Geoff Jones – ZZR600 (leader) Chris Burns – TL1000R

Ian Payne - CBR900RR Trevor Harris – FJ1200

Rob Langer – R1100S Dave Nimmo – GSXR750

Bradley Cain – TL1000S Russell May – CBR1000 #

Bernard Maher – TRX850 # Peter Thomas – TL1000S #

Trevor May – VTR1000 # Wayne & Joanne Nimmo – Hayabusa (R/rider)

12 bikes, 13 people. # 1^st time riders

With about 10 minutes to the start of the ride it looked like a nice tight group of about 6 bikes going on this ride. Then all of a sudden, we doubled in size! Bradley appeared intending to scrub in a new rear tyre, Rob and Trevor got hoodwinked by the blue sky and Bernard, Trevor and Russell had been pointed in our direction by Rhys Williams.

Geoff ran through the Club rules for the newcomers, Wayne and Joanne volunteered for the rear riding and I offered my assistance as scribe, but only till lunchtime!

The weather was cold and overcast at Whittlesea which was quite a contrast, considering that most of us had woken to blue sky and sunshine at our respective home suburbs, but Geoff assured us that "out west" it would be fine and sunny!

We set of at a fairly brisk pace for the run up to Flowerdale then an even brisker pace to Strath Creek and Broadford. The weather was still cool but at least the roads were clean and dry. We continued around to Glenaroua where a large bump at the end of a bridge caught me unawares and gave my spine, as well as the suspension a good compressing. On to Pyalong and our first stop.

It still being quite cold, most made a beeline straight to the general store and its heater or to the public loos! Hot coffee was the cry of the day, or if a "vee twin" rider, the cry was for petrol! Interestingly fifty percent of the group were riding twin cylinder motorcycles, either vee twin, flat twin or parallel twin. The other fifty percent were aboard inline fours. Now that’s variety!

With man and machine now rested, Geoff gathered us around to explain the next part of the ride. He quickly got our attention with a "four-letter-word". DIRT! Yes there would be a couple of short stretches; not much but just enough to get the bikes dirty!

We headed off with most of the township watching our departure. Well 5 people actually, but that’s nearly ninety percent of Pyalong’s population!

Up the Northern Highway a short distance then across to Emu Flat and Baynton where we encountered the first stretch of dirt. Then down to Lancefield and west to Cobaw. Onwards to Newham and some roadworks that constituted the second stretch of dirt. We continued past Hanging Rock. Then up into Mt.Macedon where some damp section of roadway and loose gravel had your scribe all over the road like a demented cat!

We proceeded down past the township towards the Calder but detoured to New Gisborne before heading into Gisborne proper for fuel and lunch. With the temperature still quite low most of us headed indoors to the trendy bakehouse for some hot food and drinks. Over lunch Geoff informed us that Gisborne would be his hometown in the not too distant future. He and Val had just purchased some land and were preparing to build a home there! From Geoff’s point of view this move was tinged with a little sadness, not because of them leaving their 20 plus years association with Melton, but that this change would end any thought of a NEW bike!

After lunch the group headed off towards Bacchus Marsh with your scribe heading home to fulfil another engagement.

Thanks to Geoff for a well-constructed ride and to Wayne & Joanne for the rear riding duties.