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LEOMINSTER CLASSIC MOTOR CYCLE CLUB NEWSLETTER

Website: www.leominsterclassicmcc.co.uk Email:lcmcc@ymail.com

March 2015

STOP PRESS

NEWS FLASH!

The club’s riding season is starting early! Steve Hackett is putting on

an extra club run on Sunday 8th

March. See the run sheet for details.

BUSY AT THE BUSH : FEBRUARY CLUB NIGHT

Above: There were two charity presentations made by Ron Moore on behalf of the club. The details are in

‘Chris’s Comments’ on page 4 of this newsletter. The evening’s main event was a talk by Del Britton

(below left with John Wilshaw) from Worcester & Hereford Advanced Motorcyclists about their ‘Skills

for Life’ rider training courses. Several club members have already done this and strongly recommend its

benefits and after the talk more expressed an interest in doing it – with at least one signed up already!

With our usual Bucket Boy Bob absent ‘down under’, Lynda Wilshaw stepped in as Raffle Babe and used

her feminine wiles to raise £53 for club funds in ticket sales. The prizes were donated by Phil Ball, Ro &

Frank Edgar, Steve Keith, Steve Powell, Barry Ruck, Rod Morgan, Alan Kiley and the ‘Old Rockers’.

Thank you all as always!

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SKITTLES NIGHT AT THE HEREFORD WELSH CLUB

Technique – a firm grip, a steady aim and a smooth action.

Concentration – the power of mind over matter?

If at first you don’t succeed – keep calm and carry on!

And the spoils of victory could be yours!

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THE CLUB’S CHOSEN CHARITY TO SUPPORT IN 2015 IS

ST. MICHAEL’S HOSPICE

WITHINGTON SHOW

Hello all, could you if possible set aside Sunday 3rd May to support our club’s Charity

Motorcycle Show? If you have a classic, vintage or veteran bike of any make or from any

country, please bring it along. This year we’re looking to ‘grow the show’ so need support from

as many members as possible. Most importantly just come along and bring all your friends. No

matter what you ride – the show is about all things two and three wheels! Ancient to Modern is

the theme and in the hall we aim to have a wide range of machines – Ancient to Modern. Got

something odd or special? Would you like it in main hall? If so contact me (Dave Peake 01432

358400 or mobile 07474 668342).

Could you all please pass on the date to friends and family who may be interested in coming

along? There are car parking areas so they can bring along whole family (car parking areas on

the grass to the left and right of entrance with marshals to point the way).

Please help publicise the show by displaying the poster on the back page of this

newsletter at work, your local pub, shop or anywhere else people will see it !!

CHAIRMAN’S WITTERING:

Following on from a successful quiz night and Sunday Pub Meet another good club night on February 4th

saw an excellent talk given by WHAM and at the same time we managed 2 presentations in aid of charity

during the evening. Well done to everyone.

As you are aware we are members of MAG (Motorcycle Action Group) who represent our interests at

Westminster & Brussels. Being a member entitles club members to take advantage of many

special negotiated prices for insurance of cars, vans, home, caravan – and of course motorcycles, including

classic bikes, trikes, superbikes, multi-bikes, customs and scooters through www.maginsurance.co.uk or

telephone 0800 089 0342. Breakdown cover is also available from £50 (call 0845 609 0051). To take

advantage of any of the above when calling quote Leominster Classic MCC C1329.

Not long to go now! Once again we attend The Prescott Bike Festival on April 12th

. Come and see us on

the Leominster Club Stand and also enjoy the day of action with many race bikes, specials & celebrities

including Carl Fogarty, Steve Parrish, and many more. Who cannot miss seeing our own sidecar fanatic

Dave Peake performing on his BSA sidecar outfit? Or Denis Rowlands who will be mixing it with 200

others booked to ride the iconic Bugatti owners’ hill climb track?

There will be much more going on throughout the year, 2 biggies are The Withington Charity Bike Show

in May and our Annual Open Evening in July. Details of these dates are in the events calendar at the end of

this newsletter. Once this cold snap is over let’s hope for another warm & sunny year like last year. Look

forward to seeing you all. (Terry Bass).

