Aug 2015 Newsletter FINAL - Nepean Ulysses

Aug - OCT
Newsletter
2015
In Memory Of Our VP, R.I.P. Ken Graham
May the road rise up to meet you, May the wind be ever at your back. May the sun
shine warm upon your face and the rain fall softly on your fields. And until we meet
again, may God hold you in the hollow of his hand. - Irish Blessing
Printed by Kwik Kopy
1
2
Nepean Branch Committee
Name
Phone:
President
Trevor Harding
Vice President
Secretary
Treasurer
Quartermaster
Newsletter Editor
Webmaster
Run Co-Ordinator
Social Secretary
R.I.P. Ken Graham
Steven Neville
David Pearson
David Schoer
Aaron Hayes
Steven Neville
Jim Linos
Peter (PK) Kurczewski
Mobile:
0414 674 780
9834 6673
47 33 5347
45 71 2990
9834 6673
47 36 8926
0418 223 720
0419 219 174
0423 420 724
0423 265 486
0418 223 720
0412 531 043
0418 962 775
Ride Leaders
Run Co-Ordinator
Ride Leaders….
Name
Jim Linos
Phone:
47 36 8926
Mobile:
0412 531 043
Greg Cracknell
Ross Menzies
Trevor Harding
Ocker (Armando)
Alan Gill
Steve Collins
Peter (PK) Kurczewski
Bob McCook
Michael Rose
Paul Hughes
Aaron Hayes
Steve Murphy
47 54 5310
47 39 8589
0418 767 624
0402 350 090
0414 674 780
0419 204 063
0450 293 805
0413 485 267
0418 962 775
0458 501 461
0403 353 819
0423 102 397
0423 265 486
0448 119 336
47 36 2380
47 33 4175
9670 2286
45 71 2990
Email Addresses
Webmaster
Newsletter Editor
Name
Steve Neville
Aaron Hayes
Email Address:
[email protected]
[email protected]
Nepean Branch Website:
http://nepean.ulyssesclub.org/Home.aspx
Ulysses main Website:
http://www.ulyssesclub.org/
“Also this newsletter is available from the Nepean Branch Website in glorious colour!”
3
A word from ED – (straight from the horse’s mouth….)
G’day,
With much sadness, we
have had a couple of long
standing Ulyssians pass
away, Ken Graham and Jim
Willis. On behalf of the
Nepean Branch Ulysses club,
we wish the families our
condolensces and thank all
members who provided
stories and slideshows and attended the funerals of these two men, you will be missed. Allan Gilks is putting together
an article with photos of Ken that will be published in the next Riding On magazine. If you were not at the last meeting,
please take a moment of silence in their memory.
On that note I am sure that both Ken and Jim would agree that we all are living when we pursue our passion of riding
and socialising with others who share the same love of motorcycles. Recently we made changes to the ride categories
and now include classes A through to D, A being short rides, B being medium, C being long rides and D being multiple
day rides/weekends away/AGM’s. The next ride calendar will clear up any questions you have about distances etc. I
would like to encourage all of you to come on as many rides with us as you can - in essence that is what it is all about. I
would also like to ask anyone that has a ride journey/destination in mind to come forward and let us know or better yet
volunteer as a Ride Leader. You can volunteer once, or you can continue to be part of the crew and take us to places
less travelled, it is up to you 
For members who are due to receive badges for at least 10 years of membership or reaching the ages of 50, 60 and
older the club will cover the cost of these badges. We would like to order them every quarter, please advise a Branch
Committee member if you are due to receive one of these badges prior to the Branch Newsletter being printed in
February, May, August and November.
Upcoming events:




Ulysses Memorial Ride Cordeux Dam 13th September 2015
Ulysses Nepean Branch Annual Picnic September 20th Grevillea Picnic Area,
Nurragingy Reserve (see flyer on Nepean Branch website)
October Long weekend 3 Day Ride October 3rd 4th and 5th Mid West NSW (Hurry
booking limited!)
