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Essex Advanced Motorcyclist Group
October 2014
Welcome to TUG Dear Members, I’m sure most of you have now seen the video of the tragic accident involving David Holmes on A47. A road I have ridden a number of times. While I am sure this has split the opinions of many, I would just like to say how brave his mother has been to release the video, it must have taken great courage to allow the whole world access to it. I hope you would all agree, that regardless of your views on the accident, it is always a great loss to the motorcycling community when a rider is lost and furthermore I hope that the actions of his mother may help to save the lives of both motorcyclists & motorists. Remember please email any articles, pictures to cchilds@eamg.org.uk. Enjoy the recent good weather who knows how long we have left of this fantastic Indian Summer!
Chairman’s Ramblings
2
Test Passes
4
Membership Info
7
Observer Coordinator
8
Summer Recollections
12
Eulogy John Kidman
22
Dates for the Diary
25
Picture Gallery
28
MCN Wet Grit Hazard
30
Taxing Times
32
EAMG & Air Ambulance 34 Events Report
35
New Members
41
Further Training
42
Destination Rated
44
Colin
Editor
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Essex Advanced Motorcyclist Group Promoting Excellence in Motorcycling Since 1982
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Chairman’s Ramblings October 2014 It's difficult to believe that it's already October and the evenings are drawing in with a vengeance. However, those who know me are well aware that September and October are two of my favourite riding months of the year. The temperatures are comfortable in full protective gear and mother nature plays her part by decreasing the kerbside vegetation, opening up the views across previously hidden curves making riding more fun. At the September Group Night I spoke about member 'apathy' towards training events organised within the Group, Richard Parker organised two 'Associate only' social rides in July and August and each was attended by just one Associate. As a result, Richard will not be organising any further Associate rides in 2014, instead choosing to spend his time and experience elsewhere within the Group. It's not just the Associate members either! John Tipper's Full Member Training rides have similarly had no interest and the final ride for 2014 is later this month (see events diary). If this fails to draw interest then this will be the final FMT event that John organises. I, for one, am not naive enough to think that I cannot improve my riding and I take every opportunity to study others riding and learn something every single time I ride even after 35 years in the saddle. Whilst there are some excellent riders in this Group, there are also many who could benefit from the advice and input from the likes of John, Richard, or indeed any member of the Training team, Either use the events or risk losing them! Motorcycling has no place for complacency and everyone should take advantage of the opportunities afforded by this Group to continue improving their skills - remember the penalty for getting it wrong on a bike nearly always outweighs the 'crime'. At the Essex Air Ambulance event at Harwich on September 7th, EAMG representatives presented Martin Day of Essex Radio with a cheque for £500 on behalf of the Essex Air Ambulance. Martin, who is an active motorcyclist, was also offered the opportunity to take an assessment ride with an EAMG observer which he was
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keen to do. We will hopefully hear from Martin soon to arrange this. Like many riders, Martin's biggest concern is his wet weather riding so it will be interesting to look at his riding portfolio and identify where his perceived issues lie. December's Group night, which I hope will be our traditional Christmas Fun Quiz now looks like being at the Little Channels venue just off Essex Regiment way but this will be confirmed as soon as I know more. Ride safely and have fun Chris Remember it's not how fast you ride, it's how you ride fast!
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Congratulations! Stephen Green 27th September 2014 RoSPA Re Test (Gold) Examiner Paul Roberts
Ian Brady 27th September 2014 RoSPA Test (Silver) Examiner Mick Jones Observer John Tullett
Jaques De Klerk 27th September 2014 Observer Test Assessor John Tullett Senior Observer John Tipper
Gareth Mycock 9th September 2014 RoSPA Test (Gold) Examiner Mick Jones Observer Geoff Preston
Adele Stretton 6th September 2014 RoSPA Test (Gold) Examiner Paul Roberts Observer Graham Cooper
Rob White 6th September 2014 RoSPA Test (Silver) Examiner Mick Jones Observer John Tipper / Chris Reed
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Page 9
Membership Information Dear Members & Propective Members, The form is on the website if you wish to join or if you are a late renewal! If you have paid up and haven’t received your membership card please let a committee member know. Please also note the feedback form on page 18 it will be most helpful if as many members as possible can fill one in and get them to John Tullett. 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.
Membership Fees for 2014
New Associate Members
...£55.00 (Includes AGT Training)
Associate Member Renewal
...£40.00 (Includes AGT Training)
Full Member Renewal
...£25.00
Social Member
...£25.00
Full Member Training
...£20.00
(For more information on Full Member Training see page 42)
Membership
Number
Full
119
Associate
42
Social
1
Total
162
Essex Advanced Motorcyclist Group Promoting Excellence in Motorcycling Since 1982
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Observer Coordinator "Use It Or Lose It" was the blunt message that our Chairman had to convey at September's Group Night meeting, following the poor levels of response to recent Associate Social rides and Full Member Training days! Associate Social Rides After attracting only one Associate on each of the last two Associate Social rides - held on Saturday, 26th July and Sunday, 31st August Richard Parker has reluctantly decided that he will not organise any more Associate Social rides during 2014. This is a great shame given the effort Richard takes in identifying enjoyable routes and the support offered by other Observers in attending these rides. Full Member Training (FMT) There were no bookings for either the second or third FMTs of 2014, that should have been held on 25th May and 24th August. It seems hard to believe that the first FMT I ever attended after becoming a Full Member had 16 participants! Even the attendance at this year's first FMT now seems good, with 6 full members enjoying their ride to the Cotswolds. John Tipper has said that if things do not pick up for the FMT scheduled on 19th October he will not organise any dates for 2015. Given that FMTs cater for all levels of Full member from individuals who have just passed an advanced test through to the most experienced Group members it would be a very sad day if ever they were to disappear. Where else can you get a full day's training over around 200 miles for just ÂŁ45? Associate Group Training (AGT) One of the toughest jobs for the allocater at AGTs is having to tell some Observers that there are too few Associates to go round and that their services are not
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needed. Unfortunately, with only 5, 4 & 5 Associates, respectively, at the July, August & September AGTs this is becoming an all too frequent event. While it would clearly be impossible for all Associates to attend all AGTs, I do not understand why only roughly 10% of Associates are ever present. The Associates that do attend AGTs regularly find them very beneficial - but they form a relatively small and exclusive group. If any Associates have any suggestions as to how we can improve AGTs to make them more relevant and appealing to them, then please let me or any other Observers know. Flexible Observed Rides It would be fair to say that I have not exactly been flattened in the rush by individuals wishing to sign up for Flexible Observed Rides since they were launched in June (to provide any Associates who wish to progress their 1-to-1 training more quickly with an opportunity to arrange additional observed rides with an Observer who had spare capacity). However, the first Associate to sign up for Flexible Observed Rides has now successfully passed his RoSPA test, so I would like to pass on my congratulations to Rob White. We do not presently have a waiting list of new Associates to be allocated, so if you are interested in Flexible Observed Rides please let me know when you will be available (e.g. weekends, weekdays or anytime) and I will try and match you with an Observer. Associates participating in Flexible Observed Rides will be requested to make the standard ÂŁ10 contribution towards Observer expenses for each ride. Hopp Rider Training Having just attended the Advanced Machine Skills Day held at Carver Barracks on 31st August, it would appear that my comments relating to the demise of Hopp Rider Training in the August issue of TUG were somewhat exaggerated! While Richard Hopp will no longer be involved and the number of Better Rid-
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ing Days will be significantly re-
duced, Martin will continue to run Advanced Machine Skills Days. In fact, there will also be an alternative venue near Wethersfield. So, if the idea of practising:- picking up your machine; full lock circles; interlocking figures of eight; swerve manoeuvres; and emergency braking (including how to recover from locking your wheels) appeals you are in luck! Seriously, the skills you learn could prove to be a lifesaver if you ever encounter a real emergency situation on the road. Thanks to instructors Martin, Ben & (ex-EAMG Observer) Keith for a very enjoyable and worthwhile day. These are library pictures but give you an idea of what is involved.
