Presidents Reports

Sadly, we lost another long serving active member in February with the passing of Alan Smith. Our deepest sympathy to Val & family from the committee and members. Alan will be greatly missed. See Alan’s Vale in this issue of Sprocket. I once again made my annual pilgrimage to “The Island” for this year’s Island Classics. What a sensational weekend of classic/ historic racing. Again, no sidecars and a distinctive lack of pre-WW2 machines, but a great weekend all the same. Behind the main pit garage area in the trade display section I met up with Michael Catchpole from Mid Life Cycles Royal Enfield. You will recall Michael was our guest speaker in June last year. Michael had the two 650 Enfield models on display and asked me if I could help him unload something special from his van. What was lurking in Michael’s van was a specially prepared Interceptor 650 Salt Lake Racer, named Sabre – wow! This bike was eye candy personified! The engine has had significant work, but still remains a 650cc machine, the engine modifications have been made as a test bed for performance parts and ancillaries that will be supplied by Mid Life Motorcycles to customers with road – going Royal Enfield twins. The chassis has seen modifications as well, to ensure it is up to the task in hand. Good luck to Michael and Charlie Hallam in their attempt to break the current Dry Lake Racers Australia Speed Week record at Lake Gardiner in March this year in the M-F 650 class. Current record stands at 119 MPH. See pics in this issue of Sprocket. Don’t forget to complete the 50th Anniversary Rally - Expression of Interest (EOI) Form in this issue of Sprocket. As stated on the EOI form, this is a very important part of the planning process for the committee to gauge numbers for what will be a premium Club event not to be missed. Please return your EOI form by 30^th April 2020. Lots to look forward to this year – Inverloch Rally late this month, Brass Monkey Rally in July at Thornton & Rex and Pam are happy to have us back at Llanelly for our Bi-annual Ride & Ruffit Rally on the weekend of 10^th & 11^th of October. Plus, all the usual day rides and meetings of course. Salvum sedendum Ian Snadden President CMCCV

I’m looking forward to working with the committee again this year planning rides and events for Club members’ participation and enjoyment. This year we have in store three Club rallies, starting with the Inverloch Rally in March, The Brass Monkey Rally in July and an October Rally back at the Bendigo Historic Motorcycle Club premises in Llanelly, assuming they will have us again. With the above Rallies in place your committee will be concentrating on continuing our planning of our major event in March 2021, the Clubs 50^th Anniversary Rally. In March Sprocket we will be sending all members an Expression of Interest Form for you to complete and return to enable us to gauge expected numbers for this event. This is a vitally important part of the planning process so that based on indicated numbers attending, we can make forward bookings for meals and events etc that will take place during the course of the week-long rally. Regular bulletins in Sprocket throughout the year and leading up to the rally, will keep members informed of the latest rally news and updates as we get closer to what is going to be a premium Club event. Mark the dates in your calendar now (21^st to 28^th March 2021) The rides during the rally will all cater for Classic Machines and we envisage there will also be some shorter rides for older slower machines as well, so bring two bikes on your trailer for a week of ultimate motorcycling indulgence. Not to understate the social aspect of the rally which promises to be equally enjoyable. You will note in this issue of Sprocket a notice for the General Meeting in April this year. This meeting will be held on the 4^th Wednesday of April not the usual 3^rd Wednesday, so make sure you don’t miss out on this special meeting to be held at the RACV Noble Park headquarters on Wednesday 22^nd April. Just so it is perfectly clear, there will be no meeting on the 3^rd Wednesday of April at the Clubrooms. Don’t forget to book your accommodation for the Inverloch Rally by the deadline of 28^th February, rally entries close Friday 13^th March – Entry Form and information sheet in December Sprocket. If you would like to order an Inverloch Rally T-shirt see order details in the information sheet and order by the deadline - 29^th February. Plenty to look forward to, hope to see you on the pub run to Jamieson 7^th-8^th March, details in Dec and this Sprocket.   Ian Snadden President CMCCV

My last President’s message for the year, it’s hard to believe another year is almost done & dusted. If you’re around my age, I’m sure you would have heard the cliché ‘once you’re retired you wonder how you ever had time to work’.  I heard that many times leading up to retirement and I dismissed it as retirement must surely give you the time to do things that weren’t always possible when you were working. Now I’m retired and I am as busy as ever I agree with the statement, in fact for me I would say it was somewhat understated. Yes life is very busy, but it’s a different kind of busy, there is no doubt that I now have the opportunity to enjoy more riding, more time in the workshop and paying more attention to farm jobs that were sadly neglected for many years. Recently I stated to my work colleague (I still work one day a week & love it) that in 2021 I am going to reduce a few of my commitments and slow life down a bit so I have a bit more time to pursue another passion of mine that has been pushed to the back burner since I retired two and a half years ago. My colleague warned me to be careful as I would end up being bored. Bored – me! ‘I’ve never experienced it’ was my reply, ‘wouldn’t know what it was’, but thanks for the warning. I suggest I won’t be bored, just an opportunity to replace one (or a few) current commitments with something else, looking forward to that. Planning for the 50^th Anniversary Rally in March 2021 is proceeding well. As of November, the 50^th rally sub-committee has been merged into the capable hands of the full committee to enable the huge range of tasks leading up to the grand event to be spread across more people. The committee will also be embarking on a recruitment campaign to draw in interested members to help with the planning, so if you’re interested in giving us a hand, please give me a call. By the time you have read this message, we will well and truly be into the Christmas break, so I need to remind you that there will be no General Meetings in December or January. Next General Meeting will be Wednesday 19^th February. There will however be rides over the Christmas break, so please check the calendar in Sprocket or the website. Thank you to all that helped make 2019 a very enjoyable Club year. On behalf of the committee and myself I would like to wish you & your families a Merry Christmas and a healthy and happy 2020. Ian Snadden President CMCCV

I’ve never considered myself as a salesman, but I’ve heard people say that if you’ve got a great product you don’t have to sell it, it sells itself. Naturally a great product needs exposure to sell, it’s a no brainer that if no one knows about it, it won’t sell. So, with that said I reckon we (your Club) has a great product, it gets good exposure but tends not to sell that well. I’m referring to our Club rallies. We run three rallies per year, and we publicise them well in our Club magazine, but try as we do, we seem to attract the same regular attendees with a few exceptions from time to time of course. Not that there is anything wrong with that as members who have attended Club rallies seem to enjoy themselves so much that they keep coming back for more. I have been guilty of joking with Graham that when we plan a rally and we discuss how many members we envisage will attend, we invariably agree on a number of around 30 to 35 and sarcastically add that we could make a list of who 90 percent plus of the attendees will be. So why aren’t we attracting more members on Club rallies? Rallies are a great event to trailer your old bike to & enjoy riding in the country relatively traffic free with the security of a backup trailer. A bonus is meeting new people in a relaxed atmosphere with great food and the occasional lemon squash (some members relax more than others if you can read between the lines, yours truly may have been guilty of this once or twice in the past). I guess I’m biased but I would thoroughly recommend going on a Club Rally if you haven’t been before – they are a lot of fun. On the subject of Roadworthy Certificates, it seems to me that there are a lot of inconsistencies in what is required, depending on who you go to. Of late I’ve heard some authorised VicRoads RWC Testers are now requiring noise level tests to be undertaken, others require photos of the inner working of your drum brakes, meaning someone who may have scant knowledge of what they are doing are dismantling aspects of your machine that you / we rely on to allow us to safely stop. Are they overtightening axle nuts for example to the point where they may fail in service? I throw that one in as I guarantee that anyone that has had new tyres fitted to their motor vehicle by a professional establishment and find themselves needing to change a wheel sometime later on the roadside, will struggle to loosen the wheel nuts with the puny manufacturers wheel spanner because they have been torqued up to the max with a rattle gun when fitted. There is a document available on the VicRoads website “Vehicle Standards Information 4” Summary of registration requirements for motorcycles & mopeds. I guess it comes down to interpretation – good luck. See you at the next Club rally. Ian Snadden President CMCCV  

(sequel to September President’s message) A lot can happen in a month and it certainly has. Those members who read my September President’s message, would have detected a hint of frustration in my musings over new members joining our Club simply to access our CPS. In the interim between writing that message and now, this very subject was a major item on the August Committee Meeting’s agenda. After considerable discussion your committee unanimously decided to revise membership eligibility requirements and the application process. Effective immediately, new membership eligibility criteria are now as follows: -

• Eligibility period for a new member to access the Clubs CPS will revert to 6 months.
• All prospective new members will be required to attend and make themselves known at a Club ride or a meeting before their application will be considered.
• New member applications will be approved only at committee meetings, no fast tracking between meetings - no exceptions.
• The current offer of the second year of membership subscription to be free, if a new member attends 5 Club rides in their first full year of membership, will be withdrawn as this attempt to lure new members to attend Club events has not been successful.
• The membership application form has been updated to reflect the new criteria.

