TUG Web April 2022

Essex Advanced Motorcyclist Group

April 2022

Welcome to T.U.G. Dear Members, The majority of this issue is devoted to a reprint of an article by John Tipper published in the December 2012 issue of TUG. However we do have the standard Chairman's and Training Team pieces, two New Member introductions. a new Observer Profile, and the shortest Events Report you have ever seen.. Due to family circumstances mentioned elsewhere in this issue I shall be drawing back from EAMG, and the TUG editorship, for an indeterminate period. I have been editing TUG for 6 years now, which normally means 7 weeks of calm followed by one of steadily increasing panic. Still, there are few sensations to match that when you finally send the copy to the printers and you are, for a while, a free man again.

Chris Departing Editor (TUG@eamg.org.uk)

Chairman’s Piece

2

No Comment Needed

4

Test Passes

5

Membership Info

7

New Members

8

New Member Intro

9

Training Team News

10

New Member Intro

14

Luck be a Lady

17

New TUG Editor?

19

Membership Form

22

Dates for the Diary

24

Picture Gallery

26

2012 Rides

28

Events non-Report

35

Observer Profile

38

Further Training

44

What’s happening next?

Log into www.eamg.org.uk, then

Runs and Rides Forum

And follow us on Twitter and Facebook.

Essex Advanced Motorcyclist Group Promoting Excellence in Motorcycling Since 1982

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CHAIRMAN’S PIECE April 2022

Hello everyone I hope this finds you well.

A new edition of TUG and a new chairman writing this. I want to start by expressing the huge feeling of gratitude to Jill from all group members for the huge effort and dedication she has shown to EAMG as both an Observer and Chairlady. Just observing on its own takes us away from many things that you all take for granted, be it a Sunday lunch, missing a match on tv etc, double that with chair duties and one tends to find dinner is often left in the oven for when you get back.

I also want to say a huge thanks to all who volunteer in making this group run the way it does. We are not John Lewis or M&S, we exist on the donations of others in time effort and funds. We really need to take a step back and appreciate just how good our group is, it’s so easy to look at the small negatives, but I think we have an incredible asset, that asset is people. I think we cater superbly in both rider training and social activities. This group belongs to ALL of us, so lets make the very most of what we have on offer, I think you would have to go a very long way to find another group like ours!

Talking of this being our group, it is our 40 th Anniversary year, so it appears that the theme for our 40th year BBQ celebrations should reflect life in 1982. Please start looking in the loft for any clothes you might have still from then, have a laugh trying them on. My one piece Lewis Leathers don’t seem to get past my knees anymore, why do they shrink like that all by themselves in the attic?! It is also the Queens jubilee, my word she has been chair of the UK and Commonwealth for a lot longer than Jill. So we can have bunting and 1980s tunes blaring out while scoffing the delicious food we now are used too.

I do want to see if we can get a wider involvement among our membership with more external activities on a social level, so the committee are discussing ideas of how we EAMG can give back to our membership. Some of the ideas are us fully/ part funding trips to National Motorcycle Museum, Triumph factory visits, Duxford Museum, Brooklands , Skid pan day and so the list goes on. Some of you may have

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noticed a rather boys toys theme here, so we are also thinking Bike Shed Show at Tobacco Dock in May, or maybe a West End show etc, anything reasonable considered as long as it does not involve ABBA. These are just ideas, we also want and very much value your input , its really important that you do as this is YOUR group too.

Talking of TUG magazine we really do need to have a volunteer step forward as Chris has mentioned a long time ago that he is looking to step down as editor. Chris is being a hero carrying on..BUT if no one else steps up then TUG WILL GO. Don’t complain if it does and we have mentioned the need quite a few times so please don’t say you were not warned. I did mention earlier that this group exists on volunteers, we need new blood, like everything else does, WE very much need more observers planning for the future, if you think that’s of interest please do have a chat with me or any of the observers. I believe that the vast majority of us initially EAMG for rider training, so we have all seen and benefitted form the extraordinary effort the training team make in maintaining and delivering a fantastic top class team.

Many of the Rospa/IAM examiners do say how high our training standards are, MUCH better than most!

The past couple of years have been rather extraordinary, with Covid completely changing our lives, so many affected by it in one way or another. It could very much affect your bike endurance etc, so please bear this in mind. However the difficulties we have endured have also made so many of us look at things in a rather different way. I speak to so many people who say they are no longer taking things for granted. Take that trip you were always considering but never got around to doing..DO IT…I was chatting to friends mentioning that I wanted to see the Northern Lights and Whales… within the hour we had booked a holiday to Iceland!! Do small things like discovering what is in the local area, so many hidden gems, we are so lucky to be surrounded by such a historically rich and beautiful environment.

So despite the rising cost of petrol (which I predict will soon come down), lets get out there on our social rides. Please Please do make full use of our activities, I know that the recent very well attended Full training day (AMT FMT)organised by John Tipper was a great success, everyone said how much they benefitted from it, and importantly..how much they enjoyed it. The next one is planned for 29 th May, I would book early to avoid disappointment. It’s a great day, and maybe you have a retest /test coming up, this is a great way to make big improvements in a concentrated fashion. As I type this I have just heard back from North Weald that we can provisionally book them on 18 September for our SLOW RIDING DAY. I would high-

Essex Advanced Motorcyclist Group Promoting Excellence in Motorcycling Since 1982

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ly recommend coming along as we have not had the opportunity to do one since lockdowns, and it’s been a bloody huge effort to secure this!

I will finish by mentioning that we welcome Dave Crossley to the committee. He has been tortured by us (I promise I just watched, the others tortured) until he volunteered to join the committee and manage all the guests for group night. Please do help David with any good suggestions you may have and well done David for sticking your head above the parapet. More please like David just willing to give it a go and muck in with us. I look forward to seeing you at group nights, and how lucky are we to have such a fantastic venue!! Please support us by attending group night as we do need numbers to make it all worthwhile for Channels, who are fantastic to us.

Ride safe everyone and wishing you all well.

Best

Michel.

Editor: Membership renewal was due at the beginning of this year. If you want to renew your membership by paying directly into the bank, or even better by setting up a direct debit, the relevant details are: .

