Mt Baw Baw Sunday 15^th September 2002

Tim Walker ZX7 R (Leader) Ben Warden Honda 929

Rob Langer, BMW R1150 GS Clint Vertigan GSXR 750

Dave Ward & Bronwyn Manifold BMW R1150 GS Rhys Walker ZX7 R

Enzo Cunico, R1 Dave Hives ZX9 R

Ron Johnston, Bandit 1200 Daryl Hedt R1 (1st)

Phil Richards CBR 1000 (3^rd) Noel Fothergill Hayabusa (1st)

Mark Easterbrook Ducati 750 Dave Moore & Mandy R1

Darren Webster TL1000 R Steve Hearn R6 (1st)

Bob Topping Ducati 900 Monster (1st) Derek Atkinson FZR 1000 (Rear rider)

More glorious weather, today we ride… Lots of people turned up at Yarra Glen. We had some first time riders which is good to see because we need new blood in the Club. Tim gave a sermon on where we were going and explained the corner marking system. It was time to mount up and ride off.

Back way to Healesville and left turn into Chum Creek Road. We seemed to spread out at each end of the ride and bunch up in the middle. About half way up we came upon a Triumph rider. I didn’t recognise the bike as one of our group. Watching him, I noticed some of his cornering skills left a lot to be desired. Dave and Mandy, on the R1, passed me and then waited for an opportune moment to pass the Triumph. The person riding the Triumph, doing a left-hander, went in on the wrong angle. Dave made his move, going around him. The Triumph rider s—t himself; how he never made contact with Dave I will never know. After the Triumph rider composed himself, he started waving his fist in the air, at Dave…..hmmmm. I waited a few corners and passed him myself.

From Toolangi and we headed down Myers Creek Rd. I passed Dave and Mandy and followed Clint to the bottom and on through Healesville and Dalry Rd to Launching Place. Dave and Mandy were corner marking at the Don and Dalry Rd intersection. I pulled over and told them what had happened. Dave was surprised. “Did it really? Never saw a thing.” I had a bit of laugh, no harm done… carried on.

The trip between Yarra Junction and Noojee was uneventful but at Noojee there must have been about 30 odd trail bikes. They were everywhere, mostly Yamahas and Hondas, some KTMS and maybe a Husky. The man at the shop was flat chat filling up trail bikes and then ours as we arrived. One group had ridden up from Gembrook and the rest of them were associated with a Yamaha trials ride day. I see the council has got excited and put in new kerb and channel and footpaths outside the shop. It certainly enhances the appearance. Plus you don’t have to put up with the deep channel outside the shop petrol pump.

After some fuel and refreshments we were on our way again. I like the hill climb over Mt Vesper through Icy Creek and on to Tanjil Bren. The road was covered in tree litter, which can made it a bit awkward at times, but you just have to take care. Rob and Clint passed me, but I caught up to them later on. The three of us were making tracks up the hill when we came to this particular corner. It should have an arrow pointing LEFT because Rob went straight ahead. It’s definitely got to be an accident waiting for a place to happen. I should complain to the local authority about it: As you come up, the road appears to go straight ahead. In fact you have to turn hard LEFT. Otherwise you end up in the car park. Very deceiving. No damage done, except maybe a change of under wear.

I passed Clint. A bit further up we come to the kiosk where they take your money if you are in a car. Two wheelers get in for nothing. We paused briefly to read the sign to make sure we didn’t have to pay. Should I take punt and just go through? Whilst deciding, the lady stuck here head out the window and waved us on, which was a blessing, cuase I wasn’t to keen on parting with money, just to go to the top.

Near the top, I came around a left hander and saw the bottom of a ZX9 staring at me and Dave Hives sitting beside it. Backed off the gas, pulled up, rushed over and found out if he is alright. He seemed okay, but the bike was a bit of a mess. It wasn’t long before a few of the others turned up and checked out what had happened. Then a few of us lifted up his bike - it was lying on its side on top of two rocks - and stood it up in the ditch. It was sad: bent forks and front wheel into lower fairing, bars into tank, left hand side engine cover gone, oil running out, LHS fairing wrecked, steering head bent plus others items too numerous to mention. In other words, a write-off. (Some people have all the bad luck.) Dave was a bit shocked by it all, disorientated, his ribs hurting like hell.

While all the fuss was going on, I headed of up to let the others know what was going on. Usual stuff, a few of us run round like chooks with our heads cut off until we come to our senses and get organised. I made a couple of trips up and down and got the bloke who was in the ski field Landcruiser which had a small hydraulic crane on the front corner which might have been handy for lifting his bike on the back. I told the bloke where Dave was and he said he would be down shortly after he had finished with another person in the car park. Derek was taking Dave back home since he was rear rider. The man in the Cruiser turned up and they thanked him for coming down, but said not to bother as they would come back that night and pick up the bike with a trailer.