28th Nov Nepean Branch Xmas party (mentioned early to allow time to book in)
Until Next time……
4
With special thanks to Kim and all the staff for
supplying and flying the Nepean Branch Ulysses
Club Inc. flag all these years! We will continue to
support your venue as the premier stop between
Western Sydney and the Hunter region.
http://www.greygumscafe.com.au
When Told That Motorcycles Will Be the Death Of You………
This is dedicated to every rider who’s sick to death of those “motorcycles are so dangerous” conversations,
to every mother who’s convinced her son or daughter is insane for riding, and for anyone who needs a
really good excuse to go out and buy a bike. The bottom line is that riding a motorcycle is a form of lowimpact exercise that improves muscle tone, can assist with weight loss, and has a multitude of health
benefits. These health benefits include but are not limited to:
Healthier, stronger knees and thighs: A well-known orthopaedic
surgeon in Indy once told me that motorcycle riders have fewer knee
problems because riding a bike strengthens key muscles used to hold the
patella and other bones in the knee in place. He told me that riding a
motorcycle may reverse knee pain and problems and can most definitely
prevent them. Most of the key muscles used to hold knee bones in place
reside in the thigh. Ever notice that chicks that ride bikes have nice thighs?
There’s a reason! Additionally, backing a bike into a parking spot, especially
uphill, is basically like doing leg presses with a 600 pound weight. It works!
.

Improved core strength: Again, all of the activities involved in
steering a bike, moving it at slow speeds, etc., serve to strengthen muscles in
the abdomen. It’s more fun that sit-ups!!
.

5




Increased insulin sensitivity: Because riding a motorcycle is a low-impact form of exercise,
people who ride have improved insulin sensitivity for up to eight hours after a ride. Improved insulin
sensitivity has a profound impact on weight loss, because insulin is a fat storage hormone. Having
improved insulin sensitivity means your body will produce less insulin to counteract carbohydrates
or to lower blood sugars, which means your body will be signalled to store less fat. The improved
insulin sensitivity is also of great importance to anyone with Type 2 diabetes. (See my post,
Diabetes and the Art of Motorcycle Riding for info on how riding a bike significantly lowers blood
glucose levels.)
.
Calorie burning: Riding a bike burns calories. Period. Getting everything ready for a ride takes
time and burns calories, but there’s more. Think about it … it requires effort while riding to maintain
balance, shift, brake, control the clutch, battle headwinds, etc., and that’s AFTER you burn calories
backing the bike out of the garage! Riding into a headwind burns a significant amount of calories as
your body tenses muscles to fight the wind and stay on the bike. This constant resistance exercise
not only burns calories but serves to strengthen those muscles, which ultimately increases your
metabolism. Additionally, the physical effort exerted while turning, especially at higher speeds, can
be significant. Folks who ride motocross or race motorcycles can burn up to 600 calories per hour;
the rest of us burn around 200-300 calories per hour. Not
bad! (Note to passengers: You burn zero calories per hour
while riding passenger on a cruiser, and potentially up to 50
calories per hour while riding passenger on a sport bike.
Maybe it’s time to consider getting your own bike!)
Improved neck strength: This one is limited to those riders
who wear helmets and those who have taken the time to
properly fit themselves to their bike with the correct handle
bars, seat, foot pegs, etc. Riding a bike that doesn’t “fit” well
can actually cause back pain and destroy proper alignment.
Make sure your bike fits you! Wearing a helmet for a few
hours a day would strengthen your neck whether you ride or
not. Wearing it while riding, especially if you don’t have a windshield to shelter you from the wind,
requires significant strength. I’m happy to say, much to my chiropractor’s chagrin, I was able to
reverse whiplash simply by riding my bike and wearing a helmet. (I never ride without one.)
Strengthening my neck muscles served to pull my neck vertebrae back into alignment and back into
the proper curvature. That is a therapy I can live with!!!
.
