SpokePistonJan 08.pub - BMW Motorcycle Club Pretoria

VOLUME 13 NO 1
INSIDE
BMW MOTORCYCLE CLUB PRETORIA
SPOKE
&
PISTON
JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2008
FROM THE CHAIR
NURSERY RHYME
IT PAYS TO BE A
MEMBER
2,3
GROUP RIDING
3
NOG ‘N GEDROGGIE OP ONS
PAAIE
4
MAARTENS TRIP
5
MEMBERS ON
THE LONG ROAD
6
EXTREME RIDERS
7
10 VERKEERDE
DINGE
7
UPCOMING TRIPS
ROOIBERG RIDE
8
The festive season has passed way too fast and we have already completed a twelfth of
2008. We would like to welcome back all our members and may 2008 be a year of many
kilometers on two wheels, lots of lovely new destinations and new friendships.
The Club’s year started off with a Sunday ride to a little town in Limpopo called Rooiberg.
A record number of 62 persons participated on this run, which to my knowledge is a Club
record. The Club is definitely growing at a huge rate, both in terms of members and active
riders. Eskom’s ability to reduce television viewing time has probably had an influence on
club member activity levels.
The new membership card system has been put into operation and we will monitor its
effectiveness throughout the year. The year promises some lovely trips and the Canopy
tour (road) and Mozambique trip (GS) are definitely ones not to be missed.
The current committee will reach the end of their term in March and we would like nominations for persons willing to serve on the committee. Lorette, our club secretary, has
indicated that she will step down. Any person with secretarial skills, willing to fill Lorette’s
shoes (boots??) is urged to contact the committee.
Greetings, Pieter
JANUARY’S ACTIVITIES
◄ A portion of the 62 participants in the Club
Ride to Rooiberg earlier in January. ▼
More pictures
on p 8.
▲ The watching of videos of skilful (or not so
skilful) riders initiated
many conversations
during Club Night.
Our Clubhouse and its new deck as well as
the colourful BMW-filled showroom of Bavarian
create an environment for a sociable occasion.
More pictures on the website
www.bmwclubs.co.za
The GS boys and their
toys at play ►
SPOKE
& PISTON
Page 2
NURSERY RHYME
I T PAY S
TO BE A MEMBER
FOR CLUB MEMBERS
HENRI HEYNS
Subs are due, subs are due
It's just the rhyme for me and you
Two hundred bucks will see you through
There's really nothing else to do.
Life's a game of give and take
You do the giving and we make
A tidy little sum in all
And with your help we'll have a ball.
I have a friend from out of town
Who showed us when the chips are down
He'd come along and bring us aid
And make it known his sub is paid.
We need a hundred members plus
To get into the ‘big boys’ bus
The first Club Social took place on 11 January at the Clubhouse. What a lovely sight it was to see so many BMW
Motorcycle enthusiasts and so many new and ’old’ faces!
The membership card system, which will hopefully improve membership administration, was implemented at the
first Club night in January and every member now gets his/
her own unique membership card and your own number
printed on your card. This number/card can make life
much easier for you! It can be used:
• on attendance registers at club nights or at club rides
(all your info is linked to your number) so you don't have
to put down ALL details;
• as reference when making electronic payments to the
Club;
• as proof when eligible for discount at Bavarian and
other dealerships; etc.
Your card is valid for the year and the idea is to carry your
card on you whenever you are on your bike or on the road.
At the back of the card is room for important personal information in case of emergency . . .
And what is more:
Your card is proof
that you are part of
BMW Motorcycle
Club Pretoria!
You bring us friends to join the Club
We give them fun, they bring the sub.
We ride and ‘jol’ and do our thing
But must rely on you to bring
The blood of life that makes the club
We cannot do without the sub.
Do join the chant and make it known
We cannot do it on our own
So pay your subs then do your thing
And make your Club go ting-a-ling.
Please guys and dolls,
2008 subs are due now!
Our secretary, Lorette, had her hands full to register new
members and to make sure the faithful old members’ administration and information are all in place.
VOLUME 13 NO 1
JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2008
Page 3
and well-being. He is the first to observe hazards in the
road and warn those behind of the danger. He should be
able to judge a safe speed in any situation, and takes the
lead in drastically reducing speed when entering towns. If
rain starts to pour, he has to find a safe and sheltered
With so many new members in our Club and with our
spot for the deployment of rain gear.
