BAM_Newsletter_-_Jun.. - Birmingham Advanced Motorcyclists

BAM
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June 2016
www.b-a-m.org.uk
IN THIS ISSUE
Far East & Ho Chi Minh Trail / Freedom! Reality or Fantasy?
Building a Streetfighter / What’s in a Police Riders Locker?
First Full Members Run / BB Run
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Chairman’s Bit
Three months have duly passed since the last report and we now have very light nights to
play with again. Get in there! Though the time only seems to have flown since it stopped
raining.
Club nights at the NMM have been really enjoyable (and extremely well supported); the
monthly FMR’s have been very well attended and the weather Gods have at least spared
us their worst on these occasions (dry for the Bumble Bee sortie but we did see snow
briefly on the Peaks Run). Training weekends have also passed off with considerable
success and you will read (might be too early for this issue) just how good the North Yorkshire Moors Tour turned
out. I can report 28 members/pillions had a fantastic weekend based out of Pickering and that Oliver’s Mount
(Scarborough) road race circuit lap record was again under no threat from any BAMster when we went there on
Saturday. Just a gentle circulation. Phew!
If you follow MotoGP you will have seen the first few events and may have heard pre-season that the electronics
package was being simplified so that it was less intrusive - the objective being to give the riders more ‘input’.
Sounds good. Imagine my surprise to learn that Cal Crutchlow reckons he fell off in the second GP due to his
electronics failing to give him the due amount of engine braking going into a specific corner. It apparently failed to
recognize where he was on the track. How much more simple can it get!!!!
And it’s not just MotoGP that’s kicked off. I am an avid SpeedwayGP follower and with a current British World
Champion in Tai Wooffinden (a good old Yorkshire name) there is every reason to watch the thrills and spills. After
two rounds the field is wide open with Tai joint second after his win in Poland at the weekend. If you want an
atmosphere to make the hairs on your neck stand up then get yourself down to Cardiff Millennium Stadium for the
British round on 9thJuly – and take your earplugs.
But of course watching others enjoy bikes is no substitute for the real thing. So promise yourself that you will
continue to get the best out of your club by turning out at the organized events (watch the forum - and the calendar
in this mag)......and don’t forget to introduce a friend so we can continue to grow the membership. Your support is
greatly appreciated. Thank you.
Keep Practising!
Brian Holton - Chairman
Editor’s comments ….
Welcome to your June 2016 issue of the BAM newsletter which has seen me rushing to
get it edited into some sort of shape before the deadline for sending it to the publishers so
any typos mistakes are all down to me.
First of all thank you so much to everyone who sent in such a great selection of articles
and pictures which showcase the wide range of skills, experience BAM members have
on offer. Also thank you to the chaps at HONDA for supplying free of charge this month’s
cover picture
I always need articles / pictures so please keep them coming, rough drafts are OK, I’m happy to edit, reviews of
runs or any aspect of motorcycling etc - looking forward to shouting ‘hold the front page!’
Have a great summer biking & ride safe
Mick King - Editor - Email [email protected]
The Views Expressed in Articles are not always those of BAM or the IAM Group No 3203 Registered Charity No 1057912
The Complaints, Grievance and Disciplinary Procedure can be obtained by contacting any committee member
1
Group Meetings
All group meetings are on the first Wednesday of the month and will be at the National Motorcycle Museum,
Coventry Road, Bickenhill, Solihull, West Midlands, B92 0EJ (Jct 6 on the M42 – directly opposite the NEC).
STARTING AT 8PM PROMPT
Welcome to New Members:
Graham Tuthill
Nick Bannister
Lee Evans
Nigel Purdie
Darren Smith
Dean O'leary
Rampreet Bhogal
Mike Ricketts (Full Member)
Bryan Melrose
Congratulations - Test Passes:
Associate
Raj Bansal
Mike Potter
Observer
Julian Grubb
Marcus McCormick
New Club Night Venue
Birmingham Advanced Motorcyclists (BAM) are
delighted to announce their partnership with the
National Motorcycle Museum. From October 2015
BAM will be holding all their club nights, committee
meetings and training events from this prestigious
motorcycling venue.
BAM would also like to thank the West Midlands
Police for their support in providing a meeting and
training venue since they formed in 1991. Many of
their officers/staff are still group members and BAM
continue to provide close links with them assisting
with Bikesafe and road safety events.
“This is a wonderful opportunity for our group to be
part of and support this iconic motorcycling venue.
We have a large successful group and this new
venue will not only attract potential new members
but encourage and enthuse our current membership.
We are delighted with this new partnership and
look forward to working with the museum at many
motorcycling events”
BAM holds its club nights on the first Wednesday of
every month, come and visit us at this exciting new
venue and arrive early for a free tour of the museum.
National Motorcycle Museum, (NEC), A45 / M42 (Jct
6), Birmingham, B92 OED.
2
Your 2016 Bam Committee
Position
Name
Years in club
Chairman*
Vice Chair**
Secretary*
Treasurer
Observer Training Co-Ordinator
Membership Secretary
Newsletter Editor*
Website/Forum Moderator Recruitment & PR*
Guest Speaker Organiser **
Regalia & Welfare
Brian Holton
Nigel Kibble
Ivan Little
Alan Keepax
Martin Doran
Richard Atkinson
Mick King
Andrew Gordon
Neil Loxton
Lawrence Yates
Andy Bonner
16
3
9
18
9
12
2
4
2
2
7
Current Bike
KTM Adventure
Ducati Multistada
Honda Fireblade
BMW R1200GS
Fireblade
Aprilia Tuono
Harley Davidson Sportster
Suzuki
BMW K1200GT
BMW W1000R
Bam Training Officer / Area Co-Ordinator
Position
Name
Examiner / Chief Training Officer
SE Area Co-ordinator
NE Area Co-ordinator*
SW Area Co-ordinator*
NW Area Co-ordinator
Saturday Run Co-ordinator
Sunday Run Co-ordinator
Marcus McCormick
Suki Gosal
Rhodri Griffith
Andrew Pratt
Colin Wyatt
Bob Watson
Graham Hay
*Denotes new officer
Years in club
** Denotes co-opted til next AGM
Each one of the above is committed to making BAM a great
experience for all Associates and Members alike. If at any time
you have a comment, suggestion or even a complaint, simply
contact a committee person (perhaps the one you know best)
or the Chairman directly, to make your point.
Profiles of all committee members will be available in future
issues
3
24
5
7
12
11
15
12
Current Bike
BMW S1000RR
BMW S1000R
Yamaha R1
Ducati Multistada
Triumph Daytona 675
BMW R1200GSA
Full Members (Bumble Bee) Run
28th February 2016
I am embarrassed to admit this was my first ride out in 2016 and I was looking forward to it with nervous anticipation.
I arrived at the meet to find the turnout was even better than I had expected. In total there were 23 bikes and Clive’s
partner Janet was there to catch up on the gossip and wish us well.
There was an array of BAM royalty out with the newly appointed Chairman leading the run and more senior observers
than you could shake a stick at. Not forgetting (how could he be forgotten!) our Senior Training Officer. No poor riding
would be tolerated and quite right too.
For late February the weather was kind. Cold but not unbearably so and more importantly it was dry.
The group headed south but we soon turned to the east at the Forest of Arden and made our way to Melton Mowbray
through Atherstone, Twycross and Packington. I think it’s fair to say most of the ride outs tend to head West into Wales
so it makes a nice change to see and experience totally different roads, villages and scenery. Also on this route there
are more junctions than we would normally deal with so it sharpens the mind on the second man drop off system. Well
some of our minds anyway…..
After a comfort break at McDonalds in Melton (gosh it was busy - makes you wonder how much saturated fat you
can pump into a small child) we travelled to our much needed lunch stop at the A1 Truck Cafe. There can’t be many
traditional truck stop cafes like this anymore with the major chains now fully involved in this lucrative industry. Roast
dinners/cooked breakfast/omelets/salad/sandwiches (and not forgetting pies) – yes, we tried them all
Oakham was our next stop but this time for fuel only. Fortunately the service station was not busy as refueling 23
bikes takes some time. With full fuel tanks we headed towards Uppingham and the much awaited B664 to Market
Harborough. This is a great stretch of road which requires total concentration as the challenges just keep on coming.
