bike June 06
17/6/06
1:28 am
Page 1
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
June 2006
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 Slow Riding Event
progress
Answers via email to:
sam.newsletter@btinternet.com
Some very wobbly riding took place.We had a Slow Ride Race and the eventual Winner was Peter Emmins (Super Blackbird) who beat Chris Robinson (Pan 1300 by about half a second). Silly blue hat on the right of the group was David Brugier Bruguie who ran the event.
Winning caption for last issues caption competition:
June 06
INSIDE p2 Wing Ding
Think, before you drink, before you pose!
Really good day and we hope to run another for the Members.
p7
Strictly come biking ... continued
Counter Steering
Mayor & Mayoress of Eastleigh
p8
Dr Tamayo (Sam member)
Sally & Natasha with Gerry
After Lunch people donned their gear and the bikes lined up outside the MDU to be waved off by Jo Brooks from the Rose Bowl. DISCLAIMER Most of the views expressed in this SAM Newsletter are personal to the author and publication does not imply endorsement of any article, any author or any organisation. Views expressed are those of the authors, and are not necessarily in accordance with the policies or the views of the IAM or SAM. Where articles are reproduced from other publications or authors, unreserved acknowledgement is given to the source. No responsibility is accepted by the Editor or SAM for any damage to intelligence or riding abilities, howsoever caused, which might result from reading this publication.
P A G E 12
Help us make progress with a contribution towards the next issue. Pics in jpeg format please.
Newsletter email address is sam.newsletter@btinternet.com
Design & artwork by KF:D LTD Fordingbridge, 01425 654557
Mike Smith at Silverstone
Girls just want to have fun
p9 Grumpy Old Biker
p10 Strickly Come Biking
Steve James on a track day
Registered Charity No. 1097558
17/6/06
1:30 am
Page 3
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
Well that’s all right then - isn’t it..... It’s happened to us all; your rounding a round-about or approaching a junction - the driver stares straight ahead as if he/she has not seen you and pulls out... and it’s this “not seeing you” that now hands all responsibility back to you to avoid the accident - after all if the driver did not see you then how can they be responsible for the accident.
June 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
Winchester Wing Ding.
It’s this sort of thinking that I thought was just between me and these “dick-heads” that pull-out on me but now it appears that “As far as I was aware there was nothing there” is enough of a reason to get the driver off the hook. See the article “Motorbike rider’s death in crash is ruled an accident” in this Newsletter.
Celebrating 50 years of the IAM at the Rose Bowl Southampton 7th May 2006.
It happens to me at least once a week and I am after all difficult to see with my quarter tonne bike, big silver fairing, bright headlights, hi-viz jacket and white helmet. I now know why I signed up for a Skill-for-Life, it’s to stay alive and beat those idiots.... I recently took a coach to London and this gave me a wonderful insight into the difficult job that drivers have. From my elevated position in the coach, not only could I view the “goings-on” of car drivers but I could also see the antics of coach and lorry drivers. Driving the A31/M27/M3 is hard enough but to try and do it at 07.30 in the morning whilst half asleep and drinking coffee, eating sandwiches, using an electric razor, brushing their hair, knotting a neck tie with both hands off the wheel, reading maps, selecting a CD from a pile on the back seat, completing a crossword, programming the SatNav, and talking on the mobile phone - all whilst trying to maintain 80+mph - it just can’t be easy for them!
he newly refurbished MDU had its first venture of the season. Gleaming following the refurbishment during the winter it made its way, ably towed by Steve Carter to take up residence on the Friday night at Winchester Rugby Club. The event a ‘Wing Ding’, which is Gold Wing speak for a regional event to which all Gold Wing members are invited. These occur from Easter to the end of October and are held most weekends up and down the country and generally take the form of a camping event. Hampshire Gold Wing Club alternate with the Isle of Wight to host the first event of the season and this was the first time that Winchester Rugby Club has been used as a venue.
Spare a thought for the driver.... but watch him very closely - then spare another for Gary Reynolds who died when a black BMW X5 “emerged” from a service road on the A27 near Burseldon in Southampton. (See paper cutting on p4).
Steve Mills from the Hampshire Gold Wing Club (Hamsters) suggested some of their members needed a bit of tuition hence the invite to SAM.
Nigel Grace Editor
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 PA G E 2
June 2006
T
The first task amongst the wiling volunteers with little experience in setting up the MDU was to ensure the doors and steps were in place.That was all accomplished without too much fuss. Next how do we get the flag pole in Place? We struggled to stand on the side of the steps. Time to invest in a small pair of steps or insist all future volunteers are to be at least 6 ft 3 tall. With the flag successfully in place, now how about starting the generator. Lots of attempts the odd splutter but to no avail. Plenty of petrol and choke engaged. After about an hour, reference to the instruction manual seemed a good idea. How about the fuel switch? First time it fired up!!. With all set up it was time for the first assessed ride.This was for Nigel to sort out. Not too much of a problem you might think but this was a trike. Now that was a challenge particularly on positioning at corners. There were plenty of gleaming chrome accessories for the guys and gals to buy plus cleaning products and a small selection of clothing. With around 300 to 400 gold wings present over the two days there were plenty of wing models to see with various degrees of customisation.The most expensive bikes being on display were a pair of 1800 GL’s with customised paint and other goodies valuing the bikes at around 50 k each.
