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S A M S O L E N T A DVA N C E D M OTO R C Y C L I S T S
Wendy Welcomes Adam Hayter Alan Ware Amanda Spur Andrew Piper Ben Walker Beverley Brown
Dominic Forres Elisa Hunt Ian Colgrave Ian Croft John Burton Jonathan Dowd
October 2009
New members since 6th of June
Joy Davies Julian Labouchardiere Mark Bleach Mike Cater Mike Kneller Mike Walker
The IAM Aims
CAPTION COMPETITION:
To improve the standard of driving (and riding) on the UK roads.
Paul Bergamas Peter Finch Russell Donaldson Simon Carson-Jones Vincent Hall
The Advancement of Road Safety.
sam
SOLENT ADVANCED M OTO R C Y C L I S T S
The Administration of an Advanced Test.
MAKING
progress
A £5 voucher to the winner. Suggestions by email to SAMMagazine@ntlworld.com sam.newsletter@btinternet.com
From July 09 issue "No Darling, you can’t have a go, Daddy has got to practice for his SAM Advanced Plus". The winner was Sheila Gooch
A PERU MOTORCYCLE ADVENTURE
Handling a bit woolly.....? SAM MERCHANDISE
October 09
INSIDE p4 Chief Observer’s Report
p6 Andorra
Article on p9
p7
Now available from £15. Various Colours and Sizes available to order.
DISCLAIMER Most of the views expressed in this SAM Newsletter are personal to the author and publication does not imply endorsement of any article, any author or any organisation. Views expressed are those of the authors, and are not necessarily in accordance with the policies or the views of the IAM or SAM. Where articles are reproduced from other publications or authors, unreserved acknowledgement is given to the source. No responsibility is accepted by the Editor or SAM for any damage to intelligence or riding abilities, howsoever caused, which might result from reading this publication.
P A G E 12
Help us make progress with a contribution towards the next issue. Pics in jpeg format please.
Newsletter email address is sam.newsletter@btinternet.com
Design & artwork by KF:D LTD Fordingbridge, 01425 654557
SAM Polo-Shirts, not only for ‘old’ men!
Overlanders Meeting
p8 10 years with Trinnie
p 11 Operation Overlord
Registered Charity No. 1097558
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S A M S O L E N T A DVA N C E D M OTO R C Y C L I S T S
October 2009
! " ! ! !
S A M S O L E N T A DVA N C E D M OTO R C Y C L I S T S
Operation Overlord – The Ultimate Beach Experience
“Just off to the beach..� sounds fine – but this is D-Day territory and an entirely different experience than buckets and spades
rriving at Pegasus Bridge Neil brought ice creams for Mike and me as we met up with a host of other bikers and visitors for the 65th anniversary of D-Day. In France the roads and the locals welcome bikes and I felt our kind was outnumbering the car brigade and having a far better time.
A
It was on 6th June 1944 that Operation Overlord - the long anticipated Allied invasion of Naziheld Europe - went into action.
#$%$& '&()')
Our hotel was at Cherbourg, some distance from the action at Arromanches and Omaha beach, but we stopped off first at Utah, near to Carentan, where the memorial is to the S Navy Command, and the museum is on the beach and built into the defences. The Utah landing force, came ashore about a mile south of the intended area, and faced little opposition on the beach, and out of range of the major emplacements of German artillery. Fortunately the decision was also made to launch the Utah Beach DD tanks closer to shore than originally planned, and they were successful at supporting the infantry on the beach. In all, between June 6th and 16th the Americans landed more than 300,000 men and more than 35,000 vehicles at Utah and Omaha Beach. After a well earned evening meal in Cherbourg we slept well and made off early next day for Omaha beach, the focus of the US commemorative ceremonies. We were told – don’t bother to head for the military cemeteries unless you are VIPs as 700 were booked in to see Presidents Obama and Sarkozy next day, and security was tight. So we went to the beach – and saw where the action was – and the loss of life suffered on the wide expanse of open beach in full
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October 2009
view of the defending German forces. Very little went as planned during the landing at Omaha Beach. Difficulties in navigation caused the majority of landing craft to miss their targets throughout the day. The defences were unexpectedly strong, and inflicted heavy casualties on landing US troops. Under heavy fire, the engineers struggled to clear the beach obstacles; later landings bunched up around the few channels that were cleared. Weakened by the casualties taken just in landing, the surviving assault troops could not clear the heavily defended exits off the beach. This caused further problems and consequent delays for later landings. The US Navy memorial was set up in recognition of the initiative shown by the local warship commanders who, against the plan, took their vessels inshore and used their firepower to take out the German gun and mortar emplacements that were causing such heavy casualties and were holding up the whole landing plan. Small penetrations were eventually achieved by groups of survivors making improvised assaults, scaling the bluffs between the most heavily defended points. By the end of the day, two small isolated footholds had been won which were subsequently exploited against weaker defences further inland, achieving the original DDay objectives over the following days. A brief visit to Arromanches, or Gold beach, affirmed this was the place to return to next day, which was the main day of celebrations of “liberte� and the centre of the UK ceremonies. In bright sun, we returned to find the beach overrun with the military and with a large landing craft – all the way from
Marchwood – and a record turn out of 155 original wartime motorcycles, all lovingly restored and delivered by their owners wearing full wartime uniform.
Simon Gardiner, Neil Stocker, Mike Barringer
The village square above the beach was the focus for bands, parades and ceremonies honouring the veterans. The primary D-Day objectives were for the 50th Infantry Division to establish a beachhead between Arromanches (crucial for the deployment of the artificial Mulberry harbour) and Ver-sur-Mer and then head south reaching Bayeux and cutting the road to Caen.
Utah Beach
To the west, the 47 Royal Marine Commando’s mission was to capture Port-en-Bessin and link-up with American forces landing on Omaha Beach. We had 4 days of travel around all the coast of Normandy between Cherbourg and Caen, highly recommended, particularly when you get off the main roads and into the villages and open minor roads – don’t miss out Barfleur or St Vaast, or Quineville for idyllic French coastal scenery and (for the first 2) fishing harbours and sailing ports offering a great welcome and good food. Formula 1 hotels offer good basic clean and cheap rooms, ideal for the biker. Beer is expensive thanks to the euro – wine – or water - is a better bet when you are not riding – (zero tolerance applies to alcohol and driving).
