Motorcycle
rider no. 93 Spring 2021 £4.95
New
| Riders’ Rights Body Launched | Routes to Ride | People to Meet
PLUS
| WIMA’s Worldwide Women | Remember Mark Williams? He’s back!
THE BIKER GUIDE® 9th edition booklet, is now available!
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rider Motorcycle
Motorcycle
rider
2021 £4.95 no. 93 Spring
New
Body Launched | Riders’ Rights e | Routes to Rid to Meet | People
CONTENTS
plUS
ldwide Women
| WIMA’s Wor
k Williams? He’s
| Remember Mar
back!
Cover Picture: Zero SR/S, photo: Zero Motorcycles
MOTORCYCLE RIDER IS PUBLISHED BY THE BRITISH MOTORCYCLISTS FEDERATION (ENTERPRISES) LIMITED Motorcycle Rider Editor | Peter Henshaw - editor@bmf.co.uk Designer | Louise Hillier - design@bmf.co.uk Advertising | Sheonagh Ravensdale sheonagh.ravensdale@bmf.co.uk All BMF correspondence to: Helen Hancock, Administrator BMF, PO Box 9036, Enderby, Leicester, LE19 9BE Tel: 01162 795112 Mob: 07918 903 500 Email: admin@bmf.co.uk COPYRIGHT: All material published in motorcycle rider is the copyright of the BMF. Use may be freely made of it without permission on condition that any material used is credited “reproduced by permission of motorcycle rider, the BMF magazine”. The views of any contribution contained in motorcycle rider are not necessarily those of the editorial team or of the BMF. Chair | Jim Freeman Finance Director | Howard Anderson Member Services Director | Peter Laidlaw Political and Technical Services Director | Anna Zee Admin Director | Tom Duncan Communications Director | Sheonagh Ravensdale National and One-Make Club Forum Chair | Stephen Davenport Administrator | Helen Hancock
NEWS 05 BMF News & Lobbying
We speak with one voice - National Motorcyclists Council launched
FEATURES 20 Fire Starter
Louise Hillier leapt through fire with the White Helmets… and kept smiling
26 Day Ride
First of a series - 120 miles around Somerset
OPINION 09 Unreliable Sauce
Remember Mark Williams? He’s back, and writing for Motorcycle Rider
PEOPLE 03 Meet the Team
A quick hello from those who run the BMF and Motorcycle Rider
10 Howard Anderson
BMF’s Finance Director on racing, riding and what makes him tick
27 Best-Laid Plans
14 WIMA on the Move
Riding Ireland’s Wild Atlantic Way on an eBay Aprilia
32 Bikes for Good
Doc Bikes puts doctors on bikes - does what it says on the tin
Zara Strange and Caroline Lunnon explain on the winds of change at WIMA
19 Captain Tom, Motorcyclist
Not many people know this, but the late Capt Tom was one of us
RESOURCES 17 Brexit: The Aftermath
So, can we still tour Europe unimpeded?
18 See you on Screen
How Zoom is keeping BMF members in touch
30 On a Wing
How the Goldwing Owners Club GB got started, and what it does now
35 Clubs Listing
Every BMF-affiliated bike club in the UK
36 Down Your Way
BMF contacts for your area Motorcycle R I D E R
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From the Chair
Forward into Spring D
ear Fellow Rider reader, As I write, with snow on the ground and more on its way, Spring feels a long way off. Thankfully, it’s just around the corner, which is a good feeling after a pretty grim winter, and the third pandemic lockdown still in force. As things stand, we’re all keeping our fingers crossed that the vaccines will do their job, faster than the virus mutates. The enforced inactivity time hasn’t been wasted however, giving the BMF’s Management Team, all volunteers, some space to look at the way we do things. One issue that we felt needed addressing was Rider, this very magazine. We felt that it had got a bit corporate, a bit stale, in need of a refresh. The result is what you’re reading. We have taken the magazine ‘in house’, after decades of depending on publishing partners, most recently Archant Dialogue. To do this we have enlisted the help of Peter Henshaw as editor and Louise Hillier as designer and production co-ordinator. For those who’ve been reading bike magazines for a while, those names may ring a bell – they’ve both worked on, amongst others, Motorcycle Sport & Leisure. Another name that may strike a chord is our new columnist, Mark Williams, whose remit is to liven things up a little. Which is what we want to do with the direction Rider takes, to focus on our members and clubs. We want your stories and photos, to hear from you. Tell us what we should be doing! Many of you do, of course, particularly on Facebook and by email, but don’t be shy. Talking of the Management Team, we’ve a brief introduction to us all in this issue. Apologies if we look a bit shaggy, but the lockdowns have not done anybody any favours. In fact it confirms that, as a previous Team member put it, ‘we’ve got great faces for radio’.
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In other news, we’ve the latest about the launch of the National Motorcyclists Council from Craig Carey Clinch, the central driving force behind the project, and which the BMF has supported from the get-go. Plus articles from Howard Anderson, WIMA, the Gold Wing Owners Club, along with the traditional clubs List, Down your Way and Members’ pages. Personally, this is the time of the year when I start rummaging in the ‘shed’ in preparation for the new riding season. Checking batteries, draining stale fuel, particularly when I’ve forgotten to prep the bike properly before storage, oil changes and so on. I’d just remind everyone, as is my wont, to check tyres particularly. If you’ve got a well-worn, squared off, rear tyre which you got used to last autumn, it’ll feel horrible come the spring. I can remember more than one friend who thought that there was something seriously amiss with their steed’s handling, come springtime. A fresh set of rubber fixed it instantly. Which leads me to the most important springtime advice. The hardware upgrades are easy, it’s the software controlling it that really matters: the rider. The last year has not been kind to many people’s riding and driving skills, as a brief journey will confirm. Don’t let that be you. Be careful, think about what you’re doing, analyse your riding. Particularly, take it steady, get a few miles on before getting at all frisky – engines & tyres aren’t the only things that need to warm up. In fact, this might be the time to check out some advanced training, via our partners at Blue Riband. So, a time for optimism and renewal, let’s stay positive and keep our fingers crossed for some decent weather! Stay safe, ride safe,
Meet the team Jim Freeman – Chairman
Like most of my motorcycling cohort I started riding as soon as I could, at 16. The only bike that I was allowed was a C50. The leg shields made for effective crash bars and the Yokohama tyres often gave up the co-efficient of friction struggle. It was all downhill after that. I was the proud owner of a Trident T150V when I finally pleased the parents by passing my car test. Which may just have had something to do with the day it snowed, with me riding the Trident, in front of my father, driving his baby Fiat, both of us heading into work. I dropped the Trident, pirouetting on one leg, before falling flat on my arse, catching a glimpse of his expression on the way. Horrified doesn’t really cover it. 45 years on, I still have my favourite bikes, and the one out of shot here is scruffy, well used, been all over the place, just like its owner. If only they could talk…
Anna Zee - Political and Technical Services Director
The first time I rode a motorcycle, other than as a pillion, was on a DMW 350 on the back roads of Brands Hatch. The second time (same bike) I ran into a small tree in Epping Forest and stubbed my toe. This didn’t stop me buying a Honda CB125S a few years later and that was it – hooked! My mother wasn’t keen (and my sister still doesn’t get it) but ownership of a couple of ‘70s Ducatis taught me a lot about motorcycle maintenance. I tried to pass some of this experience on, running classes for the Women’s Motorcycle Workshop when that existed. I met several of my best friends in that workshop. Since then I have owned and ridden a number of Suzuki twostrokes, an FJ1200 and a GS500E. The last is my favourite for riding in the Dolomites. I have been a life member of the BMF since the mid ‘70s and a volunteer worker for over 20 years. As well as being a director of the BMF I am currently President of FEMA and Acting Chair of the newly formed National Motorcyclists Council.
Peter Laidlaw – Membership Director
Things were more relaxed when I started riding. I remember my brother picking me up on his Norton Commando – I had no helmet. Because it was a cold night he said,
“just put this scarf around your head, it will be all right”. Times change and, as far as helmets are concerned, for the better. I learned to ride on a Honda 90 (which I still have) but now I have bigger modern bikes and enjoy long trips around our great country. I became a BMF member in 1980, and my work started when I was recruited as a NW region rep. I’m now Membership Director as well as NW Region Chairman. Part of the volunteering work is to set up and man promotional stands at shows all around the UK, which projects the image and work of the BMF. Things have changed recently but I believe that personal contact is important and will be in the thick of it when we are allowed.
Howard Anderson – Finance Director
I have been riding motorcycles for over 50 years now. Over the years I have owned and worked on many of them but my passion is for air-cooled two-strokes and older machinery, though I’m currently rebuilding a Honda 400/4 engine. I’m Chairman of Rathfriland MCC which does mostly charity work and President of the Tandragee 100 Supporters Club which raises funds for National road racing. I am also an FIM qualified Technical Steward with the MCUI covering the local road races and short circuits as well as trials. I prepare my son Shaun’s GSX-R 1000 for the local road and TT races. The rest of my time is spent with the BMF as Chairman of Region 10 N.I. and of course Finance Director.
Tom Duncan – Admin Director, Chair for Scotland
I’ve been riding for longer than I care to remember and still enjoy the thrill and the joy of it. I joined the BMF after the then Scottish Chair, Colin Pate gave a call to arms. Not being shy to challenge or debate issues, one thing led to another and I joined the BMF Council, then eventually the Management Team. Due to pressures of work my contribution to the BMF is not what it could or should be, but I do what I can when I can. The past 12 months or so have been challenging for all of us and I sincerely hope that we will soon be able to put the virus behind us and get back to business! The BMF can, with your help, do more. We are a volunteer organisation and we rely on you to help to get our message out to other riders and to those in authority. Please consider helping where you can either in your local area or nationally. Motorcycle R I D E R
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Meet the team Sheonagh Ravensdale – Communications Director
I started out on a Honda C90 when I needed cheap transport, before progressing through several bikes and settling for a Bandit GSF 600S which I kept for 22 years. Overseas travel by motorcycle became a passion and in 1987 I rode round India on a Rajdoot 350, while the Bandit took me all over Europe, including Gibraltar and up to the Arctic Circle for WIMA International Rallies. My partner and I also travelled through Central America and much of Asia on our trusty Brazilian-made Honda Falcon NX400s. That took 16 months. As I progressed through the ranks of WIMA from lowly address list officer to International President, the BMF was always part of our scene. I joined the Management Team as Communications Director in November 2020. We ran a weekend of zoom meetings in January with all the regions and now here is your new-look Rider Magazine, which we very much hope you like. More to come in due course. Do contact us with your ideas, articles and photos!
Helen Hancock – BMF Administrator
I have been riding since hitting my fabulous forties as a desire to learn to ride from a childhood spark, that was lit by my brothers, finally became a reality. I took a restricted test and spent three happy years on my 125, I then fell in love with my VN800 and 11 years later she’s still my pride and joy. I enjoy adding to my skills and have attended a couple of BikerDown courses, which I would thoroughly recommend. I have taken my Enhanced rider award and was to take my BMF Blue Riband training in 2020...this has now obviously had to be moved forward a year! I absolutely love my role with BMF – if you call, message, email or connect via social media it’ll be me that responds. No two days are the same and I get to talk motorbikes all day every day… what’s not to like?
Andrew Burns – Accounts Manager
I am an accountant with over 40 years’ experience working in varied industries, working as BMF Accounts Manager for over 15 years. For the last few, I have worked part-time. Usually in my spare time I enjoy playing walking, playing football, days out with my wife, Val and taking holidays, mainly in the Lake District. 4
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Tracey Lines – Membership Secretary
I’m Tracey and I’m your membership secretary. I love working for the BMF and know that what we do is important – I used to ride a scooter in my teens, but I still like bikes! The best bit of my job is definitely talking to the members, old and new. When I’m not at work I love to be outdoors and I’m a season ticket holder for the Leicester Tigers.
Peter Henshaw – Editor
Started riding at 16 and after the moped phase I progressed to a CZ (because it was cheap) and a Triumph Tiger 90 (because it was British). After diversions into academia and car journalism I landed the editorship of Motorcycle Sport & Leisure back in its Cornwall days. Happy days, riding everything from scooters to Ducati 748s and Goldwings up and down the A30 – a hard life, especially in the summer. When MSL moved upcountry I went freelance and since then have written for a whole raft of bike magazines, plus a few on classic tractors and written over 60 books (not all about bikes). Currently divide my time between editing Vintage & Classic Motorcycle (the VMCC’s magazine), Motorcycle Rider and other projects. Currently in the garage: Zero DS, Honda NC750 and Enfield Robin Diesel.
Louise Hillier - Designer
My first motorcycle was a Yamaha DT50, the key to a new found freedom at 16, followed by a GP100. After a spell working in London I moved back to Cornwall (having passed my bike test) and was employed as a designer for Motorcycle Sport & Leisure – that was like being in a motorcycle sweetie shop. I started to write articles which led to the ‘Challenge Lou’ series before I left the magazine to go travelling round the world with my partner, two Honda Dominators and a tent, which was amazing. Since then I have taken part in several off-road events on my lowered KTM 250 and ridden a sidecar outfit 7500 miles through Europe with my little dog (Sprocket). I still have a Triumph Bonnie with a Watsonian Monza sidecar waiting for its next outing.
