17 April - Cowarr Weir

Riding the Honda home yesterday I realised that the new windscreen fitted to the bike was too tall. I wasn't too worried because I thought that would be adjustable but when I got home it became obvious that while it would be easy to raise it, it was as low as it was going to go. The end result of this was that I was looking through the windscreen rather than over it - not a good idea if it starts to rain or becomes covered in bugs. A bit of investigation on YouTube showed how various people had dealt with the same issue by cutting the screen to the right height using a variety of tools. The only tool I had which was likely to do the job was a jig saw and one very good YouTube clip suggested covering the relevant part of the screen, and the foot of the jig saw with masking tape, to prevent scratches. The other good suggestion was to cover the entire bike with a sheet to prevent particles of plastic all over the bike which would then later melt on to the hot bits.

Armed with all this good advice I gathered my tools and worked out the new profile for the shield. Ideally the top of the shield should align with your nose - a bit hard to work out while sitting on a bike. Nevertheless, the new profile was soon traced on the masking tape and a couple of minutes later the jig saw had done its thing. All that was left then was a bit of careful sanding of the cut edge.

Spent most of the day in Melbourne today but when I got home at 4:00 today it was still 24ºC and fine so it was time for a quick ride to Cowarr Weir to check the screen. Very pleased with the result - not only could I see over the top of the screen but also the reduced height significantly reduced the amount of buffeting around the helmet.

Finished off the day by taking a photo of the bike in the late afternoon sun.

16 April - Bairnsdale to pick up VT750

My new bike was ready to pick up today in Bairnsdale, so this morning I caught the 9:35 train for the two hour trip. Fortunately Bairnsdale railway station is in the same street as the dealer (Doyle and Shields) and only 200 m. away. Of course, first things first - pay the money and complete all the paperwork. Luckily Joe at Doyle and Shields had everything ready to go and within a half hour or so we were ready to go out the back and fire up the bike. I've spoken to a few motorcycle dealers in the last few weeks and Doyle and Shields stand head and shoulders above the rest in terms of service and professionalism.

So, as mentioned in my previous blog the new ride is a 2007 model Honda Shadow VT750, which is almost the same bike as my VT400 except for the more powerful engine. Riding position and bike characteristics are identical but the VT750 has the grunt to get up the hills and to pass other vehicles very quickly. The bike has only done 5,000 km and is in immaculate condition. So basically I've bought an almost new bike with panniers, sissybar, luggage rack, heated grips and touring windshield for $7,000 below the cost of a similarly equipped new bike.

It was a lovely day today and so I took the back road from Bairnsdale through Bengworden and Meerlieu and quickly arrived in Sale for lunch at the Sandwich Factory. From here I took the South Gippsland Highway to Yarram so that I could try the bike out crossing the Strzelecki ranges.

Got home around 3pm and very pleased with my purchase. I measured the fuel consumption at 4.6 l/100km.

Now I need to find a good home for the VT400 - it will be sad to see it go - it really looked after me during the awkward learning and gaining experience period and has provided trouble free and very economical service.

Total Distance 210 km.

13 April - Scouting a future club ride

I recently volunteered to lead a club ride in late June so I thought I'd better take a look around Gippsland for ideas.

Rode from Traralgon to Korumburra via Yallourn North, and Yarragon. Had lunch at the local bakery but decided not to use it for the planned ride and to carry on to Meeniyan instead. Meeniyan is a pretty little town on the South Gippsland Highway and it has some great cafes so that looks promising. At 130 km from Traralgon it's just about the right distance for a club ride and to whip up an appetite for lunch. Plenty of hills and twists on the way too.

The return trip through Dumbalk, Mirboo Nth, Boolarra and Churchill is about 80 km which means the group will get back to Traralgon around 3 pm. which is perfect.

Got home around 4 pm after a very enjoyable day on the Beemer.

Last week I decided to upgrade the cruiser to a Honda VT750. Although it is a 2007 model it only has 5,000 km on the clock. This week it will have its roadworthy certificate done and also will have a touring screen and heated grips fitted. Should pick it up in Bairnsdale sometime this coming week.

