Aussie racer Remy Gardner, together with father Wayne Gardner, has just gone down in history as the second set to secure championships for Moto2.
The report from ABC News states that Remy’s dad, Wayne Gardner, was world 500cc champ back in 1987 – a feat that has been since completed by others…just not by his offspring.
Until now.
“There have definitely been some hard years,” Gardner jr. says at the press conference.
“Last year, I really managed to get my mind under control, which then led to everything kind of falling into place…I just tried to keep positive about everything.”
“From 2015 to 2019, they were some really tough years for me and even some points where I honestly believed that it was the end of the road. Especially after the injuries — just fighting through that was incredibly difficult.”
Stoner, commentating for BT Sport, saluted the Red Bull KTM Ajo rider, saying the following:
“Remy’s been through a hell of a lot the last few years — he’s had his critics, and I myself wasn’t sure where his talent levels were….but once you get with the right team and get the right people around you, he was really able to show what he’s capable of and his season’s been outstanding.”
It’s more than a little bit emotional for Remy, seeing as this is only the second time a father-son duo has completed the championship.
“I can’t believe it. So many years of suffering, so many points in my career I just thought I’m not good enough, not going to make it, but I’ve made it happen, it’s a dream come true.”
The global success of George Miller’s Mad Max first installment in 1979 meant a lot for Aussies, young and old. Not only did it prove that we could punch above our weight when it came to motion pictures and storytelling and introduce the world to the new genre of ‘car chase apocalypse’ movies, but it was also a crucial vehicle (pun fully intended) in introducing the world to Aussie culture; and what could be a more important aspect of Antipodean society in the late ‘70s than the Aussie V8?
And while many of my countrymen and women would love to be able to tell you about how the movie also featured some killer Aussie motorcycles alongside the now-famous Ford ‘last of the V8 interceptors’ Falcon XB, the sad fact of the matter is that all you see in the movie was wall-to-wall Kawasakis. So, why was Australia so adept at making cars and not motorcycles?
Spencer motorcycle c.1906 before restoration. Photograph: Paul Reed
The sad fact of the matter is a common thread that has been woven throughout Australian manufacturing from its very earliest days. Despite the multitude of dreams Aussies had to make cars and bikes locally, the unavoidable fact of the matter is that the country’s population is not only minuscule, but it’s also as far away from the rest of the world as you can get before you start getting closer again. The upshot is that everything you might need to import to make a vehicle costs a bomb, and your chances of making up the costs you’d wear to get them down here can’t be recouped with local sales because there simply weren’t enough customers to buy the bloody things.
Despite this harsh reality, a handful of ‘never say die’ Aussies decided their backyard sheds could also be motorcycle factories, and despite the palpable complaints of ‘the Misses,’ the history books show that between the turn of the century and the end of World War 2, more than a dozen battlers gave it a red hot go. Here are three of the best.
Spencer Motorcycles, Brisbane c. 1906
A restored Spencer motorcycle as it appears today. Photograph: Penelope Clay
David Spencer was a Queensland mechanical engineer who was born in England in 1870. Somehow finding time in between fathering nine children, the man used his metalworking skills developed through his job on the Australian railways to build a motorcycle in 1906 in his North Brisbane garage. And in a very Burt Munro-esque fashion, he decided that the best way to test his vehicles was to race them.
Photograph: Penelope Clay
Making almost every part of his creations in his shed, his cedar and bronze patterns for engine and drivetrain castings survive to this day and tell a story of an engineer who was supremely capable. ‘Spencer’ branding across the bike’s various levers and reservoirs. The best example of his bikes is shown here – a 475cc single with the encryption ‘No. 3’ on the engine. So impressed were the local police by Spencer’s bikes that they reportedly requested he build them 50 examples. Concerned he wouldn’t be able to deliver on the order, he turned the offer down. But just imagine if he’d somehow manage to make the order a reality? Maybe we’d be talking about Holden, Ford, and Spencer a century later?
