EDITORIAL NOVEMBER 1980
Well, here goes with our
first Editorial, but what does one write in one’s first editorial? I suppose I
could say how good the mag is going to be now that Faye and I are the editors
etc, etc, but that cannot be right, as the mag can only be as good as the
material that YOU, the members, supply to us to edit and print.
We’ll hold up our end of
the bargain, i.e. have the mag available at each Club meeting. Whether or not there is anything worth
reading beyond the Editorial and Itinerary will depend entirely on how many
write-ups of runs, tit bits of info and scandal that is fed to us.So, if you
are asked to do a write-up, or, have some info that you feel may be of interest
to other members, get it to us as promptly as possible. By doing so you’ll do 2 favours, one to us by
giving us something to print and one to all the other members by giving then a
mag that is worthwhile reading.
Incidentally our address
is 246 Gap Rd, Sunbury 3429 and may be used for postal or personal delivery
(the kettle is always warm). Our phone
number is (03) 744-1189 (we don’t answer it if we’re not home!). Cheers.
Faye & Geoff Morgan.
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NOVEMBER RUNS
Friday 7 General Meeting, Club Hall.
8.15 pm SHARP.
Darren’s movies of U.S.A. trip.
Sunday 9 Coppins Lookout. KBCP 8.30 am
Sunday 16 Mt Beckworth. Challenge by
Ballarat Tourers.
8.30 am KBCP.
Weekend 22/23 Camping, lower Glenelg National Park.
8am
Laverton Shell Service Station.
Sunday 30 Whroo. KBCP 9am (bring torch)
DECEMBER
Friday 5 General Meeting, Club Hall.
8.15pm SHARP
Guest speaker, Castrol.
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*******CONGRATULATIONS*******
The CLUB members would
like to congratulate Christine and Craig Dawson on the arrival of a healthy 8lb
1oz baby boy on 6th October, welcome Cameron.
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XMAS PARTY
WHERE:- Darmodys Hotel, Alexandria.
WHEN:- 6th & 7th
December
COST:- $17.00 per head.
For further details and bookings,
see Ian Taylor. Final bookings by 16th Nov.
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STOKES (Australasia)
Limited (per courtesy of Mr Ken Thompson) have given us a donation (value
$30.00) which consists of a complete set of Committee and Life Membership Badges.
MANY THANKS.
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NOTICE TO ALL MEMBERS
MOTO-SPORT SUZUKI of 29
Keilor Road, North Essendon. Have agreed
to allow a 10% discount on all Spare Parts and Accessories to MTCV
members. (Result of the efforts of our
President).
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CHRISTMAS HAMPER – RAFFLE
This year the Hamper
will be of the traditional style.
i.e. Ham on the bone,
Marzipan, Glazed fruit, Nuts, Bon-bons, Champagne, Fruit cake, Plum pudding,
Shortbread etc etc. Which is valued at
over $60.00 all tickets for the hamper will be available from either Phil Duffy
or Keith Finlay and will cost 50c each.
Tickets will be sold to members only.
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CRAP FROM THE CAP
It has come to my notice
that lately there has been an alarming increase in the amount of what common
folks call bullshit about bike ‘A’ being infinitely superior to bike ‘B’ This must stop immediately !!
I mean, really the poor
uneducated and illectually inept morons who ride bike ‘C’ can hardly get a word
in edge ways at club meetings, rallies, runs tec. This can be humiliating educating or just
sheer pain in the glutinous maximus.
Many a time have I been to a function as a member of the majority or as
a participant of the other side, i.e. GL owner at the Gold rush rally and a
Kwaka owner at a Duke club meeting. My
reaction to both situations was just sit back and listen to the amount of
‘Bull’ that was proffered.
We all know our own
bike will:-
a)
Go
faster than everyone elses.
b)
Out
handle everyone elses.
c)
Have
better fuel economy than everyone elses.
d)
Last
a lot, lot longer than everyone elses.
e)
Be
more reliable than everyone elses.
So why earbash that poor
inept dim witted, brainless, nincompoop sitting or standing beside you? He is probably thinking the same about you.
I’ll tell you why, it is
all because of the human weakness called EGO and it gets to everyone of us,
except your long suffering, hardworking club captain, (for you nongs out there
I am talking about myself, the latter part of the paragraph applies here)
It is time we changed
our ways and started talking some sense.
Please join with me fellow club members and pray that we may reduce the
loads of rubbish that is written and spoken about our bikes.
