sep_2006 by Rui De Castro

30/8/06

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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

Design & artwork by KF:D LTD Fordingbridge, 01425 654557

bike sept 06

Sept 2006

CAPTION COMPETITION:

SAM Polo-shirts Black long or short sleeve shirts embroidered with the Club name - always available to buy at Club Nights. Sizes XXL to Small. 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

Contact Kate Davies Tel 01962 840954

Answers via email to:

sam.newsletter@btinternet.com

The IAM Aims 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

Sept 06

INSIDE p2 Equipment Review

Winning caption for last issues caption competition:

Finding the right man for the job

Told you we should have got an optimate for her!

p6 Target fixation

p7 FRANCE/BELGIUM 2006 AND BEYOND report on page 10

Passage to India

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

p8 Big Wheel 12

Registered Charity No. 1097558

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Sept 2006

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

Sept 2006

Dear SAM,k you to you all, but most

tle than son in This is just a lit Harrison. My observer Gary w e of ne y on m t ou lly ab especia e and I ) us ( Hubby Stev e along as m co to g in law, Andy told go ’t ry outs”. I wasn ably tell that your Sunday “t . You can prob ed ish bb ru be Anyway, I did ). et (y s I felt sure I’d er nfident of rid co t os m ed me. He e th t se I’m no Goodson ob rv them and John e but did ibl rr te el fe go along with e m d didn’t make an SAM. nd th ki wi e ry ad ve was ts could be m en em ov pr s more im er e rv suggest som re given obse ned up and we sig us of e re All th expected. d a club quickly than we ng sessions an to some traini g on al dly. Lots of en ien fr be d e We’v welcoming an en be s ha ne . Chris yo night. Ever en given to us rmation has be fo in his ul r ef te us af n ly real suspensio d at my bikes just it. I’ve ad to er Robinson looke nn pa c-s en gave me a he’s been training and ev with Gary, and es tim e re th t d I’m enjoying an se ea now been ou y m ally put me at re ’s everything He . g nt in ia do brill eling that I’m fe an th er r and am th my rides ra am riding bette ady say that I re al his help r n fo ca I ul g. ef at wron . I am very gr ce en id nf co th in improving tually pass e hope I will even d an ce an id gu and I’m being advanced test. l the pointers entrating on al nc co ad. I ro I’m e w, th no on For arper me safer and sh bit of a t ge t given, to make igh m ys ed out that he lenges are alwa think he’s work t then the chal bu e m om fr “trouble” ! g, aren’t they more rewardin Yvonne Light.

Equipment REVIEW Nigel Grace

hen I attended the Beaulieu Show this year I only had one thing on my shopping list - a replacement Hi-Viz Jacket. I ride to work every day and ride most weekends too. I am also, as you know, an Observer for SAM. All this means that I am clocking up over 15,000 miles a year and working on the understanding that the more you ride the greater the chance of being involved in an “event”, I take no chances with them-what-can’t-see bikes.

And a few comments from the participants:

Hence I wear a Hi-Viz every time. The cheap and cheerful ones are OK but they don’t stay shut and the yellow fades and car drivers are now so used to seeing them that they no-longer see them - if you know what I mean. So when I saw that a Company had decided to design and manufacture a modern replacement for the “builder’s waistcoat” I was very interested. For those of you with access to the web, you can see the full details at http://www.urbanglow.com/. I would say now that this item is not cheap, although the Show Price of £35 made a big difference over the normal price of £49.95 plus postage The item was designed and is manufactured by Urban-Glow of Dorchester 01305 267113.

5% discount to SAM members, on production of membership card. PA G E 2

As you can see from the pictures it is based on a black high quality mesh fabric and has distinctive 3M reflectives and uses a strong zip for fastening. It also has two large pockets at the front with Velcro

“Emotional” “Rollercoaster of a Ride” “Stunning......” “My bum is toned beautifully” - no, that one is NOT from Nigel “Simply the Best” closers and one at the back, it has a chest pocket for a phone/sunglasses on the front and an inside coin pocket which is also fastened with Velcro.They have even put a Dring on the front to clip your keys onto and has two side-adjusters for a snug fit.

“Blinding curves and the roads were good, too!”

“Can we do it again next year?”

I wore it throughout the recent trip to Belgium/Luxemburg and found the mesh construction brilliant in the very hot weather, and I loved having easy access pockets for cash/passport/tickets/gloves etc. Note: They also manufacture a cover for a rucksack made from waterresistant nylon with the same distinctive chevron design P A G E 11

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DIARY OF EVENTS 06 SEPT

Sun 3

Sat 4 Sun 10

Sun 10 Tue 12

Sun 17

Tue 19 Sun 24 Sun 24 OCT

Sun 1

Sun 1 Sun 8 Tue 10 Sun 15 Tue 17

SAM Free Assessment Day and presentation - Subject: Making Progress Safely SAM “Making Progress” publication day SAM Group Ride - Ian Cooper - Wickham 9.30am for 10am - Ringwood - Bring a Bottle BSB Silverstone SAM Club Night - Lois-onthe-Loose - Sarisbury Green - 1930 SAM Group Ride - Chris Palmer - Winchester Portsdown Hill SAM Committee Meeting SAM Group Ride - Ower Paul Whyte - tba BSB Donington Park GP SAM Free Assessment Day and presentation - Subject: How to train to be a SAM Observer? BSB Brands Hatch SAM Group Ride - Dave Tilbury - Winchester - tba SAM Club Night - Sarisbury Green SAM Group Ride - Gerry Gooch - Wickham - tba SAM Committee Meeting Sarisbury Green

