May 2008 Issue:
The Results are in!
This month saw the Westgate Wanderers Branch of the Ulysses Club conduct its Annual General Meeting at the Werribee RSL Sub Branch. The attendance on the night was fantastic with many members turning up to have their say in the running of our Branch of the Club.
There were many Candidates proposed, but unfortunately there were only so many vacancies on the Committee. Although some did not get elected it is hoped that this does not deter them from seeking a position in future AGM’s.
These people are vital to our continued success and growth as part of our fantastic club.
Said President Bubba, “the number and quality of candidates is outstanding. We rely heavily on these people to keep the club operating smoothly. Our Branch is only as good as its Committee and without these people stepping forward to seek election we would flounder”
So successful was the night at the Werribee RSL that Catering Contractor, Paul Vaux addressed the membership and apologized for the slow service. “We were overwhelmed by the number of members attending and were caught short in the number of staff we had on duty that night”.
The results of the elections were as follows:
An Apology for being late
I must apologize to members for the lateness of this months Newsletter. I have had a number of personal Tragedies this month (including the death of my father).
We all have interesting stories and anecdotes that others would delight in hearing of. So please, put pen to paper and drop me a line about things that happen to you (or others) that would make interesting reading by our membership.
I would also take this opportunity of asking members who enjoy this branch of our great club to make an effort to contribute to this monthly journal
Pushy
John Hookers address to Canberra Safety Summit
Getting Over Life in the Fast Lane an address given to the attendees of the Motorcycle and Scooter Safety Summit 11th April 2008 Canberra by John Hooker, Delegate of the Ulysses Club to the Motorcycle Council (MCC) of NSW and Vice President of the Sydney Branch of the Ulysses Club Inc.
Good evening ….my name is John and I would like to thank all for inviting me to this Canberra meeting of A.A. – (Adrenalin-lovers Anonymous). I am standing here before you to declare that I am not a statistician, a tactician or a politician but I am an addict, a reformed adrenalin junkie and a user (of motorcycles). I've been a road user for about thirty years now and despite the odds, I’m still alive to tell the tale. The road to recovery is a long and winding one (hopefully with well cambered corners) but public admission is the first step. A show of hands earlier today confirmed that a large percentage of the attendees gathered before me are in fact fellow motorcycle and scooter users. Don't ever be afraid to admit it.
Some well known Australians have been identified as users. Dr Brendan Nelson is not as defensive about the fact nowadays and has little opposition to being identified as a motorcycle user. Channel Seven presenter David Koch can often be seen riding his three wheeled scooter very early in the morning ….usually before Sunrise. Even Author Kate Moss sometimes rides her Red 600cc motorcycle on slicks…to attest to the fact that a rolling Moss gathers no stones.
I'd like to take a few minutes to tell you my story so that some of the non users gathered here may benefit from my experiences. I didn't start using until I was nearly nineteen years of age but I’m told that some parents teach their children to be users from a very early age….a big thank you to Mrs. Stoner.
I met a couple of leather clad users at a party one night and it wasn't long before I started on the road to an addiction that has lasted a lifetime. I started with infrequent doses of 250ccs of product, but I was afraid of what it might do to me. This might turn out to be a dangerous habit.
We sometimes forget what it’s like to be a novice learner, but I do remember that my adrenalin levels were sky high. Sometimes I would be so focused on the multitasking of motorcycling that my poor little brain would be in hyper drive. Let me give you an example of the checks and balances I would employ mentally:-
Proceed to left hand side of machine and throw right leg over…pull the bike upright and turn the ignition key to the on position…balance bike…stand on right leg whilst using left foot to find neutral on gear selector whilst getting left hand to pull in clutch lever. Green neutral light on, push starter button, idling ok, turn headlights on. Rebalance bike and lift side-stand with left foot Whilst left hand pulls in clutch lever. Right hand grabs brake lever whilst simultaneously rotating handlebar accelerator to create five and a half thousand rpm whilst the left hand lets the clutch out very slowly,
Steering straight – move off – feet up – drop revs – gently accelerate – clutch in with left hand – left foot finds second gear – clutch out - swerve to avoid dog – drop revs – clutch in – gear lever back to first – indicator on –drop revs - drop revs further – apply front hand brake then rear foot brake – clutch in - feet down – look both ways……and you're only at the end of your driveway!!! 10kms to go !. No wonder there are so many single vehicle accidents involving young people…..their poor little brains are being over-stimulated by a need to both calm nerves and perform a range of motor-sensory tasks.
