Issue No. 71 December 2007 - January 2008 Page 21
Sp
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in Sawtry 1
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Sawtry Motor Cycle Club Welcome to the Sawtry Motor Cycle Club winter newsletter. Not the best year all in all for the club. A number of members have decided to give up on the road riding aspect of the club and concentrate on track days. Because of this the dynamics of the club will probably change a bit for next year. The Tuesday ride outs will probably be more about exploring the local villages and finding new places to go rather than the same routes every week. This should open the club up to more people interested in a different style of ride outs. We will be having our annual general meeting soon so keep an eye out on the club website ( http://www.sawtrymcc.co.uk for the date and come along. The club still meets every Tuesday at the Greystones for a social beer or two and a chinwag. For those of you brave enough to continue riding throughout the winter don't forget that the council is still using that strange grit on the road that seems to retain moisture and make the roads very slippery. Another tip for cleaning your bike after a winter ride out is to use cold water to rinse the bike off. Hot or warm water activates the salt content in the grit and accelerates the corrosive properties of the salt. If you own a Kawasaki you can watch the bike bio-degrade before your very eyes. There is a superb product out there called ACF-50 that will protect your bike. I use it on my bike and it really does work. Quote: "ACF-50 is a state-of-the-art anti-corrosion/lubricating compound that has been specially designed for aviation and aerospace use. It is a clean, clear, non-toxic, ultra-thin fluid compound which leaves a non-greasy atmospheric barrier to protect metal surfaces". It would make a good stocking filler and the effects last up to two years per application. Talking of stocking fillers I have noticed a lot of the local youngsters on scooters seem to be riding round the village with minimal protection. Some with no gloves even in this cold weather. Even the cheapest pair of motorcycle gloves are better than nothing. Some are riding in tracksuit bottoms that offer no protection in the event of a spill. If you have ever been involved in a motorcycle accident you might realise how painful gravel rash can be and how long it takes to heal. Simply wearing gloves and tougher clothing can minimise injury. Statistics show that most accidents happen on local journeys so make sure that gloves etc are worn even when just "nipping down the shops". That's my sales pitch for the local bike shop over with for this edition. We now have somebody doing local motorcycle training in the village. They cater for CBT (Compulsory Basic Training), Standard or Direct Access. I will be getting more details on this and posting it on the club website. With the price of petrol going through the roof I can see them having a busy year next. Some scooters such as the Honda Innova 125 will do between 120 and 150 miles to the gallon. Honda actually claims to get 200 mpg when ridden at a constant 33 mph. Ideal for that trip to the railway station (where parking is free for motorcycles at the moment) or to the local shop. A word of warning on scooter purchase: Always make sure there is a good warranty and spares back up on any scooter you may be interested in buying. There are a lot of Chinese scooters out there, mainly from Ebay, which look to be a good investment compared to recognised main brand manufacturers. They can be a minefield when it comes to servicing and spares. I know of a couple of people locally that bought "cheap" Chinese scooters, one lasted 38 miles before having a major electrical fault and packing up, and the other has managed nearly 250 miles in a year (with the scooter being in the garage awaiting spares for most of that year). If you are interested in two wheeled transport then pop down to the Greystones on a Tuesday and have a chat. I think that's all for this edition except to wish you a safe and Merry Christmas from all of us at the Sawtry Motor Cycle Club and hope to see you some time at the Greystones. Simon |