July 2008 Issue:
- Raffle Winners.SPONSORS.Contacts.
New News Editor.
Hi everyone and welcome to my first newsletter. I am new at this so be gentle with me.
Yogi will be giving me a hand but being a woman I have gone ahead and done this myself sorry Yogi, But you know what us girls are like.
Anyway I hope you like my format and any feedback will be greatly appreciated!
On behalf of the committee and members of the Westgate Wanderers we would like to thank Pushy for the wonderful job he did with the newsletter, I have big shoes to fill!
Debster
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THE WESTGATE WANDERERS TOWNSVILLE AGM ADVENTURE
Tuesday 20th May
To begin our adventure Larry said a pray for us to have a safe ride and good weather, I would be glad of that pray more than once and so would some other Wanderers. Unfortunately due to the sudden death of Andrew’s father-in-law he stayed with Debbie and it was hard to leave him behind. The first day nearly managed good weather; however there was a heavy low lying mist when we arrived at Shepparton and some light rain. It was a good ride the country was flat, parched and most of the dams were nearly empty. We all took great pleasure in overtaking Eds running in his brand new red and black Nomad. I blew him kisses knowing tomorrow would be the last time I would get such an opportunity to go sailing passed him.
This is going to be an interesting journey considering that we are all on Ali and Glen’s honeymoon and as Ali said, soon they would be sharing it with over 3000 Ulyssians, now that’s something to tell the grandchildren.
We stayed in a great caravan park in West Wyalong and had a delicious meal although they did seat us down the back away from the other patrons, I suppose they expected us to be a noisy lot and they weren't wrong. Glen commented that he was surprised no one had challenged him today; I just filed away that piece of information to hopefully use at a later date. We hit the beds early I think most were asleep by 8.30pm.
Wednesday 21st
Another great ride today, the terrain was more interesting and some very nice sweeping bends and gentle hills to cruise around. Eds and Glen left early heading for Dubbo so Eds could get his Nomad’s oil and filter changed, after clocking up his first 1000kms and Glen his glasses fixed which broke yesterday, but to no avail, now he’s blind. That was the end of overtaking Eds, this afternoon as he cruised by; he blew me kisses, cheeky devil. He named his beautiful machine “Geronimo” because it flies like the wind.
Eddy rode up with us as far as West Wyalong and he headed off today to see family and return to Melbourne, but it was great that could come some of the way with us on our odyssey. Peter Rigby had sustained a nasty burn on his ankle through a work accident and had expressed discomfort; I took him to the chemist to buy some Duoderm dressings which would make it more comfortable for him to ride, and hopefully it would be healed by the time we got home.
Usually the truckies are a reasonably polite bunch, but today a couple were playing silly buggers with us. One double D swerved onto the other side of the road as if he were about to overtake the truck in front of him, causing his trailer to sway erratically each time a bike tried to overtake. It took us quite some time to all get passed him safely.
We are starting to feel it today many riders rear ends were particularly sore from long hours in the saddle, and when we finally reached Narrabri it was a welcome relief to stand up and bend our elbows. Hummie took us to the wrong caravan park just to show us what a crappy one looked like. Then down to the RSL which was decked out as a farmers shed with loads of memorabilia, we all had a great meal. Helen and some of the boys stayed to watch the State of Origin match on a huge screen and Alan was mortified that Queensland lost, but Helen and Ray were happy.
Thursday 22nd
Heading for Roma the roads were pretty good but there wasn't much to look at and our old bodies were feeling the strain, each stop was looked forward too. I had trouble staying awake rather a dangerous feeling to have on a bike. After lunch we had a brief stop as Ray and Glen studied the map, Ray thought we had taken the wrong turn, we hadn't and as soon as they said go, Ali and I were off. We were in the lead for quite a while before the boys caught up, but soon Glen, Eds, Leno and John D (Blue Napoleon) were in front. I looked at the road there was no traffic, it was straight and the boys were playing with each other, dodging in and out and generally mucking around. I weighed it up and thought I probably wouldn't get a better chance to challenge them all, so I gunned the Yamaha and as I speed passed them I took them completely by surprise, I managed to get the front part of the bike ahead of Glen’s Nomad and pushed her as hard as I could, Glen grinned as he cruised passed me, I just let him go knowing I had challenged him and won if only for a brief moment. Then all the others overtook me with their thumbs up, it sure broke the boredom of the afternoon and gave me a real buzz.