I am naturally unbiased
because I know that the Goldwing is the greatest and most magnificent piece of
engineering knowhow ever released to a world that was conned that the ‘Bloody
Mess on Wheels’ and the spaghetti framed wog bikes were better than best.
I humbly thank you for
reading this oracle of truth, justice and the Japanese way.
Kommandant Kevin GL
1000.
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TIT – BITS
Overheard a fellow
member recently state that the R80 G/S could be an ideal replacement for his
current 3 or 4 year machine which is well into its second time around the
clock. Trouble is the G/S will not be
available for at least twelve months – maybe longer. Anyone care to make a book on the total mileage
of the current machine when and if he gets a G/S?
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Suspect a certain R90
maybe about to gain a set of chains on its rear wheel. Something to do with hill – climbing?
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Also hear that a certain
member now has to flip a coin before he goes riding! CB750 or R65; which will
it be?
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Comment made that club
camping weekends are becoming a BMW benefit!! True or False? – the latter I
trust!
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QUEENSCLIFF FORT. 14/9/80
After taking Keith
Finlay up on his offer to ride as pillion on a club run, there I was astride
his ‘ST’ one Sunday morning. As we made
our way towards the KBCP, I was constantly reminded by the club sticker on the back
of his lid, which club he was a member of.
A ‘RELAX’ sticker would have been more appropriate for me on this
occasion.
Arriving at the KBCP I
recognised some of the faces and their names, from the AGM where I had my first
introduction to the club. After some of
the morning after the night before gossip we were on our way with Keith leading
and Big D as rear rider.
Doing battle with the
strong winds on the Western Highway I was glad I was on the ‘ST’ instead of
my 250.
Turning off Highway 8 at Rockbank, it was time to relax as we had the
wind working with us instead of hindering our progress. Cobbledicks Reserve with its creek crossing
and smouldering VW gave the tail enders a chance to catch up and the club to
look like an organised group.
Geelong via the
pastures, green hills and deserted roads of Anakie was the first petrol and
tongue wagging stop since our journey started.
On leaving Geelong the clouds covered the sky and turned what had been a
clear sunny day into a rain threatening day.
Queenscliff’s Fort
looked interesting as we approached, but it was a pity that we had to wait a
number of hours before becoming disappointingly bored within its walls.
As the club entered the
Fort, after lunching at the beach, just what were all the people staring
at? Surely they’d seen motorcyclists
before. Anyway with the pinging of rain
on our helmets the return journey to Geelong was via Portarlington and
Drysdale. A petrol stop outside Geelong
was where the club dispersed, everyone hoping to dodge the rain.
Homeward bound, battling
the cars on the freeway could only be described as quick. So that was my most enjoyable first Sunday
with the club and will definitely not be the last.
Bryce.
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Q. What has an I.Q. of
15 and digs holes in the road?
A. 15 Irish labourers.
Q. What has an I.Q. of
18 and digs holes in the road?
A. A wombat.
Q. What’s black and
crisp and hangs from the ceiling?
A. An Irish electrician.
Q. What do you do if an
Irishman throws a pin at you?
A. Run – he’s probably
got a grenade in his mouth.
Q. What do you do if
Irishman throws a grenade at you?
A. Pull the pin out and
throw it back.
Q. How many Irishmen
does it take to make popcorn?
A. Five. One to hold the pan and four to shake the
stove.
Q. What’s an Irish four
course meal?
A. Baked potato, boiled
potato, mashed potato and chips.
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THOMPSON RIVER DAM
Well this was one of
those runs where if anything was going to happen it was going to happen today
and in front of an audience.
The route we took
roughly paralleled the Princes Hwy, down to Drouin. From Drouin to Trafalgar
via the Hwy then on to the side road from Trafalgar to Moe where I bogged the
‘Wing’ on the outskirts of the township.
(Refer to Mike Formani for photo and me for the jive).
At Moe we stopped and
had lunch. While I was there I also washed ‘Miss Piggy’ for some rather potent
and obvious reasons (no smartie, the wing wasn’t S—T on, it sank up to its
axles in it).
From Moe we travelled up
to the Thompson River Dam construction site via Erica, where Ian and Dave left
us to go to the Walhalla pub. (Damned
alco’s)
The run up to the dam
was good and so was the run back to Erica to hopefully meet up with Ian and
Dave. On arrival at Erica they were not
to be found, so a quick blast to Walhalla was in order and this is where I
found them. Upon my return to Erica a
decision was made that we return home via Tanjil Bren, Noojee etc, but we
became lost up a dead end dirt track.
This is where I found out how great a dirt bike the ‘Wing’ really is.
