Goin' Troppo teaser

glitch

Mapping the next ride...
Staff member
Just a little "teaser" read, finished punching in a few moments ago....pics to follow



Day 4 Lismore-Tenterfield

As “all that shit” DOES fit back into the packs by now, the next morning barely dawns and everyone is out and about, packing up, plunger-coffee by the liter… the awkward-to-stow electric kettle is proving a popular item. More clean-washed skies promising another great day, it’s out of Lismore (after the “guided city tour” :oops: due to the lack of signs pointing towards the little backroads chosen) and into the rolling, green hills.

Not far out of town and the head of the group is by itself…bummer, something must be wrong at the tail. A quick flurry of calls…the Guzzi has a jammed rear brake after last night’s adjustment in fading daylight :oops: …. a quick fix and we’re off again, direction Nimbin.

The turnoff to The Channon presents a real delight: Single lane twisties, steep drops and climbs, tropical farm country, short but sweet. Hold it…there’s MORE of it, incl. a short dirt bit through dense and dark rainforest above Nimbin, what a find !! :D :D

Nimbin does its reputation justice…within minutes there are all sorts of “goods” on offer. The slowly cruising cop-car somehow seems…ahem…better draw you own conclusion.
It’s fun poking the nose into various places, exchange impressions over a “non-laced” cuppa, then leave town for more delicious backroad twisties, single-lane timber-bridges and wild & wacky ups and downs spiced with a million rough and bumpy tar-patches north to the Kyogle Rd. intersection….for more of the same.

This ain’t easy cruising…but 120% concentration is needed if anywhere around the speed limit….Christ, it’s bumpy…but boy, it’s fun !! :) :) Mt. Warning pokes it’s pointy tip into the blue skies, plenty of blind corners, some laced with gravel, steep embankments either way starting right at the road’s edge, huge dips, mid-corner-“bathtubs” that make the bike step out a foot or more coming out of full suspension-compression while cranked over, the odd bit of livestock wandering about…this is the brim-full bucket of backroads touring…. yeeeeha ! :D :D

A battered, old sign pointing right 20km north of Kyogle: The Lions Rd.
Build by the local Lions club a long time ago it was expected to bring more commerce to Kyogle…no idea if it worked , but it’s 40k++ of single-lane, kidney-shakin’ bumper, following the railway up and into the South-QLD escarpment via it’s unique railway-loop (tracks looping through a hill to gain elevation).

Another one of those standout highlights, it’s a corker of a ride. :shock: :D
Rough, tricky and very, very demanding. The lookout over the rail-loop about 30km up is a welcome break, but don’t think the show is over…oh no, more to come.
Carve a blind leftie with a single-lane timber-bridge at it’s apex…which is also the lowest part of a steep dip, the deck of the bridge is at 45 deg. angles, too…bump out the other side, lucky to hold it all together…. crank it into the blind righthander…and there’s a Milka-cow only 10m away, blocking 80% of the road’s width.
And so it goes on and on..and on. Brilliant stuff. The burgers at the Rathdowny store taste like Filet Mignon.

After the quick-dip into Qld, its back south via the Mt. Lindsay Hwy, part of it is superb scratching, the other part into Woodenbong rather like the high-speed version of the Lions Rd….yet another 40km of 2-wheel heaven. This is simply stumping riding-country around here. :!: :!:

South to Urbenville and Bonalbo, the roads open up, the sweepers are sweet, still bumpy, but sweet. Then the cut across to Tabulam on the Bruxner Hwy.
The pace at the front is…ahem…advanced. The town is in sight, straight-ahead and below. Crossing so many cattlegrids, nobody remembers if we’re in-or-outside a grazing-zone, as long as the grid is taken at dead-right angles, the steam stays on.
(some of the grids are spaced so widely, the running gear of a Mini Cooper would just drop through). There are no roadmarkings, no lines, no posts, no fences…a bare, grassy hilltop with a descending, straightline-into-town row of powerlines.
The grass starts at the edge of the tar. Flying over the top of the crest, everything looks cool, town in sight 2k’s off.
The lefthander comes from nowhere…sweating blood and water as the bike ties itself into knots at maximum possible brakes and max.lean all at once, bucking, chattering…the mirror reveals Marty in the same predicament (eyes like dunny-seats behind that tinted visor, I’m sure) behind him Garry catching up fast, still under full sail….the buckling legs of the Peg as the anchors go on…

