Monarchs History Page

If my memory serves me correctly, I first joined the Monarchs Motorcycle Club back in 1974 .... when I owned a 1974 Honda CB360 which I bought brand new as my first road bike, from Nielson Honda in Ferntree Gully. I was also a member of the Hartwell Motorcycle Club at the time of joining the Monarchs as my main interest was road racing.

Some names of various Monarchs I remember from those days include Jack, John and Damien Burrell, Mal Cooper, John Lee, John & Stewie Doig, Dave Sinclair, Ian Smith, Leigh Sharples, Bantam, Frame, Mike Smith, Rob on his Honda 750/4 ... others names escape my clouded memory.

Back in those days we, (The Monarchs), met on Friday nights at the Carrum Tennis Club, more often than not congregating across the Nepean Highway at the Riviera Hotel until someone showed up with a key to open the clubrooms so the meeting could get underway.

On many occasions after the meeting ended we'd stop in at " The Riv' ", stock up with some "liquid supplies" and head off for a blast up to the top of Arthurs Seat.

The Monarchs had a novel way of getting back down to the bottom of Arthurs Seat .. it's called a "rolling race" where the bikes engine/ignition is off and you simply roll down the hill in neutral.

It's a completely different "ride", believe me!! No engine braking effect, no power out of corners ... nothing!! In those days some of the bikes simply had an on/off key switch, which meant with the ignition off you also had no lights!!! Hilarious fun!!!!!

IF you made it to the bottom first, (crashing over the Armco railing and bush-bashing your way to the bottom was considered cheating - if you and the bike survived), you received the grand prize of a 6-pack of cans!!!

The Monarchs Motorcycle Club has always been about "riding", sure it's "clichéd" but ... "it didn't and still doesn't matter what you ride ... just as long as you ride!"

Below is a variety of photos from the "good ole days" ...... click on the thumbnails and the full sized picture will open in a new window.

Below are photos of some of my old bikes in chronological order

Not my bike, but exactly the same as my first road bike, same colour etc, (less rear rack),1974 Honda CB360

Me on my Honda 750/4 K1 at a camp near Warburton 1976.

Honda 750/4 K1 in front yard Caulfield 1976. Stolen on 27th, September 1976.

Monarchs Motorcycle Club members and their bikes in front of the Windermere Hotel just out of Ballarat 1976.

My 1975 Yamaha XS650B in the backyard at Mt Eliza 1978.

Below are photos of the Monarchs run to the last "King of the Weir" meeting at the Hume Weir Circuit

My XS650B, packed and heading for the last "King of the Weir", parked at servo at Campbellfield.

"Sharps" in background, can't remember the name of the guy in front?

On the punt heading for the Dora Dora Hotel, Talmalmo, NSW.

"Sharps" & club members bikes in front of the Dora Dora Hotel, Talmalmo NSW

Members bikes out the front of the Dora Dora Hotel, Talmalmo, NSW

Rob, Unknown, (rode a gold BMW) and his gal, at the Hume Weir.

Rob with his Honda 750/4 in the background at the Spillway Caravan Park. Last "King of the Weir" meeting at Hume Weir circuit.

Spillway Caravan Park, last "King of the Weir" race meeting at the Hume Weir circuit.

Camped at the Spillway Caravan Park for the last "King of the Weir" race meeting - Hume Weir 1979

Last "King of the Weir" race meeting at the old Hume Weir racing circuit 1979??

Layout of Hume Weir circuit.

If you know the names of any the folks appearing in the photos above or know the exact year/date of the last "King of the Weir" meeting

Please email me me with the details.

Below are assorted photos of my bikes and a couple of mates from the past

"Smitty" with our two Triumph T120 Bonnevilles in my ute just after we got them home. 1980

Smittys nephew on my Kawasaki Z1000 - Seville, Victoria 1980

Smitty and his nephew on my Kawasaki Z1000 - Seville, Victoria 1980

Smittys niece and nephew on my Kawasaki Z1000, (Smitty in background) - Seville, Victoria 1980

My 1976 Yammy XS650 gets a bath at Frankston 1990

Waking up on the bike after a brief snooze off the ground to avoid the ant plague. Outside Albury N.S.W. on the way to Queensland 1991

Pauls XJ900, Carolines XJ600 and my XS650 being packed after an overnight camp at Coonabarabran on the way to Queensland 1991

Paul, (Gooba) & me at Flaxton Manor, Queensland, 1991

Me on my Yammy XS650 at Bayswater 1992.

1987 Kawasaki ZL1000 Eliminator

Designated by Kawasaki as a "Performance Cruiser", these bikes were only built for one year, 1987, they were built to get off the line .. fast. The engine is the same as is used in the Ninja 1000R, but with different cams for more low end grunt and fitted with 34mm instead of 32mm carbies. They were built to beat the Yamaha V-MAX and FJ1200 of that time and they did. Original road tests of these bikes reported 0-100kph in 2.7 seconds, 1/4 mile in 11.14 seconds with a top speed over 140mph/225kph.

Specifications Eliminator 1000

Max.Horsepower	80.9 kW (108.5HP) @ 9000rpm
Max.Torque	91.2 Nm (67.3 ft-lb) @ 7000rpm

Below is "ZL1000" number 1 as it was when I purchased it on 1st July 2004.

This is how "ZL1000" number 1 looked when I bought it.

These 3 photos were snaffled off the EBay auction page as I was watching the bidding. Needless to say .. I was the winning bidder!!

This is "ZL1000" number 1 as it is at the moment, with the original instruments, dash-panel/fuel gauge, headlight & brackets refitted.

I've fitted it with lower/flatter handlebars, a fork brace, progressive rate fork springs, braided brake lines, a Campbell X-Pipe with the chrome "cans" and a polished stainless steel radiator grille/shroud.

Since getting this bike I've also accumulated quite a few "spares" for it. These include an original "exhaust collector box" and a pair of "original" stock mufflers for it, plus assorted other bits and pieces.

Below is "ZL1000" number 2 as it was when I purchased it on 31st March 2005.

I bought this bike from a guy I know who'd owned and used it as his sole daily transport for the last two years. He "cancelled" the registration on it when I bought it because he had a "personalised" number plate on it which he transferred to his new "steed".

Apart from it's daily running he did quite a few long distance runs on it, so he fitted the radio/cassette, tow-bar, rack/plate and the little driving lights.

Given this bike had just had it's "rego" cancelled when I got it, the plan is to get it registered and back on the road. The only thing it needs is a rust/corrosion hole underneath in one of the header pipes repaired. It pops/pharts out of this hole creating enough noise that it requires repair before registration. It's just had new front discs and pads fitted as well as the starter chain and tensioner and the camchain tensioner having been replaced. The guy spotted his new "steed" when he went in to pick this one up from the shop where the work was being done.

A shot of both the bikes together.