Refer to Committee minutes in this issue of Sprocket Although it is certainly gratifying that some new members have been attending Club events since joining, the percentage compared to the total number of new members is very low. Obviously, these changes will have no bearing on existing members. On another subject entirely, I’m sure members who attended the August General Meeting enjoyed our Guest Speaker’s presentation as much as I did. Author and motorcycle adventurer Heather Ellis enthralled us with her remarkable travels. I have now finished reading both of Heather’s books (Ubuntu and Timeless on the Silk Road) and enjoyed both tremendously, what an amazing, gutsy lady. The Club has purchased both of Heather’s books for our library for members’ enjoyment, be quick they will be popular. Graham and I recently checked out a venue for our Brass Monkey Rally to be held in mid-July next year, we are sure members will like what we have come up with, keep a look out for details as we get closer to this always popular Club Rally. Sadly, Club member Mick Boocock passed away peacefully in his sleep, in late August. We will miss Mick’s company at future Club events – see Mick’s Vale in this issue of Sprocket. See you on a Club event soon. Ian Snadden President CMCCV

Perhaps the following subject may be a bit taboo or touch the odd nerve or two, but it’s something that as President I’ve put off sharing with members, but I think the subject needs to be aired. Why would someone want to join a Club like ours? I would have thought the primary reason was to share a passion with like-minded souls or tragics (which is probably closer to the mark - me included) and to enjoy all the benefits of Club life, availing oneself of Club events, meeting new like-minded enthusiasts and enjoying the whole experience. Being able to register your classic on our Club Permit Scheme (CPS) is obviously a benefit that comes from joining. So, should we (myself & the committee) be concerned that joining our Club for some people is purely a means to access the CPS with no intention of becoming an active member? My personal point of view is, yes it bothers me, and we could in cold blunt terms consider that we are just being used by these people to give them access to cheap registration (CPS). A bit harsh perhaps but sometimes the truth hurts. At a recent meeting of Motorcycle Club representatives I attended, this situation has so incensed another Melbourne Motorcycle Club that they have adopted a Club ruling that unless every single Club member attends a prescribed number of Club events each year the Club will not sign their CPS renewal when it falls due. They still remain a member, but they are effectively struck off the Club’s CPS. Harsh – maybe, effective – yes, it has certainly worked for them, with increased numbers attending Club events. Should our Club consider a similar approach? For members that have joined for the sole reason of accessing our CPS, I certainly hope they at least read Sprocket each month and occasionally feel a pang that they are missing out on what the active core enjoys. Distance is no excuse as we have a number of members that live a considerable distance from Melbourne (some interstate) and as a result can’t join us on day rides, they do however sign up for our rallies that are held 3 times per year and I’m sure I can speak for them when I say that they thoroughly enjoy these Club events - why else would they keep coming back? I do however recognise & acknowledge, that our Club is very fortunate to have a number of long serving members that no longer ride, but are still very much active Club members in the sense that they regularly attend Club meetings, social events and many still attend Club rallies, be it now days by car, rather than bike. So if you haven’t been on a Club ride / event come along and give it a go, remember if you are a new member & you attend 5 Club rides in the first full year of your membership, you get your second year membership subscription free. On an entirely different subject, please be aware that guests are very welcome on Club events. If you invite someone along on a Club ride please ensure their name & details are entered on the ride sheet and marked as a guest. If it is a Club rally you are inviting them along to, ensure the guest indicates on the rally entry form in the place provided, the name of the member of whom they are a guest. Optimistically yours Ian Snadden President CMCCV

Reflecting on the past year I hope Club members enjoyed the Club’s last 12 months as much as I did. There was a total of 54 mid-week & Sunday Club rides held over the past year (approx. equal numbers of Melbourne & Geelong rides) that were attended by 590 members. Apart from the Club rides on offer 3 rallies were run over the last 12 months that were well attended.

• Brass Monkey Rally in July last year based in Maryborough (30 attendees)
• Ride & Ruffit in October held at the BHMCC premises in Llanelly (28 attendees)
• Maffra Kennedy Memorial Rally in March this year held in Maffra (52 attendees)

Thanks to Vice President Graham for his organisation of these 3 very enjoyable rallies. Approx. 20 Club members attended an unveiling of a plaque at the Maffra Vehicle Collection in Dec last year to recognise the efforts of Ian & Jan Kennedy in the establishment & running of the MVC. We had a very pleasant Christmas breakup BBQ at Polly Smith’s in Cockatoo last December, although numbers were a bit down those that attended enjoyed Polly’s superb hospitality. Feb this year saw the inaugural overnight run to a country pub held. Our thanks to Paul Clayton assisted by Richard Mason for a great two days in Northern Victoria very well attended despite challenging weather conditions. Club members enjoyed some very interesting guest speakers at General Meetings over the past 12 months. Five Club members entertained us with excellent presentations: - Peter Keage – M/C Adventures Sam Panettieri – Electric bike successes & failures Neal Videan – HRD A Model recreation Stan Rogers & Ron Study – Tour of India on REs John Best – John & Vicki’s Antarctic Cruise Our other Guest Speakers consisted of: - Peter Jessup – son of Club member speaking on credit card fraud David Parkin, Mark Harris & Tony Clayton – Mailbag Foundation Michael Catchpole – Mid Lifecycles Royal Enfield   Sadly, we lost six Club members over the last 12 months: - Peter Baird, Norman (Possum) Suhan, Len Hollingsworth, Ron Weste, Vern Dalton & Bill Sampson. Our thoughts remain with their loved ones. I would like to thank all the ride leaders, both Melbourne & Geelong, who planned & led all the fabulous rides over the last 12 months. Also the TECs, the report writers & those that took photos of rides for Sprocket & the website. Special thanks to Club Captain Sam for coordinating and leading the Sunday rides and all the other duties that encompass the Club Captain’s role. My special thanks also to the midweek ride coordinators Ed & Wally. Ed retired from his MW ride coordinator position earlier this year after 20 years, a remarkable effort over 2 decades sharing with us his huge knowledge of country Vic roads. We enjoyed your rides Ed, you never got lost and we travelled roads many of us would never have known existed. Thanks to Jack Youdan for hosting the Show & Shine meeting in March this year. Thanks also to James & Rob for GM gourmet suppers. My admiration to the regular pillions Mez, Vicki & Deborah who attend many Club rides in all sorts of atrocious weather with absolute faith in their rider. From a rider’s perspective I’m not sure how you do it, all I can say is well done you’re very brave. Our sole Club member lady rider Janet Walker (who also occasionally pillions) deserves our admiration, as Janet is a very capable & consistent rider. Club member Connor Murphy’s wife Kay joined us on a few rides during the year. Often on her 1934 Indian Scout Sport complete with hand gear shift, foot clutch & left-hand throttle. Amazing effort Kay, I don’t know how you do it. My thanks to Mike Walker for happily agreeing to taking on the SMWR coordinator’s position and also to the 50^th Anniversary committee members for their hard work making a solid start to the planning of our weeklong rally being held in March 2021. I would like to thank the committee for their tireless dedication & efforts throughout the past year. I believe we have worked well together as a cohesive and effective team & I thank them for their support. Congratulations to this year’s award winners: - Ed Sleightholm – President’s Award of Merit, in recognition of 20 years as midweek ride coordinator. Wally Walsh – Phil Irving Award, recognising Wally’s Northern Midweek Ride Coordinator’s efforts. Special Award – Steve Inman for Steve’s role as webmaster & creating and maintaining our Facebook page. Special Award – Colin Borthwick, in recognition of Colin’s assistance at General Meetings. Merit Award – Ron Study, recognising Ron’s assistance to a fellow member in need. Looking forward to the next Club year with 3 great rallies already planned & all the usual rides plus a number of rides specifically aimed at older slower bikes & riders. Come along & join us. Guaranteed you will enjoy it. Ian Snadden President

