Australian WSBK 2014 - Part 1 (Getting There)

[Pterodactyl_imp]

G’day to you all,

In February I rode to the Australian WSBK round at Phillip Island, Victoria. I combined this with a little touring around Southern NSW and Victoria. Most of the roads I had ridden before but I hadn’t seen the Great Ocean Rd for many years, so that was as good as a first ride. One of the roads I had intended to ride was closed due bush(wild)fires. This was the Barry Way, from Jindabyne in the Snowy Mountains, through the Ingebirah State Forest, to Omeo. This road is real wilderness, very little population and with about 160kms of dirt. It is on my bucket list and I will save it for a planned ride to the Australian MotoGP later this year.

I won’t bore you with a km by km description but will, instead, write a short summary with a few photos. Click on the day by day headings in red for hyperlinks to maps.

The weather was variable, from stinking hot to cold and raining. Of course cold (and hot too I suppose) is relative, so to many of you emerging from the northern winter +10deg C and wet is probably balmy, so please indulge me. 360kms 6hrs 30 mins

Very hot, 35+deg C.  Total fire bans State-wide.  Cooking inside my leathers. Maybe I should be in jeans and teeshirt. But maybe not. The first section was through the Royal National Park just south of Sydney.  Wonderful road but very conservatively speed limited and heavily policed.  At Stanwell tops came across:

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With Oldie and Two Wheel Winnebago


Opened up the CB on the Nowra - Braidwood Rd and then after Braidwood headed to the Wyanbene Caves area on the Braidwood – Cooma Rd. A good ride through the Deua wilderness with about 40kms of dirt. Camped here:

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Soft grass. No rain. Looking good.

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The bush is tinder dry, and temperature still 30deg C, thus a total fire ban in force , including liquid stoves. No cooking at all so had a cold dinner and breakfast. There was no one to check on me but would hate to be responsible for burning umpteen thousand square miles of forest. And the CB!

[url=http://goo.gl/ksVcl6]Day 2: Wyanbene Caves to Bombala NSW

484kms 7hrs 55mins
Started the day badly. Ambition exceeds ability when, after about 15kms on the dirt, I took a downhill negative camber at about 70kmh and I got the wheels in an erosion rut. Remember that old, but wise, saying: “If in doubt, power out”? I guess I didn’t. I probably touched the rear brake. The inevitable happened and I found myself under the right side sliding off into the bush and rapidly becoming part of the scenery. I believe I may have uttered an expletive at this point. Fortunately there were no immovable objects in the strike zone and I came to a halt in the roadside dirt, under the bike with no significant damage to myself. Untangled myself and got us both upright. A check revealed all of me working well but a little bruised on the right forearm and hip. My right boot was full of dirt and gravel and leathers a little scuffed on the right forearm and hip area. (Thinks: Thank you Mr Dainese! I should send you a carton of good Aussie beer.) The CB was not too badly hurt. Right side mirror totally destroyed, gravel rash to the frame tube directly under the engine and to the engine case right side. The underside of the muffler was scratched and slightly dinged but not obviously so. Well not from the top anyway. I believe the CB was well protected by the soft luggage and me.
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Mmmmm........"Hullo Mr Staintune, do you have a.........?"

Took a deep breath, a drink of water, put a dressing on a minor scuff on my right elbow, buried the right side mirror remains, dusted myself off and continued on towards Cooma. No photos as I was just a tad pissed off with myself and didn’t need to be reminded at a later date. Those of you who are observant will see a generic type $20 mirror fitted in photos taken for the next few days. I got the mirror in Cooma. It was RH thread so I had to remove the LH thread mounting adaptor and fit the mirror directly to the brake reservoir.

From Cooma took the long way to Bombala, via Cabramurra (Australia’s highest town) and Jindabyne. A fantastic ride. Through to Jindabyne full of mountain twisties and then the Snowy River Highway to Bombala giving long straights and big sweepers to clear the cobwebs out of the headers.
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Tooma Rd, near Tumut Pond Reservoir. Do not, I say DO NOT, go over the edge. If you do then you better leave a note

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Snowy River Rd - Warp speed, licence endangering Km after Km

Camped the night on the riverbank in Bombala within walking distance of the pub. Pub-grub and a beer or two (to wash the dirt and gravel from the back of the throat) then a good nights sleep.

[url=http://goo.gl/8q9i07]Day 3: Bombala NSW to Inverloch Vic

515kms, 6 hours 36 mins
Both the Bonang Highway and Barry Way were closed ‘cause of bushfires so a dead boring run down the Princess Hwy to Sale, then country roads to Cape Liptrap (Plan A). At Sale, get the wets on quick! The weather turned to storm, rain and intermittent small hail powered by 50kts of southwest wind. Riding in this weather was uncomfortable (bloody scary). A wet road and reduced visibility with the wind at full blast then blanked off by stands of trees. All OK with some speed and momentum as the CB looked after itself, but in the slower stretches it was not so sure footed. Plan A was a nice little beach side camp, Bear Gully, on Cape Liptrap, but the wind and rain made setting up my tent impossible. And as an aside to those who may wonder - Bear Gully is not a big deal in Oz as the bears are of the Koala variety, rather than Brown, Grizzly or Polar!

So Plan B went into effect. A motel in Inverloch with hot food, a beer with a rum chaser and another good nights sleep.

[url=http://goo.gl/va0JHO]Day 4: Inverloch Vic to the Temple of Blood and Thunder - Phillip Island

50kms 43mins
Early morning start out of Inverloch and set up my tent at the Philip Island circuit. Rain showers but clearing to a great day.

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Can get windy here - note the lone tree.

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Rain showers, but looking gooood.

See you soon with Part 2 (the Temple of Blood and Thunder)
Cheers

[VTR1000F_imp]

Thank you for the report and pictures. Sorry about your crash but at least you and bike are OK.

[the Ferret]

Wow...an ADVENTURE! Very cool. Getting there is half the fun..unless you are running 45 mph in the dirt downhill off camber turn on a 550 pound street bike! Holy Crap! Glad you and your steed were not hurt worse. You Aussies are tough!


Great pics! Anxiously awaiting part 2.

[Cormanus]

Geez, mate! No good about the slide, but it looks like a great ride. I'm really sorry I couldn't make it.

Looking forward to the next instalment.

Cheers to you

[CB4ME_imp]

I'll sell you my stock exhaust and mirrors cheap, but shipping would probably be more.

The good folks at Staintune will fix you right up!

[redbirds_imp]

Great pics and story line. Looking forward to part2.