Whiting Motorcycles, Melbourne c. 1914
A 1914 Whiting powered by a 494 cc JAP side-valve V-twin. Photograph: Penelope Clay
Predating Brough Motorcycles by a good four years and clearly driven by the same ‘top shelf’ motorcycling passions, Saville Whiting was an Australian on an engineering mission. With a deep understanding of the issues surrounding motorcycling’s nascent years, the Melbourne-based designer and engineer solved the challenge of ‘hard’ motorcycle frames with a very four-wheeled solution; leaf springs.
An Australia Post commemorative stamp, showing the 1919 Whiting 685cc V4 motorcycle.
Convinced of the idea’s worth, he named the design ‘spring frame’ and took the bold step of traveling to Mother England in 1914 to sell the idea. And while the local newspapers were smitten, naming the bike ‘the last word in luxury’ for its ride comfort, the outbreak of World War I was also quashing Whiting’s plans for mass production. Returning to Melbourne, he soldiered on to produce three variations in total, a Douglas-engined mule, a J.A.P.-engined second version, and an experimental air-cooled 685 cc V4 engined final swan song in 1919, predating the British V4 Matchless Stirling of 1931 by a full 11 years.
Waratah Motorcycles, Sydney c. 1911
A proud Waratch Motorcycle owner and his bike. Photograph: Jonathan Carroll
Known as the largest and most successful of all the Australian motorcycle makers, Waratah was founded in 1911 and carried on until its post-war demise in 1951. Starting off as importers, they stand in stark contrast to Spencer and Whiting in their approach to the business and production. Shunning the small, handmade approach, they sold mostly bikes assembled out of pre-existing frames and British engines. This changed to mostly ‘badge engineering’ Norman and Excelsior bikes imported from England after World War II.
Waratah Motorcycles employees and a new bike in Sydney, circa 1945. Photograph: Waratah Motorcycles
While little information remains on them, it’s clear they hold the record for Australia’s longest-running and most successful motorcycle manufacturer, selling Waratah-badged bikes well into the 1950s. And while you may be tempted to downgrade them thanks to their lack of home-grown engineering chops, it’d pay to remember that Holden was also started as an Australian-based ‘body builder’ that used imported General Motors ‘knock down’ componentry and chassis to assemble cars locally.
The irony is that the same post-war boom in car sales that empowered the rise of the cafe racer culture in the UK also saw off the last of the motorcycles in Australia as the convenience, carrying capacity, and wet weather protection of the tin tops experienced a wholesale shift to the four-wheelers from the 1950s onwards. But it’s interesting to note that on many separate occasions, the country was a hair’s breadth away from having its very own Triumph or Harley-Davidson. But we can still dream, can’t we?
The Phillip Island MotoGP round won’t be happening this year – and five-time 500cc world champion Mick Doohan isn’t too happy about it.
The Australian Grand Prix Corporation board member isn’t the only one gritting his teeth. With ongoing restrictions costing last year’s Aussie Grand Prix to fold, riders and viewers alike were looking forward to the next race to unite the track – in the case of Doohan’s frustrations, for an Aussie to win it.
Aussie homestars Jack Miller and Remy Gardner
According to a report from Crash.net, two Aussies were carrying a lot of potential for this year’s home race. Factory Ducati rider and home star Jack Miller had been winning races in the premier class, and with future Tech3 KTM rider Remy Gardner leading the Moto2 world championship, chances were high for an Aussie win.
Besides that, fans were simply eager to see things return to normal after the restrictions of 2020.
Phillip Island Christmas cards of 2020/2021, prior to the most recent restrictions.
“I’m totally devastated that we’re not hosting the Australian Motorcycle Grand Prix again this year at Phillip Island,” says Doohan, “especially with the form we’ve got with Jack Miller in MotoGP and Remy Gardner in Moto2, who could have been in a position to win the championship overall at Phillip Island”.