Club Rides taking on huge proportions recently, it is cru- It is the sweep's job to see that NO-ONE gets behind him.
cial to know and follow the basic rules of Group Riding. If one member of the group stops for any reason, the
sweep must stop too. Imagine riding at the tail end of a
Our club has some pretty easy rules:
group and having a crash. There you lie, bleeding in the
• Staggered riding formation
road, and no-one knows.
• Stay behind the leader
But who looks out for the sweep?
• Sweep at the back
. . . You are responsible for the rider behind you
• Never turn until the rider behind you knows it.
The leader can’t keep track of more than two bikes behind
him. When each and every rider takes responsibility for
• NEVER pass a fellow rider on the left.
the rider behind him, the group stays together and even
WHY? Because the problems are:
the sweep has a backup.
• Bikes have an alarming tendency to crash into one Keep one bike's headlight visible in your mirrors. If he disanother.
appears, reduce speed slightly. If he still doesn't appear,
slow down. Keep slowing down until you see him or it be• People in the group miss a turn and get lost.
• One bike has a problem like a puncture or empty tank. comes obvious that he isn't coming.
If everyone in the group does this, the leader of a large
• Bikes follow one another into a dangerous situation.
group will know there is a problem within a few minutes,
GROUP RIDING
even if the problem is 30 bikes behind him. This rule has
the added advantage of incorporating the "don't turn" rule,
Staggered Formation
as it is clear that if you can see the rider behind you, he
The amount of clear road directly in front of your front can see when you make a turn.
wheel is your safety area. At 120km/h this can easily be
100m. Smart bikers stagger their position to allow the No Passing on the Left
bike behind them a safety margin, and to allow them- The area to the left of a rider, between the bike and the
selves the same margin. You now have TWO bike edge of the road or the next lane, is the rider’s emergency
area. A rider needs to know that this space will always be
lengths in which to stop, instead of one.
If the bike in front of you shifts from one side to the other, empty, so he can swerve into it with no notice without
shift to the other side, maintaining the formation. The even taking the time to check his mirrors.
bike behind you will follow suit.
Ride Your Own Ride
The staggered formation rule applies to everyone, includ- Few bikes have exactly matching handling characteristics,
ing the leader and sweep. The staggered formation rule acceleration, braking power and comfortable riding
might be broken only for good reason:
speeds. Even fewer bikers have exactly matching abilities.
Maybe you can think of more? Let’s discuss the rules:
•
A pothole or patch of oil? If you see something potentially dangerous in your path, move around it, and
signal to the rider behind you to look out, by flashing
your hazard lights or pointing at the road surface
with hand or foot. Get back to your side as soon as it
is safe to do so.
•
In tight bends. In a bend, your emergency braking
area is toward the outside of the bend. Bikes on the
same line in a bend are in staggered formation, as
none of them is in the following bike's emergency
braking area.
•
At 130km/h plus, your following distance should be
measured in the hundreds of metres anyway. Pick
your best line instead.
Leader / Sweep
The leader is the biker who knows the way. It is almost
unforgivable for the leader to get lost or miss a turning.
But the leader's responsibilities extend further than this.
He is ultimately responsible for the whole group's safety
So the rule is simple: Keep the bike you're following in
your peripheral vision, your eyes on the road, and make
your own decisions. About speed, cornering line, road
surface, braking distance, everything.
Minimum standard regarding protective clothing:
• Helmet
• Riding jacket - a proper, protective riding jacket. An
anorak or windcheater is not enough.
• Gloves - proper riding gloves, leather or other protective material.
• Boots - riding boots are best, or at the very least strong
shoes.
• Trousers - leather or other protective material. Denim
jeans are the very least that will be accepted, and
shorts are obviously way off the mark.
Always make sure that your tyres are up to the
trip. Having to find a new tyre in a small
town can be very difficult and can delay Source: An article
by Brian Cannoo
the ride by hours or even days.
SPOKE
& PISTON
Page 4
NOG ‘N GEDROGGIE OP ONS PAAIE
HENRI HEYNS
Die reklamestuk hieronder het my as motorfietsgeesdriftige skoon dronkgeslaan. Ek kon nie glo wat hier
staan nie. O, dat ons nodig het om aardverwarming met alle mag te beveg, ly geen twyfel nie, maar of dit
op hierdie manier teweeggebring kan word, staan sterk onder verdenking. Nietemin, lees tog maar gerus
wat hier aan die gang is en laat weet wat julle daarvan dink. Kan ek my indink dat enige geesdriftige
BMW- , of enige ander ordentlike motorfietsryer wat dit betref, gaan toustaan om hierdie ‘manjifieke’ stuk
masjinerie aan te skaf?