We arrived in Roma tired but relieved we had a day off tomorrow. There was a brochure in the cabin extolling the delights of Roma and I found that the caravan park was next door to the oldest winery in Queensland – Romavilla Vineyards established 1863 specialising in port. Being aware that the Rigby boys had a particular love of port I searched them out and they along with Les agreed it was too good an opportunity to pass up, so we wandered next door to do a little wine tasting. Some time later and after sampling many ports, wines, red and white we ambled back with our bootie to take home (and consume in the evenings after a long ride) very pleased with our purchases.
We had a fun evening at the White Bull, the bartender’s father was an Ulyssian so he let us use the juke box and play snooker for free which was great. During in the evening Hummie told us we had to prepare for tomorrow night’s activities, we were all to come as Action Hero’s, now they could be real ones or made up ones, whatever we wanted. At least this year we had a day to prepare.
Friday 23rd
Oooh! A rest day at last ….. boy do we need it. A glorious, sunny, mild day in Roma some caught up with their washing, while others cleaned their bikes, but we took the opportunity to walk to town to look for costumes ready for tonight. We searched the toy shops, the $2 shops and even Vinnie’s for props and eventually found what we needed. I don't know what it is about the folk in Roma but they obviously don't eat out much, it was really hard to find a restaurant and when we did it was combined with a book shop, but the meal was yummy.
We wandered back to the caravan park with our goodies and spent the afternoon talking, laughing and planning our trip home, when Ray removed all the maps stating we weren't even there yet and insisted we enjoy ourselves. We didn't really need an excuse to hit the amber and got into some serious drinking. Some of us thought Roma was going to be a bit of a dive to spend a day, but we had a terrific time and the locals were great.
The Club supplied the barbecue and after we had eaten a delicious meal that the boys put together it was time for the night’s activities. Hummie had put the number of each cabin in his pocket and we had to pick a number out, then each person in the cabin that was chosen were required to go and get dressed up. Then the real fun started ------ first came Alan and John D as Hawaiian sluts, Alan had on a great punk wig, we laughed till our sides split they were so funny. Hummie a geriatric with a gross mask, Ray and Helen as Jack and Jill and of course Jack had a broken head. Glen – Commando Man while, Ali was the ex-wife with a horrible mask and looked fearful. Eds came as Geronimo with red lines on his cheeks with a little help from my lipstick and a feather head dress, Peter was a Spider Pig with the very effective use of his hammock, while I dressed as Dolphin Woman. Ron came as Batman, while Les was Robin and Peter was Buzz Light Year a most interesting trio. Leno came as his favorite hero – Paddington Bear, while Joe was Robo Cop, but we thought he looked more like the cop from the Village People. Finally John came as a vampire and Helmet his female victim, all in all we had a great time and laughter the night away with the odd explanation to others staying in the caravan park. I just might add that at the entrance to the park it said – if we wanted parties or were going to make load noises we had come to the wrong caravan park – perhaps it was because we were bikies that we weren't challenged by management on that one.
Saturday 24th
From Roma we headed for Emerald this was really good cattle country, but I did notice that despite the floods they had recently experienced in Queensland their dams may have been full, but the creeks were empty, just dry rocks and sand beds with the occasional puddle.
We stopped at Springsure and had a look at the Virgin Rock (wonder why they called it that?). We girls were disappointed the local craft shop was closed because we wanted to buy all their tea towels with delightful little sayings like – “I don't have hot flushes just holidays in the tropics”, “A clean house is the sign of a wasted life” etc. the owner would have made some money that day.
Sunday 25th
Off to Charters Towers, this was an interesting ride as we really felt like we were in the outback despite the fact that there was a lot of traffic – bikes and road trains. From here on it was Brahman country, cattle every where, often no fences so every now and then there was a sign to warn road uses that cattle might be crossing.
We stopped at Belyando Crossing which was a petrol station and supposed café with little food, 2 big freezers for ice creams and if you wanted one, bad luck they were empty, it was quite hot and an ice cream would have hit the spot. The petrol pumps didn't register in the shop, so we had to tell them how much we'd put in. I don't think they had seen so many people all at once, and it wasn't just our group, there were lots of other Ulyssians as well plus the truckies.
From here we had about 90kms of good road then 25kms of a rough single lane. We were hoping being a Sunday we wouldn't meet any road trains while we were traveling that part of the road. We were lucky most of the way and were only passed by cars that didn't reduce their speed for us; we nearly got to the end and most of the Wanderers were back onto the 2 lane road when some of us had to stop to let a road train pass by. It was to dangerous to continue to ride on the edge of the road as it was hard to see the potholes and we were so close to end of our journey it would be a pity to damage our bikes.
We arrived at Charters Towers and were invited by the local Ulyssians to a barbeque and drive-in, but it was quite a way out of town, so many of us decided to have pizza and a few drinks in the cabin and then crash we were so tired. After days of traveling it starts to take its toll.