News
National Road Rally 2021
There will be no special tests or special awards in 2021, although all successful riders and pillions will receive their awards and team entries will also receive team certificates. The history of the full event, explanations of the categories, and past award winners are all listed on the website: www.nationalroadrally.co.uk You can also find us on Social Media, Facebook page and group, Twitter and Instagram.
W
e, the NRR Committee, are going with the mantra of ‘if we can, we will’ and are steaming ahead with preparations for the 2021 National Road Rally, writes Helen Hancock. At the time of writing, we have no idea when we will be able to run the Rally, and at the moment we have no permit – the ACU is not even considering event permits until the end of February. However, the committee is hopeful that restrictions will be lifted enough for free movement throughout the UK and we can go ahead with our socially distanced event as we did in 2020, hopefully on the first weekend of July with entries opening entries early May . We are trying to retain the overall feel of the event as it has been in previous years, but the pandemic means that controls will in all probability be unmanned. We are having a much larger matrix of 100 controls, which will open up new routes and areas which in the past have been sparse of controls.
BMF Launches Recovery The BMF is excited to announce a newly formed partnership with Motoring Assistance to provide members with a breakdown recovery package that can be customised to your requirements. We are confident that this bespoke, motorcycle centred recovery service will soon become a must have for every rider. Members of the BMF team have already taken this service on, and along with BMF legal line and BMF insurance we are now providing our members with many useful membership benefits. Head over to www.motoringassistance.com/bmf to get a quote where the BMF member discount will be automatically added to your package.
/////////// REC VERY ////////// partnered with motoringassistance.com
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News
National Motorcyclists Council Launched A new body to lobby government on motorcycle issues – the National Motorcyclists Council (NMC) – was launched in March. It’s a joint venture, formed by the BMF, MAG, the TRF, IAM and ACU. Building on the success of the Coalition of Motorcycling Organisations (COMO), it aims to provide a single voice for the motorcycle world. NMC’s mission is: “Working together to help assure a positive and sustainable future for motorcycling.” Its goals are to: Research, inform and debate the sustainability of motorcycling, and secure fair treatment for motorcyclists and motorcycling. Provide single-voice positions on issues of key importance to the motorcycle world as a whole. Provide thought leadership on a range of issues that impact upon motorcycling. Act as a force multiplier by combining organisations’strengths.
COMO to NMC
As reported in previous editions of Motorcycle Rider, COMO was an informal partnership which arose out of Covid-19, seeking to promote motorcycles as Covid-safe transport, and establishing guidelines for leisure and trail motorcycling under the rules. It was agile enough to respond quickly to what seemed to be ever
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changing rules, evolving tiers and regularly updated legislation – it also succeeded in engaging with government. COMO underlined something else as well – that it was possible to bring several different types of motorcycling organisations together around a common policy and promote this as a group. The individual organisations have had many successes on single issues – many have created great lobbies in the process and continue to do so. But all have struggled to achieve consolidated recognition for motorcycling in transport, environmental and social policy – the core to achieving goals on many other issues. Government today is at best ambivalent about motorcycling and can be argued as being hostile in some cases. Public policy is often prioritised according to ‘voice’ and ‘constituency’ – the larger these are, the better the chance of success, so a single-voice organisation has more impact than five smaller ones. Experience shows that it is easier for government to ignore them, or play one off against the other. Supportive MPs have often asked why the motorcycling lobby cannot get together to provide them with one clear message they can support. This kind of feedback is difficult to ignore.
NEWS Agreement
In seven core areas, the motorcycle community agrees on its policy objectives, though these may change as the NMC evolves its work. They revolve around achieving positive change to transport policy; highlighting the benefits of motorcycles in the context of the economic, social and environmental; the protection of heritage and the right to continue to ride older machines. Plus, the creation of positive road safety policies; being part of the debate on the future of transport; access for motorcycling in both urban and rural areas, including green roads and for motorcycle sport. Finally, the position of motorcycling in a range of other regulatory and enforcement areas. NMC’s work will not replace or overshadow the work done by its members or other groups. What it will do is create more impact by the creation of consensus issues, production of supporting materials such as research, analysis and information sharing on a range of issues. This will not only send a message to policy makers that the motorcycle lobby has a unified voice, but it will also provide an ‘accelerator effect’ to member organisations as they pursue various issues where they will now have the backing of a wide range of organisations via the NMC. NMC has appointed Craig Carey-Clinch as Executive Director to manage the Council. With three decades of experience in the motorcycle lobby and involved with many of the major motorcycling policy initiatives and campaigns, he has the track record to suit. The launch takes place at an important moment. With the arrival of vaccines, we are looking at the likely opening of the UK as the year progresses. Many areas of public policy debate are likely to restart and there will be new opportunities to influence the agenda as MPs and civil servants get back to Parliament and Whitehall. The government has recently consulted on a rural transport strategy for example (see news story on this page). Covid will continue to stalk the policy agenda for some time to come and the original COMO group will be looking to revise its guidance as rules for motorcycling evolve as the UK emerges from the pandemic. Meanwhile, we can look forward positively and with new optimism as the NMC starts work to support its member organisations’ agenda.
Lobby News Round Up by ANNA ZEE
A
t the time of writing there is an open consultation on the government’s Future of Transport: Rural Strategy, which includes small towns. This may not sound immediately relevant to the BMF but it is essential to understand how the government is thinking (or not) to see where motorcycles fit in. I find the consultation document notable for several reasons, one of which, of course, is a total lack of mention of motorcycles. It also notes the demographics of those who live in rural locations and the expected ageing of the whole country’s population, but fails to say anything about how the rural demographic could be changed, or what change might be desirable. An obvious factor in future change will be the after effects of the pandemic; London in particular has apparently lost a lot of population, so where did it go? More people are likely to spend more time working from home – where will they choose to live? The document seems to address only the transport needs of the resident population. No mention is made of visitors to, or those passing through. It does add (and here I agree) that there is no single solution for all rural areas since needs will differ, but visitors are a vital part of many rural economies, including the holding of sporting events, some of which involve motorcycles. And as one local councillor said: The ramblers bring their picnics but the motorcyclists bring their wallets.”
Previous Partnerships
Partnership activity like the NMC is nothing new. During the 1990s, the National Motorcycle Council drew together several motorcycle groups to campaign on a range of issues. It achieved several successes in the 1990s and a government motorcycle strategy in 2005. That the Council did not continue for long after this was likely down to a combination of factors which included a sense that its work was done, when there was actually much more to do – the 2008 financial crisis and huge changes in government departments after 2010 meant the motorcycle strategy was set aside in the face of other priorities of the day. The motorcyclists’ lobby returned to working on individual issues. Motorcycle R I D E R
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NEWS Tech Savvy? Unfortunately a number of the solutions suitable for urban areas are tech-reliant. As we know, even mobile phone technology is lacking in a fair number of areas, never mind broadband. It should be obvious that most of these solutions are no solution at all until the digital infrastructure is in place. Same goes for electric vehicles, and any charging infrastructure must enable electric motorcycles as well as cars and vans. Wheels to Work is one rural solution, though it’s not working for some at the moment because CBT certificates are expiring and can’t be replaced. The problem here is that not only is the recording of CBTs a largely manual process but it would also require legislative change. Curiously I have seen a report that the government is going to change current legislation in order to enable the current Attorney General to take maternity leave on full pay. If the government can find time to do that, surely it should not ignore the plight of those far less well off?
Which reminds me that in the traffic counts published motorcycles are not specifically counted – we get lumped in with cars. This became clear at a meeting in January where we had hoped to get some idea of motorcycle usage in pandemic conditions.
Code Education
Van Danger PACTS (Parliamentary Advisory Council for Transport) has published a report, “What kills most on the roads?” This inverts the usual reporting of fatalities to show which vehicles cause which road user deaths. Not surprisingly, cars are responsible for killing the greatest number of vulnerable road users, but if you measure the number killed per billion miles travelled motorcycles come out worse than cars, though the worst offenders are vans and light goods vehicles. (Presuming the miles travelled by motorcyclists is an accurate figure). Given the current trend for increasing home deliveries this should be of some concern, with particular relevance when taken in conjunction with a report from UCL on Driving for Work. Something I noted from this last report was that there is no hard data on the number of motorcycles being used in the gig economy. 8
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The BMF was invited to participate in a review of yet more proposals to update the Highway Code, this time with respect to smart motorways. These proposals are designed to clarify what the signage means and the different behaviour to be adopted if you break down on a motorway with all-lane running. One of the big issues with smart motorways is that there have been no very noticeable efforts to educate drivers in their use. Changing the Highway Code does not solve that issue. I have previously written about proposed changes to the Code regarding walking and cycling, and recent meetings have drawn attention to the need to educate existing drivers about this. Let us hope an updated Highway Code, regardless of how much we approve or disapprove the content, will be accompanied by a major campaign to ensure all road users understand what the changes mean.
Unreliable Sauce / Mark Williams
NEW WORLD DISORDER
I’
ve pontificated elsewhere on the pros and cons of cheap Chinese bikes over the past few years but I’d never ridden one for more than a day until 2015 when I took over the tenure of a Lexmoto 125 Adrenaline on long-term loan to one of the other organs I scribble for. So for once I knew what I was talking about when assessing the appeal of an entry-level budget bike. And overall I must say that I liked what I knew. That £1499 bike marketed by its parent company Llexeter Ltd was a funky looking supermotard-style machine that on the face of it ticked most of the boxes any aspiring young biker would demand: snazzy, angular on-trend styling – tick; wide bars and an aggressive riding position – tick; a willing engine with electric boot – tick; big and comfortable enough for a gangly six-footer – tick. There were also some quality touches that belied its low price and third world roots, such as the stainless exhaust system, the tough Akront-style alloy wheels, LED indicators, a really nicely-made seat and a lithium-ion battery. Moreover and just as important, it was good to ride. Just a few seconds of choke fired up the Suzuki-licensed GS125 copycat engine, and it pulled strongly from around 2500-3000rpm well up to the 9000rpm redline, the importers quoting max power of 8.4kW 500rpm further up the line. True, the torque wasn’t hang-on-tight gobsmacking, but it was only an old-school, aircooled 125 like its current successor, the Lexmoto Assault that’s also CBT legal and meets Euro 4 emissions. Which is exactly the same as the eighth-litre entry-levellers offered by Honda and Yamaha costing over a grand more. True, the bike wasn’t quite in the same ballpark build qualitywise… yet. The polypropylene plastics were chunky, flexible, well fitted and finished, but after I’d ridden the bike in the rain a few times, some of the decals were starting to peel away. The chain and sprockets were also showing signs of undue wear after less than 400 miles – a common criticism of down-toa-price Chinese manufacturing – and had to be replaced with heavier duty items from Llexeter’s own aftermarket operation, albeit at highly competitive prices. And the strangely patterned Longstone tyres weren’t my idea of grippy, especially in the wet, so these too were replaced with Contis. But with its hefty USD forks, steel monoshock swingarm and conventional cradle frame, the bike itself felt well planted and handled in an entirely biddable fashion. And of course much the same could be said of some of the other 125s I looked seriously at before taking on the Adrenaline, models wearing the Zontes, WK and modern AJS brand badges, some of which I’ve also ridden, if only briefly. But the point surely is that to get youngsters boosting the steadily declining
number of British bikers and onto the licensing ladder – however ludicrous the ladder might be – these cheap Chinkies are a godsend, and if properly maintained and with a little judicious climate-proofing, they’ll become durable and residuals will gradually rise. And if not, why are some of their importers now offering a two-year warranty? But, you may ask, money, where, mouth, put, etc., etc…? Well three years later I actually bought a Chinese bike myself. Well technically it’s an SWM Gran Milano but the company that assembled it in the old Husqvarna factory in Varese, Italy, is owned by Shineray who supply their engines – updated knockoffs of the ancient Honda XBR500 motor – and many of the other Chinese made components. And it’s a solidly built, wellequipped, modern motorbicycle that’s the equal of almost anything else in it class and cost significantly less than all of them except the Enfield Himalayan…which is made in India. And before you sneer at my capitulation to third world manufacturing, just bear in mind that many of the Big Four’s products are already wholly or partly made in third world countries, as are some BMWs, Harley-Davidsons, KTMs and, yes, that bastion of British motorcycling pride, Triumph.
Mark Williams founded Bike magazine in 1971 and not having learnt his lesson went on to launch WhichBike?, MotorCycle International, Classic Bike Guide and others, some of which still miraculously exist. Since he couldn’t ever find a production model that suits him, his main interest these days is building custom bikes.
