June Who’s News 2003

The MTCV Home Page has taken 279 hits during June and 16,479 since April 1996. We continue to generate new members via the web. Our ads in the bike magazines are also doing well.

Seen at the June Social Sip: Ben and Julie Warden, Mark Easterbrook, Ian Payne, Kate Stewart and Peter Pondeljak, Mario Ibeas, Will Surtida, Will Tran, Peter Philferan, Ray Walker, Craig Morley, Trevor Harris, Jon Riddett and Nicole, Liz Oliver and Pete Weyermayr, Ron Johnston, Wayne and Joanne Nimmo, Andrew Symes, Martin Hastie, Robert Taggart and Bruce Saville. 24 people This was a fine effort considering it was a cold and windy night.

Darryn Webster is all but over his GSXR1000 crash. Physically his shoulder strain is nearly healed and the heavy bruising has cleared. The bike was a write-off and he expects to be paid out shortly, once a minor mix-up with the insurance company is sorted out. He will be in the enviable position of being able to choose a new bike, or good second hand one, from the many bargains now on offer.

New bikes: Ian Handforth has traded in his XJ900 Diversion and XTZ660 on a Honda XLV1000. Is it a giant Transalp? When he comes on a ride we’ll find out!

Andrew Symes is also looking for another bike after his Suzuki RF900 was deemed a write-off. He has received the payout cheque and now the search begins. We look forward to seeing him back riding again.

In a similar vein, Mario Ibeas had his last outpatient checkup last week and all looks good. He is in no pain and is back working as a house painter including “rolling ceilings” which requires a fair amount of upper body strength. As soon as the insurance comes through he will pay out the bike and look at putting his 20,000 km old 2001 R6 back on the road, after he flipped it doing monos! He is looking forward to gaining some more experience and getting back to riding with the Club.

The Points System. The Club Participant of the Year is based on aggregate points accumulated at 1 point per ride, an extra point for leading or being rear rider, and 1 point per magazine article (maximum 2 per magazine). It runs till the May AGM. We are already two months into the 2004 points, but given poor weather in May and worse in June, resulting in low attendances, few points have been accumulated: Ben Warden (15), Kate Stewart (8), Paul Southwell (7) and Ron Johnston (6) are the only standouts.

Membership renewals are overdue. If you have not paid, this is your last magazine. A membership renewal form is contained in the magazine. Please fill out and return with your annual subscription of $40. The Club is a not-for-profit organization run by dedicated volunteers. Your subscriptions are used to pay for things like the printing of itinerary cards, photocopying and postage of the magazine, and thrice yearly hall hire. Due to judicious cost saving measures, subscriptions will not rise this year. Without your membership fees, the Club cannot survive, and at less than three tanks of petrol, it is a bargain. Make cheques payable to the MSTCV and post to PO Box 4132 Melbourne University, Parkville VIC 3052 or use the direct credit facility, saving all the hassle of paperwork. But let us know if you do! Email is good.

The Age, 12^th of June: The $14 million plan to introduce registration stickers on the front of motorcycles is still at least a year from being decided on says the State Government. Interestingly the statistics for 2001 showed 346,598 speed camera shots were taken, with 1553 fines for riders unable to be issued, compared with 80,612 for cars!

Also a snippet from Victoria Police saying it is considering “double demerit points” for drivers breaking the law over busy holiday periods. It would ONLY be considered if the evidence suggested it could save lives and reduce injuries.

From “Only in America” a motorist involved in a fatal car crash had his OWN car become a witness for the prosecution. Like millions of cars around the world his vehicle contained an “electronic data recorder” which is part of the cars computer system that deploys the air bags and other safety related items. Five seconds before a crash, the unit monitors maximum speed, throttle position (was car accelerating and how hard), brake position (was car braking and how hard), seatbelt position and how hard the engine was working.

The driver had been in a 50 km/h zone when he collided with the other vehicle and killed two of the occupants. He admitted to driving at just under 100 km/h but the police estimated a higher speed and this is where the black box was submitted as evidence. It showed, 5 seconds before the crash, a speed of 184 km/h. On that evidence he got “two counts of manslaughter” and 22 years in jail. According to the authorities, most modern cars in Australia have the same system, but at this stage the data is ONLY used for research.

The Club recently had a letter from Julia Davis enclosing a generous $100 donation.

Dear Ian and Motorcycle Club Members,

Please accept this in memory of my husband, Mike Davis, who as

you all knew, loved motorcycling.

Very best wishes,

Julia Davis.

For those newer members, the name Mike Davis would be unfamiliar and even some of the old timers would have difficulty in recognising the name! But Mike was a very early member who rode a Honda 400/4 Honda on Club rides. Even when diagnosed with cancer he still attended meetings until too ill to do so. We thank Julia for her thoughts and donation.

The saga with our Social Sip venue continues with the owners still wishing to develop the site! According to council minutes, rezoning of the land (residential to business) will not go ahead until the external facade of the 50-seat restaurant is in keeping with the “heritage nature of the area”. Looks like we will be meeting there for some time yet!

Walwa Resort, Melbourne Cup Weekend Saturday 1^st to Tuesday 4^th

Those on the Melbourne Cup weekend away last year will know just how good a location the Walwa Resort is. I will book three double storey modern cottages sleeping between 4 and 6 people (6, if couples) comfortably. The cottages are fully equipped – all you need to bring is yourself. The cost is $115 per cottage per night (3 nights) per couple, then $10 a head. It works out at around $40 per head per night. The cottages are very widely spaced, offer spectacular views across the Murray River flood plains and far off mountains. The resort is part of a Dutch owned winery. Kangaroos and bird life abound. There are two swimming pools, canoe hire, bush walks, games room, on-site restaurant This venue is suitable for our other halves – lazy days by the pool or river, bushwalking, sight seeing, etc.

The plan is to ride up on Saturday leaving Yarck at 9.30 am. Alternatively, trailering your bike up is another option. Ride around the hills Sunday, Monday - some of the best riding country in Australia, if not the world - then head home Tuesday. Otherwise, spend a day enjoying the facilities at the Resort. Lots of good options. Deposit of $50 payable to Ben as soon as possible to confirm a bed. Preference will be given to members.