THE OLD BLOKE'S BLOG
Welcome to The Old Bloke’s Blog! Well, it's more than just a blog actually; it's a blog combined with general bits ‘n’ pieces, and smaller items of interest etc.
It's a traditional type blog of things that I've been doing that will, hopefully, be of some interest to the reader too. But, as I said, it's more than that; it's also where I put items of interest that I've come across that aren't big enough for a separate article.
It's set out month by month, going down the page - so for the latest entries, scroll down to the bottom.
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JULY 2, & 3, 2011. I got a ride in both days of the weekend this week! Saturday was a solo ride for an afternoon cuppa and scones at a very pleasant spot in the country. Very relaxing, sitting there looking out over the rural scenery enjoying my “devonshire tea”! An enjoyable ride there and back too.
Sunday a complete contrast; I joined a group ride (starting in the morning) with mostly Triumph owners. Over 20 bikes in all. The photo below isn’t all of them, there were another 7 or 8 (including mine) parked off-street. It was an enjoyable ride too! There is something special about riding along in a big group of bikes. But I also enjoy going for a ride on my own; when you can go where you want to when you want to, stop when you want to and so on. A good weekend!
JULY 3, 2011. The group ride (mentioned above) ended at a hot-rod type car show. Entry was by gold-coin donation, with money raised going to SES. Traffic was pretty horrendous around the venue and especially at the entrance. As I was stopped at the gate pulling out my wallet, a group of "a certain type" of riders came in behind me. Not interested in paying, they jostled to get past  me and one of them ran into the back of me! No mark anywhere, so it was obviously just a tyre contact, but enough to feel the bike lurch forward a fraction. I looked questioningly at the attendant at the gate and he just shrugged and said, "What can you do?" Okay, I get (but disagree with!) the anti-establishment type attitude from these people, but it's not "the man" they are robbing, it is a deserving charity; in this case, a volunteer service that assists people in times of trouble. 

JULY 12, 2011. U.S. manufacturer ROEHR Motorcycles has announced a 2011 update to last year's eSuperSport bike.  
The new bike is based on the Hyosung GT650R, (look closely, you’ll see the common shape and styling). It’s been given a power boost, now up to 50kW. Hmm, not exactly a “Supersport” is it! The top speed they claim is over 160kph. The onboard battery they claim is good for  about 120kms before needing a re-charge. A recharge which will take about 7 hours! And I’m betting that range would not be achieved while using the power more enthusiastically.
I acknowledge that we need to find an alternative to fossil-fuels, but I don't think electric vehicles are the answer! With limited power and even more limited range, and extra cost to buy (this Roehr sells for almost $18,000 in the U.S.), they simply don’t provide the answer for what we need.
JULY 13, 2011. What are the guys at Yamaha smoking? They keep coming up with weird names for their bikes; well, not their bikes, but their scooters. I mean, why call a machine "Bee-Wee"? And now there's a new one. They have just released a new 125cc model designed to zip around the suburbs. And the name? Vity. No, not "City", it's "Vity"! If you're interested, it weighs just 110kg, runs 10" wheels and costs $2699.

JULY 16, 2011. I love the country! I’ve always wished I lived in the country, rather than in a city. So I love stories like this. It's an article on Cycle Torque’s web-site about riding through the Mudgee area of NSW. It’s a very well-written article and quite inspiring – I wish I was out there riding the roads described; they sound great! For example, the road from Sofala to Hill End is described as, “A near deserted smooth strip bereft of traffic through ghost gum bushland.” (The last time I was out that way it was in the car, and the road was dirt from Sofala on).
There are some great descriptions in the article, like this one of a road towards Gulgong: “This road is like a politician, mainly straight but with some interesting hidden crooked bits.”
By the way, the pub in the picture is the Royal Hotel at Hill End. The bike is a Yamaha Super Tenere.
As I said, it’s a good read, and very inspiring – especially if you live close enough to take advantage of the roads described.

JULY 25, 2011. Another wet weekend! I read recently that in NSW this has been the wettest July since 1950. I’d be inclined to believe it! This winter has been particularly cold and wet, and the past few weeks especially so. Not only has this resulted in the bike staying in the shed, but it has also resulted in many pot-holes appearing in our roads. In my local area there are some nasty pot-holes that have appeared in suburban streets; nasty enough that they could potentially do damage, or even throw you off, if you hit them. So it’s a time to be careful, and especially so around your local streets, where often your concentration can taper off a bit because you know the area so well. If you think you don’t have to watch the road as much because you know it well, just beware – it’s probably changed! 

