morning. “This is very therapeutic, isn’t it?” He’s astride a 1300cc Suzuki Hayabusa and I’m in the sidecar with no safety belt but clutching a helmet that’s too big for my head. I’m exhilarated as he throttles down and overtakes a Ford, but at the same time very much aware this is a near death experience. Only later does the troubling thought occur to me that his clients are all dead. Maybe, I worry unfairly, he’s touting for trade. “I’ve got the Guinness World Record for the
fastest speed on a motorcycle hearse,” he shouts. He does too: a framed certificate in his office says he reached 203.74kmh (126.6mph) at Elvington airfield in York in 2013. Some call the genial Glaswegian minister the Faster Pastor. Others call him the Quicker Vicar. He’s even been called Tomb Rider. Since he founded Motorcycle Funerals Limited in 2002, Sinclair and his six-strong staff have taken more than 4,000 people on final journeys like this – albeit much more slowly. They have been ferried, not in an open sidecar like the one in which I’m cowering, but in one of his fleet of sidecar hearses built and patented at the firm’s HQ, a former railway goods shed in the village of Measham in Leicestershire.
Paul Sinclair, of Motorcycle Funerals, Measham, with one of his vehicles – a Triumph Thunderbird with sidecar hearse. Photograph: David Sillitoe for the Guardian 22
Sinclair’s firm was the first to offer motorcycle hearses in Britain and is part of a trend towards customised funerals. “Death used to be industrialised,” he says. “Bog-standard coffin, bog-standard hearse, bog-standard music. What is that all about? You don’t need to spend a lot of money to make your or your loved one’s funerals personalised.” When we arrive at his headquarters, Sinclair shows me the latest additions to his fleet of Harley-Davidsons and Suzukis – two new Triumph Thunderbirds with sidecar hearses, making his firm, he claims, the largest of its kind in the world by far. His funerals start at £650 but the fee “varies a lot depending on if they specify a particular model [of motorbike and hearse], which affects my logistics and whether or not it is pay now, die later.” Funerals are changing. According to the CoOp’s 2015 survey, The Ways We Say Goodbye, 8% of Britons would like “an alternative hearse that says something about them as a person”. Some 26% said they’d like the mourners to wear bright colours. So what kind of person wants a motorcycle funeral? “I assumed that it was just bikers who opted for this kind of funeral for themselves or their family members,” says Simon, 56, a retired traffic officer who started work recently at Motorcycle Funerals. “In fact, it’s all sorts – often people who have had nothing to do with motorcycles in life, but at the funerals they want something different.” “I remember we buried a lady on her 102nd birthday,” recalls Simon’s colleague Trevor, 63. “She had no connection with bikes. They sang her Happy Birthday as she was buried.” He recalls another in which the widow insisted that she rode pillion to be near to her husband
in the side car hearse. Sinclair argues that his funerals can also be therapeutic for bereaved children. Sometimes, he says, he has led a cortege of motorcycles past school grounds so their friends can say goodbye. “There are occasions where we’ll ask the kids if they want to be photographed on the bike next to the hearse in which their parent lies in the coffin,” he says. “I think that sort of thing can help with grieving. “I really believe that children should attend funerals if – and this is the important proviso – they cared about the person who has died. Often children are wrongly kept away from funerals because their parents think it’s not the right place for them. They bottle up the grief, which is no good.” Sinclair set up Motorcycle Funerals after he nearly died on his motorbike in 2002. He rolls up his left arm to show me the scars after his crash in London. “I was hit from behind and the collision crushed my hand back – that’s why my left arm’s shorter than my right.” At the time, Sinclair was a Pentecostal minister at the Willesden Revival Centre, north-west London. “After the crash, I had a pre-midlife crisis and decided to provide motorcycle funerals. I’d officiated at many funerals and I loved motorbikes so I thought I could bring the two together.” He settled in Leicestershire with his Ghanaianborn wife, Marian, and 14 years later, business is booming. “We’ve paid off our debts and I can afford to pay all of us – including me – proper wages.” He shows me his roster of forthcoming funerals. 23
He hasn’t embraced mammon, though. Rather, Sinclair argues that he is continuing the ministry by other means. “I get more invitations to speak – to Women’s Institutes and so on – than I did when I was a pastor. Last year, I gave about 50 talks. So I feel I’m doing God’s work at least as much as when I was preaching in church.” He drives me back to the station in his car, which, if less exhilarating, makes conversation easier. I ask the 50-year-old if he’s planned his own funeral. He says he will, of course, be carried to the funeral in a motorcycle hearse. Then what? “I have an agreement with another clergyman. If I go before him, he’ll do my service. And vice versa. He’s a keen biker too, though unfortunately he’s recently become a Catholic so I may have to review the small print.” So how will it be different? “I don’t want anyone to say I was nice, or that I was a good man. People always say that at funerals and it’s never the truth.
