BERRY - 'No Angels' Ride
Our ride took us to Berry and beyond. Heather met me at the beach in Austi and both of us rode down to NorthGate Maccas, where we met up with Ruth and both, Vanessa and Joey joined us at the Albion Park Maccas car park.
Joey, Vanessa and Ruth at Albion Park
It was almost midday and the sunshine was bright and warm and comforting. The 'Berry Bakery' had a timely table right outside for us and we made a quick meal of their scrumtious cakes. That's when it hit me: I am on HOLIDAYS!!!!!!!
Ladies Lunch
In my experience when ladies talk bikes, it is about the gear first and foremost. Comfort is of utmost importance...nobody likes to be cold, so we all took an interest in and compared our thermal gear. Both Ruth and Heather ride on black sheepskins, which looked comfy and warm. The only trouble with those is that they don't dry out as quickly after a rainy day's ride. Made me wonder if you could take it off and pop it in the dryer?
Here's Joey having a 'feel'
The only thing that is a real pitty when riding a bike is the limited storage space... especially when surrounded by the most fabulous shopping opportunities a tourist could ask for. So we had to leave it for another day...
Leaving the shops behind
'No Angels' hit the road home bound
Joey and I went on doing the 'reverse loop'. We decided to have a quick rest and a coffee stop at Kangaroo Valley, where we met Cole and Mal from Nowra, who decided to join us on the ride up to Robertson. Those two rode along on their Ducati and Triumph and when we got to Robertson it was sooooo freeeeeezing cold and windy, that we decided to head down the hill straight away.
That was my virgin run down the Pass.
...and in true form, just like my first Pass run uphill in 2006, where I encountered a caravan slowly making its way all the way up, this time we had a Country Link Bus in front of us and the double lines prevented everybody to get past. I must admit that I was quite nervous at first and I even decided to go last, but the bus changed all fear to frustration.
I lightened up when I watched Joey in front of me practicing moving her butt off the seat when cornering... but at 30km/h it just looked like something in slow-mo. Very funny!
Down at Albion Park we farewelled our new aquaintances, who had a fair way to go to get back to Nowra and the sunlight was fading. It was just simply amazing to experience the difference in climate between the highlands and the coast. When we arrived in Albion Park, I had to remove my inner jacket liner, because it was getting a touch too warm for me as the wind had died down a little.
A windy day makes riding a bike interesting. A little like driving a car in windy conditions, only that so much relies on getting the lean angle and line right, that riding a bike battling gusty winds usually is an adrenalin fueled event. Combine that with the odd bit of tree debris on the road and a case of dry and/or wet eye, chances are that your safety depends on quick reaction times.
Some of the backroads up near Kangaroo Valley and towards Robertson still have not dried out appropriately and are quite green in places. Slimey, slippery moments, hiding beneath the dark canopy. The sun drenched highway and main roads were not such a problem. The continuous traffic had cleared and dried out the road. Here the traffic becomes the source of my unease. Don't you love it when people pull over for you, so that you can pass them? They are doing 100 k's an hour and are 10 cm from hitting the cat-eyed posts, dirt flung up from the side of the road, the driver, concentrating on the side mirror, to check whether you are going to overtake or not?!
Well, no thank you! My bike is powerful enough to overtake in seconds. I don't, because I do not deem it safe. I do not wish to be invited to break the law and cross the double line or hit speed as we are approaching a tight corner. I prefer to assess the situation calmly, so, often times I decline. Thanks, but no thanks.
Another one that gets my ghoulies is the hot black ute... what's the new anti ad, the
little finger wave?!... that pulls up close behind you and the driver decides to race you around the bends...they are quite obviously stretching their car's ability, but why endanger me in the process? It certainly cramps the rider's style, as they are, throughout the fun parts, having to worry about the car possibly loosing control and wiping them out.
I guess I like predictability...yet riding is so much about surprises, that there is very little time to drift off and think about life and the rest. Motorcycling is all about 'being in the moment' and trusting the instinct. Sometimes after a ride it takes me a while to re-boot the old operating system and it seems as if it takes a real effort to talk sensibly. The grin on my face is almost permanent and the muscles in my cheeks are set. It becomes an effort to pronounce words. My hearing, shocking as it is at the best of times, seems to struggle with the muffler and the helmet's air noise...and I am forever flipping the visor up and down, as the light situation changes, which does not help to keep things contained and quiet.
Don't get me wrong: I am NOT complaining! I love EVERYTHING that goes with riding a motorcycle...just stating some of the things that are happening for me.
DRAGS!
This was pirated from the GRO site
Well we've had a bit of a rest for the last 2 months but Bike Night is
back at Western Sydney Dragway in July.
Prizes on offer this month include:
Best 60foot time LAMs bike - $40 MCA Voucher
Best 60foot time non-LAMS - $40 MCA Voucher
Best reaction time - WSID free Bike Night entry
First timer draw - WSID free Bike Night entry
Entry $45 racers or $15 spectators
Gates open 5pm, racing starts at 6pm
Bring your mates and race them down the quarter mile - July 4th.
