Dear members,

Your club subscriptions for 2026 are now due at £20 per member. We will send out a further notification, mid January but, if the subs have not been received by the end of January any member who has not paid will be contacted directly to establish if they want to remain a member of the group.

We have received a few payments, so thanks to those who have already paid so promptly.

You can pay by BACS which is our preferred method, cash or cheque made out to Harrogate Advanced Bikes.

Payment Details

• BACS: Lloyds Bank, sort code 30-93-91 and account number 01807888.
• Cheque or Cash: You can give a cheque or cash at our usual meetings or send a cheque made out to Harrogate Advanced Bikes. and sent to the Treasurer at 79 Greenside, Pudsey, LS28 8JP.

Thanks,

Paul,
Treasurer.

Hopefully you have had a lovely Christmas holiday and a Happy New Year to you all as well.

I’m sure you’ve noticed its’s very cold and well below our minimum temperature guide for club rides. In the next few days we could join many parts of the country and get some snow, but in the meantime, it’s too cold for riding anyway. Consequently we won’t be running a ride next week. The usual “1st Wednesday of the Month Ride-Out” might become the last Wednesday if we are very lucky. We can watch and wait.

We have a club meeting on Monday 12th of January at Bilton Cricket Club with a visit from our IAM Area Delivery Service Manager Steve Ellis along with an IAM Examiner and a National Observer Assessor. This will be an ideal opportunity for Associates to ask what is expected in tests and National Observer’s to get an idea of what the Assessors are looking for. It’s also a great chance for all members to find out about changes at the IAM, initiatives there and the shape of it’s future. Please do your best to attend the meeting and have your questions ready. You can read the meeting details by viewing this link: https://harrogateadvancedbikes.co.uk/hab-12th-january-meeting/

There’s a planned Ride-Out on Sunday 18th January, weather permitting of course. You can view all the club calendars on the website:

https://harrogateadvancedbikes.co.uk/rideout-calendar/

https://harrogateadvancedbikes.co.uk/meetings-calendar/

You may be thinking about leading a Ride-Out this year so please have a look at the Ride Calendar’s. The Wednesday slots are filling up quickly but there are plenty of monthly Sunday one’s available. If you are a full HAB and IAM member you can lead a Ride-Out or indeed be a Tail End Charlie. For first timers plenty of advice is available or of course if you need a refresher please contact the writer. To get you started the Ride-Out guidelines are on the HAB and IAM websites.

Barry Ring (07847786608)

Ride Out Coordinator

Photo courtesy-https://pixabay.com/photos/motorcycle-team-motorcycle-dri
ver-802728/

Dear Members,

I know that this is a busy time of year but I would like all members and associates to get it in their 2026 diaries to attend the club meeting on Monday the 12th January at the usual venue, Bilton Cricket Club, start time 7.15pm for 7.30pm. Our Area Service Delivery Manager, Steve Ellis, is coming to talk with us and is also bringing an Examiner and a National Observer Assessor.

Please have your questions prepared and let me know of any topics that you would like to hear about if you are too shy to ask yourselves. I have some ideas myself but don’t want to be the only one asking questions or to have a thundering silence!

This will be an ideal opportunity for Associates to ask what is expected in tests and National Observer’s to get an idea of what the Assessors are looking for. It’s also a great chance for all members to find out about changes at the IAM, initiatives there and the shape of it’s future.

Please make every effort to come along.

It only remains for me to wish you all a very Happy Christmas and a peaceful, safe and successful 2026.

Richard Stembrowicz

Chairman

Apologies but at the 2025 AGM subs was increased to £20.

I have amended the previous post but for the avoidance of doubt the subs due by all members January 2026 is £20,

All payment methods stated in original post remain and are:

Payment Details

• BACS: Lloyds Bank, sort code 30-93-91 and account number 01807888.
• Cheque or Cash: You can give a cheque or cash at our usual meetings or send a cheque made out to Harrogate Advanced Bikes. and sent to the Treasurer at 79 Greenside, Pudsey, LS28 8JP.

Thanks

Paul,

Treasurer

Dear members,

Your club subscriptions for 2026 are due on the 1st January, at £20 per member. We will send out a further notification, mid January but, if the subs have not been received by the end of January any member who has not paid will be contacted directly to establish if they want to remain a member of the group.

