s d e e d dirty
hash tag s e l i m d n a s e l i m fat boy pain
r e r u s a e the tr February 2018
Ed Quarters Welcome to February's issue of the magazine. Whilst there may not be a lot of riding going on for some of us more “fair weather riders”, now is the perfect time to get your diaries in sync with all the good rides that the Chapter have got going on this year. The first one in my diary for this year comes on the very day we optimistically step into British Sumer Time. Sunday 25th March sees a ride to Sammy Millers Museum. There is a great collection of bikes (a few of which I have previously owned the same model. Made me feel rather old seeing them in a museum). I, for one, am really looking forward to the riding weather returning and getting out there, just for the joy of it. Once I got my diary (at least partially) straight my mind has been working on those little tweaks and changes I would like to make to my Wide Glide during this year. Already my wallet is cramping at the thought of it. These aren’t major changes so I think that it is over reacting somewhat. I wonder what changes you've been making during the dark months? Why not let me know? Perhaps you will star in next issues Reader Rides. As always, I need your input to make this magazine work. This month to: we have some great articles from a great group of contributors. I ons rg.uk i s is o bm og. .uk look forward to hearing from you soon. r su lleyh mag Ride safe and have fun! Andy
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Inside this issue
Front cover
February / March Birthdays Dirty Deeds from Reading Harley Davidson
Page 2
Ed Quarters
Page 4 - 7
Westie Writes
Page 8 - 9
Ladies of Harley
Page 10-13
Battle of the Kings entry - Dirty Deeds
February Vanessa Augustus 18th Lawrie Drysdale 23rd Silvie Pritchett 25th Joanne Green 29th
March Susan Sheppard 1st Carl Johnson 1st Alan Nash 1st
Page 14 - 15
Fat Boy Pain
Page 16
TV Times
Page 17
The Valley Rally
Louise White 2nd Grant Oxtoby 4th Ralph Ward 5th Mike Benson 5th Phil Brown 6th
Page 18 -21
The Mileage Program
Page 22 - 23
The Treasurer
Page 24
Bowling Night
Page 25
LOH Dinner
Page 26 - 27
#Hashtag
Page 28 - 29
Saturday Social
Page 30
Mileage Winners
Page 31
Reader Rides
Back cover
Meet the Committee
Happy Birthday to you all.
The birthdays shown are between Club Nights. If I've missed you or got something wrong, drop the Editor a quick note.
Huge thanks to all who have sent copy in for this month's magazine: Chris C, Nick W, Cilla P, Linda F, Beefy T, Gill M, Jo G, Sue K, Lesley L, Jamie, & Mark P. :-)
Hi folksl, Like me, many of you are probably hoping that we have seen the worst of the winter and the next month or so will bring us some “ride friendly” weather. With the Reading Toy run cancelled this winter my bike has had very few outings. To those who have found the time and the odd break in the weather to get out, very well done ! At the time of writing this piece I am just back from this years National Directors and Dealers Meeting in London. We learned about some changes that HD are making to the way they set out their dealer territories. The changes are to help the online booking system place test ride bookings closer to people’s homes. Many dealers’ territories will remain largely unchanged but the reshaping will allow the opening of new dealerships in Newmarket and Cardiff this year and will see the relocation of the Edinburgh and Manchester Dealerships. We also heard that the National Ladies Of Harley team are arranging six Sparkle Tours across the country and a Twinkle Tour for the Pillion and Non riding LOH members in the South of England. The team made particular mention of the support from Reading HD and members of TVHOG who participated in, and supported last year’s tour. Riders purchasing New Harley bikes this year will be issued with the new Harley Passport to Adventure in their customer handover pack. These packs being issued by the dealer at the point of purchase and the full printed HOG membership card to follow in the mail. We also heard that the Harley Assist package has now been amended to remove the “age clause” which meant that some motorcycles (over a certain age) did not qualify for the cover. Harley Insurance has also made some changes to add some benefits since
recent price rises (rises across the industry, not just at HI). They now added cover to assist with loss recovery (excess and No Claims bonus entitlement) for incidents with uninsured drivers. They are also introducing added discounts for customers who renew year on year. All 2018 policies come with Harley Assist and £1250 helmet and leathers cover. And finally, if you choose Harley Insurance, you will get free 365 day European cover. If any ONE trip is planned to be longer than 90 days you must contact them to have the standard term extended for free. People who already have policies with HI can also look forward to a new product to insure their car as a part of a deal for both! Thames Valley will again be sending three candidates for Roadcrew training in March and we are actively monitoring the progress of current trainees to take a place on the September course at Oxford. HOG are about to introduce a new Group Riding Course in the Spring. This is a course to help introduce riders to group riding concepts and is NOT a Road Captain training course. It is aimed at building confidence for riders who have had little or no exposure to group riding or for those looking to improve their confidence when riding in Chapter Groups. The course will be a single day and held at the Oxford HQ. Costs are yet to be finalised but likely to be somewhere in the region of £20-£30 for the day. Courses will be scheduled based on demand. The 2017 National Chapter Challenge came out as follows: Top Chapter Miles - Dunedin Chapter (656481 miles) Top Male Rider Award - TBD Top Female Rider - 1066 Chapter (Bev Beechy @ 15,283 Miles) Best Average - St Leger (10794 miles) Top 10 Riders Award - Hogsback The missing award and final results will be published by HOG shortly. The Thames Valley Chapter Challenge results are published on page 18.
