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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
July 2008
The IAM Aims
CAPTION COMPETITION:
To improve the standard of driving (and riding) on the UK roads. 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
Answers via email to:
sam.newsletter@btinternet.com APRL CAPTION COMPETITION WINNER:
A Weekend at the California Superbike School
... Cheek to cheek
anon
Report p10
July 0 8
INSIDE p2 Austria 2008
p4 The story so far
THE FORDS RUN continued from page 11 Next stop was the BIG MOTHER at Stratford Tony. The briefing and write-ups gave ominous warnings about this stretch of water. The centre portion was over 2 feet deep but a line was found around the edge which looked passable and Millard demonstrated this to be the case. I was invited to make the crossing but bottled out - wrong bike, wrong tyres I claimed. Brian then decided to follow Millard but hit uneven ground and went over. Alan and I piled in to pick up Brian and his bike. Millard was a true professional and kept taking the photos. After using the remaining 1gb of his memory card Millard eventually joined us in the water to recover the GS. We realised that the depth was well over the top of our boots as P A G E 12
we felt the cooling effect of water rushing in. Having safely moored the GS on dry land, we squelched around in water-filled boots for a short time, but sensing the onset of trench foot started draining and wringing operations. The second RAC man was very helpful too, recovering Brian’s bike within the hour. Oh yes, and after all of that Millard went back for a second run at the Big Mother. What a star! We finished with just 50% of the starters. Perhaps this is a record? Run participants included Millard Patton, Chris Palmer, Jill Kernick, Brian Mudie, Alan Phillips and Mike West. Many thanks to Millard for his excellent photos, to Alan for riding back marker and to Brian and Jill for retaining their sense of humour in the face of adversity.
For those of you who thought that this was a daft idea, you were probably right but I can tell you from the post-run emails that a great time was had by all - some going as far as to say that this was the best SAM run they had ever been on. I will be re-running this later in the year, avoiding the Big Mother, and hoping to cover the entire route without attrition. And we will be giving the RAC advance notification before setting off next time.
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.
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
p6 Rapid Training
p7 SAM Skills training
p 11 The Ford Runs
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
July 2008
July 2008
THE FORDS RUN has officially been re-designated the Trench Foot Run By Mike West I am going to start this write-up by focusing on the positives. We had an outstanding day; the company was great; the weather was superb; the roads were challenging; the countryside was beautiful; the lunch was excellent; everyone got home safely; the RAC men were both helpful and our boots are now just about dry.
AUSTRIA 2008 By Gerry Gooch
Getting onto my bike without the weight of a fully loaded tank bag, top box and panniers as well as with Sheila perched on the pillion seemed so very different from the past two weeks that I have spent on the continent for a 1,906 mile biking holiday to the Enzian Hotel in Landeck, Austria.
We, together with just one other bike, followed a couple of caravans and cars until progress through the Port came to a sudden halt as the road was blocked by a row of policemen with their backs to us. We bikers made our way top the front of the queue and also stopped. A brief word to the police by our fellow biker resulted in a small gap appearing through which we both sped. Ahead of us stood a row of striking Customs officers, placards and banners held up in the sunshine. Our fellow biker zoomed one way and I took another between two concrete bollards almost knocking over a fragile young lady holding a board in front PA G E 2
of her. We now realised that we were going out the `In`, but undaunted we zoomed between the fences and found our way out of the port, Austria here we come. The Garmin took us 80 miles straight to the door of our first prebooked hotel, I would never have found it by map as it was tucked way down a little lane on the outskirts of Vernon. Riding through France is always a pleasure, as I love their roads far more than their Wine, Women or Music. In Switzerland the Garmin led us through Zurich with so many turns and forks that my head was spinning, but without a pause we continued on our way to Landeck where we were booked in with 38 other CSMA bikers at a real bikers Hotel for 7 days. The Hotel was wonderful with good rooms, great food, superb staff and the ever enthusiastic owner Klaus who would do anything to help. He led us out on a few runs, one over the
ollowing the usual safety briefing (you are all deemed to be in control of your bikes, marker system - naah, hit the kill switch if you decide to give your bike a wash, etc.), six intrepid bikers set off from Wickham square immediately after Gerry’s leisurely run, heading North boldly going where no SAM run had gone
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Stelvio Pass in Italy with its 48 hairpins bends. At 2757 m it is the highest paved mountain pass in the Eastern Alps, and ranks the 4th highest paved road in the Alps. A bikers heaven, if ever there was one. The FJR with Sheila on the back handled beautifully with plenty of power on hand as we followed Klaus up the pass. I lost count after 27 hairpins. The snow lay deep at the top as the pass had only been opened 2 days before. Lunch was enjoyed in the open air before the exciting ride with spectaular views
before. Our mission was to explore strange new lanes and conquer 10 fords located in Hampshire and Wiltshire. The first ford at Ovington was pretty tame and crossed by all without hesitation. Broughton was a much more serious affair. This warranted a closer inspection and
Upwards and onwards, we headed for the New Forest where the water levels were lower. One large ford - previously too deep for the Italian stallion - was a couple of inches lower than the preceding Sunday and was crossed by all. Onwards to our lunch stop North
of Fordingbridge when Jill’s scooter started squirming a bit - not that this kept her off the pace mind you. After lunch we discovered that the scooter had suffered a puncture and at Jill’s insistence, we left her at the pub waiting for the RAC man. Chris also had to leave us at this point as his son had been involved in a pedal cycle accident and was being stitched up by the NHS (our best wishes to him Chris). With a 33% attrition rate so far, we headed for another interesting gravel bottomed ford south of Fordingbridge. It was not very deep but it was long and its bottom comprised large stones. The GS’s made it fine but my ST3 was squirming like Jill’s scooter.
of the road ahead going down the other side of the mountain. Landeck provides an excellent centre for touring, southern Germany, Northern Italy and eastern Switzerland with stunning scenery at almost every turn. Sheila and I took our time on the ride home stopping first in Switzerland on Lake Lucerne and with two other stops in France before we took the ferry back to Portsmouth and the final long ride of 11 miles home.
what happens next? continued on p12
▼
rossing from Newhaven by LD Lines to Le Havre, provided our first little bit of excitement. They would not open the unloading ramp as the Port of Le Havre was on strike ! It took 15 mins of argument by irate car drivers before the ramps were lowered.