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My Life with Bikes
Howard Anderson
BMF’s Finance Director started riding aged 12... now supports son Shaun’s racing Photography: Philip Macgowan
“M
y mum and dad didn’t drive, and I had my first bike, a James Captain, when I was 12. I didn’t publicise that at home as my father was the local JP... “Bikes were cheap back then in the 1960s, early ‘70s, and you could pick them up, including the old British stuff, for very little money. One lovely thing I had was an 80cc Suzuki with a four-speed box, high pipe, a grand wee thing. We thrashed that around the fields until it stopped – lack of 10
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oil I think. My first 100% legal bike was a CB125 Honda in around ‘72 when I passed my test. The test was so easy then, just ride around the block and put your arm out if you were turning right or left. For the emergency stop the examiner would step out in front of you. As long as you stayed upright and could answer a couple of questions on the Highway Code you passed. “Once I passed I bought a Norton Dominator 88 with a Wideline frame and straighthrough megas, so you could hear me coming from four miles away! I didn’t use it for big trips, just going to work and back, riding around the countryside and down to the coast on a Sunday. I didn’t know much about bikes then because nobody in the house had a mechanical background, so everything I’ve learnt has been self-taught. Things like the ignition timing on the James, I learnt by doing. I didn’t own a car for a long time, and only learnt to drive because I was working for Post Office Telephones as an engineer. “I’ve had lots of bikes over the years. I’ve always liked different things – I had a CZ once – but really anything with two wheels and an engine, I must have owned 100 bikes over the years. Odd things, like a Raleigh Wisp. I did do the Joey
Left main: Catching air at Holly Lodge (Photo: Peter Faragher) Left inset: Brief pause while running in the GSX-R1000 Above: On the Kramer, ready to go Above right: Shaun’s fiancée Sarah also races Right: Classic TT, 2016 memorial run to Estonia and back in 2001, that was on a big KLR, but I personally have never owned anything with more two cylinders. I’ve always been a believer in bikes which are light and as simple as possible. “When I first met my wife Sheelagh I had a Yamaha DT400, which was great for sliding through roundabouts. But it didn’t really have enough go in it for big road miles so I bought a brand new RD400E – £768, that was. It went well but I remember the front brake was rubbish in the wet until it warmed up. I was riding about 40,000 miles a year, partly because I was working in Derry and Sheelagh lived on the coast. Sometimes I’d nip off and see her for an hour or so after work, and that was 120 miles each way. I had to keep on top of maintenance and would clean the chain and boil it in grease every 1000 miles – my RD was still on its original chain at 40,000. “We got married in 1979 and still used the RD as transport – I can remember coming back from Dublin two-up, Sheelagh on the back with the shopping tucked under her arms. Then the kids came!”
Working with Ray
“I was getting involved in racing by this time. I used to help out Raymond Hanna, who was the last Irish 200cc Champion. I was basically his mechanic, but the facilities could be basic and sometimes we had to make do. I remember once racing in
Formula 2 on the Island, using an RD350. We were trying to fit reed blocks in the back of a wee butcher’s shop on the Derby road. My job was to hold the barrel while Ray used a Black & Decker drill, taking the inlet port out before we finished it with emery paper. In the race, the chain jumped off at one point, but he went out again and finished 24th or 25th. “We actually made our own monoshock frame for the RD200, but the class was changing to more race bikes so we moved on to a TZ125. We stroked that for more capacity and won the 200 championships in 1998 and ‘99. Unfortunately Ray lost his life in 2000 and the bike was going to be broken Motorcycle R I D E R
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up for parts, but I managed to save it and still have it in the garage. Ray’s daughters gave me the F2 race bike, and that’s a restoration project. It’s nice to have them because I have a lot of good memories of Raymond.”
Supporting Shaun
“When Raymond died, I swore I would never go back to the Isle of Man, and I didn’t get involved in racing again until my son Shaun started. He was helping out a couple of guys and was telling them how to set up the suspension one day when one of them turned round and said, “What do you know, you don’t even race!” On the way home, he decided to go racing, and bought a 600. The trouble is, he’s quite a big lad for a wee supersports, over six foot and 19 stone back then – other racers used to say he had the best slipstream around! “He got into the 1000cc bikes at a Bishopscourt race in late 2008. A guy from my wife’s family was there and had a GSX-R1000, but couldn’t afford to race it because his wife was about to give birth. He offered it to Shaun, who was at the front of the pack in his first 1000 race. Once he got the taste, he had to have one, so he bought one and we started racing it in 2009. “He started the season with a double win at Bishopscourt and went on to win the Ulster Championship. The only problem was that to stay on short circuits we would have been automatically moved up to race with the big boys, which would have meant having to buy a proper superbike to be competitive – something with a real budget, where this bike only cost about £3500. So for 2010 we started doing the closed roads races. That worked well and Shaun was on the podium in all three or four races we took part in. “He wanted to do the Manx as well, so we saved up and he bought a stock 750 Suzuki, because you couldn’t start out with
a 1000. He finished second in the Newcomers race on that, which was good, and also received a replica in the 600 class. He was due to start 70th in the Senior support race but because of the speed which he had done during the week they put him up to 17th. He finished fifth overall and was fastest Newcomer over the week at about 118mph.”
Few Fears
“I didn’t really have much trepidation about Shaun racing because he wasn’t a 17-year-old. He’d been on a bike since he was three and on the road legally at sixteen – his first road bike had a seven-port barrel, so he was used to performance. At seventeen he passed his test but we also made sure he did his BMF Blue Riband, and when he finally started racing he was 25, so he knew what he was about. He’d also been in hospital enough to know that it hurts when you fall off! “Actually, my wife and I were happier with him racing than we would have been if he was just on the road. Racing took away that need for speeding on the road, and he would just use his old van for getting to work. Racing is also safer in some ways – fall off during a race and you have the best medical attention within a couple of minutes, but if anything happens on the country roads around here, it could be hours before someone finds you. “If there’s a red flag incident on the Isle of Man, your first thought is, where is your rider, could it have been him? If you work out that your rider wasn’t close enough to have been involved, then you relax. I remember when Daley Mathison tragically died in 2019 just before Union Mills – Shaun was only a few seconds behind him when it all went wrong. They stopped the race after that and when Shaun came in he was shaking. But when they restarted he went out again. “You never know what’s going to happen on the Island. Obviously Shaun was Fastest Newcomer in his first Manx Senior and had all the accolades but then the following year was terrible. Silly things went wrong. In the 600 race he came in for fuel and the bike wouldn’t restart – the battery had boiled itself. In the Senior there was only a split second between Shaun and Andrew Brady who went on to win it, but the bike developed a misfire. The whole thing was a disaster for us but that’s what the Isle of Man can do – sometimes things go right, sometimes nothing does.”
The TT
“The Manx costs a lot of money to do and in the end Shaun decided to move on and concentrate on the road races. He was actually offered someone else’s bikes for the following Manx, but his attitude was, if he was fastest in practice, he would have nothing to 12
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Left: “He’s a big lad, the best slipstream around” Above: GSX-R1000 is still competitive
aim at. He wanted to follow guys who were faster than him, so that he could learn from them. “So in 2012 we moved to the TT – he did a 124mph lap in one race and reckoned with a bit of tweaking on the suspension he could crack 125mph in the Senior...then for the first time, they cancelled it. He had an ex-Cameron Donald 1000cc Suzuki, and we did a lot to that bike, fitted higher compression pistons, fancy cams, upgraded the brakes – it was producing about 197bhp. The trouble was it was a continual effort to keep up, with more electronics going onto the bikes, though ours was one of the last without ABS or traction control. We were finishing in the top 20, which considering we had no major backers wasn’t bad. We just kept chipping way. “In 2016 we were running in the top 12 when he had a bit of a scuffle with Davey Morgan – Davey’s rear tyre spat up a stone which went straight through our radiator, so he had to retire on the last lap. We bought a new bike for 2017 which arrived late, and my first job was to put 1000 miles on it on the road before taking off the exhaust and some of the electronics. It was still basically a road bike when he took it to the line at Tandragee 100 – that’s like a mini TT, with lots of humps and jumps, very different to a smooth short circuit. He’d only just flown in from Austria, as he was working for KTM by this time. There was a problem in practice and he qualified 22nd, but in the race climbed back up to seventh. “We also had a Kramer for that event. These are built by Marcus Kramer in Germany and use an engine based on the KTM 690, with the fuel tank under the seat. It’s a good bike, which has won the the European Supermono Championship. Shaun qualified second on that, but unfortunately another rider was killed and that race was abandoned. It might have been
just as well as the fabricated swinging arm had developed a couple of hot spots. It would have been fine on the short circuits, but they don’t have the humps and bumps which our roads do. “It was that which spurred us to work with Marcus Kramer to develop a cast swinging arm for the bike. To me, race development never stops – just because you’ve done well one year doesn’t mean to say you don’t have to improve for next year. “In 2019 we were finally seeded, but the problem was that increasingly the organisers wanted big-budget teams arriving in trucks. They didn’t want a couple of guys to turn up in a rusty HiAce van with the bike in the back. Being seeded did help though, and Shaun was offered a ride on the Williamson BMW that year. He now works for KTM in Germany and lives with his fiancée Sarah Boyes – Sarah also races the Manx and was top female in 2019. They both come back to race here. “2020 was a total wash out. Shaun did manage to do a couple of short circuit races before lockdown, getting a second at Brno on the Kramer. He was only doing it to keep his hand in. Mind you, he often says that, ‘I’m just using this race as a run around.’ OK, I say, so how come you’re so close to the lap record? When you have that race instinct in your head, that’s just how it is. We’d love to race this year if it’s possible. It was quite a blow when the Tandragee 100 was cancelled, but the bike is ready and, yes, we’d love to race.”
BMF & Others
“I joined the BMF in the late 1970s and became assistant for the Northern Ireland region before becoming chair here – I still am, as well as Finance Director for the BMF nationally. I’m Chair of Rathfriland MCC, we do mostly charity work on a local basis for people and animals. Also President of the Tandragee 100 Supporters Club. as it’s our local event and we’re currently working on a way of getting that going again, but the insurance alone for a national road race is very high now – add all the costs up, and a typical national road race costs about £100,000 to put on. One thing we wanted to do this year is commemorate the Banbridge 50, which was held in 1921 and was Stanley Woods’ first race. We’re planning an event in July to mark the 100th anniversary, so as usual I’ll be cajoling my friends to take part – it’ll be nice to have something to brighten the year up.”
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Winds of Change at
WIMA
What WIMA is all about – 225 riders from 11 countries took part in the 2019 International Rally
What’s new at WIMA? International President ZARA STRANGE and GB President CAROLINE LUNNON bring us up to date
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IMA – the Women’s International Motorcycle Association – has had to adapt to the many challenges in 2020 and ‘21, just like every other motorcycling organisation. Newsletters, online meetings, social networking and phone calls have kept international members together just the same as always. We have even managed to hold a few WIMA GB events in between lockdowns. WIMA continues to grow internationally, with six new national divisions joining in 2020 and a further two this year – we now have over 3500 members in 40 countries, all active in their own country. And because we cover both hemispheres, there are always summertime events happening somewhere to which overseas members are welcome.
Zara Strange: International President
I came to motorcycling late, in my fifties, hoping to avoid the worsening commuter traffic in Aberdeen. I sat my CBT, quickly followed by the full test in 2006 and straight away fell in love with the freedom of my local Scottish roads, something I do not get when driving a car. I joined WIMA in 2008 after reading about the club in a women’s motorcycling magazine and my first international rally (Holland in 2010) stands out. I had never before been part of such a large group of like-minded women motorcyclists who, despite my own language difficulties, made me most welcome. And yes, there were men there as well, not many, but several partners of WIMA members who were also welcomed and joined in the many activities. 14
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Above: WIMA International President WIMA Zara Strange rides an Africa Twin Below: Caroline with Boo the Triumph
Above left: The way we were – Miss BMF contenders, late 1960s Above right: WIMA National rally at Wolvey, 1979
I tend to ride alone, initially because all of my friends thought that I was mad to take up biking. Later I found that I enjoy the freedom of being able to go where I want and stop when I want, meeting up and spending time with WIMA members along the way. I find that people the world over are all basically the same, generally friendly and welcoming, especially to a solo woman traveller. Maybe it is my age or the big bulky biker clothing that I wear but I have never felt threatened.
Why WIMA?
WIMA’s international constitution has two main criteria that all divisions must agree to. The first is our objective: To improve and promote activities, advancement, goodwill and friendship amongst women motorcycle enthusiasts from around the world. WIMA aims at using the common interest of motorcycling to promote the well-being of women in general. And the second: Membership of National Divisions will be open to all women interested in motorcycling, irrespective of age, nationality, race, sexual orientation, religion, type of bike, or level of experience. Non-riders are eligible for membership. Our members come from all sorts of backgrounds, and WIMA has a wide range of abilities and speciality biking interests. We welcome all women interested in motorcycling, not just riders, and we have bikes of all sorts, sizes and ages. We want as many women as possible to be able to enjoy the benefits and pleasures of motorcycling, including those who cannot yet afford a bike of their own or who just enjoy being a pillion rider. As a part of this, we actively welcome and support divisions in countries where human rights, especially women’s rights, are relegated to second or worse place. Many national divisions have their own charities that they support, whilst at an international level we support MJ Piki, a wonderful organisation that teaches women how to ride, how to repair bikes and supports them to operate a safe bike taxi service for women in Tanzania: https://www.pikilily.com/mj-piki The future is looking very rosy for WIMA and although our 2020 International Rally in Germany had to be cancelled due
to Covid-19 restrictions, we are hoping that this year’s event in the Netherlands will go ahead. One thing is for sure, women’s motorcycling and WIMA are here to stay and will continue to grow across the whole world.