One regular visitor to the Gold wing events was a gentleman from Canada who spends the summer in England visiting all the wing dings. However as age passes on he advised this might be his last year. Although we were invited to stay for the light show in the evening none of us were able to attend but we were advised that most of Winchester was lit up and planes for Eastleigh were diverted to ensure that they did not mistake the display for the landing lights. We were blessed with good weather and during the afternoon of the Sunday our intrepid secretary took off on a tour of the camp site on his borrowed trike. Figure of eights posed no problem as he kept his balance. Still I do not think he was tempted just yet. A letter of thanks was received from the Hampshire Gold Wing Club to thank all the volunteers who helped tow, man and observe over the two days. Generally a good two days were had by all.
more pics on page 12
▼
bike June 06
P A G E 11
SAM b/w June 06
17/6/06
2:06 am
Page 2
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
DIARY OF EVENTS 06 JUNE
JULY
Sat 10 SAM “Making Progress” publication day Sun 11 SAM Ride-out - Mark Sabin Wickham to Box Hill Sun 11 BSB Knockhill Tue 13 SAM Club Night Sat 17 SAM Rideout - Nigel Grace Winchester 0930 - The Gurston Hill Climb - Wiltshire Sun 18 SAM Ride-out - Tony Saunders Ower - Haynes Motor Museum Yeovil Tue 20 SAM Committee Meeting Sat 24 Motorcycle World - Beaulieu Sun 25 Motorcycle World - Beaulieu Sun 25 BSB Snetterton Tue 27 Evening Ride - 1930 King Alfred’s Statue Winchester or Sainsbury’s Fareham 30-3 SAM French Trip (Fri 30th - Mon 3rd Jul) Sun 2
Sat 8 Sun 9 Tue 11 Sun 16 Sun 16 Tue 18 Sun 23 Mon 24 Tue 25
Sun 30
AUG
SAM Free Assessment Day and presentation - Advanced Cornering SAM Bar-B-Q at Hordean Woods and ride-out - Now Cancelled SAM Ride-out SAM Club Night BIG Wheel Charity Event - Steve Flood - Basingstoke MotoGP Donnington Park SAM Committee Meeting SAM Ride-out - Nigel Grace Ower - Lunch at Longburton Hampshire Autistic Society Event Evening Ride - 1930 King Alfred’s Statue Winchester or Sainsbury’s Fareham SAM Ride-out - Pail Nol - Meon Hut - Ogri’s Café Horam
SAM Free Assessment Day and presentation - Aims of Advanced Motorcycling Sun 6 WSB Brands Hatch (TBC) Tue 8 SAM Club Night Sun 13 SAM Ride-out - Colin Backhouse - Winchester - tbc Sun 13 BSB Croft Tue 15 SAM Committee Meeting
CHAIRMAN’S
Sun 20 SAM Ride-out - Mark Bowley Wickham - Llama Park in Ashdown Forest Tue 22 Evening Ride - 1930 King Alfred’s Statue Winchester or Sainsbury’s Fareham Sun 27 SAM Ride-out - Gerry Gooch Winchester - Somerset Mon 28 BSB Cadwell Park SEPT
Sun 3
Sat 9 Sun 10 Sun 10 Tue 12 Sun 17 Tue 19 Sun 24 Sun 24 OCT
Sun 1
SAM Free Assessment Day and presentation - Making Progress Safely SAM “Making Progress” publication day SAM Ride-out BSB Silverstone SAM Club Night SAM Ride-out SAM Committee Meeting SAM Ride-out BSB Donington Park GP
Sun 29
SAM Free Assessment Day and Presentation on becoming an Observer SAM Ride-out Brands Hatch GP SAM Club Night SAM Ride-out SAM Committee Meeting SAM Ride-out NEC Motorcycle Show (27th 5th Nov) Birmingham SAM Ride-out
NOV
Sun 5 Sun 12 Tue 14 Sun 19 Tue 21 Sun 26
SAM Ride-out SAM Ride-out SAM Club Night SAM Ride-out SAM Committee Meeting SAM Ride-out
DEC
Sat 2
Sun 8 Sun 8 Tue 10 Sun 15 Tue 17 Sun 22 Fri 27
Sun 6
•
All Ride-outs 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 -Ride-outs Co-ordinator
•
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 -Rideouts Co-ordinator
June 2006
SAM “Making Progress” publication day Sun 3 SAM Ride-out Sat 9 SAM Club Night Sun 10 SAM Ride-out Tue 12 SAM Christmas Social Event Sun 17 SAM Ride-out
chat
dead pheasant flying past my ear at 50 mph whilst following my Associate (who is not a `pheasant plucker` by trade), an irate BMW car driver flashing his lights and swerving towards me and Observing a lady riding a Goldwing Trike have been some of my motorcycle experiences over the past few weeks. Never a dull moment is there.
A
Seeing our lovely newly re-furbished MDU for the first time was the highlight of my attendance at the Honda Goldwing `Wing Ding` as they call it. Great job well done Kim Formhalls, Graeme Smith and Colin Hitchcock. The `Strictly Come Biking` event was “something else” I can tell you.The culmination of so much work by many SAM members and as one visitor said, “There is an air of professionalism about this event”. As a Public Relations job we will have to wait and see if it has been successful, but the indications are that it has `Ticked the right Boxes` as they say. I still have memories of Hilary, riding a Triumph Rocket III with Councilor Tim Knight from Hampshire’s Road Safety Division riding pillion following me at an `Advanced Pace` through the Hampshire lanes. Bikes are so much fun aren’t they? With all the helpers gathered together before the event we discussed how important it was to be courteous to our guests that included the Mayor and Mayoress, Councillors, the press etc. At other times also, of course, SAM members should be courteous to each other, but it is doubly important that associates, guests and other members of the public are also treated courteously. In this way we can all do our bit towards improving the image of motorcyclists and particularly SAM. Just one wrong word spoken at the wrong time can do so much harm to us all. Unfortunately it is I, as Chairman that takes the flack when a member is not courteous, so come on Ladies and Gentlemen, please be on your best behaviour when representing SAM. Well summer is here and SAM members are off all over the place to France, Holland, Belgium, Slovakia, Ireland and yours truly to Norway for the first time. There is something special about crossing the channel, opening the throttle and heading into mainland Europe. This is really what bikes are made for and for those of you who have not tried it, it is about time you did. After one of my many trips to France I remember writing, “France, I love you not for your wine, your women or your music, but for your roads”. However, I would add that to enjoy them at their best you need to stay off the main roads and it will then be love at first sight, you’ll see. But all motorcycling is enjoyable isn’t it! At least the SAM way of doing it is. Happy safe riding to you all.
