Hustler 237 by Editorsoc

Hustler

Summer 2015 H237

www.suzukiownersclub.co.uk

Suzuki Owners Club Suite 240 Divo House 29 Belmont Road Uxbridge UB8 1QS

Cover Photo Dave ‘Zukiman’ Gearheart 1981 GS 1000

Editor’s Report What a busy year its shaping up to be. Hopefully with warmer and longer days you will feel inspired to send me articles about rides and trips past and present to swell the pages of our magazine. Fingers on keyboards or pen to paper please, I will take submissions at any time, the sooner the better, text as word type files or just as an email with separate JPEG (jpg) photos at the highest quality you can please. As I do not have the software to handle embedded photos in docx or pdf formats. Articles can be on any subject, club or member related. Email me if you have any questions or ideas, or chat with me at the AGM / Invader. Ed Alan H Editorsoc@rocketmail.com

Membership Renewals Online By Post

Credit or Debit card via the clubs Secure Server at www.suzukiownersclub.co.uk Or Paypal to suzukiownersclub@rocketmail.com

Cheque or postal order with your membership Number to Suzuki owners Club,Suite 240,Divo house, 29 Belmont road, Uxbridge, UB8 1QS

Please help us keep in contact with you. If your details change contact either by post, online pm or email to membershipsecretary@rocketmail.com including your membership number

Last submission date for Issue 238 Mid August

Neither the Suzuki Owners Club nor its National Committee are necessarily in agreement with the opinions, views or suggestions expressed in this magazine. Any such opinions, views or suggestions are entirely the author’s and publishing them does not imply the endorsement of the Suzuki Owners Club Copyright Suzuki Owners Club 2007. All rights are reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form without permission of the Suzuki Owners Club.

3333

Chairman Pete Dibble (Bugman) socchairman@rocketmail.com

Well summer is all but upon us, I write that as I am looking out of my window at yet another deluge. Hopefully you have been able to get out on your bikes and enjoy some good roads. Belgium this year was extremely enjoyable and well supported, despite the cold wind. The shows season is well underway, and again I ask if anybody can spare some time in assisting please either contact Alby or myself. The events diary is filling out nicely, upcoming dates to remember are our own Invader Rally and AGM at The Brownlow Arms, High Marnham 07 /08 August, as well as the many various regional camping weekends. As always I will reiterate that the SOC is your club, we manage it to the best of our limited abilities for you, if you have any constructive or creative suggestions or criticisms then please contact any of the NC via the forum, there are contact details on the website, or contact me directly at the earliest opportunity, we will listen. We, your NC, are all hard working volunteers that give up many hours of their own spare time to help secure the clubs future, we are going from strength to strength. Unfortunately mistakes happen if you find any please tell us so we can correct it. If you feel that you could help fill a gap in the NC either by a full role or even in a small way, please get it touch and do your bit to help grow our club. Lets all have a good time by giving and taking, respecting each other and keeping perspective.

Don't forget to Register on our web site

www.suzukiownersclub.co.uk 4

National Secretary Sue Carr (Queen Witch)

ncsuzukiownersclub@rocketmail.com

Welcome to the Summer! There are lots of things planned for the Summer season, shows, camping weekends and the Invader Rally! So much to look forward to and participate in, time to get the bikes out, hit the road and socialise with club members up and down the country. The AGM is on Sunday 9th August, part of the Invader Rally, please put forward any items you may have for the agenda, email them over for inclusion and the members attending the AGM will discuss and vote on them, this is your club and it is time for everyone to get involved and make a noise. Some centres have arranged camping weekends and they are always fun events but if you do not have a centre close to you or your working hours preclude you from taking part in meets/camping etc then we can always put club members in touch, drop us a line and we will be happy to help. All that is left to say is I wish everyone well with the upcoming nominations at the AGM. Have a wonderful Summer, ride safe. Sue

Tech Officer

John Carr (jlcarr) techofficer@rocketmail.com

Hello to everyone. Been a very busy few weeks since my last report I've had about 30 dating certs come in from both members and non members. So itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s now trying to find the time to fit it all in with the good weather and some shows coming up. Had a lot of older bike this time around, some going back to 1963 most of them have been A50's, I've even had some one asking me for a dating certificate for a box of bits. This is something I cannot do, tonight ( 12/05 ) I had an email asking me to do a dating certificate for a Kawasaki unfortunately that's something I cannot do, so I said he'll have to go to the VJMC for that Don't forget sometimes the dating certificate can take up to 2 weeks to sort out, by the time I find out the information on a bike if it has been imported in to this county. So if you want a dating certificate please look on our web sit for details about how to obtain one. See some of you at a camping weekend or at a show. Regards. John Carr. Tech Officer.

Treasurer John Carr (jlcarr) soctreasurer@rocketmail.com

Hello to all in The Club. Just to let you know that the club is going from strength to strength, we are all doing well at the moment with the savings we are all making. We are buying the tickets for the NEC so if any members want tickets could you let some one know that's on the NC, these are at cost price plus postage to every member or friends that would like to go. So come on members get your orders in. Also don't forget about this years AGM that is being held at the same place as last year, that is the Brownlow Arms. Also on the Friday and Saturday we have the Invader Rally, don't forget the we have a lot of show’s over this year, so any help would be gratefully received. Back to the important bit a to how well the club is doing. Savings Account. £8.256.59 Current Account. £668.22. PayPal Account. £592.75. Charity. £530.36. So as you can All see we are doing well, we had a payment from Footman James of £130.16, towards advertising, all the bills have been paid but we would not be in this position if it was not for ALL of you and your support, we are still looking at ways to save money but your ideas would help. As we say this is a club run by members for the members and I hope that we are doing you all proud. Regards. John Carr. Treasure.

Shows Alby White alby.white@ntlworld.com +447762242309

Please could you keep an eye on the shows in the events list as I do need members to attend them to help on the stand. There is not much to it and you will meet new people and make new friends, not just in the Suzuki Owners Club but in the biking world. We have been to the Barry Sheene festival at Olivers mount Scarborough, its was a great weekend. We have the Billing biker bash July 10th 11th 12th and we are still trying to book shows, so please if you fancy coming for a weekend and putting your bike on the stand. Give me a ring 07762242309 or e-mail alby.white@ntlworld.com

Merchandising Officer James Weidenbruch ( Rockhopper ) merchandising@rocketmail.com

Is it really half way through the year already as it seems it was only 5 minutes ago I was sending in my last report for the Hustler. A couple of weeks before writing this report I attended the excellent South Coast camping weekend at which I was able to thumb through a load of old Hustler magazines that dated back from around 1998 to 2005 that had been given to the club by one of its members. Apart from being able to look at a snap shot of how our club was functioning during this period it also provided an interesting window of opportunity of being able to see what merchandise we were selling during this period and at what price. One thing that did strike me was how little prices have increased since then, or more to the point, how we have managed to keep prices down by going the extra mile in shopping around for the good deals and bargains. One thing that I did see we sold at this time was an enamelled metal old style AA badge for cars of the clubs logo. Having contacted the company who made these for us it was interesting to hear that as well as still doing these for cars they had also upgraded the idea to now take the place of the now redundant tax disc holder. Over the next few weeks I'll be doing a mini poll on what members think about maybe getting these in once more to sell. Early opinions seem to suggest our members like the idea but with a minimum order being 25 I need to ensure there is enough interest out there to be able to make a profit but still keep it to a level at which members think it's good value for money. We need to ensure we do not make the same mistakes we have made in the past of buying merchandise that is either too costly or not fit for purpose or of a style and colour that you wouldn't even use it to buff the paintwork on your car with. With careful buying to get the price right and most importantly listening to what the members want we are I believe at last beginning to get stock that sells well and won't be sat around for years to come gathering dust or being thrown in the rag bin or worse still being written off at a huge financial loss to the clubs bank balance as was reported and happened at the AGM of 2012 at an estimated cost of some ÂŁ2000. That's an awful amount of hard earned money that would have taken the club a very long time to collect and a situation that cannot be allowed to happen again and one that I know the current NC will work towards never happening again. As I always say, if on your travels you come across anything you think is a good idea or a good price then take a note of it and forward the details to me to follow up. Safe riding 7 James W.

