Member - Crazie (VIC) replied:

Sounds like we all need to write letter and organise some trips....

Member - Blue (VIC) replied:

A lot of tracks through Toolangi state forrest have been closed also. Motorbikes oncen again the problem. As a rider I don't understand why nothing is being done about loud unregistered bikes in the bush. Closing tracks is NOT the answer. Policing the area would be a start but you rarely see them out there. When they do show up, they sit in well known carparking spots frequented only by people using registered bikes. They do a couple of rego checks and they're on their way again.

To my knowledge, there was no consultation with the public about these closures. I have a friend who lives in the Yarra Valley, he rides and is always looking for constructive forums to voice his opinions. He knew nothing of the closures until we went for a ride and got blockaded by a couple of locals standing in the middle of the road. We stopped and they laughed about how they finally got us locked out of the forrest. As we continued along, we found our regular access routes fenced off.

When tracks are closed for regeneration, erosion issues and safety issues I think that is great. When tracks are closed by people who move from the city to find their oasis suddenly has some not so natural sounds, that just pain sucks.

GOB & denny vic member replied:

goodday bruce
how the hell do they hear the noise from two scouts its in the middle of the forest but i do agree stop the bikes or at least make them quieter
my bigger worry with bikes is some of the dheads who ride them coming around corners flatouton wrong side of road weve had a couple of near misses up that way as they just dont care
and i hate haveing to clean blood off my bullbar
lol

steve

Member - Jimbo (VIC) replied:

Bruce,

Please keep us updated.

Let us know what we can do. I love Gembrook. I spend at least one weekend in three there and understand the problem with bikes.

Why do the bike riders need such loud exhausts? Why is it that you can barely hear a 4000 cc 4wd at 10 yards but you can hear a 250 cc motor bike for miles? The four stokes bellow and thump and the two stokes twang and pop, so that you can hear them from one side of the park to the other. Why do these clowns think that they need a loud pipe to have some fun? I'll answer my own question: they're Bogans.

We need to push the EPA or whoever to get up there with noise meters and issue fines and unroadworthy notices. bleep , I'll volunteer to help moderate these dills if someone will give me the authority.

Anyway, enough bleating. Instead of talking we need to do something. Moaning on this forum will achieve nothing unless we get together and do something.

How about a mass gathering of those who care at Kurth Kiln, or wherever, have a barbie and a meeting and get some plans happening.

I'm happy to set up a steering committee, set an agenda, and do something about it. Anyone who is genuinely interested either mem mess me or email me at jimbest at netspace dot net dot au. I'm happy to set up a meeting at my house to get this happening.

Who's interested?

Cheers,

Jim.

Bonz (Vic) replied:

Bruce, Drop me an email of the note when it arrives I would like to respond. Although Gembrook is miles from me I think we should all get behind the oppostition of this type of mindless closure.

Geoff

Jeff (Beddo) replied:

Does not matter what you do to close tracks the bikes will get in, there is a lot of frustration in the trail bike fraturnity about unregistered bike riders causing all the trouble. I know noise is a huge problem and that the modern 4 strokes are now noisier than the 2 strokes - they reckon take out the baffles and all the restrictors will give them more go - well this maybe so in some respects but removing the baffle changes the back pressure and as a result can reduce performance is many cases. But the noise is killing this user group - I would rather have a quiet bike and be able to ride in more places rather than having a noisey one and being locked out. Sure if you want you can take the baffles out for a race day at a event or bike farm etc, but why do it in a public place and wreck some elses enjoyment of the bush.
If commenting on a plan of management you should not use form letters, write individual letters and state which trails should be left open and state why ie strategic fire control etc also you could possibly suggest zoning areas - one area for quiet users such as walkers etc another for horses, 4WD's and bikes - the noisey ones away from the walkers and picinic areas etc also possibly suggest one way trails to stop the issue of head ons.

Truckster (Vic) replied:

Dang, I thought some asshat would have called me selfish by now for not wanting the place closed.. dont walkers have every right blah blah blah blah...

paj replied:

Some of the comments above (especially the list of tracks) bring back fond memories of Gembrook. I spent two years taking Navy leadership students through the forest for a couple of days every two weeks. We were on foot and their standard of navigation was such that we saw most of the unfrequented parts of the forest (and found two woopy weed plantations up in the north western corner!) We used to camp for next to nothing at the scout sites.