Gerry Gooch
02380 410 690 PA G E 3
SAM b/w June 06
17/6/06
2:06 am
Page 3
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
Top Ten Reasons Why Harley Riders Don’t Wave Back ■ ■ ■ ■
■
■
■ ■ ■ ■
Afraid it will invalidate warranty. Leather and studs make it too heavy to raise arm. Refuse to wave to anyone whose bike is already paid for. Afraid to let go of handlebars because they might vibrate off. Rushing wind would blow scabs off the new tattoos. Angry because just took out second mortgage to pay luxury tax on new Harley. Just discovered the fine print in owner’s manual and realized H-D is partially owned by Honda. Can’t tell if other riders are waving or just reaching to cover their ears like everyone else. Remembers the last time a Harley rider waved back, he impaled his hand on spiked helmet. They’re too tired from spending hours polishing all that chrome to lift their arms.
Top Ten Reasons Why Gold Wing Riders Don’t Wave Back ■ Wasn’t sure whether other rider was waving or making an obscene gesture. ■ Afraid might get frostbite if hand is removed from heated grip. ■ Has arthritis and the past 400 miles have made it difficult to raise arm. ■ Reflection from etched windshield momentarily blinded him. ■ The espresso machine just finished. ■ Was actually asleep when other rider waved. ■ Was in a three-way conference call with stockbroker and accessories dealer. ■ Was distracted by odd shaped blip on radar screen. ■ Was simultaneously adjusting the air suspension, seat height, programmable CD player, seat temperature and satellite navigation system. ■ Couldn’t find the “auto wave back” button on dashboard.
Top 10 Reasons Sports bikers Don’t Wave: ■ They have not been riding long enough to know they’re supposed to. ■ They’re going too fast to have time enough to register the movement and respond. ■ You weren’t wearing bright enough gear. ■ If they stick their arm out going that fast they’ll rip it out of the socket. ■ They’re too occupied with trying to get rid of their chicken strips. ■ They look way too cool with both hands on the bars or they don’t want to unbalance themselves while standing on the tank. ■ Their skin tight-kevlar-ballistic-nylon-kangaroo-leather suits prevent any position other than fetal. ■ Raising an arm allows bugs into the armholes of their tank tops. ■ It’s too hard to do one-handed stoppies. ■ They were too busy slipping their flip-flop back on.
Top Ten Reasons Why BMW Riders Don’t Wave Back ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■
New Aerostich suit too stiff to raise arm. Removing a hand from the bars is considered “bad form.” Your bike isn’t weird enough looking to justify acknowledgement. Too sore from an 800-mile day on a stock “comfort” seat. Too busy programming the GPS, monitoring radar, listening to ipod, XM, or talking on the cell phone. He’s an Iron Butt rider and you’re not!. Wires from Gerbings is too short. You’re not riding the “right kind” of BMW. You haven’t been properly introduced. Afraid it will be misinterpreted as a friendly gesture PA G E 4
June 2006
Brief Summary of SAM AGM No 13 held on the 9th May 2006 Showing changes and updates NEW COMMITTEE: Officers: Gerry Gooch Colin Backhouse Rex W. Brittain Godwin Calafato Members: John Goodson Kevin Parsons Nigel Grace Kate Davies Ian Cooper Paul Nol Mark Nichols John Parvin
Chairman Vice Chair Group Secretary Treasurer Chief Observer Web Master Newsletter Editor Mechandising and Accounts Book Keeping Group Runs Co-ordinator Membership Secretary Special Events MDU Manager
Financial Statement: As at 9th May 2006 £3064.71 Change in Membership Fees as at 1st June 2006: At the AGM, following a direction from the last Committee Meeting, the fees were increased as follows:The new annual fee will be £20.00 voted unanimously with a late payment fee of £22.50 voted in by a majority. The new fee is to cover the ever-expanding costs as the group grows; larger hall size and the number of tasks we take on to keep the group’s interest. The late payment charge is to cover the costs involved in chasing up the late payers. All this, bearing in mind that we haven’t had a fee increase for at least three years, so we hope this meets with the approval of everyone. As a Committee we can only do what we think is best for the group, with a turn out of approx 25% of the membership at the AGM we hope this has been achieved. New Motorcycle Adviser Region 2: We had the pleasure of entertaining our new Motorcycle Adviser Region 2, Geoff Pretty in person. It was his first visit to any group within his domain and he reported back to the IAM very favourably. He also took on the task of getting an answer to a question asked by Mike West, “Should Associates be allowed to vote?” The IAM view has been that they shouldn’t and that it gives them an incentive to pass their test. Geoff will report back to us on this. Finally, the Committee would like to thank Kate Davies and Irene Parsons for the excellent preparation of the buffet. We donated a few items left to the Hall Staff who said they would place them in the refrigerator for the youngsters in the next group. Rex W. Brittain Group Secretary PS.Thanks for the free beer Rex. Gerry.
SAM b/w June 06
17/6/06
2:06 am
Page 4
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
BRAKING
By Andy Ibbot Brakes, who needs ‘em? In most cases when we enter a corner the brakes create more problems than they solve. We make a decision to go ‘faster’. So what do we do? e go as fast as we can down the next straight, head tucked in behind the screen. As soon as we are right in the ‘fear zone’, worrying about stopping in time, we jump up from behind the screen, grab a handful of right-hand silver lever, get the back of the bike swaying and moving in protest and then let go, tip in and - enter the corner at the same speed or slower than we wanted. Sheesh!
W
Does this sound familiar to you? It should, I have seen it time and time again both on the road and on the racetrack. So let’s take a look at exactly which brake does what and how to enhance the stoppers, rather than having them be the cause of too much scrubbed corner speed.
Rear Brake Ah, the rear brake. It’s as much use as a chocolate fireguard when you are riding at high levels of entertainment. You might see some racers using the rear brake for two reasons. One, because they feather it to bring the bike in tighter at the mid corner point. Two, to get the back end to step out and “back the bike in”. Neither of these will work on the road or on a local track day. You need a high degree of finesse to make this work, and it makes the process of cornering way too busy. There is little evidence that using
the rear brake mid corner tightens your line. If anything it just slows the bike down and the rider adds more lean to tighten his line.As for backing it in, I have seen some riders do this very successfully but with engine revs rather than the rear brake.
