winner - Birmingham Advanced Motorcyclists

Birmingham Advanced Motorcyclists
WINNER
IAM Newsletter
Award 2010
rg.uk
o
.
m
a
www.b
Inside this issue:
Grumpy Old Men Tour
IPA Motorcycle Group Trip
Off Road Riding
and much more . . .
January 2011
chain
pull this
u
o
y
n
e
h
t
away!
...and
flushes
ll
a
it
and
What no
Hi Viz..
.!
down
ay
w
ong
e wr
h
t
going g4-5
S
G
p
0
120
I know t
hat pas
sport is
in here
somewhe
re
enderson
Butler-H ive Show
i
k
ic
V
eets
e L
Morris m t the Motorcycl
Richard
a
ow
ll
d
n
fe
ta
s
y
M
luck
on the IA at the NEC -
Liz
on t
rials
bike
pg4- in Holl
and
5
Birmingham Advanced Motorcyclists
Vice Chairman’s Bit
On behalf of the BAM
committee and myself
may I wish you all a Happy
New Year. I really hope you
had a fantastic Christmas
break and didn’t suffer
too much in the New Year
celebrations!
I would like to thank the committee (past and present)
for all the support and hours selflessly put in to ensure
the smooth running of this great club.
A special big thank you to the members who supported
the AGM in December, it is always a surprise just how
many members actually turn up to have their say, and
rightly so! It helps keep the committee on their toes!
2010 was a special year for our newsletter which, as
most of you will be aware, won the IAM Newsletter of
the year award! We also ran some excellent events; the
BAM Bash was our biggest yet with prizes for everyone
who entered. Thanks to the very generous support
of Pidcocks BMW, Sherwood Motorcycles and Hein
Gericke Birmingham plus several BAM members.
The Wales training weekend, 3 Moors Tour, Scotland
“on a shoe string” Tour, Sussex Land Sea & Air Tour
and The Lakes Tour were all fully supported. Biker
Skills Day, Slow Riding Day, The Biker Skills Day with
Craig Jones, Iron Person Run, the Secret Run, Open
Day, Absent Friends Run, and The Full Members Runs
ensure we have something for all types of riders and all
types of bikes.
VOLUNTEERS NEEDED
We currently have two vacant posts on the committee and
urgently require keen and enthusiastic full members to come
forward to fill these positions.
Membership Secretary - We had filled this post but
unfortunately the member in question has had to withdraw
because of changed personal circumstances. The main
responsibilities of the post involve the accurate maintenance of
membership records and the timely collection of subscriptions
from members. This is one of the most important jobs on the
committee so we need someone urgently. Initially the volunteer
will work alongside Jim Fallon to learn the ropes and to facilitate
a smooth and controlled take over.
Talking of which I hired a Harley Davidson Road King
Classic from Riders of Bristol last May as a 50th
Birthday treat to myself! Whilst at Riders of Bristol a
Harley rider rode in with a real Jack Russell on his petrol
tank complete with a open face helmet, sunglasses,
scarf and leather waist coat! How cool did he look...
the dog I mean!
It was surprising just how many friends and members of
my family wanted to ride pillion on the Harley, even my
wife enjoyed a day out in the Cotswolds. For me though
the Harley would be a second bike and as I haven’t won
the lottery yet I can always hire one if I want to relive
the dream.
You will be pleased to hear that our illustrious
Chairman’s operation has been a success and he was
sent home from Heartlands Hospital much earlier than
he could have hoped. He is recuperating at home and is
making excellent progress. I would like to wish Adrian a
speedy recovery in order that he can take back the reins
of running this great club.
Here’s to another great year of great riding, with great
company, on great adventures.
Ride smooth ride safe.
Steve Beggan
Vice Chair
Wednesday Evening Observed Run Coordinator - You will be
required, April to end of September, to coordinate these runs. The
main responsibilities being:
• Choosing the route for each Wednesday evening
• Posting the route on the Forum
• Turning up for each Wednesday run to issue paper copies of
the route to those needing them and
• Allocating Observers to Associates needing an observed ride
If you are interested in either of the positions please speak to
Adrian Court (or drop him an email at bamchair@yahoo.com),
Les Pratt (les1@cv47df.fsnet.co.uk) or Jim Fallon
(BAM_IAM@blueyonder.co.uk) or any member of the Committee.
1
THE ABSOLUTELY AMAZING GSX-R K9
For all your motorcycling needs from the stylish DR-Z400SM to the absolutely amazing GSX-R K9
PLUS a large selection of pre-owned motorcycles - part exchanges welcome.
Honda Service Specialist with the largest stock of Honda Spares in the Midlands.
Full workshop facilities - Good stock of genuine spares - All major accessories stocked.
10% discount for BAM Members on parts, accessories, helmets & clothing.
For more information give Charlie a call on 0121 777 1311
190 -194 Robin Hood Lane
Hall Green, Birmingham
TEL: 0121-777-1311 / 2499
www.sherwoodmotorcycles.co.uk
2
Birmingham Advanced Motorcyclists
Editors Section . . .
It’s that time of year.
Clocks have gone
back, its cold, foggy
(at times), damp
and
thoroughly
miserable. Now I
don’t want to sound
like those annoying
people at the
beach who say “it’s
wonderfully warm
once you’re in”
when clearly its not . . . but there are still some brilliant
riding experiences to be had in a wintery Britain.
In fact on the November full Members run I had one
of my most truly memorable rides. It had been cold all
day and the roads never appeared to dry out. When
the sun did come out the light flared off the wet road
drowning visibility, adding to the challenge already
provided by the covering of pine needles that blanketed
some roads. Despite that the Newtown to Crossgates
road (A483) was still good fun . . . but that wasn’t the
memorable bit.
That happened later in the day as the light was
beginning to fade at around 4.00pm, when I joined
the A458 from Mallwyd to Welshpool. It all came
together. The fading light meant most oncoming traffic
was illuminated, so you could see it coming for miles,
the roads were as dry as they were ever going to get
and I had a purple patch of either no traffic or hitting
it just at the right time to despatch a perfect overtake.
I was very, very happy, so happy that I actually bought
3 people a coffee at Denny’s Diner in Shrewsbury . . .
It was brilliant.
Riding in the winter does have its dangers. I am sorry to
advise you that one of our BAM members has recently
been admitted to hospital having suffered serious burns
to his buttocks from his heated seat . . . I obviously
won’t be identifying the individual concerned, but it
goes to show how dangerous riding in the winter can
be . . . !
Observed Ride outs and full members run continue
throughout the winter months. Check the Calendar in
the middle of this newsletter and if the weather looks
really treacherous enrol on the Forum and we will
endeavour to keep you up dated.
I have had to use some strong arm tactics to get some
articles written for this edition, so I have introduced a
new rule that if I overtake you on my overweight BMW
tractor on a Full members run then you will be writing
the article, but to be honest I’d rather that you volunteer.
The BAM Newsletter relies totally on your contributions
so please let me have your articles at
grahamahay@hotmail.co.uk.
Graham Hay
WINNER
IAM Newsletter
Award 2010
The Views Expressed in Articles are not always those of BAM or the IAM
Group No 3203 Registered Charity No 1057912
The Complaints, Grievance and Disciplinary Procedure can be obtained by contacting any committee member
3
Off Road Riding - Not Just For Girls
When my trip to Japan got scuppered by the Icelandic
volcano I set off for Cornwall as a consolation prize. While
I was there I got a text from a mate asking if I would
be interested in doing the BMW off road skills course.
Beautiful as Cornwall is, it didn’t quite fill the void left by
the volcano. I thought I owed myself something more
challenging so I signed up and found myself heading for
the Brecon Beacons in the car on a Thursday evening in
late June ready for a 9 o’clock start the next morning.
The group I was in at the BMW School was all women,
instructed by Tamsin Jones who is a veteran of some mad
off road riding in Poland and the Dakar Rally. She rides
a BMW Adventure as easily as most of us ride a push
bike. Inspirational! There were four of us in the group with
no more than six in any of the other groups. The other
women had 650X Country bikes. Due to booking a bit late I
couldn’t get the smaller bike and ended up with a F650GS
which, of course, is very similar to the Yellow Peril which
is my F800GS. We started off getting used to the bike,
walking around it with the stand up and picking it up when
we dropped it. Then we had a go at getting on it from
either side with the stand up. Not as easy as it sounds.