From Market Harborough we made our way to our final destination which was McDonalds on the A45 near Dunchurch
via Daventry, Cold Ashby and West Haddon.
Most people would have covered about 200 incident free miles on great roads and in the dry so what could possibly be
better than that. Oh yes. Ten degrees warmer!!
Stuart Lomas
Scotland Tour 2016
Saturday 6th August to Sunday 14th August 2016
Starting on Saturday 6 August 2016 returning on Sunday 14
August 2016. Taking in Portpatrick, south west Scotland ,
Inverarary touring the Trossachs, Plockton touring Skye, Ullapool,
Tongue (new hotel), Balmaha (Loch Lomond), South west
Scotland /Borders, returning home.
Wonderful scenery and fantastic routes guaranteed with fun
frolics and parties along the way to keep you entertained!!!!
Approx cost £460.00 per person on a bed and breakfast basis,
approx mileage 1800 miles.
FEW
PLACES
LEFT
Places limited, but only if I like you!!!!
Send a £100 deposit by bank transfer to BAM.
ACCT: 24794860. Sort code: 30 94 74
Please reference it with your surname and Scot16 and send an
email to me as below to let me know by email that your deposit
has been paid.
Any questions or queries give me a call or email me on
[email protected].
Quentin Davies 07772 394891
(this includes a small contribution to BAM to cover administration and a
contingency fund).
PLEASE NOTE – Only Full Members can participate in this tour.
4
Your Committee – Members Profile
Nigel Kibble (Vice Chair)
‘Not the best of starts, but got there in the end’
I reckon it was definitely watching CHiPs that got me hooked on bikes as a kid. In my early
teens I used to cycle 8 miles to our local bike shop on many a Saturday morning to sit on the
bikes – until the shop owner finally got sick of me and threw me out. At 16, I’d just about
talked my parents into letting me have my first bike when my cousin was tragically killed in
an accident. One look from my mum told me that dream was over.
In 1996, and at the age of 26, I was ready to re-ignite my dream, took my test, and went straight out and bought a new
Yamaha Thundercat 600. I really wanted a ZX6R, but with 0% finance and free insurance it was a no-brainer. I can still
remember the first ride out on it. Within a few miles and a handful of corners I quickly realised 2 things: 1) The basic
lessons and test hadn’t prepared me for riding a “big” bike at all, and 2) I lacked any natural talent. I was slow, and
hadn’t a clue how to take a corner properly.
I knew if I didn’t sort something out I would either give up or get seriously hurt, so I booked myself onto an advanced
training course down in Devon. I spent a week with an ex-Police Instructor called Mike Waite, and had a fantastic time!
He taught me how to ride a bike properly on some truly spectacular routes. I enjoyed it so much I did the course again
the following year.
So, how did I get involved with BAM? Andy Pratt got me involved by telling me he was going on a trip to Scotland with
some mates, and would I like to come? “Sounds great!” “Superb!” he says, “It’s through a club I’m in, so you’ll need to
join”. “No problem”. “Oh, and prepare to take a little test before the trip….” Sneaky. ☺
I was allocated Stuart Turner as an observer, and after hearing I wanted to do the Scottish trip in July, he scheduled
around that. I think the weather tried all ways to test our mettle (even snow), but we did it, and I passed – thankfully in
time to sign up for the trip. Many thanks to Stuart. Oh, and Quentin’s Scottish tour was incredible. After all my years of
riding this was my first bike tour – and what a fantastic introduction that was!
BAM offer so much more than just advanced training. With Marcus’ excellent club-night theory sessions, slow-riding
days, cornering sessions, overtaking sessions, full member ride-outs, and organised trips you can continuously improve
your riding and also make some new friends – you just need to be willing to join in.
My riding has dramatically changed over the past 3 years in BAM. The occasional short-route blasts around our local
roads has been replaced with planned day or long-weekend ride-outs to the Peaks, North Yorkshire Moors, or Wales.
You get so much more fun and experience out of those trips.
I bought my first Sports Tourer just before Christmas, a Ducati Multistrada. With these longer trips, the lure of heated
grips, a comfortable riding position, and luggage options was just too much for me. Thinking about it though, since
joining BAM I’ve gone from riding a Fireblade, clad in one-piece leathers, and sporting a full-face Arai with dark visor to
a Sports Tourer, wearing textiles and a helmet with a flip-up front. What’ve you guys done to me?
Nigel Kibble
Advertising in the BAM Newsletter
We now have available in the newsletter, advertising space for club members
who have their own business or wish to advertise their services (legitimate
services only). We have 1/6th of a page adverts in black and white available at
only £35 for 4 issues (12 months) on a first come, first served basis. We only
have six adverts available so if you are interested please drop me an email at
[email protected]
Mick King
5
Paul Owen’s Far East Tour
like a maniac. I stopped briefly to take a photo of the
sign (beware of elephants) and then round the next
bend found all 3 trucks rolled over on the side of the
road. I stopped to help some of the people, but others
were beyond help. A sobering start to my trip!
I stopped overnight at Udon Thani a nice city with plenty
of night life. The border crossing at Friendship Bridge
seemed to be easy at first, and I wondered why people
told me it would be difficult to temporarily import my
hired bike, until I got to the Laos side and realised that
the Thai side had not stamped my passport. This meant
driving back on the wrong side of the road, trying to
get through a one-way system and persuading the
Thais that they had made mistake (Thais don't like to
lose face). Four hours of deep joy and 90° heat, all in
my protective motorbike clothing, and I was eventually
allowed through at this point I realised dehydration was
a serious issue here.
The difference on the roads in Laos was noticeable
immediately, with potholes and stones all over the place,
in some places there was no road at all! This was the
main road into the capital Vientiane, very challenging
riding to say the least! The bike was brilliant. I was less
brilliant. The capital Vientiane was awesome, big French
influence there, so fantastic food and my hotel was right
on the Mekong, so eating on the river was a really good
experience.
However it was amazing how long it took to get
everywhere. I did a loop to Vang Vienn and then
Phonsavan then Luang Prabang as I wanted to go the
Plain of Jars which is one of the oldest sites in Asia, it's
like Stonehenge, but the 60 miles quite often took 4 to 5
hours to ride. The road etiquette is basically 'Big is right'
over there and I got forced off the road for an oncoming
bus on one occasion. As I braced myself I realised me
versus a 52 seater bus may not be my best plan in life.
As I was lying outside Warwick Hospital having tripped
up on broken pavement when I was delivering blood
there (as a volunteer on the blood bikes) then as I fell
down the second time having tried to walk on my leg, I
finally decided yes it must be broken and that was the
end of my long-planned ride from England to China and
Thailand in August 2015. Fast forward five months,
after a lengthy recovery period on crutches etc, and
in the interest of rehabilitation I caught the plane to
Thailand instead of riding there. I tried out a variety of
motorcycles to see which was best (i.e. the least painful)
for my leg, and it turned out to be a Honda 500 X.
Not everyone rides solo especially when dad does the
school run
After several short trips around Thailand, I decided to
do a 10 day trip to Laos. I knew it would be difficult. I
wasn't really supposed to be riding the bike yet, and
was still on a stick, but what's the difference between
four and the six months my doctor had advised. Also
Laos has a lack of good hospitals and the advice is to
get back to Thailand for medical treatment if you are
unlucky enough to need it, but what could possibly go
wrong?
It's a two day ride from Chaing Mai where I had
based myself, to the border with Laos. On route I was
overtaken by three pick-up trucks the last one driving
6
Paul Owen’s Far East Tour
error of not bringing any waterproofs. My sat-nav was
connected to the cigarette lighter on the handlebars but
obviously had no protection from the elements (always
dry this time of year). I was awoken by the noise of
heavy rain on the roof of the hotel which is not a good
start to the day. At one point on the ride it seemed I
was riding down a river bed and I honestly thought
I'd gone off the road as the mist was so bad. All the
On another occasion, I was just about to overtake
a truck but there were cows on the road which is a
frequent occurrence there and one cow ran straight in
front of the truck, who swerved as the cow hit him. He
could easily have hit me and the whole situation was
not pleasant experience, there were livestock all over
the roads, nothing was tied up - water buffalo, pigs and
dogs were commonplace.
