OUTLOOK Pleasant Affair, I Thought
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d l o d d s l l o o e s r s e e e h r r e e w h h 0 w w Jan/Feb 2020 5 . 0 0 2 5 5 £ . 2 2 £ £ OUTLOOK ThTeheMMagaagzaiznieneofotfhteheFeFdeedreartaiotinonofoSf SidiedceacrarCClulbusbs The Magazine of the Federation of Sidecar Clubs www. merlin sidecars .co.uk Merlin F2 Merlin Supersport Front Street, Pity Me, Durham. DH1 5DE. Tel: 0191 386 6777 Page 2 www. Warning: This editorial contains opinion merlin sidecars Feditorial November's AGM was a rather .co.uk CONTENTS OUTLOOK pleasant affair, I thought. There was a good atmosphere January/February 2020 and apart from anything else it's always good to meet up with people. Cover: World Famous Statue, see page 10 Our chairman got us through photo by Suzanne Wood the business part of the t e meeting with the usual n 4.......In Praise of the Hard Shoulder Merlin . k efficiency. u 5.......Jak Lemon reviews Royal Enfields 'Himmy' b F2 u l c 8.......Letters Subsequently the floor was w m thrown open for discussion. A b 10.....Together Forever on Wheels @ major topic was the problem r a 13.....Kim Hicks Writes c of attracting new members e d i 17.....Old Guide and the use of social media. s : s 18.....Motorcycle Museum Free Day a We really do though, need a m o 28.....Suffolk Sidecar Club Camping Weekend h Secretary, this is one of the T 30.....Featured Outfit h most necessary positions and t i e not only is it a shame that K 34.....Dad's Army Outfit , nobody is willing to volunteer, m 36.....Red Oktober o c but it's rather concerning. o 40.....Autumn Sidecar Gathering o h Surely someone would like to a y @ join our band of charming, n i Occasional & Usual Suspects v charismatic, drop dead e h 12............Members Welcomes Merlin p gorgeous and fun loving NEC : s i 23............Centre Pages, Events members. n Supersport n E 40............Sales Showroom l More seriously though, it is u a P 42............Clubs Grapevine faintly rediculous that we : a t 47............Committee Page should be so concerned with a r r the difficult task of gaining E k Please send items for inclusion to the editor. new members and young o o b blood when we can't even find d Stephen J W Wood n one single member for a very a H email: [email protected] necessary post amongst our already captive audience. 01992 265542 Front Street, Pity Me, Durham. DH1 5DE. Ed Tel: 0191 386 6777 BMF Discount Code: FOS18H758 Page 3 We had been on holiday for almost two weeks, travelling down through Belgium, Luxembourg and into France. Spending 10 days touring the Alsace region it was now time to head homewards. We left our hotel (Le R Vetine)and headed north E through the hills on as D L many small winding roads U as possible having a O wonderful ride. H S Eventually near St Die we D decided time was getting R on and that we should A head for the motorway H around Nancy and go into E northern Luxembourg for H T the night. F O All was well around Nancy E then suddenly a back S I wheel bearing A collapsed without warning. R P N We pulled straight onto the hard shoulder about a 100 yards from a junction and I managed to get up the slip road, which also had space up the side, and parked on a pavement in the village (Custines?). In the boot, with the tools, was a bearing. Wheel out, bearing remains removed, new bearing fitted and on our way. Chris told me we were stopped for an hour. What really worried me is that there is a move to take away the hard shoulder from some motorways. This to me is absolutely mad, Frightening. Les and Chris Ravenscroft ------ Page 4 Jak Lemon finds something that suits him, here he gives us an owners review of the Royal Enfield Himalayan (other opinions are available) has been a mixture of regular Over the past thirty five years I commuting, some green laning have owned and ridden well over and a few longer trips. One of a hundred motorcycles, none these was a two week, 3,000 mile have aroused as must interest as trip to Portugal. I have ridden it in the Himalayan. Every time I park all weathers including all day long in a public place it seems in torrential rain on several someone is waiting to pounce to occasions and through the snow. ask what it is like. My son says I With the exception of the steering should be a salesman for Enfield head bearings which were as my enthusiasm for the bike has replaced under warranty the bike helped persuade at least three has been reliable. people I know to purchase one and many more to have a test It's strange, in that if you look at ride. the figures of 25bhp and just over 400lbs you would expect a I have owned mine for a year and sluggish dull ride, but with the covered nearly 12,000 miles. This exception of the first few hundred Page 5 miles when running in, what you getting on and off the bike far get is something totally different. I easier and enables you to get think this is partly due to the fact your feet down if you need to, but that the bike appears to carry its it does mean you have to look out weight low and the 32Nm of for deep ruts and big rocks. torque at 4-4500 rpm. I am sure that some riders will miss having As with any bike there are some to scream the nuts off their bike in bug bears. There's an electronic order to make progress but the compass, which virtually all riders Himmy provides a relaxing ride say is useless. To me that is not a whilst enabling you to surprise big deal, I just wished they had riders of more powerful bikes in used the space for something the twisty bits. Whilst Enfield more useful like a USB port. The advertise it as being ‘built for all sidestand is too long and leaves roads, built for no roads’ the the bike too upright, particularly if Himalayan is definitely at its best you have to park on a slope or on twisty back roads, which have to get off to open a gate on happily is the kind of riding I the trail. The engine can stall, prefer. Its relatively light weight particularly when new. Making and upright riding position make it sure you warm it up for a couple ideal for commuting through the of minutes before setting off and city. The motorway is not its using super unleaded (which natural habitat, however I have gives even better mpg) seems to done a couple of two hundred cure this. There is an excellent mile stints at a steady 70mph Facebook group and long threads when needed. on various adventure bike forums full of advice and modifications. Off road the Himalayan is like riding a more traditional trail bike Enfield have produced an than the detuned crossers that adventure bike which is virtually some companies offer. The nature ready out of the box for a very of the motor means that it is reasonable price. You do not happy to bimble along without need to spend much on it before having to scream the motor to heading off. Enfield’s panniers are maintain something, this suits the available at £500 including racks, way I ride. I think it helps, if not other companies are now offering endear, at least not to antagonise their own. The rear rack is great the walkers and horse riders you for bunging a tent on and there encounter. The relatively low are various ways of utilising the ground clearance is both a racks around the tank to carry blessing and a curse. It makes more. Its frugal in nature, most riders get between 75 and 90 Page 6 mpg giving it a 200 mile plus tank any issues. range. The seat is just about okay for that distance but could be They also seem to have achieved better, although with the addition some sort of Holy Grail in of a sheepskin I have done a producing a modern reliable couple of 500 mile stints without motorcycle which has character and charm and has already established an almost cult following. For sidecar club members it will make an excellent solo bike and Watsonian had a model at their stand at last year’s NEC with a trials chair on it. Cheers Jak Cor, look at all that space, I could go round the world. Here's another one. This is Stephen (Fozzy) Foster at the LSC Autumn Rally. He likes his too, despite the abuse he suffers for it (ed). Page 7 ! Out H Sir look R i ar eaders Letters De Re.: 2019 AGM Delete Rule 8.A.(11) Legal Officer Hello, On what basis, be it factual or opinion, can the NEC propose the demise of the Legal Officer role? Granted, it is apparent that in common with several other NEC roles there has been little, if any obvious activity for too long. The post was “largely a campaigning, or activist role” in the 1980s because those involved made it so. As was obvious, repeated legislative and similar issues justified establishing the position and the FoSC subsequently had a voice within government departments, agencies and the sidecar industry.