Account name: Essex Advanced Motorcyclists Group Ltd Sort Code: 30-96-94 Account Number: 00791646 Reference: YOUR POSTCODE and YOUR SURNAME

Payable on 1st January each year!

r

www.eamg.org.uk

CONGRATULATIONS Recent Test Passes

Chris Lacey

Phil Wilkinson

5th March 2022 EAMG Trainee Observer Assessor: Graham Cooper

10th March 2022 EAMG Trainee Observer Assessors: Mick Hewitt, John Tipper

Jimmy Mills

Adam Boyroo

23rd March 2022 RoSPA Silver Observers: Andy Parnham, Geoff Preston Examiner: Mark Anderson

Observer: Terry Sullivan Examiner: Mark Anderson

Danny Rutter

Darren Digby

28th February 2022 RoSPA Gold

Observer: Mick Hewitt Examiner: Mick Jones

Ibrahim Akar

25th March 2022 RoSPA Silver

8th March 2022 RoSPA Gold

Observer: Andy Parnham Examiner: Mick Jones

Colin Digby

19th March 2022 RoSPA Gold

22nd March 2022 RoSPA Gold (retest)

Observer: Mick Hewitt Examiner: Mick Jones

Observer: Mick Hewitt Examiner: Mick Jones

Alan Burke

24th March 2022 EAMG Observer (retest)

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Membership Information Dear Members & Prospective Members, The membership form is on the website or page 22 if you wish to join or if you are renewing.

Also please remember to spread the word about EAMG, recommendation is such a valuable tool and current members are always the best advocates for what a good group this is. The membership appears to dip in the first quarter because renewals have not all been made promptly! Note: Figures not updated this issue for that reason.

Membership Fees for 2022 

New Associate Members

...£55.00



Associate Member Renewal

...£40.00



Full Member Renewal

...£25.00



Social Member

...£25.00



Full Member Training

...£20.00

(For more information on Full Member Training see page 42) This is in addition to the Full Member Fee

Membership

Number

Full

97

Associate

53

Social

1

Observer

20?

Life

5

Total

176

Essex Advanced Motorcyclist Group Promoting Excellence in Motorcycling Since 1982

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New Members

Associate: Dave Batter Simon Thornton

Roy Smith

Full: Danny Burne Bruce Atkinson Steve Lindsell

Terry Saltmarsh Raymond Webb

Welcome to EAMG, and we hope your membership proves both productive and highly enjoyable!

www.eamg.org.uk

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New Member Robert Smith Hi all, my name is Robert and I’m a new member of the EAMG. I’m 51, married with a 14 year old daughter and two ageing dogs. I joined EAMG as I’d like to become a better rider, meet some new people, and ride out to some different cafes / burger bars. Luckily for me I now have more free-time (I only work part time now), so I’m now able to start training for my advanced test rather than just talk about it. In the past riding out with friends I was the guy at the back trying to keep up which put me off group rides for a long time, so the majority of my 30 years riding I’ve done on my own, mainly as a commuter. On the upside, my current commute is a 30 mile ride from St Lawrence to Shoeburyness railway station – which is where I work as a train driver (shift work, weekends, etc.).

Like the majority of bikers, I’ve had quite a few different bikes – favourite was my BMW GS 1200 adventure, but even with the low seat I only have little legs which did cause the odd issue . I recently sold a BMW F800GT and a Honda CBF 600 (winter hack), and brought a Honda Crossrunner. The reviews of the Crossrunner are correct, as the heated grips are barely noticeable, and it’s a bit of a heavy weight to move around, but so far it’s never failed to put a smile on my face, while sitting very comfortably.

Well, that’s me, ride safe and if you find yourself on the dead end road that leads to St Lawrence Bay, there’s no cafe here, but I do have a kettle.

Essex Advanced Motorcyclist Group Promoting Excellence in Motorcycling Since 1982

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TRAINING TEAM NEWS John Tullett

Training Team Test Passes Congratulations to:  Chris Lacey and Phil Wilkinson who have both recently passed their Trainee Observer Assessments and are now commencing their observer training. If any other Full members holding RoSPA Gold are potentially interested in becoming an Observer then please contact me via training@eamg.org.uk and I will send you further details of what is involved.

 Alan Burke who recently passed his two yearly Observer re-test with Senior Observer Assessor Graham Cooper.



Associate Group Training (AGT) Attendance levels for Group members wishing to participate in an observed ride at the February and March AGTs were surprisingly low. In February we had 2 Associates and 1 Full member signed up for further training (FTFM). March improved a little with 4 Associates and 1 FTFM. This inevitably left a number of Observers unallocated and they ended up having to organise two peer to peer social rides instead.

If you are training with EAMG it is important to take full advantage of AGTs to complement your 1-to-1 observed rides. Being allocated to different Observers will give you an opportunity to ride with someone you may not know on routes you are un-

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likely to be familiar with.

AGTs are held on the Sunday after the Group Night meeting, which is always held on the first Tuesday of the month. Our venue is: Beryl Platt Centre (formerly Longmeads House), 12-14 Redwood Drive, Writtle, Chelmsford, CM1 3LY. The next AGT is scheduled for Sunday, 10th April and further details relating to this event may be found on the EAMG Forum at: www.eamg.org.uk/ forum/ and also EAMG’s Facebook page www.facebook.com/ groups/ 14843949398 A £10.00 charge is payable by Associate & Full members wishing to participate in an observed ride at AGTs to help cover the costs of running these training sessions.

Please arrive at 09: 00 for a 09: 30 start and ensure your motorcycle has a full tank of fuel, is fully legal for insurance, tax and MOT (if applicable). You will not need to produce your documents if you have signed the disclaimer on the membership form.

You must ensure that your machine has been ‘POWER’ checked beforehand. Preride checks will be carried out by the Observer on the day and if any safety issues are identified the observed ride could be cancelled.

If you are considering joining EAMG for additional training you are welcome to attend as a Guest, at no charge, to check us out. You will be asked to sign a disclaimer to confirm that you have a valid driving license and relevant insurance. If you have any questions you would like answered beforehand please email: training@eamg.org.uk Further Training for Full Members (FTFM) FTFM provides Full members who have already passed an advanced test with an opportunity to attend training with a personal 1-to-1 Observer and is proving popular so far during 2022 with 13 Full members signed up to date.

FTFM is designed to be flexible and you can sign up when completing your annual membership form or pay your additional £20 (on top of the standard £25 Full member fee) at any time during the year, whenever it is most convenient for you. You just need to ensure that Michel Couque, our Membership Secretary, is made aware - via membership@eamg.org.uk - that you have made your additional payment and

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he will liaise with Colin Digby who will allocate you to an Observer. We request Full members to make a £10 contribution for each ride to help offset observer expenses.