JULY 28, 2011. I just read that Ken Wooten has died. Ken was editor of Motorcycle Trader Magazine, but is probably better known as a long-term editor of Australian Motorcycle News.
As well as a journalist and editor he was, as you’d expect, a very keen motorcyclist. He raced bikes and was a bike enthusiast through and through. The current issue of Motorcycle Trader magazine features a story on his 1992 Honda CB750, which is painted in red and yellow and was named Ronald; yes, after the famous hamburger joint’s clown. Ken has owned this bike, which he bought in this colour scheme, since 1994. His story of the bike, and of his other bikes, provides a fitting, if unintentional, tribute or epitaph to the great man. He was overseas on assignment, writing about bikes, and died in his hotel room. He was aged 57. Much too young! My condolences to his family and many friends. He will be much missed.
JULY 31, 2011. Finally the wet / windy / cold weekends in NSW have come to an end. Two days of sunny and relatively warm conditions! So I got a ride in both days.
First day was a long-ish ride with a regular riding mate. It was good to be out on the bike again! Even a boring bit of main road was enjoyable!
The second day was with a group ride into the Southern Highglands. There were 7 bikes, including (from left to right) a BMW cruiser, Yamaha XJR1300, Triumph Scrambler, "his-and-hers" Vespas, Triumph Bonneville, and a Honda VT750. The photo here was taken at a coffee-stop.
An enjoyable ride with nice people. Those Vespas are quite impressive - they go well! Steep hills slow them a bit, but we all rode along together and had a good ride.

AUGUST 13, 2011.
We were in the small touristy town of Huskisson on the south coast of NSW, looking for a reasonably-priced place to eat. (The pub is popular, but a bit pricey). The RSL provided the answer. Good impressions began when we rode in and saw a "Bikes Only" parking section. "I like this place already!" my friend commented.
Then inside there was this view through the windows of the Bistro. Not a bad spot!
Food was good and reasonably-priced.
AUGUST 17, 2011. I got an email from Greg Wilson, of  St. Johns Ambulance NSW. He writes, "You may be aware that we are looking into developing a first aid kit for motorcyclists. So we decided to put together a little survey that may give us some good insights." He asked if I would pass the link on to my readers. Sounds like a good idea to me! So here is the link. Click here to go to the survey.

AUGUST 18, 2011. Sales figures are out for the first half of 2011; and the results make interesting reading. They say size matters, and with bikes it seems that big is not best, it’s the littlies and mid-sizers that are doing well. The best-selling bike in the country – beating even the venerable old postie that Aussie Post buys in droves – is the Kawasaki Ninja 250. Next comes Aussie Post’s letter-deliverer, and in 3rd place we have Honda’s new CBR250R – pretty impressive when you consider it’s only been on sale for 4 months!
The top-ten is the usual mix of road and off-road, but the interesting thing is that none of them are over 500cc. In fact, you’ve got to go down to 14th place, to the Yamaha XVS650 before you get above the half-litre mark. (It’s followed by the Harley X1200X, in 15th place).
Category wins are interesting. A friend and I were talking about Kawasaki recently, and we both said that Kawasaki seems to be behind the other “big three” when it comes to general interest in the biking community and press etc. But Kawasaki are big-sellers. Of course the Ninja 250 earns them top-selling road bike, and they also top the list of Sportstourers, with the Ninja 650RL, and the Adventure category with the KLR650. The KLR was a surprise to me. Think of mid-size Adventure bikes and Suzuki’s ever-popular V-Strom 650 comes to mind. But not so much to buyers. It’s down in 7th place, being out-sold by the Kwaka by almost 3 to 1! (Well, 2.7 to 1 to be precise). And Kawasaki gets 2nd place on the list of Supersports with the ZX-10R. In the Naked category they are in 3rd place with the retro W800. That’s fascinating too, because the previous version of that, the W650, didn’t sell well at all. The buying public are fickle, aren’t they!
Tiddlers rule the scooter world; the top-ten are all littlies, with just a couple of 150cc models in amongst the 50s, 100s, and 125s. Harleys rule the Cruiser world, although top spot goes to Yamaha’s XVS650. Yamaha also take out the honours in Supermoto and Motocross, and come second (after Suzuki with its popular – and police-purchased – DRZ400) in Enduro.
Suzuki come 3rd in the Sportstouring segment. Not with the Bandit though, that’s down in 9th place. The GSX650F then? No, that’s in 6th. What gets the sales is the venerable old GS500F. That’s so old it’s almost eligible for historic rego while still in the showroom! (Did I mention that the buying public is fickle?).
Would you believe that 102 people shelled out the big bucks for the Honda Goldwing? That put it at 2nd spot in the Touring category. Touring is another segment that is dominated by Harley (if you really consider them tourers; I’m undecided on that one!), while “proper” tourers, such as the BMW R1200RT, Yamaha FJR1300 and Kawasaki 1400GTR, take out places 5 to 7, in that order.
As I said, it makes interesting reading!   