Omaha Beach
Arromanches – Gold Beach
We covered 500 miles in 4 days, crossing from Portsmouth to Caen and returning Cherbourg to Poole with Britanny Ferries. Bikes – Neil on Triumph Trophy, Mike on Honda Blackbird, Simon on Triumph Sprint ST. We’ll be back - lots more to see and to learn about the events of 65 years ago.
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S A M S O L E N T A DVA N C E D M OTO R C Y C L I S T S
VICE-CHAIRMAN’S
chat
The more observant among you will have noticed that this edition’s “Chat” is from the pen of the ViceChairman. Those of you who were at the September club night will already know this, but regretfully, Lilian has decided that she can no longer serve as our Chairman and has resigned from the Committee. As ViceChairman I therefore find myself acting as temporary custodian until SAM appoints a new Chairman. don’t think anyone can fail to appreciate the impact that Lilian has had on SAM. She has been entirely committed to the role and throughout her tenure been extremely hard working and innovative but at the same time challenging. One of those challenges was to tackle the IAM over its rules regarding the status of Associates. She took that challenge to the IAM AGM with a proposal that would give Associates exactly the same status as full Members. The AGM rejected the proposal, but Lilian
I
October 2009
her time as Chairman and Skills Coordinator. Rest assured, Lilian will continue to Observe, lead runs and probably challenge us to further long week-ends in the Brecons and other twisty places.
refused to be daunted and continued to campaign. One element of that campaign centred upon SAM where, if no Member stepped up, Associates have been co-opted to SAM’s committee. This in itself is allowed, but Associates may not be afforded voting rights and this aspect of the rules was something Lilian felt unable to live with. She therefore decided that she could not continue.
By the time you read this, due process to appoint a Chairman will be under way if not complete. Along with the Secretary, Treasurer and Vice-Chairman, the Chairman is an Officer of the Group in legal terms. Therefore the appointment must be made formally through the convening of an Extraordinary General Meeting and a vote by those attending. Other appointments can be made by the Committee, following advertising of the post, and there is a bit of that going on at the moment as well.
It falls to me, on behalf of the Committee and the entire membership to thank Lilian for everything she has done for us during
All of this should be seamless and not impact at all upon our primary task of preparing Associates for the test and I am proud to say that
despite the “choppy water”: perhaps because of it, SAM is thriving. We are getting tremendous support from you all at club nights, ride outs and training activities and our speakers compliment us on the atmosphere and hospitality at club nights. More importantly, through SAM Sundays and the MDU effect, membership is growing significantly. This puts Alec and the Observers under the cosh, so if you’re an Associate, don’t waste a single second of every run and if you’re a Member, think about an assessed ride to see if you measure up to Observer training, or, perhaps better still, have a word with Gerry about Pass Plus. Safe riding. Thank you Lilian.
David
YOUR COMMITTEE Chairman
Secretary
Treasurer
Vice Chairman & PR
Chief Observer
Membership Secretary
Club Night Organiser
VACANT
Paul Nol
John Parvin
David Forster
Alex Gore
Dr Wendy Peters
Peter Curtis
Group Rides Co-ordinator & Website
Skills Manager
Rui de Castro
VACANT
Further Skills Administrator
MDU Manager
Gerry Gooch
Tim Bennett
Merchandising
Magazine Editor in Situ
VACANT
Carey Wall
Officers, Committee Members and Helpers OFFICERS Chairman:
VACANT
Magazine Editor in Situ:
Carey Wall
Secretary:
Paul Nol
Website:
Rui de Castro
Treasurer:
John Parvin HELPERS SAM Sunday Co-ordinator
Becci Lunn
David Forster
SAM Sunday Co-ordinator
James Norman
Public Relations:
David Forster
SAM Sunday Breakfast
Anne Spicer
Chief Observer:
Alex Gore
Club Night Refreshments:
James Norman
Membership Secretary:
Dr Wendy Peters
Club Night Refreshments:
Becci Lunn
Club Night Organiser
Peter Curtis
Slow Riding:
Alec Gore
Group Rides Co-ordinator:
Rui de Castro
Magazine Publishing:
Kim Formhalls
Skills Manager:
VACANT
MDU Towing
Jack Laverick
Further Skills Administrator:
Gerry Gooch
Social Events:
James Norman
Merchandising:
VACANT
Raffle Seller
Jen Hargreaves
MDU Manager:
Tim Bennett
COMMITTEE MEMBERS Vice Chairman
PA G E 3
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S A M S O L E N T A DVA N C E D M OTO R C Y C L I S T S
Welcome to this edition on Making Progress, the magazine of SAM, a society that supports the idea of the quintessential British Amateur. Our ambition is to emulate those athletes who casually strolled on to track, ran the race of a lifetime to win gold and then strolled off the track again. We aim to ride with quiet style, arrive at traffic lights as they change to green, exit from a corner ready to overtake, before the car drivers know that we are there and that the road will straighten out for overtaking. Like those bygone athletes who trained in secret we use SAM to learn how to achieve this seemingly effortless riding style, sharing knowledge and enthusiasm. The club nights are inspiring – Gerry was inspired to go on a final adventure to Peru, Nigel to ride alone to Andorra and back. Listening to other
October 2009
people talk about what they have done makes me think I can do that too, so I have signed up for Horizons Unlimited’s summer get together in Ripley to learn how to cook road kill. Discussion at the theory class encouraged me to go back out and ride past horses again, aiming for a hand wave not a fist shake from the rider. I succeeded! Nigel Grace has held my hand tightly for this edition but after this I am alone. If you have an enthusiasm to share, please let me have text and pictures for the next edition. Kim will continue to work her magic for me as she did for Nigel. Thank you Kim. A final thought. An advanced rider wears a green badge, similar in size to the old cycling proficiency badge. There are no signs splashed over leathers or bike – that discrete badge says enough. Carey Wall
C H I E F O B S E RV E R ’ S REPORT S E P T E M B E R 0 9 This is my first report through Making Progress since taking over the post from David Spicer in midJune, so the first thing to do is to thank David for helping to make the handover as smooth as possible and then to thank all the Observer cadre for their enthusiasm and cooperation since then. MUTUAL SUPPORT If there has been a theme to what I've sought to achieve in a short while it would be the concept of mutual support. This applies to the Observers themselves and also to the Associates who are under training. Let me show you what I mean: Observers The Observer cadre has now been divided into three "cells" and is headed up by a Senior Observer, with support from other Senior(s) or experienced Observers. Each cell covers a geographical area, basically the west, centre and east of the area covered by SAM. The cells are named after the rivers that run through them. In the west, we have the Lymington and Beaulieu Cell under Dave Bruguier; in the centre we have the Test and Itchen Cell under John Goodson; and, in the east we have the Hamble and Meon Cell under John Longland.