Preparations for the 115th Anniversary events in Milwaukee and Prague are well under way and many HOG members have already finalised their plans for a trip to one of the two locations. We are aware that many people will be arranging departures to the events at different times to fit their availability and so at this time there is no plan to arrange a single ride into Europe for the Prague event. I know that some of you are finding small groups of people with similar schedules to try to co-ordinate a little better. I am discussing with our committee experts to try to find a way for our group to look each other up when they are at the event. Watch this space. The Valley Rally plans are going well and at last count we were over a third of the tickets sold with people coming from Ireland, Dunedin, Great Western, Hogsback and Oxford Chapters. We have many from Thames Valley too but we would like to see more so please don’t leave it too long. book your ticket and help yourself to a piece of the action. Our deal on hotel rooms will expire soon and after that, rooms will revert to normal pricing and availability. Right now, you can get room at a special price of £55 per night. To take advantage of the offer you must call the hotel direct on 01494 680929 and ask for Kishor. Let him know you are booking for the Rally on the special rate and he will book you in. If you get the auto-director answer system please choose the hotel reception option (usually option 3) as if you choose other options your call will go to a call centre and they will not be able to associate your booking with the offer. Since our last Clubnight I have fielded a few questions about the size of the committee. To clarify, we have only 2 new positions this year on the sitting committee, these are the experimental posts of charities and social media officers. I have been fulfilling two roles and so the appointment of a new Safety Officer will mean a third person at the committee table and of course we have not had a Head Road Captain at the Club for a number of years now so this has added a fourth person to the table. The remaining officers will be offering support to the team through added help with photography and activities. So ... onto our most recent events and those coming up. The Ladies Of Harley Christmas Party at the Stafferton Lodge on Friday 26th
January was well attended and by most reports was a fun evening. I am sure you will hear more about it later. The calendar has been heavy with social events through the winter period but things will start to change over the coming weeks and months as we hopefully say farewell to the frosty mornings and the dreaded road gritting.