After learning to ride standing up with one foot or hand off
at a time, we did a bit of slow riding on the rutted, gravelly
surfaces. This was followed by some serious braking on
the same rutted gravel. It isn’t at all like Sutton fire station
and I was glad I wasn’t on my own bike even though I
didn’t drop it. After a short ride around the gravel fire break
tracks we headed off for a buffet lunch.
We had a brief warm up on the tracks after lunch with our
speed increasing as our confidence grew. Then we went to
4
practice downhill riding. O.M.G!! It was really steep, really
long and really really rutted. There was a big ditch at the
bottom, then the width of the track, then a lumpy bumpy
area of grass which could have had anything under it.
Tamsin showed us the way to go down. We did it off the
brakes with only engine braking then we did it using the
brakes very gingerly. Gradually it didn’t seem so daunting.
Everyone was riding round the loop to do it again as quick
as they could. We then tackled the same hill going the
other way. O.M.G.!! It was so steep again. What if we
stalled? Just as before, with some expert advice from
Tamsin, we managed to get the hang of it and before we
knew it we were whizzing around the loop in the other
direction. Tamsin gave us a demo of how to pick the bike
up on the slope but we were all too exhausted to try it
ourselves so we committed it to memory for the next day.
The evening is spent at the Abercrave Inn having dinner
in the company of the instructors and analysing in an
informal way the events of the day. I managed to stay up
until 10pm, which was later than some but I just had to
sleep.
We started the next day by collecting our bikes from the
BMW school then, as before, we set off on a short road
ride to the off road area, which is huge. We spent the
morning riding around challenging tracks, some narrow
with a choice of two ruts to ride, some wide with a choice
of which heap of gravel to tackle. We were all falling off,
but helping each other to lift the bikes as much as possible
was essential, because it gets really tiring to keep doing it
on your own. Tamsin’s good advice was always on hand to
improve our riding technique.
Off Road Riding - Not Just For Girls
After lunch the whole group gathered together and there
was an opportunity to ride any of the bikes you liked (apart
from the instructors Adventures). I had a go on a 650X
Country, an 800GS and 1200GS. We then went back
into our groups and had a final blast around before going
back to the school to drop off the bikes and collect our
certificates. Glad I took the car. I just couldn’t have ridden
home after that.
A few weeks later I was in Holland for the Women’s
International Motorcycle Association rally and found that
they had arranged an afternoon on trial bikes for £50.00.
Bargain! The bikes are very different. Very light, like a
bicycle, with no saddle so that standing on the pegs is
the only option. The ‘play area’ wasn’t as extensive as the
BMW off road area but I had a really good time practicing
my new found off road techniques on a different type of
machine.
At the beginning of October I was back at the BMW
School. You remember the weekend. It was the one the
Ryder Cup was rained off. Wusses! We weren’t deterred by
torrential rain which turned the tracks into torrents which
you could drown in. Gwyn was my instructor this time.
Equally as helpful as Tamsin, he had suggested that I tried
the course to improve my confidence on the 800GS when I
spoke to him at the NEC bike show the previous year.
The groups were divided up according to ability. It was
the same format, on the same site but in such different
conditions that it could have been a different universe.
Lunchtime saw us all wringing out our clothing ready for
the afternoon. Motocross boots just aren’t waterproof I
discovered. The great thing was that mud is much less
painful to fall off in. Slipping and sliding around soon lost
its terror because it was unavoidable and all part of the
fun. Rather than helping each other lift the bikes we were
helping each other retrieve the bogged down bikes from
the deep puddles. I was much more confident than I was
the first time I did the course. I was tackling the challenges
in a much more positive way and having a brilliant time. I’d
booked the smaller 650X Country which was much easier
to throw around, if more challenging on clutch control
because the levers are a stretch for small hands. It was
another absolutely brilliant weekend which still makes me
smile now.
Yes – it is quite expensive but so is a track day when you
use hired bikes. These ‘new every season’ BMWs really
take a beating and the Paveys who run the school don’t
bat an eyelid. The instruction is absolutely first class and all
the groups are very small. My confidence in bike handling
has increased noticeably not just on the BMW but on my
sports bike as well. Added to that I have met some great
people and had a really memorable couple of weekends.
I will definitely be doing it all again at some point! Go on –
treat yourself!
Liz Robinson
5
Grumpy Old Men Tour of Europe
Saturday morning, 7.00am Warwick Services. Somewhat
selfishly we put 4 bikes in 4 separate parking bays and
take on some coffee. Next stop Clackett Lane services
on the M25 for fuel as the range on the GS Adventure
says I will run out in 4 miles. 30 minutes later we are
struggling with the most uncooperative touch screen
and finally get the barrier to go up and allow us to
embark on the Chunnel.
Just after mid day Alan Keepax, (Step Ladders), Brian
Holton, (Alan’s carer) Richard Atkinson and I are
sweeping down the coast of northern France on a
gloriously sunny day heading for lunch in Boulogne.
Richard and Brian both have Mussels which are served
in “Mary Poppins” style pots that seem to be bottomless.
Somewhat surprisingly Step Ladders volunteers to be
“kitty master” then promptly forgets that he actually
volunteered for this crucial role.
Adapting to riding on the right is relatively easy and we
are getting the hang of greeting other bikers, two fingers
of the left hand pointed horizontally towards the middle
of the road. Cooler Gallic riders, get their fingers lower
towards the tarmac and closer to the oncoming rider.
We avoid the autoroutes despite the best efforts of the
Garmin Sat Navs and travel through numerous quaint
villages which all have 50kph speed limits but no human
habitants. Not a sole. We all manage to completely miss
a stop sign in one village but as there’s no one about,
so we don’t suffer any consequences.
6
We arrive at St Quentin and find our Ibis Hotel
directly opposite a rather impressive Church. There
are a number of other UK registered bikes littering the
pavement, so we join them. Lovely town square with a
number of restaurants. No idea where we ate but the
food was excellent. The wine was good too.
Sunday and it’s still sunny. We have to use Autoroutes
to get to tonight’s hotel. We have 3 identical Garmin Sat
Navs, all with the same pre-planned routes loaded. We
get 3 different sets of directions. We all have Intercom
systems, which start off okay in the morning and
gradually go off during the day, with someone inevitably
sounding like Norman Collier, if they can be heard at all.
Step Ladders can hear every one perfectly but he can’t
transmit. Technology eh bloody brilliant.
We mastered the Toll booths quite quickly. Top tip - get
one person to pay for all the bikes. Much quicker. Some
of the Exit booths are unmanned which does mean
that you could probably get all 4 bikes through on one
ticket and save yourselves €12.00. We didn’t do it and
obviously being in BAM we wouldn’t recommend it . .
. but you could.
On the Autoroutes , Step Ladders keeps dropping back
out of view and we have to wait for him to catch up. I
think he is trying to make off with our kitty money. We
get on some country roads and enjoy the riding. There
was one particular set of “S” bends leading into a village
that was truly memorable, because there were about
8 of them, one after the other. We stop for afternoon
snacks and Step Ladders gets out his crusty baseball
cap, which has seen better days. I suspect he uses it for
gardening and sun bathing. It has a tide mark of sweat
or sun cream. We offer to buy him a new one from the
kitty money. He declines.
The Sat Nav Routes are causing some consternation in
one village. We need to cross a river and the stupid sat
nav is trying to make us take an exit off a roundabout
that says “No Entry”. We go around in circles and then
decide that it actually says no entry in 1200 metres. So
we go over what appears to be a footbridge and pass
a number of other signs that advise us that we are
heading towards a dead end. The road is closed. We
carry on. There has been a land slip. We still carry on
Grumpy Old Men Tour of Europe
past the barriers and some debris on a very steep road.