Mental outlook: Motorcycle riders usually report returning from a ride feeling energized and
happy. Many riders refer to their motorcycle as their “therapist.” Riding a motorcycle has a
wonderful way of releasing endorphins that serve to boost mood and improve outlook. The time
spent on a bike also provides valuable sun exposure, known to increase Vitamin D levels which are
known to be powerful mood enhancers. Additionally, the hours of alone time spent on the back of a
bike either allows folks to completely escape from their problems or allows them to work through
problems and consider issues from different perspectives. I know more than one rider who hops on
their bike and takes a ride when they have an issue needing consideration. (This does not, of
course, apply to issues causing great distress.)
That’s it! Riding a motorcycle has definite health advantages, both physical and emotional. As always, ride
smart. Get thoroughly trained before starting to ride and then take time to practice on back roads before
hitting main thoroughfares. Take your time and don’t try to beat lights or get in front of slow drivers. As
always, NEVER drive while under the influence of alcohol or drugs. Even one beer can affect reaction time
enough to impair shifting, clutch operation and turning ability. Just don’t do it.
Written by: Dr Pamela Reilly (thanks Paul Cheetham for the article).
6
Members New Rides:
Mick’s Yamaha FJR1300 
Boyo’s Honda F6B
(Does not depict actual bike)
Ann's Honda CB1100 
New Members:
Steve – GTR1000
Gary Brooks – 1974 Shovelhead
Ann – CB1100
Grant Eadie – 5 Harleys, 1 Ducati, 1 Honda
Annette
John
7
29-3-15 Rylstone Loop Ride
Five bikes left Maccas and made our through Windsor and onto the Putty Rd. We had a
good ride up the road and through the bends before stopping at the garage at Bulga for
a break. We met up with Greg Anderson who was joining us for part of the ride and it was
great for everyone to catch up.
We moved on and made our way on Denman where we got some fuel and said our goodbyes
to Greg. We continued on our way and turned left just before Sandy Hollow and headed
to Rylstone for our lunch stop at the pub.
After a relaxing break we set off and made our way past Lake Windermere and on to
Ilford where we turned right towards Sofala. We rode past Sofala and onto Kelso where
we stopped for fuel. One of the bikes was running rough, possibly crook fuel, so the rider
decided to head straight for home.
After filling up we headed to Oberon for a break before saying our goodbyes and
heading home via the highway. We did a total of 630km for the day and I enjoyed it
greatly.
Greg Cracknell
26-4-15 Hill End Ride
On a heavily overcast morning eight bikes left Maccas and made our way over to North
Richmond. We continued along The Bells Line of Rd to Lithgow and stopped at the garage
at South Bowenfels for our morning tea break. It had been a cool ride over the
mountains and when we arrived at the garage it was 6 degrees and people were feeling
it.
After warming up we headed off back through Lithgow and up the Castlereagh Highway
to Ilford where we turned left towards Sofala. We made our way to Sofala at a brisk
pace before turning right at bottom of the decent to Sofala and regrouping. We then
continued on to Hill End, arriving there just before midday.
We went in to the pub and ordered our lunch while the highly anticipated fire was
started. After being cold all morning sitting in front of the fire with a full stomach and
a cold beer was starting to feel pretty relaxing. i had to get moving now or else we’d
stay in that room for the rest of the day.
We headed back towards Sofala and turned off onto the Turondale Rd. This delightful
road leads back to the outskirts of Bathurst. We turned right at its end and made our
way over to Kelso where we filled our tanks up. Dennis had a front tyre that had lost
some air and upon inspection had discovered a small piece of metal in it. He decide to head
home carefully down the highway and Ocker went with him as support.
The rest of us headed off to Oberon and back to Mt Vic then Bell and stopped to say our
goodbyes at Bilpin. Another great days ring if a bit cool and as usual the day was made
even better by the company on the ride.
Greg Cracknell
8
Mid-Western Loop with Lunch at Tarana
17th May 2015
It was a cool morning in late autumn so we rugged up with thermal undies and plenty of layers of clothing. That was a
good decision.