AUGUST 26, 2011. If you live in NSW and have had your bike registration renewed recently, you might have received a little brochure from the RTA titled “Safer Motorcycle  Helmets.” I got this a few days ago and it intrigued me. As well as offering advice on purchasing a helmet, it’s also a comparison of 8 different helmets. In the comparison they rated the helmets on protection from injury, likelihood of getting the right fit, and riding comfor tin both commuter and touring situations. The results make interesting reading. In the graph on the left, the yellow line is “Protection from injury in a crash” and the gray line is “Likelihood to fit”. In the graph on the right, the purple line is “Comfort for commuters” and the orange line is “Comfort for tourers.”
The surprising thing is how well some cheaper brands, like the THH, did in the protection ratings compared to top-shelf brands Arai and Shoei. Not surprisingly, those top-end brands fared much better in the areas of fit and comfort. Let’s look at prices. And here it gets muddy; because the first two helmets – which topped the protection results, aren’t available any more. THH, as you probably know, is a budget-type helmet with plastic shell. The TS-41, I was told, has no direct equivalent in the current range; but sold for $140. I was told it may have been slightly heavier in its construction compared to the current range. (I once had a THH helmet which seemed better in its construction than subsequent models). The AGV Stealth has been replaced by the K4. This is a fibreglass helmet with removable liner, and sells for around $400. The R-Jays Striker retails for $180, The Shoei and Arai are both listed at around $800, although the Vector, being basically the entry-level Arai, was available at some stores for under $600. The HJC sold for around $200, the KBC for $400, and R-Jays GP2 for $250.
Confused by all this? So am I! But I suppose it proves that you don’t have to spend a fortune to get a decent helmet! The AGV, for example, fares near the top of the list in all categories, and is half the price of the Arai and Shoei. But how good is the comparison?
“It’s rubbish!” I was told by one salesman (who dealt in all brands). He cited the example of the THH topping the protection ratings and said there was “no way” a cheap plastic helmet was going to be better than a good quality fibreglass job. He added, scornfully, “I don’t know how they tested them!” Well the brochure did say: They tested for protection by dropping them onto different types of anvils to determine their ability to absorb crash impact; and they also tested how difficult it was to pull off an test-dummy type artificial head. Comfort was tested by “two experienced riders using both upright and crouched riding positions.”
Another salesman (different dealer, but also selling all brands) said, “I’ve been here for 20 years and I haven’t heard of any one brand causing more injury than another”. Of course both said that all helmets sold met the required Australian design rules. And in this comparison they not only met them but exceeded them by a good margin.
So I’m not sure how useful all this is, but I still found it very interesting. And if nothing else, as I said, it does prove that you don’t have to spend a fortune to get a good helmet. (P.S. You might like to look at my article on “Buying A Helmet” for more on this issue of what helmets to buy).

AUGUST 27, 2011. In the Feedback section for August I included an email from Glenn, who took me to task for comments I made about Harleys and touring in the previous entry (August 18). Well, here’s a bit more ammunition for you to fire at me, Glenn! A test of the Harley FLHTK by Motorcycle Trader. (Click here). They reckon it’s a great touring bike; and reading the report you can see why. Mind you, you’d have to come up with $40,000 and be able to handle a bike that weighs 400kg dry, but it does sound like a good thing for the long trip.

AUGUST 28, 2011. The weather fined up and I got two rides in this weekend. Saturday’s ride was to a quiet lunch spot in the country with a good riding mate. Very enjoyable except that my back was playing up. And I was also getting a sore bum. This was strange because I'd put the AirHawk on, anticipating a reasonable distance over roads that were choppy in places. My old body recovered while we ate and chatted, but coming back I was quite uncomfortable. I was feeling bumps a lot more than I normally do, and my back was feeling pretty sore. Finally I twigged to what was wrong; the AirHawk was under-inflated. I should've realised this long before, but, well, what can I say? I'm probably thick! (Pity my bum isn't!).
The effect of this was for the air to move to the front of the bladder, which then made it feel as if my bum was sitting in a hole. Not good! Partly because it allowed the bumps to impact directly on my pelvic bones, and also because it would tend to tilt the pelvis back, causing more of a slump in the lower back. If I'd been on my own I would've stopped and investigated, but I kept going.
When I got back to the servo near home I checked the AirHawk and found it was significantly under-inflated. I blew a considerable amount of air into it, then when I got back on it felt normal again.
So the last .7km of the ride was quite comfortable! By then my back was pretty sore. I should've known there was something wrong by the feel of it – and even by the fact that I had noticed, somewhat subconsciously, that the seat-height didn't feel much higher after I'd fitted it for the ride.
The following day I did a ride of a little less distance, but over some roads that were a bit rough. About half the ride I did without the AirHawk, as I originally didn’t intend going very far, but then put it on when I started to get a bit achy. With it now correctly inflated I felt much better and it cushioned me as it should – not making it worse as it had done the previous day! Put it down to Old Bloke stupidity!

AUGUST 29, 2011. Team Moto produce a very interesting e-newsletter (as I think these emailed newsletters are called). Their latest one is well worth a read. There’s a detailed look inside Triumph’s Hinckley factory, which is very interesting even if you don’t own a Triumph. Then there are stories of a journo’s travels overseas as well as Team Moto’s business manager’s trip overseas. All very interesting stuff. Click here to go to the newsletter.

SEPTEMBER 2, 2011. Turning misfortune into opportunity. Cycle Torque’s own Honda Blackbird hit the deck at about 5kph. Rider and pillion survived okay, but the bike copped some deep scratches along the fairing. It needed repairing, but that provided an opportunity to change the paint scheme from the original to something different. Have a look at what they did with it. (Click here). Okay, you would prefer not to have the misfortune that creates this opportunity (because you know it’s going to cost!), but if it happens, here’s an example of what you can do to make the most of the bad situation.