Monday 26th
We left early with the aim to find a roadhouse for breakfast and fuel just outside of town, unfortunately all we found was the road. It was cold, so our glasses, visors and windscreen's fogged up. As we were heading east the sun was shinning directly into our eyes. I followed the white line on the edge of the road but was fearful of hitting road kill. It was a hard ride until the sun rose higher. Some members had not fuelled up the previous night so had to switch to reserve. Eighty km's later we found a roadhouse, but not soon enough for Ali who ran out of fuel; fortunately Ray had a supply and came to her rescue, a good reason for having a support vehicle as tail-end Charlie. The boys found a dispenser that sold rings – skull and cross bones – so they all bought and wore them, and with knuckled fists punched each others rings as a greeting, it was really quite funny watching grown men behave as children – but then what’s new with this lot.
We rode into Townsville and registered which didn't take too long and then off to Show Grounds. Although we had registered fairly early in the day all the best camping sites under the trees were taken. However, Hummie found us a great spot close to toilets and showers but alas, the ground was rock hard and pitching our tents was no easy task, as our tent pegs bent, but as usual Ray came to our rescue with very large tent pegs. Soon we were all settled and our tents organized for our stay, we wandered over to the trade stalls that were still setting up. That night I think we all slept well after a fabulous week of riding.
Tuesday 27th
Hummie, Alan, Peter and I decided to go into town we wandered around the mall and it looked derelict and abandoned, many shops were empty and boarded up, there were very few people it was not the bustling town we expected. We later found out that the mall is to be redeveloped. We went to the Omnimax theatre to see the building of the USA space station. We lay back in the seat and the screen went from the floor all over the ceiling, it was quite an extraordinary experience. We had an enjoyable lunch at an Irish pub and were served by an Irish lass staying for 12 months. Down to the Strand to the Coral Sea Memorial, there was a tall steel box with the outline of a hand on top. Alan put his hand on it and to his surprise music start and a narration began, he jumped back so quickly we all laughed.
Helmets brother-in-law Leroy arrived with a woman he picked up on the way – Shelley. He came across her speeding along the highway on her own, stretching her legs while riding her sports bike; he offered to swap bikes which she did so she could have a rest. She told me later that although he looked like a rough bikie she couldn't have been accompanied by a nicer man, she ended up staying with the Wanderers for the rest of her time in Townsville. Shelley was an interesting lady who had ridden to Townsville from Mudgee to join the Ulysses Club, stay a couple of days then head home. But we had other plans for Shelley.
Wednesday 28th
Quite a few Wanderers and their wives who had flown in to join their husbands headed up to Cairns for the night. They apparently had a great time but would have liked to have spent more time up there.
Helen and Ray went to the caravan meeting, which is a new group of Ulyssians who can no longer ride, but still want to be involved in the club. They would like to meet up with their mates about 4 times a year, it sounds like another great idea as the club goes from strength to strength meeting the needs of its members.
Many had test rides on the numerous bikes available, while others went up to Mount Stuart for a nice little twisty ride, I thought I'd meet them at the top cognizant of Hummies wisdom, “just ride at your own pace”. The road was narrow and there were quite a few cars who don't expect to come across motorcycles. The views were great and we walked around the top taking loads of photos
Much to our surprise Andrew arrived, we were so pleased to see him, he had put so much work into organizing the trip it was such a pity he missed the ride up.
Thursday 29th
Leno organized a ride to Ingham about 100kms away, this was a busy town, people everywhere. We decided to ride to the Paluma Range National Park it was 18.4kms of twisties, there were wonderful views all the way up. When we reached the top we chatted to many other Ulyssians. On the way down we stopped at Crystal Creek. The road and bridge had been built between 1931-1935 by unemployed labourers who received 2 bob a day, they had 2 tractors and 2 trucks as their only mechanical help. Everything else was done by hand including the making of the stone bridge. You could see where the steps ended how high the water once flowed under the bridge, one wonders if it will ever be that high again. There were still small waterfalls and rock pools which made it a wonderful place to explore up and down the creek. One Ulyssian stripped off and jumped into the pool and said it was beautiful, the water tasted good too.
That night 10 of us went to the Frog and Toad pub for the best meal of all. We had an enjoyable evening back at camp, warm night, clear skies, stars shining, a few tinnies and good company ….. just bliss.
Friday 30th
More test rides – Alan, Peter, Les and Jo took the spiders out for a spin and I heard they played up, naughty boys on their new toys. They thought the Harley’s they rode weren't bad either. But it was interesting after riding all these different bikes when questioned, they came to the conclusion that they each liked the bike they were presently riding, testing out the other bikes just made them appreciate their own bikes more.