C
depth check before taking it on. Some ladies on a pub crawl kindly stopped their horses mid way to provide us with a depth gauge. We decided that the ford was suited to GS type bikes and was crossed by Alan, Millard and Brian. Too deep for my Ducati as it would have quenched the lower spark plug and much too deep for Jill’s scooter which could easily have floated away.
P A G E 11
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THE AGM WAS A WINNER! Congratulations to Steve Faulkner on winning the 1st Prize at the AGM Raffle - which was a £50 voucher for a meal at the Kutis Indian Restaurant in Wickham. Thank you very much to the Kutis and Gerry for their generosity. Kuti’s of Wickham - Wickham Star Corner, Fareham Road, Wickham, Hampshire PO17 5D Tel. 013 2983 5353 http://www.kutis.co.uk/kutis_wickham/welcome_kutis_wickham. htm
Useful Web Sites
www.bikersyard.co.uk Bikers Yard edge44.html www.hants.gov.uk/roadsafety/driverider/ Bike Safe Edge 44 www.bmf.co.uk BMF www.boxerbikes.co.uk BMWs www.cwmotorcycles.co.uk BMW Dealers BMW Parts Catalogue www.ascycles.com www.girlsbike2.com Girls Bike 2 www.iam.org.uk IAM www.ronnies.com/micro.htm JAP Bike Parts www.loisontheloose.com Lois on the Loose orcycles.net Marmion Motorcycles www.marmionmot .uk ns.co djea .hoo www Motorcycling Jeans cleworld.co.uk orcy mot ulieu .bea www Motorcycle World ow.co.uk NEC Motorcycle Show www.motorcyclesh .com ining dtra .rapi www Rapid Training www.telferizer.co.uk RAM Mounts www.solent-advanced-motorcylists.co.uk SAM Web Site www.highwaycode.gov.uk The Highway Code www.threecrossretail.co.uk/ 3X Motorcycles on.co.uk Ultraseal Southampton www.ultraseal-sot com low. an-g .urb www Urban-Glow
July 2008
CHAIRMAN’S
chat
If someone had told me 4 years ago that I would be the chairman of the local advanced motorcycle group, I would have asked them ‘what they was smoking!’. You see it was only about 3 years ago that I secretly took my CBT on the 4th July and then bought myself a CBR 125R the next day. keen cyclist, I got fed up of only going as far as Romsey and decided that powered wheels were needed. At that time I thought a 125 would be all I would need, of course if you look in my garage now there is no room for any more bikes.
A
Thanks to motorcycling I have met some wonderful people at SAM and therefore I am delighted to be the new Chairman and I hope that I can carry on the excellent work of those who have passed before me. The reason I think that SAM has been so successful is that there are a number of people who are prepared to give up their valuable time. We all lead busy lives, but without these contributors, and more are always needed, we wouldn’t be able to provide all of the activities, such as club nights, observed runs, ride outs, slow riding courses and of course those wonderful breakfasts on SAM Sundays. Several people have asked me what my plans are and I think the club works very well as it is. However, as a recent associate myself I do have some ideas for doing a few more things for the associates so watch this space! The first of these is trying to always have a ride after SAM Sunday that any associate would feel comfortable attending. Please feel free to contact me if you have any suggestions or complaints, my door is always open.
Lilian Hobbs
COMMITTEE MEMBERS
SAM Polo-shirts
Chairman
Dr Lilian Hobbs
02380 263319
Vice Chairman:
Colin Backhouse
02380 871 642
embroidered with the Club name
Treasurer:
John Parvin
01329 284 640
- always available to buy at Club
Chief Observer:
David Spicer
01794 341 087
Nights. Sizes XXL to Small.
Membership Secretary:
Dr Wendy Peters
07843 006 172
Club Night Organiser:
Vacant
Public Relations:
David Forster
01962 761 026
Group Rides Co-ordinator: Gerry Gooch
01329 832 416
Skills Co-ord:
Dr Lilian Hobbs
02380 263319
Regalia:
Vacant
SAM Sunday Co-Ord
Becci Lunn
Newsletter:
Nigel Grace
01425 472021
MDU Manager:
Ian Cooper
02380 410 690
Black long or short sleeve shirts
Long Sleeves £18.50 Short Sleeves £15.00
Books and Videos The Assessment of Advanced Motorcycling £4.50 Know your Traffic Signs £3.00 How to be an Advanced Motorcyclist £7.99 Motorcycle Roadcraft (Blue Book) £11.99 Mike Waites Video £14.99 Top Rider Video £14.99
Available for sale at Club Night PA G E 3
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The Story so far The raising of the sponsorship money is going well and having now passed the minimum amount of £5,000 means that I am on the list to go - flying out from Heathrow on the 16th October. Everything I raise from now on goes 100% to the three charities - UNICEF, Sentebale, and The Nelson Mandela Children Fund. Getting prepared for Enduro Africa is taking me in so many different directions: I am using the David Lloyd Centre at Ringwood 2 or 3 times a week to get fit for the task, I am still raising the sponsorship and trying to reach a personally set target of £10,000 before August, contacting other like-minded people who are also going on Enduro Africa 2008, and learning to ride “off-road” which I started last week. I contacted a organisation named “The AJP Experience” www.ajpexperience.co.uk who based in Southwick, Wiltshire and explained what I was about to do and they were very generous and gave me a good discount on a days training, so I book a full day with them to see how it’s done. As you can see in the photo - I have now obtained a Honda Africa Twin as well as the BMW, so I don’t feel so bad when I visit the J2 Honda Dealership.