Should any members have any training related queries then please contact me on 01277 623860 (before 21:30 please), text 07570 992801, e-mail jtullett@eamg.org.uk or send me a PM via the Message Board. John Tullett
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A Few Recollections from the Summer Michel Couque Thought I might write a little something for TUG re my recent fall. So hear we go. What a great summer of biking it's been. I rarely change bikes, and the last 3 have all been Ducatis, kind of running in my blood now. The strange thing is they have all been the same colour, no not Ducati red, but 2 were what they call Senna grey Editions, ie silvery grey, and this one, the latest Multistrada which I got this March is also grey, I very nearly got a red one but it Borrowed a mates bike for a bit, grin still there! was sold the day before I was viewing it. I am absolutely loving the Multistrada, except just one aspect, the seat height, which for a short arse like me might present a problem one day! We'll see. So I have covered several thousand miles on this bike so far. Interestingly on a Rapid training day out, I found it was a much easier bike to ride than the previous stede, felt far more at one with the bike. Others say I look better on it too!! If only I had longer legs. It seems to be a much better bike for observing from too, as well as all day comfy, and faster than I have ever travelled before with ease, it really can keep up very high average speeds. The first real test was a week away. Four of us used the wonderful overnight Brittany ferries service from Portsmouth to Caen, superb service, definitely the best cross channel ferries. I travelled from London to Portsmouth with a fellow EAMG member, tackling The North Circular rd etc during Friday night rush hours, we took small A and B roads all the way once past leatherhead, a fab ride and we had huge smiles on arrival at Portsmouth, with both bikes pinging loudly in approval. Our other two companions both lived in the Manchester area. They had never met each other before, but they both joined the M6 at the same junction simultaneously, apparently they were a bit cagey with one another for a couple of miles, then one hit the speed button and the fun had started! So they soon needed a refuel. They got chatting, rider A says to B where you headed? B says Portsmouth, A says tell me you're not meeting up with a Michel and Bully? B says yes I am, and so they have been friends ever since. They got from Manchester to Portsmouth faster than we did London to Portsmouth !!
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We got off the ferry and I fired up the satnav I had invested in, my first bike focussed one, and had spent many hours plotting the weeks routes all the way to Spain using the tyre to travel app. When I switched it on in Caen, the satnav said the route was too long to download!! This was happening to me as lead rider, of course I had to make out I knew what I was doing and where we were going. To improve matters It then started to rain, then harder and harder. I figured we just needed to head south and we would be ok, it This a very famous town called Rocamadour, rained harder so after about 70 miles we pulled carved out of the mountain side. into a nice cafe for some proper coffee and croissants, delicious! So nice we had to have second helpings. Which was just about right as the rain then stopped, hurray. So the pace was normal, lovely N and D roads only, see I sussed out how to get the satnav working after all. Shush the others are still none the wiser. I had Chateauroux in mind for our first night stop, so we did need to pick the pace up a bit. Well it is really quite a boring stretch of riding alongside the Loire River from Tours, so we picked up the pace a bit more, and a bit more, and a bit more for good measure. I overtook several cars on a long straight stretch of road, and starting to slow rot the upcoming town. I was delighted that I was bang on the speed limit as a breached the town name signpost. But I could see blue flashing lights catching up, so naturally myself as lead rider and rider A pulled over a bit to let them get to whatever emergency lay ahead. But they drew level with me and waived us to stop. Stop we duly did, me thinking I know I was speeding, not sure what speed as I was all eyes ahead of me, hmmm was probably nearly redlining in fourth...how fast is that them? Fast enough I think, this could be very nasty and expensive indeed. I am half French, the clue is in the name, but I played dumb. Mr very nice officer was saying "so there are 4 of you" the other 2 were well behind, so they carried on as per our emergency procedures. Mr Officer starts saying " too fast, too phaackin phast", sounding very much like Valentino Rossi. I replied ok, Mr nice Gendarme says please slow down a bit. You were going quite fast, just slow down a little bit, please! I said "sure thing sir" He smiled, shrugged his shoulders in that way only a true Gallic can. It was clear we were free to go, so I put my hand out to shake his hand, and at the same time said" so how fast ?" He said "Oh between 180-220 kph." We had just met the nicest Gendarme in France. Sensationally hot evening in Chateauroux, a rather impersonal town, but a nice meal all the same. We just still could not believe our luck earlier on. Normally I could still be writing this from a French prison cell. The good thing about Chateauroux is the road out. The riding start to get to sensational from Gueret onwards. Oh the heat! Well over
Essex Advanced Motorcyclist Group Promoting Excellence in Motorcycling Since 1982
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Our farmhouse in the lot region, 10 miles from the nearest shop of any kind.
