Page 25 - Riding On Autumn 2022

intro to MMB

Back in 2019 I was staying with my motorcyclists. MMB has been squished
friends Brian and Val Cullinan on a into a plethora of, panniers, suitcases,
motorcycling trip to South Australia. As backpacks, express post bags and has
I often do on my visits, I attended the travelled the world so many times it is
Ulysses Adelaide Branch dinner meeting legendarily mind-boggling.
with them. However, unknowingly this
time was going to have some new Peter has been kind to chat with me,
VLJQL¿FDQFH WR P\ PRWRUF\FOLQJ WUDYHOV sending diaries, travel badges, travel toy
:KLOVW , ZDV WKHUH .HQ ³:DJV´ :DJQLW] buddy Red Dog who he met in Turkey,
came up to have a chat. Like he had and a blow-up electric guitar. This is just
found the answer to a well-pondered the tip of the MMB ice-berg story out
dilemma; he asked would I be interested there. As the deadline for this edition
in taking ‘Mini Me Bear’ on (Mini Me of Riding On is only days away from
ZKDW"""" :KR"""" .HK""" DQG LQFOXGLQJ receiving this package I am yet to fully
MMB as a travel buddy on my adventures research the diaries but hope to write
for the foreseeable future? I was to take more in future editions.
him until I found the next appropriate :KDW , FDQ EULHÀ\ VD\ LV 00% KDV
adventurer to pass on the Mini Me Bear
baton. traveled extensively around Australia
and the world, meeting fellow explorers,
, KDG QHYHU KHDUG RI WKLV VWX໤HG OLWWOH traveling by plane, a 2300cc Rocket, RV’s,
.RDOD WKDW TXLFNO\ ZDV EHFRPLQJ Caravans, sidecars, a huge variety of
obvious had the awe of many seasoned motorbikes and limousines just to name a
motorcycling travelers. I learned from few. From what I have read so far, he can
.HQ DQG %ULDQ 00% LV DQ RXWJRLQJ party hard with the best of them, is very
cheeky adventurer, socialite, party popular with having his photo taken and
animal, up for anything, well-traveled particularly a favorite with girls, he’s even
soul, a ‘bear of the world’ you could say. VWD\HG RQ WKH VDPH ÀRRU DV WKH .LQJ RI
You will notice I don’t refer to MMB as Brunei during a MotoGP. He’s watched
an ‘it’ or a ‘thing’, he is in fact a real him/ movies at Charters Towers, attended
he/his/ bear, to many within our more the Finke Desert Race, and was an avid
mature motorcycling demographic. I’ve soccer fan whilst in Turkey. He has lived
had grown men spot MMB and stop dead, to tell a story of a dingo raid at his camp
jaw dropping like a kid who just spotted a LQ .DNDGX QDUURZO\ DYRLGHG LQMXU\ E\ D
sporting hero, pointing and asking is that peacock, survived a sandy crash by yours
him? Is that the real MMB? Can I have a truly only to shake the sand out of his
VHO¿H" fur before continuing to travel another
1800kms just to have brekkie with the
Who is MMB? MMB came to fruition South Australian Breakfast Club.
or life as an alter ego for Peter “The
Bear” Thoeming. For those who don’t MMB has a community conscience, he’s
know Peter, he is a distinguished author attended a charity ride against child
of motorcycling books, editor and abuse in Las Vegas, and helped at the
journalist for many of Australia’s past Isle of Man and MotoGP’s, according to
and present motorcycling magazines the high vis vest he currently adorns over
and forums.These are just a few of his his Ulysses leather jacket and denim vest.
many contributions to Ulysses and the
motorcycling community. Peter is also I have been fortunate to have MMB
one of the early Ulysses members of this as my riding partner on two separate
00% EDWRQ SDVVHV 7KH ¿UVW WLPH
fantastic Club, and designer of our “Old
Man” logo. MMB was handed over at the SABC in
Peterborough. I decided to take him to
So how did MMB come to be? Peter the end of the world. Well, at least to
was becoming wildly popular in our Worlds End, an aptly named district in
motorcycling community and was being South Australia. You do feel like you’re
invited to so many events that one man at the end of the world, there is nothing
alone could not physically attend them but one house in a barren landscape
all. He needed a representative, someone and a road that just goes on and on. I
to help reduce the pressure without will write of our adventures later, which
R໤HQGLQJ 7KLV LV ZKHUH 0LQL 0H %HDU include the Grampians, Australian High
came to life, as a stand-in for Peter “the Country, Great Ocean Road attending
Bear” Thoeming. Peter went to his local many Victorian Breakfast Club gatherings,
Target and found our little traveler and so travelling solo and with Melbourne,
the adventurer came to life. Grampians, and the Green Triangle
branches.
Peter is well known for his travels far and
wide but only took MMB on one of his If you have travelled with MMB or know
trips, but this sparked a new direction ZKHUH , FDQ ¿QG VWRULHV SKRWRV HWF
in MMB’s existence. In addition to please contact me via mmbstories@
representing Peter at events, MMB found gmail.com I would love to hear from you.
himself on trips with other like-minded
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