Editorial
As tantalisingly trailed in last month’s issue, I’ve taken over as editor of
Horizontal News. I’m really looking forward to it—though I have to say that the
technical production side is on the far horizons of my competence for the
moment.
I am sure that we would all like to thank Martin for his two years at the helm.
I don’t plan any big changes; I’ll just see how it goes for the moment. It would
be great to get some letters. All the other club magazines I have ever seen
seemed to have loads. And with current club membership numbers if you all wrote
one letter I could publish one a month for twenty years! So why not pop a note
in the email and surprise me?
In this issue read all about a proposal for next year’s AGM; our secretary’s
rally report complete with delicious camp-side recipe; the latest goody on offer
from the European importers; nominations for the Alan Mottram award; all this
and more. I really don’t know how I’ve crammed it all in!
Peter Barker
Ural on Twitter
Ural is twitting too! If you want to get more frequent updates about Urals, then
note that the American importer tweets the latest Ural news on Twitter. Stay in
touch and sign up for a Twitter account (free) at
www.twitter.com then find Ural Twit.
Click "follow" and start receiving their tweets and tweet away yourself. If you
are using
Twitter already, here's the shortcut to Ural:
http://twitter.com/ural_twit. And
remember — you heard it first on Radio Horizontal…..
That
new front disc brake at work.
AGM To Move North Shock?!
From our Northern Correspondent The gauntlet has been thrown down. At the Popham
AGM southern members generously offered the North a chance to stage the club AGM
for 2010. The question now: is the North up to it?
Sitthee lads and lasses, we’d best put us thinking caps on, eh? What we need is
a site and some help .
What a sight
First of all a site. Somewhere near you, is perhaps the nation’s greatest rally
site. It may not even be near you. It may be someone you know. Someone’s father;
someone’s brother; someone’s son. But this is no time for sentiment. We need to
know! We have no definition of “Northern” but Leicester certainly does not
count. Purely arbitrary prejudice suggests it must be north of, er, Sheffield?
This is surely not too hard a task in the vast and beautiful expanses of the
North? So get out there with your GPS and your 1:25,000 and start looking.
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A summer rally in the North |
Press Gang
And next: does anyone want to help in putting this rally together? You’re not
obliged—but we know where you live. If you would like to be part of a glamorous
and fun loving elite please contact Dave Ramsden (details above).
Alternatively if you simply feel you could offer a bit of time on the day or
before you could also contact exactly the same Dave Ramsden.
Grand As Owt
If no one and nothing is forthcoming then it’s going back to the Deep South next
year. This would be, quite frankly, an ignominy. They’ll be laughing behind
their hands and pointing, darn sarf. It’ll be ’ow cor blimey’ and ’stroik a loit’
and this correspondent for one will find it hard to take. It’s time to stand up
and be counted!
Alan Mottram Award
Every year we ask for nominations for the Alan Mottram Award. Alan was a long
time club member and stalwart. And the award is for service to the club over the
previous year. Previous winners have been:
2002:
Peter J Ballard: Research into the M72 and contribution to the
www.cossackownersclub.co.uk library.
2003:
Steve Cutler/Ann Marie Seager: Horizontal News’ newsletter re-generation and new
‘Horizontal View’
2004:
David Cox: Expansion and running of the Club Regalia, thus supporting members
and helping club funds
2005:
Chris Smith: Supporting club and members with free advice independently of his
business interests
2006:
David Angel: Supporting club and members with free advice independently of his
business interests
2007:
Carl (Thomas) Booth: Initiating and running the COC stands at the various
classic bike shows
2008:
Trevor Colledge: Running the successful Dent club rallies for many years.
So have a think and send a nomination for your unsung hero of 2009 (to Dave
Ramsden please by 6 November).
North-East MZ Rally
From Our Man in the Field: Dave Ramsden
Bellingham is a delightful small town in Tyne and Wear ideally situated for
exploring Northumberland. – the remains of Hadrian’s Wall for example being
close by.