While fans are exempt from the view at Phillip Island for 2021, they will still be able to look forward to next year’s rounds, where Miller and Gardner will be sharing the same grid.
MotoGP boss Carmelo Ezpeleta
Dorna CEO Carmelo Ezpeleta released the following in a statement:
“Unfortunately, we will have to wait another year to return to Victoria, but we very much look forward to seeing the Australian fans in 2022 and staging another fantastic event together – this time with two home heroes, Jack Miller and Remy Gardner, on the premier class grid when we return”.
Andrew Westacott, Chief Executive Officer of the Australian Grand Prix Corporation (L) listens to Paul Little, Australian Grand Prix Corporation Chairman
Paul Little, Australian Grand Prix Corporation Chairman, mirrors these sentiments.
“I would like to reassure our motivated and professional staff, suppliers, and partners, as well as the Victorian tourism and major events community, that we will work tirelessly to deliver these iconic events in 2022.”
Fingers crossed for 2022, and make sure to support the riders by staying up to date on all things MotoGP!
Talk to any biker over a few beers at the end of the day, the same old question comes up. ‘When did you first start riding?’ For myself and many, many other Aussies, the answer is quite different to those that you’d get in Europe, the USA or Asia. For these other countries, the answer will often be ‘motorcross’ or even ‘bombing around a quiet car park on Sundays.’ But for many an Aussie, the answer will almost inevitably be, ‘as a kid on a farm.’
In Farm’s Way
Farming is to Australia as cars are to the US; it’s the industry at the heart of the country and as such, it unavoidably burrows its way into many aspects of the country’s culture and being. So even a Sydney boy like me, born and bred 30 minutes from the Sydney Opera House and the Harbour Bridge, spent many a school holiday fanging around on a bike in the dusty far western plains of New South Wales.
A classic Aussie ‘Ag Bike’, complete with farmer, Cattle Dog and rifle
And while this ‘farm first’ approach to motorcycling does often feed young riders into the typical moto-cross, enduro and even track racing categories, this birth as an off-road rider from nothing but an empty paddock, an ‘ag bike’ and a whole day to waste in the dirt is uniquely Australian. With very little for learners to hit apart from wire fences and the barking Cattle Dog doing fervent loops around you, this approach affords many riders a broad foundation of basic skills that aren’t limited to the requirements of a single racing genre.
As today, old Aussie enduro bikes were often road-registered and equipped with lights and indicators
Old and Dirty
But I’m getting a little ahead of myself. The official birth of the Australian off-road scene took place on a warm night at the Maitland showground on the 15th of December, 1923. And while many international pundits from the US and the UK dispute this, it’s widely acknowledged that on this night, the first-ever speedway race in the world took place under the arena’s newly installed electric lights.
And it won’t surprise you to learn that – you guessed it – the local farmers were the ones on the bikes. Johnny Hoskins, the local who organised the yearly Agricultural show was looking for other events to broaden the event’s appeal. He noticed the local farmers on their bikes and speeds at which they were able to get across their paddocks, and the rest is history.
An enduro bike from the ’70s with scrambler-style high pipes
Horses for Courses
By the early 1970s, a full 25% of the 55,000 bikes purchased in Australia weren’t classed or registered as road-going vehicles, which really brings home just how large a part of the market the off-road sector was. Horses had been slowly replaced by farm bikes since the technology had come of age in the 1950s, meaning that it was easier and cheaper to maintain a bike than to pay for a horse’s feed and vet bills.
These ‘Ag’ bikes from the likes of BSA and other overseas firms were specially geared to allow riders to meander along while checking fences, rounding up sheep and to move cross country at the same speed as those on foot.
A classic Australian moto-cross bike
A ’70s Explosion
Following the global trend captured in Bruce Brown’s now famous ‘On Any Sunday’ starring Steve McQueen, the popularity of off-road riding in Australia exploded around this time, meaning that by the early 1970s, those suitably flush could partake in trail riding, enduro, sporting trials, moto-cross, minibikes and a whole raft of on-road moto pursuits, too.
