the magazine or wey valley dvanced motorcyclists 59 spring 2016 web.pdf · 2016-08-06 · the...

The Magazine for Wey Valley Advanced Motorcyclists

In Memoriam

Group No. 2155

Spring 2016 Number 59

Metzeler 01 Roadtec Tyre Test

Viva Las Vegas

St. George's Day Mission

Mayhem and Magic

http://www.wvam.org.uk 32 http://www.wvam.org.uk

Intercom Spring 2016

As Bill Shankley once said, biking is not a matter of life and death, it’s much more important than that! (Sorry Mr. Darby)

Bikes are a way of life and a bit like supporting football, people who don’t participate find it hard to relate. Speaking personally that is, I have never understood anything about football.

For me two wheels dictate just about everything I do. I ride my bike to work, I ride my bike at the weekends and in the evenings and given the choice when going shopping, I take the bike. The bikes take up all the room in the garage and when I go on holiday it usually involves riding a bike. The wardrobe is full of bike kit and the kitchen drawers are full of Wey Valley key rings, buffs and bike gloves. The downstairs toilet is full of crap as well.

Every domestic decision involves the bike. “What’s for tea? Don’t know but it needs to fit in the panniers”, “Can’t buy that house the garage is too small”, “if we go there where are we going to park the bike?”, “Can’t take the dog there’s no where for her to sit”. When I was recently interviewed for a new job my first question was, have you got secure parking for motorbikes and so on it goes! My children are called Norton and Commander and the dog is called R12. And just to add insult to my wife’s complaints about the bikes, not the kids, I decided to become Chairman of... a bike club!

So this is my final dissertation before I hand over the reins of control to a new era of leadership

for WVAM. This is the twelfth edition of Intercom I have introduced and as you receive this copy I will be standing up in front of my forty-eighth Observed Sunday before attending my forty-eighth committee meeting next week and leading my fourth AGM on 19th May.

God help you all!

It’s been a blast and it’s not over as I will be joining Stuart’s training team once I stand down as Chairman. You haven’t seen the last of me yet!

So what have we achieved in the last four years?

We have presided over a period of steady growth in terms of membership and significant development in terms of our interaction with the IAM, thanks to John Braddick. Although what happens next to the IAM will present new challenges for our club.

We also have new definitions in terms of our Observer roles, standards and titles all of which has been implemented by Rosario and her team. We have introduced a raft of incentives and support measures for our Observes and we now provide playback video for observed runs as well as Observer to Associate radio communication. We also have a new front end to our web site. A great initiative driven by Jeremy Sigger. Our social events are oversubscribed. We even have free tea and coffee on club nights... I could go on...

What is WVAM to me? A great group of people, and Alex Carlton, coming out from under their duvets into the real world with seemingly endless practical knowledge on just about every topic, except CCTV!

If the type of bike you ride is a measure of your individuality just look round the car park on a Sunday morning. That’s WVAM (Apart from the C2, who rides a C2?!).

For me WVAM is huge distraction from work and has taught me a lot about people and how to manage them when you’re not in a work

Chairman's Words


Test Passes 2

Last Chairman’s Words 3

Calendar 5

Editorial 6

Ride it Right 7

Jerry’s Column 9

In Memoriam - Stephen Wesley Gill 10

Viva Las Vegas 12

F1RST Forward 18

Metzeler 01 Roadtec Tyre Test 20

St George’s Day Mission 22

Can You Trust Your Tyres? 24

Mayhem and Magic 26

Chief Observer’s Report 35

Committee 39

Contents

Congratulations to the following:

IAM Masters: Howard Denny

Advanced Test: Peter Bomphrey, Barrie Dennett, Neil Gilfillan,

Michael Man, Robert Pape, Matt Sacker, Steve Whitcombe

Trainee Observer Stage 1: Matt Elderton, Mark Wyman

Trainee Observer Stage 2: Simon Keen, Rodney Rayner, Gerry Thorn

Test Passes

The Masters Standard For accomplished advanced drivers and riders, the IAM Masters programme provides an opportunity to attain the highest level of civilian driving standard in the country. The Masters standard embraces the full scope of the 4 hierarchical levels of the GDE (Goals for Driver Education) matrix as defined on page 167 of Roadcraft, i.e.:

At the lowest level the function and control of our vehicle or machine.

At the next level the requirements of the situation developing around us.

At level 3 the timing and motives for that particular journey.

At level 4, the highest level, our attitudes, values, beliefs and goals.

A Master Driver or Rider is someone who can apply emotional intelligence to all of their driving decisions. This means being aware of the possible motivations of those around you as well as your own. It means you are proactively making allowances for the mistakes of others as well as your own. This is modern driving. The Master Driver is someone who is wise about how the demand of an increasingly complex roadscape creates a necessity to respect the diverse agendas of other road users. Building on your existing skills as an advanced road user the Masters programme will help enhance and develop your ability in the following areas:

Applying cornering principles Assessing, planning and executing safe overtaking manoeuvres Recognising opportunities to make safe progress (within the speed limits) Improving observation, anticipation and awareness consistent with vehicle

speed Applying sound judgement of speed and distance Delivering a fluent, relevant and continuous commentary Demonstrate continuous self-assessment regarding driving behaviour Develop and demonstrate self-critical thinking in relation to the context of

driving and riding

Last

4 http://www.wvam.org.uk


http://www.wvam.org.uk 5


environment. The level of enthusiasm and commitment for what we do in our spare time is infectious. I also got to meet and work with Michael Winner and Mark Kermode.

Why am I standing down? Way too much work at present but mainly to give WVAM the benefit of a new optic on the biking world. The future of WVAM will continue to depend on input from a broad range of individuals and the club deserves the opportunity to invest in new blood on a regular basis. We must never become complacent!

What did I enjoy the most, working with a decanter full of enthusiastic and like-minded individuals, absolutely nothing bad, all good! Although some could do with a software update in the near future. We should not underestimate the power of the people who make Sunday morning happen.

Who next?... Who knows but we’re not short of people who want to have a go, both new and old hands. It’s our choice. Make your selection wisely.

Well, apart from thanking my Wife and my Mother I would like to thank the stunning Committee that have covered up for me for the last four years and wish them all the best with their new Chairman.

Godspeed!

Got an itch you need to scratch?Found you've got a voice after all?Can you stick your arm in the air?Care about the future of the club?

WVAM AGMRipley Village Hall

Thursday 19th May @ 8:00 pm

Come on down and hear what the committee has done.Vote in new Committee Members.

Ask all those questions you've been saving up.Volunteer to help, It's your club, have your say,

make an input.

From May through to July 2016WVAM Calendar

Le t us kn ow o f even ts

tha t members may be

i n t eres ted i n !

For further details and updates of WVAM events please refer to calendar section on

the website

Date Name of Event Description/Destination - Rendezvous

Comments / Links

Fri 6 May Norman’s Evening Excursion Meet at Newlands Corner at 6:30 pm Run Leader: Norman Foord 07912 616204 Sat 7 May WVAM Full Control Skills

Handling Course Dunsfold Park from 9:00 am to 4:00 pm £50 to attend and details on website calendar

Contact Barry Riches to attend via forum/email. Sun 8 May Rodney’s Resurrected Ramble Meet at Newlands Corner at 9:00 am Run Leader: Rodney Rayner 07515 691075 Thu 12 May ROGS Run Meet at Ryka’s Café, Box Hill at 9:30 am on

2nd and 4th Thursday of each month Any changes or extended trips will be posted under the ROGS section

Sun 15 May Associates Only Ride Meet at Devils Punchbowl Cafe car park at 9:00 am

Run Leader: Penny West 07967 798754

Thu 19 May ROGS Run Meet at Ryka’s Café, Box Hill at 9:30 am on 2nd and 4th Thursday of each month

Any changes or extended trips will be posted under the ROGS section

Sun 22 May Lunch at Pewsey Wharf Meet at Hogs Back Car Park at 9:15 am Run Leader: Jeremy Sigger 07860 130378 Thu 26 May ROGS Run Meet at Ryka’s Café, Box Hill at 9:30 am on


Sat 28 May WVAM Full Control Skills Handling

Dunsfold Park from 9:00 am to 4:00 pm £50 to attend and details on website calendar Contact Barry Riches via forum/email.

