Mt Baw Baw Sunday 14^th March, 2010

Willem Vandeveld	Honda ST1300	Cliff Peters	Kawasaki ZX10
Dave Ward (leader)	Honda CBR1000	Jason Wilson	Kawasaki ZX9
Ian Payne (rear)	Honda CBR1000	Tim Walker	Kawasaki ZX7
John Rousseaux	Honda CBR1000	Damir Djikic (2^ndride)	Kawasaki Z750
Ron Johnston	Honda CBF1000	Phil Hotschilt (3^rd ride)	Suzuki GSX1300
Ben Warden	Honda CBR954	Chris Pointon	Suzuki GSXR1000
Rhys Williams	Ducati 748	Tamzin Brundrett (1^st ride)	Suzuki GSXR1000
Ken Goederee	Ducati ST4	Rod Boulter	Suzuki DL1000
Pina Garasi	Yamaha R6	Damian Jones	Yamaha R1

It’s only 30 minutes from my home for the Yarra Glen departure. It was my first ride in a month and I think withdrawal symptoms were setting in. I got my gear organised and set off for Yarra Glen. Pulling into the servo, I see a few other riders. It looks like we might get a good turn out. I pay for my fuel and head across the road.

Rhys Williams on his black Ducati 748 was a surprise. I last saw him at Jindabyne, on the Australia Day Weekend in January with Ken Wright. It was good to see Ken Goederee, now on a Ducati ST4. Tim Walker was another face that we don’t often see; out for his twice yearly Club ride.

We had another lady, Tamzin, first time rider with us, on a GSXR750. I spoke to her later in the morning and she told me that when she lived in Sydney she used to ride with a club up there and clocked up 75,000 km in 3 years. This ride had been her first for a while and she was finding it a bit tough. Lack of bike fitness, she said.

Ben was busy collecting names and numbers.

Damir was sporting a new green Kawasaki Z750.

Eventually, Dave got on his soap box and told us where we were going, where the food and fuel stops would be, etc. Ben piped up and said that this might be Dave’s last ride because Bronwyn and Dave were moving to Tasmania to take up a job opportunity. We wish them both well in their endeavours.

Time to go. Highway to new roundabout, where the truck bypass is, then the back road to Healesville, past the racecourse, and through to the Healesville/Koo Wee Rup road.

There was a hot rod show in the archery paddock on Don Road just before the Launching Place Hotel. Turning in front of me was a 1958 Ford Edsel two door hardtop coupe. It was a bit of a lemon in its day, but now worth money as a collectors’ item. The front could be termed “ugly”.

Right at the pub and on to the Gembrook/Launching Place road. On to Hoddles Creek and Milners road. Who can forget that twisty, uphill, off camber U turn at the top? Then down hill to the Yarra Junction/Noojee road.

A couple of kilometres down the road a dude on a black Harley Davidson undertook all of us. He definitely is someone who gives the riding fraternity a bad name, wearing only runners, shorts, singlet, tattoos, sunnies and an open face helmet. Dressed to impress! Not!

When he turned into Tarrango Road, he clutched it, did a burnout and took off down the road. Thank heavens we didn’t have to put up with him for long.

We enjoyed a pleasant casual ride to Powelltown and then we got into the uphill section where the pace picked up a bit. Soon we ran into a procession of Harley riders out enjoying themselves. Some made it difficult to pass by taking up the whole road, making it impossible to do much other than sit there. Others were gassing it, trying to out run us, but it didn’t work, because we would eventually run them down and pass.

We took the Nayook road to Neerim Junction where we had our first stop. It was here that Pina noticed oil leaking out of the right hand R6 engine cover. Ben took the fairings and engine cover off to clean it while Clifford went off in search of some gasket sealer, only to leave his wallet on the ground. Then a lady came out of the shop with a new tube of silicone gasket sealer. She saved the day. Clifford turned up empty handed. Hmmm.

Ken and Tim were having a coffee at the place next door to the shop, which I don’t recall being there last time. But, on the other hand, I didn’t look either. Ken left the ride here.

Dave had already given the five minute warning so soon we were on our way, leaving Ben and Cliff still working on Pina’s bike. We headed back up the hill half a kilometre and turned right onto that little goat track that Ben isn’t too excited about. It comes out past the pub where I corner marked. Then back on the bike and play catch up, first with tail end rider just past the saw mill at the start of the hill climb. I had a good run up the hill and on past the Icy Creek turn off. And then there were four of us weaving our way around the reasonably clean, meandering road. There were a lot of cyclists on the road, the steep climb excellent training.

Tanjil Bren is the first plateau, and then you head back down hill encountering a few hairpin corners. Care is needed.

Near the top of Mt Baw Baw they have changed the road to a T intersection. I came up behind Tim on his ZX7 and then we caught some Harley riders on their day out. Some were hard to pass, taking up the whole road, but we eventually passed them.

We parked outside the shop. Ben soon arrived. Half an hour had passed, so Dave suggested we ride to Moe and have lunch there. As we were leaving, Pina and Clifford arrived.

I followed Phil on the Hayabusa back to Icy Creek junction where we all stopped to regroup. Tamzin left the ride here as she had enough. “Not bike fit”, were her words.

We arrived at Moe at 2:30pm, the bakery in the process of cleaning up. I was really hanging out for something to eat and drink. A last minute rush and the bakery sold us some food and coffee.

From Moe we went out through Westbury, hooked up with the Old Sale Road, Crossover, Drouin West and Longwarry North where the ride finished at the servo.

Good weather, good company, excellent roads and no incidents. Thanks to Dave for leading and Ian for tail-end Charlie.

Ron Johnston