My adrenalin levels were peaking back then because my brain was in full self preservation mode. I wonder how less nervous I would have been taught how to ride back then….some thirty years ago. Needless to say I found the whole experience thrilling ..even addictive…the wind in your face and the freedom to get sucked sideways by a passing semi-trailer.
As I progressed to more regular use, I became more comfortable with the whole motorcycling culture and I nearly became an adrenalin junkie. The adrenalin did not come from the use of “speed” but from the new-found thrill or passion which involved “using” a range of skills and cunning just to survive the ride or “trip” unscathed. I was more revved up than the bike.
Very soon, I felt the uncontrollable urge to visit showrooms to purchase the one thing that would facilitate my newfound addiction. In these showrooms were people called “dealers”. There were even accessory shops where you could purchase “pipes” and “filters” to enhance the whole addiction. At night I would walk past the place where these “dealers” traded and there would be the product lined up in neat rows, all healthy and under lights – some with two pots and some with four. It surprised me that there was no home grown product. The importers would bring the product into the country hidden from view in large brown cardboard cartons…right under the nose of customs.
I soon found that my meager earnings were being dedicated to my addiction of motorcycles. After Just twelve months I found that I was using 750cc’s on a regular basis and found that it provided me with a more comfortable and relaxed “trip”.
I had eased myself into a lifestyle where other users would nod to you on the way past or were happy to meet and greet openly. There was also a group of covert users who would don a suit and tie during the week but find themselves getting on the gear…sorry getting the gear on ...in their tens of thousands every weekend. They were called “recreational users”.
For me however life in the fast lane eventually took a turn for the worse. I had divorced myself from Rhonda the Honda 250 cause she watched me like a “hawk”. I had split up with “Elle” the Kawasaki 750 L. She was ageing prematurely, losing her teeth and continuously whining. She was dropped. I started stepping out with “Dyna”. She is a Wideglide but was quite Sporty in her younger days. Even though she had a fine “ Heritage” she still managed to fall in with a bad gang. She and her sister “Evo” (they were twins) could be found lurking out in the shed, doing a re-hash of oil and listening to Mike and the Mechanics on the radio. They were bad to the bone. They would idle down the road and go to swing arm parties. Dyna was just looking for a tension, but it was beyond tolerance.
My mate Yam said to me ”you've got to put the brakes on and put your foot down”. I agreed and said to Yam-“a – ha”. So I spoke to her wheelie nicely. I said “I've got sump –ping to tell you. I don't want to torque down your relatives…but they are Knuckle-heads and this just won't Pan out” …or so I de-Deuced. She was hanging out with a Bandit and an Intruder who used dirty needle roller bearings. We had to part company….there would be no more grief for this Fat Boy. She caught a Night Train and was last seen working the streets as a Night Glide.
Not long after this I started courting Bee Marr. She was a German girl and a boxer who did well in the rings. She would get together with her twinspar mates Con and Rod and have a top box. But things were not O-K1200. We went out one night and she gave me the shaft in some worn out little Uni-joint. She was overbearing and a cranky case.
I decided I wanted to go out with a model…a new model…a real tiger ..a trophy…but alas , I was not Triumphant.
I then went out with this Super Black Bird who ran with a fast crowd. When I picked her up I asked “How are you fairing?” She replied “I can't handle-bars…let’s get out of here” She was a fast young lady with a Japanese friend who I would greet by saying “Hi-ya busa” She loved to go out for fast food. We would leave home, go and pick up a take-away curry and be home in fifteen minutes. This had to be the worlds fastest Indian.
Nowadays I putter around with a Pan-European girl by the name of EsTee who just loves to tour and for me, that’s what it’s all about. Seeing places we haven't been V4 in this great country of ours, and doing it with a minimum of adrenalin. That is of course unless a car does a u –turn in front of me in which case – more than just the adrenalin gland cuts in. How times have changed. At age forty I did a cornering course at Eastern Creek, but thirty years ago I would have thought that Counter-steer was a side of beef at the local butcher shop. Nowadays all that has changed and there is no excuse for bad riding habits. We now have access to Stay Upright Courses for learners as well as advanced riders. We now have better engineered machines, better designed protective clothing, and better policing.
