In this issue:
Areas:
Coastal Trails Project
Pinjar Practice MX
Dirt Riders Heaven
Advocacy:
Southern Suburbs Rally
More ORVAC delays
Events
Family Trail Opening
2013 Motorcycle Show
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Helping to save your riding areas
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Dear Member
The baking hot Perth summer days haven't arrived yet and we're still even getting the occasional shower to dampen things down. And there's some good news this month for anyone who enjoys a coastal ride - often the best place to be in summer. Read on to get up to date with the latest news.
As this will be our last eNewsletter for 2013 we want to thank you for your support of the RTRA this year and wish you and your family a happy and safe festive season.
New Project to Explore Coastal Trails

The Northern Areas Catchment Council has secured funding for a feasibility study to look at Off Road Areas and trails along the coastal strip north of Lancelin.
The project is driven by the need to improve protection of fragile coastal eco-systems and recognises that managed access is a more effective solution than just trying to ban 4WDs and trail bikes altogether.
The new project will kick off in February and there will be opportunities for riders to put forward ideas for trails and areas in the region.
Pinjar Family Trail Opening

The re-opening of the Family Trail with Charley Boorman was a very successful event and an opportunity to invite senior executives from the Department of Sport & Recreation and Lotterywest to see first hand what is being developed at Pinjar.
Charley threw the big 1200 BMW around the trail and proclaimed the trail to be ‘great fun’. New RTRA committeeman Leon Fry captured the day - you can see the video here.
The Family Trail has now clocked up more than 20,000 laps.
Southern Suburbs Rally

The continuing development of Pinjar is highlighting the discrepancy between facilities available in the northern suburbs and those in the south.
The undeveloped and uncared-for Off Road Vehicle Area in Medina is the only legal public area for kids to ride south of the river and anyone who has visited the area knows how unsatisfying and unsafe it is.
The RTRA will be coordinating a public meeting early next year to call on local government and the state government to rectify this situation. More details soon.
More ORVAC Delays
We’ve been advised that the appointment of a new Off Road Vehicle Advisory Committee is still making its way through the bureaucratic processes. It’s now been referred to the Public Sector Commission for advice on remuneration, despite the fact that the Act (and the Advisory Committee) has been around since 1978.
Presumably these questions could also have been asked at the beginning and in parallel with this year’s nominations process. Meanwhile at least one project we know of is at risk of losing significant funding because of the delays.
Dirt Riders [not yet in] Heaven
Dirt Riders Heaven, the MX-based ride park at Mogumber is still alive and looks set to continue operating in 2014. Owner Les Currell now believes he can sort the issues that were threatening to shut the park.
DRH will be operating until Christmas, then closed until the end of February for the fire season. It may open for individual days if there is rain and cooler weather, in which case Les will advise via Facebook.
Pinjar MX Timing

If you’ve been to Pinjar recently you will have seen the enormous clay stockpile off Orchid Rd. This will soon become the base of the new practice MX track which will transform the old ‘Short n Curly’ trail.
Yes there will be jumps. Nothing too gnarly, but enough to make this a fun ride with the intention of drawing the more experienced riders away from the novice areas.
Construction work is scheduled for December / January however the final shaping of the circuit probably won’t happen until February. Meanwhile, the new alignment is still a good ride.
Successful Motorcycle Show

The 2013 Perth Motorcycle Show was our most successful ever. Over the three days we spoke to hundreds of riders and prospective riders, caught up with dozens of RTRA members, gave away box loads of brochures and stickers and signed up a bunch of new members.
Thanks to the RTRA Committee members who gave their time to help out on the stand over the weekend.
The Summer Riding Mental Shift
Have you made the mental adjustment for summer yet? With the trails drying out it's time to adjust to the dust.
Here are three easy things you can do to make your summer rides more enjoyable and safer:
1. Give it a minute. If you use a corner man system on your rides it doesn't matter how spread out the group gets. So give it a good minute or two before you take off after the rider in front and let the dust settle.
2. Pick your position. After the first few regroups you should know where you sit within the group in terms of speed. Don't take off first if you know everyone is going to pass you, and don't take off last if you know you're going to pass everyone else!
3. Think of the guy behind. A bit less throttle equals a lot less dust, particularly when taking off or entering a dirt road. And if someone faster comes up behind, let them pass at the earliest opportunity.
Adjust to the dust and you'll not only enjoy the ride more but you'll save some time on all that air filter cleaning!
Spread the Word
If you think the RTRA is having a positive impact for riders, just think how much more effective we'd be if we had double the members. It's actually not that hard - all it takes is for each member to find one other rider to sign up. If you have riding buddies who are not yet members of the RTRA, please forward them this email and give them a prod to join up.
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