The “closed” road comes out on to a main road in the
middle of a set of “S” bands. The kerb has been raised
to stop traffic using it. Fortunately there is a drainage
channel that is the width of a bike tyre. Our exit is not
pretty and we lose Step Ladders. Its ok he appears to be
making lots of new French friends who are beeping their
horns and appear to be waving at him.
351 miles later and we are at the Hotel Du Cerf in
Champagnole. Its serves Stella and it’s got a garage.
There is no choice with the food menu and nowhere
else in the Village to eat. It doesn’t matter the food is
good. Diner Bed & Breakfast with Booze for £60 a head.
Not bad.
Monday. We are heading towards Switzerland. Roads
are getting more interesting and we are climbing. This is
what it’s all about. Then it goes awry. The Sat Nav takes
us on an adventure that even Gerard would have had
second thoughts about. We start from what looks like
a water treatment plant that has a “footpath” that takes
us at 45 degrees up the side of a mountain. It’s very
narrow, there are steep drops, and we cross a railway
line. Hope we don’t meet someone coming the other
way . . . but inevitably we do. Some bikers with the same
stoopid fecking sat navs I suspect. We get separated in
the confusion. Me and Step Ladders don’t know where
we are going and our Sat Navs are telling us to go a
completely different way to Richards. Too be honest our
Nav’s never wanted to go this way in the first place!!!
After a couple precarious “U Turns” that were not exactly
“feet up” and a conversation between me and a female
resident who thinks I can understand French through a
crash helmet and ear plugs whilst my Bos Exhaust pipe
burbles away in the background. Finally we find the
others. Oh how we laughed.
We circumnavigate Lake Geneva. Park on the Pavement
outside HSBC Private Bank and take in views of one
of the highest Fountains I have ever seen, (140m). We
enjoy some very nice roads through wooded scenery
and climb our first mountain pass over the Pas de
Morgins at 1395 metres. Then we head down into the
Rhone valley and back into the Swiss Alps. Then it’s over
Col Du Pillon (1564m), through Gstaad, (Roger Moore’s
home town) over the Jaune Pass (1509m), through
Gruyere (home of fondue cheese) and over the Col Des
Mosses (1445m). Decent roads . . . not half!
We stop in a Ski hotel in Martigny. It’s been a long day
and none of us have the energy to use the swimming
pool.
Tuesday. And its a little damp. We continue up the
Rhone valley until we reach Brig and turn right to
cross the Simplon pass (2005 metres) into Italy. Step
Ladders is leading today and he kindly asks if the pace
is acceptable. We point out that all of us have just been
overtaken by a fully loaded car transporter. After a
coffee stop he decides that the weather has improved
sufficiently to warrant taking off his water proofs. Classic
error, as we enter one tunnel in glorious sunshine and
exit into a cloud. We can’t see, it’s raining and the road
look slippery and wet. I told him to leave his waterproofs
on, but oh no he wouldn’t listen. We continue along
some tight narrow twisty roads that are quite high. Rock
face on one side and huge drop offs on the other. Crash
barriers consist of concrete bollards (about a foot high)
that you could ride between. Slightly better than the wire
used in some places that would cleanly garrotte certain
parts of your anatomy if you were unfortunate enough
to take a tumble.
We lunch in a Cafe that says “Bikers Welcome”. None of
the Staff speak English but one of the other customers
does. We are treated to a fabulous pasta dish that is
just delicious. Step Ladders is so enamoured that he
leaves a tip from our kitty money that even the owner
7
Grumpy Old Men Tour of Europe
says is too much. She offers us a complimentary drink
as compensation . . . Now I am very partial to Limoncello
but on these roads in this weather you’d have to be
bonkers. We make our way over the Nufenen Pass
(2478 metres) followed by the Grimsel Pass (2165
metres). Great roads made a bit more challenging by
the weather but we do alright, progress is good as you
just get used to it.
We overnight at a modern looking hotel in Giswil. It’s the
sort used by posh businessmen. We are on 4 decidedly
grubby looking motorbikes and we are still a little damp.
The manager comes running out, suited and booted and
asks us to park right outside reception under the main
porch. If I am honest I am not sure if that was what I
was expecting.
Wednesday is best described as a “Character enhancing
day”. It’s raining a lot. We ride round the Sarner See
and over the Brunig pass (1065m) returning through
Meiringen before we head over the Sustenpass back
over the Furka and the Nufenen and up the Old St
Gothard Pass. We had already done the New St
Gothards Pass and the old one is tighter, narrower,
wetter and its made out of Cobble stones. Nice
wet cobblestones . . . lovely! We continue through
Switzerland before reaching the well known ski town of
Davos. Step Ladders thought he had left his main beam
on as he was being flashed at so much by car drivers
coming the other way. It appears that he was going up
a one way street the wrong way.
8
This was not quite as bad as my error. We had been
stuck behind a Convoy Exceptional, (Earth mover on
the back of a low loader) when it came to some traffic
light controlled road works. The Police office escorting
the load, beckoned us to the front of the queue. I
misinterpreted the hand signals proffered by him to
mean that we could go straight through the red light into
the face of the single file traffic coming the other way. At
this point I was able to clearly interpret the hand signals
of the drivers coming the other way. Idiot!
We got 2 hours travelling down into Austria which were
dry. We made the most of it with smooth fast sweeping
bends presenting a great opportunity to dry out. Our
overnight stop is at Landeck in the well known “Biking”
Hotel Enzian which even has BMW bikes in the dining
room and you can test ride any model (if you book in
advance).
We are staying in the Hotel Enzian for 2 nights so today
is a rest day, if you are so inclined. Alan takes his bike
to get a headlight bulb replaced and Brian goes for a
naked sauna. Richard and I go for ride and after 30
minutes of waiting for the Sat nav to decide where we
are going. We then blast up a mountain pass only to
have to ride all the way back down again as Richard’s
fuel light is on and we can’t locate a fuel station ahead
of us. We decided the sensible thing to do is go back to
the last town. Not much of a hardship as it just means
that we get to blast up the same mountain pass and
enjoy the bends curves and views a second time.
Grumpy Old Men Tour of Europe
One of the most remarkable things about Austrian cows
is they can either a) stand in the middle of the road or b)
deposit excrement on hairpin bends.
We have a rain free day and enjoy some great roads.
Unfortunately we follow one road for 20 miles or so on
some recently laid twisty tarmac only to discover that
the road is closed. Well the rather rude / abrupt road
worker waving a red flag at us was pretty adamant in
the guttural manner that only Germans can. We have
no idea what he was saying “Ach fech Achgubberal
jibberish bollox”. We had no choice but to turn around
and find another route. I was indignant at how rude
he was, it was only about an hour later that we went
through a village called “Ach” that it dawned on me that
he was offering an alternative route.
Its Friday and we are heading north back towards the
UK. We are climbing up one of the last mountain passes
of the Holiday. Unfortunately it’s a bit of a bottleneck and
there are slow moving, long trails of traffic stuck behind
caravans and trucks. Over taking is difficult and we are
mixing it with other bikers whose abilities are difficult to
judge. Alan has been patient but thinks he has a good
line of sight through a left hand bend. It looks like a good
decision for about 0.35 seconds until a motor home
looms into view. The blackbird rider shakes his head in
disbelief as somehow Alan presses the thin button and
squeezes through. It was close. We would have looked
suspicious and a little bit cold hearted if we had found it
necessary to frisk his body looking for our kitty money.
We jump on the Autobahn for about 140 miles and
enjoy some high speed riding to get to our only gay
friendly hotel on the tour with its own built in Theatre.
We decide that watching a German Theatre production
would be a bit lost on 4 Brits with the language dexterity
of a couple of farm yard animals so we had a few very
large beers and walked into the town of Karlsruhe for a
curry. Brits abroad.
Alan Leads us towards Saarbruken and Luxembourg.
As usual he is providing hours of entertainment. He
goes up a one way street the wrong way, feeds Haribo
sweets to a couple stuck behind us in a queue for road
works, takes us to the German equivalent of Biscester
village for Coffee and ensured that we stuck religiously
to the national speed limit on the German Autobahn!!!