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PRESIDENT’S PLATFORM

Our thanks to Dave Blake for his generous donation of a motorcycle jacket, boots, gloves and helmet, all

in very good condition and eagerly snapped up on the night they arrived. Proceeds at Dave’s request will

go to club funds. Also Sue Hunt has given the club some of her Dad’s motorcycle clothing, again for sale

for club funds. We have paddock jackets, boots (Ketts size 8), a good pair of motorcycle trousers, over-

gloves etc. Anyone interested give me a ring – 01544 388621. So from Dave and Sue’s items sold so far, I

shall pass over £48 for club funds. (Ron Moore).

CHRIS’S COMMENTS:

Skittles Night: Part of the entrance fee was put aside for a small local based charity. At club night a cheque

for £115 was presented to Roy Dallow to give to the Neo-Natal Unit Trust Fund at Telford Hospital. Roy

told us how his twin granddaughters Ellie & Leah were born prematurely (1lb 9oz & 2lb 2oz) and spent

many weeks at this unit where specialist care eventually brought them to be the beautiful bouncing babies

they are now. Roy & Pam are most grateful for the donation which he will make sure gets to the unit in

Shropshire. Ron also presented Jenny Goddard of MacMillan Nurses with a cheque for £1000 – money

raised throughout 2014 by our club – well done everyone! 2015 is the turn of St. Michael’s Hospice in

Hereford to be our charity, but a proportion of the money raised by the club will also be donated to a small

local charity of your choice – details to follow.

You may have noticed a swelling in our raffle prizes! It’s all down to the Grumpy Old Rockers – that’s the

lovely gang of geezers who sit by the door as you go in the Bush Inn. As they did a couple of years ago,

they have again donated a most generous gift of a huge box of raffle prizes for the LCMC. We really do

appreciate their generosity and hope they enjoy our club as much as we enjoy their company.

Referring to Will’s “Do the Write Thing” in last month’s newsletter, he does a superb job editing the

newsletter and after so many years it must be good to have extra input to add variety. So we’d love to hear

how those of you we don’t see so often are getting on and what you’re up to. For instance Alan

Butterworth way down in Pembrokeshire – so glad you’re still a member! Are you still riding that same

old scooter? Do keep in touch. And John Ivey – we hear you’ve not been too well? We didn’t know – let

us know if we can help, and we look forward to seeing you with us as the Sunday runs start soon.

(Chris Moore).

NEWS SNIPPETTS

Welcome to new member Kevin Whittal from Pembridge. We hope to see you at club events soon.

Club Runs: As I hope you have seen on the front page our riding season is off to an early start with Steve

Hackett’s extra run on 8th

March, but there are still lots of Sundays in the calendar with no runs organized.

So if you don’t want to be bored this summer chose a date and put a run on. For details contact the club’s

Runs Co-ordinator Dave Peake: 01432 358400 or 07474 668342 or email peakey.11@btinternet.com

Skittle Night winners: Congratulations to Renee Cotterill who won the individual Lady’s prize after a

nail-biting play-off and to Len Bullock who won the Gentleman’s prize. Commiserations to Sue Peters

who received a small consolation prize as lowest scorer of the evening.

Trevor Hunt: “A big thank you to everyone who attended Dad’s funeral, especially those of you who

gave him a motorcycle escort. It was a lovely sight. Your donations totalled £396 to be equally split

between the ACU and Cancer Research. One again Thank You, from Sue Hunt and all the family”.

Auction action again: Local auctioneers Pughs in Ledbury are at it again on 28th

March with their spring

sale of motorcycles, spares, literature, memorabilia and intriguing shed goods. To avoid the crush you can

view the delights on offer the afternoon before the sale.

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Looking for a deal? Go west! I was recently shopping for some new bike gear in affluent Gloucestershire.

When I asked about a discount the sales lady looked at me with barely disguised disgust & haughtily said

it was a top quality product and the manufacturers never allow any discounts. Checking online prices it

seemed she was right, but two days later I was in the rather more economically challenged Welsh Valleys

and asked the same question. I am delighted to report without any quibbling this salesman immediately

knocked £50 off exactly the same equipment, so it pays to go where they appreciate your money more!