Sun 29 May Phil’s Wylye Valley Adventure Meet at Hogs Back Car Park at 9:15 am Run Leader: Phil Jones 07826 145133 Wed 1 Jun Rex’s Summer Run Meet at Reigate Hill Car Park at 6:45 pm Run Leader: Rex Hawkes 07934 330005 Wed 1 Jun Evening Excursion with

John and John Meet at Newlands Corner at 6:15 am Run Leader: John Sanders 07795 481563

Run Leader: John Whitehouse 07866 367226 Sat 4 Jun WVAM Full Control Skills


Contact Barry Riches via forum/email. Sun 5 Jun Nick’s BreakFAST Bash Meeting decided on the morning at 6:45 am Run Leader: Nick Robinson 07957 206856 Sun 5 Jun Observed Sunday Ripley Village Hall Wed 8 Jun Rex’s Summer Run Meet at Reigate Hill Car Park at 6:45 pm Run Leader: Rex Hawkes 07934 330005 10/6 – 15/6 WVAM French Trip Wed 15 Jun Rex’s Summer Run Meet at Reigate Hill Car Park at 6:45 pm Run Leader: Rex Hawkes 07934 330005 Wed 15 Jun Evening Excursion with


Run Leader: John Whitehouse 07866 367226 Thu 16 Jun Club Night Ripley Village Hall at 7:45 pm Check forum for details Sat 18 Jun Associates Advanced Riding

Theory Session Ripley Village Hall at 7:30 pm This will take approximately two hours

Sun 19 Jun Associates Only Ride TBD at 09:00 am Run Leader: TBD Wed 22 Jun Rex’s Summer Run Meet at Reigate Hill Car Park at 6:45 pm Run Leader: Rex Hawkes 07934 330005 Thu 23 Jun ROGS Run Meet at Ryka’s Café, Box Hill at 9:30 am on


Sun 26 Jun Tony’s Sizzling Sensation Meet at Fairoaks Airport Cafe at 9:30 am Run Leader: Tony Coe 07542 397542 Wed 29 Jun Rex’s Summer Run Meet at Reigate Hill Car Park at 6:45 pm Run Leader: Rex Hawkes 07934 330005 Sat 2 Jul Slow Control Workshop Meet at Tannery Lane Car Park at 10:00 am Confirm with Gavin Caddick 07971 506710 Sun 3 Jul Nick’s BreakFAST Bash Meeting decided on the morning at 6:45 am Run Leader: Nick Robinson 07957 206856 Sun 3 Jul Observed Sunday Ripley Village Hall Sun 3 Jul Slow Control Workshop Meet at Tannery Lane Car Park at 2:30 am Confirm with Gavin Caddick 07971 506710 Wed 6 Jul Rex’s Summer Run Meet at Reigate Hill Car Park at 6:45 pm Run Leader: Rex Hawkes 07934 330005 Wed 6 Jul Evening Excursion with John

and John Meet at Newlands Corner at 6:15 am Run Leader: John Sanders 07795 481563

Run Leader: John Whitehouse 07866 367226 Sat 9 Jul WVAM Full Control Skills


Contact Barry Riches via forum/email. Sun 10 Jul Keith’s Tangmere Tango Meet at Ryka’s Café at 9:45 am Run Leader: Keith Robbins 07771 843000 Wed 13 Jul Rex’s Summer Run Meet at Reigate Hill Car Park at 6:45 pm Run Leader: Rex Hawkes 07934 330005 Thu 14 Jul ROGS Run Meet at Ryka’s Café, Box Hill at 9:30 am on


Sun 17 Jul Associates Only Ride TBD at 9:00 am Run Leader: TBD Sun 17 Jul Wattywoo goes to the

Seaside for Lunch Meet at Hogs Back Car Park at 8:45 am Run Leader: Neil Watson 07786 800828

Wed 20 Jul Rex’s Summer Run Meet at Reigate Hill Car Park at 6:45 pm Run Leader: Rex Hawkes 07934 330005 Wed 20 Jul Evening Excursion with


Run Leader: John Whitehouse 07866 367226 Thu 21 Jul Club Night Ripley Village Hall at 7:45 pm Check forum for details Sun 24 Jul James’s Jolly Japes Meet at Ryka’s Café at 10:00 am Run Leader: James Godbold 07736 463787 Wed 27 Jul Rex’s Summer Run Meet at Reigate Hill Car Park at 6:45 pm Run Leader: Rex Hawkes 07934 330005 Thu 28 Jul ROGS Run Meet at Ryka’s Café, Box Hill at 9:30 am on


Wed 3 Aug Rex’s Summer Run Meet at Reigate Hill Car Park at 6:45 pm Run Leader: Rex Hawkes 07934 330005 Wed 3 Aug Evening Excursion with


Run Leader: John Whitehouse 07866 367226 Sat 6 Aug Slow Control Workshop Meet at Tannery Lane Car Park at 10:00 am Confirm with Gavin Caddick 07971 506710 Sun 7 Aug Nick’s BreakFAST Bash Meeting decided on the morning at 6:45 am Run Leader: Nick Robinson 07957 206856 Sun 7 Aug Observed Sunday Ripley Village Hall Sun 7 Aug Slow Control Workshop Meet at Tannery Lane Car Park at 10:00 am Confirm with Gavin Caddick 07971 506710

Motorcycle Quotes

Four wheels move the body. Two wheels move the soul.

Only a Biker knows why a dog sticks his head out of

a car window.

I’d rather be riding my motorcycle thinking about God than sitting in church thinking

about my motorcycle.

You only need two tools: WD40 and duct tape. If it doesn’t move and it should, use WD40. If it moves and

it shouldn’t, use duct tape.

Never trade the thrills of living for the security of existence.

If you don’t ride in the rain you don’t ride.

Never ask a biker for directions if you’re in a hurry to get there.

You don’t stop riding because you’re getting old, you get old

when you stop riding.

I can remember the time when sex was safe and motorcycles

were dangerous.

Ne i l Wats onCha i rman



https:/www.facebook.com/weyvalleyadvancedmotorcyclists

http://www.twitter.com/Wey ValleyIAM

Front cover photo of Lenka Taylor at a WVAM Full Control Skills Handling Day last Spring

I would like to take a moment to thank Neil, our outgoing Chairman for his contribution to the last twelve Intercoms with his unique views and observations complete with tongue-in-cheek humour. Also to Rosario, our outgoing Chief Observer for her comprehensive reports over the same period.

Sadly, we have lost a good friend and colleague on the Committee with the passing of Steve Gill in February this year. I for one will miss you Steve and our little chats and catch-up before each committee meeting.

I apologise for the lateness of this Intercom but due to the lateness of articles and absence of some I have a certain leeway I believe but hold my hand up nonetheless. On the positive side at least the wait until the next one is only two months. Hopefully almost too many articles to choose from as previously experienced. Please keep the articles flowing and ideas forthcoming. I would like to again thank Janet for dropping me ideas and articles of interest every so often.

Well done to Howard Denny on achieving his Masters making a total of seven Masters so far in the club.

We have a number of trips in this issue as well as Crispin’s Metzeler 01 Roadtec tyre test and other titbits.

We have had four Slow Control Workshops (see article in the previous Intercom) to date run at this stage by myself, Tim Goodman and Gerry Thorn, with them being planned on the Saturday before each Observed Sunday as well as on the afternoon of Observed Sunday for those that cannot make a Saturday.

Barry Riches has conducted a WVAM Full Control Skills Handling Course already this year with another six planned throughout the rest of the year hence the photograph of Lenka on her bike on a previous Full Control Skills Handling Day.

We have also trialled a First Forward Riding Group on Observed Sundays for those that wish to improve or maintain their skills to a F1RST standard so as to help pass their Goodwood Test on the path to becoming an Observer. Hopefully this becomes a regular feature of our Observed Sundays.

Gavin CaddickEditor

Editorial

SURREY FIRE & RESCUE SERVICETHE 2016 RIDE IT RIGHT

MOTORCYCLE SHOW

presents

Motorcycle Skills Talks | Accident Scene Management PresentationsTyre Safety Checks | CPR Instruction | Brake Speed Reaction TestsIAM Observed Ride Outs | Gear, Clothing, Gadgets and Accessories

The latest bikes from BMW, HARLEY DAVIDSON, HONDA, TRIUMPH, YAMAHA many more custom bikes and specials.

DON’T FORGET YOUR LICENCE AND PROOF OF IDOn site food & refreshments

ON SUNDAY 8TH MAY10AM - 4PM

The Four Degrees of Separation

These are the things that separate you from the ground, injuring yourself and possibly even death.

1) Motorcycle maintenance and checks – POWDERS as discussed on Observed Sundays2) Motorcycle handling skills – covered by our WVAM Full Control Skills Days and Slow Control Workshops.3) Advanced riding strategy and plan – IPSGA covered by our observed rides on Observed Sundays4) Protective gear – which is of course obvious.

The one on which that there has not been as much focus on are the second of these which are the machine handling skills which we are now starting to cover comprehensively so I would urge

us all to take advantage of these.