At McPanthers we met up with 12 other adventurers. I was hoping to see Steve’s new Urinal outfit, but he was riding his
Honda that day so I had to be content with his stories of how the bike looked and handled. Something based on pre-war
engineering and styling certainly gets my attention and I’m looking forward to seeing it in the flesh. We eventually took
off in a northerly direction and made our way to the coffee stop at Bell for a break.
After a good mag, we continued on our way to Lithgow, Cullen Bullen, Portland, Sunny Corner, and Yetholme and stopped
at Raglan for fuel. Then we headed down the Oberon Road but turned onto the Tarana Road which follows the railway
through Brewongle and eventually to Tarana. The latter stretch of that road can be best described as sealed but primitive.
We had a good break and lunch at the pub and sat in the sun, soaking up the rays.
Then we continued our ride by heading east and meeting the Rydal Road where we turned right and made our way to the
Jenolan Caves Road at Hampton. Then we headed down to Hartley Valley and made our way to Wentworth Falls where
we stopped for a leg stretch and farewells.
We’d covered about 350 Kms of rolling back country and experienced some roads that are rarely travelled. A very
enjoyable day out.
Ross Menzies
Ride Leader
9
Burrawang Hotel
Sunday 24th May 15
With a lovely sunny winter’s day and a 10 o’clock start I thought Macca’s carpark would have been
overflowing with egger starters. By 10 o’clock there were 7 bikes, 4 with pillions. So off we go out through
Silverdale, The Oaks, Oakdale and a nice curvy back road into Thirlmere where we had a five minute break
and regroup. After waiting for the railway gates to open we cross and head to Tahmoor. A quick left and
onto another curvy little back road which brings us back onto the Old Highway on the south side of Bargo
about 8 km’s later. We turn down Old South Rd through the back of Bowral and head towards Fitzroy Falls
where we turn onto Myra Vale Rd and into Burrawang village.
We arrived at the hotel by 12:30 and it was already quite busy, we were directed to our reserved area
under the pergola in the shade which would be great in the summer not so great when it’s only 9 degrees.
The premium seats where definitely in the sun.
After lunch we head for Robertson no one needed fuel so straight through Kangaloon, Bowral, Old South
road and back to Thirlmere for a break. Back through Silverdale and home by 4:30pm with just over 300
km’s for the day.
Until we ride again Bob
10
“Don’t miss out on RMV’s
special Motorcycle Pink slip
Rate of $15.00!!! Just
mention you are a Ulysses
member!!!!”
A burglar broke into a house one night.
He shined his flashlight around, looking
for valuables when a voice in the dark
said, ‘Jesus knows you’re here.’ He
nearly jumped out of his skin, clicked his
flashlight off, and froze. When he heard
nothing more, after a bit, he shook his
head and continued. Just as he pulled the
stereo out so he could disconnect the
wires, clear as a bell he heard a
voice....say, ‘Jesus is watching you.’
Freaked out, he shined his light around
frantically, looking for the source of the
voice. Finally, in the corner of the room,
his flashlight beam came to rest on a
parrot. ‘Did you say that?’ he hissed at
the parrot. ‘Yep’, the parrot confessed,
then squawked, ‘I’m just trying to warn
you that he is watching you.’ The burglar
relaxed. ‘Warn me, huh? Who in the world
are you?’
‘I'm Moses.’ replied the bird. ‘Moses?’ the
burglar laughed. ‘What kind of people would name a bird Moses?’
‘The same kind of people that would name their Rottweiler Jesus.’
11
My SPYDER test ride
I recently approached Ray the manager of Western Motorcycles for the opportunity to test ride a Spyder.
Laraine & I would be hiring one in late August in Salt Lake City to ride the north west of America & parts of
Canada for 21 days. There was no promise I would be buying one on my return.
Despite this Ray went out of his way to help us.
Ray explained that all the test rides were carried out in a way to ensure the rider & pillion were fully
conversant with the operation of the Spyder as it was different in many ways to a two wheeled motorcycle.
The big day arrived and Ray took us out to Jamison Park where he demonstrated the controls and the
various safety features which ensured we couldn't go backwards by mistake or leave the parking brake off
when stationary. The semi-automatic gearbox was also explained. He also demonstrated the best way for a
pillion to alight and travel when cornering.