Only as everyone else knows there isn’t a bloody speed
limit on the bloody autobahn. . . Alan!! We compensated
by letting Alan disappear into the distance and then
see how fast we can go whilst we catch him up. The
GS Adventure is all out of puff at 200kph. I usually get
into trouble for mentioning speed in this publication but
in this instance we weren’t breaking any laws or speed
limits. Good fun but the fuel consumption takes a bit of
a hammering and I nearly run out again. We end the
day in Casteau.
Its Sunday and we are heading for the Chunnel. We
visit a small war cemetery on the Mien Road South,
outside Ypres for a few moments of quiet contemplation.
Brings a lump to your throat. We stop in Ypres for lunch
and watch some marathon runners arrive in the town
square. Enough to build up an appetite just watching
them.
As on the way out, the touch screen technology at the
Chunnel managed to baffle all of us. This one however,
was actually broken so we were asked to “back up” and
use another lane. Are you taking the p*ss. These bikes
don’t have reverse gears madam!!!
We are soon back in England enjoying packed motorways
with inattentive lane discipline. Great to be back.
Graham Hay
9
BAM Scotland Tour 2011
Saturday 9th July to Saturday 16th July inclusive stopping in good quality hotels.
The trip will take in Dumfries and Galloway, the Highlands, the Isle of Skye, Applecross Loch Lomond and other
remote and beautiful parts of northwest Scotland.
Fun and Frolics come as standard, but limited spaces are available.
Approximate cost of hotels £400.00
Deposit required £100.00 per person at the time of booking
any queries please call Quentin Davies on 07772 394891
The Lakes Tour 2011
13th – 15th May 2011
Price will be £175.00 per person, (you must be a full member to participate in this tour). The Tour will include
• Friday Lunch
• Saturday Dinner
• 2 Nights B&B Accommodation at the Fisherbeck Hotel, Ambleside.
• Sunday Lunch
To reserve a place send me a deposit by way of a cheque for £100 per person, made out to ‘Birmingham Advanced
Motorcyclists’ with your contact details (address, email and telephone). As we have to pay for hotel rooms up front
Deposits are non refundable but are transferable.
Cheques should be sent by 15th January to Graham Hay at 6 Woburn Crescent, Great Barr, Birmingham B43 6AX.
If you require more information call 07554 111079 or e-mail me on grahamahay@hotmail.co.uk.
10
3 Moor Days Full Members Tour
Friday 2nd September to Sunday 4th September 2011
Only £127 per person*
The tour includes:
• Pub lunch on the outward leg in
Keynsham.
• Two nights Bed & Breakfast
accommodation at the Royal and
Fortescue Hotel in Barnstaple –
www.royalfortescue.co.uk
• Use of the hotel’s secure garage
to park your bike overnight
• Tour dinner on the Saturday night
• Sunday pub lunch on the return
trip
PLUS – optional go-karting – price
to be confirmed (subject to sufficient
numbers)
* The price shown is based on sharing a twin
bedded ensuite room. There are some single
rooms available but these will incur a surcharge
of £20 and are available on a first come basis.
Itinerary
Friday
8am - depart from Beckets for a
‘leisurely’ run down to Barnstaple
(no motorways used), lunch
en-route in Keynsham, taking
in Exmoor en-route and arriving
Barnstaple late afternoon. Friday
evening is free for tour members
to ‘do their own thing’.
Saturday
Depart at 9:00am on another
‘leisurely’ run over Dartmoor, see
the prison at Princeton, arriving at
Padstow for lunch (not included).
After lunch we take a different
route to arrive back at Barnstaple
late afternoon. Hence this day
we will have travelled through
Dartmoor and Bodmin Moor.
A private tour dinner is planned for
Saturday evening in the hotel.
Sunday
Depart Barnstaple at 09:00
for return via Cheddar Gorge,
lunch en-route in Keynsham.
This journey does include some
low motorway mileage but all
other roads are more suitable for
motorbikes. We arrive back in the
Midlands late afternoon Sunday.
What to do next. To reserve
a place send me a cheque
for £30 per person, made
out to ‘Birmingham Advanced
Motorcyclists’ and with ‘3 moor
days 2011’ on the back, together
with your contact details (address,
email and telephone).
I have reserved 26 places on
a first come basis. More rooms
may be available, if there is early
demand. Any questions please
contact Alan Boulter (details
below).
Contact Details:
Alan Boulter, 6 Bourton Road,
Solihull, West Midlands, B92 8BA
Email: alanlboulter@aol.com.
Tel: 0121 706 7597
Mobile: 0771 458 3225
PLEASE NOTE – You must be a Full
Member to participate in this tour.
11
Thu
Wed
Tue
Mon
Sun
Sat
Fri
Thu
Wed
Tue
Mon
Sun
Sat
Fri
Thu
Wed
Tue
Mon
11th
9th
8th
1st
Aug
1st
7th
6th
5th
4th
Run 9:00 2nd
McD Small
Heath
5th
3rd
4th
3rd
2nd
Run 9:00
McD Small
Heath
9th
3 Moor Days
3 Moor Days
3rd
2nd
1st
Oct
6th
4th
7th
11th
15th
14th
18th
18th
15th
13th
17th
15th
19th
16th
14th
18th
17th
13th
11th
15th
12th
Scottish Tour
12th Committee 16th
19.30
14th
14th
8th
9th
9th
10th
9th
8th
16th
15th
14th
13th
Run 9:00 13th Run 9:00 10th Run 9:00 8th
12th
10th
McD Small
McD Small
McD Small
Heath
Heath
Heath
Run 9:00 12th Run 9:00 10th Bam Bash 14th
Full
11th Absent
9th Run 10:00 13th Run 10:00 11th
McD Small
McD Small
Members
McD Small
McD Small
Sutton
Friends Run
Heath
Heath
Run
Heath
Heath
13th
11th
15th
12th
10th
14th
12th
Scottish Tour
11th
12th
6th
5th
4th
3rd
2nd
1st
9th Group AGM 7th
Tally Ho 20:00
8th
12th Committee 16th Committee 16th Evening Run 13th Evening Run 11th Committee 15th Evening Run 13th Committee 17th
18.30 McD
18.30 McD
18.30 McD Small Heath
19.30
19.30
19.30
19.30
Small Heath
Small Heath
Scottish Tour
13th
17th
17th
14th
12th
16th
14th
18th
Scottish Tour
12th
9th
8th
Dec
5th Run 10:00
McD Small
Heath
Full
6th
Members
Run
7th
4th
3rd
13th
15th
12th
10th
1st
Group Night 2nd
Tally Ho 20:00
Nov
1st Run 10:00
McD Small
Heath
Full
7th Run 9:00
4th Run 9:00 2nd
Members
McD Small Heath McD Small
Run
3 Moor Days
Heath
8th
5th
3rd
6th
5th
4th
Sep
16th
15th
12th
7th
6th
10th
11th
7th
3rd
11th
10th
6th
8th
Jul
Group Night 6th Group Night 4th Evening Run 8th Group Night 6th Evening Run 10th Group Night 7th Group Night 5th
18.30 McD
18.30 McD
Tally Ho 20.00
Tally Ho 20.00
Tally Ho 20:00
Tally Ho 20:00
Tally Ho 20:00
Small Heath
Small Heath
10th
7th
5th
9th
7th
11th
8th
6th
5th
9th
9th
Group Night 5th
Tally Ho 20:00
8th
Run 9:00
McD Small
Heath
Full
9th Run 10:00 13th Run 10:00 13th Run 9:00 10th
McD Small
McD Small
McD Small
Members
Heath
Heath
Heath
Run
10th
14th
14th
11th
8th
7th
Run 9:00 2nd
Run 9:00
McD Small
McD Small
Heath
Heath
Full
6th
3rd Run 9:00 1st
Members
McD Small
Run
Heath
7th
4th
2nd
May Day
5th
4th
4th
5th Run 10:00
McD Small
Heath
6th
3rd
3rd
4th
Run 10:00
McD Small
Heath
1st
Group Night 1st
Tally Ho 20.00
Jun
Group Night 3rd
Tally Ho 20:00
May
Group night 2nd Group night 2nd
Tally Ho 20:00
Tally Ho 20:00
Apr
2nd
1st
Mar
1st
Feb
1st Run 10:00
McD Small
Heath
Run 10:00 2nd
McD Small
Heath
3rd
Bank Holiday
Jan
EVENTS 2011 Birmingham Advanced Motorcyclists - Issue 2
Lakes Tour
Scottish Tour
19th
23rd
20th
18th
25th
22nd
20th
24th
22nd
26th
23rd
21st
20th
24th
22nd
23rd Committee 21st
19.30
22nd
31st
Run 9:00 29th
McD Small
Heath
Spring 30th
Bank Holiday
28th
Run 9:00 30th
McD Small
Heath
