JOURNAL July 2009
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The BMW Club JOURNAL July 2009 £2.50 BMW Club Journal • July 2009 1 CONTENTS The Journal Regulars July 2009 From The Editor’s Desk . 4 The Official BMW Club within the UK and Republic of Ireland Club Officers . .6 www.bmwclub.org.uk President’s Platform . .7 General Enquiries: 0800 0854045 Torque Reaction . 8 FREEPOST THE BMW CLUB Diary Of Events . .41 The BMW Club is the Trading name of The B.M.W. Motorcycle The Social Scene . 46 Club Ltd; Registered in England; Registration Number 4261129 whose Registered Office: Charter Court, Midland Road, Hemel Around The Compass . .50 Hempstead, Herts, HP2 5GE. Where We Meet . .52 ALL RIGHTS RESERVED Section and Register News . 53 Mutual Aid . 67 For problems regarding distribution of The Journal please first contact your Section Small Business Advertisements . .71 Secretary. Should there still be a problem then contact the Membership Secretary — their details Articles/Features are listed on page 6. More Interesting Mountain Passes . .14 The Dracula Rally – A Personal View Part 1 . 16 EDITORIAL TEAM Submitting Photographs For Use All other correspondence or queries should be In The Journal . .21 sent to the Editor. The Road To Kathmandu Part 6 . .22 EDITOR: Martin Ellis,11 Mapplewells Road, Sutton in Modifying A Cracked K100 Exhaust . 24 Ashfield, Notts NG17 1HZ (01623) 401405 [email protected] A Report of the GS Rally . 28 FEATURES/ARTICLES: Brian Price, 9 Neath Road, Websight (sic) . .31 Rhos, Pontardawe, Swansea SA83 3EH K1100 Brake Bleeding . 31 (01792) 862152 [email protected] A Test of the Autocom Super Pro Intercom . .32 TORQUE REACTION: Paul Nadin, 49 Berkshire Drive, Congleton, Cheshire CW12 1SB 2009 National Rally Information . .36 (01260) 279443 [email protected] 2009 National Rally Booking Form . .39 MARKETING MANAGER: Brian Price – details as Features/Articles above. [email protected] DISCLAIMER Hi Voltage Regulator The BMW Club Journal accepts for publication articles and letters written in good faith; FOR ALL TWINS UP TO 1987 MUTUAL AID: Maurice Weldon, 21 Lawnwood Drive, however, the views expressed in articles and letters which are published are not necessarily (POLICE SPEC 14V/2 MADE IN GERMANY) Goldthorpe, Rotherham, South Yorkshire S63 9GD those of the editor of the Journal or those of the BMW Club or its officers or members. [email protected] The information, including advice and suggested modifications published in the The BMW Club Journal has not been approved, tested or otherwise checked by The BMW Club COMMERCIAL DISPLAY ADVERTISEMENTS: Jim Journal or the BMW Club. Before acting on information, advice or suggested modifications Price £38.98 Bruce, The Firs, Bayview Crescent, Broadford, Isle published in The BMW Club Journal you should always obtain technical advice, and if appropriate have a professional motor-cycle engineer carry out the work for you. of Skye IV49 9DB (inclusive of VAT and postage) The BMW Club Journal and the BMW Club cannot accept liability for any loss, damage or Part No 73115 (Limted Offer) (01471) 820197 [email protected] claims occurring as a result of any modifications or work or other action carried out on the advice or based on the suggestions given in any article or letter published in The BMW SMALL BUSINESS ADVERTISEMENTS: Charles Club Journal and (save for death or personal injury arising from The BMW Club Journal’s Knight, La Petite Fosse, St, Ouen, Jersey JE3 2GU negligence) all such liability is hereby excluded. Sales - 01775 680881 (01534) 485474 [email protected] The BMW Club Journal is published for and on behalf of the B.M.W. Motorcycle Club Ltd. Steve Foreman The BMW Motorcycle Club Ltd, the BMW Club Journal, It’s Editor and Officers accept SECTION NEWS: no liability in respect of loss or damage occasioned directly or indirectly as a result of the Email - [email protected] (01536) 722048 [email protected] publication of any advertisement in The BMW Club Journal or Web site. DIARY OF EVENTS: IAN CASWELL [email protected] Fax - 01775 680860 The cover photo shows The 1200 GSA of Nina Plumb’s AROUND THE COMPASS: Ian Thomas 16 SURFLEET ROAD [email protected] ‘significant other’ with the new 1200GS of Matt Butcher SURFLEET FORUM ADMINISTRATORS: Martin Ellis/Phil Knight behind it. SPALDING, LINCS [email protected] Picture taken by Mark Handley at the Banham GS PE11 4AG Forum address: http://forum.bmw-club.org.uk weekend in May. 2 BMW Club Journal • July 2009 BMW Club Journal • July 2009 3 who introduced the idea of a Star Letter a their