Trawool Resort Lunch, 7^th April 2002

Footy for Val on Saturday and Carlton goes down to the Swans like a bike on black ice. I spend the day building up points, lawn sowing etc.  No problems sneaking off for a "quicky", ride type, of course. As I approach Whittlesea, who do I spy off in the distance but that bumble-bee CBR 929, black and yellow, buzzing along with Ben aboard, early for once. I move the R1 tacho over to the right hand side and catch up at the Grant Road, Whittlesea Road, intersection and follow into the Mobil for some PULP and join the gathering riders for the annual Trawool nosh up.

Joining the day's leader Ray on his GSXR1000 were Rob Langer, BMW R1150GS, Orlando Iluffi, ZX600R, (signed up at lunch, welcome Orlando), Ian Payne, CBR919,  Di Welsford, CBR600,  Ben Warden, CBR929,  Darryl "Dicky" Otzen, TRX850, Norman Hamilton, Triumph TT600,  Craig Morley, CBR929,  Kate Stewart, CBR250,  Renzo Cunico, R1,  Geoff Jones, R1, Ian Handforth, XJ900 Diversion, rear rider and, at the resort, Bruce Saville, VFR800.  Six Hondas, four Yamahas, and one each of Suzuki, Triumph, BMW and Kawasaki. 28 fast wearing tyres, 52 fast moving pistons, 28 hot front discs, 84 smooth changing gears, lots and lots of chain links wizzing around and an unknown number of license points, all of which survived. No incidents to report. (Well, actually, a certain BMW rider lost a few more points on their way home from the ride. “99 in an 80” coming into Kinglake …Ed.)

Ray tells us he will make up the ride as we go but that we will be at Trawool for 1 pm lunch, so why don't we start with the sweepers up to Kinglake West and add some Club-type roads as we go along. Sounds good. Corner marking mentioned, rear rider noted, (thanks Ian H.) a wink my way which means "Do the write up sunshine".

We move off through the twisties in the Kinglake National Park to pop out of the wooded section just before Flowerdale and the first of the day's corner marks. We turn north west and swoop (does not mean speed) along to Strath Creek, left turn, follow the creek line for a short while then climb up the escarpment, noting no gravel near the well known Armco. Pop over the top and continue swooping along to Broadford.

I corner mark with Di who tells me about bike comfort, chiropractors, massages and other stuff, and asks how my rather rotund older body fits the R1. I lie about comfort levels but tell the truth about power. I am happy with the trade off.

All through so a wave to Ian H. and on to the Sugarloaf Creek Road to the Pyalong Road and the choppy run to first break. All into the store at Pyalong except the two corner markers at the Northern Highway and the rear rider who has taken the Glenaroua road and ended up back at Broadford. Finding no one there, he heads back to Pyalong to be met by Ian and Rob who had back-tracked to find him. All accounted for.

We engaged in some normal Club talk: suspension settings, pros and cons of steering dampers and other handling stuff, started by Renzo who had a tank slapper of the R1 kind on the Kinglake West to Flowerdale leg. Craig's advice "Just ride it, don't think about the handling". Maybe its like target fixation and the more you worry about the slaps, the more you will have. To watch Craig swoop along on the twists I think he may be onto something.

Back along Ian's road to Broadford, then down the escarpment to Strath Creek where Renzo takes an unscheduled fuel stop. I pull up in case there is a turn and the diagnostics tell me the power valve is sticking. I must have the cable slightly too tight and the servo motor is protected from overload by a circuit that keeps the valve shut, detuning the motor. In this state Di has a blast from the end of the King Parrot Creek Road to the Resort.

Sorry Di, I will adjust the cables and give you a full-power go next time, promise. Lunch awaits. Bruce turns up and we partake. Yum, yum, slurp, slurp type sounds and much chat about this and that. A nice way to while away a Sunday.

Onto the bikes and some interesting gossip from Bruce about my R1. Seems he knows it's history and though he would not say much it may be rather "colourful". I don't really want to know but realise I must have all the gory detail some time in the future. It will cost me a beer or two methinks.

Along the highway to Yea for refuel then more swooping through Junction Hill. Grouse! Flowerdale again and onto the ride end at Kinglake West. Three pm and enough time to get to a telly for the four pm MotoGP  from Japan. Rossi on a 4 stroke Honda wins after having a close tussle with 4 stroke Suzuki in the wet.

Thanks Ray. Done to a "T", Ian  rear rider man,  and all the rest. It is the people that make for a successful ride after all.  Great weather but remember winter has to get here soon and the sticky tyre, dry road interface will change to something rather more demanding altogether.

Geoff Jones (Yamaha R1)