The Navy also used to use the tracks for 4wd training courses. I can still remember coming across a Navy V8 Landy up to the axles in a bog on the Northern boundary road with some dope sitting in the driver's seat while four other matelots dug him out. He couldn't get out to help because he had gone on his 4wd course in his good uniform!

Go get em guys, it is too nice a place to be locked away because of some idiots with more noise than brains. I'm in SA now so I can't help much, and while I remember the track names, placing them on a map is beyond me.

Cheers

Paj

Hero replied:

Mmm How can they close Burgess Rd, its an important access thouroughfare

Member - Bradley replied:

if the govt is concerned about bikes then why dont they have an education program to teach these new guys what it is all about, Most of my friends ride ,as do i occasionally, and we are very responsible, but what i notice nowdays is most of the trouble comes from these "extreme" wackers, you know the ones who think they are the crusty deamons of dirt, going out and making a hell of a mess leaving the place a pigsty.

I came across one group a while back, all had the tricked up utes / latest bikes and brand name gear, standing around a filthy site with a couple of green trees on the fire smoking away, which they had obviously cut down. So it showed they had no idea what they were doing.

They need to educate these guys that they can be hardcore but if they abuse it they will lose it, as we all know.

RE- 4wd only tracks, great idea, will save a lot of accidents car vs bike.

Saw a private park advertised in qld that had seperate 4x4 and bike trails which were one way tracks, pretty good idea i reckon.

Truckster (Vic) replied:

Again, its not all bike riders that are the issue. As some blokes are happy to ride a stock bike... I have a bog stock XR400.. For trail riding, and what I do, it has more than enough power..

If I was still racing the state championships on my TT600 (actually a 720 in the end), or the Huskys, or the KTM's I had, yea maybe that bit more power would help, but for just ridin round? Its more the wanck factor than anything... 99% of them out there couldnt use all the power they have standard, or they would all be World Champions.

Motorcyclists are pist off with this crowd that are causing the issues. They are losing places to ride, like we are losing places to wheel. Legal bikes have as much right to ride as we do to wheel in these areas.

Screaming, yelling, stomping our feet at bikes for BEING ILLEGAL, how many people here run oversized tires without engineers, or a second set of Simex's etc etc that are also illegal? Yea they arent a noise problem, but the fact remains, they are illegal. The fact bikes come flyin round corners, shi+ I have nearly been run off the road by Toorak pricks headin to Sheepyard before.... Theres good and bad in both camps.

To be 100% honest, I think bikes and 4wds should get together for a common goal of places to drive/ride. We are both being 'run out of the bush'...

Anyway heres a reply from my club president.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Yes, FWDV are very aware of the circumstances at Gembrook / Bunyip.

Ian Lacey has been in negotiations regarding these tracks (Ian is currently
in Tasmania) but John Partridge (President Victorian 4WDC) has just gone onto the Association's committee and I believe he was at the Bunyip meeting in place of Ian.

As you suggest that the residents are complaining about the noise from the bikes and do not have a real problem with 4WDers. However, you don't have to be an Einstein to work out, if they close the tracks to bikes it will be impossible to get a 4WD in.

I understand AMTRA (Australian Motorcycle Trail Riders Association http://www.amtra.com.au/amtra.html ) are also concerned and also working for some solution but they also complain that it is the "cowboy" element (those who are not in any club) which causes the problem and "stuffs it" for everybody else. I have heard that if it comes down to some of these tracks being closed then there will be a trade off whereby some tracks which are currently closed will be re-opened but this will be negotiated by Ian/FWDV I expect.

FWDV have a Committee Meeting on Monday (7/2/05) night and I know that this is of great concern for them and will be high on the priority list.

JT
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Member - Davoe (WA) replied:

i would love to move back to the crowded eastern states and hang around an even more overcrowded city and have to share the bush NOT
seriosly though if it wasnt for posts like this and on overlander ( a recent post on there bout road rage was a beuty) I would forget how much I dont miss it
maintain the rage!

GuJohnno replied:

Yes FWDVic are aware of this. This 'consultation' has been going on for a year. Nothing is set in concrete yet.
When the proposals come through I will post it up and let you know how you can respond to it.
What we need is legitamite reasons for keeping these tracks open.
Ways we can have these tracks as 4WD ONLY.
Put your heads together and post up some ideas.

Two Scouts is less than a kilometer from private propery and there's not much in the way to stop the sound from the other tracks.