Sun 22

Fri 27 Sun 29

NOV

DEC

SAM Group Ride - Mark Smith - Ower - Cain, 150 miles NEC Motorcycle Show (27th - 5th Nov) Birmingham SAM Group Ride - Nigel Grace - Winchester Avebury Rings

SAM Group Ride - Mark Sabin - Meon Hut - tba Sun 12 SAM Group Ride - Roger Coe - Wickham - Fox Cafe Tue 14 SAM Club Night - Sarisbury Green Sun 19 SAM Group Ride - Ower Tue 21 SAM Committee Meeting Sarisbury Green Sun 26 SAM Group Ride - Meon Hut

Sat 2 Sun 3 Sat 9 Tue 12 Sun 17 Sun 31 JAN

CHAIRMAN’S

Sun 5

Sat 2

Sun 7

Sept 2006

SAM “Making Progress” publication day SAM Observers Meeting Sarisbury Green - 1000 SAM Group Ride Winchester SAM Group Ride - Roger Coe - Wickham - tba SAM Christmas Social Event - Sarisbury Green SAM Group Ride - Ower SAM Group Ride - Meon Hut SAM Group Ride Winchester

•

All Group Rides are conducted in line with the Club Guidelines Doc 10 and Doc 11

•

Full details are announced on SAM Announce shortly before the run

•

Full details are also available from the Run Leader or Ian Cooper the Group Rides Co-ordinator on 02380 410 690

•

We cannot guarantee that the details of the run will not be changed before the event, but every effort will be made to adhere to them.

•

Please check if in doubt with Ian Cooper - Group Rides Co-ordinator

02380 410 690

chat

etting help to run SAM has been a problem over the past few months but all seems well now with volunteers coming forward offering their help. The committee cannot possibly run SAM all by themselves and we have been trying to encourage new younger committee members to come forward. We have recently filled two vacancies with much younger faces, the PR role with Claire Jenrick and our new Club Night Organiser, Sam Davis. John Parvin has very kindly offered to take on the Treasurers job when Godwin retires at the AGM in 2007.

Over the past year we have received much help from members with, Graphic design, Sign Making, Commentating, Chef, Document design, IT expertise, Risk Assessments, Medical expert, MDU repair, Photography, it just goes on and on. Those who have helped have gained friends and enjoyed themselves at the same time. So the next time we ask for help why don‚t you offer? You only get out of life what you put into it you know. Motorcycling is not without its risks nor is life as a whole. Club member Andrew West was recently `T Boned` by a car and suffered very bad leg injuries. Kevin Parsons was taken very ill whilst away in France. However, both are now progressing and we wish them a speedy recovery back to full health. Kevin is busy updating the website so do have a look and see all the useful information that is now being included. We are all looking forward to our new venue,The Sarisbury Green Community Centre. You may recollect that Paul’s survey showed that our old venue was the main cause of complaint.The new venue will cost us about £800 per year, but we hope that you will like it, feel that that your money has been well spent and support the club in this move. Do let Sam Davis know if you have any ideas for speakers or any other activity for Club Nights. Our really big night for SAM will be on Sept 12th at Sarisbury Green Community Centre when Lois Pryce the world motorcycle adventurer visits us. Her idea of a run is to ride the length of Africa! Whilst walking in the country with my wife recently we came across a young lady stretched out on the grass reading a book propped up against her helmet.“Are you in a biking club?” I asked. It turned out that she and her partner had just moved into the area and that her Father was a senior observer for a Lincolnshire group. She turned up at our Free Assessed rides the following day and it looks as though we have two more members for my efforts. We have several ideas for Xmas and will be letting you all know about the plans as soon as we can.An Xmas party on Dec 12th is being planned at Sarisbury Green and this will include a free buffet. I might even do a run and lunch on Jan 1st if anyone wants to join me. So you can see that there is lots going on at SAM and the autumn and winter will not stop us from enjoying ourselves you can bet. Happy biking to everyone.