30째 C. All I could think of was a hotel with a pool. We never plan for hotels, we just come across them I guess. So we started searching, and the satnav threw me a wrong turn, which eerily put us right in front of a nice cheap hotel with a pool. Perfecto. Bettered by the constant supply of cold beers bought out to us, then bettered by an amazing home cooked dinner, all this in very modest surroundings. Wheels turning by 9.30 the next morning, down into deepest Bergerac. Time for lunch, so as usual we head for the village square and come upon a lovely cafe for lunch. We are in a very quiet village, very remote, and we start talking to the nice elderly couple next to us. They have heard us talking, so the nice chap says where are we from. We say from the UK. He says I know that, but where. So I tell him from London.and Richard says from Essex. Mr Nice man says where in London. He tells us he lived in London for 11 years, his English was superb. Great guy with a lovely irrepressible sense of humour and a joie de vivre. We are getting along like a house on fire. He tells us he was a black cabbie, now I was a despatch rider, so o kinda know my way around. Well he gave proper routes all over the place, little nooks and crannies, the whole shebang, he certainly had done the knowledge. A lovely couple, just fantastic to meet people like this, and in the absolute middle of nowhere. Now the reason they were there was because of the food, a 12 euro menu that defies explanation. We had a good chat with all the chefs and cooks as we wanted to say a big thank you. It's things like that whole lunch and encounter that keeps us revisiting La France. We were cooking too as the temperatures were in the mid 30s. We were looking to make Jaca that evening, the other side of the Pyrenees. At a refuel in Pau I could see some nasty cloud formations. Another local biker refuelling asked where we were going, he winced when I told him, with a another wonderful Gallic shrug of the shoulders he said "Orages!" Which is French for thunder storms. A fabulous view of the Pyrenees is to be had from Pau, and it looked mainly ok ahead, except the pass we were heading to, but still not too bad. It really was a question of who would get to the pass first, us or the brewing storm. We made good progress, cont on page 19
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Essex Advanced Motorcyclist Group Promoting Excellence in Motorcycling Since 1982
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Mr satnav working faultlessly now, discovering unbelievable roads I would not have used if I was just simply map reading. And so we started to get higher into the mountains, the road starts to narrow, the sides of the mountain start to feel like walls channelling you up the winding and climbing road ahead, it's about 6.30 pm so still plenty of daylight left, or so we thought. All of a sudden it gets ominously dark. So dark that our headlights are properly illuminating the road, even though We had good gore-tex clothing on, we still stopped to put on waterproof overalls. On we rode, and it got darker still, the temperature fell from 27c to 12 c very quickly, the wind started to pick up and up and up. We had to slow, the wind was hitting in waves like a cricket bat. Up we trudge, I am in the lead. Then a few drops of rain on the visor with flashes of lightning all around us. Not content with that the wind picks up even more, it feels we are riding at a 45 degree angle to keep going. And then it starts to get really interesting! Hard rain drops hit the visors, I look ahead to see the wind twirling in small mini tornadoes, it's coming towards us and we have no where to go. There is no shelter, no buildings, nothing. Next I see something coming down the road towards us. I can't make it out instantly, then it dawns on me its a river coming down the road, it's about 6 inches deep, moving at about 20 mph. But that's not all, because coming towards us is a black wall, it's a wall of rain, twisted and turning in the mini tornadoes as we have never seen before. It is like a biblical event, I wait to see the hand of God appear ! But this wall of wind and rain hits us, hard. I'm Medieval Figeac in the Lot. amazed we are still on the bikes. I make the decision it is safer to carry on, probably doing 10 mph, I have no idea, I was not about to look at the bloody speed in this situation. No but we must keep moving as I believe our forward momentum will balance us somewhat, and whatever we are going through it surely can't get any worse, so by riding through it we will get out of the storm sooner. Then with God’s intervention I spot a shelter of some sort, we even got the bikes under it too. The noise was incredible! We could hardly make ourselves heard to each other. But after a max of 10 minutes it was all over, gone, like nothing happened. Blue sky's appeared, the world was returning to normal again. Had we had a dream? So on we rode, the road now steaming as the temperature quickly rose again, it turned out we were virtually at the very top of the pass when we stopped. So twenty minutes later we were in Jaca for the night. cont from page 14
A couple of days later on our way back up through France we were chatting to some
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locals as you do. They asked about our journey, and we told them about the little Storm they encountered. They looked at us as though we were aliens, what ! They exclaimed" you guys rode through that storm?" Wow! Apparently it was a very violent but very local storm, it was all over the news, had caused a lot of destruction and flooding, sounds like we were lucky. The rest of the return trip was relatively uneventful. But a few weeks later I decided to ride to Ireland. Taking small roads from London to the bikers retreat, and again lovely small roads the next day to Holyhead. It is only fair to say that in the Republic of Ireland I could see no evidence of any advanced driving traits, scared the bejesus out of me quite frankly. Zero appreciation of other road users, and no comprehension of how quickly motorcycles can accelerate etc. I did have a fabulous day trip to the mountains of Mourne in the North. Quite stunning scenery, and you feel like you are all alone up there, I really liked it there, I would like to go and do a tour of Northern Ireland by bike, great roads and great people, the favourite place I ever walked in to. Nice ride. Back through Snowdonia, the West Country, the Cotswolds, OMG I'm not used to all these cars, hardly a car in France, Spain, Ireland, Wales, my back roads through the war country, how dare they invade my space. It's been a long day in the saddle, time to take stock and notice this grumpiness, is it just my ageing or am I seeing the signs of fatigue. I decide on the latter, after all I feel young, at heart. Throughout all these journeys I had a nagging feeling that something negative was going to happen, I got off the speeding tug, survived the storm. The next day it was time to wash the bike. Boy was it dirty, bloody big bugs in Southern Europe ! All sorts of colours too. That lovely feeling of a fait accompli. Cleaning finished, time to wheel the bike around to the garage. I'm thinking to myself, ah Michel, you are an advanced motorist, you have had the best training on offer, think wisely my friend, think wisely. I am thinking I'm not too happy about taking the bike off the centre stand onto a negative camber, I know full well what could happen, no lets re write that into was does happen. Push off the centre stand, I'm left of bike, starts going right into the negative camber, damn, I can't stop it going over, oh she's heavy as I try to minimise the impact. Is this the bad thing I thought was going to happen, well it cost a brake lever and a bit of paintwork damage. I was angry with myself as I knew what could happen, and it did. My pride and joy had its first blemish. Still there we starving people in the world, I'm not going to complain. Well they say lightning does not strike twice, liars! A couple of days later decision time. I'm running a bit late from work, and I'm going to Arsenal v Beshiktas tonight. I have to get from chelsea to Finchley by car, but I get home and decide best to get me and me lad there by bike, I did it from the first game of the season. Found a good place to park outside London Met. Let's do that again. Wow it takes door to door 75 mins by tube, 25 mins by bike. So here we are again. I ask my son to get off pre parking manouevers. Remember we are supposedly advanced