Caroline Lunnon: WIMA GB President
I have been riding for just over seven years, using a Triumph Tiger 800 that took me around the world in 2018/2019 – I’ve also got a Triumph Scrambler 1200 and an AJP PR3 200cc dirt bike, and my current base in France was bought primarily because it has a barn to store the bikes in! I was supposed to be spending the summer of 2020 trail riding in the Limousin region of France, getting more confident motorcycling on dirt before heading off down Africa from the autumn. Fate had other ideas for me. While I was waiting out the first six-week Covid lockdown I read in the club newsletter that WIMA GB was looking for a new President. Fresh in my mind was a feeling of empowerment after meeting a lot of phenomenal WIMA ladies from all around the world in London a month or so earlier. Also the inspiration and feeling of belonging to a family of women riders that I found as I rode around the world. Finally, I wanted to give something back to the biking family that helped me heal after I lost my husband in a motorcycle accident. I also had plenty of the most valuable resource that I could give them – time.
Making Connections
I joined WIMA early in 2019. I was halfway around the world at the time, and joined because belonging to a national division makes you a member of the worldwide association. Thanks to the relationships with WIMA I already had, I felt I had a good grasp of what it means internationally, and this gave me the confidence to step forward to take on the GB presidency. I knew that there were members who would happily fill me in on what I needed to know about the workings of WIMA GB. I just needed to meet them. Motorcycle R I D E R
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So during the brief period last summer when riders from the UK could head to Europe, I rode the other way. My mission was to ride as much of the UK as possible. Not only was I missing long rides but I also wanted to meet as many WIMA GB members as possible, all whilst keeping everybody safe. Easy, right? Well actually it was. I met some women for a coffee at Squires, others for an impromptu camping weekend at Doms Bike Stop, and even more at the Cream Tea Tour to Lands End. I enjoyed listening to the WIMA stories they told me around the picnic benches and campfires. Not to mention being shown how I could pick my Tiger 800 up by myself, given the right technique. There was a common thread to what everybody was telling me. From a member who had been going to WIMA rallies since she was a baby, to former WIMA GB Presidents, and women who had joined around the same time as me – all of them had formed lifelong friendships. I did sense a nervousness that the growth of other women’s motorcycle clubs and internet-based groups, might be a threat to WIMA GB’s success, 70 years on since WIMA was formed, and one member asked if we will last another 70? The answer has to be yes. We are our members, and our members are very passionate about what WIMA means to them. The pandemic has been a challenge for any club that enjoys meeting up in person as much as we do. In 2020 the WIMA GB National Rally and the International Rally in Germany (due to celebrate our 70th anniversary) both had to be cancelled. But the way people have adapted during the pandemic has also shown us that there are other ways to do things. We had a virtual Christmas party in December, and virtual rallies in February. Regional groups have kept monthly meetups going over winter using Zoom. I have been able to keep in touch with members who in normal times I may not even have had the opportunity to meet yet, especially as I have made my base in France. We are all looking forward to our diaries filling up with events where we will be able to get together in person. When we don’t have to raise a hand or press a reaction button to speak. When we can play silly games, buy each other drinks, hug, stand around the motorbikes and chat.
WIMA + BMF
WIMA has been part of the BMF for over 40 years - it joined the family in 1980. Contact: www.wimagb.co.uk and www.wimaworld.com
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WIMA Worldwide UAE (United Arab Emirates)
WIMA UAE was founded by Lara Tarabay in 2019 in a country where woman motorcyclists are still culturally frowned upon and perceived either as being without morals or rebellious. Really they just want to enjoy a hobby that is within their rights to do. WIMA UAE brings them together.
Nicaragua
In Nicaragua, motorcycles are predominantly used for essential travel and commuting, but the last 10 years has seen increased use by women, which has led to violence and street harassment by men. WIMA Nicaragua President Above: WIMA Nicaragua was Yolanda Acuña started formed last year the division in 2020, “to Below: The women of WIMA encourage and break Ghana – part of the Female Bikers traditional roles that are Initiative (Fbi) which campaigns socially assigned to us.” to encourage screening for breast Yolanda works full-time in and cervical cancer Project Miriam, which fights for the right to education and a life free of violence for girls and women in Nicaragua.
Ghana
WIMA Ghana was founded early in 2021 by Catherine Lajide. “Female m o t o rc y c l i s t s in Ghana mostly ride super sports and street bikes ranging from 250 to 900cc,” she says. “Women riders are not so common and as such, people are usually surprised to meet one riding a bike. Within the biking community in Ghana, our male counterparts have been supportive. “Female motorcyclists are generally adored by the general public, but there is a negative perception of bikers generally as being thugs, lawless and a menace to society. As a community, we are gradually educating the general public, which is working.”
The PostBrexit Rules
Can we still tour mainland Europe without hassle?
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any of us like to head across the Channel come spring or summer by bike. Covid and the lockdowns may make this impossible, but just in case it is, what is the situation post-Brexit – can we still tour unhindered? The short answer is that you can, but there’s a bit more hassle involved, with new rules applying now that Brexit has finally happened. You’ll need an insurance Green Card, the EHIC (European Health Insurance Card) is on the way out and you’ll have to leave the ham sandwiches at home. Britain finally left the EU at the end of 2020, with the new rules coming into force at 11pm on 31st December. So what do you need to know?
Will I need a passport to visit the EU?
Yes, and Government advice is that it should be less than 10 years old and have at least six months to run. Doesn’t apply to the Republic of Ireland though.
What about a visa?
No problem here. As a UK tourist, you won’t need a visa for short trips to most EU countries and some non-EU ones (Iceland, Liechenstein, Norway and Sweden) for up to 90 days in any 180-day period, which is long enough for most of us. However, different rules apply for Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus and Romania because they aren’t within the Schengen area.
Will my UK insurance cover me?
You will need a Green Card (proof that you have minimum third party cover), for which you need to apply to your insurance company. According to Globebusters, this could take up to six weeks, so doing it well in advance is a good idea. Some insurers may issue it as a downloadable document which you print out yourself.
Is my UK driving licence valid?
If you have a UK issued pink photocard driving licence, then you won’t need an IDP (International Driving Permit) to ride in the EU, nor for that matter in Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein. If you still have an old paper licence, you may need an IDP though.
GB Sticker?
Yes, now you’ll need one again, even if your numberplate has the EU/GB symbol.
Will my EHIC still work?
EHIC is being phased out. The European Health Insurance Card entitled you to state medical care throughout the EU. It never covered things like repatriation costs, but was a Very Good Thing all round. The good news is that current EHICs will still be valid until their expiry date and you can also get a provisional replacement certificate (PRC) if you need treatment and don’t have an EHIC. Once your EHIC has expired, you can apply for the new UK Global Health Insurance Card (GHIC). This does the same job, but won’t cover you in Iceland, Switzerland or Liechtenstein – if travelling here, you should have travel insurance with health cover. Norway is different again – a transitional agreement means your UK passport will get you access to health care. As for the ‘Global’ tag, that doesn’t mean the new GHIC works all over the world (sadly), only covering existing reciprocal arrangements with the EU and some Commonwealth countries. As with EHIC, this only provides for state health care free or at reduced cost, not repatriation costs – for that sort of more comprehensive cover, you’ll need private travel insurance.
What happens at the border?
Much the same, though you will need to take a separate lane from EU, EEA and Swiss citizens when queuing – can’t see it being a big problem on the Dover-Calais run. However, FCO advice states that you may be asked for proof of accommodation, of insurance and that you have enough money for your trip.
Can I take sandwiches?
As Britain is no longer part of the EU you can’t take meat, milk or products containing them into Europe, though there are exceptions – check rules on the European Commission website. Motorcycle R I D E R
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A Weekend of
Zoom You can’t ignore Zoom, and it’s now being used to keep BMF members in touch with each other and the management team – HELEN HANCOCK reports
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t was the first ‘proper’ weekend of January when Sheonagh Ravensdale, BMF’s Communications Director, hosted a weekend of Zoom meetings in an effort to open up connections between all members in all regions in this new era of online video calls. The weekend was split into five meetings which loosely grouped areas together. The invites were sent and we waited in hope for attendees to enter the waiting rooms at the allotted times...and they did! All the meetings were very well supported and after the initial introductions of all the management team a great Q&A session was undertaken. Each region had its own issues but not surprisingly some issues were relevant to the whole of the UK. We had a few interested parties respond to our call for ‘local antenna’ to help us respond to local issues, and we will be following up on these. Full minutes for all the meetings can be read on our website at www.bmf.co.uk/news/show/proceedings-of-bmfregional-meetings-in-january-2021. We will continue these Zoom meetings on a fairly regular basis and hope to see you on screen until we can meet up in person.
Above: Say hello, Management Team Below: Regional Zoom meets were well attended
As always, it is vital that we have current email addresses for all our members, and at the moment we are falling short of this goal – please contact Helen on admin@bmf.co.uk to update your membership profile.
What Came Up...
A few examples of questions of what was asked on the Zoom meetings – and the answers Q Will the new National Motorcyclists Council be the first point of contact with Government? A The current group COMO is morphing into a more permanent coalition that is NMC – this will be the first point of contact for Government. Instead of just reacting we want to become more proactive. NMC will go to Government and say this is what we want. Nothing to stop the individual organisations doing their own lobbying but it is felt a more targeted approach would assist the overall programme. Q What involvement does BMF have at local council level? A Local councils are best approached by local people. What we need is more people to establish a relationship with their council and bring matters up with them for us – ie be a local rep. We can support but there’s only one Anna so unfortunately, she can’t be everywhere! Local people really do make the difference. Q Many of our affiliated clubs have magazines. Rarely do we see any bmf press releases, articles or anything in them. We need to reconnect with clubs and their magazine editors to ensure this is done. A We do send out press releases directly to our club contacts, those email addresses that we have been given. This is something that Sheonagh will be working on to try to make sure these are getting through to the correct contact. We are also hoping to get all clubs to send us a copy of their club magazines. If you are reading this as a club magazine editor, please contact us!
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Captain Tom, Motorcyclist CAPTAIN SIR TOM MOORE, who died on 5th February and who raised over £30 million for the NHS, was also one of us
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mong all the richly deserved plaudits for Captain Sir Tom Moore (a knighthood, the honorary rank of Colonel and wall to wall media coverage) there’s one thing about the man that most of the mainstream media didn’t mention – he was a keen motorcyclist. He bought his first bike aged 12, a 1920 Royal Enfield two-stroke, which cost 2/6 as a non-runner – he took it home, got it going and turned it into a rideable machine. “My father and uncle had both been keen on motorcycles when they were young men before I was born,” he told Vintage & Classic Motorcycle. “They took part in competitions and so I developed an interest. My uncle would pass me copies of The Motorcycle and Motorcycling.” Early riding was mostly in the fields, but when Tom was 18 and studying civil engineering at Bradford Technical College his father and uncle bought him a 1936 BSA for the commute. “I would ride it day after day, spending lots of time riding around the Yorkshire Dales and the wild countryside.” Captain Tom’s motorcycle experience came in useful when he was conscripted into the Army aged 20, just as World War II was getting underway. He later remembered writing to his mother that 20-year-olds like him found the transition to military life OK but that the “older men” didn’t – by ‘older’ he meant the 30-yearolds. “When you are 20 or 30 you don’t look ahead,” he later told The Telegraph Magazine, “it’s just the future.” He was selected for officer training in 1940 and his regiment became part of the Royal Armoured Corps before being shipped out to India, taking part in the Battle of Ramree Island with M3 Lee tanks. Tom served in Burma and Sumatra, also organising despatch rider training. After the war, he stuck with the training role at Bovington Camp, teaching tank drivers. At heart, Tom was still a motorcyclist, and would go on to compete in time trials and vintage racing, often on a 1935 Scott. It
Above: Young Tom (on the wall) avidly watches a trial in the 1920s
Above: 100 laps of his garden brought worldwide fame Below: Tom Moore got his motorcycling genes from his father and uncle Bottom: Tom and the Scott won a few trophies
remains a mystery what that impressive haul of trophies in the picture were for, but Tom did relate that the Scott belonged to Oliver Lampton – being known locally as a handy rider who got good results, Tom was often lent bikes, and put his success in time trials down to his army training. “You were given a set route and a time in which to do it, and you had to keep to it. If you did it properly, you arrived everywhere at just the right time. Speed wasn’t the thing, it was timekeeping that was important.” (Quoted in The Telegraph Magazine). But he had several machines of his own – as well as that two-stroke Enfield, he had a 1912 two-speeder BSA, a Scott and a 1936 Excelsior Manxman 250 TT. He also reverted to another two-stroke Royal Enfield after the war, a 1947 125. And his favourite bike of all time? “The overhead camshaft Norton which Stanley Woods rode in the Isle of Man TT.” Tom Moore had to stop riding in 1956 but of course went on to worldwide fame when he walked 100 25-metre laps of his garden to raise money for the NHS during lockdown – not bad with a zimmer frame at the age of100. He initially aimed at raising £1000, and as we all know did quite a bit more... Captain Tom died on 5th February, surrounded by his family. His autobiography, ‘Tomorrow Will Be a Good Day,’ was published in September.
