February 2021 Online Edition
Issue No 251
February/March 2021
W I R R A L A D VA N C E D M O T O R C Y C L I S T S Group Council 2019-2020 IAM Group 5115 Web Site
http://www.w-a-m.co.uk
Chairman
Ken Smith
chairman@w-a-m.co.uk
Vice Chairman
Rob Tutchings
vicechairman@w-a-m.co.uk
Honorary Treasurer & Gift Aid
John Temple
treasurer@w-a-m.co.uk giftaid@w-a-m.co.uk
Membership
Andy Poustie
membership@w-a-m.co.uk
Associate Coordinator
Pat Goodison
associatecoordinator@w-a-m.co.uk
Trainee Observer Coordinator
Steve Hunter
TOC@w-a-m.co.uk
Chief Observer
Derek Jeffries
chiefobserver@w-a-m.co.uk
Honorary Secretary
Rob Cooper
secretary@w-a-m.co.uk
Minute Secretary
Mike Round
minutes@w-a-m.co.uk
Events Organiser
Chris Livett
events@w-a-m.co.uk
Newsletter Editor
Peter Lovatt
newsletter@w-a-m.co.uk
Data Manager
Chris Livett
DataManager@w-a-m.co.uk
Social Media
Steve Lord
SocialMedia@w-a-m.co.uk
Group Shop
Martin Titley 0151 632 3570
groupshop@w-a-m.co.uk
Rob Tutchings
rideouts@w-a-m.co.uk
Ride Out & Bike Safe Coordinator Other Council members
Dave Spotswood, Steve Molyneux, Nina Jeffries, Pete Montgomery, Mike Hurst, Dave Rees
MAGAZINE Editor:
Peter Lovatt
Duplication: CS Digital Wallasey 2 Distribution: The Post Office!
Welcome to the WAM newsletter for February 2021. At the time of typing up this newsletter, we are in Lockdown 3 with no sign of the Covid Pandemic easing up. For those who have read Chairman Ken’s blanket email to all club members, you can skip the next couple of pages, but if you missed it, here it is in full. Peter - WAM Newsletter Editor ***************************** Happy (belated) New Year I hope you, your family and friends are all keeping well; that you’ve managed to dodge the effects Covid and are making the best out of the current situation. Being the eternal optimist I had hoped that the new year would see the pandemic ebb and we would be back to normal (whatever that was!) by the spring…but it looks like that nasty little virus had other ideas! Last year the Group managed some limited training activities and, working around various lockdowns, managed to get a few passes. However we still have quite a few Associates who we need to get up to test standard this year and ARC 1 looks like it will be full to capacity. Unfortunately all Club activities had to be cancelled and the social side of WAM was virtually non-existent. However WAM is still here and we are planning to reconvene ARC, recommence club nights and plan other social activities as soon as the shackles are off. During last 2020 the Group Council have continued to meet via Zoom…as evidenced in the photo below which was taken at our meeting last week…such a scruffy bunch when not dressed in Rukka (other brands are available) and HiViz!
3
At this time of year we would normally be planning the AGM but have decided that rather than do this via Zoom it will be postponed until later in the year when we can all meet in person. Originally we had thought April might be a safe date but this may have to be delayed further until such time as Boris sees fit to let large groups meet once again. The AGM is a time when the Council changes shape with various comings and goings, and this year will be no different but we have been looking to implement a few changes to the Council roles to provide a tighter structure and put in place some considered succession planning…rather than the last minute scramble to press-gang unsuspecting members in to joining the Council. More details of this will be announced shortly but in the meantime if you feel you’d like to get involved with running the group please get in touch with me or any of the other Council members for a chat. Membership renewal also takes place around the time of the AGM but this year it will be slightly different as the Council have agreed that all existing memberships will be extended for a further 12 months without any fee. But if that news means you now have £20 burning a hole in your pocket then Blind Veterans, Spider Ede or the like will, I’m sure, be happy to help you out of your dilemma. Or put it in your tank and spend it on a day out riding to the best of your abilities! As soon as we have a indication that we can recommence the ARCs Derek will be rounding up the Observers for a training day/refresher session – this may be in part via Zoom and in part on the road but details will follow. So, in conclusion: • • • • •
Await details of the AGM which will hopefully be a full blown club night…what a scary thought! Let me know if you think you’d like to contribute to the work of the Council Observers stand by to be refreshed by Derek…stop sniggering at the back, Hunter! Get back on your bike as soon as you’re allowed, blow away a few cobwebs and rediscover your skills If you’ve got a Harley, or similar, don’t waste time and Brasso polishing it to within and inch of its life; ride it!
