Old days revisited

At last the weather's starting to warm up and those chilly winds are getting less. Everyone tells me it's been a long cold winter but I was lucky enough to spend most of it Queensland so missed the worst of it in the early months.

So time to get the gear out & head out on the road for a bit of a burn. First thing I needed was a new helmet so I went online, did some research and in the end Peter Stevens gave me a better deal than I could get online.
I ended up with an Arai Corsair-V which is a beautiful lid - right weight, comfort and fit for my head. There's even an adjustable spoiler to reduce wind turbulence, however, it still generates a lot of wind noise and maybe even more than the previous Arai Vector I owned!
All the Arai helmets have had the visor vision extended by 10mm which is one of the more noticeable improvements.

So, I got to try it out a few weeks ago when we had a visit from an ex-pat from Adelaide - Pete came over for a week-end visit and we arranged a nostalgic burn down to Deans Marsh with Cam on the Daytona R.
Both Pete & I were itching to get on the Daytona & we both had our opportunity! The rain stayed away and it was the perfect day for a cruise down through the Otways.

We all had the chance to swap around bikes and Cam felt like he was a big sail in the wind when he rode the Speed 3 after the Daytona - he was getting knocked around like Mike Tyson in the upright position and couldn't wait to get back in behind the fairing on the 675R.
Martians was quiet except for a few dirt bike riders and it looked like it might have changed owners - I haven't been there for about a year & didn't recognise anyone. It didn't feel as welcoming and the coffee has definitely gone downhill! We hung around for a while & then took off on the trip home.

It was my turn on the Daytona and the first thing I did was stall it trying to get out on the road :-/
I thought, maybe I'm getting too old for these fast bikes where you need to sit like a jockey! Then I got out on the road... whaoooooo :-o It was awesome - what an experience - it howls and that's just with standard equipment! Once it's up to speed the riding position becomes quite comfortable - the hardest part is holding it back! The adjustable Ohlins suspension is incredible and makes cornering on those bumpy rodes feel uneventful. I loved every bit of it - except for the bits where I had to ride it at 60km/hr - then it becomes painful - mentally and physically :-)

It was great to see Pete & Leone again and I'm keen to get back over to SA later in the year to go an a few rides with Pete into the hills - the roads over there sound fantastic and the revenue collectors aren't as prolific as they are here in the 'we'll get you' state!
Anyway, looks like time to book a few long week-ends away and get a few more kms on the bikes. I can't wait for the weather to get warmer and the days longer.

Awesome Geelong Coffee

I have to share my latest discovery that just happens to be right here in Geelong!
Having spent some time in Brisbane seeking out a decent coffee, I finally found an app that I could use to sniff out the best caffeine hit in town. It's called Beanhunter - and it works! If you only want the best coffee then this is the app for you! It kept me alive while I was in Brissy when I found a little South American owned cafe called SIP.

So now I'm back in Geelong, I thought I'd see what was rating highly in my home town. To my surprise it was a coffee shop in an industrial area called Breakwater - not the sort of place you'd expect to experience a good bean! So, I had to check it out... the place is called Cartel and it is truly unbelievable!
Driving through the industrial estate, I wasn't sure what to expect. Walking through the door was like walking into a coffee den - the roaster at one end of a cosy labyrinth with a mix of sofas and classic wooden tables and music that immediately injected a chill out vibe.
The staff are passionate about everything coffee and even tea - there was a tea room with 100+ different varieties. The coffee is roasted on-site and the roasting area is open so you can have a look. They do everything from expresso to plunger to drip coffee - I tried a cold drip filter coffee fr the first time and was amazed how good it was - straight out of the fridge. Some areas looked more like a science experiment from a school lab :-)

It's an educational experience, the staff all too eager to tell you about the origin of the beans, the way the coffee's produced and some background on the way it's grown and harvested. I love the place. There's even a picture of Her Majesty on the wall - what more could anyone want...
After a few amazing coffees & a few sampler expressos I was almost ready to run a marathon.
If you're a coffee or tea lover then you've got to visit when you're in Geelong. If you visit on a Saturday you might have to park a few blocks away as they reckon it get busy - I can understand why!
Check it out online - www.coffeecartel.com.au
Once the weather gets warmer & I get out on the bike then it'll definitely be a stop here on the way.

