Eildon Sunday 7^th September, 2008

Ken Goederee	Honda CBR1000	Geoff Jones	Yamaha R1
Paul Southwell	Honda CBR1000	Dave Wilson (3^rd ride)	Yamaha R1
Ben Warden	Honda CBR954	Pina Garasi (rear)	Yamaha R6
Craig Morley	Honda VTR SP1	Duncan Ferguson (3^rd ride)	Kawasaki ZX10
Dennis Lindemann	Honda CBR600	Dave Ward	Kawasaki Z750
Bruce Fleming	Suzuki GSXR1000	Ron Johnston	Bandit 1200
Misho Zrakic	Suzuki GSXR750		13 bikes, 13 people

Most MSR rides follow a pretty set pattern, set by the time available to cram as many "interesting" roads into the day as possible. As a history of rides builds up in the old memory bank the surprise factor drops a touch. Sort of "as expected" becomes the norm. I guess it’s different for new visitors and members. Expect the unexpected, became the tone of Ben's Eildon ride this day.

Yarra Glen start sees 12 bikes ready for the 10 am off. First leg starts with the run across to Healesville on the old road which normally includes a run up the Chum Creek road then down the Myers Creek before tackling Black's Spur to Marysville.

Not the normal route today as we take the Healesville back street through a Sunday market complete with "slow moving" local traffic in the form of a three Clydesdale drawn mobile restaurant, dropping manure as it rambled along. On to the Spur which seems to be retaining its smooth surface since the recent road works and into the groove for the run to Narbethong, watching for parked camera cars that usually collect taxes along here, and then turn to Marysville.

No stopping at the Marysville bakery as normal but on to Buxton for the highway drone to Taggerty, which has some painful memories of the wallet kind for me. Pace lifting on the section to Thornton to cross the Goulburn Valley Highway and pick up the Eildon back road. MotoGP soundtrack being delivered by Dave's ZX10 with a very petite aftermarket exhaust. I tacked on to the rear of Dennis on the stealth paintwork 600 along here and noticed a rise in oil temp as a bit of "ground covering" was indulged in until Dennis slowed as his nose detected what turned out to be his front mudguard melting as it contacted his front tyre. It had cracked through at the mounting points and was in two pieces.

All into the Eildon shops for first break after 105 km. Ken remembering removing the front guard from TZ race bikes at Bathurst as the front tyres grew in diameter due to speeds down Conrod straight. Similar growth factors may have been noted on the Eildon back road this day. Snacks, talk the talk and fuel for

the Morley SP1. No fuel for my R1 which, while not quite returning Honda fuel use figures, is a lot better since the recent tweaks after the dyno run. Smaller mains are on order from the US as I move closer to leaner mixtures. Also waiting for the jet fitting day is a Flo Commander unit which allows tuning of the main jet air bleed

Ben had let us know that this ride would be all about Eildon except the Eildon-Jamieson Road so the group then headed for the dam wall, but took a left before crossing, squeezed through the shut Boat Club gates and followed the narrow twisty road complete with rope speed bumps to view the mooring area below the rather grand Eildon Boat Club, a long way above the water as the dam level is low. Some serious money gently rocking away at the moorings. First of many stop and check the view moments as these roads are mostly dead ends.

If you stand in Eildon and look toward the lake we were on the left leg. Photos done and back the way we came in, the gate now opening as we approached from the inside.

Across the wall and on to Jerusalem Creek boat ramp for another stop. No rear rider here as Pina had gone straight up the dirt. Misho backtracked and Pina reappeared at Mt Pininger as the rest of the group were departing after lining up for another photo. Pina missed the day's "Minor Cosmetic" event as Paul lost traction on the steeper of the two access tracks to the viewing area and dropped the CBR on its instant "shorty" clutch lever. It was still operable. Not the most elegant of offs, the group verdict.

This area of Lake Eildon gave a great view of the dam wall and also the old wall that is just under the water level. Another 105km clicked up.

Through Eildon again and on to Skyline Road to Tailors Bay road, a very tight twisty piece of road dropping down to the lake level for another regroup before returning to Skyline road, and Fraser National Park. Right at the roundabout and down to the next roundabout for a couple of kays to BBQ area for regroup. Then back once again to Skyline leaving the views behind and heading to Alexandra for fuel, Ron on the rebuilt Bandit, and a late lunch.

Normal ride would go down the Maroondah Highway to the tasty Molesworth road but we head south out of Alexandra towards Acheron running along the river, past lots of parked SUVs, hopefully fishing for trout, not fast moving motorcycles. Before the Molesworth adrenaline hit we stopped at the Acheron lookout. Well most of us stopped except Pina who was "on it” and overshot, going past with the R6 at full noise.

Noted during the day Duncan's rather tasty blue R1. Fancy rear unit with trick LED rear lights. Twin rear lights that looked standard but changed colour from red to amber when the indicators were in use. I tried not to park my rather cosmetically challenged R1 too close at the stops.

On to the Molesworth road, tasty as, then instead of heading to Yea we turn right and then left at Yarck, on to Caveat, Highlands and a stop at Yea. Some took fuel here, assuming we would do the normal route to Kinglake West. Not today: down the Melba Highway to the Murrindindi road to Devlins Bridge, on to Glenburn, Break O Day and, for me, Flowerdale. The ride finished at Kinglake West, the weather which had been fine all day now turning nasty.

I headed into rain through Strath Creek, picked up the Hume to Wallan for fuel. Then a close call on the Darraweit Guim to Bolinda road. Due at my daughters for Father's Day dinner and running late, I was on the remade straight section at jail speed. A van pulled out ahead so I shut down just as a colourful highway patrol car popped over a rise coming the other way.

Heavy rain now for the last leg to Gisborne, licence still in my wallet

Thanks Ben for the rather different day, 370 km and news that Craig has taken over my role as the person most likely to run out of fuel. He ran out a few hundred metres from home. A bit of a push in the rain to finish a long day.

Geoff Jones