Ray Walker (GSXR750) - Leader Ian Payne (CBR900) —r ear rider City to Anglesea
Greg Hales (TL1000R) Dianne Welsford (CBR600)

Jeff Hornby (ZX6) Danny Kosinski (VFR750….so I’m told!)

Ric Bribbin (ZZR250) Bruce Saville (VFR800)

Ben Warden (ZXR750) Veli Ozbaki (VFR400)

Mick Bosworth (ZX9) Andrew Napier (CBR1100XX)

Eric Lenser (R6) Geoff Jones (ZZR600) —Rear rider extraordinaire!

Shane Ingram (R6) 15 bikes, 15 people

Westgate to Anglesea: Well it must have been a good forecast to get me out of bed before 10am on a Sunday! Actually the prospect of 29 degrees and the gorgeous Great Ocean Road lured me out and I figured caffeine could carry me through the rest of the day! Must admit I had a fun ride on the Saturday too and was looking forward to squeezing more fun into my weekend.

Rolling up at the Westgate Servo I was met with the sight of a mass of bikes, predominantly BMW’s. Now I know I’ve been a pretty slack Club member this year but I gathered the Club hadn’t changed THAT much! It seems there were a couple of other clubs that had chosen the same starting point & time. We were hoping they’d leave long enough before us so our riders didn’t become confused with the different corner-markers. [Ben’s now advised me there were 75 bikes at the servo as he counted them, as you do!]

By the time we left we had a fair turn-out ourselves, and Ben [as Ray was too worried if he led us the back way we would end up at his Nan’s house] led us down the exciting (cough cough!) Geelong Road, off at the Little River exit, and along the back roads through Lara and goodness knows where else. I never know where I am out that way, but you get the gist! We did however lose Veli who missed the turn off Geelong Road. Ian chased him but saw him going over another bridge and had to give up and try to find the ride again. At some stage we turned south and ended up in Anglesea for a morning break, where Veli also finally found us. It was here that Ian discovered he’d left his wallet (also containing sunnies, notebook etc) somewhere at the Westgate servo. Most likely scenario is it was left on his bike seat so could have ended up anywhere. After phone calls to the inbound & outband Shell servos & KFC provided no good news, Ian decided to go back and have a look around himself. Unfortunately, last I heard, it still hadn’t shown up.

Anglesea to Lavers Hill: With petrol tanks filled in Anglesea, Geoff graciously became our new rear rider, Ray become our leader, and off we headed for the best road in the State. After quickly overtaking the ZZR250 as I didn’t feel safe sitting behind a bike with its mudguard tied onto its back seat, I settled in behind one of the TL’s. Not sure who; it’s amazing how many people you don’t know when you don’t attend a ride for a while. Mick showed up and overtook, so I thought I’d see how long I could follow him. Turned out he was going just the pace I wanted to. I couldn’t have passed him if I tried but I was able to keep up without my heart in my mouth. I was having FUN!

With a quick stop in Apollo Bay for a regroup, (Ray, do we dob you in here for using the Ladies!), we headed off to Lavers Hill. I’m sure they must have resurfaced some of this road since I last came along it. It was superb. In fact I was pretty impressed with a lot of sections of the GO Road which I’m sure they’ve fixed since I went there last, so long ago….especially the section coming into Apollo Bay which now resembles a racetrack…oops, did I say that, to any prospective members out there…I really meant is a really beautiful, smooth, sweeping bit of road! We were also warned by considerate drivers well in advance of a speed camera in Apollo Bay, which, very cheekily, sat a little further along than usual…(not that I ever break a speed limit though!)

Anyway, back to Lavers Hill. We formed a slow queue for petrol here at a wonderful $1.07 or something like that per drop…well maybe per litre! Same diff….damned expensive anyway, but hey, who’s going to go to the next servo!

Lavers Hill to Lorne: Well I don’t know whether lunch slowed me down or sped the guys up, but just before the Otways the group behind me took off. I decided to just ride through the forest at my own speed, UNTIL the fog became mist became soup etc…..and with a tinted visor that won’t stay up, I was going nowhere fast! 2 visor-cleaning stops later I roll into Apollo Bay with a better knowledge of what the white lines look like close up! I was a bit surprised to catch up to the others but was told later they had to also stop. It’s amazing how bad the weather was down there considering how warm it was inland and back in town.

I followed Ben until we caught up to Mick & I think it may have been Eric, but then Ben exceeded my abilities and I found myself riding with Mick again. As we passed Eric talking to a few cops I wondered if he had been a little unlucky. Thankfully found out later it was just a breathalyser test.

In Lorne most of us filled up with petrol, but not all! Just those who weren’t to run out of petrol later! We rode through town, passing the sobering sight of a rider being put into an ambulance. As terrible as that was for the poor rider I was glad it was no-one on our ride. We turned left at the Dean’s Marsh road….except for Veli who again missed the corner-markers. Geoff rounded him up this time.

Lorne to Moriac: I normally love the Dean’s Marsh Road but the first bit was spoiled for me by damp roads (on which I’m a bit paranoid) and a red Commodore (bugger!). But when I finally passed him I had a ball again. We stopped to regroup & drink at Dean’s Marsh then headed off to Moriac.