Where's the whales?

Brisbane River

After 5 months in BrisVegas it was time for my final flight back home to Geelong last week & the thermal long-johns have been on ever since :-) At least we're heading towards Spring in the next few weeks so with a bit of luck the sun should start moving higher in the sky so the days are longer and warmer.

Point Addis lookout

Anyway, the weather didn't stop a couple of us getting on two wheels & taking a trip down the Great Ocean Road last week.
It's been so long since I've ridden the GO road that I forgot how beautiful it is. The scenery really is breathtaking, and with the road snaking along the cliff edge it's got to be one of the most amazing places in Australia.
We'd heard there'd been a few Southern Right whales spotted along the coast near Apollo Bay so we were well armed with cameras ready to stop at a moments notice. The pillion on the Speed3 was the lookout!

The Arab Cafe - Lorne

It was the perfect day for a ride, sun shining, no rain and no wind. The road was a bit wet in places and there was quite a bit of damage to the bitumen just before Apollo Bay, but overall it was a steady, smooth ride with very little traffic to hold us up.
Our first stop with The Arab cafe in Lorne for a coffee - great to be sitting outside that iconic bike cafe again & the R1 still hangs above the serving area at the front. It's all kitted out ready for bikers with the outside coat hooks for jackets and little shelves outside for a bunch of bikers to rest their coffee cups while they tell each other tales of their motorbike adventures.

As always happens with bikers, we got chatting to another guy who pulled up on his latest purchase - a Spyder! He'd ridden bikes of all shapes & sizes all his life & decided to give the Spyder a try - he was actually still learning how to ride it - very different to riding 2 wheels he reckoned. Interestingly, he'd spend some time working in Leicester and because of his connection with the fire service, he did a tour of the Triumph Hinckley factory after the 2002 fire. He had some great stories.

As we were about to get up & leave we were visited by a friendly cockatoo - he was a cheeky fellow - came right over to us & gave a few naughty squawks asking for food!
We jumped back on the bikes for the best part of the road - the ride from Lorne to Apollo Bay. There was still no sign of whales but it was like a having a tonic getting out on those roads again and experiencing the awesome scenery.
With no whales in sight, we stopped for a bite to eat in Apollo Bay. Looking back at where we had come from looked bleak - dark clouds & overcast. It made us shiver thinking about riding back again.
Our assumptions proved right - as we headed back along the winding Great Ocean Road, the temperature dropped and even with double layers and thermals, it was chilling right through to the bone!
A quick ride via Bells Beach and a stop at Torquay but still no whales - maybe they've all gone north to Queensland where it's warmer :-)

Beautiful one day, perfect the next

Queensland... the longer I work and live in beautiful Brisbane the more I realise how wonderful this sub-tropical region really is - it's but still 20c on most days and the leaves are still on the trees!

Even the wildlife is amazing - there's a rustle in the bushes - then a bearded devils runs down the path in front of you...

It's been 4 months now since I agreed to come north and work for a few months - it wasn't hard! With thoughts of Winter in Melbourne and travelling on a public transport system that's overcrowded and unreliable, it was easy to say "Yes"!

The month after I started working in Brisbane, the commuter train from Melbourne to Geelong got stuck for 5 hours - easy to predict the Victorian public transport system! I've already sent Myki an e-mail telling them how fantastic the Brisbane GO card is for public transport - it was cheaper and it actually works!
The only thing left to do is get the Speed 3 up here to rip up the roads on the hinterlands around the Sunshine and Gold Coasts. I got a quote last week from a company called Bikes Only - the Triumph dealer in Brisbane recommended them - now I just need to organise it. I'm working with a bloke that tells me about his brother & the 5 Trumpy's in his garage - he's been giving me maps showing me some awesome rides and I plan to meet up with his brother on his Thruxton once I've got my wheels on the ground up here.