Jerry (Motorman) Palladino is an American ex motorcycle cop who now delivers advanced machine handling workshops called Ride Like a Pro. In addition to the courses, Jerry has a series of YouTube videos worth checking out.

BACK TO BASICS - HEAD AND EYES

I’ve gotten a lot of email lately stating some of my readers missed the first few motorman columns. It never hurts to review the basic techniques involved so here goes.

The first thing you must master is ‘head and eyes’. What this means exactly, is that wherever you look, that’s where the bike will go. The reason the phrase head and eyes is used is that if you turn your head to the right, but your eyes look straight ahead, the technique WILL NOT work. Both your head and eyes must turn in the direction you want the bike to go. Never look down unless you want to go down. ‘Head and eyes’ does take practice to become second nature. The good news is that you can practice this technique every time you are on your motorcycle. Simply pulling out of your driveway, for instance, if you are turning to the right, turn your head and eyes to the right, look down the road where you want the motorcycle to go and you’ll immediately notice you will be making a much tighter turn than normal. When you stop at a stop sign and are about to make a left hand turn, turn your head and eyes to the left, avoid looking at the curb or the centre line of the road and focus on where you want the bike to end up and you will find you will never drift towards the curb or the centre line of the road. You can even practice this technique on a bicycle by making U-turns on the street in front of your own home.

The second technique you must learn is how to use the friction zone. The friction zone is the area on the clutch between fully open and fully closed. In other words, as you let the clutch out and the

bike starts to move, you’re entering the friction zone. An easy way to become accustomed to riding the bike in the friction zone is to practice the slow race. That is simply going as slow as you possibly can without releasing the clutch completely.

The third technique is the proper use of the rear or controlling brake. With the motorcycle in the friction zone, keep your foot on the rear brake and feather it as the bike starts to move. By doing this you are making the motorcycle think it’s going faster than it is. When you apply power and keep your foot on the rear brake, it keeps the motorcycle from falling over at low speeds, which is where most people have a problem. I’ve never heard of anyone having problems balancing their motorcycle at 50 or 60mph. If you don’t use these techniques at 5 or 10mph the motorcycle feels clumsy and wants to fall over on its side. AVOID using the front brake at all costs when riding at parking lot speeds, as applying the front brake at 5 or 10mph with the handlebars turned even slightly, will pull you to the ground like a magnet. Of course, once above parking lot speeds, you must use the front brake as well as the rear brake, as seventy per cent of your braking power comes from the front brake.

Avoid dragging your feet along the ground as this tends to upset the balance of the motorcycle, and of course, if your feet are dragging on the ground you cannot have your foot on the brake. As soon as you start to move your bike from a complete stop, both feet should automatically come up to the pegs and your right foot should be feathering the rear brake.

Once you master these three simple techniques, you will be amazed at the tight manoeuvres your bike can perform. You’ll know you’ve gotten it right when you can make full lock turns in both directions at 5mph with the pegs or boards scraping a perfect circle in the pavement. Remember, all it takes is a little practice. Good Luck!

Jerry ‘Motorman’ Palladino

Jerry's Column

https://www.ridelikeapro.com

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Stephen Wesley Gill15th April 1959 – 26th February 2016

It is with great sadness that we print the fact that Stephen Wesley Gill passed away from a heart attack on the 27th February 2016.

When Natalie Cro posted this sad news on the forum there was an overwhelming flood of comments, which I can summarise as follows:

“A lovely man and will miss his cheeky cheerful nature, jovial and a real character. Such a kind hearted gent, a lovely guy, always full of energy, happy and laughing, very helpful and supportive, always ready with a smile and a joke, a great sense of humour.

Such a great character and a great loss to the club, the world is a poorer place without him and a very sad loss for everyone who knew him.”

And as Neil, our Chairman stated:

“Steve was a solid member of the Committee and a diligent shopkeeper. He had a great sense of humour and was never happy

to suffer fools gladly.

He always looked after the team with coffee and biscuits come hell or high water. A true gent!

The club is a poorer place without him!”

Gavin Caddick

In Memoriam

Steve's last bike

As a show of friendship and support and along with the family’s wishes, we as a club met at Jack Lilly in Ashford at 12:30 pm on Friday the 11th of March and made our way to Mill Hill Golf Club to escort Steve to Hendon Crematorium with a complement of twenty-six bikes where there was standing room only.

The service was very special and even for those of us that knew him fairly well was inspiring to say

the least finding out even more about one of our own. Jane West read out a poem that she had written for Steve whilst his family and friends recounted many tales from his life.

Of course, Steve’s unmissable orange helmet was present just so that we knew he was there.

We then left and made our way back to Mill Hill Golf Club for the wake where some of us also had the opportunity to page through a book put together (in a very short space of time) by Jane West of photographs, captions and humorous stories of Steve’s life which was fantastically done.

Rest in Peace Steve, the club will sorely miss you.

Poem for Steve

by Jane West

Hey! Let’s go out for a ride todayGive Stevie a call

he’ll come out to play.An offer of lunch a cuppa or two

maybe an ice creamOh! We’ve had a few.

Be it France, Wales or Scotland Cornwall, South Coast

With tarmac and rubberwe’ve covered them most

Come rain or come shine the ride’s always onSteve would be ready

with his bright helmet on.

Rear back markerthat's where you would beBut today our dear friend

you’re in front of thee.

So today our dear mateyou take your last ride

We’re here with you buddy we’re right by your side.

May the place where you gobe happy and free

Ride your bike with great pleasurewhere e’er that may be.

Leaving Jack Li l ly

On the way to Mil l Hi l l Golf Club

About to escort Steve

About to escort Steve





We join Robert taking the opportunity to go on his first ride in the USA spending the day on a round trip from Vegas through the surrounding Nevada countryside taking in the sights as well as joining the locals the previous evening on a Classic Bike Night.

As a freelance Project Manager I often travel for work. I recently took it upon myself to attend two industry exhibitions which were in back-to-back weeks in Las Vegas; Cinemacon for the Cinema industry and NAB for Broadcast, both for business development purposes. “Tough Job” I hear you say. “Have you tried spending a week in Vegas?!!”

I had plans to meet lots of business friends, colleagues and acquaintances during the shows, but plans were a bit lacking for the weekend downtime. One of my good friends suggested hiring a Harley. This is the friend that’s turning my old ‘not so classic’ BMW R100 into a bobber.

Unfortunately he was unable to make it as he had business commitments during the weekend, the sort of sales meetings that we’ve all probably slept through, but he gave me the idea and the contacts so there was no stopping me.

From plan to the travel date was around ten days – during which I planned my flights and accommodation – whilst doing so I unusually read the terms and conditions which clearly stated: As of 1st April 2016 in order to enter the U.S. a passport with a chip is required. That necessitated a trip to the Passport office in Newport with a selection of photos; I was travelling on the 12th April. New passport in hand, and U.S. ESTA arranged, I was ready for off.

Prior to leaving the UK, and after a sly trip to Guildford Harley to get a feel for the bikes, I

booked a bike for ‘the’ Saturday with Escape Eagles in Vegas. I have to say I was completely honest with Guildford Harley about my plan, but still they said if I wanted to take a bike out to get the feel I was most welcome, I didn’t, but what fantastic service. I planned and confirmed the Escape Eagles trip by email.

The company is a small privately owned hire specialist so I had high hopes and was not disappointed.

http://escapeeagles.com

The travel and work were quite ‘normal’ however when Friday came I was off to a bike apparel shop that I found on the ‘www’ close‘ish’ to my hotel to buy a few things – Kevlar Jeans and an

open face helmet as I refuse to wear the helmets the hire companies provide – you all know why. I took my summer jacket, boots and gloves and sundries from home. Whilst there I chatted quite a bit to the guy in the shop who told me of a classic bike night being held that night at a pub off the strip – which was great on two counts – bikes and ‘off the strip’ for a bit of normality, sorry, three counts when you include decent beer.

The weather that evening was cold, windy and damp. I know, I couldn’t believe it either. Unfortunately this meant that the number of bikes

Robert Pape

Viva Las Vegas

This is the friend that’s turning my old ‘not so classic’ BMW R100 into a bobber.

The company is a small privately owned hire specialist so I had high hopes and was not disappointed.

was less than expected, damp roads in Vegas equals skidpan, so a lot of the locals leave their bikes in the garage – very sensible. Some of the braver ones were out though. Bikes ranged from BMW GSs through sports bikes to Harleys and choppers.

http://www.downtowncrownpub.com/

The venue was an English pub in the Charleston ‘Arts District’ with good beer, good food and live music – to be honest I don’t search out English pubs

when abroad but as you can tell I quite happily made an exception for this one. After a wonderfully enjoyable evening inspecting a

wide range of bikes, chatting to lots of U.S. biker brethren, partaking of food, an odd alcoholic beverage and buying the obligatory T-shirt, I left the relative normality of this bar and took the

tourist bus back to ‘The Strip’. On a transport note, if you ever get the opportunity to go to Vegas, use UBER taxis, they are half the price of regular Vegas taxis.