Wouldn’t THAT be a story….a whole bunch of bikes and riders, hanging on for grim death while on their various scattered lines down a grassy paddock at a 100kph…oh shite. :lol: :lol: Somehow everyone makes it through…

It’s a sheepish, but relieved first moment after the helmets come off, then the laughter ripples through Tabulam…. None of us really want to walk around; there just might be something squishy in those leathers…
The sun still pelts down as we cross the rickety single-lane trestle bridge out of town, up the Bruxner Hwy to Tenterfield for the night.

Sweet sweepers through rolling hills make for more great riding, the first time today there is a smooth deck below…sort of, anyway.
Straight into the sinking sun, a huge fireball by now, the afternoon is getting on and turns steel-gray as the sun vanishes just as we reach Tenterfield. It got pretty nippy over the last hour and Sash on the Guzzi and Tailie Karel are missing.

Marty steams off on a rescue-mission as the call comes in that they’re ok, the Guzzi has lost a nut that holds the gear-lever-linkage together, they’ve cable-tied it up and are on their way.
Part of the group shoots off to make quarters and start setting up tents. Just on dark, the missing 2 and Marty pull up…it’s all good…we’ll fix it properly tomorrow.

What a day !!! What a ride !!!
It became the measuring-stick for the days to come, or rather….for the rest of the trip.
The chicken & chips at the café next to the servo couldn’t dampen the spirits, despite being the shittiest tucker of the whole 2 weeks. Nobody gave a rats….
Down and out by 9.
 

farawayman

Long Timer
glitch said:
Just a little "teaser" read, finished punching in a few moments ago....pics to follow

The lefthander comes from nowhere…sweating blood and water as the bike ties itself into knots at maximum possible brakes and max.lean all at once, bucking, chattering…the mirror reveals Marty in the same predicament (eyes like dunny-seats behind that tinted visor, I’m sure) behind him Garry catching up fast, still under full sail….the buckling legs of the Peg as the anchors go on…

Wouldn’t THAT be a story….a whole bunch of bikes and riders, hanging on for grim death while on their various scattered lines down a grassy paddock at a 100kph…oh shite. :lol: :lol: Somehow everyone makes it through…

It’s a sheepish, but relieved first moment after the helmets come off, then the laughter ripples through Tabulam…. None of us really want to walk around; there just might be something squishy in those leathers…
The sun still pelts down as we cross the rickety single-lane trestle bridge out of town, up the Bruxner Hwy to Tenterfield for the night.
:shock: :shock: :shock:

Ripper it’s started. :D

Looks like I got broadband connected just in time. Bring those pictures on.

Sounds like you had more than crusty jocks to wash out when you got home Glitch

Well written as always to mate.

Now just give me a minuet, :idea: I got some corn to pop.
 

glitch

Mapping the next ride...
Staff member
farawayman said:
Ripper it’s started. :D

Looks like I got broadband connected just in time. Bring those pictures on.

Sounds like you had more than crusty jocks to wash out when you got home Glitch

Well written as always to mate.

Now just give me a minuet, :idea: I got some corn to pop.

You're in the "fast lane" now !! :D :D Great.
Beep beep .....popcorn's done!!
Waiting to get everyone pics, there's some great shots in that bundle.
Ta for the flowers, too :)
It was one of the top of the crop, that day4.
 

glitch

Mapping the next ride...
Staff member
matt232 said:
Still waiting for the rest of my vicarious tour....... :p

Yeah, yeah :p ...I'm working on it. :D
Needed the W/E to clean and service the bikes, got a bit more done on the project bike.
Still haven't got all pics but I'll run with what I've got if no more comes in by tomorrow.
 
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