Best Wishes Ken On behalf of the WAM Council
4
IAM RoadSmart Polo Shirts
We can now take orders for polo shirts. These are a charcoal shirt showing the new logo plus two lines of text Wirral Advanced Motorcyclists Your Name Size Guide: S: 36/38" M: 40" L: 42" XL: 44" XXL: 46/48" Female: 10, 12, 14, 16, 18 ÂŁ20 each - Nina Jeffries will take your payment at the group social evenings (second Tuesday of every month).
You may see some WAM members wearing them at club nights
5
Thirty years in the life of a Honda XL185S, & Rider An emporium with the rather colonial sounding name of Steamships Hardware may not be the obvious place to purchase a Honda motorcycle. One may imagine that items such as marine diesel parts, nuts and bolts, even a propeller or funnel may be on show.........but a motorcycle! However almost 30 years back, in the early months of 1991, that was indeed the situation I found myself in when I was living and working in Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea - {PNG}. See images 1 & 2. This is the story of how I came to buy the motorcycle and what has happened to it in the subsequent years. The motorcycle is still with me now, in England, as I write this in July 2020. The story begins in 1989 when, after returning from serving as a volunteer in Indonesia in early 1983 I had been working in Liverpool as a Civil Engineer. By 1989 we had two young boys. However I still had the desire to travel and see the world. I was lucky enough to be offered a job with the Harbours Board in PNG, advising on the inspection and maintenance of their ports throughout the Country. I was based in the capital, Port Moresby - known as Pom locally, our two children attending international schools there. The only practical way to visit the other ports, in reasonable time, was by air travel as Pom was cut off from other areas by jungle covered mountains and a swampy coastline. On arrival in PNG it was important to purchase a motor vehicle pretty quickly. We needed to be able to do the shopping, I had to drive to work and we needed to be able to take the children out at weekends. I purchased an old Toyota Starlet. It was a willing little motor and actually quite fun to drive around town. However it proved somewhat limiting on the, not very extensive, roads in the hinterland of Pom. See Photograph 6. These roads were mostly gravel surfaced with extensive potholes and ruts. Near the coast these roads could become very muddy and slippery in the swamplands. Several roads led into the mountains surrounding Port Moresby. These could prove very challenging - even to some four wheel drive vehicles due to the mud, steep slopes, poor surfaces and landslides and fallen trees. See Photograph 3. In order to be able to explore further along the coast and into the mountains I decided to purchase a proper 4WD vehicle. I chose a diesel Land Cruiser. It was robust, had good ground clearance and a short wheelbase; making progress easier in arduous conditions. We had some good days out on the beaches to the North and South of Pom. See Photograph 7. Varirata is a beautiful National Park in the Owen Stanley mountains to the East of Pom. There are some interesting jungle trails.... but be aware there are leeches which may unexpectedly attach themselves to your body to draw blood.