Later everybody prepared for the night’s party – the theme was Going Troppo, loads dressed up in great gear. Jo, Les and I were duly sent off to stand in the queue and get a good table for the Wanderers. Now this wasn't an onerous task, as we were able to mix with other Ulyssians and chat about our adventures. To our surprise when we were eventually admitted into the Hoekker the Rigby boys and their wives already had a table reserved for us. As usual the Ulyssians were a mischievous lot, sending bras, G strings (that one woman actually took off), hula skirts skywards attached to the helium balloons. The meal was delicious and hot and the rock band had most up on the dance floor, many dancing the night way into the wee small hours of the morning.
Saturday 31st
The day of the big parade – once all the bikes arrived the police had the route well organized with flashing amber lights, no hold ups, just a straight run to the Tony Ireland Stadium about 13 km's away. There were loads of families with happy children who were delighted by a couple who wore Elmo and Fozzy Bear covers over their helmets, while another rider had Kermit the Frog as his pillion as they happily waved to us.
The Townsville Mayor thanked us for coming and said we had spent $15,000,000 and to think the town’s folk initially didn't want us to come. Kim the president said – 3717 members had registered for AGM and the club now had 51057 members in its 25th anniversary year. He thanked the organizing committee and all the volunteers and we were told that the 2011 AGM would be held in the Lower Hunter Valley.
Old Number One spoke about how vibrant the club was and he felt proud and happy that the idea had become so successful nationally and internationally. Also how much he enjoyed meeting Ulyssians from all over the country. He gave us a little pearl of wisdom by saying “Remember …… never buy a bike you can't push”.
Donations for the Arthritis Foundation for 2007 were $50359.25 not a bad effort, and so far we have raised $28,000 for 2008. The winner of the Apprentice of the Year Award was Adam Gilmore from South Australia who had completed a diploma in mechanical engineering before turning his hand to motorcycles; he was delighted to win the RS 125 Aprilia. In the afternoon Ray and Helen attended the AGM to elect the new committee and as Ray said “to decide how to spend your money”.
Another party with some Ulyssians dressing in more formal attire, it was a little more subdued as many had partied hard last night so were a bit tired. Others were thinking of home and preparing to leave in the morning.
Sunday 1st June
Many prepared to leave for home in varying directions. Jo and Les decided to go via Longreach to see the Hall of Fame and the Qantas Museum. Alan and Peter decided due to the heavy rain not to travel with me down to Gold Coast as previously arranged but instead go back the way they came. Leno and John D were going to travel together while others were staying on to do more touring. Shelley decided to travel with me and we left rather late in the morning with the intention of reaching Rockhampton. She set a cracking pace; however we only encountered a few brief showers, drying off quickly. There were signs of flooding, the countryside was lush and the creeks and rivers were full. We were glad to reach Rocky at about 7pm and found a motel with a restaurant. Glen did his usual ring around to ensure all Wanderers had reached their destinations safely, he was rather surprised we had reached Rocky.
Monday 2nd
Earlier start today with the aim to reach the Gold Coast about 740kms away, the journey was pleasant and at each petrol stop we ran into other Ulyssians we had met last week. At one stop we meet up with Leno who had left John to do some sightseeing. We parted company with Leno at Gin Gin who wanted to have a look around. We continued on and just out from Brisbane the weather deteriorated and down came the rain. Visibility was so bad that at times we were down to 60kms on the Gateway Freeway. It eased a little as we reached the Gold Coast but the wind whipped up making it even more difficult to ride. When we turned off at the Nerang/Broadbeach exit Shelley said “are we their yet”, “nearly” I said not realising it would take another 20 minutes to reach Pam and John’s place (my sister and bother-in-law). When we arrived we stripped off wet clothes, showered, got warm and ate a hot meal and celebrated our safe arrival and for me a few days rest.
Tuesday 3rd and Wednesday 4th
Shelley left in the morning heading for Mudgee with a stop over in Armidale. Apparently she met up again with Leno and was pleased for the company. I spent the next two days catching up with family. I proudly showed off my motorcycle to my father who was suitably impressed and amazed that a daughter of his could ride such a large machine (in his eyes) and on such a long journey.
I visited Auntie Von who was seriously ill and as I looked into her eyes I knew she did not have long. We spent time reminiscing and when I said my final goodbye before heading home I knew it would be the last time I would ever see her.
Wednesday night Ali texted me to find out what I was doing Thursday “leaving in the morning heading home”. Margaret called telling me Eds, Glen, Ali, Ron and Peter were leaving Bundaberg and would reach Brisbane around lunch time and I should hook up with them rather than ride alone. I arranged a rendezvous, you can't imagine the huge sigh of relief my family gave as they were really concerned about me riding home alone.