And as supremely 70s as it may seem now, there was a growing interest in off-road trikes like the American-made ‘Dunecycle.’ Driven through a torque converter and made of lurid fibreglass, their ability to tackle most terrain with even the most basic of riders on board didn’t stop them from disappearing before the end of the decade.
A ‘70s trail bike
Sand and Deliver
It’s also interesting to note that Sydney and her northern neighbor city, Newcastle, both had large, moto-friendly sand dunes nearby. With Kurnell to Sydney’s south and the Stockton Dunes to Newcastle’s north, the local inhabitants had free and easy access to sand riding right throughout the ’60s, ’70s and ’80s.
This included a dune buggy contingent that saw a ‘Baja Bug’ scene to rival the best that California or Mexico had to offer. After all, with a plethora of old VW Beetles available for chump change and the aftermarket parts scene booming, who in their right mind wouldn’t consider a little weekend sand sled to attract the opposite sex in their swimmers?
A pink (!) sporting trials motorcycle
Scrambling for Meaning
But what about scrambling, you ask? Here’s the thing; scramblers weren’t always scramblers. ‘Scramble’ races were a popular event in the UK since the ’20s and ’30s, but in Australia – before the genre was really formalised – it was effectively split into two more discrete sports: trials riding and moto-cross. Australian publications from the ’70s seem to turn up very few, if any, mentions of the word.
Or maybe more to the point, the distinction between the various sports wasn’t completely clear, even to those taking part in them. I found this quote from a 1974 motorcycling publication, stating that ‘It is difficult to make clear distinctions between such events as ‘trials’, ‘sporting trials’, ‘scrambles’, ‘enduros’, ‘moto-cross and ‘cross country racing’ because there are shades of meanings, varying from State to State and even club to club.’
A offroad minibike or ‘minicycle’
Of course, the last five years have seen a real renaissance of scramblers after the 21st Century cafe racing boom has had its run. This has also seen a crystallisation of the concept where previously there was much assumption, legends and endless photos of a very dusty-looking Steve McQueen. But if you’re anything like me, that’s got to be a good thing. Let’s face it; once you’ve been bitten by the dirt bug, too many moto off-roading options are barely enough.
Like Deus ex Machina, the Distinguished Gentlemans Ride and sweating while riding, Rob Hamilton and his ‘MotoFeelz’ brand is a staple of the Sydney motorcycle scene. If you’ve seen a post on a certain, very popular, custom bike blog about a cool Sydney bike, chances are the photos were taken by Rob. And don’t get me started about his Instagram channel. It’s top shelf.
But like all great content creators, we don’t often get to hear about why they do what they do. They are oftentimes so busy making content about the subjects they love, they’ll leave their own stories by the side of the road. So in an effort to rectify this, we wrestled Rob off his bike, took away his keys and forced him to answer a few personal questions. Here’s what he said.
Can you introduce yourself?
Hey! My name is Rob Hamilton. I’m a Sydney-based professional musician, photographer and now YouTuber for my sick lil moto brand, ‘Moto Feelz.’
Where are you right now?
Right now I’m in my office wearing my dressing gown. It’s getting damn cold here. Before this I was replying to a bunch of emails, preparing a few shoots and getting ready to set up my new home flash studio. Exciting times ahead!
What is it about motorcycle photography that inspires you?
It’s the challenge of trying to capture the feeling that riding a motorcycle brings. I was a late bloomer when it came to riding, and photography for that matter. Mum never wanted me to ride after all the accidents my dad has had over the years, but I was always fascinated by them.
Being in the music scene, I didn’t know anyone else that rode a moto. I was a complete loner and was witnessing one of the most enjoyable experiences of my life. I wanted others to know what they were missing out on and so I started shooting different kinds of motos including the lifestyle, culture and art behind the builds. Now a whole bunch of my muso mates bought bikes and are frothing.
