Email from Marty Thompson received in time for last month’s magazine but due to space constraints was held over for this month.

I did a trip to Sydney recently for work, and instead of flying, I decided to do a Marty and ride - with all the gear needed for ten days work in Sydney piled on the bike. Luggage consisted of a Ventura Rally bag, a tail bag on the back of the rack and a tank bag. Here is the report.

Sydney to Melbourne Bike Adventure

12^th November 2006 Well it was a bit of an epic journey up to Sydney today! I slept in till 7.15 this morning after another 1.30am finish. By the time I loaded and dressed it was near on 7.50, with fuel taking me to about 8 am.

I started off in just my leathers, hoping the rain would hold off. It was racing me as I tootled along the Hume. By Broadford it had started drizzling, so I stopped and donned the Joe Rocket waterproof jacket. In hindsight, I should have done the pants too, as half an hour later it started teaming down! I stopped under an overpass and slipped into the duds, as well as slipping my hands into some warmer gloves. The rain continued like this for another 200 kms. (Note:Ventura bags leak.)

Just after rejoining the freeway from filling up, a Honda Integra shot past me! Now I couldn't be 100% sure, as the tank bag sometimes obscured my view of the playschool clock! But I estimate he was doing @ $1.60!! So naturally I started to play wingman, using him as radar fodder. At some points it "felt" like we were doing 200 km's an hour! But I know in reality that's just being silly isn't it! Hehe!

Just after Albury the weather started to gradually dry out and warm up. But not before the stitching on my Ventura bag came slightly apart, with the wind catching it and finishing the job! Next thing I feel something hit me in the back, and I glimpse something fly off the bike! The wind had literally ripped the bag apart like a tin opener. I did a U turn and headed back down the road salvaging what I could. Thankfully, my laptop et el were ok and didn't get jettisoned! I rearranged things and used some ockies to tie it together enough to get me to Holbrook, where I wasted forty minutes finding some good gaffer tape and a couple of extra ockies. Job done! I couldn't open the bag, but at least everything was contained!

Mr. Integra must have passed me when I stopped, as just the other side of Jugiong he was pulled over on the side of the road having an exchange of views and paperwork with one of NSW’s finest! Apparently $1.30 was the damage report! His mate was driving though! I caught up with them again just after the Yass service centre. We then resumed play till we hit the Sydney traffic where I lost him. He must have been revving the ring off the Honda to keep up!

I arrived at the apartment in Parramatta at 4.43pm. The bike ran well, although I may need a chain after this run. Thankfully, the run home won't be a transport section with intentions to meet some mates in Batemans Bay on the Saturday I return for some playtime in the hills! I think I might post some of my gear home. The weight really made it struggle in the bends. Even the sweeping right from the M7 onto the M4 had the front oscillating at full lean! Day One ends.

Return Journey, 17^th November 2006 I commenced the return leg of the journey this afternoon. Sydney to Batemans Bay! I rolled out of the driveway in Rushcutters Bay at 5.45pm into the peak hour traffic, and arrived for dinner in Batemans bay at 8.45pm! Traffic was a bit much till past the Nasho turn off. Once past there things picked up a tad, thankfully. Apparently two mates are going to grace me with their presence about 9am tomorrow morning and show me a few nice roads.

I posted a box of clothes back today, so am 12 kgs lighter. I should have posted more, as all it really did was allow me to zip down the tank bag one level and a bit lighter on the tail bag mounted on the rack. It still steers like a shopping trolley, but at least now I can actually move around a little.

The chain on the 9 is a little grumpy. I think it has a seized link…. Or 30! It's got a rotational clunk till the chain warms. But even at low constant speeds it's now starting to do it. So fingers crossed it doesn't shit itself before home. Naturally I am giving the right grip a gentle squeeze rather than a big fist full to try and extend its life. I reckon 450 kms in the rain at @$1.50 might have helped it along a bit! I bathed it in lube when I stopped, so fingers crossed. The front tyre is also looking like a bit of a slick, edge to edge. But it will make it home. (It did too, with only a couple of the shiny silver steel belts managing to poke their way out the side of the tyre! I certainly got my money’s worth on this front tyre.)