I want it to be said: ‘This guy was a dirty sinner and he didn’t deserve to go to Heaven. But God saved him.’” Has he chosen the music yet? “Cars by Gary Numan and [Chuck Berry’s] Riding Along in my Automobile. There’s some irony in that. I want my funeral to be a bit of a laugh.”
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For more info visit www.metzelervillage.com 24
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MY BIKES by John Storrie My bikes? Well where do I start, I first started “biking” in 1965 with a J.A.P speedway bike, didn’t really know a lot about motorcycles then, only they were noisy dirty things .. and speedway, what the hell was that!
It was all down to my best mate from school, his fault and I blame totally! As when we were at school during the hot summer ho ls a group of us would go down to a local swimming hole, as young boys do or at least did back then, to get there we had to traverse a narrow twisty gravel track down hill through a smallish wood on our pushbikes. Sliding our way through the bends .. Suffice to say nobody could ever beat me at least most of the time, id always be first to the bottom. Well one year my mate who shall remain nameless, said to me and another mate of ours instead of going swimming lets go over to his parents farm and mess about in the orchard, now this sounded like a good idea at the time, so after a while of playing silly so and so, es he made an excuse and disappeared into one of the barns, emerging some time later in a god awful din on something that appeared to have two wheels and a bit in the middle (the engine) at warp speed and proceeded to drift this contraption in a circle around the trees. I
can’t remember if I was impressed or not, but at least it was something different. After a while he pulled up next to us and explained to us that this was a 500 cc J.A.P speedway bike, no brakes a bare frame, saddle not much bigger than our pushbike seats, throttle and a clutch to be squeezed in when at a standstill, and a lefthand footrest, that was about 2 inches off the floor, umm .. After a good bit more explaining the ins and outs of the thing and the fact that he was starting to race! RACE? This contraption on a Thursday night at Oxford Speedway as a novice rider for a year or so, he then offered us the chance of a ride on it, or at least persuaded the idiot writing this that he/I could do it, as it was very much like our rides down the track to our swimming hole, only difference being you only turned left and you had a motor to help you get along! ... what could go wrong? So after some basic instruction, don’t open the throttle to hard to start with and how to use the clutch, plus you’d better put this on, (the steel boot on the left foot) luckily we both took the same shoe size, what a weird feeling the first time of wearing one, sort of like immobilizing your left foot when walking!, so onto bike clutch in and a push off drop clutch and engine fired shut throttle engine stopped! Futt ... try again clutch in, push off drop clutch engine start ... sky, earth, sky, earth, futt ... engine stopped. I don’t remember how many tries I had before I got going in a straight line, but I cant recall falling off as yet. Turning around I hadn’t yet got the hang of so I think it must have clutch in feet down and paddle round to go back, eventually we get some idea of what’s 26
happening and manage to do a circle or two. Jeeze this is fun, but enough for today, when from round the barns emerged mateys father. After giving us right old rollicking he turned to me and said ... looks like you might be able to handle the bike properly with a bit of practice, after watching how the pro’s do it. So come the next Thursday evening I got taken to watch my very first speedway meeting. After watching the first heat/race I wasn’t sure I wanted to do this death defying occupation, but after my mates outing in the novice races after the main meeting, I decided to hell with it lets have a go, so the rest of those summer evenings were spent over at my mates farm practicing on his bike, under the watchful eye and supervision of his farther. Now about this time we’d left school and id started work as and apprentice engineer so id started to earn money, so for next season id just enough saved to buy an old dog of a bike second-hand leathers and boots, helmet and gloves, (everything was keep over at my mates farm as my parents knew nothing of this little venture, and wouldn’t do for the next couple of years! Oops.) I don’t remember my first race or crash whichever came first, but I used to strip the engine down and take various bits into the apprentices workshop and tune them up, at least that helped to get my city and guilds and qualifications. That poor old engine got tuned to the stage where it finally blew itself to bits at Oxford one night, it must have took us and the track staff I 0 minutes to pick up the bits and pieces off of the track, but I did get the reputation of being a demon gaiter! And my only claim to fame was I out gated the world champion one night he was on gate 4 and I was on gate 3 inside him, like .. Tapes rise, drop clutch, throttle, look to right his front wheel was behind me, where’s he got to?, Keep watching for his front wheel, look up ... hell’s