SOLENT ADVANCED MOTORCYCLISTS Dear All, I am after your money. Now before you delete this e-mail whilst saying, -Oh no, not again!, this time it is for a good cause (I promise). As you may or not know, last year I did a Black Forest to Black Sea motorcycle ride, stopping en-route at the orphanage and school for mentally-handicapped children in Calarasi, Moldova. Our home-town of Bühl is currently raising funds in various ways (the main one being 18 cyclists pedalling the 2,000 km from here to there) to carry out a complete renovation of this orphanage. This is where I now come in. Rather than just asking for money, I wanted to provide some added value. How? By selling books. Not just any old books, however, but one I wrote myself. I’ve written a book called - Dodging Potholes, about motorcycling in Eastern Europe. The plan is to sell each book for Euros15,00 (£12.00), then donate all the
PA G E 4
So, with Tim, another member of Solent Advance Motorcyclists with me, we set off for Wiltshire. Once there and having been fully briefed on what to expect and how to handle the bikes, I donned the boots, helmet and goggles donated to me by J2 Honda in Southampton and set off onto Salisbury Plain with 8 other riders on AJP off road bikes. All I can say is that I am glad that I had the proper boots on - riding off-road through gullies, tank traps, deep water and up some very steep hills and even more frightening was riding down them again... I did manage to fall off some 4 and half times and parked the bike in a large hedge - but the boots saved me every time. It was a hot day and by 1 o’clock we were getting very tired. But even though the bikes are only 200cc they are brilliant to ride over some very difficult terrain, just stand up on the pegs, give it some throttle and away they go.....
money raised to the orphanage project. I have had just 150 books printed, of which just over 50 have already sold, so if you would like to support by buying a limited edition book, please let me know soon! Just to prove that this is not a scam, information on the orphanage and the complete project can be found under http://www.jeder-kilometer-zaehlt.de/. (site in both English and German). The link to the book is under Dodging Potholes or a direct link is here: http://www.jederkilometer-zaehlt.de/ENbook.html It would be great to hear from you! Best regards from Bühl
We stopped for lunch in West Lavington before heading for the plains again. and by 4.30pm my arms and legs were screaming for me to stop - even with the help from the David Lloyd centre! Off-Road riding is so different from road-riding and is so much more physically demanding. Well it’ll be back to the gym for me as just the thought of riding off-road for 9 days through the South Africa heat in October has got me worried a little. Thanks again to J2 Honda for the kit and to AJP for a great day out.
Nigel Grace
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July 2008
REAR BRAKES
A repost to the Article by Andy Ibott of the California Superbike School by Gordon KEMP I was really disappointed to read the article by Andy Ibbots on your site it’s about 180 degrees wrong. The use of the rear brake for road riding is totally misunderstood. Andy might be a very good racer but road riding is totally different especially when you look at the flight fight reactions I have included here some words that I have written on the use of the rear brake.
Rozalyn’s Accident by David Allen
This is not intended as a load of parental guff, but as account that could provide useful guidelines if you or your family are unfortunate to be involved in an accident. To preclude either myself or SAM of being accused of anything slanderous or libellous or contravening Health & Safety it is of course all fictional, and if you place your tongue in your cheek that will be purely coincidental. Rozalyn is into dinghy sailing and competes at the highest levels. She has been British Champion, European Champion twice, and came third in the World Championships in Sydney, all of which she has done by herself with no financial help at all in representing her country. (cue Grumpy Old Git or Ranting Rider). I mention this so that you will have an idea of how incredibly fit she was at the time of the accident. She would run ten miles after work and before dinner just to fill the odd hour. It was a beautiful evening at the end of May last year and she was riding her Suzuki Bandit at about 60mph down the road to Lymington when a van driver coming from the opposite direction decided to turn right across her path with no indication. No time at all to react, but she does remember thinking whilst airborne “This is not going to be good” and she did manage to turn to land on her back. The body went into auto at that point, and she felt no pain but instinctively knew that she shouldn’t move. Cue Wendy with her First on Scene. Nobody knew what to do except two men going home, one was a lifeboatman and the other was a fireman, both volunteers and both went into auto working together looking after her and the crash scene. In her words “They were magnificent”, and both quietly left the scene without giving their names. At this point she asked someone to call me, and I could hear the sirens of approaching emergency vehicles, but the only information I got was “Rozalyn has had a motorbike accident on the Cadnam to Lyndhurst road, but she is alive” Jill and I had just come out of the supermarket and she knew from the tone of my voice that something serious was afoot, and it’s not really surprising that she went rather quiet. That’s right, Jill stopped talking.
This is now continued on the SAM Web Site at www.solent-advanced-motorcyclists.co.uk - see Articles........
don’t mind if you don’t use my words but can I ask you to revisit using the article on braking and reconsider its inclusion in an otherwise excellent website.
