EDITORIAL OCTOBER 1980

 

Well, it’s finally arrived, my last magazine.  The Morgans will be taking over as of the November magazine.  I would like to thank all those who have submitted articles over the past year, without those of course you would have had a very small magazine.  I do hope you will keep sending them in and give the Morgans the support that you have Jude and I over the past year. Thank you.

 

Smithy.

 

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ELETION RESULTS.

 

PRESIDENT                     KEITH FINLAY

V. PRESIDENT                JOHN McKENNA

TREASURER                   PHIL DUFFY

SECRETARY                   IAN TAYLOR

SOCIAL SEC.                  DAVID SHEATH

ASS. SEC.                         MARC SULOT

CLUB CAPTAIN             KEVIN ROBERTSON

V. CLUB CAPTAIN        CRAIG DAWSON

 

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OCTOBER RUNS

 

Friday 3                             General Meeting Club Hall 8.15pm SHARP

Sunday 5                           Paradise via Great Ocean rd. KBCP 9am

Sunday 12                         Mt. Howard KBCP 7.30am.

Weekend 18/19                 Camping, Walkerville Nr. Waratah Bay 8am Cranbourne.

Sunday 26                         Powers Lookout KBCP 8am.  Lilydale 9.15am.

 

NOVEMBER

Sunday 2                           Club Captains surprise ride. KBCP 9am.

Friday 7                             General Meeting Club Hall 8.15pm SHARP Darren’s movies of USA trip

 

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CLUB SAFETY.

 

Over the last few weeks riders have been ignoring the safety aspects of riding.  Apart from being against the Law, it is also against club policy to ride without your helmet on.  Remember, no matter what speed you’re travelling at you can seriously hurt yourself and spoil the day for the rest of the club.

 

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The club would like to congratulate Les Leahy on him becoming a Life Member.  Les has done a great deal for the club over the last few years; it was Les who started off the Club Member of the Year Award and also the design and printing of our T-Shirts to name just a few.  Congratulations again Les.

 

 

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PRESIDENT REPORT.

 

DECEMBER

 

Rides well attended except for the Xmas Camp in the Snowy River Valley.  Reason for this was the indecision on the committee to make sure there was a specific area for camping.  However it’s more my own fault as the camp was really my own idea.  Do not think that the Xmas Social was that great.  Looking at it from and overall view that is.  (Bulldust, ED.) Xmas hamper raffle was really good and everyone wanted to win it and be in it.  If we hired a removal van like we did years ago and went to a pub and then come back it would be more of a Xmas Social breakup.  However that is my personal view.

 

JANUARY

 

Rides not well attended except for the Clubman Rally.  Even had one ride cancelled after 4 turned up in the city and decided that this was not enough to justify going.  Meanwhile at Cranbourne 4 people there decided that there was not a good enough turn up so they also decided not to go.  All in all 8 people stuffed up what could have been a long but good ride.  The weather was cold I might add.  Unfortunately the committee has been forced to add to the rules of the Club Member of the Year award to stop a little bit of bickering which could get worse if allowed to go unchecked.  I received a complaint from some members, that on the cancelled there was not one committee member along and that this was a disgrace because the ride didn’t go on and would have had there been a committee member there.

 

That is one of the biggest loads of shit I have heard of in a long while.  Will be glad at the end of the year when I retire from this committee and don’t have to sympathise with everyone because of my position.  Looking forward to being a back bencher actually.  Regret at this stage that we don’t have a rally of our own, but on the other hand, the club as a whole is not really orientated and that is a good thing.

 

FEBRUARY

 

Rides very well attended and people are becoming interested in meeting other clubs and their members more.  The Aust. Day Weekend was good with about 20 members up at the Clubman Rally.  Which is a beautiful site.  Quite a few of the members went up to Canberra for the MRA, FAM Protest Rally. Will have to be careful and make sure that the club doesn’t get too rally orientated and not put on a ride for people in Melbourne area as well as a rally on the same day.  Had one of our best rides ever in conjunction with the Ballarat touring club.  The atmosphere was great, and that’s an understatement.  We had a cricket match of two innings in which we (modestly) showed them how to win.  A great day and a great time, one of the best rides I’ve been privileged to be on.