teeth safety fence turn in and he comes past, by the time id straightened up he was setting up for the bottom turn, at least neither of the two riders came past. Get back into the pits and im feeling quite chuffed I managed to come second to him when round he comes to my pit and throws a right wobbly at me for taking him out to the fence, now still only being no more than 17 I think I felt a bit unsettled, (especially for those of you who know me, me being just over 6 foot tall even then, and him being only a squirt of about 5foot 5inches) sorry Mr M. well he was in his mid to late 20,s. many years later I met up with the old Oxford promoter and recalled the incident with him, and he told me everyone who saw that were laughing their dogs off, this little guy squaring up to someone who towered above him, yes but.. and he then told me, that said gentleman shouldn’t have acted like that, as if he couldn’t stand being taken out to the fence, then he had no right to have out on the track anyway, it was just because I was still classed as a novice rider. And that’s my speedway carrier. I couldn’t afford to repair the bike or much less buy a new or newer one, so end with a promising career and I maintain a many times World Champion.
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BSA Bamtam 175 I managed to sell the bits and riding gear and put the money to wards a road bike, the first being a little l 75cc BSA Bantam, a get little first timer for the road, passed my test on it one foggy February morning, rode a little triangle round the town market, then around a square did the slow ride, then 3 or 4 questions and was told I’m going to pass you, I sat there and nearly fainted with my pass slip in my hand, I recovered enough to get my helmet back on and rode off past the market only to notice the examiner back at the wet fish stall purchasing his dinner! That’s all HE was interested in!. Oh how times have changed. I purchased the BSA from a guy who had small car paint spaying shop, when I first saw it I thought it was a grey one, till a workmate who had told me about it dragged it out into the daylight, a bit of a rub revealed it to be a blue one, would it start, would it eck as like, so I got a tenner knocked off, £39.00 is what it cost me plus another quid to get it transported back home, there appeared to be petrol in the tank but after much deliberation I walked down to the nearest petrol and got a gallon of 2 stroke mixed, poured it in and wham barn thank you mam, it fired up first time, now I thought id got a good deal as according to the Speedo it had only done 39 miles the same as id paid for it. Ah error the Speedo didn’t work, after taking it to bits nothing was found, so down to the drive, that all worked, so hey ho I road it around like that for a couple of months, until one day it really bugged me, and I decided to strip the whole lot down, got it all laid out on the floor the inner cable moved at both ends, so I assumed it was complete and not broken mid way in the outer cable, but may as well check, i’ve found things broken in the middle and they can pick up and move at both ends when their
lose, so I pulled the inner out, all was complete, then I noticed that on one end there was a little piece pressed on about an inch from the end, it couldn’t be could it? With some trepidation to heck with I’ll swap it around- hey presto problem sorted everything worked as it should do, so how long had it been like that, and how many miles has the bike done? I don’t know, but when I did sell it on I think it had recorded 11000 miles. BSA DBD34 BSA DBD34 500 cc single. This bike I didn’t have for long possibly a couple of months at most and I don’t remember too much about it other than id bought it from a guy at a local road race meeting, he was packing up racing and put this bike up for sale in the pits, id gone over with a couple of mates to watch the racing and we were walking around the pits when we saw it, in full racing trim but with all the road gear in a wooden crate, the guy had, had it from new direct from the official/unofficial race workshops at BSA,(i’m not going to explain that here, but people from the era will understand) anyway the price was right and he delivered for me, then I had to convert it to the road with the gear in the box, just put the Speedo, lights etc on, and left the engine in race trim, bad move, big head thought because he could “manage” aspeedway bike, (same sized engine) what was the worst that could happen? Bad move ..