The scenery was fantastic and I rode through hundreds
of little villages, lots of children wanted to say hello,
waved at me, it was a really good experience although
it was hard to find anywhere to stop to eat or drink. I
arrived in Vang Vein which was an experience, it's a
bit of a backpackers paradise, a place where they tube
down the river, drugs were available at a some of the
local bars and it was a very weird atmosphere but no
problem, just interesting.
The plain of jars was absolutely fantastic, the jars are
absolutely huge, nobody knows how they got there, or
who put them there. It meant some proper off-roading
to get to some of the sites, but it was still brilliant. The
town I stopped at next was Phonsavan which was less
interesting, although I went to a huge night market
where apart from the usual live fish and animals for
sale at a stall, there were lots of rodents all dead
(what appeared to me to be road-kill). There were
definitely porcupines, bats, skunks, big rats and some
other things that I couldn't identify, it absolutely stunk
and when I tried to take photos the stall-holder got
very agitated, so there were probably some protected
species there as well. The food in Asia is varied I eat
spider, crickets various bugs, frogs and other things I
really didn't want to know what they were.
I then headed up to Luang Prabaang, the road now
going straight over the mountains and more potholes
and gravel than actual road but still had absolutely
fantastic views (think of your best day in Wales Ireland
Scotland or the Lake District).
When I got there I was staying on the Mekong again and
had a great meal, drink and food. Everything is really
cheap over there one pound was worth 12,400 Kip
so it's really difficult working it out after a few beerlao
(local beer). Luang Prabaang is known as a cultural
capital of Laos and a very old city. It again sits on the
river and was a really interesting place. It was quite
quiet where I was, the food was different to Thailand not
quite as spicy and to my mind not quite as good, but still
enjoyable.
Unfortunately at this point the weather changed to
lots of unseasonally cold rain, and I made a schoolboy
other vehicles, mainly lorries were doing 10 mph and
constantly sounding their horn.
They just drive wherever there is some road surface, so
kept coming straight at me. It was the most dangerous
time of my whole 5 month trip by far, I couldn't see
where I was going and was very pleased to return to
Vang Vieng to celebrate my survival, get warm again
drink cold beer and reflect on an interesting ride.
On the way back to Chiang Mai from Laos, I decided to
stop near Sukhothai historical park which was a very old
city in Thailand. It was fantastic to see the temple ruins,
some of the best I've ever seen with some incredible
sites and all very old. I was allowed to ride round on
my motorbike helmet-less as it's spread out and two or
three times the size of Wembley, with big lakes. I was
stopped by the police on one occasion, I thought it was
for not wearing my helmet but it wasn't - it was to chat
about what a nice bike I had, where I was from etc.
I met a lot of friendly people at the temples, it seems to
attract them and ended up chatting to the monks again
which is really interesting, as they follow rules for every
bit of their life.
See Inside Back Cover (page 25) for more pictures and
the rest of the article.
7
Advanced Motorcycling
If you are reading this newsletter and enjoy motorcycling but have never taken any advanced training and want to
improve your skills and become a safer motorcyclist there are a number of different routes to do this.
Try Before You Buy
At Birmingham Advanced Motorcyclists we offer advanced training via the Institute of Advanced Motorists
(IAM) through the Skills For Life scheme, however if you are unsure whether this type of training is for you we
offer a free ‘Try before you buy’ taster session where you can go on a short assessment run with one of our
group observers.
If you would like to book a session please contact Martin Doran on 07976 849924.
Bikesafe
BikeSafe is a countrywide initiative run by police forces around the country which aims to reduce motorcycling
casualties. One day workshops are run from West Midlands Police Training Centre at Tally Ho, Edgbaston,
Birmingham (next to Warwickshire cricket ground).
The Bikesafe course aims to give participants a greater understanding of the risks involved in riding motorcycles on
today’s roads and be better equipped to combat them. You will have a lot of fun with other motorcyclists and get
more enjoyment from your machine safely.
One day courses for 2015 are priced at £50
For more details please contact Sergeant Richard Breeze at [email protected] or PC Stu
Allen at [email protected]
Bam Forum
If you want all the latest news and information about
club runs, events and notices from other members it is
important that you join the BAM forum. Simply follow
the instructions below to join.
Simply go to this link www.b-a-m.org.uk/forum
or visit the main BAM website and click on the link
toward the bottom of the page and this will take you to
the forum.
You will need to register although you can use your
preferred email address (you don’t need a Yahoo or
special email address to register).
To Receive Email Notifications
Once you have set yourself up on the forum if you
want to receive emails on certain topics e.g. when
the observed runs are, you will need to change
your settings on the forum to do this. However you
can receive notifications for only the topics you are
interested in. Here’s how you do it:
• Once signed into the forum click on a topic you are
interested in e.g. Rideout news
• On the right hand side you will see 4 buttons and
you need to click on the NOTIFY button
• Once you have done this you should then receive
emails from this discussion
• If you want to receive emails from other
discussions just repeat the above
Don’t forget - the BAM Forum is
exclusive to BAM Members and is a
great way to keep in touch with all the latest
news, events plus you can interact with
other members of the group on all matters
regarding motorcycling.
8
Motorcycles: Freedom Machines – Reality or Fantasy?
This is a question posed by Fred Feldman professor of philosophy when considering Harley Davidsons advertising
campaign in the 70’s: ‘The Great American Freedom Machine’. Feldman questions ‘what kind of freedom is being
invoked?
Feldman describes freedom in two ways as political: freedom of action the opposite of restraint and interference, nothing
or no one stops you. Obviously no citizen of any state has this freedom as all society’s limit freedom via Laws, Courts and
the Police so people are free from violence and persecution. Society curtails freedom to make it real - with no laws there
is only violence and fear - is anyone less free than someone constantly terrified or threatened’?
Motorcycles can’t offer political freedom: speed restrictions, helmet laws, emissions laws etc. You are free to break the
law and speed but you accept the penalties.
Then there is metaphysical freedom, complete responsibility for what you do or fail to do. Even a prisoner can usually
choose to sit, stand, and speak be silent plan to escape, toady with the guards or try to commit suicide. This is disputed
by religion, genetics and a multitude of other theories claiming to demonstrate freedom is simply an illusion anyway
Feldman dismisses metaphysical freedom as irrelevant - if it does exist you have it driving a car, riding a motorcycle or
sitting at home drinking beer watching TV.
So do people mean they get a ‘feeling of freedom’? - is the correct phrase motorcycles the ‘feeling of freedom
machines’? This presents further issues since there are no typical feelings associated with freedom - you can feel cold,
vibration, rain, heat but freedom?
OK what about feeling happy, acceleration, pleased to be on the road - fine but don’t obscure it with freedom. Car drivers
feel the above and can change tracks on CD’s, drink coffee, fiddle with the air con, stay dry etc.
Bikers are doubly mistaken - the related feeling is not freedom its happiness and linked beliefs about being more free on a
bike are misguided. Keep going: comradery, cheap travel, expressing or celebrating freedom etc, don’t explain freedom.
In the end Feldman speaks for himself when he says he finds ‘travelling on a motorcycle is just more fun and exciting than
a car’. ‘Carry on believing there is a connection between motorcycles and freedom if you wish but you have to identify the
restrictions it removes or the constraints on metaphysical choices of action’.
So when you sign a PCP finance deal and put down your hard earned cash whatever the manufactures say they can’t sell
you ‘real freedom’ but they will be appealing to your beliefs combined with your feelings.