Escape Eagles were ready for me when I arrived spot-on 08:30. The bike was ready, clean and shiny and looked well maintained. I went through all the formalities with Ralph, the same Swiss-German-American chap I booked with. Next was route planning – I had done my research, but was more than happy to let Ralph guide me. He gave me a map as well as some verbal and hand-written hints and tips, which were great.

Armed with Ralph’s guidance notes I decide to ride a circuit through the Valley of Fire, along Lake Mead, Hoover Dam and back to Vegas. I checked the bike over, a Harley Sportster, and off I went. First a bit of slow riding in the car park, then I hit the road.

As this was my first ride, or drive for that matter, in the U.S. I’d read up on speed limits, signage

and general rules of the road. It was hot and dry, still windy though, so I kept my speed down on Highway I15. No amount of reading can prepare you for a fifty tonne rig with a couple of trailers overtaking you at ‘75mph’ whilst you are doing about sixty. I made sure that I wasn’t

Unfortunately this meant that the number of bikes was less than

expected, damp roads in Vegas equals skidpan,...

Classic Bike Night

Red and black custom CX 500 Bobber with LED

Intercom Spring 2016Intercom Spring 2016


a truck sandwich by keeping to the right after that. My recollection of the highway is openness, ‘Big Sky’ and a crosswind, not forgetting the trucks of course. I was relieved to get to Exit 75 where Ralph had advised me to leave the Highway, fuel up and buy refreshments.

Another learning curve when the petrol, sorry Gas, pump said on it’s dim display ‘pay before refuelling’. I went into the shop and guessed at $20 dollars, similar to my BMW in pounds. Wrong, I had only used two US gallons at $2.50 a gallon, much to the amusement of the assistant when he gave me my change.

Now off the Highway and onto an empty single carriageway road I had a brief moment of doubt; however, as I can tell my left from my right, I was on the correct side of the road. A few cars were around to confirm this and off I went on ‘proper’ biking roads. ‘Big Sky’, empty roads, and then the tollbooth for the Valley of Fire. After a brief stop at the visitors centre, I mean really brief stop, I was there to ride the Harley not read about sedimentary rock and gophers, and so I set off again.

The scenery was amazing, bright red rock of some type, should have read more at the visitors’ centre, ‘Big Sky’, and lots of signs warning you not to exceed 35mph as you might squash a rodent. The speed limit was no issue, as being there was to be enjoyed not just sped through.

Next was the Lake Mead section of my trip, surprisingly long, Hoover Dam was sign-posted as something like seventy miles on a road named ‘Northshore Road’. It was seventy miles

of sweeping curves periodically within sight of Lake Mead and the Colorado River, which are only just a lake and a river respectively due to the prolonged period of near drought in this area of the U.S. but still beautiful.

I hardly saw another vehicle on this road, the occasional car, and the occasional biker, who, without exception, would give a wave as we passed each other. This road is the stuff of dreams and memories. If I remember only one thing from this trip it will be the feeling of remoteness on this road – a feeling you cannot experience in most of Europe, and certainly not in England, it was magnificent.

If I’d had time I would have ridden back part of the way just to experience it again.

Arriving at the relative bustle of the Hoover Dam, I remember Ralph’s advice “Don’t use the visitor centre car park, they will charge you $10, go over the dam, parking is free”. So I did and it was. It was also where all the local bikes congregated. I

had a little ‘titter’ at a local bike group called ‘Nocturnal Riders’ it was 14:00 and bright sunshine, but I didn’t feel it was appropriate to correct them, there was only one of me. The photo below is of ‘yours truly’

at the Hoover Dam, the smile is a bit subtle, I was really in full ‘Cheshire Cat’ mode.

No amount of reading can prepare you for a fifty tonne rig with a couple of trailers overtaking you at ‘75mph’

whilst you are doing about sixty.

The scenery was amazing, bright red rock of some type, should have read

more at the visitors’ centre,...

Entrance to the Valley of Firewww.RoadTrip.uk

Tel: +44 (0)1483 662 135 Email: [email protected] 9, Boundary Business Centre,

Boundary Way, Woking, Surrey, GU21 5DHDUCATI • TRIUMPH • YAMAHA • BMW

Rent and ride some of the best motorcycles in the World, competitively priced, professionally maintained, fully equipped and immaculately turned out. We can also provide helmets, clothing, luggage and sat. navs as needed.

Full insurance and breakdown cover are included.

Where will you go?

WHERE WILLYOU GO?

RENT MOTORCYCLES TO RIDE IN THE UK AND EUROPE

RoadTrip FP 0715.indd 1 21/07/2015 11:40





The ride back to Vegas was relatively uneventful and quite quick, a bit more highway and then local roads. I was pleased to get the bike back although it was a bit early, perhaps I could have ridden the Lakeshore road again. I contemplated hiring a bike again on Sunday, but it couldn’t have bettered the ‘Northshore Road’ so I decided to stick at that. However, next time I’ll be off to Mount Charleston where I believe the roads are even better and the scenery more dramatic.

My summary is, in a word: Fantastic. I won’t go the U.S. ever again without planning a one day or more bike adventure. Be it business or pleasure, it will include bikes. Would I own a Harley? I’m quite happy with my BMW for the moment thank you. Parked up at Hoover Dam





I was Tail-End Charlie on the last part of the run and it was very interesting to note that, by then, we were all following exactly the same lines almost all the time. So I guess we all learned something from it.

I think it was a very valuable experience and definitely a Good Idea to continue with these outings as a way of helping to bridge the gap that Bob identified between passing your test and doing the Observer Training.

I like the idea of calling it the ‘F1RST Forward’ group as long as it’s made clear that it’s not only for those people who got a first but anyone who’s looking to become an Observer.

Looking forward to the next one!

Regards

Kate”

“Hi Gavin

Yet another great firsts ride on Sunday. It is good to have feedback as to how you are riding and what could be improved. It is also good to be able to discuss the ride.

Some of the roads on our ride had long winding bends and as there was no white line we all found it was best to use the whole of the road for the best view. This is the second time I have done this ride and by the end we were all staying very close together matching the speeds available.

I do enjoy the continued learning that this type of ride offers.

See you Thursday

Simon”

ChilworthShalford

Guildford

Godalming

Shalford Station

Cricket Green

The Sea Horse

A281

A281

A248

New

Road

A248

B2128

Gavin Caddick

F1RST Forward

For Members that want to after passing their test, not wishing to do the Social Rides for whatever reason and wanting to continue riding seriously to a F1RST standard (if already a F1RST) or attain a F1RST with a retest or just to get up to standard (for Goodwood) until eligible for the Goodwood Assessment to become an Observer. This is not an elite ‘club’ and open to all who want to continue to progress in their riding.

F1RST Forward will mean riding in a group with a voluntary leader amongst the group on the day and riding to a F1RST standard along the way. At the stops as decided by the group, a debrief/discussion of observations with each individual’s past input from previous Observers will ensue to improve and learn from each other.

The group will be dynamic and as Members move on to the Goodwood Assessment other Members will join with a view to paragraph 1. On Observed Sundays there will be a maximum of six Members for each F1RST Forward group to get the maximum effect from each ride.

If Members who have not attained a F1RST and wish to do so, they can be taken out for an assessment of their riding by the Chief Observer and/or other National Observers/Senior Observers allocated to the group for this purpose, and if deemed suitable go for a F1RST in a retest.

There is no conflict with the Riders Workshop, which is run by some of the senior riders in the club teaching other Members specific riding techniques that Members want to learn about.

The F1RST Forward is a group of peers committed to riding to a F1RST standard supporting themselves and each other. This expands the range of options for Members who want to step up to becoming Observers.

We have trialled the idea on Observed Sunday in March and May and it has been met with enthusiasm.

Members that have trialled this so far are as follows: Matt Anning, Tony Coe, Owen Miles, Alex Ommanney, Simon Peacock and Kate Whitby.

The feedback received is the following:

“Hi Gavin,

My thoughts on our jaunt today.

We agreed to take it in turns to lead the run (as no route had been planned obviously!) and swapped places after each stop so that we were not following the same rider all the time. We used the ‘buddy’ system to keep everyone together (i.e. if you can’t see the rider who is following you, you drop back until they reappear in your mirrors). This worked well for a small group but probably not so practical for more than about eight riders.