Demesne Farm is a traditional farm campsite two minutes from the town with flat
pitches and good facilities located in the unrestored cobbled farmyard. I did
not meet the owners, because the MZ Club organised the collection of camping
fees, but they could easily be ruddy faced country folk with the friendly
welcoming disposition so typical of us northerners. But beware if you intend to
swing into Bellingham with your hell-raising motorcycling compadres. Demesne
Farm does not admit large single-sex groups and I expect the chicken killing,
pensioner molesting rowdies of the MZ club were only allowed entry because it
was out of high season – the only other visitors were a single camper van and
three other motorcyclists on tour. Oades and I decided to rally for one night
only, she being a bit nesh in her old age, and set off on two outfits early
Saturday morning in a howling gale with the big air bed and extra blanket. Four
miles up the road her BMW gearbox got stuck in second – a fitting metaphor for
our adopted lifestyle – and we had to return for her solo.
The ride by the back way to Ripon was good, the roads being slower and somewhat
sheltered from the boisterous breeze. No need to ‘stay awhile amid its ancient
charms’ because there is a new bypass, and anyway they’ve closed the public
toilets on the city square. If you do venture within note also ‘Except ye Lord
keep ye city, ye Wakeman waketh in vain’ high up on a building. There used to be
an old man who directed traffic with no shirt on, but I expect he has long since
departed this life of cares.
On the A1 and the A68 the side wind from the west was one of the worst I have
ever experienced. Even on my heavy outfit the gusts occasionally took me
unawares and Oades was twice blown over the white line on her solo, thankfully
to no detrimental effect.
We were warmly greeted on entry to the sheltered site by David and Keith, MZ
Club members from our own area of West Yorkshire. The rest of the attendees were
away on a brewery trip, for which a small coach had thoughtfully been laid on,
proving conclusively that the MZ Club is more than capable of organising the
proverbial. Most interesting bike present, apart from my outfit, was a 1940s
Indian with foot clutch, hand change and a left-hand twist-grip.
We spent the afternoon in a local hostelry populated otherwise by middle-aged
and older men of a less than progressive bent watching the horse racing. The pub
had no crisps as it was waiting for a delivery, but the Co-op is practically
next door. My wife and I found refried savoy cabbage with soy sauce in bread and
margarine an ideal sustenance break and compliment to pear cider.
Some thirty rallyists of widely varying ages between fifty and seventy
congregated round two big tables in the hotel bar in the evening and typical
informal revelry ensued.
As I never tire of saying the MZ Club is a very friendly nationally
well-organised club and they run rallies in your area. There is even a rally in
Wiltshire for COC members who believe they need a passport to venture north of
Birmingham.
******************
Coming soon — “Dave’s Campside Cookbook” from Horizontal Publications. Available
for Christmas in all good bookshops.
(“I wish I’d thought of this” G. Ramsay)
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| That lovely Indian with Tony Simmonds’ outfit in supporting role | And Dave’s own more interesting outfit with Yvonne’s BMW providing backdrop |
The Latest Offering from European Importers: Ural Motorcycles GMBH Ural Limited
Edition 10/09 “Red October“
Over the years it has become a tradition that the European Importer creates and
orders a limited edition Ural motorcycle from the Siberian factory to be
produced in small numbers. This year we have been bold and courageous in
choosing a bright gloss red and matt black colour scheme, not usually associated
with a classic motorcycle and sidecar design. The theme is based on the novel
“The Hunt for Red October” by Tom Clancy and its movie version. The limited
edition Ural will be launched to the public in the autumn 2009
The Ural limited edition 2009 “Red October” sits lower than the standard Ural.
18 inch wheels instead of the common 19 inch ones and the lower mounted sidecar
along with the bright red paint gives an aggressive stance even when stationary.
The lower centre of gravity also enhances cornering stability at higher speeds.
As always on Ural limited editions there are many small detailed changes to
enhance the overall theme: The “Red October” will be equipped with the reverse
gear lever on the fuel tank, retro style round sidecar lights, discreet luggage
rack behind the riders seat and another on the boot of the sidecar, and a small
practical steel box on the back of the sidecar with a unique mark, which somehow
indicates the real origin of all Ural bikes.
This Ural celebrates the contrast between the soft matt black on all frame parts
and the bright gloss red of the body parts The Hunt for Red October is now on!
Not more than 30 units will be launched from the Ural dockyards in October 2009.
Anyone who wants to make sure that they get one of these special Ural sidecar
bikes, should visit their Ural dealer immediately. (Picture and Text by kind
permission of Ural Motorcycles GMBH)
Ivan’s Last Word
Home Mechanics - remember!! Even if you cut it twice — it will still be too
short.