SA Weekend: Ticket To Ride

December 11-12, 2021

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WEEKEND

Ticket to ride

T

he much-romanticised vision of the motorcycle-riding antihero is rife throughout fiction and romantic comedy. From the tortured heartthrobs Marlon Brando and Peter Fonda, through to evil tough guys Hugh Keays-Byrne and Ron Perlman, and the comic leather-clad Henry Winkler, the two-wheeled protagonist has always had a place in movies and TV. Yet, for the uninitiated, the intimidating vision of the motorcyclist is one of nonconformity at best and, at worst, imminent threat. At which point, an oft-cited quote (from the American Motorcycle Association) “99 per cent of motorcyclists are law-abiding citizens” identifies the remaining one per cent as “outlaws”.

But fear not. Not only are the vast majority of motorcyclists model citizens, they are also more considerate and attentive road users as well as socially well adjusted. Here’s why.

12 SAWeekend December 11-12, 2021

While our travel options may be limited, motorcyclists in growing numbers are making their getaway on our roads.

Story Roderick Eime

MOTORCYCLE SALES SURGE For more than 100 years, motorcycle clubs have been meeting places for like-minded riders and their partners, creating an atmosphere of camaraderie and fellowship. The Advertiser once ran full pages of motorcycle club news, heralding picnics, social gatherings and race meetings at such locations as Lobethal, Belair and Sellicks Beach.

Those same pages were also festooned with advertisements of the famous marques of the time: Triumph, BSA, Harley-Davidson, Indian, Velocette and Excelsior to name but a few.

Elliot’s Garages, Lenroc’s, Fishers, Taylor’s

Above, women riders Heather Robinson, Sandra Douglas, Mary Knights, Marie Reeves and Wendy Denmeade (front). Next page, Goolwa artist James Stewart’s sculpture of local hero, Kenny Blake, at Strathalbyn. Pictures: Roderick Eime

and Hubbards were just a few of the dealerships spruiking the latest race-winning machines sure to be the envy of the membership.

Fast forward to 2021, the second year of crippling Covid-19 restrictions and motorcycle sales are skyrocketing. In fact, so eager are new and returning riders to get aboard the latest machines, that demand has outstripped supply.

It’s a far cry from early 2019, when sales were tanking. Pun intended.

The Federal Chamber of Automotive Industries says road bike sales are on a roll, with 17,331 units sold nationally during the first half of 2021. This represents an increase of 13.7 per cent, or 2088 bikes, on the first half of 2020.

It could be argued that even more motorcycles would have been sold had supply matched demand. The country’s top-selling road bike brand, the stalwart Milwaukee (US) Harley-Davidson, being a case in point. One Adelaide dealer told SAWeekend that virtually every bike in their long-delayed shipment was sold before it hit the showroom.

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“Getting stock from the USA has been our biggest limiting factor,” says Blair Freeth of Harley-Davidson dealership, Bikeworks at Edwardstown. “Pent-up demand from travel restrictions and low-interest rates have led to sales inquiry we haven’t seen since before the GFC. Second-hand prices are climbing and if you have your heart set on a Harley this year, you’d better put your name on one now.”

One segment of the market going gangbusters is the adventure touring motorcycle niche. Popularised by the likes of Ewan McGregor and Charley Boorman with their Long Way Round TV and book series, riders are seeking to emulate their heroes’ exploits – even if it’s just along a dusty road to Murray River and back.

To meet this demand, Harley-Davidson has come full circle and released a new “clean sheet” machine ambitiously christened “Pan America”.

The big 1250cc V-Twin aims to unseat the likes of BMW, Suzuki, Ducati and the Japanese in their domination of the segment.

BIRDS OF A FEATHER Similarly, motorcycle clubs have seen a resurgence. The world’s largest motorcycle club is easily that sponsored by the Harley-Davidson company, with more than a million members worldwide. Identified by the cool acronym, HOG, the Harley Owners Group’s presence in SA is divided between two friendly “chapters”, with Adelaide’s two dealerships acting as respective patrons.