Sadly, we have lost another Club member and an iconic genius and engineer at that. With the passing of Vern Dalton, we have lost yet another highly skilled inventor / engineer who fortunately has passed his incredible skills onto his son, but this sadly is not always the case. Many gifted people often take their skills with them when they pass on and hence their skills are lost forever. To add to this concern and reality is the fact that the next generation (current teenagers) don’t really seem to be interested in learning practical skills, they seem to lean towards anything that comes with a screen and buttons. I can qualify this statement as I spend every Thursday at a Secondary College in the Wood Tech department and I witness first hand that practical ability is seriously lacking in these young people. In general, they struggle to be able to take measurements, mark a square line on their work, use a hammer or saw for example. However, ask them to find out about something via the internet and it’s done in a flash. As a teenager I was constantly building things using my Dad’s tools and when I turned sixteen and bought my first motorcycle and a bit later my first car, I was constantly pulling them apart and diagnosing and fixing them when they broke. This was generally out of necessity as I couldn’t afford to use a mechanic on my first year $16.45 per week apprenticeship wages. At the time I probably felt hard done by, but on reflection it gave me a grounding in things mechanical & I learnt many practical skills on the way - many the hard way. So where does all this leave us for the future? There will be a severe lacking of hands on practical people in society, even now at our age and old school practical skill level there is hardly any point lifting the bonnet of your modern car if it breaks down because it’s all wires & pipes and unfamiliar gizmos and hardly looks like an engine. Remember your old Falcon or Holden?  They were always easy to get going again if they broke down. I don’t know what we can do, the trend certainly jeopardises future generations having any interest in classic motorcycles, apart from the odd exception. The Robert Shannon Foundation is pitched at sponsoring young people to learn automotive / restoration skills, but I suspect the take up is negligible. We urgently need to mentor young people to take up whatever skills we may have and hope they in turn continue to pass them on into the future, but there must be an interest and passion for this to succeed. I don’t know how you foster and encourage this aspect of the dilemma. I know I’ve banged on about this very subject in the past, but with the passing of a talented man such as Vern it rekindles my concerns and prompts me to verbalise my thoughts, because it bothers me greatly that the practical skills let alone the engineering genius of the likes of Vern, Bob Satterley, John Trease to name a few, will be lost forever and even us humble Classic enthusiasts / restorers and garage fiddlers are going to be as extinct as dinosaurs in a decade or two. Enjoy your riding and stay safe. Ian Snadden President CMCCV

In March 2021 our Club will be celebrating it’s 50th Anniversary. 2021 sounds a long way off but in reality it’s less than 2 years away, but based on the way time seems to fly by, it will be no time at all before the grand occasion arrives. In keeping with tradition, we will be hosting a ‘Big Rally’ to mark this huge milestone and your committee has chosen a venue and has pencilled in a date, all we need now is a suitable name to call the Rally. So put your creative thinking caps on and come up with an appropriate name. The reward for the best and chosen name will be the knowledge that your suggested name will be used as the moniker for this great event. Send your suggestions to me by either email or Attention President - to the Club’s PO Box. The chosen venue is a historic and picturesque seaside town in the state’s west. Accommodation has been booked in advance for Sunday 21^st March to Saturday 27^th March inclusive, so bear this in mind if you are contemplating booking a 2021 cruise or overseas holiday, because guaranteed this Rally will be an occasion not to miss. Next month is your Club’s Annual General Meeting (Wednesday 17^th July). All committee positions will become vacant, so if you have an inclination to take on a committee position please ensure your nomination is forwarded to the Secretary on the form in this month’s Sprocket. The pay is not that flash, but the rewards are plenty. On the reverse of the nomination form you will find the proxy form & AGM agenda. Don’t forget that there is a trade table at every General Meeting for members to move on their beloved treasures to a new home. The Club also organises interesting Guest Speakers for your enjoyment at every General Meeting other than the AGM or specific meetings with a theme - eg Show & Shine meeting. So if you haven’t been to a Club meeting yet, come along and join us on the third Wed of the month, the formalities always conclude with a great supper. Coming up in July is the Bellarine Bash based in Ocean Grove, rally registration form was in May Sprocket so if you haven’t registered with Graham and booked your accommodation yet – what are you waiting for! It might be winter but I would sooner rug up and ride on a 12 degree day than swelter and risk dehydration and bike meltdown on a 40 degree plus day, so check out the Club calendar and come for a ride. Look forward to catching up with you at a Club event soon. Enjoy your riding and stay safe. Ian Snadden President CMCCV

If I say so myself, I think the Maffra Kennedy Memorial Rally was enjoyed by all in attendance. Although the intent of the Rally was to commemorate Ian & Jan Kennedy’s remarkable 10 Gippsland Classic Rallies which obviously brought a sombre mood to the weekend at times, I believe Ian & Jan would have expected us to enjoy ourselves which I believe we achieved both socially and on our rides. Thank you to Graham for his superb Rally organisational skills (again).  Also, a big thank you to Val Smith for creating a poignant and beautiful trip down memory lane by way of a half hour DVD compilation of the 10 Classic Gippsland rallies, which we all watched on the Saturday night. Val’s DVD is available for members from the Club library, titled “10 years of the Gippsland Classic Rallies.” Thank you to all Rally participants for personally reaching deep on Saturday night and raising $500 for BlazeAid and thank you Jenny Langridge for the idea. Ed Sleightholme has decided to retire from his Southern Mid-week ride (SMR) coordinator position after a remarkable 19 and a half years. What an incredible effort. Ed has led us on many roads that it seemed only Ed was aware of. Ed’s mid-week rides were always well planned and led. We will miss Ed’s mid-week ride leadership, but I know Ed will continue to attend these rides for many years to come as I know he wants to enjoy the rides from the back of the group just like his old mate Billy Weedon used to. Ed’s retirement from his position has obviously created a vacancy for someone to come forward and take over. Club Captain Sam is also stepping down at the end of this Club year. Sam has also done a sterling job during his time as Captain and again a replacement will need to found. The Club Captain and SMR coordinator positions don’t need to lead every ride but need to ensure that there is someone to plan and lead a ride for each month. So, members over to you, two positions need to be filled, give it some thought and contact either myself or a Committee Member if you wish to find out more details. The SMR coordinator position is a non-committee appointment, the Club Captain position is a committee position. Both positions come with bucket loads of rewards for the incumbent, but sadly no remuneration. So put your hand up and have a go, you will get all the help you need from the committee – unfilled positions, means no rides! Thanks Graham, for standing in for me during mid-April, including chairing the April General Meeting. The countdown has begun, less than two years until the Club’s milestone 50^th Anniversary Rally, now that’s something to look forward to! A sub-committee has been appointed and the early stages of planning have begun. Some great high-profile Guest Speakers coming up at General Meetings. David Parkin and Mark Harris from The Male Bag Foundation in May and David Catchpole from Mid Life Cycles - Royal Enfield in June, see details in this Sprocket. Enjoy your riding and stay safe. Ian Snadden President CMCCV

Congratulations to Paul Clayton and Richard Mason on organising a very successful Pub and Grub Ride in February. There were some 24 participants on 22 bikes, with quite a few of the bikes being classics. The Tungamah Hotel was a very interesting destination Over the years it has been built over a huge water well and some of the foundations looked a little precarious. Also, many of the rooms were supposedly frequented by ghosts so a few of us went ghost hunting upstairs. I didn’t seem to have the right ’touch’ though as I couldn’t conjure up any spirits from the past. We also heard about the history of Tungamah and surrounds. In its day, Tungamah was a thriving community. The locals were also very welcoming and a very pleasant evening followed.  I look forward to the next ‘Pub and Grub’ ride. The weather, however, was hot on both days and a couple of bikes, both BMW’s, were found wanting. One bike refused to start at Benalla and was left at the motel to be picked up at later date, whilst my R90S seemed to suffer from an overheating problem. When the temp. climbed to around 34C, it would just ‘die’ and refused to fire up for 5 minutes or so. This process was repeated every 20kms or so and eventually I left it overnight at Goorambat, a small town between Benalla and Tungamah. The next day I managed to get back to Healesville before the problem reappeared. Investigations as to the cause of the problem are still ongoing. Elsewhere in this issue are the details and entry form for the ‘Bellarine Bash’ to be held in July. This has come about due to the efforts of our Geelong members and in particular Andy Symons. It promises to be a great rally so please support our Geelong colleague’s and put in your entry form. Some of you might ask why have a rally in July, it’s cold and wet, to which I answer, why not. The weekend could be fine and sunny and besides the club has traditionally held a rally in Winter, so why change now? President Ian and myself attended the Northern Region Midweek Ride in March. Living in the Dandenongs, it’s not something we had done for quite a while. We arrived at the start point in Greensborough a little frazzled after battling the peak hour(s) traffic on the Eastlink. However, it was all plain sailing after that and we, and everyone else, enjoyed a very leisurely ride combined with a fair bit of chin wagging. Well done to Wally and Keith, who have really embraced their Ride Co-ordinator role. Graham Boulter Vice president Ride em, (but not when it’s stinking hot), don’t hide em.