behind-the-scenes efforts, particularly From few years back, but it never really caught those who have to deal directly with some on. Can’t think why it didn’t… it was a good of our social secretaries, who can be a rowdy idea, so I’ve decided to re-introduce it as a bunch sometimes… I know, I used to be The Editor’s Desk… regular monthly feature starting this month. one. The writer of the Star Letter will receive as They are: Jim Bruce – Assistant Editor and a prize, a set of the brilliant Moto-Safe noise Page Layout; Brian Price – Features/Articles; My apologies for the wrong submission date Marketing/Features Editor attenuators (earplugs to you and me!), Steve Foreman (nickname Bodger…hmm…) in last month’s Torque Reaction heading – it’s You may have seen Brian Price’s name manufactured by Alpine hearing protection – Section News; Maurice Weldon – Mutual correct this time. mentioned as our contact for the DVLA, and and graciously donated by one of our regular Aid; Ian Caswell – Diary of events; Chaz Knight Thank you to everyone who has phoned and he also manned this year’s Stafford Show advertisers, Nippy Normans. There’s a review – Small Business Adverts; and Ian Johnson – e-mailed with messages of on behalf of the Vintage of the Moto-Safe set elsewhere in The Journal, Around The Compass. congratulation and praise and Classic register. He’ll and they really are very good. How’s that for It shows what a diverse bunch we are and for last month’s Journal. It be carrying on as DVLA an incentive to get writing? If you win more that distance is no obstacle to running a really was a very enjoyable contact, as well as tackling than once, a set of these would make an ideal club such as ours when you realise that our experience, and I hope the job of Features Editor birthday or Christmas gift for someone. President lives in Scotland, the Diary of Events to improve as I go on. for The Journal, and the I also plan to re-introduce the Caption compiler is in ‘Norn Iron’, the Features Editor Having the best possible role of Marketing Manager Competition which was a firm favourite of lives in South Wales, Chaz Knight (Small Ads) help makes things much for the club as a whole. mine for such a long time. To do this I will lives in (on?) Jersey, the Assistant Editor lives easier, and I certainly have Brian has many skills and need suitable photos (would you believe?) and in (on..at???) Skye, our Around the Compass that. Jim Bruce and I have will be a welcome asset to a sponsor! The sponsor side of things will be collator lives in Hong Kong, and Bodger now worked out our basic the club. sorted out by us, but suitable photos should lives in… Burton Latimer (don’t know why I procedures, and following be no problem at all to you lot… I’ve already mentioned that really)! Without these people a weekend of intensive Submitting Images said I know that countless numbers of our (and many more from all over the place) the training (given by Jim) I realise that you’re not all members take huge numbers of pictures at club couldn’t survive as it does. Thank you for myself and our new in the printing industry, every section or national event (Bill Smithson all. Marketing Manager Brian and would have found the and Vice President Tony Cartmell must buy Price, I’m much more previously quoted concept Can you make pretty pictures? confident in the use of the new software, of ‘DPI’ a bit baffling, so following consultation their CDs in bulk!), so send some to me! The which really is limited only by our own with our printers, I have included in this issue picture doesn’t necessarily have to suggest Now that I’ve softened you up, we still need imaginations. Jim has become such a vital part a simple set of guidelines for making sure that something humorous to you, just as long as it’s someone with a modicum of graphic flair to in the production process that he has accepted your submitted pictures are of sufficiently not your ‘typical’ scene. There’ll be someone produce some adverts for the club. The in- my offer of becoming Assistant Editor. high quality for use in The Journal. I hope it in the club’s ranks who’ll be able to think of house side of things will be for the sort of thing makes things easier for you, and that more of something comical to say about it. And make you see in the section news area promoting T’internet you will send in some of those brilliant photos sure that you have a go at providing a caption section events, or the current crop of ads for Our long serving Webmaster Greg Smith has which I know get taken at every opportunity.