Heading Home

[Cormanus]

Heading Home

Thursday 14 August 2014

Having decided there was no way I was going to ride north along the back road to Pembroke again, I decided to head straight out to the Pacific Highway (Australia’s often disgraceful main highway). I expected to follow Pterodactyl, with whom I’d been riding for the past three days, but he suddenly turned right and vanished.

If you’ve missed them, the other stories of the ride are [url=http://cb1100forum.com/forum/showthread.php?tid=3700]here, [url=http://cb1100forum.com/forum/showthread.php?tid=3808]here, [url=http://cb1100forum.com/forum/showthread.php?tid=3809] here and [url=http://cb1100forum.com/forum/showthread.php?tid=3758] here.

The map of my day’s ride is [url=http://goo.gl/maps/WQL8j]here.

The first part of the ride took me up the Pacific Highway to Coff’s Harbour. The last bit of the road was quite good—an improvement I think from when I was last there—with dual carriageway allowing me to make good time. I was undecided about whether to ride the 700 kms home; we had been later starting than I’d planned, but it was do-able. No matter what, I wanted to ride from Coff’s Harbour to Grafton via Nana Glen, up a road a mate of Pterodactyl’s had recommended to him.

I duly turned off on to the Coramba Road. It was pleasant indeed. A good surface and any number of corners to keep a motorcyclist happy. Just before Coramba I turned right on to East Bank Road which, while well sealed, was narrower and without a centre line. Still, the visibility was good and there was next to no traffic, so I had a lovely ride along it to Nana Glen.

East Bank Road




The Idle In Café in Nana Glen was motorcycle friendly.


It must have been about 1.30pm by the time I got to Grafton and had to make a decision about another night on the road or the big run home. I opted for another night and so turned left onto the Gwydir Highway which would take me back up the range to Glen Innes and then Tenterfield. And the cold. Still, I’d wanted to squeeze the Gwydir into the trip somewhere; Pterodactyl and I had made other choices and so had missed it. Near Grafton it was relatively flat and quick and I made good time.

Looking west towards the Great Dividing Range


The Lollback Rest Area and Mann River Bridge




The Gwydir runs along the river for a bit before offering 10 kms of really good twisties


Of the four roads up or down the range that we’d ridden this was the prettiest. The Oxley is a better riding road, but there was a special quality to the bush on the Gwydir. It was very lovely. There are some walks and some National Park it would be well worth exploring some time.

Like Jackson Browne, I’m looking east




I refuelled both the bike and me in Glen Innes, a town against which I’ve always had an irrational prejudice. It was bloody cold, but perfectly pleasant that afternoon. I thought I might find some serious winter riding gloves there, but didn’t. I then set out along the New England Highway for Tenterfield, about which I wrote in an early part of this report. This photo of the New England Highway shows not only how dry it was, but the sort of terrain one rides through on the plateau. Of course, road conditions vary a bit.


I was a bit unnerved by this letter box. I’m not completely sure it didn’t take a shot at me.


And, for the Ferret, this is the spectacular Bluff Rock south of Tenterfield.


I stopped for the night at the Henry Parkes Motor Inn. It was a mistake. Not because it was bad or uncomfortable; it was just more expensive than the usual accommodation I look for.

As usual, sleep was not a huge problem.

[Randy B]

Heading Home

Thursday 14 August 2014

Having decided there was no way I was going to ride north along the back road to Pembroke again, I decided to head straight out to the Pacific Highway (Australia’s often disgraceful main highway). I expected to follow Pterodactyl, with whom I’d been riding for the past three days, but he suddenly turned right and vanished.

If you’ve missed them, the other stories of the ride are [url=http://cb1100forum.com/forum/showthread.php?tid=3700]here, [url=http://cb1100forum.com/forum/showthread.php?tid=3808]here, [url=http://cb1100forum.com/forum/showthread.php?tid=3809] here and [url=http://cb1100forum.com/forum/showthread.php?tid=3758] here.

The map of my day’s ride is [url=http://goo.gl/maps/WQL8j]here.

The first part of the ride took me up the Pacific Highway to Coff’s Harbour. The last bit of the road was quite good—an improvement I think from when I was last there—with dual carriageway allowing me to make good time. I was undecided about whether to ride the 700 kms home; we had been later starting than I’d planned, but it was do-able. No matter what, I wanted to ride from Coff’s Harbour to Grafton via Nana Glen, up a road a mate of Pterodactyl’s had recommended to him.

I duly turned off on to the Coramba Road. It was pleasant indeed. A good surface and any number of corners to keep a motorcyclist happy. Just before Coramba I turned right on to East Bank Road which, while well sealed, was narrower and without a centre line. Still, the visibility was good and there was next to no traffic, so I had a lovely ride along it to Nana Glen.

East Bank Road




The Idle In Café in Nana Glen was motorcycle friendly.


It must have been about 1.30pm by the time I got to Grafton and had to make a decision about another night on the road or the big run home. I opted for another night and so turned left onto the Gwydir Highway which would take me back up the range to Glen Innes and then Tenterfield. And the cold. Still, I’d wanted to squeeze the Gwydir into the trip somewhere; Pterodactyl and I had made other choices and so had missed it. Near Grafton it was relatively flat and quick and I made good time.

Looking west towards the Great Dividing Range


The Lollback Rest Area and Mann River Bridge




The Gwydir runs along the river for a bit before offering 10 kms of really good twisties


Of the four roads up or down the range that we’d ridden this was the prettiest. The Oxley is a better riding road, but there was a special quality to the bush on the Gwydir. It was very lovely. There are some walks and some National Park it would be well worth exploring some time.