Gerry Gooch 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

COMMITTEE MEMBERS AND OTHER CONTACTS Chairman:

Gerry Gooch

01329 832 416

Vice Chairman

Colin Backhouse

02380 871 642

Secretary:

Rex Brittian

01489 784 398

Treasurer:

Godwin Calafato

02380 253109

Chief Observer:

John Goodson

02380 692 959

Membership Secretary:

Paul Nol

02392 710 929

Web Master:

Kevin Parsons

01329 280 902

Events:

Sam Davis

07961 534802

Public Relations:

Claire Jenrick

02392 615 964

SAM Rides Co-ordinator:

Ian Cooper

02380 410 690

Skills Development:

Colin Backhouse

02380 871 642

Regalia:

Kate Davies

01962 840 954

Newsletter:

Nigel Grace

01425 472 021

MDU Manager

John Parvin

01329 284 640

Special Events Co-ord

Mark Nichols

02380 650 402

Sept 2006

Near Miss Flying Ladders It was a beautiful sunny day so even Honda riders like me were out and about. I was travelling along the M27 mid morning on my Pan and the traffic was light. All was well with the world and I was whistling to myself as I glided along at 70 mph (honestly). uddenly my eye caught some strange movement on a white van just 2 cars in front of me. Within less than a second the idyllic scene transformed into a life threatening prospect! A pair of aluminium ladders literally unpeeled from the roof of the van and lifted 20 foot in the air!

The two cars in front me began braking and swerving like man men. I mentally made a note of the position of the ladders and associated debris, checked my mirror and the kamikaze cars and applied the hardest progressive braking I had ever tried. Due to my extended following position I had a good view of everything, was able to slow to a safe speed and successfully counter steer around the obstacle course in front of me. The two cars decided to avoid the ladders and hit each other instead like bumper cars at the fair! As far as I could see nobody was seriously hurt. I pulled over and called the police and they arrived within a few minutes to clear up and prevent follow-on accidents. I honestly believe that without the SAM training I may not have been able to cope with this emergency situation and could well have panicked and become the meat in between the two cars sandwich or could have watched the ladders until I hit them! So thanks guys and please remind everyone to look out for flying ladders!

Peter Bradshaw

Solent Advanced Motorcyclists

SAM ADVANCED PLUS MOTORCYCLE TEST Would you like your riding skills assessed ? The SAM Advanced Plus Motorcycle Tes t will do just that. The Test is designed for SAM members who have passed their IAM Advanced Mo torcycle Test and would now like an independent assessm ent of their riding skills. The Test will be carried out by a Police Class 1 rider. It will include a written report with a mar k out of 100 for your ride. Steve Clothier, who is a SAM Senior IAM approved Observer, will co-ordinate all matters concerning the SAM Advanced Plus Test and will also offer help and guidance to any SAM mem ber who requests such help. Full details and an application form are available from the secretary - Rex Brittain . Steve Clothier SAM Advanced Plus Co-ordinator 24th May 2006 PA G E 4

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Sept 2006

Rob Willoughb y

morning and found that yes, indeed, all the stock had now been taken and everyone had done a bunk! The business had gone bankrupt and closed down! Petra Willoughby

Finding the right man for the job...

Petra Willoughby

t was on a fine sunny July day almost a year ago now that I snapped a bungee while securing my tail pack to my VFR400. I went into my local bike shop to get a replacement... and came out with a nice, shiny, 2001, red and black R6! Well, it matched my leathers perfectly and a bit of retail therapy is just what every girl needs to cheer her up when her bungee has snapped.

The bike seemed great to start with, but I soon started having problems with it. The back end wouldn’t grip on corners so my confidence dropped, especially on roundabouts. My dealership told me new tyres would sort this out, but it didn’t. The suspension was wallowy and the steering was vague so it was difficult to make tight turns or to steer accurately round bends. My dealership told me the bike was fine and that it was just me not being used to the R6, so I accepted that I was just a bad rider and my confidence dropped even further. The back brake kept binding in spite of my dealership doing a brake service for me... then the front brake bound on quite dramatically, which led to a heartstopping “stoppie” on the M275! They worked a lot better after the next brake service, but after a few months the back started binding again... “ENOUGH”, I cried! So, feeling a little disloyal, I snuck my problem child down to the new Yamaha dealership at Fratton Park in Portsmouth. Here they fitted a nice new rear disc and pads and cleaned all the gunge out of my callipers and pistons and BY ‘ECK did I notice the difference as I stopped dead and nearly fell off at the lightest touch of back brake when leaving their car park. “At last”, I thought to myself, “I’ve found someone who knows what they’re doing!” So the next month I booked it in to have its full 24,000 mile service, new front tyre, have the race team mechanic look over and set up the suspension for me and generally try to get my poor little machine working the way it should. 3 days before D-Day, I popped round to check they had my tyre in stock... Shop closed for stocktake, open again Wednesday. Popped in again on the Wednesday, still closed for stocktake... Went to drop the R6 off on Thursday