Lees verder en besluit dan self!
“Wat nog sukkel met hibriede motors soos die Prius, wat
te duur is vir die gemiddelde Suid-Afrikaner, as jy jou
koolstof-voetspoor wil verklein.
Vanaf 2008 kan Suid-Afrikaners 'n elektriese bromponie
vir minder as R15 000 koop om te wys hulle is
vasbeslote om iets te doen aan die land se posisie as
sesde grootste vrysteller van koolsuurgas per capita ter
wêreld.”
Die Uitvoerende Hoof van die verspreider sê hulle mik
om in die eerste jaar 200 van die bromponies in SuidAfrika te verkoop. Dit is `n rukkie gelede op die Natural
Organics-skou in die Kaapstadse Internasionale Konferensie-sentrum bekend gestel.
Volgens die verspreider is die voertuigie in die VSA
ontwerp, word in Taiwan gebou en is reeds in negentien
lande te koop.
Die bromponie kan 'n topsnelheid van 38km/h haal en
met 'n standaard-battery kom jy 35km ver voordat dit
herlaai moet word. 'n Litium-ioon-battery sal die afstand
tot tussen 80km en 100km rek. Die battery laai ook op
afdraandes en wanneer 'n mens rem. Die onderstel is
van dieselfde soort aluminium wat in vliegtuie gebruik
word. Dit weeg slegs 65kg.
Volgens hul webwerf is die verspreider verlede jaar
gestig met die gedagte om kostedoeltreffende
hernieubare-energie-tegnologie aan Suid-Afrikaanse
ondernemings en verbruikers beskikbaar te stel.
Die onderneming sê dit kos minder as R20 om 700 km
met dié fiets af te lê. Dit kan glo deur stedelike
koerierdienste, posdienste, winkelsentrums en
sekuriteits-maatskappye, ensovoorts, gebruik word om
bedryfskoste aansienlik te verminder én hul omgewingsvriendelike beeld uit te bou deur die bromponie te
gebruik pleks van petrolaangedrewe modelle.”
Wat my as motorfietsliefhebber vir baie jare al
dronkslaan, is dat enige entrepreneur so `n verskoning
vir `n tweewielryding op ons paaie wil loslaat. Dit is alles
goed en wel om `n goedkoper asook
brandstofbesparende voertuig aan die publiek
beskikbaar te wil maak, maar let net op na die
spesifikasies van hierdie voorgestelde gedroggie:
Met `n droëgewig van net 65 kg. en wat in baie gevalle
ligter sou wees as die ryer self, sonder om die gewig van
enige bagasie, hoe gering ook al, in berekening te bring,
kan dit net nie as `n ernstige ryding beskou word nie.
Hierby dink ons verder aan die ‘asemrowende’
topsnelheid van 35 km/uur. Ek glo nie dat hierdie
voertuigie eers sal deug vir `n inkopie by die kafee op die
hoek nie, laat staan nog `n pendeltuig werk toe en terug.
Die beginsel van ‘vloei met die verkeer’ is vandag nog
meer belangrik as gister. Dit sê eenvoudig dat die ryer
wat by te veel voertuie verbygaan of toelaat dat te veel
voertuie by hom verbykom, soek in der waarheid
moeilikheid.
A hearty word of welcome to every new member!
VOLUME 13 NO 1
JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2008
A H O L I DAY T O R E M E M B E R
On 21 December my wife and I left for Clarens on the
K1200GT where we
booked a night at
Eddie’s self catering.
Take a close look at
the bike. On the top
box is a bag that
would not survive the
trip, together with a
pair of fake Crocs and
my brand new camera
stand – lesson 1.
We had a great lunch
at Clarens, but
Clarens closes at 5pm
and only two restaurants are then open. Because we had
to leave for Durban early in the morning, we did not have
time to roam around in the many shops before leaving the
next morning. Leaving early turned out to be a blessing
as the N3 to Durban was completely blocked due to an
accident and we were forced to take the scenic route via
Greytown – a trip not to be missed!
After driving through the Golden Gate Highlands National
Park to Colenso, Weenen, Greytown and Pietermaritzburg, we joined the N3 down to Cato Ridge where we
turned off to see the Valley of 1000 Hills. I am not sure
whether we actually found it although all the notice
boards said that that was where we were.
For our 34th wedding anniversary we booked a place next
to the shark tank – what a wonderful experience! The
food was great and the atmosphere was stunning.
