R5K members plan charity runs
#R5k members get ready for charity missions
‘Air Ambulance is close to all our hearts’ FUND-RAISER ROLAND JOHNS
Generous members of MCN’s #ride5000miles campaign are gearing up for some highmileage charity antics as soon as lockdown restrictions ease. With many organisations experiencing hardship, after seeing fund-raising curtailed by Covid-19, riders are looking forward to raising cash whilst bolstering their mileage totals. Lincolnshire-based Roland Johns, 70, hopes to lead the annual Lincs & Notts Air Ambulance Ride to Save Lives event in September, which invites bikers to take part in a 62mile group ride and previously raised £11,500 in 2019 alone. “The Air Ambulance is quite close to the hearts of motorcyclists because they do go out and rescue a number of bikers every year,” Roland said. Part of the group of volunteers who founded the ride, Roland also adds to his annual mileage as a Blood Biker and is a national observer for IAM RoadSmart. He said: “It’s quite amazing how it’s grown and it’s great seeing all those bikers there.”
Essex & Herts Air Ambulance will also get a lift with Chelmsford Honda NC700S rider Eddie Friggens’ planned twoweek and 2444-mile charity ride to four far-flung points of the British mainland.
With the start date dependant on Covid restrictions, Eddie is hoping to raise around £4000. He said: “I haven’t camped for years and I’ve decided to try that again, which has made it a little more adventurous.”
And cousins Graeme Robson and Barry Rooke, from Liverpool, have already begun planning a challenge – tackling Lands End to John O’Groats in 24 hours without motorways to raise money for Cash for Kids. The pair have established a YouTube channel called Robo Rider and hope to gather as many sponsors and as much money as possible for the group.
That was a punt that didn’t come off. Six years ago, I bought a Kawasaki H2 Ninja. I decided it was time I owned a silly bike myself, slapped down my deposit in late 2014, and said: “It might just be my pension.” A typically outrageous Kawasaki statement-of-intent bike and a sure-fire bet, no?
With all Kawasaki’s greatest bikes, the early ones are The Ones To Have. The two-stroke triples lost their edge as emission regs took their toll. The Z1 morphed into the Z900 and then Z1000 (with a brief spark in Z1R form). I assumed this would happen with the Ninja. It didn’t. Later models got more power, not less. I’ve just seen a 2016 H2 Ninja fail to sell for slightly over £15,000. Mine cost, with the factory crash bungs and the insurance company-mandated tracker, £23,000 on the road. It might be worth a bit more than a 2016 model, as it has the special factory coffeetable book (with matching V5 plate) that was given to the very first buyers and I’ve also got another limited-edition book signed by the entire development team, whom I met at a select owners-only briefing at KMUK headquarters in late 2015. That might be worth more than the bike, in time, who knows? Anyway, I don’t think I’m ever going to turn a profit on it. I’m not bothered, because I’m keeping it. But if you can find a used H2 Ninja, I’m sure it would be worth a long-term punt.