Crying into my lid, I called round all the other local bike shops and dealerships but was unable to find anyone who was willing to adjust my valve clearances. So I carried on riding my poorly machine with its only-just-legal front tyre and its demoralising handling... right up until the point where the throttle stuck open at 6000rpm and I discovered that my clutch wouldn’t fully disengage when hot, even with the lever pulled back hard against the handgrip. The next day, a guy on an R6 filtered up next to my car window while I was on my way to work. Feeling a little embarrassed, I wound my window down and asked him where he got his bike serviced. Luckily the traffic lights stayed red long enough for him to give me the number of PSI Motorcycle Services before he blasted off like a guided missile! I phoned Paul at PSI the same day and was immediately impressed by his knowledge and his communication skills. At last, a mechanic who didn’t make me feel stupid and who took me seriously when I asked for help but couldn’t tell him exactly what was wrong with the bike! Within 2 days, my bike had been fully serviced and fitted with its new front tyre. Paul had also noticed that the wheel alignment was way out, which had been causing my cornering problem. The suspension was not only too soft, it was also set unevenly, so that one side was much softer than the other. This explained why the steering was so unpredictable and vague. The throttle problem was partly a result of the cable needing lubrication but also someone had previously taken the cover off the carburettors and not reattached it properly, so they were bouncing about all over the place and needed balancing. He spotted few other minor problems too. Poor riding?! Not used to an R6?!! Nothing wrong with it??!!! I was utterly overjoyed!!!! AT LONG LAST someone had found out how to make my bike handle like a real R6 should and was willing and able to fix it for me! After he’d explained all this to me by phone, Paul did all the work quickly and efficiently, keeping me up to date by text because he knew I couldn’t easily take phone calls at work. The cost was less than Portsmouth Yamaha had initially estimated and more was done for the money. How’s the bike? It’s so happy it celebrated by taking me round Cadwell Park last week for my first ever track day. The steering was spot on, there were no slips or slides from the back end, the engine purred smoothly round the bends and built up to a gorgeous roar down the straights, the brakes were strong and accurate and as for my riding... well, let’s just say it wasn’t as bad as my local bike shop had made me think! Paul Smedley of PSI Motorcycle Services is at 15 Lily Avenue, Widley, Waterlooville, PO7 5BQ. Tel 023 9238 4101 or Mob 07760 178178. PA G E 5

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UNDERSTANDING

TARGET FIXATION Simon Johnston - MCN 21 Jun 06 Ever had that sensation when you’re on the road at night and find yourself distracted by oncoming headlights, drifting towards the other lane? Or found yourself drifting wide on a corner because you’re concentrating on a parked car/small child/fit bird? This, my friends, is target fixation, and it’s the cause of many an accident among inexperienced riders. The term originates from World War II fighter pilots who found their concentration was so focused on a target there was a tendency for nearmisses with the very object they were aiming to destroy. It can be just as fatal for motorcyclists.

I’ve learned that with bikes wherever you’re looking is where the bike will go. It’s a damn sight easier to negotiate that sharp bend if you’re looking round it and where you want to go. Any sort of tight manoeuvre is almost impossible for a newbie unless you’re looking EXACTLY where you want to end up. In fact, it’s vital when performing slow speed manoeuvres on a bike and also on the open road if things go a bit Pete Tong. Simply put, when you’re trying to avoid a hazard, don’t look at it. Many new motorcyclists fail the uturn section of the bike tests because they look at the ground,

the bars, lamp posts on the opposite kerb..... anywhere but where they are turning. Similarly, if you’re going too fast into a bend, the body tenses up and the brain panics you into looking at what you’re going to crashing into. It’s not the easiest thing to override, but if you learn to relax when this happens and look for a way out, your body - and the bike will react. It’s also an excellent technique to control skids if you lock the rear brake up - fixate on a point in the horizon where you want to be, and you’ll find you’re already well on the way towards automatically correcting most skids.

CHIEF OBSERVER’S REPORT AUGUST 2006 ell here we are again with yet another news letter, doesn’t time fly when having fun riding our bikes. The Sunday training days have been continuing through the summer, some better than others with a good percentage of the public who have come along actually enrolling. Once again thanks to all the observers who have attended the free assessed rides, and the other helpers who have made life easier for us on the day.

We have also been busy recruiting observer’s, Paul Nol and Chris Palmer have successfully completed their training and are now qualified observers. I would also like you to know that Dave Spicer has achieved senior status, having passed his senior test with Jon Taylor in July. So I would like to take this opportunity to congratulate all three of you in your achievements, hoping you enjoy your time in the new role. As you may be aware from the various announcements, we have PA G E 6

new faces on the general committee.Yet more evidence that the club is moving in the right direction, so please try and support the social activities that the committee are endeavouring to put on for you. It has been good to see some of the new faces in SAM for the club nights, which hopefully will continue to improve with new blood in the committee and our new venue. We have had 13 passes since the AGM in May, they are Joy Crowe, Dave Shawyer, Mehrdad Tamiz, Tim Slade, Jo Willett, Simon Marsden, John Bailey, Paul Harling, Martin Saunders, Owen McArdle, Tony Woodcock, Stuart Dorey and Rob Willoughby. Apart from the last two people all the others were invited to come along to the last club night on August 8th to receive their certificates and badges, I had two apologies from Joy and Jo and only four of the remainder turned up. I am rather annoyed that after all the dedication and free time that the observers give to their associates, that they can’t devote some of their time to attend the club night when requested to receive the certificates etc. Stuart And Rob will be invited to attend

the September club night along with any further successful candidates, to receive their badges and certificates. Finally I am going to Australia for a month in October/November, so any test passes or failures will have to be sent to David Spicer in my absence. Then David has agreed to put the passes on announce, his e-mail address is dav1d66@hotmail.com.