Important notice to all members. To avoid unnecessary delays in having your CPS renewals signed or your new CPS applications processed, it is necessary to send your documents to the correct person at the correct PO Box. Too many members are still sending their documents to Ray Isles or others to the Club’s PO Box. Since August last year Richard Sommerville has taken over from Ray and we have a new PO Box in Seymour for all CPS matters. The change of details has been in Sprocket every month since August 2018 and can be found on the Club Contacts page on page 3.   Each year I attend the Island Classics at Philip Island on the January Australia Day weekend. What a fantastic 3 days of classic racing with public access to the paddock and pit area - it really doesn’t get any better than that. This year however it was disappointing that there were no Period 1 or 2 classes, no sidecars and no British International Team. I sincerely hope this isn’t the start of a decline in the quality and numbers of participants and classes of this great event. Granted I understand there was a valid reason behind the Brits no show, but I’m concerned that rumours of ever-increasing race entry fees are keeping the little bloke on a modest budget away. (A term of expression, no reference to our Ron intended) It would be a real shame if the future of this weekend is restricted to those who have the backing of sponsors to enable them to be able to afford to race. I hope I’m wrong. Recently a couple of us undertook a reconnaissance of far west coastal Victoria with the intent to consider a suitable site for the Club’s up and coming 50^th Anniversary Rally in 2021. What a huge milestone and event this will be for our Club. Stay tuned, its going to be an absolute ripper. On the return from this foray we took the opportunity to meet up with Andy and Geelong members on their 3^rd Sunday run. Andy led us on a short 95 km run from their Waurn Ponds departure point to late morning coffee at Inverleigh about 20km out of Geelong. A very enjoyable and well-run ride, thanks Andy - keep up the good work. I will endeavour to join the Geelong boys on their runs a bit more often, just hate the thought of the trip on the Monash and Geelong freeways just to get there. Some great rides and events on the horizon for your participation and enjoyment plus some non-riding events planned in the not too distant future for those who may prefer this style of event. Enjoy life and always ride safe. Ian Snadden President CMCCV

Happy New Year to all members and their families of our great Club. 2019 as previous years will be jam packed with a variety of Club rides and events for members to participate in and enjoy the fellowship that comes with our shared passion for classic motorcycles. On Saturday 15^th December last year a small number of Club members met at Officer departure point for an interesting back roads ride to Maffra to attend the unveiling of a commemorative plaque in recognition of the enormous contribution that the late Ian and Jan Kennedy made during the establishment and running of the Gippsland Vehicle Collection. A fitting address was given by the GVC President Graham Gunning to the 200 or so people in attendance. Graham made comment that Ian’s tireless but often unconventional contribution to the GVC was a huge factor in the success of the facility. Amongst other many GVC duties, Ian took charge of the motorcycle display which he was very passionate about and of course that is no surprise to those of us who knew him. Past President the late John Stock’s magnificent BMW R100RS was on display with an accompanying story about the bike’s history, another trip down memory lane for CMCCV members in attendance. I counted about 18 of our members in attendance, including Past Presidents & Life Members Bob McLennan and David Langridge. It was also wonderful to see Alan and Val Smith at the ceremony and we wish them both well with their respective recoveries from recent poor health. Following the ceremony, the GVC in conjunction with The Maffra Sale Motorcycle Club spoilt those in attendance with a typical country afternoon tea that saw more food left over than was consumed and believe me we all participated heartily in the fabulous repast. It’s hard to believe Ian and Jan are no longer with us, their passing has left a huge gap in the Maffra community as well as in the wider motorcycling community that I doubt could ever be filled. Some of the committee overnighted in Maffra at The Macalister Hotel and were serenaded to sleep by the local band The Swamp Dogs playing on the other side of the wall. The purpose of our stay over was to finalise the Saturday ride for the Maffra Kennedy Memorial Rally being held in March this year. Judging by the accommodation bookings and entries received to date the rally promises to be very well attended so make sure you get your entry into VP Graham and book your accommodation from one of the suggested venues in the Dec / Jan edition of Sprocket. There are plenty of rides and events for members to avail themselves of during the warmer months thanks to the efforts of the ride team. So, get that bike out of the shed or loungeroom and come and join us. Ian Snadden President CMCCV

  Will you know when it’s time to stop riding? To some the following will be a taboo subject for discussion or even thinking about - I get that, however I have been giving this a lot of thought and considering my age and the average age of my Club riding mates I think we owe it to ourselves to face reality and be prepared at some stage for the harsh reality that we are no longer safe to pilot a motorcycle. I started riding on the road at the age of 16 and this year I turn 67, hence a riding career so far spanning 51 years. How many riding years do I have left? I don’t know the answer to that question, I’m not even sure if I will be conscious of the right time to hang up my boots. In other words, is it like losing your hair, because it happens over a period of time you adjust to it without really realising it’s happening. Because motorcycling is such a huge part of my life and I’m aware that one day I won’t be safe to ride any more I have for some time asked myself as I arrive home at my front gate after a ride “how many ‘moments’ did I have on the ride today?” Thankfully at this stage the answer is almost always – none. As I continue to age and my reaction time slows and my strength wanes I assume that my present usual clean slate of moments will start to become “woops, a moment or two today”, “a close call” or a “sh*t I didn’t see that car I pulled out in front of today that had to take evasive action from cleaning me up”. Will these increased riding moments become a regular pattern some time down the track? Will I be aware of what’s happening as I lose my ride craft and self-evaluate rather than become an unsafe rider, or will I choose the path of denial? Can I rely on my mates to take me aside and have a frank discussion with me about the need to think about giving it away and if they do will I be prepared to listen to them? Like you guys I hope I have many more years yet of enjoying my motorcycling, but I think we need to start having open discussion about this subject. We now talk about men’s health, depression etc, I can’t see why this is any different. Unlike a car licence that can be vetoed by our family because they may have had the opportunity to drive with their ageing parent and gain first hand from that experience (or nightmare) that the time is nigh to force the hand of their loved ones to surrender their licence. Motorcycling is more often than not an individual pursuit that cannot so easily be monitored by family, making a family-based decision more difficult. Should the Club intervene? Does it fall under the Club’s Duty of Care? Possibly, but who wants to go there. How to make enemies in one easy lesson even if the intent is for all the right reasons i.e. trying to safe lives, both the member and or fellow road users. I don’t know the answer to the above but I’m sure as hell aware that the subject won’t go away but will only become more and more relevant as each and every one of us continue down the path of the ageing process. (Before someone points out that there are very capable motorcyclists out there at the ripe old age of 90, yes, I’m sure there are, but being realistic, they are very much a minority). If you would like to be involved in a discussion group re the above, please contact me and if we have enough interested people, I will organise an informal get together to seek your valued input and opinion and maybe clarify a plan of action that may help us all face reality when the time is right and before disaster strikes. Ian Snadden President