Touring Officer Mark Seager (Darkstar) touring@suzukiownersclub.co.uk

I have been lucky this year, I have been abroad on a bike 3 times in 6 weeks. Must do some riding in this country not before Loppem in Belgium though. I am looking at a cheeky weekend at the bikers loft Groenedijk Belgium near Oudenburg. October bikers loft groenedijk Might do the pre Christmas trip to the St Nicks rally in Oostende Enjoy the summer JULY 6-11 Rhine in flames arriving monday staying over night on the way Sunday due to attending another event on Saturday. Will stop over on the way back. Staying in the Rhine valley at Boppard at Johnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s hotel called hotel Ohm platt Email jfdurcan@aol.com www.hotelwienhauspatt.de SEPTEMBER 11-13 north wales weekend i am booked into the grafton hotel. 14 craig y don parade Llandudno LL30 1bg do as you please or go for a ride out and enjoy the area plenty of b&b in the area. info@thegraftonhotel.com phone 01492876814. Bye for now

Membership Keith Ferris (Keith F) membershipsecretary@rocketmail.com

Hello Everybody As I write this the sun is shining and it's time to wake all those bikes up and hit the road. So look for all those rideouts on the events list. As far as membership goes at the moment we are ticking over nicely with new members from as far afield as Australia. Please note anyone paying by cheque will take longer to process than paypal. Any one can pay by paypal even if you dont have an account just pay as guest. Please come and say hello at the following meets Suzuki sunday ace cafe / London camping weekend and the A.G.M

The following members have received their year badges since the last Hustler, so well done to those members and please wear your badges with pride. Alan Collings 20 year badge David Edgar 20 year badge Ian Davies 20 year badge Ivor Knight 20 year badge David Hume 20 year badge Will Beattie 15 year badge Gary Stockill / Allison Knight 2x15 year badges Stephen Goth 5 year badge Peter Dibble 5 year badge Nice to know we are keeping the post man busy. That’s all from me now i would just like to wish all our members a great summer with many trouble free miles. Keith F

Events Laura Dyer (LauraD) events@suzukiownersclub.co.uk

Hello again from me. Well despite the diary being full I have not had much to do lately. Most centres got their events in at the start of the year when they spoke to their centre members. All I have done lately is a few alterations and change of dates as events clash. So with this in mind keep an eye on the events board and in the hustler for any changes or new events that you may like to attend. So it really just leave’s me to remind you that there are trips abroad – see touring officers report plenty of summer shows to attend, if your free to help and do some time on the club stand at a show, contact Alby white -alby.white@ntlworld.com Can you Support Andrew Mcintyre Smith?, One of the Suzuki Owners Clubs younger members. Check out the National mini-bike road racing championship. Race number 724, go along, find Andrew, Pete and Heather in the Suzuki Owners Club marques. So if your are planning an event, let me know by email so I can post it in the events diary. If you want to drum up extra interest please start a post in the ride out section so people can talk directly to the organiser. (you still need to email me to post on the events diary) Please remember your AT sheet with the PLI paragraph on the bottom for signing in. If you have not already received an email about this I have an updated version that I can forward you, just ask. Then just scan and send to AT officer. at@suzukiownersclub.co.uk Safe riding to all. Laura.

Riders Rights Micheal Griffiths ( Griffo) ridersrights@suzukiownersclub.co.uk

The MAG have had their AGM and elected a new Chairman in Selina Lavender, the previous vice chairman. She replaces John Mitchel who took the organisation to another level. She is hoping to continue the progress with the 'political' links and keep motorcyclists rights to the fore. We all wish her well I am sure. There are moves afoot from some councils that wish to apply for an injunction to ban 'car cruising' within their areas of jurisdiction. This may also cover "Driving in Convoy" whereas you would have to inform the police of any rides that you may be taking with more than 3 bikes. I stress that this is not in force yet and is to be reviewed in March 2016. This is something I will keep a close watch on as it may cause problems with ride-outs. Carry on as normal until you hear further. A reminder to anyone buying another vehicle. You must now tax the bike/car before you drive it home as soon as you sign the log-book you are responsible for the new tax and the 'historic rite' of the transferable tax has gone. This means the Government can be getting paid twice for a months tax. Be warned. As well as this the paper part of your licence is not needed after the beginning of June. You do not have to change your licence unless it is for legal requirements i.e. change of address or hitting the three score and ten mark. At 70 you have to apply for anew licence. In fact the old licence expires the day before you are 70 so be warned and the older ones, get the application in with plenty of time to spare. Some have been known to take 6 weeks. Not all, as the DVLA do try to be prompt....... As many of you are aware there was some discussion as to the reflectors on Crash Helmets worn in France. Well the law is that you must have the reflective strips on your helmet when riding in France and much of Europe. Your helmet manufacturer should supply you with this kit. If not most Suzuki Main Dealers in France will give you the needed kit for your lid. Just tell them the make and they will have the needed pieces. I had mine for the HJC helmet and they put it on for me. The reason for this regulation ? Who knows ? Even the local Gendarmerie are not sure, all they know is that they have to enforce the act. Also the non-wearing of the reflectors could give any insurance company a loophole to invalidate a claim, in the case of an accident. All because of 3 strips of reflective tape..... Griffo

London Centre John Carr (jlcarr) soclondon@rocketmail.com

Hello to all in the club. Like most of you the London Centre has been hibernating over this winter period so not much has been done, meeting up with friends at our meetings and having a good few cuppas and a good chin wag. We've been trying to think of different venues for rideouts in-between our meetings, like most of you its hard, but with the good weather coming up who cares as long as we can get on our bikes. Even though I use mine every day to and from work, but its better going out with your Mates, I had to fit a new chain and sprocket set to my Strom, as I killed the original one only after 5000 miles since I got it in December, so she's now got a fresh set fitted as I was doing an adjustment nearly every 2 to 3 days, only had 1 notch left to go on the swing arm. Also fitted a set of road tyres to it and boy what a difference they make I can now go around corners with ease so to everyone who has a Strom put some road boots on it. Keep it rubber side down and ride safe. John Carr. Centre Secretary. London Massive.

East Mids Centre Alby White (alby) alby.white@ntlworld.com

Well yet another mag, as the club had a stand at the Blueâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s and Bikes at Caybourne park Lincolnshire, this is a good event maybe we can get more members to attend this event. I am just getting ready to sort out my stuff to go to Loppem in Belguim if you not done this rally you must try it. Plenty to see in Brugge and you can get a tram down to Ostend, We the East Mids are sorting out the events for later on in the year, so as I said in the shows report have a look and we may see you out on your bike. July the 19th we have the Colin Bloomfield Charity ride, this is in the events pages, we have the Air Ambulance run from Bottesford to Skeggy, August 23rd. We meet up at the Crown pub at Awsworth, pop in and have a chat 4th Thursday of the month, and if you want to go out anywhere come and tell us and we will go. Think thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s it for this time hope you all have a good and safe ride, Thanks Alby

Southcoast Centre Laura Dyer (laura d) southcoast@suzukiownersclub.co.uk

The South Coast are still running a centre meet and ride out every month but as the camping and show season starts we are sometimes away, however we do endeavour for a member who is free to run our centre meet for us. He is sometimes a little lonely but he still enjoys his breakfast at Loomies none the less. Our thanks go to Sean the sheep. In February we went to the museum of army flying in middle wallop. It really was an interesting visit to a great museum hidden away in the countryside. It was a little wet and with only a few of us going we decided to car share but that is acceptable, it was really rather wet and cold. March saw much better weather with a ride out to Nelsons diner. Starting at Loomies for a mid morning coffee then on for a leg stretch at the departure lounge before 'flying' off up the road to nelsons for an American diner lunch. The restaurant was really busy but we were seated and served in quick time. Double burgers oozing with sauces washed down with lavish milkshakes. Most of the south coast crew spent Easter in Belgium. Well the weather was a little chilly but the company soon warmed the evenings up. With one pub in common at the end of the night we could all meet up at end the day. Aprils Ride out to Bovington tank museum was a great ride, taking a scenic route in glorious weather, enjoying the roads then a great day at the museum. A really great place and worth a visit. upcoming events â&#x20AC;&#x201C; July 18th Ride out to Arundel castle. National Invader rally and london Massive Camping. Looking forward to all these events great times with good friends. See you around very soon. Laura.