We returned to Moe where
I felt that with the traffic that was going to be encountered on the highway
that Moe was a good place to disperse.
Kevin GL 1000 (B.M.W...a
poor man’s Goldwing)
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Did you hear about the
Irishwoman ironing her curtains?
She fell out of the
window.
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MT. HOWARD ? MT. HOWITT ? MT. BULLA? 12/10/80
There was a fair
gathering of bikes at the KBCP when I arrived at 3 mins to 8am. The morning was cool and overcast as it was
to remain all day. Craig called the
group together to give us a rundown on the days ride and I find we are heading
for Mt Howitt at the back of Mt Bulla, not Mt Howard as printed in the
itinerary. At 8am we head off through Ringwood, Lilydale, a devious back road
to Coldstream then Yarra Glen and Healesville.
Had a good run up the
Black Spur on dry road with only light traffic.
We stop at Merton for coffee and to feed some of the more hungry
machines. At this stop our rear rider
Phil Duffy decides to return home as there is an ominous grinding coming from
the rear wheel area of the outfit. Craig
says that we will have lunch the other side of Mansfield.
Marc Sulot is
volunteered as rear rider and we get going.
Up through Mansfield, Merrijig to Mt Bulla. No food stop.
Oh well we will go to Mt Howitt then Mansfield for lunch says Craig.
Tom Saville scorches
down the road from Mt Bulla arriving at the bottom with a glowing blue
disc. The Mt Howitt road is a right off
and we return after about a km. Lunch
stop is a BP station just east of Mansfield.
Mick and Joy go into
Mansfield for fish and chips. Mick
declares the petrol is 0.1c a litre cheaper in Mansfield. A big saving for Mick; probably burnt up the
savings getting there and back. El
Presidente elects himself rear rider as the Kwaka ST has an internal upset and
is gobbling juice at a rate of 32 mpg.
After lunch Craig leads
us down through Jamieson and across to Snobs Creek. On this section there is
some excitement as I have a good scratch with Tom Saville and Chris Negus. There has been a lot of work done on this
road and a few kilometres of new bitumen.
Also on this section one of three visitors runs off the road on what was
an immaculate F2 Honda. Have you ever
seen the star plate spokes ripped out of a Comstar wheel and banana
forklegs? I have!
The F2 remains are
lifted into a friendly Forestry Commission Toyota and deposited at Taggerty for
later retrieval. The remainder of the
ride is rather uninspired with the Black Spur littered with cars and very slow
caravans. The ride breaks up at
Healesville and I return home through Christmas Hills in pouring rain. The ‘Garbage Gear’ is still waterproof. I’m glad to say.
Keith Harris BMW 750
this time.
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Q. Why did the Irish stop making ice-blocks?
A. Because the old lady who knew the recipe
died.
Q. Did you hear about the Irish Hardie Ferodo
driver?
A. He made 100 pit stops – four for fuel and the
other 96 for directions.
Q. How do you recognise Irish mechanics?
A. They’re the guys who put on hub caps so the
writing on them is the right way up.
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FOR SALE
1976 Honda GL1000
Goldwing & DJP Sidecar.
This extremely well
cared for machine is now offered for sale to discerning buyers. The sale will
include all those cosmetic & functional modifications currently
incorporated. These mods include the
forks, which now operate on an emulsion consisting of Castrol Fork Oil &
Red Dust, (the exact proportions of which shall remain the secret of the writer)
& results in the appropriate variation (deterioration?) in damping as well
as a slight change in rake (de frame she bruk!) which results in a certain
degree of steering vagueness which is guaranteed to increase the flow of
adrenalin under most conditions. Whilst
the above mods are obviously of a performance nature, maintenance has not been
overlooked as it is no longer necessary to change oil in this machine. In fact, pouring oil in usually results in a
long face as it tends to stain the concrete below the scientifically positioned
hole in the crankcase, (the result of the attack of a rock, not leaving the
plug out!).
Finally is the
finish! A beautiful burgundy with shades
of grey primer and spew green peering through the wear spots has resulted in a
rather (un)-attractive triple toned colour scheme.
I guess one should also
add the breakaway feature of the sidecar which any day now will separate from
its wheel and suspension unit and will no doubt prove the riders proficiency at
flying the chair. (or otherwise).
The price for this very
desirable machine will be disclosed to interested parties should they care to
contact the owner (who isn’t admitting he is !?). No offer under $10,000.00 will be considered.
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POINT COOK
There is a proverb
‘Better late than never’. Well this
report is so damn late, it probably should never have been written, but here
goes anyway.