Think about it.The rear brake is at the back of the bike. How easy is it to lose traction when you have no weight to push it into the ground? Not convinced? Take a look at someone doing this and see if he can do it in both left and righthanders. I watched a rider do this into a right-hander at Knockhill recently. The result was an impressive looking slide, but he was too damned busy when he let the brake go to get the bike turned, that any advantage he might have had was lost by the apex. It looked way too busy and was taking away too much of his attention. There were riders who were faster into the corners without this technique.As for road use, the only time I use the rear is at really, really low speed - walking pace really.
Useful Web Sites Bike Safe Edge 44 www.hants.gov.uk/roadsafety/driverider/edge44.html BMF www.bmf.co.uk BMWs www.boxerbikes.co.uk IAM www.iam.org.uk Lois on the Loose www.loisontheloose.com Motorcycle World www.beaulieumotorcycleworld.co.uk NEC Motorcycle Show www.motorcycleshow.co.uk SAM Photosite www.solentadvanced.photosite.com SAM www.solent-advanced-motorcylists.co.uk The Highway Code www.highwaycode.gov.uk The Stage Post www.stageposthotel.co.uk Three Cross Motorcycles www.threecrossretail.co.uk/ Ultraseal Southampton www.ultraseal-soton.co.uk
Pubs Fleming Arms, Swaything, Southampton 02380 584358 Rose and Crown, Longburton Sherborne Dorset 01963 210202 Stage Post, High Street,West Lavington, Devizes 01380 813392 Barley Mow,Walderton, Nr Chichester 023 9263 1321 Let me know of any that you think could be included sam.newsletter@btinternet.com
After that I sometimes use it in the wet to keep the weight of the bike about 70/30 front to rear. Over use of the rear simply locks the wheel and you end up in all sorts of trouble. Think about it. The rear brake is at the back of the bike. How easy is it to lose traction when you have no weight to push it into the ground?
Front Brake Now this is where all the real braking takes place. It also shows just how useless the rear really is. Brake hard and the weight of the bike transfers to the front. The harder you brake the more weight is transferred until the back wheel could have left the ground completely. The problem with hard front braking comes when your attention switches from the brake to front tyre traction. The harder that front tyre digs in, the greater the worry of losing the front becomes. If you were to brake a little earlier, and have a good idea of where you wanted to set your speed, you’d be more accurate with your entry speed, and have more attention left to deal with turning the bike into the corner. Brake later and harder and all you will do is
June 2006
make a mistake on speed and end up going into the first part of the turn too slowly, and be left to try and make up the ground on the power. A limited idea, as you will be leant over and have less traction as a result. Be easy on yourself and have more time to set the corner up. What you lose in late braking you will more than make up in entry speed, with the ability to get on the throttle sooner and harder, giving you more exit speed. Even if you are a racer, the more gentle you start and end your braking, the less your attention will be spent on it making it easier to re-overtake the guy who have dived up the inside, all out of shape, and run in too hot. The only time this won’t work is when the rider who has just passed makes you stall on the throttle, thus making his mistake also yours. I have lost count of the amount of times I have got frustrated with other racers doing this, only to smirk at them on the exit of the turn because I could get on the gas sooner and harder.
Give yourself time and the rewards will be huge.
COMMITTEE MEMBERS AND OTHER CONTACTS Chairman:
Gerry Gooch
01329 832416
Vice Chairman
Colin Backhouse
02380 871642
Secretary:
Rex Brittian
01489 784398
Treasurer:
Godwin Calafato
02380 253109
Chief Observer:
John Goodson
02380 692959
Membership Secretary:
Paul Nol
023 9271 0929
Web Master:
Kevin Parsons
01329 280902
Events:
Vacant
Public Relations:
Vacant
SAM Rides Co-ordinator:
Ian Cooper
02380 410 690
Skills Development:
Colin Backhouse
02380 871642
Regalia:
Kate Davies
01962 840954
Newsletter:
Nigel Grace
01425 472021
MDU Manager
John Parvin
01329 284640
Special Events Co-ord
Mark Nichols
023 8065 0402 PA G E 5
SAM b/w June 06
17/6/06
2:06 am
Page 5
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
Whoops An ex-soldier has lost an appeal against a speed charge after claiming he mistook a cop’s speed gun for a “real gun” - and that he accelerated to avoid being shot ! Gareth Cooke showed photos of a Mac 10 machine gun in court to show how the mistake had been made. But he got three points, and had to pay £120 on top of original cost of £580.
Making Good Prog ress ...
CHIEF OBSERVER’S REPORT MAY 2006-05-27 or those of you that attended the AGM on the 9th May I apologise for being repetitive.
F
At last years AGM when Gary Harrison resigned from the position of chairman, I personally wondered how the new chairman could follow the excellent job that he did for three years. But as you all know Gerry was voted in as our new chairman by a marginal majority. I would like to thank you Gerry for exceeding my expectations in your role as chairman, with the enthusiasm and drive that you have provided to SAM. It goes without saying that it was your determination and hard work that the strictly come biking event on 7th May was such a success. Of course you didn’t do it single handed and thanks have to go to all the other helpers that assisted, but it was your enthusiasm that kick started the whole thing rolling. I think you deserve a big vote of thanks from all members and associates, you certainly have my thanks well done. As you all must be aware with all the mailings that have been banded about in relation to the strictly come biking event, it is the IAM fiftieth birthday this year. As a PA G E 6
committee we said wouldn’t it be great if we could achieve fifty passes this year, which at the time seemed a tall order. But we have managed to get 56 actual passes, which I think you will agree is quite an achievement. Obviously these passes are down to all the hard work of my fellow observers, thank you all for your time and dedication shown towards the associates over the last year. Did you know that collectively we have put in more than 1300 hours and travelled more than 25,000 miles, dedication towards the improvement of road safety I think you will agree. As you may recall at last years AGM I made mention of the fact that we had two lady observers, sadly this year we have lost both of them.We have also lost Chris Robinson from the committee and as an observer, although Chris and I didn’t always agree on some things I would like to take this opportunity to thank him for all his efforts in the past on the training front and he will be surely missed. But like I said earlier in my speech life goes on and I feel sure that Colin Backhouse although not as experienced as Chris will make sure that SAM still thrives on the training within the group thank you Colin. We have also lost two other observers this year in Keith Stubbington who has had to resign on health grounds and Michael Brown for changes to his shift
pattern and moving house. But we have had seven new qualified observers in Colin Backhouse, Ian Cooper, Colin Hitchcock, Colin Penman, Steve Carter, John Kennedy and Kevin Woodcock, all of whom have undergone their training, well done to you all and I hope you enjoy your time as an observer. The training sessions throughout last summer proved very successful, with some twenty or so new associates joining the group. Last Sunday was the first training session this year, where we had four joining and the training will continue on the first Sunday for the summer months with October being the last. I would also like to thank all the observers who assisted with the free assessed rides last year, along with the people who assisted with the classroom sessions.