• Fred Feldman is professor of philosophy at Massachusetts University – rides a Harley 1986 FXRT
• From the book - Harley Davidson and Philosophy (Full Throttle Aristotle)
Mick King
9
First Full members Ride
‘Grinning from Ear to Ear’
Took me a little while to get into the rhythm, but once into
it I was grinning ear to ear inside that helmet of mine. I
do remember the sound of the Red Triumph 675R growl
past me a few times (and I thought my bike was loud!),
finding myself behind some of the more experienced
riders I’ve come to know, and just following , learning and
understanding how they were making progress and trying
to remember the same for next time. It was great fun as a Sunday blast, but sitting behind some
folks and just seeing how they rode was a good learning
experience too (seeing the same hazards, spotting the
same opportunities) – it was good to talk to people at the
various stops too, to make sure they concurred with what I
observed and vice versa. Definitely a good way to pick up
a few pointers for the day. I hear there are longer runs, but from what I experienced,
I thought it was spot on with timing, breaks, and route
choice. Especially since I need fuel without fail before 100
miles, and I needed to rest my frozen hands! I’ve since
been home, told the wife about all the other runs that are
coming up and suggested she find something to do on
those days, as I can see this is going to become a monthly
occurrence from me now! A passion for riding, coupled
with a big group of skilled riders, and nice people at that –
makes for a grand day out! It was at the last Maccies stop I had the best advice of
the day, which summed up the key rules of the day quite
well I thought:
• Don’t overtake the lead rider
• Don’t take somebody else’s overtake.
The rest, is just down to me to ride my own ride. The
bikes should hopefully be ready for the next run after
its first important service. Looking forward to seeing
everyone out again in the next ride!
After passing my test and becoming a full member back
in October, I managed to squeeze in a few more weeks
of riding in November before I tucked the bike away for
winter, waiting for the right day to get some more miles on
it. Given it was my first full member run, I made sure the
battery was fully charge, checked the weather, geared up
in what I thought would be the right gear for the day, and
headed out to the usual Maccie’s start point. “There’s a lot of bikers out today” was the first thought I
had when I rocked up and saw about 10 bikes lined up –
it’s always nice see a row of bikes lined up I must admit,
but after about 10 minutes of chit chat and a glance back
over to the road, there must have been a good 25-30 or
so bikes out for the day. The bikers – friendly as ever! I
can’t remember many names, or even which faces they
go with (I’m terrible like that), but as the newbie I was
made to feel very welcome as I got a little extra briefing on
the day and what to expect.
I asked around a little about etiquette for the day – what
should I avoid doing (that I haven’t already been trained
about)? Do I treat it like a typical observed ride? “Just
learn for yourself and ride within your own abilities” I was
told with a smile. Sounded like a good way to go I figured,
so as I had 100 miles of running in still to do on the bike,
I merged into the middle of the pack at the kick off and
tried to remember everything my trainer had told me last
year. It was a good distraction from how cold my hands
were getting – leathers weren’t the best choice, especially
with the little air gap I seemed to have created that was
feeding cold air up my arm and into my suit. I’ve learnt
that lesson for next time! The ride itself, throughout the day and up until the various
stops, was an eye-opener and quite honestly, a wee bit
of a humbling experience. I’m still a newbie in the world
of IAM, having started with BAM back in June last year. Riding in the full members run though, I saw what years of
theory application on the road/track does for you with all
the training you get through the group. You can just see
how much more progressive everyone is, how quickly they
think through opportunities and take them. Gurpreet Sohal
Bam Messages
Equipment Amnesty
If you have any BAM equipment that you have forgotten to return please could you return it or contact any
committee member who can arrange to collect it
Keep your membership up to date
If you change telephone number / address please remember to update Membership Secretary Richard Atkinson
10
The Ho Chi Minh Trail
We’re relaxing on the balcony and enjoying a cold bottle
of San Miguel, the talk is of last night and seeing Andrew
Ridgeley in a Puerto Banus bar. The Ghetto Blaster is
pumping out the latest tune from Paul Hardcastle, “19, the
average age of the combat soldier was 19, nunu nunu 19,
Vietnam, sus sus Saigon, Vietnam sus sus Saigon.”
my Vietnam compass wasn’t working properly yet and we
missed the turning for Mui Ne. We decided to press on
and jump on “The Highway from Hell”. Highway 1 is the
main road that runs from Saigon to Hanoi, it’s full of big
trucks, cars, vans and lots of bikes and it’s dusty, fumy
and best avoided.
Thirty years later and I’m cramped into the back of a
taxi, with the same old school buddies. It’s hot as we
weave through the early morning traffic towards our
Hotel. Looks like it’s going to be another 32 degree day
in Saigon. We’re jet lagged but wide eyed at the strange
surroundings.
It’s was after dark when we checked into a Hotel
alongside Highway 1. Our first day on the bikes had been
memorable, we had got lost, seen some great scenery,
ate in restaurant at the side of the sea and were stopped
and fined hundreds of thousands for speeding. The plan
for this trip was there was no plan and getting lost and
messing up was all part of the adventure!
The first thing we notice is there are a huge number of
bikes on the roads, but no road markings, give way or
stop signs, in short no one has priority. The traffic just
mingles and merges together in one big noisy, fumy, horn
pipping melee. From what we saw it works really well,
it’s a bit like when traffic lights aren’t working and people
proceed cautiously forward, concentrating and anticipating
what other road users are going to do. Is it safer? Does it
work better than our system? – It certainly seems to make
people concentrate more and keeps speeds down.
The bikes were running smoothly however a few of us
were coughing and spluttering with head colds, so we
decided to get horizontal under the sun at the beach resort
of Nha Trang for a couple of days.
On the way to Nha Trang we took the scenic Nai Chua
Coast road and stopped for lunch at Vin Hy. An excellent
restaurant has been built and a Hotel Resort is being
built around it. It’s a picture perfect sleepy Vietnamese
fishing village, a small harbour with fishing boats and small
circular Coracles floating on a clear blue South China
Sea. A lot of Vietnam is on the cusp of going main stream
touristy. New roads have been built along the coast, which
are for now empty and in the middle of nowhere. The
occasional hotel resort is being built here and there, but
for the most part it’s unspoilt and very under developed enjoy it while you can.
Our first night in Saigon was one of the highlights of the
trip. It was a tour round the street food cafes and bars,
riding on the back of restored vintage Vespa’s. Being
driven through the manic city traffic by experienced riders
was a fantastic experience. The trip included all you could
eat and drink, so as the evening progressed we became
more relaxed and the grins just got wider!
A few miles before we reached Nha Trang we had to
re-join Highway1. It was the early evening and there
seemed to be a lot more bikes on the road. Bikes and
cars were everywhere, cutting across this way and that,
some bikes even come towards you on the wrong side of
the road - between you and the curb. There are no road
markings, stop signs or give ways, but after a while you
After a couple of nights in Saigon we were itching to get
our bike trip underway and loaded the bikes onto a train,
for a mornings journey out to the coast at Phan Thiet.
We then planned a short ride up the coast to the beach
resort of Mui Ne. However as we headed up the coast,
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EVENTS 2016 Birmingham Advanced Motorcyclists - Issue 1
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Observed Runs: Start at McDonald’s, Small Heath. (Summer 09:00), (Winter 10:00 - Jan, Feb and Dec)
Evening Runs: Start at McDonald’s, Small Heath (18:30hrs)(April-Aug)
Group Nights: (1st Wed’s) 8:00pm (National Motorcycle Museum)
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The Ho Chi Minh Trail
Kon Tum in the Central Highlands is the start of the best
section of the Ho Chi Minh trail. A useful online resource
for planning this trip was – www.vietnamcoracle.com and
this is what they have to say… “If you only want to see
the very best that the Ho Chi Minh trail has to offer, start
from Kon Tum and head all the way up to Pho Chau: 600
miles of meandering mountain road through jaw dropping
scenery. This is one of the best roads in Vietnam.”
get a feel for the traffic, keeping your speed down and
being smooth and predictable to other roads users. It was
a bit like being in a real life video game. On a good day
the madness of the “Highway from Hell” can actually be
a lot of fun!
Nha Trang is a really nice beach resort, there’s a wide
promenade lined with Palm trees, golden sandy beaches
and a turquoise sea dotted with tropical islands.
Refreshed after a couple of days staying in Kon Tum, at
a hotel overlooking the wide meandering Dakbla river. It’s
an early start for the 5 day section of the Ho Chi Minh trail
that I’d been most looking forward to. Today’s destination
is Kham Duc. An hour into the journey and the route
passes through “Dak To”, which saw some of the fiercest
battles of the war. There’s a war memorial in the centre
of town, that’s flanked by two north Vietnamese tanks. A
few kilometres further on and the road passes an old US
landing strip. Just outside town the traffic is stopped by a
Military procession. A green jeep heads the convey, with
sombre faced top ranking war veterans sitting to attention,
dressed in immaculate green medal bedecked uniforms.
