During the terrific weekend away there was some discussion about membership and the profile of BFTP. Here are a few points to kick of discussion: Suppose a start would be having a clear out of the 'deadwood" to establish who is actively interested in the group and who had moved on. The Lodge used at the weekend is available if BFTP wanted to make an annual run there. Raising the profile could be challenging as although KB is the largest site in NZ for motorcyclists BFTP is not that visible. The blurb on the BFTP page only becomes visible once you have applied, and that probably is due for a makeover too. Maybe getting a sticky on the main classic page with some background and info might raise the profile. Currently rides and gatherings are pretty informal and easy to organise, but if 'membership' went up then you start looking at more structure and is that what BFTP wants? Although ' the criteria" was/is pre 1990 bikes is that really that relevant? or is it more of an 'interest' in pre 1990 bikes and fitting in...?
I am happy to get something going with once a month cafe rides. Some north, some south, wherever. Somewhere to ride and somewhere to meet. We don't have to treat the Kawhia ride as annual. With $30 a night covering accommodation, lunch, dinner, breakfast and other food, it is a cheap but brilliant venue. With the cost to ride from Auckland and back being about $20 ish ( unless you ride a Boss Hog or the Headroom's sidecar outfit which also makes coffees) that is $50 for a weekend. You can't stay home for that. Do youse fullas want to come more often? It isn't the age of the bike. It is the quality of the people. A few bikes this weekend didn't "qualify" but the owners sure did. I would rather share a drink, a laugh and meal with a rider than a bike.
For personal reasons, overnighters are not very practical for me nowadays. But weekend rides are always good, so long as I don't have to commit to anything or promise not to get lost . I am conflicted about the "rides a 1990s or earlier bike" OR "interested in old shitty bikes but rides a modern" options. On the one hand, I agree the person is more important than the bike, and a rider with knowledge and interest in the older machines, but who only possesses a modern, is a GoodCunt. But on the other hand, membership of lots of people with only moderns, no matter how interested in older machines, could lead to rides being dominated by moderns. Which is a bit problematic for the older older machines, which cannot be expected to keep up with moderns, in performance or reliability. No matter how understanding people are, one does not feel comfortable holding everyone up. I don't like structure. That means rulez and before you know it, its like Ulysses Another point, assuming the "Pre 1990" bit be retained. Is it actually a "pre 1990 registered bike"? Or, "a bike of a model that first came out before 1990 ?". Registration date , or engineering period ? Arguably a brand new Jing-a-Ling would be quite in keeping (they certainly break down often enough)
Ixion has raised a good point. Should something like this http://www.trademe.co.nz/motors/moto...-565041707.htm qualify? It is basically the same as the pre-90 model (some unkind people might say the same as the 1932 model)
Maybe the ones who never posted were the ones we would get on with as who from BFTP really engages with the Form 3 level of discussion on the main forum. If I want to know anything about how motorcycles work or read intelligent, witty or humorous stuff I go 'offshore" Dadpole.( closet BMW fan)... Some would say there are enough of the pipe and slipper brigade already....
There is a BFTP thread on the main forum which has lain dormant for almost a year. We could start using it again to raise our profile, since there are probably others with older bikes on KB who either don't know we exist or don't know what we do.
I asked one of the mods on the Classic section about " Sticky" as it would be easier to find YMMV.Then the sales blurb could be posted there, the one in events used to get lost if I recall.
I don't think you need a hell of a lot of structure, just a few people who take it on themselves to organise & publicise a ride that others may choose to attend. Individuals in the adv section of this forum organise rides all the time. Clint does the MMMM every year. Cooney does the Dusty Butt. Phil & Colin organise rides in the Naki, people from all over the country attend these rides . It does not have to be super organised & catered for , in some ways the looser the better so you minimise potential legal & compliance issues . You probably have to post these rides up in the calender section & in the classic section & have them open to all comers but with the emphasis on older BFTP type machines
I think it would be a good idea to raise the profile of BFTP. In view of that I used to regularly "resurect" the original thread on the Main Forum (as below) and also always advertised rides in the Calendar. But this is an aditional task for anyone who may be organising a ride. Max Headroom - There is a BFTP thread on the main forum which has lain dormant for almost a year http://www.kiwibiker.co.nz/forums/sh...ast+past+rides This thread would be I guess better suited in the KB Classic forum - that did not yet exist when the thread was started but perhaps could be now moved to that forum? I could re-write the intro to reflect the current/future situation... if people wanted a historic thread/record that could be kept added to with new info etc. BFTP started as '70s and '80s (as in bikes, not riders...) so while we've always had peeps atending on a modern I think changing the criteria of the age of the bikes to include more modern machines would defeat the BFTP idea, no? I wouldn't mind going "older" though
I've given some thought about '50s and '60s bikes, and how they would fit with our group. TBH, I think that the owners of such machines are probably well catered for already within the existing classic club scene, whereas there are few options for owners of '70s and '80s road bikes. While the classic clubs will generally accept a '70s machine, they tend to be "tolerated", with an unspoken belief that they are just too modern. I'd go as far as suggesting that it's this prevailing attitude among classic clubs which attracted many of us to the BFTP group in the first place. Yet there's always exceptions, and I agree that anyone who owns an older bike and who wishes to ride with us should be welcomed. I just don't think that it should become a focus of BFTP personally.
I wasn't present at the weekend so I may be mis-interpreting the tone of the discussion, but I don't see the need for "expansion" and "higher profile". Sounds like BFTP is a multi national conglomerate profit seeking expansionist take over the world group! Which I don't think we are. I think the emphasis on 70s and 80s bikes is right on the money (as per Max above). Occasionally (on our monthly rides) someone has turned up on a modern, I'm not aware this caused any consternation. If you allowed a 92 as a BFTP qualifier, then maybe a 94 then why not a 96/98? I think a stated "pre 90s" states where we want to be. I'm hamstrung by shiftwork re attendance at runs, I've much more time during the week, but I think the only thing that needs to be changed for the BFTP is for all of us to organise and attend runs "MONTHLY"!! (As per Unna above). Sounded like a good time at Kawhia, I'm sorry I couldn't make it. I've never been on a BFTP ride that I haven't enjoyed. Good times with good people.
opps look at the bike on the ride hehehehehe
There is no desire to expand & conquer the world, there is simply a feeling that BFTP is stagnating , numbers of active participants are dropping & should we do something to stop that or do we simply let it devolve to a few who can be bothered . I'll stay out of the debate about membership parameters, on the weekend my wife & I attended on a couple of modern retro's, maybe we should not be there, on the other hand Winston is a 1970's beastie & that is why I joined you guys. It's a muddy grey area.
to think i only just qualify with me 88 gb I would have to venture onto that other part of the website only to get to what a silly person I am to do what I have done to a perfectly good bike put a bigger engine in it why blah blah
I think it's satisfactory to simply have a pre 1990's bike, either going or under restoration.