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The idea is for each cell to operate as a self-support group with the Seniors and more-experienced Observers providing encouragement to newer Observers as they develop their skills. The cells meet as they need to, discuss issues that arise in what they do and engage in rides, theory sessions or social events. From now on, all Observers can feel that they are truly part of a team, not just a lone figure out there handling allocated Associates without any support. The benefits to SAM will follow in more confident Observers, a consistent standard of Observing and a consensus on training topics and, most importantly, whether or not an Associate is test-ready. Overlaying the cell structure, we have the Chief Observer, assisted by Senior Observer Gerry Gooch, who also administers the SAM Advanced Plus test. Associates SAM is growing all the time. This is great and we are all encouraged by the number of motorcyclists who are coming through each year. It is really important that all Associates should feel supported in the learning process that they go through as they progress towards taking the IAM Advanced Motorcycle Test. Who better then to fulfil this role, but people who have recently passed their test? We are now writing to each and every new Full Member at the same time as we
send out their certificate, encouraging them to volunteer to act as a mentor to new Associates as they join SAM.This should not be confused with the job being done by the Observer; it is something else in addition - a new friend to talk with, call or e-mail, someone who has recently been through the mill, as it were. Having just achieved what new Associates what to achieve, these Full Members are best-placed to offer encouragement through the highs and lows of training. New Associates will feel that they better belong to SAM; new Full Members will gain a sense of purpose, post-test, and this could eventually spark their interest in becoming Observers, should they so wish. Please contact me if you want to be placed in contact with a mentor and if you want to be part of the valuable support group that the mentors will become. OTHER PRIORITIES Allocations My first priority on taking over the role was to get the backlog of new Associates allocated to Observers. With a few personal phone calls and a little bit of arm-twisting (not really) this was quickly achieved. I am extremely grateful to all Observers who have taken on a full complement of Associates or even gone beyond their preferred number. Your efforts are noted and the commitment in terms of time and effort put in by Observers cannot be overstated. Anyone contemplating becoming an Observer take note! The
INTRODUCING OUR OBSERVERS ... CHIEF OBSERVER - Alec Gore SENIOR OBSERVERS Dave Bruguier, John Goodson, David Spicer, Gerry Gooch, Peter Joss, Steve Clothier, John Longland. OBSERVERS - John Parvin, Richard Ferguson, Sam Davies, Lilian Hobbs, Mike West, Chris Palmer, Paul Nol, Colin Backhouse, Steve Carter, Colin Hitchcock, Ian Cooper, Nigel Grace BEM, Mark Sabin MBE, Gary Harrison, Christopher Ford, Phil Ayling, Hilary Hardman.
expectations on you are high, but the personal satisfaction and rewards in terms of what you can achieve for other riders make it all worthwhile. Expansion of the Observer Cadre The second priority was to expand the number of Observers so that we are always able to comfortably handle the number of Associates we have at any one time. Some previously-trained Observers have returned to active observing or are honing their skills again as Trainee Observers. So it's a welcome back to Colin, Hilary and Mark. And well done to Phil Ayling on qualifying as an Observer. Currently, there are six fullmembers going through Observer Training School, an intensive preparation course on five consecutive Sunday mornings that began in September. This will accelerate their development as Trainee Observers so they can qualify as Observers in time for the SAM Sunday free-assessed rides in 2010. Once again, many thanks to the effort of all involved in supporting and implementing these initiatives. The buzz among the Observer cadre is palpable and makes it a privilege to work with. We can be proud of what we are achieving in SAM and look forward to even greater things in future. Regards
Alec Gore Chief Observer, SAM
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S A M S O L E N T A DVA N C E D M OTO R C Y C L I S T S
October 2009
BRIEF RIDING HINT I was asked some while ago how I make a hill start on a bike. come from an off-road biking environment where you need to have good control of the bike at all times. This includes griping the handlebars, using the twistgrip accurately and operating the front brake all at the same time. Off road riding necessitates a good grip on the handlebar and I use my strongest finger for that, the 1st finger. I then use the remaining 3 fingers to operate the front brake.
I
I have done a couple of “Race Schools” and found that approaching a very sharp bend at speed necessitates changing down through the gearbox whilst simultaneously applying the front brake. My system seemed to cope very well with that situation. I also employ this method on my road bike when changing down and braking at the same time. There are
other ways to apply the front brake that are quite satisfactory , but this is what suits me the best for most situations. Using this method also enables hill starts can be done quite easily by using the front brake much like a hand brake in a car. At a standstill I place my right foot on the ground keeping my left on the footrest for gear selection. I nearly always put the bike into neutral at a standstill, or in fact just before I come to a standstill, as gear selection is much easier when the the bike is moving than it is when stationary. Engaging neutral also ensures that I am in 1st gear to pull away. I only stop in gear holding the clutch when I am stopping for only a very brief moment.
Gerry Gooch.
New road signs aim to cut bike death toll New road signs warning motorists of unmarked police patrols are set to go up. The signs are being erected along routes, including the A27 across West Sussex, in a bid to reduce the number of fatal motorcycle accidents. Police hope the unmarked police patrols will catch out speeding riders. Inspector Marc Clothier, from Sussex Police’s Road Policing Unit, said: ‘On Sunday, officers arrested two men for dangerous riding on the A27. They had been followed by one of the Sussex Police unmarked bikes at speeds allegedly up to 125mph and for riding in a dangerous and antisocial manner. Both riders are currently on police bail. This is exactly the sort of riding that puts both riders and other road-users at extreme risk and will not be tolerated on the roads of Sussex. We have got the resources to target those who go out to intentionally break the law, to get a cheap thrill, and we will deal with those who commit this serious crime in the manner that it deserves.’ He added: ‘These signs will be a continual reminder to all road-users of our continued targeted enforcement action, in a significant effort to try to reduce the motorcyclist casualties across Sussex.’ Neil Hopkins, from the Sussex Safer Roads Partnership, said: ‘In the last three years, 2,167 motorcyclists were involved in collisions on our roads. Sixtyfour have lost their lives and 733 suffered serious injury. We want riders to enjoy the roads of Sussex. But doing this safely requires both skill and judgment.’