Insurance news: In a cash deal Saga, the specialist insurers for the over 50s, have bought specialist

motorcycle insurers Bennetts for £26m. Saga see this as a shrewd investment as over half of Bennetts

clients are in their target age group. But quite what effect it will have on Bennett’s sponsorship of

motorcycle racing is unknown. Perhaps instead of wearing lycra crop-tops, micro miniskirts, stiletto thigh

boots and spray-on sun tans, in future their starting grid ‘brolly dollies’ will have thermal vests, support

stockings, sensible brogues and blue rinse perms?

Are you sitting comfortably? German company Kahedo, makers of upmarket aftermarket seats and

luggage for the likes of BMW, KTM & Touratech, have branched out into furniture manufacture. Their

new ‘Divano’ lounger is supposedly styled like a motorcycle seat and costs a mere €980. Depending on

your own personal taste in interior soft furnishings it might look just the job for lying back and watching

the MotoGP on TV – however purchase without the requisite domestic permission being granted is

probably not recommended!

No more heave-ho: A flat-pack crane is available from South African firm Dustriders. It’s intended for

‘Wannabe Ewan & Charlies’ when they go ‘The Wrong Way Down’ and can’t pick up their heavy

adventure bikes. They claim it can even be assembled and used by a rider trapped under his bike – but that

is of course assuming the crane is within reach and not trapped too! It weighs 4.3kg and packs away into a

carrying case 490mm x 210mm x 50mm (9½ lbs, 19½” x 8½” x 2”) and can also be used as an emergency

paddock stand for wilderness tyre changes etc. However there is one obvious flaw – it will sink in instead

of lifting if the ground is too soft. See details online: www.dustridersmotorcyclehoist.co.za

HELLO HOOLIGAN?

Cast your memory back to the end of summer 2014. The weather was glorious but my bike was due a

service. The chap at the Triumph dealers offered me a wide choice of loan bikes while mine was in the

workshop – two cruisers (1700cc Thunderbird or 865cc Speedmaster), two retro classics (Bonneville or

Scrambler), two roadsters (Tiger 800 or 1050 Sport) & two 675cc sports bikes – either a full-on fully-

faired race replica Daytona or a ‘naked’ Street Triple. So which to pick? I’m not a big fan of cruisers and

ridden the retro classics before, the Tiger 800 looked too similar to my bike to be interesting and the

Daytona was sadly too extreme for my ‘mature physique’. So my choice was between the 1050 Sport and

675 Street Triple. The Sport looked the most sensible & interesting option, except at the time our club

chairman Terry Bass was lusting after a Street Triple – so I chose that, purely in an attempt to make him

pea-green with envy!!!

The Street Triple is tiny & featherweight, feeling smaller & lighter than a 1970s Honda 250. I got on and it

disappeared. All I could see was the handlebars & instruments – it felt like I was sitting on a unicycle. So

into gear and off into the mean streets of Cheltenham’s rush hour. Within yards I was questioning the

sanity of my choice – it was agony. The riding position put all my weight (and there’s plenty of it) on to

the low-set flat handlebars. I couldn’t wait to get out on to the open road so I could pick up speed and let

the wind lift the weight off my wrists. At last I got on to the fast straight dual carriageway to Gloucester

and opened it up. It wasn’t much better – I’d forgotten just how uncomfortable a high performance bike

with an upright riding position and no fairing or screen can be. I am not exactly aerodynamic and it felt

like my arms were being ripped out of my shoulders by an express train as I hung on for dear life. The

Street Triple was clearly not suited to fast open motorways any more than stop-start traffic in clogged

urban streets.