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The clutch I remember was one of the hardest to hold in i’ve ever felt, and it was so highly strung the gearbox ratios were a nightmare in town traffic, as one day I was doing the rounds of county bike emporiums as they were then I nearly stuffed it into the backs of a couple cars, it was great on the open road, but in town no, no, no! so on my way home I dropped by nearest little motorcycle shop and came across a little SUZUKI T200 Invader, this actually looked like a big bike, had a word with the boss, px etc, and left it for a week, then borrowed a few quid off mum and went across and purchased my very first SUZUKI. 1969 T200 INV ADER FOR £276 inc purchase tax less what I borrowed from mum, brand spanking new.
out to be “Prime”, well me and the dealer both thought the 3 positions, on, res, pri stood for on, reserve and preserve, it wasn’t until we went into the workshop manual we realised this. This was the first Suzuki he had sold, and was more used to British bikes ops, we confirmed this by taking the pipes off the tap and turning it through its 3 positions when the fuel flowed out on the pri position!
T200 INVADER As in the above brought new in 1969, I don’t remember the exact date but I reckon it was around July time of that year, it was the blue one with the silver inlay on the tank, unlike the previous model with the chrome panels, and a novel little fuel gauge, i.e. a piece of clear plastic tube that you could see the fuel going down!. The best bit about the bike being a two stroke was the way the two stroke oil was metered into the engine, via an oil pump, much better than the more traditional two strokes of the time, where you had to pre-mix oil and petrol and if not fully mixed then you risked a blockage in the carburettor, or sometimes if left for any length of time the oil could separate from the petrol in the tank. Another new thing for me and other owners was the fuel tap, you didn’t have to turn it off, I only found this out after a couple of months of ownership, if left for a few days in what the dealer and myself thought was the off position on the tank, (the bike would flood and pour petrol out of the exhausts) turned
This really was a great little bike and I think we did something like 30,000 miles together, and the bike I came into contact with the first incantation of a Suzuki Owners Club. Known then as the Suzuki Kai Club, this was run by Suzuki G.B, I don’t remember much about it, other than I think we got a monthly newsletter, just a couple sheets of A4 photocopy, (if theres anyone out there that was also in it and remembers anything id love to hear from you) I cant remember how long it ran for but it died a death, gone without trace, I swore at the time I wouldn’t join another club without it having some substance. So onto August gth 1972, I became the proud owner of GUD 6 L, a T500J. T500 J Cost £518 less whatever PX for the Invader. I picked this up brand new on the August 8 at about 8pm in the evening after work, as this dealer was the same one as I got the T200 29
from stayed open till 8pm on a Friday, what a revelation compared to the T200, no more than 3,500 rpm for the first 100 miles, this worked out to be around 55 mph great, as that used to be my cruising speed on the Invader, it I think felt lighter than the old Goldie DBD 34 and a hell of a lot easier to handle, and of course I being a few years older and wiser. She was soon run in and I could explore the virtues of long distance touring in comfort, although the need for a large touring screen soon became necessary as she had the big high and wide “Western” bars, I also fitted the panniers I had on the Invader along with the rack, just a few mods (not the plonkers on scooters .. greasers rule Ok) only people from that era with associate with that little quip. and later obtained a top box to complete the set-up, (I still have the top box and panniers incidentally, and they were also transferred to the next bike.)
After a few months of ownership through the first winter the lacquer soon started to look tatty as did the Invaders, so I set to and stripped the rest off and kept the alloy to a high shine i.e. mirror Finnish, she really used to sparkle in the sunlight. Then in early 1973 at race meetings I started to get accosted by some git with a mass of curly ginger hair trying to get me to join the newly formed Suzuki Owners Club, i’m sure this guy was welsh and he was in the RAF, he owned a blue GT550J, this guy was always very persistence and got told go forth and multiply many times the others from the club all seemed to be from either London or the Kent areas and I duly explained to them why I wouldn’t be joining straight away, due to the fiasco with the Suzuki Kai Club, and in anyway my next intended bike would be a BMW in 3 years time.