WHITE LINES When we are trying to introduce students to the principles of Hazard Perception one of the thrusts that we use is the, "more paint more danger" principle. For those of you who haven't done any training, in short: Where there are no hazards you normally just get a lane line in the centre of the road. Where things get worse (junction etc) the line lengthens. When things get even worse (no visibility) the lines become solid. A simple principle which even if you don't know the theory will actually prick the sub conscious. hat was then and this, as they say, is now. Bucks, where I live, are now employing something known as "ladder hatching." This is the metre wide hatching in the centre of the road that goes for miles. They are putting this everywhere. In fact the A413 from Aylesbury to Buckingham (a great biking road) is now completely covered in this stuff, or solid white lines for its entire length. Its aim is to put people off overtaking.
T
Its not illegal to cross these lines. The Highway Code says, "If the area is bordered by a broken white line, you should not enter the area unless it is necessary and you can see that it is safe to do so." Necessary - well if it's necessary to overtake then its ok to enter them. The problem is the miles and miles of these things just bring the whole system into disrepute. They are on long
straights, where even cars can overtake in safety. There is now less paint at junctions as the nearside line disappears to make a turning right slot. There is no extra warning of bends or hill crests. This is pitching traffic signs at Plankton level. As time goes by and people see cars regularly overtaking on these lines (and we do in marked police cars and bikes) they too will have a go, probably choosing the wrong place; a junction or hill crest to perform this manoeuvre. You can't teach people how to safely overtake simply by trying to put them off doing it. Yes, before anyone writes in I know they make a handy bike-overtaking lane! I'll just get down from this soap box now.
Rapid Training www.rapidtraining.co.uk PA G E 5
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MY WORST WELD By Joanne Moody amming my foot down on the rear brake pedal, I seized the clutch and the front brake levers. My hand slipped, rolled the throttle and the bike let out a startled scream. Shear panic engulfed me as my brand new motorbike took off like a kangaroo towards the on coming bus. With the Tjunction approaching even faster and my bike now lurching uncontrollably from side to side, I closed my eyes and awaited the inevitable impact.
R
“You forgot to look behind you, remember your lifesaver,” called out Dave Spicer, the sound of his voice snapping me back to reality. Dave was lowering his arms, which had previously been outstretched to signify he was a moving vehicle approaching from my right. “Do it again!” He said, gesturing with his right hand around the imaginary T-junction that was marked on the ground by a series of plastic cones.
There were so many details to remember and very little time for the information to sink in.
October 2009
by Dave’s voice in my earpiece reminding me left, with some urgency, as I mistakenly turned right. I do remember him saying there were some good things coming through. For example, when I slowed to over take a pedestrian on a country road and remembered this time to check behind me before I proceeded with my manoeuvre. As I sat in a queue of traffic some weeks later, deliberating whether there might be space up ahead for a novice filtering motorcyclist, I remembered a piece of advice given to me at college by my welding instructor. He had said “You are only as good as your worst weld”. There is a lot of truth in this phrase and I guess the same principle could be applied to the motorcyclist. Even with my very limited experience of motorcycling, I had come to realise that no one ever remembers or acknowledges your
polished manoeuvres. There is never anyone stood by the side of the road giving you a ‘thumbs up’ when you have anticipated a series of bends with absolute perfection or done a particularly smooth over take. Yet, the drivers around you will instinctively mouth a swear word, or sound their horn if you misjudge your gear change and stall at a busy junction. Several months have flown by since I passed my CBT and I have noticed a steady improvement in my riding style. The numerous hours spent riding my bike and observing more experienced riders has paid off. However, I am very aware that motorcycling is a skill and any skill needs to be practiced, honed and developed. My intention is to continue practicing, and increase my confidence, so that my worst manoeuvre is of a high enough standard to keep me absolutely safe on the road!
I drew the clutch lever in and cautiously restarted the engine, checked I was in first gear and gingerly released the clutch to the point where I could feel the engine bite. I had ridden the best part of two miles around the tennis court that morning, on my compulsory basic training and I was getting hungry. “Shall we try and do it with a little more style?” Dave encouraged. “Remember to dip your clutch and glide to a standstill at the junction. Oh, and lower your foot slightly in front of you, like I showed you. You will look much cooler.” Cool? I felt anything but cool. Underneath my motorbike helmet my skin glowed pink. Fortunately for Dave’s modesty my helmet stifled the frequent obscenities that passed my lips. I missed second gear repeatedly and lurched forward in neutral. I was too heavy on the throttle and veered off to one side every time I looked behind me. There were so many details to remember and very little time for the information to sink in. I was becoming increasingly nervous because very shortly the knowledge Dave had patiently imparted to me would have to keep me safe on the open road. I only have a vague recollection of my two hour road ride. Much of it is a visual blur periodically interrupted PA G E 6
Having ended up with a Africa Twin XRV750 I thought I had better start doing what owners of this type of bike do and that is “pack up and go”. So following a few test runs to South Wales, Exmoor etc I decided that now was the time to go a little further and for longer. Where to go !!! I know ! Andorra and why not take in the Millau Bridge too... Plan accepted - Solo run with tent. Rules were: No motorways - no more that 250 miles in any one day - no fast riding - and most important CHILL and enjoy. Camping was really the only option as I don’t have a budget that would run to Hotels or B&Bs etc... Well maybe just the one !! I left on the Friday night boat from Portsmouth to Caen and landed at 6.30am and rode to a site just outside Samur in the Loire Valley for the first night stop. Each day I got up at about 7am and was on the road by 8.30... I would stop for a break every 2 hours or so or when I saw a good view or interesting sight. In the evenings I would either for cook for myself or visit and nearby Café or bar - I would try and write my blog and see if I could find a free WiFi spot - if not I would look for a MacDonald’s the next day as they supply free Wifi - thank you Ronald.. Note blog site is at http://nigel-grace.blogspot.com/ - please forgive the ramblings of a lone biker. During the trip I found some very good camp-sites and the best two were www.motocamp.com which catered for bikers and is run by a Dutch couple (Brilliant stop) and Xixerella in Andorra http://www.campings.com/campingxixerella-erts/?idlengua=3. The only B&B for the trip was another great place run by a German couple at www.refuge-pour-motards.de just north of the Millau Viaduct - I fear I had a late night and too many lagers that night. The highlight was probably the roads over and through the Pyrenees themselves in France, Spain and Andorra especially finding myself amongst the snow and the ski lifts !!! I won’t ramble on too much - but it was a great trip and the bike did not skip a beat for the whole 1800 miles... Now planning the next mini adventure - I can’t get Poland, Lithuania and Estonia out of my mind - will I do it solo again - well I’m not sure about that - any volunteers out there !!!! 1789 Miles - 9 Days - Max Speed 82mph
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OVERLANDER’S MEETING In June every year the members of Horizons Unlimited gather for their annual Meeting. As in most previous years the event was to take place at Lumb Farm Ripley in Derbyshire for 4 days (www.lumbfarm.com ), and the 2006 event would be limited to those that have registered and a maximum of 550 members. The event starts on a Thursday and runs through until Sunday afternoon (www.horizonsunlimited.com). 2010 will be the 10 Anniversary of the event. had volunteered to join the IT Team and assist looking after one of the 3 presentation rooms that were available. We worked in shifts and covered the period from 9am until 11pm. I therefore arrived on the Wednesday afternoon and once I had pitch my tent (next to my friend Sam Manicom), we set about erecting tents and laying out the areas for the tents and bikes, as well as setting up the projectors, laptops and sounds systems.