SEPTEMBER 7, 2011. You’ve gotta watch this! Thanks to the reader who sent me this; it’s a video of a Kawasaki ZX10R doing a lap of the famous Nurburgring. Doing very quickly! The video is filmed with a gyroscopic camera that really shows how much lean is achieved. Check it out! Oh, and as suggested, switch to full screen, and turn the sound up!

SEPTEMBER 10, 2011. I discovered this nice piece of road in a nearby suburb today.
Pity about the 50kph speed-limit! I reckon they should make it into a racing circuit; this can be the wiggly bit around the back and then they could use the main road as the front straight. Yeah!
Extend it through a couple of neighbouring suburbs and we could have our own version of Isle Of Man! (Not sure if the local residents would agree though!).
SEPTEMBER 11, 2011. I joined the Ulysses Club’s Remembrance Ride today. No, it wasn’t for that (the date was just a co-incidence), it’s an annual run that was to remember those members who have, as the club puts it, “ridden on”. There were a lot of bikes there! A well-run event. The bikes were many and varied; but dominated by sportstourers and general “sports” type bikes, rather than cruisers. There were at least 3 Honda Valkeries there; you don’t usually see that many in one place. A couple of my Yamaha FJR1300 mounted friends noted that there were quite a lot of those too. It was good to be a part of it. 
SEPTEMBER 12, 2011. In the current issue of Motorcycle Trader magazine is an article that is, in part at least, a tribute to the late Ken Wooten. Regular readers of Australian Motorcycle News and. More recently, Motorcycle Trader, will know that one of Ken’s favourite things was to take a bunch of test bikes into the Snowy Mountains in the middle of winter. This began some 15 years ago with just himself and another journo. He called the test “Dumb & Dumber”; and the tradition continued and blossomed into the group tests we’ve become used to reading. This year’s chilly adventure had already been planned and partly organised when he passed away. So the magazine decided to proceed with the test, in his honour.
The story is a good read (it always was), not only for the tribute to Ken, but for the test itself. This year the subject was retro bikes. For this they assembled a rather disparate group of yester-year styled machines that would head into the chilly climes. (And climbs!). On test were the Moto Guzzi V7 Racer, Honda CB1100, Kawasaki W800, Harley Davidson 48, Yamaha XJR1300, Triumph Scrambler and Royal Enfield Bullet. Guy Allen, who wrote the story, realised the difficulty of comparing such a variety of bikes. “Someone, please, tell me how you compare a near 130hp Yamaha that will eat most of the others alive, to the humble Royal Enfield.” Well, compare them they did; and the results might be surprising.
When I first read about the comparison my initial reaction was that the big Yammie should be a shoe-in to win this test. But then I thought about it some more. Perhaps a big heavy bike might not be the best thing to be on in slippery conditions? Perhaps a lighter bike – like the Kawasaki – might be a preferable bike to have in those conditions? So I was interested to see how it turned out.
The Yamaha, of course, did well. Former editor Greg Leech wrote, “The XJR must have surveyed the scene as we left and thought,  'I’ve got this one in the bag.'" And he went on to say that the Yamaha was, “The most competent and appropriate bike for this job.” Guy Allen said that if it was his money, “It’d be the Yamaha all day”. Spannerman wrote, “Far and away the most competent bike on this trip was the Yamaha XJR1300.”
At the other end of the scale, Greg Leech wrote that each morning he felt like giving the Royal Enfield a cuddle and saying, “Don’t worry, you’ll be home soon.” Yes, it did battle against the rest of the group, but it battled bravely. The Harley came in for criticism of its seat, which Guy Allen reckoned was biting badly. (My suspicions in my report that it wouldn’t feel comfortable for very long were obviously right!). The Honda, which I thought would do well, was said to feel a bit cramped for taller riders. What did do well was the Moto Guzzi, because of its looks and sporty handling. (But how can they call a bike with only 35kW a “Racer”?), And also the Kawasaki. The Kwaka apparently did nothing outstanding but everything well. It was easy and pleasurable to ride. Paul Kesting wrote, “This bike has a wonderfully relaxed and comfortable feel … that delivers a relaxed style of ride that largely seems to have fallen by the wayside these days.” If you're after a retro bike, for an easy enjoyable ride, it sounds pretty good, doesn't it. There’ll be a video on the mag’s web-site soon.

SEPTEMBER 30, 2011. You know that old saying, “When you’re on a good thing, stick to it”? Well, it seems Ducati have come up with a variation: “When you’re on a bad thing, stick to it and use it more!” That’s about all you can conclude from the news that their forthcoming new sports-bike will ditch the trademark trellis frame and use the same sort of set-up (bits of frame hanging off each end of the engine) that they’ve used – to minimal success! – in MotoGP. Here’s what Gizmag had to say about it. “Ducati's new generation v-twin 1200cc sports bike will be announced at the EICMA International Motorcycle Show in Milan this November. What we know for sure is that it will be named the "Ducati 1199 Panigale" and that it will use a road-going version of the frameless design which has been raced and evaluated rather unsuccessfully by the world's best rider, Valentino Rossi. It seems like a massive gamble for a company that has traditionally attracted customers with its race-winning superbikes. Rumours suggest that the new road bike will weigh in at 176 kg wet and produce 195 bhp. How well it will handle will be the issue.” Yes, it does seem a strange way to go.