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riders, with all the benefits it brings. The streets are teeming with supporters on the way to the Emirates. So I have to ride across the pavement of the Holloway Road, and onto a little cobbled lane. Here there is a high kerb stone to negotiate, then a quick left turn required once onto the pavement bringing me along side the building wall. So I know what I have to do, I'm supposedly advanced remember, it must give me superpowers or something, who else reads Roadcraft, not mere mortals! Planning sir, planning. Yes I know, I must take this high kerb at a speed that gives me enough momentum to get up the kerb, not too fast or I crash headfirst into the wall, not too slow, oh no Defo not too slow as the kerb Is very high, I have short legs, the multistrada is built for people with really long legs(RP?), certainly not Italians. Too slow and I could end up in no mans land mid way through my quest to make it over the breach.ok, all set, here goes. Well my friends, I write this from the comfort of my living room. With a broken leg. How bloody advanced is that then? Damn I wish I had long legs. BTW. Over the last 7500 miles my bike has used 500cc of oil, required 2 chain adjustments. On second set of tyres. Now using Pirelli Angel GT. Bike has run faultlessly, yes folks, even after the storm the duke still had electrics. Average mpg is 47. Bless that French Gendarme. Advanced unfortunately doesn't mean more intelligent, not in my case anyway.
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Eulogy to John Kidman Roger Wardley I was very pleased and indeed somewhat humbled, to be asked to present this eulogy to john in a celebration of his life. Along with many others who knew him, he has left us all with fond memories of a man who loved his motorcycling. John gained entry into this world approximately Four months before me in 1943 and wasted no time in establishing his mark. Many people knew John, and indeed, John knew many people in all walks of life. He was a true Gentleman, quietly spoken, and yet whenever he commented or spoke about a subject, his words carried that influence of knowledge, that made you want to listen. He could be authoritative and yet mellow, but whatever the situation, John was always of help. There are many stories of the fun we all had with John over the years. You have all have heard that John and Margaret were married in November 1974 and have celebrated their 40th wedding anniversary this year. You will also have heard that John had spent most of his life in and around Rettendon and Chelmsford. John and Margaret both shared a passion for horse power, Margaret with the four-legged variety and John with the two wheeled kind. Margaret kindly showed me John's Bike album the other day, which showed all the bikes he owned over the years, and, whilst in the early days Triumph machines prevailed, he eventually spread out to other makes. I counted 33 bikes he had owned and was still counting. He passed his test at seventeen and spent many hours around race circuits and was a marshal for some years. John had a dry and wry sense of humour, and there are many stories and times which people will remember, and perhaps you will allow me to recount a few. 1. John, in his youth, one day, had an idea to go to the Isle of man TT, and invited his sister Helen to join him in the side car. End of story, that was until Helen described the other day, this side car as having no seat and only two protective panel’s one in front and one on the side. It was in fact a race sidecar which she had to lean at every bend to keep it stable. John was not only a keen motorcyclist, but also one who took pride in his advanced qualifications in later years. He and Margaret went all over Europe on the bikes, and to places that were sometimes barely on the map. He was a keen follower of the John & Audrey Tipper trips, and also went with his own group which included Les Watson, Graham Lowe and others. Another story for you 2. Chris Reed may remember the early days of EAMG having announced the festive get together on the website, it was suggested that perhaps the Gentlemen should complement their partners by dressing for the occasion the dress being smart or other suitable attire. A small group of people agreed to complement their partners by dressing for the occasion. Now
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John not wishing to have the intrusion into his life of a computer, received the details from a friend with the suggestion, that the men within this small group should wear a dinner jacket and bow ties thus complimenting their Ladies. Come the appointed evening of the celebration John and Margaret duly arrived and Margaret looked resplendent in a party frock, whilst John, was in a lounge suit and not in a Dinner Jacket that he had agreed to wear. After all the Kissing and greetings had taken place, one of the group took John to one side and enquired as to the whereabouts of the Dinner suit. John in his usual style, took a moment to think, and then said “I went to the wardrobe and when I got there it had shrunk." A final story 3. John ran his annual or sometimes bi-annual day trip to the Fens and many who went on this outing will remember a particular part John Loved to ride. If I say "PRICK WILLOW ROAD" I am sure its undulations will bring back the enjoyment of the day to those who ventured forth with him. As a member of EAMG he held the post of Assistant Treasurer for many years and that is where I began to work with John and get to know him a bit better. I had almost nine years on the Committee and saw John working and doing a great job in collecting money from HMRC for Gift Aid which was not an insignificant amount. John touched all those he came into contact with in many different ways. He was kind, helpful, and his comments always ensured that we all kept our feet on the ground. HE WAS ALWAYS WILLING TO PLEASE. Whilst I was writing this Eulogy in celebration of John’s life I obviously looked on the EAMG Forum, and was again humbled by the wonderful comments that it contained, and the level at which he was held in everyone’s esteem, and I believe sums up our collective feelings toward John. Those that could not be with us today because they are away in Switzerland, have all promised to have a quiet couple of minutes in John’s memory. I would like finish, by using a quote which I think summarises all our feelings, and it is from Chris REED Chairman of EAMG and posted on the forum. I quote “John was a true gentleman and we will miss him deeply. During my earlier tenure as Chairman, John was always on top of all things financial. He was like a father figure to me and would often have a few calming words with me if he thought I was being a little pushy or overbearing at Committee, but he was just curbing my enthusiasm and keeping my feet on the ground. Those few wise words were always heeded and always proved to be right. His dry sense of humour and sometimes 'gruff' expressions really endeared him to me. You could do nothing but respect him and Margaret who put so much into the group without so much as a fuss.” I am sure there are many here who can remember the happy and good times with John, so to all here present, and to all those who knew him we say “John thank you for all you have given us, and keep watching over us.” From your fellow Riders. R.I.P. JOHN, It won't be the same without you. Thank you.