I
What amazed me was the number of presentations and the amount of interest shown by all concerned. This is a top flight event as you can see from the list of speakers Ted Simons, Sam Manicom, Austin Vince, Simon Gandofi, Paul Pratt, Ian Mutch, Paul and Kate Fellows and of course Grant and Sue Johnson the founders of HU; and if you don’t recognise the names – just try to Google them… As well as these presentations there were demonstrations of tyre changing, first aid, road-kill cooking, and Yoga for motorcyclists. The site had plenty of room for camping; it has a bar, restaurant, toilets, showers and a camp fire in the evening. This is a brilliant event and is well worth attending, but you will have to sign up on-line first. It is free to register as a member of HU but attendance at the HU Meeting will cost but it is well worth it. I have already signed up for next year and I may well see you there… If there is anything you need to know about Motorcycle Travelling – try this site… www.horizonsunlimited.com
Nigel Grace
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SAM DIARY OF EVENTS FOR 2009 • All runs will be conducted in line with the Club guidelines Doc 010GG and 011GG. • See the updated Group rides programme on: http://www.solent-advanced-motorcylists.co.uk • Full details of each run will be announced shortly before the run via e-mail on sam announce. • Alternativly contact the run leader or Rui De Castro via the website DATE Oct 17-18 Senior Observers Observer Training Weekend DATE RUN LEADER MEETING/ DESTINATION DEPART TIME OCT Sun 18 David Charlton Ower 10:00 Four Counties Ride Sun 25 Nigel Grace BEM King Alfred Statue Avebury Rings 09:30 to Devizes NOV Sat 7 Lilian Hobbs Ower Reading, Sweeney and Todd Pie shop Sun 1 Alec Gore Ower Mere Sun 8 Colin Hitchcock King Alfred Statue TBA Sun 15 Sun 22 Sun 29 John Goodson Loomies TBA DEC Sun 6 Sun 13 Sun 20 Sun 27
DIST. GRADE
140 100
M-A M
90
L
125
A A
• SAM would like to thank each run leader for the time and effort that they will be devoting to the organisation and planning of these runs. • Participants are reminded that they must be familiar with SAM DOC Number 011 and that riding decisions are theirs and theirs alone. • We wish you an enjoyable and above all else, a SAFE ride with the group of other SAM riders. • We cannot guarantee that the details of runs will not be changed before the event. However, every effort will be made to adhere to them.
NOTE. New issues of this list are produced from time to time. Always check that you have the latest issue.
The husband had just finished reading a new book entitled, “You can be the man of your house.” He stormed out to his wife in the kitchen and announced, “from now on, you need to know that I am the man of this house and my word is Law. You will prepare me a gourmet meal tonight and when I’m finished eating my meal, you will serve me a sumptuous dessert. After dinner, you are going to go upstairs with me and we will have the kind of sex that I want. Afterwards, you are going to run me a bath so I can relax. You will wash my back and towel me dry and bring me my robe. Then, you will clean my bike, and then you will massage my feet and hands and tomorrow , guess who’s going to dress me and comb my hair? The wife replied, “The funeral director would be my first guess.”
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S A M S O L E N T A DVA N C E D M OTO R C Y C L I S T S
October 2009
Me and my bike – Ten Years with Trinnie
– by John FOX
I don’t know how many of you out there name your bikes. It is certainly something I had never done until I bought Trinnie, though I didn’t find out her name until very late on in our relationship. This, as they say, is our story, a story of love, adventure and the consumption of excessive amounts of seafood.
rinnie is a Triumph Daytona 1200 Special Edition and we first met in April1999. At the time I owned a Honda CBR1000 (a proper CBR1000 not one of these new fangled Fireblades masquerading as a CBR1000!). I had been toying with the idea of a new bike for a while and quite liked the look of the T595 which had recently been added to Triumph’s range as their flagship bike. It had really gone no further than that until the day in early April when Kay (my fiancée at the time) and I stopped off at the snack bar outside 3X Motorcycles for a coffee before continuing our ride out to a pub for lunch.
T
Once refreshed we went for a wander around the showroom. After eyeing up a T595 I noticed a couple of Daytona 1200s at the back, one in standard trim, the other in black and gold, reminiscent of the JPS Norton F1 of the late 80’s. The specification was impressive: 147 bhp, 160 mph top speed and six pot callipers (rather than the standard four) coupled with braided hoses. It was one of 250 made to mark the end of the 1200 line. This was number 236 as denoted by the small plaque on the headstock. Although designated as a sports bike it also looked infinitely more practical than the T595. As we did quite a bit of touring on the CBR this was a major PA G E 8
consideration. I was hooked and 3X scored what was probably the easiest sale in their history! We agreed a trade in price for the CBR and completed the paperwork. To my surprise my impulse purchase met with no opposition from Kay despite a nice pub lunch turning into a burger from the snack bar, and the sudden realisation that the money I had saved for a holiday that year had just been spent!