Coming up over the coming months…. On Saturday 17th Feb, we have yet another of our Saturday Social gatherings at the Shire Horse on the A4 near Littlewick Green. Full details in the calendar. If you fancy a trip out to the Ace Cafe on Thursday 22nd Feb, they have another of their regular monthly Harley nights. On Saturday 24th Feb, I invite you to join Mike Wilson and I as special guests at the unveiling of the bikes entered by staff at the dealership in the Great Reading Bike Build Off! The reveal at 2pm will be followed by deliberation of the judges at 3pm before awarding the Best Bike accolade. Following this, the winning team will be awarded a prize for “first to sell”. As a first for this type of thing, it will surely be a great event…. if you are doing something else that day, postpone it .... you will want to be at the Dealership! Check the calendar for other events and news. Our next Club night will be on Thursday 15th March. Here’s to a fab new year. It’s going to be a good one. I still cannot believe that 2018 will be our first Chapter Rally for over 10 years! If you are looking to take a hotel room, please note that our bulk reservation deal runs out in Early March (£55 a night). After this date you are back to the national rate scheme which can cost up to £79 a night and closer to the date maybe even more. Don’t leave it too late … get your tickets and book your room now. Be safe peeps …. and have fun,
Nick
Hi Ladies, I’m super stoked to be representing you all as your Ladies of Harley Officer this year. A bit of background for those of you who don’t know me, I’ve been a member of the Chapter for around two years, spending most of that time as a pillion but at the end of last year I passed my test and now ride a Sportster 1200T. Some of you may also know me from one of my favourite hobbies which is cake baking and decorating, having made cakes and biscuits for various chapter events over the last year or two. Hopefully I’ll have plenty of opportunities to practice my hobby and share the results with you this year. In the December magazine, I wrote that 2017 was definitely my year given I’d passed my bike test and got married…well 2018 is going to be OUR year!! I’m hoping to fill our calendar with a mixture of old favourites as well as some new activities or ones we haven’t organized for a while. Even though I have a few things up my sleeve, I wholeheartedly welcome your thoughts, ideas and suggestions for rides and events you’d like to participate in, so I encourage you to drop me a line. In this month’s magazine we have our very own Jo, Gill and Sue K giving us some more detail on how they achieved their recent success in the Chapter Mileage challenge. Great work ladies! There is a new feature called ‘Reader’s Rides’ and Mark didn’t take much arm twisting to be the first to show off his bike. It’d be great if some of us ladies could showcase our rides. So, don’t be shy, put pen to paper (well, fingers to keyboard) and send your submissions to our editor, Andy.
We’ve already kicked off the year with our first Ladies of Harley event. On 26th January, 14 of us met for Christmas dinner at the Stafferton Lodge. Many of us were dutifully chauffeured by our menfolk so that we could partake in a tipple or two, and I must say a great night was had by all. I was certainly impressed by the gigantic Yorkshire puddings – I wish the ones I cooked turned out like that! A huge thank you goes out to Shirley for organizing our evening. This week, I have had my place confirmed on the Sparkle Tour South East which is taking place in September, which I am hugely excited about. This will be a 350 mile tour incorporating five Harley Davidson Dealerships across the South East. Ladies will be taking in lots of scenic riding across two National Parks, one historic castle, one long tunnel and one amazing high rise Royal bridge! This year, there are seven tours taking place across the length and breadth of the country. If this sounds like something you’d like to join in with, please contact me and I will point you in the right direction. Who said Christmas only comes once a year? After the success of last year, we are planning on having a Ladies weekend away in Weymouth this November. Further details are due to be released shortly. Last but not least, I’d like to say a big thank you to Lou for looking after us over the last year. Lots of memories were made and laughter shared by all of us. ‘Til we meet again!
Cilla P Thames Valley Ladies of Harley Officer loh@thamesvalleyhog.org.uk 07525 462186
Dirty Deeds Reading Harley Davidson, Battle of the Kings entry.
Having been involved last year in rescuing a genuine barn find 1943 WLC ’45, Reading H-D wanted to recreate a bike with a similar patina of many hard miles ridden across country and a ‘shed built’ evolution into a unique custom bike. “Dirty Deeds” has been influenced by the team at Reading Harley-Davidson – along with a huge amount of involvement from the future owner – to create many one-off aspects to this bike, and been beautifully put together by Jimmy Soru in the workshop.
Trying to replicate a 1943 Harley-Davidson WLC to the last bolt thread is never going to be easy. Getting the paint to look spot on has been a huge challenge for Gary at Surrey Customs. However, the crew at Reading Harley-Davidson feel he has absolutely nailed it. The plated rear fender and Turbo air cleaner hark back to the days of using what you had lying around to keep you on the road… built, not bought!
H-D Brass Collection: hand grips, footpegs, engine covers etc. Other components: Hugger-style rear fender – hand finished with a surprise! Garrett turbo machined and modified into an air cleaner/intake Hand fabricated/modified exhaust system. Amen Sportster fuel tank with custom modifications.