After one of the best night’s sleeps I had had all week, (work was a killer, and I had one of the corporate high flyers keeping me up till all hours each night!) I woke up refreshed and ready for almost anything, and with two mates arriving from Canberra at 9.00am, anything was almost possible!

Saturday 18^th The morning air was a bit brisk and I could well imagine it was feckin cold on the run from Canberra for Dave (ZX12R) and Mick (ZX10R). The cloudless sky enabled the sun to soak the leathers in its warm rays. I could almost have gone to sleep, except for the traffic ... roadworks!

Dave led us off, with Mick taking duties on my tail, to make sure my luggage didn't part company with the bike again! (The stitching came apart on the Ventura bag again. In a different place this time! Cahns!)

The road down to the turn off was a nice warm up, with some sweeping sections, some tighter stuff, and some elevation and camber changes to keep you on your toes. As if the traffic wasn't enough of a challenge through this section, Dave and I consistently found gaps that two could get through, but unfortunately Mick kept getting caught. Each time, naturally enough, shortly after, we would see the headlights looming rapidly in our mirrors! Once we turned off the Highway for the run up into Candelo and Wyndham, we swapped posies, with Mick behind Dave, with me tail-end Charlie.

I had to work hard to keep these two in my sight. The load on the 9 would make it start walking around at near full lean, with several lines through corners being created at the discretion of the bike, not the rider! Ultra smooth and slow inputs were the order of the day, with a lot of body english required to maintain contact with them.

About half way through one of the first tight sections before Kameruka, Mick’s fitness levels came into play. What started off as bike I could only just hang onto the back of, soon became a bike which I was all over! He very obligingly pulled to the left and shut the throttle to allow me past. Thanks, I couldn't have passed ya otherwise mate!

I got into a bit of a rhythm after this, and started to try and catch up to Dave. Pretty soon some traffic gave Mick and me an opportunity to catch the slippery bugger! We then got ourselves glued to the 12's ducktail. It must have looked awesome to some of the more open minded or perhaps enthusiastic tin toppers we overtook! A string of three bikes howling either towards, or past them!

The run from Wyndham up to Cathcart is a pearler. Not for the feint hearted or capacity challenged! I spent about $2.60 odd along here! I think the other boys may have spent a little more even! We made good time to Bombala, refueled and headed back to the main street for lunch. A good old fashioned country style genuine fake meat patty was used in the making, of course! Bacon, eggs, and fresh beetroot and salad turned it into a 15 course meal that was almost as high as my tank bag! Lucky I have a big mouth, hey!

2 pm I departed Bombala, with a mission to make it back to Melbourne … ahead of schedule! This road was an easier task to handle fully laden, with it mostly being very expansive sweepers and flowing nicely without the necessity to utilise the brakes in too aggressive a manor. The 90 kms from Bombala to Cann River was dispensed with rapidly, knowing full well, that I would have to take it easy once I hit the Princes Copway!

I was still able to wind it up in parts. Thankfully, a few polite tin toppers signaled when the filth were about. I made Lakes Entrance by 3.40 pm for fuel and another debug of the visor, a task undertaken at every fuel stop and twice while on the move.

A quick call to the Bride to let her know I was still unarrested and I was off again! I took it easy from Lakes Entrance to Bairnsdale, as there are no B roads which run alongside, which can be utilised. From Bairnsdale I took my own route. This allows some reasonable time to be made up. The 9 ran onto reserve after only 170kms! There are some mad sweepers along these roads too. As well as several see-for-miles straights which enable transit times to be halved at the least! I popped back out onto the Freeway at Moe and used the tin toppers as radar fodder. Once onto the South Eastern dragway I wicked it up a tad and made good progress through the traffic arriving home at 6.30 pm. I think about 600 kms from Bombala to home. You do the math!

Marty Thompson