Archies Creek Sunday 21^st October, 2007

Clifford Peters	Suzuki GSXR1000	Willem Vandeveld (1^st ride)	Honda ST1300
Lyn Duncan	Suzuki GSXR1000	Paul Punicki	Honda CBR1100XX
Chris Pointon	Suzuki GSXR1000	Paul Southwell	Honda CBR1000
Misho Zrakic	Suzuki GSXR750	Ben Warden (leader)	Honda CBR954
James Melford	Suzuki GSXR750	Dave Ward	Honda CBR600
Bernie Foley (1^st ride)	Suzuki GSXR600	Darryn Webster	Triumph 675
Peter Jones	Yamaha R1	Peter Hill	KTM 990
Geoff Jones	Yamaha R1	Paul Henriksen	Kawasaki ZX6
Anthony Wilson (2^nd ride)	Yamaha R1	Nic Jacka (rear rider)	Hyosung GT 250
Tony Raditsis	Yamaha TRX850		19 bikes, 19 people

Absence makes the heart grow fonder, one of life's hoary old cliches. But after 16 days out of Australia it was great to be back on the Gippsland roads for one of Ben's undiscovered sweeper delivery rides.

As a work trip I had four days in Brussels, from 25/9/2007 at a label trade show, one day in Hamburg checking out some quality control systems, one day in Basel running a potential press purchase, then flying from Zurich to JFK airport in New York and travelling to New Jersey for a label printing plant visit the next day. Flight to Cincinati in Ohio to visit an existing press supplier to Labelmakers, then a flight to Chicago airport to pick up a hire car to travel to Beloit Wisconsin to visit another existing supplier the next day. Milwaulkee, then Gurnee Illinois and back to Chicago to drop the car and pick up a flight to Minneapolis MN. Then off to St Loius for two days, Sunday visit a grid iron game the only break for the trip. On to Sioux Falls in South Dakota for a day, then fly home. Route: leave on the 9/10/2007 Sioux Falls to Denver Colorado, Denver to Los Angeles, LA to Sydney, then Melbourne on the 11/10/2007 after about 22 hours. Lost Wednesday 10/10/2007 by crossing the international date line flying west.

Sunday 14^th lost in a jet lag fog but 21^st comes along and I am up for it. Noted Ern's enforced off is nearing an end; that first ride back will be grouse. Watch that pump, mate: ULP for the Blade.

At Berwick in warm, dry weather 19 bikes assembled. Pre-ride with corner marking explained for the first timers and we do the freeway drone to Packenham to pick up Bald Hill Road to Nar Nar Goon and run along the rail line to Longwarry. Line astern and on the speed limit, it seems to take forever, much like my Gisborne to Berwick leg after doing the dog walk and brekkie thing at home.

Back road to Drouin where Lyn and Peter are waiting to join the ride. Their joining delayed until Loch as coffee needed to be consumed. Right at the Korumburra Road but then left on to the Lardner Road for the start of the Gippsland theme, twists of all kinds. Warragul to Korumburra Road to Rancby, then off through Poowong, turning to pick up the Loch Road just short of Nyora.

Weather warm and spring like. Roads dry and grippy. You could feel the tyres wearing away. Lots of insects coating jackets, visors and screens. I did not manage to splatter them all as one very stroppy critter got down the back of my neck and took revenge for the slaughter. Large, painful lump that persisted all of the following week.

Fuel, food and drink taken. Willem leaves the ride, maybe due to the twists not quite suiting the big Honda. A suggestion made that he tries a more open-type ride in future, out west may be the ticket.

Lyn and Peter beat us to Loch as they had come down the Main South Road to Poowong, then on to Loch. Two groups, one on each side of the main drag due to the number of riders. Talk the talk then off to sample, and I quote, "the best undiscovered sweepers in... the world."

South on the Wonthaggi Road in the general direction of Anderson for about 30 km before a regroup across a fence from a large herd of cows who were very interested in the bike line up. Photos taken, the weather now very hot and humid when stopped.

Through Almurta twice and on to the fantastic uphill twisty section to Archies Creek and another regroup overlooking the Wonthaggi windmills and Bass Straight. Some straight roads to Kongwak, through the big roundabout at Korrine and up the twisties to Korumburra for lunch and for some, fuel. The Hondas are running on the smell of an oily rag as usual.

Lyn's GSXR had developed a clunk from the front end, the Suzuki pit crew giving it the once over. Lyn ran as hard as usual after the inspection. Lyn and Peter head to Stratford where Lyn has become the "new kid in town" and is going through that small town initiation phase. Treating her new KTM 450EXC with respect after a related KTM decided to lay down using her foot as a soft landing spot.

Heading north on the Korumburra to Warrugul Road before turning east at Gainsborough, then north again at Cloverlea before crossing the freeway at Darnum and enjoying the sweepers around Crossover. Tight Jindivick road from Neerin South to ride end at Longwarry North, running in close Yamaha formation with Peter and Tony.

Speaking of Yamahas, Anthony was a late arrival at ride end due to that pesky low fuel warning light coming on. He will learn, as I have, that you should fill your Yamaha at every stop to avoid that fear of running out of fuel.

On the Yamaha front, I was able to get rather intimate with the stylish rear end of Peter's R1 as attempts were made to push start the tasty yellow beast, the battery not up to the task at ride end. First gear attempts failed but were very good on the aerobic front for the pushers. Tony, with slightly less mass than Peter, mounted up and with second gear selected, the pushers were successful with a snarl from the after market cans, and the final five valve model headed home.

Long haul from Longwarry North to Gisborne but I made it home in time for the Malaysian Moto GP start, another Stoner procession. Pushed the envelope to make it in time, traffic filtering done at a rather intense rate but no letters from the man as yet. My R1 running well after Iridium plug replacement fixed a rather woolly mid-range noticed on the Strathbogie ride. Must put a feeler gauge into the valves as I suspect the clearances are not to spec. One of those “to do” jobs.

Thanks to Ben for a great ride and to Nic for rear riding. He must have been on the rev limiter all day as there were no delays

Geoff Jones