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.