OCTOBER 4, 2011. One of our readers sent me this link. It’s an article on bike sales figures. The unusual thing about these figures is that it shows how each brand compares, not to other brands, but to itself – whether their sales are rising or falling. It makes interesting reading! Not surprisingly, the biggest loser was Buell, with a drop of 89%. Well, they have stopped making them, so that would account for it! The biggest winner was another American brand, Victory, who saw their sales increase by a massive 94%! You might think that a big percentage of those extra sales might have come from people who would otherwise have bought a Harley, but not so – their sales were down, but only by 3%. Anyway, click the link and take a look. (You need to scroll down the page a bit).  
OCTOBER 4, 2011. I bought a new watch the other day on eBay – for 45cents!
Yes, that’s right, 45 cents! (Actually it cost a couple of cents less than that, because it was US45c – and our dollar was just above parity at the time). Brand new, sold by some guy in Malaysia, who ships the watches direct from the manufacturer / wholesaler in Hong Kong. Sound dodgey? Well, maybe, except he had a rating of almost 400 (and growing daily), with a 99.2% positive feedback. The listing on eBay showed a picture of the watch and described it as stainless steel, with internals made by a division of Citizen. (I wondered if that was really “a citizen” – like some Chinese bloke knockin’ ‘em up in his back shed!). Postage was about $14. So I thought I’d put in a bid.
I figured that if it never turned up, or didn’t work, I hadn’t lost much. Well, it did turn up, and it did work. Looks pretty impressive too! (Thanks to Noel for giving me the link).
I had to get the band adjusted for my skinny wrist, so took it to a local jeweller. He charged $5 to remove the band and take out a couple of links. I thought that was pretty cheap – but I didn’t tell him it was more than 10 times what I paid for the watch! I probably won’t wear it much, but it’s a good talking point.
I have no idea how he can sell them for this price, but he sells a range of them to suit different car and bike models. Click this link to go to his eBay page listing all the watches he has for sale.

OCTOBER 5, 2011. This could give another meaning to bikes with names like “Thunderace”; a bike which is really a toilet! The bike has been manufactured by a Japanese toilet manufacturer, and is powered by bio-diesel created by, yes you guessed it, the waste in the toilet. Click the link here to go to the article. 

OCTOBER 8, 2011. The law regarding repairable write-offs changed about a year ago, and I have to say, it seems stupid! I know of a couple of bikes that were written off that had very minor damage, were repaired and are now giving good and safe service to their new owners. But you can't do that now. If it's written-off it has to stay written-off.
Tonight on eBay I saw a good example of the sort of thing that could be a good bike for someone, if the law allowed it to be repaired and re-registered. But it doesn’t.
The bike was a 2001 Yamaha XJR 1300 SP. The seller said, “This is a real shame as this bike rides perfectly and looks a million bucks.” He listed the damage as: “Broken front brake lever, missing 1 gauge cover, 1 small chip on tank, crank seal cover damaged (easily replaced), minor scratching to cooling fins and under exhaust.
The good points of the bike were listed as: “Very well maintained and always serviced, rides perfectly, great tyres, chain etc. heated hand grips, Laser 4 into 1 stainless exhaust.” There were about a dozen photos showing the (very minor) damage and all the rest of the bike in great condition. The seller stressed that the bike could not be re-registered and said, “A stupid, stupid law indeed.” Yep, I agree!

OCTOBER 11, 2011. I should do that more often! Rain, and other commitments, had kept the bike in the shed for the past couple of weeks. So, with sun shining and an hour or so I could spare, I went for a ride. 90km door to door, with a stop for a cuppa at a popular café. A short ride, but very enjoyable! It really felt good to be out on the bike again! Of course taking a route that took me up a winding mountain back-road, and down another popular mountain road (even though that one was following slow traffic), probably added to the enjoyment factor! I hardly ever go for a ride during the week – there’s work and too many things to do. But I should – should do that more often!

OCTOBER 17, 2011. Did you know that the laws concerning helmets sold in Australia changed late last year? No, neither did I! I'd read a few vague bits and pieces, but didn't know that there had been such significant changes. Guy Stanford wrote an article published in the current edition of Australian Road Rider magazine that details the changes at some length. It's both confusing and bewildering! One of the most confusing things is the way the laws vary from state to state, resulting in the ridiculous situation that a helmet that is legal in one state may not be in another. Click here to go to the article; it's a fascinating read!