13 13

North East Centre Kev Close (bandit12kev) kevinclose253@gmail.com

Well here we are a few months into the biking season, the weather has been kind on the whole and I hope you've all been out on two wheels enjoying yourselves. Before I report on what we have been up to in the North East I would like to thank everyone in the North East centre for a fantastic New Year party fundraiser night. I don't want to single out anyone in particular but Sue, Dawn and Suzukioke Steve all did a fantastic job and I would like to thank you publicly for all your hard work. Back to my report. Our first centre ride out this year was a jaunt to the Borders. A dozen or so of us enjoying a really nice spring day in March riding up to Hadrians wall and then on to Rothbury. We had a cracking ride out but a word of warning. If your are in need of fuel in the Rothbury area be aware of the filling station to the west of Rothbury. It was 30p per litre more expensive than any other petrol station in the north. Needless to say we just had a ' splash and dash" to see us safely to another one . Easter Sunday saw the centre heading to Bo'ness on Windermere and Keswick. Again in fantastic weather, a dozen bikers enjoying themselves and apart from the heavy bank holiday traffic in the tourist hot spots we had a superb day enjoying some cracking scenery on brilliant roads. Early May saw us heading south to North Yorkshire. Knaresborough was our first destination where we met Lainy , Lee , Donna and a new club member Dave Hartley from the PPNW centre. It's always great to meet members from other centres and it was especially nice to say hello to Dave who joined the club last year at the NEC and has got out on his bike to meet other members. After a quick look around Knaresborough we headed for lunch at the Sun Inn Norwood Harrogate. A smashing pub that seems to be a Mecca for bikers in the area. After lunch a few guys headed home via Ripon but Dave , Paul Sara and myself headed for Pateley Bridge. A lovely little town that has a brilliant claim to fame . It has the oldest sweet shop in Britain, well it would be rude not to avail myself of a quarter of soft creams and some toffees wouldn't it. At this point I would like to thank member Rob Cooper who loaned me his Honda CBR1000f as my bike was a little poorly. Thanks mate you're a star. I write this just before our "famous" camping weekend . A full report will be in the next edition and for those of you that attended I really hope you had a great time . So until next time ride safe and keep it shiny side up Kev Close 14

Suzuki Owners Club Suite 240 Divo House 29 Belmont Road Uxbridge UB8 1QS 15

A Guide to Motorcycle Batteries from Yuasa We all know the feeling battery failure can cause. At some point in our lives most of us have gone to start our motorbike only to find that it’s completely dead. This guide to all things motorcycle battery should provide you with some useful hints and tips to help keep your battery in the best possible shape and your bike on the road. The motorcycle battery is a crucial component of what we call the bike’s triangle of power. The triangle of power consists of the starter motor, alternator and the battery itself. If any of these components are not performing to specification your bike will not start. Functions of a motorcycle battery On a typical bike, the battery has five basic power supply functions: Starting – Supplying power when cranking the engine. Lighting – Delivering steady power before engine start. Ignition – Supplying power to the ignition system during engine cranking. Charging – Operating as a voltage stabiliser to absorb fluctuations in the electrical systems. System Support – Supporting security systems and ECU memories whilst the ignition is switched off. Issues causing non-start A motorcycle is generally used as a seasonal vehicle and may remain unused for long periods of time. It is not uncommon for riders to experience issues when trying to start for the first time after an extended period of storage. In most cases the non-start situation is automatically blamed on the battery, however, simple monitoring and maintenance during storage will prevent the majority of these problems.

A lead acid battery is a live product once commissioned and is constantly releasing electrical energy. Even when removed from the bike, the battery is self-discharging at a rate dependent on battery temperature. The warmer the environment, the faster the battery will discharge. Typically, at 10°C the battery loses around 0.1 volts each month rising to approximately 0.4 volts per month at 30° C. As well as natural self-discharge, the battery may also have to support electrical loads such as security systems immobilisers and ECU memories. To combat this, some riders may choose to remove the battery. Unfortunately this will not stop the natural self-discharge process, which will result in voltage losses and battery damage over time. With the advent of intelligent chargers, riders can now safely monitor and maintain their battery whilst it is still on the bike. By connecting an intelligent charger for extended storage periods, you will not only ensure that the battery remains at optimum voltage but also allow security systems and ECU memories to remain active. Battery development Yuasa motorcycle battery technology has been developed and improved over time to fulfil the increasing demands of both bike manufacturers and consumers. Originally, dry charge batteries featured a plug lid for maintenance and an open vent to atmosphere. In 1983 Yuasa introduced dry charge, Valve Regulated Lead Acid (VRLA) sealed maintenance free types. The benefit of these is reduced weight and size, and the elimination of the open vent. From 1999 onwards, the factory activated YTZ wet type, sealed maintenance free, high performance battery was introduced. This removed the need for the commissioning process and allowed angled fitments. On some bikes it is possible to install an improved specification type, but before doing so you will need to check fitment compatibility. Yuasa’s online battery finder at www.yuasaeurope.com allows you to easily search for your motorcycle and will provide you with all compatible options. Battery Commissioning As most motorcycle batteries are of the dry charge variety, they contain no electrolyte when purchased. This means that prior to instillation they have to be commissioned before they are able to perform in service. It is critical that the commissioning procedure is followed correctly, otherwise the battery’s performance and life will be compromised.

Common mistakes with commissioning include: - Not following the correct electrolyte filling procedure. Forcing electrolyte into the battery, rather than allowing it to flow naturally, can in extreme cases cause internal damage and premature failure. - Not allowing enough time for the electrolyte to be fully absorbed. The battery must be left to stand for at least two hours once the battery has been filled. - Not top charging prior to instillation. Due to the manufacturing process, motorcycle batteries will not be in a fully charged state prior to commissioning so will require a top charge before instillation. Replacing your bike’s battery Before fitting your new battery you will of course need to remove the old one, this is a relatively simple process. Start by switching the ignition off and then detach the positive terminal, negative terminal, fixing bracket and exhaust tube (if applicable) in this order. Finish up by giving the area your battery sits in a good clean. To install your new battery, start by checking that the battery you have bought is the correct specification and size for your bike. You can uses Yuasa’s online battery lookup to do so. Securely fix the battery using the bracket on your bike making sure that it is firm and will not move or vibrate excessively. Attach the terminals, positive first, and re fit the terminal cover. If your battery came with a vinyl exhaust tube securely insert it into the battery’s exhaust elbow making sure that any vented electrolyte will avoid the rider’s leg and other components. Yuasa Batteries Over 90% of bike manufacturers choose Yuasa as their original equipment supplier, so the chances are your bike was fitted with a Yuasa battery when it was manufactured. The company’s aftermarket range provides riders with high-quality, reliable batteries manufactured to OE specification. Yuasa’s world famous high performance YTZ battery range is a favourite amongst powersports enthusiasts. As the only motorcycle battery in the world to incorporate expanded plate technology, the YTZ provides riders with maximum starting power from minimum space and weight. The unit’s completely spill proof design also allows multi-angle fitment. Yuasa’s Maintenance free VRLA batteries are perfect for people who have better things to do than battery maintenance. Their permanently sealed design means that they never need refilling, they do however still need periodic charging. 18

Yuasa’s YuMicron range have a high-tech, power-boosting design and are ideal for touring bikes and modified vehicles. For even more cranking power the YuMicron CX range uses lead-calcium technology which substantially reduces self-discharge. To find out more about Yuasa batteries visit www.yuasaeurope.com To win a new Yuasa battery to fit your bike and a smart charger just answer the following question. In which year did Yuasa introduce Dry Charge batteries. Please send your answer either via Email to Comp@suzukiownersclub.co.uk or via the PoBox Suzuki Owners Club, Suite 240 Divo House, 29 Belmont Road, Uxbridge, UB8 1QS Entry closes on the 31st July 2015. T’s and C’s Below

The expression ‘promoter’ refers to Yuasa Battery Sales (UK) Ltd whose registered office is at Unit 13, Hunt’s Rise, South Marston Park, Swindon, SN3 4TG and the Suzuki Owners’ Club Suzuki Owners Club, Suite 240, Divo House, 29 Belmont Road, Uxbridge, UB8 1QS Terms and Conditions: 1. There is one prize, which consists of one Yuasa Motorcycle Battery and one YCX 5.0 Smart Charger. 2. The winner will receive the correct Yuasa battery for their bike, subject to availability. 3. Entry is open to members of the Suzuki Owners’ Club who live in the UK. 4. Entry is not open to employees of Yuasa, or anyone involved in the administration of the draw. 5. To enter the prize draw, entrants must correctly answer the competition question and email or post their answer to the Suzuki Owners Club to arrive by 10am on 31st July 2015. 6. Only current members of the Suzuki Owners’ Club are eligible to win 7. The prize draw will run from 12noon (GMT) on Wednesday 10 June to 10am (GMT) on Friday 31st July 2015. Only correct entries during this period will be counted. 8. The winner will be selected if they satisfy the conditions of entry set out here. 9. Participants entering in any other manner will not be accepted. 10. The promoter accepts no responsibility for unsuccessful entries due to technical, communication or other problems. 11. No purchase is necessary. 12. No cash alternative is available. The promoter’s decision is final. 13. The winner will be selected at random on Saturday 1 August 2015. 14. The winner agrees to take part in any publicity connected with this prize draw. 15. In the event that the prize is not claimed by 12noon on Friday 14th August 2015, the prize will be deemed forfeited and the promoter reserves the right to select an alternative winner. 16. Entering the prize draw signifies the entrant’s consent to these terms and conditions and by accepting this prize; you agree to abide by the rules as stipulated.