Another guy was telling me how good it is on the Queensland Raceway track - they have ride days that are cheap and it's easy to get in a few laps in the sessions.
The only thing I struggle to understand is the football up here, though the Lions are starting to draw the crowds. State of origin has everyone buzzing at the moment - lots of maroon jumpers in the street. If Queensland win the decider I've been told not to expect too many people at work tomorrow - where else but Queensland!

A couple of week-ends ago I had a surprise visit - Cameron, that's Leone's boy, turned up on his new Daytona 675 R. What a bike - Ohlins, Brembo's the works - it looks awesome & I'm sure it's amazing to ride.
I hear Pete's coming back in a couple of months & he'll be throwing a leg over that babe for sure! Cam's already made some additions with short levers and I'm hoping he gets that arrow nderseat pipe on there at some point. He's gonna have fun...
It was great to catch up with Pete & Leone recently when they drove over in the Roller - life in South Australia is definitely suiting them well. Next time Pete comes over I think it'll be time for a burn down to Deans Marsh to catch with with some old faces.

Melbourne Cup - Annual Bright Pilgrimage

It feels like a long time ago since Melbourne Cup - it's taken me ages to write an update. I got started, then stopped, started again several times & at last I'm finishing it. Life's been hectic lately - work hours just seem to creep up & leave no time left to do the things we enjoy!
As usual, I was as keen as ever to get back up to Bright on the cup day week-end last year & my mate Mark was as keen as I was to get on to those beautiful mountain roads on his new Street Triple R.
We found a great place to stay in a hotel right on the river that turned out to be perfect and the weather was good, though there were some warnings of heavy rain on the Sunday.
We set off on Saturday morning with a plan to meet on the Plenty Road, just before Whittlesea.
All went well & we both reached our meeting point in the Bunnings carpark a few minutes apart. The ride along the Western Ring Road was a bit crazy with roadworks everywhere & rutted bitumen that sometimes felt like I was riding in an ice rink!
Our first stop was going to be Yea for breakfast. It was a beautiful start to the week-end ride taking those roads out past Flowerdale into Yea - the area is just starting to come back to life after the bush fires but it is still daunting when you witness the extend of the burnt forest around you & think about the people that once lived there.
It didn't take long getting into Yea where a hearty breakfast went down well and it was then on to Mansfield.
The big surprise came at Bonnie Doon - there's now a lake right up to the Bonnie Doon pub replacing the dry scrubby valley that was there a year ago. It was so unreal we had to stop at the pub for a second look! It was beautiful - ski boats were tied up at the waters edge, their owners in having a few ales at the bar. Ahhh the serenity...
A few old vintage cars passed us on the way and we found out there was a rally scheduled along the Whitfield Road the following week - lucky it wasn't this week-end as the road was going to be closed - couldn't get that far without having fun on the Whitfield Road!
It's always great on that road & I always have a laugh when I think of a ride a few years ago when Stefan had a falcon fly into him & then cling to him with its talons sticking into his jacket - it isn't so much the event that makes me laugh but the animated way he described his dilemma and trying to get this bird of prey off his jacket as he continued tramping along on his bonnie!
As usual a stop at the Mountain View pub was a must - it was getting warm & there was still a fair way to go so it was hard leaving the shaded beer garden to continue the journey.
But we got going and eventually pulled into Bright & into the Riverside Hotel. It's a great spot & we had rooms with sliding doors out onto a lawn overlooking the River Ovens - beautiful.
A quick freshen up & it was almost a jog to the brewery.
However, on the way to the brewery we got distracted - there was a German Beer Festival on in town with a huge Marquee, Umpa Umpa band, bars, German beer and girls in Bavarian outfits - this was like a dream!!
But even this couldn't stop us from our target destination - the Bright Brewery for a pint of Fainters! After a few Fainters we staggered back & became very sophisticated with wine, cheese & biscuits on the terrace...
The next day we started early for the loop around Mt Hotham, Omeo, Anglers Rest, Mt Beauty and back via the Tawonga Gap.
The ride up through Harrietville was beautiful, the river flowing along on the left with the mountainous backdrop - how good can it get!
Then is was up over Hotham on an adrenaline ride after I had a close encounter with an R1 coming in the opposite direction. It was so close I could smell his aftershave :-)
As usual a quick stop in Dinner Plain is always good for a coffee & gave us the chance to share tales of our bikes , the road & the views.
It was all looking good until we approached Omeo & the skies started looking black - then the rain started. We reached Omeo just in time - the skies opened up and it poured.
We met a bunch of guys on Trumpies from Albury - most of them were on new Tigers & talked very highly of them - might have to try a ride one day!