This picture shows the VT750 with my original Honda VT400 in the background.

So, the VT400 has had a clean and a polish and is up for sale. Sad to see it go as it was my learner bike when I started riding back in 2010 and I've put 38,000 happy and trouble free km's on it. As the 750 already has panniers, sissy bar and luggage rack I'll be able to leave those items on the VT400 for the next owner.

Total Distance 210km.

7 - 8 March - Melbourne

Rode to Melbourne yesterday to get the BMW serviced at Southbank BMW.  I bought the Beemer on 31 March 2012 so I've had it for just over two years and today it had the 30,000km service. Hard to believe how the kilometres have flown. The service today involved a change of engine oil and a change of brake fluids. I also asked for a report on the state of the chain, and I was pleased to hear it was in good shape and will be fine for a further check in another 10,000 km. I am pretty fastidious about cleaning and waxing the chain and it looks like that's paying off.

Staying overnight with my mate Marcus (R1200 GS and Ducati) gave me the opportunity to have another great Indian meal and to catch up on Marcus' news, oh and to play his brand new cigar box guitar - what a blast.

From Marcus' place to Southbank BMW is only 5 minutes and so I had the bike there by 08:45

While in Melbourne I used the opportunity to check out a few bike shops. I particularly wanted to see the newly released Indian models.

These are absolutely stunning motorcycles.

I was quite surprised that despite their large size they felt quite easy to handle. The ultimate dream machines.

Total Distance 344 km.

Party Time - 10,000 Visits

Back in 2011 when I started riding again after a 35 year break, I decided to create this blog as a personal diary of my adventures. When you start riding at the age of 65 it is important to enjoy and celebrate every single ride and I thought the blog would allow me to look back and enjoy the wonderful experiences of motorcycling, long after riding became impractical.

To my surprise though, right from the start, the hit counter started to record a steady stream of visitors and my inbox saw a gradual influx of riders from around the world showing an interest in my wanderings in this corner of Victoria, Australia.

At some point in the past 24 hours the 10,000th visitor dropped in. I must say this is an aspect of blogging that I never expected but certainly enjoy. Contact with riders from all over the world and just sharing the joy and experience of motorcycling adds an exciting aspect.

Having just completed my fourth year of riding (and some 75,000 km) I can look back on the experience with a great deal of satisfaction. Initially I found getting back on a motorbike a daunting experience and it took a good 3 months before I felt truly in control and confident enough to simply enjoy the experience. And enjoy it I have. Those of you who ride already know the incomparable experience of achieving the competence and confidence to ride a motorcycle through all conditions and over all terrains. I read a quote recently (don't know the author) which summed it up perfectly:

Four wheels move the body....

Two wheels move the soul!

I certainly hope to enjoy many more years and km's on my bikes and will continue to record my journeys here. In the meantime, my thanks to all the visitors to my site, known and unknown.

13 - 17 March - Annual General Meeting of SRA in Bright

As the proud owner of a Honda Shadow I am a member of the Shadow Riders of Australia (SRA).
This is an Australia wide group of people who own and ride Honda Shadows. There is a link to the web site on this page and also here.

This year SRA held its Annual General Meeting (AGM) in Bright, Victoria and around 40 or so Shadows and their riders and pillions all showed up for the weekend.

Had the bike all packed and ready to go early in the week and at 08:30 I was raring to go for the 350 km trip to Bright through Omeo, Mt Hotham and Harrietville. It was a perfect day for a ride and after a quick lunch break at the Bruthen Bakery, it was time to head into the Australian Alps. The ride up the Great Alpine Road was absolutely breathtaking and I was almost reluctant to start the descent into the Ovens Valley.
As most members were not meeting until Friday evening (BBQ) I took advantage of a beautiful Friday to ride to Wangaratta, Beechworth and had lunch in Yackandandah which must be one of the most beautiful little towns in Australia.

Friday night was time to meet and greet and to put faces to all the people we've got to know via the SRA Forum site.

Saturday morning the group met for breakfast (bacon and eggs) and assembled for a ride to nearby Harrietville where the AGM was being held in the Harrietville Hotel. Assembling all those bikes and people for an orderly group ride is quite a task and at one stage while resting on my bike I must have dozed off. One of my fellow riders captured the moment.