Refreshed after a couple of 5* days in Nha Trang we
head inland, on a scenic mountain pass to Dalat. It’s a
nice French colonial town up in the mountains that are
renowned for its refreshing cool air, French villas and huge
banana shaped lake.
This is where we join up with the Ho Chi Minh trail for
the first time. The HCM trail was built during the Vietnam
War and was used as a supply route by the Viet Cong,
enabling their soldiers to push south to victory in the mid
70’s. Since then it’s been improved and upgraded as an
Towards the back of the convey a young Vietnamese
soldier flashes us a smile, it lightens the mood and gives
hope that the wounds of that horrific war are healing.
One of the legacies of the war is that because so much
of the land is still affected by unexploded bombs, there
are large areas of untouched pristine jungle. The last forty
miles of this road twists up through the mountains and
gives the first taste of the tropical forests and jungle that
cover this region.
Vietnam is cheap, as soon as we touched down in Saigon
we were multi millionaires - 1,000,000 (vd) Vietnamese
Dong is worth £32. The overnight stay in Kham Duc was
great value for money… I dined at a very non- descript
family run café and had a really delicious meal of Sautéed
vegetables in a cashew nut sauce and it only cost £1.60.
The local beer “Bia Hoi” is freshly brewed everyday and
costs 15p a glass. Accommodation was also cheap, a
really nice double room in a new hotel, with a balcony and
mountain views cost 250,000vd (£8) The coast beckons
once more and the next day I head east to the ancient
capital of Hue. The town is located on the banks of the
Perfume River; it’s a UNESCO World Heritage site and
makes for a civilised two day stopover.
alternative to Highway 1. However it remains an under
used, lightly trafficked road and has some of the best
scenery in Vietnam.
We’re a week into our trip and looking at the map, we’re
got a very long way to go to Hanoi. So we decide to head
north with the aim of reaching Kon Tum in two days.
We’re riding Honda Future 125cc Scooters with four gears
and a crash gearbox, which happily cruise at a steady 50
mph. The Honda scooters are a great choice because you
blend right in with the locals and they don’t go too fast you don’t want to be going too fast on Vietnamese roads.
The road surfaces are for the most part very good, but
they can suddenly deteriorate. With lots of cars and lorries
overtaking and squeezing you right into the side of the
road, you’re constantly pressing the “thin button.” I was
often reminding myself of the BAM mantra when riding a
bike…”If it’s bigger than you it’s got priority” – end of!
Filled with culture and curry, care of the town of Hue and
Omar’s Indian restaurant, it’s back onto the HCM trail
heading north towards Khe Sanh. It was raining yesterday
in Hue, today is cooler, dry and overcast. With day time
14
The Ho Chi Minh Trail
two or three nights.
highs of 22 degrees it’s a lot cooler than the south and I’m
thinking I should have packed an extra fleece.
After a first night spent with a lovely Vietnamese family
and the second night at the luxurious “Phong Nha
Farmstay”, it’s back on the bike heading north to Phou
Chau. The first half of this day is more of the same, great
Karst Mountain scenery, well surfaced twisties and villages
where kids run out excitedly waving at you and shouting
Hello! Hello!
The road to Khe Sanh goes through the Quang Tri
Province and past the infamous “Hamburger Hill.” This
province was the most heavily bombed in all Vietnam
and even today it’s estimated that 80% of the land is still
affected with unexploded bombs. Today that means lots
of untouched beautiful countryside. It’s an scenic, well
surfaced road which follows a river through a deep valley.
Mile after mile of long flowing twisties, passing through
villages of traditional wooden stilted houses. Nearing Khe
Sanh it’s a left turn onto the Western Ho Chi Minh road,
which the guide book says…”is one of the most scenic
and isolated roads in Vietnam”
From Phou Chau it takes two days of biking to reach
Hanoi, there is still some great scenery to be had, even if
the traffic, noise and dust are on the increase.
Nearing Hanoi I turn off the Ho Chi Minh highway for the
last time, onto a bumpy & muddy single track road. This
leads along Hanoi’s urban back streets and eventually
joins the manic, noisy, congested main roads of the city.
First stop is to drop the bike back; our trusty steeds hadn’t
missed a beat. Mission accomplished and big grins for a
fantastic road trip! Later that evening we raise a toast with
locally brewed beer and shout “Bia Hoi!!”
Khe Sanh – Phong Nha; After a hearty breakfast of rice
porridge and omelettes it’s an early start for the section
of the HCM trail I’d been most looking forward to - 250
km of isolated road, through reportedly gorgeous scenery.
There are no hotels, hardly any shops and just one petrol
station and I’m advised to strap 2 x large water bottles
filled with petrol to my bike.
Vietnam is a very welcoming country, the people smile
a lot, are really friendly and everyone says Hello! It’s got
some fantastic scenery and is very cheap. It’s just waking
up to tourism, but for now it’s an undiscovered gem.
Before this trip I may have questioned the safety of doing
this, but Health & Safety hasn’t reached Vietnam yet and
when in Rome….Last week we saw a girl at a petrol
station fill a small plastic bag with petrol, deftly tie the top
and stow it away under her bikes seat!
Trip Facts:
Dates; 12th March - 3rd April
Distance; Saigon to Hanoi - 1500 miles
Bikes from; www.flamingotravel.vn
Rental cost; £10 per day (no insurance included)
Total cost of trip; £1072 + £828 for flights/visa/insurance
= £1900
Best way to see Vietnam; by bike
More Pictures go to; www.facebook.com/neil rawlings.391
Arriving in Phong Nha at 4.30pm it has taken eight hours
to cover the 250km from Khe Sanh, with half an hour
stop for lunch and LOTS of stops to take pictures. It is a
really scenic road, with lots of forests, valleys, rivers, jungle
and karst mountains (limestone mountains with eroded
rounded peaks). Also the fact that it’s very isolated and
you don’t want to be breaking down, getting a puncture
or running out of fuel makes it even more of an adventure.
Phong Nha is right in the middle of Karst Mountain country
and with good quality accommodation and the world’s
biggest cave “Sơn Đoòng” it’ well worth staying here for
Neil Rawlings
15
Building A Streetfighter
of the bike. I flung it together, took photos of the good side and
emailed them and the application form to the show organizers,
two days later a confirmation we were in the Streetfighter
Category the following weekend! All I had to do now was finish it.
I received all the panels from Gary on Wednesday before the
show opened on the Saturday. No pressure then!
So, loosely fit panels, sort out fasteners, polish some more
alloy parts, re fit newly painted wheels, chain and sprocket kit,
brakes, battery, wiring loom, indicators aaaaagh! The list seemed
endless, the plan was to take the bike to the show ground on
Friday Morning and give us a day to set up awnings and all the
other stuff that you need for a stand at the show. It should have
been obvious right from Wednesday it was not going to happen.
I worked all day Friday from pre Breakfast to 11.30 at night and
despite still not having a real seat for it, loaded it onto the trailer
and collapsed into bed. 5.30 alarm, coffee, hit the road, Show
bikes must be in place before 8.00am when the show ground
officially opens for business and the roads are all closed off.
An uneventful journey across to Peterborough and I get the bike
off the trailer into the “Show Barn” with a few minutes to spare.
After signing in we move the bike to its allotted space next to a
mint Z1000 which we all said straight away would win. It was
a catalogue special with lots of bolt on bits of bling thrown at a
nice paint job, but to be honest had nowhere near the planning
and effort that had gone into ours. The next 2 days were lost in
a haze of bikes, beer and rock music with a little bit of alcohol
induced sleeping in a bivvy bag across the back of my Land
Rover.
The bike looked good, drew a lot of attention and brought some
work Gary’s way, which was the original intention. We came
second in the category, beaten by the Z1000.
I spent another 12 months fiddling with the bike, making a proper
seat for it, getting it MOT’d, I even had it insured and running on
the road for a little while. I entered it in a couple of other shows
that year and added stuff like HID Headlight, color changing LEDs
in behind the panels and just made it into a useable motorbike.
We entered it in the BMF again the following show and came
second to the bloody Z1000 again!
