Pyalong
Suzuki GSX1200 Ron Johnston (leader) Honda CBR929RR Ben Warden
Honda CBR929 Craig Morley and Emma Honda CBR250RR Kate Stewart
Kawasaki ZX6 Orlando Iluffi (rear) Suzuki Hayabusa Noel Fothergill (2nd ride)
Suzuki Hayabusa Wayne & Joanne Nimmo BMW R1150GS Rob Langer
Honda CBR1100XX Aaron & Ivetta (1st ride) 9 bikes, 12 people
Ronny didn’t even take the names – a first for a long time. It must have been the stress of leading! Though it was a relatively stress free ride – no incidents this Sunday, other than more and more people joining the ride as it progressed. Apart from Rob just making it in time, there was Aaron and Ivetta who joined us at Seymour for morning tea. Friends of the Nimmos, they “missed the start time by an hour”. Then we found Kate waiting in Broadford around 1 pm, having chased us all day and finally figured out if she stayed still, we would find her! Then we saw Dianne Welsford riding the other way on the Strath Creek road. I am getting ahead of myself. Back to the beginning.
A forecast 19 degrees with a possible shower may have put a few people off. It was a cool 12 degrees when I left home and reaching Whittlesea I was greeted with low cloud. After collecting the Nimmo’s new address details we made our way towards Kinglake and Flowerdale through mist. The higher we rose, the colder and more overcast it got. Rob and I had convinced Ron to not do the Humevale Road, a narrow bumpy section just out of Whittlesea, parallel to the good stuff. Rob wasn’t too keen on the green aspect and I didn’t like the thought of the locals who all seem to drive 4WDs - fast!
As if by magic, the sun and warm greeted us as we rounded the last corner onto the Flowerdale straight. The weather would remain warm with a blue, cloudless sky for the rest of the day, providing bright and sunny riding conditions. So much for the weather forecast.
At Strath Creek we turned left and headed for Broadford, speeds starting to rise imperceptibly as confidence rose. We had only travelled 65 km to Broadford so continued on. I got a mild wake up call when I rounded a corner to find myself fast catching a marked police car. A few bikes stacked up behind me for the last few kilometres into Seymour, where we regrouped at the Shell Service station. After the 95 km, a few bikes filled up. Aaron and Ivetta on the Blackbird cruised into town and introduced themselves. If it wasn’t for Orlando, I would have had the smallest bike!
It looked like Noel had a flat front tyre on his Busa – it was definitely deflated. On closer inspection I noticed that he had valve extenders fitted, ostensibly to facilitate access to valve when putting air in. I asked if he had exceeded a certain speed to which he replied in the affirmative. It was my hypothesis that the extender actually deflates the tyre due to the centrifugal forces – they seem to have pathetic springs in them that compress at high speed, allowing the air to escape! Noel reinflated his tyre and removed the valve extenders from both the front and rear wheels. He had no trouble for the rest of the day. He was mightily impressed, and voiced his concern that this is not a well advertised piece of knowledge. Then I asked if he had balanced his wheel with or without the extenders, which must weigh 50 grams at least. That gave him more food for thought. Only use the valve extenders to put air in – and then remove them.
A quick check of the map and then we headed back along the Highway towards Puckapunyal taking the Tooborac turnoff. They have done some major road improvements along here, widening and resurfacing, and removing a few bumps. I thought that the road was ideally suited for Hayabusas, or a lazy cruise, and soon found myself holding up the rear rider. Time to get a move on.
At Tooborac we turned left and a kilometre later turned right onto the Lancefield Road. I must have been sitting at about the right pace because five bikes slotted in behind me for the 28 km “cruise” down to Lancefield and the left turn to Pyalong. Apparently I spat a large rock back towards Wayne and Joanne, Wayne watching it go whistling past his helmet. Better than his headlight …
They (the local council suppose) seem to have done bit of work on the Lancefield - Pyalong Road but it still has the nasty sandy sections, worse than ever this time. But the smooth bitumen on the other side made up for it. Wayne was following me and later Joanne suggested that she wished that Julie was on the back with me. Why? Because then I would ride slower. Wayne’s only comment was “ Pretty nice roads out here”. Hmm.
At Pyalong we picked up the Glenaroua Road – more fast sweepers, particularly in the first section. Noel checked his fuel gauge, just before the tightening 45 km/h left hand corner. Bad move. He kept it all together, albeit, on the other side of the road. Craig, dicing with Rob at the time, had a fairly good view. At Glenaroua we turned left along the back way into Broadford, a narrow and bumpy road, but improving all the time. They seem to have removed one of the left hand turn intersections – the road now just naturally flows that way. I kept expecting to see corner markers, and all of a sudden we were there!
A pasty and coffee scroll for lunch at the bakery. What, no sandwiches, I heard someone remark, and a few headed back to the milkbar. Kate, by this stage, had told us of her adventures, wanting to know where we had been. Noticing her rear tyre was bald, I suggested it was time to replace it. Checking the front, it was well worn on the sides too. She has been doing plenty of riding because these tyres were replaced earlier this year. She missed last week’s Mt Baw Baw extravaganza because she was too tired after riding 2500 kilometres during the week, showing an overseas visitor the “good roads” around Tallangatta, Corryong etc. What a good ambassador she is. Alas, the chain was also looking a little tired so I quickly tightened it up for her.
The Nimmos and first timers Aaron and Ivetta headed for the pub and a counter meal. Craig and Emma were heading to Broadford to the races and Orlando had other commitments and decided to head home via the Hume. So, after refuelling, the dreaded five (Ron, Rob, Kate, Noel and Ben) headed back to Kinglake West via Strath Creek and Flowerdale. Ron invited the others around to his house, via Kinglake, St Andrews, Christmas Hills etc while I mozied off home, a final fling down the Whittlesea twisties.
Home at five past three, some 350 km for the day. I had fitted a near new, second-hand, Michelin Pilot Race the day before and it seems the business; nary a movement all day, even in the cold, first thing. I just hope it lasts the next month for the November Melbourne Cup weekend ride. I didn’t even wear the braking gobs of rubber off the middle today, so I am hopeful.
Thanks Ron for an enjoyable ride. Everyone had a fun day in the sun.
The bike has close to 60,000 km on it now – it will be 2 years old late December and is running as reliably as ever. When changing tyres I also bought a set of rear Kevlar pads. Each set seems to be lasting 30,000 km. As Tim rightly pointed out, they only start off with 4 mm, so even if they have only got 1mm left, that is still 25%. I replaced another tail light globe as well, the third one. Still on the second chain and original rear sprocket, 2nd front sprocket. I am thinking about re-oiling the Ohlins rear shocker next winter, and replacing the steering head bearings after the summer silly season. I tend to replace the oil in the front forks at regular intervals – it feels like it needs doing every 12,000 km which is what the manual recommends. It is only on the second set of plugs and front pads and gets regular oil and filter changes. It has been extremely reliable, never failing to start. Best of all, it runs on un-leaded quite happily. Though down on economy compared to Kawasaki ZX9s (15 km/l versus 17.5 km/km or more over), not paying for additives, and the hassle of carrying them, makes up for the shorter range. Incidentally, range varies between 210 and 230 km before the reserve light comes on, with a genuine 50 km on reserve (at 120 km/h). Now if only they would invent the perfect tyre: long life, excellent grip, fair price.
Ben Warden (Honda CBR929RR)