Thursday 5th
I asked Eds to call me once they reached Brisbane, he called when they stopped at Loganholme, that was only 25 minutes away and they were going 100kms and I was 20 minutes from the freeway traveling at 60kms and red lights, I wondered if I would make it. I had just stopped to wait for them, hoping I hadn't missed them when they went flying passed waving …… my that was close.
We headed for Grafton this was definitely not the best place to stop for the night. We wandered down the street only to find unless we rode our bikes there was little to eat. However, the petrol station had a few bits and pieces and we decided to manage. The caravan park was disgusting …..cockroaches running across the floor, the kitchen and bathroom were not very clean, but the worst thing of all were the bunk beds, the mattresses were about 2” thick and the hard wooden slats dug into to the boys bones. There was much complaining and they were painting pictures about how uncomfortable all their bits were, I must admit they had me in stitches as I lay in the double bed a good deal more comfortable than they were.
Friday 6th
At breakfast the owner asked where we had stayed, we told him how dissatisfied we were with the accommodation, he was upset and told us Grafton needed all the tourist they could get and would we mind if he told the Tourist Bureau. We were quite happy for him to do this as we wouldn't want others to spend such an uncomfortable night and they weren't cheap either.
We had intended to ride inland to Glen Innes but there had been mud slides from the heavy rains they had recently and the road was closed for repairs, so we decided to continue down the Pacific Highway to Goulburn. We would get onto the freeway and skirt around Sydney but from Hornsby to Parramatta there is just an ordinary road and we were stuck in traffic and unfortunately we became separated from Eds and Ron, and it took a few hours before we were able to regroup. We carried on to Goulburn planning to stay in the same place we stayed last year, but they were booked out, we went down the road and we managed to get a house at the back of the motel. Now this place was rather palatial, there was even a honeymoon suite with a huge spa. We went to the restaurant and enjoyed a delightful meal. It was wonderful to spend our last night together in such a lovely place.
Saturday 7th
Heading home …… our 3 week adventure was nearly over we went down the Hume Highway which took longer than expected due to the major road works building a 4 lane highway in NSW. Then over the border into Victoria now that was a good feeling and deserved a shout of glee. We were met by Margaret and Greg outside of Melbourne a fuel stop, quick feed, a chat and home.
I have to say this Townsville trip was an adventure of a lifetime and although it sounds a long way, doing it the way we did in easy stages, made it not as taxing as it could have been. One thing about this trip it made me hungry to explore more of Australia, but at a more leisurely pace. With time to stop and spend a few days in some of the beautiful towns we went through without the time constraints of work or having to be somewhere on a particular day.
In conclusion I would like to thank Andrew for organizing a well thought out trip that despite him not traveling with us went as smooth as clock work. Thanks to all the Wanderers who came with us on our adventure, without you the trip would not have been such fun.
One sad note for me …. Auntie Von died on the 14th June and I shall always be grateful that I was able to say goodbye to her.
Wendy
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Christmas in July.
Christmas in July is upon us again! The date is this Saturday 12th of July at the RSL Bowls Club
If you haven't got your tickets yet see Ornella at Wednesday’s meeting. Don't miss out on a fantastic night!
Don't leave it until the last minute or you will miss out.
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What to do with heaps of time and old mining machine tyre's
THE problem of what to do with old mining machine tyre's is usually solved by either fixing them or burying them. But Western Australian ex-stuntman Ray Baumann had other ideas.
Instead, Baumann took two used tyre's from a Caterpillar 992 wheel loader and built the world's biggest motorbike around them. 'We wanted to be able to transport this thing around the world, and those were the biggest and widest tyre's we could get that would fit into a high cube shipping container,' Baumann told MiningNews.net.
At 9m long and more than 3m tall, Baumann has fittingly dubbed it the Monster Motorbike. It is powered by a 5.2 litre Detroit Diesel 6V53 two-stroke truck engine which sends drive through a six-speed Allison automatic gearbox, also from a prime mover. The gearbox is connected to a two-speed Eaton differential from a road train, which in turn drives a massive chain on each side of the rear wheel.
The bike was built in Perth and was three years in the making. It weighs 13.6 tonne's.
Baumann said he doesn't expect the bike to go through tyre's at anything like the rate of the wheel loaders they were designed for.
'These tyre's will last us the lifetime of the vehicle, well and truly,' Baumann said. 'We've only got 13 tonne's of motorbike sitting on these tyre's, so we should have no problems whatsoever. 'We've designed it not just to be big, but to smash things up, and that's what people really want to see. 'We're in the entertainment business and you've got to give people what they want.'