Take care and safe riding

Our current Observer status is Senior Observers Myself, Gerry Gooch, Peter Joss, Peter Johnson, David Spicer and Steve Clothier

Qualified Observers Matthew Jones, Mark Bowley, Kevin Parsons, Simon Fairburn, Gary Harrison, Peter Emmins, Roger Coe, Nigel Grace, Ian Cooper, Colin Penman, Kevin Woodcock, Colin Hitchcock, Steve Carter, Colin Backhouse and John Kennedy Kevin Parsons has applied for senior status.

Trainee Observers Gary Griffiths, Steve Lawrence & Paul Sutliff Congratulations go to those who have passed the test in the year from AGM to AGM that haven’t been already mentioned, they are Mark Nicholls, Claire Jenrick, Alan Parkinson, Paul Feeney, Andrew Dickson, Thomas McGhee, Simon Gardener, Steve Restall, Neil Stocker, James West,Warren Hobbs and Nick Tucker A presentation was made at the AGM to the 50th pass of the year who turned out to be Thomas McGhee, he was awarded a certificate, gift vouchers by SAM and a model of motorcycle donated by our new regional co-ordinator Trevor Pembroke. Well that’s about it for this edition except to say a big thank you to Alan Thomas and his brother-in -law Mark for the fantastic day out on 27th May, enjoyed tremendously by myself and other four that took part. For a better idea of the day please see separate story.

John Goodson Chief Observer

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Sept 2006

‘PASSAGE TO INDIA’ MUMBAI (BOMBAY) ew would recognise this megacity on the Arabian Sea as the holiday destination of choice, but with the promise of an air-con 4w RH drive and driver at our disposal and family members now resident in a smart part of town it seemed the natural choice to start our journey through this amazing land.

As the flight approaches the airport the arid landscape gives way to a more urban environment and we see the towering apartment blocks beyond Powai Hill, the lake and Sanjay Gandhi National Park in the background; home for a while before heading south. Its then that you see the contrast below, a carpet of squalid slums that litter the ground as you pass over the Kalina Road before touchdown. You don’t feel a great deal better on entering the austere terminal building bereft of facilities and with very strange complex security arrangements. We’re soon out in the hot and bustling streets which for Jen and I proved to be an endless source of interest and amusement. The number of people on the streets is mind boggling and the driving style and conditions you’d imagine would cause an accident every few seconds. Pedestrians, dogs, and cattle wander through a mix of traffic that is tooting ceaselessly like pre De Gaulle Paris. The difference here is that the horn is used properly as an audible signal of approach not aggression, and it works. Raju, our driver would always aim for the gap ahead overtaking on the inside or outside tooting pedestrians or vehicles alike to tell them we’re close behind and depending on the size or threat would seize the advantage and pass through the narrowest opening or give way. This resigned approach and modest pace gives time to change course or stop amazingly quickly. A determined pedestrian with a hand gesturing to stop will have an immediate effect. At first this driving up to the point of near contact is hardly relaxing and your cheeks pinch occasionally, but you tend eventually to realise it all works. It’s unlikely the average UK

or European driver could cope with the driving style without suffering a serious case of road rage. Our prescribed driving would leave us at a loss, there are few road signs and those that exist are lost in a sea of advertising. In a city of 17million you travel miles without traffic lights, there are no road markings but frequently a concrete block serves as a road cone. If there’s a copper on duty at a junction everyone gives up bar the street vendors, beggars or the odd ‘shim’. Another secret of navigating in these conditions is the hard shoulder that often borders the highway, affording, depending on availability, an escape route to avoid a vehicle collision. But there may be a cow tethered or some pedestrians using the space or you could end up in Dr Bin-Dunes Piles Clinic where all sorts of excruciating anal horrors are dealt with. Few if any women drive in this apparent chaos, though they bravely ride pillion side saddle without any protection in elegant and colourful sari’s. The motorbikes are specially adapted air cooled small capacity machines, with a foot plate and guard grill on the near side, a grab handle on the off side and heat shield over the exhaust to prevent the lady scorching her clothing.You can buy one of these bikes new for 450 GBP and they are advertised on TV. The LML CRD100 has a slick ad extolling its adjustable rear suspension and ‘style which is all you desire’. There are however no Royal Enfields on sale in the city and renting any machine is a big no-no.

You cannot leave the street scene without mentioning the ubiquitous Auto-Rickshaw or ‘took-took’ as Raju calls them - probably because it’s the sound they make; “tooktook’s very dangerous Sa” he says. These endearing little three wheel yellow and black taxis are cheap alternative space saving transport for the masses and ride like an upholstered roller-skate. Licensed to carry three but often with six passengers they are fun to ride in at a minimum charge of Rs10 (8p).

