I lost count!
There I was trying really hard to maintain an accurate corner count for the ride and half way through a series of beautiful S bends there was Marty pointing a camera at me from the grass on the outside apex and that was it the count was gone and we were not even at lunch on the first day of a two day ride. At that point I was already up to 97,735 corners so I suspect I was inaccurate anyway.
So, back to the beginning. A couple of weeks ago Glitch posted a proposed weekend ride on various forums with the following description.
A 2-day ride, overnight near Jamieson/ Mansfield.
I'll try to stitch some accom at the Merrijig Pub or some Caravan Park Cabins…
Sleeping bag etc. essential.
Day1:
Towards Mt. Baw Baw, 30k's dirt across to Erica, towards Moe…then east to Tyres-Heyfield-the rollercoaster to Licola and 90k's dirt across Mt. Skene to Jamieson/Howqua/Mansfield/Merrijig for the night.
Spectacular views from Mt. Skene
Day2:
For a warm-up …Mt. Buller return run (to top carpark ~5km dirt return), Mansfield, then a mix of good dirt and crappy single-lane asphalt across the spine of the Strathbogie Ranges, Mt. Wombat return for some great 360views. The Strathbogies are a little-known gem!!
Highlands/ Yea, then back home from there.
Total ~600-700k's….about 170-190k's of dirt in that.
It sounded like fun to me so my hand went up along with a total of 6 others. As it turned out we were all riding V-Stroms with 3 Vees and 4 Wees in the final mix.
So here come the photos.
Leaving home with a clean bike and clean gear. That didn’t last long.
Fortunately people had arrived in Yarra Junction and stopped at the decent coffee place not the one with the ice cream umbrellas.
From the meet in Yarra Junction it was a quick trip through Noojee to Tanjil Bren then up to the summit of Mt Baw Baw. Just after Tanjil Bren there are two hairpins. My favourite is the second one.
Glitch
Marty
First refreshment stop at the summit, the site of the old access chair lift top station.
These days when bikers get together it’s no longer discussion about tyres or cornering technique its DSLR cameras and lenses.
So suitably refreshed it was back down the mountain then a left onto the new South Face Road, 26 km of spectacular views and wonderful gravel road.
From the end of the road it was a quick trip through Rawson, a stop at the lookout at Tyers, Glengarry, Toongabbie, and Glenmaggie before we hit the Licola Road which would have to rate as one of the best Victorian motorcycling roads. This is where I lost count of the corners.
Here is Adrian crossing the Wellington River into Licola.
Where we stopped for the traditional pie and sausage roll lunch and a refuel for the bikes.
After Licola the road to Jamieson is sealed for the first 13 km
Before it rises into the areas badly burnt in the 2006 bush fires and spends the next 81 km as dirt forestry roads.
There was one minor navigational indiscretion but eventually everybody regrouped.
Part of me says that this road would be a world beater if it were sealed. The other part says no way leave it for those who want to play!
Just so you know where we were.
And eventually we arrived at the top of Mt Skene
Goodie on her WTF.
Where Glitch decided to photograph flowers or something. I tell you biking isn’t what it used to be!
Jeremy
Of course after the summit it was down hill all the way into Jamieson.
Doug
BTW I highly recommend a Shoei Hornet DS and goggles for dusty hot conditions.
In Jamieson Marty discovered that his Strom had decided to run a constant loss oil system so suitable two part epoxy supplies and a couple of litres of oil were purchased at the Service Station to get him through to our overnight stop at Merrijig where repairs could be attempted.
While he was sweating in the hot sun trying to resolve the issue most of the rest of us were offering moral support from the shade of the very pleasant café down the road.
We arrived at our overnight stop at Merrijig at about 6.15 pm and I grabbed the shade of the tree knowing that there would be a nice covering of dew on the exposed bikes in the morning. My odometer was showing 479 km since home of which about 110 had been on dirt.
Marty taking a pre repair shot of his sump.
Showers and a change of clothes were the order of the moment then a repost to an outside table for dinner and a chat.
At this stage the conversation was not about bikes but whether HDR was a valid form of photography and the differences between various file formats.
But some things never change
Checking that Martys bike was comfortable for the night.
It was decided that Marty would be better to ride straight home on Sunday in case the expoxy let go. As it turned out he didn’t loose a drop of oil.
So the next morning it was off to the summit of Mt Buller. On the way I thought it best to check whether chains would be required.
At the summit.
Stroms on Bourke St (if you have skied Buller you will understand)
Stelvio Pass it isn’t but there are about half a dozen nice hairpins on the access road.
Regroup for coffee at the bottom.
Then it was off through Mansfield to Barjarg
And into the Strathbogie State Forest where there had been enough rain to make the dust merely bad.
After exiting the forest it was on through the little township of Strathbogie then more dirt road up to the Mt Wombat fire lookout tower to check the views.
You can just see Mt Skene (yesterdays high point) on the horizon half way between the two rocks in the foreground.
Another pie lunch in Strathbogie plus a cup of “the best coffee in town”.
After Strathbogie it was on through Ruffy and more outstanding dirt road
Before a final regroup near Highlands where Adrian was still thinking about the breakfast table conversation.
and the locals were bemused
and for a moment we thought this guy was going to park beside the bikes
and there is always a Ducati!
Then into Yea for some more fuel, final goodbyes and heading several directions to home.
I couldn’t resist one final dirt section so I headed up Old Coach Road and stopped for a last photo
before heading home for an appointment with some cleaning materials.
Total trip distance 781km and about 200km on dirt for a fabulous weekend.