Our current Observer status is Senior Observers Myself, Gerry Gooch, Peter Joss, Peter Johnson and Steve Clothier
Qualified Observers Matthew Jones, Mark Bowley, Kevin Parsons, Simon Fairburn, Gary Harrison, Peter Emmins, Roger Coe, David Spicer, Nigel Grace, Ian Cooper, Colin Penman, Kevin
Woodcock, Colin Hitchcock, Steve Carter, Colin Backhouse and John Kennedy. Kevin & Dave have 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 the other four that took part. For a better idea of the day please see separate story on p9.
John Goodson
SAM b/w June 06
17/6/06
2:06 am
Page 6
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
June 2006
Counter-Steering Solent Advanced Motorcyclists
SAM ADVANCED PLUTS MOTORCYCLE TES lls assessed? Would you like your riding ski
cycle Test will do just that. The SAM Advanced Plus Motor ir IAM members who have passed the The Test is designed for SAM would now like an independent Advanced Motorcycle Test and assessment of their riding skills. a Police Class 1 rider. The Test will be carried out by r ride. with a mark out of 100 for you ort rep n itte wr a e lud inc l wil It l coior IAM approved Observer, wil Sen M SA a is o wh er, thi Clo Steve will the SAM Advanced Plus Test and ordinate all matters concerning any SAM member who also offer help and guidance to requests such help. retary form are available from the sec Full details and an application Rex Brittain. Steve Clothier ator 24th May 2006 SAM Advanced Plus Co-ordin
Just because a motorcycle only has two wheels it doesn’t mean the way to steer it is as simple as you might think. In fact there are two distinct phases, depending on speed. At low speed you turn the handlebars in the direction you want to go, and lean the bike in the same direction. That’s quite straightforward. But at higher speeds, anything over 15-20mph, something strange happens: you have to put pressure on the bars in the opposite direction to the one you want to go! This is known as counter-steering. What is happening is that as the speed rises, the gyroscopic effect of the front wheel starts to dominate the bike’s steering. Gyroscopes have a very strange property - they turn forces through 90°. So when you steer the spinning front wheel away from the direction you want to go, it reacts by leaning into the corner. It sounds complicated, but fortunately your brain deals with all this subconsciously and it happens quite naturally. What you do notice though is the variation in feel of different types of bike, in terms of how they respond to your steering inputs through the bars.
Complements of the MCN PA G E 7
SAM b/w June 06
17/6/06
2:06 am
Page 7
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
June 2006
Three Into the darkness Blondes on Bikes
TOURING -
by Kev Raymond MCN
NO, not a bunch of lycra-clad poseurs from Lowestoft, but that stuff that fills in all the gaps when the sun goes down. A lot of bikers hardly ever ride in the dark, and when they do it’s often on well-lit motorways and urban roads. Add to that the ever-present light pollution in large parts of the UK, and it’s sometimes hard to work out why you need headlights at all.
ut head for the continent and it all changes. In most countries there’s far less lighting on urban roads and motorways, and with more space between big towns there’s less light pollution, so when it gets dark, it’s really dark. For many of us, the first time this becomes an issue is when we roll off a late-night ferry and find out the hard way just what it’s like to ride as if you’ve got your eyes shut. Your balance goes and you can’t plan ahead so effectively, so you wobble from one crisis to another. But short of bringing on carrots, what can you do to make it easier - and safer - to ride in the dark?
B
Night Rider’s Tips 1. Check your headlight. It’s surprising how many bikes’ lights are way out of adjustment. If you have extra weight on board due to a pillion and/or luggage, it’ll make it worse. So load the bike and set the lights as per your owners’ manual. Then go out and test it for real. You might consider a brighter build, but make sure your electrics can handle the extra load. Also make sure that if needed, you’ve corrected the dip pattern (usually by way of a few screws behind the headlight). Most bikes dip straight down, but some dip to the left - for continental riding they’ll need to be corrected to dip right. 2. Check your visor. The biggest problem is oncoming traffic dazzling you. Scratched visors break up light and frazzle your eyeballs, especially in the wet. Even a visor which looks fine in daylight can cause problems - if in doubt fit a new one. 3. Preserve your night vision. If cars are coming towards you, try not to look directly at the lights - look slightly to one side, so you can still see them out of the edge of your vision, but don’t get the full forces straight on into your eyes. It makes a LOT of difference. 4. Lay off the front brakes. Recognise this scenario? You’re riding along, you think you see a hazard, so you brake, the forks dive, the light beam is angled more downwards so you can see even less.... You brake even harder... the light beam angles down even more. It’s a very vicious circle. The cure is to use the rear brake more. 5. Slow down. You can’t see as far ahead, so it’s harder to plan your lines and potential escape routes, and you won’t see hazards like potholes, manhole covers or damp tarmac as easily as in the daylight. So you need to be doubly cautious, and leave yourself more of a margin for error than during the day. 6. Recognise when you’re getting tired. Don’t wait until you start nodding off, or until you can’t actually remember anything about the last 20 miles (we’ve all been there). Have a break every hour or so. Jump up and down, get the blood circulating, treat yourself to a serious coffee - no matter how good your headlight is, if your eyes aren’t open, it’s not going to be much help.