Fat Boy Pain. This is a story of stress and pain of a new member to this exclusive club, and a brief history of Chris Cory. I was a police officer until I retired several years ago, and left as a Detective in charge of a crime unit in Amersham. Initially I had aspirations to be a motorcyclist on traffic department, and as such was selected to go on an advanced motor cycle course. I passed after several weeks, without giving away how long ago this was that I rode a Triumph 650cc Saint!!! I later changed direction in my aspirations and rather than booking Hoggers for speeding, I wanted to catch robbers for thieving. I later joined the Serious Crime Squad, and amongst other things was their motorcyclist. This time I had a 1000cc BMW (WOW). I did get observed doing a horrendous speed in Gatwick, NEEDLESS TO SAY I COULDN'T BE CAUGHT, AND GOT BEHIND THE CAR I WAS FOLLOWING. I have had various motorcycles throughout my life and decided about three years ago to do the sensible thing and buy a Harley. I attended an open meeting at Earley, and much to the surprise of my wife Jac, bought a 1200 Sportster. The salesman at this time was Adrian, whom I trusted, although I did say that my ultimate bike would be a Fat Boy. After several years of saving and enjoyable riding my Harley around the country I decided to take the plunge and buy my dream. A Fat Boy. I picked up the motorcycle from Earley and rode it to my home in Spencers Wood, a distance of about four miles. I put my bike in the garage and decided not to ride it until after my big birthday party a couple of days later. I didn't want to have an accident and ruin my party at a local pub for about seventy people. The date was 22nd June 2017, which is now implanted in my mind. After putting the bike to bed I realised I had locked myself out. No problem, put the ladder up against the brick pillar, get on top of the pillar, then pull the ladder up and lower it into the back garden. . . Oh Dear. Fell off the pillar , onto back , and couldn't move. Nice persons arrived in ambulance, cut off all my clothes and gave me some lovely Morphine. The lady para told me the air ambulance was coming and was going to land in the field next to my house. As the helicopter was landing, because the grass had just
been cut, the mowing were thrown into the air and started landing on me. I didn't know how far treatment extended on the National Health Service , but it does cover a chesty blond laying over you to prevent you from being covered in grass! The flight from Reading to Oxford is faster than a stage three Fat Boy as it only takes twelve minutes. The lovely morphine was given again , and I was pushed into the scanner. Doctors told me the good news that I wasn't in need of an operation, but had only broken eleven ribs, my collar bone and hip, My delirious reply , to ask how long before I could ride my Fat Boy. Luckily they assumed I wasn't being vulgar, but just delirious with the drugs.
I left hospital on the 27th June, my birthday, and just before being picked up I was asked if I had been to the toilet. In an unguarded reply, not aware of the consequences, I was given an enema!!! I arrived home, and before embracing my wife, went into the garage and embraced my Fat Boy, I know you understand the true meaning. In the weeks that followed I managed to enter the garage on a daily basis and start her up. I was unable to pull in the clutch due to a partly paralysed hand. I was also unable to balance the bike due to the pain in my hip. I decided that when I could accomplish both without pain I would ride the bike. In the weeks that followed I was able to visit the person who sold me the bike, namely a fellow member called Jason who greeted me with "Is the bike okay?" I replied " I didn't fall off the bike, I fell off the bloody wall" He managed to put a Harley badge on my walker, and then listened smiling all the time to my story. On the occasions I visited the Harley Dealership in Earley I was greeted with usually "Why are you walking like John Wayne?" I was always made to feel welcome, although I got the underlying vibe : I hope the customers don't think he's fallen off one of our bikes, they must be dangerous. It was four months of pain and impatience before I could take my beloved machine onto the road, but still short journeys only until next summer. I finish my introduction story saying that Jason talked me into joining the club, and I with my wife Jac attended the December meeting and found everyone to be welcoming and friendly, and look forward to many more meetings or rides.
Saturday, 17 February Saturday Social – Shire Horse, Littlewick Green. Thursday, 22 February Ace cafe Harley Night (open event)
CLUB NIGHTS March 15th April 19th May 17th June 21th July 19th
Saturday, 24 February Reading bike build off Tuesday, 6 March Committee Night (closed event) Thursday, 15 March Club Night (closed event) Saturday, 17 March Saturday Social – Lands End, Twyford
MAGAZINE CONTRIBUTION DEADLINES March 1st April 5th May 3rd June 7th July 5th
Contributions to the magazine.