The poor little 150cc LPG fuelled motor won’t pull the skin off a rice pudding and the whole thing nearly stalls if faced with an incline. The steering is a bike style handlebar but no handbrake; throttle only on RH side. They turn on a sixpence and with footbrake can stop on one, if not too loaded; one couple put the TV they’d bought in one ‘took-took’ and followed in another. The starter is a long lever on the floor beside the driver which is hoisted, hand brake style; worked first time when I tried it! The most awkward aspect of driving it seems is the combined clutch/gear change which is twisted simultaneously on the LH bar thru 90 degrees for low gear. Doing that for an eight hour shift I’d be shattered. More about how the other half live in the next issue, with the Ed’s say so of course!

Howard King

Useful Web Sites Bike Safe Edge 44 BMF BMWs BMW Dealers BMW Parts Catalogue Girls Bike 2 IAM JAP Bike Parts Lois on the Loose Marmion Motorcycles Motorcycle World NEC Motorcycle Show SAM Photo-site SAM Web Site The Highway Code The Stage Post 3X Motorcycles Ultraseal Southampton Urban-Glow Yamaha Portsmouth

www.hants.gov.uk/roadsafety/driverider/edge44.html www.bmf.co.uk www.boxerbikes.co.uk www.cwmotorcycles.co.uk www.ascycles.com www.girlsbike2.com www.iam.org.uk www.ronnies.com/micro.htm www.loisontheloose.com www.marmionmotorcycles.net www.beaulieumotorcycleworld.co.uk www.motorcycleshow.co.uk www.solentadvanced.photosite.com www.solent-advanced-motorcylists.co.uk www.highwaycode.gov.uk www.stageposthotel.co.uk www.threecrossretail.co.uk/ www.ultraseal-soton.co.uk www.urban-glow.com www.portsmouthyamaha.com

Pubs Fleming Arms, Swaything, Southampton Rose and Crown, Longburton Sherborne Dorset Stage Post, High Street,West Lavington, Devizes Barley Mow,Walderton, Nr Chichester

02380 584358 01963 210202 01380 813392 023 9263 1321

Let me know of any that you think could be included sam.newsletter@btinternet.com

PA G E 7

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Sept 2006

The Association of Motorcycle Thieves

by Speed triple Phil Greene r

I have been thinking how much we spend on bike security every single year: new disc locks, armoured locks, garage alarms, groun d anchor s - they quickly become obsolete with new bike thieving techniques. Smart water, microdot, da tatag, alarms, immobilisers, paging systems, chains cab les & padlocks - its mindboggling.

Big Wheel 12 by Ian Cooper s some of you will have noticed the time had come round once again for the Big Wheel Charity event. This is run by the Basingstoke Hospice and has for the past few years had mobile marshals supplied by members of SAM.

Some of the hills that these sponsored participants go up are quite impressive. On occasions, as travelling marshals, we stopped to help. At one point Colin and I got stopped and asked if we could fix a loose saddle as the cyclist had been stood up for the last 5 miles! PA G E 8

All that for £20 a year, I’m

in. P.S. if it all went wrong, we wou ld still have access to all their names & addresses, so...pass me the meat hook & chainsaw - retribution is a cumin’.

The Club. Steve Flood Punctures are a frequent event on these bicycles and when you only have a screwdriver to get the tube out and no pump to find the leak in the first place it is surprising what you can do to repair an inner tube. The most common problem in the couple of years that I have been helping is dehydration, as people seem to think they don’t need any fluids even with the temperatures up in the high 70’s, sometimes it makes you wonder where they leave their minds. Still, all said and done it makes for an interesting day, so next time you see this event come round, at least come along and see how it all works. If you do volunteer to help remember the puncture repair kit, pump, first aid kit, maps, radio, mobile phone, sandwiches and tool kit! Pssstt - do you want to buy some panniers ??

Which club with approx 500 members can boast the following? 3 7 8 14 19

done time for assault arrested for fraud arrested for shop lifting arrested for drug related charges accused of writing cheques from bank of Dunlop 21 currently defendants in lawsuits 29 accused of spouse abuse 71 refused credit card applications 84 arrested for drunk driving in the last year 117 directly or indirectly bankrupted at least twice

Ans. UK Houses of parliament.

Steve Flood heads the organising along with Rex Brittain and a few others. This year was no different and the plea’s for help had gone out as per the normal run of things within the club and although not too many people came forward we managed to get together some 13 riders with top boxes and panniers full of water and some with puncture repair kits. After getting paired up we set off for our first stop point, this can take some time as the longest of the three routes was 50miles. Although this long route was optional and the routes well signposted with static marshals, some people did get on the wrong route and that is where we try to help out. In some cases it was too late to turn back so they go for the long route.

o thought it would be a goo d idea if all the bike thieving scum in this country joined up to form some sort of association. Every UK biker would have to pay about £20 each year into this associat ion, it would reap a lot of money - but in retu rn they must promise not to nick our bikes! Brilliant. For a start we would all be financially better off, you wo uld never loose bike keys - just leave them in the ignition, every year wat ch your insurance premium plummet. No mo re having to lug the latest German hardware around with us, no more buy ing a ringer, no more riding off with your disc lock still on, no more that dreaded sickening feeling of your bike not being where you left it.