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This bike had one oddity, occasionally it would “die” on me, like urrh, and come back in with an almighty Whop! (bang), one occasion sticks in my mind even to this day, a couple of mates and I went down to Wembley to watch the world speedway final, coming back, on the old A40 dual carriageway I think it may have Acton crossroads (Londoners please correct me here help) I’m in lane 2 with them behind me, a flash motor pulls up in lane 1 alongside of me at the traffic lights there, and starts revving his engine .. so I think this requires a speedway getaway from these lights, (it was dark by then) so wait for the amber, rev to 5,000 urrh, drop clutch as lights go green and an almighty WHOP Bang, the backfire came out of the exhaust joins just below the engine and lit up the whole scene with a big blue flash! And I disappeared over the bit of an hill there with the front wheel in the air, my mates told me later that the guy in the car stalled it and didn’t move until after they, ed come after me, oh joy!. One of the best things about the T500J was that I could ride from home up to the dock at Liverpool to get the ferry to the Isle Of Man, for the TT with just a splash and dash of petrol somewhere around the Chester area, as in those days before you embarked onto the ferries the bleep, bleeps, used to emty your tank with a siphon. Many a foreigner going over for their first time got caught out having just filled up with petrol at a nearby station, only to lose it all pretty much, then stand there and remonstrate with the staff arms waving etc quite a joy to entertain us brits .. I did my first lap of the TT course on this bike and remember thinking I’ll just do a steady lap and take the sights and beauty of the Island so off I went from the grandstand down the Glenclutchery road, Quarterbridge , Union Mills, the Highlander minding my own business at about 35-40 miles an hour, when vroom on
my right side came past some guy at a high rate of knots, Jeez, a second later vroom some other “son of a bachelor” came by on my inside (the left hand) between me and the kerb! Id forgot the open speed limits over there then ( 1973). Overall I think this must have to be my favourite bike I’ve owned. GT750 A Purchased new on Friday 30th April 1976, the weekend before I decided to commit I,d had my usual run the various dealers and in particular a BMW garage, had the demo ride on a BMW R90 S, which I really fancied the boss had a run out on my T500 pulling an almighty wheelie has he left the forecourt, I remember thinking ifhe rides like take I’m not going to get her back in one piece!. But when he did phew relief. but he had the audacity to complain about the rubber mounted handlebars, (prat) he didn’t think they should move at all, I told him to ring around a few SUZUKI dealers and find out, about how much movement there should be, but no he declined, and only made me an offer of around £270, against a brand new BMW R90S, at about £ 1500, P*xx Off matey and in disgust headed across to W.Faulkner and son in Oxford, here at least they know what their talking about. Having had a look around the show rooms I settled on a Red GT750A, and had a chat with head salesman, when the actual boss intervened Mr Bill Faulkner. . . “I know this bike and rider from seeing them at many grasstrack racing meetings and the like, so definitely buy it off of him” he told the salesman!, so how much did I want for it? Around £4 10/£420 tongue in cheek I answered. No the anticipated reply came back, I,11 go to £350 no said I split the difference? OK £370 is tops umm but you,11 need another £20 for deposit, to get the payments to £30 a 31
month over 3 years, ok put that in writing and I,11 think on it cheers. so on a new bike costing £1025 + on the roads cost, that looked a pretty good deal, especially when compared to friend at the BMW place, so during the week I got the jitters, shakes and whatever else, I decided to take the afternoon off work and go and get it so on the Friday afternoon that’s what I did, pleased to see you the salesman said, you,ve obviously made your mind up? Yeh I want the red one in the front window, Bill F saw and heard this and came over and said not the red one, I,ve got 4 blue ones prepped and ready to go. No I want the red ONE!, now the room in the front window was just big enough to slot the GT into diagonally, which wasn’t the only problem it took 4 of the staff to lift it up the 4 stairs through a narrow doorway and down another 4 stairs to get it to the workshop and plate and finish the PDI off, ( I’m having my monies worth here) while I went into the office to do the necessary. Meanwhile id totally forgotten about the screen and panniers still on the T500, but one off their mechanics was already setting about removing them, breaking off both suspension bolts in the process, anyway all was stripped and sorted but I hadn’t bargained on how to get them home has I was going to need new mounting brackets for the rack and panniers! Plus there was the screen, ok bungies came to the rescue, and we managed to tie everything on the pillion, with me sitting on the screen, somewhat precariously and wobbled out of there and towards home, not nice through town rush hour traffic, once out of Oxford another thought dawned on me .. roadwork’s just out side Witney they were turning the old single carriageway into dual carriageway, and I would have to make the crossover on very rough ground help, but we got across without the troubles id anticipated. Anyway I got home alright stripped all the “baggage” off had a