The Watcher

Campanology without Bells (Part one) (Or an apology to dedicated campers of the SOC)

Standing on the driveway of my house, I survey the array of items laid out before me and think back to a camping weekend near Silverstone 40 years ago. Back then I simply had a borrowed Canvas tent with steel poles (which provided good anchor points for the bungees to attach onto Suzi), a ground sheet (which was actually the cover from a friends Morris Minor Pick Up truck), a paraffin stove and a rucksack containing 2 pairs of socks and underpants, a torch, a toothbrush, a sleeping bag made up of 2 knitted wool blankets sewn together inside a dustbin liner, a saucepan borrowed from the kitchen without my mums knowledge and a few tins of Co-Op Sausage and Beans. Taped onto Suzi’s fuel tank was my Sat-Nav (an ordinance survey map of my intended route). If it stays dry for the next 4 days I shouldn’t need the spare socks and things. And that was me fully equipped for a great weekend with the Bike club. Back to the present, looking at all the equipment surrounding Sexi Suzi, all of which is essential for a camping weekend with the SOC, I decide it would be prudent to call Stephen Hawkins, on the best way of loading Sexy Suzi. After an hour of discussing the Space, Time Continuum and Divergent Molecular Separatism, we finally agree on the best way to load the bike. A further 2 hours later and I am ready for the off, having checked my list of things to take. The 65 inch Solar Panel, (needed for powering the 6 hob camping stove, 4 channel surround sound music system, the 25 neon street lights for guiding me from pub to tent, electric flushing porta loo, underfloor heating system built into the groundsheet, 32 inch flat screen HD telly, American style fridge freezer with built in Ice cube maker and the electric multi position camp bed) does pose a bit of a problem when trying to fit it into the Roll Bag. The six genuine fake Constable paintings to adorn the inside of the tent, also give me a bit of a headache. At last I am about ready to go, so I ring the Police station to arrange some outriders, to escort a wide load and set the Sat-Nav for a route avoiding low bridges. Turning on the ignition, I am greeted with a message that states “load is close to max permitted limit”, “you’ve put on 2 pounds since Christmas” and “Those Socks are hideous, you should unfriend on Facebook the person who gave you them.” I pull out of the driveway and straight away I am joined by the Police outriders. On seeing all the blue flashing lights, the neighbours all come out to see what is going on and seeing me being escorted by 4 Police motorcyclists,

break out into spontaneous cheers and applause, thinking that at last I am being taken away. We follow the lead Police bike heading for the Restaurant at the end of the Hedge, where we are to join up with the rest of the South Coast centre who are going to the London Massive camping weekend. Eleven hours later we pull in to Grisly’s Cafe on the A1 at Sandy, Bedfordshire. Danno the lead rider apologises and explains that he has only had the Sat-Nav a couple of days, as he bought it second hand on Ebay from some guy called Ian in the Southampton area, We decide to have lunch and then Pat and Carl from slough can take the lead. Eventually we arrive at the Restaurant at the end of the Hedge, where Samantha is already waiting, looking worried because Ian had disappeared behind his bike, (on the pretence of checking all the latest gadgets he’s fitted), the moment we arrived. Despite it being Summer I decide against giving her welcome hug. Adrian and Natalie are also there, Adrian is muttering something about Olives and Neutron Bombs. I am pleased to see that Natalie has brought the flat pack Wardrobe for me, that I asked her to get on her recent trip to IKEA, where she went after re-decorating their tent. Frank is also there, but thankfully the Sun is shining, so his Air-Vest isn’t deployed, that is until the automatic sprinklers for the hanging baskets adorning the restaurant turn on. The sudden deployment of Franks Air-Vest, knocks him off balance and he bounces around the car park like a giant yellow beach ball, at the same time the life raft inflates with a loud whooshing sound. The sudden commotion causes a large group of people to rush out of the restaurant in panic and the police outriders to think we were being attacked by Zombies, so they start using their Tasers to fend off the attack. In all the confusion Samantha is hit by a taser, fortunately her heated vest dissipates the high voltage current, so is unaffected. At some point during the disturbance, Steve the senior police outrider was heard shouting “Book him Danno”. At last the situation is brought under control and Frank is able to deflate his Air-Vest and put away the life raft. There is another brief moment of panic when someone notices that there is Ectoplasm oozing from Samantha’s jacket. After using their Zombie Forensic test kit, Pat and Carl from Slough confirm that it is not Ectoplasm but in fact packets of Haribo which were melted when the heated vest she was wearing was hit by the taser. Eventually everything settles down and we get ready to set off again, spurred on by Adrian who is saying that if we don’t get going soon, it will be time for the Reading toy run and he might as well put on his Santa suit, and if he does, he will not make for a happy looking Santa. This is reinforced by the arrival of Pappa Smurf carrying a tray of Bacon baps. At last we set off for the London Massive camp site. I am feeling rather pleased with myself having for once not been on the receiving end of any high voltage electric current.

The rest of the journey passes off without incident during which I am listening to a particularly interesting episode of the Archers on my Bluetooth radio, which is about Ambridge being stampeded by a herd of Zombie Cows. To be continued.

Next instalment: Roses of England.

Staffordshire Centre Gordon Thompson (Barmy Burger) socstafford@rocketmail.com

Staffordshire Centre camp weekend. Date – 14th, 15th & 16th August 2015 The Tern Valley Vintage Machinery Trusts 36th Annual Show Venue – Chetwynd Deer Park, Newport, Shropshire, TF10 8EH Free camping if willing to exhibit motorcycle, otherwise admission £8 adults In 2014 over 600 vintage vehicles and other exhibits attended including steam engines, large military section, classic & veteran cars and motorcycles, commercial vehicles, tractor pulling, full program of arena events, demonstrations, craft marquee, trade stands, full bar and catering facilities and much more. Newport Show Website – www.ternvalleyvmt.co.uk I (Tink) have done this show for the last 4 years. It all started as the chairman of their club is a friend and he thought it would be a good contrast to have new bikes with the old bikes. It is a chill out weekend where you can display your bike in the Suzuki Owners Club area and have a run around the arena and chat to the compere. The town of Newport is a five min ride away if you want to get shopping and beers for the weekend. All you need to do is turn up and chill out. All passes get one vehicle and two people into show. You can camp, caravan or bring the motor home; some bikes would be good as that's what we need to show. For further information call Tink on 07890 181013 All welcome

Events 2015

July. th

4 /12 Rhine in Flames. Germany. A trip to Germany through France and down to the Rhine Valley. For the Spectacular Rhine in Flames festival. SOC Touring Officer Mark Seagar is again organising this event For more details contact Mark. Contact Mark Segar Touring@suzukiownersclub.co.uk 5th South Coast Centre Monthly meet. Loomies Cafe, Petersfield Road, Alton. GU32 1JX Meeting 10am- 12. 1st Sunday of every month.( Unless changed on the Boards) Join us for a chat over breakfast and a cup of coffee. A popular biker friendly cafe.Contact Laura Dyer – socsouthcoast@rocketmail.com th

5 North East Centre Monthly meet. Heather Lad, Quarrington. DH6 4QD Meeting 7.30pm- 9pm. 1st Sunday of every month. North East welcome awaits at the Heather Lad. Come along and have a laugh and a drink with the cente members. Contact Kev Close – kevclose253@gmail.com 07949 035419 th