NOVEMBER 5, 2011. Sometimes the unplanned rides end up being the best; or the most memorable anyway. I was on my own and left home with no decision as to where to go, other than I’d start by heading south. From there my ride was a case of making it up as I went along. A stop at a favourite lunch place not too far away, and then it was up and down a couple of mountain passes. Then I decided to follow some back roads, eventually emerging onto a major highway where there was a good coffee stop just up the road. From there I decided to do a 55km “detour” to a little town down the highway and back; and then headed for home. My trip had taken me along a variety of roads, from bumpy back-roads to multi-lane major highway. Even the highway was enjoyable: I’d actually driven along that section of highway a few weeks previously in the car, but you get a different view and appreciation of your surroundings on a bike. By the time I got back home it had turned into one of the longer rides I’ve done.
The strange thing was I started out feeling uncomfortable, and not quite “with it”. My back was niggling a bit, then I felt a bit of discomfort from a hernia I have when I mounted up after lunch. I’d started out with the AirHawk on, just because it was still on from the previous ride, then took it off for the run up and down the mountains, and then put it back on again when my intended route was going to involve some bumpy roads. As I rode the mountains I occasionally had to correct my line through corners, which probably made me look like a wobbly old grandfather from behind. (Hmm, funny that!). I adjusted the air in the AirHawk when I put it back on, and from then it all started to improve. I relaxed more and enjoyed the ride more. It ended up being a good day; and all the better for not having planned it before I left.

NOVEMBER 7, 2011. There was a story about hoons and motorbikes on TV last night. Yeah, right, here we go again …. hang on, the hoon was in a car and the bikers were being presented as the sensible motorists. Now there’s a twist! Apparently the bikers were riding along a favourite biker’s / driver’s road near Brisbane and a car overtook them at high speed. A couple of corners later they found the car lying upside down; the “hoon” driver having lost control and rolled it. The bikers were giving sensible-perspective comments to the media. Very unusual for TV! 

NOVEMBER 10, 2011. Richardsons Harley Davidson claims to be “Australia’s Premier Harley Davidson dealer.” A big claim, although they have won some awards to back it up. And they’ve been dealing in Harleys since 1978. (The business began 3 years earlier). The dealership is located just outside Launceston in Tasmania, and it is certainly a very unique place. Built in an old log-cabin style, it features an upstairs section that is a fascinating Harley museum. It’s a great place, and I had the pleasure of visiting there when I was last in Tasmania about 8 years ago. They were unique too in that they were the only Harley dealer in all of Tasmania. Okay if you lived in Launceston, a bit inconvenient if you lived elsewhere. And it left Hobart as the only capital city in Australia without a Harley dealership. Well, not any more. Richardsons have opened up a branch at Hobart. The shop is located at 263 Elizabeth Street North Hobart, and is just 3 blocks from the city centre. Give them a call on 62311442. Or visit them on-line at www.richardsonsharleydavidson.com.au. Thanks to Michael for telling me about this. He bought a bike there (See item on the Feedback page under November). The photos below are a couple I took when I was there in 2003.
NOVEMBER 12, 2011. Another enjoyable ride today! Part of it was along a back-road of about 40km that runs parallel to the Hume Highway. I’d never ridden the whole way along this road. I’d ridden part way along a few times, but never all the way. I had driven along there in the car a few times. The first time was in the late 1970s, in my then near-new Triumph 2500TC. I hadn’t gone too far when there was a loud BANG! from underneath the car. It was probably just a rock, but didn’t sound like it; it sounded like an explosion! I stopped and carefully inspected under the car but couldn’t see anything. I carried on, feeling a bit spooked by it. Many years later, in the same car, I began to drive all the way along and was enjoying a pleasant drive when suddenly the throttle-cable broke. It was a fairly remote place to break down. I ended up tying a piece of rope to the throttle linkage and driving the 100km or so back home with one hand on the steering wheel and the other operating the throttle by tugging on the rope that I’d fed through the driver’s window. It was a stressful trip! Consequently I’ve always held some trepidation at driving that road. Today it was a pleasant ride through quite pretty rural scenery.
Our destination and lunch stop was one of those typical little villages that almost died when the up-graded highway by-passed it. Today it’s a curious mix of boarded-up deserted ghost-town and rejuvenated buildings with fresh-looking businesses.
We first went to the pub, where my riding companion had heard they did a good counter-lunch. Outside it was part of the rejuvenated area and looked fresh and bright. Inside the dining section was deserted, dark and dingy. Instead, we ate at a general-store takeaway place next door that was clean, had good cheap food, and some tables and chairs on the footpath outside under an awning. It was very pleasant sitting there chatting and watching the quiet country world go gently by. The quaint old building in the photo was directly opposite, and was formerly a pub. There are plaques erected in front of some of the buildings – including this one – detailing their historic past.
NOVEMBER 19, 2011. The roads can be dangerous! These photos were taken on a secondary road that is a popular biker's road for locals - and a specified "tourist drive".
This short section of wire-rope barrier is on an up-hill right-hand corner that is slightly off-camber and just before the crest of a hill. Look closely and you'll see that one of the posts has been bent over and is pointing straight in the direction of approaching traffic!
"So, tell me sir, if we have to call 'the meat wagon' would you prefer to look like diced-ham or a kebab?"
Ah, now this is good! At the very end of this road where it comes to a T-intersection (on a bend!) with a busy 2-lane highway, the road is covered with loose gravel! The intersection comes up fairly quickly too - especially if you're not familiar with the road - so just when you might need to brake a bit harder than normal, you are presented with this little beauty!
If you go down you'll probably slide out onto the highway into the path of a car, another bike, or if you're particularly unlucky, a passing semi.
NOVEMBER 20, 2011. This is stupidity! It’s an ad for a new bike from KTM, and shows a couple of guys riding through some spectacular terrain. It’s a great bit of video to watch; both for the riding and the spectacular scenery. The bikes go sliding sideways on dirt roads, fly over jumps, negotiate huge rocks, flash along trails perched on the edge of huge cliffs and so on. But what is sheer stupidity – which, by showing this as an ad, is being promoted by KTM – is the lack of protective riding gear. Both riders appear to be wearing just a T-shirt, so arms are exposed to whatever they are likely to hit if they happen to fall. (Rocks, gravel, hundred-foot cliffs …!). Click here to see the video.