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Next came a long stretch of A & B country roads with the usual scabby road surface typical of British

highway maintenance in the 21st century. The bike felt frisky and a little skittish, twitching at every

imperfection. Maybe I should have tried one of the cruisers after all? Then came a long queue of cars stuck

behind a slow truck, with traffic coming the other way, but with enough gaps to overtake, leap-frogging

cars one at a time. So when the next opportunity came I pulled out and gave the throttle a teeny weeny

little twist – and passed not one but three cars, and what’s more, there was still time & space to spare

before the on-coming traffic reached me. Hmm, interesting – this deserved further research! Within a few

minutes I had cleared the entire queue of traffic – and made some pertinent discoveries. The acceleration is

distinctly lively, the brakes are phenomenal and that twitchy skittish handling isn’t, it’s just incredibly

responsive – you just have to make sure it’s the rider giving the input not the road imperfections. For short

blasts on this type of open road on a dry summer’s day the bike was in its element – and exhilarating!

The Street Triple made me feel like a teenager

again – such a pity it couldn’t do the same for

my appearance!

Next day I set off to return the Street Triple with a

mixture of anticipation and dread. As anticipated I

thoroughly enjoyed making the most of the crisp

performance & handling – and starting on open

country roads meant the dreadful rider discomfort

didn’t strike until my journey’s end back in

Cheltenham city centre. In almost every way the Street

Triple reminded me of my old 250 Ducati café racer –

I couldn’t help but feel like a teenage tearaway, but

with a riding position to make me feel like a decrepit

geriatric. Whilst my little Ducati can bring out the

‘inner hooligan’ in me, it is at least at comparatively

sensible speeds. The Triumph’s potency is

intoxicating – but it is not a bike to get carried away

on. Carelessly allow the inner hooligan out on this and

before you know it you will be endangering at least

your license, if not life and limb. In the right

circumstances it was tremendous fun, but not a bike I

would want to ride all day every day – just like my

Ducati! (Will Morgan).

FOR SALE

Mercedes tow hitch, complete kit to fit Sprinter van/motor caravan, £50.

Trailer wheels & tyres, a pair, 8 inch, £15.

For either of the above contact Ron Moore 01544 388621

CLUB SHOP

Club shirts & other clothes etc: Clubsport have set up an online shopping facility for us:

www.clubsport.co.uk/index.php/clubshops/category/85-leominster-classic-motorcycle-club

Or you can order at any of their shops: Leominster (South Street), Hereford (All Saints Court), Ledbury

(Bye Street), Ludlow (Old Street), Newtown (Broad Street), Ross on Wye (High Street) and Kington

(Church Street). Please note: The design for the club logo is held at the Clubsport base in Kington but any

branch’s staff can find it amongst the local sports clubs listed on their in-house computer system.

Badges, stickers etc: Enamel lapel badges £2.00. Club stickers £1.50. Club drinks coasters: £1.00. All

available from Frances Bass at club nights or phone 07968 648237.

Club book: Copies of Sheila Whittingham’s history of the club can be ordered direct from Blurb. The

webpage to order is http://www.blurb.com/bookstore/detail/2563482 Price: £13.95 + p&p

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RUN SHEET

Title: Steve’s B Road Bash

Date: Sunday 8th

March

Start: 10.00am Queenswood, Dinmore Hill A49 Finish: Lunch time back at Queenswood

Route: A short morning run, approx 70 miles.

Organiser: Steve Hackett Contact: 01432 272244

MID-WEEK MEET

Date: Wednesday 18th

March Venue: Countrywide Stores Café, Ledbury. (HR8 2JQ, B4216 Dymock Road, off A449)

Meet from 12.00 noon for lunch or just a drink and a natter.

SUNDAY MEET

Date: Sunday 29th

March Venue: Three Horseshoes, Felindre, nr Llanigon, LD3 0SU

(off B4350 near Hay on Wye or off A4078 near Talgarth)

Meet from 12.00 noon for lunch or just a drink and a natter.

PRESCOTT BIKE FESTIVAL

Date: Sunday 12th

April

Start: Members who are booked to be on the club’s stand need to be there before 8.30am.

Members from Hereford: please meet at the Trumpet cross roads (A438 / A417) at 7.00am.

Members from Worcester: please meet at Tewkesbury M5 roundabout (junc. 9) at 7.45am.