8 Yorkshire Centre meet. New Inn, 419 Denby Road East, Wakefield. WF4 3AX nd Meeting at 8.30pm till 10pm. 2 Wednesday of every month. New Inn, 419 Denby Road East, Dunkar, Wakefield. WF4 3AX. Pop in for a chat and a drink. Find out whats going on in the centre and for ride out information, contact David Hebblethwaite – gv1400lxe@gmail.com

10 -12 Big Biker Show. The Mansion House, Beds. SG18 9DX. th Www.activeshows.co.uk. Early booking special before 30 April- £30 inc free camping £40 after £10 day ticket special £12 after. Come along and have a good time. Contact Alby White – 07762242309 alby.white@ntlworld.com 12th London Centre Monthly meet. Botwell Inn, Uxbridge UB3 3ED Meeting at 11.30. 2nd Sunday every month. (unless changed on the boards) The Botwell Inn, 25-29 Coldharbour Lane, Hayes, Middlesex. UB3 3EB Everyone is welcome. Come along for breakfast a drink and a chat. Contact John Carr – 07768797125

Events 2015 th

12 Stafford Centre Monthly meet. The Old Smithy 8-10 Castle street, Ecclesshall, ST21 6DF Meeting 12-2pm. 3rd Sunday of every month. (moved from 21st) A friendly welcome awaits at the Old Smithy. Contact Gordon Flash– socstafford@rocketmail.com th

18 South Coast Ride out to Arundel. Meeting at Farlington services, portsmouth. (Currently Hilton Hotel but soon to change to Holiday inn. ) At 10am leaving 10.15. Riding the coast road down to Arundel. Contact Laura Dyer – socsouthcoast@rocketmail.com 19th North East bike wise event. Durham police headquarters, Durham. DH1 5TT Meeting at Bowburn services junction 61 A1 at 9.30 leaving at 10am. Durham police headquarters Aykley heads, Durham. DH1 5TT. Fantastic day out for all the family. Stunt shows, bike show, off road course, trade stands and rides for the kids. North East centre will be displaying their bikes. Contact Kev Close – kevclose253@gmail.com 07949 035419 th

19 London Centre ride out to Jack Hill Cafe. Hemel Hempstead. Meeting at the Crane, North Hyde Gardens, Hayes. UB3 4QT at 10am, Riding out soon after. Contact John Carr – 07768797125 th

19 Stafford Centre ride out to Founders Day Vintage motorcycle Rally. Meeting at The Old Smithy 8-10 Castle street, Ecclesshall, ST21 6DF. Leaving at 10am for Stanford Hall, Lutterworth. Contact Gordon Flash– socstafford@rocketmail.com th

19 East Mids Charity ride for Colin Bloomfield. Meeting at CMC Claycross from 10.30am leaving at 12 mid day to arrive at Radio Derby for 1pm. Tea, Coffe, Raffle. Donation of £5per bike. Contact Alby White 07762 242309 alby@ntlworld.com rd

23 East Mids Centre Monthly meet. Crown Inn, Awsworth NG16 2QY Meeting 8pm- 10pm. 4th Thursday of every month (unless changed on the boards) Come along and meet Alby for a laugh and a chat. Contact Alby White – 07762242309 alby.white@ntlworld.com

August

Events 2015

2 Andrew Carter-Smith nmrrc race event Round 7 Lydd, Kent

TN29 9JH Watch Andrew race number 724 in mini bike road racing. - LYDD. Dengemarsh Road, Contact Andrew – Captaincartyre@live.co.uk. 2nd.South Coast Centre Monthly meet. Loomies Cafe, Petersfield Road, Alton. GU32 1JX See details for July. Contact Laura Dyer – socsouthcoast@rocketmail.com nd

2 North East Centre Monthly meet. Heather Lad, Quarrington. DH6 4QD See details for July. Contact Kev Close – kevclose253@gmail.com 07949

035419 2nd Suzuki Sunday at the Ace Cafe London. Ace Cafe London, Ace Corner, North Circular Road, Stonebridge, London. NW10 7UD from 9 am – 5pm. Contact Sue Carr – ncsuzukiownersclub@rocketmail.com 7th /9th National Invader Rally. Brownlow Arm, High Marnham, Newark on Trent, Nottinghamshire, NG23 6SG Contact Laura events@suzukiownersclub.co.uk 8th Invader Rally Ride Out. Leaving from the invader rally 11am Brownlow Arm, High Marnham, Newark on Trent, Nottinghamshire, NG23 6SG. Contact Sue Carr – ncsuzukiownersclub@rocketmail.com th

9 National AGM. Members only. Membership card required for entry. 11Am

12th Yorkshire Centre meet. New Inn, 419 Denby Road East, Wakefield. WF4 3AX

see details for July. contact David Hebblethwaite – gv1400lxe@gmail.com th

14 Stafford Centre Camping weekend. Tern Valley Vintage Machinery Trusts Annual Show Chetwynd Deer Park, Newport, Shropshire, TF10 8EH Free camping if willing to exhibit motorcycle, otherwise admission £8 adults contact-Tink on 07890 181013

Events 2015

16 North East Centre ride out to Barrow in Furnace. Meeting at Bowburn services junction 61 A1 at 9.30am leaving 10am prompt. contact kev close on 07949 035419 16th London Centre ride out to Brooklands Motor Museum. Meeting at the crane public house North Hyde Gardens, Hayes UB3 4QT at 10 am Contact John Carr - 07768797125 27th East Mids Centre Monthly meet. Crown Inn, Awsworth NG16 2QY See details for July. Contact Alby White – 07762242309 alby.white@ntlworld.com 28/31st - London Centre camping weekend. Come and join the London Centre for their annual camping weekend! This year we are at a new venue! Camping in secluded field, private car park, Male/Female Shower and facilities!Camping: £10 per tent, per night or £20 for 3 nights! Friday night: Chill and chat Saturday AM: Ride out to local brewery and round Didcot Saturday PM: Dibbles Disco! BBQ in Garden £6 per head Sunday AM: Ride out tbc Sunday PM: Live music and pub quiz. Raffle Breakfast available: £5 per head Buffet or cooked breakfast! Rooms available – book early to avoid disappointment! The George Hotel High Street Dorchester on Thames Oxon OX10 7HH Tel: 01865 340404 29th London centre camping weekend ride out. Leaving from london camping, destination tbc Contact John Carr 07768797125 th

30 London centre camping weekend ride out. Leavng from london camping, destination tbc Contact John Carr 07768797125 31st Andrew Carter-Smith nmrrc race event. RND 8. REDNAL. Rednal Industrial Estate, Oswestry SY11 4HS Contact Andrew – Captaincartyre@live.co.uk. 26

September

Events 2015

6th .South Coast Centre Monthly meet. Loomies Cafe, Petersfield Road, Alton. GU32 1JX See details for July. Contact Laura Dyer – socsouthcoast@rocketmail.com 07980114208 th

6 Stafford Centre Monthly meet. The Old Smithy 8-10 Castle street, Ecclesshall, ST21 6DF Meeting 12-2pm. 3rd Sunday of every month. (moved from 21st) A friendly welcome awaits at the Old Smithy. Contact Gordon Flash– socstafford@rocketmail.com 6th North East Centre Monthly meet. Heather Lad, Quarrington. DH6 4QD See details for July. Contact Kev Close – kevclose253@gmail.com

07949 035419 th

9 Yorkshire Centre meet. New Inn, 419 Denby Road East, Wakefield. WF4 3AX

see details for July. contact David Hebblethwaite – gv1400lxe@gmail.com th

11-13 North Wales B&B weekend away. Staying at the Grafton B&B 14 craig y don parade Llandudno LL30 1BG Contact Mark Seager on 07914758734 for meet details th

13 London Centre Monthly meet. Botwell Inn, Uxbridge UB3 3ED see details for July. Contact John Carr – 07768797125 20th North East Ride out to Squires Cafe Meeting at Bowburn services junction 61 A1 at 9.30am leaving 10am prompt. Contact kev close on 07949 035419 20th London centre ride out to Hayes Car Museum Riding from the Botwell pub in Hayes at 11am to go to Hayes Car Museum/ Greenford Museum Contact John Carr – 07768797125 24th East Mids Centre Monthly meet. Crown Inn, Awsworth NG16 2QY See details for July. Contact Alby White – 07762242309 alby.white@ntlworld.com

Popping out for Pizza Again Mark Seager (Darkstar) touring@suzukiownersclub.co.uk