Full Member Training (FMT) / Associate Member Training (AMT) The first FMT/ AMT day of the year, held on 13th March, got off to a very positive start with 6 Group members signed up to attend. Unfortunately, one individual was forced to pull out at short notice because a friend had tested positive for Covid.

Everyone enjoyed the day and there are already 5 members signed up for the next FMT/ AMT day to be held on Sunday, 29th May. FMTs offer an excellent opportunity to identify and address any bad habits whilst developing your riding skills. You will be typically be riding with one other Full member over a predefined route of around 200 miles. This will give you an opportunity to ride on some unfamiliar roads and periodically 'take a break' while the second rider is being observed. You will be debriefed during the ride and given a comprehensive ride report. Several refreshment stops are incorporated into each route. The cost to attend a FMT day is £45.

AMTs are run in parallel with and adopt a similar format to FMTs - but for Associate members. AMTs will typically cover 100-120 miles and are being targeted at Associates who may be approaching test standard; have been recommended to apply by their 1-to-1 Observers; or individuals who are comfortable with riding greater distances than covered on a typical Observed ride. The cost to attend a AMT day is £35.

Slow Riding/ Machine Control Days I am pleased to confirm that, thanks primarily to the efforts of Michel Couque and Mick Hewitt, EAMG has managed to book North Weald Airfield for a Slow Riding/ Machine Control Day between 09: 00 and 13: 00 on Sunday, 18th September.

Further details of this event will appear in a future issue of TUG - but please ensure you pencil this date in your diaries now to avoid double booking.

We have not yet been able to confirm whether it will be possible to book the Ford Dunton test track for a second Slow Riding/ Machine Control Day during 2022 but Graham Simpkins hopes to receive a further update in the near future.

www.eamg.org.uk

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Copdock Show Mick Hewitt has booked a promotional stand for EAMG at this year’s Copdock Show to be held on Sunday, 4th September. If you wish to assist on the stand please let Mick know or e-mail me at the address below and I will forward your message to Mick. If you are visiting the show please ensure that you drop in to EAMG’s stand for a chat.

The show is celebrating its 30th year in 2022 and is definitely well worth a visit.

There is also a chance to win a highly desirable raffle prize for just £1 - a 30 year old 1992 FireBlade prepared by TTT Motorcycle Village, with the winning ticket being drawn at the show.

---ooo0ooo---

Should any members have any training related queries then please contact me via e -mail to training@eamg.org.uk , or on 07570 992801 or speak to the most relevant member of the Training Team.

Essex Advanced Motorcyclist Group Promoting Excellence in Motorcycling Since 1982

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New Member Roy Smith I've re-joined to learn a few more riding skills and meet some biker people for ride outs. Bikes are my Kawasaki Z1000SX and a Triumph Tiger. If all goes to plan I’m off to Morocco The Alps, Wales and the US all on two wheels. I would love to drive around Ireland if anyone fancies going ?? Interests are shooting and bee keeping & cycling

www.eamg.org.uk

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Essex Advanced Motorcyclist Group Promoting Excellence in Motorcycling Since 1982

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Page 19

Luck be a Lady Submitted by John Tipper

Look at the picture above and you can see where this driver broke through the guardrail, on the right side of the culvert, Where the people are standing on the road, pointing...The pick-up was traveling about 75 mph from right to left When it crashed through the guardrail. It flipped end-over-end bounced off and across the culvert outlet, And landed right side up on the left side of the culvert, Facing the opposite direction from which the driver was traveling. The 22-year-old driver and his 18-year-old passenger Were unhurt except for minor cuts and bruises. Just outside Flagstaff , AZ , on U.S.. Hwy 100 Now look at the second picture on the next page

Essex Advanced Motorcyclist Group Promoting Excellence in Motorcycling Since 1982

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www.eamg.org.uk

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New TUG Editor Chris Johnson

I was beginning to feel that editing TUG (put the dots in yourself; they are a nuisance to type) was a job for life. When you are in your mid 70’s that is actually an uncertain sentence. However over the last 18 months my wife Mary has been increasingly unwell, and after her recent 3 week stay in hospital I am now a 24/7 carer, which makes biking a bit problematical, even if you don’t think about the consequences of even a minor accident. EAMG is going to have to be put on a back burner for the foreseeable future. No more misremembered rides for the Events Report. No more pictures and, with very little free time left, no more TUG. We need a new Editor. We need one badly.

I would like to paint a rosy picture of the role; the selection of appropriate articles from a profusion of offerings, the ease with which modern software turns your artistic dreams into glorious reality, the chance to bring your touch of creative genius to the membership. I am afraid that it is nothing like that. After six years of using Microsoft Publisher I should be pretty expert with it but it still regularly goes crazy, has sulks, and has a nasty tendency to bite you in the bum when you least expect it. Creative urges give way to a desire not to break something which is more-or-less working and, the biggest demon of all, there is never ever enough content. This is what brings TUG Editors to despair. You bully your friends to generate some. You write stuff yourself. You scour the Internet for anything bike related, and you re-cycle old articles. You are pathetically grateful to advertisers because they use up some space.

It would appear that volunteering as Editor is not a sensible thing to Essex Advanced Motorcyclist Group Promoting Excellence in Motorcycling Since 1982

Page 22

do. However, we all ride bikes, which most regard as not being a sensible thing to do. so I have hopes. You can rely on the Chairman and Training Team reports (John Tullett was once a TUG Editor himself so he is sympathetic). You used to be sure of my Events Report, but I am not going on rides any more. Anything else is up to you. I can offer a DVD archive of all the TUG material I have, and can probably transfer my MS Publisher licence. I can do a handover with useful (?) advice, and answer any queries when you are generating your first, or twentieth, issue.

Over to you.

www.eamg.org.uk

Building, Civil Engineering and Maintenance 

Extensions - Garages - Loft Conversions



Block paving Driveways - Patios



All Types of Roofing



Carpentry - Brickwork



Water Main and Sewer Repairs and Renewal



Fencing - Replacement Windows (uPVC, Hardwood, Aluminium)



uPVC Cladding, Fascias, Soffits

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Underpinning - Landscaping

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Painting and Decorating Fully Insured (But not yet Needed!)