6
One of the most interesting aspects of PNG is the amount of visible history and artefacts still remaining from World War 2, {WW2}. One may come across crashed American and Japanese aircraft becoming overgrown by encroaching vegetation. See Photograph 5. When SCUBA diving I saw a B-25 Mitchell bomber where the control surfaces could still be moved by hand. There is a very moving, peaceful war cemetery at Bomana where many souls rest. See Photograph 4. We went as far as MacDonald's Corner on the famous WW2 Kokoda Trail. See Photographs 8 & 9. The Kokoda Track or Trail is a single-file foot thoroughfare that runs 96 kilometers (60 mi) overland – 60 kilometers (37 mi) in a straight line – through the Owen Stanley Range in Papua New Guinea. The track was the location of the 1942 World War II battle between Japanese and Allied – primarily Australian – forces in what was then the Australian territory of Papua. {Wikipedia}. I did a particularly ambitious journey, by myself, to visit a volunteer living and working in the very remote outpost of Tapini at an elevation of around 1000m in the mountains to the North of Pom. Whilst it is only around 80 miles from Pom as the crow flies - the journey takes many hours and transit time is unpredictable depending on - for example - landslips and swollen river crossings. On my journey home I was delayed, in the dark jungle night, waiting for floods to subside so I could ford a river - there was no bridge. In those days, before mobile communications and the internet one had to be resourceful and rely on others at times to send messages to loved ones waiting at home. For example a local mission station may be able to radio to base in the Capital requesting that a telephone call be made home letting them know I would be late! I was in Tapini when I realized, to my extreme dismay, that a radiator hose had burst and I was loosing all my cooling water. In such a location, with only a few shacks and local farmers there was, of course, no garage or repair shop. Imagine my surprise therefore when a smiling local, observing my problem, said in the local Pidgin English, "You go long dat der trade store and buy some curry powder and put a jar full in your radiator". I was dubious, but with little alternative and nothing to loose I did what he suggested. I bought two jars of Kari powder just in case. I managed to locate some cleanish water and added one jar of the orangey brown powder. Well, much to my great relief it did the trick and I managed to make the journey back to Pom safely - albeit the Land Cruiser smelt rather like an Indian Take Away on arrival. To this day I retain the unused jar of Kari powder as a souvenir of interesting times in PNG. See Photograph 10. As an aside one can glean an excellent idea of the conditions in PNG by watching a very scary aircraft approach to the grass landing strip there. Somewhat like a ski jump with absolutely no room for error or mechanical malfunction. See Tapini Approach: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mOOf5GxBmx4
7
Whilst visiting sites for the Harbors Board I had a number of hairy landings at remote airstrips & other "interesting" events. One of the most bizarre was when we were flying from the small port of Aitape, on the North coast of New Guinea, down to Mount Hagen in the Highlands. Dark threatening clouds suddenly came down and the pilot was worried that we may soon be in an out of fuel situation as one may become disorientated in the gloom. With limited navigation aids the ability to see where one is flying is essential! Spotting a tiny gap in the cloud below the young Aussie pilot put the plane into a nose dive towards the mighty Sepik River meandering thru' dense primary rainforest. Soon we were flying a few feet above the river, below the level of the tall, surrounding trees. For a moment those terrible images of the helicopter ride in the movie Apocalypse Now flashed into my mind. The pilot found a gap in the trees and a small airstrip appeared. Amazingly he managed to land in the heavy rain of a tropical storm, the plane slewing thru' 90 degrees on the muddy surface as we came to rest on terra that was not very firma! Our ordeal was not over yet - no one knew where we were. He told me that a few miles up river there was a luxury jungle lodge - not accessible by road. He was going to take off again and buzz the lodge so that they would - hopefully - send a powered canoe to collect us! "Did I wish to go with him or wait?" It would soon be dark and pitch black and all the creepy crawlies of the jungle would be out - to say nothing of the crocodiles in the river. I elected to take my chances with him. We buzzed the lodge and they duly sent a powered canoe out. After several hours we were in the lodge drinking South Pacific lager and dancing with a group of rich Italian tourists! We stayed the nite in the lodge and managed to get a signal back to base. The next day the weather in the highlands had improved and we managed to fly on to Mount Hagen without incident. On another occasion I became hopelessly bogged down in thick, sticky mud near the coastal swamps in the vicinity of the Hiritano Highway to the North West of Pom. Good maps and clear road directions were not readily available at the time and I was exploring somewhat off piste. A group of rather fierce looking locals, each with machetes around their waist came walking along. I clearly needed assistance and they were obviously headed somewhere. After some rather fraught negotiations - we did not speak each others' languages - they - with considerable speed and skill chopped off some tree branches and created a mattress of wood under the wheels for me to gain traction and clear the hazard. All smiles when numerous bodies piled into the Land Cruiser & I took them on their way. I operated the Land Cruiser for most of 1990. We had good fun in it, but I began to realize that it could be a bit of a handful if one got into difficulties, alone, out of town. I thought that a trail motorcycle would be simpler to manage and operate. It may be easier to by pass muddy areas and fallen trees, for example. It was however very surprising that there were, in fact, very few motorcycles in PNG - even though in many ways they would be ideal for the conditions and climate there & better match the incomes generally.