Typically, Baumann uses the bike to crush cars and caravans.
Baumann drove road trains before he turned to setting records for jumping vehicles over other vehicles, and Monster Motorbike combines elements of both occupations. 'We did stunt driving for quite a few years, broke a few records and broke my back a few times, so this is a way of taking a bit more care,' he said. 'Now we crush a thing, which is definitely less risky than jumping them.'
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Hans on Adventure
“MY LAST BIKE “
BMW K100RS
RP 943.. 1985 ..Red.
First 8000 km Impressions.
On 17/4/85, I decided to have one last fling and traded my exactly 1 Y.O 31000km GPz 900R Kawasaki on a brand new 85’ K100RS BMW, hopefully my last bike. During the time I had the Kawasaki it was a top performer, most reliable and completely trouble free. Hooray for Kawasaki.
On the day I bought the BMW in a nearby country city, I rode it home feeling like a King. I could hardly believe that I was the new owner of a ‘great’ BMW.
About 20km from the place of purchase I noticed that a warning light came on indicating that I had about 7lt of fuel left in the tank. No worries. About 10 km further on another light came on, now RED indicating that only 4lt of fuel remained. Quick mental calculations. If the lights are accurate, 3lt of fuel for the last 10km is certainly not good economy, therefore lights must be inaccurate. Anyway, to be on the safe side, called into the next servo in Werribee and filled the tank to the brim. It took 13.5 lts. Therefore it follows that if the tank holds 22lts there should have been approx. 8.5lts still in the tank. This is actually not so. A later test by me revealed that when I ran out of fuel on the highway ‘on purpose’ it took exactly 18.5 lts to fill it completely to the brim. In other words in this 22lt tank there are only 18.5 lts of fuel which can actually be used in practice. This is due to the fact that the BMW tank also contains other junk inside such as an electric fuel pump, Filter and fuel sensor which is most inaccurate. Also I am told that the fuel pickup inside the tank does not go right to the bottom of the tank leaving fuel in there that can't be used.
Being a new bike I naturally wanted to ride it often to get used to it etc. Running it in was a bit tedious but had to be done. The first night at home I sat next to the bike with the manual and pulled a few levers. Suddenly there was a flash and sparks and a fuse blew. A check revealed a faulty connection to the ‘Power Point’ which was caused by the clutch cable pressing on it. I fixed this for good my way.
On 21/4 I decided to go and take the 400+ km bike on its first club ride. Headed for the KBCP but as I stopped at one of the traffic lights everything went blank on the dash and the engine stopped. Again I found that a fuse had blown. I replaced this and did the recommended test when it blew again as I actuated the rear brake leaver. Brain working overtime trying to figure it out. Decided it must be the rear stop light switch and disconnected it. Put in another fuse, held my breath and crossed my fingers..Test and all OK. By this time I was having grave doubts about this great ‘BMW’s reliability. I wondered why BMW supplied all those fuses with the tool kit. Anyway, arrived at the KBCP just in time for the ride and volunteered as rear rider. Before leaving I instructed the corner markers to come looking for me should I not turn up in a reasonable time. Fortunately all went well and the bike did not miss a beat again
By the time the first service arrived I had done 1750km and also had my rather lengthy list of faults and complaints attended to and rectified. Since I travel quite a bit I like to have more then just a little trust in the reliability of my bike. I decided to take it for a short run around a small block before taking it further afield.
At 6 am on 2/5/85, left Altona and headed for Wodonga where I had coffee and spent an hour with mum. Then headed via Myrtleford, Bright, Mt. Hotham and Omeo to Bairnsdale where I spent another hour with friends before returning home to Altona along the Princess Hwy in time for tea at 5 pm. On this day traveled 1005 km all round. The bike never missed a beat and ran and handled as I thought a BMW should. Starting to get impressed by it. I had a couple of close calls though on the way. One in particular was going up to Mt.Hotham. Very rough dirt and gravel surface. Steep uphill right hander in 3rd gear at about 60 or so km/h..amongst the normal rocks on the road there was a larger one about the size of a brick in my line of travel. Hillside on my right, steep drop on my left with Armco on the bend. Must not hit this rock. But the rock was like a magnet. First the front wheel then the back wheel bounced over this rock. When the rear wheel went over it, it bounced my body into the air and my feet left the footpegs. I was then just hanging on to the handlebars. No drama yet. The problem started when I again landed on the bike. My left foot found the footpeg but my right one missed and landed on the footbrake lever. This of course locked the rear wheel and I found myself skidding towards the Armco and getting awfully close to the steep drop before I could get my weight of the bloody brake pedal and regain control of the situation. Shit, that was close. Heart beat was at least double to normal for some time. But all’s well that ends well. Someone up there must be looking after me.