For free no-obligation quote, phone Clint on

01621 828276 (Office) 07836 277223 (Mobile) Domestic and Commercial Work Undertaken Insurance Work also Welcome Member of The Federation of Civil Engineering Contractors Flagstaff Farm, Green Lane, Althorne, Essex, CM3 6BQ

All Full Member R ides will leav e Sainsburys Springfield, Ch elmsford

Page 26

2022 January Associate Group Training (AGT) Group Night - Natter Night Colin's Full Member Ride Mick & Alan’s Associate/Member Ride

Tuesday, 1st Sunday, 6th Sunday, 13th Sunday, 20th Sunday, 27th

Group Night - AGM Associate Group Training (AGT) Colin's Full Member Ride Mick & Alan’s Associate/Member Ride Observer Peer to Peer Ride (2201)

Tuesday, 1st Sunday, 6th Sunday, 13th Sunday, 20th Sunday, 27th

Group Night Associate Group Training (AGT) Associate/Full Member Training (AMT/FMT 2201) Mick & Alan’s Associate/Member Ride Colin's Full Member Ride

Tuesday, 5th Sunday, 10th Saturday, 16th Sunday, 24th Sunday, 24th

Group Night Associate Group Training (AGT) Super Sausage Run – To be confirmed Colin's Full Member Ride Mick & Alan’s Associate/Member Ride

Sunday, 1st Tuesday, 3rd Sunday, 8th Sunday, 15th Sunday, 22nd Sunday, 22nd Sunday, 29th

Essex Motorcycle Show, North Weald Night Associate Group Training (AGT) Observer Peer to Peer Ride (2202) Colin's Full Member Ride Mick & Alan’s Associate/Member Ride Associate/Full Member Training (AMT/FMT 2202)

Tuesday, 7th Sunday, 12th Sunday, 19th Sunday, 26th Sunday, 26th

Group Night Associate Group Training (AGT) Slow Riding Day Colin's Full Member Ride Mick & Alan's Associate/Member Ride

Sunday, 3rd Tuesday, 5th Sunday, 10th

Maldon Motor Show Group Night (to be confirmed) Associate Group Training (AGT)

February

March

April

May

June

Diary 20 22

Sunday, 9th Tuesday, 11th Sunday, 16th Sunday 23rd

July

www.eamg.org.uk

Colin's Full Member Ride Mick & Alan's Associate/Member Ride Observer Peer to Peer Ride (2203)

August Tuesday, 2nd Sunday, 7th Sunday, 14th Sunday, 21st Sunday, 21st Sunday, 28th September Sunday, 4th Sunday, 4th Tuesday, 6th Sunday, 11th Sunday, 18th Sunday, 18th Sunday, 18th Sunday, 25th October Tuesday, 4th Sunday, 9th Sunday, 16th Sunday, 23rd Sunday, 30th November Tuesday, 1st Sunday, 6th Sunday, 13th Sunday, 20th December Sunday, 4th Tuesday, 6th Sunday, 11th Sunday, 18th

Group Night Associate Group Training (AGT) Associate/Full Member Training (AMT/FMT 2203) Audrey & John's Cotswolds Ride Mick & Alan's Associate/Member Ride Colin's Full Member Ride Essex Air Ambulance Run/Show Mick & Alan's Associate/Member Ride Group Night Associate Group Training (AGT) Copdock Show Slow Riding Day Colin's Full Member Ride Observer Peer to Peer Ride (2204)

Group Night Associate Group Training (AGT) Mick & Alan's Associate/Member Ride Associate/Full Member Training (AMT/FMT 2204) Colin's Full Member Ride

Group Nigh ts @ 19 : 30 , AGTs @ 9 : 15 am

Sunday, 17th Sunday, 24th Sunday, 31st

Group Night Associate Group Training (AGT) Mick & Alan's Associate/Member Ride Colin's Full Member Ride Mick & Alan's Associate/Member Ride Group Night - Xmas Quiz Associate Group Training (AGT) Colin's Full Member Ride

Diary 2O22

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Picture Gallery ■ Picture Gallery ■ Not So

www.eamg.org.uk

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o Many ■ Picture Gallery ■ Picture Gallery

Essex Advanced Motorcyclist Group Promoting Excellence in Motorcycling Since 1982

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Reveiller Rides 2012 - Part 1: Landscapes, Mountains and Glorious Tarmac John Tipper (previously published in TUG in December 2012) With the evening light failing, the temperature outside dropping and the bikes securely parked in the garage, I’m sitting in the study listening to some of my favourite music while reflecting on the wonderful miles we covered this season and all the great people who have ridden with us.

Only yesterday, we received a lovely letter from John Kidman, who doesn’t have email, to thank us for the trips he and Margaret had joined this year. We were particularly moved to hear that our ride to Bavaria “was the best holiday” that they have had abroad together, “eighteen over the last ten years”. Such praise is ample reward for all the hours spent organising these rides for your enjoyment.

Our 2012 season began by accompanying a hundred or more Harley Davidson’s on Le Shuttle. With the demise of Seafrance, this was our first experience taking Reveiller Rides ‘under’ the Channel. There was a hint of what was to come when we arrived at the Early Arrival Services to find a queue at the pumps at 7 o’clock in the morning. We also encountered Rob White trying to bump start his Blackbird but more of that later. Our main task was trying to keep separate from the Harley’s as we wanted to be sure all our group got on the same train; as it was, Keith Brades was unsuccessful but we regrouped at the Total petrol station in the Calais Terminal. I was rather bemused when the Harley rider parked alongside me on the train began looking at his engine, looking in the petrol tank and removing the spark plug leads; yes, it would appear that Harley’s still have HT leads. “Have you a problem”, I asked, always willing to help a fellow rider in distress. “I think my engine’s missing!” I’m sure I could see it was still there but nevertheless. “It’s a twin”, I replied, “they all sound like that”. “Naa! it’s got no power.

It’s tuned to 115 bhp but feels gutless. Must be water in the tank; but then again, I’m carrying luggage, oh, and the wife!” We both agreed that this must be the problem.