Despite the obvious fact we all like our bikes to be different
and strangers to come up and talk about them you have to be
prepared for loads of attention when you have something as
off the wall as this. That’s part of the reason why it went back
on E-Bay and yes, I did make a little bit of money on it, but like
Wheeler Dealers, if you took your time into account, the losses
would be massive.
Despite all the ups and downs I found building and showing a
bike as addictive as every other motorcycling related project
I’ve ever undertaken. If time is no object I’d recommend it
wholeheartedly. Currently I’m trying to explain to Linda why I
need an old two stroke, nice TZR 250 on E-Bay…..
All this began as a brilliant idea to fix up and old bike, sell it on
and make some money in the process, just like Mike and Ed on
Wheeler Dealers. How hard can it be?
At the time I was repairing and painting fairings or petrol tanks
which had been subjected to a bit of abuse but deep down
inside, I’d always fancied painting something a bit off the wall so
I started to look for something that could form the basis of my
new project. Suddenly gripped by E-Bay fever I kind of forgot
the nightmare I’d had with a bent and twisted ZX9R which had
turned out to be a proper b*st*rd to get back on the road.
Despite this previous warning the fever was burning hot and
I start to search the nasty categories, Damaged Repairable,
Unfinished Project, Wife says it has to go, Streetfighter, Chopper
etc. I think I even considered a Trike for a Nano second.
The watch list grows, but I am strangely drawn to a GSXR
Streetfighter Project.
3 mouse clicks later I am the proud owner of what turned out
to be comfortably the worst bike I have ever owned. “Don’t
buy unseen from E-Bay” turned out to be the best advice I
ever ignored. Even pushing it onto my trailer it didn’t want to
go in a straight line. It did run, but on any variation of 1, 2, or 3
cylinders and never the same combination twice. As it warmed
up the death rattle began. Once it was home I began a proper
investigation. Rattle from number 1 piston, bent fork leg, parts of
loom missing etc, etc. The list was growing longer. I thought this
was going to be a fairly straight forward paint job.
With the help of my mate Dave from Team Bones the engine
was stripped, checked over and re built with new (old!) pistons
and con rods. Once back in the frame it fired first time, on all 4
cylinders and sounded really sweet as a cut down Yoshi can.
Up in the loft I had some old SRAD panels and had the idea
of making some one off bodywork for it. The cutting, welding,
grinding and filling was starting to show signs of promise so I
bought some Metal Flake paint, green inks, and a set of Tribal
stencils with a view to begin painting it. Then life catches up, job
changes, other stuff takes priority. Leave it to stand for 5 years!
The first couple of years are fairly guilt free, but the last 3 years
of concerned comments from my lovely partner Linda who rightly
asks if it’s a motorbike or a sculpture finally spark some action.
If you have ever been to Bassett’s on a Tuesday you may have
seen a Hairy, Beardy Bloke with a VW Camper Van and some
seriously impressive Motorcycle paintwork. I can paint stuff, but
Gary Cooper, (check him on Facebook) is an Artist. I had known
him for a while and we agreed on a deal for him to paint the bike
with some Tribal detailing and everyone would be happy. When I
took the one off panels round and explained my ideas Gary was
fairly impressed and we hatched a plot to make a Show Bike for
the BMF in about 6 weeks’ time. Gary said he had an idea for
the bike and I was comfortable enough with him to just let him
get on with it. It should have dawned on me earlier that Gary’s
default setting is naked lady vampires and skulls. (do not google
at work - Ed)
With the end date being the show in May, the countdown clock
began to run down very quickly indeed with a week to go Gary
finished the tank and one set of panels for the right hand side
Andy Bonner
16
Team sorrymate powered by sorrymate.com
First in class and overall endurance winners.
and best lap of the race at 1 min 26 seconds. Just as
he had the ‘1 lap’ board, Colin’s bike wouldn’t start
and to make things more interesting the pace car went
out to allow for attendance of the Air Ambulance. Colin
and Ben rapidly got jump leads on the bike so Joe
pitted under the pace car allowing Colin to exit the pit
lane and re-join at the back of the pack
With Colin out on track the pace car was redeployed
for another four laps before the race was red flagged
as a result of an incident between 2 riders at Deer’s
Leap. There was an hour’s delay. Race order was
restarted from pit lane.
Colin was out for a further 3 laps and then another
slick transponder change from Fergus and Joe was
out again. Yet another incident and the pace car came
out again for another 8 laps. When the lights went off
Joe used this to his advantage picking his way rapidly
through the pack.
Finally, with just 15 minutes to go it was getting cold,
visibility was reduced and with the rain light on, Colin
went out to finish the race taking the flag to cheers
from the crowd as first rider in class. The first bike
to cross the lane was No. 1 Ice Valley 4 Angels but
they received a 2 lap penalty for incorrect safety car
procedure which put Sorrymate outright race winners!
A spectacular result with 25 points on board. Come
and join us we have much to look forward to at the
next round at Snetterton.
We wish all the fallen riders a speedy recovery and
hope to see them again soon. Especially Joanne from
Iron Maidens who lent us a transponder bracket
THANK YOU TO THE WHOLE TEAM; FERGUS, BEN
AND ISABEL IN THE GARAGE AS WELL AS RYAN
AND SHEILA ON THE WALL.
Pre season warm-up in Spain had not been so warm
but it did allow Colin and Fergus to meet up with
Joe Burns who will be the 3rd Sorrymate rider at the
longer rounds and fill in for Warren when he is at
Thundersport with his sons Kade and Luke who are
both starting their racing careers on Aprilias. Joe will
be riding Fergus’ ZX6R. Colin’s R6 is now fully repaired
following a little off in Spain.
Practice day on Wednesday saw 4 visits to noise
testing for the Kawasaki, the slinky Leo Vince exhaust
needed two baffles and wadding in order to comply.
One session revealed a total lack of power but
everything else on the bike seemed fine. A solution
which didn’t affect the bikes performance was
essential and the spare Akrapovic can didn’t fit… KC
Precision Engineering to the rescue.
After biblical rain on Thursday the shorter Island circuit
was still drying when Colin went out for 3 laps to
qualify. Joe was new to the ZX6R and had not ridden
a 600cc for several years. Nor was he familiar with the
Island configuration. He used the rest of the session as
practice and for making adjustments to his new ride
returning to the pit for front suspension adjustments a
couple of times.
Sorrymate qualified third on the grid behind the
1000cc machines of Phil Bevan and Tom Tunstall.
Fabulous sunshine at Oulton Park on Good Friday saw
the start of the No Limits season. Colin went out in the
first race, the No Limits Cup 600, finishing 8th with a
new PB.
With some further slight amendments to the ZX6R
forks over lunch the team were fired up and ready for
the endurance race.
There was a full restart to the race following two riders
getting tangled up at the grid but Joe got a good start
Colin Norris
17
What’s in the Locker (and garage)?
My Boots are Daytona Travel Star GTX, I’ve had two
pairs and they have lasted twenty years between
them. I use them on a daily basis whilst commuting;
they never leak and keep my tootsies nice and warm. I
clean and wax them (the boots not my tootsies) every
month just to keep them in good condition.
Gloves have changed over the years and most guys
have their preferred brand, mine are an old pair of
Hein Gericke that I use on my own bike and at work.
Although I have several spares in the locker.
Helmets are now varied, both with manufacturers and
flip or full face versions. A few years ago we had to use
flip front helmets as the powers that be thought it was
better whilst imparting our words of wisdom on the
general public. However, times change and now you
can choose flip or full-face, mine is a Shoei XR1100
flip-front.
One thing we (Police riders) are always asked is what
kit we are wearing and what would we recommend.
So I thought I would put together a list of my police
bike kit.
First the bike, well most of our marked fleet are
BMW’s. We changed about 8 years ago from the
Honda’s and now the BMW’s have taken over.
Although I’m a Honda fan and miss the old Pan, the
BMW bikes are a great all-rounder from slow speed
town work to high speed riding… and of course plenty
of gadgets to play with.
So, onto the kit; one thing I will say is the police spend
a fortune on our kit, so it’s pretty good, sometimes.
The first thing is deciding what to wear, not that
simple? A few years ago we changed to Halverson
jacket and trousers which became known as the ‘bear
suit’. Wonderful if you are on a snow mobile in the
Arctic Circle but a bit bulky for our milder summer
months.
