March 2009

Lichfield Advanced Motorists & Motorcyclists

BIKE

NEWSLETTER

MARCH 2009

GROUP INFORMATION

Committee Members

Paul Barrow - Treasurer Bill Hollingshead - Bike Secretary Simon Heptonstall

Bike Membership Secretary

Bill Hollingshead

EoM Run Coordinator

Richard Benfield

Social Run Coordinator

Steve Veraca Jeff Winterbottom

Newsletter Editor

Simon Heptonstall

Group Observers

Paul Barrow (Senior) Roy Follows (Senior) Simon Heptonstall (Chief Bike Observer / Senior) Nigel Morris (Observer Co-ordinator) Jeff Winterbottom Bill Hollingshead Gary Saunders* Richard Benfield* Roger Evans* Colin Leighfield* Rob Beale* Clare Hancock* Alan (Mr ‘Double’ T) Talbott*

* Trainee Observer

We are always on the look out for keen volunteers to help with running the Group – please talk to any of the committee… We meet up at Fradley Village Hall on the last Sunday of the month (see back cover for map). The meeting starts around 10.00am and all new starters and members are welcome to attend.

in this newsletter…

Group Information................................................................................................. 2 Welcome!............................................................................................................. 3 Regular Summer Bike Meets ................................................................................... 4 Ride Outs and Events............................................................................................. 4 Events 2009 ......................................................................................................... 5 Motorcycle Secretary ............................................................................................. 6 Product Reviews.................................................................................................... 7 How To….............................................................................................................. 8 Meet an Examiner ............................................................................................... 12 Pictures.............................................................................................................. 14 New Bikes .......................................................................................................... 14 Have Your Say….................................................................................................. 20 Classified and Personal Ads................................................................................... 24 Advanced Biking Tips ........................................................................................... 24 Light Relief ......................................................................................................... 25 What is “Skills for Life”? ....................................................................................... 27 Come and see us… .............................................................................................. 28

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WELCOME! We must be almost through the winter by now and I’m sure we’re looking forward to the clocks going forward and getting out on the bike without having to worry about over-salted roads, ice, freezing temperatures, snow - the start of March felt almost hot! Whilst most of our Associates end up being tested by Charlie (starting from Tamworth Sutton Motorcycles) it is worth pointing out that Associates should expect different Examiners to be used, at different locations and not only on Saturdays! This was borne out by Brent Millage (successful advanced test pass Sunday 22 February 2009) who was tested by Ian Salisbury in Derby. Ian is a serving Police Motorcyclist and

advised Brent at the test briefing “do not exceed the speed limit at any time”. Fair enough since a Police Officer cannot condone speeding – can he…? This requirement means that an advanced motorcyclist needs to be totally focussed – just to maintain the right speed! Too slow and there will be a discussion about Progress, too fast and it’s a test fail for breaking the law. There’s no point going on about this since the whole point of doing the Skills for Life ‘training’ and being a Member of the IAM is to be a ‘Thinking Rider’. The Roadcraft system gives us the guidelines and the rider applies them appropriate to the situation. So, we advise all Associates to have a friendly chat with the Examiner during the test briefing (when the Examiner asks “do you have any questions?”) and ask what the Examiner expects in terms of speed limits for, say, overtaking in a national speed limit when following a vehicle travelling at 55mph. Please do not make this a difficult conversation with the Examiner… No doubt we’ve all got various plans for the biking season – and LAMM will help to keep things moving with end of month meetings, mid-month social runs, weekend trips to Scotland and Isle of Man, trip to MotoGP at Le Mans … Mid-month social runs will be ably organised by Steve Veraca and Jeff Winterbottom and don’t forget that we have guest speakers lined up for the End of Month meetings in March, April and May. We’ve already had a record breaking ride to Skegness in March which needed us to split into two groups of 10 riders – can’t wait for the next ones! Congratulations to the following Advanced Test passes since the September Newsletter (Observer in brackets): September 2008 Gerry Walsh (Bill Hollingshead) October 2008 Shaun Barrs (Stephanie Peters) November 2008 Colin Cooke (Jeff Winterbottom) February 2009 Brent Millage (Simon Heptonstall) Simon Heptonstall – Chief Bike Observer

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REGULAR SUMMER BIKE MEETS Red Lion, Longdon Green, Lichfield Wednesday evenings, drop in during the summer and have a chat with the biker friendly landlord. Also likely to find our very own Bill Hollingshead spreading the good word to the punters, no he hasn’t found religion, it’s LAMM he’s talking about! Grey Ox, A46, Six Hills, Leicestershire Tuesday evenings. Why? Because of the terrific road from Ashby to Six Hills Bassetts Pole, Sutton Coldfield

