December Who’s News 2003

Here is a modified version of email I sent on Wednesday 24^th December: “It is with deep sadness that I report the death of Club Member, Mario Ibeas, tragically killed in a multiple fatality car accident on Tuesday 23rd December at around 11 pm. He was a passenger in the back seat. A requiem mass was held at St John Vianneys Church, Police Road Mulgrave on Monday 29th December at 2.30 pm. Motorcyclists were encouraged to form a procession from the church to the crematorium. The Club expresses its sincerest sympathies to Mario's family and friends. He will be greatly missed. Ben Warden (for the Committee)”

According to The Age web site:

"Two teenagers - a male and a female - died when a car slammed into a pole at the corner of Princes Highway and Blackburn Road, Clayton, at 11.05pm. Three survivors were taken to the Alfred Hospital. The male and female, both in their late teens, were backseat passengers in the car that hit a concrete telegraph pole. Three other people in the car, all males in their teens and early 20s, were taken to the Alfred Hospital in a serious but stable condition, the ambulance spokesman said. Metropolitan Ambulance spokesman James Howe said the impact of the car caused the telegraph pole to break in half."

The MTCV Home Page took 350 hits during December and has taken 18,474 since April 1996. We continue to generate new members via the web. Our ads in the bike magazines are also doing well.

Welcome to Peter Pondeljak riding a yellow CBR600 who joined the Club this month, boosting the membership to 62. I note from the Club Participant table that he is already up to 10 points. We wish him an enjoyable and safe time with the Club.

Seen at the December Social Sip: Ben and Julie Warden, Pete Weyermayr and Liz Oliver, Ian Payne, Martin Hastie and Carmen de Bono, Ray Walker, Ron Johnston, Peter Rykenberg and Sarah Blackwell, Andrew Symes, Dianne Welsford, Bruce Saville, Pete Pondeljak and Kate Stewart, Jon Riddett. 17 people

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 eight months into the 2004 points and at the end of December the top ten points scorers are: Ben Warden (58), Pete Weyermayr (35), Ian Payne (30), Rob Langer (27), Liz Oliver (27), Mark Easterbrook (26.5), Greg Hales (26), Paul Southwell (25), Ron Johnston (24), and Kate Stewart (23.5). A table for the last four months is printed elsewhere. Please check and note any errors to the Editor.

It has been a bad month for motorcycle crashes on Club rides with 10% (!) of our members crashing. Club President, Ian Payne, makes some interesting observations elsewhere in the magazine.

Crash #1: Ray Walker, Eildon via Broadford ride 7^th December, Greg Hales leading, 28 bikes, weather conditions fine. Glancing head-on with a car on the Fraser National Park road; no fault of the car driver. Very serious accident, Ray recuperating in Bethesda Hospital with brain trauma, prognosis good. GSXR1000 destroyed. Further details are contained in the write-up.

Crash #2: Ken Wright, same Eildon via Broadford ride, single vehicle accident in a bend, Fraser National Park road, within minutes of Ray’s accident, other side of range. Ken sustained three broken ribs and a broken shoulder blade spending a night in Alexandra Hospital. He is making a rapid and remarkable recovery, according to his doctors, and is expected to start work next week. He is extremely strong and fit, no doubt assisting in his speedy recovery. His Aprilia seems to have minor cosmetic damage – it was rideable – but will not be fixed till March due to the unavailability of parts. Maybe a tasty 2004 model is an option? See article for more details.

Crash #3: Rhys Williams, Dumbalk ride, 21^st December, Ben Warden leading, eight very experienced members. Crashed on the Boolara to Mirboo North road, failing to navigate a left hand corner, taking out a double-poled, recently installed street sign. Rhys visited Latrobe Hospital and was diagnosed with “soft tissue injuries” to his rib cage area. He had just finished a month bike couriering in the city. He notes that Bundy and Coke negates the pain killing effects of Panadeine Forte, with agonizing consequences. His ZX9 has been written off – it was rideable but with major front end cosmetic damage. A new KTM 640 LC4 is almost a certainty – something to ride with the kids! See Geoff’s write-up for more details.