On riding along these pretty open roads I remembered the fun I had on Dave P’s 748SP one time and thought I’d love to see how the ZX9 felt on these roads. I tucked away the thought of asking Mick for a ride later. Our next stop was Moriac, which just had a servo in the right place as Ray ran out of fuel within "coasting" range of the little milk bar/servo….shame shame shame leader!! (I’m told we’d done 170 km since Lavers Hill….maybe you need a CBR600 Ray!!!)

As it turned out Mick begged me to ride the CBR600 at the next stop…kidding!…I asked Mick and he obliged, which I have to say displayed a lot of trust. It must be easier for me to trust a guy who rides a ZX9 to ride my 600, than him to trust his ZX9 to a girl who rides a 600….so thanks Mick, really appreciate it. I had a ball (especially when I was doing 250 on the back wheel!!!). I have to admit I’d prefer this bike any day on the open roads, but I think I’d have my work cut out for me on the twisty roads. (AND on any slopes where I have to put my left foot down!) It just left my bike for dead on the open roads.

Moriac to Westgate Servo: Well, thinking this was going to be a short write-up (something I’m not capable of!), things started really happening on the way home! First the ZZR250 pulled over with problems. I wasn’t sure at the time what was wrong….then Jeff Hornby pulled over as the reservoir for his shock absorber had come off resulting in unwanted oil on the back tyre. Ben stopped to provide cable ties to tie out of the way the remaining tube, and waved me on. Then as I was corner-marking in Lara I heard a very sick sounding ZZR250 ride past me just before its con rod went through the sump as he took the roundabout, causing it to basically cark it amongst a heap of smoke! (excuse the mechanical jargon but I have no idea of anything under the fairing!). [Since first writing this article I’ve been informed the big end bearing is now sitting on Ben’s desk and Ric has had a new engine fitted and will be back!] Again Ben came to the rescue. Ric called his father in Bacchus Marsh to come and retrieve him with the ute. While this was happening Ben told me (as I had become new rear rider here as Geoff had turned off home) to continue the ride and round them all up.

There was one more problem to happen: Eric apparently ran out of fuel just before the Westgate! He rolled the bike off the road and got petrol and a bit more of an idea as to his fuel range I think. He met us at the servo with tales of his saga.

We finished our ride at 5.50pm at the Westgate servo with 506km done for the day from Westgate to Westgate. I rode back to Mooroolbark with Jeff and basically collapsed on my bed when I got home! The ride from the City to Mooroolbark seemed to take forever, and the traffic was absolutely atrocious. But anyway, I think I speak for everyone when I say it was a fantastic day (except for maybe the ZZR250; could be a VERY expensive day for him, but he was having a blast until that point). Thanks Ray for leading, thanks Ian & Geoff for your rear rider duties, thanks Ben for helping Jeff & Ric. Thanks Mick for the ride, and Danny, as promised I’ll mention that your bike was one of the ones to return to the City with all the parts it started with! (I was going to say complete but didn’t think that was appropriate!).

p.s.— as I mentioned in an earlier magazine my cousin was in the Blue Team in Dream Home. I had better follow up and mention they did win the house. So thanks to anyone who voted for them. It will make a huge difference to their future; they are absolutely over the moon).

Ron Johnston CB 750 (leader) Jeff Hornby ZX6

Danny Kozinski VFR 750 Ian Payne CBR 900 (rear rider)

Sunday morning wasn,t looking too bad. Some concern that the last couple of days it had been raining, but the weather was okay. Got myself organised and a quick check over the bike before I headed of to Hallam. Arrived in good time, fuelled up the bike and waited to see who turned up. First, Ian Payne arrived followed by Jeff Hornby and Danny Kosinski. We stood around and had gas bag as usual while waiting for others to turn up, but nobody else did, so I said we wont worry about the corner marking spiel as we all know what to do.

We turned left onto the Princes Fwy and headed through Officer and Pakenham and turned left into Toomuc Valley Rd and followed through to Beaconsfield Upper, then right turn onto Beaconsfield-Emerald Rd to Emerald. This is a good road for a bit of low flying with good corners. Paternoster and Bailey Rd to Cockatoo, left again to the Belgrave Gembrook Rd, Emerald. Then right into Macclesfield Rd. This road is tight and twisty with not much room to move as it is, worse when cars are on the road. Left into Swales-Macclesfield-Old Emerald Rd to Monbulk. We stopped there for lunch.

We stayed there for an hour and a half and decided we would break up there and go our own way. I spoke to Jeff about the Tank Museum and he said he hadn’t been before so I said follow me .When we arrived there were already a few people there. Once inside we had to pay $8.00 . For those who haven’t been it’s worth going and having a look. For example… a white half-track personnel carrier, a Bren Gun carrier, amphibious vehicles: Ford 4x4 and a GMC 6x6 Duck, landing craft, a large selection of tanks, wreckers (tow trucks) there were a few. The biggest one there is a Mack 6x6. There is a huge tank without a turret, but has got a boom and winch to recover other tanks. Also a German semi-track amoured personal carrier. There is a lot to see and is well worth visiting. Take the kids. The best thing of all is that you can get in and have a look and see and feel what it must have been like.