Highlands                     Sunday 5th June 2005

 

Honda CBR929           Ian Payne (leader)                    YamahaR6                   Joel Haley

Honda CBR954           Steve Cowburn                        Kawasaki ZX12R        Paul Grosser

Honda CBR1100XX    Martin Hastie (rear)                  Suzuki TL1000S          Frank Kopacka (2nd ride)

Honda CBR929           Simon Trubianno                      Suzuki GSXR1000       Breht Stewart (2nd ride)

Honda CBR1000         Paul Southwell              Suzuki GSXR1000       Lyn Duncan

Honda CBR900           Breht Emmerson                       Triumph 955                 Ern Reeders

Honda CBR1100XX    Peter Feistl                               BMW R1150GS          Rob Langer

 

It’s Sunday morning and the weatherman has changed the forecast from rain to fine but cool. It was only 5 degrees when I got up.

 

A compulsory program of the VCR to record Speed Week, Superbike, Trackside and RPM before putting on plenty of warm clothes under the Glover bike suit. The leathers are in for zip replacements. I decided to use my HJC lift up helmet, which is too big but I planned to wear a balaclava to take up the slack. This proved to be a bad decision as I was uncomfortable all day with the helmet moving around because it was a loose fit. (Anyone care for a new, extra large HJC lift up helmet, black, cost $595 sell $200?)

 

Off for a quick blast down the Ring Road and through Christmas Hills arriving in Yarra Glen around 9.50am to find a group of bikes at the meeting point. Before I left home I thought the meeting point was at Whittlesea but checking the blue itinerary it said Yarra Glen.

 

By 10 past 10 there was still no sign of our leader Ian. I suggested to Paul he give him a ring. After some attempts on the mobile phone we found out that Ian was waiting at Whittlesea. It was decided to meet at Kinglake West, mid-point. Paul led and I took rear-riding duties.

 

We left Yarra Glen at 10.20 am with an altitude of 79 metres arriving at Kinglake West at 10.44am where the altitude was 514 metres. Ian, Lyn and Ern were waiting for us. After a quick pre-ride spiel we were on our way again with a slightly changed route from that planned.

 

The ride to Strath Creek was quick and my fingers were feeling the cold, but they were warmer than the three stiff wombats at various points on the side of the road.

 

Up through Highlands and over some loose stones on a resurfaced section of the road. The weather was kind and it really wasn’t that cold.  We arrived in Seymour at 11.58am. This turned into our lunch stop. We left 12.43 pm after refuelling. Ern left the ride at Seymour and Joel left the ride on the way to the break up at Whittlesea where we arrived at 2.12 pm.

 

Stats for those interested: the ride was 284 km long and the moving time was 3 hours 52 minutes. The average speed was 73 km/h and we travelled from an altitude of 79 meters to 659 meters throughout the ride.

 

Thanks to Ian for leading Part 2 and Paul for Part 1 of the ride. I hope you all had a good day. As I didn’t hear of any incidents we could assume it was a great ride.

 

Martin Hastie (Honda Blackbird CBR1100XX)