Motorcycle Fatality Rate
WARNING: Graphic Footage!
Dangerous Designs Part 1 link.WARNING: Graphic Footage!
Dangerous Designs Part 2 link.
Making Music
These photographs came from Motorrad.de, a magazine I used to subscribe to when I lived in Hamburg.
Donington 250cc, imagine that sound... and then this:
.
This rider certainly prefers live music...
and too many Baked Beans...I think he might be looking for gas ...or a bumpy bit !
What's on?
Well, it's that time of the month again, where the GRO gang sets off to grip life by the handlebars (I know that's just soooo cheesy... I got it from a Hog Site...). This ride takes us down to Shoalhaven Heads. Follow the
link. for more info.
COWASAKI
Cowasaki...milk that for all it's worth!Thanks to Steve, for this little beauty!
THE LOOP
Saturday, 23/06/2007
Originally I had planned to go to the hairdresser in the morning, but time got away and there were more important things to do... like locating my thermals. It seems like ages since I'd used them last and where would a logical person like me place them when they are not needed?
The trouble is that logic changes with time and circumstance and in the end you wind up rummaging through piles of stuff, only to find the items neatly hung up at the very far end of the wardrobe. Hmmm... I knew that!
The meeting place was half an hour away and I was back on schedule once I dropped the haircut idea. My first ride with the iPod in ear! It felt a little strange and at the end of the day I had to let it go, because the helmet is a tight fit and it actually started to get a little sore.... and it has to be just right, volume, songs... it put me off having to worry about it. I like to hear the roar of the bike's engine and I enjoy the music for the depth in the mix and musicianship. It all turned bit flat for me and I started to feel a little out of sorts. Like being in an elevator...
However, it was a beautiful day, sunshine after a long period of rough weather and when we got to the Robertson Pieshop we certainly enjoyed the coffees Skipp made us. Taking our place on pole table, where we indulged in the best view upon the comings and goings of a busy parking lot. I love listening to the stories and the banter and I love seeing such a huge variety of bikes and modifications... it's dream-on time.
Within half an hour of close inspection I had set in concrete a plan of action: new rotors, braided lines, numberplate cover and rego label tube... these are a few of my favourite things (sings Maria in 'The Sound of Music').
It's always nice to catch up with other riders you get to know from past rides, clubs and forums and today I met Jackster again. Jacky was showing off her latest bling: an awesome airbrush job on the tail section. She had a 6 am start... and yes, she was wearing her thermals too.
and
We waited around for quite a while for some riders to arrive, but it did not matter... it seemed almost like an 'open day' at the clubhouse...
Then there was movement. Joey and I took off and of cause the guys caught up quite soonish. Just after Robertson, a couple of km down the road on the left, there is a turn off. No big signage, but a great road past the lake. Dotted here and there a few brown cows and quaint little farms all drenched in soft sun light... Some wet patches on the road, especially in tree foilage covered corners, made things a little slippery. You need to have your wits about you and rely on all senses, which I just did not feel quite right about today. Perhaps it is because I had not been for a blast for some time, due to the weather and other commitments. Perhaps it was the iPod. I'll have to see how I am going next time.
Down via Hampton Bridge to The Friendly Inn for a refreshing drink, then off again. Cowskin Bodybag, another Kawasaki Rider...but with a 1200cc engine... and I decided to leave the pack for home, whilst the others took themselves off to Kiama for another stopover.
Sunshine warming our hearts and tiresUnfortunately another group in front of us, coming up the hill from Kangaroo Valley, had a spill on a corner where some debris and rotting leaflitter had collected right in the middle of the road and we came upon those guys just as they were moving the bike to a safe area. There were a few of them and my first thought was that it was one of our riders. My heart sank and as I pulled over I realised that it was a different group. I recognised some of them from the earlier stop at the Pieshop, but thank goodness, no Illawarra Riders amongst them.
As we were riding along the Freeway, we came across a lone helmet sitting in the middle of the overtaking lane. What a freakish sight that was! We had a quick glance around, but there was no evidence of any impact or other debris, so we rode on. Sure enough, a km down the road there was a bike sitting in the breakdown lane, flashing his hazzard lights. We pulled over to see what was going on. He had lost his spare helmet including the rear seat... blown straight off the back. A car pulled over behind us and the driver got out to tell us that the helmet is no longer. A 4Wheel drive went straight over it and it got smashed, just as this good samaritan was going to pick it up. Pitty! That'll be about $600 worth of 'wind damage' for the rider... and he is lucky to not have copped a bill for possible damages on the vehicle that drove over it.
A nice cuppa at Woonona rounded this day off very nicely. Thanks to all involved. You've made my week.
Up the Pass
The weather and work committments have made it a little difficult to follow my ambition to leave some rubber on nice roads. Methinks it's time to bring out the thermals! Tomorrow morning we'll take Chelise to work. I sure hope that the Pass is clear of diesel spills and debris, so that we are doing it safely.
Cheap Helmet
Necessity is the Mother of Invention!
Thanks Lindy!
