INTERNATIONAL FELLOWSHIP OF MOTORCYCLING ROTARIANS May 2013 Edition President’s Report Autumn in Victoria is a magic time for motorcycle riding, usually with clear skies and temperatures in the 20°C range, but sometimes quite windy, and whilst I have not been able to get in any long rides I have had several short trips of around 300 km. On Easter Saturday Jim and Franz and I headed north to do a circuit of the "Golden Triangle" taking into account towns like Maldon and Moliagul and back via Maryborough and Creswick. This really is gold country and only a couple of months ago a lucky prospector found a magnificent nugget weighing several kilograms. The area is noted for its many small towns of that era, particularly Maldon, but as the whole of Melbourne seemed to be there on that day we rode on to Dunolly (only two cars in the main street) and had excellent coffee of the local bakery. Also early in April I rode to Drysdale on the Bellarine Peninsula to set myself up as a one-man Fellowship exhibit at our District 9780 Conference, and on the weekend after Anzac Day I journeyed back to Maldon to attend the All British Rally. The main street was packed full with an estimated 1800 British motorcycles; quite a sight to see. I am now looking forward to the Swan Hill Meet-and-Greet on 18th, 19th May The riding and fellowship was most enjoyable and a very pleasant contrast to the activity that has taken most of my time during the past several months which can be best described as interfering with the politics of our international Fellowship. Suffice to say that by writing to all the Chapter Presidents and our International President and pointing out a few issues that are causing concern, I have successfully established dialogue between all the Chapters and our International President which I believe will result in much closer relationships and better understanding of each other's concerns. International President Adilson has responded to the need to establish and maintain regular communication with the Chapters and he has just produced a chart showing the details of all the Chapters. It is interesting to note that of the 18 established Chapters, two are inactive (South Africa and Central America) and there currently are a total of 2082 Rotacyclists, 150 in Australia, but 662 in South America, 400 in Austria-Germany-Switzerland, and over 200 and North America and Northern Europe. The UK has 126 Rotacyclists and the remainder vary between 19 and 42. Finally, I have very exciting news regarding our AGM at Horsham on 25th-27th of October: we will have a very special guest speaker and a very special motorcycle at the Friday evening event. Look for further information in this newsletter and make sure you are in Horsham on the 25th. Robin Nuttall A full electronic copy of this publication is available on IFMR President, 2012-13 Australia Website www.ifmraustralia.org Current Board 2012—2013 President Secretary Robin Nuttall Claus Weber [email protected] [email protected] 0353413490 / 0427413490 0885227565 / 0419984714 Treasurer Newsletter Editor Franz Van Der Ploeg Beverley Weber [email protected] [email protected] 0353424902 / 0417123738 0885227565 / 0421879781 ——————————————————————————————- State Vice Presidents The role of these VP’s will be to seek opportunities within the Districts in their States to promote the Fellowship, encourage riding activities, and to increase membership. Western Australia : TBA Victoria/Tasmania: Lance Deverson Ph: 03 93780103 Mob: 0400476409 Email: [email protected] Queensland: Peter Brown Ph: 0428987287 Mob: 0428987287 Email: [email protected] Sth Australia: Ian Chase Ph: 07 3241914 Mob: 0409700904 Email: [email protected] New South Wales: Andrew Irvine Ph:02 69215645 Mob: 0437694010 Email: [email protected] WELCOME TO NEW MEMBERS It gives me great pleasure to be able to again welcome Rotacyclists who have joined our Fellowship since the publication of our last Newsletter. Every 3 months brings an increase in Members but there are still many Rotarian motorcyclists who for some reason are not aware of IFMR so I urge you to talk to your colleagues and spread the good news !! So, a special welcome to: Michael Dodd from Salisbury SA, Member of the Salisbury Rotary Club & rides a Harley Soft Tail Classic and David Jones from Norwood SA, Member of the RC of West Torrens & rides Yamaha FJR1300 / 1967 BSA 650 Welcome Michael & David. Enjoy the opportunities our Fellowship can provide. Ride often and stay upright! 