I
Many times I see riders who have a reluctance to use the rear brake, and I have even heard some riders say that they hardly ever use it preferring to rely on the front brake. Trust me, the rear brake is your best friend. It can be used at all times and is unlikely to cause the instability associated with the front brake. Overuse of the rear brake to the point of locking, unlike the front brake, will not cause the machine to collapse. In New Zealand, for emergency braking, the authorities advocate locking the rear brake for maximum effect, and then concentrate on adjusting the pressure of the front brake whilst literally skidding to a stop. I know some riders will point out that when braking hard it is possible to lift the rear wheel off the ground, but so what? It has to come down sometime. The rear brake gives you far better control at low speed; just ask around and see how many new riders have fallen off because they grabbed the front brake at an inappropriate time. The rear brake does not give the same result unless used excessively when cornering hard. The only problem is many advanced instructors advocated, to the point of obsession, that the machine must be held at rest with the right foot down, why? I would love someone to give me a sensible rational for this obsession. I can tell you why it is taught to the British Police, but that’s not a consideration for most riders. Please don’t tell me it’s to save the clutch, I tried that with an old boy who never uses neutral once he has moved off and he has never worn a clutch out. I teach that at times you are far better off coming to a stop with the left foot down and making full use of the rear brake. Yes I agree that an advanced rider should be planning far enough ahead to be able to bring the machine to a controlled stop, I
Make friends with your rear brake, have it handy so that it fits under the foot . wish traffic conditions weren’t so changeable that I am frequently forced to stop in a hurry. Just try dealing with traffic lights on a dual carriageway with acceleration sense. I believe that the rear brake should always be covered during all low speed manoeuvring. Its use, combined with the clutch, will give accurate and reliable machine control its friendlier than the front brake, which I often refer to as the Phil Mitchell of bike controls, when you need to kick down a door, use him but don’t invite him to an 18th party as he will end up breaking it up. On motorcycles with linked braking there is often a valve that will sense braking effort and disconnect the front brake at lower speeds. The rear brake is also my favoured way of slowing a bike should you need to through a bend; it will settle the machine without causing instability in fact it will settle a machine, with inherent instability, as anyone who rode the old BMW 800 at speed will testify. Just try using it though some roundabouts or bends and realise what a friendly thing it is. Make friends with your rear brake, have it handy so that it fits under the foot and is operated by the ankle joint rather than the leg. Don’t forget if you do adjust it, get the rear brake light to operate before the brake comes on, so that you have a signalling device. Use it for slowing or stopping but remember if someone is coming to break up your party big old Phil Mitchell is only a fingers throw away.
gordon.kemp@virgin.net PA G E 5
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July 2008
What to do if you crash - RAPID TRAINING No matter how hard you work at your riding, no matter how hard you concentrate, you are still a road user and by virtue of the fact, you may have an accident one day. There are some simple steps you can take to ensure that, if you do have an accident you will protect your interests. irst your protection. By definition an accident scene is a dangerous location! The most important person in the world is you, therefore protect yourself by protecting the scene. This can be by directing someone else to warn the approaching traffic, or by using what ever comes to hand to provide some early warning. Remember that the longer drivers have you in view then the less likely emergency action will be required by them. If you have lost control on a bend you have just found the exact location that people end up in when they have lost control. Don’t worry about congested traffic, leave everything where it is, the more congested then the slower the traffic will be going past you. Your bike with headlight on parked facing the oncoming traffic is a good way of warning the traffic, if some else’s car is available use it (think of it as an expensive road cone!). Ensure if you are in the road that you are wearing something that a myopic driver will see.
F
Once the scene is secure then think of the casualties. Assess what assistance you need numbers and severity of casualties. But most important of all where are you! It sounds daft but under pressure people forget where they are, which towns they are between or which Motorway they are on. If you are not local ask some one who is, to summon the ambulance. First aid is a subject in itself, now is the time when you regret not learning more. Once the dust has settled its time to think about the law. There are certain things which you MUST do when involved in an accident. You must stop. How long for? Well, this is where it gets a bit like estimating the length of a piece of string. You are obliged to stop long enough for PA G E 6
any interested parties to take your name, index number, the name and address of the owner of the bike and insurance details. If you have an accident and don’t give any of the above you must report to the Police as soon as possible, and in any case within 24 hrs The importance of making notes at the time cannot be over estimated. Let’s take the usual scenario. You approach a junction and a car pulls out on you forcing you to drop the bike. Your first thought must be, “why the hell didn’t I remember what those wonderful chaps at Rapid Training told me about the safety position.”
Here are some very important points: EXACT LOCATION If you don’t know where you are, then ask somebody. If you’ve got a map, then note the location. If you are out on a day run in the middle of nowhere there is a good chance that you won’t be back this way for a long time, especially if the bike is in a heap on the verge.
gets a chance to get their names and addresses!!! MARKS ON THE ROAD These are very important. They show all sorts about the accident. If the road surface is in some way defective, record the fact. Pace out the lengths of any tyre marks or scratches. PHOTOGRAPHS
Details of the other vehicle and driver. If he/she admits liability, make a record of what is said, word for word. That counts for a lot. The damage to the other vehicle. Even if you didn’t hit him, he may use your accident to get some old damage fixed.
Once again, a simple thing like a few snaps of the scene and the damage to the vehicles is worth a great deal. If the old idiot in the cloth cap has indeed pulled out of you from a junction, then simply take a picture of what he would have seen as he emerged. If there are road signs which he has ignored then lets have a picture. Likewise, if there are signs which are obscured by hedgerows then we need to have that recorded.