We quickly set off for the Blue Duck pub at Anglers Rest while there was a break in the weather.
It was still very wet on the roads so we were a bit careful on the winding road along the side of the mountain that leads to Anglers Rest. There's some great spots to camp along the river and do some fishing - a thought for a future trip!
From Anglers Rest the riding was tough in torrential rain & we had to stop & run into the trees to take shelter & get the waterproofs on for some serious wet weather riding up over the back road to Falls Creek.
This road was sealed a couple of years ago and has now settled to make it a beautiful riding road - also makes a great circuit ride from Bright through Falls Creek and into Mount Beauty.
Everything except snow hit us as we road over the mountain - rain & thick fog with freezing temperatures made it feel like an endurance ride. Finally we got to Falls Creek & kept going to the glorious sunshine in Mt Beauty.
A quick fuel stop and a stretch - then it was onto one of my favorite roads - the Tawonga Gap Road - it just gets better every time!
So, we finally got back to Bright - my mates new Street 3 had been fully tried & tested. It certainly had a bit of everything thrown at it throughout the day.
The next day it was back to Melbourne with a stop at the Myrtleford Butter Factory for breakfast (highly recommended) and then back the way we came via Whitfield and the King Valley.
Now that I've finished writing this it's got me thinking that I need another trip back up there again...

Mickey Bourke's Annual Ride

What's the weather going to be like on the week-end was the question I kept asking as it got closer to our day of departure on Saturday morning. We were off on a week-end trip to Koroit staying at Mickey Bourke's pub.

It's a ride that was initiated by Rob & Priscilla from Melbourne years ago and has become an annual pilgrimage. Last year I departed the group at Lavers Hill, deciding to come home instead of heading on to Koroit, but when I pulled away I made a promise to go all the way this year - and I didn't regret it!
We all met at Moriac outside the little general store that has extended into a little coffee shop - even boasting the best coffee in Geelong. A couple of the guys tried the brew & I didn't hear any complaints so can only assume it must be ok. I'll definitely be stopping to try it next time I pass that way. All up there was 9 bikes with the trumpy's having the majority.
Bill was on his new GS1200 - an awesome bike that provided the capability to raise and lower the suspension as he rode along - handy on those dirt roads through the bush! Geoff & Bill had recently ridden the BMW GS1200s to Queensland and back - they're definitely the bike to use for touring - I wonder how the new Triumph Tiger matches up...
Our first stop was at Martians which was being invaded by the Volkswagen comby club - there were all shapes & sizes & colours in the car park - a bunch of surfies had been returned by aliens and dropped off in Deans Marsh!
Next stop was Apollo Bay via Skenes Creek Rd through Forrest and Barwon Downs. It wasn't the best ride - wet roads and lots of cautious cars doing 40 km/hr and not wanting to let us pass-very frustrating. It was good to reach Apollo Bay for lunch.
I think it was Rob's idea that we take a photo opportunity by the harbour - problem was, half of us didn't know where exactly it was. So there was a bit of a tour of the general area before we found our way to eventually regroup and line up for the group photo.
First lesson learned - don't tie a knot in the cord that holds the ventura waterproof cover on the bag - you won't get it off... especially when you need to get stuff out of the bag. Well, Minger could have been without his pyjamas all week-end if P wasn't a knot undo expert :-)
We left Apollo Bay and there's not much I can say about the ride to Apollo Bay - it was awesome & we all had a fantastic ride through that beautiful rain forest and then the lush green valley up to Lavers Hill - we talked about it non-stop when we stopped. Rob S would have been smiling for days after that ride on the Daytona...

Then the road to Port Campbell which is different but just as much fun - the first and only cop on the trip sat outside Port Campbell in a 4x4 with his radar pointed directly at us - he must have been disappointed when we all saw him and stayed within the limit!

