Dianne Welsford, CBR 600 Martin Hastie, Blackbird

Ross McCurdy, VTR 1000 Ian Payne, CBR 954 RR

Paul Southwell, CBR 954 RR Trevor Harris, YZF 1000

Greg Hales, TL1000S Liz Oliver, CBR 929 RR

Ian Black, Fazer 1000 ist Simon Acfield, VTR 250 ist

Ben Warden, CBR 929 RR Ron Johnston, Bandit 1200

Derek Atkinson, FZR 1000 (Rear Rider) 14 Bikes, 14 People

Saturday 5^th

Yesterday I rode up the Reefton on my Honda CB400/4. I had hoped to catch up with Hector and friends; we met him at Xmas at Towonga Gap and he came and visited us at the camp that night. Hector is a big guy riding a GSX1400. It has a full Akrapovic system, as well as a Power Commander Stage 3 kit, and goes quite well. I left home at 2.30 pm and had to jump start my bike because the battery had died. I couldn’t even kick start it - no dash lights, no nothing, dead, kaput….

I followed some bloke on a ZX12R from Yarra Junction and passed him just out of Wesburn. From Warburton I carry on to the bottom off the Reefton Spur by which stage another rider on a Suzuki 750 has appeared. He was riding fairly fast so I waved him past and indicated to the bloke on the ZX12R to do the same. He dithered about and eventually passed me after a couple of corners. I don’t think he had owned the bike for long because he wasn’t too good on some of the corners, plus I think he was too frightened to twist the wrist. I ended up sitting up his exhaust pipe all the way up Spur. I was annoyed with myself after having waved him on, thinking he would go for it. But he didn’t, and my little bike didn’t have the power on the straight bits to pass him. So I sat with him on the corners.

About 5 kms from the top I came across a group riders parked up on the side of the road, and a damaged bike about 50 yards up. I recognised the bike was Hector’s and immediately did a U turn and went back. Hector was alright but the same can’t be said about his GSX1400; it was in a sad state off affairs. He was over-taking on a left hander, ran wide off the shoulder and hit the bank, side on, then ran along the bank and was thrown at a right angle onto the road. The bike suffered bent forks (both) at about 15 degrees to the left from the bottom clamp, damaged tank, seat, bars, instruments, pack rack, and the left hand side engine cover had a hole in it, but exhaust system was not marked (unusual). He had a friend riding with him who went home and got his car and trailer and then came back and picked up the bike. I left the Reefton at 5:30 pm.

I arrived home to find no one there. Hmm, had tea and a shower and decided to settle in for the night. I went to bed early at 8:30 pm, the plan to watch telly and hopefully fall asleep. But that idea was short lived. A phone call from Hector to say he was okay and they got home alright, but was wondering if he could borrow the trailer so he could go and pick up his brother Alex and his bike. Apparently Alex was riding down Canterbury road near Bayswater and Scoresby road intersection when his bike dropped the sump plug, and you guessed it, oil everywhere. He didn’t came off the bike, luckily. I asked Hector where he was - near home in Mt Waverley. I told him to stay there and that I would pick Alex up instead of him coming all the way over here and back again.

I had to empty the trailer, hitch it up and head off over to Canterbury Road. When I arrived where the bike was parked I noticed oil everywhere, especially at the back of the bike, (not happy Jan). He was very fortunate not to come off, as he said. He could have been up the Reefton when it happened. We load up and I take him home. It was about 11.00 pm by the time I arrived home. So much for my early night. Alls well that ends well.

Sunday 6^th

Another bunch of weary time travellers arriving at Yarra Glen to do battle on their two wheel time machines. It’s good to see a couple of new people joining us on the ride. The internet seems to be working very well. It’s a good tool for communication and information. Today Liz was riding Peter’s bike so he could rest his sprained wrist (see what happens, Peter, when you try showing Liz your Tarzan impersonation, swinging from the ladder, damn show off…) Usual stuff, Dave tries to get our attention and inform us of where we are going, and that he’s the Leader, so don’t pass him, and that any stragglers will be picked up by Derek who’s rear rider. Simple isn’t it ! Or it’s supposed to be.

The first part of the journey is the Yarra track to Healesville, followed by a jaunt through the back streets and market with lots of people about. We turn onto the highway and head up the Black Spur. Everybody took it quietly on the way out so as not to attract the attention of the Forces off the Law. Not that any were around, but one can never be to careful.

We get to the start of the Spur and it’s on. Off like a pack of greyhounds chasing a rabbit. From memory there were a few cars about, but it was okay. I remember coming up behind Trevor Harris and somebody else I can’t remember, going like a cut cat. The back end stepped out on one off the corners before the Dom Dom Saddle, providing a timely wake up call!

Corner marked with Ben at Narbethong and waited for the rest of the tribe to go through. Young Simon, on the VTR250, locked up the back wheel on turning right. Someone will have to tell him he should use less rear brake. I think he must have given himself a fright. Derek arrived and off we went, full steam ahead.

The road from here to Marysville is good, and I think most of us liked it. On through Marysville to stop at Cumberland Junction. The rest of the road to here is excellent. There were a lot of other bikes, including an officer of the law. (Quite funny really: you didn’t know he was there until you got off your bike. Here we all are, giving our bikes the wind up along the straight to the Junction before you stop.) The officer was doing licence checks and checking tyres. Greg and I got done for insufficient tread on the tyres. When we arrived he reckoned he could go home because he already had enough on his books. While we were there, more people on bikes turned up. I don’t think I have seen as many bikes on the Reefton for a long time. There was even a group of five or six Buell riders. There were bikes everywhere! The policeman was having a field day.

It was time to tootle off. I told rear rider Derek to go and I would catch him up because I wanted to find out how far down it was from the top to where Hector crashed the day before. We all had a good run to the bottom without any mishaps.

We arrive in Warby, park the bikes and find a shop to get something to eat and drink, and talk the talk, as they say. Dave left for work and the rest stayed for a while. Dianne, Derek and myself ended up staying for two and a half hours before heading for home. Thanks to Dave for leading the ride. I think everyone enjoyed themselves. Thanks Derek for rear rider duties. Good weather, good company, and no incidents.

Ron Johnston (Suzuki Bandit 1200)