With only 140 miles to cover on our first day, we had plenty of time to admire the scenery on this four day (Green* ) ‘Scenic’ ‘D’ Tour taking us through the picturesque ‘D’ roads of Picardie and Bourgogne; if it wasn’t for the weather! In

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the past we have enjoyed superb weather in April, temperatures having been in the mid twenties. No problems though, everyone had studied the forecast and were appropriately dressed. We stopped an hour or so from Calais at an inviting looking restaurant for coffee, it was just after 11 o’clock and the apprehensive looking waitress invited us in. “OK pour onze cafés si vous plaît?” I enquired. “Oui monsieur” came the obliging reply. It was then that I noticed all the tables in the restaurant had been laid for a major banquet but no problem, two large tables were made available for us in the foyer. We removed our wet gear spreading ourselves in the area provided. Coffees consumed, I noticed an increasing number of cars arriving in the hitherto deserted gravel car park with ‘mature’ drivers at their wheel; the banquet guests were arriving. The haphazard nature of parking made it clear to me that we should get going; much later and we’d have been blocked in! Rain gradually receded leaving clearer skies on our scenic route south through the pretty towns and villages of Hesdin, St Riquier, Poix-de-Picardie and Grandvilliers to our first night’s hotel at Agnetz.

After a shower and a few beers, not necessarily in that order, we all enjoyed dinner exchanging experiences from the day accompanied by the usual banter. I seem to recall Audrey choosing a blueberry pie for desert that proved to be quite hard to break. “Give it here Aud, I’ll break it up for you”. Despite others giving their enthusiastic advice, it was still a problem so I asked Audrey to open her mouth saying “I’ll put it in”. Rapturous laughter ensued when Audrey commented she didn’t fancy the cream any more followed by Stephen’s retort, “I’m not coming again”!

Although quite fresh, our second day’s ride to the Côte d’Or began with clear blue skies and a brisk wind so the wets were packed away. We had planned a visit to Pierrefonds for coffee. Pierrefonds Castle dates back to 1393 when Louis of Orleans built the fortified residence to keep an eye on trade between Flanders and Burgundy. In 1616, Louis XIII laid a fatal siege to Pierrefonds Castle, taking it then dismantling it. This great ruin was forgotten until it was bought by Napoleon I in 1810. In 1857, Napoleon III entrusted the architect Viollet-le-Duc to turn the castle into an occasional residence, then a museum which would be open to the public.

It’s now best known as the castle used for the filming of BBC’s Merlin series.

Although the castle is open to the public, we had 180 miles ahead of us so our visit was limited to coffee in the Market Square. Cameras safely returned into their cases we continued our journey through the Forêt de Compiégne, the site of the Glade of the Armistice war memorial where in 1918 the Germans signed the armistice that ended WW1 and where Adolf Hitler deliberately chose the same location for

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the French and Germans to sign the second armistice on 22nd June 1940 after Germany won the Battle of France.

Our route south stuck to favoured ‘D‘ roads taking us through Château-Thierry and Sézanne where we stopped for lunch. We continued south towards Troyes and Châtillon-sur-Seine in the north east corner of Burgundy, an unspoiled region with forests, plains, rivers and vineyards. From here you can experience two of the best wine regions in France, Burgundy and Champagne but we know them for the superb roads of the Côte d’Or that awaited us. After a short break in Châtillon’s town square, we joined the D901, legendary to so many of our members. Thirty miles of riding bliss but more importantly, a gateway to a motorcycling mecca. Sadly, this four day ride doesn’t give us time to explore but we did get to ride the legendary D959 on our third day.

Our hotel for this second night is a favourite. Saint Seine L’Abbaye is a small village nestling in a wooded valley at the foot of the first gothic church in Burgundy. The Bony family have been welcoming guests at their hotel in this prestigious setting for four generations. Formerly an outbuilding of the 13th century abbey converted into a post-house to accommodate travellers, then family board and lodging and finally a hotel-restaurant. We’ve stayed here many times and I’m sure will do so again.

Rob White’s Blackbird wasn’t having a good tour. His first problem exposed itself on his way to Eurotunnel, refusing to start without a push on several occasions.

However, until now, each time the battery displayed symptoms of being flat, a push start was all that was needed but this changed on our third day. Although starting dry, the weather deteriorated the further north we rode. It had begun to rain and we were held up at a busy roundabout in Givry-en-Argonne when the ‘Old Girl’ died again. This time, however, she refused to restart. We found some shelter and scratched our heads wondering where to start. To our relief, Rob suggested we change the voltage regulator surprising us all by having one with him! Tool kit’s to the ready, in no time, Keith Brades and I had removed the rear fairing and the new (ebay) regulator was fitted. Would it start? Well, it’s a Honda! We were on our way having lost just 45 minutes or so. Was this the end of our problems? No, it needed a push start occasionally but Rob made it back with us and got the ‘Old Girl’ home safely where a replacement stator cured the problem.

It’s was a shame about the wet weather but thankfully it was fine in the Cote d’Or. Our thanks to Malcolm Kentish, Vanessa Gilder, John and Margaret Kid-

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man, Stephen and Trudy Pearce, Mark Birchall, Keith Brades and Rob White for joining our first ride for 2012.

We returned to Côte d’Or for our second ride (Red* ) but even though it was now May, the weather started very wet and cold. Audrey’s 97 year old mother was becoming frail so Audrey decided not to join us. I was riding my CBF but soon wished I’d taken the Pan. Even Steve Shortis and Richard Parker left their CB1000R’s behind in favour of their GS’s. The good news was that wet suits were removed by the time we reached Chateau Thierry when the sun broke through accompanying us for the next 150 miles to the first hotel. This ride, our second on Le Shuttle, exposed a flaw in Eurotunnel’s automatic checkin; Mike Hamilton discovered his reference number had already been used so he couldn’t checkin.

I’m surprised just how easy this can happen. I book reservations in advance and receive a block of 10 numbers for each ride. They are not normally concurrent numbers but the first 5 or 6 digits of the 8 digit reference are usually identical increasing the possibility of someone entering an incorrect digit to find it accepted as it matches one of our other legitimate numbers. It took Eurotunnel the time for two trains to depart after ours before they sorted it out so Mike could join us.

We’d arranged by text message to meet at the Calais terminal petrol station but, for the first time in my experience, we were directed ‘LEFT’ when leaving Le Shuttle making it impossible to access said petrol station. Quick thinking, more texting, we arranged to regroup at the A26 Péage booths. Hassle over our scenic ride to Montigny-l-Resle went without a hitch.

We arose next day to a dry morning but the sky was grey and it was soon raining.

This eased as we approached Avallon but this was of little consequence as our demanding route took us through the Natural Region of Morvan. A day on these roads in the wet will sort out any confidence issues with wet weather riding. Kevin Davis on his Avon shod CBF impressed us all with an angle of lean and degree of confidence to be envied. The Z Z R1400’s of Mark Birchall and Mongoose (Richard Thomson) must have been a handful but nobody was complaining. The Morvan ‘park’ was created in 1970 to preserve this 2,800 sq. km. region of rolling Burgundy countryside described by the tourist brochures as best explored “at a slow pace to absorb the atmosphere and appreciate the little things that make Morvan so special”. But not when it’s wet and riding powerful bikes; the road is demanding so little time for sight seeing today.