Tuesday evenings. Not for the faint hearted, but it has calmed down over the past few years and is still a very busy biker meet on a summers evening The Waterman, Hatton near Warwick Wednesday evenings. Probably past it’s heyday and more family orientated these days, but some nice roads on the way down from Lichfield / Tamworth to Warwick Willingham Woods, Market Rasen Sunday afternoon / evening. If you fancy a long ride out there is a large bike meet every Sunday during the Summer – might seem a long way, but it’s only round the corner from Cadwell Park … Stormy Petrel, Ternhill Wednesday evenings. Good old fashioned biking madness, Tern Hill, Market Drayton, North Shropshire, TF9 3QD

RIDE OUTS AND EVENTS October 2008

Monyash, Derbyshire – Jeff Winterbottom Voxan Bikes visit LAMM EoM

November 2008

Lake Vyrnwy – Roy Follows

December 2008

Great Malvern – Simon Heptonstall Xmas Meal at the Horse & Jockey – thanks Janine

January 2009

New Years Day (The Roy Follows testimonial ride) RAF Cosford (Bill Hollingshead)

February 2009

Ponderosa Café (John ‘loftyjohn’ Percival) Honda Open Day, Sutton Motorcycles, Tamworth EoM Guest Speaker – Mr Noel Shanahan, DVLA

March 2009

Skegness (Steve Watt)

… don’t forget, Mid-month Sunday ride outs throughout the Summer …

… we will send out group e-mails to give information on when and where … … all the information is posted on the LAMM forum at …

http://www.lamm.org.uk/forum

… also check the google events calendar, link on the forum …

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EVENTS 2009

Date Organiser Event

11 January 2009 Bill Hollingshead RAF Cosford

8 February 2009 John Percival (Loftyjohn) Ponderosa Café, Llangollen

15 March 2009 Steve Watt Skegness

18 April 2009 Simon / Nigel LAMM Bike Observer refresher day

15 April 2009 Steve Watt Wheelie Day

19 April 2009 Mark McCausland Hereford & Worcester

2 – 4 May 2009 Richard Benfield Scotland weekend

17 May 2009 Jeff Winterbottom

14 June 2009 Steve Veraca Derwent and Peak District

12 July 2009

16 August 2009

12 - 14 September 2009 Colin Leighfield Isle of Man weekend

11 October 2009

15 November 2009

13 December 2009 Simon Heptonstall

December 2009 Janine Fletcher LAMM Bikes Xmas meal

Mid-month Social Runs are open to all Associates and Full Members Usual meetup is the Bowling Green Pub in Lichfield Full details are posted on the LAMM forum, also on the google calendar and e-mailed out to everyone on the mailing list Contact Steve Veraca and Jeff Winterbottom for more information or to volunteer to lead us to your favourite biking roads, café etc.

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MOTORCYCLE SECRETARY Some say I only got the job because of my secretary’s legs, but it takes a bit more than legs to be a secretary But seriously you would think the key qualities for the job of membership secretary would be; filling in forms, collecting money and compiling a data base, Here at Lichfield it is having a big garage to store all the promotional stuff, having a big car to run it around the Midlands and being able to give up most of your weekends during the summer.

Its almost two years since I took on the role as Secretary having been involved with LAMM since 2002. This surprised me and time has gone so quickly. This role as secretary is strictly around membership and a key part of membership secretary is that we add to the membership at a greater rate than the clubs attrition. This is achieved in many ways including; • Liaising with Stafford’s Road Safety Officer • Liaising with Staffs Motorcycle police • Supporting Road Safety Events • Supporting “Bike Safe” • Getting involved with local Motorcycle Retailers on open days and product launches • Ensuring promotional material is best placed and best used • Liaising with IAM head office • Supporting National Events. We pride ourselves on being a welcoming, friendly group, very much a group driven by its members new and old (some older than others) but definitely with a professional edge. It is important that new members want to be a part of the club, want to join in and most important have a desire to improve their Motorcycling in all aspects.

Lichfield Advanced Motorists & Motorcyclists

Group 3053 Membership Secretary (Motorcycle)

Bill Hollingshead 10 Croxley Drive Hednesford Staffordshire WS12 2GU Phone 01543 425821 Mobile 07711 648580 e-mail [email protected]

Fees

Skill for Life £109.00 (£139.00 from 02/04/2009) Associate Renewal £40.00 (If test not passed in first year, there’s an incentive) Membership LAMM £7.00 (Test passed) National Membership IAM £30.00 (£28.00 by Direct Debit)

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PRODUCT REVIEWS

Want to keep your finger on the pulse? A MOTORCYCLIST who lost one of his fingers in a bike accident has turned a prosthetic replacement finger into a USB drive.