Essex Advanced Motorcyclist Group Promoting Excellence in Motorcycling Since 1982
Building, Civil Engineering and Maintenance
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Blockpaving Driveways - Patios
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Carpentry - Brickwork
Water Main and Sewer Repairs and Renewal
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4th
Ride to the Wall (Information Only) www.ridetothewall.org.uk
5th
Peer 2 Peer Ride
7th
Group Night
12th
South of England Bike Show (Information Only) www.elk-promotions.co.uk
12th
AGT
18th
The 21st Carole Nash Clasic Motorcycle Mechanics Show (Information Only) www.classicbikeshows.com
19th
Full Member Training (FMT) Suffolk (Wortham & Diss)
26th
Full Member Ride
31st
Halloween Special Bike Night at the Ace Cafe (Information Only) www.acecafeevents.com
4th
Group Night
9th
AGT
9th
Ring of Red around the M25
Group Nights @ 19:30, AGTs @ 9:15 am
October
November
22nd 30th
Motorcycle Live 2014 at the NEC www.motorcyclelive.co.uk
23rd
Full Member Ride
2nd
Group Night
7th
AGT
14th
Full Member Ride
14th
Toy Run at the Ace Cafe (Information Only) www.acecafeevents.com
December
Diary 2014
Essex Advanced Motorcyclist Group Promoting Excellence in Motorcycling Since 1982
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Picture Gallery ■ Picture Gallery ■ Picture Richards Ride to Uppingham
Bingo Night
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Gallery ■ Picture Gallery ■ Picture Gallery AGT
Boys & Girls Run
Group Night September
Richards Ride to Aldeburgh
Essex Advanced Motorcyclist Group Promoting Excellence in Motorcycling Since 1982
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Wet Grit Hazard As printed in MCN May 2014
With winter approaching Michel’s letter in the May edition of MCN may again become an issue for riders. “I am appealing to MCN readers, to get in touch about a problem that has become apparent on Essex roads amongst members of our motorcycle club - EAMG (www.eamg.org.uk). During organised rides members reported very slippery, greasy road conditions on roads in Essex after they had been grited. The grit had been on the roads for a day or two and temperatures were above 7°C. I also noticed a marked difference on one ride when I was travelling in both Essex & Hertfordshire. On the Essex roads I experienced these slippery conditions but grip suddenly improved as soon as I crossed into Herts. I contacted the authorities and was told they had used ‘pre-wet grit’, which they said ensured the grit stayed in place better - could this be why the road was more slippery than expected? I would like to hear from anyone who has had the same problem. Together we have a stronger voice. Email michel.couque@gmail.com. Michel Couque”
In reply to Michel’s email to Highways “Dear Mr Couque, Thank you for your email of 15 January regarding the above subject. We do spread pre-wet grit if the roads are dry when gritting is required. This is to try and ensure the grit stays on the road surface as necessary. When this material is not deemed necessary normal gritting is carried out.
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Please note we are not aware of having received any other reports to suggest that our procedures are causing problems to motor cyclists or any other road users, but, your comments have been forwarded to the winter maintenance team in case this is something we need to be aware of and deal with accordingly. Further information regarding our winter maintenance and gritting is available in a dedicated section on our web site Essex.gov.uk. We trust this answers your enquiry satisfactorily and thank you for contacting us. Yours sincerely, John Woodhouse Highways Technical Advisor Customer Operations”
Michel then responded to Highways with this reply “Dear Mr Woodhouse. Following your reply we had a letter published in Motorcycle News, which has the largest national readership of any motorcyle publication. We did have several replies from the general public regarding this topic at the mentioned dates. We have also had several members of our club report this issue to us as per the specified dates. I fully understand that no one has made a direct complaint to yourselves, but we here on a much more local level get instant feedback from members who have been affected as we met on a regular basis. We did also have contact from other motorcyclists in other areas of the country citing the same issue. I trust that maybe we have started to report the problem to you, one that you quite rightly did not know existed. Hopefully we can move forward together with this issue, maybe you might like to attend one of our monthly meetings held in Chelmsford to meet your customers? I hope to hear from you soon. Kind regards. Michel Couque”
Essex Advanced Motorcyclist Group Promoting Excellence in Motorcycling Since 1982
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Taxing Times John Tullett If you are already aware that, with effect from 1st October 2014, the paper tax disc (first introduced in 1921) has joined the apocryphal Norwegian Blue Parrot by ceasing to exit and the associated changes then you might want to skip this article. On the other hand there could be a few fortunate members out there who have been so preoccupied riding their bikes that this news has passed them by. What is happening? Vehicle Excise Duty (VED) will continue to be payable from 1st October 2014, but from this date you will no longer be issued with a paper tax disc. Your current disc will remain valid until it expires but does not need to be displayed, as Police will no longer be checking them. However, before ripping your tax disc up you should be aware that there is a chance it could become a collectors item in the future particularly if you have one of the 'emergency' cut-it-out-yourself discs printed on standard paper after the DVLA's supply of perforated paper ran low! Why the change? The theory is that this change will streamline the way we pay VED and save the government money. While the DVLA estimates that the new system will cost ÂŁ8m to set up, it is projected to save the government ÂŁ2m in annual administrative costs from 2017. What do I have to do? Nothing until your tax disc is due for renewal. At that point, you will receive a standard renewal notice from the DVLA requesting payment online, by phone or in the Post Office. In addition to the standard choices of being able to pay road tax for either 6 or 12 months, you will also have a new option to set up an annual, 6 monthly or monthly direct debit. The latter two options will incur a 5% surcharge. Providing an MOT remains
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valid direct debit payments will continue automatically until you: tell the DVLA to stop taking them; cancel the direct debit with your bank; tell the DVLA you no longer own the vehicle; or you declare a Statutory Off Road Notification. Can I sell my tax disc with the car? No. This is one of the biggest departures from the paper-based system. Sellers will not be able to transfer tax with ownership of the vehicle. Therefore anyone who buys a used vehicle will no longer benefit if there are months left on the tax disc. This also means buyers will have to renew their tax disc straight away, or risk being caught out on the road in an untaxed vehicle. Greater emphasis will be placed on the vehicle seller informing the DVLA of a change of ownership, otherwise they could face a fine of up to £1,000. Can I claim the tax if I sell? Yes. When the DVLA is notified of a change of ownership, vehicle sellers will get an automatic refund for any full calendar months left on the vehicle tax. How will untaxed vehicles by identified? Enforcement will be achieved by using Automatic Number Plate Recognition cameras that track vehicles on the road against an online database which includes every vehicle’s tax status next to the registration number. The Sunday Times did question how the cameras will be able to distinguish between a legally taxed vehicle and one of the same make, model and colour fitted with cloned plates. This would tend to suggest that the removal of the paper tax disc could present an opportunity to some elements of the criminal fraternity. How do I know if my vehicle(s) is/are correctly taxed? You can check that your vehicle(s) are taxed correctly by using the DVLA's online vehicle enquiry system, by simply entering details of registration number and vehicle make. This could also be a useful precaution before renting or borrowing a vehicle you do not own, to avoid a fixed penalty for riding/driving an untaxed vehicle.
