Drouin via Noojee Sunday 3^rd August, 2003

Good dumps of snow on the lower peaks around Melbourne during the week resulted in a rather different Reefton run as part of the Drouin corner feast on Sunday. Heavy snow cover started on the road out of Marysville, well before the Lake Mountain turn off. The road had been graded but the surface remained wet and icy in parts, all the way to the Reefton start at Cumberland Junction and for quite a distance down the Spur. After adjusting to the lack of grip, dropping the speed allowed some tourist type views through the visor. What am I doing on a sport bike with minimal tread tyres riding in the snow? Pretty as a picture postcard, but ready to do cosmetic mischief to bike and rider. Some temptation to pull a snowball ambush by three likely looking members corner marking the Mount turn off. Seems they resisted the urge. All through OK.

At Yarra Glen for the off the "Win on Sunday, sell on Monday" theory seemed proved by the number of Honda CBRs in attendance.

Paul Southwell Honda CBR954 Rob Jones Honda CBR954

Greg Hales Honda CBR929   Simon and Annalisa Honda CBR929 (1^st ride)
Trevor Harris Yamaha YZF1000 Matt Clarke Suzuki GSXR750
Ken Wright Mille RSR Mark Easterbrook Triumph Daytona

Ian (2^nd ride) Yamaha FZ1 Dave Hives Kawasaki ZX9R

Geoff Jones Yamaha R1   Mario Ibeas Yamaha R6  (Rear Rider)  

Tim Walker (leader) Kawasaki ZX7R

The ride details were talked through and Simon and Annalisa were given some extra corner marking instruction. Write-up volunteer call resulted in the normal pregnant pause. Tim made the point about some new scribes being a good idea but that pause continued so you have to cop another dose of Jones. I thought there would be a month to get it in but a call from Mr Editor (he who must be obeyed) last night to get the suspect list also gives the deadline of Monday to submit this lot.

Beginning the first 140 km leg we take the Old Road from Yarra Glen to the Chum Creek intersection at Healesville. Noted, while corner marking at the Healesville end of Yarra Track, a nice Rob Jones mono on the 954, from the corner up the hill, through a few gears before a smooth return to two wheels. The mood was being set early. Chum Creek road was patchy as the areas shaded by overhanging trees remained damp. Shadow or wet patch? One of life's great mysteries. Believe in your tyre's wet grip and press on. Gears to change, brakes to squeeze, corners to measure, bars to push, throttle to twist, grins to control and, if you have an R1, head shakes to endure. Honda RCV's, sorry, CBR's don’t do such things, I'm told.

Up Chum Creek Road, down Myers Creek Road and back to Healesville. Then up the Black Spur. In and out of the heavy Sunday traffic, over the top at Mount Dom Dom, through Narbethong to Saint Fillans and the run up to Marysville. No pie stop and forget the bladder pressure building (old fart talk). Through to the snow line and onto the Reefton. Here I was passed by Eric and John, R6 mounted, in company with a new CBR600RR, doing their Reefton Spur loop. I stayed with them to the bottom and corner marked with Paul 954 who had tried the new 600 at Phillip Island but missed the 954 grunt. The lower part of the Spur free of snow and sunny and dry, yum. Some confusion at the end of the Spur as there was a group parked. Sorted the MSTCV group out, then into Warburton for fuel, food, talk the talk and the bladder thing sorted. Kate Stewart (Honda CBR600F4i) and Peter Stewart (matching Honda CBR600F4i) settled in, after coming from Yarra Glen their own way, then leaving the ride after lunch as did Trevor and Ian.

Remaining snow bunnies now head off for the ride target, Drouin. Down the highway to the Tarrango road to bypass Yarra Junction and join the Noojee road at Gladysdale. Through Powelltown to the Piedmont intersection, up the hill through the big sweeper, pop over the top onto the open flowing Neerim road, settle into the sweepers then jam on the brakes for the twisty  run through Neerim East to arrive in Neerim South, from the east. A very Tim thing to do.

From Neerim South to Drouin via more of the Tim type of minor road, twisty as. Not seen at Drouin, Rob and Dave, who had left at Piedmont to check out the local at Noojee. Craig Morley and friend at the Drouin stop via four wheels. Tyre talk here as Ken had fitted a set of Diablos to the Mille and was well pleased with the result. Some talk of the pros and cons of doing the fitting thing at home. I will NEVER try that again, and, as Paul remembered doing some fitting at Pablos in the past, even the machines can get it wrong. Spooky or what as Ben tells me he was not on the ride as he has wheel rim damage requiring a re-roll. Caused by the fitting machine.

Back to Yarra Junction via Jindivick, Neerim South and Piedmont onto the main road run through the still damp patches and deeper shadows, now that time had moved on. My fuel lights on, but all make ride end at Yarra Junction okay. As Simon and Annalisa were a bit unsure of their bearings, Greg, Matt and I stayed with them to fuel up at Healesville. Then onto Yarra Glen where they were okay to get to Epping.

The run through the Christmas Hills with Matt and Greg turned into an adrenal gland blur as we blasted up out of Yarra Glen, through a group of touring-type bikes, then took no prisoners till the turn off at Kangaroo Ground where Greg and Matt went left and I turned right. Let the heart rate drop and droned home on the Ring Road to Melton.

About 300 kilometres for the day. Mucho tight stuff, no rain, no thin blue line encounters.  Thanks Tim for the lead and Mario for rear riding on the blue R6 with the red tank. As usual I had a ball.

Geoff Jones (Yamaha R1)