Finnish computer programmer Jerry Jalava combined a 2GB memory stick with his false finger to store photos, movies and programmes. The finger can be easily removed from Jalava's hand and then plugged into a computer's USB drive. (That’s neat! Ed)

"I'm planning to use another prosthetic as a shell for the next version, which will have removable fingertip and RFID tag," he wrote on his blog, ProtoBlogr.net.

Mr Jalava's lost the digit after he crashed into a deer while riding his motorbike. Thanks to visordown.com

My best Friend Maybe not quite my best friend but nevertheless seems to go everywhere with me

MOTRAX FREEVIEW VISOR CLEANER

This is what the makers say “Freeview” is a fast and effective way of removing dead flies and much from your visor, lights and screen. Its gentle action sponge loosens and cleans away the gunge and the spine on the back wipes away any residue.” And you know what, its true. When I bought mine about 5 or 6 years ago the £5.00 asking price seemed a little expensive for what I was getting in return. I thought that fluid won’t last long, it’ll soon get broken or lost and it will be one of those motor cycle accessories you buy and use half a dozen time with great enthusiasm, then never pick it up again (We‘ve all done it). How wrong could I be; the bottle, I probably fill twice a year, its surprising how long it

lasts, it has never leaked and is quite tough, the sponge removes even the most stubborn squatters off your visor. With Hindsight probably the best £5.00 I have ever spent on motorcycling. Thanks to Bill Hollingshead

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HOW TO…

… service your brakes Standing outside Sutton Motorcycles a few weeks ago I was talking to a biker who had brought his bike in to have the front brakes cleaned and the pads replaced – bill £170! Also remembered several conversations with people in LAMM about servicing and cleaning brakes to keep them working well and more importantly stop them seizing - a regular winter problem! I had to replace the rear pads on my Firestorm recently, so I thought I’d take a few piccies and give an idea of how straight forward it is to change the pads and clean the caliper.

Have a close look at the rear brake caliper… … this picture shows the problem – worn out pads! You can also see that the caliper piston is way out

Caliper Bleed nipple Brake pad retaining pin Brake Pads

Caliper piston Brake disc (rotor)

Caliper bolt

So, time to prepare for the job - firstly, give the bike a good clean, especially the rear wheel, swinging arm, brake caliper etc. Get the new brake pads – stick to the OEM stuff, do not be tempted by eBay – trust me, cheap ones are made of either cheese or granite and will sh*g your discs. For Honda, internet sites like David Silver spares are trustworthy and fast and you’ll get genuine Honda parts (you could also help your local dealer and buy the spares from them?) - also consider buying new brake pad retaining pin, caliper bolts and rubber sleeves. Get your tools and workspace ready. Put on overalls or some old clothes and use disposable latex gloves. Make sure that you have enough time, allow up to, say, 2 hours, although once you’ve done it few times, rear pads and caliper clean can be done in under an

hour … Put the tools and new parts right next to you and get a small stool to sit on so you’re comfy – make sure you have plenty of light.

Put the bike on the main stand or paddock stand. Take the top off the brake fluid reservoir and use a flat bladed screwdriver to lever the piston back into the caliper.

Be careful not to damage the disc surface

This will allow the caliper to be removed off the disc …

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… use sockets to undo the caliper bolts, remove them and then ease the caliper off the disc.

Now remove the brake pad retaining pin - this will release the pads. You will need to find a way to temporarily ‘hang’ the caliper to support its weight.

Do not let the caliper ‘hang’ on the brake hose, this will cause damage to the hose

Check the brake hose carefully looking for any kinks or bulges, also the banjos should not have any corrosion on them. If you find anything suspect, then the hose will need replacing – do not compromise on your safety!

On the Firestorm, the caliper can be sat on the rear peg with a cloth wrapped round the peg to prevent scratching.

Now the caliper can be cleaned, carefully remove all clips, shims and rubber sleeves … use the footbrake to push the piston out a few mm so you can clean the sides.

Do not push the caliper piston out by more than about 10mm or it will simply pop out of the caliper – then you have a whole different job

Use WD40, a soft toothbrush and cloths to get the piston shiny clean. Push the piston all the way back into the caliper with your thumbs and then push it back out a couple of times with the footbrake to check it’s moving freely. If the piston can’t be pushed back into the caliper with your thumbs, then it’s time for a more determined approach using a small G-clamp around the caliper. If the sides of the piston are corroded or badly scored, then chances are new piston and seals are needed … again, do not compromise on your safety! Clean the clips, shims and rubber sleeves. Inspect these carefully for damage, especially the rubber sleeves, their job is to protect the caliper bolts from corrosion and allow the caliper body to ‘float’ on the discs – replace these bits if there are splits, tears or damage.