What makes for a great motorcycle photo?
Location is important. Mostly it needs to relate to the style of the bike. Also lighting; if the moto has some mega chrome on it then you don’t wanna be out in the direct sun. I prefer shadows or clouds to shoot with. Adding the rider in with unique moto gear that matches the bike always adds another level of emotion to the snap.
What are your go-to camera and lens combos?
I’ve been rocking my Canon 5D MK IV and either my 35mm Sigma ART 1.4 or my Canon 70-200mm 2.8 for quite some time. I love the compression of the 70-200mm but the thing is HUGE and it can get pretty weighty on the back when going for a ride longer than 30 minutes. I occasionally bring my 16-35mm 2.8 for when I shoot my rolling shots due to space limitations, but it’s so wide, it can warp the image and make the bike look all whack.
Describe your dream outdoor shoot location.
This is a tough one. Time is always at sunset. Always. It’d be during Autumn so we’re not freezing or dying of heat. Bike and place? I have always dreamed of being asked to shoot for Arch Motorcycles and hang out with Keanu Reeves in the Californian desert, kicking up heaps of dust. Maybe replace the Arch with something more 1200 Scrambler style with massive, aggressive tyres and epic lights. Just as long as Keanu is riding it!
What bikes do you own?
I own a TriumphStreet Scrambler that I bought new in September 2018. Since then, I have customised it with a new spray job, pipes, fabrication, suspension, lights, tyres and more. It looks and sounds the absolute business, but it was also a bike that I wanted to ride every day. Last year I went on a massive 5000km ride around New South Wales, where I dropped it a few times and put a few cred marks on her, but I’m totally cool with it.
That’s the vibe I’m going for. I want it to look used and semi-beaten. It is a scrambler after all. Saying this though, I do take very good care of the scram and learnt pretty fast that parts are expensive, so I bought myself a 2003 Yamaha WR450F for practising my off-road shenanigans.
What advice would you give to someone starting out in the industry?
Make sure you do this for you. If your sole purpose is to gain a massive following or get heaps of likes then you will most likely fail. Passion is the winner in this industry. Where there’s passion, there’s motivation. And where there’s motivation, there’s nothing stopping you and you will win.
A good question to ask yourself is, “if I had all the money in the world what would I be doing?” Yeah, I’d have a blast exploring the world (not that we really can at the mo) and blowing coin on the best hypercars, but ultimately I’d still have my camera in my hand, taking photos of dope bikes and making Youtube vids. Oh, and still playing music.
Social media and photography. Match made in heaven or hell?
Social media helps photographers in so many ways. It helps inspire, it’s informative and it’s somewhere for photographers to share and display their work with the world. On the flip, it can also discourage photographers by them comparing their work negatively with others or become a trap where you only end up shooting for the ‘Gram’ and the likes, rather than for yourself. I could go on for ages about this but it’s mindset dependent.
What do you like to do when you’re not taking photos?
Making videos! Seriously, it’s something that I’m enjoying as much as taking photos. Did I mention I have a YouTube channel? Also, I enjoy working on my bike, riding with mates, hanging with my girlfriend Romina and playing music, along with having a solid Xbox session with the boiz.
The Federal Government is soon expected to announce free or discounted ferry fares to Tasmania to promote tourism after the island closed down during the pandemic.
However, it is not clear whether motorcycles will be included in the tourism promotion.
Tourism Industry Council Tasmania CEO Luke Martin has been calling on the Federal Government to temporarily extend the Bass Strait Passenger Vehicle Equalisation Scheme that covers the gap between the true cost of taking a vehicle on the ferry and the ticket price.
That would make fares attractively cheap or even free.
The proposal has been supported by Premier Peter Gutwein and the Motorcycle Riders Association who had asked riders to email the Premier to show their support.
Hobart-based MRA spokesman Damien Codognotto says mainland and overseas motorcyclists have made “significant contributions to Tasmania’s economy”.