The bear suit is a woven material so non-waterproof,
instead it came with three outer tops, summer
(aerated), Intermediate (partly aerated) and winter
(waterproof). Just to confuse us even further it also
came with the same three over-trousers. I only use the
winter outer jacket as you can tell from the road grime,
plus you can never predict the British weather even in
the Summer.
The ‘bear’ trousers have since been replaced by BKS
leathers. Although I’m not a big fan of leathers we had
these individually tailored and they are extremely well
made and provide great protection throughout the year.
The only downside is we need waterproof over-trousers
when it gets really wet. Although, I do cheat sometimes
and wear my own Rukka textile trousers for comfort.
Other bits and bobs include neck rolls and of course
ear plugs, a must for any regularly rider. Most guys
have the silicone fitted ear plugs, I change mine with
‘Ultimate’ every three years at the NEC Bike Show, they
cost around £60. Other nick-nacks include a whistle to
wake-up motorists and/or pedestrians, a chinagraph
pencil for writing info on the petrol tank and a space
pen to write in all weather conditions.
So what would I recommend, definitely the Daytona
boots and a pair of good silicone ear plugs. Other
than that there is plenty of good kit on the market at a
good price, but I still believe in ‘what you pay is what
you get’ so spend a few extra quid on good kit and
hopefully it will last a long time.
Mark Weaver
18
BAM Regalia
We now have a great selection of
clothing featuring the BAM logo which
can be purchased at most club nights.
• T-shirts £10
• Polo shirts £16
• Fleece £25
• Regatta coats £45
• Caps £8
All clothing is black with the 'BAM'
logo in green.
Most sizes available on the night or
any special requests to order. Any
club member wishing any special
items or different colours are more
than welcome to view our suppliers
website and choose any item that is
in their catalogue. As long as I have
an item number, colour, and a size I
will order it for you – visit www.swiftworkwear.co.uk
Feel free to contact me with
your requirements at andy@
superbikemedic.co.uk
Andy Bonner
IAM
IMPORTANT Membership Renewal
BAM is an affiliated group of the IAM
and all our members must be a current
member of the IAM. Your IAM membership
is renewable on an annual basis and you
will normally receive a renewal reminder in
the post. Without IAM membership, you are
not eligible to be a member of Birmingham
Advanced Motorcyclists or partake in any of
the club activities.
Therefore please ensure that you renew your
IAM membership annually and promptly.
To renew your IAM membership
please visit http://www.iam.org.
uk/renew_your_membership/
renewalofmembershippayment.html
or telephone 0845 126 8600
19
Full Member Runs (FMRs)
Last run was led by Colin Daniels. He took us on a superb route up towards the Peak District. Weather was mixed but
the group (around 20 riders) enjoyed the run and it proved to be another successful day. Thanks Colin.
June Run: Please note, the date has now been changed to the 12th June.
We’re always on the lookout for more volunteers to lead runs, and need someone to lead a run in November. If you’d
like to lead a run, please contact Nigel Kibble on 07411 872647.
The more volunteers we have, the more run dates we can offer.
Any changes to the FMRs will be announced during the club-night, and also within the forum.
FMR Calendar 2016:
Month
22nd May
12th June
3rd July
14th August
11th September
Leader
Richard Atkinson
Any Pratt
Mick Barker
Stuart Lomas
Paul Jones
Route Name
Bluebell
Belvoir Loop
Wales
TBC
Wales
9th October
Quentin Davies
Absent Friends
20th November
18th December
TBA
Quentin Davies
Volunteer needed
Xmas Pudding
Notes
Long trip planned
Runs for 2016
You must be a Full Member of BAM / IAM. Bikes must be road worthy and attendees should arrive at the departure
point with a full tank of fuel. Further fuel stops will be at approximately 100 mile intervals. Each run usually involves a
full days riding with food and fuel stops designed as part of the route. The 2nd Man Drop off system will be used. Those
unfamiliar with this system should speak to the organisers on the day for a brief explanation. Where possible proposed
routes, on word and Garmin will be posted on the BAM Forum www.b-a-m.org.uk/forum
Unless otherwise stated all Full Members Runs start at 9.00am prompt from McDonalds in Small Heath.
For details of the individual runs please refer to the Forum for where the runs will be going, what distance
and who is organising them. Posts will be put on the forum closer to each run with full details.
BRIEFING
You must read and understand the following briefing in order to go on these runs:-
THESE RUNS ARE OPEN TO BAM FULL MEMBERS ONLY
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
• Riders are not allowed to overtake the Leader.
• Route details showing Petrol/Rest stops to be issued prior to
start. Please arrive with a full tank of fuel.
• Any Rider who acts dangerously is to be reported to the Leader/
Organizer who will take appropriate action. A Rider could be
warned or excluded from the ride and will be reported to the
Group Committee for any further action.
(A fuller account of the 2nd person drop can be viewed on our
Club Web Site under the Events section and it is essential that all
are familiar with it for safety).
All persons on the ride will be deemed to have read and
understood these instructions.
They will be posted on the club web site and displayed in the club
newsletter on a regular basis.
You must also be a fully paid up member of the I.A.M.
A pillion passenger is acceptable.
The Leader and Lastman shall be identified.
Safety is No.1 Priority. Every rider is responsible for their own
actions and any consequences that those actions may have.
Traffic Laws must be obeyed at all times. Your motorcycle must
be road legal and roadworthy.
System is 2nd person drop, straight ahead unless a marker is
placed. All roundabouts to have a marker at exit where safety
permits. The marker to position themselves accordingly.
If any rider wishes to leave the ride they must inform the Leader
or Lastman before doing so, to avoid any confusion by the
following riders.
There will be an outward route and a return route; any riders
who wish to make their own way back may do so.
20
Observed Run Times
Winter Meeting Times - December, January & February
Saturday - 10.00am Sunday - 10.00am
Summer Meeting Times - March to November
Saturday - 9.00am Sunday - 9.00am
ST
Birmingham City
Football Club
ELL ROAD
CATT
A4540
LEA
Mt P
TRY R
OAD
WA
Y
DLE
A4540
BO
RD
ESL
EY
EY
MID
DLE
WA
Y
1.To go on any observed runs your motorbike must be
road legal and roadworthy
2.You should arrive with a full tank of fuel
3.Associates are required to pay a £10 contribution
to the observer’s expenses for an observed run and
debrief
BOR
DES
L
PLEASE NOTE
D
K R WAY
PAR
H
LEY
HI G
DES
B OR
ATH
E
LL H
SMALL HEAT
H HIGH
WAY
S MA
CO V E N
MID
A45
Full members are also welcome.
T
SAN
McDonald’s
OAD
CO
The meeting place
is the McDonalds
Restaurant just off
the island at the end
of the Small Heath
Bypass and at the
bottom of the hill
from Birmingham
City Football Ground.
A45
109 COVENTRY ROAD, SMALL HEATH, BIRMINGHAM, B10 0RJ
WORKING TOGETHER TO MAKE
MOTORCYCLING SAFER
KINDLY SUPPORTED BY
THE WEST MIDLANDS POLICE
SHELDON MOTORCYCLES
PLUS ONE CREATIVE CONSULTANCY
BRINDLEY HONDA - WOLVERHAMPTON
www.b-a-m.org.uk
Newsletter designed & printed by Plus One - 0121 707 8384
21
AD
RO
R
RY
ENT
COV
RY
NT
VE
WATERY LA
NE M
ADDERLEY
WATERY LANE MIDDLEWAY
These runs are provided to help you with your training
in addition to training runs that you may already do
with your current Observer. They enable you to get
extra practice and meet up with other associates,
Observers and Full Members.
If you’ve not been on one before why not come
and give it a try?
IDDLEWAY
ASSOCIATES
BAM Observed Runs
The BAM observed runs provide
a great opportunity for associates
to meet with group observers and
get some additional training. This
is NOT riding in a group as you will
be riding with an observer and will
meet up with everyone else at the
final destination.
The runs are designed with a bit of
town work, (that’s partly why we
meet in the city centre, so we can
get that tiresome bit over and done
with!!!) followed by a mix of roads
through towns, villages and the
highways and byways around the
Midlands. Each route is designed
to challenge your rider skills whilst
hopefully bringing a smile to your
face.