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Caliper bolts – clean them and check for scoring or corrosion

Old vs. new – can you spot the difference?

Definitely time for a new brake pad retaining pin!

Now we’re ready for re-assembly – from here on in cleanliness is the order of the day. Before starting to put the caliper back together throw away the dirty cloths you’ve used so far, then take a break - so go inside, wash your hands, grab a mug of tea and check the family haven’t packed their bags! OK, put on a new pair of latex gloves and get clean cloths. Put the clips and shims back onto the caliper – remember to apply a smear of CopperEase grease.

For the rubber sleeves, these need fitting back onto the caliper with some waterproof grease squidged inside. Smear the caliper bolts with the grease. This stuff should also be wiped around the caliper piston to help stop corrosion.

Now you’re ready for the re-entry procedure. Each bike is slightly different in the way that the pads fit into the caliper, and how the ‘free’ end of the pads is held in place.

Apply a smear of CopperEase to the back of the pads

Use CopperEase sparingly - think of it like Marmite, a little bit goes a long way!

This will help to stop brake squealing.

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In true Haynes tradition, re-fit the caliper (re-assembly is the reverse procedure to dismantling!). Keep grease and CopperEase off the brake lining and disc – use a clean cloth to wipe off any excess. Tighten up the caliper bolts to the recommended torque and make sure everything is in the right place (in other words, have you got any unexpected ‘spares’). Put the brake fluid reservoir lid back on and rotate the rear wheel by hand to check nothing is catching, then use the footbrake to push the pads onto the disc - check that the footbrake is able to stop the wheel.

Finished!

Remember that the new pads will need ‘bedding in’ before they work properly

Why bother – is it just about saving money? Well yes and no - if you take your bike to the dealers to change the pads that’s just what they do. If you want the calipers servicing and cleaning, that takes longer (and will cost you more!). The job is pretty straight forward, so why have a mechanic do it when you can put a bit more time in and get it just right? Simon Heptonstall

Oh the inventiveness of bikers.

No one told this guy that you can’t carry a barbeque

on a bike!

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MEET AN EXAMINER My start in Advanced Riding happened when I joined the Birmingham City Police 1973 and during my probationary period I was attached to Central traffic and was privileged to sit in the back of the traffic car which, an Austin 2200 ‘landcrab’, escorted by 8 police outriders, 2 more landcrabs, 2 prison vans and 2 bomb squad cars every morning at 8am from Winson Green Prison to Birmingham Crown court. This was, of course, the escorting of the Birmingham pub bombers - Non stop and flat out. That was my induction into advanced driving

and I was determined to join Central Traffic, which I did in 1977 onto the bikes just at the start of the fire service strike. That was of course for some 6 months escorting Green goddesses first crewed by 42 Commando Royal marines working out of the Army reserve HQ Barrows Lane - real tough guys. Rumour had it they ‘ATE RAW CHICKENS FOR BREAKFAST ’.

Central was using 850 Norton bikes at the time - not the most reliable machine in the cold weather. We had to ride all over the Midlands and soon realised that we could be sent anywhere at the drop of a hat. After a few days it became apparent that we did not have sufficient knowledge of the Midlands, so when a red job came in the Army dispatchers gave us the nearest main road to the incident and the compass direction - this of course made it much easier. After 4 months the Marines moved onto Arctic training and we were joined by a crew of sub-mariners whose vessel was having a re-fit.

Rumour had it they ‘DID NOT WASH’, and from the smell in the Gym where they slept they probably didn’t. But still, we had some pretty good times with them and after 6 weeks we had the Marines back again. When I think back the local infant school population was massively increased. Those Forces chaps could certainly attract the local young ladies! When it was all over the fire service was on its knees and they only got the pay rise first offered - in my opinion this damaged Police / Fire Service relationships for the rest of my service. This was a shame as we had had a really good relationship prior to this.