You can pay by BACS which is our preferred method, cash or cheque made out to Harrogate Advanced Bikes.

Payment Details

• BACS: Lloyds Bank, sort code 30-93-91 and account number 01807888.
• Cheque or Cash: You can give a cheque or cash at our usual meetings or send a cheque made out to Harrogate Advanced Bikes. and sent to the Treasurer at 79 Greenside, Pudsey, LS28 8JP.

For all those who paid promptly, thank you.

Paul,
Treasurer.

As mentioned in the Monday meeting, the December Sunday Ride-Out was due to be on the 21st and was then brought forward to this Sunday the 14th. The weather forecast for tomorrow did improve but has now gone the other way-high winds for our planned lunch destination and rain everywhere with localised flooding. There’s no point any of us being a martyr and if we get a break in the poor weather before Christmas we can organise a ride-out at short notice or indeed look forward to the New Year.

The 2026 Ride-Out and Meeting Calendar’s will go live this weekend. Please have a look on the HAB website. Seasoned ride leaders may wish to get their choices in before the calendars start to fill up, as we already have a few pencilled in. You can contact me on 07847786608 by text/whatsapp. If you are a full HAB and IAM member and new to Ride Leading or Tail End Charlie duties, and are keen to get involved please get in touch for advice and guidance.

I hope you all have a great Christmas.

Barry Ring

Ride Out Coordinator.

Sharp-eyed members will have realised the error on the last HAB post and for all others the correct email for the HAB secretary is: secretary@harrogateadvancedbikes.co.uk

Dear Members and Associates,

Following the post about the Christmas Quiz at our club night on the 8th December we need to get a good idea of numbers to get the food right. We have had a few replies and as Bilton Cricket Club will be organising the catering on a per head basis we will need to give them adequate notice to arrange it. We don’t wish to under- or over-cater so please let us know if you are coming. If you are intending to come, please let us know by Wednesday 3rd December at the latest and please include if you are bringing a guest along.

Hopefully plenty of the membership will want to take part in the quiz but more than anything a chance to meet together for a fun social occasion.

Please get in touch with secretary@harrogateadvancedbikes.co.uk

Best wishes,

Richard Stembrowicz

Chairman

Our Facebook Group enables members to communicate, helps promote Harrogate Advanced Bikes to interested motorcyclists and also advising what the club has to offer if they join the IAM and HAB. Anything members publish on Facebook is also shared publicly which does have drawbacks. The intention with our new WhatsApp group is to give club members more privacy to be able to informally share and exchange information regarding club activities and other related issues, bike trips, new cafe recommendations, proposed rides, requests to lead a Ride-Out, weather warnings, road closures, attendance to club events, sales of motorcycle spares and accessories, I’m sure you get the proposed theme.

Most members will be aware they can subscribe to HAB posts, via the Harrogate Advanced Bikes Welcome page, by visiting Harrogateadvancedbikes.co.uk. If any member says to you they don’t receive emails from the club please direct them to the website where they can subscribe. If you receive a post email and have a question, open the post on the website and then please leave your comment at the bottom of the page.

To join the WhatsApp group contact Barry Ring on 07847 786608 and ask to be added or indeed if you have any questions.

Dear Members,

It’s that time of year again! The Christmas Quiz will take place on our normal meeting night at Bilton Cricket Club, starting as usual at 7.30 on the 8th of December.

Doug Masterton will be the Question Master and it will be quite a light hearted affair, with some general knowledge questions thrown in.

This year, your committee has fully supported that, as it will be more of a social occasion, all Members and Associates are very welcome to bring their wives, partners, girlfriends or significant others. Your generous Treasurer has also agreed that the group finances will stretch to Christmas themed snacks!

It is hoped that enough people will come to make up teams of four. Each of the winning members will receive a small prize and there will also be a booby prize for the unfortunate losers (sorry, but somebody has to!).

It should be a lovely occasion and I look forward to seeing as many of you as can come on the night. Please RSVP to secretary@harrogateadvancedbikes.co.uk and let us know if you will be attending.

Best wishes,

Richard Stembrowicz.

Chairman.