One of the objectives of the 75th Birthday Tour was to get some good photos as well as have fun riding. Sadly, both Paul ad I are the types of riders who, once they start riding, don’t really like to stop until we’ve reached the destination. There is also the complication when one is riding in a group of letting the other riders know that you have seen something photo-worthy and can we stop to take a shot?
When Paul and I are riding together, we regularly swap positions on the road so that we can each keep an eye on how each other’s bikes are looking and also to avoid tedium on long runs. Of course, it nearly always happens that I am the one travelling behind when I see something I want to photograph and the absence of means of communicating this usually means that, by the time I have the opportunity to let him know that I’d like to stop, the opportunity is long gone. It is the same for him.
Now I am delighted to say that, since I have started publishing this treatise, a Netrider acquaintance has come forward offering a Sena intercom, same model and type as Paul’s to me for FREE. I am presently organising the acquisition of it and I look forward to jumping into the 21st Century of motorcycling the next time we ride together.
Anyway, Thursday morning dawned clear and promising again, but the wider weather forecast showed that our destination for the day, home, was going to be very wet by the time that we got there. The caveat was that, the heavy rain was not due to arrive till late afternoon and we figured that, if we left Bombala sensibly early, we might just be able to get home before the rain arrived. Breakfast in the Kitchen Eighty Ate cafe and some more Jimmy Buffet and we were on our way.
We hadn’t been travelling for very long, with Paul out in front, when I realised that I had AGAIN forgotten to start Relive. I pulled over in a safe spot and got it going and headed off. Again, the use of an intercom could have made the situation so much simpler. When the rider in the group stops unexpectedly, the lead rider can travel some distance before realising that he is alone and the immediate thought that something has gone wrong jumps into the mind. Then, if the tail-end rider doesn’t appear quickly once he stops, the worries increase. Usually, by the time he DOES stop and decide to turn around, the tail-ender has turned up and he finds himself heading the wrong way because he’s gone back to see what’s gone wrong.
Another compelling argument for intercoms.
In this case, the problem was compounded by my ignorance because, just as I saw Paul’s bike in the distance I saw a sign to the left that said “Dalgety.” Now I had left the route planning and itinerary to Paul because he had recently covered most of the territory and he knew all the ins and outs. I knew that we were heading to Bega via Dalgety so I swung left and headed off. But Paul didn’t follow me. D’oh. So I turned around and out onto the main road to see him waiting for me. Yes, the road DOES go to Dalgety but it’s gravel and was not the way we were planning on going.
In any event, after all this folderrol had been resolved I took the chance to take the photo above because it represented a typical country scene of an old shed with the galvanised iron roof gradually rusting away.
So, onto the tar we went and headed for two of the most enjoyable mountain roads you are likely to find. Mount Darragh and Myrtle Mount. We had the road to ourselves (with the exception of a lyrebird who practised his suicide bomber technique in front of Paul and a gorgeous little black-face wallaby who sat quietly on the roadside and watched us pass.)
Roadworks are always a hazard when travelling in the country but, in between the two mountains we encountered some very serious bridge work that required a stop/go sign. But this one was a bit more sophisticated than any I have seen. It had a red light and a green one, but, in between them, it had an amber light that counted down in minutes, second-by-second, until it was time to go green. How do I know? Because we waited for NINE minutes until the light went green and we were free to proceed.
I resisted the temptation to tell Paul that his rain gear included a set of clown pants.
The gallop up and down the two mountains and the gap in between was exhilarating and it was much sooner than expected that we met the Princes Highway south of Bega and headed into town for a cuppa.
The coffee was great and the sights were worth taking in also.
The sky was already overcast as we headed out and the threat of rain was now more than just a threat. Between Bega and Ulladulla we passed through several bands of showers but nothing too much to get concerned about. But, on the outskirts of the town, the rain started to get a very “set-in” feeling.
We stopped for lunch and a suit-up in our “wets” with the intention again of leaving them on even if the rain stopped. Sure enough, Sod’s Law made its presence felt and, by Bewong (less than an hour up the road), the rain had stopped and it stayed dry for the rest of the run home.
We arrived back in the Illawarra in the mid-afternoon. We hadn’t QUITE timed it right, the rain had arrived earlier than the forecast suggested but it really wasn’t a drama.
Home, tucked up and dry, I did the figures. We had ridden for 4 days, covered 1410kms. It was never intended to be a high-mileage run, that averages out to 352kms per day. All up it had cost me less than $500 which I thought was pretty reasonable.
The bike had performed admirably, low-rev torque out of slow corners is not like you have on a 4 cylinder bike so a bit more “rowing” with the gear lever is required. The bike provides surprisingly good weather protection and was surprisingly stable in the huge, blustery winds that we experienced on Day 2. As demonstrated on the previous Snowy run, the seat is amazingly comfortable with each day being accomplished with much less discomfort than similar days on the VFR. The agility of the bike is a delight and its light weight and maneuverability is worth noting yet again.
By the way, despite the cold conditions across the tops, I did the whole ride in my Summer gloves and without heated grips which the bike does not yet have.
Am I looking forward to me next tour? Heck, yes. Was this the best ever way to celebrate a major birthday? Also, yes.
