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Posted On 25 Jun 2024
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ROLLIES SPEED SHOP OPEN HOUSE 2015
Our Kuryakyn-customised H-D Sportster has scored a win at its first ever show – although it was a bit of a show with a difference. Here’s Ian from Rollies to tell us about the event where the bike won a cash prize for its builders, Iron Head Customs in Melbourne.
Every second year Rollies Speed Shop hosts a get together of American manufacturers and members of their National Dealership Network to showcase the development of products for the Australian v-twin marketplace.
The second day the event is open to the public allowing v-twin owners the opportunity to talk to the people behind the major brands, in a one on one situation.
The third Rollies Open House was held on Sat 3rd and Sunday 4th of October with a fantastic roll out of manufacturers from the United States including Performance Machine, Kuryakyn, Arlen Ness Enterprises, Legend Air Suspensions, Jim’s USA Performance Parts, Progressive Suspension, Daytona Twin Tec, Magna Flow, Spectro Performance Oils, Russ Wernimont Designs, Rinehart Racing Exhausts, Genuine James Gaskets, Freedom Performance Exhausts, Thunder Max, S&S Cycle, Roland Sands Designs to name just a few.
The dealer day was extremely well attended with both Daytona Twin Tech & Thunder Max offering introductory and advanced training courses from a workshop perspective.
Our Australian market differs from the USA experience, as we do not have the same interest in the touring bagger segment as our American counterparts.
Over time Rollies Speed Shop has engaged the manufacturers in looking for specific solutions to our market; more emphasis on the V-Rod and Softail models that are not as popular in the States.
We also had the launch of some new exhaust systems from Rinehart Racing who have typically held huge market share in the States due to the company’s history in Indy Car exhaust development; there will be new models released as Rinehart focuses on performance through the stepped header designs that are more often seen on high performance exhaust builds.
Crusher Performance exhaust systems were highlighted as well, this is the performance arm of Kuryakyn, another giant in the USA aftermarket space.
They also featured the new line of Bahn Products for the Harley-Davidson range.
Arlen Ness by Magna Flow showcased exhaust products for the first time at the show, with a new range of performance systems that have the definitive mastery of Arlen Ness design, with the performance background of Magna Flow; the largest aftermarket automobile performance exhaust builder in the USA.
Rollies Speed Shop Distribution would like to thank the manufacturers and dealer network who supported this year’s event. This was an exceptional event that was well supported by the American manufacturers, the National Dealership Network and the general public. State tuned for the next even in 2017 – don’t miss it!
FAR CAIRN RALLY 2015 HERE IS THE POSSUM’S FAR CAIRN REPORT
Our little group made an early start for the wilds of Tottenham well wrapped in our wet weather gear.
Intermittent showers followed us to Richmond, and we experienced wet roads but no rain over the Bells Line.
Plenty of roadworks on the Bells Line and a rumoured 80 km/h speed limit to be imposed over the full length helped us along our way.
Following an overnight stay in Forbes, we made our way under sunny skies to Tottenham.
I had some initial concerns that the rally had been taken over – there seemed to be more Suzuki Bandits than BMWs! But by the time we arrived at the Racecourse all was well and BMWs were in plague proportions.
There was a first for me, I saw my first MV Agusta at a rally and not a barista in sight. The local Food works supermarket did a big trade in bags of ice and boxes of things to be kept cold. As in previous years, the Lions Club was in attendance and feeding the multitudes, and they backed up next morning to make sure everyone had a bacon and egg roll to soak up the evening’s excesses.
Walking about the camp site we found a good representation of number plates from QLD, NSW, VIC and SA.
As the sun set, the awards and raffles were rolled out.
Oldest Combined Age was 116 for Mick and his BMW – not sure who was older.
Longest Distance Sidecar was Garry with 573 km L/D Female was Margaret from Stanthorpe in QLD at 1005 km.
L/D Male was Peter from Hervey Bay QLD at 2779 km – must have come the scenic route.
L/D Pillion was Deborah from SA at 1135 km – she won it last year too.
Youngest Rider went to 22 y.o. Tom Reynolds
The SA BMW Club was disappointed that there was no award for Club attendance, as they had a big group on hand.
The preferred charity of the BMW Touring Club of NSW has been the Motorcycle Accident Rehabilitation Initiative (MARI) and the club President Alan Peters spoke about the work of MARI and its evolution before introducing Ken Lovegrove. Ken is the moving force that is spreading MARI’s work around the countryside. He had recently returned from a trip down the length of QLD where he has most of the major hospitals on board and volunteers established in most major towns and cities.
MARI provides a network to support victims of bike crashes in practical ways.
At the end of the presentation, the BMWTCNSW presented Ken with a cheque for $8,900 to help with the continuation of MARI’s work.
For more information go to www.drwings.org.au .