Anyone not booked for the club stand can meet at the same locations & times (or make their

own way there) but will have to pay the standard admittance fee (or buy a ticket in advance

online for slightly less money).

Please be aware the A438 to Tewkesbury from the Malvern / Gloucester junction beyond

Eastnor is closed underneath the M50 bridge until July due to rare bats under the bridge

hindering ongoing maintenance work, so please follow the diversion signs.

Organiser: Terry Bass Contact: 07968 648237

MID-WEEK MEET

Date: Wednesday 15th

April Venue: The Sun Inn, Leintwardine, SY7 0LP (Turn off A4113 /A4110 at Leintwardine bridge).

Meet from 12.00 noon for lunch or just a drink and a natter.

RUN SHEET

Title: Viaducts, Views and Valleys

Date: Sunday 26th

April

Start: 9.00am Holmer Road garage, Hereford. Finish: Bronllys 4.30pm.

Route: 150 miles, mostly A & B roads with some lanes. Warning: The route includes both

70mph dual carriageways & some 20mph side streets in mining towns so please make sure

you and your bike are capable of both!

Meal/Drink Stops: Morning – Honey Café, Bronllys (9.45am). Lunch – Afan Valley Visitor

Centre (only basic snacks at café or bring a picnic). Afternoon – Honey Café, Bronllys.

Special Requirements: Fill your tank at the start – there’s no fuel in the valleys except coal!

Organizer: Will Morgan Contact: 01600 890057 or 07811 059185 on the day

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CALENDAR OF EVENTS 2015

(Events in italics are non club events)

MARCH APRIL

Sun 1st Wed 1

st Club Night

Wed 4th

Club Night Sun 5th

Sun 8th

Steve’s B Road Bash Wed 8th

Committee Meeting

Wed 11th

Committee Meeting Sun 12th

Prescott Bike Festival

Sun 15th

Wed 15th

Mid-Week Meet: The Sun Inn,

Leintwardine, SY7 0LP

Wed 18th

Mid-Week Meet: Countrywide

Store, Ledbury, HR8 2JQ

Sun 19th

Sun 22nd

Wistanstow Show Wed 22nd

Sun 29th

Sunday Meet: Three

Horseshoes, Felindre LD3 0SU

Sun 26th

Will’s Viaducts & Views Run

Wed 29th

MAY JUNE

Sun 3rd

Postman Pat Withington Show Wed 3rd

Club Night

Wed 6th

Club Night Sun 7th

Bob Dean & Frank Edgar’s Run

Sun 10th

Wed 10th

Committee Meeting

Wed 13th

Committee Meeting Sun 14th

Three Musketeers Run

Sun 17th

Steve Powell’s Run Wed 17th

Mid-Week Meet: Bottle & Glass,

Picklestock, SY6 6NR

Wed 20th

Mid-Week Meet: Red Cow,

Pontsticill, CF48 2UN

Sun 21st Will’s Run

Sun 24th

Bigfoot’s 1st Classic Run Wed 24

th

Wed 27th

Sun 28th

Terry’s Run

Sun 31st

JULY AUGUST

Wed 1st Open Night Sun 2

nd Dave Browning’s Run

Sun 5th

John & Lynda Wilshaw’s Run Wed 5th

Club Night

Wed 8th

Committee Meeting Sun 9th

Bigfoot’s Classic Bike Run

Sun 12th

Wed 12th

Committee Meeting

Wed 15th

Mid-Week Meet: (Terry Bass) Sun 16th

John Peters & Dave Peake’s Tenby Run

Sun 19th

Steve Hackett’s Run Wed 19th

Mid-Week Meet: Steel Horse Café,

near Abergavenny, NP7 9AY.