WITNESSES
GROUPS
A good witness is worth their weight in gold. If the accident is indeed the other driver’s fault, get the witness details and be nice to them. If the unmentionable occurs and the accident is your fault, wave the witnesses on as quickly as possible before the other driver
If you are a Rapid ‘graduate’ then there is a good chance that you may be riding as a group on a day out, or “jolly” to use the full technical term. If one of the team falls off then make sure that one of the group takes the initiative and looks after the evidence gathering
TIME AND DATE
process. If the Police attend and its your fault then be careful what you say. Don’t be rude but you shouldn’t make statements when you are shocked. Seek some advice as soon as possible. Remember the Rapid Training Helpline 01296 715904 Now this may get a bit deep but bear with me its prove anything time! If you were to believe the press over the last year or two, then riding a motorcycle is as dangerous as juggling Roman Candles in a gunpowder factory. Yet intelligent people still buy and ride motorcycles despite the life expectancy of a mayfly! Well I have yet to see the press or TV run a story with a happy ending if they don’t have to. So is at bad as that? Well yes and No but mainly NO. Yes of course bikes are dangerous but that is part of the appeal, do you see a sudden rise in the popularity of crochet or flower arranging? Fun! Yes that word that given the chance the powers that be would ban. Bikes are fun! There I have said it and the sky hasn’t crashed down on me. We are into fun big style but we also want to live long and prosper, so reducing our risk while increasing the fun factor is the name of our game. www.rapidtraining.co.uk
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SAM SKILLS TRAINING
This year we have tried to hold a few more training events. We kicked off the year with the first of several slow riding events, but this one was strictly for the Observers. Alec Gore did a fantastic job and we all knew we were in for a hard time when the cones were strictly positioned using his measuring stick!
hen it was time to try something new with some evening theory classes. So far, two of these have been run and the feedback has been very positive. David Spicer and Lilian created some new material with the help of Peter Johnson and Colin Backhouse and over 20 associates packed in to attend the first of these evening sessions. Not only does it give all the associates a chance to get together, but it also much easier to discuss techniques and issues in a classroom than at the road side. The next event is planned for September and everyone is welcome, just remember to book a place.
T
It has to be said that the one training event that always has everyone smiling at the end, although not usually at the beginning is the Slow Riding course. We have run 2 of these so far for associates and members, one at HMS Collingwood (thank you
Colin) and another at the Forton Road Medical centre (thank you Wendy). Alec Gore our instructor manages to bring out the sunshine and his son Carl does a great job timing everyone going through the slow tunnel. As you can see it’s a fun day, even Alec gets exercise running after us, giving us loads of encouragement. There are a number of different exercises to complete which includes navigating the cones, and stopping around a hexagon. Once you have completed Alec’s training, the next time you stop at a junction or need to ride slowly, all those exercises will prove invaluable. The next slow riding course is schedule for September and places must be booked as they are very popular. Details of all the training events and booking instructions are in the Training section on the SAM web site.
PA G E 7
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July 2008
FOR SALE GARMIN STREET PILOT 2610 COMPLETE WITH: Mapsource city navigator Europe CD-ROM (PC based not Mac) 265 MB Compactflash memory Card Ram M/C Mount Tourtech M/C Mount Integrated dash mount Portable bean bag mount External speaker with 12-24volt adaptor cable AC power adaptor PC/USB interface cable Remote control Owners manual European and UK power adaptors Quick reference guide Set up guide Bike power cable with iPod connection
Best price over £120 received by 1800Hrs Saturday 5th July 2008 Contact Steve Davies 01329-665978 or steve.davies@xpd8solutions.com
SAM DIARY OF EVENTS FOR 2008 JULY Sat 12 New Comers Ride Loomies 10am 0930 for 10am Sun 13 SAM Group Riden Winchester Lulworth Cove - Colin Hitchcock 10am Sun 13 MotoGP Germany Sachsenring Tue 15 SAM Committee Meeting Sarisbury Green 7.30pm Sun 20 SAM Group Ride Wickham 10am Phil Woolbridge Sun 20 Big Wheel Charity Event Basingstoke Volunteers Needed Sun 20 World Superbikes Czech Republic Brno Sun 20 MotoGP USA Laguna Seca Tue 22 Evening Ride Winchester and Fareham 19.30 Sun 27 SAM Group Ride Meon Hut 10am Lilian Hobbs Bodiam Castle E. Sussex AUG Sun 3 Sun 3
Café
Sun Sat Sun Tue Sun Sun
3 9 10 12 17 17
Sun Tue Sun Sun Tue Sun
17 19 24 24 26 31
Sun 31 SEPT Sun 7 Sun 7 Tue 9 Wed 10 Sat 13 Sun 14 Sun 14
SAM Free Assessment Rides Sarisbury Green 9.30am SAM Group Ride Sarisbury Green 12noon Leisurely ride and 1st timers World Superbikes GB Brands Hatch SAM Group Ride Ower 10am Sweeny Todds Reading for lunch SAM Group Ride Meon Hut 9.30am Alec Gore - Oxon / Berks SAM Club Night Sarisbury Green 7.30pm for 8pm start SAM Group Ride Winchester Lilian Hobbs Ladies Day at Ace SAM Group Ride Winchester 0930 Nigel Grace - Popham Mega Meet & Bike Jumble MotoGP Czech Republic Brno SAM Committee Meeting Sarisbury Green 7.30pm SAM Group Ride Wickham Mark Sabin - IOW Tour World Superbikes TBA Evening Ride Winchester and Fareham 19.30 SAM Group Ride Ower David Charlton Bruton Somerset for Lunch MotoGP San Marino Masino
Tue 16 Wed 17 Sun 21 Tue 23 Sun 28 Sun 28 Sun 28 OCT Sun Sun Sun Sun Sun Tue Sun Sun Tue Sun Sun Sun
NOV Sun 2 Sun 9 Tue Sun Tue Sun Fri Sun DEC