The day that this run
was held on was the day that the Castrol 2 Hour Production race was being
staged at Calder Raceway. With my vast
knowledge of exit routes of Melbourne, I reasoned that if point ‘A’ K.B.C.P,
and point ‘B’ Point Cook R.A.A.F Base, were only 35 minutes apart by taking the
most obvious and direct route, and that we had approximately 3 hours to fill in,
a cook’s tour of the local Sunday bottle neck was just the thing to do the job
magnificently.
After extricating myself
and everyone else out of the thickening traffic that was heading towards the
races, we cut across to Melton, south towards the You Yangs (did you know it
was possible to get lost in this area) then east to Werribee South where we had
lunch.
After lunch we wandered
over to the R.A.A.F base and spent a few hours inspecting the many interesting
artefacts and restored aircraft.
Kevin GL 1000
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Q. What is written on the bottom of Irish beer
bottles?
A. Open other end.
Q. How do you burn an Irishman's ear?
A. Ring him up while he’s ironing.
Q. How did the Irishman burn his other ear?
A. Well he had to ring the doctor didn’t he.
Q. How did the Irishman drown?
A. He was trying to push start a submarine.
Q. How do you sink an Irish submarine?
A. Knock on the hatch.
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WALKERVILLE 18TH & 19TH
OCTOBER
Saturday morning dawned
fine and bright in Upwey, ideal for the run down to Walkerville. Fortunately
for us Ian Taylor wanted his Suzi trail bike at Walkerville so we were both
able to ride solo, a lot more comfortable for Sally these days. A mental block saw me heading for Hallam at
8am not Cranbourne so of course by the time we reached Cranbourne the club was
well gone. However this didn’t matter
greatly as we travelled at a leisurely and legal speed on the two trail bikes.
Grantville was the first
of many petrol stops for the Suzi during the weekend with its thirst, around
50mpg, and tiny tank. Also at Grantville
was a convenient polling booth where the local CWA made all visitors feel
welcome at their home-made cake stall.
Back on the road travelling
was very pleasant with very light traffic and the sun bright and warm. The countryside was green and pleasant and
the occasional glimpses of beach and ocean from the road were most refreshing. Tarwin Lower was the last township before
Walkerville so a quick stop for milk and bread soon turned into a leisurely
wait in the sun. However, no sign of the
bike club so on to Walkerville we rode.
A few kilometres of the road are fairly sandy but proved no problem on
the trail bikes. We found the club had come
via Fish Creek safely tucked away from the sea breeze amongst the tea tree
scrub in the Walkerville camping ground.
Present were Tom, Jude,
Keith, Kevin, Marc and a very relieved Ian and Lyn seeing their trail bike
arrive safely. After lunch Ken Markham
arrived with a mate and his wife who, judging by the number of accessories on
their Goldwing, felt that the wings are
not heavy enough in standard trim.
Later in the day a few
of us rode to Cape Liptrap, and then to South Walkerville and North Walkerville
which are only a short distance apart. The only means of travel between them is
by footpath, beach or a rather long sandy road.
Anyrate, exploring by bike eventually found us on Walkerville South
beach where we all played silly buggers on the firm sand till most of us fell
off. Kevin's GL got bogged and it started getting decidedly dangerous.
So then for something
safer we went trail riding. But after Ian skidded down an almost vertical track
and it took much pushing and three attempts by Tom to ride the Suzi out of the
gully we gave trail riding away too.
Back at camp those
people who hadn’t brought supplies voted Ian and I to ride to Fish Creek. As much
of the road is sand and Ian was setting the pace, it became a ride on the wild
side but of course there is no truth in the rumour that I had to take evasive
action to avoid a high speed tree.
Sunday morning
reasonable weather. We went beach combing while others explored or continued
Saturday night’s discussion (argument) of best bike. During this time Keith Finlay arrived and
during a short ride on the beach quickly proved that it’s possible to bog down
a Jap one litre bike unladen, where a heavily laden BMW will go without
trouble. Anyrate, as low tide was about
11am most of our intrepid band were soon following me down the beach to
Walkerville South and on to Tarwin Lower.
Ian T. took over the lead at Wonthaggi and took us to their friend’s
garage at the Gurdies where we all lunched before dispersing for home.
All in all Walkerville
was a very pleasant weekend, the type of run that does much to improve club
morale.
Brendon Gleeson.
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DON’T FORGET
For bookings for the
Christmas Party see Ian Taylor at club meetings or give him a bell on 568
4875. Bookings must be made by 16th
November.
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