After this ride, due to its good performance and handling, the BMW got full marks and my confidence for future touring. As I was on holidays again (long service) I am not one to sit at home. I decided to go to Queensland for a quick run.
At 6 am on 6/5/85, the BMW now with 3,400km on the clock, left Altona yet again for Wodonga. Then after coffee and a chat with mum for about an hour left for Wagga Wagga, West Wyalong the Forbes. Between the last two places struck the worst rain/electrical storm in my 30 years plus of motorcycling. ( yes I am that old) There was no shelter at all anywhere and the many roadwork's with their saturated greasy clay surfaces made riding the bike quite interesting and a few close calls were encountered. The rain and wind were that strong that even cars stopped on the side of the road due to bad visibility and water, water and more water. The people in the cars must have thought I was a Nut riding in this weather going along at an angle of about 45 degrees ( that’s what it felt like anyway ) in a straight line. At the time I felt that I might as well keep moving and be wet then stop at the side of the road and still be wet. As it turned out later my waterproofs did a good job and I was only slightly wet underneath. By the time I got to Parkes it stopped raining, then on to Dubbo, Coonabarabran and Narabri for the night at 5 pm. Settled down in my tent with a Hamburger and a half doz XXXX. Today traveled 1146km.
The following morning, Tuesday 7/5 at exactly 5.04 am I was awakened by drops on the tent. Looked out and saw it was about to really pour any minute. I jumped out and just managed to pack up camp before it came down in buckets. I rode to a nearby servo and sat out this downpour until 6 am. It was unbelievable the amount of water that fell from the sky. I was not going to wait any longer and now wearing two pairs of waterproof pants headed north into the rain towards Moree where the rain subsided. By Goondiwindi the weather had improved dramatically and by the time I reached Warwick then Toowoomba it was beautiful. When leaving Toowoomba and rounding a blind right hand sweeper I was stopped by a local gendarme. This smart gentleman had positioned himself on the exit side of this fast sweeper with one of those Radar gadgets and trapped yours truly. Needless to say he was Very Understanding ( had to tell him a little secret). Then on to Esk, Kilcoy, Beerwah, Nambour and then to my friends property outside Pomona by 2pm. Today traveled 881 km. Relaxed with a few stubbies for the rest of the day. Also stayed there the following day and visited other friends at Budina Beach.
On Thursday, 9/5/85 at 7 am, I left Pomona and headed for Brisbane. The weather was fine and cool. Not a cloud in the sky. Rode south via the Gold Coast, Tweed Heads, Ballina, Coffs Harbour to Newcastle. Whilst on the Freeway heading towards Sydney I naturally ‘sped up a little’. By this time it was again getting dark and lights were used. At this stage I was literally going to ‘fly’ past the Commodore ahead when I noticed the letters ‘POLICE’ on top of the boot lid. Panic stations. When I saw the sign I was almost alongside the Commodore and traveling about 80 km/h faster . I hit the brakes and by the time I had slowed to his speed was about 3 feet ahead of it. Tried to act natural. The Police car stayed behind me naturally checking me out via radio. Suspense…short time later started to overtake me and I thought here we go again…but to my surprise he kept going and a short time later went off on one of the exits from the freeway. Sped up again and headed into Sydney proper via various routes to the Harbour Bridge. Traffic was very heavy and not really knowing where I was, I ended up in one of the lanes leading to the toll gates. Once there I had to stop the bike, get off, take off my gloves, poke around under my wet weather pants for coins, pay the toll, get dressed again and get underway. Don't ask me how long it took but judging by the many car horns tooting from behind it must have taken too bloody long. After that I spent about an hour trying to find my way out of there and eventually only with the help of a guy on a XJ650 was steered in the right direction. Very grateful. Resolution:- ‘I will never go through Sydney again if I can possibly help it’. At night at what seemed like peak hour traffic and a lack of signs, makes it very difficult for the likes of me to traverse a place like Sydney. Anyway, found myself on another freeway heading to Woolongong. Took the turnoff via Bulli Pass. By this time I was getting tired. The sudden drop down the pass to Bulli is dramatic. Especially at night. It appeared that at everyone of the many hairpin bends I was blinded by oncoming traffic making the decent even more hairy. Also truck must go down in low gear. Coming around one left hander suddenly saw this big semi right in front doing about 5 km/h. I was going a hell of a lot faster. After that I slowed down a bit and reached Woolongong safely. Checked around for accommodation and finally stayed in a Motel. Initial cost $39 but I finally got in for $20 because business was slack and I told the fellow I didn't want to buy the place, but just sleep there. After a terrific shower I settled down in bed at 9 pm with half a doz. XXXX and watched tennis on TV. ( I didn't drink all the cans ). Today traveled 1250 km and slept like a log.