We rested in Durban the next day and then left for Kokstad (Manora Guest House), it was incredibly humid and
hot so we decided to stay away from the coast and left for
Pietermaritzburg along to N3 up to the R623 where we
turned off to Richmond, Ixopo, Umzimkulu (where we
filled up) and eventually Kokstad.
We stopped in Matatiele and bought the most wonderful
tasting ‘Kerrie-vetkoeke’ a-la Vetkoekpaleis.
When I was at school I built a bicycle out of spares and
rode along this route from Pietermartizburg to Matatiele.
What a change this was on the powerful K1200GT and
my wife on the back seat!
This brought back many memories . . .
The next morning we left early for King Williamstown.
We nearly passed the garage outside Kokstad and then
remembered the warnings we got at the club night. We
turned around and decided to have breakfast and fill up
the bike. Good decision.
The rest of the day we spent in light drizzle in the valleys, through the clouds into sunshine and back into the
valleys.
Could the world get any better than this?
Page 5
JOHAN MAARTENS
Here we learnt lesson number two: If you take your
wife with, make sure you pack a hairdryer!
We rode relatively fast that day to get to the Spur in
King Williamstown before 16:30 only to learn at 15:15
that they have already closed. Thanks to Spur we had
our Christmas lunch at the local café – Russian and
chips.
Lesson number three: Make sure on Christmas day
that you are close to a large city with plenty of eating
places unless you prefer Russian and chips.
Then the ride from King Williamstown to Grahamstown!
A terrible wind and heavy rain caused us to put our
heads down and just concentrate on the road. It is here
where our little packet on the top box went AWOL and
we never saw it again – together with my tripod and fake
Crocs.
We reached Mossel Bay, the town where we had lived
for 12 years and rested there for three days. Here we
also met up with our eldest daughter and her husband.
Ina picked up our car and trailer while Chris (my son-inlaw) and I took the R62 to Stellenbosch. Chris’s Suzuki
GSX1000R rode in front and as you can imagine, the
speed picked up as well. During the whole trip from Johannesburg to Stellenbosch the K1200GT used 5,2
l/100km – and that includes a day up and down the
Outeniqua Pass. What a ride! Every now and again I
had to stop and just give the adrenaline levels a chance
to stabilize!
Of course we had to stop at Ronnie’s Sex Shop! Nothing like the name says but the road is everything people
told us before we left. The following day I picked Ina up
and took her across the mountain via Du Toit’s Kloof to
have breakfast in Worcester. Here we heard about the
rain along the southern coastal areas and decided to
see what Saldanha looked like. What a beautiful ride
and what a beautiful place! We left southward to Langebaan and then via Bloubergstrand to Stellenbosch.
Here we put the bike on the trailer and came home – a
dream come true and a great encouragement to travel
more and more.
What else did we learn?
For novices like us it is good to do no more than 450km
per day. It is also good to have a day’s rest every three
days or so. Have the right clothes, especially rain
clothes and test them
well before the trip. We
did that and never got
wet or had any discomfort! Stop at every possible interesting place.
Looking at the other trip
reports we still did not
stop enough.
The ride is the holiday!
SPOKE
& PISTON
Page 6
D E C E M B E R S AW O U R M E M B E R S O N T H E R O A D S !
Johan & Ina Maartens took the long road for their December fun (read about their trip on page 5)
and so did a few others . . .
▲ Jamie & Stienie visited the South Coast of Natal ▲
▼ Bossie & Nettie visited the Swartberg Pass ▼
▲ Dave & Dorothy - a 10 day trip to the Cape ▲
▼ Richard & Ann Szalek were also in the Cape ▼
▼ Marius & Dani and two of their teenage daughters as pillions did an around-the-country trip ▼
VOLUME 13 NO 1
S I LV E
JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2008
Page 7
EXTREME AWARDS
R
Marius & Dani du
Preez received their
Extreme Gold Rider
Award after visiting the
4 extreme points of
South Africa during 3
weeks in December Marius on his
R1200GS and Dani on
her F650GS.
Congratulations to Hennie & Sharon Pretorius
who received their Extreme Silver awards Hennie as Silver Rider and Sharon as Silver
Pillion.
WELL DONE
GOLD
Two more members just
completed their Golden
Trips
◄ Pierre Rousseau on his
Dakar &
Wahl Fitzgerald on his
1200GS ►
Let us know if you too
deserve this award!