I decided to take the bandit for this trip as it needed a good run out to clear away the cobwebs. It was a quick ride down to Folkestone for the train which unlike Easter it was quiet this time. It was a holiday in France for Mayday it was good to be back in France we had a very good run down to St pol sur ternoise taking about 40 minutes. We found a home for the weekend Loubarre. Maire-Cristine that owns the place gave us a warm welcome, we were soon out of our gear and showered it just started raining as we strolled in to town. We stopped off in Le Winston pub for a quick lemonade. It was raining heavily now but we walked to the pizza place and it was open ! unlike last time. The food is very good the pizza is made with pastry not dough, it just melts in the mouth. After we finished which is a effort as it is filling we finished the evening in Le Grillon which was full of another bike club enjoying themselves. Next morning after a hearty breakfast with the weather forecast it was set to be very wet so we went in to town to go shopping i ended up buying a world war 1 1914 Christmas box that was handed out to the soldiers it had been in France for 101 years. St pol was the commonwealth troop HQ in the first war the unknown warrior the one in Westminster Abbey he came from St Pol he was bought home in 1920. We went for lunch in a cafe there was some old bloke sat in there with the worse syrup (wig) i have seen, he moved his head but it didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t move it looked like an old mop head Julie would not let me take a photo ! I fancied something french so i had a gallatte which is like a pancake washed down with the worlds best beer 2014 not in my opinion it was tasteless. Sunday morning started with the cuckoo again nice way to start the day after breakfast we strolled in to town nothing was open, there was bike racing going on 70s bikes not fun in the wet we went and watched Shaun le Muton which killed a couple of hours. The rain finally stopped so we went for a ride around the 7 valleys which is very good dead towns and villages no other traffic we did get caught in one mother of a storm but it soon passed, we rode past the Croix Sur Ternoise the race track lots of people watching despite the weather. Paul and Sue had invited us round for a drink as she was feeling better which was great to catch up with them at les balls. Well the weekend was over time to head for home bright and early monday another great trip home. Iam off to Loppem next, may see you there. Mark

Specialist Motorcycle Injury Solicitor

“I have been a motorcyclist for nearly 43 years and have been fighting for the rights of bikers for the last 25 years.”

John Measures

“But the person you’ve most to do with in the long run is your solicitor, and good ones like the one I was lucky to find (John Measures;jminjurylaw@gmail.com) are going to be increasingly hard to find.” Guy Procter, Senior Editor MCN 19.6.2013

Solicitor of the Higher Court Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Legal Executives Fellow of the Association of Personal Injury Lawyer Member of the Law Society Personal Injury Panel

Member

Local Focus with National Backup Part of Scott-Moncrieff & Associates Ltd. Office: 0116 2882227 Mobile: 07442011690 e-mail: jminjurylaw@gmail.com Web Site: www.jminjurylaw.com 41 29 4217

NMRRC RACING Words Andrew Carter Smith Photos Andy Walker

Round 1 Whilton Mill I couldn't understand why I was so uncomfortable on the bike as I was on better tyres than last season, same set up as Whilton Mill (which was my last race last season). So I decided to use qualifying as a time to get to know the bike better, although this was a risky technique it was the best option. I used qualifying to sort out my gearing pattern on the track, 'although the bend my look tight I can get round that with full throttle in forth'. Before I knew it I knew my old pattern, I just needed to get it smooth. When returning to the paddock it struck us that I wasn't wearing my glasses. This was the cause of my early breaking and being unsure on when I was able to open the throttle on a bend making the bike unstable. With all the personal issues and using the qualifying time to get to know the bike I qualified with a time of 1 minute 11 seconds giving me the position 28th/30 Group B (novice). After receiving the qualifying results it came to us why I was early breaking and had sloppy throttle control. I wasn't wearing my glasses. Before the shout out for the 'stock 140 Group B' the bike was down at the pit lane warm and raring to go. As I lined up on the grid I knew, 'this was my time to shine'. Although I may have been disappointed with my qualifying time, I knew I could make up for it where it matters. After the scouting lap I positioned myself tactically on the grid in my given position with the clutch at the biting point and the engine roaring. As the flag dropped I dropped the clutch and opened the throttle, feeling the front end lift as I projected passed 6 racers before the first corner. With such a successful start the pressure lifted off allowing me to relax and target key areas of the track where I was able to gradually gain four more places giving me a final position of 18th. By relaxing I was able to gain an accumulation of 10 places! As rain continued to fall throughout the rest of the day I planned to use this to my advantage as many others are not comfortable riding in the rain so once again I completed my scouting lap and lined up on the grid tactically to try and get a successful launch like my last race. However as the flag dropped I launched forward, however to find that the rider 2 bike ahead had stalled meaning that the rider in front crossed my planned route causing a split change in plan.

Before entering the first corner I had successfully gained three places, however a rider ahead bike had slipped out from beneath them when entering the corner blocking the racing line. To avoid the rider I had to slow down significantly, missing them by inches. By successfully missing the rider I lost one position and chased after the crowd. After many laps I realised that the tracks grip has seriously reduced even with wet tires on. At this moment I changed to defensive (keep the current position and finish for the points). Although some of the results were not as grand as I had expected. I was still pleased with the end results as it had been the first time I had ridden since round 10 last October. Results: Round 1: Qualified 28th Group B Race 1: 18th Race 2: 17th Round 2: Qualified 49th Race 1: 47th Race 2: 47th Round 3: Qualified 18th Group B Race 1: 11th Race 2: 11th Round 4: Qualified 24th Race 1: 27th Race 2: TBA

Photos reproduced with kind permission of Andrew Smith and Andy Walker

Twelve Months On By Dennis Townson Just over 12 months ago I had to decide whether to continue on 2 wheels or give it up all together, considering I have held a bike licence for over 50 years it took a lot of thinking about. A knee that wasn't exactly working 100% and a touch of arthritis helped to make my decision. Climbing onto the VStrom, and getting my leg over so to speak and not confident of being able to hold it upright when stationary all helped sway the decision to find something less of a handful.

The Beast

A friend rode a Burgman and suggested I try a super scoot, I had thought of one of those 3 wheeler things but all the ribbing I was going to get put me off that idea, so a super scoot it would be. I found the Burgman a little high off the ground and when I saw a Yamaha TMax at a local dealer went to look, 2 years old, 9000kms on the clock, in pristine condition, owned by a guy older than me and I was offered a good price for the Strom, deal was done. To say I am amazed with the Tmax is an understatement, it handles like a bike, is fairly quick will travel at the maximum legal speed on the autoroute (130 kph) and is very stable. getting used to the CVT or twist and go was a bit strange, it goes into neutral at about 5kph which until you get used to it is a bit disconcerting at traffic lights but that feeling doesn't last. Not having to change gear doesn't allow for fantastic fuel economy because the CVT settles down at 4000 rpm when its finished accelerating, coupled with a tiny tank more stops to top up are required. There is a down side, I am now treated like a pariah by the French bikers who treat all scoots as the 50 cc chicken chasers the 14 year old kids ride like idiots here, the fact that mine is probably as quick and more manoeuvrable than some of theirs ( thinks Harley) is beside the point. In conclusion, did I do the right thing? yes, would I recommend it to anyone else? yes.

The Scoot

At least I am still on 2 wheels and enjoying the sunshine and the freedom that brings. A few months ago towards the end of summer, that seems ages ago, a group of us, French and English decided on a last minute outing. We arranged to do a run around the Lot Valley which isn't too far and has some stunning scenery and real biker roads, lots of twisties and ups and downs with some faster stretches of main road we had a fun day, nice food and company and scoot more than held it's own with the rest. The advantage of being this far south is the weather is usually better than UK although scoot has stayed in the garage during this particularly wet winter. I hope you are all enjoying your riding and stay safe, warm and dry. Dennis

For this years Manx GP and Classic T.T. I am camping at St Johns F.C. and we could use this as a meeting place/base. The bar will be open each day and evening. Food served and for those that like it a decent breakfast. Anyone camping there are full facilities and a low cost (for the Isle-of-Man) of ÂŁ9 per night. Less if you are a Marshall. I'll be based there and open to most suggestions. So if you fancy a meeting place and a pint at a good price , come over and let yourself be known. Look for a Hymer camper with GSX and a couple of BSA's and the owner should be me. The campsite is on the edge of the original T.T. course and 3 miles from Peel. Spectating for the main races is within walking distance and close to Balacraine, Appledene and Greeba Castle. See you all there...... Griffo

Footman James launches Ride your Classic to Work Day as part of anniversary celebrations One of the UK’s leading classic bike insurance brokers has announced a Ride to Work Day to celebrate the first anniversary of the launch of its FJ+ cover options. To mark the occasion Footman James supported by insurance partner Ageas Insurance Ltd are offering all classic bike customers free Ride to Work cover on Friday 24 July to celebrate 12 months of FJ+. Ride to Work is one of the most popular of the cover options available through FJ+ that allows enthusiasts to build their classic vehicle insurance policy to make the most of their classic motoring. David Bond, Director at Footman James said : “If you’ve ever yearned to ride your pride and joy to work for the day, well now you can! In celebration of the first anniversary of the FJ+ launch, we want to give you the chance to experience riding your classic bike to work, on us!” Last year, Footman James – supported by Ageas– launched a portfolio of cover options known as FJ+. Ride to Work cover is part of this portfolio and offers customers the chance to select this option as part of their insurance policy allowing the opportunity to ride their classic bike to a permanent place of work.

