Many people have asked me how my Melbourne cup weekend ride went and how I enjoyed it

Melbourne Cup Weekend Day One

Ian Payne (rear)	Honda CBR1000	Clifford Peters	Suzuki GSXR1000
Paul Southwell	Honda CBR1000	Danny Hawker	Suzuki GSXR750
Ben Warden (leader)	Honda CBR954	Misho Zrakic	Suzuki GSXR750
Dave Ward	Honda CBR600RR	Peter Feistl	Suzuki GSXR750
Renzo Cunico	Honda VFR750	James Melford	Suzuki GSXR750
Peter Jones	Yamaha R1	Shane Hindle	Suzuki GSXR600
Tony Raditsis	Yamaha TRX850	Jean Eldridge	Suzuki Bandit 250
Rob Langer	BMWR1150GS	Marty Thompson	Kawasaki ZX9

Many people have asked me how my Melbourne Cup weekend ride went and how I enjoyed it. I have had a lot of trouble trying to articulate an appropriate response. Finding the words to describe my experience, the roads, the company, the bikes and the scenery is very difficult!

I have thought very hard about this over the last week and every time I picture some of the experiences, it brings a smile to my face. All I need to do is think of one of the many roads we travelled and I am instantly happy.

I know what I will be thinking about on my death bed; it will be of the experience that made me feel so alive, yet so close to the edge, being with 14 people who know exactly how I feel and enjoy it just as much, knowing that no-one knows what we do and how insane it can be.

Day One Saturday 3^rdNovember started with meeting Ian, Dave and Paul at the bus shelter in Warrandyte at 8am. All bikes were packed with the bare minimum. No touring packs or tank bags for us. I am about to do some of the most serious riding of my lifetime. At 7.55am it started to rain, so on went the waterproofs and off we headed to Yarck, taking the Kangaroo Ground Yarra Glenn road, then on to the Melba. The further north we headed, the heavier the rain.

As we pulled in to Yarck I could see all the other participants sitting under the front veranda of the local store sheltering from the monsoonal-like conditions. We huddled under the veranda making it very difficult for people to enter the shop to purchase their milk and paper. Little did they know… After a head count and introductions we headed off to Mansfield and then to Whitfield.

Initially it was driving rain, which settled to just heavy showers. The first piece of nice road came after Mansfield. It was time to see if the new Super Corsa Pro’s could cope with the wet. The road provided great grip in the conditions (it was the brown surface bitumen) and the tyres stuck like glue. The road was superb: great constant radius sweepers surrounded by dead burnt out trees from the bushfires the year before providing great vision.

We arrived at Whitfield stopping for petrol, everyone getting off their bikes and showing how their waterproofs finally gave way to the rain. The stop provided a good opportunity to talk and introduce each other; this was my first introduction to our Treasurer and Public relations officer, Peter Feistl. I was told Peter (Felix) likes to pack for emergencies. He brought five pairs of gloves! This was not to be the first surprise to come out of Peter’s Gear sack: on Sunday morning we had fruit cake courtesy of Pete’s Mum. “It was lovely cake, thanks Mrs Feistl”

After re-fuelling, talking and eating, we set off to what was one of our first obstacles, about three km of red, thick, sludgy mud, “road works post heavy rain”. This put an end to all clean bikes. We continued on up to Myrtleford bakery for lunch and where we would meet up with Renzo on his trusty Labrador VFR 750.

I stripped off all the gear to try and get comfortable and dry off a bit. Oiled the chain, ate some food and then tried to put all the wet gear back on. By this time I was starting to get very uncomfortable on the bike and very concerned about making it to Orbost before midnight. Dave reassured me “don’t worry about the time, don’t worry about the distance”. Easy for him to say; he had heated grips!

Off we went again heading over the Rosedale and Happy Valley Roads, then down the Kiewa Valley Highway to Mt Beauty. We passed by the largest tobacco plantation in Australia including cigarette factories with cigarette-look chimneys. This was great for someone who had stopped smoking after 30 years two weeks prior, while running with high stress levels.

We continued on to Bright via the Tawonga Gap and then to Harrietville. I could imagine this road being excellent in the dry but the condition didn’t suit; it was absolutely pissing down. This is where I learnt to stay off the white lines. Serious rear end lose, very wet, very uncomfortable, very stressed. (Grown man nearly crying.)

We arrived in Harrietville where we needed to re-fuel before the long stretch to Omeo. Wet gear off, get comfortable, refuel, pay and then walk across the road for Ben’s photo opportunity. Then I discover I have lost my money, phone and plastic. I start to panic, retrace my steps and look accusingly at one of the locals. Ben then tells someone to call my number to which Peter obliges. I suddenly hear ringing in the sleeve of my jacket. Phone, money, plastic found.

On we go up to Hotham. Three kilometres out of Harrietville (according to Ben) the fog starts. Thick fog. Five metres was about how far I could see ahead. You needed to keep up with the tail light in front, otherwise you were lost, feeling very alone. We regrouped at the top to commiserate and congratulate each other on surviving thus far. The cameras were clicking, gathering evidence of our foolishness.

The fog continued until the Hotham Airport where everything started to clear, the road dried and the corners turned into sweepers. As we descended the mountain, I saw open road and sweepers in the distance. I had only ever seen this road in pictures. Bike nirvana had arrived! The pace increased, lean angles more acute, Omeo arrived too soon.

Ben asked how I liked that. I couldn’t contain my smile. I wanted to go back and do it again. Dave and Paul then said there are more to come and then more after that. We re-fuelled, had coffee, then set off for Orbost.

I left before most with Peter Feistl ahead of me. He was taking it easy so I passed him. Five minutes later he flies past me. I caught up or he slowed down, and then it was on. The first of many “never forget rides”. We were flying, following the Tambo River to Bruthen. This was the fastest I had ridded the R1 and it was done with Peter’s encouragement. The bike handled very well and I was very comfortable and confident on it. The tyres were doing the job and I was accelerating harder and earlier out of corners. My previous 10/10 turned into 5/10 and the bike and I loved it.

Peter and I stopped at the service station in Bruthen. I felt like exploding, I was so pumped. I looked at Peter who typically managed to hide his pleasure looking like someone who had just done 100 km up the highway on his BMW. I felt like running around the petrol bowsers 20 times screaming hysterically. But no. We contain our excitement, don’t we? After half an hour everyone turns up and we head on to Orbost were we finish our ride for Day One.

Fifteen bikes at the Orbost Motel. We park our bikes, find our rooms, then come back out and look at our bikes. It’s amazing how I have found 14 people just like me. We have all changed from leathers to casual wear. I share a room with Ian, Paul and Cliff, some of the most notorious snorers on this earth. No way would I be sharing with them again!

At 7 pm we head for the Imperial Hotel for dinner. Everyone is jealous of my moccasins and I feel right at home with the locals. Beer consumed, food eaten, we all reminisce about the day’s riding. I confess to Dave my lust for an MV F4R and he tells me about his relationship with an SPR and the MV factory in Italy. Finally, we get taken home by the Motel owner in his luxury Fairlane.

This was Day One and it only got better. I want to thank Ben for giving me this experience. Your leader skills are without equal and you have shown me more of Victoria in four days than I’ve seen in ten years. Thanks to Ian for being tail rider; it’s good to know you’ll be there if something bad happens. And to everyone else, I enjoyed your company, loved riding with you and would do it again without hesitation. I feel I have 14 new friends. Finally, I cannot articulate my weekend better than in the words of the masterful Dave Ward “IT WAS FULLY SICK!”

Peter Jones