Editor Note
Don’t forget you need to be seen as well - wear a hi viz waistcoat or cross belt BE SAFE - BE SEEN PA G E 8
by Clare Gordon Smith Heard about “Ladies Who Lunch”? we put a slightly different twist on the concept. We’re not the most obvious grouping - an R1, a Triumph Sprint ST and a Harley 1200 Sportster (they’re all a variation on black, obviously). There’s no competition involved - we all ride like the good SAM members that we are (with the occasional blatt when we get an opportunity) - the goal is to have a good time. e assemble at a pre-arranged location and, depending on the weather (which direction looks the brightest), how much we’ve had to drink the night before, and a degree of spur of the moment devilment; we make off for a bike shop via some interesting roads. We avoid motorways unless absolutely necessary.
W
The reception we get can be varied. Some welcome us in and invite us to sit on their lovely shiny bikes, some just stand with their mouths open, dribbling slightly. They look around for our “blokes” (we’re obviously only riding pillion) and then they spot our collection of bikes - and wonder what on earth we’re doing together. If there is bike gear to be tried on, we try it. This has, on occasion, resulted in a bit of a fight over a particular pair of leather trousers and we usually emerge from the changing rooms looking slightly dishevelled - but always smiling. Which is more than can be said for the men who are sheepishly trying on either something a little too tight, a little too bright, or a little too expensive - on their own, and looking more than a bit guilty about it (or maybe they’re just intimidated by the three blonde birds jumping up and down to squeeze into those alpine star jobs). Having chosen which bike we’d have if we decided on a change, we move on, leaving the bike shop staff slightly bewildered. Time for more gear - find a second hand shop and try on silly stuff just for the hell of it. Oh, and take photos of each other for our own amusement later. When WOULD you wear those leather trousers with the zips from ankle to ar.....???
Along the way we inevitably come across other bike riders. Having spotted that we are indeed 3 females on bikes, some feel the need to impress us with their fast getaways, missed gears, wheelies, whatever. They are usually cussing us when we slide up next to them at the next set of traffic lights, having observed that we’d be on a red anyway by the time we all get there. They’ve got there early and used hard braking to stop - we’ve used our gears (and brains) and are ready for the green light coming up - and ride past them while they’re still selecting 1st. Nice. Lunch! It isn’t always strictly speaking “lunch” - but if we can find a nice pub serving good food, we may stay a while and have a bit of a catch up on important matters. However, sometimes we get so carried away enjoying the riding that we don’t get to eat until it’s time for afternoon tea cream tea, that is. In case you didn’t know, there are some excellent, and cheap, scones to be had at garden centres (I know, I know - you’re probably avoiding garden centres on a Sunday). We will be issuing a guide to the best cream tea establishments shortly. Several hours later, and with around 100 miles of lovely roads covered, we go our separate ways. Each time is better than the last, we vow to get out again as soon as possible, and ride home with grins on our faces. We are Ladies Who Lunch. Keep an eye out for us - we especially like Findon A280, Storrington A24, A283, Amberley, Bury B2139, Pulbourgh and Billingshurst A29, Winchester to Petersfield A272, Morestead A32, Portsdown Hill B2177, and Basingstoke A339... lovely roads.
SAM b/w June 06
17/6/06
2:06 am
Page 8
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
Alan Thomas Run
The week beginning the 22nd May arrived and the weather was not looking too good bearing in mind that there were a few things going on during the coming weekend with the club. One of those being a run which our Winchester area Examiner Alan Thomas had said he would like to lead.
e asked that only a small group be raised of no more than seven people for a run of around 300 miles.The date was chosen and the time set for the 27th May with an 8am start from Sutton Scottney services.
H
We decided to meet at Tesco car park so we all arrived together and not in dribs and drabs and the first thing on the agenda for our small group was the weather as it had been forecast for rain, rain, rain and more rain but Alan was keen to carry on, so off we went with fingers crossed for a dry run. We met Alan and his back marker Mark who turned out to be his brotherin-law at the services on time and after a quick brief we set off heading for Torquay via about 150miles with an earlier fuel stop than planned for Simon Petitt as he only has a small tank anyway it was a welcome stop for a leg stretch then on to the next stop via a great route which I think covered most types of roads but most of them were “B” roads and very windy. I think at one stage Colin Hitchcock managed to get both wheels off the ground when a small hump back appeared. By this time I think we all thought that we would have been soaked to the skin but we weren’t in fact I even had to have the sun shade down in my helmet on several occasions. Then as we progressed along we seemed to be going up and up as the clouds got lower and lower and we met in the middle this was a bit of a problem as the cloud moisture stuck to our
visors causing us to slow down somewhat, this luckily didn’t last too long as we came down out of the clouds and back into clear weather.We arrived in Torquay for lunch at about 13.30 and had lunch in the Langtree Hotel Bistro which looked very grand and as we walked in one of the waitresses asked her boss if we were Firemen (she was Polish) which put a smile on my face. On the homeward bound journey we went back up onto Dartmoor which turned out to be shrouded in mist and rain but nothing too heavy so we managed not to get too wet again but the going was a bit slower as we couldn’t see to far in front and where the road was going, at one point I could only see the bike in front of me due to the mist/fog and then a motorist came past us as though we were going backwards, we decided that he must have been driving on his SAT nav because you couldn’t see the road.We stopped for cream teas at a nice little place up in the hills and then continued our trip home after stopping for Simon again for fuel; we came back along the A30 Honiton then onto Dorchester, Blandford, and back into Stockbridge where we finished at about 8.30pm. All together the total journey put about 360 miles on the clock and I think I can speak for every person there that it is a journey that will stay with fond memories for some time to come and one which we could repeat for other club members in the future. One last thing I would like to say a big THANK YOU to Alan and Mark for organising a great ride even though at one stage Alan said to me “I liked that road, I’ve never been down that one before” fills you with confidence that he knows where he’s going.