“Over a million Australians are licensed to ride. Encouraging riders to holiday on the Island by carrying motorcycles and scooters free on the ferries makes financial sense,” he says.
Damien says it would be foolish to exclude motorcycle riders from any fare promotional offers.
“On-board riders spend as much as tourists in cars, vans and recreational vehicles,” he says. “Bikes weigh less and use less space and weigh less than cars, vans and RVs. You can fit four bikes in the space of a car.
“Touring bikes are often two up so a car space can yield up to eight spending tourists. A car can yield up to five tourists but mostly doesn’t.
“By not charging $238 return for bikes you encourage more riders to visit Tasmania. That means more dollars spent on food, drink, cinemas and souvenirs.
“The $238 saved will be spent on the holiday so per square metre, motorcycles are worth more than cars on the ferries.”
He also claims motorcycle riders are good tourists, travelling light and spending well on accommodation, bike hire, retail sales and services.
“Tourists on motorbikes spend more per kilometre than tourists in cars and RVs because they travel light,” he says.
“A bonus is their machines cause less wear and tear on our roads, kill less wildlife and pollute less, even less as electric motors replace petrol engines.”
Motorcycle tourists have often been claimed to be among the most desirable for local businesses, spending more than other motorists.
“Hospitality businesses and attractions like MONA, Port Arthur, Bruny Island, the West Coast Railway and more benefit from rider spending,” Damien says.
The Tasmanian Government loves to welcome visiting motorcyclists, but also promotes important road safety messages about roads and riding conditions in Tasmania.
They have produced a Tasmanian Motorcycle Travel Guide video which is given to all motorcyclists when they board the Spirit of Tasmania.
In 2015, they produced a video featuring multi-Australian Superbike Champion Malcolm Campbell and interstate motorcycle club member Lester Knowles riding around the state and pointing out the features and dangers.
Each year the video is updated.
Road safety billboards and posters are also displayed on popular riding routes.
Women make up an ever-increasing percentage of the motorcycling community and there are many events and organizations that help support getting women to ride. One of them is the Ride ADV Women’s Only Adventure Ride event. Recently, there was a ride from Singleton to Tamworth.
According to MCNews, the recent ride was a success, with plenty of riders coming out to do the 500 km ride. The event saw riders of all skill levels come out from women who had no experience riding in the dirt to veterans. The youngest rider was a 17-year-old student named Abi Chadwick. She’s a great rider, though, and got her start on a PW50 at age four.
Another younger rider, Annika Mountstephens had this to say about the ride:
“It was really cruisey and super fun, I didn’t know what to expect but now I have a taste for this and maybe venturing even further off-road. I got heaps of riding tips from a great bunch of people and I’ll definitely be signing up for some dirt bike training. There were so many fun people on the ride and the Ride ADV crew made me feel welcome, I highly recommend other girls joining even if, like me, you have little to no experience!”
I Apologize in Advance for Talking About Christmas Related Thigs in November
If you were to stab a loved one with the turkey-carving knife over a heated argument regarding who builds the best motocross bikes at the Christmas dinner table, would they bleed KTM orange? If the answer is yes, you’ll be pleased to hear that KTM has gone out of their way to make your Christmas shopping easier for you with their ‘KTM Christmas Specials Gift Guide’ and up to 30% off selected KTM PowerWear apparel items.
KTM’s PowerWear apparel collection has a little something special for riders of all disciplines, whether it be street, adventure, or enduro riding. Between November 1 and December 24th, KTM’s Christmas Specials Gift Guide will have an array of products with special discounts for the holiday season when purchasing gear from any authorized KTM dealer. If the product is listed in the Christmas Specials Gift Guide, then it’s safe to assume that you should be looking at big discounts on said product.
