Yami R1 Geoff
Jones (leader)
Honda
CB400 Ron
Johnston
BMW K100Rs Peter Rykenberg and Sarah Blackwell
Honda CBR929 Ben and Julie
Warden
Honda CBR1100XX Martin Hastie and
Carmen de Bono
Honda
VFR800 Bruce Saville
Suzi GSXR600 Jeremy
Raudys (2nd
ride) (ride only)
Yami YZF1000 Trevor
Harris (ride only)
Suzi GSXR1000 Danny
Kosinski (ride only)
Honda
CBR929 Ian Payne (meal only)
MV Augusta Dave Ward (meal only)
Suzi GSXR750 Clint
Vertigan (meal only)
Car Di Welsford (meal only)
The Club
magazine Itinerary page stated:
“Excellent food and service at the pub followed by a gentle ride into
the sunset. A good headlight is essential as wildlife is abundant –
more so for the leader who acts as a snowplough, clearing a path for the
following riders. Though only a short ride, don’t expect to be home before
midnight. Usually great fun. The stars are a sight to
see from atop Lake Mountain. Suitable for a pillion.”
Yarra Glen Pub 6.30pm to eat,
8.30pm to leave Geoff Jones leading
It’s Friday and having a
RDO I organised to get my bike, pick up Carmen and take a leisurely ride
through Eltham, Kangaroo Ground and Christmas Hills to Yarra Glen. I got to the
pub-meeting place after refuelling at the local servo. I saw a pump that was
displaying a price per litre of 37 cents, (cheap fuel?) but it turned out the
digital display was missing a segment and it was 97 cents per litre.
A group of bikes were
parked out the front of the pub. Inside enjoying a meal were Geoff J, Peter R,
Sarah B, Ron J, Ben and Julie, Bruce S, Ian P, Clint V, and Di W. We sat, ate
and talked till 8.30pm when Geoff announced it was time to saddle up. Outside I
noticed a few more bikes had rolled up.
Ten of us left the pub
around 8.50pm. Ian, Dave and Clint had other commitments and made their own way
home. Julie, Carmen and Di stayed at the pub to enjoy
a few drinks and chat until we returned after the ride.
Geoff lead us via the
Healesville Yarra Glen and Healesville Kinglake Roads to Healesville and then
onto the Maroondah Highway through the Black Spur. The sky still wasn’t too
dark and you could see the road and surrounds quite clearly. I didn’t see any
wild life, which may be a good thing, as hitting something at the pace I was sitting
on Geoff’s rear through the Spur, could have been interesting. I corner-marked
at the turn-off to Marysville until Bruce caught up, his yellow headlight
making his bike readily identifiable.
I got to pass some of
the others until finding Ben when I decided to use him for the plough and sit
behind him till the top of the mountain. It was getting past twilight and the
combination of both our headlights gave a bit more vision.
An interesting
observation was noting how much the road twists and turns around the mountain
by glimpsing the occasional headlight of
another bike through the trees, all the while concentrating on the bumps and
dips and dodging the roadside debris: small branches, leaf litter, etc.
We regrouped at the top
of the mountain to admire the stars and discuss the trip so far. Danny believed
that so long as he could see the markers at the side of the road he was happy
to travel at a good pace in the dark. He passed most of us several times
throughout the ride.
Time to return down the
mountain. Geoff and Ben were off, and by the time most of us were suited up,
they were well out of sight. I tried Danny’s idea, but some very dark corners
needed a bit less speed to negotiate smoothly. Down the mountain and back
through Marysville saw some locals still about. On through the Spur again, this
time in complete darkness.
At Healesville we
regrouped. I felt as if my eyes had increased in size, trying harder to see the
road. The ride broke up here. Some said their farewell and headed home while others
stayed for coffee. Ben and I went back to Yarra Glen to pick up our partners. I
got home after midnight with Carmen commentating on how dark it was leaving
Yarra Glen. If only she knew how dark it was on the mountain!
Seventy kilometres up
the mountain, 70 kms back down. Total distance,
including the travel from and returning to home: around 220kms.
Thanks Geoff for
leading, Bruce for rear rider duties and the other people who made the ride an
enjoyable Friday night event.
Martin
Hastie (Honda CBRXX1100 Blackbird)