Ian Cooper
June 2006
Grumpy Old Biker
I
n my search for something to moan about, I stumbled upon the Compendium of Motorcycling Statistics, an interesting document published by the Department for Transport on 18 May this year. The publication claims to provide a standard reference work for those with an interest in motorcycling. It contains some really interesting facts and figures which I will share with you. So first of all, what’s going down? The overall casualty rate (killed or seriously injured) was 26% lower in 2004 than in 1994. New motorcycle registrations, at 136 thousand, are at their lowest level for 7 years with scooters and sports bikes being the most popular types. The number of people taking the motorcycle test fell to the second lowest level for the past seven years. The MoT pass rate, which had steadily been increasing fell back to 79% in 2004/05, with faulty lights being the most common cause of failure. Motorcyclists made fewer trips per week in 2004 than they did in 1985 but the distance travelled and time spent on those trips has increased. And what’s going up? Motorcycle traffic has increased by 37% between 1994 and 2004 with bikes covering about 5.2 billion kilometres per year. 801 thousand motorcycles went through the MoT test in 2004/05, representing a large increase on previous years. The total number of motorcycles (both licensed and unlicensed) has increased by almost half a million over the last ten years. Now here’s a ticklish one, the pass rate for the motorcycle test is higher for men than women. However the pass rates for both men and women are higher than for motorcycle test than the car driving test. Don’t forget to lock it, as bikes are more likely to get stolen than cars. Not surprisingly the risk of theft is much higher for smaller bikes and scooters than big bikes. This fact should undermine the rock and roll image of some bikers - car drivers more likely to test positive when breathalysed than motorcyclists. Now I can’t sign off without having a moan about something, so my guest subject for this column is bus lanes. Having ridden into London a few weeks ago, I was struck by the sensible use of the bus lane on the M4 in allowing bikers to use it. So why not extend this principle to bus lanes in general? Surely separating motorcyclists from lanes clogged with cars must be a good thing. It might even encourage more car drivers to reduce congestion further by abandoning four wheels and taking up two. Seems like common sense to me, but then again there’s nothing common about sense. As always, ride safely and keep honing those skills.
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.
CURIOUS ANAGRAMS Astronomer = Moon Starter Desperation = A Rope Ends it The Morse Code = Here Come Dots Slot Machines = Cash Lost in Me Election Results = Lies - lets re-count Eleven Plus Two = Twelve Plus One Mother in Law = Woman Hitler PA G E 9
SAM b/w June 06
17/6/06
2:06 am
Page 9
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
June 2006
“Strictly come biking” By Dave Barrett
Every weather forecast before the “Strictly come biking” event seemed to indicate rain and lots of it for Sunday. I had visions of rain stopping play not in the sense that SAM guys would not venture out in the rain out but that any celebrity or VIP would think twice about turning up for a ride. Well they did turn up and out they went.
I
f there is anyone out there old enough to remember “Easy Rider” and Jack Nicholson (silly question) then you will recall he looked a little odd on the back of a bike with his American football helmet. I think he was asked if he had a helmet to which he replied “boy have I got a helmet”. There were some interesting helmets and jackets on display as our visitors mounted the pillion seat for the
ride around Hampshire. Not quite in “Easy Rider” league but close. Anyway just in case there is anyone out there who is not up to speed with “Strictly Come Biking” then let me recap on the event. It was organised as part of the 50 year anniversary of the IAM. The Rose Bowl was chosen to be the location for the event with invited guests
and SAM members enjoying lunch before setting off in carefully organised groups. With Gerry leading from the front,“volunteers” were found to do various tasks from organising the runs, arranging the PA system, the badges, the press and looking after the VIPs. Having been detailed to man reception I arrived at around 11.00 to find Simon busy sorting out the PA system. Within about 20 minutes there were half a dozen helpers there sorting out where to put the bike gear and sorting out the MDU (I have to say this looks great with the new display panels). The first hitch was that a cricket match was in progress and some nasty cars were parked just where the bikes were supposed to go.This was quickly sorted and people started to arrive. With 3 people on reception things went pretty smoothly as people arrived. We checked them, made sure they knew which ride they were going on and gave out badges. Those people taking out guests were linked up with each other. The Mayor and Mayoress of Eastleigh arrived to be met by Gerry. The Mayor cheered everyone up with a story about Nortons and Park Prewitt Hospital and not having been on a bike since the war. Well he did sit on several bikes during the afternoon as the photos will testify and he was very supportive of the event.
SAM - Sunday Presentation 2006 Starts at 12 noon at the Fleming Arms Sunday JULY 2nd Advanced Cornering
Kevin Parsons & Chris Robinson
Sunday AUG 6th Aims of Advanced Motorcycling Colin Backhouse Sunday SEPT 3rd Making Progress Safely
Steve Clothier
Sunday OCT 1st Observer Training
Chris Robinson
P A G E 10
After Lunch people donned their gear and the bikes lined up outside the MDU to be waved of by Jo Brooks from the Rose Bowl. Several people took advantage of the opportunity to go out for a ride. For Jason Hill, Marketing manager at the Rose Bowl it was a family affair with his Mum and Dad joining him for a pillion ride. (no not all on the same bike although you could probably get 4 people on the Triumph Rocket that Hilary was riding). As it happened her pillion was Tim Knight from Hampshire County Council. Tim enjoyed his ride and was not so windswept that he could not say a few words during the afternoon. With the press on hand, we had several guys from the Echo, the bikes set off. Everything went to plan - if it did not no one has told me and the Rose Bowl was suddenly very quiet.The Mayor and Mayoress stayed and talked for some time. I got talking to one of the Rose Bowl staff who was French and said the noise of the bikes reminded him of Le Mans. It was at this time that I wished I had gone out and remembered that I had lent someone my helmet. Not to be out-done I borrowed a yellow Shoei on the gear for loan table and went out for half an hour.
One by one the groups returned. I managed to talk to some of the guests who all enjoyed their rides. A fantastic cake appeared with 50 candles followed by several speeches supporting SAM and the event. Trevor Pembroke from the IAM dispatched the candles and spoke about the IAM, his support for SAM and the how much he had enjoyed the day. Over £200 was raised for the Hampshire Autistic Society and in every respect the day was a great success. A lot of work but the load was spread amongst many. From what I saw it all worked really well and was a really good showcase for SAM. Profile of the group raised and a good time had by all.