Motorcycling has always been about fuel consumption, good tyre's and keeping clear of cars….but now they call it carbon footprint minimization , dual compound contact patches and buffer zones. Don't feel bad if you are not comfortable with these new terms…I know I’m not. I am just Joe Average…a mug rider who wants to venture out with a fantastic group of friends who ,like me , wish to survive the ride so as to return home safely to their families.
In this room beats the heart of a group of people with an enormous knowledge base. There are motorcycle user groups here who regard motorcycle safety as their primary objective. Talk to them and make use of their skills and experience. You will discover that they are keen to work with the regulators and the law makers to achieve better outcomes. As the price of fuel escalates, scooter sales will continue to increase and more people will use motorcycles as an economical and greener form of commuter transport. A greater number of people will have a Vespered interest in motorcycling.
Let’s work together to make the road ahead a safer one. Let’s forget the sins of the past. We are now painfully aware that motorcycles are not the same as cars. If we can leave this summit and continue to network with as many people as we can, then we can continue to share our research and our visions for a safer future. The key to this is open and frequent communication with each other. The Motorcycle user groups can then be a conduit of information to the riders they represent.
It would be wonderful if we could have another summit in a couple of years after we have achieved some of today’s objectives and call it “Motorcycling With Ease”. This would refer to three very important “Eees”
I thank you all for enduring my rhetoric. John Hooker
Be Safe. 0417441266 or 02 96138999
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Eastlink Warning
The following email was received and serves as a timely reminder:
Speed cameras on Eastlink for the speedster's, note you may not be able to see them but they are there. The locations are as follows :
WELLINGTON ROAD ROWVILLE OVERPASS BRIDGE BOTH DIRECTIONS 6 CAMERAS 3 IN EACH DIRECTION.
These camera's are mounted high up in the honeycomb design of the underbelly and special attention has been given that they not be seen from either direction.
GREENS ROAD DANDENONG OVERPASS BRIDGE BOTH DIRECTIONS 6 CAMERAS 3 IN EACH DIRECTION.
Conditions of installation same as above.
EASTLINK TUNNEL RINGWOOD 12 CAMERAS 6 EACH SIDE.
These cameras are located at station box B22 and can move on special slide rails that allow them to be moved forward or backwards between station Box B22 and B35. these are expected to raise the most revenue.
FRANKSTON FREEWAY TO GREENS ROAD OVERPASS DISTANCE 17 STRAIGHT KM'S. (IDEAL DRAG STRIP)
This area is of major concern for the State Government, at this stage no legislation has been passed for the installation of cameras in either direction until you hit the Green Rd Bridge. Signs have been erected along this 17km strip that indicate 'Speed cameras operate in this area' in both directions but nothing is operating. The Government does not want to project itself as an immediate cash cow and as a result will not introduce them until next year at this stage.
They have placed into the road when the bitumen was poured, electronic trackers which are a new system of detection that works like the ones on the Geelong Freeway that measure you by Time Vs Speed. These are still being tested and measured for accuracy and efficiency.
It is possible that random mobile units may be deployed or hand held speed guns used as it is feared that this strip has become nick-named the Dandy Dragstrip by the workers.
Arthur Davidson died and went to heaven.
At the gates, St. Peter told Arthur, "Since you've been such a good man and your motorcycles have changed the world, your reward is, you can hang out with anyone you want in Heaven."
Arthur thought about it for a minute and then said, "I want to hang out with God."
St. Peter took Arthur to the Throne Room and introduced him to God. God recognized Arthur and commented, "Okay, so you were the one who invented The Harley Davidson motorcycle?"
Arthur said, "Yep, that's me."
God said, "Well, what's the big deal in inventing something that's pretty unstable, makes noise and pollution and can't run without a road?"
Arthur was apparently embarrassed, but finally he said, "Excuse me, but aren't you the inventor of woman?"
God said, "Yes."
"Well," said Arthur, "professional to professional, you have some major design flaws in your invention:
"Hmmmmm, you have some good points there," replied God, "hold on." God went to His Celestial super computer, typed in a few words and waited for the results.
The computer printed out a slip of paper and God read it. "Well, it may be true that my invention is flawed," God said to Arthur, "but according to these numbers, more men are riding my invention than yours."
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| Position | Office Bearer | Telephone Contact |
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