Coalville MK II Sunday 15^th August, 2010

Ben Warden (rear)	Honda CBR954	Cliff Peters (Lead)	Kawasaki ZX12R
Tim Emons	Honda CBR1000	Jason Wilson	Kawasaki ZX9R
Misho/Pina	Honda CBR1000	Geoff Shugg	Suzuki DL650
			6 bikes, 7 people

It was pouring rain when I left home and had rained on and off most of the night. So I wasn’t expecting too many to show this morning.

I arrived at the Berwick starting point to see Geoff waiting. I filled the bike with fuel and in the next few minutes Jason, Ben, Misho, Pina and Tim arrive. We stand under the eaves of the tyre centre, trying to stay out of the rain, while I write names and contact numbers. Misho says Pina’s in the servo flicking through the magazines. It looks like she is going pillion today.

Dig that custom mud flap, Misho. When it rains and Pina goes pillion on the blade, which has hardly any tyre hugger, the water usually flies straight up off the tyre onto whoever/whatever is on the back seat, someone’s behind in this case. J It works a treat too, judging by Pina’s drier than usual posterior.

I do the spiel and then we set off into the drizzle towards Longwarry. I can see breaks in the weather further east. We take the Nar Nar Goon exit and near Garfield, the road is dry. “Ye ha, you beauty!” Through Longwarry, across the freeway on towards Jindivick and Cross Over, having a ball.

I’m riding my old ZX12R on its second run since buying it back from my son Jason. He said, “I’m thinking about selling it.” I said, “OK, I’ll buy it off you”. A sudden rush of blood there. I sold it to him in the first place because the bike was too much (too much power, too heavy) for the sort of riding we do with the Club. I must say I’m enjoying riding it again. It handles quite well as long as you’re not in too big of a hurry. It pulls well from idle too, which makes it easier to ride in the wet. Use the torque, which it’s got tons of, unlike the ten which wants to rev and spin the rear in the wet, though ex-race tyres not helping I guess.

On to the Old Sale Road, taking the short cut towards Willow Grove, and Tim’s new road we took a couple of weeks ago. Must say I quite like it, so took it again today. We head around through Willow Grove to Moe for morning tea where we sit or stand about eating and talking. There was a bit of excitement in Melbourne this week with three shootings, all drug related I think. Young Ben, seen in the corporate box at Etihad on Saturday, was asked how did you wangle that? Nudge, nudge, wink, wink, say no more. J

Geoff leaves us here. His gammy knee is playing up today, so he heads for home.

Jason is hungry this morning: two salad rolls have disappeared down the hatch never to be seen again. J

We leave Moe heading for Coalville. The rain has caught us up, drizzling off and on. It’s tight ‘n twisty through here and there are nice, slippery, shiny patches to keep the “sphincter” working overtime. (Good grip on the bars, even better grip on the seat.) We follow the McDonalds Track to the Mirboo North Thorpdale Road. Jason said later that he had a moment through here. Something about a line of pine trees, over the crest at speed. Whoops! The trees don't follow the road anymore. They go straight while the road turns right sharply. Ya gotta love that!

We cross the highway and do a loop out towards Childers and around to Thorpdale, then up the highway through the Thorpdale esses. I feel the extra weight of the twelve through here. Stay on my side of the road, no cheating. There’s no fun in straight-lining the corners.

In to Mirboo North and out the other side heading west now. We leave the highway and take the Grand Ridge Road to Allambie South, Hallston and Wooreen where Misho picks up a puncture. We limp the 5 or so kays into Leongatha to do the repair job. Two sticks of liquorice into the tyre does the job like a bought one. The offending bit of metal was a push bike or a small motorbike chain joining circlip. Yep, first time I’ve seen that. Not sure who provided the liquorish plugs, but I don't recall seeing any as long - almost tow rope lengthJ.

Ben gets his bum bag back from Misho and Pina gets reinstalled back onto the back of the yellow blade. She had done the 5 kays into town on the back of Ben’s 954. We head back out of town, Ben leading for a bit, and take the road to Fairbank where I take over leading again.

We ride the three kays of dirt (mud) to Arawata and then the Warragul Road into Korumburra for lunch. It’s been roughly 215 kilometres for the morning. It’s raining quite hard now and blowing a bit. Maybe more than a bit.

After getting fuel, we sit outside the Bakery under the veranda. The blinds are rattling like billyo on the poles. Ben grabs a chair and jams it between two blinds and the pole. If the chair had been heavier it might just have worked. Oh well, we put up with the racket. At least the blinds are keeping the rain and most of the wind at bay.

My thermos’s are getting a good workout today, sharing their contents around the group. It’s nice to have something hot to drink on a cold and wet day that doesn’t cost three or four dollars every time.

Jason asks where to now? We head south west down to Archie’s Creek. Jason waves to his rellies as he goes past (who he hasn’t seen in years), as he hasn’t been this way in years! Everywhere you look there’s water, the dams full, a change for the better compared to the last few years. Depending on the spring rains, it should be a good season down this way with plenty of feed in the paddocks.

Then we head north to Kernot and Loch. It fined up for a bit and I actually thought the sun might come out. But it didn't. And now it’s getting quite dark in the west. We might miss the storm? I walk into the shop at Loch and walk out with a $2 boysenberry ice cream cone. Yum! I don't need to worry about it melting either. At a guess, I’d say it’s probably 12 or 13 degrees.

The lady in the shop saw us pull up outside and said to her helpers “Put some sausage rolls into the warmer” as she thought we would be cold and want something warm to eat. Then I walk in and buy an ice cream! Pina had a taste and went and got herself one. Misho and Tim had some cake and cream, and a couple of coffees were bought too. So we weren’t exactly a dead loss to the shop, though not much business from bike riders today. I don't recall having seen more than two or three other riders all day. Maybe the weather’s had something to do it!

Next we head out towards Nyora and around to Poowong in pouring rain and wind. I’m glad I’ve got my DriRider condom on today. It flaps a bit but I’m dry everywhere except for my hands. My collar is damp but the Woollies bags on the feet are working a treat. Ben’s got water running down his neck and out of his boots, unmentionables a tad damp. I’ll take his word for it. Jason’s got that look, you know the one: “Are we there yet?”

More rain and thick fog on the Warragul Korumburra Road to negotiate. I can’t see with the visor down and it’s too wet with it up. It’s been a long time since we have been through here this slowly. I’m usually up Dave’s clacker trying hard to stick with his wailing banshee Blade. (The mongrel greyhound never catches the thoroughbred hare, eh Dave?J)

Off the Warragul Road, through Lardner into Drouin, and out to the freeway to stop at the Longwarry south-side servo for fuel and a break before heading home. I park in the handicap zone as I must be soft in the head to be out on a day like today!

I’ve had an absolute ball. I know the other riders feel the same just by looking at their faces all day. For those who didn’t come, you missed a ripper day. All sorts of roads: narrow, wide, tight, open, sweepers, twisties, wet, dry, dirt, and a fair section of our normal routes done in reverse. I’ve done these roads heaps of times but they seem like new when ridden backwards.

Thanks Ben for rear rider and short stint at leading and Tim for the official write-up. The ride was about 365 km long, but 677.8 km door to door for me.

Tim, Misho, Pina, Jason, Geoff and Ben: awesome! See ya next week.

Cliffy Peters

P.S I think Ben was a little upset that we didn't see any hail today. We’ll try harder next time J (maybe next week in the Otways!) I don't think anyone else was upset though.