More photos here. I will be adding extras over the next couple of days
There I was trying really hard to maintain an accurate corner count for the ride and half way through a series of beautiful S bends there was Marty pointing a camera at me from the grass on the outside apex and that was it the count was gone and we were not even at lunch on the first day of a two day ride. At that point I was already up to 97,735 corners so I suspect I was inaccurate anyway.
So, back to the beginning. A couple of weeks ago Glitch posted a proposed weekend ride on various forums with the following description.
A 2-day ride, overnight near Jamieson/ Mansfield.
I'll try to stitch some accom at the Merrijig Pub or some Caravan Park Cabins…
Sleeping bag etc. essential.
Day1:
Towards Mt. Baw Baw, 30k's dirt across to Erica, towards Moe…then east to Tyres-Heyfield-the rollercoaster to Licola and 90k's dirt across Mt. Skene to Jamieson/Howqua/Mansfield/Merrijig for the night.
Spectacular views from Mt. Skene
Day2:
For a warm-up …Mt. Buller return run (to top carpark ~5km dirt return), Mansfield, then a mix of good dirt and crappy single-lane asphalt across the spine of the Strathbogie Ranges, Mt. Wombat return for some great 360views. The Strathbogies are a little-known gem!!
Highlands/ Yea, then back home from there.
Total ~600-700k's….about 170-190k's of dirt in that.
It sounded like fun to me so my hand went up along with a total of 6 others. As it turned out we were all riding V-Stroms with 3 Vees and 4 Wees in the final mix.
So here come the photos.
Leaving home with a clean bike and clean gear. That didn’t last long.
Fortunately people had arrived in Yarra Junction and stopped at the decent coffee place not the one with the ice cream umbrellas.
From the meet in Yarra Junction it was a quick trip through Noojee to Tanjil Bren then up to the summit of Mt Baw Baw. Just after Tanjil Bren there are two hairpins. My favourite is the second one.
Glitch
Marty
First refreshment stop at the summit, the site of the old access chair lift top station.
These days when bikers get together it’s no longer discussion about tyres or cornering technique its DSLR cameras and lenses.
So suitably refreshed it was back down the mountain then a left onto the new South Face Road, 26 km of spectacular views and wonderful gravel road.
From the end of the road it was a quick trip through Rawson, a stop at the lookout at Tyers, Glengarry, Toongabbie, and Glenmaggie before we hit the Licola Road which would have to rate as one of the best Victorian motorcycling roads. This is where I lost count of the corners.
Here is Adrian crossing the Wellington River into Licola.
Where we stopped for the traditional pie and sausage roll lunch and a refuel for the bikes.
After Licola the road to Jamieson is sealed for the first 13 km
Before it rises into the areas badly burnt in the 2006 bush fires and spends the next 81 km as dirt forestry roads.
There was one minor navigational indiscretion but eventually everybody regrouped.
Part of me says that this road would be a world beater if it were sealed. The other part says no way leave it for those who want to play!
Just so you know where we were.
And eventually we arrived at the top of Mt Skene
Goodie on her WTF.
Where Glitch decided to photograph flowers or something. I tell you biking isn’t what it used to be!
Jeremy
Of course after the summit it was down hill all the way into Jamieson.
Doug
BTW I highly recommend a Shoei Hornet DS and goggles for dusty hot conditions.
In Jamieson Marty discovered that his Strom had decided to run a constant loss oil system so suitable two part epoxy supplies and a couple of litres of oil were purchased at the Service Station to get him through to our overnight stop at Merrijig where repairs could be attempted.
While he was sweating in the hot sun trying to resolve the issue most of the rest of us were offering moral support from the shade of the very pleasant café down the road.
We arrived at our overnight stop at Merrijig at about 6.15 pm and I grabbed the shade of the tree knowing that there would be a nice covering of dew on the exposed bikes in the morning. My odometer was showing 479 km since home of which about 110 had been on dirt.
Marty taking a pre repair shot of his sump.
Showers and a change of clothes were the order of the moment then a repost to an outside table for dinner and a chat.
At this stage the conversation was not about bikes but whether HDR was a valid form of photography and the differences between various file formats.
But some things never change
Checking that Martys bike was comfortable for the night.
It was decided that Marty would be better to ride straight home on Sunday in case the expoxy let go. As it turned out he didn’t loose a drop of oil.
So the next morning it was off to the summit of Mt Buller. On the way I thought it best to check whether chains would be required.
At the summit.
Stroms on Bourke St (if you have skied Buller you will understand)
Stelvio Pass it isn’t but there are about half a dozen nice hairpins on the access road.
Regroup for coffee at the bottom.
Then it was off through Mansfield to Barjarg
And into the Strathbogie State Forest where there had been enough rain to make the dust merely bad.
After exiting the forest it was on through the little township of Strathbogie then more dirt road up to the Mt Wombat fire lookout tower to check the views.
You can just see Mt Skene (yesterdays high point) on the horizon half way between the two rocks in the foreground.
Another pie lunch in Strathbogie plus a cup of “the best coffee in town”.
After Strathbogie it was on through Ruffy and more outstanding dirt road
Before a final regroup near Highlands where Adrian was still thinking about the breakfast table conversation.
and the locals were bemused
and for a moment we thought this guy was going to park beside the bikes
and there is always a Ducati!
Then into Yea for some more fuel, final goodbyes and heading several directions to home.
I couldn’t resist one final dirt section so I headed up Old Coach Road and stopped for a last photo
before heading home for an appointment with some cleaning materials.
Total trip distance 781km and about 200km on dirt for a fabulous weekend.
More photos here. I will be adding extras over the next couple of days