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EAMG Supports Essex Air Ambulance Jill Winn Essex based EAMG (Essex Advanced Motorcycle Goup) supported the Air Ambulance run at Harwich recently with a donation of £500. The cheque was accepted by Martin Day of Heart FM and Wendy Byland. The group formed in 1982 is a charity providing training for Motorcyclists, of all ages and experience Their aim is to meet the needs of riders throughout Essex, to develop riding skills and safety and also to provide opportunities for riders to socialise and enjoy their motorcycling. In 2015 there are plans to develop a “Young Riders Academy” for riders under 25 years old. Further information can be found at www.eamg.org.uk or for an informal chat call Chris on 07974981081. If anyone has seen this article printed in their local paper please let Jill know!
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EAMG Events Report! Chris Johnson The first ride of this period was to be a Richard Parker Full Member ride to Derham on 13th July. I was unable to attend, but apparently it was a very rainy day which developed into a very, very, VERY rainy day. Contrary to Richard's pessimistic expectations five did turn up for the run, but the destination was switched to the less ambitious Red Lodge. The heavens opened for the ride back, with Ian claiming to be reminded of crossing Lake Windermere and everyone else admitting to being completely soaked. They must be a masochistic bunch because they all professed to enjoy it, at least in retrospect! Richard also organised an Associate ride on 26th July. There were a number of Group stalwarts there in a support capacity but the number of actual Associates attending is rumoured not to have reached double figures, even when counting in binary, although I may be muddling that up with Chris Reed's pre-Group Night outing on 5th August. The turnout for both rides was officially classed as 'disappointing'. Richard's next ride was to Uppingham on 3rd August. It was a blazingly hot day and we had over 20 bikes participating. The run was a long one at over 230 miles. I have forgotten where we had our stop on the outward leg; it was somewhere that I knew but only a picture showing us outside a pub called The Jolly Sailor was any guide. In an effort to seem less geographically challenged I have consulted Google Images and can report that there are hundreds of pubs with that name, but none with apparently matching appearance, so the location remains a mystery. There must have been some marking irregularities on the way out, because at one point I was standing by the roadside in a village for over half-an-hour. I got to be on waving terms with some of the local residents, declined two offers of help from passing cars, and bonded with a dog behind a nearby fence. He clearly felt very sorry for me because my owners had callously abandoned me in the heat without so much as a drink of water, and offered me a drink from his bowl. I thanked him but did not take up the offer. It was a rather high fence. Once the run started up again we had an all too brief stretch on a goat track which Richard claimed to have included for my benefit, although since he later admitted that he had made a minor wrong turning I am not sure how grateful I should be. Chris Reed complained vigorously about it as being totally unsuited to his Fireblade's suspension. My other bike is a 954 Blade, and it would have had no problems, so perhaps the handling has grown more track-
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oriented in later versions. The other explanation is, of course, unthinkable. At Uppingham we had to fit into a car park which was manifestly too small. I didn't quite end up stacking the KTM vertically in a telephone box, but it was pretty darned close to that. The Beans Cafe seemed strangely familiar, the queue was long and the service a little chaotic, but the garden at the rear was very pleasant. Chris Reed had enthused about the Malteser ice-cream sundaes. I tried one. It was ... interesting ... but I shall not be having another in a hurry. When we left we had a fuel stop at a garage whose forecourt was manifestly too small. Could this be a characteristic of Uppingham? The journey back seemed uneventful until after the stop at St Neots, but then things went very pear-shaped for some of us. A marker who had abandoned post too early meant that by the time we were around Sandy we were getting a nasty feeling that we shouldn't be around Sandy. There was a lot of stopping and peering at maps; the A507 sounded promising but unless you know where you are it is awfully easy inadvertently to head the wrong way on the A507, so I shall keep discretely silent about a subsequent catalogue of unwise decisions. In the end I finally made it, alone, to Buntingford and scurried back homewards down the A10. It was actually a first-class day out and I ended up doing 328 miles. Sunday 10th of August was blessed by the last hurrah of Hurricane Bertha and, despite John Tipper's very appropriate talk on 'Riding in the Wet', people stayed away from the AGT in droves. Perhaps the persistent heavy rain and a lot of standing water put them off a bit. I had planned a ride to the Silver Ball (which Chris Reed refers to, unjustly to my mind, as the only cafe where you wipe your feet when leaving) and had two takers who had not lost their love of splashing through puddles. One left at Newport but Alan braved it out to the cafe despite finding that his supposedly waterproof boots had violated the Trades Description Acts. It had stopped raining on the way back, but familiar roads were made more exciting by the necessity to avoid flooded sections on bends or, even more exciting, avoiding oncoming cars which were avoiding flooded sections on bends. By the time I had got back to Sydenham my clothing was merely damp and then, in the last 400 yards, the skies opened with a cloudburst which reduced visibility to ten yards and I was back to square one. A week later John & Audrey held their annual Boys & Girls Ride to the Cotswalds. This started at the Birchanger Services on a greyish sort of day with about 20 riders which included only two girls apart from Audrey. This was disappointing, although better than in some previous years, and one of them was riding aYamaha MT 05 which has just been voted 'Bike of the Year' by Bike Magazine. Now those of you with a keen memory for these events reports will remember my limited enthusiasm for the destination, Bourton, which may be related to an aesthetic sense developed in youth in the industrial wastelands south of the
