Ninja Days

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.

posted by The '95 Ninja ZX6R @ 30.6.07