March 2002 Who’s News

The MTCV Home Page has taken 304 hits during March and 11,612 since April 1996. See more information such as magazine articles in the Members-only section or the ‘Great Motorcycling Roads of Victoria’. Please feel free to email information about other roads or amendments to existing stuff. Note: the password to the member section is only available to financial members. Do not divulge it to non-members.

Road Conditions Reporting Line: (03) 9854-2899 where motorcyclists can report road conditions and give suggestions for improvement on any road in Victoria. Or email: [email protected]

Seen at the March Social Sip: Ben & Julie Warden, Ray Walker, Ian Payne and Kerrie Gooding, Liz Oliver & Peter Weyermayr, Rhys Williams, Tim Walker, Darryl Otzen, Bruce Saville, Martin Hastie & Carmen, Derek Atkinson, Ron Johnston, Les Leahy, Ric Brabin, Danny Kosinski, Ken Wright, Jim McCleod and Kate Stewart.

Phillip Island hosted Round 2 of the World Superbikes on March 22-24, 2002. Troy Bayliss (World Superbike) won both heats and Andrew Pitt (World Supersport) won his race in a sensational weekend of racing. The support classes included 250 proddy, Australian Superbikes (R1s vs CBR954s vs GSXR1000s) and Australian Supersports. To top it all off was the fantastic weather – 33 degrees on race day - though the overall crowd of 57,000 people was low compared to the early days. This may have had something to do with the almost complete lack of pre-event advertising. In fact the race was not even telecast, throwing our normal BBQ and short ride at Ray’s into total disarray. Bike videos sufficed.

Seen at The Island: Renzo Cunico, Ben and Julie Warden, Ian Payne, Darryl Otzen, Tim Walker, Ken Wright and son Tom, Ron Johnston, Dave Ward and Bronwyn Manifold, Trevor Harris, Rob Matricciani and Mandy Flower, Rhys Williams, Wayne, Joanne, Michelle and Dave Nimmo, Peter Weyermayr and Liz Oliver.

If your email address has changed, or you are not receiving email and would like to, then please forward your details to Ben Warden c/o [email protected]

Several states have been looking at identification issues for different types of vehicles and Oxford Systematics has been commissioned to undertake work to identify improved methods for displaying frontal registration numberplates on motorcycles. Police in SA and Victoria are known to be actively pushing for the idea, expressing frustration with riders not being detected by front-on by speed cameras.

Motorcycle friendly Olinda Creek Hotel, 161 Main St. Lilydale, is now serving breakfast on Friday, Saturday and Sunday from 7:30 am –11 am. Contact phone number: 9735 1622.

How fast do you need to be going to receive a $103,600 speeding ticket? In Finland, it depends, literally, on how much you earn! Nokia senior executive, Anssi Vanjoki, was busted on his Harley-Davidson doing 47mph in a 31mph zone by local officials, and was assessed the six digit fine. Vanjoki is challenging the fine because it was based on his 1999 income, which was significantly higher than his current income due to the surge in the tech sector during the late nineties.

Les Leahy and Michael Barnes are heading off on their trusty XT600’s for an eighteen day, 3,500 kilometre dirt ride! They will start in Brisbane with a couple of fellow riders for the trip that will encompass Beaudesert, Grafton, Walcha, Bathurst, Oberon, Captains Flat, Snowy Mountains, Jindabyne, Benambra, Omeo, Dargo, Wonnangatta, Licola, Eildon, Ballan, Skipton, Halls Gap and the Grampians, Little Desert, Big Desert, Wilpena and the Flinders Ranges, the Strzelecki Track and Innamincka. Les has been planning the trip for over a year and, in typical fashion, has paid meticulous attention to detail that will see them explore the many diverse regions of this country. From Innamincka the group will split up with the Queenslanders heading north and Les and Mick heading home to Melbourne.

Michael Barnes had some dramas on the Whitfield ride with his XT600 consuming oil at the rate of 10mm on the dip stick per 15 kilometres! After a strip down by Stafford’s Motorcycles a scored bore was found to be the culprit. Also much rust was found on the internals including corroded gudgeon pin and cam chain. Consensus pointed to the bike being “drowned” by the previous owner and then not serviced immediately. This left the trapped water to corrode the internal engine components that ultimately led to failure! The only good aspect of the incident that it occurred before the “Big Trip”.

Ben Warden found out the hard way how unstable bikes are with flat tyres as his Fireblade overbalanced while on the side stand with a flat rear tyre. “Fortunately” the bike only fell as far as his Hyundai Excel parked next to it, snapping the bike mirror off and bending the rack. The same could not be said for the car. Front and rear quarter panel damage. Bugger.

Ron Johnston, working his way down to the traffic lights between two lanes of stationary cars, went to cut across the front of one of the cars, overbalanced and was pinned on the bonnet by the weight of his Bandit 1200. The poor driver had to help extricate Ron from his predicament in the now moving traffic! Fortunately no damage to the car and only a broken mirror on the Suzuki.

Twenty five kilometres into last Sunday’s Inverloch ride Ray Walker and leader Ben Warden were stopped by Mr Plod in a black, unmarked, tinted Subaru wagon while corner marking at the Don Road intersection heading into Launching Place. Apparently it is a 60 km/h zone. Mr Plod was heading to his niece’s to deliver Easter eggs but, as they say, never let a chance go by …. After 40 minutes or so they were eventually booked for unroadworthy tyres – 7 days to replace. Ray wore an “obscured number plate” fine as well. After a further 600 km for the day both parties could only concur – tyres stuffed.

Tom Saville has kept the ‘faith’ by purchasing a new 2002 Yamaha R1.

MOTORCYCLE SAFETY EXPO

When: Sunday, 21st April 2002

Time: 10.00am to 3.00pm

Where: H.A.R.T. (Honda Australia Rider Training), 85 Sharps Rd TULLAMARINE (Mels map 15 E3)

• free sausage sizzle
• Learner Permit and Licence Test demonstrations
• Motorcycle maintenance workshops
• ROADCRAFT lectures and videos
• Riding demonstrations
• Displays: bikes, safety gear and accessories, trade, police bikes.

Discounted Courses available – just book and pay on the day to take up this great offer. Make the most of the Subsidy Offers for your next purchase of selected protective gear – pay a deposit on the day to receive your voucher. (Strictly limited availability)

Proudly sponsored in the interests of improved rider safety by ROADSAFE Community Road Safety Councils –RoadSafe North Western, RoadSafe North Eastern, RoadSafe Westgate and RoadSafe Inner Melbourne. Supported by Honda Australia Rider Training (HART) and selected accredited trainers.

For further information phone Peter Bishop on 03 9313 1189

This event will proceed in ANY weather.