 

MARCH

 

March kicked off to a good start, when at our General Meeting a representative of the Auto Cycle council of vic. A Mr. Marc Wigan gave us a lecture on the pros and cons of our club becoming an affiliated club with the ACUV. He also went on a smidge, about how many committees he was on and how important they and he were to motorcycling in Aust.  Most of us concluded that he loves himself although he did appear to justify his existence.

 

Raffles, service days and theatre nights are getting away again as requested by members.  The start of the month saw Phil jetting away to the USA to be followed in the middle of the night by Darrin and Ted.  There is now positive proof in the no. of active people in the club, that the changes made over the last 18 months are having the correct long term effect.  I am also more than happy that there is no animosity between the people who led the changes and those who resisted them.  Rides were all well attended with the notable exception being the Mt Matlock ride with a smidge of dirt.  Pity because it was a wonderful day and a marvellous ride.

 

APRIL

 

The start of the month got underway with a Gen. Meeting being held on the 1st Wednesday, due to Easter, Good Friday being the 1st Friday of the month.  A surprise decision from that meeting (from my own personal view that is) is that there is still a rather strong desire to find out more about the ACUV from about ½ of the members.  We will have a look into this matter more carefully and seriously as a club and make sure that if we do or don’t become affiliated we make the right decision for everyone.

 

The absolutely marvellous type weather is still going strong and rides are very well attended.  It’s a pity that the 5pm Saturday night theatre show was so poorly attended, reasons were not really obvious but I think we should try and persevere a bit more with that kind of format.

 

The Cape Liptrap Lighthouse ride was a bit of a no no apparently.  Reasons being that the club didn’t actually get there (close enough, Ed). Still, getting there is not everything, but it sure helps.  The BBQ at Maroondah reserve with the game of baseball was good from almost every point of view and firmly enhances the shorter type rides for the wintery months.

 

MAY

 

Started off with a very successful slide night.  The 1st ride for the month was the sports day held on a farm near Mt Macedon.  It was without doubt the best organised I’ve ever had the pleasure of being too.  The professionalism of DAWSO as an organiser of a bunch of rabble was nothing short of a miracle, and the type of events with their variety and innovation did justice to the hard work that Tom and his helpers put into it.  The family day was also a success even though it was a bloody cold day.

 

JUNE

 

Well the economy started off with everyone striving for perfection and a few cheating (ref. to Phil Duffy) Les Leahy won the day on his R65 which is probably the 3rd time he has won this event on at least 3 different bikes.  So there must be a moral there somewhere.  The general meeting saw the introduction of an annual fee collecting time and it seems to be well liked.  Snake Valley was a ripper of a ride with one GL falling into a 6’ hole.  Tarra Gallaway was a write off as far as attendance goes.  We actually got some members to French Island and a lot of people were happy when the Pres. fell off on their ride.

 

JULY

 

Well July started off with a movie night which was successful with the members if not the sound.  The counter lunch at Eildon was not what I would call a raging success but it was worth the effort (Why not ED.)

 

The Joss House was a ripper of a ride, one of those rides that comes once in a blue moon. (thank heavens, I think he must have his rides mixed up ED) and the day trial was a soppy success for all except Craig, considering the type of weather we had and the number of people on rides it was more than successful month.

 

AUGUST

 

Well the Auction night was once again on as usual some bargains were to be had although a few people did buy stacks of books with no apparent value to them, or did they know something we didn’t about their contents.  The snow ride was terrific with us clearly being the best snowballers around. (school girls by the bus load aren’t much comp. anyway) Due to the fact that I’m going away on holidays I had to wind up this mini revue or the rides and goings on in the club. (thank God ED.)

 

It is history that WE made some drastic decisions in the club (the WE being all the members) and that those decisions were luckily the right ones.  We were dictated by a small group and decisions were made without our consultation and it seemed that the people in power were forgetting what their jobs were.  Whether they knew what the problems were and didn’t know how to remedy them is a matter for conjective only what happened in reality we should only look to the future.

 

My stint as Pres. has been one of great rides and events.  I look upon the club as one big large club ride.  We are unique in Australia if not the world in our ability to have a ride week in, week out with a never ending cast of riders on a never ending  ride, sounds soppy doesn’t it.  Well if it is I don’t mind being soppy.  I also believe that the club is a direct reflection on motorcycle booms that occur in this country.  Over the past 24 years of the club, the members have ridden the machines of the day that are selling in great numbers and it is with this in mind I will forecast that the majority of people in the club will be riding mid-range bikes that have a good touring speed but also get good MPG.  This won’t happen overnight but will probably take about the same amount of time to come about as the superbike did which was early 70’s to 80’s. 