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I took my Police advanced course in January 1978 freezing cold and on several days very icy, but I was really chuffed after three weeks passing and transferring to central as one of the youngest in service to join the department! It was a strange place working out of Duke Street garage which was just off Jenners Row Birmingham City Centre. Everyone was very friendly but I found it difficult at first as so many people had nicknames some of which I have listed down: Motavated Pud, Mumintrol, Princly person, triple dick, milly, knee cap, basher, golly, kp nuts, bomber , neck, prunt, rat, wort, gonzo, flub, eggy, scrott, bonzo, muppet, aresole , chalkie hooknose, bugsy, granddad, gritbox, sespit, waggy, crackers, ribbet, fluff, sumpoil, peb, bill bytheway, green gilbo, mike the wig, klink, slaphead, corky

just to name a few - the list could be endless. When you joined a shift they left you alone for about a week before they decided what yours was. Mine was the ‘bag’ hence my e-mail address ([email protected]). I was very lucky and made several really good friends some of which I still see to this day. Due to my high grade on the bike course this entitled me to an immediate driving course on cars having already attended a 5 week basic course. I then attended an intermediate driving course for 3 weeks and again I was fortunate to attain a book prize which entitled me to 3 months traffic attachment and a 3 week advanced course. Again I passed - probably the hardest thing I have ever done! This ticket entitled me to drive all force vehicles: that was from the CZ125 learner bikes up to the Prison Coach, Force coach and trucks (all of which were Comer’s with crash gearboxes and double de-clutching became the normal). This sadly was only for a few years as the rules changed. In 1982 I was approached to become a motorcycle Examiner for RoSPA, who were just trying to get their safety effort off the ground. This sadly didn’t materialise, not one test came my way in 18 months! In 1986 I was approached by the IAM and became their Bike examiner for the Birmingham and South Staffs area. The rest is History. Many thanks to Charlie Perry

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PICTURES

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Do you recognise this




dashing LAMM Member

dashing LAMM Member

dashing LAMM Member

dashing LAMM Member

and his young bride?




Answer on Page 25…




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NEW BIKES

A tale of four Honda’s Lynne’s New Bike Why? So many reasons! I suppose it all kicked off when Simon took me out on my assessment ride, I realised that the pain in my neck wasn’t something I really wanted to continue with. (That’s a bit

harsh! – Ed)

I’d also had my first conversation with Richard B (my Observer) who had also commented on more upright bikes giving you more vision etc and I really want to pass my IAM.

My partner and I both had the same bikes (Honda FireBlades) but didn’t really ever go very far due to the reason we both normally arrived home feeling half crippled! So I exchanged my Blade for the CB1000R, which is a fun bike, more like a dinky toy compared to the blade, I only wish I could’ve ridden further on the 16th March when it arrived, but for very different reasons I didn’t get very far!

Read on for Tim’s story …!

from this…

…to this

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Tim’s New Bike So the Fireblade left me at about 15.00 on Monday March 16th and I became the proud owner of an 07 CB1300SA. I had decided that the time had come to become more serious about my biking, the Fireblade was and is a fantastic bike, but is it really a bike that can be properly used on the UK roads? I want to ride more this year and I want to be comfortable at the same time; the Fireblade is no longer the bike for me and this is the reasoning behind my decision. So for the first ride I decided on a run of about 60 miles covering all class of road, motorway, A-road dual carriage way, A-road single carriage way, B-road and some town riding. The first thing I noticed was the size of this bike, considerably longer, about 60 kilos heavier and a noticeably lower seat height, however once I got it rolling the weight was not an issue. I got settled and headed onto the M6 and before I knew it I was gliding along at 70 mph on this sewing machine quiet, 1300cc and arm-chair comfortable muscle bike. I can’t believe how relaxed it was. Dual carriage-ways and A-roads, it just took them all, easily in it’s stride, effortless overtakes riding on a crest of silky smooth torque in top gear, pulling easily from 30 mph.

The really pleasing thing about this was when I got to the B-roads, I was amazed at this bikes agility, it took everything I threw at it, never once did I feel that it was close to any limit. The grip from the new Dunlop Roadsmarts was excellent, the brakes taken directly of the 2002/2003 FireBlade provided more than enough stopping power and the suspension just road all the bumps effortlessly. Why had I wasted the last three years on a Fireblade??

from this…

…to this

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I got back home and I was buzzing, Lynne asked what I thought as she was concerned that I had made a mistake in selling the Fireblade, I described my first experience on the 13 in one word: Delicious. I wanted more, so when Lynne suggested she wanted to go for a spin on her new CB1000R I couldn’t resist; by the time I had turned the 13 around on the drive Lynne had already disappeared. I headed off after her, going north on the A41, entering a wide and open roundabout a silver Volvo entered from the left without stopping, a typical manoeuvre, I had read it, or so I thought and planned to go around the back of him; then he did an emergency stop.

