The weather had been dodgy, but we were determined to do our Mini Turismo, set for the March long-weekend in Victoria. Long hours of preparation were put in, including the manufacture of another header tank for the 998 see separate thread in Superbikes Another Header Tank Story only to find that the Big Red bike needed a new battery at 4.30pm on Friday afternoon and we are normally so organised! Problem Child!
We were due to depart on the Saturday morning at 7.30am to meet another 44 Ducatisti for a fun weekend in the hills. Meeting point Beechworth Bakery in Healesville, about an hour and half from our home! I don't do early mornings very well, consequently when a friend came to meet us for the ride out to Healesville our garage door was still down, so he rode off! Am embarrassing chase ensued, as I thought he was going without us. Hopefully, none of the neighbours were up to see me sprinting down the road clad only in my Skins!!
Fortunately, our friend returned and we rode out to the meeting point. Despite the presence of a GPS (on husband's bike), I still had to perform one unnecesary U-turn! I hate it when he makes me do that!!
Coffee, chat, the obligatory group photo and the decision! Who would do Route A and who would do Route B? Huh??? Route B was longer and more devious involving a recently sealed twisty turny tight piece of road. I had just read reports on the road conditions and they were not favourable, so Group A (us) headed for Route A, being the less devious route. We would explore this piece of road on our return journey, it seemed a big green with the recently sealed sections sporting a fair amount of fine gravel. The older sections had the kind of surface that is hard to read, spray pave which was peeling. I think travelling it from the other direction would have been easier due to the road camber.
Group B left and Group A readied themselves for departure. The saying "easier to herd cats" applied. Our friend moved his bike, so another rider could access his., the other rider moved his bike too and before we knew it two bikes were on the ground and some roadside mechanical fixes then had to be effected, namely panel beating a clutch cover.
We were finally on our way. First stop Yea, then Mansfield for fuel, then the Whitfield Road. Just as Group A were readying ourselves for departure, a white four wheel drive pulled up. The driver told me to tell everyone to avoid the Whitfield Road as it was a bit of a mess, 74mm of rain in half an hour (the previous night) had made the road a bit messy (large amounts of leaf litter, bark and gravel were mentioned) and four bikes were down and the police and ambulances were still clearing up. Bugger! We went to find the rest of Group B, who were in another service station (the cat herding thing again)! The net result was that we decided that enough time had been spent, so off to do the Whitfield Road at a perhaps more sedate place than usual. Both groups made it to the winery for lunch unscathed, the road was not as bad as we had been led to believe, although there was a great deal of diesel all over the line and by the smell of it, reasonably fresh! The outcome of the accident is still unknown and I hope everyone involved is okay, we did have to pass one policeman who cautioned us to avoid the chalk marks he had carefully made on the road surface.
Lunch (at a lovely winery in the King Valley, although we only drank water) over and and the combined Group's rode to Myrtleford for fuel and another decision. Group A elected to do Harrietville to Hotham and Group B elected to explore a slightly longer route, although Group A would have some different people for this leg of our journey. Off we went – the accompanying video's show the view from my Husband's bike as he negotiates Mt Hotham to Dinner Plain. Hope you enjoy and Yes, he is wearing a fluoro vest (as Ride leader) and he hated wearing it! It would have been hard to get lost though, all we had to do was keep to the right of the Orange Poles and we were not supposed to go past him!
Cool! Looks like you'll had a good ride. Those roads look pretty decent to ride on, and not a lot of traffic to hold you up. Nice camera's on the 1098 too.
What about that group photo?
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Will
08 Silver GT1000
81 GL500I (pterodactyl)
Last edited by redbcgraygt; Mar 22nd, 2011 at 4:35 pm.
Reason: forgot to ask about the group photo
Cool! Looks like you'll had a good ride. Those roads look pretty decent to ride on, and not a lot of traffic to hold you up. Nice camera's on the 1098 too.
What about that group photo?
Thanks, they are not bad, the roads that is - visibility can be an issue (low cloud and fog), it was on the return journey - down to 20 feet or thereabouts - love creeping up to an advisory sign that says 25kmh but not being able to see where the corner is, or where it goes and there are quite sheer drop-offs in places. Traffic wasn't too bad, occasionally there are big trucks that use that road, I met a Semi with a Cattle trailer on the trip home, he wanted a great deal of the road!
I quite enjoyed watching the video, I get to see the scenery, normally I am too busy watching the road!
Group photo, sorry husband didn't take it, so don't have it.
Stunningly beautiful area for sure. My good wife and I bought a great block of land just over the hill from Dinner Plain at Bright last year and intend to move there within the next 12 months and build our new chateau. I ride a lot of roads on the eastern side of the country. Around Bright, Hotham for say 500km in any direction the roads are just the best and you are absolutely spoilt for choice of where to ride. Yep, thats the reason we bought there (lifestyle choice). Also there are great coffee shops and restaurants in Bright too (essential for Ducatisti)! For sure it will make a change from Rocky <sigh> not a lot of great corners around here. Not just great bitumen roads around Bright but also great dirt riding too. We cannot wait!!
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Shane
2003 Ducati 999 (Deimos)
2005 Ducati 749 Dark (Phobos)
2005 Cagiva X-Raptor 1000 (Rex)
2006 Cagiva Raptor 650 (Gina)
2001 BMW K1200LT (Merlot)
1999 Husqvarna TE 610E (Harry)
Cannot bring myself to sell any of them, Love'm all!!
LIFE IS JUST GREAT - LIVE IT !!! - YOU DO ONLY GET ONE GO AT IT!!
Stunningly beautiful area for sure. My good wife and I bought a great block of land just over the hill from Dinner Plain at Bright last year and intend to move there within the next 12 months and build our new chateau. I ride a lot of roads on the eastern side of the country. Around Bright, Hotham for say 500km in any direction the roads are just the best and you are absolutely spoilt for choice of where to ride. Yep, thats the reason we bought there (lifestyle choice). Also there are great coffee shops and restaurants in Bright too (essential for Ducatisti)! For sure it will make a change from Rocky <sigh> not a lot of great corners around here. Not just great bitumen roads around Bright but also great dirt riding too. We cannot wait!!
Fantastic!! How exciting for you both - Bright is beautiful and as you say the roads are fantastic and the restaurants and coffee shops are pretty good too (as you have already gathered! Will hope to see some more of you when you make the move!!
Only one small problem from my point of view, too damn cold in the winter, otherwise would be perfect!
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Looks like you'll had a good ride. Those roads look pretty decent to ride on, and not a lot of traffic to hold you up. Nice camera's on the 1098 too.
- Bright is beautiful and as you say the roads are fantastic and the restaurants and coffee shops are pretty good too (as you have already gathered! Will hope to see some more of you when you make the move!!
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