As another year draws to a close it only seems like yesterday that we enjoyed the Inverloch Rally way back in March – unbelievable how quickly the year has gone. Some Club members during the past year have experienced poor health and others have lost loved ones, we wish these members & their families best wishes and hope 2019 offers improved health for those who are presently unwell. Club events during the year haven’t always been well supported by members. Most rides seem to only attract 10 to 15 participants. Granted poor weather can result in low numbers, but a Club of around 400 members should be able to regularly attract I would have thought, a 5 to possibly 10 percent attendance rate on a reasonably regular basis. Club rallies do however continue to be well supported. Being an optimist, I will put a positive spin on this situation. Effective 2019 your committee will be pulling out all stops to do all it can to attempt to increase the Club events member participation rate. If we are not offering you the sort of ride / event that should lure you and your classic to attend and you have a suggestion to improve the events we offer – PLEASE tell us. We will listen. In 2019 some slower / shorter rides will be offered with a backup trailer to suit older classics. We will also look at offering a breakfast ride & possibly a late afternoon ride finishing with dinner. These variances to past rides will obviously be run during appropriate months. So, with that said, please support the Club events being offered in 2019. As of and including the February General Meeting, there will be a trade table at all future General Meetings for members to sell their unwanted treasures. Please bring clean items, labelled with your name and the selling price. Our thanks and appreciation go to Club member Steve Inman who has enthusiastically launched our Club onto Facebook, we might be a bit slow keeping up with the times but finally we have embraced the world of social media, many thanks Steve. Thanks also to Martyn Goodwin for managing classic eNews over the past few years, Vice President Graham has now taken on this role, thank you Graham. For members who do not have email we are initiating a mechanism to keep you up to date on any important issues that are currently circulated by classic eNews. On behalf of the committee and myself, I would like to wish you all a Merry Christmas and a healthy and prosperous 2019 and stay safe while riding during the holiday period. Don’t forget there will be no General Meetings in December and January, next meeting 20th February 2019. There are of course rides during these months, so check the ride calendar in Sprocket and the website and I look forward to joining you on a Club ride over the Christmas break. Merry Christmas Ian Snadden President CMCCV

Members who attended the Ride and Ruffit Rally hosted by the Bendigo Historic Motorcycle Club over the weekend of 13 & 14 of October will I’m sure echo my sentiments when I declare the event a great success. The event was well attended by our members & we were joined by a small group from the Iron Indian Riders Club. Our thanks go to Pam & Rex Jones and their fellow Club members who treated our Club once more to the wonderful country hospitality that many of us have enjoyed on past occasions. If you haven’t been on a Ride & Ruffit Rally, you’ve missed a great Club event. As long as we are welcome back in two years’ time we will do it all over again, so if you haven’t been you have two years notice. As a bonus this year we were spoiled with beautiful balmy weather. Recently I joined a small group for a 5-day, 4 night ride roughly anti clockwise around Victoria’s central north west. Our group opted to seek accommodation in small town country hotels rather than motels or cabins. This decision proved to be a real winner and I’m sure in future we will continue to put our heads down in this style of accommodation again. For those of you that haven’t experienced this type of accommodation I would recommend it. Each of the 4 nights we were away, the rooms although basic were all that was required for a few hours shut eye. Shared bathroom facilities are the norm, that wasn’t an issue. Having a beer at the bar with the locals and sampling great country cooking also heightens the experience. Price wise the most expensive night was $35 pp that included a continental breakfast - the best value and most memorable night being our last night at the Logan Bush Pub where we paid $30 pp for a room each and a cooked breakfast the following morning that kept us going all day. This is the quirkiest most delightful country pub and although maybe not to everyone’s liking due to said quirkiness and relatively remote location I would thoroughly recommend it and personally will be staying there again as soon as I can. Our country hotel leaning was undoubtedly spurred on by Club Member Paul Clayton who for many years has waxed lyrical about the joys of overnighting in small town country pubs. So, the point to my story is that Paul & Richard Mason are planning a Club ride to a country town pub for overnight accommodation, perhaps a lemon squash or two, a great meal and a ride back home via a different route the following day. Watch out for that one on the Club Calendar in the not too distant future. It will be a ripper! Now winter is behind us, join us on a Club ride and enjoy not only the ride but the fellowship that I believe is a key attribute of our great Club. Ian Snadden President CMCCV

President Ian has asked me to write the President’s (Vice President’s) message this month, just to give a different perspective on things, so here goes. I am pleased to inform you that, with the blessing of Ian and Jan Kennedy’s children, we have named the upcoming Maffra Rally, the Maffra Kennedy Memorial Rally 2019. The rally is to be held 29^th to 31^st March. Planning details for this rally are well advanced and in this issue of Sprocket you will find accommodation details. I invite members to participate in this rally to commemorate club life members Ian and Jan, who of course organised many great Gippsland Classic Rallies. Speaking of rallies, if any member has in mind a suitable place for the club to hold a rally then please contact a committee member. In particular, this applies to our country members who have local knowledge of good rides, places of interest etc. in their area that us city folk are unaware of. Have you checked out the club website lately? Steve Inman has recently taken over the reins from yours truly and is doing a fantastic job. The site is regularly updated and if you are after the latest club news, ride reports and so on, go to www.cmccv.org.au. In fact, why not make it your ‘home’ page? Some of you are aware that I was in outback NSW and Queensland recently. What you may not know is how devastated by drought this huge area is. It is not only farmers that are reeling but the ‘knock down’ effect means that service providers, shopkeepers, in fact everyone is affected. If you are able, please donate to a registered charity such as Aussie Helpers, Rural Aid, Buy a Bale or Drought Angels. Better still why not visit and spend some time and money in the area? It may be dry, but there is still plenty to see and do in the outback. By the way, I came across member Tom Thursfield in the outback town of Bourke. I don’t know about you but I find it weird how one can come across a friend 1000kms from home. Finally, now that Winter is over and Spring has sprung, why not get that classic bike out of the shed and join your fellow members on a club ride and live your life to the fullest. ride em, don’ hide em Graham Boulter, Vice President CMCCV.

Treasurer Rob, CPS Officer Richard, Club Captain Sam and myself, represented your Club at the 2018 Association of Motoring Clubs Inc. (AOMC) Management Seminar held on Saturday 11^th August. The Seminar’s theme this year was “Managing Your Club Now & Setting Future Directions” 5 Speakers gave presentations on a variety of Club Management subjects including – Governance issues, How to identify and attract people who will truly add value to your committee, Agenda management, Mergers with other Clubs, Club motivation, Enlisting local support & sponsorship, Use of social media, Insurance issues and Estate Planning. The strong message for me was the catch phrase from the first speaker - that as a committee we need to look at “what are the top 2–4 issues that we as a Club have to get right in the next 2-3 years”. I believe the number one issue our Club & committee needs to address, is how to attract new younger members to join our Club to ensure our passion and our Club continues on for many decades to come. I believe the definition of Classic as defined in our constitution (“Classic motorcycle” means a motorcycle more than 25 years old and determined by the Committee to be club eligible”) will help to ensure that our Club will survive into the distant future. We probably won’t attract new younger members who own or have a desire to own, old British clunkers (don’t worry I’m not knocking them, I own a couple) but younger members who today are just as passionate about 80’s and early 90’s iconic machines from the era that they grew up in and may have lusted after during their early foray into motorcycling (When I was 16 and owned my first machine, a BSA C11, all I wanted was a big 500 single) We must accept that this new generation of classic enthusiasts, who were bitten by the bug (just as we were) and have a desire to own and ride a next generation classic from their youthful days, are encouraged and welcomed to join our Club to continue our legacy. I see it as no different from our enthusiasm for the much older machines that were representative of our early days of motorcycling. I hope you get my drift? Thankfully our Club had the foresight to define “Classic” as they did, which by my way of thinking will give our Club some hope for longevity. Sadly, Club member Peter Baird passed away on 31 July. Peter was a life long motorcyclist and joined our Club later in life and enjoyed attending Club Meetings - see the Vale for Peter in this Sprocket. Get your classic ready for the Ride & Ruffit Rally in October – see you there. Ian Snadden President CMCCV