Sunday, 18 March Pioneer Run Saturday, 24 March Guildford Harley Birthday Bash Sunday, 25 March Sammy Millers Museum Thursday, 29 March Ace cafe Harley Night (open event) The Valley Rally Beaconsfield Town FC 29th June - 1st July 2018 Please check the website for the latest on all rides.
There are many ways you can help the magazine. You can email your articles and photos to: editor@thamesvalleyhog.org.uk You can upload your articles and photos direct to the magazine by visiting: www.tvhogmag.uk from your computer or mobile device. You can upload your photos directly to the magazine from the Chapter's Team App. Members Only - Articles to the Magazine Editor.
TV HOG 2017 Chapter Mileage Challenge Mark Peck
11093
Gary Webb
5239
Malcolm Poulter
10519
Pat Adams
4970
John Coyler
9685
Mike Joiner
4803
Don Wibberley
9222
Tony Robson
4708
Paul Houghton
9072
Mike Walters
4113
Ron Jackson
8783
Mike Wilson
3987
Con Spathas
7873
Fred Cotsford
3629
Gill Major
7793
Mick Friend
3535
Mark Stephens
7586
Ralph Ward
3182
Sue Knight
7429
Sue Moyler
3055
Jo Green
7308
Ed Wyatt
2916
Mike Connolly
7143
Graham Richards
2903
Barry Adams
6996
Mike Joiner
2770
Frank Mirtle
6849
Jon Harris
2740
Chris Smith
6693
Thelma Bryant
2735
Nick West
6657
Andy Wayte
2477
Dave Knight
6396
Shirley Churchill
2399
Elaine Shepherd
6339
Paul Bromley
2241
Thelma Bryant
6214
Keith Edwards
2063
Alan Miles
5865
Bernie Dodds
1934
Ray Shepherd
5494
Andy Tunley
1898
John Green
5456
Dave Brown
1886
Hayley West
5356
Ian Goldswain
1788
Kevin McLoughlin
5297
Hugh Hughes
1124
Only Mileage over 1000 miles are shown here. Anyone who missed the start and/or end of season verification sessions may not be included in the list above. For National Chapter Challenge and The HOG Mileage Program, all miles (regardless of whether you attend verification sessions) are entered! The dealership will automatically update your Mileage at the verification sessions (beginning and end of season) but it you would like a mid - term entry made please contact the Head Road Captain.
CHAPTER MILEAGE CHALLENGE? ACCEPTED! Sitting at Thames Valley Club night in January, having arrived in total darkness and rather wet – it was great to have something that reminded us of better weather and fun times. The results of the Chapter Mileage Challenge. In a brief recap of the 2017 riding season, Director Nick West read out the results of the highest recorded mileages for the Chapter. Out of the top 15 names – 3 were lady riders. First for the ladies was Gill Major (8th position overall), 2nd was Sue Knight (10th position overall) and 3rd was me (11th overall). So the ladies and I thought it would be good to write a little bit about how the mileages were made up and the fun that we had out on the road. My year started really with lots of riding and practice before attending the excellent Road Captains Course in March. Plenty more miles followed with various ride outs with the Chapter, including my qualifying ride. The Jake Spicer Toy Run, Hoggin The Bridge, Ace Café Bike Night, The Bike Shed, the Ladies World Record Attempt in Wales and the One Day Run (Lowestoft to Lands End), a few rallies (The Cider Rally, Convergence, Blazin Blitz (where my bike won Best in Show and the Mayors Choice Award) added to the total. Several reccies for the Sparkle Tour with National Ladies of Harley Officer Elaine Shepherd followed, plus of course, the actual Sparkle Tour South in September. The most fun miles for me and just how great is it that I get to do it all again in September 2018 heading up the Sparkle Tour South East?!. The biggest chunk though was a 1650 mile solo trip around Scotland’s NC500 route in June. Awe inspiring scenery and empty winding roads blew me away and I can’t wait to go back. I am sure I have missed things off – but what a year! A total of 7308 miles...I am tickled pink for Gill Major winning 1st for the ladies and many congratulations to Sue Knight for 2nd. Inspirational ladies both. Jo Green, Thames Valley Chapter Road Captain and Sparkle Tour South East 2018 Host