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Tyne and means I am not keen on neat little villages, and be expecting yet another hatchet job now. Rest assured, you will not be getting one. I got past Woburn but then missed a marker on the A5 roundabout and ended up going in the wrong direction. Attempts to recover the situation, since it was overcast and I rely on the sun to tell me what direction I am heading in, failed pretty miserably and by the second time I had been through Dunstable it was 13:00 and I gave up and went home. The sunless day method of orientation, by observing the lichen on the northwards facing trunks of trees, doesn't really work well on a motorbike; target fixation risks. This debacle, coming so soon after the one at the end of Richard's run, means that I have finally capitulated and bought a SatNav. OK, since the mounting broke the first time I used it I have had little joy from it yet but I live in hope. Anyway, back to the ride. From Facebook pictures it looks as if it was far north enough to be out of the clouds for most of the way after Buckingham. I have no information about it other than a bit of joshing on the Forum about the back marker leaving a petrol stop on the way back whilst some of the group were still paying for their fuel. Unusual and unlucky, since John normally runs a pretty tight ship on his rides, which we less gifted regard with awe and admiration. Only one day of social rides left to report now, which is good because it is getting late, I have to finish this report before going abroad, and my old bones are aching for my comfortable chair in front of some rubbish on TV. Unfortunately on Sunday, 14th September there were two social rides. Richard Parker had a Full Member ride to Alderburgh, and Geoff Preston had his annual Beachy Head run. I had decided to make up my mind on the morning depending on when I woke up. Beachy Head gave an extra half hour in bed since Thurrock is closer to me than Chelmsford. In the event I got up at 05:15, and that meant Aldeburgh. I was second to arrive at Sainsbury's and a further fifteen riders drifted in to enjoy a run on a fine day. Richard played his usual trick of travelling through familiar places by what was, to me, novel routes and I was forever thinking "How the blazes did we get here?". There was a
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stop at that caravan site / fishing lake somewhere in the Stowmarket region, whose location I always manage to forget, and we arrived in good order at Aldeburgh after only 3 or 4 drops of rain on the way. There was then the long walk from the car park to the chippie, the queue there, and than the walk back. A plus this year was that there seemed to be fewer seagulls to snatch the food from your lips. There was a bit of muddle when we left with independent trips to the petrol station to avoid crowding it. I distinguished myself on this short run by deciding I might be going the wrong way, and pulling in to a driveway to take stock. Driveways have slopes. With my short legs I can only just have the balls of my feet on the ground on the KTM, and when I put my foot down I found the bike was leant so far over that I could not hold it, and slowly and elegantly(?) toppled over. I always knew that this was inevitably going to happen (and will equally inevitably happen again) so I felt pretty resigned. By good fortune a bunch of other guys from the group drove up at that point to witness my shame, and more significantly to haul the bike upright for me, for which service many thanks. Painless, and the bike was scarcely scratched. We had to wait for a while at the petrol station for everyone to find their way there, including one guy who was phoned to find out where he was and responded that he was following Chris Johnson. Unless I have been cloned, or it was a not-so-subtle way of saying that he was hopelessly lost, this could not be right, but fortunately he turned up before too long. The ride back was pleasant, with a stop at Needham Lake, and we ended the run near Chelmsford at 17:15. The account of Geoff's run obviously cannot be at first hand. I am not a fan of the roads south of the Thames (one of the reasons for preferring Aldeburgh) but in recent years he has got increasingly ingenious at avoiding the worst of them and I suspect this year he may have excelled himself. A comfort break at Biddenden was reported. This looked interesting. When Google Routes was queried about a journey from Thurrock to Beachy Head via Biddenden and Rye it showed an awful lot of M20, but for a bicycle (apart from having to take a ferry across the Thames) the route looked more interesting, and by foot even more so, although the journey time was 28 hours! Geoff grandly declares that he does not do numbers, but that there were around a dozen attending. The ladies at the Biddenden tea room were apparently a bit overwhelmed at the influx of bikers but it was otherwise a pleasant place to stop. Between Appledore and Camber a marker left position early and the rump of the group were lost, but sterling work by Stephen and Audrey recovered them and everyone met up at Rye. At this point Maz produced a cool bag and astonished and delighted everybody by distributing exquisite goodies. There was some grumbling about the cost of ice cream at Beachy Head itself. I have no details about the ride back but it stayed fine, whilst the guy who cut off back early after lunch (presumably at Rye) got a soaking. Doug, Maz and John acted as
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sweepers. Here endeth the report. Armchair. TV. Beer! Had a lovely day out riding with EAMG to Beachy Head. It went a bit pear shaped on the route home as some of us parted company when markers were not found and I'm still wondering #BernieTaylor and Ian Taylor where you came from on the A21??? And passed us. Lovely to see you both especially as I have just read on FB that you have just celebrated your Wedding Anniversary. X Like Pleased you enjoyed the ride, thanks to all for your good company and in particular to Doug and Maz and John for sweeping. :D There aren't too many good bike roads on the route but the road from Lydd to Rye via Camber can be a hoot if you are lucky enough to get a clear road, it was my lucky day, I encountered one car and I was able to overtake without having to wait any time. :) The weather was superb for the dozen or so bikes, sorry Chris I don't do counting. The comfort break at Biddenden proved to be rather time consuming, the village coffee shop obviously unaccustomed to large groups of hairy bikers, the ladies present are not included in that phraseology of course. :) Somewhere between Appledore and Camber the Group managed to decrease it's numbers by around forty per cent, yep! the fatal flaw in the marker system, a marker moved before the sweeper appeared. :shock: Fortunately, Stephen and Audrey were within coms range and the situation was retrieved and we all, eventually, met up in Rye. :) It was at this point that Maz produced a miniscule cool bag from which she distributed unending amounts of food to the assembled group, myself included, for which we were all most grateful, and amazed. :shock: It was then on to Beachy Head where, with the lack of anything more exciting, everyone availed themselves of the obligatory ice cream. :D Duly rested and refreshed we embarked on the journey back to the beloved Essex!! :lol: Thanks for organising Geoff, Audrey enjoyed riding for herself rather than sweeping for me all the time and I enjoyed just being led! We enjoyed the alternative route south avoiding the normal main roads. Kent was really busy, plenty of potential hazards, with high verges full of invisible driveways but some of the scenery was spectacular; made a real change from the roads of Essex. ÂŁ2.50 for an ice cream at Beachy Head was a bit steep but the village cafe in Biddenden was charming, albeit unused to serving bikers. Sorry to hear Peter got a soaking, serves you right for leaving at the lunch stop. We were much luckier only seeing a wet road as we arrived home. Thanks to MAZ for the unexpected salmon roll and to Doug for sweeping in the morning. Shame about the double social ride booking though!