This being my first President’s message for 2018-19 Club year I would like to advise Club Members who were unable to attend the Club’s Annual General Meeting on 18^th July, of some of the highlights of the night. After the routine reports were presented, several presentations were made to acknowledge the outstanding effort and commitment made by a number of Club members both in their official capacity as committee members, but also to non-committee members who made an outstanding contribution to the Club in the last 12 months. The most prestigious award the Club can make to a member is Life Membership. It was with great honour that I was able to present Jack Youdan with Life Membership in recognition of his services to our Club in so many ways over many years. Congratulations Jack and very well deserved. Reg Hammond was awarded with The President’s Award of Merit for his regalia services to the Club. The Phil Irving Award was awarded posthumously to Jolyon Dunn to recognise Jol’s 8 years of service as Club Treasurer. The Club’s Special Award was awarded to Allan Prentice to acknowledge his efforts in running The Inverloch Rally in March this year. A Merit Award was awarded to James Linton for providing the suppers at General Meetings over the past year. I would like to pay tribute to the retiring committee members - Martyn Goodwin 2 years as Membership Secretary, Jack Youdan as Assistant CPS Officer and 7 years as Guest Speaker coordinator and Sprocket Advertiser Coordinator and Rob van Lohuizen 2 years as committee member who continuously offered strength and sound reasoning to the committee. Thank you Martyn, Jack & Rob on behalf of the committee and membership for your enormous commitment and we wish you well in your retirement from the committee. I would like to welcome three new committee members elected at the AGM, Peter Cullen who is taking over the Membership Secretary’s role, Jeremy Coffey who has taken on the Editor’s role and James Linton who has also joined us on the committee. Welcome and I look forward to working with you. As advised in my July President’s message, Richard Sommerville has taken over from Ray Isles as CPS Officer. Club member Steve Inman has taken on the role of Web Administrator, which will free up Vice President Graham to take on more duties as delegated by the President 😊 Thanks Steve. 2017-18 saw a number of Club changes being implemented and I envisage 2018-19 to be a year of consolidation and focus on riding and enjoying our Classics. See you on a Club ride or event soon. Ian Snadden President CMCCV

President’s Message - July 2018 Well this is my last President’s message this Club year. As you would be aware our Club AGM will be held on the 18^th July and all positions become vacant, so come along and welcome in the new committee that will be elected on the night. Jack Youdan and Rob van Lohuizen will both be stepping down from the committee at the end of this Club year and I sincerely thank them both for all their efforts and commitment to the Club during their respective terms on the committee. They might be stepping down from the committee, but I am certain we will see them at meetings and on many Club events in the future. As previously advised Richard Sommerville, after 11 years as Sprocket Editor has handed over the reins to Jeremy Coffey. Richard however has offered to take over the role of Club Permit Officer from Ray Isles and we are fortunate that Ray is happy to continue on the committee. Ray is our committee mentor as his experience of all things Club is immense and his knowledge of Club history and processes is a huge benefit to the newer incumbents like myself. As for Richard, after 11 years as editor, he still wants more! Unbelievable, but I know Richard will pick up the CPS role from Ray with the same enthusiasm he has always given to Sprocket. Make sure you read the new Club Permit Officer contact details and implementation date in this issue of Sprocket. Recently I spent some time going back over the Sprocket archives that Graham Boulter a couple of years ago scanned and burnt to two DVDs (a huge job Graham, well done again). The Club history is all there, although a bit sparse in the early years. My intention was to collate committee positions since the start of the Club into an historical Honour Roll format. After the odd one or two hours with the help of my dearly beloved, we came up with the committee history since 1971 on a spreadsheet. It was an interesting exercise for a couple of reasons as it gave me valuable insight into the committee makeup over the years and I was amazed and impressed at the huge commitment so many Club members gave to the Club for many consecutive years.  What is also inspiring and impressive is that many of the names that were responsible for the formation of the Club and all the ground work in the early years, we still see on a regular basis and that is nothing short of fantastic. I salute you, for today we continue to enjoy the fruit of all your labours. Some time soon the Honour Roll will be available for members to view on the Club website. Ride often, stay safe and don’t forget your head checks. Ian Snadden President CMCCV

President’s Message - June 2018 It’s hard to believe another Club year is drawing to a close. Membership renewals are due by 30^th of June and the Club’s AGM will be held before the General Meeting on the 18th July. All committee positions become vacant for 2018-19, please refer to AGM notice in this issue of Sprocket. I would like to acknowledge and thank Richard Haughton for producing the very professional DVD of a number of interviews with Club members and their magnificent machines at the March meeting Show and Shine. Richard’s DVD will become a valuable addition to the Club archives and is available from the library for members to borrow and can also be viewed on the Club’s website. Thanks also to David Langridge for his polished interview skills to which we have all become accustomed. This well attended event was made possible thanks to the organiser Jack Youdan – thanks to Jack on behalf of the members who thoroughly enjoyed the occasion. A number of us joined the Geelong area members for the SLOB Ride on 22 April. The ride was well attended and extremely well organised and run by Andy Symons. Andy’s ride leader skills and instructions to riders at corners requiring marking were exceptional, the best I have witnessed on a Club run. Well done Andy to you and your team for a great ride. Geelong area Club representative Dave Gudgeon has relocated from the Geelong area and as a result has decided to step down from this position. I am delighted to announce that Andy Symons has agreed to take on this role. Our thanks to Dave for his role as the Geelong Rep. over the last few years. You will have noticed that Jeremy Coffey has taken up the role of Sprocket Editor. Jeremy will be taking over from Richard Sommerville to allow Richard to take on the Club Permit Officer position from Ray Isles in the new Club year. Richard and Ray have undertaken their previous roles for many years and are to be congratulated on their commitment to serving the Club in such an exemplary manner. Both the Editor and Club Permit Officer roles are key committee positions and require a huge commitment to fulfil. My thanks to Bill Washington for agreeing to take on the library position from Jeremy. On recent Club Rallies issues have arisen regarding Club members in cars following the ride. When the Tail End Charlie relieves a corner marker the TEC is then required to wait for the backup trailer and members in cars to catch up. On narrow country roads with potentially dangerous intersections this has often led to the TEC to be required to wait in an often-precarious position for an extended period of time. If the cars are strung out over some distance there is often no room for the “freight train” to prop safely and wait for all the cars to arrive. This issue was discussed at the April committee meeting and it was agreed that in future, members in cars will be provided with details of the morning tea and lunch stops and if they desire, make their own way to these stops. Only the back-up car and trailer will be included in the ride group. I appreciate that this decision may not be welcome by some members however it has been made to enhance safety for all Club Members participating in Club Rallies. Have a look at the Club Calendar for the extensive number of rides on offer, for your enjoyment. Look forward to seeing you on a Club ride soon. Ian Snadden President CMCCV  

President’s Message - May 2018 At the February General Meeting this year I advised members in attendance that the committee & I would be focussing this year on offering members a greater variety of events for their participation and enjoyment. I mentioned a proposed change to the mid-week ride format. The committee have decided to start a fresh approach with the mid-week ride structure which will hopefully enable members to have greater access to mid-week ride departure points without the necessity of having to ride vast distances in peak hour traffic to attend a mid-week ride that may start a considerable distance from their place of residence. It has also been decided that all Club rides (mid-week and monthly Sunday rides) will have a common start time – 8.30 am for a 9.00 departure. Hopefully this will overcome any confusion that may have been experienced during the recent trial for some rides to start at a later time. The number of mid-week rides will be increased to two per month. Mid-week rides will be split into two regions, South of the Yarra and North of the Yarra. Eddie Sleightholme will be the Southern region coordinator; Keith McCracken & Wally Walsh will co-coordinate the Northern region. Southern region mid-week rides will be held on the first Tuesday of each month. Northern region mid-week rides will be held on the third Tuesday of each month. This effectively doubles the number of mid-week rides available to members, obviously if you are keen and peak hour traffic riding doesn’t faze you, then you have the opportunity to attend two mid-week rides each month. Doubling the number of rides will necessitate more planning and ride coordinators are not expected to plan and lead every ride themselves. Members will be encouraged to step forward to plan and lead a ride in their region. If you haven’t run a Club ride before and feel overwhelmed by the prospect, support is available from the ride coordinators and committee members. The pre-ride briefing can be undertaken by a committee member or ride coordinator if you feel uncomfortable about handling this function. Please give some thought to offering to run a future mid-week or monthly Sunday ride. Share with other Club members your favourite ride, take a more active role in your Club, guaranteed you will enjoy it. Watch the Club calendar for implementation of the new mid-week ride format. July will be the first month featuring two mid-week rides. Before winter sets in, get that classic out and come and join us on a Club ride.   Ian Snadden President CMCCV