 

I do hope that people read this part, as it was written piece meal through the year to give then an idea of what their Press. thought of things that made an impression on him be they be good or bad.

 

It is with mixed feelings that I stand down, one is relief that I no longer have to carry the decision making burden of being an active PRESIDENT and the other is regret that things that could have been done and changed weren’t.

 

However the overall results show we didn’t go backwards and that’s all that really counts.

 

Mick R100S.

 

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MT. IDA(or the lost club run)

 

Mt. Ida is a fairly small hill crowned with a fire tower and a trig point near the town of Heathcote.  But it was to prove rather elusive for some of our members on this run.

 

We started as usual at the car park with about 21 bikes and led by Craig.  Set off via the Bulla, Romsey, Lancefield route.  A windy but otherwise uneventful ride found us at Heathcote for lunch.  Our leader relying on a rather poor map clipped from a newspaper, set off for Mt. Ida our final destination.  That’s where things started to fall apart.  Our 1st attempt after several kms of dirt road found us at Costerfield on the Nagambie road, after enquires there it was back to Heathcote for another try.  Somewhere on the way we lost part of the club.

 

Back in the town we tried another road, this time success.  A rough and rocky road to the top the last section leading to the fire tower suitable only for motorcycles or goats.  While taking in the view a bright orange dayglo helmet was spied in the distance.  Ted on his Morini eventually made it to the top.  Although his Morini baulked at the last section.  The rest of our straying sheep we never saw again for that day at least.

 

Heading back to Heathcote to see if we could rejoin the lost ones our leader decided to add a bit of variety by avoiding the road down and trying the fire trials.  Some members thought it was a bit rough and took the direct route while the remainder went rock hopping or trial riding until we ran out of trial, around a few fallen trees and across a boggy paddock, over a fallen fence and back to the road.  Back at Heathcote we rejoined the sensible ones and decided to return home via Yea and Yarra Glen with the exception of a couple who had to get home early.

 

A good run on good roads to Yea where we dispersed.  Eleven bikes completed the run out of 21 who started.  The missing ones will no doubt have their own tale to tell.

 

Frank BMW 750

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THE AUSTRALIAN LIBERAL PARTY HAS CHOSEN THE FRENCH LETTER AS IT’S OFFICIAL EMBLEM.  THE REASON BEING, IT STANDS FOR INFLATION, HOLTS PRODUCTION, GIVES PROTECTION TO A BUNCH OF PRICKS AND GIVES ONE A FALSE SENSE OF SECURITY WHILE BEING STUFFED!

 

 

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Did you hear about the Irish marksman who shot an arrow into the air and missed...

 

Heard about the latest innovation in Irish submarines?

Screen windows to keep the fish out.

 

Did you hear about the Irish football scalper?

He was arrested for selling tickets inside the ground.

 

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LOGAN FOR A RUN

 

Because of a few rallies being on only a small number of bikes turned up for this ride.  Craig led while I watched from the rear.  Up the Tulla Freeway we went through the Bulla Cutting, Gisborne and Woodend where we turned in a westerly direction.  The sky was looking pretty gloomy at this stage.  Going via Trentham Falls I had to wait while the GL was filled.  Moving on we passed through Hepburn Springs then gradually getting out onto the open road and the weather now changing into a perfect day.  Some of the scenery was a treat to see, we seemed to go a long way before coming into Maryborough, where we picked up some food and got caught up in their Wattle Festival.

 

Craig took us on a little ride before we finally left heading for Logan, and starting to wonder whether we were ever going to get there.  As our next stop was at St. Arnaud, where we sat in the park eating lunch while the locals carried on a bit. (very noisy).  On leaving we headed towards Bendigo, with a slight diversion taking place just out of town, has the leader noticed on one of the signs “Logan 21KMS”.  On going through the only thing I noticed there was a garage and we considered ourselves lucky that we didn’t buy lunch there as there were shops.

 

Not long after we went over a section of good dirt road with a couple of nice little dips.  Through to Tarnagulla via Marong before stopping on the outskirts of Bendigo for afternoon tea.  Then continued along the McIvor Hwy to Heathcote and Kilmore where we met Don and Jan, who went on a short ride rather than go on ours, as they felt it too far to go for them.