meal and a rest, and packed a bag said to the mother I’ll see you when I see you I’m off for a weekend ride bye!!! So at around 6.00pm I was away into the wild blue yonder. I just went down to the petrol station filled up and pointed her southwest. God knows where we’ll end up tonight just kept going onto M4 Swindon, M5 Exeter, branch right Plymouth, feeling tiered now so look for a B&B, cant find any I fancy so carry on, over bridge into deepest darkest Curnow, (I think that’s how its spelt) and to those who don’t know, that’ll be Cornwall. At least theres a few all night petrol stations open down here, I’m not sure now how far I went, but still couldn’t find a decent B&B open at that time of night, whatever it was, so turn around and head back along the south coast, back into England and head for Weymouth, a place I knew very well, from many happy family holidays, I hadn’t a clue what the time was in fact I wasn’t bothered, but I think was daylight again on the Saturday mourning, still couldn’t find anywhere I fancied to stay, so when I got to Weymouth I decided to head home for by now much needed food and rest, got home completely knackered, had some food and rest, and about 24 hours from buying the bike I phoned up Faulkner’s to book the bike in for its first service. Got through to the service department told them who I was and id brought a new bike from them yesterday, and that it needed its 500 mile service doing, the bloke remembered me, and called for the head salesman, explained everything to him, who then called across to the big boss Bill, I could hear it all, Bill thought it was some sort of a windup, and his tone was quite disbelieving. It took quite a bit of convincing before he explained he couldn’t do the service for 2 weeks as normal people don’t run new bikes in over night, so she went in for her first service with a 1060 miles on the clock!. This was the start of a long (like 32
at moment a 40 year relationship) and mostly reliable time, I never for one moment thought we’d stay together, I also wonder if there are any more one owner bikes in the SOC that have been solely in any club, as we joined together (finally) on Thursday 12th of August 1976, just 4 months after purchase?. We have done many Invader Rallies together; the first one was down in the Forest of Dean, near St.Briavels, in just an open field! They did have a marquee but that was about all, I only went down for the day, as the early rallies were always held in early September, and I was curious as to what the SOC were all about,( seems like I found out now reflecting back the 40 years), one memory that sticks is the fact that there were 2 of the only 5 imported RE5-A,s there, and I don’t think Suzuki GB ever imported any more, these 2 were the black ones, Ok so more have come into the country since, but by classic importers. The next year and for about another 2 or 3 years the rally was moved to Glasebury near Hay on Wye, a little pub with a field opposite I think the pubs name was “The Feathers” this was where I first met up with Gunter Wagner from Germany, who’d come over on his white T500, I think the Invader rallies were then put on by the Coleford Centre as was. Some of the highjinks down here are already recorded in my 30-40 years memories which should have already got into print. The rally then moved up to Michealdean just the other side of Gloucester for one year, then theres a bit of a space which I can’t remember now, it may have moved to kent somewhere and or to the highest pub in England “The Tan Hill Inn” up in north Yorkshire, as rallies were held in both places, which I didn’t attend, hence a few rally badges missing from my collection, the next ones I remember were the ones up at the “New Haven Inn” some 5 or 10 miles north of Ashbourne, god what a dump! The ceilings were
falling down and damp everywhere, and the camp ground was on building rubble and rocks with a thin covering of earth, what a job to get the tent pegs in, and even worse to sleep on. The only reason the place existed was because it had a “Kings charter” proudly displayed on the wall inside, here was the first introduction for Invader rallies for our dear old mate from across the pond, Mr David Gearhart, I still remember the chattering teeth, and the bottle of Bailies, poor chap he wasn’t acclimatised to the English Summer!, I can still see him now being brought in on the back of Graham Walkers GSX-Rl 100, with the steamer trunk of a bag strapped across his back, clinging on for dear life!, there are other incidents that happened there I wont go into now, but no dought Graham and David may still recall them, involving “Big-Un” .. I think we had maybe 3 Invaders here, but it had to move, just a mile outside of Ashbourne, at a site called Callow Top, not a bad place this two big rally fields, normal camp and caravans and I think a few chalets, but the onsite pub was a bit small, but they did have a converted barn for a function room, not bad, I also seam to remember this was possibly the best evening meals of the lot, theres been some rubbish in some places, Donnirigton Park around 1995 being the worst, the guy couldn’t even cook baked beans!. We then moved to the South side of Ashbourne, to Osmaston, not a bad place at all, a real big function room, food passable, (better than the wayside warriors the club brought in), this is where the 25 year honorary membership was invented, we had the club shop etc on site and I renewed my membership there, and I joked with Rick Smith and Garry Conner that after 30 years or so, I aught to get free membership! From the load of tight wads .. good old laugh from all, then a couple of months the 25 year was instigated opps! So that was my fault (I came honestly take 33
the blame for that). And that’s where my last Invader was back in 2001/2, that I know was because I went up on the Futura rather than the GT750, or GT500.
