Lavers Hill via the Great Ocean Road Sunday 19^th December, 2004

Suzuki Bandit 1200 Ron Johnston (leader) Honda CBR929 Ben Warden

Yamaha R6 Joel Haley/Megan Kawasaki1 ZZX12 Jason Peters

Honda CBR1100XX Wayne & Annette Pope (rear) Kawasaki ZX9 Mick Bosworth

Suzuki GSXR750 Damian Glynn Yamaha TDM850 Ern Reeders (1^st ride)

Honda CBR1100XX Peter Feistl (2^nd ride) 9 bikes, 11 people

Approaching the longest day of the year there is plenty of light and warmth early in the day making it easy to get out of bed. Consequently I found myself arriving at West Gate Bridge with a full 15 minutes to spare. Already there appeared to be a large crowd of people and bikes. As it turned out, another group of riders was heading down to Ocean Grove. Their leader seemed keen to “tag along” with us, but given that we would be leaving within 5 minutes of the scheduled start time and seven of their riders were still “on their way”, we decided to go our own separate ways, but not before an orange itinerary card exchanged hands. We’ll see.

Ern had committed and come for his first ride on his sparkling TDM, complete with top box and tank bag, after feeling me out with a few weeks of email correspondence. A fairly fierce westerly blew all day and the increased side profile of his bike increased the lean angle – in a straight line.

Stoimen Stojanov (R1) was also there, spruiking for a riding buddy to the Club camp, or maybe trailer space. While we would be enjoying 560 km of GOR experience, he would be doing 5.60 km of push bike riding with two of his kids around the Albert Park Lake cycle track. A commitment of another sort.

Amazingly we had two pillions, Megan and Annette. As per the Yarram ride, Wayne and Annette took up the rear riding duties for one of the toughest rides on the calendar. Thanks Wayne.

Ronny set about giving us a blow by blow description of the route – possible trying to allow time for Jason to arrive in time to join us. He failed, Jason eventually finding us at Lavers Hill, four hours later.

We proceeded over the West Gate Bridge and down the Freeway taking the new curvy Werribee exit. The group rode in close formation, almost eliminating the need for corner markers through town. From the morning pre-ride talk and map waving it looked like we were heading for Cobbledix Ford but after a few stops for map reading we ended up following the normal route across to Anakie and Maude. The wallows and dips across the first bridge again catching me out, resulting in the bike drifting wide on the exit (no oncoming cars). I was already regretting not putting the Ohlins shock back in after a recent service. At 35 degrees yesterday, it was just a tad too hot to working in a tin garage, particularly after mowing the rampaging lawn and other gardening activities.

At Maude we turned left and south on rarely travelled roads. Someone noted the Christmas Police Blitz had commenced and hence these remote roads offered a sense of security, if not actual safety. It was handy that I had been along this route not so long ago as there are a number of minor, poorly signposted intersections around Bannockburn and a quick nod reduced the stoppage times.

Long, straight roads, vast expanses of grain and pasture saw us navigate our way to Inverleigh and then Winchelsea for food and fuel after 135 km. I headed straight for the milk bar and scored a bargain silverside and salad sandwich with the lot for $3.90. I was surprised to see Mick on a ride. He said his last flight returned to Melbourne at 11 am the previous evening and he had a leave pass for the day. Megan already had a pained expression after an hour and a half on the back of Joel’s R6. I don’t think she was enthralled when I noted that we were about ¼ of the way through the ride. At least the upcoming twisties would move the pain from her posterior to her arms and shoulders!

After a leisurely break we mounted up and headed for more inviting roads through Deans Marsh and onto Lorne. As advertised by the weather bureau, occasional showers and strong winds would dominate the day’s forecast. The wind was constant all day, and now we encountered the occasional damp road, but more significantly, recent road works on the tight twisties leading down into Lorne, with nots of excess gravel piling up down the middle. Ron got sideways a couple of times, he reported. Peter Feistl seemed to reappear in my mirrors whenever the conditions turned “dangerous”. He was loving the ride, and after the long Yarram ride, doesn’t know of any other riding way with the Club.

It is all 80 km/h along the GOR now, including between Lorne and Apollo Bay. Though this sounds bad, it is not so much of an issue because this is the most torturous section and speeds are generally lower – but not that low … More of an issue was the sheer volume of cars, caravans and buses. Whenever you took a peak, there was always something coming. Nevertheless we made good progress and often had long clear runs before encountering the next clump of cars. I was amazed at the number of new houses (read glass mansions) that have sprung up everywhere along the coast, not just in the towns.

We refuelled again at Apollo Bay, 230 km from West Gate Bridge with still no low fuel led showing on the CBR dash. Then onto Lavers Hill. On the first big set of sweepers after Apollo Bay the road was badly littered with compression bumps along the centre white line – right where you need to be when passing a string of cars. It was safer just to sit on the other side of the road. The condition of the Otway Road was generally as poor as I have seen, the sheer volume of traffic not doing it any favours, but still great fun. Peter was using the brute power of the Blackbird to good effect as we floated on that higher riding plain, man and machine as one.

The Lavers Hill regular haunt has increased its car parking area even more – a battle the owners were having with the local council not so long ago. It was cool, overcast and threatening, not unusual since it is only a eleven kilometres from the wettest place in Victoria, Weeaproinah. The proprietor invited us to sit in the sheltered veranda area around the side but we chose to brave the elements and sit at the front table, keeping an eye on the bikes. Lots of trail bikes riders were about, appropriately covered in mud, KTM orange the dominant bike colour.

Back to Apollo Bay and up the Forest twisties, again wet and dry, Peter once again appearing in my mirrors as I tippy-toed through the black shiny stuff. (Incidentally, he signed up for Club Membership and Tassy on my last form. Must remember to replenish.) I’ll be happy when that hard rear Dunlop207 has worn out. Chrismas Camp should fix that.

Now out in the straight stuff the group was becoming spread out, the kilometres taking their toll. Jason whistled past the obscure Deans Marsh turnoff on the brakes. It was now a very pleasant ride with a howling tail wind, wind noise and air resistance dropping away appreciatively. It wasn’t long before I was leading a high speed freight train around those huge sweepers, maintaining a steady speed until Moriac hove into view.

A disgruntled 4WD owner blasted Wayne with his horn as he inadvertently queue jumped the bowser queue. A bit of map reading saw us debate the last leg, Lara settled on. Back to suburbia and civilisation saw us regroup at the side of the road near the Freeway entrance offering the alternative Little River old highway route, now restricted to 80 km/h. We bade our farewells and went our separate ways after an enjoyable and safe ride with no incidents – apart from Ern overshooting the tricky T junction at Batesford but showing great control gathering up the plot and still getting around the corner. He put it down to a minor lapse in concentration. I was reminded of the old adage (self proclaimed), “Don’t corner mark on the ‘straight through’ crashing line.”

A fast cruise up the highway saw me home at 5.35 pm after an easy 563 km indicated for the day. Thanks Ron for leading, Wayne for rear riding, and Annette and Megan for their endurance and providing some “gender balance” to use the modern parlance, and the other guys for sharing the day.

Jobs for the next week include fitting the rear shock, changing the front tyre, changing the rear pads and bleeding the brakes, changing the oil and filter. I better get cracking!

Ben Warden (Honda CBR929)