The other prominent motorcycle social club in Australia, the Ulysses Club, was formed in 1983 and boasts a membership “somewhere north of 12,000” in Australia. With its larrikin motto “Growing old disgracefully”, the club has a strong representation here in SA with seven branches and an eighth in Broken Hill. Aiming to unite older riders (over 40) the club has blossomed internationally and now hosts branches as far afield as Europe, Africa and Asia.

“We see many returning riders in their mid50s,” says Neville Gray OAM from Highbury, a long-time member and former national vicepresident. “This pandemic seems to have rekindled a lot of youthful reminiscences as we see new bikes and riders on almost every ride.

“Not only do we organise several social rides every month but we also encourage safe riding with our ‘returning rider’ course run in conjunction with the SA government.”

Away from the larger, recognised clubs, less

formal riding groups have emerged such as The Motorcycle Society’s “Sunday Social”, based nominally out of a Pulteney St motorbike workshop. Kick-started eight years ago by local architect and minor rock star Simon Modra as a way to go riding with mates, the ad hoc “society” now hosts several dozen regular riders on such prestigious machinery as Moto Guzzi, Triumph, Ducati and BMW. Of particular note, is the encouraging representation of female riders who are more than capable of keeping up with the highspirited blokes as they take to the hills on their fortnightly rides from Stonyfell’s Taylor Blend coffee shop to … wherever.

“We often label ourselves as the ‘99 per centers’ in reference to that famous quote with reference to outlaw motorcycle gangs,” says Modra wryly. “We are just a bunch of enthusiastic guys and gals on a wide range of bikes who regularly ride for both recreation and regular transport.”

And the gals mentioned above are more than likely members of SA’s own, 800-strong Women 2 Wheels network set up almost 10 years ago by veteran rider and mentor, Mary Knights from Willaston.

“Women are enjoying the new style of smaller adventure bikes like those from BMW and Kawasaki,” says Knights, who’s been riding all kinds of bikes for more than 20 years.

“Our Facebook page has been drawing in new women riders weekly and we’re being asked all kinds of things about new bikes, insurance, riding gear and how to ride safely.

Women feel comfortable talking and discussing motorcycling in our group and we enjoy riding for the same reasons as men.”

Women have been at the forefront of motorcycling for more than 100 years. In our fascination with male heroes, we forget women rode the most basic motorcycles coast-to-coast in the US before there was even a road network.

And then there was Australia’s own Winifred Wells, the brazen 21-year-old who rode from Perth to Sydney and back during the hottest months of the year on a modest Royal Enfield Bullet 350. She received a heroine’s welcome in Perth 21 days and 5500 miles (8851km) later.

And all this in 1951.

George Bolton, Adelaide’s then Royal Enfield distributor, wrote on her return journey: “Winifred left carrying our best wishes and prayers that she would get through safely.

When she left Adelaide the temperature was 105 degrees (40C) and rising, and our hopes are high that this gallant little soul will win out.”

This pandemic seems to have rekindled a lot of youthful reminiscences as we see new bikes and riders on almost every ride.

“Rapturous, intoxicating! Brimming with wit and joie de vivre.”

SARAH WATT, THE LISTENER

“Marvellous.

IT’S ALL IN THE MIND On the subject of motorcycling mindfulness, there’s an old saying among older riders that “you never see a motorbike out front of a shrink’s” – an indication of the welcome sideeffect of motorcycle ownership having a positive impact on mental health. This is something that has certainly come to the fore during these trying times.

For many years this anecdotal phrase was something of a validation sidebar but recently some clever folks at the Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behaviour at the University of California (UCLA), Los Angeles, decided to put that theory to the test.