Heading out of Port Campbell there was some great stretches of road with big sweepers and a big burn with the RC8 and the flying Daytona left me tingling (and smiling :-))
It was great to finally reach Mickey Bourke's in Koroit - we were all looking forward to relaxing with a cold drink. It's an old Irish Pub with lots of character & I felt at home right away.

Koroit was a farming town populated by Irish immigrants and had potatoes as it's main crop. Now it's dairy farms with wafts of fresh warm milk hitting you as you ride past the processing plants.

The cider and guinness started flowing in the pub with stories of the days ride. Bill shared his incredible stories of riding a Yamaha 400 across the world from Singapore in the 70s - even riding through Afghanistan and the middle east - made me realised I haven't really lived. I would love an evening sitting just listening to Bill's stories - better than Charlie & Ewan!
The food was perfect and for a country pub it was impressive. Jane's calamari didn't last long when she offered to share.
A few glasses of the local pinot & it was time to invade the pool room and get the jukebox cranked up. It reminded me of a night with the Geelong RATs in Bronte Park Tassie - we played pool, drank beer and rocked the night away with the jukebox bashing out our favorite tunes form the 80s & 90s. Rowan, the youngest amongst us must have wondered what he'd let himself in for - surrounded by these aging rockers singing along to Bob Marley & Queen :-)
Team Mac were doing well on the pool table until we had to call on the reserve when one half of the team disappeared - that's when Team Stokes got the opportunity to claim victory.
After a good night’s sleep - in between truck compression braking, we all had a hearty breakfast & got the bikes fired up.
The plan was to take a ride around the old volcano at Tower Hill Wildlife Reserve and stop off in the Information Centre. It's an amazing place & straight away we spotted several Emus in dense undergrowth by the lake. They're huge bird & I'm glad they don't get angry with motorbikes...
It's definitely well worth a visit - lots of local aboriginal history, geology and if you want photos of Emus, Wallabies and Koalas then a few hours there would probably make sure you get a bit of everything.
Priscilla suggested we swap bikes as I'd never ridden a Daytona 675 and I’d mentioned the night before that I'd love the chance to try one.

First challenge was sitting on it – what a difference to the Speed Triple! Once I was on there and the cramps in my hips subsided, my immediately thoughts (apart from being an old bugger) was, they’ll need a winch to get me off again! But, it wasn’t long before I actually loved the riding position – everything feels so compact and busy compared to the Speed 3 but it was amazing how good it felt once we were out on the open road.

That characteristic howl that comes with the 675 engine takes on a new meaning as you open the throttle. We headed back in the direction of Warrnambool and then took off up the Hopkins Highway towards Mortlake – a fairly boring road with a few good sweepers here & there.

In the end the Daytona felt so good I didn’t want to get off… but Priscilla wanted her beautiful bike back :-)

Cobden was the place picked for a fuel stop – according to Rob’s GPS it was a Mobil servo but when we got there it was a Shell servo that had just stopped trading that day! I think I saw Cobden 3 times within half an hour & at one stage started feeling dizzy – ahhh technology, whatever happened to good ole paper maps – maybe it’s the baby boomer in me J

A stop for lunch at Bucks in Camperdown and then it was off to somewhere – we didn’t really know where… all was going well, scenery was awesome and roads exactly how you want them on a bike.

Next we doubled back through Terang, Timboon, Scotts Creek and Simpson making our way towards Lavers Hill.

Then came the elephant in the bush – a dirt road up ahead. My first thought was – we can trust Rob, it’s probably only a couple of kilometres. Big mistake – 14 km’s later and a bush dirt road with corrugation, mud, stones as big as boulders, all in the depths of the rain forest.

My mind flashed back to a few years ago – crossing the mountains on a dirt road one of our ride group got separated and stuck out on a dirt road in the middle of nowhere with a puncture – it was a nightmare. But in the end we made it to the bitumen & I could understand Charlie & Ewan’s joy when they kissed the bitumen road after days on dirt. We all had a good laugh about it as we pulled up - we'd survived...