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A RIDE OUT

Sept 2006

Grumpy Old Biker

by Mark Sabin

As I rose in the morning I knew it would be a good day. Though not relishing a day in black leathers on such a forecasted hot day, the need to ride took priority. I mounted my trusty stead, barked it into life and headed out to Wickham to see who would choose a ride to Boxhill over world class rugby, football and motor racing.

he thought was intriguing. I was a little early in arriving at Wickham and was pleased to see three fellow members already there. By 10am we were joined by another 5 riders and following the mandatory brief, we were soon on our way. We headed north to meet the A272 before heading west to meet the A29. We were mixing it with varying kinds of transport not least a charity bicycle ride.We were entertained by the forceful advances of a red Seat who thought it clever to use the right hand verge to overtake a car which was in the process of overtaking a series of cyclists, four deep at their worst. Clear of this obstruction we made progress while negotiating the frequent batch of cars also making their way west. We arrived at Boxhill in good shape and more importantly as a group. We paused to take on fluids, a quick snack and had a gawp (we I did) at some of the bike specimens on show in the car park. For those of you with more bike than plastic, it’s a great place to go for ideas on how to personalise you own machine. Time for the off but before we headed home we decided to take in the pretty breathtaking view from the top of the hill itself. Well worth a visit should you ever go there. As we started to melt in our biking gear, we decided to head home. Down to 7 we descended the hill and headed south to pickup the A29 again.The roads seemed emptier on the way home and good progress was being made. Following a quick splash and dash (fuel stop), we were regretfully treated to a reminder of why we all took that conscious decision to take advanced riding. As we approached Midhurst, there were a number of police cars and a tow truck recovering the broken and battered remains of a ZX10 from under the front of a car. From what we could see it looked like the bike had gone into the front of the car perhaps by loosing control as he

approached the apex of the left hander. As I muttered “there for the grace of God go I” to my self, we cracked on to the A3 where we split up and went our separate ways, thankfully incident free. It was a great ride with some excellent and confident company. Thanks to all those who attended and I hope to see you on my next run along with hopefully more associates. Now..... where can I take those willing next time.............. On a personal note and aimed at those who have yet to lead a ride, there is great satisfaction and a sense of achievement in getting a group of fellow bikers from A to B and then back to A again. None expressed distaste at the sprightly pace therefore I can only assume they all enjoyed it as much as I. A good back marker is obviously an asset to the group and on this occasion my thanks go to Paul Young for bringing up the rear (we treated it as a training ride in preparation for our pursuit of the national rally in three weeks).The club needs volunteers to lead these rides. It’s a worthwhile activity and personally I found it enhanced my enjoyment of the whole event. Let’s face it, the leader dictates the pace and as long as all understand that no matter what the pace, you all ride within your own capabilities, how can anyone not enjoy it. The marker system moves people around so all get to have a bit of a play, naturally all within the confines of safe riding. Go on....give it a go.......I’m sure you wont be disappointed and I’m positive Ian would be greatly appreciative. Till the next time..... bye for now.

here’s no shortage of subjects to moan about this time, ranging from the new website to an outbreak of political correctness and rumours of risk assessments. Oh yes, and there has been an attempt to lowside the Grumpy Old Biker - more on that later.

Let’s get the political correctness nonsense out of the way first. Why, all of a sudden, according to the website, do we suddenly have a Chairperson? I do not recall voting for a chairperson at the AGM but I do recall voting for a Chairman. Furthermore, the June magazine contains the “Chairman’s Chat” and lists the position of Chairman under Officers. This sort of PC nonsense makes the Grumpy Old Biker’s anaemic blood boil. Why on earth are we tinkering with this sort of thing, wasting energy when we have much more important things to do like risk assessments. Pleeeeeeease, we are a bunch of sad old bikers who want to have fun riding our bikes; we want to go out in all weathers and share (exaggerated) stories at the next tea stop. If we have to complete risk assessments for everything we do (presumably including what used to be referred to as “social” runs) then the Grumpy Old Biker is going to lose the will to live and buy that ticket to Switzerland. Ok, now for the website. What on earth was that dreadful noise when you visit www.solent-advanced-motorcyclists.co.uk all about. If ever there was a need for a risk assessment, perhaps this is it. Bearing in mind the average age of our members I am sure that the potential for damaged hearing aids and exacerbation of tinnitus is very real. By the way, once you get through the splash page, the site is much improved - so well done whoever. Moving on, maybe you saw that Direct Line has recently done a survey of its customers, who said that “the 60mph speed limit on rural roads is too high and should be lowered, according to three in four motorists questioned in a new survey”. The company has called for the rural speed limit to be reduced to 40mph. Yet again we see those in positions of influence attacking the symptom rather than the disease. The vast majority of accidents are attributable to driver error, which suggests that we should be dealing with driver error, and the obvious way of doing this is by training and retesting. But that won’t win any votes so it’s unlikely to happen. I did catch proposals for some sensible legislation last month concerning manhole covers - or perhaps I am now meant to say personhole covers whatever. Apparently Brussels is trying to introduce standards to ensure minimum levels of grip; now that would be very welcome. Finally, I bring you news of an attempt to lowside the author of this column. A leaked email provides incontrovertible evidence of a dastardly attempt at impersonation, passing off and identity theft. The email contained subject matter for this column alleging to be from the Grumpy Old Biker. Without the eternal vigilance of our Editor, this attempt would not have been foiled. I can also report that the culprit was a senior SAM member and that a subsequent threat assessment suggests it is now appropriate to reduce the security level from “really-quite-scary” to “mildly frightening”. You may sleep easily in the knowledge that, while he may only be hanging on by a thread, the Grumpy old Biker lives.