8
This contrasts with neighboring Indonesia, to the West of PNG, where the motorcycle is and certainly 30 years ago, was, the primary form of transport for the locals. There were no motorcycle shops that compare with what we have in the UK. However the local department stores, such as the delightfully named Steamships Hardware did stock several bikes, along with pots and pans, clothing, furniture etc. etc... No one in the store seemed especially knowledgeable or interested in bikes though. A white colored Honda XL185S with blue seat and fork gaiters caught my eye. I liked its traditional looks. The good wheel/mudguard clearance, largish, spoked wheels with tubed tires, not too intimidating seat height and light weight all appealed to me. I liked the simplicity of the single cylinder, air cooled engine - no need to worry about carrying a jar of Kari powder in case of coolant leaks! The wide, high handlebars gave safe predictable handling. Not so good was the small capacity fuel tank, poor drum brakes and measly 6 volt battery giving very poor lighting performance. See Photographs 11 & 12-Honda brochures. As the machine was new I was not overly worried about long term servicing or spare parts. A plug change and engine oil change, no filter needed, was a pretty simple operation. I was lucky though that I never did have a puncture in PNG. That would have been a significant problem - especially out of town - as unlike Indonesia small roadside puncture repair shacks did not exist. So on 4/2/91 I became the proud owner of AO 284 a PNG plated Honda XL185S. See Photograph 13. It performed with aplomb, both as a commuter to work and on regular jollies out of town. See Photograph 14. I had confidence to go places that I did not have in the Land Cruiser - for example would I be able to turn around or pass another vehicle on a narrow, twisty, mountain road? I made a trip back to Tapini on the bike and was amazed at how much quicker and easy the journey seemed than in the Land Cruiser. I did have one rather unnerving incident though when I was riding on a remote mountain trail. A machete wielding local suddenly jumped out of the dense jungle and stopped me, crazily waving his long knife. He wanted money. Rather foolishly, perhaps, I tried to engage him in conversation as to why he acted thus. He did speak English and seemed reasonably intelligent. It seemed he was an escaped convict from prison in Pom and he was hungry! At the time there was a nighttime curfew in Pom as there was quite a lot of violence and tribal fighting ongoing. Rascal gangs roamed the streets causing mayhem. Excessive drinking caused many social problems too. I had been advised always to carry some loose money in case of such an incident. Consequently I handed over a couple of Kina - the local currency - and he let me on my way unharmed. Later on I was advised to be careful when exploring one way trails, where you could not do a circular tour but be forced to retrace your path. Criminals may spot you passing and await your return.
9
PNG certainly is a land of extreme contrast from the primitive tribal areas, cut off from outside influences, to the relatively sophisticated Australian influenced town areas. My diving instructor once told me that I was safer diving amongst the {reef} sharks, See Photograph 15. than riding a motorcycle in PNG! I like to be able to carry stuff on a bike. Tools/water/maps/spare tubes/tire levers as well as clothes, food etc. were essential to carry anywhere out of town in PNG. No accessories were available in PNG for the bike. I managed to obtain a rear carrier off an old Honda CT110, {I think}, which I fitted to my bike, fabricating robust metal brackets myself in a workshop. I added a stout cardboard box - not very stylish, but very practical. Anyway, who cares when you're up the jungle?! In early 1993 it was time to return to the UK. My position in PNG had been localized and also my Wife was pregnant with our third child. As the bike was still pretty new and in good condition I did not wish to sell it. The Harbors Board would pay for shipping my personal effects home. Actually; originally we had hoped to be able to ship our household effects and the bike to my Wife's Family in Indonesia. The