Daylesford Sunday 12^th September 2004

BMWR1150GS Rob Langer (leader) Honda CBR929 Ben Warden (rear)

Honda VFR750 Renzo Cunico Yamaha R1 Mick Hanlon (rear)

Suzuki GSXR750 Damien Glynn (3^rd ride) Buell 1200 Nigel Hellyer

Whittlesea saw just six bikes. I cruised into the servo and started pumping at the yellow pump, assuming it was unleaded. Alas no, premium at $111.7 cents per litre. Christmas for the bike. Maybe it would improve the economy though people have stopped making those claims – something about the fuel being denser.

Damien held out a fist full of money and a membership form. Good man. And keen, given the overcast and cold conditions. Daylesford would likely be worse by my reckoning. Welcome to the fold, web page passwords divulged.

Renzo was sporting new Metzler tyres: Z3 rear and Z1 front. Same configuration as new VTR1000s come standard with. He figured the weight and performance were about the same so the tyres should work well. Sounded logical. Black and round and stop the rims grinding is another view.

Rob noted Lancefield first stop, some 112 km away. Mick was volunteered into rear riding position and the over stuffed emergency kit was tidily ocky strapped onto his rear pillion seat. Renzo asked if I had a spare throat coat. Ah, no. He is out of practise in wearing bike clothes after being bikeless for close on 18 months. He also left his wet weather clothing at home and full leathers just aren’t warm enough mid-winter. I had picked up the latest AMCN at the service station and considered offering it to him to stuff down the front of his jacket. But the sun was trying to break through and the thought of rejection …

We dawdled off up through the twisties to Kinglake, roads damp, tyres cold. Rob is riding this bike more conservatively than I remember him riding other bikes – though this new BM is probably shod with the original set of tyres, now years old – and consequently hard and slippery.

Left at Flowerdale saw Renzo and I corner marking. I produced a blade screwdriver in quick time for Renzo to attack the suspension – a few turns off on the front springs and unknown turns on the rear damping – to hopefully fix “too hard” suspension. Waved Mick on as he was riding very steadily and would be caught easily.

Left again at Strath Creek heading for Broadford. Nary another vehicle on the road. A hot toddy next to the fire in front of the TV would make better sense to most other people on a day like this. Still, it wasn’t raining and now relatively warm compared to the cold heights of Kinglake.

Leaving Broadford, hard left at top of the hill heading for Glenaroua. Left again at the sweeper picking up the High Camp road to the Northern highway looking out for Kangaroos. Right, left jiggle picking up the sandy, skinny link road to fast sweeping Lancefield road. The leading bikes appear to be running through water with a spray of fine, white sand splashing out from rear wheel.

Into Lancefield for fuel and refreshments. With the divvy van parked opposite I wasn’t tempted to ride up the wrong side of the road to join Rob parked on south side of the shop, choosing the more conservative east side. The trick here is to get the pre-packaged $3.30 ham and salad sandwich before the hordes snaffle them. A bargain and speedy to boot, appealing to my Type A personality, let alone the hunger worm.

While we were discussing the meaning of life, how to access weather forecasts on ships and the footy while holding up the veranda with one shoulder, some old codger decked out in shorts and footy jumper comes jogging down the middle of the street. A moment later a fully faired 50cc Kawasaki green painted mini-bike bedecked with fully leather clad rider comes screaming by, all noise and no speed. Weird places, these country towns.

We regroup at the servo where I take a few photos of said mini-bike rider prostrate on the ground, wrapped around his machine, trying to fix a broken plastic spark plug. Hmm. He was about to buy his daughter a similar mini road bike and his missus a Harley. That way they could all ride together!

A couple of kilometres north of Lancefield we turned left onto the Redesdale road and very pleasant high speed twisties through the trees. Then left onto the bumpy road heading for Kyneton which we skirted around picking up the Metcalfe road followed by the armco clad twisties into Chewton.

Left for Fryers town and Vaughan where we stopped to inspect the remains of an old gold mining, two story, orange brick building set back from the road and now fenced off. I must have been past it 15 times and never seen it. Out with the trusty Kodak and the obligatory group shot searching for the next front magazine cover. Some talk of the blind crest with kink catching the unwary out, and another crest causing the front wheel to lift. All good fun.

Rejoined the Midland Highway at Guilford and off again heading for Yandoit and the back way into Hepburn Springs and lunch at Daylesford. Parking, as usual, despite the overcast and cool conditions, was difficult. Rob managed to score a centre car park accommodating 4 bikes. We all piled into the souvlaki shop and ordered … souvlakis, chicken and lamb. They took a while coming so we pushed a couple of tables together and set up camp, shipping issues regarding crew composition and Liberian registration advantages the dominant topics.

We regrouped at the servo, the last hop having consumed 122 km worth of the liquid gold. There seemed to be an inordinate delay but finally we got going, cause unknown.

Just before Trentham we turned left onto the Spring Hill Road. The road was particularly green and I thought, slippery, or was it the gravel filled potholes? I was rapidly losing confidence when it dawned upon me – this feels much like a puncture! The steering had gone heavy and the rear was definitely vague and squishy. At the next big intersection I stopped, noted the complete lack of air in the rear tyre, and started to disrobe. It is hot work plugging holes. All over in less than 15 minutes including lots of pumping from Renzo and Mick. That makes 4 punctures (three different tyres) in about a month. I am down to my last plug!

Recaught the group back at the highway and pressed on to Tylden looking for air (none) and then Woodend where the 24 psi was increased to 38 psi. Grip and steering returning to normal.

We headed up Mt Macedon before turning down Straws Lane. As usual there was someone checking out the optical illusion, seeing if their car would roll up hill. Right turn at the bottom of the hill and a pleasant fang to Romsey, Darraweit Guim and Wallan where we disbanded after another easy 101 km.

It turned out to be a much better day than the weather forecaster would have us believe. Thanks Rob for leading and Mick for rear riding duties.

Ben Warden (Honda CBR929)