The routes are varied, Shrewsbury,
Ledbury, Craven Arms, Uttoxeter,
Worcester, Wellesbourne, Banbury
are just a few destinations where
we finish up at a one of the culinary
delightful venues such as Tescos,
McDonald’s, Burger King, Little
Chef or favourite biking venues
such as Harry Tuffins. We might
end up at the same place but it’s
nearly always via a different route.
Associates can get debriefed, whilst
their observers enjoy breakfast and
cups of tea.
The return journey is often
organised with the second man
drop off system utilised to bring
everyone back to Birmingham.
Alternatively you can make your
own way back or as often happens
we take off further afield to benefit
from the dry roads and sunny
weather!!!
Why should you come on the
observed runs?
•Your Observer is busy, on
holiday or too busy at work
•You want to get as much
training in as possible before
your test
• You’ve passed your IAM test
and are considering training to
be an Observer
• If you’re an observer looking to
give a bit more time and take
out a different associate
• You’ve passed your test and
need to sharpen your skills
• You’re a full member and you
fancy going out for a couple
of hours but can’t decide
where to go to find some of
the best biking roads around
Birmingham
Saturdays
Sundays
Bob Watson
Graham Hay
07808 571251
07554 111079
22
Basically everyone who is a
member of BAM is welcome and
it provides a great opportunity for
all club members to get out on
our bikes.
If you’ve never been before or have
just joined BAM, the runs start from
McDonald’s just off the island at
the end of the Small Heath Bypass,
at the bottom of the hill from the
Birmingham City Football Ground.
The island is allegedly feared by
some but it’s not exactly busy on a
Sunday or Saturday and there are
2 exits both of which get you into
McDonald’s car-park. If it’s wet,
snowing or cold we will probably
be found inside, otherwise we will
found loitering outside.
Observed runs are on alternate
Saturdays and Sundays at 9.00am
March - November and 10.00am
December - February. During the
summer there are also runs on
Wednesdays at 6.30pm, which
allows you to test your night riding
skills on the way home!!
Check the events calendar in the
middle pages of this magazine or
contact the organisers.
BAM Training
Area Co-ordinators
Marcus McCormick
Chief Observer
Telephone:
07970 901929
Martin Doran
Observer Training Coordinator
Telephone:
07976 849924
Colin Wyatt
North-West
Area co-ordinator
Telephone:
07952 857056
Email: [email protected]
B1,2,3,18,19,20,21,42,43,66,67,
69,70,71
Rhodri Griffiths
North-East
Area co-ordinator
Telephone:
07941 331464
Email: [email protected]
B4,6,7,8,23,24,33,34,35,36,37,44,
46,72,73,74,75,76,77,78,79
Andrew Pratt
South-West
Area co-ordinator
Telephone:
07940 717593
B15,16,17,29,31,32,45,60,61,62,
63,64,65,68, 96,97
Suki Gosal
South-East
Area co-ordinator
Telephone:
024 765 01502
B5,9,10,11,12,13,14,25,26,7,
28,30,38,47,48,49,50,80,90,
91,92,93,94,95,98
Speakers Corner
Last month’s speaker was Lorraine Gough from the Midland Freewheeler Blood Bike Group. Lorraine gave a
very well-received speech on what this fantastic charity does.
July is planned to be a practical session. Multiple activities planned, including slow riding and emergency
braking. Make sure you bring your bike if you want to take part.
For September, we’re planning on having a social night following Marcus’ briefing. More details will follow
shortly.
Month
June
July
August
Sept
Oct
Speaker
Matt Paines
Marcus
Pat Doughty
N/A
Mark Gallagher
From
Secure Autotrack Systems
Practical outside session
IAM
N/A
Michelin Tyres
Notes
Bike tracker and smartwater.
Multiple activities. Bring bikes.
IAM Operations Director
BAM social night
Tyre Development and Tech.
We’re always looking for suitable guest speakers to come and talk to the group at club nights so if you
know anyone or think a particular company would be a possibility then please drop me an email at
[email protected]
Lawrence Yates
23
BAM Membership
Information
How do I join BAM?
Once your application has been received and processed
you will become an Associate, (when you join your
category of membership is called Associate). You will
be issued with an ID Card and you will be contacted by
one of the Area Co-ordinators shown on the opposite
page. They will endeavour to allocate an individual
Observer (tutor) for one to one tuition, however as
we are a voluntary organisation this will be subject to
availability. As an alternative, once you have your ID
card you are entitled to attend the regular training runs
on Wednesdays, Saturdays and Sundays that are open
to all associates of BAM. The dates and times for these
runs are detailed in the BAM Newsletter, and on the
website, www.b-a-m.org.uk. A £10 contribution per
observed run is required to be paid to your observer to
go towards their expenses.
You can join BAM at any of the Group Meetings which are
held on the 1st Wednesday of every month at National
Motorcycle Museum (by the NEC).
Alternatively you can complete the IAM Skills for Life
Membership form and the BAM Membership form on the
BAM website www.b-a-m.org.uk. Click on the “How to
join” tab and follow the hyperlink to the forms, fill them in
and send them to Richard Atkinson at the address below,
along with 1 passport style photo.
How much does it cost?
The “Skills for Life” scheme costs £149.00.
If you are an existing member of the IAM but are a new
Motor Bike Associate you get a £30.00 discount.
Annual fees are payable on a rolling renewal basis
i.e. 12 months from your last renewal date and are
as follows:
BAM Associate Membership - £15.00
BAM Full Members - £15.00
As a member of the Group, you must also pay an annual
subscription fee of £30.00 to the IAM.
What do I get for my Money?
Your initial payment covers the IAM test fee, 1 year’s
IAM membership, 1 year’s BAM membership, a copy
of “How to be a better rider – Advanced Motorcycling,
the Essential Guide” a copy of the Highway Code and a
framed certificate on passing the IAM test. You will also
receive a regular magazine from the IAM, a quarterly
newsletter from BAM, access to the BAM Forum and
many discounts from major companies.
As an Associate member you are welcome to attend our
monthly Group meetings, which feature a regular session
on Roadcraft /advanced riding plus a guest speaker.
Paying Online Subscriptions?
We have facilities at Lloyds Bank to allow BAM members
the convenience to pay their annual membership online.
To pay online, please make payment to the following
bank account:
Sort code: 30-94-74
Account no.: 01550456
Account name: Birmingham Advanced
Motorcyclists
When making your payment please ensure to use your
full name and BAM membership number as a reference.
What do I do when I pass my test?
On passing your test you become a full member and you
can join the Full members ride outs that are organised
throughout the year. Please let the Membership Secretary
know your IAM Number and return your ID badge for an
upgrade, (or provide a new passport sized photo).
Please inform the membership secretary if your
membership details change, (address, telephone,
mobile, e-mail etc).
Membership Secretary
Richard Atkinson
3 Rowbrook Close
Solihull
B90 1EJ
Telephone 07983 569161
E-Mail [email protected]
What Happens Next?
24
Paul Owen’s Far East Tour (continued from page 7)
I did many more trips over the course of my 5 months
in Thailand visited Cambodia and Malaysia also, it
was a fantastic experience with some of the best
motorcycle roads I've ever road and some of the nicest
and friendliest people both Thai and western I have ever
meet, but the most challenging was the Laos trip, and I
would thoroughly recommend it to people looking for a
challenge.
Beautiful places & friendly people.
I didn’t always eat the local delicacies although some
were better than others.
Paul Owen
25
RECRUITING
LGV DRIVERS
Pertemps, Ground Floor,
40 Old Vicarage Road,
Hagley Court,
Edgbaston B15 3EZ
S
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Pay rates of £9.00 - £17.26 per hour
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Part time or weekends available if desired
Weekly pay by BACS every Friday
Free uniform
Pertemps Driving Academy available for LGV Licence acquisition
Pertemps are recruiting for a number of contracts in your area and can
offer work throughout 2015/16
For more information contact Chris, Steve or Paul on
0121 456 4555
or email CV’s to: [email protected]
www.pertemps.co.uk
Pertemps are an equal opportunities employer and welcome applicants from all diverse backgrounds