• PAUL DOBSON from IDE
• RUSSELL STRANGE from BRISTOL
• JOHN WILTON from DOWN ST MARY
• PAUL JERRAM from WESTBURY
• STEVEN SHARKEY from WINSCOMBE
• PAUL DAVIS from PLYMOUTH
• DAN HALL from UCKINGHALL
• MICHAEL GRIFFITHS from PLYMOUTH
• BARRY DISCALA from HOLSWORTHY
• MARTYN BELL from BAWDRIP
• MEMBERS WHO JOINED DURING 2018
• STEVE DIMENT from POOL
• ANDREW BUTLER from MARK
• PETER RIHOY from ST PETERS PORT
• PAUL ANDERSON from CRANTOCK
• JAMES FOWLER & LINDA BRITTAN from DUNSTER
• BRIAN LEWIS from ST ISSEY
• STEWART WEBB from CHARD
• ROY COX from NOTTER
• JOHN MANX from PLYMOUTH
• RON TEBB from CHIPPENHAM
• PHILLIP SWASH from BATH
• IAN ROOKE from PLYMOUTH
• ROBIN JENNINGS from FLUSHING
• DAVE & MEI YOUNG from BRISTOL
• PAUL BRYSON from HAVERFORDWEST
• TIMOTHY SHEENAN from CHIPPENHAM
• CODY LYSTER from EXETER
• GEORGE FARDELLS from LYMPSTONE
• SIMON PENTON from GLASTONBURY
• DARYLL JONES from NEWPORT
• DARREN EVANS from NEWTON ABBOT
• STEVE REYNOLDS from FALMOUTH
• PHIL LINCOLN from WIVELISCOMBE
• SIMON LORD from NEWTON ABBOT
• MATHEW SMART from BRISTOL
• HUGH VAN'T HOFF from ULEY
• PAUL HILL from PORTISHEAD
• ROBERT BASH from RADSTOCK
• PETER THOMPSON from CHARTERHOUSE ON MENDIP
• DAVID HARRIS from BURNHAM-ON-SEA
• TRACEY WEISNER from BURNHAM-ON-SEA
• GRAHAM SUTHERLAND from WELLS
• MARK EMPSON from SEVENHAMPTON
• CHRISTOPHER LOOSMORE from ATWORTH
• MARK LITHGOW from WELLINGTON
• TIMOTHY LLOYD from ILMINSTER
• DAVID MACCARTHY from SALCOMBE * Transfered from another section
• KRISTYAN AVERY from GLOUCESTER
• STEPHEN PALMER from CHRISTCHURCH
• MALCOLM ROGERS from BARNSTAPLE
• CALUM MACINTOSH from KINGSKERSWELL
• CRAIG MILLWATER from BLANFORD FORUM
• GERARD PEARCE from LOOE
• PAUL SMITH from VERYAN
• TREVOR BURRIDGE from EXETER
• JULIAN ELLIOT from TIVERTON

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MOTORCYCLE TRAINING

We often think about improving our riding, there is only one way and that is to take on some training and below are two options

At the Rugby Club, Pottington Rd, Barnstaple EX31 1JH

Tuesday 5th February - Registration and first presentation
Tuesday 12th February - 2 presentations
Tuesday 19th February - 2 presentations
Tuesday 26th February - 2 presentations
Tuesday 5th March - 2 presentations
Tuesday 12th March - Final presentation and quiz
From then on and throughout the summer training sessions take place on Tuesday evenings.
Rideouts are a regular feature usually on Sunday
If anyone wants further details please contact TimPattemore 07754 468969

There is also IAM which includes groups in Cornwall, Devon and Plymouth, they offer rider training in your local area all year round, they can be contacted at the main website https://www.iamroadsmart.com/courses and direct you to the local groups.

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RENEWALS

Membership renewals are now due * Please renew by the end of January 2019 or you may not get the next journal

* This is for members who joined during the previous system and for those new members who may have joined in January 2018.