A couple of days later I was sat on the train reading that month’s Bike magazine and to my surprise there was a write up on the SE. To my relief it did not set any alarm bells ringing. As I sat there engrossed the guard came around to collect the tickets. He looked over my shoulder and said cheerfully “I wouldn’t bother reading that, you can’t afford one of those!” I looked up, unable to prevent a smug grin plastering
Bikers !!
itself across my face, and replied, “Too late. I’ve just bought one…” At the time Trinnie was just my next bike, but little did I know what adventures were to come and that we would still be together ten years later… To read this and the continuing tale - visit the SAM Website at www.solent-advancedmotorcyclists.co.uk
By Rebecca Dudley News-Tribune Editor/Publisher
My ex-husband had this annoying habit of bringing greasy old carburettors and thins into the house to work on. So last week, when my friend called to tell me this story, my first response was, “Where did this guy live?” Now reassured that I was never related to him by marriage, this really is too hilarious not to share.
him to bed. She cleaned up the mess in the living room, and dumped the bowl of gasoline in the toilet.
The way my friend told it, this guy pushed his motorcycle from the patio into his living room, where he began to clean the engine with some rags and a bowl of gasoline. When he finished, he sat on the motorcycle and decided to start it to make sure everything was still OK. Unfortunately, the bike started in gear, and crashed through the glass patio door with him still clinging to the handlebars.
Shortly thereafter, her husband woke up, lit a cigarette and went into the bathroom. He sat down and tossed the cigarette into the toilet, which promptly exploded because the wife had not flushed the gasoline away. The explosion blew the man through the bathroom door.
His wife had been working in the kitchen. She came running at the sound of the noise, and found him crumpled on the patio, badly cut from the shards of broken glass. She called 911, and the paramedics transported the guy to the emergency room. So far, the story is humorous – in a “that is what you get for being a big enough lout to bring your motorcycle into the house” kind of way. But here is where I really split a gut. Later that afternoon, after many stitches had pulled her husband back together, the wife brought him home and put
The wife heard the explosion and her husband’s screams. She ran into the hall and found him lying on the floor with his trousers blown away and burns on the buttocks. The wife again ran to the phone and called for an ambulance. The same two paramedics were dispatched to the scene. They loaded the husband on to the stretcher and began carrying him to the street. One of them asked the wife how the injury had occurred. When she told them, they began laughing so hard that they dropped the stretcher and broke the guy’s collarbone. Talk about instant karma !!
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October 2009
A PERU MOTORCYCLE ADVENTURE by Gerry Gooch.
The Andes are the longest mountain range in the world and they run down the western coast of South America and are 430 miles at the widest point. The highest peak Aconcagua is 22,840 feet and in Peru the highest is Huscaniann at 22,205 feet. The Northern Andes where I was riding are tropical. So what was I, a 71 year old with a triple heart by pass doing sitting astride a Suzuki DR 650 Trail bike some 15,000 feet up in the Andes. Well I was on my latest motorcycle adventure. I flew out on the 19th June heading for Lima on a 17 day tour. I was to join 6 other riders, one of them, Mark with his wife Carroll on the pillion! The others ranged from 38 to 65 years of age. We each made our own way to Lima where we were collected and taken to a hotel for the night. The following morning we all met up at breakfast for the first time and what a great bunch of guys they were. My room mate for the duration was 42 yr old Alastair from Dundee and he turned out to been about the nicest person that you could imagine. We were taken on a short walk around Lima to get the feel of the country and we then set off in our Mercedes minibus to collect our bikes some 30 miles away. The bikes stood lined up outside of a lock up shop, 4 Suzuki DR 650`s, 2 Honda 250`s and 2 Honda 650cc Trans Alps. I was allocated a blue Suzuki and I was in heaven riding off along the Pan American Highway towards the Andes. I was surprised to find desert on both sides of the road with dunes rising high into the grey overcast skies. The road was good and I asked for permission to zoom ahead on my 650 as Peter struggled on his 250 to get any speed up. Everything was in kilometres so I took my speedo to also be in K`s so I set it at an indicated 80. After some 15 miles I noticed that it was actually in mph. I pulled over to await the rest of the group and then continued at 50 mph or so. Leaving the desert behind the green hills appeared with mountains in the distance. The smoke appearing at many places near to the top of the hills was coming from burning grass
set alight by the locals to appease the gods. After all, we were in a 3rd world country I suppose. Our 1st Hotel was very good indeed, but during the 14 days in Peru the quality varied as high up in the Northern Andes there are few tourists and we had to make do with what was available. But saying that, it was all part of the adventure. The food varied from brilliant to diabolical and that included the Peruvian speciality of baked, stone flattened Guinea Pig! We stayed 3 times on the Pacific coast and each time the weather was dull and grey. But once into the mountains the sun shone brilliantly, often with white fluffy clouds. The roads in the mountains and canyons were either, stony, rocky, sandy or a mixture of all three and provided us with some very entertaining riding. As I rode along these rough tracks my memories took me back some 50 years and more to my scrambling days. I was amazed that none of my off road skills has left me and I felt as though I was 18 yrs old again. Even more to my surprise I found that my stamina, no doubt boosted by huge amounts of adrenalin, was standing surprisingly well. This had been my main concern, but I need not have worried as I gave a good account of myself amongst the younger riders in the group. Back in England we had been told that we could ride off alone if we wished to at our own pace and stop just as we wished. The thought of riding alone high in the Andes had captured my imagination, so with a
map marked up with rendezvous points I frequently took full advantage of doing just that. Stopping for a drink of water and a snack bar and sitting alone in complete silence high in the Andes with the pampas grass swaying in a silent breeze is a memory that will stay with me for the rest of my life. Of course, riding alone does have its drawbacks as I found out several times. But this was supposed to be a motorcycle adventure so falling off and also getting lost only added to that feeling. The bus was heading straight at me, so the only option was to attempt to ride over the 2 foot high sandy bank to safety. But my front wheel had other ideas, so I finished up on my ear much to the delight of the passengers in the bus that had no option but to stop.
a quite brilliant young Peruvian graduate electrical engineer, suggested that he and I take a steep down hill climb to cut out about half a mile of mountain track. I willingly accepted the challenge and followed him downwards over loose stones, boulders and logs. My trials riding experience came in very useful, but I followed too close and as Franco slid sideways I had no option but to lay my bike down on the 1:3 hill. At 71 years of age trying to pick up a big 650 trail bike was beyond me so Franco had to pick himself up and then pick my bike up for me! Great fun though. My third tumble again occurred riding down hill, but this time I was alone. The sharp bend had a nicely formed berm to ride around but I approached too fast in the wrong gear and not fully in control.
