Honda CBR929 Ian Payne Ford Falcon Julie Johnston
Suzuki GF1200 Ron Johnston Peugot 206GTI Val Jones
Suzuki GSXR1000 Danny Hasnat Yamaha R1 Geoff Jones (leader)
Yamaha YZF1000 Trevor Harris 5 bikes, 2 cars, 7 people
Christmas has been and gone and I find myself with motorcycle-type padded leather pants, (thanks kids) plain black - none of this showy stuff the youngsters wear. It’s Friday afternoon and I am doing the Gisborne to Yarra Glen drone on the Ring Road in company with Val in her 206GTI, the air-con set at 18C, my new black leather pants doing their best to cook me alive.
The last room available (the smallest) at The Grand had been booked the week before and as it was available from 1.00pm, we decided to book in and do the tourist thing in the afternoon, the meal at night, then more tourist stuff on Saturday. As a bonus, I would forego the long haul home after the night ride.
Lunch was taken after a visit to the Yarra Glen antique stores. Then an afternoon relax after picking up some reading matter at the news agents, filling in time till the pre-ride meal.
Ian Payne (CBR 929), Ron and Julie Johnston (Bandit and car) were the only other diners. Ian and Ron went for the steak sandwich, Julie a Caeser Salad, saving space for dessert. Val chose the salmon and I had the steak. I had booked a table for 10-15 based on other years’ numbers but at least the five diners had plenty of table space. As 8.30 approached, there was talk of settling in for a talk-the-talk and letting the ride slip, but the arrival of Trevor Harris (YZF1000) and Danny Hasnat (GSXR1000) (new wedding ring sparkling in the light) changed the focus back to the ride.
There was now a
misty layer replacing the clear sky and some cloud cover forming over the hills
as the depart time arrived. Val and Julie settled in at the Bistro and five
bikes departed for
Leading became
very democratic as Danny, Trevor and Ron took over for the run up the Spur. I
believe I was lucky not to be rear rider on this section but Ian preserved some
of my dignity by maintaining the rear position. At Narbethong corner I was
allowed to go to the front and so to the top of
Some light rain began here so the return run added some spice to the mix as the road was now steaming from the rain which persisted over the top of the Spur but on the run down to Healesville had dried out, and so Danny was able to get his knee down again. Ron had a new rear shock in the Bandit, tweaked by
Chris Oldfield and was happy with the improved rear end, no longer wearing out rear pads as he does not need to trail brake to settle the rear as before. The ride finished at Healesville and all I had to do was the short run back to Yarra Glen and then get Val to let me into the pub that had closed. Julie left around 11 so Ron may have arrived home before her. Ride distance around 120km.
Saturday dawned wet so after a walk around Healesville and the purchase of some wet weather pants (yellow) to protect the new leathers we returned to the pub car park to pick up the R1 for a wet ride home. The Bistro and car park now filled with Ulysses members having a day off their bikes. A near miss on a GTR1000 with the 206 in parking mode got their attention though.
It was great to get out on the R1 again after a busy month with much retaining wall work at Gisborne and a quick engine rebuild to replace a failed gearbox bearing on the RZ350 that has returned home via son Ben to become his ride to work option. That smell of 2 stroke again in the air …
Thanks Ian for rear riding. If there are other write-ups, a thank you too. I did not tidy up on the admin on the night.
Geoff Jones
(Yamaha YZR1)