“... and with 7,793 miles the Winner of the Ladies Chapter Challenge Mileage is...” well it was a huge surprise that it was ME!! It was one of those moments when the brain is whirring “...mmm think I may be close to that...” and suddenly I had the envelope in my hand with the 1st Prize. So, as I had literally gone from 0 to 7,793 in a year (until Oct 2016 I was the pillion with no intentions to ride, but my hubby’s health issues forced a rethink) how did those miles tot up? Well, we started off the Riding Season gently with a few practice miles around our local area (Bracknell, Berks), swiftly building up to regular 70 mile round trips to H Cafe, Oxon. I rode for the first time on the Jake Spicer Toy Run at Easter – what an exciting ride! With a Police escort approx 100 bikes rode from Abingdon to the John Radcliffe Children’s Hospital. I (with hubby as pillion) then joined Sue and Dave Knight in a trike convoy to St Tropez for the EuroFestival in May. In June we headed off to North Wales for a brilliant weekend and some very challenging, windey miles with Chapter friends and to Cirencester in August for the Chapter Convergence Rally and another challenging ride-out. At the end of August we rode to Scotland via Penrith for the Thunder in The Glens Rally. I had taken part as pillion in the Parade Ride before, but what a buzz to actually ride that route with the hundreds and hundreds of spectators, waving and filming. In September we flew to Florida for a family holiday and hired a trike for a day, so I got to ride a fantastic circular route from Fort Meyers Six Bends Dealership to Arcadia, then to Port Charlotte Black Widow Dealership, getting caught in an almighty T-storm on our way back to Fort Meyers. I also had fun riding on Jo Green’s qualifying ride out as a Road Captain, taking on my first ever drop-off and then a Chapter ride out to North Leach Prison. So was it a good decision to buy a trike and get riding?.... Oh yeah! Gill Major Thames Valley Chapter
The journey of my 7,000+ miles this year started at the beginning of May with our ride to St Tropez for the annual Euro Rally. We went with Gill and Paul Major, Gill on her first ride abroad. We did about 1,500 miles there and back in just about every kind of weather – no, it didn’t snow on the way down, but almost! Then, at the end of June, Dave and I went to the Euro Rally in Lugano, Switzerland. A lovely ride taking in some beautiful scenery and such a lovely setting for a rally, right on the lake. Again, around a 1,500+ mile journey. In July I went to the World’s Largest Female Biker Meeting, in Shropshire. This was the first major ride I’d done on my own. Just under 350 miles round trip and I have to say it was one of my most enjoyable rides. I loved being able to ride as fast as I liked and only stopped once for petrol. We broke the world record with 1,132 lady riders, including 5 or 6 other Thames Valley members. At the beginning of September it was time for my favourite rally, European Bike Week at Lake Faaker See in Austria. I love the journey to this rally, this time staying in Belgium, Luxembourg, France and Germany. We met Paul and Julie Houghton there (staying in the same hotel) and Malcolm Poulter , also both from Thames Valley Chapter, who was staying a few miles away. It’s a huge rally around the lake with 70,000 bikes and 120,000 people attending last year. I accidentally did my first mountain pass on the way there, when a tunnel was closed and we followed the detour signs. It didn’t register that we would be going over the mountain… This trip clocked up another 2,000 miles. The day after we returned I was up and on my way to Reading to meet up for the Sparkle Tour South 2017. A fantastic ride with 20 amazing ladies, so well organised with every detail thought out and taken care of. Planning at its finest! Another 350+ miles. Blazin’ Blitz was our last rally but only about 150 miles. We had planned and booked for Ride to the Wall but unfortunately were ill. So, with a few extra rides throughout the year, this is the brief version of my 7,000+ mile Harley journey in 2017. Sue Knight Historian, Thames Valley Chapter
The Treasurer My first introduction to motorcycling was trying to ride a 125cc in Gerrards Cross Golf course car park, it didn’t end well. The bike ended up in a flower bed with flowers going everywhere. Next experience was pillion on the back of a Kawasaki sports bike, knees up round my ear holes and needing a crane to lift me off at the end of any ride. However both of these experiences gave me pause for thought and I decided that I would learn to ride my own bike and be in control. With this in mind I took my CBT. It took me two days, as I really did not have any experience riding a bike (let’s forget the flowerbed) but once completed I was off and running. I had borrowed a CG125cc from a friend and spent the next six months riding this little bike everywhere I could, clocking up over 2,000 miles. After completing my theory test I then booked in for some lessons to make sure I didn’t have any nasty habits and then my bike test. I went along to the test centre in Aldershot, got all the radio gear on to be told that it wasn’t working and that they would have to reschedule. Two weeks later along I went again, and after a little hiccup, where I couldn’t get the bike started, (She was an old girl with a dodgy kick start, why do we do these things) I passed with flying colours. That was back in 2002. Such a long distant memory. I was over the moon, I could now start to ride my Honda Hornet 600cc, that I had already bought and had been sitting in the shed all lonely. I loved that bike, it had a really noisy exhaust that I had spent hours polishing out the ‘not for road use’ sign (well I was young) and I really enjoyed riding it. We went to France with all the camping gear on our bikes for a week. Got left behind in Le Havre (no drop off system then) and just had a great time. I did lose