SAM Free Assessment Rides Sarisbury Green 9.30am World Superbikes GB Donnington SAM Club Night Sarisbury Green 7.30pm for 8pm start SAM Evening Course (Details to follow) Sarisbury Green 7.30pm Slow Riding Course (All welcome) TBC SAM Group Ride Winchester Gerry Gooch - South Wales MotoGP USA Indianapolis
PA G E 8
5 5 5 5 12 14 19 19 21 26 26 26
11 16 18 23 28 30
SAM Committee Meeting Sarisbury Green 7.30pm SAM Evening Course (Details to follow) Sarisbury Green 7.30pm SAM Group Ride Ower James Glazebrook - Sparkford Evening Ride Winchester and Fareham 19.30 SAM Group Ride Loomies 9.30 Hampshire and West Sussex World Superbikes Italy Vallelunga MotoGP Japan Motegi SAM Free Assessment Rides Sarisbury Green 9.30am SAM Group Ride Sarisbury Green 12noon Leisurely ride World Superbikes France Magny Cours MotoGP Australia Phillip Island SAM Group Ride Ower Dorest / Wilts - Alec Gore SAM Club Night Sarisbury Green 7.30pm for 8pm start SAM Group Ride Meon Hut 9.30am Ian Cooper - Wantage MotoGP Malaysia Sepang SAM Committee Meeting Sarisbury Green 7.30pm SAM Group Ride Winchester World Superbikes Portugal Portimao MotoGP Valencia Ricardo Tormo SAM Group Ride Ower SAM Group Ride - Royal British Legion Remembrance Service at the Ace Café Wickham John Hardman SAM Club Night Sarisbury Green 7.30pm for 8pm start SAM Group Ride Meon Hut SAM Committee Meeting Sarisbury Green 7.30pm SAM Group Ride Winchester NEC Bike Show ( 28 Nov - 7 Dec) Birmingham SAM Group Ride Wickham
Sun 7 SAM Group Ride Ower Tue 9 SAM Club Night Sarisbury Green 7.30pm for 8pm start Sun 14 SAM Group Ride Ower Tue 16 SAM Committee Meeting TBC 7.30pm Sun 21 SAM Group Ride Meon Hut Sun 28 SAM Group Ride Winchester
JAN
Sun 4
SAM Group Ride Wickham
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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
July 2008
Training one’s eyes to look farther ahead The question you should ask yourself is, “Do I look far enough ahead?” The answer should be “Yes”. If not, one would be walking into everyone on the street! When speed is introduced, our eyes will start looking ahead. As speed increases our eyes adjust automatically, as we decrease speed the shorter our view will be. ou must think about searching ahead, because if you do not your eyes will drop automatically. This is without doubt the main cause of accidents.
Y
The Visual Point trains your eyes to look to the farthest point and it will give you vital information, enabling you to plan and react to features ahead.You might think that by looking far into the distance you would not see the vehicles in front of you slowing down and closing with you; take it from me, even when looking up you will be aware of all that is happening around you by your peripheral vision. Anticipation is vital. It is difficult to hold on to for long periods of time and for some people even for a short time. This is where concentration comes into its own. Without it the ability to keep looking far ahead will be lost.You have to be actively searching ahead and thinking about doing it at the same time. If you do not, your eyes revert to automatic distance viewing. The feeling of speed automatically affects the distance you look forward. Put yourself on or in a vehicle that is on a motorway with a three-lane carriageway. With this type of road we have open spaces to the left and the right of us. Travelling at 70mph you may be aware that it rarely feels that fast, possibly only 50mph. Now think about the automatic focusing of your eyes when travelling at any speed. In this situation your speed is 70mph but your vision will register only 50mph, the consequence being your sight line will be reduced considerably. The possibility of an accident occurring is increased substantially. How many times have you seen a driver or rider slam his brakes on? This is because of the situation regarding his choice of the feeling of his speed and not his true speed. Now take the same speed on a narrow-gauge road with buildings or hedges either side.The speed will feel greater than 70mph and your response will be that you look farther ahead than you would on the motorway described above. Any distraction will affect the automatic response where and how far your eyes will focus.There can be many distractions; someone speaking to you on a mobile phone, thinking about anything not associated to your driving (a major cause of accidents), getting upset at the antics of other drivers or even listening to the radio. As soon as this is introduced your eyes revert to automatic mode; an accident waiting to happen. Many people and organisations blame speed for practically every accident. This is nonsense and will do nothing to reduce accidents, which are mainly down to lack of concentration, lack of anticipation and lack of roadcraft. How many times have you travelled along a route and found that you are almost at your destination without being aware of part of the journey? We all know this happens and the reason is because we have lost our concentration. Holding on to it is one of the hardest disciplines, but it is essential. Lack of it is a major cause of accidents, not speed (unless it is accompanied by this lack of concentration and not using the visual point which considerably reduces your capacity to react). Education is required. When was the last time you saw or heard anything to inform the masses about the necessity for concentration, anticipation or the visual point? There will always be the dangerous element, reckless in speed and manner of riding and driving. No amount of cameras or police activity will address this problem. Some riders and drivers seek to improve their roadcraft by joining organisations such as the IAM or ROSPA and a few go to private trainers to receive instruction. They are to be congratulated for making the effort. There is no doubt that individuals who train should be rewarded by reduced insurance or grants to cover course costs. We do have to bear in mind the competence of the trainers conducting these courses. At the moment it is a hit-and-miss affair.
