Noojee Tool Shed                 16th June 2002

 

Tim Walker      Kawasaki ZX7R  (Leader)                  Pete Weyermayr           Honda 929 

Liz Oliver         Honda 919                                           Paul Tallents                 Honda  919

Ron Johnston    Bandit 1200                                        Les  Leahy                   KTM 640, (Rear Rider)

Ben & Julie Warden, Car                                              Dave Ward                  BMW funduro

 

Another late write up; I should do it when I get back after the ride. It makes things a little easier to remember.  Running late as usual, stopping for fuel on the way. Arrived Yarra Glen to find there was nobody there and thought the others must have left on the dot. I was a bit annoyed with myself and was wondering whether I should set off in hot pursuit, or just wait and see if anybody else would turn up.  There was a trail bike parked there which I did not recognize. I pulled up and parked, only to find Les Leahy standing there. I asked if any of the others had turned up and he replied that they hadn’t. (Phew....relief, wouldn’t have to go in hot pursuit after all…)

 

I asked Les, a dedicated Yamaha person, about his new KTM. He reckoned he had bought it against his better judgment but will wait and see.  Soon Tim, Pete and Liz and even Paul Tallents arrived. It was good to see Paul as he hadn’t been riding for a long time. He mentioned he had trouble starting his bike because he hadn’t ridden it for a while. Tim got everyone’s attention and gave us the run down on where we were going. Les volunteered for rear rider, and, as I was taking the particulars down of who’s who, I got to be the scribe for the day.

 

We’re off on the usual back track to Healesville where we turned left up Chum Creek Road - not a bad road if I say so myself.  At the Shire of Murrindindi sign they have put new hot mix on the road, almost to the top, and the finish is like a billiard table. Grouse! I can’t wait till a warm summer’s day to try it out, it will be fantastic….

 

I corner marked at Toolangi with Paul before we headed down Myers Creek Road.  The weather wasn’t too bad. But about half way down I noticed the temperature dropped by about 10 degrees. Pete and Liz were corner marking at Healesville. I stopped along with Paul and waited for Les to arrive so we would stay bunched together. 

 

Over the Black Spur we go. I passed a couple on a Ducati going the other way on a corner and the next thing I know the rear of my end of my bike started to hang out, on the white line. I suddenly got my wits together. About half way up we saw where they had fixed the road and a bit further on they had done the same thing, but between the two there was a quite a deep trench across the road at a diagonal. The road is getting worse. Too much heavy traffic. It really needs a lot of money spent on it.

 

At the Marysville turn off, just about everybody was giving their Woolworth’s bladders a work out due to the cool weather. We carried on to Marysville and up the back way to Reefton Spur. The road was deserted apart from us lot. The Spur Keepers (John and Eric) were at the bottom talking to a couple of other riders. We waited until Les arrived and then off to Warburton for our first stop, a welcome one considering the weather.  We stopped at the bakery that used to be the old servo many years ago. Hot drinks and some warm food to tide us over till we get to Noojee. A little bit of gossip and some tall stories didn’t go amiss. Liz was having a bit of trouble getting her laughing gear around a jelly slice that Pete had bought for himself. 

 

Soon it was time to go again. Down the Highway to Wesburn and left turn into Tarango Road. This is a nice tight twisty road with some surprises for the unsuspecting rider. The road comes out at Gladysdale on the Yarra Junction – Noojee road.  A left turn and we wait for Les and then we’re off. I love this road to Noojee. It’s grouse. Between Powelltown and Piedmont we passed some bikes and, as I came up behind one of them, I mistakenly thought it was Ben because he had the same colour jacket. I corner marked at Piedmont and all the bikes we had passed, passed us. I thought they might be going to the Tool Shed too.

 

We arrived at the Tool Shed, parked our bikes and walked down the path to find Ben and Julie. They, of course, had come in the car. We went and had something to drink and came back outside and sat at the table. After a while it started to rain so we went inside, ordered our meals, and sat at a table inside. I kept everybody entertained with a few wild stories and Ben asked if I would like to write an article for the mag. I suggested it would be in my best interest if I didn’t, but it certainly was good listening too.  It started to rain really heavily and Tim said he had to go home to watch the soccer, which we ragged him about it. He left and we must have stayed for an hour or so before we headed home.

 

Most of us had wet seats, mine in particular being sheepskin, was hard to get rid of the water. Down to the shop to get petrol, other wise I wouldn’t be going too far. I led the ride back. On the up-hill climb after all the flat stuff, I had the back end slide out and both feet went down as a precaution. It was a slow ride over the top because the road was greasy as hell and you couldn’t do anything but ride slowly. Liz was riding behind me and commented about the back end of her bike sliding about.

 

At Yarra Junction we turned left into Milners Road which is a tight and twisty with a hill thrown in, then Parkinsons Road through to Wickhams Road which brought us onto the Maroondah Highway. Pete, Liz and Les came back to my house to warm up in front of the heater and loose some wet weather gear. The funny thing was no-one wanted a hot drink. Hmmmm. A good day was had by all. No incidents. Weather was okay for most of the day. I did about 340 kilometres.

  

 

Ron Johnston   Bandit 1200.