Ben Warden ZXR750 Ron Johnston CB750 (Rear) Di Welsford CBR600

Geoff Jones ZZR600 Darryn Webster TL1000R Paul Tallents YZF600 Jack Yourdan VFR800 Rhys Williams ZX7R Dave Ward 748

Geoff Barton R1100GS Mike Bosworth ZX9R Nick Prapas 996

Mark Blashki GSXR600 Derek Atkinson FZR1000 Tim Walker ZX7R

Neil Edwards CBR900R Bronwyn Manifold RGV250 Rob Langer VFR750 Mick Hanlon YZF600 Tony Prictor TL1000S Kristen VTR1000

Another ride day starts with the chore of pumping up the front tyre. One hundred pumps to achieve 48psi! That should see the day out. The second hand Dunlop 207GP has small leaks all around the rim and loses about 2 psi per hour. If you spray it with water and listen carefully you can even hear the air fizzing out.

I headed up Springvale Road towards Warrandyte, estimating that the KBCP mob would be coming through soon, and waited for them at the Eastern Freeway exit. After a couple of minutes Darryn shot past and a few minutes later Ben and three other bikes did likewise. I quickly put my helmet back on and took off after them.

I’ve often wondered if the Pigeon Bank Lane turn-off after Warrandyte was really a shortcut or just a fun, time wasting diversion, so I took this opportunity to find out. With Ben going straight ahead toward Kangaroo Ground I turned right down Pigeon Bank Lane and enjoyed ripping down and up the roller coaster and through the tight twisties before coming out on the Christmas Hills road. No sign of the others so I continued on. After a few minutes I got caught behind some slow moving traffic and soon saw Ben’s headlight in my mirrors. It is a shortcut.

At Yarra Glen there was a big turn out waiting as should be expected at this time of year with a good weather forecast. There were no first timers, so Ben just gave us a run-down on where we were going and the distances between fuel stops.

Heading north out of Yarra Glen we took the back road to Healesville, the normal roads through to Launching Place, Yarra Junction and onto Powelltown. Out of Powelltown the twisties were in pretty poor shape with a fair bit of gravel and bark around. Before Noojee we turned off toward Neerim South and on to Warragul for morning tea.

Tony and Kristen were waiting in town, but the Ducatis had gone ‘missing’. Rumour had it that they had had a close encounter with a vehicle with a blue light on the Noojee road. A few others also departed here, but after the break there were still 16 of us to continue on to Mirboo North. South toward Korumburra, but taking the Arawata turn off and a section of dirt road, and then onto Dumbalk. Up through Limonite, Boolarra and into Mirboo North. Ben explained the route to me afterwards, but at the time I didn’t have a clue. When Ben leads us into Mirboo North I always try to guess the direction that we will come in from and I was wrong once more.

We stopped at the bakery for lunch. The service at this joint must be slowest in Victoria but I suppose it goes with the nature of the town. To make matters worse the fridge was bare, containing only two soft drinks and plain milk. Jack must have been slow off the mark as he was later seen drinking a one litre container of milk.

On with the ride again and we do a big loop, through Hallston, almost into Leongatha, and back to Mirboo North, before heading back to Warragul and onto Yarra Junction for the break-up. I discover that my front tyre’s down to 16psi. I’m going on Theo’s Hotham ride in two weeks just to wear the bloody thing out!

Another memorable day. Distance covered: - 420 km.