Make a Donation
On top of all the money raised for the NHS, a Captain Tom Foundation has been set up to tackle loneliness, support people facing bereavement and champion education and equality. You can donate at: www.captaintom.org
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Fire Starter Motorcycle R I D E R
Meet Louise Hillier – new designer of Motorcycle Rider – and read how the White Helmets trained her to jump through fire Words: Louise Hillier Pics: Philip Mingo - @ppauk
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hat am I doing? I must be completely stupid! Nuts, crazy, insane, not the full ticket and one spanner short of a toolkit. Fifty metres back, I can feel the heat of the flames. I remember seeing riders jump through ‘fire’ as a kid - delicate little arches that smoked gently. What I’m faced with here looks more like an almost solid wall of flame and heat. The ramp I have to aim for looks about as wide as the knobbly tyres on the Honda XR250 I’m sitting on. I rode this bike for the first time a couple of days ago and jumped off a ramp yesterday – again, that was the first time. But there’s no going back now. Into gear, accelerate towards ramp, into second, third...and I’m flying. I had joined Motorcycle Sport & Leisure magazine as a designer, but got roped into editorial as well, embarking on a series of biking challenges. ‘Challenge Lou’ had had me riding everything from a KTM enduro bike to a vintage Henley, but there was one thing I hadn’t done – stunt riding. And it looked as if I’d got away with it until some smart alec reader wrote in and asked why I hadn’t spent a day with the Royal Signals White Helmets. Well that was fine, I could live with that. Until Lt-Colonel Amberton of the Royal Signals wrote in after he’d read that: “come and spend a week with us,” was the gist of it. For all the Colonel’s reassurances (and he was a very nice man) that I wouldn’t be pushed into doing anything I wasn’t ready for, the colour had already drained from my face. I’d been there, I’d seen the White Helmets’ ‘Pyramid’ and high-speed criss-cross riding, and to me it seemed a challenge too far. Still, I would be part of a group of novices, some of whom had never so much as sat on a bike before. They all had an induction week which basically taught them how to ride, and I came on board for the second week, which teaches those arena skills that the seasoned riders make look so easy.
Private Benjamin
So off up the A303 on my Honda Dominator to Blandford, a quaint Georgian town in north Dorset and the Royal Signals’
Top left: White Helmets were a team Top right: Triumph Tiger 750s were still the bike of choice Below: Louise (right) benefited from good instructors
base. This is the army, so the first priority was to get me in uniform. Green (not white for a novice) open-face helmet, Alt-Berg boots, green fleece, green jacket and green combat trousers. Oh, and a bib with ‘37’ written on it. I looked like something out of Private Benjamin. Why an open-face helmet, when we’re doing dangerous stunts? “Oh, that’s so the audience can see your face - it makes the show more personal.” Right. I didn’t feel quite as out of place when we reached the rest of the group – they were all dressed the same as me. All ten were army regulars who had applied to join the White Helmets, and for them, this was a make or break fortnight. Already, one woman had been airlifted out the previous week with a dislocated shoulder. This week, she was back again, only to break her wrist – I heard she was determined to come back and have another go... Anyway, the first challenge was to ride the standard White Helmets bike, a Triumph Tiger 750. This was the old Meriden Tiger, not Hinckley’s adventure tourer, and was already out of Motorcycle R I D E R
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date when they ceased production in the 1980s. Why, after all this time, do the White Helmets carry on using them? Light weight, good torque and strength are said to be the main reasons. The Triumphs are solid bits of kit (I was already slipping into Army terminology), easy to modify and maintain. And they’re British! The only flaw in this plan came when the teams needed new bikes a few years ago: Meriden was long gone, and even Les Harris (who built Meriden Triumphs under licence in the late 1980s) didn’t have a licence to make them any more. But he could make spares. A lorry load of Triumph bits was duly shipped up to Blandford, and the Royal Signals built up 30 bikes themselves. Apparently Hinckley wasn’t best pleased that someone else was making ‘new’ Triumphs, however specialised. Kick starting these old Triumphs was an art in itself, and I couldn’t master it. So like Penelope Pitstop, every time I stalled someone had to run over to kick the bike back into life for me. Anyway, the Tiger was surprisingly pleasant to ride – nice and tractable, with a low centre of gravity – and after a couple of hours doing figure of eights and slalom, my instructor Adam told me to follow him and do as he did. Riding in a straight line: one hand on your helmet, then one foot on the seat, then both...I couldn’t believe it, I was riding a bike and standing on the seat. By the end of the day, I felt quite chuffed.
Tricks
The next day, things got trickier. Now in with the main group, we all had to take the next step towards real stunt riding. Just as scary was the sound of twelve unsilenced Triumphs making the ground vibrate. We had to ride two abreast and go round in a figure of eight...which doesn’t sound hard. Now make that a 22
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Above left: Starting the big twin was a leap too far Above middle: Only one of these trainees is smiling… Above right: Joy or fear? You decide….
handlebar’s width apart, and you have to keep absolutely side by side. The key seems to be to set your speed and use the rear brake (not the throttle) to slow down. One person to one bike was obviously getting too easy, so we swapped onto one of the trick bikes, basically a Triumph with a rigid rear end and a ‘sticky’ throttle that allowed you to ride hands off. The ‘Swallow’ consisted of me lying along the seat and tank, with the instructor standing up on two foot boards sticking out either side of the seat. He was controlling it, not me! I felt just as I did when I was forced to do algebra at school - why? Then the ‘Four Tee’: I sat on the handlebars while three guys sat on the bike behind me - I suppose one of the fundamentals of being in the White Helmets is that you trust every other rider implicitly. Finally, the ‘Three Bike Fan’, the basis of the Pyramid. Three of us had to ride abreast, inches apart, while two guys stood in between the bikes. One rider fell off...so we all did. Forget Anne Robinson’s old quiz show – the White Helmets was all about the Weakest Link. Just when I was thinking it wasn’t all that bad, I was told it was time to jump a ramp. They didn’t use the Triumphs for this (too heavy for novice jumpers), and bog standard Honda XR250s, with no modifications whatsoever, are far more suitable. I was shown the XR. Then I was shown the ramp. Err, have you got a smaller one, I quavered? It came up to my thigh and was about as wide as a builder’s plank. I really didn’t think I could do this.
Who Were the White Helmets?
“Do you want to see me do it first?” said instructor Stan. Next thing I knew, I was lining up to do it myself. First gear, second gear, aim for the white line and over! Legs locked (which forces the rear wheel down first, so you don’t nosedive) and we were down! Sheer glee. And again, with third gear and more speed. By this time everyone was watching, and as I landed, both hands came off the bars, but I managed to grab hold again and stay on. I was told to stop waving at people. Next day, after all that, I knew I’d have no choice but to tackle the fire jump. Four riders had made it through the day before, despite a strong wind, and apart from a bit of singed hair no one was hurt. But now the photographer was here, and I felt duty bound to have a go. We lined up; they lit the fire. It’s just like the ramp without fire, I kept telling myself, same technique. Photographer Phil Mingo tells me I was actually grinning as I flew through the flames. Well, either that or a silent scream.
Verdict
What an incredible week it was. If nothing else, it proved to me that with trust, belief in yourself and brilliant instruction you can achieve what seems impossible. Thanks to everyone at the White Helmets who made me so welcome – it turned out I was the only civilian female ever to tackle the fire jump. Just as I was about to go, one of the instructors told me I was a chick with balls. Tops. This article first appeared in Motorcycle Sport & Leisure
Who of us didn’t see the White Helmets at one time or another, at open air bike shows, steam fairs and the like? They performed their daring stunts publicly for 60 years, before being sadly disbanded in September 2017, when it was thought that their despatch rider origins didn’t fit with modern high tech Royal Signals. The Royal Signals Motorcycle Display Team – to give its full official title – had its origins in despatch riding during the First World War, when riders were used to deliver messages between HQ and the front line, and became part of the Corps of Signals in 1920. The Signals riders were young men in their twenties, good riders and keen on bikes, so one thing led to another...they were soon developing their own stunts. Recognising the good PR coming out of these public displays, the Royal Signals display team was formed in 1927. Its early shows actually featured horse riders as well as motorcycles, but as fewer horses were used by the military, these were dropped to concentrate on the bikes. Some spectacular stuns were developed, including the fast crossover, juggling while riding backwards, the human pyramid and of course jumping through fire. The team, which had a rolling membership, performed under various names over the years. ‘Mad Signals’ was a reference to the early bikes’ weak brakes and ‘The Red Devils’ was used before the Parachute Regiment nabbed it. They settled on the White Helmets in 1963. The end came when top brass decided that the White Helmets didn’t fit in with the Royal Signals focus on high tech communications – despatch riders had long since gone the way of the dodo. “The problem is that, when you look at the Royal Signals today, it’s about cutting-edge cyber warfare,” said one senior officer at the time. “The image of chaps performing stunts on motorbikes is fun, but really doesn’t speak to modern-day youth who have grown up in a digital age.” The White Helmets gave their final performance in September 2017 at their home base of Blandford Forum in Dorset. A sad day, but who knows how many young motorcyclists they encouraged over the years?
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Racing into 2021 I
Bradley Wilson – Team Thorneycroft 56 in Supersport – looks forward to a new season
didn’t start out riding bikes from a very young age, and a career in racing wasn’t even a consideration. Until I took my CBT in February 2016 I had never even touched a motorbike, never mind ridden one. But as soon as I started riding, I was hooked. The racing story began when my aunt married Hudson Kennaugh, who was 2013 British Superstock 1000 Champion and provided my gateway into motorcycle racing by helping out his team. It wasn’t a glamorous start, and initially I was the team brew maker but I asked Hudson if I could have a ride. He gave me a try and the rest, as they say, is history. In 2019 I raced with the Microlise Cresswell team in the Standard class Moto3. It was a mixed season, but I also finished third in the Southern 100 race on my first time out. I managed to break my leg during one of the BSB races at Thruxton, and while this did scupper my season, it also meant that I was at the right place at the right time at Oulton Park, spending a lot of time chatting to the Thorneycroft’s team. Shortly afterwards they offered to sponsor me, which enabled me to set up my own team, Thorneycroft 56 racing. I was lucky that Mervyn Richmond decided to join the team as co-owner. We’ve been friends for a long time and I really couldn’t race without him – certainly couldn’t imagine anyone else on the spanners! I also teamed up with my mentor/ manager Richard Mortimer again during the 2020 season. I started 2020 with a style of bike I’ve never ridden before – the 400cc Kawasaki. My main target was to finish in the middle of the pack at BSB, have some good battles, learn and adapt as much as possible. Obviously Covid meant that the season was 24
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Above: Learning curve – Bradley is concentrating on honing his riding technique Left: Thorneycroft’s sponsorship enabled to Bradley to set up his own team
delayed but I did manage to get some racing in. I learnt a lot about running a team, riding in Supersport, and by the end of the season I had realized that a lot of it comes from your own attitude and belief. It was also clear that I have a really good team around me, not least my fellow rider Connor Sellors.
Looking to 2021
I am ready to race again this year, with an improved perspective of what I need to do. I need to mess about with the bike less and concentrate on improving the way I ride it. This season the team colours will be represented by Connor and myself, joined by Harrison Dessoy, which is really exciting. The Supersport class at BSB is so important to encourage young riders and spectators. Connor and Harrison are both young lads with a passion for bikes and motor sport. It’s really important that young people are given the opportunity to take part in the sport and to be around bikes with the best training and guidance. After all we are the future of motorbikes. Mind you, the costs involved in racing can be prohibitive and we do rely on sponsors so are always on the look out for businesses and individuals who are as passionate about bikes as we are. I am really excited about the 2021 season and hope that the crowds will be back as soon as they can. Look out for our distinctive Thorneycroft Pink bikes on the track and check out my facebook page Thorneycroft 56 racing to follow my progress.
Get the App! The Crash List • • • •
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ou’ve just been knocked off your bike – what happens next? Thorneycroft’s Motorcycle Assist app could help. Thorneycroft Solicitors are keen supporters of motorcycle safety and we actively support a number of organisations such as Upright Derbyshire and Biker Down. We supply medical data carriers free of charge – these contain all of your medical and contact data for the emergency services in the event that you are unconscious. We have also developed an app which riders can download for free and use following an accident – Motorcycle Assist. We understand that if you are involved in a collision you may be quite shaken, and may not remember what you need to do. Motorcycle Assist guides you through the steps you need to take in the event that you do have a collision with a third party. The app guides you through the important initial evidence gathering steps and gives you a platform to record the accident details, defendants’ details, accident location, witness information, photographs etc. This information will then be sent directly through to us so that we can take the necessary steps quickly and efficiently. Motorcycle accidents require special consideration, and you should use a specialist bike solicitor if you have a collision. Remember that you are not obliged to use the solicitors your insurer tells you to use, as they may not be specialist motorcycle solicitors. You are well within your rights to pick the solicitors you want to use. As BMF members you are also assured of a discount in respect of any success fee if you use Thorneycroft.