We stopped at Newlands Corner and again at Ryka’s, each time to have a chat about what we had noticed about each other’s riding – all very positively phrased and good discussions about the different lines people took at various points, overtakes and so on.

We originally intended to go to Whiteways but ran out of time so headed back via Bear Green, Ockley and Cranleigh instead.

Our F1RST Lady


http://www.wvam.org.uk 2120 http://www.wvam.org.uk

completely new tread design which looks like it will clear heaps of water in the rain. Mechanical grip is increased by dual compound on the rear with the softer shoulder compound being used for the whole of the front. The HWM (Heavy Weight Motorcycle) special version was fitted to my BMW R1200RT to increase stability by employing a two-ply carcass on the rear, where standard tyres have one-ply and the front has the same two-ply construction as standard but benefits from stiffer carcass material and sidewall construction plus a slightly different compound recipe. This will appeal to a wider variety of machines including the new batch of naked and adventure bikes.

So how does all this actually translate on to the road? I had taken off the test winning Roadtec Z8 and so could make a back-to-back comparison between the old and new models. Having only covered a thousand miles or so, my initial impressions are very encouraging. In the dry the new Roadtec 01s definitely promote confidence and are very stable and sure-footed over lateral joints and road irregularities. They warm up and lose that horrible wooden feeling really quickly. Steering is precise and they turn in progressively and predictably and give excellent feedback and feel while leant over due to a larger and shorter contact patch and they cope really well with the shocking road conditions at this time of year. They are supremely confidence-inspiring in the wet and never put a foot wrong.

If anything the Roadtec 01 feels slightly harder over the bumps and generates a fraction more road noise than the Z8 but it is the added stiffness which gives superior feedback and precision whereas I felt that the Z8 was quite sensitive to the smallest drop in pressure which would make them become less stable and prone to wander over white lines and lateral cracks and over-banding. Only time will tell whether they live up to the claims

of extended mileage but the boys at GTC Motorcycle predict ten thousand miles from a pair, which is good for us but not so good for them!

You can contact GTC Motorcycle on 01483 663 400 www.guildfordmotorcycle.co.uk or take a look at http://www.metzeler.com/site/uk/products/tyres-catalogue/Roadtec-01.html?version=1025169

Metzeler Roadtec 01 "Stand out winner of MCN sports-touring tyre test"Michael Neeves 23 March 2016

Intercom Spring 2016 Crispin d’Albertanson - April 2016

I always look forward to new tyres at the beginning of the season, like the comfort of freshly laundered sheets on your bed, they are crisp and clean and make your bike feel brand new again, but the anticipation of the latest evolution in Metzeler touring tyres was even more exciting.

James and his enthusiastic and knowledgeable crew at GTC Motorcycle had my new rubber, not strictly true as the compound is full silica, fitted in double-quick time in their purpose designed motorcycle depot in New Road Chilworth while I relaxed with a cup of coffee in the first floor waiting area.

Metzeler’s Roadtec 01 is new for 2016 and has taken over from the Roadtec Z8 with a

METZELER 01 ROADTEC

Thumbs up from Terry Rymer and Matt Sunderland of GTC Motorcycle for the Metzeler 01 Roadtec.

THE SPORT TOURING WORLD IS CHANGING





Captains Log – star date 22 16 116

After a hearty breakfast thirty plus riders took off across Dartmoor dressed appropriately for the parade (red crosses on white backgrounds) to arrive for lunch at Tintagel.

The route was selected by Herr Kapitan to include single track and twenty per cent inclines. One local vehicle was obliged to wait in a passing place for all the machines to pass. What must they have been thinking?

On arrival, the alien visitors to this famous landmark (Tintagel Castle) were treated to a rendition of Arthur and Guinevere challenging rivals to plastic sword fights screaming loud war-like cries. The cameras clicked and poses were given to the throngs of tourists who couldn’t believe their luck at the free show and parade of costumery.

After lunch more riding along these Devonshire and Cornish roads in delightful conditions, sunny

and bright albeit slightly chilly. St George regalia flowed in the wind much to the amusement of local villagers as thirty bikes passed through their normally tranquil locations. The day was rounded off with a fine meal at base camp combined with fine ales or wines. The evening continued into the early hours.

Captains Log – star date 22 16 117

After a later breakfast the journey started to return to Starbase Command Centre. The various groups assembled to return, destination lunch

at the first venue two days earlier at The George at Fordingbridge. The group thus completed the circular mission having discovered many new civilisations and classic routes. The travellers then split to make their own way at various warp speeds to homes across the Home Counties.

Lodgings for the night

Heading out after breakfast

Tintagel castle

Dressed appropriately

St George regalia flowed in the wind much to the amusement of local villagers

as thirty bikes passed through their normally tranquil locations.

We join our intrepid explorers on their travels to the outer reaches where very few have gone before or so we are told, well, not all of them anyway.

St George’s Day Mission 22.04 to 24.04

Captains Log – star date 22.16.115

Enlisted at the last minute the USS Enterprise under the command of Captain Kirk was brought in to undertake its bold mission to go where no man had gone before and to explore strange

new destinations. The crew from the Ripley HQ of Star Ship Command attended in force to attend under the vice captaincy of Kapitan Mike. The rendezvous point at 09.30 hours allowed a strange assortment of interstellar vehicles to line up alongside the Enterprise known otherwise as a K1600GTLE. The drivers of said support craft would further enlighten us with their strange regalia as time went on.

The party was split into three groups ably led by acknowledged sub lieutenants with competent technological planetary map-reading abilities. Each group was tasked to seek out predetermined

café stops for suitable sustenance and refreshments to counteract the dreaded English Weather being cold and wet. Each group took off at warp factor 8 and once on the selected routes where Klingons were known not to exist and speed could be increased to warp factor 10 and above. (For those not familiar with these speed designations then close to the speed of light at 186,000 miles per second!)

Hot beverages were taken in the galactic stopover known as The George at Fordingbridge. A well-known respite to those of ROG origins!

Next intergalactic stop for the mothership and Herr Kapitan was a tented café floating and wavering in the coastal Breeze of Burton Bradstock named the Hive Café. Few fellow travellers had made the effort to take lunch due to weather restrictions namely cold and wet, leaving adequate dining space for the intrepid travellers. Fine local fresh fish was the order of the day, which as always, lived up to its fine reputation.

On arrival at the destination Dartmoor Lodge Hotel, riders were treated to a fine buffet dinner with copious quantities of refreshment. Some more stellar riders were able to stay out the night enjoying the banter that this band of merry adventurers was used to. Clearly a fun evening had by all.

Peter Bomphrey

St George'sMissionDay

The party was split into three groups ably led by acknowledged sub lieutenants with competent

technological planetary map-reading abilities.

Few fellow travellers had made the effort to take lunch due to

weather restrictions namely cold and wet, leaving adequate dining space for the intrepid travellers.

The Dartmoor Lodge





RIDESMART

Can You Trust Your Tyres to Protect You?

Tyres can be your best friend or worst enemy. They’re the only bit of your bike that’s in contact with the road so your ability to stay safe depends on whether they’re in good nick.

Motorcycle tyres are thinner than the ones on cars – and only a fraction of their surface is touching the road at any one time. In short, all that’s standing between you and a loss of control is two tiny patches of rubber.

Accelerating, steering, cornering and braking can all become dangerous pastimes if you neglect your tyres. Your tyres can’t grip the road properly unless they’ve got enough tread on them – and your handling will be all wrong if your pressures aren’t right.

UK body TyreSafe is dedicated to raising awareness about the dangers associated with defective or illegal tyres. They encourage motorcyclists to stay safe by making a PACT with their tyres:

> PERFORMANCE will be improved with the correct tyre care – make sure that:> AIR PRESSURE is checked weekly> CONDITION is checked regularly> TREAD DEPTH is not below the legal minimum

To help you enjoy a trouble-free biking season, follow these tyre safety tips. Get help and advice from a trusted garage if you’re not confident that you have the skills to do the work yourself.

Tyre safety tips:

> Check your tyre pressures from cold at least once a week – the correct pressure will depend on whether you’re carrying a pillion passenger and what you’ve got stashed in your panniers

> If necessary, adjust the pressures so they’re at the level recommended in your manufacturer’s handbook – Both over and under inflation can cause damage and negatively affect the way your tyres make contact with the road (see diagram below)> Inspect tyres for cuts, bulges, uneven wear or objects embedded in the tread> Check that your tread depth is not below the legal minimum of 1mm for bikes with an engine size of more than 50cc – on machines with smaller engines, all of the grooves of the original tread pattern must be visible> Replace bent or cracked rims immediately> Check that both tyres fitted to the bike are made by the same manufacturer and have the same tread pattern> Make sure both tyres have been fitted the right way round by checking the directional arrows on the sidewall> Replace old or damaged valve stems> Make sure your tyre-wheel assembly is balanced correctly> Use dust caps – they keep dirt away from the valve core and act as a secondary air seal> Keep oil and grease off your tyres using detergent if necessary> Treat new tyres carefully during the 100-mile ‘running-in’ period – take extra care on wet or greasy roads and avoid sudden acceleration, braking and hard cornering.