The sun welcomed us on Day 3; would the Côte d’Or let us down? The roads here are a revelation, some open and flowing with low verges affording superb views across corners while others are tree lined and more technical. Some billiard

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table smooth while others can test your suspension. Some look innocent and inviting but can be challenging if you allow your concentration to lapse. The majority are free of villages and all are free of traffic; this is what biking is all about. 200 miles of riding bliss. Tales of the day were washed down with a plentiful supply of beer before we all sat down to an excellent 3 course meal.

It’s a shame Audrey couldn’t make this ride but my thanks to Richard’s Parker and Nash, Mongoose, Mark Birchall, Mike Hamilton, Derek Turton, Steve Shortis, Kevin Davis, Peter Cockle and Garry Plummer for joining me.

Our first (Blue* ) 10 day tour for the year took us to Bavaria close to the Austrian border. Yet again there was another Eurotunnel glitch with John Parker and yellow K1200S being left forlornly on an adjacent platform. We met up at the petrol station in Calais’ terminal and were soon on our way to Luxembourg for our first night.

Our route for the second day took us to the heart of Schwarzwald (Black Forest); all going well for the first delightful 15 mile leg on the N10 to Vianden. We then crossed the border into Germany to find that I had no German maps on my Z umo; now I know why I had trouble loading the route! I’d just got straight lines and no detail other than the base map showing trunk roads and motorways. My sincere thanks to Ron Luke for lending me his Z umo 550 and to Kevin Davis, armed with his MacBook Air, who sacrificed most of his night’s sleep to reinstate my maps. However, these were not the only difficulties to be overcome on this day. The B50 to Bitburg was closed with a long deviation, we had a 1/2 hour deviation at Wissembourg and the link road tunnel in Baden Baden leading to the B500 was closed.

Glitches aside, it was warm, sunny and a Sunday so we’d planned lunch at Johanniskreuz, just south of Kaiserslautern, in the Naturpark Pfälzer Wald, a popular biker gathering at weekends where proud owners admire each other’s pristine machinery. A wide range of food is available here with anything from bratwurst, currywurst, schnitzel, gateau or ice cream. We are in Germany! Having overcome the Wissembourg detour and the closed road tunnel at Baden Baden, we joined the awesome B500, one of Europe’s best known biking roads. It was very busy with hundreds of bikers enjoying their highly polished machinery. Police presence was minimal yet I saw no dan-

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gerous riding, everyone just enjoying the ambiance. It had been a long day but I had promised coffee and ice cream at the summit of this Northern section. Although it was approaching 6:30, the car park was still full with many dealers just starting to dismantle their displays of a wide range of bikes. We could have stayed there for hours but it was time to leave for our hotel in Schenkenzell.

Surprise, surprise, we left Schenkenzell next morning in the rain. It had rained all night and although the bikes were safely parked, not all were under cover. I had planned two routes to Ruhpolding, one taking us through Munich City Centre, the other taking us on a longer southerly route; it was unanimously agreed that Munich should be avoided. The rain soon eased and the roads began to dry. This was a longish 280 mile route with a little autobahn but it was Monday so the lorries were back on the roads. We left the A96 autobahn early to join the B17 to Schongau, B472 to Bad Tölz and B307 to Miesbach. Although the scenery as we approached the foothills of the Bavarian Alps was stunning, the queues of slow lorries and endless solid white lines were a pain, even though we were on bikes. Eventually we joined the A8 for 23 miles before leaving on the B305, better known as the ‘Deutsche Alpenstrasse’ to Ruhpolding. Ron Luke couldn’t believe how much this restrained pace had increased the range of his FireBlade!

Having refuelled, we continued on the B305 to be confronted with yet another road closure, with no detour! A local driver continued ahead on the pavement and I decided to follow. The roadworks were more extensive than anticipated but we finally got through OK; not before we’d irritated a group of ‘mature’ cyclists. ‘Verstehen sie nicht’ was my chosen reply. We continued on the Deutsche Alpenstrasse towards the Alps foothills, through Reit-i-Winkl and our hotel for five nights in Ruhpolding.

Having covered 930 miles so far on this tour, day 4 was to be an easy day for all but the most hardy. Richard Nash, Kevin Davis and Ron Luke decided to ride into Mayrhofen (Austria) and take the cable car to the top of the mountain for lunch. John Parker and Roy Becken spent some time in the local village of Inzell while the rest of us took a leisurely ride to Obersalzberg and Kehlstein (Eagles Nest), the culmination of Martin Bormann’s dream to build a mountain top house for Hitler’s 50th Birthday, and onto Rossfeld Strasse (a private toll road) for lunch. Obersalzberg has changed out of all recognition since I was last there.

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(Continued from page 35)

A massive car and bus park, large restaurant, museum and multiple ticket booths for regular 25 minute coach trips to the Kehlstein House replace the ruins of Obersalzberg where the SS barracks, Bormann’s house, Goring’s house, and Hitler’s Berghof once stood.

Rudi Rechl, the hotel owner who rides a GS (what else), agreed to lead a ride to the Grossglockner Pass in Austria. Our route took us south through Reit-i-Winkl before turning east to Erpfendorf, Fieberbrunn and Saalfelden. A lovely back road route used by the locals. On route, it started to rain so we stopped for some to don wet suits. To my surprise, Rudi’s suit wasn’t waterproof. I expressed my surprise, “no problem”, claimed Rudi, “I’m not made of sugar”. Tough these Germans! As we approached the Grossglockner, the skies looked heavier over the Alps so Rudi called his wife and received a favourable weather report. He then flagged down an Italian biker to find out if it’s worth proceeding. “He’s come over from Italy where it’s sunny; it’s drying at the top but a bit misty on the way up”. We decided we’d come this far so we’re not turning back now. Good decision; although the lower section was wet and visibility very poor, the skies lifted as we reached the summit to reveal a spectacular view. . The Austrian Alps are magnificent and this road is superb. The €22.00 toll is worth every cent. After lunch we had a photo opportunity at the Grossglockner Glacier.