29th
Run 10:00 30th
McD Small
Heath
31st
27th
29th
28th
27th
Run 9:00 30th
McD Small
Heath
Full
31st
Members
Run
29th
30th
29th
28th
30th Evening Run 27th Evening Run 25th Evening Run 29th Evening Run 27th Evening Run 31st
18.30 McD
18.30 McD
18.30 McD
18.30 McD
18.30 McD
Small Heath
Small Heath
Small Heath
Small Heath
Small Heath
31st
28th
26th
30th
28th
26th
26th
28th
27th
24th
30th
26th
29th
25th
Run 9:00 30th
McD Small
Heath
31st
29th
28th
27th
26th
25th
30th
29th
31st
30th
29th
28th
27th
26th
Christmas 25th
Day
24th
25th
21st
21st
Run 10:00 22nd
Run
26th
26th
23rd
21st
25th
23rd Run 9:00 27th Run 9:00 24th Run 9:00 22nd
26th
McD Small
McD Small
McD Small
McD Small
9:00 McD
Heath
Heath
Heath
Heath
Small Heath
Full
Slow
Easter
Run
Full
23rd Run 10:00 27th
27th
24th
22nd Run 9:00 26th Run 9:00 24th
28th
25th
23rd Run 10:00 27th
McD Small
McD Small
Members
Riding
McD Small
Run 9:00 McD
McD Small
10:00 McD
Members
Heath
Heath
Run
Sutton
Heath
Small Heath
Heath
Small Heath
Run
24th
28th
28th
25th
23rd
27th
25th
29th
26th
24th
28th
24th
20th
17th
23rd Committee 20th Committee 18th Evening Run 22nd Committee 20th Evening Run 24th Committee 21st Committee 19th
McD Small
18.30 McD
19.30
19.30
19.30
19.30
19.30
Heath
Small Heath
24th
21st
19th
23rd
21st
25th
22nd
20th
19th
23rd
23rd
Committee 19th
19.30
22nd
25th
22nd
18th
15th Run 10:00 19th Run 10:00 19th Run 9:00 16th
14th Run 9:00 18th Run 9.00 McD 16th
20th
17th
15th Run 10:00 19th Run 10:00 17th
Lakes Tour
McD Small
Small Heath
McD Small
McD Small
McD Small
McD Small
McD Small
Heath
Scottish Tour
Heath
Heath
Heath
Heath
Heath
Full
Run 10:00 16th Iron Person 20th
Full
Slow
20th
17th Run 9:00 McD 15th
19th
17th Run 9:00 21st Run 9:00 18th Run 9:00 16th
20th
18th
Small Heath
McD Small
McD Small
McD Small
Members
Scottish Tour
McD Small
Run - Full
Members
Riding
Lakes Tour
Heath
Heath
Heath
Run
Heath
Members
Run
Sutton
17th
21st
21st
18th
16th
20th
18th
22nd
19th
17th
21st
19th
Scottish Tour
Observed Runs - Start at McDonalds, Small Heath (Summer 9.00am, Winter 10.00am - January, February, March, November and December)
Evening Runs - Start at McDonalds, Small Heath (18.30 April-August) Full Member’s Runs Start at 9.00am
2011 ISSUE 2
Group Nights - (1st Wed’s) 8:00pm (Tally Ho) Committee Meetings - (3rd Wed’s) 7:30pm (venue TBA)
Tue
Mon
Sun
Sat
Fri
Thu
Wed
Tue
Mon
Sun
Sat
Fri
Thu
Wed
Tue
Mon
Sun
Sat
Fri
IPA Motorcycle Group trip to Poland
In December 2009 I was glancing through the latest
magazine of the UK International Police Association
(IPA) and saw a small advert about a motorcycle tour
to Auschwitz in Poland that was due to take place in
summer 2010.
I had been a member of the IPA since 1982, joining at
the suggestion of a very senior police officer who thought
it might help my future career prospects (it didn’t work).
I had never been to a Birmingham Branch meeting or
taken much part in IPA activities before but registered my
intention to join the Poland trip.
The recently formed UK IPA Motorcycle Group was
organizing the tour but members were asked to publicise
the event to motorcycling friends as more participants
would attract better rates for hotels etc. I am not
particularly sociable and don’t generally mix much with
other former police officers so was not hugely enthused at
the prospect of meeting French, German, Polish and other
European colleagues but the 14 day tour looked to be fun
so I committed myself to going.
Following a brief article in the BAM Newsletter a few
months ago, our long-time past Vice Chairman and
Observer Gerard Crowley elected to join me. I have known
Gerard for 20 years and he was instrumental in helping
me to pass my Advanced Motorcycle Test in 1999, so I
was very pleased to have him along as my riding partner
and roommate.
The tour organizer arranged our accommodation using
hotels from the Ibis Group and we were to use Eurotunnel
to get us on the Continent.
Various emails were put out and I patiently awaited
details of routes between the various locations. Onlyy a
week or so before we departed
14
I got clarification that there were no routes as such,
participants were given the addresses and Garmin
designations and expected to reach the next hotel by their
own means each day. Perhaps naively, I had expected a
BAM type tour whereby a second person drop-off system
be employed or routes published in advance in MS Word.
Gerard and I quickly got together and designed routes
which would maximize attractive scenery and bendy
roads, avoiding motorways if possible. Our source material
consisted of road atlases of Germany and Poland and less
detailed maps of other countries we would visit. Gerard
entered all these into his recently purchased Garmin
Zumo 220 sat nav and a spare Garmin Quest that he lent
me so that we could take turns in leading.
On the first day, Sunday, 11 July, Gerard and I met at
Warwick Services on the M40 and a few hours later
reached the rendezvous point for the Tour start at
Maidstone Services on the M20. This was the first real
opportunity to meet some of the other 11 people making
up the tour. It was immediately evident that the BMW
1200 GS was the favourite mount. Formal introductions
were not practical at that stage and the four members of
the ‘Scottish Contingent’ were making their way to our
first night’s stop separately anyway. We all moved off to
the Eurotunnel terminal and went through the laborious
process of booking in electronically with the eight digit
number provided to us by email. We all managed to
get on the same train and the brief rail journey passed
without incident.
I had never before used a sat nav or even been in a
vehicle with one in use so leading our duo once we landed
in France was a fresh challenge. Our first stop was at
St. Omer, not far from the coast, and
with Gerard’s prompting we got to the
IPA Motorcycle Group trip to Poland
hotel without any problem. It was at this stage that I had
to face the realities of transporting clothing etc., in throwover panniers whereas most others had hard panniers
and bespoke inner pannier bags that they took out each
evening with just what was required for a night’s stay. My
planning was not so good and I insisted on dismantling
the whole set-up each day. This meant disengaging the
two broad Velcro straps which pass over the seat and
then taking off the pillion seat to expose the other Velcro
strap, hopefully not forgetting to first undo any straps or
bungee cords that secure the panniers to the machine.
This was invariably done in hot weather wearing full
leathers that are suitable for British summers but are most
uncomfortable when the temperatures reach mid 30s°C
in central Europe. It was then that I first noticed slightly
supercilious smirks from the BMW1200GS Brigade,
whose unpacking had seemingly taken just seconds. All
the GS’s came equipped with two panniers and a topbox
and some owners had obviously dipped extensively into
the Touratech catalogue with further adornments. This
first night at the hotel was the last time we ever arrived or
departed at the same time as the remainder of the tour
party and we never ever saw any of them on the road
during the 3000 miles we covered except when we met
up at an IPA Conference Centre in Germany and at Calais
for the return Eurotunnel journey.