He had completely blocked my exit, I had no where to go, I hit the back of his car at an angle of around 45 degrees, I am unsure of the impact speed, judging by the damage I would suggest considerably less than 20 mph. The bike came to a dead stop, I hit my chest on something, not sure if it was the car or the handle-bar before falling over onto the left side; I rolled graciously, (not) away. Thankfully, but unfortunately (no witnesses) there was nothing following me onto the island. Two passing motorists stopped and called both the Police and Ambulance, (the pain in my chest was concerning) and picked the bike up for me. The car driver was Polish driving a Polish registered left hand drive vehicle, spoke very little English and was un-hurt (Does anyone know the Polish for “Sorry Mate I Didn’t See You!” – Ed)

Surprisingly the motorcycle Police officer suggested that this incident would likely go ‘knock for knock’!

Thanks to Lynne Whitehouse and Tim Standring

…to this!

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HAVE YOUR SAY…

Observers Weekend Llandrindod Wells - September 2008 I was fortunate (!) to be nominated by LAMM to attend a training weekend along with Simon Heptonstall and Richard Benfield. A mix of senior observers, qualified observers & trainee observers from Region 1, (South West) and Region 3 (Midlands) gathered in Mid-Wales with the purpose of: • sharing best practice • exchanging useful tips and techniques for briefing and de-briefing • and most importantly ensuring we as observers coach all Associates to the required

standard in the correct IAM way regardless of where they are within the country I met with Richard on Friday evening at Chapel Ash Wolverhampton and then enjoyed what could be described as a spirited ride across to the venue in fading light and dropping temperatures. We arrived in good time to check in and then carry out the obligatory mixing and swapping of biking anecdotes over a fine

pint in the hotel bar. (Note to Paul Barrow fine bar, stocked with excellent ales, in superb condition). Simon who soon slipped into the relaxed atmosphere joined us approximately one hour later. This went on in a civilised manner until the witching hour approached when myself and Richard were left with the legend that is John Lickley (region 3 coordinator) Richard and I both realised that with an intensive day of learning and riding ahead, a sobering nights sleep was essential. The morning started with breakfast fit for a king, then into a briefing session to explain the do’s & don’ts of how to brief a new associate. This was put across in a humorous but effective way which certainly emphasised the importance of first impressions and both how and what observers are expected to cover. We then kitted up and headed for the tarmac and glorious autumn sunshine. We were split into groups of three; one trainee Observer (Dave from Truro), one allegedly qualified Observer (myself) and one Senior Observer (Kelvin from Dorset) who handed me a map with suggested routes. I then went through all the introductions and briefings required with a “new associate” in this case Dave, critiqued by Kelvin and then proceeded on a ride to assess, in IAM terms, Dave’s riding skills - all overseen by Kelvin. This was potentially the most difficult part of the weekend as we all possess that piece of paper that tells us we are advanced riders and no one wanted to be found lacking in the riding skills section. However, we all know there is no such thing as the perfect ride so after a suitable duration I conducted a de-brief assisted by Kelvin offering advice and

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tips. Dave & I swapped roles and it was my turn to have two sets of eyes burning into the back of my helmet The remainder of the afternoon continued in the same manner swapping observer and associate roles, enjoying the wonderful roads this area offers, until the sun started to dip and tarmac cooled. We headed back to the hotel for the final discussion on the days events between the three of us aided by Felifoel Double Dragon. We then all showered and changed for an evening meal to rival breakfast.

Afterwards the obligatory and voluntary discussion that occurs whenever two or more riders gather, as per Friday night, took place, and another thankfully brief encounter with John Lickley. Thankful, because as most of you who know me are aware Sunday morning is unfamiliar territory for me and if I had stayed any longer at the bar I would not have made breakfast! However make it we all did, fit and raring to go we tucked into another excellent breakfast followed by a short classroom session. Then out into the Welsh daylight we ventured, somewhat subdued by the presence of variable fog, but as we need to be able to ride in whatever the Mother Nature throws at us we set out in our same groups. This time Dave and I took turns to “assess” Kelvin’s riding, but he was good enough to throw in some subtle faults to test us fully as observers as he played the role of associate. We all headed back to hotel for around 12.00 for the closing address and evaluation from the organisers; region 1. Simon, Richard and I then made our way home and in a quite ironic manner it rained as we crossed back into England so we sought refuge at the Kangaroo Inn, Aston on Clun, Craven Arms before returning home. I am sure both Richard and Simon would agree that the weekend was both enjoyable and educational we all learned something that we will be able to share with everyone to keep our standards high and all our members safe. If this opportunity is ever offered to you grab it with both hands you will not be disappointed. Thanks to: LAMM … for putting us all forward for this opportunity Tim Soper Region 1 coordinator … for organising the whole event. John Lickley … for entertainment and opening the event up to region 3 Personal thanks to Kelvin Latham senior observer Dorset IAM for his patience and experience. Many thanks to Nigel Morris, Observer LAMM

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Shaggy Dog Story #22 - True tale of a novice biker In '81 I took a Star Rider course which was a sort of passport to test pass for learner riders at the time. The instructor was a real character, bushy beard, flying goggles, open faced helmet, old knacker work horse bike (painted with black hammerite), Belstaff waxed coat etc. He gave the off the instantly recognisable whiff of a 'proper' biker - respect.