Like Jackson Browne, I’m looking east




I refuelled both the bike and me in Glen Innes, a town against which I’ve always had an irrational prejudice. It was bloody cold, but perfectly pleasant that afternoon. I thought I might find some serious winter riding gloves there, but didn’t. I then set out along the New England Highway for Tenterfield, about which I wrote in an early part of this report. This photo of the New England Highway shows not only how dry it was, but the sort of terrain one rides through on the plateau. Of course, road conditions vary a bit.


I was a bit unnerved by this letter box. I’m not completely sure it didn’t take a shot at me.


And, for the Ferret, this is the spectacular Bluff Rock south of Tenterfield.


I stopped for the night at the Henry Parkes Motor Inn. It was a mistake. Not because it was bad or uncomfortable; it was just more expensive than the usual accommodation I look for.

As usual, sleep was not a huge problem.

OK, that is just BRILLIANT!!


EXTERMINATE!! EXTERMINATE!!

[Cormanus]

Friday 15 August 2014

How long does it take to poach an egg? I reckon I can get it done and tidied up in about 15 minutes at home. Not at the Henry Parkes Motor Hotel. Even though I arrived at breakfast a moment or so after 7.00 am, I was still there at 7.40. I’d woken early and decided to get going. It was cold and a bit miserable and the sun had yet to make an appearance so I decided to eat at the motel rather than gear up and then have to stop a few minutes later when I found a café.

So I was grumpy and there were signs of rain. I left my wet weathers off, crossed my fingers and headed back to the Bruxner Highway for the trip down the hill. I’d decided to go this way rather than the quicker New England Highway because it would be warmer off the range; the Bruxner had been fun on the way up; I wanted to ride the Mount Lindsay Road again; and the alternative route from Stanthorpe to Woodenbong had been described as a death trap. I was also not prepared to ride the Woodenbong Road again, so I was taking the longer route via Casino.

About 15 or 20 minutes out of Tenterfield the fog and rain appeared so I stopped and put on the wet weather kit I’d persuaded myself I wasn’t going to need. I needed it all the way down the really twisty bits of the Bruxner, which I took pretty carefully as there had been very little rain for a long time. But, by the time I got to Casino, the rain had stopped and I packed the wet weathers away when I filled up.

I think I’ve talked about these roads before. Suffice it to say they’re good quality and flat, travelling through northern NSW farm land. I passed through Kyogle where I’d met Pterodactyl, passed the turn off to the Lions Road and headed towards Mt Chinghee.




Here’s a couple more photos of the Mt Lindsay Road, which was just as good the other way.
















What else is there to say? The road home was mostly highway and uneventful. I was glad to get there. Other than taking photos and refuelling at Casino and Brown’s Plains, I didn’t stop on the way.

It was another great ride over some great roads reminding how much I like the northern NSW countryside. It was also excellent to catch up with both Pterodactyl and Enzo again.

Even after adding another 2,438 kms by the speedo, I’m still loving the CB1100.

Actually, I did take a wee detour and stop once more on the way home. That was to pick up oil, a filter and a crush washer from the dealer. It was mid Friday afternoon and the young sales assistant was not sure what oil to give me. I spied the head mechanic, who happened to be in the Parts Department.

“What oil I should put in my 1100?” I asked.

“That’s the CB1100, isn’t it?”

I nodded.

He handed me 4 litres of 15W-50, “This. And it’s your lucky day. It’s on special.”

“But Honda says I should only put 10W-30 or 10W-40 in it,” I said.

“Not in this climate, mate. This will be fine.”

And on that possibly discordant note, dear reader, I’ll end my tale.

[Rocky_imp]

Great report and pics

[Pterodactyl_imp]

Great post. How's your motor? Hanging in there?

Cheers

[Rick Froscheiser_imp]

More great pictures and story to go with them. From the pictures and stories you had a great time.
Thanks for sharing.
Ride safe my friend.

[CA200_imp]

Really enjoy the pictures!

[the Ferret]

Cool stuff Cormanus as usual, both pics and narration. love the outcropping pics and appreciate that you remember that. Nature is amazing, and that is best demonstrated in mountains in my eye.

How many KMs on the CB now?

Another question if I may. You never mention any kind of maintenance in your reports. Do you adj or lube chain while out on the road, check tire pressures? Just curious.

On another note, if it's cold out, I mean make me shiver cold, I will throw on my rain gear regardless of there is a cloud in the sky. Rain gear is generally wind proof and adds another layer to keep the cold at bay.

So are you going in to your winter?

[wildezt_imp]

Thank you Cormanus.

[Cormanus]

Ferret,

20,500 kms on the CB. I picked it up in late September last year with 2,100 on it, so I've managed to get about a little bit.

True confession time. I am not virtuous about maintenance when I'm travelling. I check things over before I go and trust to the quality of the bike after that. We did check tyre pressures once and and we also cleaned and lubed the chain on about the 3rd day riding together. As I've only had to adjust the chain twice in 18,000 kms, I honestly don't worry too much about it. It was still in spec when I got back.

The suggestion about the rain gear is a good one, although the bit of me that got really cold this trip was the tips of my two middle fingers. Thermals and other layers took good care of the rest. The bloke with the Honda 500 we met up the Oxley told me he had invested in a pair of skiing gloves which he said kept his hands warm all the time. I suspect they lack protection. I also noted he also had wind guards.

On the earlier ride I did with Pterodactyl I tried wearing waterproof overgloves, but they didn't seem to help much. Maybe my hands were already too cold when I put them on.

Our winter is showing signs of coming to an end, although one has to be careful saying that lest we get plunged into further bouts of cold. Probably another month and spring will be on. IN Queensland at least. Further south it can stay cold until Christmas.