brought in my next bike, a GT500A, id also got a little GSX400F to do up. Also I nearly forgot I had 2 other little Suzuki,s during this time, so I,ll include them as well, an FR80 Step-through and an SB200 as run arounds. FR80
That’s about all now about the GT750, other than the points lasted for 102,000 miles when I changed them for a new old stock set I got given, from one of the old Oxfordshire Centre members, these stayed in until Newtronic ignition systems came in, I saw an add in Motorcycle Trader I took via my business, J/S M/Cs and contacted them, persuading them to reintroduce the old Piranha ignition systems, I worked with the boss on modifying them for the GT380/GT550/ GT750, I had the first off, which is still OK today, this would have been back sometime around 1992/3. she’s now done 145,000 miles, but at the moment she’s poorly again, this blasted ethanol their putting in petrol has taken out a main bearing and crankseal! I,d had to strip her once before at 122,000 when she nipped up on the centre pot, reason? The base gasket under the barrels disintegrated and the two stoke came outwards instead of inwards!, she was then number 325 kettle engine I stripped and rebuilt according to my business records, I didn’t have to do anything to the gearbox, just a new set of clutch springs, frame powder coated, and that was it. Then in August 1997 I got taken out by a sorry mate I didn’t see you, just bent forks dinged front wheel, headlight and right hand muffler, she soon went back on the road when I recovered, but to get back on the road I
This little bike I brought to get to work on, to save the GT750, in 1981, as the firm I worked for stopped supplying a works bus, I did a bit of small bike touring on it as well great fun if you stick to back roads and 40mph! The farthest I did was Bristol and back about 160 miles in a day, I also upset the works senior shop stewards one year on it, it was just after Christmas in 1982 when we had a really big snow fall, I had one day off then decided to give it a try, and try I did, the main road out of the village still had a couple of feet of snow on it, and the little twist and go of the FR was perfect, for pushing my way through the drifts, I got about 2 miles up the hill out of the village and was thinking of giving it best when I looked in the mirrors, a set of flashing amber lights was coming up behind me, umm let this thing past and I can follow in its wheel tracks thinks I. What comes past was a big yellow council snowplough!, brilliant I can follow this for a few miles till we get to a major road that will be a lot clearer, eventually I arrived at work just about an hour late, but I was there, there were very few cars in the carpark, but hey ho! I went in clocked on and looked for my little band of staff, not one turned up, went down the main Forman’s office, only 1 of 4 had come in, main assembly was dead, only halve a dozen workers from our department, out of a 100 or so had bothered, so we all ganged together and decided to potter about for the day, I went off to my area, and set about doing some paperwork, when one of the main directors walked round 34
the comer and did a double take, what are you doing here? Eh? Working I told him, how’d you get here he asked, on my bike I told him, he called me few names, before I showed him my bike gear and he believed me. Now had it have been a Wednesday he would have stayed and read my motorcycle news, but instead he went straight down the Forman’s office and produced a letter saying that if a man can get in on a motorcycle 12 miles then why cant people walk a mile from the estate just down the road, I was not very popular for a few weeks and one steward told me to stay at home, but man’s gotta do what a mans gotta do!. SB200 This little bike I acquired in 1984, I did a straight swap with the dealer I got the FR80 from, it was a 1979 model and it had sat sadly in the comer of his shop for a few months, and because id had the 200 Invader some years prior I felt sorry for it, I picked it up the day before I picked up the membership stuff, as reported in my 30/40 years membership bit. Not a bad little bike but the front brake was Rubbish! So I grafted on the disc brake and front forks from an RD250, much better. Other than that the only bit of merit for it, was one year I used it to go to a national committee meeting up in Derby, during the winter, I had a teddy bear suit on under my leathers plus a parker on top, handlebar muffs, so kept fairly warm, a good job too because the guys place was BB***** freezing! He wouldn’t put the heating in his flat, (remember Ken Fulton I think we,er the only 2 left in the club now) anyway around dinnertime .. it S-T-A-R-T-E-D S-N-0-Wing deeper and deeper it got, and apart from the guy whose place this was we were all getting worried! I think I was the only one on a bike, I seem to remember Ken same up with
Paul Devall and Fonzey in Paul’s car, anyway we finished the meeting, said our goodbyes and set off with a good deal of trepidation for home, for me it started with feet down at around 10 miles an hour through the now foot deep virgin snow to do the 90 miles home, once I got out of Derby I got onto the back roads as there was much less traffic, like only one idiot on a SB200 Suzuki motorbike, after a while this became very laborious so feet on pegs and slowly increase the speed to a point of at least feeling safe, this went on for about 30 miles or so until I had to merge with the main roads, and by now the roads were slightly clearer around the Birmingham area, when south of Birmingham the snow pretty much stopped and as with the FR80 I got lucky behind a gritting lorry for the next 20 odd miles till it was all clear for the remainder of run home.
