Man... Was that fun
I'll try and keep to the best bits so as not to bore you too much and
hopefully get some pics up.
Day 1.. I bought a gps a few days before we left was mucking around trying to get it working via the cigarette lighter thing supplied which in the end I cut off and wired directly to the power.
We were all ready for our departure. First problem. I'd run my battery flat
messing with the gps. 40 minutes later, after a jump start from the car and we were off on our big adventure.
Ahead lay 530km of boring hwy riding followed by some of Australia's best riding roads.
First destination....Port Macquarie NSW.
I noticed a couple of oil drips under the SD at our first fuel stop. Didn't think much of it. Could have been from anyone.
We had a chat to a couple touring the country in a bus towing a trailer with 2 Harley's and no real plans. Just tripping around.
As it turned out, the oil leak was mine, but after tightening a few random bolts, it was fine for the duration.
I was glad to have put a piece of sheepskin on my seat even though It may have appeared ever so slightly gay.
We managed to catch a quick 11 hours sleep before heading off to our next stop. Singleton. 480km of twisty roads away.
Day 2.
The Oxley Hwy is one of the best bike roads around and has a 43km stretch which is all like this.
The Hwy then give a rider a series of fastish sweepers for about 15 km.
I was honking around a 55kph right hander at around 110 and rode straight through the middle of an oil patch on the road.
First went the front with the rear in hot pursuit and into a huge tank slapper.
I thought I was coming off for sure. I have no doubt the old Z1000 would have spat me into the scrub or left me for the Fire Brigade to hose off the road. I was alive but did soil my leather duds.
We swapped bikes for a while and I did enjoy the comfort of the Yamaha.
Thunderbolts Way is said to be another great road to ride.
We'd just gone from one of the best to one of the worst roads in Aus.
171km of potholed narrow road we were glad to be off.
We had lived another day and were glad the days pounding was over.
Day 3. The best.
Mt Panorama Bathurst was just 380 short km away. This is where Australia's biggest car race is held once a year.
We rode the Putty road. This is just the best road we have ever ridden.
Billiard table smooth and corner after corner of motorcycling nirvana.
It was wet dry wet dry, so we needed to take some care here.
This is the only stop along the 160km road.
We did pass a couple of bikes along the way and met one fella here who rides the road by himself.
It didn't seem to concern him that if he crashed over a cliff somewhere he may never be found.
We rode over the Blue Mountains and on to Bathurst. The track is within spitting distance of the Town and is used as a tourist drive when there are no races.
We went straight there and had a not so quick lap of the 6.2km circuit.
It's 60kph the whole way round.
There was a radar set up on conrod straight where the Police didn't seem to be catching anyone.
We turned around 10 laps and stayed for about 3 hours Taking pics enjoying being there.
Day 4.
The next day we were to ride to Tamworth, almost 600 km away and woke to a thick fog covering the Town. We needed to leave early as we wanted to do the Putty again.
Stopped at the first servo for fuel. As Bev was in paying, I thought I'd check our tyre pressures as I hadn't done it before we left home.
20 and 22psi in the SD...OOPS. I pushed Bev's bike over to the air hose then dropped her helmet. It had broken her visor straight down the middle.
So where does one buy a visor for an HJC helmet in a Country Town??
As it turns out.........Nowhere.
After a bit of repacking and the purchase of a new helmet we managed to make Tamworth.
Tamworth is a nice Country Town and the home of Country music in Aus.
About 100km outside of Tenterfield there were dark clouds menacing above. They stopped menacing after a while and let us have it.
It was freezing. We experienced ice on one short stretch of road for the first time in our lives.
Day 5
Tenterfield was the destination for the day. An easy 300km day.
We slept in till 8.00 and visited the Motorcycle Museum on our way out of Tamworth.
Some nice machines but Bev's interest in old bikes is about the same as mine is in learning to make Guinea pig Stew in South America.
So after an hour or so we left.
Now,, With all due respect to the Tenterfield locals.
I think we saw some genuine Hillbilly's here and I couldn't get "Dueling banjos" out of my head.
Day 6. 288km to go.
It wasn't till we were a couple of hours from home that we both hit "The wall".
We'd both felt good for the whole 2533.8km ride. I guess it's a fairly common thing.
We'd made it home. Had it all, wind, sunshine, rain, ice, broken visors and I forgot to mention I fell 2 mtrs from a giant rock onto my back just outside Glen Innes.
It was the best time we've ever had on the bikes and neither of us would have changed a thing.