President’s Message - April 2018 On March 16^th to 18^th we held our Inverloch Rally. The rally was well attended by the regulars and it was pleasing to see a few new faces. Our thanks go to Alan Prentice for planning the rides on Saturday & Sunday as well as a morning tea treat on Saturday and a great send-off BBQ on the Sunday. The roads Alan led us on were sensational with no lack of corners & magnificent scenery. Alan’s mates did the ride marshalling on the Saturday ride leaving ride participants to simply enjoy the riding. Great organisation, great rally, thank you Alan and Michelle and all those that gave their time to help you. Over the Rally weekend we had the pleasure to catch up with Joan Woodbridge and her family. Joan and her late husband Alan and their family ran 18 Inverloch Investigator rallies over a twenty-year period. I want to vent my concerns on a subject that I feel strongly about. Being president of a club of like minded motorcyclists of the mature and sensible type, I am confident that the vast majority of you will be in agreeance with me, regarding my subject of concern. Here goes! – It never fails to amaze me the gear or lack of, that some motorcyclists think is suitable for riding in. Well may we say (a bit of Gough plagiarism there ha ha) that we live in a nanny state, as we risk getting fined if we use our mobiles while we drive or cycle, we are fined for not wearing a seat belt and there are numerous other seemingly trivial misdemeanours of which we need to stay on the right side of the law. I agree many of these actions are dangerous & should be discouraged, however it is perfectly legal (be it incredibly stupid) to ride a motorcycle in a singlet top & shorts. I need not expand on the type of injuries that are sustained if you slide down the road with only your bare skin covering your bones. Should we become even more nannified (possibly a new word I have made up) & legislate mandatory protective motorcycling clothing? It certainly wouldn’t bother me, but should we have to go to these extents to keep motorcyclists safe & keep the TAC premium down by keeping those who consider themselves invincible out of hospital. Then there is the issue of scooter riders to complicate matters. You really would think that common sense would prevail – but it doesn’t seem to unfortunately. I’m glad our Club members consistently set an example to those that don’t seem to be aware of their vulnerability in this regard. One can only hope that it may rub off, but I’m not too hopeful about that. On a sad note on the 12^th of March Lesley McKibbin sadly passed away after 12 months or so of battling ill health. Our thoughts are with Bill & family during these difficult times.   Ride safe & often Ian Snadden President CMCCV

March already – unbelievable! We have just had our first committee meeting for 2018 (14^th Feb) and the committee and I are planning an exciting and event packed 2018 for you. Three rallies will be held this year - The Inverloch Rally this month, The Brass Monkey Rally in June (see this issue for details) and a Ride and Ruffit weekend at Llanelly this Oct. Planning for the latter two rallies is well in hand. Other events in the planning are an overnight ride to a country pub (leave Saturday, return Sunday) and we may even do the same thing for a midweek ride (leave Tuesday return Wednesday). A total revamp of the midweek rides is being planned – more news of this later. Of course, the monthly Sunday rides are always worth looking forward to. March General Meeting is our Show and Shine, so bring your pride and joy along for all to salivate over. Future General Meetings are aimed at being less formal and more enticing for members to attend. Graham, Richard and myself have recently returned from a few days away checking out possible future rally sites for 2019 and Graham and I spent a few days towards the end of last year looking at a potential rally site for the Clubs 50^th anniversary in 2021. The enjoyment we endure for you guys – hey thanks. So hopefully with a full calendar, we’ve done our bit and it’s up to you members to support Club events. As I’ve said before, a Club event without member participation is a non-event. You are a member of a fantastic Club, take advantage of what your Club is offering you. I saw a few Club members at The Island Classics late January; what a great meeting that was. Australia won the International Challenge which was a great to see. The weather was exhausting being a spectator, can’t even imagine what the riders went through. The temperature topped 39 degrees on the Sunday causing parts of the road from Cowes to San Remo to melt and breakup. Looking forward to next year’s meeting. This month is the Club’s Inverloch Rally - rally organiser Allan Prentice has taken Graham and I on the planned rides for the two days and for those attending you will be amazed at what Allan has planned. I had no idea the diversity of the roads in the area, corners (many, many), scenery and all within a few kilometres of rally headquarters. For those going – look forward to seeing you there. Please support your Club activities. Ian Snadden President CMCCV

President’s Message - February 2018 I recently read an article by Jerry Thurston in the British ‘The Classic Motorcycle’ about the 25-year rolling rule for VMCC eligibility in Britain, which made me think about our Club and the direction we appear to be heading and what really is a classic motorcycle. The Oxford dictionary defines classic as “A thing which is memorable and a very good example of its kind” If you apply this definition of classic to our situation then yes we do have members that own, ride and enjoy classic motorcycles. Sadly by this definition I am not one of them, however I still consider that my R90S for example to me is a classic motorcycle (yes it’s a bit tatty and some are cruel and heartless and keep telling me it’s not the right colour). But the model has excellent pedigree, when first released it was considered a superbike with many new innovations that have endeared it to collectors worldwide to this day. But lined up beside an SS100 Brough Superior for example and asked to choose which machine is a classic then the R90S would hardly rate a second glance by most motorcycle buffs. Our Club rides over the years have seen the true classics participating drop off considerably and now days most rides are dominated by more modern machines to the point that one would be hard pressed to fathom the purpose of our Club if you weren’t in the know. Does this matter and should we be concerned? Well from my point of view it’s a shame but there are obvious and logical reasons behind this. For a start the number of vehicles on the roads is increasing by the day and let’s face it old bikes don’t have too many safety features. For most of us just the journey to the start of a Club ride can be a harrowing experience on a bike with all those modern safety features. So if you are like me and consider life preservation something of a priority then why increase the odds against oneself if you have a choice sitting out in the shed. Urban Melbourne residents envy Geelong area members your close proximity to country riding. For me a mid week ride starting at Rockbank doesn’t even rate a second thought, by the time I got there I would need a Bex and a good lie down. Best remedy I think is to trailer your beloved classic bike to Club rallies. You have comfort in the knowledge of a back up trailer being present on the rides. You don’t have the long ride there and back and you can enjoy your machine on country roads right from the front door of your accommodation. That said The Inverloch Rally is coming up in March this year so why not get your classic bike ready and come along. So back to the classic by definition dilemma. I don’t think it really matters. Perhaps the definition of classic should remain objective and be at the discretion of us as individuals. If you consider your bike to be a classic then why not, irrespective of whether it’s a Brough or a 1980’s Japanese machine (or a tatty R90S). I don’t care and personally would never disagree with someone if they referred to their pride and joy as a classic. Patina or restored to better than brand new, well that’s another subject for another day. Hope to see you and your classic at The Inverloch Rally next month. Ian Snadden President CMCCV

It’s been a tragic and chaotic month. Hard to believe that this month we have lost Ian and Jan Kennedy, both Life Members and long serving members of our Club who gave so much to so many during their lifetime. Ian and Jan ran 10 Gippsland Classic Rallies for our Club and Ian was always willing to organise rides and break stops whenever a ride /rally was held in the Gippsland area. Ian organised and planned all the rides during our week-long LEAP Rally based in Lakes Entrance last year. Ian and Jan were actively involved with the Maffra Sale Motorcycle Club for many decades, were instrumental in the establishment of the Gippsland Vehicle Collection Motor Museum and ran numerous Ken Rumble Reliability Runs and The Harold Parsons Memorial Rides. Ian and Jan spent many hours bringing a quality of life to those less fortunate in their community. Ian built an outfit that would carry a wheelchair bound person in the chair. I understand the oldest passenger he carried was 105 years old. This conveyance Ian called The Hope Mobile. We will miss them both, our condolences and sincere thoughts are with the family during this extremely difficult time. At our well attended (70 plus members) and very successful November Swap Meet / Meeting (thanks to organiser Jack Youdan) we drew the Fight MND Raffle. Congratulations to the three prize winners and to all those who dug deep and bought tickets for this very worthy cause. The proceeds of the raffle ticket sales made our target of $2000. The Club donated all costs associated with the running of the raffle. Committee representatives will meet with Fight MND representatives for a cheque presentation as soon as this can be organised. Well done CMCCV members. I hope by this stage all members who have internet access will have had a look at our new website. Ok I’m biased, but I think it looks fantastic and would like to thank Peter, Glenda and Graham for their genius. If you haven’t had a look yet, do yourself a favour www.classicmotorcycle.org.au We have decided on a common theme between Sprocket cover photo and the website home page, so when you log on you will be greeted with the magnificent round case Ducati (until Sprocket cover pic changes). Sunday 26^th November was our Christmas breakup BBQ - a very enjoyable day was had by all (even though the weather was not great, and the power was off all day), great food, great company and an enjoyable shortened ride (due to the inclement weather) led by Captain Sam. Thanks to all those that helped to make the day a success. Wishing you all a Merry Christmas and a prosperous, healthy and most importantly safe New Year. Look forward to joining you on a Club ride over the Christmas break. Ian Snadden President CMCCV   Please note: Next Committee Meeting 14^th February, next General Meeting 21^st February, no Sprocket in January.