One's sense of perspective is very poor when gazing at this glacier; the immensity of it fools the eye so that it seems closer than it actually is. The mountain dead centre in our picture is 5 miles away. The ice field is more than a quartermile below us. The glacier itself is receding at about one foot per year; in a thousand years, it will no longer exist.

Leaving the Glacier, we continued south to Lienz, Italy before turning north through the 3.5 mile Felbertauern Tunnel taking us back to Austria. The route from Mittersill to Z ell am See was very busy, it was 27ºC so we stopped for a welcome drink when leaving Z ell. Wednesday is a short day

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for the hotel staff and we were asked to be back by 6 o’clock; we were running behind time and not expected to be back before 7 o’clock but this isn’t a problem when you’re the owner of the hotel! Our sincere thanks to Rudi for a superb day!

The next day we returned to Kehlstein for those who wanted to visit the sights. Roy Becken and John Parker took the bus up to Kehlstein house, Kevin Davis and I visited the new Museum, Richard Nash and Ron Luke visited Konigsee. Malcolm Kentish, Vanessa Gilder, John and Margaret Kidman, Graham Lowe, Snowie and Audrey chilled out in the warm sun. Kevin and I found the museum very interesting but it was more about the structure, growth and demise of the Third Reich. Although the building of Kehlstein house was mentioned, I expected more pictures and models describing its construction. The bunkers were an incredible experience though, especially the awesome well down to the underground river. Checkout the pictures on our Smugmug site: www.reveillerrides.smugmug.com. (editor: no longer online) After lunch Kevin, Richard and Ron rode to the Hohenwerfen Castle at Werfen, the castle used in the Clint Eastwood film ‘Where Eagles Dare’. Having returned to the Hotel, Roy, Malcolm, Vanessa, Audrey and I walked to the Rauschberg cable car but regretfully it was closed.

It was very hot on our route from Ruhpolding to Ewattingen the temperature rising to 37ºC in mid afternoon; consistent temperature throughout the day was between 33ºC to 34ºC. We made good progress apart from considerable traffic passing through Bad Tölz and a road accident near Meersberg. The traffic queue approaching Bad Tölz included 20 plus Dodge Vipers on a rally. Waiting alongside a highly polished bright red one, I asked inquisitively “do you have air conditioning?”

“Oh yes”, came the reply. “Would you like to swap?” I enquired while pointing to my bike. An emphatic “no” came the reply. Ah well, it was only a thought. We soon filtered past and regrouped. John and Margaret missed a marker for a left turn in Ravensberg but Richard let Audrey, who was sweeping, know the situation. Our radios ensured I was immediately aware. Being concerned for the markers I’d left in unshaded locations, I asked Richard to ‘collect’ them as he came through so we could regroup at a filling station where I was waiting with Snowy. It wasn’t long before John called me and we arranged a convenient rendezvous. We had planned a visit to the Rhein Falls in Schaffhausen on our way to Ewattingen but everyone was hot and tired so we went straight to the hotel for a welcome beer to cool down.

Our bed for the night was in a charming family guest house located in the small village a few miles from the Swiss border. Although the bikes were safely parked there was no cover and we could see the menacing clouds meant the hot sunny

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period was over, for a while anyway. It wasn’t long before the skies opened unleashing the mother of a thunderstorm that lasted throughout the night. Although it wasn’t still raining in the morning, everything was saturated and the air was full of heavy damp mist. Our route took us through Titisee and onto the southern section of the B500 but no fun today, the wet misty weather staying with us across the Rhein, through Obernai where we stopped for lunch, over Mont St Odile, the Col du Donon and through the lower Naturel Régional Lorraine; a distance of some 150 miles, not lifting until we approached Verdun. We have visited our final hotel in Marre several times, it’s quirky, the owners are a delight and tonight was to be no exception. Unbeknown to us, it was Madame Hergott’s Birthday so she and Monsieur Hergott were sitting on an adjacent table enjoying a celebratory dinner with wine; plenty of wine and Champagne which, to our amazement, was opened with a kitchen knife! The cordial atmosphere warmed the evening and we wondered what was in store when John Parker asked Madame for another bottle of Champagne so she could teach Audrey the cork removing trick. Obligingly the Champagne arrived Madame placing it on our table in front of Audrey. Madame had had a few so we were surprised, concerned

even, when the ‘very large’ kitchen knife arrived. To much amusement and continued concern, she adjusted Audrey’s stance, her grip on the knife wielding it swiftly demonstrating the stroke and where she should hit the Champagne bottle to achieve a successful uncorking. Four minutes of hilarious tuition accomplished, Audrey went for it but only knocked the bottle over. A couple more minutes tuition and Audrey tried again, this time with much more confidence and determination and ‘wham’, off flew the cork, complete with the neck of the bottle, to rapturous applause.

A great evening and great finale to a truly fabulous motorcycling holiday. We saw stunning scenery, shared wonderful experiences and rode some of the best roads Germany has to offer. Our thanks to John and Margaret Kidman, Malcolm Kentish, Vanessa Gilder, Kevin Davis, Roy Becken, Ron Luke, John Parker, Graham Lowe, Richard Nash and Colin Snow (Snowy) for making this such a memorable ride.

Look out for Part 2: Higher Mountains, Steeper Passes and Great Riding in the February issue of TUG.

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Events non-Report Chris Johnson

This is going to be short, and a little sad. My personal circumstances have changed and not only have I been unable to attend any rides. but am unlikely to be able to participate in EAMG for a while.

Colin’s Full Member Ride on 13th February wass to Tarka`s Café, a distance of 167 miles. John Tipper enjoyed it. Mick and Alan’s relaxed ride on 20th February was to have been to the Scotsdale Garden Centre, Fordham, a 110 mile run, but was cancelled due to the bad weather and risk from storm debris. On 20th March the Scotsdale run was attempted again, and this time seems to have succeeded to the satisfaction of all participants. The final run of the period was Colin’s run to the Cafe Riverside at lckleton on 27th March. It appears to have been an intricate pattern of 175 miles of fairly local roads. They certainly had the weather for it!

I have some pictures sent by Barry for that last run. They are displayed in the Picture Gallery, since I had nothing else to put there apart from a snap of Phil Reader’s S1000RR acting as a coffin for an unfortunate bird.

This would have been my 79th Events Report. Let us hope that it is not going to be the last, since it would be a shame if such a long-running saga of scurrilous misreporting were to end with such a weakwhimper .

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Observer Profile Terry Sullivan

When and why did you develop an interest in riding a motorcycle?

