Lancefield (Good)
Friday, 18th April, 2003
Rob Langer (leader) BMW R1150GS Matt Clarke Suzuki GSXR750
Mario Ibeas Yamaha R1 Will Surtida Suzuki GSXR750
Andrew Symes Suzuki RF900 Kate Stewart Honda CBR600
Stewart Lens (rear) Suzuki GS1200 7 bikes, 7 people
I gleaned the following information from a five minute telephone conversation with Rob. There was no nominated scribe so here is a version of what happened by someone who wasn’t there!
The ride started at Whittlesea at 10.15 am. Stewart volunteered to be rear rider. Kate wasn’t on the ride at this stage but was itching to go on a Club ride with her brand new yellow Honda CBR600F4i. She rang Ben half way up the east coast to Sydney for clues to where the ride would go. They must have been okay as she eventually caught the ride.
Rob figured that Yea (via Flowerdale) would be a good spot for morning tea but there were 15 buses of Asian tourists who also thought the same thing. Hence service was extremely slow. Being Good Friday, the likelihood of shops shutting, or not opening at all, was of concern to Rob. Hence the early morning tea stop.
Next stop Seymour for fuel and noted everything was open for business as usual. Then onto Pyalong, around the Emu Flat loop, the two kilometres of dirt to Baynton, then back down to Lancefield for lunch.
Rob left Mario at the Shell servo corner marking while he bolted to the public conveniences. Matt joined Rob. Next thing Rob heard was Will Surtida monoing down the main street, oblivious to the park bikes hidden around behind the toilet block. Mario and Andrew followed Will and soon after the rear rider. Rob set off in pursuit and left Matt to start lunch, which turned out well because Kate turned up at this point. Meanwhile the lads set a cracking pace and only stopped at the end of the road at Carlsruhe, some 32 km down the road, just before Kyneton. Rob rounded them up and headed back to Lancefield for lunch.
After lunch the ride, now seven bikes, headed back to Kinglake West via High Camp, Broadford and Flowerdale. Rob estimates the ride length at around 350 km with no serious incidents in perfect riding weather. Obviously Mario is back riding with the Club, but by lunchtime was complaining of a sore wrist and was limping more noticeably. As Rob said, it didn’t seem to hinder his enthusiasm or performance! And of course Kate was taking to her new bike like a duck to water. She said it is so eeeeasy to ride! I think she meant it is so easy to ride ...fast!
Rob and Matt headed off home via Kinglake and the St Andrews Road, Stewart went straight through to Whittlesea and the rest headed across to Toolangi and Yarra Glen.