(Thanks Corky for the photo)

While parked at the Harrietville pub, my bike was parked next to it's twin. The other bike belongs to Brenda who rode down from Dubbo.

Brenda has made some nice mods to her bike, including a very comfortable looking seat, a headlight upgrade and driving lights. There is a link to her blog - The White Shadow Diary - on this blog or you can also click here.

At about 4 pm on Saturday during a conversation with a fellow rider Steve, I discovered he had not heard of or ever visited Mt Buffalo. In no time we were on our bikes heading up the mountain. Had a fantastic ride and back in time for dinner.
The festivities on Saturday ended with an evening meal at the Star Hotel in Bright.

On Sunday the plan was for a 200 km Poker Run, destinations unknown. During Saturday night I woke a couple of times to the sound of pouring rain - not good! By Sunday morning however the rain had disappeared but the sky was cloudy - glad I packed my wet weather gear.  With all the bikes lined up for a 10:00 o'clock photoshoot, and a drawing of the first poker card, we got underway around 10:30.

It was an incredible sight travelling in a convoy of 39 motorcycles (in stagger formation) all heading down the Great Alpine Road. The route took us up the Towonga Gap where the second card was drawn at a look-out over Mt Beauty. From there we travelled through Dedderang with our next card draw (and toilet stop) in Yackandandah. The fourth card draw was at lunchtime in Beechworth with the final draw back in Bright. My cards were absolutely rubbish but I really enjoyed the ride.
The weather held out with only minor spits along the way. Everyone returned safely and a good time was had by all.

(Thanks Casper for the photos)

As most people were heading home on Monday, Sunday night was a time for goodbyes. It is amazing to spend a weekend with fellow Shadow riders who came from all over to simply spend time together and to ride motorcycles together. Riders attended from as far away as Queensland, NSW and South Australia as well as us Victorians of course.Next year's AGM will be held in Queensland.

I started my return trip on Monday morning. A quick look at the mountains behind Bright showed that the cloud level was well below Mt Hotham and a return trip over the mountains while shorter (350km)  would be through fog and therefore cold and wet. Took the alternative route home via Whitfield, Mansfield, and Alexandra. After avoiding the fog over Mt Hotham I encountered  quite a bit of it between Whitfield and Mansfield - down to 45 kph in a lot of places. After a welcome lunch break in Alexandra the rest of the trip was through Marysville and Warburton. Once again the winding road down the Reefton Spur was covered in fog and the roads were wet. Quite a surreal feeling riding through these massive forests covered in fog. One bonus on this stretch was that I saw seven lyrebirds - a rare sight - at one time in a group of three.

Reached home at 5:45 after a tiring 470km.

It was certainly a wonderful adventure - it's hard to imagine anything other than motorcycling to deliver such a sense of achievement and sheer joy.

Total Distance 1450 km.

9 March - The Dandenongs

For me, and I know for a number of my motorcycling friends, the logistics of a ride and the destination  are related directly to the choice of where to eat and drink coffee. Certainly I always decide the destination first and then work out the most interesting way to ride there.
Today the cafe of choice was the Cafe de Beaumarchais in Sassafras. This little bit of Paris in the Dandenongs sits unassumingly a few doors from the more ostentatious Miss Marples Tearooms and leaves its neighbouring competitor for dead in terms of quality, atmosphere and service.

I rode along the Princes Highway via Pakenham and Belgrave and found Sassafras booming with visitors, but you can alway sneak a motorcycle in somewhere and I found that as a solitary patron I was able to claim a little corner for myself and ordered the Apple and Rhubarb Crumble and a latè.

This mouthwatering delicacy was served with a small dish of double cream and of course the coffee was outstanding. For anyone visiting the Dandenongs I would recommend Cafe de Beaumarchais enthusiastically - if you can get in.

I resisted the temptation to try a second pastry and headed off for the return journey on the Beemer via Lilydale, Yarra Junction, Powelltown and Noojee. A beautiful ride through the mountains and the forests and altogether a great day.

Total Distance 325 km