Lavers Hill was at the end of the road from hell and it just got worse – the sky opened up with hail and the temperature dropped – this was really testing us. But we pushed on, up the Cape Otway road and it dried out giving us the last taste of excitement as we pulled uphill towards Geelong.

We soon reached the point of separation; the Melbourne crew pushing on to get fuel and on to the highway back home and the two Geelong bikes having just a 30-minute ride to a warm shower.

It was a great week-end, plenty of great roads and good company – I’m already looking forward Mickey Bourke’s 2012 J

Here, There, Everywhere

Not sure how much everyone's getting out for a ride these days but I know my days out on two wheels have been few & far between.
First of all we went to the UK for all of March & then when I got back I ended up working between Hobart & Melbourne. Hobart's beautiful - great food, coffee, scenery and people - check out 'Next Door' in Collins Street if you're down that way - best coffee & great service.
That project finished but then it was off on another one working in Sydney & Brisbane! It's all great for the air miles but not so good for the ride miles :-)
I had a burn a few weeks ago with a few mates from Melbourne. My mate Mark's just bought himself a new Street Triple R & he loves it.
He's already got heaps of after-market bits and there's more on the way. It looks & feels great to ride - seems a little different to the earlier model Street 3 in the riding position - the bars seem flatter and lower. I wasn't sure about those new lights but they're growing on me. Anyway, our ride took us up through Greendale and Blackwood then Daylesford and Hepburn Springs hotel for lunch.
I gotta say, the roads were absolutely terrible - like goat tracks in places with patches on corners to cover holes and really uneven surface - if TAC and VicRoads want to improve road safety then why not start by fixing up the appalling roads - they're outright dangerous for all road users - not just bikes.
Anybody asked where our bike tax moneys going now? Remember, the new state government is the one that promised several years ago to remove it if they got elected... just like the public transport promises - all smoke & mirrors! Maybe we should write to the local member & remind him - especially Denis Napthine as he was the one at the bike protest rally!!
Last week the Speed 3 got another accessory - anodised brake reservoirs. All went well with the back one but then the front one came to a standstill when I realised I needed 2 brake bleeding kits. So, another job to finish next week-end. They do look a lot better than the plastic ones.
The weather in Hobart was beautiful when I was down there working & I couldn't stop thinking "if only I had trumpy down here..." maybe I'll get back down for a holiday later in the year and get to ride on those beautiful roads.
Looks like the local RAT group is kicking off again - I think there was a ride last week-end. I wasn't around so didn't get to join them - maybe next time...

Back to Reality

Well it had to come to an end sometime. The last part of our travels was spent in Hong Kong which we explored for 4 days. It's still as hectic as I remembered it back when I was here 4 years ago.
Next time I come here it'll be to stay in a hotel on Hong Kong island - after 4 days of getting harassed by hustlers trying to sell me a suit, handbags or a Rolex watch in Nathan Rd I felt like jumping into the harbour :-) Kowloon is the cheaper area but it lacks the style and variety of eating places and bars that can be found in Lan Kwai Fong, Wan Chai or Soho.
We took the ferry to Mui Wo to meet up with the bus to the Big Buddha and Po Lin Buddhist monastery. It was quite a cooler day-about 18c but chilly in the wind. The ferry took about 30 minutes and then a hair-raising bus ride through the hills of Lantau Island for 50 minutes.
The Big Buddha was amazing - the monument sits on top of the mountain looking out over Hong Kong and the Pearl River delta. Inside there's an actual sacred artefact - a fragment of bone that belonged to the Sakyamuni Buddha. When he was cremated his remains were distributed to temples all over the world - it's claimed that the relic on display inside this bronze Buddha are genuine remains.
Two weeks later this all seems like a distant memory - it's now back to the world of reality & work. Sounds like nothing's changed out there on the road either - I heard the cops had taken over Martians cafe in Deans Marsh last Sunday & were going through every bike that went past. My source told me the cafe was empty except for 3 bike cops doing what cops in Victoria do - lucky he didn't end up shot or tazered - I thought, it would have been ironic if I'd gone out for a burn on my first ride & had the welcome back to "the place to be"... now here's your fine :-(