Crash #4: Rob Jones, same Dumbalk ride, crashed 10 km out of Yarra Junction on the Powelltown road, in a fast right hand sweeping bend, road wet, cause unclear, and never likely to be. Rob suffered mild concussion and spent till 10pm in Maroondah Hospital. He has ongoing numbness in his legs as a result of a compressed spine but should make a full recovery in time. A scan of his spine will hopefully pinpoint the cause. His 954 has been assessed as a total loss.

Crash #5: Ron Johnston, same Dumbalk ride, was involved in Rob Jones accident, his bike hitting the spinning 954 on the exhaust muffler causing Ron’s 600 km old, freshly rebuilt and restored Bandit 1200 to rear up and land heavily on the front end bending the forks and smashing the engine cases, similar to his Great Ocean Road crash. Ron sustained a gashed arm, bandaged at the site. Uninsured, there are many options, including a complete rolling chasis from the wreckers. We will watch with interest.

Crash #6: Clifford Peters, Christmas Camp, Tuesday 31^st December, hit a kangaroo at 12.30pm when returning from a ride to Falls Creek with Ben and Ron, 500 metres from Mt Beauty. He spent two nights in Mt Beauty (air-conditioned) Hospital recovering from one broken rib, a bruised lung, lacerated hand (no gloves) and a deep graze on his hip/lower back (jeans). He is pretty uncomfortable but will heal completely. His GSXR1000 sustained remarkably little cosmetic damage to the fairing and engine cover, considering how far it slid, and at what speed. It was rideable. The kangaroo did not survive the impact.

Our recent ride day at Phillip Island proved a great success. So much so that members are lobbying for another. On the next itinerary we will include another one for early in the year.

Les Leahy is contemplating selling his KTM LC4. Not that there is anything wrong with the bike, just that being his only means of transport the inherent vibration from the big single is affecting his eyes! The only problem is, ‘What bike will replace the KTM?’

Visitors get high in the Otways, The Age, 2003 “For a bird’e eye view of the rainforest, head to the new Otway Fly at the weekend, the longest and highest tree-top walk of its kind in the world. The 600-metre-long steel walkway is elevated 25 metres high in the tree canopy and allows visitors to walk single file through moss covered myrtle beech, blackwood and majestic mountain ash.

If you are feeling adventurous, climb the spiral staircase to the 50 metre high lookout tower, which gives breathtaking 360-degree views through the top of the forest canopy. Another feature is the 24 metre long cantilever section, which bounces and sways over picturesque Youngs Creek 25 metres below.

A 1.9 km loop track takes walkers down into a moist gully and then gently ascends into the trees, eventually zig-zagging back down to the forest floor. Supervisor, Bruce Jackson, hopes people will take away a new understanding of the precious pockets of rainforest left in the Otways.

The Otway Fly is open every day from 9am till 5pm except Christmas Day. Adults cost $11, children $6 and families are $30. The last group to depart the Visitor Centre is at 4.15pm.

Next month we will have a guest speaker, Margaret, from Motorcycle Roadtours Australia (MRA!) They specialize, as the name suggests, in organized motorcycle group tours of Australia, Europe and South America of the order of one month’s duration, 5000 km, $9000. Margaret will give an audio visual presentation of how her trips operate and the sorts of places they visit. A once in a life time experience. I did a similar tour in 1986 through western Europe – incredible. It should be a great night, suitable for partners.

Australia Day Weekend January 23^rd , 2003 – 26^th, 2004

The Club has booked the spectacular “Snowy Mountain Holidays” house and cottage accommodation package, right on the Murray River at Towong, 11 km out of Corryong. The plan is to go a day early – Friday 23^rd – to take advantage of the great location, so book a leave day now. Cost $75 for the cottage and then $15 per person, per night. Remarkably cheap – includes bedding, kitchen and laundry facilities, etc. (Dave and Bron please note, ‘Pets welcome’.) The combination sleeps eight people comfortably, 6 already confirmed. A few of us visited the owners as a 500 km day trip out of Porepunkah Xmas Camp. It looks great and the owners are very friendly and accommodating.

Given that people are reluctant to commit at any stage, this is strictly first come, first served, with any overflow into the Corryong pubs. A deposit speaks volumes.