Mt Dandenong Sunday 7th November 2010
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Willem Vandeveld (1st rear) |
Honda ST1300 |
John Willis |
Honda XL1000 |
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Ian Payne |
Honda CBR1000 |
Mirko Strasser |
Honda CBR929 |
|
Paul Southwell |
Honda CBR1000 |
Geoff Shugg (2nd rear) |
Suzuki DL650 |
|
Jean Eldridge (2nd lead) |
Honda CBR1000 |
Cliff Peters |
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Misho Zrakic/ Pina Garasi |
Honda CBR1000 |
Andre Smith (1st ride) |
|
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Ben Warden (1st lead) |
Honda CBR954 |
Roman Biaroza (1st ride) |
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12
bikes, 13 people, 25 deg, 290 km
This is my first ride report. Ben talked me into doing it. The ride was a couple of weeks ago and when you ride regularly, one ride can tend to merge into another. So I’ll see what I can remember.
The ride was to start from Whittlesea with Ha leading. I live in Endeavour hills and usually travel to Whittlesea via Eastlink and the Eastern Freeway to Heidelberg and up Plenty Road. I hate this trip as I always seem to catch every red light, so this time I went out through Belgrave, Silvan, Yarra Glen and Kinglake. A longer trip but much more enjoyable.
As I was coming into Whittlesea down through the hills there were a lot of push bikes and I had plenty of time so I was taking it easy. A police bike passed coming the other way. Then a blue commodore pulled over and as I went past started to do a U-turn and I thought, “I bet that’s a cop.” I watched in my mirrors and sure enough the flashing lights come on. I pulled over, the cop gets out and says, “Don’t worry, you haven’t done anything wrong, YET. Just a licence check and a breathalyser.” He tells me the Whittlesea Show is on today so there are police everywhere.
I arrived at the servo first. A couple of others arrived. Then I saw Ben go past heading out of Whittlesea. When I asked him about this he told me that he was leading the ride as Ha had a sore wrist and he was looking for an alternative route out of town to avoid all the Show traffic.
Quite a few riders were late due to the heavy traffic but eventually we got away, Ben leading, Willem at the rear. We headed back towards Melbourne past kilometres of traffic crawling along heading into Whittlesea. We turned off and travelled down some great roads I don’t know the names of. Well done Ben. (Yan Yean, Arthurs Creek, Cottles Bridge… Ed.) We met the St Andrew’s Kinglake Road that runs through Kinglake National Park. This is the road that a couple of months ago on Ron’s ride we encountered thousands of push bikes. What a pain. None this time. Great!
It’s almost two years since bushfires devastated this area and not much has grown back yet, allowing you to see the huge drop off on the left. With lots of very tight corners, your mind starts thinking “What if I over cook it here and go over? I’m history.” It’s not worth thinking about so I get on with the job at hand.
We ride into Kinglake and turn right at the roundabout and head down towards the Melba Highway. The unmarked police car that pulled me over earlier in the morning came the other way. I got down to the Melba Highway and corner marked on the other side on the road heading to Toolangi. I’m here for a while so I take my helmet off.
There are a couple of Nortons corner marking on the Highway heading towards Yea and there are heaps of bikes coming up from Healesville. A group of Harleys arrive and head down to Yarra Glen. Then another group head up to Kinglake. Noisy bloody things. The first thing you do when you buy a Harley is make it loud. Lots of classic bikes come by: a Suzuki water bottle, a very tasty CB750 cafe racer, a BSA B33, loads of Japanese and British classics.
Still no one comes so I do some leg exercises the physio gave me for my torn patella tendon. Eventually John came and informed me that Roman on the 250 has been pulled over for speeding. John sent me on my way and took over corner marking.
I head down Myers Creek Road and am kept company by a non-Club member riding a Yamaha XJR1300 until we reach Healesville where upon we are led around the back past the Sanctuary. The ride is starting to stretch out now (Best understatement of the year. Most of us have had a Bex and a lie down at this stage …Ed.) with corner marking taking longer due to one 250 rider.
From Healesville we head across to Launching Place then up the Old Warburton Highway, one of my favourite roads as the V-Strom loves these snotty roads.
We stopped at the motorcycle friendly cafe in Warburton for a late morning tea/early lunch. Willem and Paul left the ride here and I took over rear riding. Jean took over the lead. From here we headed down the Warburton Highway to the Gembrook Launching Place Road, through Gembrook, Upper Pakenham, Cockatoo, Silvan and stopped for petrol and a photo at Mt Evelyn. We then headed up to Mt Dandenong lookout.
Ian and I left here and I followed Ian down the mountain. I turned off at Sherbrooke Forest to head home through Belgrave and Ian kept going down towards Ferntree Gully.
It was a good ride. I think enjoyed by all. Thanks to lead riders, Ben and Jean, and rear riders, Willem and myself.
Geoff Shugg