Maiden Voyage Honda CBF 1000

Friday 21^st August picked up a new Honda CBF1000 (Black) Traded in VFR800.

Saturday 22^nd Fitted Ozzy Knobs. After lunch I left for my daughter’s place in Wodonga running the bike in. I went via Yarra Glen, Chum and Myers Creek road, Black Spur, Marysville, Buxton, Acheron. I took the back road into Alexandra, then Yarck, Gobur, Kunumbra, Gobur road and back to the Highway.

At Mansfield I had half a tank of fuel left and was wondering whether or not I should fill up. Whitfield should be open, so I will keep going. Kept the revs around 4000 rpm, 100, 110 km/h. Nice ride over the top, motor pulls well. Get to Whitfield and the servo is shut, gauge reads E for enough. I think it’s used a lot of fuel for not much speed. I take my helmet off, open the petrol cap and rock the bike. It doesn’t sound good. I went to the store and asked where the nearest fuel was: Moyhu, about 25 kms away. Back to the bike, unsure of how far I am going to get.

Head off quietly and get about 5 or 6 kms down the road and run out of fuel. It’s about 5pm. Push the bike about half a kilometre down the road and stop outside a house. A nice lady in a Commodore stopped and said the house I was at was no good, but to go across and down the road because the farmer there would have fuel. I went and spoke to him and he said he had some, so I had to walk back to the bike and push it up his drive and round to the shed where the fuel was.

He gave me 10 litres of petrol which was good. I paid him $20. I was grateful just to be able to get some. By all accounts he seems to rescue a lot of motorcyclists. The servo at Whitfield is open through the week and closed on the weekends. It may change in the summer when there is more traffic. Anyway, I lost over an hour so I just went straight to Wangaratta. I wanted to go through Yackandandah but it was too late and it started to rain just before Wangaratta. Got fuel and just hit the Hume all the way to Wodonga.

Sunday 23^rd I left my daughter’s place at 10.45 am and went home via Bandiana, Bellbridge, Talgarno Road, Granya Gap (another road to be entered into the riders bible), past Tallangatta, Tangambalanga, down Gundowring Road to Running Creek, Happy Valley Road to Rosewhite, Carrolls Road to Mudgeegonga and the back way into Myrtleford stopping here for lunch.

After lunch I checked the fuel gauge and it read half full, or was that half empty? I was trying to decide whether I should get fuel, or go further down the road. Common sense prevailed and I went and got fuel. Thank goodness I did, otherwise I would have found myself in the same position as yesterday at Whitfield.

The manual states the tank holds 19 litres including 4 for reserve and the red bit on the end tells you that you have 4 litres left and a light is supposed to flash. (Pigs might fly.) I filled the tank and it took 15 litres at half way according to the gauge, so from half to empty is my reserve, 4 litres.

From memory I did 271 kilometres for 15 litres. It ran out yesterday at 333 kms. So the moral of the story is, when at half way, fill it up. We live and learn, supposedly! Back on to the highway to Gapstead, Milawa, Oxley, Moyhu, Whitfield, Tolmie and Mansfield - a lot of people here.

Bonnie Doon was my next stop and I was glad to get out of the saddle. On the road again, lots of traffic, probably people from Mt Buller. Kanumbra/Gobur road back to Yarck, Alexandra, back road to Acheron, stopping for fuel at Buxton.

Marysville, Black Spur, a good run through here, Healesville, back way to Yarra Glen and home. I did 1000 kms in two days, 450 on Saturday and 550 on Sunday. Took me seven and a half hours on Sunday.

I am pretty happy with the CBF1000. It’s easy to ride and I can cover a lot of ground without suffering for it. It’s a bit like riding my old Bandit 1200; put it in top gear and don’t worry about going up and down the gearbox like I had to on the VFR. It pulls like a steam train. Certainly an eye opener.

The bike looks a bit plain Jane but delivers the goods. Uses the old Fireblade engine - different cylinder head and they have taken 2000 rpm off the top so its got lots of low to mid range power. The bike comes with ABS and CBS- Combined Braking System. That’s it from me, until we meet again.

Ron Johnston