Licola – Sunday - 14/04/2002

Ron Johnston, Bandit 1200 (Leader) Tom Machalek, CBR 600 F4, (1^st)

Steve Monkhouse, ZX9R, (1^st) Orlando Iluffi, ZX6R

Will Tran, GSX 600, (1^st) Damien Tsang CBR 600, (1^st)

Mario Ibeas, R6, (1^st) Enzo Cunico, R1

Khiem Vu, CBR 250 RR, (1^st) Dave Deas, GSXR 600, (1^st)

Andrew Symes, RF 900 Graeme Maizy / Beryl Wicks, GTR 1000

James Booth, NSR 150, ex member Darren Morcomb, TL1000S

Kate Stewart, CBR 250 RR (rear rider) 15 Bikes, 16 People

The weather was much more pleasant this morning considering it was raining on Saturday and it was supposed to rain today as well. While I was having breakfast, Enzo rang to make sure what time we were leaving Hallam. I told him it was 10.15 am departure and that we would have to make tracks as we had a fair distance to travel. Another phone call was coming in and this time it was Will Tran. He asked about the ride, and I explained to him what it was about. He said he could bring a few of his friends along. I said that was okay and I would see him at Hallam. Back to having my breakfast, get myself organised, leathers, boots, bike out of shed, and ready to leave.

Friday I had Bridgestone Battlax tyre fitted to the front wheel, it had only done about 1200 klms. I leave home at 9:10am, get down the road, turn left and three houses up, I turned right only to find I kissed the tarmac, went down in a screaming heap, got myself together, the bike is lying on its side still running in 2^ND gear, rush over and hit the kill switch to prevent engine damage. Swear, swear, curses, standing there looking at it wondering what had happened. It was the front tyre, it had a silicone like substance all over it. I forgot to wash the stuff off the tyre on Friday after I had put the wheel back on. Paid the price for not doing it.

Anyway I had to pick the damn thing up, it took me a couple of goes, heavy thing it is, damage seemed to be minimal. Some bloke was walking along the footpath at the time it happened. I thought he might have rushed to my aid, but he didn’t. After I picked the bike, he asked if I was alright, I said I was, and he said “okay” and kept on walking as if nothing had happened.

Get back on the bike and try to start it. It took a couple of goes to get it going, having been lying down on the job. Back home check the damage, everything seems okay, except broken rear brake lever to which I drilled a hole through it and put a bolt in it so I could use it. Washed front tyre with a rag full of paint thinners and that got rid off the silicone like stuff of it. I had to tape the lense back on the front indicator, I had only put a new one on it on Saturday to replace the one broken on it last Saturday.

When doing a pre-ride last week it stalled as I was doing a U turn and I dropped it as well (not happy, Jan). That’s the 3^rd time I had dropped it in about 5 weeks.

Anyway time is running out and I had to go again, head off back to Hallam. Bit of a rush but got there at 10:15, fill up and go and check all these new people out. Will Tran introduced himself and 4 others that were with him. Kate and Enzo turned up. I was a bit disappointed not to see a few of the other regular riders turn up, the weather was good, but who knows, that’s the way it goes. The amount of other people that turned out made up for it, and I don’t remember seeing as many new people/ 1st time riders come along.

I got everybody together and explained the corner marking system, and said we normally carry a bag with First Aid equipment and some other gear in case of a flat tyre or a breakdown, but because we didn’t have it, I hoped we wouldn’t need it. I also told them that the stops would be spread out owing to the distance we have to travel.

I looked at the riders we had and had to volunteer Kate in for rear riding duties, she wasn’t too happy but said okay if some one else would take over later on. From memory Orlando said he would do it after lunch. Didn’t worry about the write up, but had to rush around and get all the names of the people on the ride.

We headed off as law abiding citizens down the Highwy to Pakenham. There was quite a bit traffic around. On to Nar Nar Goon. Between here and Tynong there was cyclists racing on push bikes so we had to go quietly. Carried on through Garfield (road works) Longwarry to Drouin, thru here to Drouin South where I went passed the turn off and had to do a U turn and go down the right road, Lardner, Ellinbank, where I had wait and have a regroup because some had to have a pit stop.

Cloverlea to Yarragon, cross the Hwy and follow the road on the other side of the rail. Trafalgar and on to Moe for the first stop. We were all filling up at the servo and a guy came over from the Hardware shop and said we could come over for a BBQ lunch to which most of us did, except Kate, Enzo and myself; we went to a bakery round the corner. A much welcomed stop.

After lunch we headed off out of Moe the back way and turn down Purvis road to Yallourn North.

Some of the ride has been a bit monotonous because of the straight roads we have had to travel on.

Tyers, Toongabbie to Heyfield where we stopped. Some had a pit stop, but nobody got fuel because we all had enough to go in and come out and fuel up. Gave every

body the warning WATCH FOR 4WDs.