Raffles were a mixed bag of goodies from various sponsors and while one of our party won three times, the rest of us got nothing! After the raffles, there was a picture show with a motorcycle theme that include promos from old B&W movies, the BMW Enduro Safari, and the funniest short film Western ever seen.
Speaking with BMW TC NSW Club stalwart Warren Buffet next morning I learned that the 150 badges were all gone and there were some more to be sent out, so overall the Club is pretty happy with numbers.
The Club would like to thank Bike Biz, Procycles Hornsby, Sydney Motorcycle Wreckers, Adventure Moto, Adventure Rider Magazine, Colo Heights Service Stn, Grey Gums Cafe, Rally Sports Imports and club members Ian Emmett and Tony Wilton, who all contributed financially or with prizes to make the rally a success.
The next BMWTCNSW rally will be the Karuah River Rally on 13/14 Feb 2016; check their web site for more details.
RAGGED FRINGE RALLY 2015 POSSUM BRAVES THUNDERBOLT’S WAY
Upon returning from this rally, I had a look at the Moto Guzzi Owners Association of NSW website and read some interesting things.
Some time in the distant past, a widely read motorcycle magazine referred to Moto Guzzi motorcycles and riders as the ragged fringe of respectable motorcycling.
(I wondered if our aged editor of many magazines in the past had anything to do with that comment) [No]. The Guzzi Owners of NSW was formed and took that reference to heart.
To ride a machine with such a long and proud history, and more recently, derived from a military rough terrain carry-all,requires passion and big brass balls.
The V8 500 (148 kg/78 hp) never won a GP, but it stirred passion and held the flying kilometre and flying mile world records for a time – 186 mph in about 1957 springs to mind ! The 500 Falcone never won anything, but has a loyal following. To own a Guzzi requires more passion than the Ducatisti have and more loyalty than the Milwaukee crowd will ever muster.
To hold a rally up Thunderbolts Way requires passion, passion for rough and winding roads to be negotiated at speed.
This most recent Ragged Fringe was held where many previous have been held, at Bretti Reserve on Thunderbolts Way to the west of Gloucester NSW, and I took No. 2 son along to see what drives these people.
It was early spring and cloudless skies accompanied us as we negotiated the crap roads of country NSW via Dungog to Bucketts Way and on the Gloucester, where we paused for lunch at the motorcycle friendly cafe that advertises in this august publication. The local IGA had a very nicely priced range of Hardys reds in what appeared to be one litre bottles.
After lunch and nice cuppa, we headed out and tackled Thunderbolts for the 30 odd km’s to the Bretti reserve. A half hearted attempt by a kamikaze kangaroo was the only cause for concern on this leg of our trip.
Bretti Reserve resembled a grey nomads’ refuge with caravans and mobile homes all over the place, and bikes and tents congregated towards the centre of the reserve.
After entering and setting up camp we took in the sights and found Guzzis of all vintages, with a strong showing from the current V7s. Many other makes were in attendance, even a strong showing from Milwaukee.
The Association organised a bloke with wood fired pizza ovens to put in an appearance, and he did a roaring trade all afternoon and into the evening. Red wine – must have pizza!
Late afternoon saw the official proceedings get under way with a slow race run over a number of heats, and the pillions sitting side saddle for extra difficulty. Next event was the crankshaft throw, which saw contestants heaving a Le Mans crank down the road. Almost 10 metres was the winning throw.
Trophies were awarded for, Longest Distance Pillion – Kazza 850 km, L/D Female, Katherine from Roma in QLD, Hard Luck to a bloke who had all the smoke escape from his wiring near Gloucester and was delivered to the site by a total stranger in one of a number of acts of random kindness he experienced during his hour of trial, Largest Club attendance went to the oddly named George 4th club, Longest Distance on a Guzzi went to a bloke who came down from Quilpie in QLD.
There where awards to blokes who best upheld the Guzzi spirit, and a special award that needs its own paragraph.
The Stephen Dearnley Award went to the oldest Guzzi rider on site and a 68 year old Mal took it home. Long before Stephen Dearnley started the Ulysses Club, he helped start the Moto Guzzi Owners Association of NSW; now you know something else about Old No. 1.
During the evening we enjoyed a certain amount of ‘fellowship’ around the fires and long after I toddled off to bed, my old rally mate Mick stayed by a certain fire until very late. When he stood up to go home to bed, he was viciously attacked by gravity and sent to the ground.
Fortunately some other, less gravity prone, souls where able to escort him home in safety.
Speaking to John, the Association President, I learned that all 160 badges made had been snapped up, and 148 bikes registered. The Association has been holding this rally at Bretti for the last 10 years and hopes to conduct many more events here. The rally is run to break even and provide some funds for club activities, but periodically the club has supported the Guide Dogs and the Starlight Foundation.
This is a great rally at the end of a cracking good ride, pencil it in for next September!