bike, especially, would have been great fun to use there. At the time, surprisingly, few trail bikes were sold in Indonesia. The Honda C90 step thru' type bikes were considered more stylish and much more popular there - especially with the petite Asian ladies. However unless you were a diplomat it was not permitted to import a bike into Indonesia. I think this was intended to protect the bikes made under license there. Consequently we had it shipped back to the UK via Hull. This proved lucky as I was allowed to ship all my other household effects to Indonesia, but they never arrived in Sulawesi as intended. They were stuck in Jakarta. Despite a personal visit to the Agent in Jakarta & contact with the Shipping Agent in Port Moresby and numerous expensive calls we never obtained any satisfaction. We lost many irreplaceable items including an extensive set of photographs which I had taken when out in PNG. The only photographs I have now are a very few copy prints which I had sent home to Family here. Remember digital photography was not around in the early '90's. Thus began a new life for AO 284 in the UK. I began commuting to the office in downtown Liverpool. See Photograph 16. It was good to have free parking and no tunnel tolls. 100mpg meant that fuel bills were not too high. {Why is it though that bikes are not as fuel efficient as one may expect? I can obtain 67 mpg, 3 up, on a return trip from The Wirral to Bath in a VW Golf TDi & at a higher average speed than on the trailie}. I rather enjoyed riding, to the best of my knowledge, the only bike on Merseyside with PNG plates. However the time came to register the machine in the UK. I did not wish to put my bike on a "Q" plate. I therefore obtained a letter from Honda stating that the date of manufacture of my bike was January 10 1989. See Photograph 17. Armed with this information I was able to obtain an "F" registration. 10
The bike is now registered as F 732 BFY. For a short time the XL185S was the only bike I owned in the UK. However around 1993 I was delighted when a Neighbour wheeled an "S" registration Honda CB400T Dream, {much better looking in my opinion than the later Super Dream models}, into my home and offered it to me for free! Of course I had to spend some money on it so that it was legal and roadworthy - but basically it was a very sound machine. I liked the idea - not common these days - of having both a center stand and a side stand and a kick start as well as an electric start. I christened the bike "Giddy up Go". The inspiration for this came from a song of the same name by Big Dave & the Tennessee Tailgaters. I had taken a shine to truckin', Blue Grass and C&W music whilst living and working in South Carolina in 1974. At the time I operated a Ford Mercury Marquis - Yank tank - 7 liter motor car. This was loaned to me by a neighbour living in the same trailer park as I in Greenville SC. I met some bikers there and I used to ride out, as pillion, on an early model Honda 750, on some weekends. We rode the beautiful blue Ridge Parkway up into North Carolina. It must have been around 1993 that I attended a WAM open day held at the Little Chef in Eastham. I remember having a ride out to Parkgate, {& having an ice cream whilst sitting on the front there, as I recall!}, with a member. I subsequently joined WAM and have not looked back since! Round about Christmas Time in 1993 that I noticed an "ad" for a BMW K75S, very low mileage, for sale at a car dealership in Heswall. It had been taken in PX for a Nissan Micra! I think the Dealer was pleased to be rid of it and I got a very good deal. All it needed was a new battery and I gave it a service. Thus I ended up with 3 bikes in the driveway. See Photograph 18. In 1994 work took me out to the Northern Territory in Australia. It was not until I returned that I was in a position to take the Motorcycle Advanced test out in the Lymm area in 1995. {My Father, who rode an AJS as a young man, strongly encouraged me to take the IAM Car test when I started driving. I passed in 1972}. Actually I took the motorcycle test on Giddy Up Go, rather than the Beamer. I was very pleased when - after a nerve wracking debriefing with the Examiner - I was told that I had passed.