At 7 am on Friday, 10/5/85 after several cups of hot coffee, I left Woolongong heading for Batemans Bay. The weather was fine and cold and not a cloud to be seen. After Batemans Bay headed along the coast to Eden, Orbost, Traralgon, Morwell and home to Altona by 5 pm in time for tea. Today traveled 998 km.
On this run I traveled a total of 4,328 km…used 270.3 lts of fuel that’s = 16.01 k/lt or 45.5 mpg. All inclusive cost $ 206.50 after filling the tank at home.
Having now owned the BMW K100RS for 3 weeks and traveled in excess of 7,800 km, I must say that I am very happy with the bike. The initial problems have been sorted out between the first and second services. The bike handled beautifully at all times especially over the rough sections and bumpy bends between Taree and Kempsey at very high speeds. This was highlighted in the company of a FJ 1100. Having previously owned a GPz 900R I know how that would have handled on those roads with the smaller front wheel. As it turned out, at 160 km/h plus around those bumpy sweepers left the more powerful Yamaha obviously floundering and in no time at all it had disappeared from view in my mirrors. ( and he was trying) Over the whole of this trip and in fact between the first and second services the engine oil did not have to be topped up. There are no oil leaks. The speeds normally sustained by me were well above the states limits and therefore the fuel consumption at the rate of 45.5 mpg o/all is comparable if not better then the GPz 900R and my previous GZX 1100EZ Suzuki under similar conditions. It was also very pleasing and convenient that since I invested in this BMW I have not on any occasions had to clean, lubricate and adjust the rear chain. ( The secret is the Shaft Drive ).
Apart from the many stone chips to the front of the fairing I felt it was a good run all round. The bike never missed a beat and it now has my full confidence to go anywhere at anytime with just the normal maintenance every 7,500 km…
Hans Wurster BMW K100RS ( ex GPz 900R )PS.. Must confess that this was NOT my last bike as over the Following years had many more …..
Now on my LAST ??? ( 14th ) ZX12R Ninja 1200 since new
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Tommy’s Corner
I WAS WONDERING………………..Could an Energiser Bunny be charged with battery?
How can you tell when you run out of invisible ink?
If you poured spot remover on your dog, would he disappear?
What is the difference between unique and very unique?
Would you call a nation that drives only red cars a red carnation?
Is a successful diet the triumph of mind over platter?
If all is not lost then where is it?
On his way home one night, my friend Daryl dropped into the pub. The barman poured him a beer and asked if he wanted to be in a raffle. 'What's it for?' asked Daryl. 'It's for a poor widow with 13 kids.' said the barman. Daryl shook his head, 'No good for me. I'd never be able to keep them.'
My friend Daryl goes to a Wizard to ask him if he can remove a curse he has been living with for the last 23 years. The Wizard says, "Maybe, but you will have to tell me the exact words that were used to put the curse on you". Daryl said without hesitation, "I now pronounce you man and wife."
At the recent Irish Sheep Dog Trials, only 6 were found guilty.
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Gossip Column
Shhhhhh You Didn't hear this from me! (Gossip Column)A friend of a friend of a friend told me that a certain motorbike chick is on the hunt for a bigger bike .Someone also told her that she knew someone with a few to sell.
Word is out that 12 sexy ladies had Chinese , laughs and a few sherries and then went to Gold Class to watch “ Sex and the City” according to a few there clearly wasn't enough sex . I also heard that a few more of these girls’ nights’ outs are on the cards. So look out fella’s.
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Get to Know you (Member Profile)
We have decided to start a get to know you column. This is a good way to put faces to names.
Next month we start with the prez himself!! Sorry Everyone ran out of time to organise for this month.
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Raffle Winners
- Raffle prizes went to:
- 1st prize Maria
- 2nd Joanne
- 3rd Shane
- 4th Chris
Hope You all enjoy! Take Care and Safe Riding
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Sponsors
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YOUR COMMITTEE MEMBERS
Position Office Bearer Telephone Contact President Glenn (Bubba) 0418 395 786 Secretary RickH 0418 138 885 Treasurer JohnT 0407 427 361 Ride Co-Ordinator John Edwards (T2) Social Co-Ordinator Ornella 0422 639 845 Quartermaster Lex 0439 728 435 Webmaster Tony 0412 459 566 Newsletter Editor Debster
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