Bombala Friday 14^th – Sunday 16^th September, 2001

When I was in nappies, about five decades ago, Bombala was a mystical place my Pop used to travel to for a week at a time. He worked for Ampol and carried fuel in 200 litre drums, called 44's back then, on a `34 Ford truck with a flat head V8. Roads would have been dirt and the trek would have been an epic I'm sure. Holidays for my family, when our kids were small, were based at Merimbula, doing the camping thing. Candelo was a side trip when beach weather turned cold. We never ventured to Bombala, "Are we there yet" the catch cry from the rear seat.

The Club web site brings up a long weekend trip mid September. As I’m in the throes of trading the ZZR600 on something newer, a `98 R1 as it happens, a chance to try the new toy in demanding company on demanding roads appealed. I took a punt on the bike being okay. Buying second hand sometimes has some surprises. In the deep end I plunged with only a short, wet Club ride to get a feel for the R1. A change of oil and filter, pack a bit of gear and meet the others at Hallam 3 pm. The others were Ben, injected Blade, Ian carby Blade and Rhys ZX9R.

We headed for Bairnesdale as per the route Ian describes above, a good ride in itself. Tea was above average pub tucker. But even a bottle of red couldn’t prevent a fitful sleep due to two smoke detectors that needed a battery change and beeped all night. (Ben resorted to ear-plugs.) Breakfast was not served at the pub so Orbost via the improved road from Bruthen to Nowa Nowa for a country style feed. Too early for the boys in blue.

The top gear pull of a litre bike meant the left foot was becoming obsolete. The R1 was using about the same amount of fuel as Ben's Blade but always more than the ZX9R and 919 Blade. Ground covering rate judged as "respectable" as we came to Cann River, fuelled up and headed north on the Cann Valley Highway which becomes the Monaro Highway at the NSW border. Open flowing sort of corners and no sign of being dropped off the group, yet.

Things changed as we turned right at Rockton Junction onto the Imlay Road. Tighter corners and I was not able/willing to push the front as much as the others and so was content to trundle along in the rear. Sixty kilometers of this corner feast and we reach Highway One south of Kiah were we take a break. I should have topped up here as future events proved.

Onwards through Eden to turn left on the Bombala road just south of Pambula and more twisties through Wyndham and Cathcart. Before Wyndham some fast approaching bike lights were noted in my mirrors and soon I was pounced on by another R1, black paint job, 10 year old pillion passenger, in company with a Yamaha Thunderace, on a mission. The others in our group responded in typical MSTCV fashion and so the 3 + 2 soon pulled away as I did the tip in, power out thing at my own pace. The road became more open towards Cathcart and so some catching up was indulged in, exploring things further around the rev counter. Electronic fuel level sensor lights up and the fuel trip starts to count kilometres since reserve. Sixty seven kilometres show as the bike stops, within five kilometres of Bombala.

I had caught the group by now and soon Rhys was back to check on me, and then off to do the petrol can thing. This is my third fuel problem on Club rides but, as the weather was perfect, the wait with a view over grazing cattle to a river tended to calm the soul and ease the embarrassment a little.

Bombala for lunch and bikes everywhere as it was their tenth year of running a bike show/rally and explained why there was so much two wheel activity on all the roads around the place. There was even R1 models in the window of the shop next to our lunch cafe. Weird three wheel scooter devices were trundling up and down the main drag. Hired by the hour they seemed to be making some serious money for someone. Lunch and chat over, we headed north on the Monaro Highway for about forty five kilometres and then turned east for Bemboka and the turn off to Candelo where another break was taken. The weather by now, mid afternoon, was quite warm. Nothing doing in Candelo. Val, my wife, had suggested it might have become the Daylesford of the area but no risk of that happening judging by the lack of activity. South from here to pick up the earlier road just out of Wyndham and do a rerun to Bombala.

Cann River Hotel booked for tonight, Saturday, so a spirited ninety kilometre ride south through Maharatta, Rockton Junction to complete the loop, across the border, and on to the end of a magic day's ride. Insects on this section were in plague proportions as the sun was low. By the time we arrived at Cann River we were well coated.

Bikes out of the way in the beer garden and another large meat type meal with a bottle of red. Cable TV in the bar indicated that Carlton was out of the football finals race. Oh dear. Better to be here than at home after Val and Lisa spent the day at the footy in the Labelmakers’ Box full of Richmond supporters. Next year maybe. So to bed, with the Dargo road to be tackled tomorrow. The R1 had behaved well except for some diagnostic activity indicating an EXUP valve problem. It was sticking closed as the revs came down to idle at intersections. It was later found to be a seized bush, fixed with some emery and copper coat.

Total distance to be found in other write ups (I hope) but as Rhys said, "The best way to get to know a bike is to put a couple of days like this under it". Indeed.

Geoff Jones (Yamaha R1)