The group met in the hotel bar for a drink or two but €6
for a 300ml glass of beer was a disincentive to linger
further. A pleasant meal was enjoyed at a restaurant in the
town square and then Gerard and I said our goodnights
and went back to the hotel for a night’s rest. Knowing
police officers quite well I surmised that the others would
go for further drinks and next morning it was confirmed
that they had been so engaged until about 3.00am!
Readers will be glad to know that a blow by blow
account of what we did and ate each day will not follow.
The dynamics of this tour were very different to those
found on a BAM event but there was no compulsion to
do everything together. Both Gerard and I enjoy one, or
possibly two 500ml glasses of lager a night but we just
couldn’t manage the volumes consumed by some of the
others, nor had any desire to do so. Riding 250 to 300
miles each day in unfamiliar terrain is not helped by, in
my case, even mild hangovers. Everyone to their own on
this issue.
The next night was spent in Köln and the day after saw the
whole group at the IPA Conference Centre in Gimbourn,
Germany, where we were conducted around the centre
by the director, who bore an uncanny resemblance to the
screen actor Harrison Ford, but even more grizzled than
the real thing.
The centre consists of a 17th Century stone castle with
student accommodation tastefully provided in converted
stables and outbuildings.
This was our first opportunity to meet the ‘Scottish
Contingent’. I detect a brooding menace about some
Scotsmen, who can be swift to react negatively to a
perceived slight but these 4 Scots fortunately proved to
be amusing and pleasant companions. Three of them had
the obligatory R1200GSs but these were genuine heavy
duty steeds with battered aluminium cases bedecked
with stickers indicating where the owners had been.
The contrast between these workhorses and the pristine
versions referred to earlier is a bit like comparing a well
used farmer’s Land Rover Defender with the pristine
‘Chelsea Tractor’ Range Rovers so beloved by snooty
Solihull people. One of the Scots, Tom McInally, a former
Scottish Police Inspector, had been on a round-the-world
trip in 2009 and had raised thousands of pounds for
charity and his ‘bike reflected this. Well worn and soiled
Hein Gericke fabric motorcycle suits added to the aura.
Tom’s bike even had extra little pannier things stuck above
the cylinders! The 4th Scots rider was ‘Wee Tam’ a 23
years old industrial chemist who rode a heavily laden R
Reg. Yamaha R1.
The four Scotsmen made a habit of establishing a small
camp by the roadside each morning, putting up their
stowable camp chairs, lighting a gas stove and cooking
an extra breakfast (a bit like the Hobbits in the Lord of
the Rings saga). They also planted a Scottish flag when
located to complete the al fresco atmosphere.
Germany provided some beautiful roads, not just from
a scenic perspective but also plenty of constant radius
bends where we could explore the limits of our motorcycle
tyres’ grip. On more than one occasion I entered a
corner perhaps a little faster than I really wanted (i.e. bad
planning) but recalled Marcus’ advice on Group nights
and resisted the urge to brake and overload the front
and just kept a positive throttle and the bike always went
15
IPA Motorcycle Group trip to Poland
around the bend as if on rails. We had the odd dices
with cars from time to time, but unlike British car drivers,
once we were ahead the Germans pulled in graciously
and didn’t try and press us from the rear. Those who
have ridden in Europe will probably agree that drivers
on The Continent are much more respectful towards
motorcyclists and seem more knowledgeable about the
performance capabilities of bikes.
We occasionally saw some of the others at breakfast and
learned that on most days the majority just got on to the
motorway and rode to the next destination as quickly as
possible so that they could enjoy the attractions therein.
Our stops on route included Leipzig, Wroclaw, Krakow,
Prague, Nuremburg and Frankfurt, so there was a lot
to see if you had the time. Gerard and I concurred that
motorcycling was the main attraction of the holiday; if
motorways were to be used exclusively then we might as
well have taken a car! Accordingly we two were usually
the last in to the hotel each night.
The Ibis hotels were generally comfortable and had secure
underground parking. Some even had air conditioning in
the bedrooms; all had good showers. Following the
tortuous process of my unloading my bike (Oh to have a
Pan European again….) usually assisted by Gerard, we
would rest a bit, cool down, have a shower and go out
for a meal. In the morning we would have continental
breakfast at about 07.00 and try to be off in good time
before the sun got really hot.
The contrast was noticeable when we passed from
Germany into Poland, Slovakia and then the Czech
Republic. They have been part of a wider Western
capitalist democracy for 20 years or so but it looked if
some of the populations were still bemused by modern
technology. It was as if people from medieval Britain
or mainland Europe (or Acocks
16
Green circa 1990) had been transported forward by
some time machine and given cars and other 21st
century goods and products to play with. In the case of
the men 1970s era clothing was popular including those
horrible sleeveless T-shirts that English yobs used to wear
20 years ago. Mullet hairstyles and Village People/Dick
Strawbridge moustaches were also in evidence.
We avoided Polish/Slovakian/Czech motorways as
much as possible but when we did negotiate them we
encountered more than once the habit of car drivers who
we had passed, speeding up and then overtaking us.
This was never done in a confrontational way, perhaps
they harboured some competitive streak? Certainly the
standard of motorway driving in ‘Eastern Europe’ was
markedly inferior to that found on German Autobahns.
We were frequently overtaken there by Audis, BMWs,
Porsches and Mercedes doing at least 130mph but
middle lane dawdlers are not tolerated and generally, I
think the progress is far better.
Fatigue is cumulative and we were grateful for relatively
early nights and a good night’s sleep if it was cool enough.
In Nuremburg we were greeted in our hotel by a member
of the local IPA and given a tour of the ancient walled city.
Rather incongruously, the IPA had its clubhouse in the
turret of a fortified tower of the 15th Century walls. We
were joined by other Committee members, all of whom
spoke good to excellent English. They were generous
hosts and a few glasses of ale were enjoyed. I missed
my dinner because we didn’t get away until 10.30pm
and there wasn’t much available in the city at that time.
The next night, in Frankfurt, some local IPA members
turned up unexpectedly. None of our party had yet eaten a
meal so when discussing with the local IPA representatives
options for that evening, dinner was a priority. A tram and
then an underground train took us to
the City Centre where we all enjoyed
IPA Motorcycle Group trip to Poland
an excellent meal at a very busy restaurant. When seated
I found myself surrounded by four of the Scotsmen and a
Scotswoman so in order to ingratiate myself with them I
promised not to mention Flodden if they would not raise
the subject of England’s dismal showing in the recent
Soccer World Cup (it could have been all international
tournaments since 1966 for that matter). This witticism
provoked no noticeable response and I wondered if they
had heard of the battle of Flodden? (in Northumberland in
1513, result: England 1, Scotland 0).
Some minutes later one of the Scots drew a comparison
with Bannockburn but I tried to dismiss this aberration
as it was much earlier. I contended that Flodden was an
impressive performance bearing in mind that an English
Second XV under the command of the Earl of Surrey had
soundly defeated a first string Scots Army led by King
James IV, who perished in this encounter along with most
of the Scottish nobility. The English monarch Henry VIII,
was away at that time campaigning in France with his
main force. It shows that the also-rans can step up to the
mark when required as proven by the recruitment of Non
BAM Senior Observers to help out on the Welsh weekend
in May.
This cheery dialogue continued for a while but we all
parted on good terms.
The remaining two nights were spent on the outskirts of
Luxembourg City and Lille, with just a short hop to Calais
for the Eurotunnel on the last morning.
What did I learn from this trip?
I share some thoughts below:
Clothing
Full leathers might be comfortable enough when the
temperature is no higher than 25°C but we regularly
experienced 30 to 35° and I was extremely uncomfortable.
A fabric suit with ventilation options would have been far
better.
Wicking tee-shirts are useful as laundering your own stuff
in hotel rooms and trying to dry it therein is a requirement
unless you can cram in enough clothing to last 14 days.
