Moto Giro Australia

[graeme]

Suggestion, you're going to be on the road for roughly 2 weeks. If you want, and to save you loading your bike up, mail up what you can, do the giro and mail dirty stuff back, so you've got a lighter load.
Probably hard to know what you'll need I guess.
Graeme

[Octane]

Yeah I did think about that too. But I think I've got more than enough luggage capacity. I'll just wash some clothes up there.

I wont be camping anywhere, so I wont need tents or cooking utensils etc. It'll pretty much just be clothes, tools, a few spares, a camera and a phone charger.

[graeme]

Got my 450 motor built today, only took 11 months since it did a crank pin at last years giro.
Hope to get it in the frame tomorrow
Graeme

[Octane]

There's an event up on facebook for this now: https://www.facebook.com/events/567828206615221/?ref=3

[Octane]

Well... less than a week out and my bike is aaaalmost prepared.

I have the tank bag and fork pannier mounted up (pics later in the week) and I've sorted out most of the loose ends. I've gone for the longest gearing available (and had to drop a link from the chain) so it doesn't have too much of a hard time on the way up or back.

I've pretty much finalized my itinerary for the trip up as well.

Map here: http://goo.gl/maps/UAQVa

Aug 31st: 320kms.
Sydney - Wollombi NP - Singleton - Dungog - Buckets Way - Goucester.

Sep 1st: 400kms
Gloucester - Thunderbolts Way - Walcha - Armidale - Waterfall Way - Dorrigo - Bellingen - Coffs Harbour.

Sep 2nd: 210kms
Coffs Harbour - Nana Glenn - Dorrigo - Grafton.

Sep 3rd: 290kms
Grafton - Fortis Creek NP - Clarence Way - Urbenville - Boonah.

Also, Graeme, looks like I'm bunking up with you and your son in Woodford. I did ask Jackie to bunk me up with some sexy ladies, so it looks like you were the sexiest on offer!

[graeme]

Ha, not many sexy ladies at the giro in Woodford.
Safe trip, there's some nice roads for a good Ducati single.

[Octane]

Well this should be interesting...

Rang up the Roundabout Inn at Gloucester to book a room for Saturday night on my trip up north. Before I could even say hello the receptionist advised me that the barman had farted, and then she booked me into a room with a double bed "in case you get lucky "

I hope this sets the precedence for the rest of the trip!

[graeme]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1tqxzWdKKu8

[Octane]

LOL! It was a bit like that in Gloucester! Some of the locals at this particular pub's 'table of knowledge' were very much banjo players :-p

In other news, Day 2 has been run and won.
I thought yesterday's run out through wollombi and singleton to gloucester with dad would be hard to top, but today was officially the best day motorcycling ever.
The Mach 1 is such a little do'er. Poor thing struggled on some of the climbs with the loooong gearing and all of the extra luggage, but otherwise she was absolutely faultless for another 400kms today. I had a great run through Thunderbolt's, clear most of the way, and most of the cars let me through pretty quickly. It was probably a bit too bumpy in sections for my front rack though so I had to take it easy in places.
Waterfall Way was incredible! I had a clear run the whole way from Armidale to Dorigo with not a single car in front. I had to stop for a rest (sore clutch pulling hand and ass, but a couple of nurofen plus, and a couple of swigs on the hip flask and I was good to go!
Parked up now at the freshly renovated Hoey Moey in Coffs Harbour for beers, feedbag, (cover) bands and naps.
Tomorrow is a 'rest day'. Just 200kms in total, back to dorigo (via the banana plantations and nana glen, then up to grafton.

[graeme]

Ooooh, the Hoey Moey in Coffs, my head hurts thinking about those old days.
Safe trip