Post Maintenance Ride

20/10/2013

Preparations for my trip to Tasmania are well underway. Today was Oil & Filter change day. It's been 12 months since I last has the bike serviced, yet I've only done just over 3000KM, so it's not worth the expense of dropping it in for an "official" service, just to have the warranty "validated". By the time I retrun the bike will be due for it's 20,000K service, so it's probably better (and cheaper) to wait until my return.

Bike warmed up, oil and filter changed (just a "minor" issue when I didn't have the oil pan in the correct spot), it was time to get out and enjoy the fruits of my "hard work".

Trailer connected, lights checked, it was time for a quick loop to Gatton.

Mandatory loop around the estate to let everyone know I was out and about, it's down the motorway to Dinmore, then onto the highway for a quick trip to Gatton. The roadworks around Marburg seem to have been going on forever...still repairing the damage done in 2011 and 2012 storms.

Arriving at Gatton I grabbed a quick bite to eat and caught up with a couple of Gatton branch members who were having a quiet coffee after a hard days riding. After a quick chat and coffee, it's back on the bike for the quiet ride back home via Home Hill,  Rosewood and Walloon.

The road between Gatton and Home Hill is just the way I like it, relatively straight and flat, with just a few bumps and pot holes to keep me on my toes.

Slowing down as I approached Home Hill, I was greated by a friendly magpie who thought it would be a good idea to drop down and give me a peck / headbutt on the front of my helmet...don't know what was going through it's mind, but if it had hit my helmet a bit lower, it would have been it's tail feathers.

After that little bit of excitement, it was time to continue. Crusing through Home Hill, its a quick right and off to Laidley. Being a pleasant day I decided to drop into the pub for a quite beer, then back on the road towards .

Now the road narrows a bit and gets a fews twists in it. With trees and scrub by the side of the road, I slowed down just a bit incase a surprise "jumped out" in front of me. Fortunately there were no surprises so I was able to sit back and enjoy the scenery.  

Before I knew it I was approaching Grandchester. Over the railway tracks it was time to open the throttle until Rosewood. Slowing down through Rosewood not only saved my license (yes there was a hand-held radar near the High School), it also gave me a chance to check out some of local "fauna" on their way into town.

Leaving Rosewood, its over the old railway line, next stop Walloon Saloon. I haven't been here for a while, so it was good to drop in for another quick drink.

Refreshed, it's back on the road for a quiet cruise home.

I'm looking forward to my next few rides before I take on Tassie. Until next time.

Thursty.

The Countdown Is On

25/11/2013

The countdown is on until I head to Dunalley.

I'm taking a short ride to Dunalley, Tasmania, because I have a burning desire to hook into a decent feed of seafood.  I was there a few years ago with the family and we discovered a little jetty at Dunalley that does an incredible seafood basket. As I haven't had anything like it since, I thought it would be a good idea to stretch the bikes legs and drop down for a feed.

I'm planning to leave Ipswich on Friday 29th November, arriving at Dunalley on Thursday 5th December for a much anticipated seafood lunch.

I've worked out 3 routes to get to Port Melboune for the ferry, depending on weather forecasts.

• Route 1 - Inland via Goondiwindi, West Wyalong, Bendigo, Port Campbell, Port Melbourne
• Route 2 - New England Highway via Warwick, Scone, Bathurst, Goulburn, Cooma, Lakes Entrance, Myrtleford, Bendigo, Port Campbell, Port Melbourne
• Route 3 - Pacific Highway to Goulburn, Cooma, Corryong, Bendigo, Port Campbell, Port Melbourne.

If you've done your sums, you'll see Im planning on somewhere between 2000k & 2700k before I get to Tassie.

I'll let you know my route and how I'm going on Friday night at the end of Day 1.

Thursty

Why Is The Government Treating Motorcyclists As Criminals

02/11/2013

The Queensland State Government recently introduce Anti-Association legislation, supposedly to help wipe out "criminal motorcycle gang related crime".

According to the government, this legislation, and the subsequent crackdown on what used to be call "Outlaw Motorcycle Clubs", but are now referred to as "Criminal Motorcycle Gangs", was not going to impact motorcyclists who were not associated with these groups.

<commence rant>

If that's the case, why are hundreds of motorcyclists being pulled up daily and put through license checks, searches, tatoo checks, etc.  Why also are social groups of motorcyclists being "checked up on" when they decided to go for a social ride?

I was out last weekend with about 20 other riders from the local branch of ...... (sorry, not allowed to use the name, BUT WE ARE NOT ON THE LIST OF DEEMED CRIMINAL GANGS AND SHOULD NOT BE GETTING HARRASSED !!!). The only "drugs" we carry are for blood pressure, arthritis & heart conditions... While we were having a coffee break at Esk, the local "lady in blue" drove past, pulled a U turn and dropped over to check us out. Under the pretext of advising us about roadworks ahead, we were asked where we were going and who we we, etc.   WHY DID SHE NEED TO KNOW !!!!!

About half an hour later, surprise, surprise, there was an RBT just being set up at our designated meeting point at the top of the range.  We weren't test, however, call me dumb, but it certainly looked like the site had been set up to let us know the police were around....anyway, how often are RBT's set up on relatively quiet roads leading into Toowoomba at 10:30am on Sundays???

Reports from the media and various motorcycling forums indicate that A LOT of riders are staying off the roads so they don't get harrassed by the police.  Reports from a lot of the country towns that thrive on weekend motorcycle groups visiting are that numbers are down by up to 80%... 80% fewer weekend visitors buying coffee, food, fuel...that's not going to impact these small towns ..... MUCH

Now the police are advising social riders to notify them who they are and where they are going so they can be added to the "do not annoy" list (read "police intelligence" database).

Geez, now you are requested to report to the police when you want to go for a ride...what next, restrictions on when and where you can ride, curfews, permission slips???

These new laws/rules/recommendations/whatever WILL NOT stop me from riding and WILL NOT stop me from associating with other motorcycle riders...anyone would think the government/police were overly strict parents - No, you can't play with little Johnny because he's a "naughty" boy, no you can't talk to Jimmy because he wears weird clothes.... you get the idea.

</end rant>

Time to follow the wise words of a wise old man...

"Go where you want, when you want, the way you want." 

I'm heading out for a ride. If I'm not back by tomorrow, can someone come and bail me out.....

Thursty