Chapter Six Motorcycle AA Group
IN THE WIND 2016
If it brings you happiness
Then I wish you all the best
Farewell from current Webmaster - Peter H (Lorne) 2014 -2016
Next Saturday the 2nd of June is our Service Meeting in Shepparton. It also marks my 2 year gig as the Webmaster of this fantastic Alcoholics Anonymous group. And just like tyres on a scoot, service members need changing too. My time is up.
While I would still like to keep contributing to this website, God willing, there will be a new Webmaster as of next Saturday. I kinda have my eye on the service position of literature, T shirts and badges. So look out if you order a T shirt and it's the wrong size, you may end up dealing with me!! Plus I've already started looking out for some good quality long sleeve T Shirts to put our Logo on, winter is here.
A few things have happened in the last 2 years, online that is. We changed web providers last July and thanks to Tom E's advice we ended up here at WIX. A bit of a changeover but we are tooling up for the long term future of the Chapter Six Motorcycle Group. We felt WIX could do that for us.
The changeover to a better provider has been especially important as new groups are emerging interstate. I have a feeling the new Webmaster will be bringing you lots of exciting Chapter Six stuff in the next couple of years.
AND....... I brought you music to our site!!!! My long time sponsor Tonky L of Townsville would have been proud of me.
We've only got one day. Not everything is as tough as it may seem.
Adios Amigos.
9th annual Over the Mountains
The 9th Over the Mountain ride was well attended this year. Yeah, 2017 will be big as we mark 10 years. I didn't expect the highway patrol to be greeting me at my camp at the Omeo Motel, but hey, thats another story.
Great to catch up with Penny and Paul from Bendigo. And the ride back with Peter H from Bendigo was great. Thanks everyone. Isn't this what Bill and Bob were talking about?????
All this riding over the summer has seen me doing a bit of maintenance. Yeah and that means trips to the bike shop.
My favourite is that Peter Stevens shop in Ringwood just down from Car City.
Finally a bike shop designed for bikes and not cars. If you are in Lilydale or on Eastlink, pull off and check it out. One of the most modern bike shops I've seen and well worth a look see.
Saw this old Kwaka tripple on my last visit there.
That old Z next to the 750 was in good order as well.
Check out the 'bike only' parking. And a massive carport at the back just for bikes. Bloke thinks he is in the USA with a bike shop this big.
The problem with buying Triumph parts in a shop that also sells Harleys is going past all those new Harleys.
Yeah it can be a problem. Like this 2016 Breakout Softail in Vivid White. Now I wonder if my saddle bags would go straight on it and the heated hand grips???
Chris' bike at January meeting in Shep.
Turned out to be a big meeting with 21 bikes parked outside the hall.
A great meeting and some good topics covered. I used my 'door is always open' theme as I reckon AA is the ultimate place to welcome a recovering alcoholic.
All you need is a desire to stop drinking.
Now you would think I waited to get Ronny's picture as he rode in, but you'd be wrong. Funny how things pan out.
Spent the night at Army Ron's, thanks mate. His place is biker friendly and I always feel like I get a bit of Far North Queensland hospitality there. Army Ron like myself got sober in Townsville.
Up with the Cockatoos we both embraced our day with a hearty breakfast. Cruising off in different directions I hit the highway to Bendigo.
It was a cool ride in the morning, which is good as my fuel injection has been playing up on hotter days. Peter and I had decided to check out a Triumph aftermarket supplier at Carisbrook on the way to Maryborough. It's something I wanted to do but havn't been in that area for a while so thanks to Google maps I totally stuffed it up.
Yeah there was a sign blown around the wrong way, it was very hot and the dirt road was as dusty as hell! In the end we found it and had a chat with the owner and bought some T shirts and I bought a clutch cable cover.
Apart from spare parts this guy also customises bikes.
He holds a land speed record as well for triumph and is going to try and beat that shortly.
I'm not looking at any land speed records as I just want to hold onto my bike licence!
It was a good stop over and even though we trailed down a long dirt road, hey, this is Australia mate.
After lunch at Carrisbrook I farwelled Peter C and headed for Avoca.
Rest and hydration is good on hot days and I found a big shady tree in a park near the dry creek bed in beautiful Avoca.
A couple of noisy Cockatoos kept me entertained as they settled a dispute over a female bird. Thank God it quietened down when I fired up my bike.
The ride through the Pyrenees is beautiful. Lovely countryside, great roads and no traffic. I hooked in and was soon at Ararat. The ride was overpowered by the majestic outcrops of the Grampians National Park. Get there well before dark is my rule, I hit a wallaby once on my Yamaha going to this camp in January.
Halls Gap is an AA camp with Al-Anon participation. Its a special place and I stayed the 3 days this year.
The accomodation is at a school camp facility and is excellent.
The cooking facilities bring everyone together and I shared some good times with fellow members.
Someone had forgotten the banners, probably the first time in the 35 years the event has been held this has happened.
Chapter Six to the rescue. I cut up a couple of rags, used cable ties and a permanent marker from my biker bag and we were in business.
We cann use that banner in September when we do our round Victoria ride.
It was good being one of the first to arrive and the last ones to leave. I think I went to 5 meetings.
Plenty of people talking about Chapter Six and the good things that it is doing.
I had an early start to head back to Whittlesea on my last day. The weather was predicted to be hot. Leave early and get home early. Plenty to think about riding back. I heard of a lot of alkies doing time in our Victorian prisons. Rode past a new one getting built on the outskirts of Melbourne near Deer Park. What can I say?
Those handwritten banners in that picture say it all. The program is one of action, to keep sobriety you have to give it away. I feel sorry for those people locked down.
Have a great new year out there. Carry the mesage where you can.
This whole deal is a gift and I never forget that. Being able to ride is part of that gift.
There is a lot happening in the near future. Kyabram minicon, Over the Mountains ride and the Bendigo Chapter Six Motorcycle Group anniversary.
Ride safe everyone.
Peter H