Footman James launched FJ+, aimed at the classic enthusiast, to ensure they can make the most of their vehicles. Apart from drive and ride to work, the range of options provides benefits which include : o Breakdown cover with options to include European cover and Homestart. o Driving and riding other classics; o Track day cover; o Wedding hire cover options; o Legal Protection o Spare Parts (options up to £10,000 cover) o Helmets & Leathers o Nil Deduction Salvage Retention o Mis-Fuelling o Lost Keys o Excess Protect o European Motoring David concluded : “We love initiatives which bring classic bikes out into the public arena and we’d encourage as many of our customers as possible to enjoy riding their classic on what looks set to be a very special day indeed!” For further information about the Ride your Classic to Work Day including terms and conditions visit www.footmanjames.co.uk.

Motorcycle Live 2015 For the SOC promises exciting opportunities. This year the club is taking a new approach to the nation’s premier motorcycling event. We are buying 100 tickets which will give us our usual 3m x 3m stand for free. This means that we can offer to members and their family, friends, work colleagues and neighbours. Advance tickets at cost price of £15.50 per ticket plus postage. We want to sell them all. Great day out, discount tickets, catch up with friends and lots of shiny new bikes to see and sit on. All this for £15.50 per ticket and recorded postage for £2.80 for your order irrespective of quantity of tickets. Tickets are on a first come first served basis, remember we only have 100. To order visit the shop on the SOC website or Contact James (Rockhopper) merchandisingsoc@rocketmail.com If you have free time and would like to man the show stand please contact shows@rocketmail.com Concessions for seniors and disabled please contact motorcycle live directly There will also be a daily dose of famous biking faces and racing stars from MotoGP, World Superbike, British Superbike and the Isle of Man TT, all taking part in fan meet-and-greets and on-stage game shows and Q&As with racers-turnedbroadcasters Steve Parrish and James Whitham.

Live 28th Nov - 8th Dec NEC Birmingham

Newbie on a V-Strom to Corfu – April / May 2015 After a 43 year break from biking, I had (according to some at least) another mid-life crisis and bought a 2012 DL650 at the end of last year. I have thoroughly enjoyed getting back onto 2 wheels, even during last winter. I have a boat which is currently in Greece and needed to go and do some repairs and painting on the boat. I use a type of antifouling which is only available in the UK and could not find any way of getting this to Greece. I suggested to my wife that I could drive down on the bike and she declared me too old, too unfit and generally mad. I considered that a challenge and set off in late April 2015. The Bike The bike had done 3,000 miles when I bought it and was very standard. I have added a big Givi top box, heated grips, engine guards (for the first fall), skid plate (that poor exposed oil filter), Givi screen (to stop buffeting) and Road Pilot 4’s (to stop being petrified in the wet on the Trailwings). I had no intention of buying panniers in case I did not like long distance tours so strapped a big Stanley tool box on the pillion area (Velcro on the grabrails supported the weight and stopped it moving about). Two steel tubes were then strapped on the side (for boat repairs) and 30 litres of paint loaded up and off we went. The Itinerary 26/4/15 Billingshurst - Chunnel - Dijon 490m 27/4/15 Dijon – Mont Blanc Tunnel - Voghera 375m 28/4/15 Voghera – Ancona – Ferry to Igoumenitsa 310m 29/5/15 Igoumenitsa to Corfu Ferry 0m In Corfu 9/5/15 Ferry to Corfu. Ride to Parga and back. Ferry to Ancona 100m 10/5/15 Ancona - Piacenza 370m 11/5/15 Piacenza – Susa – Menis Pass – Bourg en Bresse 390m 12/5/15 Bourg en Bresses - Reims 375m 13/5/15 Reims – Chunnel - Billingshurst 280m Total 2660m

Ready to go – note toolbox on pillion and steel tubes on side.

The Ride Down

The ride down was not that pleasant as I needed to push on to get to Corfu for boat relaunch. It rained continuously for 2 days and an HGV blew a tyre just in front of me on the Milan Motorway – all a bit frightening! The fun started at Ancona where we were due to board the ferry at 1600. I had met up with a German motorcycle club comprising middle aged Germans and very expensive BMW’s. They did not seem to know what a Suzuki actually was and thought all bikes were made by BMW. We were the last to board and the rain was very heavy at this point. The ramp within the ship was quite steep and long and comprised a central flat steel section and then trackways either side for lorry wheels with high steel plates welded onto the flat steel at 45 degrees to the direction of travel. Add water diesel and oil to all this and it looked ‘challenging’. I decided that discretion was the better part of valour and allowed the Germans on first. The first tried to go up the centre and the back wheel went sideways and he came off. The next two went up the trackways very slowly and both got the front wheel between the slats. This was not looking good and everyone was by now holding back. I took a tip from Clarkson and decided that “Speed’ was the only solution and went up the slats at about 20 mph. Worked a treat until I went over the top and found a flooded deck with about 20m before the parked bikes. Front brake was not an option so I braked hard with the rear and went flailing about and stopped about 2 feet from a very shiny new BMW whose worried owner was screaming presumably abuse at me in German! On arrival at Igoumenitsa it is a short ride to the Domestic ferry to Corfu. That was good as it was around midday and the temperature was around 34 degrees C. My trusty Oxford textiles brought my leg temperature to around 100 degrees and when I opened them up steam appeared! Very unpleasant.

The Return

Waiting to board the ferry to Corfu

After 9 days of painting and scraping the boat, I decided that a gentler ride home was in order. I had 6 hours to waste in Igoumenitsa waiting for the ferry to Ancona and rode to Parga for lunch which is beautiful. The weather on arrival in Ancona was scorching so I went and bought summer trousers and boots which were a massive relief. As soon as I set off, other bikers were throwing ‘V’ signs at me on approach, and sticking their right leg out on overtaking. This all seemed very unfriendly. I remember I used to stick my leg out 40 years ago when going past scooters and that was certainly not a friendly gesture! I met a guy at a petrol station who explained that this was all meant as a greeting so it felt better after that. Instead of taking a tunnel to cross the Alps, I headed to Susa and went up the pass to Cemis. This is an amazing mountain pass which showed on the GPS as 8,600 feet at the top. Not a car in sight and only a few bikes. I have read stories about such roads in magazines and they are certainly as good as they say they are. I wanted to go further past Val d’Isere but

Above the Bay at Parga on mainland Greece

The reservoir at the top of the Cemis Pass – about 8,500 feet

The Rhone valley

I had enjoyed this so much that when I got past the Alps I set the GPS for small roads only and spent the next days on French Nationale and District roads. These were brilliant – narrow villages and then long straight empty roads between villages. It was possible to average good speeds on these and not greatly less than the bore of the Autoroutes. The Rhone valley was also great. What I learnt 1. Don’t ride to a timetable. I did not enjoy the ride down anywhere near as much as the return. 2. Take summer gear as well as winter gear if heading south. Even my cheap Oxford textiles were unbearable over 30 degrees. I still have not decided if being wet or roasting are worse. 3. The V-Strom is a good touring bike – that was a bit of a shock! 4. The V-Strom never missed a beat and performed without a single issue. 5. Road Pilot 4’s are very good. 6. The Alps passes are a must-do. 7. There are many really nice bikers out there. 8. Don’t let others put you off – everyone told me I was mad and I had a few doubts the day before leaving but it was great and thoroughly enjoyable. 9. Greece is reachable on a 2 week holiday. I spent 8 days getting there and back and I was not pushing that hard. That would leave 8 days for touring Greece and I am told that the Northern part is very nice with mountain lakes and wooded areas. I read an article about Siberia the other day……………… Chris Harnan