The study, which you won’t be surprised to learn was funded by Harley-Davidson, clearly demonstrated the potential mental and physical benefits of riding, including decreased levels of cortisol, a hormonal marker of stress, one of the researchers, neuroscientist Don Vaughn said.

During the UCLA study, researchers monitored more than 50 male and female motorcycle riders, recording brain activity and hormone levels before, during and after riding a motorcycle, driving a car and resting.

“We knew riders had reported that motorcycles gave them peace of mind, but no

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it’s grown like a family, albeit a quirky one, and has created its own community one had really rigorously quantified it before,” Dr Vaughn says. “When we measured it, these were the facts we observed.”

The study included men and women across a wide age range with varied riding experience.

Each one wore sensors to measure their response to motorcycle riding.

It will be no surprise to hear such findings, as motorcycle riding was a preferred method for relieving the debilitating effects of PTSD experienced by returned servicemen.

This led, some assert, to the formation of post-war gangs such as the (in) famous Hells Angels which formed in California in 1948. The so-called “One Per Centers”.

The UCLA researchers found that riding a motorcycle decreased stress by 28 per cent and after riding for just 20 minutes, participants’ heart rates increased by 11 per cent and adrenalin levels by 27 per cent, which was comparable to light exercise such as jogging.

Sensory focus and an increase in alertness were also measured. “This could be significant for mitigating everyday stresses,” Dr Vaughn says.

CELEBRATE MOTORCYCLING As if Adelaideans needed further reminders of the popularity of motorcycling in their state, a “Festival of Motorcycling” kicked off the city’s riding season.

Many hundreds of riders and their shiny machines, both old and new, set out along popular riding routes to destinations such as Strathalbyn, Willunga, Murray Bridge and Birdwood where the National Motor Museum houses a historically significant collection of bikes, many more than 100 years old.

At Strathalbyn, riders paid homage to the late Kenny Blake, a local star racer tragically killed on the Isle of Man in 1981. A magnificent sculpture by Goolwa artist James Stewart adorns the park opposite the Robin Hood Hotel,

Roderick Eime and his Harley-Davidson Pan America on the River Murray (top); a racer in the Lobethal motorcycle grand prix before World War II. Pictures: Roderick Eime, National Moroe Museum.

the preferred watering hole for many riders.

At Lobethal, the Amberlight Motorcycle Cafe in the main street is a dedicated coffee and cake stop for regular riders who can be seen sipping lattes and chatting about their newest bike or performance accessory. It’s not unusual to see more than 100 bikes lining both sides of the street on a busy Sunday.

“To be honest, we bought this rundown takeaway shop in 2007 with the idea of building it up and offloading it,” says owner Jo Knight, who runs the cafe with her daughter Shaylee.

“But it’s grown like a family, albeit a quirky one, and has created its own community.”

Lobethal, a perfect distance for a quick day ride, is in many ways the spiritual home of motorcycling in South Australia having hosted two grand prix for cars and motorcycles immediately before World War II. The track was a testing 8km loop to Charleston using what we know today as the B27 and B24. A small commemorative display can be seen in the new Lobethal Bierhaus.

Another popular waypoint on the cafe circuit is The Cudlee Cafe along the famous Gorge Rd. Helmed by Cudlee Creek local Babette Wilkinson, the old servo has now pumped out steaming cappuccinos and toasties for riders and locals for more than 10 years. Further afield at Tailem Bend, the swank, brand new motorsport facility, The Bend, runs “track days” where gun riders can test their skills in controlled conditions on either their regular rides or race bikes. Bike hire and tuition is also offered.

WHY RIDE? Motorcycles are certainly not for everyone.

Whether it be due to real or imagined physical limitations or the perceived danger of being exposed on two wheels, those factors matter little to those who embrace the exciting pastime for any number of reasons. And do you really need a reason? ■ Burnside-born journalist, Roderick ‘Rowdy’ Eime owns a rotating collection of mainly HarleyDavidsons and is a member of both the Ulysses Club and the Harley Owners Group.

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