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What do to in the event of an accident: Make sure you are safe Do you need the emergency services? Are there any other casualties? Collate the information required – Motorcycle Assist will guide you through this, but in essence you need: The other party’s name, address and phone number The other party’s vehicle registration Witness details Location of the accident Attending police details Pictures of any marks on the road and the position of the vehicles Make a recording on your phone – say what you see Bikers are often unfairly blamed for accidents when it isn’t their fault. That is why it is important to gather as much evidence as possible and also why you should use a specialist solicitor.
We want everyone to enjoy their bikes, but we also want to reassure BMF members that if the worst does happen we are here to help. Download our app, or make sure you have our number in your phone.
The BMF legal line is 01625 506697.
Download the App
www.thorneycroftsolicitors.co.uk/personal-injury/motorcycle-accident-app/ Motorcycle R I D E R
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DAY RIDE
Somerset Flatlands
Words & Photography: Peter Henshaw
Curvy roads and big skies over the Mendips
120-mile day ride taking in gorges, cliffs and the Somerset Levels
I Above: Watch out for these signs
Above: Take your pick, nearly all the roads are good Below: Glastonbury turns up more than once
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f and when sea levels rise by a couple of metres, the Somerset Levels as we know them will be no more. This vast flat land was once a reedy swamp, and one day probably will be again. Anyway, it’s the focus of this day ride, though we start at Podimore services on the A303. It’s flat here too, flat enough for the Fleet Air Arm’s Yeovilton air base to have been built nearby in 1939. From Podimore roundabout take the A372 (signed Langport) and after a few hundred metres turn right onto a minor road which takes us through Charlton Mackrell. At the top, turn right and immediately left onto a straight, fast road – still a minor, but more like an A road in width and surface. We’re on a ridge now, with occasional glimpses of the Levels on both sides. Just follow your nose to join the A39 (turn left) and after 3-4 miles turn right for Edington. The Somerset Levels are stretched out in front as you ride down into the village, with the Mendips on the far horizon. Now we’re on the distinctive back roads of the Levels. Usually straight as a die, they undulate over the soft, peaty soil, which is great fun, but be ready to stand up on the pegs for the bigger dips and humps. Follow signs for Burtle, East Huntspill and/or Bason Bridge, cross over the M5 and turn right onto the A38. Stick with this classic ex-trunk road, mostly wide and curvy as it heads north
for the Mendips before taking the B3133 left to Clevedon. Unlike nearby Weston, Clevedon is a genteel sort of seaside town with a Victorian bandstand overlooking the modestly ornate pier. After an ice cream, hop onto the M5 south and take the high bridge over the River Avon, coming off at junction 18 to follow the A4 into Bristol. Now we get a spectacular entrance into Brizzle, alongside the Avon which narrows into a high, rocky gorge. Look up, and there’s Brunel’s Clifton Suspension Bridge. Filtering through Bristol’s choked outskirts, follow signs for the A38, and eventually, you’re free of the city. Keep with the A38 past Bristol Airport before eventually turning left onto a minor road signed Upper Langford. Then right and immediately left for Burrington. That, you’ll be pleased to hear, is the end of the trafficky bit of this ride, and it’s now mostly open roads back to Podimore. First there’s Burrington Coombe, which twists its way up the side of the Mendips through a dramatic limestone gorge. After an Alpine-like right-hander we finally pop out right on top of the Mendips and stay high for several miles, crossing a terrain of big skies and the odd drystone wall. At the crossroads, head straight over on a minor road which drops off the edge of the Mendips and deposits us in Wells. Follow signs for A39 Glastonbury, and we’re back on the Levels as we approach the unmistakeable outline of Glastonbury Tor. At the roundabout, ignore the bypass and take the second exit, through the outskirts of town and some traffic calming – the famous Tor is on your left, and if you’re up to it, get off the bike and walk up to the top. Turn right at the mini-roundabout then first left to drop back down onto the Levels before climbing back up again and turning left at a T junction. Through the village of Butleigh then we climb away, back to the ridge-top road which will take us back to Charlton Mackrell and Podimore. So there it is, about 120 miles (on the long route) of hills, flats, seaside and limestone gorges. As ever, the best way to see them is by bike. What’s your favourite day ride? Tell us about it in 500 words with a few pictures (high resolution please) you could see it later in Motorcycle Rider and receive a BMF gift! Send to: editor@bmf.co.uk
Best-Laid Plans
Murder Hole Beach
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ummer 2020 suited this Robert Burns saying to a tee: No matter how carefully a project is planned, something may still go wrong with it. And for me it did, on numerous occasions. Like many members, our plan to tour Europe during summer 2020 was cancelled due to the Coronavirus. Not to be beaten I rang my mate in Devon and suggested we do something closer to home. Mark had plans to visit his mum in Northern Ireland and we agreed that he would travel by ferry on his GS and we would plan to do the north coast of Ireland anti-clockwise, to include the Antrim Coast and the Donegal section of the Wild Atlantic Way. With the plan in place I took my R1100S out for a spin to make sure all was good ahead of the mini tour. Well, that’s when the plans started to go awry. The bike is a ‘04 RS which has never let me down in five years, but that evening I hit the start button after stopping at a mate’s house for a brew and... nothing, not even the click of the starter motor. The fuses were all good, but at 55 years young with a hip screw, I decided against a bump start. Thank goodness for recovery assistance and it turned out to be a dead starter motor. Great, the trip was still on! After collecting the bike complete with new starter, I felt something wasn’t right. Power seemed lacking and it stalled at a set of lights. Maybe a good run would sort it out before our tour the following week. But next day it was worse, farting and banging like the morning after a feed of beer and curry! Back to
DAVID BLEVINGS and friends headed off on the Wild Atlantic Way – what could go wrong? the bike hospital and the diagnosis was a dodgy hall sensor, it was not going to be my week – the mechanic promised to get one ASAP. I was doubtful if it would be in time for the tour. I looked in my garage at my second bike, a 1988 Ducati Paso, but with 16in wheels, drop bars and questionable electrics I was slightly ‘concerned’ at its potential for the Wild Atlantic Way. It’s a nice bike to run down to the coffee shop as long as it’s within pushing distance of home (apologies to Ducati owners).
Buy One...
Then I had a brain wave – why not buy a bike for the tour and sell it when I get back. Brilliant! A BMW was of course my first choice and I did see a K1200S at my local stealers, but reading about them online did not fill me with confidence as so many owners had major issues with the 1200. There were two other options close by – a Blackbird and an Aprilia Futura. Hondas have a bullet-proof reputation and this one looked nice, but the gaffer tape around the rear indicator stalks and general tardy look put me off. So the Futura was next. The style appealed, it was kept in a heated garage and after a quick test ride I was hooked. I fitted a new battery and a 12v connection to the bars for the satnav and we were ready for the trip. I managed a quick run the next day with my local BMW Club and it performed fantastically, comfort level on par and dare I say the saddle was more comfy than the R1100S. Motorcycle R I D E R
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Left: Banter in Roscommon Above: Artist’s impression of Mark’s incident As planned, I met Mark and Graham (two BMWs) outside the McDonalds in Ards. The run up the coast was excellent, and if you have never travelled the Antrim coast road from Larne to Ballycastle you should. It is a fantastic road with the hills on your left and the sea on your right, a mixture of fast straights and hairpins with the odd rock tunnel to drive through, really picturesque. We arrived in Portballintrae for a quick lunch and Graham said his goodbyes before heading head back to Belfast. Mark and I planned to travel to Castlerock and via Benone to Magilligan for the ferry for the short crossing to Greencastle and into the Republic. Rain greeted us as we rode towards Letterkenny but let up slightly while we sheltered at a filling station, so we continued via the N56 through Termon, Creeslough and into Dunfanaghy. I am fortunate enough to own a small holiday cottage in this village and we agreed to lodge here for a few nights and take day trips as many B&Bs and hotels were not taking guests due to Covid. We arrived wet and quickly lit a peat fire to dry the wet gear. I had booked dinner at the local hotel, and what a different experience that was. You were not allowed to go to the bar, escorted to your seat and told you had 90 minutes for your dinner. No problem, this is the new ‘normal’. And the food was excellent. Back home, opened another bottle of red and fell asleep in front of the peat fire!
Let Down
The next day beckoned dry and bright. Today’s plan was to visit Fanad Head Lighthouse, a popular local landmark on the Fanad Peninsula between Lough Swilly and sandy Mulroy Bay, a headland with fantastic dramatic scenery. After lunch 28
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at Rathmullan with an old school friend we rode up the R268 coast road to the lighthouse and took in the excellent scenic views. From there we travelled via the Harry Blaney Bridge to Carrigart and then up and around the Rosguill Peninsula, taking in the stunning views including the famous Murder Hole beach. From there I had the bright idea of taking Mark on a scenic run around the back of Muckish Mountain. We took what I thought was the correct road out of Creeslough but quickly found it was a single-track road which started to sprout grass within the first mile. Not to lose face and admit I had made a mistake I ventured on, the tarmac turning to loose stone and gravel with added potholes. Muckish was still on our right so the direction of travel was correct and I could see the ‘correct’ main road up ahead about a mile away. I looked back at my mate, now standing on the pegs and riding his GS like a trials bike. He was enjoying himself while I was fighting with the Aprilia! I persevered with its belly pan bottoming on many a pothole as we traversed what had become a field track surrounded by peat bogs. At last we emerged on to the main road, where I nearly got down and kissed the tarmac. But within two minutes my steering went very light and I knew immediately I had a puncture! No great surprise given the route we had taken. This is normally not a big issue with modern tyre seal products, of which we both had a tin...but we’d left them in our luggage at the house! Another lesson learnt. Options were call for assistance which could take several hours or nurse the bike to the nearest town and buy another tin of sealant. The second option was the best in my opinion as it was a rear puncture – a front would have been a different prospect. So sitting high up, nearly on the tank, and a 15-20mph
ride to Falcarragh ensued. Here I bought another tin of sealant and watched as the foam oozed out of the small puncture marks in the rear tyre. A quick boost with the air hose and we were off again to Dunfanaghy to review our next move to find a puncture repair and/or a new tyre. The next day dawned very wet and a quick visit to the local garage confirmed that they did not work on motorcycle punctures – someone in Donegal might be able to do it. So after breakfast and with the weather improving, we started down the Wild Atlantic Way (N56) via Falcarragh, Gortahork and Glenties, then the R262 towards Donegal town. We were met by a road worker setting up a detour, but he allowed us to continue and said that we should get through before the work started. This is where it got interesting (again). After about three miles of twisty rural roads we rounded a corner to find about four cars in various stages of U-turns. The road works had started and we were too late to get through. A trench had been dug halfway across the road, so a bike could get through. Picture the scene; a car stopped on nearside and another car alongside it on the other side of the road facing forward, about to reverse. Mark took one look and decided to pass the car on the right-hand side. As he pulled alongside the car it started to reverse and the gap began to close. He went to dab his right foot to the ground but, as these small rural roads are built on peat bogs the ground fell away. I watched in amazement as he continued to fall to the right until both he and the bike were horizontal in a peat bog!
Fall Down
I didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. My first instinct sadly, was to get my phone out and take a picture. But I knew Mark would be furious so I parked up and ran to see if he was OK. He was, and only his pride was damaged. The bike was actually lying at about 110 degrees due to the fall of the ground and what a bugger it was to lift! If you ever have to raise a GS from horizontal you will know where I am coming from. Mark was ready to spit fire at the car driver but realised very quickly that the fault was his. After he calmed, we got back on the bikes and turned back to find a side road into town. A tyre dealer inspected the tyre and said, “It looks grand, sure it will get you home.” But a quick check online said that sealant is only good for about 100 miles and I was already over that! There was no motorcycle shop in town, but the internet revealed one in Athlone so we decided to head there as it would sort my tyre issue and get Mark closer to Rosslare for the ferry back to Wales. We ventured further down the coast via Bundoran and Mullaghmore Head in Co Sligo for the excellent views at this famous surfing headland and then across to Athlone, checking into a hotel and enjoying an Indian meal. Early next morning the rear tyre was flat as a pancake! So much for getting me home. The bike shop was two miles away but fortunately the hotel came up trumps with a compressor and air tank - within two minutes the tyre was inflated and I
was ready to go. Better still, the bike shop was open and the chap had a new tyre for me, great news! With that done, we headed off south east for Mark to make Rosslare. We were surprised at how quiet many of the small villages were until we realised that many of them were dependent on the tourist trade which was virtually non-existent given the pandemic. At Clara in Co Offlay we went our separate ways, Mark for the ferry and I had the pleasant run back to Newtownards up the N52 which is a very enjoyable run rather than slogging across the motorway and up via Dublin. Back home and the next day a call to the motorcycle hospital revealed that the R1100S was still not fixed. Yes, the new hall sensor was fitted but an intermittent electrical fault still plagued it. How disappointing. I told my wife the saga that night and her memorable words were, “Why don’t you sell all those old bikes and buy a nice new one?” I had debated keeping the Aprilia as it was a very nice machine but I went and had a test ride on a new S1000R Sport. I was hooked. The Ducati and Aprilia were on eBay the next day and away to lucky purchasers in GB the following week. As I write I have just taken delivery of the new S1000R sport (or S1KR as those in the know seem to say) and am loving it. Weather has hampered play to date but I will update on adventures in due course. The R1100S is due back from hospital soon. I don’t really want to sell it as despite recent faults it is a really comfortable mile muncher, It’s OK to keep both isn’t it? I can tour on the R1100S and keep the S1KR as a summer toy. This article first appeared in The BMW Club Journal – our thanks for permission to reprint it.