My first experience of India on a motorcycle was a two-week ride around the tropical beaches, jungle and hills of Kerala, deep down in the far south – and that was it – I was hooked. I was hooked on the atmosphere, the landscapes and the whole riding experience. I have now been back two more times, first to the truly magical Himalayan kingdom of Bhutan and most recently to the far northern high mountain passes of Ladakh.

I am no fearless explorer and like most of us can only fit in a few weeks away, so my trips to India were all guided tours organised through the specialist company HC travel. Alam led both the last two on the ground. I like the ‘Turn up and ride’ aspect of these trips, Alam’s local knowledge, his back-up team and the confidence that they provided – especially reassuring, as Kate, my wife always rides with me as pillion.

High into Ladakh

Even though we had cut our Himalayan teeth and tamed our vertigo on our previous ride through Bhutan, I was a little apprehensive about our third visit to India. We were to ride deep into the Himalayas to the “Land of the High Passes.”

Ladakh is at the very top of India, and it seems, at the very top of the world. Wedged uneasily between the sensitive borders of Pakistan and China this is the region of India that forms part of the contested state of Kashmir. No surprise then that this area has been described as “India’s highest battlefield”.

Wikipedia tells us that there are about one thousand and one hundred miles of roads in Ladakh of which only five hundred miles are surfaced. Many of these roads are used mainly by the Indian Army to transport troops and equipment to the ‘front line.’ The roads are in a constant state of erosion. Every year from October to May they are closed as deep snow and ice make them impassable and when the thaw comes long stretches are ruined or washed away by glacial flood and avalanche.

Having ‘cheated’ the first three hundred kilometres of humid trunk road north out of Delhi in air-conditioned mini-bus luxury, we met up with Alam and our bikes at Parwanoo ready for the easy climb up through the beautiful forest clad foothills that started the journey.

The first day took us up to the historic town Shimla, a rather bizarre British colonial hill station built in a ‘Disney-esque’ old-English style and serviced by a narrow gauge mountain railway that has operated since 1906.

It felt good to be riding a motorcycle in India again. To ride through small bustling villages alive with sun intensified colour and spice aroma. To jostle with other drivers whose road etiquette is typically eccentric and smile at the naively written fascia’s and billboards that line the roads – “Denting & Painting” – “Quality at it’s bets”

I was hooked on the atmosphere, the landscapes and the whole

riding experience.

Stretches of road constantly washed away

Even though we had cut our Himalayan teeth and tamed our

vertigo on our previous ride through Bhutan, I was a little apprehensive

about our third visit to India.

Mark Chittenden

Mayhem and Magic

Mark takes us to the mayhem and magic of India on his third trip with his wife Kate riding through high passes deep into the Himalayas. Join us on this descriptive trip capturing the magic and allure which got them hooked in the first place.

Our car joined the M25 at Heathrow – nose to tail commuter traffic edged its way home in both directions through the dark November drizzle. “How is it so calm, quiet and ordered?” Alam asked. I had just picked Alam up from the airport. It was his first trip out of India and he was staying with me for a few days before heading up to the NEC Motorcycle Show to represent Himalayan Mototours on the HC Travel stand. “Calm, quiet and ordered” – Alam’s first reaction to the driving in this country, was far removed from my impression of the roads in his.

Wind forward several months to June. I was trying to follow Alam’s bike through what seemed like

miles of gridlocked chaos. We were riding high in the

Indian Himalayas attempting to make our way into Leh, the ancient capital of Ladakh and the last major town before the world’s highest road

pass. In typical Indian style, two JCBs and a truck had tried to pass each other in a narrow market street. The resulting jam made the Italian Job look like a quiet Sunday drive and as usual the traffic

mayhem was accompanied by the sound-track from a multitude of bike, car and tuk tuk horns. To add to this chaos, the Dalai Lama was visiting and every other vehicle was crammed with young, over-excited shaven headed monks seemingly

travelling in from every far corner of the continent for the occasion.

In situations like this, rules of the road that may have applied are quickly forgotten. Every inch of ground, stony gutter, road works, pavement, and dusty shop forecourt becomes fair game if it enables you to make some forward progress. People, bicycles, handcarts, dogs, cattle and us all compete for any gap that may open up between the crawling traffic.

This is India and motorcycling in India is great fun

“Calm, quiet and ordered” – Alam’s first reaction to the driving in this country, was far removed from my

impression of the roads in his.





road – wet mud on metal is not a good surface for two wheels! When we reached the top we were confronted with the surreal sight of hundreds of small stalls renting out ill-fitting 1980’s style ski suits and serving cups of steaming hot chai to the shivering tourists. We rode past as they played like children in the deep snow. In a few hours they would return back down to their Manali hotels and guesthouses, but at only twelve thousand feet we still had a long way to go.

Crossing the Rohtang Pass took us into a whole new world. We had left the day-trippers behind and could now feel the desolate vastness of the high Himalayas. No camera can truly capture the scale and barren beauty of the landscape as it stretches on forever into the distance. This is not the postcard perfect wonder you experience standing at the edge of the Grand Canyon, but a primeval monochromatic vastness that both entices and threatens. Towering mountains that are over four hundred and fifty million years old appear to be in a continuous state of collapse. Like a lunar landscape, huge boulders are scattered across dry valley floors and vast shale landslides cling in suspended animation to the side of high slopes. Towns and villages become sparse.

The roads become empty, people, faces and costumes look different and lonely mud-walled Buddhist monasteries appear to grow from the side of cliffs.

The road now became more demanding as we headed towards our next high pass.As we started to climb, the surface changed from broken tarmac to compacted dirt, stones, potholes and deep ruts. Soon we hit the first of many water crossings.

As the temperature rises during the day, melt water from snow and glaciers high above cascade down the mountainside forming fast flowing rivers across the road. They

Primeval monochromatic vastness...

Towns and villages become sparse

Changing people, faces and costumes

Over the next two days we continued on north through small back roads, avoiding potholes, overtaking (and undertaking) brightly painted trucks with precarious loads and following lurching open-windowed buses filled to bursting up steep hairpin bends. The road snaked its way higher into the mountains as we entered the ‘Valley of the Gods’.

Now the knife sharp ridges and terraced hills were becoming taller and the jungle denser. Skinny-hipped cows meandered across in front of us and small monkeys played in the trees as we rode by. We rode back and forth over a long wooden planked footbridge that swayed high above a mighty river just for the fun of it. We had time to stop and take in the atmosphere and explore the local food at roadside canteens and markets – the sky was blue and the sun shining.

Three days into our trip and we had a ride-free day at the mountain town of Manali before our ascent into the higher passes of Ladakh. To acclimatise our bodies for the altitude to come we were now having to drink over four litres of water a day, and were trying to have a few less beers with our dinner! The evenings were now getting noticeably chilly – I unpacked my warmer base layers and thicker riding gloves in preparation.

The high Himalayas don’t suddenly arrive; they seem to creep up on you, lulling you into a false sense of security. As soon as we left Manali the narrow road started to climb steeply, zigzagging up through picturesque alpine like pastures complete with shepherds and herds of goats. But then, as we travelled higher, the pastures slowly turned to rock and snow, the drops became sheer and the road started to become muddy and congested. Every summer thousands of Indian families travel here to escape the lowland heat and make the journey up this narrow pass in taxis and mini-buses to experience snow for the first time.

We found ourselves having to squeeze past their high altitude traffic jam by riding unnervingly near the edge. In places, metal sheets had been optimistically laid down in an attempt to prevent ruts developing in the now damaged

To jostle with other drivers whose road etiquette is typically eccentric and smile at the naïvely written fascia’s and

billboards that line the roads – “Denting & Painting” – “Quality at it’s bets”

Riding over the footbridge

The high Himalayas don’t suddenly arrive; they seem to

creep up on you, lulling you into a false sense of security.

Indians experiencing snow for the first time





and women labouring equally side by side, equipped only with sledgehammers and spades. They camped where they worked under polythene sheet shelters and during the day their babies slept and played on dirty rugs inches from the road. This is a cash poor region and life must be hard.