I'll try and keep to the best bits so as not to bore you too much and
hopefully get some pics up.
Day 1.. I bought a gps a few days before we left was mucking around trying to get it working via the cigarette lighter thing supplied which in the end I cut off and wired directly to the power.
We were all ready for our departure. First problem. I'd run my battery flat
messing with the gps. 40 minutes later, after a jump start from the car and we were off on our big adventure.
Ahead lay 530km of boring hwy riding followed by some of Australia's best riding roads.
First destination....Port Macquarie NSW.
I noticed a couple of oil drips under the SD at our first fuel stop. Didn't think much of it. Could have been from anyone.
We had a chat to a couple touring the country in a bus towing a trailer with 2 Harley's and no real plans. Just tripping around.
As it turned out, the oil leak was mine, but after tightening a few random bolts, it was fine for the duration.
I was glad to have put a piece of sheepskin on my seat even though It may have appeared ever so slightly gay.
We managed to catch a quick 11 hours sleep before heading off to our next stop. Singleton. 480km of twisty roads away.
Day 2.
The Oxley Hwy is one of the best bike roads around and has a 43km stretch which is all like this.
The Hwy then give a rider a series of fastish sweepers for about 15 km.
I was honking around a 55kph right hander at around 110 and rode straight through the middle of an oil patch on the road.
First went the front with the rear in hot pursuit and into a huge tank slapper.
I thought I was coming off for sure. I have no doubt the old Z1000 would have spat me into the scrub or left me for the Fire Brigade to hose off the road. I was alive but did soil my leather duds.
We swapped bikes for a while and I did enjoy the comfort of the Yamaha.
Thunderbolts Way is said to be another great road to ride.
We'd just gone from one of the best to one of the worst roads in Aus.
171km of potholed narrow road we were glad to be off.
We had lived another day and were glad the days pounding was over.
Day 3. The best.
Mt Panorama Bathurst was just 380 short km away. This is where Australia's biggest car race is held once a year.
We rode the Putty road. This is just the best road we have ever ridden.
Billiard table smooth and corner after corner of motorcycling nirvana.
It was wet dry wet dry, so we needed to take some care here.
This is the only stop along the 160km road.
We did pass a couple of bikes along the way and met one fella here who rides the road by himself.
It didn't seem to concern him that if he crashed over a cliff somewhere he may never be found.
We rode over the Blue Mountains and on to Bathurst. The track is within spitting distance of the Town and is used as a tourist drive when there are no races.
We went straight there and had a not so quick lap of the 6.2km circuit.
It's 60kph the whole way round.
There was a radar set up on conrod straight where the Police didn't seem to be catching anyone.
We turned around 10 laps and stayed for about 3 hours Taking pics enjoying being there.
Day 4.
The next day we were to ride to Tamworth, almost 600 km away and woke to a thick fog covering the Town. We needed to leave early as we wanted to do the Putty again.
Stopped at the first servo for fuel. As Bev was in paying, I thought I'd check our tyre pressures as I hadn't done it before we left home.
20 and 22psi in the SD...OOPS. I pushed Bev's bike over to the air hose then dropped her helmet. It had broken her visor straight down the middle.
So where does one buy a visor for an HJC helmet in a Country Town??
As it turns out.........Nowhere.
After a bit of repacking and the purchase of a new helmet we managed to make Tamworth.
Tamworth is a nice Country Town and the home of Country music in Aus.
About 100km outside of Tenterfield there were dark clouds menacing above. They stopped menacing after a while and let us have it.
It was freezing. We experienced ice on one short stretch of road for the first time in our lives.
Day 5
Tenterfield was the destination for the day. An easy 300km day.
We slept in till 8.00 and visited the Motorcycle Museum on our way out of Tamworth.
Some nice machines but Bev's interest in old bikes is about the same as mine is in learning to make Guinea pig Stew in South America.
So after an hour or so we left.
Now,, With all due respect to the Tenterfield locals.
I think we saw some genuine Hillbilly's here and I couldn't get "Dueling banjos" out of my head.
Day 6. 288km to go.
It wasn't till we were a couple of hours from home that we both hit "The wall".
We'd both felt good for the whole 2533.8km ride. I guess it's a fairly common thing.
We'd made it home. Had it all, wind, sunshine, rain, ice, broken visors and I forgot to mention I fell 2 mtrs from a giant rock onto my back just outside Glen Innes.
It was the best time we've ever had on the bikes and neither of us would have changed a thing.