Another time our run leader Franco,
continued on page 10
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October 2009
recommend the BMW motocross boots which I found quite comfortable, unlike Wendy’s who was wearing a much cheaper model and she wondered if she had any feet by the end of Day 2.
The ladies go off Road Maybe it was those road works in New Zealand or just a mad moment when Lilian and Wendy decided to book on the BMW Off-Road Course. The Course is run by 5 times Dakar finisher Simon Pavey and was assisted on this 2 day ladies only course, by our lady instructor Tasmin Jones who will be riding the Dakar in 2010. Now if you think that learning off-road skills is a waste of time for road riders then think again! This course has to be one of the most structured and well designed I have ever attended. Each skill took you carefully onto the next step so that you never went out on the trails without the skills you needed. The first exercise was drop your bike and pick it up! Good news, it was their bike. They showed us a great technique for this and I got to practise it a lot, although Simon or one of the other ladies was often
there to help me. Then we did some bike handling exercises and I was the first person to drop their bike, so more practise. We then spent the morning learning more and more skills and we both learnt why it’s important to have good motocross boots on as they certainly saved me from a trip to hospital when the BMW GS 650 crashed down on me and I couldn’t get out of the way quick enough. I can highly
By lunchtime it was time to hit the trails which started off nice and easy. Being a ladies only group we were all giving one another great encouragement, especially in the afternoon when we were presented with a huge hill to go down using just engine braking. One lady did fly over the handlebars but she was up and okay and Wendy wasn’t needed.The next day we did more trails and this was when I got a nickname of ‘crasher’ on one troublesome trail. I was congratulated by Simon for a very nice exit from the bike, it was the trees I saw approaching that persuaded me that now would be a good time to hit the deck! Next was hill recovery. All we had to do was ride up the hill, stall, turn the bike around and ride down. Yeah right!! Well I did it and so did Wendy. I must confess that I dropped the bike again and Simon helped me pick it up on the hill, but the technique they show you is really good. Finally before lunch we were then invited to ride the hill to the top. So Wendy charged off first, where she got her nickname ‘full gas’ as she raced along and up the hill. Many of us followed including myself and it was a tremendous feeling when you got to the top.
the first day, so on the second day, Simon got his bike out and she rode pillion with him, what a treat. He even rode her up the hill as pillion which she said was a great experience. So she got to experience and see everything which was really nice for her and is one of the reasons I can’t speak highly enough of the school. Nothing was too much trouble and they didn’t care how much damage you did to the bike as long as you were okay. My bike only had some 700 miles on it, but its fairing already had cable tie stitches and I had certainly added to its war wounds by the end of the course. So what did I learn; lots! how to handle my bike so much better. Getting my balance, tips for easy manoeuvring, that rear skids are fine and can be recovered, as can front skids. That I can turn a bike on a hill and ride up it and ride it really slowly standing up. You don’t have to be a GS owner to benefit from this course, but if you are, and you want to do a bit of off-roading then this is the course to do. There are a number of levels to the courses on offer and we have only done Level 1 Basic, so there is so much more to learn. For more information go to http://www.offroadskills.com/ There are other courses but most expect you to use your own bike and trust me, you don’t want to learn this stuff on your own bike, unless you don’t mind damaging it of course!
One of the ladies hurt her back on
Lilian Hobbs
Cajamarca where we were heading.
get her rabies injection that had to be repeated each day for 7 days.
continued from page 9
My front wheel went over the top of the berm and I was down on my elbow, ribs and hip with my leg stuck under the bike that had slewed around lying across the berm. I paused and then managed to lever the bike off my leg. The wind had been knocked out of me and I was going nowhere, so I decided to sit and wait for the others to come and pick up my bike for me! Getting lost on roads devoid of sign posts in a strange country can be rather concerning. But I only had myself to blame having missed a small turning in a remote mountain village. I finished up running low on petrol, having to find someone with enough to keep me going and covering an extra 60 miles as darkness engulfed me on a pot
P A G E 10
holed road with oncoming traffic. But this was an adventure I kept saying to myself. The other time I became isolated was not my fault, for I had stopped in a little village at a road side café to wait for the others whilst making friends with the locals. I waited 45 mins and then gave up. It transpired that they had bypassed the village centre. I arrived at the rendezvous point and waited. I rode down to the town in the hope of finding someone but it was pointless so I returned to the rendezvous point where a local policeman managed to tell me that 6 bikes had ridden by at 4.18. How they had got in front of me I could not at that time understand. My phone did not work and the police man could get no answer from Dave’s house in
In the end, the very friendly policeman jumped on the back of my bike and guided me all the way to the door and even rung the bell for me. The rest of the group thought it hilarious that I had the police bringing me home. I paid him his taxi fare of 75p back the 3 miles to his check point and of course a very handsome bonus. Loose dogs were everywhere. Some chased you trying to get a bite of your leg. Poor Louise, the only lady rider in our group, fell foul of a large brown mongrel that got hold of her leg and would not let go as she road along with the dog hanging from her leg.The following day I travelled with her in the minibus to the local hospital to
My bike was suffering from a worn chain and I was one morning very pleasantly surprised to find that I had a new chain and sprockets. My steering then went distinctly lumpy and Heh Presto, the following day I had new head bearings. Some brilliant maintenance by Franco well into the early hours was much appreciated. There is no praise too high for the tour staff of, Dave Groves, Peter, Lorenzo, Carlos and of course my great new chum Franco. Was it worth all the trouble? You can bet it was! It is the best £2500 pounds that I have ever spent.