RTA rulz
I found this on our Illawarra Riders Forum. Whilst doing my best to stick to the rules, I have often wondered what it would be worth breaking them... here it is:
Fines according to RTA Road Rules (click on hyperlink)
I've just come across these 'Elephant Tour' pictures and it reminded me in no uncertain terms of the reason why I decided to move to Australia.
The weather!
These are from a club site in Germany, Motorrad Freunde Harburg. I am sure they did not exist in the current form in 1978, but I seem to remember going to their meetings at the same 'Local'... I used to know a couple of their hard core BMW riders... Schaukelpferde... at that time.
DESIGNER's FAULT
Sheila had a twisted kind of morning.
She put her helmet on, then realised something wasn't quite as it should be.
She got a glimpse at the inside padding of her brand-new helmet as she tried to put the key into the ignition of her brand-new scooter.
"This is going to be a brand-new experience", she told herself, as she twisted the hard hat around for better vision and off she went...facing, so she hoped, a much, much brighter day...
ELECTRIX
Aaaargh! My bike didn't start on Queen's Birthday's morning when I wanted to join the Oran Park crowd. I called the NRMA and they managed to get it started, but once the mechanic left, the bike stopped idling suddenly (with a 'click' sound) before I could get it on the road. I checked the fuses, but it did not seem to have affected them.
The second NRMA guy started it and measured the power going through it. "It does not recharge", said he. So I asked wether it is the generator...maybe.
The only thing I had done differently was that I had engaged the steering lock and I wonder wether that had anything to do with it, as I had not moved it for a week to date. Maybe I had it on 'p' for 'park light' position (if there is such a thing...the label is worn and I've never had reason to find out).
I noticed that while we were revving it, the light got brighter on the console at higher revs.
And when I tried to start it again, the lights did come on in the console, but it made a gritty kind of krrrrzz...(how did it go?) noise. I've rolled her back into the garage.
I did not take the battery out, but it did look a little old.
I'm lost. Disappointed. Glad it happened at home, though!
-------------------
OK ...been to my fave bike shop today and got a price...200 bucks on a 'youse'(...all know what brand it is) and thought, well, maybe it's just the battery that needs charging.
Positive thinking is the go, I reckon.
Came home and removed the battery to check if it had dried up or showed signs of... whatever.
Read the charger manual and it said to unscrew the caps before applying the red/black clamps. Lifted the rubber seal, thinking "Hmmm that's well sealed...I wonder if I'm supposed to do this???????????"
Added lots of demineralised water to each compartment
....thinking.....(afterthought)....."hmmmm, maybe it's a dry battery????????!!!!!!!!!" In which case I will have just buggeered it big time, as it needed lots of liquid.
So, now it's chaaaaaarging.
I do have a multimeter, but no idea how to find out whether the thing is charging via the revving engine.
The fav bike shop man said that I'd have to revv it to see wether it's charging, as apparently the idling engine, especially with the lights on, will only drain the battery.
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The verdict is... I wasted a perfectly good battery, which happened to be a gel cell battery, by pouring dest. H2O into it.
The battery charger did its o/night job... I put it all back together again, rode down to MaxPower, had a coffee whilst Steve pulled the wrecked one out, replaced it with a new one and checked the stator...perfect working order.
I am the latest MaxPower (@ Corrimal, Bellambi Lane) fan.
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The most annoying little thing happened while I fiddled around with the battery on my bench...there was a tiny little bit of what I thought was leftover plastic wrapping of some sort, trapped under the self tightening square nut thingy that sits on the bottom of the positive terminal.
Of cause I pulled it out and flicked it who-knows-where.
When it came to putting it all back together the bolt was too short to get a grip on the nut and I had a hell of a time using three screwdrivers with two hands and a set of teeth, trying to keep that square thingy in position. Ten frustrating minutes later it was done... I swapped the phillipshead for a magnetic one.
GREAT RIDE!
Wow, what a ride THAT was! Nice meeting Jen and her man! Felt a bit lost at the Southern Cross Custom Bike Shop, but got my own back in traffic! Did not see any sportbikes taking unscheduled time out...did you?lol It was nice not to have to get into that usual us and them hackle, so I wont elaborate.
Neat meeting out at Homebush, but unfortunately my camera ran out of memory...thought I had packed a spare...so these first three pictures are courtesy of Brett...THANK YOU!
The ride to Harbord Digger's Club was UNBELIEVABLE! I kept myself close to the front and at one stage we sat at the lights and I looked back and there was a neverending sea of bikes. There must have been at least 500 of us. INCREDIBLE!
They made $25,000 for the Hospital. Brett, the other ZX6R, and I returned safely to Helensburgh together. The cruizers offered for us to join them, but I wanted to get home in good time. We even got to ride along with Mr Delizio via Spit Bridge and Mosman.
When I got home the child laughed hysterically and pointed at my face: red eyed, flat haired and dirt all over...did I look like that all afternoon?????!!! Did not really get to look in the mirror at all today. So much else to look at!!!!!
Still smiling!
Here are a couple of shots I found irresistable...
Joey, Vanessa and Ruth at Albion Park
Ladies Lunch
Here's Joey having a 'feel'
Leaving the shops behind