 

We dispersed there after a good ling ride.  Being a pillion rider for the day is not the same as riding your own bike for the day.

 

Big “D”  P.S. Honda being reconditioned.

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PUMA RALLY 6th & 7th Sept.

 

Although the Puma Rally wasn’t an official club run this write up was done not only to fill in more pages of the magazine, and to keep Smithy occupied, but also to give those people who don’t attend rallies a general picture of a typical rally.

 

Looking out the window at eight o’clock on Saturday morning revealed a beautiful day, a beautiful day to mow the lawn, wash the car or do some gardening or do whatever else suburbia does on a beautiful Saturday morning.  But not me, I packed the bike and headed for Keith Finlay’s residence by 10.30 am Marcus, Dave Sheath, Kevin Robertson, Keith and myself left Essendon.  Our 1st stop was Ballarat where we regrouped; from there we headed along the Glenelg Hwy to Skipton for lunch.  The good weather continued throughout the afternoon and the rest of the weekend without change.  After lunch we continued our journey through Dunkeld and Cavendish and finally arrived in Balmoral.  Incidentally Balmoral is the closest town to the rally site which is about 30km away.  Arriving at Balmoral brought a pleasant surprise; the main street was lined with bikes to a greater extent than Elizabeth Street on a Saturday morning.

 

The Puma Rally has a reputation as being the hardest rally to reach because of mud.  This year was quite different, the rally site was changed there was no mud, but plenty of dirt and gravel.  Dave decided to leave the gravel and make his own way through the bush.  The main problem was that there happened to be a 8” high dirt gutter between the road and the bush, somehow the BM disliked the idea of hitting the gutter at speed.  The results were 1st right pot 2nd left pot 3rd headlamp and one badly shaken rider.  Dave decided to stick to the road after that little incident.

 

At arrival at the rally site we collected our badges and picked a camping site.  Thanks to Marcus who bought a little electric pump blowing up our lolos was made a lot easier.  In the evening we visited most of the campfires.  A lot of good stories were exchanged amidst a little amber fluid, it beats watching T.V. on a Saturday night.

 

The next day we left the campsite around 10am and headed through the mountains instead of around them.  After about 1 ½ hours riding we left the dirt and arrived onto some superb winding roads, everyone seemed to have a good time including Dave on his trials universal equipped BM.

 

We finally arrived in Halls Gap, here we fed the bikes, ourselves and then went sightseeing.  By the time we got back into Halls Gap it was well after 2 o’clock so we decided a move towards Melbourne would be nice.

 

We headed back through Ararat for our next fuel stop and then to Ballarat for tea.  By the time we finished our pizzas dusk was very close.  Never the less Dave seemed to have a great time cruising around 130-140kms without lights down Ballarat road.  We stopped at Keith’s place for coffee before making our ways home.  We did around 800 kms that weekend, around 150 of that was dirt. Possibly the worst thing about the weekend was the thought of going back to work the following day.

 

Marc.  Suzuki X7 250

 

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A LETTER FROM AN IRISH MOTHER

 

Dear son,

 

Just a few lines to let you know that I’m still alive.  I’m writing this letter slowly because I know you can’t read fast.  You won’t know the house when you come home – we have moved.

 

About your father.  He has a lovely job. He has 500 men under him.  He cuts grass at the cemetery.

 

There was a washing machine at the new house when we moved in.  But it hasn’t been working too good.  Last week I put 14 shirts in, pulled the chain, and haven’t seen the shirts since.  Your sister Mary had a baby this morning but I haven’t found out whether it’s a boy or girl. So I don’t know if you are an aunt or uncle.  Your uncle Dick drowned last week in a vat of whisky in the Dublin brewery.  Some of his workmates tried to save him but he fought them off bravely.  They cremated the body and it took 3 days to put out the fire.

 

I went to the dr. on Thursday and your father went with me.  The Dr. put a small tube in my mouth and told me not to talk for ten mins.  Your father offered to buy it from him.  It only rained twice this week, 1st for 3 days and then for 4 days.  Monday was so windy one of the chickens laid the same egg 4 times.  We had a letter from the undertaker.  He said that if the last payment on your grandmother’s plot wasn’t paid in 7 days – up she comes.

 

Your loving mother.

 

P.S.  I was going to enclose $10 but I had already sealed the envelope.

 

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