|
Cameron and Andrea Stevens (1/2 lead) |
Yamaha FZ6 |
Lyn Duncan |
Suzuki GSXR1000 |
|
Ben Warden (1/2 lead) |
Honda CBR954 |
Mick Zrakic |
Honda CBR600 |
Geoff Jones was unable to lead this ride, his last commitment on the current itinerary, due to ambulatory requirements for a month or so. But he has helped later in the year by committing to lead another ride created under similar circumstances. Thanks Geoff. With no-one at the Committee meeting volunteering to lead, I figured we would work it out on the night.
The day got away a bit so I decided to have tea at home and catch the group closer to the scheduled ride leave time at 8.30 pm. I picked up a police escort for the full length of the Christmas Hills road which played cat and mouse with me, dropping back and reappearing again after I passed a couple of cars. At least it helped pass the time on what is now a very boring road at 80 km/h.
When I arrived Lyn was outside the Yarra Glen pub catching some air while Mick was befriending another group inside. Soon Cameron and Andrea arrived and we set up camp outside at one of the kerbside tables, whiling away the half hour or so before kick-off. I was surprised to see even this many people given the weather was so oppressive with high humidity, 34 degrees and showers forecast.
Andrea and Cameron had managed to
escape family duties (young twins and another child), leaving the children with
Mum. Cameron was on a strange bike, an FZ6, his usual GSXR1000 K6 at the bike shop
with electrical problems. Occasionally the proximity key was not overriding the
security system making it impossible to start. The ignition/card
reader/ECU/tank lock/duct tail lock come as a programmed set and need to be
replaced as a set. Even so, Suzuki were still having “issues” and hence
reluctantly loaned Cameron an FZ6 for the weekend which included this Night
Ride, a ride with Netriders down the
The FZ6 is unfaired and
substantially down on power compared to the K6 but suitable for two up sedate
riding. Cameron volunteered to lead, and as there we no more starters, we set
off with Ben at the rear. It was still
daylight when we hit the road at 8.28 pm heading for Healesville and the Black
Spur. We stayed together as a group, Cameron riding the FZ6 hard, his wife
Andrea obviously used to aggressive riding.
Alas, by the time we reached the bottom of
Cameron and Andrea waited at the junction while we three continued the 11 km to the summit. I became the leader now. Straight lines were fine but cornering saw the headlight beam distort into a useless minimal shape offering no view of the road ahead. In this regard, my old ZXR750 with twin beams and the ability to hold the ‘Flash” button on, providing both low and high beams simultaneously, was vastly superior to the Honda offering. Looking at the speedo, the speeds were farcically low compared to daylight riding. Of course, the level of stress was at the far end of the scale, as every corner was blind. And there was tons of leaf litter to contend with, so much so that I thought it was raining as we climbed up out of Marysville earlier and I was being showered with debris from the FZ6 rear wheel. (I was supposed to be still rear riding at this stage but Lyn was too slow and I felt I could probably offer better service by leading her and Mick, being more familiar with the roads, knowing which way the corners went rather than seeing my way around them.)
It only took 10 or 12 minutes to reach the summit, clean our visors and then head back down to the T intersection to collect Cameron and Andrea, already dressed, on the bike and ready to go. I continued leading back to Marysville and across the Black Spur, going as fast as we dared, Cameron pushing all the way. I had hit reserve at the 250 km mark, still some 40 km from fuel at Healesville, my mental arithmetic on how long the ride would be going astray somewhere. But at these sedate speeds the economy indicator often showed in excess of 22 km/litre and I made it easily with 2 litres to spare after close to 300 km from the tank. Brilliant.
It was still a hot night so we
sat around the service station eating ice-creams and drinking water, eventually
heading off home our separate ways, that is, Mick and Lyn followed me back to
Yarra Glen, Christmas Hills and the
Thanks to all who participated. Ride length was a not so easy 130 km from Yarra Glen and back to Healesville but closer to 245 km home to home. Hopefully Andrea makes a speedy recovery.
Ben Warden