A slow ride back to Noojee (sort of). Some didn’t go up to Mt Baw Baw and stayed at Noojee until we came back. More fuel and food, more gossip and a discussion on how and who might bring Dave’s bike back. I put my hand up and offered to pick it up. From Noojee Tim was going on to Drouin and back to Yarra Junction. I might be wrong because, Tim, Phil, Noel, Ben and a couple of others were heading towards Cranbourne, Moorabbin way and the rest of us were going the other way. Tim goes and the rest of us follow shortly afterwards. We arrive at Piedmont (Powelltown turnoff ..Ed.) and nobody is there. Mark and Phil corner mark there and this is where things go wrong: Only a few of us should have turned off and the rest should have gone straight ahead and caught up with Tim and Noel but they didn’t. We arrived at Yarra Junction and Ben wanted to know what happened to the rest of us, a good example of not sticking to the rules. We said our good byes and headed home, Derek in tow, with Dave on the back.

I arrived home and Derek shortly after. My trailer was full of trees that I had cut down the day before so I went across the road and borrowed my neighbour’s bike trailer instead of unloading mine. Dave’s ribs were really sore now but he wasn’t giving in just yet. He rang his mate, Rob Jones, who rides a new black 954 Fireblade, (used to have a Black VTR), rego no GRRR . They decided to go up in his van, which was easier than a car and trailer. So that was it. Dave wasn’t too keen on putting everybody out.

I hope everyone enjoyed themselves: Good weather, good people and a good day’s ride.

Ron Johnston (Suzuki Bandit 1200)

Mt Baw Baw Mark II

It may have been the weather or it may have been the promise of some spectacular weather that prompted the attendance of 18 riders and two pillions on the Mt Baw Baw ride. Whichever, it was a splendid sun drenched Sunday morning and turned out a beautiful, warm day. The riding was along some lovely tight roads including the old favourite, Myers Creek Road, which saw the pack spread out as each rider set their own pace. There was good riding all the way along to Noojeee with plenty of good biking roads through Three Bridges and Powelltown.

On arriving at Noojee we were outnumbered by the dirt bikes in town who had stopped to refill both bikes and stomachs. This made it a bit slow getting filled up (in either department). Dave Moore, on a borrow R1 (Dave Ward’s …Ed.) was taking the opportunity of the stop to dig the bugs out of his eyes.

So, after a good pause everyone donned their gear and prepared themselves for the challenging road up Mt Baw Baw. And what a ride it was: Lovely scenery through the dense, green foliage and wonderful tight corners. Fortunately there were only a few cars coming down the mountain. It was a warm day and I have to admit to working up quite a sweat threading the bike through those tight corners. I’m sure Dave Moore would have been picking the bugs from his teeth, not his eyes, at the top.

It wasn’t far from the top that snow was appearing by the side of the road and, whilst the road seemed dry and clean, it did remind me to slow a little. However, one rider did come to grief: Dave Hives, on his ZX9 Kawasaki, falling on a corner quite close to the top. He explained that his front wheel just gave way and down the road he went. The bike looked pretty messy and Dave was left to get a pillion ride home to organise a trailer to pick up the bike. Fortunately Dave was okay, despite a few bumps, bruises and very sore ribs. No doubt he felt pretty stiff and sore the next day.

The ride down Mt Baw Baw was just as exhilarating with, perhaps, a tad more care taken. It was unfortunately marred by an attempt on Ben’s and my life by the primate driving an old black Valiant who decided de didn’t want us to pass him and would fishtail all over the road. Fortunately he missed us both.

Once again we all stopped in Noojee. Those whose bikes required petrol were filled up by the shop owner, whose temper seemed to have been frayed by a busy day. She was quite frosty in her manner.

Tanks filled, visors cleaned, we headed out of Noojee and managed to find ourselves split. I think what happened is those up front went straight through to Drouin. Some of the others followed Ron and others who were going back home via Powelltown. Phil and I stopped as Ron stopped to talk to someone on the Powelltown turnoff corner. Everyone thought Phil and I were cornermarking and went through. By that time, we thought we were corner marking! We followed the road and had a good ride except that Bob Topping, on his 900 Monster Ducati, got a flat rear tyre. He had to leave it in the nearest town and catch a ride with his mate Darryl on an R1 to return later and fix it.

Well, I trust everyone got home okay. It was a great ride, I hope, enjoyed by all. There were up to four riders out for the first time with the Club which was great to see.

Mark Easterbrook (Ducati 750SS)

p.s. Unfortunately I was unable to make it to the Pyalong ride on Sunday the 22^nd September due to on-call work duties. I did, however, make it along to the Festival of Italian Motorcycles. There were some great machines on display, both new and old, with concours trophies up for grabs (nothing for my old 750). It was good to see such a big turnout with lots of Mums, Dads and the kids venturing in to have a look. And it really did go to show there is nothing like an Italian Motorcycle.