The steering is definitely different to a motorbike. It is easy to overcorrect on the move and requires some
practice to take corners and make U turns.
All this was practised under Ray's supervision in the park before taking to the road.
Once Ray was happy with my new found skills we were allowed to hit the road for the actual ride. I
ventured onto Mulgoa road very gingerly and we rode across to North Richmond up to the Kurrajong pub
for lunch.
Apart from still getting used to the steering we also had to get used to the attention we were getting from
all the folks less lucky than us. The Spyder was noticed by all age groups, obviously because they are still in
reasonably small numbers and are so different to other bikes.
We returned via Wilberforce and the heavy traffic in Windsor and just beat the rain back to Westerns.
I cannot speak too highly of the attention devoted to us by Ray & his staff and encourage anyone
contemplating buying a Spyder or motorcycle to give Westerns a chance to help. Gee after our big trip It
could well be a Spyder for me as I age disgracefully.
Allan Gilks
An old married couple no sooner hit the pillows when the old man passes gas and says,
'Seven Points.'
His wife rolls over and says, 'What in the world was that?' The old man replied, 'its fart
football.'
A few minutes later his wife lets one go and says, 'Touchdown, tie score...'...
After about five minutes the old man lets another one go and says, 'Aha. I'm ahead 14 to 7.'
Not to be outdone the wife rips out another one and says, 'Touchdown, tie score.'
Five seconds go by and she lets out a little squeaker and says, 'Field goal, I lead 17 to 14.'
Now the pressure is on for the old man.
He refuses to get beaten by a woman, so he strains real hard.
Since defeat is totally unacceptable, he gives it everything he's got, and accidentally poops
in the bed.
The wife says, 'What the hell was that?'
The old man says, 'Half time, switch sides”
12
Our Fearless Leaders F3 Experience
Darren from Westerns said to come down and take the new F3 for a ride. I have taken the
sports and RT for a ride before.
The sports version was disliked by the pillions because of the feeling of falling off all the
time.
The RT was much better and a lot better package for the pillion.
The new F3 can be described in one word fun with a capital "F" this F3 has a motor that
delivers tyre spinning and sideways action only governed by how brave you are.
Everything is different, you sit lower, legs are more forward, and they have done heaps with
the handling department. The only complaint is because of the sitting position, anything
over 120 Kms the wind buffeting is bad, but I believe there is a screen on the way.
I think the F3 is a great package and once you ride it you will agree. I am probably not ready
for one yet but it is nice to know that there is something out there that will put a smile on
your face.
The spider is an option for people that are having trouble holding the bigger bikes up, but
still getting the same feel as riding a bike.
President Trevor
A husband and wife were driving through Louisiana. As they approached Natchitoches, they started arguing
about the pronunciation of the town. They argued back and forth, then they stopped for lunch. At the counter,
the husband asked the blonde waitress, "Before we order, could you please settle an argument for us? Would
you please pronounce where we are very slowly?" She leaned over the counter and said, "Burrr-gerrr Kiiing."
13
1MICK DYER
MOTORCYCLES
8\121 COREEN AVENUE PENRITH 2750
PHONE\FAX 02~47211729
Mick Dyer Motorcycles have been servicing the people of Penrith with an exceptionally high standard of quality
workmanship for the past 18 years. Come into our immaculately presented, air-conditioned workshop for your next service
by people who actually care for you motorcycle. With all our work guaranteed and a huge emphasis on customer service
we’ll look after your baby.








Latest BMW diagnostic tool available
Specialising in BMW service and repairs
All Japanese service and repairs
Engine rebuilds
Same day servicing
On the spot roadworthy\registration inspections
Full range of METZELER tyres available with free fitting and balancing
Most serviceable items kept in stock to assure quick and reliable service
♣ Whether it be a service, leaking fork seal, bald tyre or just some advice to get you going, come on in
and see our friendly staff where we can fix just about anything.
3 drunk guys entered a taxi.