NOVEMBER 26, 2011. As those of you living in the southern(ish) states will know, the annual Motorcycle & Scooter Show now alternates between Sydney and Melbourne. So does the Motor (car) Show. Times are tough in automotive land and the manufacturers reckon they can't afford two shows every year. Anyway, for 2011 it was Sydney's turn, so I went along to check out the latest and greatest.
This year it was at a different venue; the Darling Harbour Exhibition Centre rather than Homebush. That made it a bit more difficult to get to for me (right in the middle of Sydney's traffic etc, rather than around the outskirts to Homebush), but did provide a bigger (and someone told me cheaper) venue.
The show was interesting - as it always is! People often criticise these shows, but I'm the sort of person that if it's got wheels and an engine I'll happily have a look at it, sit on it, and more than likely take a photo of it. So I thought it was good. I always do!
If you'd like to see some photos, then click here. There's just a little bit more story of the show and a few brief comments from me. Oh, and if you haven't read it, you might like to have a read of a story I wrote a few years ago, called "Going To The Show". It's a humorous look at the actual process of going to the show, rather than the show itself.

DECEMBER 4, 2011. Yesterday was a beautiful day; a bit cool for early December, but plenty of blue sky and sunshine; a great day to be out on the bike! I went for a short ride in the afternoon, but the main riding for the weekend was to be today. Today was the date for an annual toy-run I like to go on. Not the one in my local area, this one begins in a town about 75km to the south. It then runs for about 20km north. (So I ride through the end point on my way to the start). Although smaller than the more local one, I like this because it’s well run, proceeds along the highway in a very orderly fashion and has a nice friendly atmosphere. So late yesterday I washed the bike, and put the toys in. I even decorated the bike a bit, hanging ribbons around the front and tying a little snowman against the top-box. Then this morning I awoke to the sound of cars splashing through water on the road outside. Rain! The forecast was for “showers clearing” so I waited and watched the radar. In the area where the run was to take place it didn’t look too bad, but there was a lot of rain to the north of there. I considered still going, but finally decided against it, put the toys in the car and drove down. About 25km from home, pouring rain and lashing wind confirmed that I’d made the right decision. I wouldn’t enjoy being out in that!
Despite the radar looking a bit more promising in the area of the toy-run it was still raining, though not nearly as heavily, when I got there. And it’d rained on the bikes for pretty much the whole run. Some bikes had plastic covers over the larger decorations and toys (reindeer and huge teddies), but there were some soggy little Santas strapped to some of the bikes. The rain kept the numbers down, but there was still a good number of bikes there – especially considering the conditions.
DECEMBER 17, 2011. This is ridiculous!! The middle of December and I'm riding in a winter jacket! It's been probably a month since I've worn my summer jacket. Okay, I got hot before I left (mostly because I was mucking about getting a couple of photos taken for an article I'm writing), but up in the mountains it was mid-to-high teens and even felt just slightly cool at one stage. Crazy weather! Makes you wonder about "global warming" doesn't it!

DECEMBER 18, 2011. Motorcyclists can be such nice people! A member of the Christian Motorcyclists Association had a bad fall in northern NSW and ended up in hospital; not seriously injured, thankfully. (She doesn't know what happened - suddenly she was on the deck -  but reports were that there was oil on the road). There were lots of well-wishes from members on their Facebook page, with some people even offering to drive hundreds of kilometres to pick up her bike and her if needed. That's nice! And I know it was much appreciated too.

