Mt Baw Baw, Sunday 23^rd September 2001

Tim Walker, ZX7R (Leader)	Neville Maggs, VTR SP1
Craig Morley, YZF 750	Peter Van Meurs, TL 1000S
Lee O’Mahoney, GPZ500S	Dianne Welsford, CBR 600
Ray Walker, GSXR 600	Mark Knight, TZR 250
Ron Johnston, Bandit 1200	Rhys Williams, ZX9
Paul Tallents, CBR 900	Dave Hives, ZX9
Peter Weyermayr, GSXR 750 (2^ndride)	Liz Oliver, CBR 900 (2^nd ride)
Dave Skitt, TL1000S	Ken Wright, Aprila Mille 1000
Ian Payne, CBR 900	Ben Warden, CBR 929 RR
Trevor Harris, YZF 1000	Shane Rickett, YZF 600 (1^st)
21 Bikes, 21 People	Danny Vits, VFR 800 (Rear Rider)

What a day! It was wet when I got up and had to take Julie to Maroondah Hospital. Then I had to drop my son Daniel off at Spencer Street Station and return to pick Julie up from the hospital on my way home to Kilsyth, get changed and head out to Yarra Glen. Dianne and Paul Tallents were the only people there when I arrived. I thought “Not again!” After last week maybe the weather scared them off. It wasn’t long before others started to arrive. What a turnout! It was better than last week; hard to believe but here they were. You beauty! I thought.

Tim got everybody’s attention and explained where we were going for the day’s ride, and, for the benefit of the new riders, he explained the Corner Marking System. Danny Vits was nominated rear rider and I got to do the write up. Two weeks in a row.

We left the Glen and took the back road to Healesville, then Don Road to Launching Place and Yarra Junction. From Gladysdale it was full on. A fast pace was set from here to Noojee. Just out of Powelltown there was an AU Falcon parked in a ditch on the side of the road, obviously been going too fast and slid off the road instead of going around the corner. We arrived at Noojee for morning tea to find some other people on road bikes as well as a lot of locals on dirt bikes. A few of us fuelled up, and we got food from the shop.

Soon we were on our bikes again. Dianne stayed behind while the rest of us rode the 50 km to Mt Baw Baw. Again the pace was set and no time was wasted. Until today I hadn’t been past the turn off to Willowgrove, so the road was new to me. Not a bad road, plenty of twists and turns or peg-to-peg if you prefer. Tanjil Bren: not a lot there. Maybe in the winter when the snow is about it comes alive. More peg-to-peg riding on the way to the top. Passed a possum who was having a rest on the road. Passed a female cyclist going up the hill with support car not far behind Before I got to the top there was fine gravel on the road which made it a little bit slippery. Finally arrived at the top. What a view! Wind was blowing. Bikes would certainly cool down quickly. We stayed for about half an hour and then headed back down. Craig passed me not too far down and I gave chase and stuck with him all the way back to Noojee. What a ride! We will have to do that again.

Noojee Tool Shed for lunch. We all ordered and then had a long wait for the food, but when it arrived, it all came at once. Due to the delay and long wait for the food we decided to break up at Yarra Junction. Some riders left at Noojee.

Another good day was had by all. No incidents. Damp and wet roads as well as wind and a little bit of rain. Thanks to Tim for leading the ride, Danny and Dianne for rear riding duties.

Ron Johnston, Suzuki 1200 Bandit.