A couple of days later I phoned Paul D to see what sort of a journey they had, only for Paul to tell me, his car wouldn’t start up there, and I was probably at home, before they even left Derby, has the three of them had sit in a freezing cold car and wait for the break down to get them started, they couldn’t stay in the guys flat has he had gone to work! Wazzies and tin box drivers ha,har. I still have the SB200 but its now a rusting heap around the back of my house pitty. 35
GSX 400F This I got off a mate who cleared a garage out, there was 4 or 5 bikes in the load and this was a non runner, the owner had just put a brand new Motad 4 into 1 on it and started playing, umm? The battery was good so we gave it a quick touch of the starter button, to be greeted with an almighty grinding noise! Ok we,ll do a deal so I got it a bit cheaper, now the noise appeared to be top end, and id heard this before, a squint at the cam chain adjustor revealed all, twat had undone it and didn’t know how to re tension it,, off with the tank, off with the cam cover, and all again was revealed. The chain had jumped the sprockets, so I set it up as it should be along with the adjuster, and hit the button, hey presto a good un! I did quite a few miles on this, club camping weekends, and even went to an Invader Rally on it, with an open face helmet and a face mask, so no one would recognise me! Just for the crack as they say, it worked, it worked, I made a right pillock of myself to people whom ive known for years, getting in way, and asking stupid questions etc before revealing my identity, a couple said they knew who it was, but well you know how that works. A really great little light weight bike, that now I would, ent say no to another. GT500A This bike got me back on the road after my accident in 1997, as prior to the accident id just taken it in for what appeared to be crank seal failure!, the guy said hed had in 2 other bike shops to cure this but they had,nt, one dealer had done 2 re bores on it, and charged him for both, 2 new sets of pistons each time, when he described the problem over the phone I knew it couldn’t be piston related, excessive smoke from
a two stroke, no way the dam things bum oil! So you’ll always get some smoke, once he got it here he started it up and immediately I could tell she was burning gearbox oil from the smell it makes. So he decided to leave it with me has I had I priced up the remedy, I got the engine out, and then had to shoot off to do an “at owners home job” on returning home I was involved in the RTC (see GT750 above) thus I was out of action for 4 months. I phoned the owner and he said no worries because winter would be upon us soon and he wouldn’t be using it (this was August 1997) and in fact it was March 1998 before I could use my left arm and hand again, but I got to it and had the crank out and sent it off to my crank rebuild, er to be fixed, told the man his engine was back together, and he was straight up here before id even had time to fire it up! So I let him have the privilege, a couple of sniffs later and I could still smell gear box odd set offHT coils 10 to be exact! Which I now make myself, mine do+ 22,000 miles, April ias do 7 to 8,000 and the last set of gen coils were £80 each, I can make a fu11 set of 4 for about the same price as one, and that’s with the highest quality HT leads I fit@ £35.00 a metre. Also I, ve got through 3 alternators 6 rectifiers as well, these are originally made by an Honda owned subsidiary to Honda specs hence the problems, the rotor case has what’s known as rare earth magnets, these things 3 times the power for less size than the old style ordinary magnets, hence producing to much heat to be dissipated through the regulator, along with fact that the power lead into the main power feed to the battery was too small, ( 17 amp load wire, converted now to 35 amp max load) the early GS/GSX ,s also suffered something similar, with one wire from the alternator going via the lights on/off switch, and not fully regulated, if l remember, correctly. 36
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