Polos, hats, jackets, off-roading gear, mugs, bottles, stickers, and more; will all be receiving big discounts, giving an array of options when picking the perfect gift for that special KTM-loving someone. If you really love them, perhaps the full KTM armoured jacket and pant combo is the perfect give for $244.98 AUD and $195.97 AUD respectively after the 30% discount. On the other hand, if you don’t love them at all (haha) a sticker set and mug should suffice.
Aaaaaaaah! There’s literally nothing I get more excited for than supermoto news! I don’t own one, and it sure took me a long time to come around to liking them, but supermoto and Hypermotard motorcycles are up there for my favourite type of bikes available. This excitement is what verifies me as the best person to break the news for our AUS and NZ readers regarding the release of the upcoming 2021 KTM 690 SMC R (and 690 ENDURO R – arguably not as cool as the sumo version… fight me).
The 2021 Enduro R provides riders with a large-displacement offroad MX option despite the slim form factor. The bikes come jam-packed with electronic features such as cornering ABS, standard ABS, TC, and ‘sensitive motor slip regulation’. On the mechanical side, some highlights include the new WP XPLOR suspension(I have an entire article as to why this system is awesome), and the 74 horsepower 693cc drivetrain.
The 2021 KTM 690 SMC R takes that same package and tailors it for absolute pure and unadulterated hooning with a full street-setup. Many technical features from the Enduro R make their way over (they’re almost the same bike), but the WP APEX suspension, upgraded Brembo brakes, street tires, and some updated visual elements set this bike apart from its off-road-oriented brother. “Supermoto bikes aren’t just for hooning and wheelies, Chase” many of you may say. If that’s the case… Please explain to me why all of KTM’s press release images for this motorcycle are photos of riders doing burnouts, wheelies, stoppies, and drifts? Ha. Gotcha.
Both Euro5 spec motorcycles will be available at authorized KTM dealers in both AUS and NZ come March 2021. If I can manage to save enough spare change by then, you bet I’ll be buying one along with you. North American Riders should be able to snag one in December of this year.
John Mulder is a member of both the Classic Motorcycle Club of Victoria and the Australian Street Rod Federation which entitles him to describe himself as a “genuine motoring enthusiast”.
“I’m a strong believer in the principle that the needs of all transport users in our community should be given equal value and the needs of one particular group should not be promoted at the expense of another,” he says.
John’s appointment to the RACV board would not only bring an active motorcyclist’s perspective to the table but also the experience of a company director with a long list of senior executive and non-executive director appointments to his name.
If John is successful in his bid to join the RACV board he would be ideally placed to represent the interests of all Victorian motorcyclists during future policy development discussions.
John and his wife Annie are both part of the Victorian motorcycling community, and living in Torquay at the start of the Great Ocean Road why wouldn’t they be!
His ride of choice these days is a 1977 Harley he brought in from the US 10 years ago and has lovingly restored.
The ACV’s first run from Melbourne to Mordialloc on December 6, 1903.
John says he is happy to speak with anyone from the motorcycling community who has a view on the future of our passion.
“The key matters raised with me to date include the lack of transparency surrounding the Victorian motorcyclist safety levy, the lack of consideration given to motorcyclists in road construction and road maintenance activities, and the cost of registration in Victoria given the modest impact that motorcycles have on our road surfaces compared with other vehicles,” he says.
“When speaking with fellow riders I get the distinct impression that many believe that over recent times our needs have most definitely been compromised by Government policy that is focused more on the needs of drivers, cyclists and public transport users.
“Motorcyclists find this trend difficult to understand when several reputable research studies have confirmed the benefits of promoting motorcycling within our communities.
“The positive impacts on traffic congestion, pollution, and parking in built-up areas are obvious for all to see,” he says.
Voting is now open and if you are an RACV member check your inbox for an email from CorpVote or your mobile for a text message.
If you have received neither contact CorpVote on 1300 147 797.
The majority of RACV members haven’t chosen to vote in previous elections but if you want your interests represented on such a significant Victorian motoring body, exercise your right and help put John Mulder on the board. Voting closes on 30 September 2020.