I received the following email from Kate Stewart the Monday after Mt Baw Baw…Ed.

Hi Ben,

I wanted to come along on the ride to Mt Baw Baw yesterday. Unfortunately I had to take my Irish visitor to the airport. I even, albeit briefly, considered just leaving him to catch the airport bus so I could attend the ride. However, after covering nearly 2,500 kilometres in the past week, I chose to be a good host and delivered him to his flight instead. I had had a blast, of course, and it was only bike riding!

We ended up staying the first night in Mansfield, at the Backpackers Inn, $23 per night, for spacious, clean and warm bunkroom accommodation. Bedding was provided but it was BYO towel etc. Luckily I had one packed. The second night we stayed in Tallangatta at the Victoria Hotel for the budget price of $15 per night. We had a very tiny twin room and had to store our bike gear under the beds. The beds weren’t too saggy either and came complete with electric blankets so it wasn’t too bad. Just a tired old pub with good hospitality. The new owner bought it a couple months ago. They don’t usually do meals early in the week but whipped us up a generous sized fish, chips and salad dinner which we ate in front of a very warm pot belly stove and wide screen TV.

We did most of the roads you suggested and a few others. I enjoyed the run down to Mitta Mitta and Dartmouth Dam, but my favourite is still Tawonga Gap both ways and the sweepers around the Lake Hume area. There were some that seemed as smooth and long as a race track. Those cable road barriers look pretty deadly though. I didn’t really like Granya Gap that much. The surface seemed a bit loose and the lack of road markers kept me cautious. I experienced my only real front end slip rounding a tightening left hander on that road. I should ditch my hard Arrowmax front tyre and get a nice sticky one. I don’t seem to be able to wear the damn thing out... highways, twisties, track.... it’s done it all and still going strong ! Must be my gentle riding!

So what happened on the Mt Baw Baw ride? 18 bikes! A good turnout. I noticed mention of a first time rider crashing? What happened? Another first timer getting a puncture. How many new riders attended? Any snow left on the mountain? I would imagine plenty of crap blown onto the roads in that gale force wind. How cold was it riding up the mountain? It’s hard to know what to wear in this in-between weather. I hate freezing, so I prefer to over dress. I've been using my textile jacket lately cause I find my leather one is not warm enough.

What’s the Pyalong ride going to be like? Whittlesea start...I might venture out if the weather is fine.

I'm not sure if I can make it to the Walwa weekend :( :( :( I am keen to join you but can’t make a definite booking. We have two mares due to have their foals in late October. (19^th and 25^th) Its not uncommon for them to foal up to 2 weeks late, so I wont know whether I can make it until they deliver their babies safe and well.

Kate Stewart (Honda CBR250RR).

Liz and Pete also had seen the web page and wanted to know what happened. Here’s some of my reply.

Dave Hives crashed his ZX9 less than two km from the top of Mt Baw Baw. He walked away - with shredded jeans, sore ribs, and not much bike. I didn't bother looking too hard, but Rhys informs me that the crash had badly damaged the tank, bent the forks, broken the engine cover, and smashed plenty of fairing, top subframe, and maybe the instruments. Not insured! By the time we got back down, after waiting a suitable amount of time for them to get their act together, Tim and I arrived to find not much happening. People were just looking at it! I think I am pretty immune to bike carnage now. Dave may have been in shock, though we think it is his third one in the last couple of years he has totaled. Dave was concerned that someone was going to steal his bike if he left it there. I eventually convinced him that, no, no-one was going to steal it, and even if they did, they would have to come back with a trailer, before he did. Pretty unlikely. Derek dinked him, bike left in a ditch.

We had four new guys, not the greatest introduction to the Club, but Noel came back for more the following week. Dave Moore had Mandi on the back, test riding Dave Ward's R1, for sale. Dave’s wrists were sore, but he couldn’t have picked a harder ride to go on, especially two-up. I suggested a more realistic test was to head for his favourite roads, solo, and reduce the number of variables to contend with, making it fairer on himself and the bike. I think he is tempted.

We also had new guy on a 900 Monster get a puncture, after the ride disbanded, got lost. Tim (leader) ended up at Drouin with only one other rider, the rest taking the Powelltown turnoff. Of course Tim backtracked looking for the group, who of course had long gone by this stage. Very messy.

And then there was the ride/race up the mountain - 26 deg hot in Melbourne. I actually removed my wet weathers! Rhys speared off in front of me taking the emergency braking exit, keeping it all together. Apparently Rob Langer did the same a little later and survived. Enzo was on the gas! What a ride!

Ben Warden

p.s. Dave Hives went missing on the Mansfield ride. It turned out he went down to the Powers Lookout, then unwittingly waited at the milkbar in Whitfield while we were in the pub eating lunch.