A bit of a ride: after the race

[Cormanus]

Day 16: Melbourne-Geelong-Melbourne-Devonport

593 Kms, but only 145 Kms on the bike

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It seemed a long time ago, during the manic day of running around between getting home from the Lions TT and leaving for Phillip Island, that the mechanic at the dealer had told me I’d be lucky to get more than about 3,000 kms from my rear tyre. I was annoyed at the time as it had done only 7,400 kms since I’d replaced it. Optimistically, I thought I’d try to make it last until I got home. But, on the way down to Phillip Island, Jalalski and Pterodactyl gave me a lesson in tyre inspection and I was no longer able to delude myself about the need for a new one.

Figuring that the best time to do the change would be on my way back into Melbourne from the Great Ocean Road, I organised with a dealer in Geelong to get me some more Bridgestone Battlax BT45s. I had been intending to change to the Michelin PR3s but I was worried about Pterodactyl’s experience having to shave the centre stand while I was away from home and on a bit of a timetable.

Of course, this plan didn’t work and the tyres were not available on the planned Tuesday, so I had to retrace my steps to Geelong on a grey, cool morning. While the tyres were changed I had breakfast and caught up on my notes of the trip. The bike was delayed so I also made a start on the write up of the LionsTT. The bike appeared and I went to pay only to be told the front brake pads were close to the end. They had no OEM pads, but did have some others that were suitable, so it was back to the workshop for the bike and some more writing for Cormanus.

I also had a little wander around and saw this little treasure hiding out the back.


A little bit later, and a few hundred dollars lighter in the wallet, I hit the road back to Melbourne.

Neither the ride to Geelong or back is really worth describing. It was all freeway stuff. Quick and efficient.

In Melbourne, I had time to have lunch, finish packing, buy my niece and her husband a thankyou present and fill their car with petrol before making my way the few kilometres to the terminal where I was to catch the ferry for Tasmania.



Waiting for the ferry. The guy, second from the right, leaning on the post, was one of the tallest people I’ve come across for quite a while. He was with a group of off road riders who had ridden from the same area I live. The following morning, I rode after the two guys in front of me who were riding an ST and a Guzzi.



There were more bikes in front of us and another large contingent further aft.
On the ferry, the bikes stay in first gear on their side stand and are then tightly strapped down across the bars. The guys are careful and do a great job of making them secure.

It was an uneventful night on the ferry. I’d taken the chance of sharing a cabin and had an agreeable cabin mate who didn’t snore. I hope I didn’t.
Day 17: Devonport-Hobart

371 kms

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Tasmania holds a special place in my heart. It was where I grew up, went to school, learned to ride motorbikes and lived for 40 years. My children were born there and one still lives in Hobart. I left for various reasons, but not because I’d come to dislike it. Even though the weather is much less conducive to riding bikes than where I now live in Queensland, it is still possible to ride all year round if you’re prepared to deal with the cold.

It’s an island, rugged in parts. Stand on the beach near Strahan on the west coast looking west and there’s nothing between you and South America. Only South America, the South Island of New Zealand are nearer Antarctica.

I woke to a cool and overcast morning as the ship came alongside in Devonport. By not long after 0700 I was on the way out of Devonport following the ST and Guzzi of the blokes I’d boarded with the night before. It was cold and threatening rain, so there are no photographs of the early part of the trip.

The guys I was following had told me they took the ferry to Victoria at least once a year to go for a ride. They were both older than me (well, I think they looked it) and had been doing it for quite a while. I followed them to a place called Exeter where they were stopping while I was pushing on to Launceston. In Launceston, I was to meet an old mate who, in age falls into the 7.42% group of CB1100 forum members. He’s had lots of bikes and has recently bought a Ducati Monster 659 which has been tuned down a bit to make it a learner-legal bike in Australia. I think he bought it because it offered a bit of excitement without being as heavy as an in-line 4. He had timed the first service so he could meet me in Launceston and ride to Hobart with me. How kind was that?

Actually, it occurs to me that I should record here a vote of thanks to Graham. He and his wife came to stay for a few days in 2013 and while we were chatting about bikes I told him how much I liked the CB1100. He turned up a few reviews and really went to work on me to buy one if that was what I really wanted. I did. Thanks mate. It was a great decision.

I met him at his hotel and had a cup of tea to warm up before we lit out for Campbell Town, 70 odd kms to the south. We stopped there to refuel and have a belated breakfast. Actually, I think it was Graham’s second breakfast!

Even though tuned down a little, the Monster had no real trouble keeping up with the CB

We then turned east to ride the Lake Leake Road, one of the better riding roads among many in Tasmania. It climbs briefly over a range before falling away to the east coast and has a number of really good, fast sweepers. As we got to the top of the range, an irritating drizzle set in. I regret not putting on my wet weathers.



On the Lake Leake Road

I love the east coast of Tasmania. It’s a great place to ride a bike. It’s not too twisty, but it’s by no means straight either and you can get along at a good pace, particularly when you know the road a bit. It’s amazing how it came back to me as we made our way to Orford where we met my youngest son for lunch. I ate an excellent focaccia and enjoyed a welcome coffee while I dried out a little, warmed up and marvelled at how much weight my son had lost since last I saw him.

After lunch it was on with the wet weather gear, although I had a bet with Graham that it would stop raining once we were not many kms inland. It did, and that was great because the Orford to Hobart road was always one of my favourites as a young bloke. It’s better now than it was due to widening and a better surface and the enthusiast can maintain a cracking pace.

At Sorell we stopped and said our goodbyes as Graham was heading in a different direction. It had been a good ride and I’d enjoyed seeing the Ducatti up close.

I made my way to Hobart where I got off the bike for a couple of days to go sailing with my brother. It was one of the reasons I’d decided to come to Tasmania. Although other parts of Australia offer a more benign climate for sailing few, in my view, offer the range of convenient coastal cruising as Hobart. There are plenty of relatively isolated, sheltered bays to drop the anchor and some semi-sheltered waterways offering excellent sailing. Sailing has long been one of the things that has given me great joy, particularly cruising. The forecast was reasonably good and I was looking forward to seeing some old haunts again.