Anyhow, after several interesting training rides, we were chugging along a country road somewhere 'up north', the grungy bike instructor was on point and the rest of us ducklings following along behind. He had lectured us all throughout the course about planning ahead and forward observation - perfect!

Up ahead I could see the road was covered in nasty looking wet stuff, and looking to my right I could see the farmer (on his tractor) merrily muck spreading in the field, with his direction being at 90 deg to the road we were on, then turning at the field edge to go back up the field etc. But as he was turning, the muck was over-spraying onto the road. Now I could stop at this point and pose the question "What happened next?" But I'm not going to give you the fun.

Anyhow, just as beardio'd instructor passed the tractor, the farmer did his turn at the field edge and pebble-dashed the poor guy - head to foot in s**t, in his beard - everywhere.

What's the protocol in this situation ... laugh ... get the one kleenex you've got in your pocket out and try to smear the stuff around?

The guy was pretty un-fazed, so we followed him (at some distance!) down to a petrol garage where he asked us to spray him and his bike down with the car jet wash.

After that he continued the training run - real respect.

This did happen - I kid you not. I think I learned a lot that day ...

Simon Heptonstall

Riding Der Ring around people Nearer than you think, situated near the Belgium border in the north east of Germany lies a well known former race track that now is quite simply the best Toll road in Europe. The Nurburgring to give the track its proper title is also where bike hating freak of nature Jeremy Clarkson was embarrassed by a female German taxi driver (Sabine Schmidt), who just happened to know the track like the back of her hand. Said lady also threw housewife’s favourite Richard Hammond out of a Transit van here because the diminutive sex god (sic) represented excess weight when she was busy tailgating 911’s, and

flashing R1’s and Blades out of her way. To us mere mortals not blessed with these skills nor an endless supply of Euros (due in no small part to the unique way the BBC is funded) the Ring is a chance to take your bike on one of the most challenging tracks learning as you go, no cash cameras, no oncoming traffic, no problem right? Well not quite. 70 euros buys four laps (no flying laps allowed) buy your ticket go up to the barrier, a bit like trying get out of a car park, then the fun begins and you realise just what you have let yourself in for, mixing it with every conceivable vehicle from go faster Alfas, to camper vans! The public sessions (check before don’t just turn up) are a bit of a lottery,

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but if you can’t pass an air cooled Volkswagen van on a racetrack then perhaps this is the wrong experience for you? I build up my speed, through the gears, a gentle left leading up to a near 90 degree right, short straight then 90 degree left with a drop more suited to a rollercoaster and on it goes, rise and fall, accelerate then onto the brakes again, running the inside of the carousel fast enough to fool the suspension but keeping my exit line tight enough so I don’t get spat out on the grass, wondering

just how your road tyres grip as you sweep uphill on an adverse camber, then down the long finish straight flat out before the 800 metre marker to pull in and end your lap. At over 20km long it is impossible to learn in one visit, however, being a ‘thinking rider’ I built up my speed as I learnt, more reading the road and its undulations than racing lines and knee scraping. Your skills learnt in advanced riding will allow you to push yourself without exceeding your own limits, understand what to do should the front slip on the damp surface of ground rubber, how to correct things when you have overcooked and above all know that the 3 series BMW broad siding behind you represents a hazard you need to avoid. The sensible option would be a few of you to get together, van it over and avoid squared off tyres but then riding around a wet former racetrack with vague insurance cover cannot really be described as sensible. Forget your Sony Playstation - this is the real thing, pay to play but be warned should you crash there is no re-set button. And it may cost a significant amount in lost revenue that the operators will seek to recover, oh and your insurance company will probably laugh. I will return (hopefully a dryer day) when I will again wonder why on earth I’m doing this. There are more readily available alternatives, track days, the Isle of Man etc, but in terms of pub bragging rights nothing beats the Nurburgring. Seen it, done it and indeed got the T-shirt, oh and for the record, my best time? Just under 14 minutes on a wet track, and that was more than exhilarating (pant filling) enough for me. Many thanks to Nigel Morris

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CLASSIFIED AND PERSONAL ADS Motorcycle Sports and Leisure mags from the last 10 years. Going free to a good home - Contact Jeff Winterbottom

ADVANCED BIKING TIPS

From Nicky Hayden It’s not everyday that we can rely on Advanced Biking tips from MotoGP World Champions. Their raison d’etre is usually shaving hundredth’s of a second off impossibly fast lap times and achieving gravity defeating lean angles … But hold on minute, here’s a piece from TWO mag …

Some great tips in there from Nicky Hayden, apart from the bit about saving front end slides on your knee! Thanks to Two Wheels Only Magazine (and Nicky Hayden)

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LIGHT RELIEF

Voted best Aussie joke 2008 Bloke's wife goes missing while diving off the West Australian coast. He reports the event, searches fruitlessly and spends a terrible night wondering what could have happened to her. Next morning there's a knock at the door and he is confronted by a couple of policemen, the old Sarge and a younger Constable.