Wed 22nd

Bigfoot’s ’Cos We Can Run Sun 23rd

Den’s Burn Up Run

Sun 26th

Aberdare Races Wed 26th

Wed 29th

Sun 30th

Dave Browning’s Run

SEPTEMBER OCTOBER

Wed 2nd

Club Night Sun 4th

Memorial Run

Sun 6th

Will’s Run Wed 7th

Club Night

Wed 9th

Committee Meeting Sun 11th

Sun 13th

Shelsley Walsh BikeFest Wed 14th

AGM & Committee Meeting

Wed 16th

Mid-Week Meet: Old Station,

Tintern, NP16 7NX

Sun 18th

Sun 20th

Bigfoot’s Classic Bike Run Wed 21st Mid-Week Meet: Bell Inn, Pensax,

WR6 6AE

Wed 24th

Sun 25th

Sun 27th

Wed 28th

Wed 30th

(Events in italics are non club events)

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NOVEMBER DECEMBER

Sun 1st Brass Monkey Run Wed 2

nd Committee Meeting

Wed 4th

Club Night Sun 6th

Winter Idiots Run

Sun 8th

(Remembrance Day) Wed 9th

Christmas Club Night

Wed 11th

Committee Meeting Sun 13th

Sun 15th

Wed 16th

Mid-Week Meet: Queenswood,

HR6 0PY

Wed 18th

Mid-Week Meet: Bush Inn,

HR4 8EH

Sun 20th

Sun 22nd

Wed 23rd

Wed 25th

Sat 26th

Boxing Day Meet.

Sun 29th

Sun 27th

Wed 30th

(Events in italics are non club events)

MEMBERS SERVICES

Eric Rees Motorcycles: Barton Road, Hereford. (Run by club member Ray Griffiths) Discount MoTs

for club members: £23.00 (25% off, normally £28.65), MoT sidecar outfits £26.50 (normally £38.55).

General repairs & servicing on all bikes. Agent for Helite AirBag jackets. Phone 01432 266164.

John Baber sells Car Components, Service Equipment, Motorcycle Batteries and makes Car Number

Plates all at Discount to Members. 07798 573337 or 01981 250004

Richard Logan provides welding services 01886 888419.

Terry Bass: Chainsaw chain, ultrasonic cleaning for motorcycle carburettors, stockist of Peek Metal

Polish, genuine parts available to order for Hinckley Triumph & Honda 1990 to date, including bikes,

mowers, generators etc. Up to 10% discount on genuine parts and massive savings on pattern parts

(normally in stock for lawnmowers generators etc). Phone: 07968 648237 or see www.terrybass.co.uk

Bill Wilson operates his own transport business. If you need anything moved please ring Bill on 07791

751954 (anytime).

Lynda Wilshaw Classic Cakes. Homemade cakes baked for any occasion. Phone 01432 760540

Dave Robinson (Kington Farm Supplies) offers 10% discount on production of club membership card

for Morris Oils including Classic single grade SAEs or Classic Film multi-grades (for old bikes), semi &

full synthetic oils (for modern bikes) and good quality tools including AF & some Whitworth. Phone

01544 230661 and ask for Dave.

Disclaimer: The Leominster Classic Motorcycle Club and committee cannot accept liability or be held

responsible for any loss, accident, injury, death or loss of claims due to tips or suggestions given in this

newsletter. The articles in this newsletter do not necessarily reflect the views of the editor or club

committee.

Note: Any information that Leominster Classic Motorcycle Club holds remains confidential. Your

personal data is stored on digital media in accordance with the provisions and requirements of the Data

Protection Act of 1988 and will only be used to contact you on club matters.

Please help publicise the Withington Show by displaying the poster overleaf

at work, your local pub, shop or anywhere else people will see it !!

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Motorcycle Show Ancient to Modern

Withington Village Hall

Hereford HR1 3PP Entrance FREE

Raffle In aid of Breast Cancer Haven and St Michaels Hospice

ALL MOTORCYCLE

RIDERS and ENTHUSIASTS WELCOME

VETERAN, VINTAGE, CLASSIC, MODERN.

BRITISH, JAPANESE, AMERICAN, EUROPEAN, SIDECARS, SCOOTERS, CUSTOM, OFF ROAD, RACE, & TRIKES.

Sunday 3rd May 2015 10:30am – 4:00pm Tea, Coffee, Chocolate, Cakes.

BAR

Food Hot Dogs and Bratwurst