Essex Advanced Motorcyclist Group Promoting Excellence in Motorcycling Since 1982
rst I would like to wish Colin Snow a speedy recovery, following a ‘SMIDSY’ incident where someone ulled out in front of him on his way to the Biker’s Retreat, leading to a broken leg and skin grafts. Hope see you back on two wheels soon! r the benefit of new Associes I would like to clarify at we offer two main train-
bacon_motorcycle@btconnect.com
www.baconsmotorcycles.co.uk Open 9am-6pm Mon to Sat
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Welcome New Members Jason Wright Sue Hellier Karl Brooks Steve Marler Levent Yildizgoren Who Joined us in July, August & September
Essex Advanced Motorcyclist Group Promoting Excellence in Motorcycling Since 1982
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Further Training Opportunities for Full Members Have you ever wondered if your riding skill is still as good as it was when you passed your IAM or RoSPA Test? Is your RoSPA Retest fast approaching and you feel you’d like a refresher to check that bad habits have not crept into your riding? We are all only as good as the day we are actually riding our bikes. How good our riding was last year or even last month may not be as good as we think it is; complacency can be fatal. EAMG provide two Further Training Schemes for Full Members: Full Member Training (FMT) – One-day training courses available four times a year Further Training for Full Members (FTFM) – Assignment to an Observer for 1 to 1 training These courses are provided to check riding skills haven’t deteriorated, for those wishing to take a higher grade of test such as RoSPA or for those preparing for qualification as an EAMG Observer. Full Member Training Four FMT Courses take place during ‘summer time’ between March and October. Participation is entirely voluntary and those taking part do not have to join each ride. Training is for your benefit and enjoyment; it is not a mandatory requirement that you go on to take a RoSPA test. To ensure the highest possible standard, Observers undertaking this training will hold a current RoSPA Gold certificate. You will not be riding in one large group. Where possible you will be riding with an Observer and one other Full Member giving you the opportunity to have a 'rest' while your partner is being observed. Every effort will be made to match your riding experience, ability and aspirations with your partner, any miss matching being addressed at the first refreshment stop. The routes, approx. 200 miles, will cover a variety of roads and include several debriefing stops and two refreshment stops. Joining details will be sent by email or post a few days before the event. Events this year:
Joining Fee £45.00
19th Oct 2014 Suffolk Contact John Tipper, 8 Carlton Ave, London N14 4UA. Email: jtipper@eamg.org.uk Tel : 0208 360 8590
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Further Training for Full Members You will be assigned to an Observer and rides will be arranged on a one to one basis when mutually convenient. Although not mandatory, unlike FMT, the training will be structured as preparation for a further test such as RoSPA. To apply to join this scheme: Apply to the Membership Secretary either at membership renewal or during the season. You will be asked to pay an additional Membership Fee (details below). Your Application will be passed to the Observer Co-ordinator who will assign you to the first available Observer. Where feasible, geographical location will be considered. You will be expected to pay the Observer a contribution (details below) towards fuel costs. Participation must be renewed annually.
Name: Address:
Post Code:
Tel:
Email: Riding Experience:
Aspirations:
Typical annual mileage:
Machine:
FTFM - 2014 Membership Secretary
Observer Co-ordinator
Teri Olley
John Tullett
tba
jtullett@eamg.org.uk
Additional Membership Fee
Contribution to Observer
ÂŁ20 pa
ÂŁ10 per ride
Essex Advanced Motorcyclist Group Promoting Excellence in Motorcycling Since 1982
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Destination Rated
Skins Cafe & Clothing in Brackley, Northants Now this place is quite unique, a cafe that also specialises in clothing - Halvarssons, Jofama & Lindstrands. We read about it on the internet & decided to visit as both Jane & I were looking for good textiles. Having read about Halvarssons and the fact you get properly fitted by Tony at Skins (he doesn’t sell online for this reason) we paid Skins a visit and spent £1600, that says it all really! Open Tuesday - Saturday 10am til 5:30. 11am til 3pm Sundays Except 1st Sunday of Month. Food Service Price Capacity Parking
3/5 5/5 4/5 3/5 4/5
Only a few cakes available but tasty! Fantastic, efficient service. Know their product. Not cheap but you get what you pay for. Coffee is reasonable though! Seating inside for around 12, more outside. Parking outside & on the road & next door on Sundays
ESSEX ADVANCED MOTORCYCLISTS GROUP
Registered in England & Wales, Registration No. 5258261
Colin Childs, Editor University of Essex Printing Services, contact Hannah 01206 872822 for more information. Please mention EAMG when replying to advertisers - it identifies you!
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 and a society that pays footballers more than teachers. Inclusion of adverts is not to be construed as EAMG endorsement, although most advertisers are excellent, but seek personal recommendations.Text © EAMG 2011. Illustrations © EAMG 2010, except where indicated otherwise. Group material may be reproduced provided acknowledgement is given to EAMG and the original author.
http://www.eamg.org.uk Affiliated to the British Motorcyclists Federation Registered Charity Number 1107703 Essex Advanced Motorcyclists Group Ltd, Registered Office, St Laurence House, 2 Gridiron Place, Upminster, Essex, RM14 2BE
Essex Advanced Motorcyclist Group Promoting Excellence in Motorcycling Since 1982