Mike Waite
www.mikewaite.co.uk
MEMBERS’ BIKES – SANDY’S VICTORY KINGPIN THROBBING MACHINE How about a section in the mag. called “Members’ Bikes” where we send in a photo and love lines about our loved ones (a bit like “Readers’ Wives” in other more visual types of magazines). Here is my story: How did such a nice, quiet, charming, demure little bit of fluff like me get into this big, hairy, biker stuff you must be asking yourselves? Well, it was all down to a love rival. A few years ago when Jeff (hubbie) decided to learn to ride along came HER. A big bike appeared in the back yard with one husband staring lovingly and administering a gentle stroking. Now being a high maintenance wife I began to suffer a drop in my standard of care. SHE seemed to be getting more TLC and was definitely getting serviced more regularly than me. Even though he was always on top of HER she seemed to be in control. I was fast becoming a neglected bike widow. Now Jeff did try and coax me to go two up on top of HER (why was the video running?) but I couldn’t bear it. As a result, off they went every weekend as a twosome. This isn’t working, I thought, if you can’t beat ‘em, join ‘em. “OK”, says I, “if you pass your Advanced Motorcycle test, I’ll get on the back”. He did and so one fine sunny day off we went to Bournemouth for the day. Apart from a numb bum I quite enjoyed it and that was it – any more riding with HER was going to be a threesome. We then moved up to Warrington and Jeff bought a brand shiny new Honda Shadow ACE. SHE was gone, extinct, f*!* off. I bonded better with the new one (nice colour and I think this one was a boy) and for the next 6 months I did some happy pillioning. However, with Jeff being such a big boy and me being such a smally girl, all I could see was the back of his helmet (oo-er). So I announced, “I want to learn to ride”. Jeff fainted (or was it farted – either way he had to go and change his trousers). After giving him the snog of life he was open to anything so off we went and bought me a little Virago 535s with lots of posey shiny bits. It was on my Virago that I developed, “The grin”.
Now after a few years I decided I wanted something bigger throbbing between my legs. I sat on a lowered Victory Vegas at the 2006 NEC Motorcycle Show and fell in love with it – not only the looks but I could at last get my feet flat on the floor. However, the salesman advised me that if I wanted to load it up for touring and rallies, the Kingpin would be better. I was instantly besotted and bought one (specially lowered). This bike’s definitely a boy – Ann Summers ain’t got nothing on this. If it’s sunny at the weekend, or a nice Summer’s evening, it’s now me pressurising Jeff to go for a ride. Now I don’t intend to get into technical stuff cos this is a girly dit so….. It’s black and chrome I’ve been forced on many occasions to have to open my tool roll but only to get out my hairbrush or lipstick. The seat is massive and I’m working on growing an arse to fit it (nearly there then…). My legs feel like they’re so far apart that I could do an Olga Korbet dismount. It’s great to feel the wind in my hair though… The bars are so wide that the wind pressure blows my boobs back under each armpit and that’s my excuse for having saggy tits, honest. And then there’s the throb of a Vtwin….. So there you have it (if you’re lucky). I lerve myVictory. I want to lie on him all the time, cuddle up to his nice warm pipe and let him blow me away.
Sandy Lloyd PA G E 9
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July 2008
A Weekend at the California Superbike School It was an overcast April evening when Wendy and Lilian set off to attend the California Superbike School. No, we were not off on one of overseas adventures again, this time it was a short ride to Silverstone. e arrived the night before at a very interesting B&B, where we got to our room through the owners lounge, and breakfast was served over a deep well with a glass cover!
W
At 7am we header off to Silverstone track, and after getting signed in, our clothing checked, we settled down to listen to the first briefing. Everyone has to start with Level 1 and the day consisted on a classroom session where Andy gave us a task, like turn on the yellow cross and then we had around 25mins on the Stowe circuit to practise. Everyone is assigned a coach who watches you for the day and gives you advice and advises on your progress. Initially the exercises may seem strange, but by the end of the day, the 5 exercises all come together and you realise just how much you have learnt. Gluttons for punishment, we returned the next day for Level 2 which is all about vision techniques. By the end of my two days as you can see I was really enjoying myself and yes I can lean that bike and thanks to the professional photographer on hand I have some great memories of my weekend which also includes Wendy saying she had brought the ambulance over (all I needed was some Imodium, they didn’t have any, but did have morphine!) and I was awarded runner-up as most improved student on the day. It wasn’t until I started riding home that I realised how all the techniques I had learnt at the school helped my riding and it definitely helped those twisties in Germany. It may be expensive but I highly recommend it. Now should I return for Level 3 and learn how to get my knee down?
Lilian Hobbs
BIKE SAFE event at Loomies pictures by David Foster
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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
July 2008
July 2008
THE FORDS RUN has officially been re-designated the Trench Foot Run By Mike West I am going to start this write-up by focusing on the positives. We had an outstanding day; the company was great; the weather was superb; the roads were challenging; the countryside was beautiful; the lunch was excellent; everyone got home safely; the RAC men were both helpful and our boots are now just about dry.
AUSTRIA 2008 By Gerry Gooch
Getting onto my bike without the weight of a fully loaded tank bag, top box and panniers as well as with Sheila perched on the pillion seemed so very different from the past two weeks that I have spent on the continent for a 1,906 mile biking holiday to the Enzian Hotel in Landeck, Austria.