It was 1998, I was working at Kodak in Harrow and travelling from Dagenham to Harrow and back daily. I used a Vauxhall Combo van and it would take 50 minutes to get there and anything up to 5 hours to get home, but on a good day an hour and 40 minutes.

A few guys I worked with suggested I take my DAS and get a motorbike to cut my journey time down. I just dismissed it and said “whatever” and carried on wasting a lot of my life sitting in traffic.

I used to travel to work with my brother. One morning he turned up at mine and we went to get in my van. I looked at the lock on my drivers door and noticed that it has been smashed with what I can assume was a screwdriver. After commenting my brother said “this side has been broken into as well” With nothing of value left in the van I decided to use the van anyway.

As I opened the door the smell that hit me and made me re-coil, as it did my brother. Someone during the night had decided to use the passenger footwell as a toilet and had defecated there and used all my petrol receipts to wipe themselves, that's how they left the van except for 6 cans of beer in the back unopened. Obviously we had to go to work in my brothers car. Even after my lovely wife had cleaned it twice and decorated it with loads of air fresheners, I couldn't make myself get back in it, (even with my wife telling me its cleaner than when it left the factory it was built in). That was why I decided to take my test and get a bike.

How old were you when you first rode a bike?

16 years old

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What was the bike and what were the circumstances?

I think it was Suzuki TS185 trial bike with knobbly tyres. It was a friends bike and he asked me to take it for a ride while he went somewhere private with a girl he had met.

Of the bikes you have owned to date, which was the favourite, if there was one?

The bike I own now. KTM 1290GT If you were given the opportunity to own any bike on the market which would it be?

The new KTM 1290GT What is your favourite motorcycle related gadget?

Its got to be my egg sitter cushion/seat. I use it on every bike I own and would recommend one to everyone who rides and suffers from numb bum.

Where is your preferred place to ride in the UK? North Yorkshire and Scotland And, overseas?

I haven't been to too many places overseas but the south of France takes some beating for me.

If you were offered the opportunity to go on an extended bike tour who, family aside who would you choose as a riding companion?

I like to ride with anyone who rides a bike well, there's a few of us from this group who I tour with regularly (you know who you are) That's who I would choose to ride with all day long.

How would you describe to a non rider the attraction of riding a bike as opposed to driving a car?

The feeling of not being trapped and the exhilaration of accelerating and freedom a bike gives you.

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When do you intend to give up riding?

I don't know the answer to that one but until I am not able to get on or off a bike I suppose.

Describe your scariest moment on your bike?

I was on my way home from a group night, I was riding along the high street in Abridge when a van travelling in the opposite direction, by what I can only describe as a lunatic, decided it would be a good idea to frighten me half to death by veering onto my side of the road and headed straight for me. When the van got within 10ft of me he swerved back onto his side of the road. It happened so quick I didn’t have time to brake.

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Further Training Opportunities for Full Members EAMG FMT & AMT - 2020 1st January 2020 celebrated EAMG’s fifteen years of independence enabling the Group to draw upon the most appropriate riding techniques to meet the training needs of our members, without having to accommodate restrictions imposed by a governing body. With independence, came the responsibility to ensure our training standards progressed and maintained at the highest level.

EAMG Observers fulfill a crucial role within the Group. All are required to hold a current RoSPA Gold qualification before they can be considered for observer training. Once qualified, Observers are re-tested internally every two years by one of four Senior Observer Assessors (SOA’s) who, in turn, are re-tested externally every two years by Police Class: 1 riders. Full Members and Associates can therefore be assured that EAMG’s training is of the highest standard. EAMG; ‘Promoting Motorcycling Excellence’.

Full Member Training (FMT) FMT format allows greater focus on many aspects of advanced motorcycling over longer distances on less familiar roads. Make no mistake, passing an advanced motorcycle test is an excellent achievement but it’s only a measure of your riding standard on test day. Riding skills require continued practice to be retained or they will sadly be lost.

Associate Member Training (AMT) Similar training courses are now available for Associate Members who may be approaching test standard, have been recommended to apply by their 1 to 1 Observers or those familiar with riding greater distances than covered on a typical Observed ride. Associates will be encouraged to make their most recent Ride Report Forms available to ensure the Observer on the day has the necessary information to identify needs and address any issues that may be apparent..

Ride Format Duration of rides will be circa 200 mls for Full Members and 100-120 mls for Associates.

Regular stops, most including refreshments, will include debriefs so that issues identified can be addressed during subsequent legs. We will NOT be riding in one large group. Allocation will usually be on a 2 to 1 basis to avoid continuous Observation. Every effort will be

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made to match riding ability and/or aspirations. Routes will be pre-planned and forwarded to all participants beforehand. Initial briefing will be comprehensive and a full Ride Report Form will be provided.

2022 Events Joining Fees

FMT—(£45)

AMT— (£35)

Sunday, May 29th Sunday, August 14th

Sunday, October 23rd

Register by completing and returning this form to: John Tipper Email: john@reveillerrides.co.uk Tel: 0208 360 8590 or Mbl: 07860 773711

Pay direct to Sort Code: 30-96-94 a/c no: 00791646 Ref: FMT or AMT + your name Cash or Cheques payable to Essex Advanced Motorcyclists Group Ltd on the day Name:

Address:

Postcode:

Tel:

Email:

Riding Experience Aspirations: Annual Mileage:

Machine:

FTFM - 2022 Membership Secretary

Observer Co-ordinator

Paula Hockey

John Tullett

membership@eamg.org.uk

training@eamg.org.uk

Additional Membership Fee

Contribution to Observer

£20 pa

£10 per ride

Essex Advanced Motorcyclist Group Promoting Excellence in Motorcycling Since 1982

Chris Johnson, Editor Printed by Colchester Press.

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http://www.eamg.org.uk Affiliated to the British Motorcyclists Federation Registered Charity Number 1107703

Disclaimer and Copyright Notice: The articles published herein do not necessarily represent the views of the Essex Advanced Motorcyclists Group.

They are the opinions of individual contributors and are published with a view that free expression promotes discussion and interest. Any spelling or grammatical errors are the responsibility of the editor ..

Inclusion of adverts is not to be construed as EAMG endorsement, although most advertisers are excellent, but seek personal recommendations.Text © EAMG 2020 Illustrations © EAMG 2020, except where indicated otherwise. Group material may be reproduced provided acknowledgement is given to EAMG and the original author.

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Essex Advanced Motorcyclist Group Promoting Excellence in Motorcycling Since 1982