Around 5 pm, bloody hot and we, the nine remaining riders sit in the shade of the Pakenham shops and consume another round of water, stripped off to escape the heat that safety gear and sensible motorcycle clothing seems to hold when stopped. Ben informs me about 530 k have been covered and, as I contemplate another 100k to home, someone notices a mark on the ZXR750's frame that might have been a piece of wet tar that we had been troubled with during the ride. Not so as the mark is inspected more closely and low and behold the unbreakable Kwaka (I have seen some of the breaking attempts) sports a 12 cm crack in the main frame on the left side. Wrecking becomes

Ben's option as he contemplates a new bike, leaving the Kawasaki fold for a Honda Fire Blade, 2001 model.

Earlier this day we had gathered at Yarra Glen to partake in that special motorcycle religious experience: Gippsland, on a day when no rain was a dead cert and those stock crossings that dot the roads would be dry, and sweepers could be enjoyed knowing that grip could be trusted to be the same all the way round. Well that's the theory anyway.

At the Yarra Glen ride start were:

Rhys Williams ZX7 (rear rider, 1st third) Collin Daytona 1200

Geoff Jones ZZR600 (rear rider, 2nd third) Dianne Welsford CBR600

Greg Hales TLS1000 Ron Johnston CB750

Ray Walker GSXR750 Tim Dahlgren TLR1000

Mr. Jones VTR1000 Dave Hives ZX9

Ben Warden ZXR750 (leader)

and picking up the ride at Healesville, Geoff Barton R1100GS and daughter Mandy on Geoff's classic mid 90's CB750 (her own modern CB750 having been dropped off a truck from Queensland at the unloading dock). Jack Youdan joined at Drouin and did the last third as rear rider.

Off we head to first stop (scheduled) at Drouin via Healesville, Yarra Junction, the blast through to Piedmont and the turn south going via Jindivick and Brandy Creek. On this leg some article padding goings-on were reported. While I sat in my own personal sauna on a corner before Jindivick, things were happening on the Powelltown road.

I had noticed Dianne pull up, and, as I now have access to her email, here is her account of the Barton stunt team action. Dianne had been stung by an insect unknown and was making sure that the stinger was not still sharing her jacket when Collin pulled up to check her condition. Then Rhys, rear rider, stopped to be told by Di to go ahead, as, and I quote "I'm not really great on those tight roads." Not having a loan of us are you Di? A few corners on and Rhys and Dianne come upon Mandy who has had a bit of an off and is OK but the Honda has some cosmetic problems and a fuel leak.

Dianne went on to the Piedmont intersection were Geoff Barton had pulled up to wait for Mandy and then came back to the crash scene, leaving the other riders to wait for Rhys By the time Dianne and Geoff got back to the Honda it was about ready to go, Rhys at work. Geoff sorted the fuel leak, Dianne did the chat thing with Mandy who had been spooked by some gravel in the corners and had got into this particular corner a touch hot and had run wide. Geoff and Mandy caught up at Drouin but left the ride, thinking up some likely story for Mandy's mum.

While this was going on the ride had stopped at Jindivick as Ben had run out of corner markers. The wait , in the hot sun, was about 40 minutes. As the more impatient among us, unwilling to take off our gear in case the ride startst o flow again, mount up and head back to sus the reason for the delay. Total weight loss overall would put Jenny Craig to shame I'm sure.

Dianne had left the ride after seeing Mandy right and "…cooked some lovely chicken and potato salad in a cool air-conditioned house, then visited Dave and Bron, then Rob and Mandy." Our 40 minute wait was in temperatures by now in the mid 30's. Moral: make sure the message of delay time gets to the lead rider. Or otherwise we will all be "trim, taught and terrific" while still enjoying pies and big M's. Anyhow after a quick regroup at Jindivick we headed to Drouin via a small "geographic embarrassment" on some unmapped roads north east of the town.

Rear rider duties for me from here to Mirboo North, through Lardner, Tetoora Road, Ranceby and Arawata to that nasty bit of gravel through Fairbank which has been topped off with, what feels like, boulders, and, as Jack found out, oncoming milk tankers. On to the Strezelecki Highway for a short while and then onto the Mardan road to Boolara and Mirboo North. The roads here were showing signs of tar that was melting with the heat which added some excitement as some slips and slides were noted as tyres found the unstable sections. Tim pulled up at one stage, checking for deflation as the TLR moved around on the melted surface.

Safely into the shade of the bakery and lunch taken, water consumption high, talk of many things as we do, with Rhys deciding not to go into motorcycle exhaust manufacture, I think. Dave and the other Mr. Jones left to enjoy the brewery while the remaining nine riders headed for Pakenham via the Hallston loop, then the magic sweepers on the road through Thorpdale to the highway at Trafalgar. More water and fuel. Then along the highway to Yarragon to pick up the Hazeldean road through Ellinbank where we have another small "geographic hic-up" and indulge in some U turning of the exciting kind, as I found out, coming over a crest to find Rhys in the middle of his U turn. Lock up the rear wheel in panic. Not a good look, but Rhys sees me and stops as I hurtle past.

Regroup back in Drouin and then on to the finish at Packenham, and the frame incident. Ben had mentioned a strange noise during the day but it was thought to be the normal noises Ray's GSXR makes and so ignored by Ben. Ray now has a different set of flat-slides fitted to the Suzi and seems happy with the result. It seems Priya sacrificed his GSXR to fix Ray's carburettor problems.

Break up here and all head off except Greg, who never seems to know where he is and needs to be told which way is home. Turn left and go with the flow son. Thanks to Ben for another dose of that old time Gippsland religion, the only way to spend Sunday. Well maybe. Even with the temp gauge in the red.

Thanks to Rhys, Jack and Geoff for rear riding. Also the Bartons without whom this write up would have been much harder. Hope to see you back again Mandy, maybe on your Dad's new ZX7. He owes you one.

Priya Munasinghe’s new GSXR600 was involved in a head on collision with a Hayabusa on the Reefton Spur. Both bikes were written off. Both riders escaped with comparitively minor injuries, the other rider sustaining broken fingers and a collar bone. We hope to see Priya back soon with a new bike. I hear he now does pretty good mono's!

Dave Ward was contemplating either upgrading his Ducati 748SPS with a big bore kit and suspension mods or trading up to a new Ducati 748R. His bike was for sale at Bike Barn and has been sold. It will be a three month delay before the new high spec 748s hit our shores. In the interim he will make do with his track R1 and Bronwyn's hotted up RGV 250. What suffering!