my passport and had to go back to the last camp site where it had fallen on the floor and been recovered. Phew! Good way to get a few more miles in. That week we did over 1,000 miles, and the roads over there are so much better. Anyway I then met Jamie and well what can I say, he borrowed the bike a few times and then decided to get his own. A little while later, after he got his, I bought a brand new Hornet. It was just never the same as my old one and I never really got on with it. Shame. So when Jamie said do you want a dog I jumped at the chance (I had waited 20 years for this). We then traded in the two bikes and he bought (you guessed it) a Kawasaki sport bike. Deja vu. After a couple of years he did trade this in for our first Harley, a Rocker C, very shiny. Not very comfortable on the back though, perched on a postage stamp, so a little while later we bought the Road glide special we have now. We love this bike and the arm chair on the back is much better. I would get another bike if I had the money and have sat on many that I feel are a really good fit. (John’s bike at the Christmas club night is an example), but I need that winning lottery ticket. I have now been accepted as the Treasurer (third time lucky) and I am looking forward to being able to contribute to the club a lot more this way. I am an accountant by trade and work for a SME in Wokingham that manufactures medical equipment. So hopefully I will be able to add value to the club with this experience. Here’s hoping for a fantastic 2018. Lesley Lederer treasurer@ thamesvalleyhog.org.uk
Massive Bowling A fantastic evening of bowling. Mark Peck turned out to be a bit of a dark horse. Apparently he used to bowl for Portsmouth at one point. Apparently there are videos of the going-ons but these have been hushed away under sworn secrecy.
LOH Dinner The LOH dinner was excellent. Fourteen of the Chapter's Ladies enjoyed good food and good company. The food was made even more enjoyable as we had a voucher for money off.
The ladies bought Shirley a mug with the photo from Southampton dealership, when we stopped there on our way to Weymouth last year.
Linda
#Hashtag Hi, As you may be aware, this year the committee have decided to create a new position for managing "social media". Or, in other words, manage our internet presence in places like Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and others. Basically, those places on the internet where we can chat, joke, share photos, experiences and boost the club public image and profile outside of the website. I am fortunate to have been elected into this new role and am very much looking forward to helping you our members, and prospective members alike, keep in touch, stay informed and have fun through our social media outlets. So, welcome to #Hashtag - what I hope this is the first of a series of articles explaining our plans, what we have available, where to find it and, ultimately, how to use it. I intend to run these in conjunction with dealership visits and club nights so that any members that might not be so internet-savvy can learn and join in the fun too. If you need any help or have any suggestions, then please reach out and let me know (contact details at the end). The place I would like to start our journey is in Facebook as most members have access and already use it in some form or other. The chapter currently has a page and some members have in the past created some chapter-related groups. We are planning that the chapter page will be adapting over the coming weeks and months to act as our advertisement of chapter activity, community participation and generally advertise ourselves to a wider audience beyond just our immediate membership. Following some basic checks, the ability to place information or "posts" on the page will become limited (or "moderated" to the use the correct term) to make sure information placed on the page remains relevant to our intended audience. Wherever possible we will encourage all our membership to visit, "like" and "share" our page on Facebook to help increase the awareness of our club and hopefully help attract new members too.