We, together with just one other bike, followed a couple of caravans and cars until progress through the Port came to a sudden halt as the road was blocked by a row of policemen with their backs to us. We bikers made our way top the front of the queue and also stopped. A brief word to the police by our fellow biker resulted in a small gap appearing through which we both sped. Ahead of us stood a row of striking Customs officers, placards and banners held up in the sunshine. Our fellow biker zoomed one way and I took another between two concrete bollards almost knocking over a fragile young lady holding a board in front PA G E 2
of her. We now realised that we were going out the `In`, but undaunted we zoomed between the fences and found our way out of the port, Austria here we come. The Garmin took us 80 miles straight to the door of our first prebooked hotel, I would never have found it by map as it was tucked way down a little lane on the outskirts of Vernon. Riding through France is always a pleasure, as I love their roads far more than their Wine, Women or Music. In Switzerland the Garmin led us through Zurich with so many turns and forks that my head was spinning, but without a pause we continued on our way to Landeck where we were booked in with 38 other CSMA bikers at a real bikers Hotel for 7 days. The Hotel was wonderful with good rooms, great food, superb staff and the ever enthusiastic owner Klaus who would do anything to help. He led us out on a few runs, one over the
ollowing the usual safety briefing (you are all deemed to be in control of your bikes, marker system - naah, hit the kill switch if you decide to give your bike a wash, etc.), six intrepid bikers set off from Wickham square immediately after Gerry’s leisurely run, heading North boldly going where no SAM run had gone
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Stelvio Pass in Italy with its 48 hairpins bends. At 2757 m it is the highest paved mountain pass in the Eastern Alps, and ranks the 4th highest paved road in the Alps. A bikers heaven, if ever there was one. The FJR with Sheila on the back handled beautifully with plenty of power on hand as we followed Klaus up the pass. I lost count after 27 hairpins. The snow lay deep at the top as the pass had only been opened 2 days before. Lunch was enjoyed in the open air before the exciting ride with spectaular views
before. Our mission was to explore strange new lanes and conquer 10 fords located in Hampshire and Wiltshire. The first ford at Ovington was pretty tame and crossed by all without hesitation. Broughton was a much more serious affair. This warranted a closer inspection and
Upwards and onwards, we headed for the New Forest where the water levels were lower. One large ford - previously too deep for the Italian stallion - was a couple of inches lower than the preceding Sunday and was crossed by all. Onwards to our lunch stop North
of Fordingbridge when Jill’s scooter started squirming a bit - not that this kept her off the pace mind you. After lunch we discovered that the scooter had suffered a puncture and at Jill’s insistence, we left her at the pub waiting for the RAC man. Chris also had to leave us at this point as his son had been involved in a pedal cycle accident and was being stitched up by the NHS (our best wishes to him Chris). With a 33% attrition rate so far, we headed for another interesting gravel bottomed ford south of Fordingbridge. It was not very deep but it was long and its bottom comprised large stones. The GS’s made it fine but my ST3 was squirming like Jill’s scooter.
of the road ahead going down the other side of the mountain. Landeck provides an excellent centre for touring, southern Germany, Northern Italy and eastern Switzerland with stunning scenery at almost every turn. Sheila and I took our time on the ride home stopping first in Switzerland on Lake Lucerne and with two other stops in France before we took the ferry back to Portsmouth and the final long ride of 11 miles home.
what happens next? continued on p12
▼
rossing from Newhaven by LD Lines to Le Havre, provided our first little bit of excitement. They would not open the unloading ramp as the Port of Le Havre was on strike ! It took 15 mins of argument by irate car drivers before the ramps were lowered.
C
depth check before taking it on. Some ladies on a pub crawl kindly stopped their horses mid way to provide us with a depth gauge. We decided that the ford was suited to GS type bikes and was crossed by Alan, Millard and Brian. Too deep for my Ducati as it would have quenched the lower spark plug and much too deep for Jill’s scooter which could easily have floated away.
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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
July 2008
The IAM Aims
CAPTION COMPETITION:
To improve the standard of driving (and riding) on the UK roads. 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
Answers via email to:
sam.newsletter@btinternet.com APRIL CAPTION COMPETITION WINNER:
A Weekend at the California Superbike School
... Cheek to cheek
anon
Report p10
July 0 8
INSIDE p2 Austria 2008
p4 The story so far
THE FORDS RUN continued from page 11 Next stop was the BIG MOTHER at Stratford Tony. The briefing and write-ups gave ominous warnings about this stretch of water. The centre portion was over 2 feet deep but a line was found around the edge which looked passable and Millard demonstrated this to be the case. I was invited to make the crossing but bottled out - wrong bike, wrong tyres I claimed. Brian then decided to follow Millard but hit uneven ground and went over. Alan and I piled in to pick up Brian and his bike. Millard was a true professional and kept taking the photos. After using the remaining 1gb of his memory card Millard eventually joined us in the water to recover the GS. We realised that the depth was well over the top of our boots as P A G E 12
we felt the cooling effect of water rushing in. Having safely moored the GS on dry land, we squelched around in water-filled boots for a short time, but sensing the onset of trench foot started draining and wringing operations. The second RAC man was very helpful too, recovering Brian’s bike within the hour. Oh yes, and after all of that Millard went back for a second run at the Big Mother. What a star! We finished with just 50% of the starters. Perhaps this is a record? Run participants included Millard Patton, Chris Palmer, Jill Kernick, Brian Mudie, Alan Phillips and Mike West. Many thanks to Millard for his excellent photos, to Alan for riding back marker and to Brian and Jill for retaining their sense of humour in the face of adversity.
For those of you who thought that this was a daft idea, you were probably right but I can tell you from the post-run emails that a great time was had by all - some going as far as to say that this was the best SAM run they had ever been on. I will be re-running this later in the year, avoiding the Big Mother, and hoping to cover the entire route without attrition. And we will be giving the RAC advance notification before setting off next time.
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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