Great roads in Donegal – puncture apart, the Aprilia did well
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GOLD WING
OWNERS CLUB GB PETER RAKESTROW tells how Britain’s Gold Wing club got started, and what it’s been doing since
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Above: The man who started it all – Harry Ward Below: Andy Appleby (on left) was the club’s PR and is still a very active member
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n April 1980 Harry Ward, along with 24 other British Gold Wing owners, attended the Belgian Gold Wing Club Treffen (rally) in Aalter at a place called the Ranch. They joined 150 Gold Wing owners from Belgium, Holland, Denmark, Germany, Switzerland, Austria and Italy. Britain was the only country without a national club so on his return Harry decided (with the assistance of the then secretary of the Gold Wing Motor Club of Belgium, Rudi Geryl) to put an advert in the British motorcycle press and invite other Gold Wing owners to join him in forming one. The inaugural meeting of Gold Wing Club GB was held at the Tower House Hotel, Reading, on Sunday 18th May 1980 – 37 Gold Wing owners attended. The new GWCGB started attracting members from all over the country and soon changed its name to Gold Wing Owners Club GB. Within a year the club membership had rocketed from those 37 founders to 454 Rider members and 126 Associate members.
The first standalone British Treffen that we as a club organized was held a year later at Henley-on-Thames – seven other countries were represented and a total of 251 bikes. Every year since then GWOCGB has organized a Treffen, and these have been held across the length and breadth of the country – from Cornwall to Scotland, Wales to Norfolk – in 1993 over 1,000 Gold Wings took part. In 1984 Harry Ward had the great privilege of meeting Mr Soichiro Honda and was presented with a signed copy of the book ‘Honda’, edited by Mick Woollett, which he accepted on behalf of GWOCGB.
Going Local
In order to make meeting up with friends and fellow members easier a system of regional groups evolved. Most have at least monthly meetings and rideouts, some hold camping weekends (‘Wing Dings’) in the summer, and in more recent years regions have also organized Light Parades for charity in the autumn. Regional meetings are the best place to find out information about the GWOCGB, advice about the Gold Wing and enjoy the friendship of fellow wingers. There is also a very active Classic Section which promotes the four-cylinder models at motorcycle shows and other events. ‘Wing Span’, the club magazine, started out as a printed monthly newsletter but is now completely on-line which allows for more flexibility with articles and photographs. Over the years thousands of pounds have been raised for various charities and one year we bought an electric wheelchair for one of our own disabled members which was immediately dubbed ‘Claire’s Chair.’
The GWOCGB came from its humble beginnings to celebrate its 40th anniversary in 2020. This is amazing longevity for a club and with Honda still making a Gold Wing model who knows how many more anniversaries we will celebrate. The sixth generation Gold Wing, complete with the trademark flat-six engine, is nothing like the first generation GL1000 four cylinder, so for new potential owners the model range is vast. The Gold Wing Owners Club of Great Britain
is open to anybody who owns and rides a Honda Gold Wing, irrespective whether it’s an original classic four-cylinder or the latest model – the common thread is to own and ride ‘the Wing.’ The Gold Wing was designed to be a mile muncher which it does superbly and an organisation like the GWOCGB allows owners to achieve this with the many rallies in Europe as well as here in the UK. It’s all about providing fun, information and friendship for like-minded riders.
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Above left: The ultimate Gold Wing (+ matching Escapade trailer) Above: Cheryl Roulston handles the club’s PR
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Bikes for Good
Doc Bike First of a new series on motorcycles doing useful – or in this case life saving – jobs. LARA BATTERSBY outlines the DocBike scheme
A
ny air ambulance clinician who has worked through a summer season will tell you that motorcyclists do not fare well in a high-speed collision. Without a roll cage, seat belts, crumple zones or air bags, the forces that are involved when a rider crashes at speed are so great, that regardless of the skill and seniority of the medical crew, or how much blood is carried, many motorcyclists die at the scene of the incident. If we really want to save the lives of motorcyclists, preventing them from crashing in the first place is a far more effective strategy. This was identified by Dr Ian Mew, a Consultant in Anaesthetics and Critical Care Medicine, a Critical Care Doctor aboard the Dorset and Somerset Air Ambulance and former Director of Major Trauma at Dorset County Hospital. In 2013, in collaboration with PC Chris Smith from Dorset Police, a motorcycle
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Below: DocBike works with other organisations on the Biker Down scheme to improve skills and reduce crashes
Engagement
Above: Fatalities peak in April
injury prevention strategy was piloted. This has now become so successful, that the DocBike charity has been formed and the scheme is being rolled out across the country.
What is DocBike?
DocBike puts doctors on motorcycles, combining a highly qualified doctor or paramedic with a bike, as an effective fast responder to incidents. All of our riders are serving doctors, paramedics or practitioners who look after critically ill and injured patients in the pre-hospital environment as part of their day job. They give their time voluntarily to help keep motorcyclists on two wheels because they know the devastation that can be caused when a motorcyclist is involved in a crash. Wherever possible, this doctor or paramedic also works on the local air ambulance, as it is part of their everyday job to treat and save the most severely injured and sick patients, and to help them to reach hospital alive. We also work at a Think About It national level to prevent Every year, around motorcycle collisions and 16,000 motorcyclists to help bikers develop are injured in the UK their skill and reduce their (DfT, 2019), and in an risk of crashing in the first place. average week six are In 2016, the DocBike killed and 112 seriously project was awarded injured (DfT 2019). the Trauma Audit and Research Network prize for the best use of its data. This was the first time that TARN data had been used for injury prevention purposes, but when cross-referenced with police collision investigations, it allowed them to identify which motorcyclists were most likely to be killed or critically injured on Dorset roads in the future. This was vital information on who to engage with and encourage to take rider skills courses. Their research showed that 81% of motorcyclists who were killed or critically injured would not have been involved in a collision at all, had they been aware of why motorcyclists crash, been able to identify the hazards that DocBike and some other enhanced riding organisations teach and altered their riding technique according to the situation.
If you ask a fellow biker if they want to come on a bike safety course, they will invariably say ‘no’ explaining that they have been riding for 20 years and know how to ride a bike. However, if you offer them something that they do want, such as a free BikerDown course, which covers how to keep your mate alive if they come off their bike, the response and uptake is positive. BikerDown is a free course, created by Jim Sanderson from Kent Fire and Rescue Service and is taught all over the UK. With an air ambulance clinician teaching the module on how to keep someone alive, we have found that riders really do want to learn these vital skills. This includes motorcyclists in our ‘at-risk’ profile, so we have a captive audience with those bikers who are most likely to be killed or critically injured in the future. The course runs over one evening and comprises three modules: • How to manage the scene of an incident, call for help and keep yourself and others safe • What you can realistically do to help keep someone alive until the ambulance arrives • How you can make yourself more visible and avoid being knocked off your own bike in the future • It is in this last session, where riders start to appreciate that there are things that they can do to reduce the risk of them being involved in a serious collision, that encourages them to do a further course, which will improve their awareness and make them a more skilful rider. As a policy, DocBike avoids using the word ‘safety’, as this causes people to disengage. Everyone wants to be considered a better or more skilful rider, so using positive language like this seems to lead to a much better uptake. Nationally, DocBike has worked with agencies to use BikerDown as the primary step in engaging ‘at-risk’ motorcyclists. Our work with the National Fire Chief’s Council, which owns the course, ensures that everyone attending a BikerDown course is encouraged to take up further rider training when they leave.
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Road Signs
DocBike started as a Dorset organisation, but as its goal is to eradicate motorcycle deaths and serious injuries across the UK, it now works with national organisations on how do this. Take road signs. Every year, motorcycle fatalities peak in the springtime. This may be because riders are a bit rusty after not riding much over the winter period, because other road users are not used to seeing bikes out on the roads, or most likely a combination of both. The annual spike could be worse this year, after the multiple lockdowns of the past 12 months. The human brain is not very good at ‘seeing’ small objects travelling towards it at speed. A high proportion of motorcycle collisions on Dorset’s roads occur when another vehicle pulls into the path of a motorcycle, which is unable to stop in time. This year, DocBike has worked with psychologists and used evidence-based research to design new road signs to warn other road users about bikes. Above: Bournemouth BikerDown course at SafeWise Left: Soon to be seen on a road near you? Below: Doctors on bikes can respond quickly to provide vital care on the scene
After seeking feedback from the public on two options, the signs were put up on Dorset roads in March and will be in place until October. The outcome from this research will be shared nationally, so if the signs are effective in reducing collisions you may well see them rolled out nationally.