Page Name: Thames Valley Harley Owners Group Link:
https://www.facebook.com/thamesvalleyhog.org.uk/
As the chapter page adapts to a new role, so we plan to create and adapt groups specifically administered by the chapter that will become the place for chapter members to discuss issues of the day, stay connected to each other about chapter news, events and hopefully arrange informal meetups and the like. Effectively, become the primary place to chat and share (gentle) banter. I’ll post more information about this as our plan takes shape over the coming year. Hopefully, this outlines a brief idea of how we envisage our Facebook footprint will be shaped. I heartily encourage you all to join in. If you’ve not visited, liked or shared our chapter page then I’d invite you to do so. Of course, these things only stay alive with active participation and I hope to meet many of you both online and in person over the coming months. And what if you do not yet have Facebook and want to get involved and don’t know how? You can reach out to either myself or Robin (the chapter webmaster and allround guru of all things internet). We can usually be found at the dealership most Saturday mornings, club nights, or you can reach us via email at: • Me:
socialmedia@thamesvalleyhog.org.uk
• Robin: webmaster@thamesvalleyhog.uk And if you’d like to connect to me personally on Facebook? My profile is: Mark Peck Link: https://www.facebook.com/mark.peck.509 With all the very best, Mark Social Media Comms Officer
Saturday Social Another amazing cake by Priscilla Peck has made the Saturday Social at the Three Frogs in Wokingham into a wonderful celebration of Fred Cotsford 60th Birthday.
Mileage Program Winners
Gill Major and Mark Peck are recognised for their mile munching habits. Congratulations to you both.
Stop the press! Now available for Chapter members only... Brand new Chapter patch. 4" Woven sew on patch sporting a very dashing Thames Valley Logo. At only ÂŁ5 each, why not grab one or two whilst they are available.
Mark Peck What year & model is it? 2015 Street Glide Special Have you named it? Yes. Winifred. How long have you had it? Bought second-hand from Sycamore HD in Dec 2016, so just over a year. What made you buy it? My Heritage Softtail Classic got writtenoff when a car crashed into the back of it. Much as I loved that bike, I didn't want to try and re-create it. So, I was forced to find a replacement. I wanted something that was smooth at high speed, good ground clearance, carry 2 in comfort, but not a full tourer like the Ultra. The SGS seemed to fit the bill perfectly. What mods has it got? Full Stage 1 with V&H True Dual headers married to Monster Oval slipons, a Ciro Cipher filter and tune. 4point docking with rack and sissy-bar. Sundowner seat. Willie G derby and timing covers. What mods do you plan for the future? Too many to list in detail. Ultimately, I want a practical version of the full American bagger look with lowered and stretched rear end, better stereo, custom paint and stage 4 tune. Likely to take several years before it's finished. What do you especially like about it? Presence and practicality. It's perfectly able to run to the local shops as carry me and a pillion on 1000+ mile tours. A great all-rounder with style. Favourite ride-out you've had on the bike? The first ride-out with my wife riding her Sporty 1200 in January 2018 having just passed her bike test. We took a circular route to and from Loomies cafĂŠ, covering just over 80 miles on a perfectly sunny, if chilly, Sunday. A true milestone ride.
2018 Officers & Committee
PRIMARY OFFICERS
Nick West Director
Lee White Assistant Director
Sue Moyler Secretary
COMMITTEE & SUPPORTING OFFICERS CLUB VENUE Grenadier Guards Club Maidenhead Rd, Windsor, Berks, SL4 5EY
Prescilla Peck Ladies of Harley
Andy Tunley Editor
Mike Wilson Jason Compagno Dealer Principal Dealer Rep
https://www.facebook.com/ thamesvalleyhog.org.uk
Lesley Lederer Treasurer
John Green Safety Officer
Jamie McLaughlin Head Road Captain
Mark Peck Linda Friend Social Media Officer Photographer
Chris Smith Membership
Robin Sasson Webmaster
Third Thursday of every month 7:30pm
Malcolm Poulter Activities
Fred Cotsford Activities
Nick Ekendahl Activities
TBA Merchandise
Sue Knight Historian
Hayley West Charities Officer
Alex MacDonald Photographer
Shirley Churchill Jamie McLaughlin Photographer Photographer
Email any committee member at (position held)@thamesvalleyhog.org.uk