The 2 nights in Krakow and then 2 nights in Prague
allowed us to do that.
Motorcycle luggage
Most of my previous ‘bikes had hard panniers but
although I have a Givi Maxia top box I needed a bit more
space and bought some Oxford Lifetime 2008 version
throwover panniers for a heavily discounted price of
£60. Suitable Givi or Honda hard panniers would have
cost between £350 and £500 and I could not justify
that expense for a one-off trip. I soon found out that the
waterproof covers that stretch over the panniers in the
event of rain do not keep your kit dry! I should have put
my gear in a bin liner as a default measure. Gerard kindly
leant me a rucksack liner that was admirable and on my
return home I immediately bought a couple of 23 litre
liners for future use. As our bikes were usually in secure
underground garages overnight I could have left my
throwover panniers on the bike and just used the liners to
carry my kit to the room.
Sat navs
I had mixed fortunes with the Garmin Quest GPS that
Gerard lent me. Perhaps due to my fading mental faculties
or inability to cope with new technology, or a combination
of both, I sometimes used my intuition when faced with
a turn to right or left as identified by the GPS. Invariably
the GPS was correct and I pay tribute to Gerard’s unfailing
patience and courtesy in never bawling me out when
we made unintended excursions on to motorways or
needless visits to town centres. Gerard used his Zumo
220 to get us to the various hotels and overall I think that
they are very useful tools and may buy one in the future.
Acceptability of credit/debit cards
I have an MNBA Visa credit card and a Natwest Visa
debit card. On one occasion only was the credit card
not accepted but fortunately the Visa debit card was.
Automated payment at the pump by card seemed more
common in mainland Europe than in the UK. Chip and PIN
is not universally used and sometimes I needed to sign
the till roll. I just hope that when I get the next few credit
card statements I don’t find any mysterious transactions
listed!
Would I do a trip like this again? No, not if it meant so
much riding on consecutive days. It was an enjoyable
enough experience though and Gerard’s companionship
very much enhanced the holiday.
Julian Grubb
17
25
BAM Full Members Runs - 2011
You must be a Full Member of BAM / IAM. Bikes must be road worthy and attendees should arrive at the departure
point with a full tank of fuel. Further fuel stops will be at approximately 100 mile intervals. Each run usually
involves a full days riding with food and fuel stops designed as part of the route. The 2nd Man Drop off system
will be used. Those unfamiliar with this system should speak to the organisers on the day for a brief explanation.
Where possible proposed routes, on word and Garmin will be posted on the BAM Forum www.bamforum.co.uk
Unless otherwise stated all Full Members Runs start at 9.00am prompt from McDonalds in Small Heath.
DATE
ORGANISER/S
AREA
APP MILEAGE
Jan-23
Feb-20
Mar-20
Apr-4
May-8
Jun-19
Jul-31
Aug-28
Sep-11
Oct-9
Nov-6
Dec-4
Colin Daniels
Iron Person - Chris Luckman
Graham Hay
Alan Keepax
Bluebell Run - Richard Atkinson
Fred Brown
Secret Run - Colin Daniels & Adrian Court
Marion O'Brien
TBA
Absent Friends - Keith Maxwell
TBA
Pudding Run - Quentin Davies
1st Run 2011
More information
will be available in the March
Newsletter
Starts from Bassetts Pole
BRIEFING
You must read and understand the following briefing in order to go on these runs:-
THESE RUNS ARE OPEN TO BAM FULL MEMBERS ONLY
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
18
You must also be a fully paid up member
of the I.A.M.
A pillion passenger is acceptable.
The Leader and Lastman shall be identified.
Safety is No.1 Priority. Every rider is responsible
for their own actions and any consequences that
those actions may have.
Traffic Laws must be obeyed at all times. Your
motorcycle must be road legal and roadworthy.
System is 2nd person drop, straight ahead unless
a marker is placed. All roundabouts to have a
marker at exit where safety permits. The marker
to position themselves accordingly.
If any rider wishes to leave the ride they must
inform the Leader or Lastman before doing so, to
avoid any confusion by the following riders.
There will be an outward route and a return route;
any riders who wish to make their own way back
may do so.
•
Riders are not allowed to overtake
the Leader.
• Route details showing Petrol/Rest stops to be
issued prior to start. Please arrive with a full tank
of fuel.
• Any Rider who acts dangerously is to be reported
to the Leader/Organizer who will take appropriate
action. A Rider could be warned or excluded
from the ride and will be reported to the Group
Committee for any further action.
(A fuller account of the 2nd person drop can be
viewed on our Club Web Site under the Events
section and it is essential that all are familiar with
it for safety).
All persons on the ride will be deemed to have read
and understood these instructions.
They will be posted on the club web site
and displayed in the club newsletter on a
regular basis.
November’s Full Members Run
With the days getting noticeably shorter I, like many
club members wanted to make the most of every
ridable day of what was left of 2010. So after a hearty
breakfast at Small Heath McDonalds, (not a doctor’s
recommendation!) and admiring Tony Spence’s new
Suzuki GSXR 750, (he told me Karen was not used to
the pillion position, so he was going to take it ‘easy’
today – ‘Yeah right’), some 20 odd hardcore bikers
set off towards Wales in the freezing weather for our
November Full Members’ Run.
We went out of Birmingham along the A456,
encountering some national speed limit roads relatively
quickly. After Kidderminster, we turned onto the A4117
towards Clee Hill, where good progress was made,
some overtakes taken, whilst being mindful of any stray
sheep from the adjacent grazing fields.
At Ludlow, we turned towards Craven Arms, from where
we took the A489 and A483 towards Newtown and then
Crossgates. My memory was strangely hazy from about
Craven Arms onwards. All I seem to remember was
finding 40mph very fast and yet I still had to break for
every corner. Oh even a BMW tractor came past (that
was me Ed). I asked myself, ‘What’s going on here?’
Then, with a shiver running through me, I realised it
was the cold! It is well known that hypothermia can
affect a person’s level of alertness and mental clarity.
But what is less well known outside the medical world,
is the fact that it also has insidiously detrimental effect
on our spatial and speed awareness, which has obvious
important implications for us riders.
Anyhow, whist warming up my brain at the Crossgates
Cafe, I was arm-twisted by the tractor-rider to write the
1st half of this article, (new club rule if I pass you . . . you
write the article, Ed). And after the 2nd hearty meal of
the day, I decided to follow Tony Spence, Brian Holton on
another tractor and Richard Barlett, to depart for home
(sorry Mick!). We made good but sensible progress
through some of Wales and the beautiful Shropshire
countryside. Particularly worth mentioning was the
A488 (Penybont to Knighton) and the B4364 (Ludlow to
Bridgnorth). Have I made the wrong call in turning back
I wondered? When we were back in Hagley, my shivers
started again, and I was indeed glad that I had decided
to turn back. I wonder how Mick and the others got on
the unclassified roads in the midst of Wales!?
Wilson To
From Crossgates onwards into deepest darkest Wales,
the remaining hardy members enjoyed a first class route
out to Mahynlleth. Diverse and challenging in parts with
a minimum of ARAF’s to contend with. A few twitchy
bottoms when we hit the pine droppings that covered
the road giving it an unreal orange hue, but forward
observation took into account almost everything the
ride threw at us.
This was only my 2nd full members run and I would
heartily recommend them to any full members who have
yet to embark on one. A feature which I can only assume
is normal was the ratio of girls to boys. I know the sexist
brigade will baulk at this but I was well impressed with
the quality of riding from Liz, Claire & Jill.
As a group we all seemed to have coped with the cold
conditions, but the biggest grins were on the faces of
the sensible brigade who had heated grips. You would
gather from my arm waving and frantic hand gestures
that I don’t have that luxury yet.
To summarise a first class route, hard to pinpoint the
best bit as I have to say from a biking perspective Wales
is hard to beat, but for me the Elan Valley stretch up to
Machynlleth was an “in the zone” experience.
All of the group would join me in thanking Mick the
Drummer riding point and trusty Mick the Plumber riding
a reliable last man. (Mick’s order book for bathrooms in
2011 still has a few slots so get in there).