How to Help
Everyone involved with the charity is a volunteer, but it’s still an expensive business. It costs approximately £50,000 to put a DocBike on the road, which sounds a lot, but compared to the estimated £2.1 million for each human life lost (Department for Transport), this is nothing. Regular contributions make a huge difference. By chipping in just £2 per month, you can help provide us with a regular, sustainable income which enables us to direct resources to stop riders from having a collision and to kit out the response motorcycles with medical equipment. That way, if the worst happens to a motorcyclist on the road, we will be there for them. 34
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Find Out More For more information about DocBike and how you can get involved, including making a regular contribution, visit: www.DocBike.org
CLUB MEMBER LISTING Clubs List current at 22nd February 2021. Please email admin@bmf.co.uk with any corrections
Club Name
Club Website/Facebook
Region
Club Name
Club Website/Facebook
Ayr Classic Motorcycle Club ayrclassicmc.com 1 - Scotland Medusa MC medusamotorcycleclub.co.uk/ Evolution Women’s Motorcycle Club www.evolutionwmcc.com 1 - Scotland Reigate + Redhill North Downs MCC www.rrnd.co.uk/ Grampian Motorcycle Club www.gcmcc.co.uk/ 1 - Scotland Rejects Brotherhood rejects.secretary@gmail.com Highland Classic Motorcycle Club highlandclassicmotorcycleclub.co.uk/ 1 - Scotland Renegade Motorcycle Club Medway Band renegademc.com Loudoun Motorcycle Club Pauline Speirs - fastrakscotland@aol.com 1 - Scotland Shoreham Beach Hog www.beachhog.uk North Coast Motorcycle Club David Bremner - dsb77@btinternet.com 1 - Scotland Solent MCC N/A Scottish Motorcycle Club scottishmotorcycleclub.org.uk 1 - Scotland Avon Advanced Motorcycle Club info54518.wixsite.com/aamc T.E.A.M. MCC www.facebook.com/groups/TheEndAndMoreMotorCycleClub Celtic Crew Motorcycle Club www.facebook.com/CelticCrewMCC 1 - Scotland Exeter British Motorcycle Club exeterbritishmotorcycleclub.co.uk Widows Sons Scotland www.widows-sons-scotland.com 1 - Scotland Kickstart Club Torbay www.kickstart-club.org.uk/ WTTR (Scotland) MCC (War Torn Troops Remembered) www.facebook.com/groups/wartorntroops/ Martin Jennings Marshals Association www.facebook.com/groups/121690960193/ 1 - Scotland Moorlanders Motorcycle Club www.moorlandersmcc.co.uk/ Dean Valley MCC deanvalleymcc@gmail.com 2 - North East Pinkertons Motorcycle Club www.pinkertons.co.uk Doncaster & District MCC www.doncastermotorcycleclub.tripod.com 2 - North East Plymouth MCC www.facebook.com/www.plymouthmcc.co.uk Durham and District MCC Chris Potter - cbandb@aol.com 2 - North East Rudge Enthusiasts Club Ltd www.rudge.club INFIDELS MCC Bob Knowles - bobscoop11@gmail.com 2 - North East Swindon & District Motorcycle Club www.sdmcc.org.uk Northern Pan Riders nprclub.co.uk/ 2 - North East Taunton Classic Motorcycle Club tauntonclassicmc.weebly.com Tees Tornadoes Motorcycle Club 2 - North East Taw & Torridge Classic Bike Club www.facebook.com/tawandtorridgeclassicbikeclub Tyne Valley Classic MCC tynevalleyclassicmotorcycleclub.co.uk 2 - North East Toads and Dog Ends Rally Club www.evictedmcc.co.uk/toadinhole.htm Tyne Wolves BTC www.facebook.com/Tyne-Wolves-BTC-190234578567363/ Wells Classic Motorcycle Club wellsclassicmotorcycleclub.co.uk 2 - North East Westland Classic Motorcycle Club wcmcc.org.uk WYP Motorcycle Club wypmotorcycleclub.wordpress.com 2 - North East Yarm Motorcycling Club www.yarmmotorcycleclub.co.uk 2 - North East British Motorcycle Preservation Society (N.Wales) bmpsnwales.org.uk/ 4 Riders Club 4ridersclub.co.uk/ 3 - Midlands Conwy Motorcycle Club Limited conwymotorcycleclub.org.uk Barnsley Bikers Club www.barnsleybikersclub.co.uk/ 3 - Midlands Pontypridd & District MCC pontypriddmcc.wixsite.com/panddmcc Bromsgrove Motorcycle Club bromsgrovemotorcycleclub.co.uk 3 - Midlands Ride Cymru Motorcycle Club www.ridecymru.com Bug Splatz RC www.bugsplatz-rc.co.uk 3 - Midlands South Wales Classic Motorcycle Club southwalesclassicmotorcycleclub.com Cernunnos MCC Cernunnos-mcc.org 3 - Midlands NWclub (Northwestbiking Club) www.northwestbiking.co.uk Chesterfield Classic Motorcycle Club www.facebook.com/Chesterfield-classic-motorcycle- Quick Quacks www.quickquacks.co.uk CLUB-322076708413066/ 3 - Midlands Southport Cruisers www.facebook.com/southportcruisers/ Coventry Riders Action Group coventryridersactiongroup.co.uk 3 - Midlands Stalybridge Motorcycle Club www.facebook.com/groups/237819469573054/ Druids Motorcycle Club www.druidsmcc.com 3 - Midlands Street Specials MCC Fosse Riders MCA www.fosseriders.co.uk 3 - Midlands Warrington Motorcycle Club www.warringtonmcc.co.uk/ Jumbo GB Organisation www.jumbogb.org.uk/ 3 - Midlands Boothill Motorcycle Club www.boothillmcc.co.uk Kings Norton Motor Cycle Club e-voice.org.uk/knmcc/ 3 - Midlands Goldwing Owners Club Of N.Ireland gwocni.co.uk Lincoln Classic Motorcycle Club lincolnclassicmotorcycleclub.com 3 - Midlands N.I. Bikers and Trikers Club www.facebook.com/groups/nibikersridingforcharity/ Shropshire & Powys Advanced Riders www.saparweb.com/ 3 - Midlands Rathfriland MCC www.facebook.com/rathfriland.mcc Skegness & District MCC Mrs Wilson - nancywilson281@btinternet.com 3 - Midlands Tandragee 100 Supporters Club www.tanragee100.co.uk Skellingthorpe and District Motorcycle Club www.facebook.com/groups/310476618970058/ 3 - Midlands Top Dead Centre Motorcycle Club www.topdeadcentremcc.com Tamworth and District Classic M/C Club www.facebook.com/Tamworth-and-District-Classic-MotorcycleAircooled RD Club www.aircooledrdclub.com Club-114728838565981/ 3 - Midlands BSA Bantam Club www.bsabantamclub.org.uk BSA Owners Club, Cleveland and North Yorks Branch Tony Outhwaite - ag.outhwaite@ntlworld.com Tamworth and District Classic M/C Club www.tanddcmcc.co.uk 3 - Midlands Essex Chapter Great Britain essexchaptergb.com/ Wolds Bikers woldsbikers.net 3 - Midlands Federation Of Sidecar Clubs www.sidecars.org.uk Unwanted MCC www.unwantedmcc.co.uk 3 - Midlands Gay Bikers Motorcycle Club (GBMCC) www.gbmcc.co.uk AJS & Matchless Owners Club North Essex Section www.northessexjampot.co.uk 4 - East England Goldwing Owners Club Of GB gwocgb.co.uk B.R.I.M.B.O www.brimbo.co.uk 4 - East England Goldwings for Life www.goldwing-light-parade.co.uk/aboutus.html Blue Knights UK & Ireland Conference blueknightsukic.org 4 - East England Harley Davidson Riders Club Of GB www.harley-davidson-hangout.com/index.html Busy Bee Motorcycle Club www.busybeemcc.com/ 4 - East England Hedingham Sidecar Owners Club hedinghamclub.co.uk/ Colchester DVLC www.mersea.info 4 - East England Honda Owners Club (GB) www.hoc.org.uk Copdock Classic Motorcycle Club copdock-cmc.co.uk 4 - East England International Laverda OC www.iloc.co.uk Dengie 100 Motorcycle Club www.facebook.com/Dengie-100-Motorcycle-Club-508436529170462/ International Motorcyclists Tour Club Imtc.org.uk 4 - East England Kawasaki Triples Club www.kawasakitriplesclub.net Hadleigh and District Classic Motorcycle Club www.hadmcc.co.uk 4 - East England Loch Lomond Motorcycling Club https://www.facebook.com/Loch-Lomond-MotorcyclingImperial Elephant MCC www.facebook.com/imperialelephants 4 - East England Club-109899005715648/ Thetford and District Motorcycle Club thetfordmotorcycleclub.org 4 - East England Mayflower MCC www.mayflowermcc.co.uk/ Tiger Motorcycle Club www.tigermcc.co.uk 4 - East England Morini Riders Club www.morini-riders-club.com Triangle (Ipswich) MCC Ltd www.trianglemcc.co.uk/ 4 - East England MT Riders Club mtridersclub.co.uk Wisbech & District Motorcycle Club Peter Quince - plquince@yahoo.com 4 - East England National Association for Bikers with a Disability - NABD Chilton Motorcycle Club www.chiltonmotorcycleclub.com 5 - London nabd.org.uk/ Fellowship Of Christian Motorcyclists fcm-bikers.co.uk 5 - London North East Yamaha RD Owners Club nerdoc.my-free.website Greenwich Motor & MCC John Carnell - john.carnell@hotmail.co.uk 5 - London Pan-Clan www.pan-clan.org Southern Sporting Motorcycle Club www.ssmcc.co.uk/ 5 - London Surrey Chapter UK surreychapteruk.org TWITS Motorcycle Club www.facebook.com/Twits-Motorcycle-Club-298132813629454 The BMW Club www.thebmwclub.org.uk 5 - London Triumph Owners Motor Cycle Club TOMCC.org West London Riders Club (WLRC) www.meetup.com/West-London-Riders-Club-WLRC/ 5 - London Vespa Club of Britain vespaclub.uk 69 Motorcycle Club 69mcc.uk/ 6 - South East Veteran Vespa Club www.veteranvespaclub.com Associated Sheppey Bikers www.facebook.com/groups/asb1997/ 6 - South East Virago Star Owners Club vsoc.org.uk/ Barrel Bikers (Bucks) MCC www.barrelbikers.co.uk 6 - South East Vulcan Riders Association UK www.vulcanriders.net Widows Sons of Great Britain Ltd www.widowssons.org.uk Legionnaires M/c Touring Club Dbi Kirk - legionnairesmtc@hotmail.co.uk 6 - South East Womens International Motorcycle Assn www.wimagb.co.uk London Sidecar Club www.londonsidecarclub.co.uk 6 - South East
Region 6 - South East 6 - South East 6 - South East 6 - South East 6 - South East 6 - South East 7 - South West 7 - South West 7 - South West 7 - South West 7 - South West 7 - South West 7 - South West 7 - South West 7 - South West 7 - South West 7 - South West 7 - South West 7 - South West 7 - South West 7 - South West 8 - Wales 8 - Wales 8 - Wales 8 - Wales 8 - Wales 9 - North West 9 - North West 9 - North West 9 - North West 9 - North West 9 - North West 10 - Northern Ireland 10 - Northern Ireland 10 - Northern Ireland 10 - Northern Ireland 10 - Northern Ireland 10 - Northern Ireland National / One Make National / One Make National / One Make National / One Make National / One Make National / One Make National / One Make National / One Make National / One Make National / One Make National / One Make National / One Make National / One Make National / One Make National / One Make National / One Make National / One Make National / One Make National / One Make National / One Make National / One Make National / One Make National / One Make National / One Make National / One Make National / One Make National / One Make National / One Make National / One Make National / One Make
Motorcycle R I D E R
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ALL THE CONTACTS YOU NEED FOR THE BMF ACTIVITY IN YOUR AREA REGION 1 – SCOTLAND
Regional Chair - Tom Duncan, 01506 842131, 07887 835321, tom.duncan@bmf.co.uk DUMFRIES AND GALLOWAY Frank Dickinson, 01556 612102, dickietriker@googlemail.com Neil Hunter, 01556 610524, linda-hunter@sky.com AYRSHIRE - Pauline Speirs, 01560 321791, fastrakscotland@aol.com GLASGOW - Nick Elliott, 01416 379305, drnickelliott@gmail.com PERTHSHIRE John Gauld, 07803 622317, jag1969@o2.co.uk REGION 2 – NORTH EAST
BINGLEY - John Lancaster, 01274 560174, john-lancaster@sky.com Tina Walker, 01377 217242 REGION 3 – MIDLANDS
REGION 4 – EAST ENGLAND
CAMBRIDGESHIRE Tim Flinders, 01223 212721 NORFOLK - Richard Pike, 07754 104377 REGION 5 – LONDON
Contact - Anna Zee, anna.zee@bmf.co.uk
Councillor - Jim Freeman, jim.freeman@bmf.co.uk REGION 6 – SOUTH EAST
BERKSHIRE - John Ward, 01344 428667, 07880 645970, john.c.ward@hotmail.co.uk HAMPSHIRE - Ian Hammond, 07989 531121 iphamonda@googlemail.com KENT - Mike Gallafent, 01322 400775, 07503 165035, michaelgallafent@yahoo.co.uk OXFORDSHIRE - Hugh Jaeger, 01865 554814, 07762 093310, hugh_jaeger@hotmail.com REGION 7 – SOUTH WEST
Numbered Regions REGION 8 – WALES
Central Wales Area Representative - Phil Harries, 07968 168486, dpharries1@aol.com REGION 9 – NORTH WEST
Regional Chair - Peter Laidlaw, 01282 776336, 07939 260524, peter.laidlaw@bmf.co.uk
COVENTRY AND WEST MIDLANDS - John Nelson, jsnlsn@btinternet.com
Regional Chair - Jim Peel-Cross, 01672 563450, 07470 899546, jimpcross@hotmail.co.uk
DERBYSHIRE - Rod Nuth, 01283 810166, rod@nuth.me.uk
BATH - Carenza Ellery, 01225 835599, 07962 076370 (text preferred) cbx550mini@gmail.com
Rep/Councillor - Dave Barton, 01772 455018, 07971 519004, bmf_r9@notrab.co.uk Councillor - Mick Gibbons, 07940 816492, mick.gibbonsindarwen@ googlemail.com
CORNWALL - Tiffany Coates, 07805 078062, tiffanycoates@hotmail.com
CENTRAL LANCASHIRE Derek Gustard, 07763 412859 derekgustardmagic@hotmail.co.uk
WEST SOMERSET - Brian Cox, 07498 300504, briancox1965@gmail.com
CHESHIRE - Jim Bradburn, 01606 836782 jimbradburn@hotmail.co.uk
LINCOLNSHIRE - Mitch Elliott, 07982 802588, elliott.mitch@gmail.com WARWICKSHIRE - Mark Lunt, 07767 870117, mark.a.lunt@gmail.com NOTTINGHAMSHIRE Jerry Hough, 07825 997969, jerry.hough@mail.com HEREFORD AND WORCESTER Frank Whittaker, 01531 635843, frankwhittaker62@gmail.com SHROPSHIRE -James Ellerby, jamesellerby@btinternet.com
WEST WILTSHIRE Les Simper, 07789 354371, les.simper@btinternet.com SOUTH WILTSHIRE Roger Stone, 01264 398134 07928 822671, r.stone703@ntlworld.com
MORE BMF REPS NEEDED! If your county is not listed and you would like to be a BMF rep, we would love to hear from you - please email admin@bmf.co.uk 36
Motorcycle R I D E R
EAST LANCASHIRE Mick Gibbons, 07940 816492, mick.gibbonsindarwen@ googlemail.com Simon Birchall, 01254 708893 Ste Bartley, 01254 278187 ste.bartley@googlemail.com
RIDER TRAINING ADVICE Are you looking for training at any level? Ring our membership office on 01162 795112
REGION 10 - NORTHERN IRELAND
Regional Chair Howard Anderson, 07918 903497, howard.anderson@bmf.co.uk CO. ANTRIM Davy Gillespie (club liaison) 02893 350495, 07882 525777 gwocni@hotmail.com
CO. DERRY/LONDONDERRY Alex Selfridge, 07842 424422 gi1jhq@hotmail.com NATIONAL AND ONE-MAKE CLUBS FORUM (NAOMC)
Chair Stephen Davenport stephendavenport98@me.com Deputy Chair Jacqueline Bickerstaff, 01327 705258 jacqueline.bickerstaff@ btinternet.com Secretary - John Gardner, 01695 622792, john.gardner119@gmail.com
WRONG NUMBER? If these aren’t the right contact details, let us know at admin@bmf.co.uk and we’ll put it right.
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38
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