The taxi driver knew that they
were drunk so started the engine
and turned it off again, then said,
“We have reached you
destination”.
The first guy gave him money
and the 2nd guy said “Thanks” as
they both got out of the cab.
The third guy slapped the taxi
driver. The driver was shocked
thinking the third drunk knew
what he had done, but asked,
“What was that for?”
The third guy replied, “Control
your speed next time buddy, you nearly killed us!”
14
Arrive & decide
Monday 8th June 2015
On a very nice Monday, it was great to see 8 bikes (5 pillions) turn up for
destination unknown.
After a small discussion we decided to do some sort of a loop with the
Rowers Club being the destination.
The loop was via Wallacia, Silverdale, Werombi, Cawdor, Menangle, and
Douglas Park Gorge then to Wilton for a coffee break.
Due to the restaurant reservation being for 1pm, the return trip was more direct. Coming through
Menangle Rd to Douglas Park, then taking a turn for Camden, Narellan and back at the Nepean Rowers
Club right on 1pm (perfect timing).
After a very lengthy and enjoyable lunch, we said our goodbyes and prepared for the long journey to our
respective homes (About 5 minutes)!
Thanks everyone for coming. The weather was great and the company was even better.
Also Congratulations to Michael and Joanne Rose who turned up on their brand new FJR1300
Jim & Jenny
15
Tamworth Weekend
13th and 14th June 2015
On a cool but clear morning 5 bikes, three of them with
pillions set out for the two day trip to Tamworth. We had a
very good run without traffic to the Grey Gum Café on the
putty for our morning tea. From there we continued along the
Putty to Bulga where Greg and Margaret Anderson joined us
before proceeding to the Royal Hotel at Denman for lunch.
After lunch we stayed on the Golden Highway until
Merriwa. Unfortunately Greg was experiencing a fair bit of
discomfort with his leg and decided to pull out and return
home. The rest of us took a right into Merriwa- Scone Rd,
(nice piece of road). At Scone turned left on to the New
England Highway stopping at Willow Tree for a stretch.
From Willow Tree we took the tourist drive through
Quirindi, Werris Creek and to our destination, the City
Sider Motor Inn Tamworth. After a few relaxing hours at
the Services club it was time for bed, preparing for
another early start in the morning.
Sunday morning fed and fuelled we departed just after 8am, again on the
cool side but good forecast, same as Saturday. Just east of town we took
the Tamworth-Nundle tourist drive, turning left at Dungowan. This road
up until a few months ago had a dirt sections but it is now sealed and
great for motorcycles travelling through valleys, climbing mountains and
eventually coming out on the Thunderbolt Way.
After turning right at Thunderbolt next stop was Gloucester for our morning
tea. Most of us wanted to be home at a reasonable time picking up kids,
dogs etc., so we decided to speed up the trip a bit by staying on the
Bucketts Way, (slowest section of the weekend) and joining the Motorway
until the Service Centre at Wyong where we stopped for lunch.
From there, Ocker said his goodbyes and proceeded down the freeway for
home. The rest of us continued until the Gosford turnoff, and then continued to Wisemans Ferry for
afternoon drinks and goodbyes before heading for our homes. It was a good decision to stay on the
highway for a while as most of us were home by about 4.30pm. Cool mornings, Clear and warmish days,
some new roads, great company (some with sore bums), just over 1000klms for the weekend. Greg and
Margaret it was good to see you again, a pity you could not complete
the trip.
Thanks to all. This is what it’s all about.
Jim and Jenny
16
17
Patonga Beach Hotel
Sunday 5th July 15
It was chilly morning only 5 degrees and by 9 o’clock there were 10 bikes, 4 with pillions. So off we go out
through Windsor, McGraths Hill, and Cattai then down to Berowra ferry where we followed an over full
water tanker that kindly splashed water out on every corner. Up the other side and onto the Old Highway
to Pie in the Sky for morning tea. After morning tea we lose one rider going home to paint and picked up
another who has ridden down to meet us. We head off north on the Old Highway to Kariong and take the
Woy Woy Rd exit travelling through Umina to Patonga for lunch.