The Grumpy Old Biker. Disclaimer: Grumpy Old Biker is a periodic column written for the SAM newsletter. It is highly unlikely that the views expressed here are in any way representative of the IAM or SAM.

PA G E 9

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Sept 2006

there would be twisties involved but the route proved to be not only interesting but “quite challenging”. “Bends” took on a whole new meaning and whilst some positively sailed around them, others did comment that it made their heads hurt with the concentration involved. There were times when I truly believed that we might disappear up our own exhaust pipes. No time to take in any scenery until we stopped at a very impressive viewpoint at Rochehaut. A good time had by all - some enjoyed it so much that they went back and did it again!

France/Belgium 2006 - & Beyond Twisties - you want Twisties? The SAM trip to France/Belgium this year brought a whole new meaning to cornering... aving caught an early Chunnel train on Friday morning, we arrived in Calais and the 15 bikes and 18 bodies split into separate groups to make the 220 mile journey to our hotel in Bouillon in southern Belgium. Well, we mislaid a few individuals along the way but, miraculously, recovered all but 2 and the majority met up en route to reconfigure and take on sustenance.

The “Scenic Tour” organised for Saturday turned out to be a real eye opener - not for the scenes so much as for the zigzags, hairpins and adverse cambers encountered whilst climbing and descending through pine forests.

The roads were good, the French motorists very accommodating to motorcyclists, as usual, so we made excellent progress. Until..... just 30 miles from the hotel and on a fast

sweeping left-hander, rising to a blind crest, one of our party ended up doing a bit of unintentional offroading on his R1. It wouldn’t have been so bad if he hadn’t found the

one boulder in the field which catapulted him and his luggage into the long grass (and nettles) before depositing the bike some 30 metres further on in the ditch. Some rather unsavoury language ensued (from the rider, about the rider) before the recovery was organised. The bike may have been written off but thankfully the rider only sustained nettle rash, grazing and bruising. We weren’t about to let this spoil the holiday so the R1 rider was quickly converted to a Harley rider (no, it’s true - honest!) and we continued on our way. The Hotel de la Poste was magnificent, and in the most beautiful setting, which also happened to be a mecca for motorcycles. If you haven’t yet visited Bouillon, put it on your “must do” list. The “Scenic Tour” organised for Saturday turned out to be a real eye opener - not for the scenes so much as for the zig-zags, hairpins and adverse cambers encountered whilst climbing and descending through pine forests. We knew

SAM - Sunday Presentation 2006 Starts at 12 noon at Sarisbury Community Centre Sunday SEPT 3rd Making Progress Safely

Steve Clothier

Sunday OCT 1st Observer Training

Chris Robinson

P A G E 10

Sunday’s ride was to Vianden in Luxembourg (Ardennes country) with a choice of fast pace or slow to medium paced bimble. I’m glad I was on the slower of the two. On mainly A and B Class roads, and even a section on motorway, thanks to the lovely Mrs Garmin we still ended up doing some zig-zags and shady lanes. Again, there were those who insisted upon doing them twice, and others who were just grateful to arrive at their destination. A trip on the only chair-lift in Luxembourg for some to take in the magnificent views past the spectacular Vianden castle and on into Germany. As it was so close, we made a sortie across the border to hug the wind-turbines swooshing majestically out in the open fields. There was a suggestion that the former R1 rider might re-enact the Steve McQueen motorcycle scene from The Great Escape using the Harley but we needed a bike to make the return journey to Blighty so this was vetoed. We had now visited 4 countries in one day - not bad, eh! Back to the hotel for refreshment and tales of where we’d been and what we’d seen. We all made it safely back to Engerland on Monday - a long very hot ride back to Calais, via the Somme for some, with our bikes covered in the remains of some interesting insect life collected along the way - big cleaning job awaiting all those nice BMWs with their huge fairings.... Sincere thanks go to Mark and Jackie for their fantastic organisation and patience another wonderful weekend, enjoyed by all. Any chance you could arrange for the weather to be just a little cooler next time?

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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

Sept 2006

Dear SAM,k you to you all, but most

Equipment REVIEW Nigel Grace

And a few comments from the participants:

5% discount to SAM members, on production of membership card. PA G E 2

“Blinding curves and the roads were good, too!”

“Can we do it again next year?”

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Design & artwork by KF:D LTD Fordingbridge, 01425 654557

bike sept 06

Sept 2006

CAPTION COMPETITION:

SAM Polo-shirts Black long or short sleeve shirts embroidered with the Club name - always available to buy at Club Nights. Sizes XXL to Small. 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