17/6/06
1:30 am
Page 3
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
Well that’s all right then - isn’t it..... It’s happened to us all; your rounding a round-about or approaching a junction - the driver stares straight ahead as if he/she has not seen you and pulls out... and it’s this “not seeing you” that now hands all responsibility back to you to avoid the accident - after all if the driver did not see you then how can they be responsible for the accident.
June 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
Winchester Wing Ding.
It’s this sort of thinking that I thought was just between me and these “dick-heads” that pull-out on me but now it appears that “As far as I was aware there was nothing there” is enough of a reason to get the driver off the hook. See the article “Motorbike rider’s death in crash is ruled an accident” in this Newsletter.
Celebrating 50 years of the IAM at the Rose Bowl Southampton 7th May 2006.
It happens to me at least once a week and I am after all difficult to see with my quarter tonne bike, big silver fairing, bright headlights, hi-viz jacket and white helmet. I now know why I signed up for a Skill-for-Life, it’s to stay alive and beat those idiots.... I recently took a coach to London and this gave me a wonderful insight into the difficult job that drivers have. From my elevated position in the coach, not only could I view the “goings-on” of car drivers but I could also see the antics of coach and lorry drivers. Driving the A31/M27/M3 is hard enough but to try and do it at 07.30 in the morning whilst half asleep and drinking coffee, eating sandwiches, using an electric razor, brushing their hair, knotting a neck tie with both hands off the wheel, reading maps, selecting a CD from a pile on the back seat, completing a crossword, programming the SatNav, and talking on the mobile phone - all whilst trying to maintain 80+mph - it just can’t be easy for them!
he newly refurbished MDU had its first venture of the season. Gleaming following the refurbishment during the winter it made its way, ably towed by Steve Carter to take up residence on the Friday night at Winchester Rugby Club. The event a ‘Wing Ding’, which is Gold Wing speak for a regional event to which all Gold Wing members are invited. These occur from Easter to the end of October and are held most weekends up and down the country and generally take the form of a camping event. Hampshire Gold Wing Club alternate with the Isle of Wight to host the first event of the season and this was the first time that Winchester Rugby Club has been used as a venue.
Spare a thought for the driver.... but watch him very closely - then spare another for Gary Reynolds who died when a black BMW X5 “emerged” from a service road on the A27 near Burseldon in Southampton. (See paper cutting on p4).
Steve Mills from the Hampshire Gold Wing Club (Hamsters) suggested some of their members needed a bit of tuition hence the invite to SAM.
Nigel Grace Editor
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 PA G E 2
June 2006
T
The first task amongst the wiling volunteers with little experience in setting up the MDU was to ensure the doors and steps were in place.That was all accomplished without too much fuss. Next how do we get the flag pole in Place? We struggled to stand on the side of the steps. Time to invest in a small pair of steps or insist all future volunteers are to be at least 6 ft 3 tall. With the flag successfully in place, now how about starting the generator. Lots of attempts the odd splutter but to no avail. Plenty of petrol and choke engaged. After about an hour, reference to the instruction manual seemed a good idea. How about the fuel switch? First time it fired up!!. With all set up it was time for the first assessed ride.This was for Nigel to sort out. Not too much of a problem you might think but this was a trike. Now that was a challenge particularly on positioning at corners. There were plenty of gleaming chrome accessories for the guys and gals to buy plus cleaning products and a small selection of clothing. With around 300 to 400 gold wings present over the two days there were plenty of wing models to see with various degrees of customisation.The most expensive bikes being on display were a pair of 1800 GL’s with customised paint and other goodies valuing the bikes at around 50 k each.
One regular visitor to the Gold wing events was a gentleman from Canada who spends the summer in England visiting all the wing dings. However as age passes on he advised this might be his last year. Although we were invited to stay for the light show in the evening none of us were able to attend but we were advised that most of Winchester was lit up and planes for Eastleigh were diverted to ensure that they did not mistake the display for the landing lights. We were blessed with good weather and during the afternoon of the Sunday our intrepid secretary took off on a tour of the camp site on his borrowed trike. Figure of eights posed no problem as he kept his balance. Still I do not think he was tempted just yet. A letter of thanks was received from the Hampshire Gold Wing Club to thank all the volunteers who helped tow, man and observe over the two days. Generally a good two days were had by all.
more pics on page 12
▼
bike June 06
P A G E 11
bike June 06
17/6/06
1:28 am
Page 1
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
June 2006
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 Slow Riding Event
progress
Answers via email to:
sam.newsletter@btinternet.com
Some very wobbly riding took place.We had a Slow Ride Race and the eventual Winner was Peter Emmins (Super Blackbird) who beat Chris Robinson (Pan 1300 by about half a second). Silly blue hat on the right of the group was David Brugier Bruguie who ran the event.
Winning caption for last issues caption competition:
June 06
INSIDE p2 Wing Ding
Think, before you drink, before you pose!
Really good day and we hope to run another for the Members.
p7
Strictly come biking ... continued
Counter Steering
Mayor & Mayoress of Eastleigh
p8
Dr Tamayo (Sam member)
Sally & Natasha with Gerry
After Lunch people donned their gear and the bikes lined up outside the MDU to be waved off by Jo Brooks from the Rose Bowl. DISCLAIMER Most of the views expressed in this SAM Newsletter are personal to the author and publication does not imply endorsement of any article, any author or any organisation. Views expressed are those of the authors, and are not necessarily in accordance with the policies or the views of the IAM or SAM. Where articles are reproduced from other publications or authors, unreserved acknowledgement is given to the source. No responsibility is accepted by the Editor or SAM for any damage to intelligence or riding abilities, howsoever caused, which might result from reading this publication.
P A G E 12
Help us make progress with a contribution towards the next issue. Pics in jpeg format please.
Newsletter email address is sam.newsletter@btinternet.com
Design & artwork by KF:D LTD Fordingbridge, 01425 654557
Mike Smith at Silverstone
Girls just want to have fun
p9 Grumpy Old Biker
p10 Strickly Come Biking
Steve James on a track day
Registered Charity No. 1097558