After lunch we head back to Umina for anyone who needed fuel. Some are going home different ways the
rest of us head into sun towards Wisemans Ferry where around each corner you didn’t know if it was sun
in your eyes or green moss under your tyres.
We all make it to the ferry and the kiosk before closing time for the mandatory afternoon ice cream, home
by 5:00pm with just over 300 km’s for the day.
Until we ride again Bob
18
Sunday 19th July 2015
A true winter’s morning with an early light shower and a bleak looking sky but the forecast was to be fine
with less than a 2% chance of rain, by 10 o’clock I had 6 bikes 3 with pillions. Off we go out Silverdale Rd to
the Oaks where we turn left onto Burragorang Rd and head up over Razorback and into Picton where we
turn left onto Picton Rd and head to Wollongong. The road is damp on the edges from the morning
showers but we have a nice dry line down the hill. At the bottom of Mount Ousley we go straight ahead
and arrive at the hotel by midday cold but dry.
We decide to eat inside where it’s a bit warmer.
After defrosting and lunch we head for home up Bulli Pass and onto Appin Rd. In Appin we turn left and
travel through Douglas Park, Cawdor, Werombi Rd back through to Silverdale for an afternoon coffee and
home by 3:30pm with just over 240 km’s for the day.
Until we ride again Bob
19
Xmas in July
20
21
Ride Report – Bundanoon ride – Sunday 2 August 2015
6 bikes departed Penrith for the ride to Bundanoon via Stanwell Tops and Robertson.
The weather was fantastic for most of the trip with a little bit of rain just out of Robertson. After a brief stop at Mittagong
for fuel, a decision was taken to try the pub at Sutton Forest for lunch. Service was quick and the food was good, so I
think the Bundanoon ride will now the called the Sutton Forest ride.
Steve Murphy (ride leader) was fortunate to have been able to borrow a brand new Can Am Spyder F3 from Westerns
Motorcycles.
A lot of interest was shown in the F3 by a large number of riders at Stanwell Tops and at other stops along the way. The
most impressive visual feature of the bike is the open engine bay and heavy duty frame which makes the bike even more
stable on the road than the RTS’ models that I have had in the past.
I found the bike to be far more engaging on the twisty bits than my previous RT’s and certainly appreciated that the safety
systems were not cutting in as quickly as the RT models (on reflection, I don’t recall the safety systems cutting in at all,
which means this bike will go like a rocket through the twisties). The steering was also a lot lighter than the RT’s which I
think improves the manoeuvrability through the twisty bits. This makes for a very fun bike to ride, more sports bike like
but with a cruiser style riding positon. The day left me with a big smile on my face. I think even Ocker had to work hard
on his FJ1300 to keep up on the ride up the hill to Robertson.
Darren, Todd and the boys at Westerns would be happy to arrange a test ride for you. I think even Trevor (as a fearless
president) has had the opportunity to take the F3 out and had a ball.
Cheers,
Steve Murphy
If you have not yet joined the Nepean Ulysses Club Facebook
Page you can follow this link
https://www.facebook.com/groups/181255872021358/ or you
can open Facebook and search for ‘Nepean Ulysses Club
Facebook page’
22
Bandit 1250S transformation with Holeshot performance mods
Some of you love modifying your cars and bikes, some of you hate it or at least cannot see the point. I am the former, for
me making a bike go quicker than factory is something that I really enjoy. Don’t get me wrong, if the modification is half
arsed or makes the vehicle a walking time bomb, then I wouldn’t touch it, (costly lessons learnt) and I understand that you
never get a return on investment so I want bang for buck and bum on seat enjoyment. Above all I want reliability.
Did you know that the best engineers in the business build these wonderful pieces of machinery and then the
manufacturers of these same vehicles have to choke the heck out of them to pass super strict environmental pollution
laws? Most bikes run very lean which is great for the environment but not so much for the vehicle. Leaner engines mean
hotter running engines and often vehicles suffer from surging due to erratic fuel/air delivery at low RPM. At higher RPM
they are again restricted to comply with these same laws robbing the engine of HP. Even if it is tuned to perfection with all
of these restrictions in place you are still not getting the true performance out of your engine. Oh and I won’t start an
environmental argument if you don’t – you know global warming and all that other fun police robbing stuff.