Gerry Gooch.
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! " ! ! !
S A M S O L E N T A DVA N C E D M OTO R C Y C L I S T S
Operation Overlord – The Ultimate Beach Experience
“Just off to the beach..� sounds fine – but this is D-Day territory and an entirely different experience than buckets and spades
rriving at Pegasus Bridge Neil brought ice creams for Mike and me as we met up with a host of other bikers and visitors for the 65th anniversary of D-Day. In France the roads and the locals welcome bikes and I felt our kind was outnumbering the car brigade and having a far better time.
A
It was on 6th June 1944 that Operation Overlord - the long anticipated Allied invasion of Naziheld Europe - went into action.
#$%$& '&()')
Our hotel was at Cherbourg, some distance from the action at Arromanches and Omaha beach, but we stopped off first at Utah, near to Carentan, where the memorial is to the S Navy Command, and the museum is on the beach and built into the defences. The Utah landing force, came ashore about a mile south of the intended area, and faced little opposition on the beach, and out of range of the major emplacements of German artillery. Fortunately the decision was also made to launch the Utah Beach DD tanks closer to shore than originally planned, and they were successful at supporting the infantry on the beach. In all, between June 6th and 16th the Americans landed more than 300,000 men and more than 35,000 vehicles at Utah and Omaha Beach. After a well earned evening meal in Cherbourg we slept well and made off early next day for Omaha beach, the focus of the US commemorative ceremonies. We were told – don’t bother to head for the military cemeteries unless you are VIPs as 700 were booked in to see Presidents Obama and Sarkozy next day, and security was tight. So we went to the beach – and saw where the action was – and the loss of life suffered on the wide expanse of open beach in full
PA G E 2
October 2009
view of the defending German forces. Very little went as planned during the landing at Omaha Beach. Difficulties in navigation caused the majority of landing craft to miss their targets throughout the day. The defences were unexpectedly strong, and inflicted heavy casualties on landing US troops. Under heavy fire, the engineers struggled to clear the beach obstacles; later landings bunched up around the few channels that were cleared. Weakened by the casualties taken just in landing, the surviving assault troops could not clear the heavily defended exits off the beach. This caused further problems and consequent delays for later landings. The US Navy memorial was set up in recognition of the initiative shown by the local warship commanders who, against the plan, took their vessels inshore and used their firepower to take out the German gun and mortar emplacements that were causing such heavy casualties and were holding up the whole landing plan. Small penetrations were eventually achieved by groups of survivors making improvised assaults, scaling the bluffs between the most heavily defended points. By the end of the day, two small isolated footholds had been won which were subsequently exploited against weaker defences further inland, achieving the original DDay objectives over the following days. A brief visit to Arromanches, or Gold beach, affirmed this was the place to return to next day, which was the main day of celebrations of “liberte� and the centre of the UK ceremonies. In bright sun, we returned to find the beach overrun with the military and with a large landing craft – all the way from
Marchwood – and a record turn out of 155 original wartime motorcycles, all lovingly restored and delivered by their owners wearing full wartime uniform.
Simon Gardiner, Neil Stocker, Mike Barringer
The village square above the beach was the focus for bands, parades and ceremonies honouring the veterans. The primary D-Day objectives were for the 50th Infantry Division to establish a beachhead between Arromanches (crucial for the deployment of the artificial Mulberry harbour) and Ver-sur-Mer and then head south reaching Bayeux and cutting the road to Caen.
Utah Beach
To the west, the 47 Royal Marine Commando’s mission was to capture Port-en-Bessin and link-up with American forces landing on Omaha Beach. We had 4 days of travel around all the coast of Normandy between Cherbourg and Caen, highly recommended, particularly when you get off the main roads and into the villages and open minor roads – don’t miss out Barfleur or St Vaast, or Quineville for idyllic French coastal scenery and (for the first 2) fishing harbours and sailing ports offering a great welcome and good food. Formula 1 hotels offer good basic clean and cheap rooms, ideal for the biker. Beer is expensive thanks to the euro – wine – or water - is a better bet when you are not riding – (zero tolerance applies to alcohol and driving).
Omaha Beach
Arromanches – Gold Beach
We covered 500 miles in 4 days, crossing from Portsmouth to Caen and returning Cherbourg to Poole with Britanny Ferries. Bikes – Neil on Triumph Trophy, Mike on Honda Blackbird, Simon on Triumph Sprint ST. We’ll be back - lots more to see and to learn about the events of 65 years ago.
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S A M S O L E N T A DVA N C E D M OTO R C Y C L I S T S
Wendy Welcomes Adam Hayter Alan Ware Amanda Spur Andrew Piper Ben Walker Beverley Brown
Dominic Forres Elisa Hunt Ian Colgrave Ian Croft John Burton Jonathan Dowd
October 2009
New members since 6th of June
Joy Davies Julian Labouchardiere Mark Bleach Mike Cater Mike Kneller Mike Walker
The IAM Aims
CAPTION COMPETITION:
To improve the standard of driving (and riding) on the UK roads.
Paul Bergamas Peter Finch Russell Donaldson Simon Carson-Jones Vincent Hall
The Advancement of Road Safety.
sam
SOLENT ADVANCED M OTO R C Y C L I S T S
The Administration of an Advanced Test.
MAKING
progress
A £5 voucher to the winner. Suggestions by email to SAMMagazine@ntlworld.com sam.newsletter@btinternet.com
From July 09 issue "No Darling, you can’t have a go, Daddy has got to practice for his SAM Advanced Plus". The winner was Sheila Gooch
A PERU MOTORCYCLE ADVENTURE
Handling a bit woolly.....? SAM MERCHANDISE
October 09
INSIDE p4 Chief Observer’s Report
p6 Andorra
Article on p9
p7
Now available from £15. Various Colours and Sizes available to order.
DISCLAIMER Most of the views expressed in this SAM Newsletter are personal to the author and publication does not imply endorsement of any article, any author or any organisation. Views expressed are those of the authors, and are not necessarily in accordance with the policies or the views of the IAM or SAM. Where articles are reproduced from other publications or authors, unreserved acknowledgement is given to the source. No responsibility is accepted by the Editor or SAM for any damage to intelligence or riding abilities, howsoever caused, which might result from reading this publication.
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Overlanders Meeting
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