1 0 D I N G E WAT N U W E R Y E R S V E R K E E R D K A N D O E N
Dani du Preez
Geen nuwe ryer sal hom skuldig maak aan
ál die onderstaande foute nie en sommige
sal waarskynlik nooit iets self verkeerd doen
nie. Dit is egter die moeite werd om kennis
te neem van die moontlike foute en só
verleentheid te voorkom!
1. Ry buite jou vermoë
2. Gee toe aan groepsdruk
3. Lees die pad verkeerd
4. Volg nie onderhoudskedules nie
5. Staan sonder brandstof
6. Ontwatering
7. Uitputting
8. Misreken draaie
9. Doen geen veiligheidskursusse nie
10. Vind nuwe dinge om op ‘n motorfiets te
doen . . .
NIKS kom by die gevoel om in beheer te wees van jou motorfiets
op die grootpad, grondpad of voetpad nie!
Deur gedurig ‘n eerlike opname van jou eie vaardighede te maak
en soveel as moontlik veilige kilometers binne jou vermoë te ry, sal
mettertyd verseker dat jy ‘n gesoute ryer word.
‘n Ferm maar ontspanne handgreep, ‘n bottel water vir elke 2 ure
op die fiets (en die gevolglike verpligte ‘ruskans’), brandstofinname
wanneer die tenk nog ± 25% brandstof het en ‘n passie om op te
klim en te ry, is maar net ‘n paar maatreëls wat kan verseker dat jy
en jou fiets jare lank groot vriende bly.
Jy kán steeds jou nuwe motorfiets geniet deur konserwatiewe
afstande per dag te ry - dan het jy ook meer tyd om self jou
motorfiets te was en só jou fiets beter te leer ken!
Na al die duisende rande wat jy op jou motorfiets, beskermende
klere, tasse en bykomstighede spandeer het, maak dit beslis sin
om ‘n paar honderd rand ekstra te spandeer op ‘n veiligheidskursus (en later ook opknapping– en gevorderde kursusse).
Wees wys en geniet jou motorfiets!
Club evening: Every first Friday of
the month @ 18:00
S H A R E D
R I D I N G
P L E A S U R E
NOTE: AGM
7 March 2008
BMW MOTORCYCLE
CLUB PRETORIA
PO Box 23848
450 Vermeulen St
Innesdale
Arcadia
0031
Pretoria 0083
(012) 323 4865
(012) 803 7123
“Shared riding pleasure whilst fostering fellowship by the
safe, supportive, responsible and courteous enjoyment of
BMW motorcycles.”
fax 0866112734
Chairman: Pieter de Koker
Secretary: Lorette Janse v Rensburg
Treasurer: Colin King
E-mail: dani@bmwclubs.co.za
Website: www.bmwclubs.co.za
All runs and events are subject to
confirmation at the prior Club social
meeting. This is a work-in-progress
schedule and may be altered at any
time. No responsibility will be
accepted for changes to the
programme.
IMPORTANT: Non-Club members are
welcome to attend Club riding events
as guests.
Non-members, however, are required
to sign an indemnity form before
participating. The form can be
downloaded from the Home Page.
The Club has an official policy
regarding the use and financial
compensation of support vehicles on
official overnight club trips. (Details on
the Events Page.)
Spoke & Piston also appears on our
website. Visit us there with newsy bits,
information on new products, what is
happening on the motorcycling scene,
etc. Please send articles, pictures,
comments, etc. to the Editor, Spoke ‘n
Piston, PO Box 40422, Arcadia, 0007
or email to henrih@telkomsa.net
INDEMNITY: Although reasonable
care has been taken to ensure the
correctness of all material contained
herein, the publisher cannot be held
liable for any inaccuracies that may
occur or damage/loss sustained as a
result of advice given.
Editor Spoke & Piston: Henri Heyns
Next Club Ride: 3 Feb
3 Dams
The ride calendar for 2008
Visit the website
www.bmwclubs.co.za
for the full calendar of rides
There will be a Sunday morning ride the first weekend of every month.
Several longer trips are planned. They are:
March: The Pontdrift Ivory Run;
1-11 May: Mozambique GS trip;
April/May: ABBG & Canopy Tour
June: BMW Clubs Africa weekend & The Winter Chill Out Ride;
September: GS Challenge & Bike Train Trip to Western Cape;
November: Year End Function Weekend; December: 1. Clarence 2. Sabie
JANUARY CLUB RIDE
The old Warmbaths
road took a huge
group of Roadies via
Warmbaths to the old
tin mine town of
Rooiberg while a
small group of
GS riders took
the challenge of
the muddy back
roads.