My ride is known as a budget all-rounder and is a great lump of a bike. It has a beautiful torquey motor that in stock form
puts between 98 and 108bhp at the rear wheel and 108nm (77 ft-lbs) of Torque @ 3500RPM. The only part of this bike
that is lacking is there is no rush in the upper RPM, the bike pulls like a train but it is very linear. If I was to have any other
gripes it would be the unsettled feeling at low speeds through corners, it is a little buzzy above 100kms through the bars
and the bike suffers mild surging at low RPM. So over a time I have made small improvements to minimise these issues.
After passing up the purchase of another bike, an FJR1300 I decided that I loved this bike enough to give it the top end
power along with smoothing out the surging at low RPM and stiffen up the front forks to get rid of its jittery low speed
cornering. I had been tooling with the thought of buying a Power Commander V and getting Mick Dyer, one of our club
sponsors to tune it on the dyno, but after searching on the internet I came across http://nswbandits.forumotion.net/ and
there was a lot of positive talk about Dale Walker in the US from Holeshot performance http://holeshot.com who had
developed a kit that gave the bandit a new identity while getting the tune more or less perfect and producing some
impressive gains in torque/hp. I was sold and bought the stage II kit tuned for a slip on aftermarket exhaust which I
already have.
The graph shows the difference from stock to the Stage II setup, if I invest in a full exhaust system there is apparently
another 10hp to unleash.
23
Now came the time to install the kit and after looking at the instructions I felt that while I could do the job myself there
was a lot of potential for stuffing it up and having to then ship it off to a professional to finish the job. I opted for dropping
it off to Ryan Vidal of RMV Mechanical Repairs, another of our club sponsors to install the kit. Ryan has a long history of
modifying vehicles including Japanese cars/bikes for various street and motorsport applications.
I had already installed an O2 Eliminator as the O2 sensor on this bike is only used to lean out the low RPM mixture to pass
EPA. Adding a slip-on exhaust causes the ECU to adjust fuel and timing more which has the detrimental effect of increased
surging in the lower RPM range. I also installed a Timing Retard Eliminator which as the name suggests stops the ECU from
reducing torque/power in the first 4 gears. Eliminating the retard to the timing is not an issue as full timing is available at
WOT, (wide open throttle) in every gear.
The kit from Dale included the Holeshot EFI Supertune Pro aftermarket computer already setup with the tune for my bike,
a K&N filter, a rubber stopper to place in the hose leading to the PAIR system, (another anti-pollution system), to stop
decal popping through the exhaust. I personally like the popping so advised Ryan not to fit it. It has no detrimental effect
to the bike or performance. I also purchased Dale’s recommended front fork brace designed to stiffen up the front end
and get rid of a lot of the handling issues with this bike.
Ryan did a fantastic job installing the kit which included
removing the secondary butterflies from the throttle bodies,
he donated a screwdriver to the road Gods when one of the
lock tight butterfly screws refused to soften up even with 10
minutes of heat, and this justified my decision to get the kit
professionally installed. Removing the butterflies doesn’t
improve performance on every bike but Dale’s extensive
testing showed on the Bandit it is beneficial. If you want to
leave them alone, Dale’s stage I kit is for you. The install
instructions also include modifying the Intake box to increase
airflow.
The only other suggestion made by Dale is that a throttle body sync and checking that the TPS is correctly adjusted would
further smooth out the idle. I can say with total conviction that when I rode the Bandit for the first time with the kit
installed I couldn’t believe it was the same bike. The performance was so much smoother and the motor was better in
every way! The handling of the bike was so much improved that it only took me going around one corner, it was
confidence inspiring. So the only thing to do now is ride it and enjoy life. Thank you to all involved in the project I feel that
the Bandit is now the bike I always wished it to be.
Aaron
24
25
26