Di Welsford (CBR600) (leader) Ray Walker (GSXR600) Michael Ireland (R6)

Dave Ward & Bron (R1) Zack (R1) (2^nd ride) Dave Skitt (TL1000S)

Ian Payne (CBR900R) Pria (GSXR600) Dave Walker (RGV250)

Martin Bastock (CBR1000) Geoff Barton (ZX7) Ron Johnston (CB400)

Kathy Robinson (CBR600) Nathan Brown (CBR900R) Bruce Saville (CB250)

Rob Mattricianni (DR350) Greg Hales (TL1000S) Enzo (YZF1000)

Eric Makin (R1) Chris Reeves (R850) Darren Webster (TL1000R)

John Clowes (R6) Brad Cain (TRX850) (2^nd)

Ian & Sherrie (XJ900)(rear rider) Jeff Hornby (ZX6)

25 bikes, 27 people

This ride was short and sweet, just like me (are you wishing you did the write-up now Wardie instead of letting me put this kind of stuff in the mag?!).

I arrived at Yarra Glen for the starting point (as I’m not capable of getting out of bed on a Sunday early enough to lead a ride from KBCP!) to be met by the sight of LOTS of bikes! The forecast 27 and fine had a lot to do with that I think….SUPERB motorcycling weather, and a nice change from the kind of heat we’ve been having (the kind that turns your jacket or leathers into a mobile sauna).

I gave a quick run-down on the route we were going, a warning of a police blitz on the highway which Ray can unfortunately attest to, and an invitation to overtake the leader if desired. I also asked for a volunteer for the write-up which was followed by absolute silence! (I kept trying at each stop but never got a taker….so you’ll just have to put up with my crapping on again!)

I led the Club down the Melba Highway to the Kinglake turn-off, as I wasn’t keen on the alternatives being leading the Club along the St Andrews Road or the Chum Creek Road. Only Rob was in my mirror so the rest must have heeded the warning of police.

We turned left up to Kinglake and it was only when I arrived in Kinglake I saw a bunch of headlights behind me, which quickly disappeared again. I decided either the Club must be:

(a) full of gentlemen who are making sure they don’t put pressure on me, or,

(b) too scared to overtake me, or

(c) clever enough to use me as "police bait"……

A bit of all 3 I think! It was on the incredible section from Kinglake to Flowerdale that I was finally overtaken, by Eric and Zack who were having a bit of a race. However, they stopped for me at Flowerdale anyway…..it must be fear!

I rode up to Yea at a licence-preserving speed, with an R1 going past me at Junction Hill, then letting me pass again, and a few catching up just before Yea. Quite often though I was just cruising along on my own. Life is so different at the front!

We arrived at Yea just after 11.30 am for morning tea and a chat. I tried to glean some goss for the write-up but it seems all that had happened so far was a car pulled out in front of Wardie near Kinglake. I asked Dave for the scenario and was told "I just clipped his mirror and gave him the bird as I went past at 250 km/h on the back wheel". From Bron the scenario was "It was nothing, just a car pulled out and we went around it."…..hmmm, I think I know who I believe!

From here Bruce left a little before us to get a head start as his bike shop (that has dented his petrol tank) had given him a CD250 as a loan bike (a far cry from the SP1 he was hoping for!). So he had the privilege of always leaving first! He later mentioned he felt like the hound on a fox hunt today!

We took the Molesworth Road and again a couple of R1’s passed me (or an R1 and an R6, who can tell when they fly past you!). Eric’s bike gave a shake as he ran over a pile of dust as he passed me. I asked him later if it made his heart miss a beat but it seems he’s used to this.

On through Buxton, then left to Marysville where it seemed everyone was out today, including Sam Sirianni, Derek Atkinson and Theo Kalkandis who joined our ride. They told us the police were pulling all the bikes over on the Reefton Spur (by jumping out in front of a lot of them!) and giving them licence checks due to the recent spate of accidents happening up there. We were also warned of police on the Black Spur. It seemed they were out to get the bikes this weekend.

Our rear rider left us here to go to Eildon and Jeff Hornby and John and Eric couldn’t resist the lure of the Reefton Spur so also left. Ian took over rear rider duties and we headed off to the Black Spur.

I think it was a fairly sedate ride through the Spur for most of us, though I was overtaken by Zack, Pria, Darren, Greg and, at Healesville, by Ron. We were always wondering where the police were. They were sitting near Maroondah Dam with a radar gun but it was aimed at those leaving Healesville.

The ride officially ended at the servo in Healesville at about 2pm, though many of us decided to go on to Warrandyte for a coffee, some by a more direct route than others! For those who went through Healesville, all (except me!) were pulled over for a licence check by police with a WRX who were also taking the details of all bikers in the area! Talk about a blitz!

By this stage we knew they would probably be on the Christmas Hills Road too at this rate. The ride happened to fall into the "me as leader, Ian as rear rider" format again, and, just as I was letting my guard down a little, a bike coming the other way flashed me. It has never taken me so long to travel the Christmas Hills Road! In fact, by this stage, I wasn’t game to exceed the speed limit by 1km/h all the way to Warrandyte!

Ian, Nathan, Brad and I were later joined in Warrandyte by the more adventurous Ray, Pria, Zack and that demon-on-the-CD250, Bruce. They had added the Toolangi Road to their ride for the day. Then the "stayers" moved on to Templestowe and I finally made it home at about 9pm…so much for the "short ride"!

That’s about all I can say as I don’t know much of what went on in the ride behind me. I hear some speeds that were reached far exceeded that what I was travelling at out in front. But for me it was a fairly sedate cruise around the countryside on my own for a fair bit of the day!

I’d say the ride was a success. There were no crashes, no breakdowns, no bookings and everyone I spoke to seemed to enjoy the day. Thanks Ian and Ian for going rear riders. Thanks to all who came along. Thanks to Moi (myself for those not into French) for leading the ride and thanks to Moi for doing the write-up!