The Big Little trip - Part 2

[peter-reebok]

All trite photos, but typically australian!
Got into Ballina about 4pm, and decided to press on to Cooloangatta (original destination) and reward myself with an early end to the day. Maybe the rain will finish tonight?
Heading inland in the morning, so should at least be warm rain.



Day 3
After reading the papers,I made the right decision to press on sunday evening. The city was chaos. Glad I was miles away.
Clear skies today, didn't rain until about 3pm, then only for an hour.
The run to Lismore was foggy, but fun. The run from Casino to Tenterfield is heaven. Show me a sign in NSW that says national park, and I will show you some great biking roads.
From Tenterfield to Goondiwindi is the place to have some fun, but watch out for roos! You could run this road with the throttle hard against the stop, except for about half a dozen corners.
But, I came over a crest, and encountered a mob of roos across the road. I somehow managed to only hit a small one, but ran off the road, and into a barbed wire fence. I reckon I was doing about 10kmh when I hit the fence, but would have preferred not to hit at all. The strands caught bits of plastic on the bike, and ripped them off.
The roo was dead, I was on the ground, and the bike was in the fence.
Only superficial damage to me, but the Bike is now missing a front guard, a rear indicator, and a left side panel. Bloody hard to drag out of the fence too!
I had to connect a few wires that were cut, and replace a few globes.
Duct tape to the rescue! Big dent in the front header where the roo hit it. Both my thumbs are a bit sore, and I have a cut on my leg from the barbed wire.
Bent the brake pedal back to shape, tightened the mirrors, and I could be off.
Cut my strides, but duct tape will get me home. Checked the tyres, rims etc before heading off – didn’t want a second bigger accident! Left indicator reattached with duct tape.



No pictures of the roo - just another dead roo - no extra points for sharing the pain.
Goondiwindi to Dubbo was a race against the weather. It seemed the front was taking the same path I was.
The road from Coonabarabran to Dubbo was heaven on a stick, flowing corners,no traffic, and sunshine. The front followed me, but didn't catch me!

Tomorrow – home
Day 4.
No rain!
Sunny skies, as I head out. Another guy on a FZ1300 leaves the motel at the same time, and we share the ride to Parkes, where I stop at the satellite tracking station featured in ‘the dish’ for some photos. He continued on.



On to Forbes, then West Wyalong – great roads – NO POLICE PRESENCE and no rain. Very illegal speeds the norm today, and it seems quite appropriate, and right. Stop at a roadhouse that had seen better days – but do they cook a great hamburger!. Will do for Breakfast and lunch!. The names flash past – Narrandera, Cobram – I am back in Victoria.
Just before Narrandera, the funds for roadworks must have dried up – because the roads are awful. One stretch of about 20km felt like one of those bucking bull rides.
And still no rain! Tried the IPOD today – cant get the earpieces to stay in, settle for near my ears!.
Interesting how the different pace if the music seems to coincide with the pace of the riding.
Metallica/Wolfmother/Blackeyed Peas is great for the twisties, Bach and Vivaldi for the straight roads.
Stop at Shepparton, and visit some work colleagues, getting hot, only notice how hot when I scull about 10 glasses of water, and am still thirsty.
Head out to Seymour, in school traffic, I am back in Vic now, so have to watch out for the speed limits. Find a new piece of road I will be revisiting again – from Seymour to Yea. About 50km of sweeping corners, and you can sit on 120+ the whole way, and just concentrate on flowing the corners. From Yea to Kinglake – surprise surprise, it is raining again. My confidence in corners is up, and I surprise myself when I try some stuff from books, like hanging off the bike, and keeping it more upright in the rain. Feel a bit foolish – I am on a cruiser LOL, but you can hold a fast line in the rain, and it doesn’t feel like sliding!.
Into traffic after Kinglake, but it is sunshine all the way home.

I pull into the driveway and quickly park the bike in the shed before my wife sees the missing bits. She is a bit anxious about my safety, and I will get some new parts before telling her about the roo incident, or the speeds I spent the last 4 days at. Then it won’t look so bad?



So, a total of 3608 kms in 4 days, bike didn’t miss a beat. Hands now lack any strength, I reckon it is from vibration, and the seat is getting another overhaul. Rider learnt lots of new skills, and as soon as I get feeling back in my hands and arse, I reckon another trip is the go.
Didn’t use half the stuff I packed, but I bet if I didn’t have a tyre repair kit or compressor I would need it. Didn’t use the GPS once, or the phone charger, or the camera charger, or the PDA charger, or the IPOD charger. Next time – will leave most of them at home.
Off to Adelaide next week (in the car) and to the US in March. Maybe next year, longer distance – some companions, and more time – maybe a 2 week ride? Suggestions?

And my el cheapo rack mounts for the ventura bag and rack? Held up, including the stack, very happy with my $12 mounts.

Now, about that bigger bike – Is it too soon to look at a M109?

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