 

Just another day in the life of the Club’s President, Vice President and Editor.

Late in September, Richard arrived at my place from Seymour early in the morning and we then drove to pick up Graham at a pre-arranged meeting point at Narre Warren.

The three intrepid bearded club aficionados then drove to meet with Focus Print Group manager Stuart Anderson in East Oakleigh for a meeting regarding the cost structure of Sprocket.

Following a fruitful meeting with Stuart we then were given a tour of the printing plant which was a real eye opener. The scale of the operation was impressive to say the least and we were all very impressed with what we saw.

After a quick coffee at the local Industrial Estate café, it was off to Cabrini Hospital in Malvern to pay a visit to Vern Dalton who is recovering in hospital.

Vern didn’t have any grapes for us to devour so after an hour visit we headed off to Hallam to meet with David Howard, the son in law of recently passed Life Member Allan Woodbridge.

David is part of the KH Equipment team who primarily manufacture Austart Air Starters and are also the manufacturers of the fabulous Irving Vincent motorcycle.

David was kind enough to pass onto the Club all the records of the Inverloch Investigator Rallies held over 20 odd years by Allan and Joan Woodbridge and family, which we gratefully accepted to be added to the Club’s archival records – thanks to David and the Woodbridge family.

Following a briefing from David about the nature of the business we were taken to the board room to inspect the display of six magnificent Irving Vincents, the ex-Bob Satterley Vincent that was hugely successful at Goodwood in 2014 and the ex-Kenny Roberts Junior Yamaha flat tracker, resplendent with traditional speed block paint work. What an unbelievable display, every corporate boardroom should look like this.

David then took us on a tour of the machine shop - painted floors clean enough to eat off, decorated with plants and a distinct lack of staff numbers due to the state of the art high tech machines in use.

We were then taken into the Irving Vincent inner sanctum and met with Barry Horner who was preparing the racing outfit to be piloted by Beau Beaton at the Australian Super Bike final round that weekend. The outfit was entered in the F1 & F2 outfit races but not competing for points as it was being run for testing purposes only.

Once again, immaculately clean work areas, extremely well set out and an absolute credit to management and staff reflecting how much they enjoy doing what they do.

Thanks David for your time showing us around and sharing your passion with us.

We wish Vern a speedy recovery.

Ian Snadden President CMCCV

   

On Sunday 17th September we lost a good friend, fellow Club member & our Treasurer Jol Dunn. It was a great honour for me to be asked by Jol’s wife Jane, to speak at Jol’s service on Monday 25th September.

I was equally proud of the number of Club members who attended to show their respect to Jol, which was not unexpected considering the esteem in which we all held Jol.

Jol will be greatly missed by us all. Ride in Peace mate.

As you are aware Jol chose our charity raffle recipient - Fight MND - and tickets are still available for the draw on the night of the General Meeting 15th November 2017.

Forget the prizes, support the cause & if you win that’s a bonus!

Let’s do Jol proud and raise the targeted amount of $2000.

To finish off 2017 the Club has organised a Christmas breakup BBQ at the Rowsley Community Hall. This will be a great event and a great occasion to catch up with fellow members. Make sure you put the date in your diary and come along.

*See notice and full details in October issue of Sprocket*

November General Meeting will be a cracker with our swap meet, member guest speaker and raffle draw. No door entry on the night and the usual gourmet supper, don’t miss it.

We have now adopted a buddy system on all club rides. How this works is that at the ride briefing you choose a buddy that you will look out for during the ride. You don’t have to ride with your “buddy”, just make sure at regrouping, morning tea stops & lunch you eye-ball each other to ensure that each is still on the ride.

Never leave the ride unless you have told someone of your intention to do so - best way to depart from a ride is to stop and inform the Tail End Charlie (or the ride leader at the commencement of the ride if you know you are going to depart before the finish)

Let’s always keep it safe and look out for each other at all times.

Ian Snadden

President CMCCV.

 

President’s message:

Dear CMCCV member

If you’ve never read a President’s message before - please read this one!

(Absolutely no reflection on past Presidents whatsoever, just trying to capture the reader’s attention)

Picture this, we are lucky enough to be out riding our beloved classic machines, socialising and enjoying our passion to the max.

How often do we pause during these times and consider the plight of others who may be stricken with an illness that has no cure - rarely I would suggest. Let’s not be too hard on ourselves over this, as unless you or a member of your family are confronted with a serious medical condition, life goes on for the majority of us. However I am not suggesting we are oblivious to others’ hardships but perhaps momentarily we feel genuine compassion for others when their plight is a topic of conversation. We then seem to seek comfort and be thankful that it “always happens to someone else” before drifting back into our comparatively fortunate lives.

Your committee has decided to support a worthwhile cause by running a raffle over the next few months. Members who attended the August General Meeting were presented with statistics regarding the horrific Motor Neurone Disease (MND) and at that meeting a raffle was launched. Our Club has been given approval from the MND Foundation to run a raffle with all proceeds going to their fund raising arm “Fight MND”.

Fight MND guarantee that 100% of donations go directly to benefit the cause, no expenses are deducted from donations.

For further information about MND go to www.mndaust.asn.au

I would hope we can raise at the very least $2,000 to go to this very worthwhile cause, which equates to one $5 raffle ticket per member. (The equivalent to a beer in the pub, a Magnum ice-cream or a large takeaway coffee.) Of course more would be better.

More details in this edition of Sprocket of how you can support this extremely worthwhile cause.

Back to classic bike indulgence, (but not losing sight of above)

Thanks to Jack Youdan & Colin Borthwick for arranging an excellent guest speaker for the August General Meeting - Rodney Richards, volunteer pilot with Angel Flight.

As you are reading this your committee is hard at work organising next year’s rallies and rides. Three rallies are planned for 2018.

November General Meeting is going to be a cracker with Jack and the committee organising a swap meet at the club premises, starting early and another excellent guest (Club member) speaker.

See you on a Club event soon.

Ian Snadden

President CMCCV.

Congratulations to Burger for his exceptional 7 years and 4 months as President extraordinaire. Burger was awarded Life Membership status at the July AGM for which he was very deserving. Enjoy your well-deserved rest from the President position Burger and we sincerely hope to continue to see you at future meetings and Club events. 12 years ago after a 3 year term as President of the BMW Motorcycle Club of Victoria I vowed that I wouldn’t make that commitment again. Well here we go again, however this time circumstances are vastly different, I’m now retired, older and wiser and have learnt in the interim not to take on everything myself, I learnt from my previous experience how to delegate, so watch out committee! I have agreed to take on the role of President of the CMCCV as I’m very passionate about our Club. I have been a member of many clubs over the years and our Club is very special. There are no politics, no egos and I feel I’m a part of a family of kindred spirits. The camaraderie within our club is exceptional and rides, social occasions, meetings and rallies are always very enjoyable. Welcome to the incoming committee for 2017-18. I extend a special welcome Sam Panettieri to the committee in your role as Club Captain and congratulations to Graham Boulter stepping into the Vice President position. The Club’s committee members are all hardworking and dedicated and work extremely effectively together as a team; I look forward to working with the committee during my term as President. I believe myself and the committee have a huge responsibility to ensure that our beloved Club is still in a healthy existence in the future decades to come. Our Club is no different to other enthusiast clubs in respect that our membership is ageing and a major hurdle will be attracting new younger members that share our enthusiasm for classic motorcycles to ensure the club lives on. This will be a great challenge to the committee which we will be embracing with enthusiasm and in due course will be seeking input from members. I look forward to serving you as President and thank the committee for their confidence in me to take on the role. As Burger once said signing off a President’s message - “A club event is a non-event without members” Look forward to seeing you on a Club event soon, guaranteed you will enjoy it.

Ian Snadden

President CMCCV