2013 AGM UPDATE HORSHAM, Vic: 25th, 26th, 27th OCTOBER Arrangements for the AGM are progressing very well, thanks particularly to the Horsham Rotary Club IFMR Members.. The Friday night program will be different to the past several AGM’s as we are privileged to have very special guest speaker and we will have a combined Rotary Clubs dinner to which we are inviting other motorcycling groups. See “VERY SPECIAL GUEST SPEAKER FOR 2013 AGM” article on next following page of this News- letter. We are anticipating a large gathering on Friday night so make sure you register for the dinner and are in Horsham on Fri 25th....... you won’t want to miss this event. On Saturday there will be excellent riding in the Grampians area with stops for refreshment, followed by the AGM and a B B Q dinner at the home of IFMR Member, Neville Thomas, which is situated a short distance out of town. Here you will be able to view and investigate Neville’s extensive collection of motorbikes and other vehicles and enjoy the expert catering by the Horsham RC members. Those of you who attended the IFMR International Tour will know exactly what I am talking about ! As many of you will have long distances to travel on Sunday we have decided that a “long break- fast” will not be appropriate and that you should be left to your own resources, however we will also source a suitable breakfast venue for those with time to gather for a chat. Horsham members will be available to act as pilots for the first part of your journey west, south, east, or north rather than riding boring highways. More information will be distributed to you as it becomes clear but full details of times, venues (maps), costs, and registration will be include in the August Newsletter. In the meantime, don’t hesitate to contact me if you have any queries. Robin Nuttall President VERY SPECIAL GUEST SPEAKER FOR 2013 AGM Many of you Rotacyclists will be familiar with that iconic British motorcycle, the Vincent-HRD. And many of you will also know that in the 1930s through to the late 1950s these magnificent V-twin machines were designed by the late Australian engineer Phil Irving OBE who was Chief Engineer for the company from 1931 until their demise in 1955. The Vincent Rapide was the fastest road going motorcycle of its era, developing 45 bhp and reaching a maximum speed of 110 mph. Just as an aside, in the 1960s on his return to Australia Phil Irving was Philip Edward Irvin OBE, consultant to the Repco company in the development of the engine of the Repco-Brabham Formula one racing car. Around this time Phil Irving became friends with the Horner brothers who were successfully racing Vincent powered sidecar outfits, and who established a very successful firm, KE Equipment, manufacturing precision engineering equipment for mining and oil exploration, and for V8 Supercar teams. As part of their drive to demonstrate their engineering skills they chose motorsport and particularly racing motorcycles. So in 1999 Ken Horner took the basic engine and motorcycle design of the Vincent Rapide, redrawing all the components, and applying modern technology and improvements which resulted in achieving a staggering 165 bhp. This was a three-year project which culminated in a superb machine having all the classic good looks but with modern race-winning performance. In recognition of the origins of the modern version these beautiful bikes have been christened the Irving-Vincent. The Horsham Rotary Club are hosting our AGM and on the evening of Friday 25th of October we will have a dinner meeting of combined Rotary and other clubs at which Ken Horner will tell us of the journey of developing and racing the Irving-Vincent at that Mt Everest of events, the Daytona Battle of the Twins Championship. Ken and his team took on the world's best and won! Ken's presentation will be complemented by being able to get up close and personal with one of the actual race bikes. So this is an event which should not be missed - start your planning now and be sure to be in Horsham on the evening of 25th of October. I have seen these bikes in the "flesh" and their performance is nothing short of mind-boggling. Robin N. Irving Vincent Motorcycles - Ken Horner (Horner Race Development & Engineering) KHE is proud to present the Irving Vincent, an Australian-built prestige motorcycle with stunning performance and classic racing lines. The new Irving Vincent is based on the 1946 Vincent Series-B Rapide, the fastest production bike of its era, and has been re-engineered from the ground up to create a truly superb machine. Fresh from its remarkable victory in the 2008 Daytona Twins Championship, the Irving Vincent is now greatly respected by motorcycling enthusiasts. In 1936, talented Australian designer Phil Irving went to England to work for the Vincent Motorcycle Company. He introduced many design innovations in his pursuit for racing excellence, including radical frame arrangements, new suspension systems and improvements to engine components.