The Beamer served me well as a commuter bike whilst working on the old Thelwall Viaduct Renovation project between 1995-97. It was around this time that I received a reasonable offer for the CB400T. With regret, I sold it as I did not need two large bikes. I retained the K75S until, after several redundancies and TUPE transfers, I sold it in 2013. It went on a number of club runs - mainly North Wales, but also Cheshire and Shropshire from time to time. In1998 duties took me out to Hong Kong, where I purchased a red, Honda LA 11
250 machine. At that time I commenced writing stories for the Club Mag & have continued over the years since. Most of the stories have been about riding my 200cc Honda Tiger, which I bought in Bali 2002. I kept it until 2019 when sadly we sold it to raise funds for the families affected by the Palu earthquake and tsunami of September 28 2018. At this time I would like to give a bucketful of thanks to our illustrious Editor, Pete, for all his effort and hard work in creating the magazine and incorporating my stories. He has always been helpful and supportive to me. It was Pete too, who first checked me out to become a club observer, back in the old days under the less formal systems than are now in place. The latter part of my career, since 1999, saw me based in Liverpool until retirement in 2017. I used the XL185S, on and off as a commuter during this time. I remember taking advantage of its agility and light weight on a WAM Club Treasure hunt on The Wirral, with one of my children. I went with my Daughter on the Egg Run in 2003. See Photographs 19 & 20. In an effort to keep fit in 2008 I started cycling to Liverpool from home on The Wirral and using the wonderful Mersey Ferry. Latterly, as the only advantage of advancing age, I commenced using the Mersey Travel Pass, especially during the cold season. There was one time where the bike and I nearly came to grief. Ironically considering all the potentially dangerous locations and situations I had been, especially in PNG, the event in question took place in the Wallasey tunnel as I rode home from work in lane 2 of one of the twin tubes. A piece of iron bar, I think, bounced off the truck in front of me. There was no way I could avoid it and my rear tire was ripped off its rim bouncing me violently from side to side and throwing me off right in front of a large truck to my rear. Luckily the truck managed to stop about a meter from me - much to my relief. Traffic in front travelled on oblivious to what had taken place. Some burly builders in an elderly, Ford Transit stopped behind me in Lane 1 and literally scooped both me and the bike up and placed me in the back of their van. They very kindly drove me right home and dropped me off at the front door - ringing the bell to notify my surprised Wife, then drove off! The bike needed a little bit of attention to levers and cables etc. to sort it out, but nothing too onerous. I was not seriously hurt but my shoulder and leg continues to give me a bit of gyp to this day. The bike, XL185S, has come into its own on some of the back roads in Wales and I have had great fun exploring on it. Sadly the number of trails where one can ride legally in the UK is limited. None the less we are so lucky to have such wonderful countryside right on our doorstep. See Photographs 21 & 22. It's been so tempting to ride out there during the current, 2020, Covid-19 crisis. There is Wales-seems so close across the Dee River Estuary! Hopefully restrictions will end soon and we will find a vaccine for this pesky virus, sweeping the World, which is impacting all of us.
12
During the lockdown in the early part of 2020 I kept up my slow riding skills on the "Twig Mountain" circuit I created, several years back, around our bungalow. See Photograph 23. I managed to design a 100 meter track from the back yard into the front yard, connected by the "back passage". Not sure what the neighbours think - "Honest, it's no louder than a lawn mower!" Rest of the Family think I'm a little crazy. I have to be careful not to damage the vegetation and try to ride only when the grass is dry. Late last year, 2019, my Son, was posted overseas. He kindly asked if I would like to look after his Kawasaki ER6F - 650cc motorcycle. See Photograph 24. I had hoped to be able to use it on club runs. Unfortunately Covid-19 has put an end to all that fun. Soon I have to return the bike to the West Country; as his overseas posting has finished. The bike, XL185S, is now, July 2020, on around 71,000km., {not miles}, and is showing signs of needing some serious tlc. The seat cover is torn and some of the cosmetic plastic components cracked and brittle. The exhaust is quite noisy & it seems that spare parts are not readily available. The chain tensioner - a useful feature missing off some more modern designs - has failed, for example. Really it's becoming a bike for the more mechanically knowledgeable enthusiast to own with access to a good workshop to fabricate components. I keep the bike roadworthy though and it is tested until June 2021. I like to think that it may still be running in 30 years time, although most probably not with me as the Rider! Whether one will still find it possible to purchase petrol & to find young mechanics experienced on the internal combustion engine - & one with a carburettor at that..... Well then; that's another issue altogether! So, looking forward from the present; Happy, safe riding to you all. In the words of the recent dearly departed Dame Vera Lynn, "We'll meet again". Cheers Timothy J Dishman Wirral Advanced Motorcyclists Merseyside, England July 9 2020. July 5 2020. Twig Mountain. Great Meols. England.
13
Image 1. Google Earth Š - Papua New Guinea, {PNG}, viewed from satellite. PNG lies just to the South of the Equator and to the North of Australia. The Indonesian Archipelago lies to the West of PNG. To the East of PNG lie the many islands of the Pacific Ocean.