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BRAND NEW CHALLENGE FOR 2019 !

Tim Pattemore is running a South West Landmark Challenge starting on Tuesday January 1st 2019 and running through to Thursday October 31st .

This is a great way of getting out and about on your bikes and have loads of fun !

Full details HERE

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Membership Fee Increase

As of Monday 1st October 2018 the membership fee for the Club will increase. UK membership will rise from £30 to £32, Overseas will increase from £35 to £38 and associate fees will rise from £2 to £3.

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S.N.R`s

This stands for Short Notice Rides . At our January 2018 committee meeting it was decided to introduce this for our section. A Short Notice Ride or Meet ( SNR ) can be organised a few days before and details sent to our Social Secretary Don Rabson and to our webmaster, this will be emailed out to the membership and placed on our website and google calendar . The advantage of this is that they can be done on the back of good weather forecasts and so are likely to attract more participants. These of course will run alongside other ride-outs. We welcome anyone who would like to run a SNR but please try and give plenty of notice of at least three days in advance so that it can be notified to the members.

Social Secretary HERE

Webmaster HERE

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If so, you have joined one of the most active motorcycle clubs in Great Britain if not the most active.
The South West section also happens to be one of the most active sections within the club, infact each year you have over sixty local events you can choose to join that have been organised by our dedicated section members and nationally you literally have hundreds to choose from.

I remember when I went along to my first event after being a member for a few months , it was a ride out led by John Dyke to Exmoor Zoo. Firstly joining any new club can be very intimidating! Becoming a newbie in any established group is hard, cliques have been formed over many years, everyone is getting on with what they are used to doing each time they meet, they all know each other and chat away like life long friends. I am not a shy person, but was hesitant about going along, it was actually my wife who gave me the push that I required and encouraged me to go.

So I Pulled up outside The Woodleigh Hall cafe at Cheriton Bishop and was the last person there ..Great !
There was a very healthy turn-out of members and the car park seemed to be stacked with BMWs and a few Japanese bikes too covering all years ( not everyone in the club rides a BMW you can join our club whatever you ride , first and foremost we are motorcyclists ) so in I went to a cafe packed full of club members and asked who was in charge ? John came up and shook my hand and offered me a place at his table.
I was made most welcome, everyone was talking to me about my bike and bikes in general , it was clear that this was a group of very keen motorcycle mad bikers. So here I am eight/nine years later and now a committee member and the section webmaster.

So if you are new please don't be shy, come along to an event and introduce yourself, you will be made most welcome.
Yes it will take time to get to know people, but many life time friendships have been formed within the club and a few marriages too !
But you will only become a real member by becoming an active member and remember ? You will only get out of this club what you put into it!
So maximise your motorcycling and join an event, we are waiting to meet you.

It is with great sadness that we received the news today, of the passing of our great friend and long time section member Chris Crocker, who had battled prostate cancer for the past few years. Chris had been a member, committee member and for two years Chairman of the South West section. Chris had been at the forefront of organsing many events over the years and up to just two years ago, still organised our annual Concours D Elegance and Barbeque.

I first met Chris at one of his Mid Summer Rallies held each year at Tiverton RFC, he made me very welcome and was always on hand for great advice and was a larger than life character who always had a great story to tell with an infectious laugh .

Our thoughts at this very sad time are with his wife Sylvie and family.

Jim Isherwood is the South West representative for the Vintage and Classic Register and also the vintage and classic register R80ST and G/S specialist.
Membership of the VCR is available to any paid up member of the BMW Club and is free. (i.e. included as part of full membership)
All BMW motorcycles older than 25 years are eligible, so any manufactured before 1989.
He would like to invite all owners of eligible BMW motorcycles in our Section to contact him with the intention of getting together to attend SW Section events, having a beer etc.

Jims contact details are on the link below.

VCR LINK