At seventeen thousand four hundred and eighty feet we were now only about a hundred feet lower than Everests base camp and way higher than the summit of Mont Blanc. We stood at the top on crumbled stony ground looking out across the vastness. I felt that I could reach up and touch the low heavy clouds above. It’s best not to linger too long at these altitudes, so we followed the road on down through countless twists and turns to the Miru Gorge and on into the vibrant back-packer destination of Leh.

A free day at Leh gave us a chance to relax and explore the narrow streets and busy markets while Alam procured the services of a suitable four wheel drive support vehicle and driver for the next stage, sorted the permits and checked the weather forecast – it has been known for people to be stranded for days on the mountain roads if the weather turns bad.

Leaving Leh we followed the brown, fast-flowing water of the Indus River along its valley. We were now riding through a vast high altitude desert towards the base of an immense gorge. One hundred and twenty surprisingly well-surfaced hairpins took us up the impossibly steep side to a small village made up of ramshackle mud houses surrounding a 10th century monastery. We wandered around the deserted narrow alleyways trying to distinguish the inhabited dwellings from the derelict. We came across an old man, almost blind, sitting on the ground repairing balls of hand spun yaks wool that had been attacked by moths – up here everything has a value and

nothing is wasted. That night we stayed in the monastery guest rooms and woke to see the sun rising over the snow-capped mountains against a bright blue sky. In the morning we set off, stopping along the way at another monastery containing some of the oldest Tibetan Buddhist wall paintings anywhere in Asia.

Having retraced our steps back to Leh for the night, we headed off again, upwards towards our highest pass. Khardung-La is claimed to be the highest motorable road on Earth – some disagree, arguing about the definition of motorable, but at eighteen thousand four hundred and fifty feet its high enough for me!

Some hours into our ride we stopped by the side of the road for one of our regular rest breaks. Alam lit a cigarette while I topped up my water intake and took some photos. From our viewpoint we could see the road we had ridden winding steeply back down the mountain into the distance and a long khaki convoy of Indian army lorries slowly snaking up towards us.

We stood at the top on crumbled stony ground looking out across the vastness. I felt that I could reach up and touch the

low heavy clouds above.

The brown fast-flowing water of the Indus River

Old man repairing yaks wool

break away the edge and wash away the surface to form deep boulder-strewn gullies before crashing on downwards towards the valleys. Small tailbacks build up as motorcycles, cars and trucks of all shapes and sizes waited anxiously for their turn to cross.

We rode on, climbing higher and higher reaching the top of Baralacha-La pass at sixteen thousand four hundred feet. Now we began to feel the altitude sapping our stamina before the road started its stony descent down again, taking us onwards towards one of the several tented camps that spring up along this route every summer. That evening I sat outside our tent contemplating the stillness of this isolated valley. I enjoyed the last of the sun’s warming rays before it quickly sank behind a distant mountain. That night I slept on a straw filled mattress in my riding gear under several blankets and a hot water bottle as outside the stars filled a black cloudless sky and the temperature in the tent plummeted.

The morning sun soon warmed the valley and the next day began with a great ride up the Gata Loops, twenty-one dizzy switchbacks on and up towards our next pass; Lachulung-La, even higher now at seventeen thousand three hundred and fifty feet. We rode on through a moonscape gorge and headed downwards, passing through one of many military checkpoints towards the More Plains.

We headed across a portion of the Tibetan Plateau – forty-four kilometres of wide flat valley bed surrounded on both sides by massive glacial peaks. The road, as straight as an arrow, stretched away in front of us. We needed to keep our speed up over the compacted gravel surface to help smooth out the constant washboard corrugations that attempt to shake the bikes

apart. We passed a group of Tibetan nomads tending their yaks before the road started its climb up to the second highest pass of the trip.

Even on these desolate roads we would come across small gangs of road workers – men

They break away the edge and wash away the surface to form deep boulder-

strewn gullies before crashing on downwards towards the valleys.

Tackling a fast flowing crossing

Taking in the last of the sun's warming rays

Twenty-one dizzy switchbacks





wander amongst unexpected sand dunes and small, irrigated villages created vibrant patches of green amongst the dry stony landscape. This was a truly peaceful place and the perfect stop for a

free day before our ride back over the Khardung-La Pass to Leh, and our onward flight back to the sweltering forty-two degrees humidity of Delhi.

This was a truly amazing trip – one thousand six hundred and eighty-five kilometres and sixteen days of the most awesome and spectacular roads I have ever ridden, in an amazing part of the world – sometimes challenging but always enjoyable. Kate and I would dearly like to return to India for a fourth trip, but to be honest we are struggling to think how we can better this!

The Bike

If you ride across the USA, a Harley Davidson is made for the job. If you ride in India, it has to be on a 500cc Royal Enfield Bullet. No one rides quickly in India – why would you when fuel costs money and time is cheap. The Bullet is the perfect bike for this ‘old school’ style motorcycling. The new fuel injected Enfield is reliable. It finds its own relaxed pace and seems to cope with anything that the Indian roads throw its way – even ridden two-up. (Kate insists on riding all obstacles as pillion, only getting off the bike to wade through the deepest water crossings)

On this trip my 1200 GS Adventure would have been both a curiosity and a liability – too big, too heavy, and too complicated. The Bullet is just plain easy to ride, always finds grip and never seems to be in the wrong gear, even on the steepest climb, on the roughest road, or at the highest altitude… And of course if you do happen to bend it, it can simply be hammered back into shape!

Forgotten feral camels still wander amongst unexpected sand dunes and

small, irrigated villages created vibrant patches of green amongst the dry

stony landscape.

Road dropping slowly into the Nubra Valley

A giant Buddha looks over the valley

Kate remarkably relaxed on the back

We set off promptly; we didn’t fancy the thought of having to overtake them all on this precarious narrow single-track road. Fourteen kilometres before the summit the altitude and elements defeat what is left of the broken tarmac surface completely. Again we find ourselves riding on rutted and stony dirt. My point of vision started to drop down to concentrate on the immediate hazards ahead. Like a never-ending video game the road kept coming as I constantly adjusted my line through the never-ending obstacles. I found that inevitably the smoothest path always took me along the least used strip of road surface right next to the un-protected edge. By now I had become blasé about the steep drops only a few inches from my bike’s tyres.We continue up and up, I was now oblivious to everything around me other than the undulating

way ahead until suddenly, rounding a bend we are at the top. We stopped amongst the tatty wind-frayed prayer flags that drape the summit and with some effort, parked our bikes. The height is now starting to drain my strength and dull my head. I felt like I had a bad hangover! We posed for a photo in front of the Indian Army altitude sign and try to take in the enormity of our location – the views extended forever, the Karakoram Range, the mighty K-2 and the distant mountains of Tibet stretched out before us.

Alam was keen to start on our descent

down before altitude sickness set in. He knows how quickly the weather can change, how a misjudged boulder can catch out even the best rider and how far we may be from any kind of medical facility. Riding downhill was harder. We constantly needed to check our speed as the bikes attempted to run away from us – and on this side of the pass we were now encountering slippery mud left behind from melting snow. Maybe I was getting over-confident, but for the first time on the trip I lost the front end attempting to slow for a mis-judged pot-holed hairpin. The front wheel tucked and the bike started to go down. Instinctively I released grip on the brake. The

bike snapped itself upright and I managed somehow to negotiate the corner – if not a little faster than planned. As it was still a long way down to smoother surfaces, I sensibly decided to continue a little more cautiously! It’s a sobering thought that

the roads we were riding would be considered as ‘exciting’ off-road green lanes in the UK – in Ladakh they are the ‘ordinary’ roads that the locals have to use to use every day.We continued on until the road dropped slowly

down into the vast and mystical Nubra Valley. This is as far North as we go, and marked the end of the road for this trip. Once made rich by its strategic position along the ancient Silk Road, this area now felt far away and cut off from the rest of the world. Forgotten feral camels still

Fourteen kilometres before the summit the altitude and elements defeat what is left

of the broken tarmac surface completely.

Alam was keen to start on our descent down before altitude sickness set in.

Standing at the top of the world

A forced break as the road is remade





Well, my time is almost up… as Chief Observer, what did you think I meant? ☺ It should have been my last year, (having done the usual three years as Chief Observer) but I was persuaded to do one more year, which has given my successor a year to get to grips with the role. So as I step down as Chief Observer (CO) I have been reflecting on what I hoped has been achieved during my tenure.

One main thing that I wanted was for the Training Team (TT) to be visible and accessible to all at WVAM and each member of the team to have a specific role. I believe this has been achieved very successfully. As a team we agreed and structured a timetable based on regular meetings and training events, allowing the TT to plan ahead and be present for all their role-critical events. For example, our TT meetings are set for the first Thursday of the month (this is sometimes used for Communications or Associate evenings), training on the second Saturday of each month (this could be Goodwood, other Observer tests, radio training, Associate theory mornings etc.) and the Observer Training weekend is fixed as the second weekend in September. Observed Sundays have always been the first Sunday of every month. Each TT member has had a specific role to play, which has helped make this a strong and committed Team.