The Sarge says, 'Mate, we have some news for you, unfortunately some really bad news, but, some good news, and maybe some more good news'. 'Well,' says the bloke, 'I guess I'd better have the bad news first?' The Sarge says, 'I'm really sorry mate, but your wife is dead. Young Bill here found her lying at about five fathoms in a little cleft in the reef. He got a line around her and we pulled her up, but she was dead.' The bloke is naturally pretty distressed to hear of this and has a bit of a turn. But after a few minutes he pulls himself together and asks what the good news is. The Sarge says, 'Well when we got your wife up there were quite a few really good sized crays and a swag of nice crabs attached to her, so we've brought you your share.' He hands the bloke a sack with a couple of nice crays and four or five crabs in it. 'Geez thanks. They're bloody beauties. I guess it's an ill wind and all that... So what's the other possible good news? 'Well', the Sarge says, 'if you fancy a quick trip, me and young Bill here get off duty at around 11 o'clock and we're gonna shoot over there and pull her up again!' Thanks to Gerry Walsh

Who’s in the photo…?

Colin and Pat Leighfield

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WHAT IS “SKILLS FOR LIFE”? What will it cost me? £109 (£139 from 02/04/2009)

What do I get for that? Associate membership of the IAM They do all the organising for you Membership of a local group They train you 2 Books ‘How to be an Advanced Motorcyclist’

and the Highway Code The Examination Carried out by a Grade 1 Police officer

How does it work? You’ll be assigned an Observer who will work with you on a one-to-one basis to prepare you for the examination. Normally you agree to meet at a mutually convenient time and place and spend a couple of hours at a time working on whatever’s necessary to get you to the required standard

How Long Will It Take? How long is a piece of string – Factors include how many bad habits you’ve developed, how confident you are, how much practice you get in between observed rides, how quickly you can take on new concepts. On average we find that people are ready for test after between 6 and 10 sessions – you can rest assured that you won’t be recommended to apply for the test until both you and the Observer feel that you are ready

Are there any hidden costs?

Not really – Apart from wear-and-tear on your machine every time you go out that’s about it You will be expected to contribute £5 towards the wear-and-tear of your Observers machine, but most clubs limit that to 12 rides – any more after that is free to you

What will I learn – What good will it do me?

This isn’t rocket science – you’ll certainly learn to be more aware of what’s going on around you and how to prepare better for all eventualities Mainly it’s down to improving observations and planning

But I already do that – you won’t teach me anything!!

A lot of us felt that way before we started the tuition It may well be that you do already do a lot of what the examiner will be looking for You’ll be tutored to the same standard as the people who are recognised as the best motorcyclists in the world – the UK Police Force The only difference is they have blue lights, and sirens and you don’t

What else can you do for me?

We consider all aspects of what is in fact for most of us a hobby. Organised group runs, social events, other skills improvement etc. On a national scale, last year IAM organised skills days at Mallory Park, where we can practice all the skills without the normal day-to day problems such as kerbs, on-coming traffic, lampposts etc We also organise wheelie schools, holidays and plenty more. . .

Come and have a chat we’re bikers - just like you!

Lichfield Advanced Motorcyclists

Bill Hollingshead – Bike Membership Secretary

01543425821 / 07711648580

[email protected]

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Disclaimer

Please note that articles and advertisement are individual contributions and do not necessarily represent the views or policies of Lichfield Advanced Motorists & Motorcyclists or the Institute of Advanced Motorists

COME AND SEE US… We meet on the last Sunday of the month at Fradley Village Hall just off the A38. Meetings start around 10.00 with a welcome session and all new members and existing members are welcome to attend. For new Associates, we pair up an Observer and organise first assessment rides, and there is usually a ride out for existing members. We will also be inviting guest speakers to some EoM meetings … In February we had a fascinating talk from the CEO of the DVLC, Noel Shanahan … March – Intaride April – IAM Examiner May – Road side first aid

March 2009

Documents

Transcript of March 2009