The next monthly meeting will be held in February, but the monthly ride will be held the second Sunday at Hanging Rock check the calander

I would like to wish all our associate members a Happy New Year and I’m sure it can only be better than 2022 with Covid events ending and normality returned to some degree.
So what did we do in 2022 with such restrictions plenty but for me personally the reinstatement of the Smoke Signals e-magazine was a welcome return, and a huge thanks to Martyn Goodwyn for belting it into a successful quarterly magazine. The next was the fabulous Crazy Horse Rally at Corryong run by Garry Hogg an absolute “blast” and reminded me of how this association is first and formally a riders group, not a social group! Somethings got canceled, the Rain in the Face winter rally which will return this year to Thornton, and the Sitting Bull is being revised for Autumn. The annual Christmas Party was a success and will undoubtedly be repeated and we are at last slowly getting new members, with a considerable amount of ex members returning I consider we have turned a corner.

Firstly Seasons greetings to all our members and followers of our website wherever you may reside, this year for your webmaster has been supercharged with everything happening from renovations to health issues (now good) and association events, dinners, rides, and administration, phew glad a lot of it should”nt be repeated again. A few things to address thanks to everyone on the committee for the huge amount of help in the last year especially Andrew Ellis, Gary Hogg, Mark Barthelmie, and Peter Kime who even know has been in a rough spot with health has never failed to help when asked, my mate Richard Onyon is always in the background and is like your best girlfriend, he never says NO when asked to help. The secret of a good association is a strong committee and a good leader and Don MacDonald is that bloke with a lively sense of humour to cheer everyone up thanks Don, of course Dave Catterall is dependable as a watch with the monthly rides, so thanks chaps. That brings me to next year please think of joining the committee when nominations come out in March we need you, the first ride of the year is the Midday Express on the 14/01/23 details posted on this rejuvenated event has been listed on the calendar time to get the old girl out and give her a good kicking, the bike that is.

Is the season to be jolly etc etc as the jingle goes so lets review the past year to see what “presents” you have received, the shake up of committee members was the first thing in July, some stale things dropped and some new things put into action, the much touted and second attempt website is up and going with our administrator remarking Google has indexed the site and we are getting a ton more exposure. The website is remarkably modern now and completely user friendly on every device at this point in time, secondly the much lamented loss of the association magazine has been rectified by our new Smoke Signals e-magazine and with two additions out already I would like to thank our new editor Martyn Goodwyn for such a sterling job. Thirdly the return of the Crazy Horse Rally to Corryong with Gary Hogg was another immediate success next year its on there again, fourthly the association calendar will be back in June the only thing you have to do is pay your subs to receive one free, extras $15.00 ea + post. Personally I reckon thats a hell of a lot more thats happened since 2017 and we had covid in the middle for your $50 I reckon good bang for your buck.

A cracking Rally well supported by members who were elated with the ride to Jindabyne on Saturday. Yes the old rally was back with a bang Gary Hogg a native of the area who knows the Alpine areas like the back of his hand with the weather which  was reasonable except on the way back from Mnt Threadbo it was wet, damn wet for 80 klms, our meal that evening at Riley’s Restaurant in Coroyong that evening was 5 Star we planned the rally dates on a booking at it, so that worked out well. The short Sunday morning ride to Khancoban for coffee had exceptional weather and the misery of the day before was soon forgotten. My Vindian dumped a saddle bag at 100kph and Franco Trento narrowly evaded it on the Indian Velo which went extremely well after a airfilter modification. So to those who missed it and it was planned for over 4 months, STIFF we had a beautiful weekend to remember with mates away and now its another year till this Crazy Horse Rally comes up again it would be advisable to mark the calendar for next year.  Thanks to Indian Motorcycles for the raffle prize drawn on Saturday night and won by member Jon Munn.