Chris Armstrong has been our coach on Communications and Associate Theory mornings/evenings, and has brought humour and understanding to both the Observer pool and to Associates. He taught us about the importance of being a good communicator, using ‘Open Questions’ and understanding the reasons/goals that Associates have for each Observed Ride, and delivering to these goals. These key points will remain with me forever.☺ Also the reasons/goals behind why we are observing.

Crispin d’Albertanson used to organise the Machine Handling days until 2014/15 when he handed the mantle over to Barry Riches.

However, he has always co-ordinated the Goodwood runs (the first Stage of becoming an Observer), and during my four years we have had seventeen Goodwood runs – one memorable Saturday we had three Goodwood runs – that’s six TT members. This means that over fifty members have started the process of becoming an Observer, which sets us up well for our growing membership. After Goodwood each Trainee Observer proceeds according to their own timetable; some have made it to National Observer, others are quite content to get to Qualified and of course some move on due to family/work/or other personal reasons.

Stuart Haythorn joined the TT in 2014/15 and was /is the TT’s voice on the website. Once I knew I was doing another year the TT agreed that he would be the person earmarked to take over and Stuart was subsequently unanimously voted in as the potential new CO. All I had to do was ask Stuart and inform the Committee and neither had any objections. So Stuart has been slowly getting to grips with what is involved and he will make a great CO. A new broom is always a good thing and it’s that time.☺ He and Barry Riches took the lead on the Radio training and we now have eight Observers fully trained to use them. I know he is

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and biscuit and a presentation on understanding IPSGA, the ‘books’ and how to use them as ‘self-learning’ aids and the benefits of being a thinking and safer rider. After the presentation we go out for a ride to help Associates become familiar with the marking system and group riding etiquette. These dates have proved very popular and very successful and well attended.

We have also introduced a Thursday theory only evening once a year, for those that can’t make the Saturdays. We had fifteen Associates turn up for the first one so we might have to add another date to the calendar.☺

Our Observer Training Weekend on the second weekend in September has generally had different themes although the overriding idea was to give those who attended a ‘feel good’ factor and ‘thank you’ for the time and effort they put in to improving their skills and for helping Associates

reach their goals. The Training Weekend also helps Observers become more connected as a group – they have an opportunity to have open discussion with others that they would not generally chat to. But overriding all of this is a Quality Check for Observers – communication, riding, coaching, safety, experiences. And I will reiterate – communications can make or break an Observed Run, good pre-ride briefings and then communications during and after are vital to ensure that goals are addressed in such a way that the Associate comes away having achieved all or part of their goal/s for the ride.

Once a year, at the WVAM’s Christmas Dinner, I’ve had the honour of presenting the Malcolm Clee Award to an Observer who has gone that ‘extra mile’. This was a monetary bequest that Malcolm made in his Will (a trophy and a small cheque for eight years). The bequest run out a couple of years ago but the TT thought it should

hoping to get as many Observers as possible to be able to use Radios. Radios are proving very beneficial to Associates from the feedback I’ve received.

Rick Parish was my biggest support when I first took over as CO, someone who knew a great deal about the TT and its history. He has kept me and the Team posted on what is happening in the ‘industry’ as well as being our link to BikeSafe, which has helped to recruit many an Associate to our club. Rick also gives us great credibility with the Police. Rick originally brought in radios and the cameras, used for coaching Associates and for training Observers. Rick can often be found doing the pairings on Observed Sunday.

Barry Riches is our Observer Training Weekend co-ordinator. He found our new venue in Cirencester – the Royal Agricultural University, which has proved a huge success. He has also taken over from Crispin on the Machine Handling Days and has managed to increase the number of dates we have in a year to seven. This is a brilliant success as the day is very popular and not everyone gets to do it as we always have a waiting list. We are hoping to offer some dates to other clubs, which should be beneficial for us, both in reputation and (maybe) we can pick up some tips that we’ve not thought of. Barry can also be found doing the pairings on OS when Tim and Rick are unavailable.

Tim Robinson has been responsible – right from the beginning – of creating or amending all our forms and printing. Plus he is great at ‘laminating’.☺ Tim is usually found doing the pairings on OS and has done the greatest number of Goodwoods over the years along with Crispin.

Barry Salmon is our voice from IAM HQ feeding us with all the ‘gossip’ from HQ. We have not seen so much of Barry over the last three years due to his work commitments but he is always at our TT meetings and evening training sessions.

With this strong TT we have improved the standard of our Observer pool. The IAM wanted conformity of qualification of Observers and they worked with the IMI (Institute of Motor Industry) to produce a programme (NVQ level), which would replace the Senior and Qualified tests. Seniors will

become Nationals and Qualified will become Local Observers. Over the last four years our Senior pool – has gone from twenty-one to twenty-seven of which twenty-five have passed their National Observers test which is an average of six per year. We have the highest number of National Observers for a club compared to an average of 6.4 in our region. This required a great effort from those who wanted to take their test and passed; and of course the TT who put in extra effort to help our Observers pass. The Local Observer Assessments are just under way for the second time, and the IAM is allowing us to do these assessments in house.

Over the past four years the annual Observer hours have gone from one thousand six hundred and seventy-two to two thousand and forty-nine (April 2015 to March 2016) last year. This illustrates the dedication that the Observers and the TT have had that our Associates reach their goals of being safer riders and passing their IAM test. We have had thirty-eight passes this year as compared to 13.6 passes in the rest of the region of which eight were F1RSTs (2.8 in the rest of Region) – a great result for our club. So we have been out-performing other clubs in our region each month and for the year as a whole.

Although I have no statistics regarding other Clubs, I believe we are doing very well in the Masters category as we now have seven Members who have passed their Masters, with five getting Distinctions – a great credential for the Club.

One complaint that was common before my tenure started was that the Observers had no visibility of their observed hours or their feedback forms and this is now being delivered on a monthly basis.

The TT also has a goal to help retain Members and so enjoying being coached and taking part in some of the many social rides was key – delivering the ‘fun’ factor. It is great to see so many who have passed their test come back on OS for the ‘Back by One’ and the ‘SWELL’ rides. The rides during the week and especially the themed rides at the weekend during the summer months are proving very successful.

The TT started doing Associate Theory Saturdays three times a year. The day starts with a cuppa


38 http://www.wvam.org.uk http://www.wvam.org.uk 39


WVAM Committee MembersChairman Neil WatsonVice Chairman Jeremy SiggerSecretary Philip JonesTreasurer Keith RobbinsChief Observer Rosario HenshallMembership John WebsterIntercom Editor Gavin CaddickOn-Bike Social Events Howard DennyOff-Bike Social Events Steven McCormickMarketing and PR Janet JonesCommunications John BraddickRetailer Steve GillCommittee Member Simon Elkins

Club President Mike Davidson

Wey Valley Advanced Motorcyclists (WVAM) is a club affiliated to the

Institute of Advanced Motorists (IAM) - Group No. 2155. It has a charitable

status (Registered Charity No. 1050868) and is run entirely by Volunteers.

CLUB ANNOUNCEMENT: The club always welcomes constructive feedback about all aspects of WVAM activities. Please don’t forget that everyone who helps out the club – right from the canteen through to the Observers – does so voluntarily; willingly giving up their time on your behalf. So, as well as letting us know what you think, we will always welcome more help; go on please, don’t be shy, you know you want to! Thank you.

Readers should note that except for articles written by the Chief Observer or the Training Team, all articles about riding motorcycles and opinions expressed in this magazine are those of the author and do not necessarily represent the club (Wey Valley Advanced Motorcyclists), IAM or WVAM Training Team policy or recommendation. All other articles are also the personal opinion and responsibility of the author only and not those of WVAM or the Editors.

be continued as it’s a great acknowledgement to someone special in any year so the cheque comes out of the TT budget. The worthy recipients during my tenure were Mike Davidson in 2012/13, Mons Elmberg in 2013/14, Howard Denny in 2014/15 and Barry Riches in 2015/16. Who will it be in 2016/17????

As my tenure comes to an end I must say a big thank you to my TT for being there for me, the Committee (in particular our Chairman, Neil, who has been a staunch supporter), Mike, our President, who has been a very useful ‘sounding board’ ☺, but also a big thank you to the Observer Pool for the effort you have put in to making our results so good.

Finally, thank you to the Club as a whole for making riding my bike so much fun and my four years as CO a great and wonderful experience.

You all ride safe, have fun and see you around.

Rosario xx

Rosario HenshallChief Observer

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