Off we go again, Glenmaggie, we turned left at the cemetery and go around The Crescent because they are replacing the bridge on the main road. I had done a pre-ride the week before and the road was alright, but today was different, because through the week they had sprayed the road with what looked like tar over the stones and made it a little sus to ride on.

Throughout the ride Enzo had been helping with the corner marking. Makes a difference with all the newcomers.

Arrived in Licola with a couple of other riders close behind, and then there was nothing for a while which was unusual and the couple on the GTR arrived and said some one on a blue bike had gone down but was okay. I said to Enzo better go have a look, and told the others to wait here as I went with Enzo as well.

About 3 kms back they were on the side of the road, but couldn’t see anything wrong. Orlando was there hobbling around, but was okay. There were two others with him as well but I am not to sure who they were. Enzo had a look over the bike (ZX6) and it seemed okay, damage was cosmetic, Blinker, L H side of fairing and the cover on the end of the crank case was worn through, let the oil out other wise it was a rider. Enzo went to the farm house across the to see if we could leave the bike there until some one could pick it up, it was so the other two helped Enzo push it over to the farm and we left it parked under the tree.

Orlando took his jacket off and rolled back his T shirt to reveal a tear on his left shoulder, both elbows and part of his hand where his glove had rolled back and a sore knee. He (Orlando) explained that the person in the 4WD had come around the corner and decided to over take a car on the other half of the S bend and he had to run on the shoulder of the road and then managed to hang on, but lost it once it came back onto the road. I nearly saved it, I nearly saved it, said Orlando. He said Andrew on the RF 900 nearly got run off as well. I put him on the back of my bike and we went back to Licola, but as we were doing so the others were heading back and I was thinking that they were heading home.

Arrived Licola, went into the General Store and asked if they had a First Aid kit to which they did, and the Lady set to and cleaned up shoulder wound and elbow and put a dressing on both. Enzo and I had a coffee and Orlando a cold drink, he checked his knee outside and found a puncture wound with a hole about the size of the end of your little finger, looked a bit sus, the people in the store suggested we call in at the hospital at Heyfield and get it seen too.

After we finished we headed of to Heyfield and I had Orlando on the back of my bike, it was easier sitting on that than the R1. It was a slow trip on the way out, Enzo went ahead and waited for us at Heyfield, when we got their we went straight to the hospital and got Orlando seen to. Enzo followed us and said someone was corner marking but I didn’t see them, the rest of the group had come back to Heyfield to wait for us, wasn’t that nice, heres me thinking they had all gone home but they hadn’t.

Inside the hospital there was a young mother with a baby and a young child and she had been waiting 5 minutes, we were talking to her when a lady came out to see what was going on. She spoke to the mother and then Orlando told her what happened and she told him he had better sit down and she would get some one to see him straight away. A male nurse came out and showed us into the room where it all happens. I had to help him get some of his gear off. He was bit sore at this stage, the dressing we put on at Licola was saturated with blood.

Enzo came back and said the others were still at the service station waiting. The accident happened about 3.30pm and it was now 4.45pm, Enzo said he had to start work at 8.pm. I said you had better head back yourself and tell the others we will have to abandon the ride from here because we will be here a while and that I would drop Orlando home. After a brief discussion we said our farewells and that was that.

The nurse patched Orlando up and had to get the doctor in to sew up the hole in his knee, he put 3 stitches in it, didn’t look very nice. We ended up leaving the hospital around 5.20pm. Poor Orlando had bit of trouble getting on the bike.

Called in at the service station, filled up and we were on our back to Melbourne. We left just after 5.30pm. We came back the same way except for when we got Trafalgar and then we came straight down the Hwy, onto the South Eastern through tunnel across the Bolte Bridge down the Tullamarine Fwy, Moreland rd to Coburg to Orlando's place. Got there at 8.00pm which wasn’t bad. It was 215 kms from Heyfield to Coburg. It was a long ride 2 up. Stayed there an hour and had some tea and ended getting home about 10.00pm. I had ridden over 600 klms for the day. It was a long day considering I left home in the around 09.00am.

I hope everybody enjoyed themselves, the weather was great and I hope we see some of the riders that came out with us today come out on future rides. There were 2 accidents, Orlandos & myself, I only got 150 yards from home when I went down. Damage to my bike was cosmetic, blinker (I had only replaced it on Saturday from a fall the week before) R H side fairing got broken were flasher went into it, mirror and brake lever scratched, broke rear foot brake lever, R H side engine cover,(gravel rash) rear flasher and the muffler,(same) R H side plastic under seat where my boot was dragged along the side, little piece on the front guard. I have a lump and a very large bruise on my right hip as well as sore shoulder. Keep riding and stay sunny side up (Orlandos bike was picked up from Licola on Tuesday by the assessor and brought back to Melbourne to be repaired)

Ron Johnston (Suzuki Bandit 1200)