DECEMBER 19, 2011. Time to get a bit philosophical. In recent times I’ve read two magazine editorials that have been inspiring; well, actually one was more pleasantly surprising and the other more inspirational. I’ll start with the pleasantly surprising one. I think this was by Jeremy Bowdler, editor of 2Wheels. I say “I think” because I no longer have the magazine, it got put in the recycle (interesting word that, when we’re referring to a bike mag!) bin after I’d finished reading it. But I’m sure it was him. The editorial urged us to be courteous to other road users, including car drivers. Now, when was the last time you read that in a bike mag? Often, when bike journalists write about cars, or other traffic in general, they do so in an “us-and-them” sort of way. Jeremy didn’t. He urged us to let that car in at the intersection, even if it means slowing our progress for a moment, and give people a wave perhaps. His message was to be courteous and you’ll enjoy the ride more and arrive home in a better frame of mind. I totally agree! In fact, I wrote an article about that very thing a while ago. It was good to see someone like Jeremy Bowdler encouraging the same sort of attitude, and for the same sort of reasons.
The other editorial was by “The Bear” in Australian Road Rider (December 2011edition). He began by posing the question, “What’s the primary thing to keep in mind when you go for a ride?” He assumed the answer would be “Safety” and declared that to be “Wrong!” He went on to explain that he wasn’t denigrating safety as an issue; he said that in every magazine he’d run he'd always supported road-safety initiatives and even started some himself.
What he was saying was that concerns about safety shouldn’t take over our enjoyment of riding. He said, “Be safe, be seen, position yourself on the road, wear a fluorescent organ grinder’s monkey suit for all I care. But don’t forget why you ride a bike: to have a good time. That is the thing to keep in mind when you think about your chosen recreation.”
You need to read the whole piece to really get it in context, rather than just the brief snippet I’ve quoted here, but I think he’s right; we shouldn’t let our concerns of safety spoil our enjoyment. If you are a regular reader of this site you’ll know that safety is a big concern of mine. I’ve written several articles about it, and it’s something I think about each time I ride. And we all should do that! But sometimes I think about it too much. There are times when, for no apparent reason, my mind will go into almost panic-mode thinking how stupid I am to be doing what I’m doing. I’ll observe the road flashing under my wheels at 100+kph and think how awful it would be to fall down on that! My mind reminds me, in graphic detail, how dangerous it is to be sitting on this unprotected missile. I’m too old, too frail, too dependant on being fit and healthy enough to earn an income, to be riding a motorbike! At those times I feel like parking the bike on the side of the road and just going home. Except it’d be too far to walk. So, of course, I continue, with those thoughts nagging my mind. The reality of that moment is that, despite these thoughts flooding my mind, for that day at least, I will continue to ride. I have to; I’m already out there and, as I said, it’s always a long walk home! So what should I do? Allow my mind to continue in subdued panic-mode? Or substitute those thoughts with the reason I’m out there doing what I’m doing, the enjoyment of motorcycling. I think you know the answer. The Bear does. The answer is to remember why I ride, remember the enjoyment I get out riding a motorbike, and keep that in mind. Let those thoughts replace the images of danger, and allow the enjoyment of the day to return. So the next time I get one of those mini-panic-attacks, I’ll remember what The Bear said, and set about enjoying the reason I’m out there. It’s not about pushing safety to the back of your mind, or not concentrating on riding safely, it’s about not letting those legitimate concerns spoil your enjoyment of riding.

DECEMBER 29, 2011.
Today I went for a ride that notched up a significant record. It was an afternoon ride that included a variety of roads, from multi-lane highway to narrow single-lane back-roads. That’s not the significant bit though. During the ride I notched up a greater total distance travelled on my current bike than on any bike I’ve ever owned. Well I think so anyway. The only one that might have exceeded it was the Yamaha DT175 that I bought new in 1979. I couldn’t find my records for that one, but I’m pretty sure it didn’t get to the distance covered by my current bike.
The DT175 was, after all, mainly used for trail-riding and short on-road rides; and from what I recall, it covered less than the total kilometres I’ve travelled on the Yamaha XJR1300 I currently own.
It is far from the longest I’ve owned a bike though. I tend to keep bikes (and especially cars) for a long time. The longest was the DT175 I mentioned, which I owned for 9 years. My last bike, which, until today, held the record for the greatest distance travelled, I owned for almost 5 ½ years. The XJR I’ve owned for a bit over 3 years.
It’s hardly surprising really. My younger years were mostly spent on road-trail bikes. With the road bikes I owned afterwards I didn’t usually do long rides, and some weren’t ridden all that often either. That changed most with my last bike, which I rode more often, and on longer rides, than I had with the previous ones. With my current bike I ride it as least as often as I did the previous one and generally ride it further than I did the previous one, so it was almost inevitable that it would surpass the record. 
Like my previous bike (a 2nd-hand Yamaha XJ600), during this time and distance it has been supremely reliable! The only problem I’ve had was a battery that had to be replaced. No mechanical concerns at all. Being almost new when I bought it (it wasn’t even fully run-in), I would’ve been disappointed with anything less. However in saying that, I know that ultimate reliability isn’t something that necessarily comes with a new bike. Many new bikes can – and do – give trouble. So it’s still a commendable result for the big Yammie.
Being the biggest and most powerful bike I’ve owned, it’s no surprise that it already holds the record for the longest distance travelled in a day (although back in my trail-riding days I spent a lot longer in the saddle than I do now!), and for the fastest speed achieved. And all of that despite the advancing age of its rider! But I can’t see any other record being broken for a while. It’s got a long way to go to get the record of the longest time owned, so for now I’ll just continue to ride and enjoy it!
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