Mick Johnson
19
I AM
a skill for life
As IAM members, we like to think
that we all strive to make our
roads safer.
Our practical contribution to
road safety is to improve the
performance of both drivers and
riders. With this in mind it is
important that our commercial
division - IAM Drive & Survive –
can contact as many employers
with drivers as possible.
So IAM members – associates
and full members – who
nominate a business lead, which
is subsequently converted to a
sale by the IAM Drive & Survive
team, will get £50 for making the
introduction.
The incentive scheme is a
sensible way of encouraging IAM
members to think about how the
commercial arm of the charity
could grow faster, as we continue
to seek new clients.
The cash incentive will be
paid as and when that lead is
converted to a sale. Obviously
it is a scheme designed to help
generate new business, so leads
to organisations that are already
‘in the fold’ won’t be eligible.
IAM members who wish to take
part in the scheme should send
these details to enquiries@
iamdriveandsurvive.co.uk.
Or you can ring for advice on
0870 120 2910.
20
Observed Run Times
Winter Meeting Times from November until the end of March
Saturday - 10.00am Sunday - 10.00am
IDDLEWAY
ST
A4540
TRY R
OAD
WA
Y
DLE
BOR
DES
L
ESL
EY
EY
MID
DLE
W
A4540
D
K R WAY
PAR
LEY
IGH
DES
HH
BOR
EAT
LL H
SMALL HEAT
H HIGH
W
S MA
CO V E N
MID
45
OAD
CO
The meeting place
is the McDonalds
Restaurant just off
the island at the end
of the Small Heath
Bypass and at the
bottom of the hill
from Birmingham
City Football Ground.
A
RO
R
RY
ENT
COV
McDonald’s
Full members are also welcome.
PLEASE NOTE
Birmingham City
Football Club
ELL RO
CATT
RY
NT
VE
WATERY LA
NE M
ADDERLEY
T
SAN
LEA
Mt P
These runs are provided to help you with your
training in addition to training runs that you may
already do with your current Observer. They enable
you to get extra practice and meet up with other
associates, Observers and Full Members.
If you’ve not been on one before why not come
and give it a try?
WATERY LANE MIDDLEWAY
ASSOCIATES
RD
1. To go on any observed runs your motorbike must
A45
be road legal and roadworthy
109 COVENTRY ROAD, SMALL HEATH, BIRMINGHAM, B10 0RJ
2. You should arrive with a full tank of fuel
3. Associates are required to pay a £8 contribution to the observer’s expenses for an observed run and debrief
WORKING TOGETHER TO MAKE
MOTORCYCLING SAFER
KINDLY SUPPORTED BY
SHERWOOD MOTORCYCLES
ROY PIDCOCK BMW
THE WEST MIDLANDS POLICE
PLUS ONE CREATIVE CONSULTANCY
VERETECH
www.b-a-m.org.uk
Newsletter designed & printed by Plus One - 0121 707 8384
21
BAM Membership
Information
How do I join BAM?
What do I get for my Money?
You can join BAM at any of the Group Meetings which
are held on the 1st Wednesday of every month at Tally
Ho Police Training Centre, Pershore Road, Edgbaston,
Birmingham B5 7RN.
Alternatively you can complete the IAM Skills for Life
Membership form and the BAM Membership form on the
BAM website www.b-a-m.org.uk. Click on the “How to
join” tab and follow the hyperlink to the forms, fill them in
and send them to Jim Fallon at the address below, along
with 3 passport style photos.
Your initial payment covers the IAM test fee, 1 years
IAM membership, 1 years BAM membership, a copy
of “How to be a better rider – Advanced Motorcycling,
the Essential Guide” a copy of the Highway Code and a
framed certificate on passing the IAM test. You will also
receive a regular magazine from the IAM, a bi-monthly
newsletter from BAM, access to the BAM Forum and
many discounts from major companies.
As an Associate member you are welcome to attend our
monthly Group meetings, which feature a regular session
on Roadcraft /advanced riding plus a guest speaker.
How much does it cost?
The “Skills for Life” scheme costs £139.00.
If you are an existing member of the IAM but are a new
Motor Bike Associate you get a £30.00 discount.
Annual fees are payable on a rolling renewal basis
i.e. 12 months from your last renewal date and are
as follows:
BAM Full Members - £10.00
BAM Associate Membership - £12.00
As a member of the Group, you must also pay an annual
subscription fee of £30.00 to the IAM.
What Happens Next?
Once your application has been received and processed
you will become an Associate, (when you join your
category of membership is called Associate). You will
be issued with an ID Card and you will be contacted by
one of the Area Co-ordinators shown on the opposite
page. They will endeavour to allocate an individual
Observer (tutor) for one to one tuition, however as
we are a voluntary organisation this will be subject to
availability. As an alternative, once you have your ID
card you are entitled to attend the regular training runs
on Wednesdays, Saturdays and Sundays that are open
to all associates of BAM. The dates and times for these
runs are detailed in the BAM Newsletter, and on the
website, www.B-A-M.org.uk. An £8 contribution per
observed run is required to be paid to your observer to
go towards their expenses.
22
What do I do when I pass my test?
On passing your test you become a full member and you
can join the Full members ride outs that are organised
throughout the year. Please let the Membership Secretary
know your IAM Number and return your ID badge for an
upgrade, (or provide a new passport sized photo).
Please inform the membership secretary if your
membership details change, (address, telephone,
mobile, e-mail etc).
Membership Secretary
James Fallon
11 Hannon Road,
Kings Heath
Birmingham
B14 6BS
Telephone 0121 624 0812
E-Mail BAM_IAM@blueyonder.co.uk
Group
Meetings
Welcome to New Members
and Recent Test Passes . . .
Recent Test PASSES . . .
Associate
Observer
All group meetings are on the first
Wednesday of the month and will be
at the Tally Ho Police Training Centre,
Pershore Road, Edgbaston, Birmingham
B5 7RN.
Robert Holland
Liz Robinson
Full Member
Senior Observer
Please check out the club
website www.b-a-m.org.uk
for directions.
Les Janes
Colin Daniels
Rhod Griffith
John Hendriksen
Andy Boner
John Lickley
Observer PASSES . . .
STARTING AT 8PM PROMPT
BAM Training
Area Co-ordinators
Marcus McCormick
Chief Observer
Telephone:
07970 901929
Neil Murray
Observer Training
& Co-ordinaton
Telephone:
07939 072444
Kevin Kinson
North-West
Area co-ordinator
Telephone: 07748 181944
Email: kevin.kinson@yahoo.com
B1,2,3,18,19,20,21,42,43,66,67,
69,70,71
Roy Aston
North-East
Area co-ordinator
Telephone:
07740 378244
Email: roy.aston@blueyonder.co.uk
B4,6,7,8,23,24,33,34,35,36,37,44,
46,72,73,74,75,76,77,78,79
Martin Doran
South-West
Area co-ordinator
Telephone:
07976 849924
B15,16,17,29,31,32,45,60,61,62,
63,64,65,68, 96,97
Marion O’Brien
South-East
Area co-ordinator
Telephone:
0121 244 7493
B5,9,10,11,12,13,14,25,26,7,
28,30,38,47,48,49,50,80,90,
91,92,93,94,95,98
23
Speakers Corner
The calendar for 2011 is filling quite nicely and so far is as follows:
Forthcoming Guest Speakers
January – Flipper Accident management
February – Roy Hanks “life in a side car”
March – Chris Higgs From Hein Gericke “What’s new for 2011”
April – Chris Leeche from Cobra intercoms/security
May – Two Wheels tyre centre “What keeps you on the road”
June – Arai Helmets “How much is your head worth?”
As always if you have any reasonable requests or ideas for guest speakers please contact me at
c.luckman@portlandcommercialbodies.com
Regards
Chris Luckman Guest speaker organiser
MOBILE MOTORCYCLE
TYRE FITTING
West Midlands area
Supply & Fitting, Repairs and Balancing
Convenient tyre fitting service at your home or work place
Contact Terry Ryan on 07800 578293
Credit & debit cards accepted
24
32