Image 2. Google Earth Š - Papua New Guinea. Area around Port Moresby viewed from satellite. PNG is a mountainous country which makes travel by road and road construction exceptionally difficult. There is no road between Port Moresby and the main port of Lae or its hinterland extending into the Highlands. There is a limited road network extending from the Capital, Port Moresby. Other parts of PNG are reached by aircraft or by coastal shipping.
14
Photograph 3. August 1989 - Stuck in the mud at Sogeri - near Port Moresby in a 4WD Subaru station waggon.
Photograph 4. August 1989. View over Bomana War Cemetery, East of Port Moresby.
15
Photograph 5. October 1989. Crashed WW2 American war plane near Aitape. On July 17 1998 an earthquake nearby, on the Pacific Ring of fire, caused a large undersea landslide. This resulted in a tsunami killing around 2700 people & injuring thousands - {Wikipedia}. Little reported in the UK.
Photograph 6. 1990. View towards the coast from the mountains behind Port Moresby.
16
Photograph 7. 1990. Riding out with the children to a beach, near the Magi Highway, South of Port Moresby.
Photograph 8. 1990. Memorial at MacDonald's Corner, on the WW2 Kokoda Trail. PNG.
17
Photograph 9. 1990. Memorial at MacDonald's Corner, on the Kokoda Trail. PNG.
Photograph 10. July 5 2020. Spare jar of curry powder, purchased at a trade store in Tapini circa 1990. Retained as a souvenir of an eventful journey to Tapini in a Land Cruiser.
18
Photograph 11. Honda Brochure-2C3032. 1990's brochure for Honda XL 185S.
Photograph 12. Honda Brochure-9103-Honda XL185S DK Type Specifications.
19
Photograph 13. Cash sale invoice from Steamships Hardware in Port Moresby for a new Honda XL 185 S motorcycle. Cost 2,115 Kina. Date of sale 4/2/91.
Photograph 14. 1991. Riding out on Burns Peak, Port Moresby. Fairfax Harbor in the background. Honda XL185S on PNG plate # AO 284.
20
Photograph 15. 1991. SCUBA diving at The Pumpkin Patch in the Coral Sea near Port Moresby. Are you safer swimming with the sharks than riding a motorcycle in PNG????
Once whilst snorkelling in the Coral Sea, South of Port Moresby, I lost my PNG Drivers' Licence from my shirt pocket. You were required to carry your licence at all times when driving. I used to swim in a shirt to protect myself from the fierce sunshine. Months later a SCUBA Diver found my licence on the sea bed and called me up at work. My contact details were on the licence. Imagine my surprise when I heard it had been found. I was very happy to have it back - as it would have been tedious to replace. 21
Photograph 16. March 12 1992. Still bearing PNG Plate-AO 284, on Honda XL 185S, parked up in downtown Liverpool, England. Note the non standard rear carrier.
22
Photograph 17. Letter from Honda Motor Europe Ltd. advising date of manufacture of Tim's Honda XL185S as January 10 1989.
23
Photograph 18. Home on the Wirral. Feb 26 1994-XL185S_CB400T_K75SWith Son dreaming of motorbikes. See him in 2018 @ Photograph 23 riding the Twig Mountain Circuit.
Photograph 19. 2003. Egg Run. Start at New Brighton with Daughter.
24
Photograph 20. 2003. Egg Run. Start at New Brighton with Daughter.
Photograph 21. Riding out. June 11 2018-View SW on A4086 near Capel Curig, Wales.
25
Photograph 22. Riding out. June 11 2018-View West over Ruthin from Bwlch Pen Barras.
Photograph 23. October 28 2018. With Son. Riding on the Twig Mountain Circuit in the yard at home on The Wirral. That's the young boy on the Beamer in Photograph 18!
26
Photograph 24. June 25 2020-WP64ZPN-Kawasaki ER6-F near Beeston Castle. Riding out, in Cheshire, on a loan bike from Son.
to Keith Minshull John Roe On passing their Advanced Tests 27
DISCLAIMER:-
The articles published herein do not necessarily represent the views of the Institute of Advanced Motorists Ltd, or the Wirral Group of Advanced Motorcyclists. They are the opinions of individual contributors and are published with the view that free expression promotes discussion and interests. So you have been warned. Interested in doing the Advanced Car Test? Wirral Advanced Motorists are the people to see. Go to www.wirraliam.co.uk