On One Sunday I'm not riding as much as I get older but I rode my GS 1000 to a nice event recently that might only happen in my hometown of Fresno. I saw a notice somewhere about a gathering at Sierra Sky Park, the first housing development with a runway and homes with large garages or car ports for planes. There were restored and home-built planes, hot rods, old race cars and my friends' Bonneville Streamliner on display. So I called my nearby friend TJ and he brought over his restored Honda 450 . He called another friend Mike who showed up with his Honda Dream sidecar rig. We set them up next to Brad and Bob's streamliner and we had a bit of a bike show. Bob and Brad are both motorcyclists and I usually go to Bonneville to watch this and other streamliners they work on. This 'liner has a Hayabusa engine but others in their group have flatheads or Chevy V-8s. So my short ride turned into a nice afternoon of motorcycles, old cars and hot rods, with airplanes landing and taxiing between the rows of cars and the houses, some of which had interesting airplane or car projects on their lawns or in carports. With good friends, good food on sale, a party atmosphere and lots to see it was a great afternoon and we will try to coordinate more bikes there next year. And hopefully I will be riding and writing more ! zukiman in Fresno , California.

We are specialists in general pest control (rats, mice, cockroaches, wasp nests, ants, etc.) and all types of bird control and proofing. We can carry out work on a job work basis or on regular routine treatment / inspection basis. Our experienced surveyors will carry out free inspection, survey and estimating service. Very competitively priced. Pest control surveys and treatments. Our technicians are trained to eradicate problems by identifying the source of the problem, any necessary proofing and change of management of good housekeeping and best practice of treatments. We do not just throw pesticides at the problem. Full range of bird control and proofing, including netting, sprung wires, point system and flying a bird of prey. High level roof inspections, surveys and repairs. High level working from hydraulic platforms. Staff are IPAF certificated. Rope access (abseiling) specialists. Trained and work to IRATA standards.

Aepcs ltd

www.pestserviceslondon.co.uk Member

Letters Alan Hancock (Alan H ( Ed)) Editorsoc@rocketmail.com

Dear editor I Thought you may be able to use the following in a future Hustler.........Last year I took early retirement from work and I thought of looking for a two wheel project to restore over the winter months browsed all the local adds, scoured EBay and eventually I came across a Suzuki FZ50.1986.It had been stored in a shed for over 15 years, I collected it from an enthusiast in Norwich. The engine turned over however everything else was rusted, seized, or bracken decided on a "shoestring" restoration (to get it a M.OT. on small budget so as not to over value the bike.) Over the winter I freed off the breaks and found the shoes where in very good condition, cables where freed off, and now work perfectly. Small holes in exhaust and fuel tank where repaired and the paintwork was rubbed down and rattle canned. The tyres and ignition key where sourced from Ebay. A new 6volt battery was purchased from a local car parts dealer (off the shelf and cheaper than EBay ) The wiring was sorted with the help of John Carr our technical officer..many thanks John .I am very pleased with the outcome and it will be road legal for the spring. Paul Greenfield

The bike is a SUZUKI FZ 50 known also as Youdy, Rascal or Suzy. It as a overall length of 1650mm,overall width 665mmand height of 990mm. The wheel base is 1220mm.Ground clearance 120mm. The dry weight is just59kg.It as a single cylinder of 49cc.3.2 hp. Aircooled 2 speed automatic. It was available in Red ,Blue or Black.

Letters Alan Hancock (Alan H ( Ed)) Editorsoc@rocketmail.com

It's my GSX1100G approaching Crawleyside Bank, on the B6278 running down into Stanhope, after one of my regular rides in the Durham Dales. I tend to just go as the fancy takes me depending on how much time I have. It could be Durham, Northumberland, Cumbria, Yorkshire or Scotland. Hills, dales, mountains or seaside, I am very lucky to have such lovely countryside and secluded roads to choose from. The full length pic of my current G is from a Durham dales ride whilst the close up pic of the tank is of my old GSX1100G taken on the Wrynose Pass, Cumbria about ten years ago. I added a few of snaps of the RV 125 Van Van if they are of use too, this is my year round use bike and the one I used for a 1200 mile Scotland tour a couple of years back. Joe Close (Closey) Mem. no. 12047

Fuel for Thought Following the last magazine , I noticed quite some interest on the internet site. This 'E' fuel is certainly causing some thoughts. Ethanol has been around for some decades now so I would have thought that it could have been used in a better way. When competing on the grasstrack and speedway I rode a JAP motored bike. Yes it ran on "Dope". This was a mixture of Methanol and Ether. Lethal but man made and burned with no flame as I was to find put when cleaning an engine with dope . At the time there was a 'fag' in my lips and suddenly my hands were getting rather warm. Into the water tub as I realised what was burning. I digress and back to 'man made' fuel. Ethyl alcohol , or better known as Ethanol was a by-product of the whisky industry and a distillation process is used to produce this. Also the fermentation of molasses , potatoes and sugar beet was used. (Did the Irish use this for potcheen ?) The French also produced a raw alcohol to be used as abyproduct from wine to add to petrol. No wonder Methylated spirits is popular in certain circles! The biggest problem with the man-made fuel is that it contains water and with mixing it with petrol causes problems with older engineering techniques. Most modern vehicles, after 2001 can use the E5 fuel but the older ones ? ? ? ? Yes and bikes before 2005 can have problems. Ethanol helps cool the cylinder head but burns faster. That's the good and bad of it. What is the best thing to do ? Run the 'E' fuel through a solid caustic filter, add Benzole or a calcium chloride filter or just look for things to change on the older bikes. New fuel lines will help as most have never changed theirs. Change all the sealing parts on the carb or just look for non ethanol fuel ? It will be hard to find fuel for our old bikes within the next decade as the 'Greens' are trying to save the planet. At present fuel companies can legally put up to 5% ethanol into fuel. I think only the lower cost suppliers do this as reputable suppliers, BP, Esso, Shell and Texaco still give you 97 octane petrol and very little , if none, ethanol. Dearer but gives better mpg. The modern fuels do not like to be left in a tank for more than three months before going-off. I have it from a very good sauce that Griffo is testing some tank sealant on a couple of his 'old' bikes. One with a steel tank and the other fibreglass one on his Beamish. He is changing all the seals, pipes, floats and the likes and running on E10. Could make some interesting reading. I hasten to add both bikes have old worn engines to begin with.

A final footnote and the 'Customer Care' department from Exxon mobile sent the following ... ....The majority of unleaded 95 octane fuel sold in the UK contains 5% ethanol as required under the Government's Renewable Transport Fuels Obligation (RTFO). There is currently no requirement for renewable fuel (such as ethanol) to be present in super unleaded petrol (Esso Energy Supreme) is ethanol free (except in Devon, Cornwall, the Teeside area and Scotland) and we have no current intention to add ethanol to Esso Energy Supreme in other areas of the UK.... ...Here endeth the reading... Keep it tanked-up and wheels turning. The Rusty Mechanic.

FOR SALE. Suzuki FZ 50.1986.Tested until April 2016 (no advisories) .This bike as been renovated over the winter including ,oil change ,brake overhaul ,new ignition switch, new choke cable, New battery,new spark plug new rear tyre ,seat recovered and a rattle can paint finish..No cracks to plastic. This model is fast appreciating in price and getting hard to find in this condition. The bike is to be advertised elsewhere and will be sold on 1st come 1st served basis. The sale does not include the Suzuki Owners Club badge that is shown on the front of the bike photograph!(this is rare in its own rite).........ÂŁ420.........for more details please contact me by telephone 07855622834. Paul Greenfield (Suzuki owners club member )I live very near to CMC .Clay Cross Derbyshire.

2015 INVADER RALLY & AGM Come along and join Suzuki Owners Club at their flagship event. This years National Committee nominees are Treasurer - John Carr National Secretary - Susan Carr Events Co-ordinator - Laura Dyer Shows Co-ordinator - Trevor Trueman Technical Officer - John Carr

To be held at The Brownlow Arms High Marnham Newark on Trent NG23 6SG Friday 7th August to Sunday 9th. £5 per pitch per night to members and forum members.

Friday and Saturday entertainment. Steve Goth’s Suzioke Prize raffle. Great company. Saturday Ride out tbc. Sunday AGM at 11am no entry without your membership card.